Writing Out West

Your Writing Adventure

2012-02-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quotes pertaining to writing is by E. L. Doctorow. He said, "Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." That is how I feel when I start a new book. I might have the opening in my mind, and a few scenes in between, maybe the ending (which will usually change), but the rest comes as I travel that long, dark road with the “headlights” opening the way around each bend and over each hill, showing me things I wasn’t expecting and involving my characters in adventures I hadn’t planned.

Not all writers go about it this way. I am thoroughly amazed and impressed by writers who sit down and plot every last detail out before they put one word to paper. They use elaborate outlines up to a hundred pages worth--some even scene by scene. And there are those (it’s rumored) who even construct storyboards, sketches and all.

But this degree of organization not only boggles my mind, it makes me highly suspicious. Certainly these individuals run into some bumps in the road even with their detailed planning!

For me, every book idea is like a river, continually changing. Invariably, no matter the preparation I undertake beforehand, when I start writing, the characters say things I wasn’t expecting, do things I didn’t anticipate, open doors I didn’t know existed, and head down roads that weren’t on my map! Then along comes an intriguing character or idea that becomes integral to the story and not only puts my elaborate outline in the ditch but ultimately makes the book better and stronger. I always discover things about my characters and my plot that I simply couldn’t see until the writing began and the characters came to life. I’ve also discovered that these surprises are what makes the writing journey so challenging, fun, and rewarding.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how a writer gets from page one to the end. Some methods are better than others for each of us, but there is no right or wrong way. Do what works for you. One way or the other, all you really need when you embark on your writing adventure is a spare tire, a full tank of gas, and a really good set of headlights.

Publishing Changes in Our Future

2012-01-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

With the tremendous success of ebooks and the closure of many bookstores around the country, everyone in the publishing industry has had some new challenges to face. For those of us who have been in the industry for twenty or thirty years, the changes might be harder to get our minds around. Things simply aren't the way they used to be, from submitting your work, to selling it, to marketing it. It's a whole new way of doing business and things are changing so rapidly it can be rather daunting for those of us used to doing things the old way. But there's a lot of information out there if you can find the time to weed through it. Here's an article and a site that has a lot of good information and might be of interest to many of you, both new writers and seasoned. "Five Big Publishing Stories of 2011" at Digital World.

Author Interview: Janie Quinn Storck

2011-12-08T09:40:00.001-07:00

First, Linda, thanks so much for requesting this interview and giving me this opportunity. I was born in a small town in Alabama but grew up in Miami, Florida. My husband and I moved to Idaho where we lived for a number of years and then returned to Florida. We now live in the mountains of western North Carolina. I started writing stories as a child and always considered books my best friends. I have had several short stories published in literary magazines, one of which won an award.

Tell us a little about your psychic thriller, From the Shadows.

Anne Merrill, a reluctant psychic, leaves her home in Bermuda to become an agent for OSS during WWII. She soon finds herself in a psychic battle with her powerful, German-born, psychic father, Albert, as well as with an ancient, secret society, the Chhayas (Shadows) Society, that is attempting to help the Nazis defeat the Allies. During all this, she and fellow OSS agent, half-white/half-Navajo, Paul Bancroft, who is haunted by the shadow of a terrible hereditary disease, fall in love. Anne first plays cat-and-mouse games with a female Nazi spy in Istanbul. She is then sent to Berlin when OSS penetrates the Third Reich. The story is told mostly from Anne's viewpoint but also from Paul and Albert's viewpoint as the story action vaults from Bermuda to London to New York to Spain to Turkey and, lastly, to Berlin.

As a writer, I could fully appreciate the research that must have gone into From the Shadows. Can you tell us what gave you the initial idea to write this book, and a little about the research process and its complexity.

A number of years ago, I read a book entitled Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain about the psychic research going on in Russia. I never forgot that book. I have always had an interest in psychic phenomenon having experienced minor brushes with it myself. Also, I have talked to people who have had major psychic experiences. I read a number of books on the daring and brave deeds of women pilots and spies during WWII. And in recent years, I have become interested in what is called Earth Mysteries, which takes in a number of subjects such as ley lines or power grids beneath the earth's surface, geomancy, sacred sites, etc. Then I happened to read some books about secret societies and their connections to the occult, and, in some cases, their connections to Hitler and WWII. As usually happens when I research, one idea or topic leads me into another and, in total, I researched some forty books to write this one book. Out of the threads of all this research, my characters and the plot idea came together.

Did psychic espionage actually play a role in WWII, and was Hitler engaged in this and other aspects of the occult?

From a couple of nonfiction books I read, Hitler was described as being an explorer of the occult mysteries. And, supposedly, Himmler, as well as others around Hitler, was deeply involved in belief in the occult. It was said that the rise of the Third Reich was meticulously contrived and orchestrated. The ceremonies surrounding some of Hitler's banal speeches were said to have been occult-inspired and superbly stage-managed to control the people. And in England, there were psychics who met together to raise their powers to keep the Germans out of England. Also, supposedly, British Intelligence, and probably OSS, put a few psychics and astrologers on the payroll. And there was the wife of a high military official who, purportedly, could 'see' enemy ships and submarines at sea. And, at least in one instance, her information helped the Allies to sink some German submarines. Also, during WWII, a Jew, executed by the Nazis, was reported to have used paranormal powers to help the Polish resistance. In WWI, there were dowsers who were able to locate mines, traps and drinking water with success. And there were a few reports of psychic abilities being used in battles.

Do you have favorite authors who might have influenced your desire to write?

As I wrote earlier, books were my friends from a very early age. My parents, especially my mother, were readers. I used to read books off my mother's bookshelf. She had a couple of books by John Steinbeck that I read and was impressed with. A little later, I became a great fan of Taylor Caldwell who did splendid characterizations.

In your opinion, and your experience, what aspect of the writing/marketing process presents the biggest challenge for writers in today's changing publishing atmosphere?

The Internet has greatly changed the publishing parameters, of course. In many ways, it has thrown the literary industry into chaos. A lot of talented writers and good books have been, for various reasons, basically shut out of the regular publishing industry. But while the Internet offers writers a wonderful opportunity, getting your books noticed in that environment is quite daunting. For me personally, the marketing aspect is difficult, as I am by nature a shy, reserved person. And nowadays, between talk of platforms and writers being encouraged to be more aggressive in pushing their books and themselves, I find it difficult to fit in. Yet, I realize that marketing my work is important. I remember reading a book about Dean Koontz and how his publishers kept after him to do book tours, etc., and he kept trying to avoid it. This, by the way, was at a time when he was already very well known, and his books were at the top of the best seller lists. Reading about his attitude helped me feel not so odd.

Do you have any thoughts on the large number of authors, both new and established, who are turning to self-publishing? What would be the pros and cons in your opinion?

When agents became the primary gatekeepers to most of the major publishing houses, I think, as I wrote earlier, it closed the door to a lot of very talented people with good, viable books. Also, when the big media companies took over most of the literary industry, aside from some university and small presses, it became more of a bean counter environment. I have read countless times how agents will admit to being ready to say no to a manuscript far faster than yes. And the big publishing houses seem to expect most books to be blockbusters, which, to my way of thinking, is ridiculous. Being an old movie fan, I remember hearing a famous actor talk about the studio-system and how they just put out a lot of movies, not expecting most of them to be blockbusters. She thought the idea that present-day Hollywood had that every movie should be a blockbuster was totally unrealistic. Well, the same goes for books. For established writers, they may feel they want more control over their work and keeping it out there. The POD world can give them that. I order mysteries from a little company in Colorado, and numerous times they have talked about this or that wonderful author's books going out-of-print. A lot of these mystery writers have now turned to POD to get their books back on the market. Again, though, the biggest problem is marketing one's work and trying to get some notice among all the books being published.

What's next for you? Do you have a new book in the making?

I have a couple of adult novels, which I am reworking right now. And I have two middle-grade children's books that I am going through again. Also, I am doing research on another idea for an adult novel involving the subjects of earth mysteries, archaeology and early civilizations. As well as being a catholic reader, I am also a catholic writer. I don't fit easily into categories, which has always been a bit of a problem for me regarding the publishing world.

You can purchase Janie's book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Lulu.

Making Promises

2011-12-03T14:18:00.004-07:00

We’ve all known the person who says they’ll call but never do, or who says they’ll meet you at the restaurant at 1:00 on Tuesday but never show. And when you call them to see what happened, they don’t even remember having made the date. We quickly realize this person is unreliable and, consequently, we no longer want to do things with him or her and we cease believing anything they say. They made promises they didn’t keep and they lost our faith and trust.

What exactly do I mean by promises in writing? These come in the form of dilemmas, obstacles, conflicts, and twists and turns in the plot. In each scene you make a promise that something is going to happen in the next scene and then the one after that. You suggest something is going to go wrong to mess up your character’s plans for the future he envisions for himself. You hint at impending disaster. You create suspense in everything your characters do and say and in how they interact. As you fulfill one promise, make another one, until each promise flows into the next and until each one is fulfilled in the book’s final resolution.

Readers anticipate the best–and the worst–and they darn well don’t want to be let down. If you keep promising something, but nothing happens, you’re going to be in big trouble. You’re going to lose credibility.

This makes me think of the famous poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” by Robert Frost. Although it had nothing to do with writing, the words still might hold wisdom for us if we apply them to our situation and read between the lines.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

It is fun but challenging to navigate the “lovely, dark and deep” world of novel writing. We do have promises to keep to our readers, and we should not rest until we meet our ultimate goal of successfully fulfilling each and every one of them. If we don’t deliver on those promises, we won’t have readers for long, and we will become like that unreliable friend who forgets her promises as soon as they leave her mouth. We should always strive to be the writer our readers can trust for a good read.

You Don't Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

2011-10-22T16:18:00.000-06:00

This blog first appeared on the Blue Sage Writers of Idaho blogspot, October 3, 2011.

Most agents and writers have come to prefer email submissions to snail mail. It is decidedly easier for all parties and saves the writer a lot of money in postage. As a matter of fact, the loss of all those query letters, partials, and bulky manuscripts, along with return postage, could very well be what is causing the U. S. Postal Service’s financial demise.

Agents really like email queries because they can easily hit the “delete” button if they aren’t interested. And, you, the writer can easily choose 100 agents and send your query out to all of them simultaneously. Right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

It’s acceptable to send out multiple query letters. After all, if you sent out one at time, you might not live long enough to get through your list unless you’re twenty when you start querying. Granted, email does make it so you only have to wait weeks, rather than months, for a response, but it’s still not a good idea to get overzealous. I personally prefer to choose around five agents at a time and wait to see what sort of response I get. If it’s positive and they want to see more, I can assume my query letter piqued their interest. If I don’t get a response, or get all negative responses, then I realize I might need to rework the query letter. The same philosophy goes for a partial, and so on to the request of a full manuscript.

The bottom line is you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so don’t exhaust all the agents on your list in one fell swoop. You want to leave your options open to rework your query, your partial, or your manuscript if each phase of submission isn’t garnering the interest to take it to the next level.

Author Interview: Kae Cheatham

2011-09-13T10:11:00.002-06:00

Kae Cheatham has published more than a dozen books of fiction and nonfiction. Her juveniles' biography, of American Indian activist Dennis Banks, was a SPUR Award Finalist. Kae has written for newspapers and national magazines, including American Cowboy and Pro Rodeo World. For several years she was an assistant editor at Athlon Sports Communications. She has also edited for Thomas Nelson and Falcon Press. Her poetry has been published in many literary journals.

When did you begin writing? At what point did you decide you wanted to write professionally?

Linda, first of, I want to thank you for offering this interview to me. Authors such as you do a great service to the rest of us by providing these opportunities.

As to your question, when did I begin writing? It seems I’ve been writing for most of my life. In a scrapbook, I found a story I had scribbled out when I was probably 6 or 7 years old. My mother had saved it. I have a lot of imagination, and fabricating tales and “what ifs,” both in fiction and poetry, has been a big part of my life.

For the professional part—it wasn’t a decision as much as a happening. I made half-hearted attempts in high school and college to have my poetry and a few short stories published, with small successes; but writing was my aside. I used it as an outlet—an escape from my regular life that became so very typical and boring: Wife, Mom, Wife, Mom. At that time, I was part of a once-a-month writers group and read to them a children’s story I’d penned. One member was well published, and she encouraged me to send the story to her editor. I did. The result (after many rewrites—this was back in the era when editors would work with an author and not expect a finished product on first read) was SPOTTED FLOWER AND THE PONOKOMITA. I’m happy to say that 32 years later the title is still in print, garnering sales and positive comments.

You have been published traditionally as well as independently. Can you tell us a little about your books?

When my first book was published, there weren’t many options for independent publishing—at least I didn’t know about them. Submitting proposals and manuscripts was standard operating procedure for most authors.

My traditionally published titles are: SPOTTED FLOWER AND THE PONOKOMITA and LIFE ON A COOL PLASTIC ICE FLOE (Westminster Press [a Presbyterian press]). I was, at this point, thinking, “I can publish books!” and had started on a historical fiction piece. My writers group suggested I get an agent (much easier back then than it is today). I queried with my WIP and within a few months was agented. BRING HOME THE GHOST, and THE BEST WAY OUT (my third YA title) came out from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

THE ADVENTURES OF ELIZABETH FORTUNE was first published by a small indy press (that went out of business in an inglorious manner when the book had been out for only 8 months). I sold DAUGHTER OF THE STONE (speculative fiction) and BLOOD AND BOND (contemporary western) to online publishers, but they didn’t do well.

Westminster Press stopped selling secular material, and when the remaindered copies I’d bought of the Spotted Flower book were running low, I decided to go indie. I started a little company, bought a block of ISBN numbers, and reprinted the Spotted Flower title (and the reprint is in its second printing). I republished DAUGHTER OF THE STONE and THE ADVENTURES OF ELIZABETH FORTUNE and published CHILD OF THE MIST (the second SF) and KANSAS DREAMER: FURY IN SUMNER COUNTY (historical fiction).

Now I’ve jumped into the e-book industry and offer most of my titles as e-books through Nook and Kindle. This also includes a collection of poems and short stories, LOST NEWS, and an historical novella ON PROMISED LAND.[More complete info at Kaios Books.]

Out of all your books, is there one that gave you the biggest challenge, and why? Is there one that you could say “wrote itself?”

The title that gave the biggest challenge was KANSAS DREAMER: FURY IN SUMNER COUNTY. In my first writing, the character was too young, the story sort of frivolous. I wanted this to be an adult title and not have it categorized as YA. I liked my premise and the situation (my protagonist is clairvoyant and helps to solve a rustling and murder mystery). I wrote and re-wrote that story several times during 5-6 years. I am satisfied with the results, and Books-In-Motion accepted it into their audio book line in 2004.

The title that “wrote itself” was the historical fiction, BRING HOME THE GHOST. A voice just popped up and said, “I’m Jason; you have to tell my story.” Even with research (1830s in the southeast and the western frontier), I completed the first draft in 3 months—a draft that was good enough to entice my first agent.

How do you feel about the new rage in e-books? Do you have any advice for authors who would like to independently publish their books in either that format or paper?

E-books are surrounded right now by a lot of hype—both from producers and the indie authors who are putting up mega-numbers of titles each month. But I know many, many people who are “faithful” to paperbound books. I don’t think traditional books will disappear. I do think the e-book represents an astounding change for the book marketplace; and I see print-on-demand books as a big part of future publishing, from traditional publishing houses as well as indies.

My advice to authors who are considering the various publishing options:

• Be certain what you write is the best it can be. Edit, rewrite, and seek help from others, be they beta readers or professional editors.

• Don’t “give away” your hard work just to be published. Research all the possible means of getting your work to the public. Once you decide on a few, do comparisons and read all the contracts well; ask advice from others, know what the printers (such as Create Space and iUniverse) or publishers are offering. Don’t get gulled into big promises from these companies; they usually benefit the company more than the author.

• Be prepared to do a lot of marketing. Your marketing should begin 8-9 months (for print) 3-4 months (for electronic) before your product is released, with an active website or blog, and a page on one or more social networking sites. Find honest reviewers both on line and off.

• Don’t expect overnight results. Posting a link to your new title isn’t going to garner sales within one or two days. Although e-books give the immediate reward of seeing your work out there for others to find, the book sales and reviews might take weeks or months to become satisfying. One key is not to become disillusioned. The biggest key is to keep writing.

Much has been said about social networking as the new way to promote one’s books. How do you feel about it, and do you have any particular suggestions for writers? (What works, what doesn’t?)

Social networking is quite important in book promotion, especially for an indie author. It is a way to advertise on a grand scale, and if effective planning and techniques are used, this advertising can produce good results. The options are many, and, unless an author has a PR person or a family member to keep track of it all, it’s important to choose the sites where you’re comfortable and can manage it without suffering a significant cut in your production. For authors, I stress the importance of a regularly updated blog and/or website. Book site (such as GoodReads and Library Thing) and Facebook author pages as beneficial. Book forums, especially those geared toward e-books, can be helpful if you keep your posts interesting and not just hype for your book.

Besides writing, you also own your own company, Get It Together Productions. Can you tell us more about it?

Get It Together Productions is the umbrella company that houses my KAIOS Books publishing and the other freelance work I do. I started out developing flyers and websites for authors and rural industry (farriers, horse trainers...). It has morphed into a book production company, where I edit, do layout (print and electronic), and design book covers.
GIT Productions Blogspot and GIT Productions Facebook.

Are you currently working on a new writing project?

I plan to finish the rewrite and reprint BRING HOME THE GHOST (originally published in 1983) during 2011-2012 cold weather. It will have a new title and some expanded material. I guess that isn’t really a “new” project, however, since it’s a reprint. On the NEW category, I have the third book in the SF series flopping around in my head. Hopefully, I can get that more structured and written.

More Links:

KANSAS DREAMER
BLOOD AND BOND

What? I Have to Speak!

2011-08-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

I’ve always been a shy person so writing became a natural way for me to express myself. I think it stems from my parents’ philosophy that children should be seen and not heard, and that a child wasn’t supposed to interrupt the adults unless there was fire or blood. (Being the youngest of four children, I was even more unlikely to get a voice.) Anyway, my parents were so successful in instilling this mindset in me that when I finally became an adult and realized I could now voice my opinion, I didn’t know how. I was of the notion that nothing I had to say could possibly be important enough for others to listen to. I mean, if there was no fire or blood, it had to be true, right? But when I sat down to write, I could talk through my characters and they could say exactly what I wanted them to say, and other characters would respond exactly as I wanted them to respond. Such gratification.

I think a lot of writers are shy for whatever reason, and they’d like to just be left alone in their little attic alcoves or their basement cubbyholes and write. But then one day all that writing pays off and they find themselves with a published book in hand. They go forth to promote it, and, to their dismay, the phone starts ringing. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry has one question: “Will you come speak to our group?”

That’s when the old heart sinks and you stutter and stammer and finally say yes because it’s so damn hard to say no. You arrive at the meeting and you wish to hell you’d stayed in your attic writing brilliant prose. You struggle your way through a “speech” with shaking hands and dry mouth, and when it’s over you rush back home and say, “I am NEVER going to do that again.”

And then the phone rings. “Will you come speak at our conference?”

Shit.

You seriously consider delisting your phone number.

Of course, there are rewards to public speaking. You sell books and meet a lot of great, like-minded people, and often come away with new friendships. And you might find you actually enjoy it. (I haven’t gotten to that point yet, but wonders never cease). Also, if you make yourself go out and speak every time you’re asked, then eventually you might relax and get the hang of it. (I haven’t gotten to that point yet, but wonders never cease).

Then there are those writers who should have been actors or stand-up comedians. I SO admire them. They love the spotlight. Their audiences love them, and they sell tons of books. They walk into a room and command attention. I love listening to them, and wish I could be like them. They are not just writers. They are entertainers. But I have also listened to speakers who thought they were terrific but who were so self-centered and arrogant, or boring, that I walked away deciding not to buy their books. So sometimes NOT speaking might be the wiser choice.

What I’m getting at here is that you have to know your own personality when it comes to speaking, and you have to try to find the balance that works for you. For me, I can handle small, informal groups of writers and readers, and I love sitting around chatting about books and writing. I don’t mind being on panels because it’s not really a “speech” and I don’t have to wax poetic, dance, or sing. I can answer questions and give opinions until the cows come home. But I hate getting up behind a podium with a room full of people who expect me to be as witty and clever and brilliant as my books! I’d rather go to the dentist and have my teeth drilled without novocaine. Seriously.

Still there’s hope even for us painfully shy people. You might be able to work yourself up to the bigger gigs and find out you really enjoy all the attention and accolades. If you are determined to be a good speaker, take classes in speaking (and acting!) and see if you can overcome your fright. Tell yourself that when you get up in front of people, they are there to learn something from you--they’re not there to watch you shaking in your boots. They truly want you to succeed. If you can convince yourself of this one simple thing, you can oftentimes pull it off and walk away saying, “Hey, that wasn’t so bad. I might do it again.”

Bottom line: it behooves writers to hone their speaking skills because writing nowadays is all about self-promotion. Publishers love writers who are great speakers because they can go forth and hand-sell tons of their books at conferences and similar venues. So whether you love to be in the spotlight, or whether you hate it, writing isn’t the solitary career you might have thought it was. Some day that phone will ring, and you will be asked to speak.

Use Stereotyping to Your Advantage

2011-08-03T15:46:00.001-06:00

We have been told absolutely, under no circumstances, should we ever use stereotypes in our writing. But in life we stereotype people all the time. From the first moment we see or meet someone, we are stereotyping them. We “size” them up by the clothes they wear, the way they talk, the type of job they have, where they live, the car they drive, even the type of dog they pack around in their Gucci bag. And, ironic as it might seem, people really do fall into stereotypes – all of us. Certain “types” look and act and behave in ways that have become so predictable that a stereotype has developed.

But there are times when stereotyping is exactly what the book doctor ordered.

How can that be, you say? That would be breaking the rules.

Enter: a minor character who is there as part of the scene and who is there to interact with the main character to advance the story or give insights into some aspect of our main character. But this “walk on” character will not take a role beyond that scene. If we stereotype this minor character, he will look and act exactly the way we expect. He will say exactly what we expect him to say. We won’t need to be told much about him because the stereotype will draw the picture for us.

Here are some examples of stereotypes: the chatty hairdresser, the waitress with the perky pink uniform chewing on a wad of bubble gum, the old man in the alley with his bottle of wine, the harried mother in the grocery store with her screaming kids, the biker with his leather jacket and tattoos all over his shaved head, the absent-minded professor with the Einstein hair and bow tie, the gruff rancher walking into the feed store with manure on his boots, the sullen teenage girl ignoring her mother, the jock in the tight T-shirt flirting with the cheerleaders.

We immediately see this people and categorize them into a group that we are comfortable with and understand. There will be no surprises from them. And when the scene is over and they’ve served their purpose, we’ll stash them away to be easily forgotten, which is exactly what we should do.

But stereotyping can be a powerful tool for your main characters too. For example, let’s take the biker with the leather jacket and tattoos all over his shaved head. Let’s show him parking his Harley in the Walgreen’s parking lot, striding uneasily inside and making his way self-consciously back to the pharmacy. Let’s see him asking the pharmacist for a prescription pain medicine called in by his mother’s doctor. Let’s listen to the pharmacist explain to him the dosage and then caution him that he needs to administer it to his mother himself because she might not be “thinking straight.” He hands the medicine to the biker with sympathy on his face and says, “I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s cancer. Tell her I said hello.”

Instantly, the biker has stepped out of stereotype. He’s surprised us, piqued our interest, and has become a main player we want to know more about. He’s not the tough guy we might have thought he was. He has a dying mother and he’s out of his element in dealing with it. We immediately want to know everything about him from his childhood to the present.

So, bottom line, if you want to keep a “walk on” character invisible and forgettable, stick to the stereotype. But if you want to hold onto your reader for the long haul, go ahead and stereotype your main characters, then throw a curve ball (or two or three) and make it work to your advantage.

Brainstorming: Good for the Writing; Good for the Soul

2011-07-24T09:34:00.004-06:00

Face it. Sometimes when it comes to plotting our books, our brains get stuck in a gigantic rut. We get set on an idea or a direction and no matter what we do we can’t get beyond it to open the door to something new and better. I don’t know a writer who hasn’t faced this. (If you haven’t, there’s something wrong with you!).

It’s been said a gazillion times that two heads are better than one. Get a bunch of heads together and it’s even better. This is the one time in writing when “talking heads” is acceptable. Sometimes all it takes is for a fellow writer, or engaged friend/reader, to ask some simple questions about your plot and, voila, the muddy road immediately dries out and you can pull right out of that rut and get back on the road.

I have three daughters who also write, so it is very fun and productive for us to brainstorm our ideas. I just came back from a week-long visit with one of my daughters and after several BS sessions (i.e., brainstorming sessions) we were able to help her with a book ending she hadn’t been completely satisfied with, and I was able to see more clearly a book I’d wanted to write for years but couldn’t because of that danged rut that kept bogging me down.

A good brainstorming partner should have the same qualifications as a good critique partner, but the main thing for both is someone who not only loves books but who understands writing, who understands you, and who will energize you so much that when you go home, you don’t want to do anything but head straight to your computer and start writing.

Author Interview: Rod Miller

2011-04-26T11:25:00.007-06:00

Today we're going to visit with author, Rod Miller. With three books just released, it has been an eventful spring and will be a busy summer for him. Born and raised in Utah, Miller has worked as an advertising copywriter for more than three decades for ad agencies in Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. He comes from a cowboy family, and is a veteran of the rodeo arena, riding bareback broncs for the Utah State University Intercollegiate Rodeo team, and in pro rodeos around the West. He is a member of Western Writers of America and several other organizations dedicated to preserving the history, culture, and literature of the American West.

Tell us about your recent release, Things a Cowboy Sees and Other Poems, and why you were inspired to write it.

After some 20 years making my living as an advertising copywriter, I took a notion, for unknown reasons, to try writing poetry. Never before had I considered writing anything other than what I wrote for work, nor had I any notion that I could write anything else. But I had long been a fan of cowboy poetry and had read and heard a good deal of it, and one day I wondered if I could write a cowboy poem. That was about 15 years ago, and I have been at it ever since—a simple case of curiosity, I suppose, started it all.

Soon after I started writing poems I started submitting them to the cowboy and Western magazines that published poetry at the time and submitting to whatever anthologies I could find out about, and experienced a good deal of success seeing my work in print. With that encouragement, I wanted to have a book of poems and searched high and low for a publisher willing to consider a cowboy poetry collection. That proved difficult, nearly impossible.

Finally, after a decade or so of looking, I learned about Port Yonder Press. It’s a relatively new publisher, growing deliberately, and they’re trying a number of things including poetry and various kinds of fiction, and some of what they’re publishing has a Western and cowboy flavor. Incidentally, later this year they’re publishing an anthology of short Western fiction, cowboy Christmas stories, and I have a story in that. But, anyway, to get back to the point, I submitted a proposal for a poetry collection, they accepted it, and Things a Cowboy Sees and Other Poems is the result.

They put together, I think, a well-edited, well-designed collection and I am extremely happy with how it turned out. Retail distribution will be a challenge, as it is with most poetry books, but we hope to push demand with reviews and publicity. It’s distributed by Ingram so is readily available through any bookstore, and, of course, on Amazon. Direct sales at Cowboy Poetry events and at workshops and other speaking engagements is also in the mix, and I have several appearances lined up through the summer and fall.

Tell us a little about your other books.

My other recent release is an altogether different kind of poetry book. It’s a limited-edition chapbook of only 150 copies, with a cover screen-printed by hand and a hand-sewn linen-thread binding. It’s called Newe Dreams, “Newe” being a word in the Shoshoni language that means “The People” and by which they sometimes refer to themselves.

Each poem represents a dream of one of The People foreshadowing an event that will affect Shoshoni culture, ranging from the earliest encounters with whites to the destruction of a Shoshoni village in northern Utah in the 1950s. Since much of what is seen in the dreams is unfamiliar, the descriptions can be cloudy, even confusing. Some, related to the Bear River Massacre, are horrifying. It is recently released by Laughing Mouse Press, a small art publisher in Colorado, and available through their web site, LaughingMouse.net.

In mid-May, a regional press headquartered in Utah, Cedar Fort, will release a historical novel titled The Assassination of Governor Boggs. It’s a cold-case investigation detective story and a frontier Western with a touch of mystery.

Lilburn Boggs, former governor of Missouri, was shot in the head while reading the newspaper on dark and stormy night in 1842 in Independence, Missouri. He was given up for dead and his assassination was widely reported in newspapers—but, he survived and lived another 18 years. Scant evidence pointed to Porter Rockwell, a Mormon ruffian, who was hanging around the area under an assumed name. Boggs, while governor, had ordered the Mormons expelled from Missouri under threat of extermination during the 1837-1838 “Mormon War,” so there was a great deal of animosity toward him among people in the church. But there wasn’t enough evidence to indict Rockwell, let alone try and convict him, and the crime remained unsolved. Boggs did not pursue Rockwell’s arrest for long, out of fear the gunman would return and finish the job. But with the Governor’s death, his family wanted answers so hired a Pinkerton agent to investigate. The detective’s inquiries take him from one end of the Old West to the other, eventually leading to an encounter with the notorious Rockwell, one of the most feared gunfighters of the day.

Earlier books include Massacre at Bear River—First, Worst, Forgotten (Caxton Press, 2008), a history of the events leading up to and the aftermath of the deadliest massacre of Indians by U.S. troops in the entire history of the West. I also wrote a brief biography of one of America’s great explorers and adventurers entitled John Muir: Magnificent Tramp (Forge Books, 2005, paperback 2009) and a Western novel, Gallows for a Gunman (Kensington/Pinnacle, 2005).

You write in several genres. Which book gave you the biggest challenge? Why?

Book-length fiction is most difficult for me, I think, for a couple of reasons.
Poetry, while challenging, is condensed and easy to get your mind around in terms of plot, structure, point of view, and all that other stuff, allowing you to concentrate on the beauty and intensity of the language. Which, of course, is what matters in poetry. Nor do I find short fiction overwhelming. And, like poetry, short fiction allows a writer to play with the words more and lift “how” you say it to a level of importance approaching or even surpassing “what” you say. That part of writing is most enjoyable to me.

Nonfiction is more in line with my education in journalism, so not as challenging, overall. Much of what ends up on the page is pre-determined by the facts, the people, the events you’re recounting. Still, you want to present the information well, wrapped in an interesting structure and with good use of language. And that’s both challenging and enjoyable.

But when it comes to writing a novel, it gets pretty complicated for me, dealing with a story, sub plots, back stories, a big cast of characters, and so on and so on and so on. And making up stories is not my strong suit—I’m not one of those writers who can spill out tales endlessly; I have to dig pretty deep to come up with characters and situations and stories. Still and all, it’s great fun.

Finally, I have written advertising for all these years and that introduces a whole new set of challenges. In advertising, you must, of necessity, boil everything down to a single essential idea, then when conveying that idea you must limit your words to the barest minimum and make every one count both in terms of relaying information and moving the reader along. So, because of that, it’s always a challenge to me to stretch things out. Everything I write, from poems to books, tends to be shorter than average.

What works best for you to promote your books? And what have you tried that didn’t work?

After more than three decades in the advertising and promotion business, I long ago gave up trying to understand with any certainty what works and what doesn’t and why. There are just too many variables involved, and they are ever changing. What worked well yesterday may well have flopped the day before, and may or may not work come tomorrow.

My 2005 Western novel, Gallows for a Gunman, was featured in a holiday season article in USA Today, “How to Stay Sane on the Plane,” about current paperback books worth reading. Surely that helped some, but who knows how much? I’ve had reviews, interviews, feature stories, and other publicity in magazines and newspapers large and small, and, again, you have to believe it helps but it’s impossible to track it. And, of course, publishers tend to make their royalty statements as obtuse as possible, so you can’t even tell if you sold any books, let alone when, where, or why.

Direct sales are easier to track but no easier to understand. Personal appearances, from readings to signings to workshops to conferences to book groups to lectures are also all over the place in terms of moving books. Some, where I anticipated good sales, produced little to nothing. Other events surprised me with the number of books sold. But don’t ask me why or how, as I have no idea.

All the online opportunities for promotion available nowadays—web sites, social media, blogs, all that stuff—gives a writer more ways to access prospects and readers. But, the numbers tend to be small in most cases. I can’t even imagine how many online mentions it would take to reach the number of people who saw my book in USA Today, or read about me in Western Horseman magazine, both of which reach hundreds of thousands of readers. But, online interaction can be personal, which mass media never can be. And, reaching even one potential reader can be valuable, and every contact can lead to many more. My fear with social media is that authors can easily become so absorbed in it that they spend all their time maintaining web sites and writing blogs and “Facebooking” and “Tweeting” they forget to write books and stories and poems. In the long term, that can only be harmful—and it offers little or no possibility for payback. Our energy and attention has to be focused more on actually writing, and not so much on writing about writing.

So, to finally get to the point, my approach is to grab every reasonable opportunity to get in front of readers (and writers) that comes along and assume it will all help, at some level, with emphasis on opportunities that reach the most people.

What is the hardest part of the writing life?

Getting published. I’m not one of those writers who “has to write.” I don’t do it out of necessity or compulsion. I write for fun and enjoyment. But, at the same time, I write to be read. If what I write is seen only by me (and maybe my family and friends), I don’t consider the time invested any more productive or rewarding than, say, chasing a golf ball around a well-groomed cow pasture.

But, finding a commercial publisher for anything these days is difficult. Not to mention frustrating, disheartening, maddening, demoralizing, depressing, exasperating….

Do you have advice to people who like to write in more than one genre? Or just advice in general?

While genre jumping can be fun, it’s certainly no way to build a career. When you switch subjects and styles as I have, you’re essentially starting over with every book, seeking out a new audience—not to mention a new publisher.

But when a subject interests me enough to want to write about it, I just sort of assume there are people out there who will be interested enough to want to read about it. I guess we all think that, otherwise we wouldn’t bother writing at all.

So, that’s the advice I’d offer—write what interests you, write what you’ll enjoy writing about. The only thing I would add is to write it well.

What’s in the chute next?

Besides trying to convince people to buy these three new books I find myself with, I have completed a short work of fiction—not quite a novel, but more than a novella—that I have to figure out what to do with. It’s a trail drive story, but really it’s a series of tall tales told by one of the cowboys evenings around the campfire. Not at all typical of what gets published nowadays, it hearkens back to stories like Pecos Bill and the Breckenridge Elkins tales, except my character is not superhuman in any way, just an ordinary cowboy who finds himself involved in extraordinary events.

I also have a more traditional Western novel in the works, probably about one-third finished, that I set aside some time ago to work on other things, and I want to get back to that. And I have completed most of the research and started writing a nonfiction book about various important but relatively obscure events in the history of the Old West. So that, too, wants to be finished. Of course there are always poems to write, and I want to get a few more short stories in the pile. A few anthologies that have come along of late have depleted my supply and I always want to have a few stories ready.

For more information on Rod's books, visit his website at www.writerRodMiller.com

Wyoming: A Great Place to Brainstorm

2011-04-12T13:25:00.005-06:00

We recently made a trip across Wyoming to visit family. I must say, crossing this state is always interesting. If you've ever taken the trip you might think I've lost my mind. You might think there is nothing out there in all that expanse but sagebrush and rocks. But look again. There are miles and miles of very tall snow fence, herds of antelope and cattle (usually black Angus), and the occasional semi-truck tipped over by the wind. (The tag "Windy Wyoming" wasn't pulled out of a cowboy hat.) Oh, and this time of year, there's always the excitement of getting caught in a spring snowstorm.

But, wait, there's more to this state than meets the eye. For us writers, it's a darn good place to hatch book ideas and solve plotting problems. Even while dodging semi-trucks (which are always driving over the speed limit), a writer can start feeling the creative juices flowing. And, with my husband trapped in the car with no place to go, I can bounce ideas off his head. I can tell him my story line and the problem I'm having and he will always come up with something that helps get the kinks out, even if I don't end up using his idea. I've solved more than one instance of writer's block while on I-80.

So, all in all, I don't mind driving across Wyoming (if it isn't snowing). It's a darn good place to clear your mind and do some heavy-duty brainstorming for your next book.

A Critique Group that Works

2011-03-21T11:17:00.004-06:00

My writer's group is a diverse group of men and women who, thankfully, get along famously. I think what makes our group work is that there are no big egos or petty jealousies. Success for one means hope for all. It also helps that we are not all writing in the same genre and, therefore, we're very much on our own career paths, which can't be compared to someone else's.

It makes for some interesting critique sessions. While most of us read a wide variety of books, it gets tricky to offer suggestions on a genre that we might not read and know nothing about. It has forced us all to stretch as readers, writers, and editors. For me, it's made me pick up books in genres I wouldn't normally read so I can offer more insight to my fellow writers. I believe we've all discovered that the same rules of good fiction apply regardless of the genre. All successful plots have the same basic elements: strong characters with plausible conflicts and motivations, personal stakes that are high enough to drive the hero or heroine to action and to sustain the work to its conclusion, characters who grow and change, and resolutions satisfactory to each particular genre.

By reading and critiquing such a wide array of writing types and styles, and knowing our job as a group is to help each other improve, also helps us improve our own work. It makes us appreciate the uniqueness of each genre and realize that each genre requires skill–and a lot of hard work–to achieve success.

Ride Your Own Horse

2011-03-04T15:58:00.006-07:00

When I was growing up, we always had a bunch of horses around the farm, and most of them were too wild for us kids to ride. My dad was always afraid we'd get hurt so he wouldn't put us on anything that wasn't broke really well or ridden down for a few days before we climbed up on its back. Many times if he was breaking a colt, he would "snub" the colt to an older horse. By this, I mean he would put a lead rope on the colt's hackamore (he preferred hackamores to bridles). The person on the older horse would help control the colt with the lead rope. The person on the colt had the reins, but the snubbing rope was an added insurance in case the colt started bucking or decided to run away.

One of my dad's favorite horses was named Dan. He was a spirited Appaloosa. Dad wouldn't let just anybody ride that horse because he was afraid if the rider "didn't know what he was doing" he'd "ruin the horse." I'll never forget the day when he decided he was going to let me ride Dan. Needless to say, I was pretty nervous–more about ruining his horse than getting bucked off. Dad decided we were going to ride to the top of Blue Mountain at our ranch, a steep climb through pine trees and over rocks. Even though he'd ridden Dan pretty good ahead of time, we started out with Dad snubbing Dan to the horse he was riding. By the time we got to the top of the mountain, Dan was tired (or at least I hoped) and dad wrapped the snubbing rope around my saddle horn. I was on my own on the ride back down. It was quite a thrill to ride that horse. I made it back to the ranch in one piece and didn't ruin Old Dan.

I know you're wondering what this has to do with writing. Well, I'll tell you. We all like to have some help now and then with our writing. We like someone to hold that snubbing rope and keep us from getting bucked off; i.e., rejected. We want to hear what others say about our work. We want their advice, their critiques that will kindly and gently point out bad plotting, punctuation mistakes, weak conflicts, poor characterizations and so on and so on. But sooner or later, we have to gather the reins, put our foot in the stirrup, and settle our butts down deep in the saddle. We might be a little afraid to put our heels to that horse, but there comes a time when we have to trust ourselves, our knowledge, our instincts, and all we've learned along the way. Sooner or later we have to let go of that snubbing rope and ride our own horse. What's the worst that can happen? If you get thrown off, just dust off the dirt and swing into that saddle again.

Make Your Dialogue Speak

2011-03-02T16:30:00.004-07:00

In our daily lives we often engage in nonsensical dialogue and pleasantries, but if we do this in our writing, we'll never see our Great American Novel in print.

Authentic dialogue starts with interesting characters who have their own voice based on their personal history. Beyond that, it needs to flow naturally and not sound stilted, dull, or too proper. Reading it aloud or "acting it out" will help you determine if it sounds natural.

Just as narrative can go on for too long, so can dialogue. Whatever the issue, don't drag it out for pages. The reader will want your story to keep moving forward. If characters get caught in an argument, or perhaps they are bickering over a decision that needs to be made, don't keep rehashing the same point. Bring the topic to a conclusion in good time. Say what needs to be said and move on.

Also, don't be point-blank, unless that is one of your character's known traits. Most men wouldn't walk up to an attractive woman and tell her she's hot. He'd show his interest in more subtle ways. People in real life often dance around what's really on their minds and, for the most part, your characters will too.

Avoid "info dumps" via dialogue (or narrative). Shifting the content of the dialogue from one thing to the next in the same scene, especially if the content isn't tied together, could be more than the reader wants to digest in that particular setting. If the reader becomes confused or can't absorb all the information, he could be confused later because he missed something.

Dialogue needs to move the story forward by imparting information pertinent to the plot and the characters. Each piece of dialogue should be there for a reason and each scene should have a point. Like your narrative, it should "show" rather than "tell." It should impart an "action/reaction" mode from your characters.

Pick a piece of dialogue from a favorite book and analyze each line, asking yourself what information it imparts. Here is dialogue from my own book, The Last Rodeo. Dev Summers, a rodeo bull rider, has just completed his last ride on a savage bull named Satan 101 and walked away, but with injuries. Here's the conversation between him and his dad.

"What do you mean, you're done?" Jake Summers spoke with that familiar sharp edge to his voice. "You'll have plenty of time to get healed before the next event. I can tell you one thing, that shit you pulled today on Satan damned near got you killed, and you'd better not do it again."

"I rode him."

"If you want to call that a ride."

Dev lifted his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve. His dad's response was so typical. "I stuck to him until the buzzer sounded, and I got the top score for the night. Isn't that what you wanted, damn it?"

"And look where it got you–crippled up again. You'd have done better to let go. A man has to know when to let go."

"My point precisely."

"So that's what the suicide wrap was all about? To rub my nose in some imaginary shit you've been packin' around."

This scene's purpose is to show the ongoing discord between Dev and his father. It reveals the father's disapproval of the bull ride. His dad thinks he should have known when to let go instead of sticking to the bull with a suicide wrap that ultimately got him injured. But at the same time he disapproves of his son not going to the next event because of the injury. It shows something of the two personalities–of the father who can't give praise, sympathy, or understanding, and the son who is tired of trying to please his father and thus rebels by intentionally knocking himself out of the running.

Just as dialogue arouses your characters' emotions, it should reveal growth, discovery, and truth about themselves and others. In real life we often walk away from a conversation and kick ourselves for not saying something smart or clever, or for not sticking up for ourselves and saying what was really on our minds. As writers, we have all the time in the world to help our characters say those perfect words and say them in exactly the right way.

Author Interview: Craig Lancaster

2011-02-17T12:58:00.010-07:00

Sometimes a book comes along that you just have to let others know about. The Summer Son, by Montana author, Craig Lancaster, is one of those wonderful novels you definitely should add to your reading material. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. In this interview with Craig, you learn a little about The Summer Son, as well as his first book, 600 Hours of Edward.

Tell us a little about your new book, The Summer Son.

It's a father-son story, one rooted in two eras: late fall of 2007, as Mitch Quillen and his dad, Jim, try to make their way back to each other after a 28-year estrangement, and the summer of 1979, when their relationship blew apart. It was a tricky writing job, moving back and forth and keeping the various story threads in play. But I think it worked.

What inspired you to write The Summer Son?

After I finished my first novel, 600 Hours of Edward, I started thinking a lot about the dynamics of father-son relationships and why so many of them seem to slide sideways. In general, our relationships with our mothers are hardwired; they're gestational. A father's relationship to his children, traditionally, stands apart from that. There's incredible pressure, overt or otherwise, for sons to measure up to their dads, or to live down a bad reputation that's passed on to them. And when fathers and sons don't have much in common, as seems to be the case with Mitch and Jim, the potential for deep divisions multiplies.

What was the biggest challenge you faced with this book?

Shaping it into the story I wanted to tell. My first draft, which I completed in about three months, was incredibly raw, as much essay as it was novel. I did two major rewrites and then spent months sanding down and shaping the narrative. Once the book starts bouncing between the two decades, I wanted the storylines to follow a parallel emotional path. That was an interesting thing to work out on the page.

What, or whom, influenced you to become a writer?

I grew up around books and reading, thank God, so in many ways I gravitated to it naturally. My stepfather, who was essential in my upbringing, was a sportswriter, and I started out wanting to emulate him. I ended up becoming a newspaper editor rather than a reporter, and I worked on my own writing--essays and such--on the side. At 39, I published my first novel, and so now I find myself deeply into the craft of writing fiction. It seems to suit me.

What has been your biggest learning experience as a writer?

Letting go of some elements of my training as a journalist. In that arena, you write in a particular way, communicating the big-picture stuff early in an article and then drilling down to the fine details. If you wrote a novel in that manner, it would be about 10 pages. But all in all, my journalistic training has served me well, especially in terms of writing in a spare fashion and being precise in my word choice. A good story is a good story, whether it's true or fiction (and some of the best fiction, of course, has the ring of truth).

Can you tell us about your first book, 600 Hours of Edward, and anything new on your plate?

600 Hours of Edward changed the arc of my life. That's not hyperbole. I wrote it as a lark, using National Novel Writing Month 2008 to see if I could finally squeeze out the novel I'd always wanted to write. I wrote the first draft, nearly 80,000 words, in 24 days, initially self-published it, then passed it on to a Montana publisher, Riverbend. Since then, it's done things I wouldn't have dreamed for it. It was a 2009 Montana Honor Book and the 2010 High Plains Book Award winner for best first book, and it's gathered a small but enthusiastic group of fans. It continues to be the little book that could.

These days, after writing two novels in 20 months, I've mostly been finding my way into short stories. One I wrote recently, called "Cruelty to Animals," will be published in the spring issue of Montana Quarterly. And don't worry: No animals are harmed in the story, as long as you don't count the two horribly mismatched lovers at the center of it.

Website: http://www.craiglancaster.net
Blog: http://craiglancaster.wordpress.com
Amazon link for "The Summer Son": http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Son-Craig-Lancaster/dp/1935597248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281855659&sr=1-1
Amazon link for "600 Hours of Edward": http://www.amazon.com/600-Hours-Edward-Craig-Lancaster/dp/1606390139/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Building Your Platform

2010-12-17T16:28:00.003-07:00

I wrote this blog for Get It Together Productions blogspot, where it first appeared on November 26 2010.

We writers continually face the challenge to not only to keep our writing fresh for today's readers but to also be knowledgeable about new technology and marketing trends. We are expected to be able to describe our book and its concept in one line and to state our a platform right up front. The platform has, in fact, become increasingly important to agents and editors before they will consider a contract. They want a ready-made audience and a way to create a buzz for your book. In this tough market, it isn't sufficient anymore to assume the publisher will handle the marketing so you can sit back and write your next book. They want you involved.

So what is a platform for a writer? According to Merriam Webster, a platform is simply "a plan, a design." It is: (1) "a declaration of the principles on which a group of persons stands," (2) a "device or structure incorporating or providing a platform," and (3) a "place or opportunity for public discussion."

We spend months, sometimes years, plotting our books. When the book is finished, it's time to take a good hard look at ourselves. What have you got going for you--other than having written a marvelous book--with which to get readers' attention? If you look through Writer's Digest Magazine, you'll see some of the "Breaking In" writers state their platforms as social networking; i.e., a blog and an audience on Twitter and Facebook. This might also include doing guest blogs and having a website. Some writers write articles for magazines, ensuring a byline. Other writers speak at conferences and talk to writers' and readers' groups, or they teach writing classes. It's always smart to join a writer's organization that reflects your genre. This will open more doors with which to reach readers. If you have special expertise pertaining to your book it will give you more credibility. For example, you're a doctor and you've written a medical thriller.

What if you feel you don't have any particular expertise with which to build your platform? No title behind your name. No Masters or PhD. Does it doom you and your book? No, just dig deeper. Be creative. Perhaps you did an incredible amount of research for your book. Perhaps you spent a year talking to locals and exploring the Australian outback where your book is set. Is there a way you can "brand" yourself? To identify yourself in some unique way?

A platform boils down to any means you have to get your name and your book out there. Start building your platform early on, even before your book is finished. A solid platform will help you get published and maybe even become a "name brand" writer. But, first and foremost, write the best darned book you can! Everything else aside, your book will stand on its own legs. It will be the foundation for your platform.

In Defense of Prologues

2010-11-16T12:01:00.005-07:00

There seems to be quite a buzz lately about prologues. Many agents and editors have apparently developed an aversion to them. Some agents have said on their blogs that if they get a submission that contains a prologue they will automatically reject it because they see it as laziness on the author's part, the "easy" way out to present backstory. Others have said they will not read the prologue but go straight to chapter one and see if it makes sense without the prologue. (And, no, it probably won't make sense because the author wrote chapter one knowing that certain things were explained in the prologue. Why explain them again in chapter one?) One agent says that to have a prologue means the reader has to start the book twice because there are two beginnings.

As a writer, I disagree with all of the above. I'll explain in more detail. But first, out of curiosity, I decided to see how many authors took the easy way out by using a prologue. I looked through thirty-six books I have laying around my office. They were in a variety of genres. I found it was divided right down the middle: half had prologues, half did not. Some of the authors who used prologues and made their readers start the book twice were Mary Higgins Clark, Karen Marie Moning, Tami Hoag, Barbara Delinsky, Carla Neggers, Wendi Corsi Staub, Dorothy Garlock, and P. J. Parrish. I felt much better about my own prologues after seeing that I was in good company with these bestselling authors!

Now, let me explain from a writer's perspective why we use and like prologues. (By the way, I got feedback from other writers as well to ensure that I wasn't completely wrong in this belief.) I can sum it up in three reasons: prologues are effective, easy, and they show (don't tell). How many times have we had the latter pounded into our thick skulls?

Okay, so why are prologues effective? A prologue is indeed backstory, but it portrays an event from the past that will directly affect your character's life in the present. It can be hundreds of years ago, or minutes ago, but it should lead to a turning point in a character's life, something that will change your character's life forever. The turning point is the reason the rest of the book exists.

From a writer's perspective, it is much more effective (and easy) to put this event into an action scene, often in a prologue, that immediately engages the reader and allows him to "see" the backstory and be thrust right into the crux of things rather than to be "told" about it in the first two or three chapters through boring introspection, narrative, and contrived dialogue. By showing this all-important event with action, the reader is immediately engaged and inherently understands the emotions, the motivation, the conflict, the stakes–everything–without being told. Even movies use the efficiency of prologues.

As for starting a book twice, I've never heard a reader complain that they had to start a story twice because of a pesky, gosh-dern prologue. If anything, it whets their appetite and they burrow down deeper into their chair and dive right into chapter one because they are now invested in the protagonist on every level. They understand inherently what is driving the story and the characters.

Sometimes prologues are not necessary because they are nothing more than a character's history. And sometimes they really are too long. I won't argue either of those points. But, as a writer, I believe prologues can be a good and simple tool with which to hit the ground running. Call it lazy if you will, but if prologues didn't work so well, writers wouldn't use them. Many times they just make good sense for choosing the best, the easiest, and the most effective way to engage your reader and "show" your story.

Author Interview: Carol Buchanan

2010-10-22T10:35:00.011-06:00

This month my author spotlight is on Carol Buchanan. Descended from Montana pioneers and homesteaders, Carol is a nonfiction writer and student of Montana history who turned to historical fiction in God’s Thunderbolt, The Vigilantes of Montana, which won the 2009 Spur for Best First Novel.
Her second historical novel, the sequel to God’s Thunderbolt, is Gold Under Ice, now out from Missouri Breaks Press.

Her short story, “Comes a Stranger,” was published in New Works Review, summer 2008. “Fear of Horses” won the 2008 short fiction contest sponsored by Women Writing the West. She is also the author of Wordsworth's Gardens, which was a finalist in the 2002 Washington State Book Awards.

Carol lives in northwestern Montana in the Flathead Valley with her husband, Richard, who owns and operates ByteSavvy Computing Services. She is currently at work on the third book about the vigilante period, titled Reni’s Ears.

Q:Tell us a little about God's Thunderbolt and Gold Under Ice.

I write historical fiction set in the West, primarily Montana. They celebrate courageous people making tough choices to survive and build a life.

God’s Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana is set during the winter of 1863-1864, in the gold fields of Alder Gulch when ruffians ruled and murder was tolerated. Dan Stark, an attorney from New York City, comes to get enough gold to pay off the massive debt left by his father’s gambling and suicide. But he quickly realizes that so many people are robbed and murdered occur on the roads that he wouldn’t survive to take his gold home. When a friend is murdered, Dan joins other friends in tracking down the murderers, and accepts the dangerous assignment to prosecute them. During the trial evidence reveals a criminal conspiracy behind the crimes. Dan joins with other men to form a Vigilance Committee. As the Vigilante prosecutor, he is faced with the horrible dilemma of hanging both a friend and the husband of the woman he loves.

Gold Under Ice is the sequel to God’s Thunderbolt. It takes place from April to September 1864. Dan returns to New York with his gold, but finds that he does not have enough to repay the debt. A quasi-legal gold exchange called the Gold Room has sprung up in the financial district, and Dan sees trading gold options and futures as his only way to get enough gold to pay the debt. But trading gold is considered next to treasonous because it pits gold against greenbacks, the new federal currency with which the Lincoln administration funds the Union Army. When the value of gold rises, some traders sing “Dixie,” and when the value of greenback goes up, Union sympathizers sing “John Brown’s Body.” When Dan and another gold trader are mugged, and the friend killed, Dan tracks a criminal conspiracy into the core of his own family. He wonders if he will ever be able to return to Montana.

Q:You state on your blog that you never change history to suit the needs of the story. Can you give us any advice on doing research to make it easier?

If research is easy, I’m sure I’ve missed something. I love research almost as much as writing. I have a PhD in English, with history minors all the way. In graduate school I was fortunate enough to have an excellent class in methods of research, so I know how to dig. I follow two principles: Wherever possible go to the primary sources, and don’t be satisfied with what other people have written about a topic. For God’s Thunderbolt, I traveled to the Montana Historical Society in Helena and dove into the archives, with the gracious help of the historians there.

For Gold Under Ice, I used the Internet, specifically, Google Book Search, to unearth among other books, Henry Clews’s autobiography, Twenty-Eight Years on Wall Street. Mr. Clews was a gold trader who owned a gold trading house on Wall Street, and I used his business as a location in the book. I found many treasures and first-hand accounts that way, all in the public domain, which I downloaded to my hard drive. Without Google Book Search, I would never have been able to travel to the great libraries like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, and Gold Under Ice could not have been written.

So to summarize, good solid research is not easy, but it’s as thrilling as finding clues in a murder mystery. (Not that I’ve ever done that, of course.)

Q:You self-published God's Thunderbolt but Gold Under Ice is published by Missouri Breaks Press. What are some of the pros and cons of each?

Missouri Breaks Press is the imprint founded last spring by Craig Lancaster, the author of the wonderful 600 Hours of Edward. (His second novel, the equally wonderful The Summer Son will be out this winter from Amazon Encore. I read it in a later draft.)

Craig did a lovely job on the cover and the interior design of Gold Under Ice. I can’t say enough in praise of the selfless work he did to put the book together. We have a co-op arrangement by which I retain all rights to the book.

However, I’ve noticed that some who have published with small presses have experienced a number of problems. Small presses are subject to the owners’ health and personal lives. One author, whose publisher quit business, did not have the money to buy back the rights to his book or the unsold copies.

Self-publishing gives an author more control.

I’ve been very happy with both methods. I used BookSurge (now CreateSpace) for God’s Thunderbolt, and I also used CreateSpace as the printer for Gold Under Ice.

Q:What challenges did each of these books present?

Writing always challenges me to get it right, whether it’s melding fiction with history while remaining true to the history, or revising each sentence and image so they convey what I have in mind. Even then, people tell me they got something from the writing that I didn’t know was in there. Writing is such an interaction between writer and reader! I love it.

After publication, the marketing and promotion are challenging. How to rise above the noise of the millions of people clamoring for attention? It’s a long, slow haul, but worth it. I’m very happy for the Internet, but it’s like skiing down a mountain in a snowfall. Visibility is poor and the terrain keeps changing.

Q:In your blog, you talk about "the writer's responsibility." Can you elaborate?

People’s lives can be changed by what we write. A woman told me her husband’s life had been changed by reading God’s Thunderbolt. We are responsible to our readers to do the best work we’re capable of and to write stories that give people hope instead of depressing them, and to consider the wider implications of our writing. Yet we each have our own path to follow. I admire Jane Kirkpatrick’s work, but I’m not called to write the kind of Christian historical fiction she writes. In my blog I wrote about a novel that would be a good thriller, but it could also give terrorists an idea for disrupting the U.S. economy. I’ll never write it. The money isn’t the real goal, or shouldn’t be, I think.

Q:What, to you, is the hardest part of the writing life?

Oh, my. Everything. This is not an easy job by any means. From the initial idea to the last word, God’s Thunderbolt was difficult, and Gold Under Ice was even more difficult because it depends so much on math to get the gold trading scenes right. I was a nonfiction writer and wrote articles and books in the fields of aerospace, computer user’s guides, gardening, horticulture, and equine journalism before I came back to Montana and changed to writing fiction. Historical fiction is much more difficult, but it’s also more joyful. It’s using the right side of my brain, the part that synthesizes unlike things into a new whole. (The left side is the logical, analytical side that I used throughout my nonfiction career.) Using the right side of my brain is such a joy, I feel I’m in my right mind at last.

Q:Do you have something new in the works?

You bet! I’m in the planning stages for both the third and fourth novels in the Vigilante series, which I think will end after the fourth one. I didn’t imagine when I started that I’d write so much about them, but as I’ve done the research, one thing has led to another….

And I love writing about that era because it’s so relevant to now. With budget cutbacks, a judge in Ohio recommended last spring that citizens arm themselves and learn how to use their weapons because the county could not pay for adequate law enforcement to protect the public. In Los Angeles, cutbacks in the police force are so great that murders go unsolved and uninvestigated for lack of manpower.

And in the financial markets, gold is through the roof.

For more about Carol and her books:
http://www.swanrange.com
http://www.swanrange.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CarolBMTbooks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CarolBuchanan

So Many Story Ideas, So Little Time

2010-10-04T16:50:00.005-06:00

I had the honor and privilege of being interviewed by Amanda Sabourova on her blogspot, "So Many Story Ideas, So Little Time." I hope you all will go there and read the interview. She had some interesting and tough questions for me to answer! But take a look at her own great blogs. She describes herself as a "mild-mannered scientist with a penchant for long-distance running and early-morning writing." If you dabble at all in science fiction or fantasy, you'll love her last two blogs.

Author Interview - Patti Sherlock

2010-09-21T09:02:00.008-06:00

My author interview this month is with fellow Idaho author and Western Writers of America member, Patti Sherlock. Patti is the award-winning author of three novels for young people and three adult nonfiction books. Her many awards include the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award from the Dog Writers Association of America, Main Student Book Award, Rhode Island Young Reader's Choice, Lone Star Commended Young Adult Book, and was among Pennsylvania's Top Forty Best Books.

Patti's latest release with St. Martin's Press (April 2010) is a memoir entitled A Dog for All Seasons. It chronicles the years on Patti's sheep farm with her steadfast and brilliant companion, Border collie Duncan. Patti says on her website, "I've been fortunate that during most of my adult life I've lived in the country, where I shared life with a variety of animals." Patti still lives on a small farm, but no longer raises sheep, goats, chickens, and children. Her menagerie is pared down to three dogs and two cats.

A Dog for All Seasons is a memoir. What particular challenges did you encounter? What inspired you to write this particular story?

I rewrote A Dog for All Seasons more times than any book I've worked on. At one point, I complained to my St. Martin's editor that fiction ought to be harder because you make it up, but I hadn't struggled with novels as I did with A Dog for All Seasons. She said, in her opinion, memoir is the hardest genre to get right.

I got the idea to do a book about my Border collie, Duncan, when I was working in Las Vegas on a technical editing contract. I walked Duncan at 5 or so in the morning, and people stopped to meet him and ask about him. When I'd mention that he used to be my helper on a sheep farm, people got excited about meeting an actual working dog. At home in Idaho, herding dogs are everywhere; it had never occurred to me a working dog would be so interesting to nonrural people.

You've been promoting your book with a unique book tour. Can you tell us a little about it?

This summer, I took my tent and two of my dogs (one was too elderly to go) and hit the road, visiting independent book stores. The shakedown cruise in Utah didn't go too well, (I think the I-15 corridor sees too many writers) and I almost abandoned the idea. But I went on to Western Idaho, Colorado, and parts of Montana. I ran out of summer before getting to Oregon, and hope to do that leg if the weather holds.

Resort towns were particularly hospitable, and a couple of book stores even scheduled spontaneous events. Independent stores are struggling, as you know, from competition with the Internet and chain stores, but many of them retain the cordiality and customer service they've been known for.

In addition to making contacts, I got to fall in love with the beautiful Rockies all over again.

What or whom influenced you to become a writer?

I fall into the stereotype of the person who took refuge in writing as a young child because of lonely or difficult circumstances. My animals, and my neighbors' animals, meant a lot to me in childhood, and I wrote stories about and to them. I suppose it's natural that all but one of my books have been about animals.

What, to you, is the hardest part of the writing life?

I'm tempted to say rejection. I'd like to reach a point in my career when editors warmly accept whatever I send. Lots of luck, right?

Having an idea, getting consumed by it, researching it, and then putting down the story is exciting and satisfying. When you send it out and an editor says, “We don't find this sort of book does well for us,” or “Rewrite the boy character, and make him into a girl,” the disappointment is huge. What carries you through months or even years of work is the conviction that you've come up with a grand idea. If it takes a while to find an editor who agrees, that's tough.

But financial uncertainty ranks up there, too. It's worked out that I've always had enough of what I needed since I've been supporting myself with writing, but despite that, I manage to fret and worry.

What advice can you give to other writers?

Whenever I hear big-name, A-list writers speak, I'm impressed that most have this in common. Perseverance. For all of us who love writing, I think perseverance comes in as more important than talent.

Do you have something new in the works?

The agent who sold A Dog for All Seasons doesn't want to represent youth books, so I'm trying to find a agent who does. It's time-consuming. I'll be glad to get this behind me and go back to writing. I have another dog story in mind.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about the writing life, or about A Dog for All Seasons?

We writers tend to gripe about rejections, the market, distributors, Kindles and Nooks, and the decline in reading. But as a group, I think we're the happiest folks around. I can't think of a job that offers its practitioners such diverse experience. When you factor in that you just might say something that resonates with someone else, or (could it be?) even shed light on an issue, well, what could be better than that?

If you'd like to read more about Patti and her work please check out her blogspot, Waggin' Trails--On the Road, and her website.

DETAILS:
Title: A Dog for All Seasons: A Memoir
Author: Patti Sherlock
Hardcover Edition: $24.99 (Amazon $16.49)
Kindle Edition: $11.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0312577926

Kindle Release

2010-09-14T09:31:00.004-06:00

For all of you Kindle owners out there, I would like to let you know that my novel, The Last Rodeo, is now available in the Kindle Store for $4.99. I am a new owner of the Kindle--my husband bought it for me for our wedding anniversary a few weeks ago.

I'd love to hear from others about how they feel about the Kindle. I'll admit, I was a reluctant to be a traitor to printed books, but two of my daughters have one, and they love its convenience. I'm not sure it will ever replace that special feeling one gets when curling up with a book, but it's really nice to be able to pump up the font to a size that is easier on the eyes. (Okay, so I never had this problem a few years ago, but, alas, age is catching up to me.) I will also shamelessly admit that the first book I ordered was my own! What better way to get your feet wet?

Author Interview - Irene Bennett Brown

2010-08-23T15:49:00.011-06:00

I'm adding something new to my blog, folks: author interviews! I thought it would be a fun change to pose a few questions to some of the writers out there about their books and about themselves.

I'm starting this first interview with friend and fellow Women Writing the West member, Irene Bennett Brown. Known for her historical novels for children and adults, Where Gable Slept is Irene's first contemporary mystery. She has published several young adult novels, including Before The Lark, winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award and nominee for the Mark Twain Award. Her first adult historical, The Plainswoman, was a finalist for the Western Writers of America Spur Award. She is also a recipient of the Oregon Library Association's Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award for significant contribution to literature.

Where Gable Slept features Celia Landrey, walking-tour guide and innkeeper in her small historic town. She must deal with a mysterious female newcomer--a woman bent on destroying their most famous structure, the house where actor Clark Gable lived as a young man. Donning an additional role as sleuth, Celia struggles through a complicated and sometimes humorous maze of secrets and lies, murder and romance, to save Gable House, her town, and her life.

You've written many historical novels set in the West. Can you tell us why you decided to switch genres?

As I got older eyestrain was a problem doing intensive research for my historical novels, so it was time for a change. Truth is, I've always enjoyed the challenge of switching genres. Early in my career my published novels were for children and young adults; most of those books were historical but three were contemporary. Those three were written at the request of my editor at Atheneum. My first adult novel The Plainswoman, was back to historical. My four-book historical series, The Women Of Paragon Springs, about a group of women who build their own town on the raw Kansas plains as a means to survive, was an immense amount of work. Researching, meeting deadlines, the whole of it. I looked forward to taking it easier, hence the change to writing a cozy mystery--which I would set in the present, in my own backyard!

How was your experience writing your first cozy mystery? What about writing cozies do you particularly like?

The fact that most cozies are lighthearted and fun really appealed to me. I've never enjoyed gore or horror so the thriller was definitely not for me. I was the kid who crawled under her seat at the theatre, eyes squeezed tightly shut, hands over her ears, at a matinee showing of the movie Dracula--while my older brother and sister ate it up. Before writing Where Gable Slept, I read a kazillion cozies. Some I didn't care for, many I enjoyed to the point that I knew I had to give writing the traditional mystery, or cozy, a whirl. Writing my first mystery was the most fun I'd had in a long time.

How much is true about the house, town, and Clark Gable in Where Gable Slept?

My main character is a walking-tour guide to her historic town, and the "facts" she gives her tourists about Clark Gable are true. Against the wishes of his father, a young Clark Gable worked his way west from his home in Ohio by taking acting jobs where he could find them. Here in Oregon he landed in the town of Silverton, stayed in a boarding house there, and worked in the timber industry in the Silverton Hills. He lived in several places in Oregon, including Ashland, where he was in theatre, and Portland, where he took acting classes. It's also said that he lived a couple miles north of the small town of Jefferson where I live, in a house still standing and occupied. To give myself necessary freedom in writing Where Gable Slept, I created the fictional town of Pass Creek, and the Queen Anne Victorian mansion where Clark Gable resided for a time. My characters call the mansion "Gable House" and it is an all important draw for the small town's tourist trade. A mysterious newcomer intends to see the house demolished, keeping the reasons to herself and turning the town on its ear. My main character has no choice but to investigate,if she's to save Gable House and her town.The plot focuses more on the mystery than on Clark Gable specifically. The setting truly is my own backyard, with embellishments. Not made up are the eleven next-door dachshunds that drive my main character crazy as she goes about her business. Those little doggies are straight from my life!

What advice would you give to a writer who would like to switch genres or write in more than one genre?

If you've got the yen, go for it. If you're not already thoroughly familiar with that particular genre, read extensively the type book you want to write, until knowing how it's done is second nature. Attend conferences where professionals in the genre are speaking--learn from them. There are on-line tips and articles about how to write the cozy mystery, but the most important thing you can do is read. Can't say it enough.

What, or whom, influenced you to become a writer?

As far back as I can remember, reading a good book made me want to write one. If I was born too late to be Caddie Woodlawn running from Indians in the Wisconsin woods, I could write such books and live adventure that way. Wonderful school teachers encouraged my writing skills. At our high school, my husband was the "class brain" but when it came to writing, I put him in the shade! Great encouragement, that.

What are you working on now?

Where Gable Slept is the first in my proposed Celia Landrey Mystery series. The second, tentatively titled Where Danger Danced is in the works and I'm quite excited about the book. I'm sketching plans for others as I go.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about the writing life or about Where Gable Slept?

News stories about release of my first mystery are showing up in newspapers locally and it tickled me pink to hear from an elderly man whose mother delivered milk to Clark Gable when he lived in Silverton, Oregon in the 1920s. Who knew then, that the handsome young logger/actor would later star in one of the most popular movies of all time? Which of course is Gone With The Wind. The gentleman whose mother delivered the milk is coming to chat further with me at an upcoming signing. When you're a writer, you never know where the fun is coming from next.

Irene and her husband, Bob, live in Jefferson, Oregon. For more information about Irene and her many books, please check out her website.

DETAILS
Title: "Where Gable Slept"
Author: Irene Bennett Brown
Price: $14.95
Publisher: Riveredge Books
ISBN: 9780980155877

Blue Sage Agent Workshop

2010-08-18T12:47:00.006-06:00

My local writer's group, Blue Sage Writers, is hosting California agent Kelly Mortimer of the Mortimer Literary Agency on Saturday, August 28, 2010:
10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
AmeriTel Inn
Eagle Rock Conference Room
645 Lindsay Blvd.
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Kelly will conduct agent/author, ten-minute appointments after the workshops for those who sign up to pitch their novel to her. Kelly represents clients in both the secular and inspirational market for fiction and non-fiction works. Space is limited, so contact immediately if interested.

For more information go to our Blue Sage Writers blog.

Never Waste a Vacation

2010-06-22T16:14:00.001-06:00

I'm often asked how I get ideas for stories. One way I come up with ideas is while traveling. Most people going on their summer vacations will think of nothing but how much fun and sun they can pack into a week or two before they have to return to life's daily grind. As a writer, every place I go tends to spark story ideas along with fictional characters. Some ideas have enough substance to develop into something strong enough for an entire book.

Every place becomes a potential book setting. Sometimes I go to a place with specific research for a specific book as my top priority. But regular vacations are never wasted either. Even if I don't have a book setting in mind for a particular vacation spot, I still seek out museums, bookstores, and tourist information centers where I can collect local history and tidbits that I might be able to use in some capacity in the future. And, if I never use it, the extra knowledge certainly won't do any harm.

Road trips are especially conducive to research. I like to travel across the states and see how the terrain changes as well as the people. I like to feel firsthand the heat, cold, the smells and sounds, the traffic or the emptiness, the gentleness or ferocity of the wind–or the total lack of a breeze in a stifling, muggy place. I enjoy taking pictures, sampling the local fare, observing the people and their customs and culture, listening to the way they talk, their accents, their unique way of interacting.

Writers have a natural curiosity about people and the human condition in general. If we didn't have this curiosity, I daresay we wouldn't be writers. I'm lucky to have a spouse whose degree is in history, so he fully enjoys searching out the history spots with me and going to museums where I can rummage through the remnants of lives long past and the stories they left behind just waiting to be told.

So don't waste a perfectly good opportunity. If you don't have a story or a setting before you set off on vacation this summer, keep your eyes and ears open and you might just conjure something fantastic by the time you get home.

Writers Conferences

2010-06-01T13:40:00.003-06:00

Tis the season for writer's conferences. I think one of the best things any writer can do for their career, and especially beginning writers, is to attend a conference (or two or three). The information gleaned from the workshops can be invaluable, not just on the how-to of writing and submitting your work, but on the industry itself and the protocol for contacting agents and editors. You will most certainly walk away from a good conference feeling enthusiastic and inspired. I would also recommend you get another writer to go with you. It's always much more enjoyable to have a buddy.

A good site to find a conference in your area, and to target one specifically for your type of writing, is Shaw Guides. http://writing.shawguides.com/

The following are conferences I have either attended or can recommend from friends who have attended.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Pikes Peak Writers Conference
Romance Writers of America (also offers numerous chapter conferences nationwide)
Western Writers of America
Pacific Northwest Writers Conference
Willamette Writers Conference
Heart of the West Writers Conference
Jackson Hole Writers Conference
Women Writing the West

The LAURA Short Stories Online

2010-05-12T16:45:00.005-06:00

Women Writing the West (WWW) started a short story contest for its members in 2008, creating the LAURA award named in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The winners for 2008 and 2009 are now in a WWW journal online. My short story, "The Ranch," received an Honorable Mention in 2008 and can be found on page 23. The link is: http://womenwritingthewest.org/laura.html
Click on "Read the Winning Stories."

Get to Know Publishing Law

2010-05-03T15:58:00.003-06:00

Many authors believe that all they have to do is sit back and let their agent iron out the details of their contract with the editor. And, yes, that is the agent's job, but you, as a writer, should have some knowledge about a book contract so you can talk intelligently to your agent. Many new authors are under the misconception that their agents can work miracles with a publishing house and get them anything they want. In reality, the negotiations depend on many factors. The more you know, the more you will understand your agent's job and the limitations she might face in negotiating certain aspects of a contract. You will also know if you have an agent who "isn't" negotiating at all for you but accepting a boiler plate contract.

A very good book I think every author should have is Kirsch's Handbook of Publishing Law (1994) by Jonathan Kirsch. He also has another one called Kirsch's Guide to the Book Contract (1998). There might be newer additions, but I have "Publishing Law" and it is invaluable for the author who wants to understand contracts and contract negotiations.

And the Winner is--

2010-05-02T09:05:00.003-06:00

My Mother's Day book and candy giveaway is officially closed. And the winner is Angie Lofthouse! Congratulations, Angie!

I would like to thank all of you who entered and became a follower on my blog. I enjoyed reading about your mothers and what makes them so special. I wish you all (and your mothers) a Happy Mother's Day on the 9th. Again, thanks for entering the drawing.

Not Too Late - Mother's Day Drawing

2010-04-25T16:35:00.001-06:00

It's not too late to enter my Mother's Day Book and Candy Drawing. Check out my April 14 post for the details. The drawing will be May 2nd.

Mother's Day Book and Candy Giveaway

2010-04-14T14:48:00.018-06:00

Mothers are often overlooked, underrated, and underestimated, but my mother is my hero. She has gone about her life quietly, never boasting or bragging. She has always done her job as a wife and mother without asking for, or expecting, any special praise or credit. When you ask her if there is anything she'd like to have for her birthday, or Christmas, or Mother's Day, she'll say, "I can't think of anything. I have everything I need." She is the rock of our family, although she probably isn't even aware of it. When my dad was alive, he always credited much of his success to her because she stood by him, supported him in everything he did, and never complained when times got hard. (Gosh, how I wish I could be more like her!) He also said that he believed women were stronger than men. He had a great deal of respect for her too. If you were to judge a person's success in life by their friends, then my mother has been wildly successful even though she still lives a very simple life.

Well, I could go on and on about my wonderful mother. What I really set out to say is that in honor of Mother's Day, I am giving away an autographed copy of my latest novel, The Last Rodeo, and a box of chocolates. If you'd like a chance at the drawing, which I'll hold on May 2nd, here's how to enter:

1. Make a comment on this blog post that you are entering your name for the drawing.
2. Make sure you have a blog or facebook email where you can be reached.
3. Be a follower (not a requirement but I'd love to have you).

This will be a drawing, not a contest, but I'd love to hear why your mother is your hero. You may post this giveaway on your blog.

Thanks for participating!

Blue Sage Blog Post

2010-04-09T11:16:00.002-06:00

My fellow Blue Sage Writers have another great post, this time by Maxine Metcalf titled, "Tapping Into Our Emotions." It's wonderful. You won't want to miss it.

Click on the link: Blue Sage Writers

Granddad's Shires

2010-04-06T16:42:00.006-06:00

Occasionally when I'm not working on something of my own fictional creation, I spend time putting together the stories and history of my family. I recently came across a photo from the 1940s of a Shire mare and her colt, belonging to my grandfather. I have always been in awe of these great horses when we go to the State fair each year. I look forward to a walk through the horse barn just so I can stare at their massive size and envision my grandfather handling them on his farm.

It's hard to imagine being able to control something so huge, but they have a reputation for being incredibly gentle for their size. An average saddle horse is around 15 hands. Compare that to a Shire that can be upwards of 18 hands. In case you're wondering what a "hand" is in horse measurement, it's 4 inches. This measurement is taken at the horse's withers.

The Great Horse of England, believed to be the precursor to the Shire, was originally a war horse in medieval times. It had to carry up to 400 pounds for rider and armor, which didn't necessarily include the weight of the rider's clothes, nor the horse's gear such as saddle and bridle.

When the war horse slipped into the realm of history, the Shire continued on as a draft horse. It became an American national treasure in the 1800s and even into the 1900s. Shires were my grandfather's draft horse of choice. He took a great deal of pride in his horses. His animals were fed and watered in the morning before he ate his own breakfast.

Like many men of his generation, he never became proficient with automobiles and tractors. He tried to keep pace with the times, though. He bought a car and built a garage for it and took driving lessons from his sons, but the first time he tried to park in the new garage, he drove right through it and out the back end, hollering, "Whoa, you son of a bitch, whoa!"

My imagination makes me laugh every time I picture that moment, but what I wouldn't give for a video of it just the same.

Blue Sage Post

2010-03-26T17:07:00.002-06:00

Hey folks, I wanted to tell you about a great blog post by one of my fellow Blue Sage Fiction Writers, Sue Anne Hodge. It's titled "The Anxious Writer," (aren't we all), and I think you'll enjoy it. The link is http://www.bluesagewriters.blogspot.com

Women's History Month

2010-03-19T17:04:00.004-06:00

Did you know that March is Women's History Month? This year is the 30th year for the National Women's History Project, which focuses on "Writing Women Back Into History." You can find out more about this project at http://www.nwhp.org

This is an ongoing effort to get women's stories and their accomplishments in the history books. What a worthy project! Check it out.

To Compare or Not to Compare?

2010-03-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of do's and don'ts when it comes to writing query letters. Sometimes you'll see the suggestion that you should compare your book to another one that is out there, or your writing to a popular writer. I know they suggest this for marketing purposes, but I've never done it. For one thing, what if the agent or editor to which you are querying doesn't like the book or the writer you are comparing your work to? What they really want to know is the audience you are writing for, so you might say, "I believe my book will appeal to readers who enjoy Mary Higgins Clark," etc.

In The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists, Bill Pronzini is quoted as saying: "Always do your own work. Never try to imitate favorite or bestselling authors. Never follow current trends; what is a hot topic today may well be ice cold by the time a novel is written and submitted for publication. Imitators are seldom successful. An individual's unique style and vision are what editors are looking for."

So don't try to write the next Harry Potter series. You couldn't possibly improve on it anyway. Don't tell the agent that your friends call you "the new Louis L'Amour," unless you want to brighten their day with a lot of laughter. Just write the story that is in your heart and write it in your own unique voice. Will they like your story? There is no way of knowing. But I do know one thing: you can't put your soul into another writer's vision.

Deep Winter

2010-02-17T08:41:00.003-07:00

I don't profess to be a poet, but I dug out this old poem, which seems appropriate about now.

Deep Winter

Long shadows stretch across the snow,
A gentle breeze begins to blow,
The creek has long since ceased to flow.
It is deep winter.

The horses paw for grass now dry,
In snow that rises ankle high,
Moonshine lightens up the sky.
It is deep winter.

Jack Frost clings to puppy hair,
In early morning, nostrils flare,
The willow stands so calm and bare.
It is deep winter.

The sunshine blinds me in the morn,
The path I walk is old and worn,
My heart delights at a new day born.
It is deep winter.

--by Linda Sandifer
Use with permission only

Morning Shadows

2010-02-14T22:07:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share this photo of morning shadows on the snow.

Email Queries: The Fast Food of the Publishing Industry

2010-02-07T11:25:00.002-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm from the old school. I come from the days when you printed your query letters and sample material, put it all neatly into a brown manila envelope, enclosed a SASE, and deposited it into the mailbox with a pat and a prayer to send it on its way across the country. Then you waited, and waited, and waited for the day when the SASE came back with either a "no, we're not interested," or a "yes, please send the complete manuscript." Then you boxed up your masterpiece (again with return postage clipped to the cover letter) and sent it off to wait, and wait, and wait. Sometimes for months. But, the longer you had to wait, more was the hope that maybe the agent or editor on the other end was giving it thoughtful consideration. (Yes, in those days, you could actually send to editors without an agent.)

I will also admit that I find email queries a little nerve-wracking. How can you be absolutely certain that when they are opened on the other end that the line spacing will be right and the font won't come out in both Times Roman and Courier New? Worse, what if it falls into cyberspace? How will you ever know since many agents requesting email queries also state that they respond only if they are interested? This business is hard enough, but to be cast off without the courtesy of a response? That is truly a low blow to a writer.

Emails queries are, however, devilishly easy and they cost nothing. Plus, the rejections (if you get a response) come in fast and furious so you can go through a lot more agents in a lot less time! The upside of not getting a response (yes, I suppose there is one) is that you can convince yourself that your query didn't reach the agent at all, that it vanished into cyberspace. This delusionary tactic will allow you to bypass the heartbreak that goes along with a rejection letter.

So, I guess the process of sending queries has gotten easier. But sometimes after I've hit the "send" button, I get this really empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's sort of like eating fast food on the run; it just isn't quite as satisfying as a good home-cooked meal.

The Right Place to Start Your Book

2010-01-22T13:05:00.003-07:00

Note: This post first appeared on the Blue Sage Writers blog on January 14, 2010.

A good hook is essential to any book, but a terrific first line, first paragraph, or even first page won't save a story that begins in the wrong place. Neither is anything more disappointing to a reader who bought a book based on that terrific hook, only to find the story fading away after a few pages or chapters. (I won't get into the burning question as to why such a book was published in the first place. That's fodder for another blog.)

A book will sometimes cover the entire life of your main character from birth to death. That doesn't mean you should start it when the character emerges from the womb. More often than not, a story will be only a brief span of time in a character's life–a few days, weeks, or months. Hopefully, you have chosen that time frame because something is about to happen that will change your character's life forever. It will be a turning point. Don't wait until page 100 to start this moment of change. Starting a story too soon, or too late, will result in weighty narrative and flashbacks that will slow your story to a crawl. You'll get lost, confused, discouraged and might even give up on the book entirely. Chances are, if it isn't working for you, as the writer, then you haven't found that moment of change and the best way to present it.

The scene that you open your book with should set the stage for what is to follow, foreshadowing the direction the story will take. This beginning should make a promise to the reader that will be fulfilled at the end. In today's fast-paced world, the reader will want to immediately see the conflict that will be the crux of the story, and one that will be resolved. This opening scene should be one that encapsulates the theme, even if you only demur to it. The tone might even hint at an array of outcomes that will entice the reader on.

It is also important before you write one word, that you know where your character has been, where he is going, and how he will get there. You need to know your ending before you can craft a truly effective beginning.

Even though you might have a great hook that won "The Best Hook" in some nationwide writer's contest, if you can't keep the momentum going, you haven't started your story in the right place.

Here is a wonderful beginning from Carlos Ruiz Zafón's new book, The Angel's Game. See if this draws you into the story and then ask yourself if he has foreshadowed, promised, offered conflict and motivation, hinted at a theme as well as the sense that the character, who we meet in the next paragraph, is about to face the moment that will change his life forever.

"A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a hot meal at the end of the day, and what he coverts the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that surely will outlive him. A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price."

Guest Interview

2010-01-13T10:26:00.002-07:00

A guest interview I did with western romance writer, Paty Jager, was posted on her blog today. If you would like to read it, go to http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com

For the New Year and the Long Haul

2010-01-07T14:31:00.003-07:00

As we start a new year, we all have resolutions. A very common resolution is to ditch the candy, pies, cakes, and cookies that surreptitiously attached themselves to our waists, bellies, hips, and thighs during the Christmas season. As writers, or anyone who spends a lot of time at the computer, it's important to take good care of our backs, eyes, and muscles. If you're in your twenties or thirties, you might not be experiencing problems, but by the time you spend thirty years at a computer, trust me, you will.

This year you might want to take a ten-minute break at least once an hour to give your body and eyes a break. Stretch, walk around, look out the window at something far away in the distance. Don't let a minor annoyance, like a sore back, or that tingle in your fingers, go unattended. It could become severe, even incapacitating. I know how easy it is to get caught up in a story or a book deadline and before you know it the entire day has passed and you haven't moved from your computer (except to grab a cola and a few cookies to tide you over until dinner). But this year, resolve to take better care of yourself for the long haul so you will still be able to write those wonderful stories when you're eighty.

Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-19T10:38:00.006-07:00

This month has somehow gotten away from me. Here it is less than one week before Christmas! It is true that time flies when you're having fun.

I had one daughter and her family here for the two weeks after Thanksgiving and we had a ton of fun with the grandchildren. We went to our ranch in the mountains to cut down the Christmas tree. Ours is never a "perfect" tree. Each tree, each year, has its own personality. The grandchildren helped decorate it. We didn't even mind the half-dozen or so bulbs they broke! They're only two years old and four years old, after all. It was worth it to have small children in the house again, along with their laughter and mischievousness.

My grandson, the two-year-old, particularly liked my collection of little ceramic houses and tiny figurines. I think his favorite was the horse pulling the sleigh, which isn't in the picture (I couldn't fit them all in one shot). Nothing brings the Christmas spirit to heart and mind more than the wonder in a child's eyes as they experience the magic of the season.

Next week, my other two daughters will be here, and we've sent out word to Santa Claus that he needs to leave our five-year-old granddaughter's gifts beneath our tree. It's been quite a few years since he was in this neck of the woods to deliver toys, but I feel confident he'll remember the way.

This will be my last blog for the year. So here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (Oh, and a lot of good books beneath your Christmas tree).

What's in a Title?

2009-12-11T17:40:00.007-07:00

We've all heard the adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." This could also be said of a book title. Unfortunately, we do judge a book by both. Before we make a purchase, we are first attracted to either the cover or the title. If neither catches our interest, we won't even take the book off the shelf or rack.

As writers, we have practically no input into the covers the publishers decide to give our books, unless we negotiate for that privilege in our contracts. We do have a little more chance to have a say in the title, though, simply by putting a good one on the book when we submit it. If it's really, really good, they won't change it.

Here are a few simple things that might help you come up with the perfect title:

1. The title should give an indication of what the book is about. Think of it as a mini-synopsis of your story.

2. It should suggest the genre the book fits into.

3. Even though you can't copyright titles, don't use one that is famous, like Gone With the Wind. Google your title and see what's out there before you decide to use it.

4. Keep it short, usually less than six words. People won't remember a long title.

5. Ensure that it flows well when spoken aloud. Watch for word combinations that might look fine on paper but could leave the wrong image when spoken aloud.

6. Try for something intriguing or provocative that will pique curiosity or conjure a mood.

7. Use words that the average person can understand and that are easy to pronounce. Avoid foreign words and phrases.

8. And last but not least. Be ready with options to present to your editor in the event she doesn't like your original one.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T09:27:00.006-07:00

"Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!"

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. May your day be filled with family, friends, turkey and pumpkin pie, along with the traditions, both old and new, that make it special for you.

And somewhere in the mix of wacky relatives and their peculiar problems and idiosyncrasies, you might just come up with a terrific idea for a new book, new story, or a solution to a sticky plot problem!

Who Do You Write For?

2009-11-12T13:07:00.008-07:00

One of the biggest decisions a writer faces is whether to write for herself or to write for the market. We've all heard it said that you should write the book of your heart, and, if it's good and well-written, it will find a publisher. Ah, if only that were true. Perhaps there was a time (many a light year ago) when that might have been the case, but today's publishing industry, for the most part, revolves around trends, high concepts, and genre markets--the latter requiring a degree of formula writing that must be adhered to. There might not be a lot of room for creativity or to write outside the box. However, we are also told not to write to the latest trend because by the time you get your book written, the trend will be over.

So do we write what is in our hearts and risk that it will never be published or even read by anyone other than those in our critique group? Or do we write for the market and plot stories that will fit the latest trends and formulas? In the end, it's each writer's call, a risk each writer has to take. If you're strictly in it because you want to be a published author, then write for the market. If you've got something to say, write that book of the heart and maybe it'll get published by an obscure small press with a print run of 500 books. Then again, perhaps it will end up being the next New York Times bestseller or the next Pulitzer prize winner. Writing is a crap shoot. You'll never know what's going to happen until you roll the dice.

Internet Addiction

2009-11-05T17:28:00.005-07:00

I lost my internet connection on Monday, and naturally it came at the worst possible time (there's never a good time for your internet to go down). So I made the dreaded call to the company, thinking they could walk me through a quick fix (if I could understand the person on the other end of the line). It wasn't to be. The fix, that is. I actually got connected with someone who spoke pretty good English. I could understand him and he could understand me. That was a huge relief in and of itself. But my problem was bigger, something to do with the cable and the satellite dish and something shorting out. Anyway, I had to put in a work order for someone to come to the house. I had to wait three days! Think of yourself being an addict going without your fix (or your dark chocolate!) for three days. I kept going into the office to check email only to be reminded there was no connection to the outside world through my computer. I couldn't check my bank account, couldn't do research, couldn't check the blog, couldn't start the Christmas shopping. . . .

I didn't think the internet was so integral to everything I did, but this experience made me think of Dean Koontz's book, Midnight. If you've read it, you'll know what I mean about getting a little too "connected" to your computer.

The Man Who Rode Midnight

2009-10-22T08:08:00.006-06:00

I first discovered western writer Elmer Kelton around 1989 when I bought his book, The Man Who Rode Midnight. I became an instant fan and went on to read The Time It Never Rained, The Good Old Boys, The Day the Cowboys Quit, and Cloudy in the West, just to name a few. I'd always enjoyed Louis L'Amour westerns, but Elmer brought something new to the genre. His stories were real, his characters were real. They were everyday people with flaws, even his heroes. Having been around ranching, ranchers, cowboys, and country people all my life, I could fully relate to his people. They reminded me of my dad, my uncles, my neighbors, my grandparents. I even saw a little of myself in his characters from time to time. He wrote what he knew, and he wrote it so damn well.

Elmer was every bit as real and down to earth as the fictional people he wrote about (I wouldn't be surprised if many of them were fictional only in name to protect the innocent, and not-so-innocent). I met Elmer at a Western Writers conference right after I'd read The Man Who Rode Midnight. Even though I, too, was a published author, I had to muster the courage to introduce myself and tell him how much I enjoyed his book. To my relief, he was humble and polite. We didn't talk long about writing. He and my husband soon launched into a conversation about ranching that went on for a considerable length of time.

Ten years later, it was with trepidation again that I summoned courage to ask him if he would read my historical saga, Raveled Ends of Sky for a possible endorsement. I thought for sure he'd tell me he was too busy–after all, every western author out there was probably asking him for the same favor, and I knew he had book deadlines. But he kindly consented. I can tell you, I was nearly as proud of his endorsement on the front cover of my book as I was my book.

Voted Best Western Author of All Time, Elmer passed away on August 22nd at the age of 83. He wrote over forty books. He was the recipient of seven Spur awards and the Saddleman Award for Lifetime Achievement from Western Writers of America. He also received four Wrangler awards from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. His death will be deeply felt by his family, friends, and his many, many fans. I feel fortunate to have crossed his path, if even for a moment, and to have had his stories touch my life.

Book Page

2009-10-21T22:11:00.003-06:00

If you'd like to get the latest scoop on new books, their authors and publishers, visit Book Page. It's a great site.

Full Circle

2009-10-15T21:39:00.008-06:00

After months of research, plotting, writing, and revising, you decide that your book is finished. It's hard to let that baby go because it's your instinct to keep working on it, perfecting it even more. It's near and dear to you. You love your characters. It's the book of your heart.

Through doubt, discouragement, euphoria, excitement, lack of sleep, and maybe even moments of depression, you have persevered. You have accomplished what many have talked about doing, or attempted to do, but haven't actually done. You look at the stack of paper on your desk that represents all your hard work and you're in awe. "I wrote all that," you might say. "I actually wrote a book. And it ain't half bad." At least you hope.

You bask in your accomplishment because you don't want to take the next frightening step: putting it out there for agents to scrutinize and maybe reject. So you delay the inevitable. You clean and dust and polish your office space. You organize the mess of folders holding research and put away the books teetering in precarious stacks all over the floor and around your desk. You weed through all the notebooks containing notes and the piles of loose papers containing more notes, random thoughts, and brainstorming moments. You don't need them now. The book is done.

You sit in your chair. You feel lost. What are you going to do now? Oh, yeah, the query letters. But, no, what are you really going to do? There was that idea, that one you had a couple of months ago. Dang, you wrote some notes. Where are they? You dig through the stacks of neatly organized papers and folders and scatter them all over the place again in your excitement. Aha! At last you find them. You sit down and your brain begins to thrum with plot possibilities. New characters leap to mind. Dialogue writes itself in your head.

"I'm crazy," you mumble. "A real glutton for punishment. Shouldn't I give myself a break? Do I really want to do this again?

You sit down at your computer and start to type, rapidly. Of course you want to do it again. You're a writer.

The Sky Overhead, aka Redundancies

2009-10-08T17:00:00.006-06:00

Another thing to watch for in your final draft is redundancies, the "unnecessary repetition of meaning*." Some examples are: stood up, sit down, murmured softly. (*From The Handbook of Good English by Edward D. Johnson.)

Redundancy also means repeating information throughout the book. As a reader, I don't want to be told the same information on page 10, 25, 75, and 150. As a writer, I know that in a 400-page book, it can be difficult to remember what you wrote a month ago, or last year, depending on how long you've been working on your book. By the time you've gone through your manuscript several times, it's even harder. You won't know for sure if you wrote the same thing several times, or if you just read it too many times. You might have to ask a fellow writer to offer a fresh set of eyes.

More Polish, Please

2009-10-07T14:51:00.007-06:00

In following up on a previous blog about passive voice, I'd like to mention a few other passive voice words and useless words to watch for besides "was" and "were". Keep an eye out for excessive use of the following words: is, are, felt, look, appear, and seem. Change these to active voice when possible.

Many words are expendable. These include qualifiers such as very, rather, quite, really, finally, even, and just. Do a search in your document for these. Eliminate them when possible.

Another word that is often expendable is "that," but check out the rules on this one because its usage can be confusing.

"And" and "but" are not necessary when used at the beginning of sentences, unless you need them for emphasis. Again, use this structure in moderation.

"Well," is another one that you will want to watch for at the beginning of dialogue. "Well, I guess I'll go." Unless you want to show that a person uses this word as part of their speech pattern, or you need it there for a specific emphasis, it can be removed.

Many adverbs (the "ly" words) can be removed, especially those used in dialog, such as "You poor child," he said pityingly. These will clutter your writing if used in excess.

As for adjectives, Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "If you can ever can an adjective, kill it."

As with all fiction writing, you need to know the rules to break them.

And, finally, do as I say, not as I do!

Blue Sage Writers

2009-10-03T17:03:00.008-06:00

My local writers group now has a blog. We are ten strong and many of us have been writing buddies for over twenty years. We've been with each other through thick and thin, through rejections and acceptances, and we have quite a collection of published novels, articles, short stories, and poetry to our credit. Many of the group are just now dipping their toes into the blogging pool. We'll be sharing everything from stories to industry news and thoughts on writing. We are open to new members who live in the area and would like to join our monthly meetings where we critique and enjoy sharing a few hours with people of like mind. Check out our link under Industry Favorites.

The Spit Shine

2009-10-01T17:21:00.011-06:00

Revisions, edits--call them what you will--they are nothing more than putting the spit shine on your final manuscript. There are a lot of things to watch for during your final spit shine. You might as well start with the easy stuff, and one of the first things to check for is passive voice. I'll admit that I just hate it when members of critique groups get completely anal about the word "was." This is probably my biggest pet peeve. Okay, so it's passive. But it is also part of the English language and sometimes you have to use it. However, in all honesty, sometimes you don't.

In our first draft(s) we often are focused on just getting the story down and so we throw in a lot of passive voice as we rush to the finish. Let's look at a couple of examples of how you can turn the passive voice into an active one. And, in case you're wondering why we do this, it's because active voice puts the reader more firmly in the story and keeps him there.

Here are some examples that aren't the best in the world, but you get the idea.

Bill and Mike were lounging in their chairs by the river's edge.
Bill and Mike lounged in their chairs by the river's edge.

The horse was skittish, not wanting to follow the trail.
The skittish horse did not want to follow the trail. or The skittish horse refused to follow the trail.

Harris Milton was waiting next to his plane, anxious to leave for his next job.
Harris Milton waited next to his plane, anxious to leave for his next job.

Okay, so go search out "was" in your document and get creative using active voice. I'll post a few more revision/editing suggestions on upcoming blogs.

The Sixth Sense

2009-09-21T12:51:00.000-06:00

I can't remember a movie in years that frightened me so much that I couldn't go to sleep--until I saw "The Sixth Sense" some years ago. Likewise, I was scared sleepless after reading "When Ghosts Speak," by Mary Ann Winkowski. Why? Because there could actually be ghosts among us and we can't see them. The possibility that something really exists makes it that much more frightening. Most of us can't see ghosts. Some of us can. Others might not be able to see them, but they can sense their presence. Thankfully, I don't fall into any of these categories, but just because I don't have the ability to know when ghosts are around, it doesn't mean I disallow their existence.

The supernatural is, according to Webster's dictionary (1) "of our relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; esp: of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil. (2) departing from what is usual or normal esp. so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature."

Belief in the supernatural has been in our society from the beginning of time and has always been a part of life. Fear and uncertainty are most likely the roots of many of these beliefs.

As writers, we can put our imaginations to work for us and use the sixth sense in our stories and books right along with those other five senses I've been blogging about. For me, the sixth sense is super fun to work with because imagination completely rules and anything goes--well, almost anything as long as you, the writer, can make it believable enough that your readers will be afraid to go to sleep at night, or they'll double-check the doors to make sure they're still locked.

In the paranormal realm, there are a lot of different elements to work with besides ghosts. It's all those creepy, spine-chilling "feelings" we have that can't be explained. It's all those entities in every culture and corner of the earth that may or may not walk the earth; vampires, werewolves, skinwalkers, angels, demons, fairies, witches, monsters--and the list goes on. It's the possibility of being able to travel through time, or be reincarnated. It's the ability of second sight that allows us to foresee events or simple "see" them after they've happened. It's being able to reach the dead through a medium, or be contacted by the dead through a dream. It is magical powers derived from any number of things like certain stones, the moon, or witchcraft. It can be something as simple as believing that walking under a ladder will bring you seven years of bad luck, or wearing a certain necklace will protect you from evil.

In every myth there is an element of truth. It is your job as a writer to make your reader believe anything.

More Sense of Touch

2009-09-09T09:34:00.000-06:00

I found another really good example of the sense of touch. It's in Tom Piccirilli's book, The Midnight Road. In this scene, the main character has just fallen through an icy harbor in his car and he's stuck in his seat belt.

"The freezing water raged in, and with it came the intolerable cold and the crushing pressure of a darkness he had always known but had never had to endure before. Every nerve burned and schizzed out at once, and then there was only an insane numbness. The overwhelming terror soon swelled into something like comfort."

Sense of Touch

2009-09-07T22:46:00.000-06:00

While looking for some good examples of the sense of touch, I came to the conclusion that we writers tend to dance around this one. We clearly don't take advantage of the many opportunities to use this sense in its full capacity, even in romance novels where there is a lot of touching going on. When we do use it, the words are not very descriptive; i.e., a "tender" touch or a "warm" embrace, etc.

What we feel with our fingertips can bring us pleasure or pain. It can warn us of danger or excite our desires. If we touch something too hot, we draw our hand back. If we brush up against a thistle, we pull away. A kiss might make us swoon, or if it's from someone whom we find repulsive, it might make us vomit. If you shake a person's hand, it might tell you if he is truly happy to meet you or if he'd just as soon wipe his hand off when the handshake is done. An embrace from someone might show how a person feels about you or a certain situation. You will feel their grief, happiness, understanding, or genuine love without the need for words. This sense can elicit some highly charged feelings in our lives and our relationships, from the newborn bonding to its mother, to two people developing a romantic relationship, or even a relationship that has grown old and cold with no passion remaining.

So why do we dance around this one? My guess is because it's rather difficult to find words to describe how something feels to the touch. It takes a bit more effort and creativity. Even things that might seem simple to describe, like a drop of rain on the tip of your tongue, or a puppy's fur against your cheek will still render rather uncreative descriptions like the "warm, wet rain," or the "puppy's soft fur."

Here are a few examples I found to get you thinking about how you can use this sense in your own writing. I know I'll certainly be more aware of it in my own.

From The Last Rodeo by Linda Sandifer:

"In the dream he could feel her fingers caressing the side of his face with a touch so light it could have come from a breath of wind, or the passing of a ghost."

From The White Mare by Jules Watson:

"Rhiann, leaning in on her knees, wriggled to get a better grip on the slippery body. Fire from the hearth glowed on waxy skin and smeared blood, and under the wisps of dark hair, tiny bones throbbed against her fingers."

From The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón:

"All I could absorb was the icy pressure of the gun's barrel sunk into my cheek, and the smell of gunpowder."

From Seven Minutes to Noon by Kate Pepper:

"Alice was surprised by the sudden warmth of Mike's hand slipping into hers. She squeezed his hand, greedily drinking in the rich warmth of Mike's skin, the solidity of his bones and muscles."

If anybody out there has some good ones, please share.

Sense of Smell

2009-08-16T14:43:00.000-06:00

It's been such a busy summer and I apologize for being so slow in writing this installment on The Five Senses.

Our sense of smell is another sense that tends to get downplayed in our writing. When I was able to find examples of it–after much searching–in my own or anybody else's work, it was usually used to alert the reader to something that could harm them, or to describe something that was extremely offensive. Maybe this is because we treat it the same way in our daily lives.

In a primeval world, your sense of smell could save you from a predator or help you track down your next meal. Imagine if you couldn't smell a brush fire bearing down on your home, or the biting smell of a poisonous substance in a juice bottle. What if you couldn't enjoy the smells of pumpkin pies and other spices during Christmas and Thanksgiving, or coffee brewing in the morning?

A few years ago, I worked as a technical editor and spent my nine hours a day in a cubicle that bordered the office's main hallway. I found I not only could recognize who was coming down the hall by their footsteps, but by their smell. The "smell" in this instance pertained to one guy in particular, not because he needed a bath, but because he wore so much cologne that it gave away his identity even when you couldn't see him.

Smells are all around us. Stop and sniff for a second. What do you smell right now? Nothing? Try again. Maybe it's your own perfume that you've grown accustomed to. Maybe it's that green tea with lemongrass that you just took a sip of. Or maybe you just removed your hot, sweaty feet from your tennis shoes. Phew! You get the picture.

As writers, we could have a lot of fun with this sense if we would only use it. Here are a few examples I found to get you thinking of how you can make sure you don't overlook it in your own writing.

From The White Mare by Jules Watson: "Outside, the tiny hut's reek of fish and dung smoke was washed away by the dawn air."

From Desire's Treasure by Linda Sandifer: "White hair poked out from under his mangled hat, and the rank smell of creosote and greasewood drifted up from his tattered britches."

From Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs: "The wind shifted and the smell of smoke grew stronger. I turned and saw a thin, black plume curling upward just beyond the next ridge. My stomach tightened, for I was close enough now to detect another odor mingling with the sharp, acrid scent. . . .the smell of charred flesh. One gorge over, people were burning."

From Last Breath by George D. Shuman: "There was a goldfish in a bowl, a ceramic angel on a clapboard dresser. She saw these things sideways, head on a bed, yellowed, stained sheets; the room smelled of cats and unwashed laundry."

From Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: "I smelled a faint flowery scent, as of lavender water, and something more spicy, mingled with the sharper reek of male perspiration."

Next up, the sense of touch. That one ought to be even more interesting!

Superior Scribbler Award

2009-08-11T10:32:00.000-06:00

I've been gone so much during the month of July or busy with company that I've neglected quite a few duties. One of them is responding to the Superior Scribbler Award, which, I am pleased to announce, I was awarded by B. J. Anderson at Hope Springs Eternal and D. L. Strange at Ranch Girl Ramblings.

Along with this prestigious award come a few rules and they are as follows:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Trying to pick only five Superior Scribblers is not an easy task. I realize that a couple of those I've named here have already received this award, but I can't not include them because they are at the top of my list of favorites.

1. B. J. Anderson of Hope Springs Eternal
2. D. L. Strange of Ranch Girl Ramblings
3. Kate at The Long Road to Heaven
4. Carol at Writing from Montana, the Last Best Place
5. Sarah at The Slanted Mirror: Wonderings of Sarah Bromley

The Last Rodeo Book Trailer

2009-07-28T08:53:00.003-06:00

Here's the book trailer for my latest novel, The Last Rodeo. Enjoy!

Unplug Week & Other Stuff

2009-07-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

I'm following B. J. Anderson's wonderful idea for "unplug week." Interested? Check out her blogspot under my favorite links.

I also found a great piece of advice from western writer, Louis L'Amour, about writing what the times, the editors, and the readers dictate. He says, "What few realize is that no writer is free to write exactly as he might wish. He is guided, to a great extent, by the tastes of readers and by the choices of editors. Of course, one can write whatever one wishes, but unless it conforms to the tastes of the public at the time, it will stay right on the author's shelf."

How many of you have found this to be true in your own writing? I certainly have.

Give Me Liberty!

2009-07-03T16:03:00.000-06:00

A people must from time to time, refresh themselves at the well-spring of their origin, lest they perish. This is an old adage that is particularly relevant on Independence Day.

This weekend most of us will be involved in some sort of 4th of July activity whether it be a parade, watching fireworks, having a backyard barbecue with family and friends, or vacationing somewhere in this great land. How many of us will actually stop and think about the blood, the battles, and the long process this country went through to become the greatest nation on earth? How many of us will fully appreciate what we have and how easily we can loose it? How many of us will thank those who have fought for our liberty, and those who have died for it? Or will we be more interested in the Bratwurst sausages on the grill and the ice creams cones melting in our hands?

In 1775, Patrick Henry made a moving speech to the Virginia Convention. He said, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. . . .Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not. . . .What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery: Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

On this Independence Day, 2009, here are some things you might ponder, wherever you are and whatever you are doing: When the American Flag passes by you on the parade route, probably in the hands of one of our brave soldiers or veterans, think about what you have and how easily you might lose it. Think of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States that has kept us a thriving, free nation for over two hundred years. Thank the Founding Fathers who had the knowledge, experience, and foresight to write that document not just for themselves but for generations to follow. Make a vow to uphold it and protect it and educate future generations of its importance to their freedom.

And above all, enjoy your freedom!

"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." (Inscription on the Liberty Bell, from Leviticus 25:10)

Sense of Taste

2009-06-25T21:38:00.000-06:00

We all love food. We all crave certain foods. Eating ranks right up there at the top as one of the greatest pleasures in life. I'll admit my two favorites foods are chocolate and ice cream. Put them together and it's damned near heaven. But do we write about food? Or the sense of taste? Not so much. (I had a time finding examples of the sense of taste). When we do write about this sense, it's usually something that tastes unpleasant. Sometimes, what we taste isn't food at all.

I was pondering why the sense of taste doesn't find its way into our writing very often and I finally realized that it's because, generally speaking, it doesn't have anything to do with the crux of most stories unless it's a story about food, like the movie, Chocolat. (Naturally I would remember that one!)

I did manage to find some very good references to the sense of taste in the wonderful nonfiction book, Bread and Rice, by Doris Macauley, (an American woman's fight to survive in the jungles and prison camps of WWII Philippines):

"We squatted in the darkness of our cell, smoking the cigarettes the Filipinos had sent us. The tobacco burned away the slimy, fishy taste of the food."

"'Hurry to eat this–Japs will come soon.' We devoured it ravenously. Not since the mountain people had cooked for us had we tasted such dry well-cooked rice. The Japanese do not know how to cook rice. Theirs is always too wet or too sticky. I smiled gratefully through the bars at the woman."

"A few moments later we were in a large bamboo shed where the mountain people had thrown down their loads and were now squatting comfortably and laughing among themselves while the storm raged around them. They began passing betel nut and the women offered us their sweets and rice-sticks wrapped in bamboo leaves. Out of politeness we did not refuse, but as we sat eating the sweet, gluey concoction, we were thinking of steak and french-fried potatoes. . . ."

The sense of taste can evoke sensuous feelings, or it can elicit joy, delight, contentment, and pleasure. Depending on what hits your tongue, it could bring nausea, fear, pain, or even death. So strive to include this sense in your writing. Of all the senses, this one can be very personal and can summon powerful emotions, images, and memories in ways the other senses can't.

Black Holes, Cyberspace, and Missing Manuscripts

2009-06-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

After more interruptions that resulted in a couple of weeks away from my suspense book, I sat down yesterday to get back to work on what, I hoped, was going to be the near-final draft. I decided I'd better back up what I had on my flash drive–just in case– since I hadn't done that for quite a while.

When I clicked on the folder to open it, the cursor highlighted the folder above it. Not thinking too much about it, I moved the cursor back to my book folder, clicked on it again, and. . .voila! it vanished. I thought, this can't be. It has to be here somewhere. It can't have just disappeared into cyberspace. But I searched and searched and couldn't find it. Trying not to panic, I assured myself that I at least had a hard copy from months earlier, but I got momentarily ill thinking of the job it would be to re-type those 400 pages and remember all the changes I'd made.

Trying not to panic, I called my critique partner and managed to sound calm. "Guess what? I think I just deleted my entire book."

"Oh my God, no." I could hear the utter shock in her voice, echoing my panic.

Only another writer could relate to this and what it meant. Luckily, she was thinking more clearly than I was. She immediately set to work, walking me through the steps to search for the file. We both breathed a sigh of relief when it finally popped up on my screen. I clicked on it to make sure it was indeed there. I hurried and saved it to my flash drive. Then I realized what had happened. During all the highlighting and clicking, it had accidentally been moved into the folder above it.

Technology. You gotta love it.

Sense of Sound

2009-06-11T07:50:00.000-06:00

The sense of sound probably finds its way onto the writer's page in second position after the sense of sight. Regardless of where you are, a city or the wilderness, close your eyes for a moment and allow yourself to hear the sounds, or the silence, that surrounds you. Even in what you think is relative silence, there is always a sound, even if it's white noise in your ears. But you will pick up more, the soughing of the wind perhaps, insects buzzing about, a jet flying overhead. Something. In the city, it might be a cacophony of noise, almost too many sounds to describe. Pick out those that relate to the mood of your story in some way. For instance, if your character is happy, focus on the happy sounds, like the happy music of an ice cream truck coming down the street, or a bird chirping merrily in the nearby tree, children laughing. If your character is in a frightening situation, like lost in the forest, focus on a huffing noise in the depths of the forest that could be a wild animal like a bear coming close. Or twigs snapping, brush popping and crackling as if something is coming fast with no caution. It could be a herd of elk fleeing a hunter, or it could be a predator chasing your protagonist. Sounds work wonderfully to create a mood.

There is an old Cherokee saying that I love: "Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf."

Now here are a few examples of how to use sound to create a mood and/or paint a picture.

From Firelight by Linda Sandifer:

"He always came at night, like death or the devil. He came when the moon rode high, casting ghostly shadows over the canyons and over his fiery red body. But he never came quietly. Even above the thunder of his band's pounding hooves, the stallion's shrill scream pierced the night and sent chills racing down the spines of every person on the Walking Hawk Ranch. The low, rumbling sound, like the earth trembling, pulled Rafe Cutrell from the depths of a deep sleep."

From Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas:

"At first, I wasn't scared, just humiliated, knowing that the drone in the room meant my classmates were talking about me, accusing me of being a thief. When the bell rang, dismissing classes, and the room grew quiet, however, I wondered if I'd have to stay there all night."

"Carl began to cry, and Dad sat down on the steps next to him, putting his arm around Carl's shoulder. We were all silent, listening to Carl's sobs, which were ragged, like a piece of machinery that wasn't hitting right."

Too Much Description?

2009-05-28T20:58:00.000-06:00

One of my followers had a question: At what point does description become too much?

It is definitely a balancing act when determining how much description one needs or should include. I try to intersperse description throughout a scene and prefer to only use a few paragraphs at a time before breaking it up. Also, if your description has some element of "action" (as in the examples for the sense of sight), the reader will cruise through it without being bogged down. But, again, you have to use your instincts to find the appropriate place so it won't sound as if you just threw it in there, and also so it won't slow the action. Pacing is important, as is rhythm. Fiction, like poetry, has a rhythm.

A friend of mine used to say that "not all our words are pearls." This is something we need to remember and be heavy with the edit. Only include what is necessary to the scene and to the story, and tighten it as much as possible, choosing one strong word that will replace several weak words. Nowadays, readers won't tolerate lengthy descriptions. We live in a fast-paced world and they want their fiction fast-paced as well. As for Tolkien, I don't read much fantasy, but the genre is about "world building" and therefore lengthier descriptions are not only accepted, but expected.

Sense of Sight

2009-05-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

A writer uses a visual description most frequently when painting a word picture. If done well, this will draw a reader into your fictional world immediately and make him feel as if he's right there with your characters, seeing what they see with his own eyes. As a writer, you must decide what is important to the scene and to the book itself. There are engaging and subtle ways to write a visual description. Here are a couple I'd like to share:

From Pasadena by David Ebershoff:

"The road cut through dormant pea fields and lettuce farms and a patch of shallots, passing an avocado orchard and a lemon grove protected by eucalyptus windbreak. It climbed a scrub-oak terrain burned gold in autumn where at hillcrest a rattler stretched belly-up in the sun. Thin, shabby utility poles stood across the fields like a line outside a poorhouse, and upon the drooping wires sat a family of garbage-fed gulls."

From The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón:

"A blue-tinted gloom obscured the sinuous contours of a marble staircase and a gallery of frescoes peopled with angels and fabulous creatures. We followed our host through a palatial corridor and arrived at a sprawling round hall, a virtual basilica of shadows spiraling up under a high glass dome, its dimness pierced by shafts of light that stabbed from above. A labyrinth of passageways and crammed bookshelves rose from base to pinnacle like a beehive woven with tunnels, steps, platforms, and bridges that presaged an immense library of seemingly impossible geometry."

I think the sense of sight works extremely well in these two examples because the authors used strong, well-chosen words for their descriptions and wove them together in a way that produced a clear image. They have also used an active voice that breathes life into the work, rather than a passive voice that might have left the descriptions stagnant and dull.

The second most used of our senses (at least in our writing) is sound. We'll take a look at that one next time.

El Alacran (The Scorpion)

2009-05-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

I recently had the privilege of critiquing a western script by a very talented young film maker who is the owner of Outta Tune Productions. Because it is so good, I wanted to share it with others who enjoy the western genre in all formats, be it literature or film. If you would like to get a sneak peak at this short film, entitled "El Alacran" (The Scorpion), you can see the trailer at www.myspace.com/elalacranmovie or at www.emilysandifer.com under the "video" section. Watch for the film in its entirety later this year. And watch this film maker; I'll wager he's going to go far.

Hone the Five Senses to Improve Your Writing

2009-05-20T16:37:00.000-06:00

As writers, we mostly use the sense of sight in our descriptions, but we can enrich our stories by consciously using the other four senses as well. Finding just the right place to insert this information can be tricky, but one good way is to "show" it through the viewpoint of a character; i.e., through their five senses rather than putting it in a lengthy narrative that slows the action and causes the reader to tune out.

All of us are more attuned to our surroundings when we step out of our own environment and see something for the first time. Remember what it was like to be a child when you noticed everything around you and it was all a wonder to behold? You were so fascinated by everything and you had so many questions about life and the world. If that was too long ago to recollect ☺ then watch your children and grandchildren as they encounter the world around them. If you see the world again through their inquisitive eyes, you'll find your own senses sharpened.

Try this exercise: The next time you leave the house, even if it's only to go to the grocery store, plug your senses into your surroundings (turn off your Blackberry, your IPod, and leave your laptop at home). Then make yourself look around you as if you've just stepped off the bus (or the spaceship) into a strange town (or onto a new planet). You'll be surprised at everything you take for granted and everything that you've grown so accustomed to that you have blocked it all from your mind. When you later sit at the computer to paint your word pictures, allow your imagination to connect to your newly attuned senses and you will more effectively draw your reader into your story.

Coming up: Some examples of how the five senses have been successfully incorporated into published works.

Everybody Has a Story

2009-05-05T15:55:00.001-06:00

We all have a story, but does it take someone else to see it? This weekend my husband and I were at our summer ranch beginning the labor-intensive job of repairing fences after the winter snows have done their usual damage. It's a job that has to be done before we can turn the cattle out to graze for the next six months. It's a job that will see us well into summer before we can say we're done for the year.

My grandfather homesteaded the ranch in 1915. While I work hammering staples and clipping wire in the silence of this back country, I have plenty of time to think about him, and of those who came before him and those who came after him. I know their stories, or at least what little bit has been passed down. None of my ancestors kept journals or wrote diaries that I'm aware of. Maybe it was all they could do just to survive. And maybe, like the rest of us, they might have thought there was nothing spectacular enough about their lives to put to paper.

Being a writer and a lover of history, I've written what I know of some of them. I have a sense of obligation to do this so their stories won't be forgotten. I suppose a person needs a curious mind to take on the job of compiling family history, but I've discovered that the more I learn about a person, the more questions I ask. It's a little like plotting a novel or solving a mystery.

I am quite fascinated by my great-grandmother, Margaret, who, at the age of 29 and single, left England and sailed to the United States by herself. No other members of her family came with her. From there she traveled by train to Utah where she was met by my great-grandfather. Apparently this marriage was pre-arranged for they wed shortly afterward. He was twenty-five years her senior and together they had five children, one who died in infancy. When my great-grandfather died, she took her children and moved from Utah to homestead in Idaho. None of the children were married, but they were at least old enough to help her. My grandfather was about 18 at the time. Clearly an independent woman, my great-grandmother did not remarry, and seven years before she died at the age of 66, she received her Certificate of Naturalization.

Life wasn't easy in the 1800s, and homesteading 160 acres without a husband definitely wasn't. At least she had two strong sons and two daughters to help her, and, I suspect, some good neighbors. But little wonder she didn't write about her life. She was too busy living it. Her story is an interesting one, but I wish she would have told even a small portion of it in her own words. So many questions arise about why she made the choices she did--she certainly wasn't afraid to uproot herself and start a new life in a strange land. She did it twice, a true pioneer. But I doubt she thought of herself that way.

At least our great-grandchildren won't have any trouble documenting our lives. Every move we make nowadays is followed by a paper trail and thousands of photographs. Our ancestors will be able to google our names and everything we did in our lifetime will be there. Everything. Even this blog and the silly little comments we've put on Facebook and Twitter will be archived somewhere in cyberspace.

Yes, we all have a story. What will yours be? Will it take someone else to see it? Someone else to write it?

Looking for an Agent?

2009-04-28T22:05:00.001-06:00

There is some really good information and things to be aware of at http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html

Check it out!

Information Overload

2009-04-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

Do you ever feel like you're getting too much information from every direction, and most of it is information you don't need and didn't seek out? Not only do you have the information you have to absorb in relation to your work, but there's the twenty-four-hour news on TV and the endless commentary designed to suck you in. And of course there's the mail. Every day you're bombarded with newspapers, magazines, advertisements, and a lot of stuff that goes in the garbage. If you're like me, you'll try to read the newspapers and magazines (after all, you paid for them) but there is never enough time in the day to do more than scan the headlines and maybe a paragraph or two of content. The magazines build up on the coffee table and you flip through them, looking at the pictures, stopping to read perhaps one or two articles in their entirety.

Then there's the internet. It always amazes me how people seem to be able to keep up with numerous blogs and websites, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and dozens of other blogs and websites that aren't even their own. They post to these other sites, too. There are even some people who post their daily activities as they do them, nearly minute by minute. And when you open your email, it is filled with more advertisements and newsletters that you could probably unsubscribe to, but you're afraid you might miss something.

Tell me, is anybody getting any work done? Has the world beyond my realm somehow figured out how to get more than twenty-four hours in a day? I would say, clue me in to this phenomenon, but I don't think I want more hours in a day. It would mean more newspapers and magazines I'd feel obligated to read, more websites I'd have to visit daily, more blogging, more emails, more comments to be made on Facebook. And, heaven forbid, if I had an extra hour in the day, I might even start twittering.

You Gotta Be Hardy to Live Out Here

2009-04-16T22:41:00.000-06:00

Seriously, enough already. It's April 16th and I still have drifts in my back yard (that's snowdrifts for those of you below the Mason-Dixon line). And, believe it or not, but I had a fire in my fireplace yesterday. The furnace went out so I didn't have much choice. A fireplace is something you just don't want to NOT have when you live at the 5800 foot level. Of course a fireplace doesn't even help when winter drags on so long that you run out of wood.

I looked out the French door about a week ago, despairing that winter would never end when I spotted a patch of little yellow and purple crocuses struggling through the cold soil next to the house. My heart fluttered for just a moment while a little prayer went out that the frost wouldn't kill their fragile buds. The crocus face the south, so they get what little sun manages to slip through a crack in the clouds. (The poor plants on the north side of the house think it's still December.)

But the sandhill cranes came home several weeks ago, and today I saw that my brave tulips were forging upward (through the snow). Bless their hearts, they do this every year and almost every year get their heads frosted and stunted. I really wish they would just cool it another week or two and stay underground where it's safer. Maybe they're just as anxious for spring as I am. But the robins made a comeback and the trees are filled with blackbirds just singing up a storm. Hmm, maybe I should blame this snow on them.

Google Book Search Settlement

2009-04-14T19:06:00.000-06:00

Claims have been made that Google has violated the copyrights of "Rightsholders" by scanning in-copyright books without permission and displaying excerpts. A class action lawsuit has been filed by authors and publishers and a settlement has been agreed to. If this is the first you've heard of this, you might want to do a "Google Book Search" and see if you have a book that has been scanned by Google without your permission or the permission of your publisher. If you do, then you have three options: Opt out of the settlement, do nothing, or Opt in. For more information you can visit http://www.googlebooksettlement.com

Finishing the Rough Draft

2009-04-13T14:38:00.001-06:00

The first or "rough" draft is always the hardest when writing a novel, and it's always a relief to get it finished. I just finished the rough draft of my suspense novel (which has taken me a ridiculously long time to finish) and now the fun part begins, the polishing. Some people hate this part, but I always enjoy it because now I feel I have something to work with and improve upon, and I know my characters better than when I started.

It's always great fun to be getting on the home stretch and seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and to see your creation come to fruition. It's nice to be able to bask in the accomplishment for awhile before the next really hard part comes: marketing!

Audio Versions Available

2009-03-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to let people know that audio versions of The Daughters of Luke McCall and Raveled Ends of Sky are available through Books in Motion (see my Favorite Links). Daughters spent three months on BIM's Top Twenty list. Both are unabridged.

The Night Journal

2009-03-21T14:19:00.000-06:00

Another great book that I would like to recommend to readers is The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook. The author does a splendid job of melding the past with the present and exposing secrets that change the heroine's personal history. It's one of those books you want to tell everyone about, but one you don't want to lend! The book won a Spur Award from Western Writers of America.

Structuring Your Novel: the Resolution

2009-03-04T14:05:00.001-07:00

Now that you've set up everybody's motivations and painted all your characters into corners, you have to figure a way for them to solve their problems.

In the beginning of your plot outline, you probably made promises for great things to come. The resolution, therefore, must be sufficient to the promise. The most important thing to remember to be successful in this area is not to make the solutions to your characters' problems too easy. You must make your characters work for solutions, even agonize over them.

In one of my older novels, Midnight Hearts, the hero falls in love with the granddaughter of a rich railroad baron who is the man who destroyed the hero's family. He also was indirectly responsible for the hero's father's death. To marry the granddaughter whom he has fallen in love with would mean to become part of the very dynasty that destroyed his family. A hard cookie to swallow.

It would be simple to kill the baron off or have him die of natural causes incident to age, but that would be too easy a solution for the hero, and the story would end in Chapter Five. No, the hero must agonize over what to do, and he can't simply get to the end of the book and say, "Okay, I forgive the railroad baron for what he did sixteen years ago, and I'm going to marry his granddaughter."

The story must show the growth and the change that the hero goes through; it must show events that would lead him to a different opinion of the man he has hated; and it must vividly portray his inner struggle that finally brings him to a resolution.

Theme, characterization, motivation, goals, what's at stake, conflicts, obstacles, lessons learned, and resolutions. These are the buildings blocks of your story, the ones the editors want to see in the outline. They're not interested in specific scenes, but rather in the overall story structure. They want to be sure all the pieces of your story fit together nicely so there won't be gaping holes in the finished product and things that are simply too implausible, or too contrived, to be acceptable.

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: What is Learned?

2009-02-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

You must also decide what it is you want your people to learn from their experience. What should be the outcome of one man's greed, another's foolishness, or even another's kindness? However, when you actually write the book, don't preach these findings to or analyze them for your reader. Demonstrate through action and dialogue without direct expression; i.e., show, don't tell.

Like your initial characterization, if you know these things, your story will have more depth, be more focused, and they will emerge into the plot naturally. What is learned will also be reflected in your theme.

Next Week: RESOLUTION
From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: Obstacles/Conflicts

2009-02-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Once you've set up your characters' motivations, goals, and what is at stake, add some conflicts, obstacles, and collisions of wills. Without these ingredients your characters' adventures won't be interesting to the reader. Create stress, pressures, disagreements, and changes that hinder the hero's direction or goal. If a man sets out to make his fortune, put obstacles in his path and people who want to thwart his every move.

Be cautious, though. Don't get overzealous and have so many obstacles that your story ends up sounding like the Perils of Pauline. Keep the obstacles believable, and make sure your main characters aren't drawn along helplessly on a string of events. Have them make decisions--whether right or wrong--that will put them, for the most part, in charge of their own destinies.

As you pit man against man, or man against nature, you'll have to explore the inner makings of the secondary characters we well. They must also have good reasons for what they do. Villains can't merely be psychotic--a typical stereotype. Your character analysis probably won't be as in-depth on secondary characters, but you will must explore their past in order to tie it in with their present motivation. Remember, everyone--even the bad guy--has a reason for what he does.

Next Week: WHAT IS LEARNED

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: What's At Stake

2009-02-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Good characterization and believable motivation are of utmost importance in your story structure, but whether it's money, love, success, or life itself, there must also be something at stake for the characters in order for the reader to care. You must create tension and suspense. Even if it's done in a very subtle way, you must make readers care about the people so they, too, will have a stake in the outcome.*

To see some really good examples of "What's at Stake" for your character, study the hit TV series "24." Jack Bauer is constantly having to change directions because he is presented with another "what's at stake" scenario if he doesn't comply to the villains' demands. It might be his life, the lives of his family or friends, or the lives of thousands of people. And it's not just what is at stake for Jack; every character in the series has his/her own goals, motivations, and something that is at stake in his life that is driving him to do what he does.

Your character, too, has to be faced with the threat of losing something very dear to him. It doesn't have to be someone's life at stake, but the stakes need to be something valuable enough to the character that he will be forced to take risks and do things he might not otherwise.

Next Week: OBSTACLES/CONFLICTS

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: *From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: Motivation

2009-02-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Every character (except perhaps the walk-ons) must have an incentive for what he does. He must have a motivation that will drive him to reach certain goals he's set for himself. Like characterization, his motivation must be consistent throughout the book. It must be believable to the reader and strong enough to carry the story to the end.

Motivations tell you what type of person your character is, or has to be in order for the book to work. Motivation and characterization work hand in hand until they mesh together into what your plot will be.

As an example of how integral motivation and characterization are, consider the two main characters in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, the 1985 Pulitzer Prize winner. Woodrow Call is a man driven to action. He's a leader of men and has little tolerance for laziness or weakness in anybody, even himself. On the other hand, his best friend, Augustus McCrae, is a man who, like Call, can hold his own in an Indian battle and who loves adventure. But McCrae is also a man inclined to need a little nudge to get going unless it's something he wants to do. He likes his whiskey and his women--two things Call scorns. Contrary to Call, McCrae doesn't believe in working too hard, and he definitely doesn't believe in working continually.

The fact that Call is a driven man sets the book into motion. He wants to head a herd of cattle north to Montana. He's tired of the sameness of the last ten years in the little border town of Lonesome Dove. Maybe everybody is tired of the sameness, but he's the one who takes the action. Because of his personality and the fact that he is an ex-Texas Ranger with diverse experience, the reader never doubts that he can accomplish the feat. If McCrae had spearheaded the cattle drive north, he would have needed a different personality and motivation in order for it to be truly believable.

In this book every person has his own goals, even if some of the goals don't seem obvious at first. And each person has his own motivations in order to reach those goals. Who the characters are and what they want from life dictates their separate ends. They either go along with Call or they rebel, or like Lorena--the good-hearted whore--they use the drive to obtain something they want. Their motivations are the story. In this book we get a good look at the West and at what cattle drives were all about, but the people and their motivations are the actual story.*

Next week: WHAT'S AT STAKE?

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: *From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: Characterization

2009-01-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Our plot ideas come from a multitude of sources and are sparked by many things. Oftentimes, the germ of the idea that sets our plot into motion is forgotten as the idea grows. But whatever gets your plot idea moving, always remember, you characters make your story. Good characterization can even hold together a weak plot.

You should know your characters as well as you do your spouse, your children, your siblings--maybe even better. You may never get to tell the reader everything you know about your characters, but the more you know, the more successful you'll be at creating well-rounded people. And in the course of the writing, many of the small details that you know about a character will be revealed through dialogue, action, and interaction. They might even become major factors in the plot.

Working out an outline will enable you to do this, and a good place to start is by drawing up a character sketch of each person. Ask yourself everything you possibly can about a character. Question yourself about his childhood, family, past, previous romances, experiences, desires, goals, likes, and dislikes. Determine what he would do in certain situations.

Unless the character is schizophrenic, his/her behavior and basic motivation should be consistent throughout the book. People in real life aren't always like this, but generally speaking, you can take someone you know very well and determine exactly what his/her reaction will be to any given situation. You should be able to do this with your characters, too.*

Next week: MOTIVATION

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: *From my 1992 RWR article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot."

Structuring Your Novel: Eight Basic Plot Points

2009-01-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sitting down to write an outline for a novel will throw a lot of writers into a cold sweat. It's simply not something most of us enjoy doing. If you delight in outlining a novel, then (at least to me) you are a rather odd and perhaps rare creature. I like to write by the seat of my pants, but I also know that if I don't have a solid grip on my characters and my plot, I'll end up stranded in Timbuktu.

There are a few basic plot points you can focus on, however, that will make the outline more manageable and keep it exactly what it is intended to be: an outline. The outline is not intended to tell every last detail of your book, or even to introduce every character that will appear in the pages of your novel. As you write, things will change about the story, characters' motivations and personalities might change, new people will walk on stage that you weren't expecting at all and these surprise characters could throw your story into chaos. You might, 200 pages into the book, have an epiphany and see that your story needs to take an entirely new direction. Or maybe it's half written and suddenly comes to a dead stop. You don't know where you're going and, furthermore, you discover that your main character is boring. Something's wrong but you can't put a finger on it. There's a lethargy about it all. It's simply not working.

When these things have happened to me (and they have, numerous times), I've found that I need to go back to the beginning and re-explore my characters. I also need to have a serious exploration of the eight basic plot points. The first point to keep in mind even before you do anything else, is to determine an underlying theme that will drive the characters and the plot:

THEME: Theme is the generalized meaning of a literary work. The theme can be something profound and written so subtly that the reader may not know the writer's point until the end of the book. In modern, mass-market fiction, however, the unifying point of the book can be something quite simple, like good always prevails over evil. Other theme examples might be: the passing of an era or a way of life, the sacrifices of conquering a new frontier, showing that perseverance in the face of adversity can help one achieve his goals.*

The theme is the unifying idea that binds the story together throughout the book from beginning to end. Without this, the plot would wander.*

In my most recent novel, The Last Rodeo, the thread that ran through the entire book was how the main character's decision to retire from the rodeo affected not only his own life and future, but the lives and futures of his entire family as well as the woman he loved and her estranged husband. His decision had far-reaching effects that soon became clear to him, making him question the decision. So this was the theme: your decisions affect everyone around you.

A unifying thread that ran through the book was the highway that had been such a big part of his life as a rodeo cowboy was also a symbol of life's journey. It's a common theme, or thread, and while I didn't start out with this in mind, it became the thread that ran through the lives of all the characters.

Next week: Look for some thoughts on CHARACTERIZATION

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL: *The two paragraphs on theme came from my article: "The Outline: Your Blueprint for a Structurally Sound Plot" originally published in March-April 1992 Romance Writers Report.

The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists

2009-01-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be interested in Andrew McAleer's new release, "The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists." As a contributor to the book, I can tell you it has some wonderful advice, insights, and suggestions from authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block, Elmore Leonard, Suzanne Brockmann, Eloisa James, and Rebecca Brandewyne (just to name a few). Some of the topics covered are: coming up with ideas; knowing what makes a great story; developing dialogue; overcoming writer's block; creating a pitch synopsis; and promoting yourself. It's an entertaining read and loaded with tried and true tips and wisdom from the masters.

Contest Closed

2008-12-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

My contest/drawing is officially closed. I would like to congratulate the lucky winner from North Carolina and thank all of those who participated.

Interview on B. J. Anderson Blog

2008-11-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

B. J. Anderson has conducted an interview with me on her blogspot. If you'd like to read it, just click on her link under my favorite links.

Upcoming Booksigning Dates

2008-11-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'll be signing copies of The Last Rodeo just in time for Christmas. If you'd like an autographed copy, stop by at the following locations:

November 22, 2008
2:00 -- 4:00 p.m.
Hastings Books
999 E. 17th St.
Idaho Falls, ID

December 13, 2008
12:00 -- 4:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks
Pine Ridge Mall
Chubbuck, ID (Pocatello)

Hope to see you there!

Contest/Drawing Reminder

2008-11-14T13:40:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that the contest/drawing I'm conducting for those who have read my recent novel, The Last Rodeo, will close on December 1st. The drawing will take place December 2nd and the winner will be notified. See my September 18th post for details about the drawing and a picture of the gorgeous prize.

Halloween Sunrise

2008-10-31T16:40:00.000-06:00

Tonight might be filled with ghouls and ghosts and all things spooky, but this morning God laid out a beautiful sunrise to start the day.

Tony Hillerman

2008-10-30T09:58:00.000-06:00

On the 27th of October, we were driving home from the Women Writing the West conference that had been held this year in San Antonio, Texas. In one of life's little ironies, we had just crossed over onto the Navajo Nation and were enjoying a beautiful New Mexico sunrise when we heard on the news that Tony Hillerman had died the day before. To be there at that moment when we got the news made me want to cry even though I never knew the man.

As we crossed a corner of the land that he wrote so vividly about, I found myself recalling all my favorite books of his: The Dark Wind, The Blessing Way, A Thief of Time, Coyote Waits, Skinwalker. I will admit that who-dun-it mysteries have never been my favorite type of books, but Hillerman's books were the exception for me. I loved his stories, the setting, and his protagonists Leaphorn and Chee. He is going to be missed, and his books will be coveted more than ever before.

Education of a Wandering Man

2008-10-14T11:08:00.000-06:00

I've always been a fan of Louis L'Amour books. I read a number of them when I was in my twenties. As a matter of fact, I think his stories had a direct influence on my interest in the history of the American West and, subsequently, what I eventually chose to write about. I had had his memoir on my bookshelf for probably twenty years and decided it was high time I read it. It was a wonderful, enlightening book of a humble, hard-working man who quit school at the age of fifteen but who had such a thirst for knowledge that he never went anywhere without a book in his pocket. It tells of his struggle to become a published writer, and how he acquired an education from his many travels, jobs, and adventures as well as from simply reading, reading, reading. This is an inspiring book for fans of L'Amour and for writers in general.

Roundup Magazine Reviews The Last Rodeo

2008-10-10T13:27:00.000-06:00

Another great review came in for The Last Rodeo from Roundup Magazine, published by Western Writers of America. The reviewer said, "Duty makes a difference in this tale . . . the apex of the story is one you'd never guess, making for some darn good story-telling."

You can see more reviews in previous posts.

The Shadow of the Wind

2008-09-24T09:43:00.000-06:00

Last night I finished reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. My first inclination was to turn back to page one and read it again--it was that good--and I never read books more than once. Mainly because I have so many on my reading list and so little time. As soon as I finish one, I move onto the next one. If they don't grab me right away, they end up in a box that goes to the library or the used bookstore. (Life is too short to waste it on bad books.) But this one I'll keep. I felt just like the character in the book who discovered the most wonderful book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. If you haven't read it, you should.

Contest/Drawing in Conjunction with New Novel

2008-09-18T11:26:00.001-06:00

I am conducting a contest/drawing for those who have read, or would like to read, my new novel, The Last Rodeo. The contest will begin on October 1, 2008, and end December 1, 2008. The winner will be randomly selected from those entries with the correct answer to the following question: Name three belongings that July Jones would like to keep from her former life in Albuquerque.

The winner will receive a handmade necklace with matching earrings and bracelet from Bonny Lass Jewelry (bonnylassjewelry.com). Valued at $50, the set is made of sponge coral and chalk turquoise with silver-plated accent beads and clasp. The large turquoise stone is off-center to be worn on the side.

To enter the contest, please email your answer to lindasandifer@live.com with contact information.

An Excerpt from The Last Rodeo

2008-09-18T11:26:00.000-06:00

Here's an excerpt from Chapter One of The Last Rodeo. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One

Arizona

Dev Summers buckled on his chaps and pulled the deerskin glove onto his riding hand, cinching it tight at the wrist. He blocked out the din of the rodeo, of everything except the sound of the announcer's baritone voice coming from the loudspeakers, smoothly playing to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our next cowboy has been riding rough stock since he was old enough to walk. Five-time Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association's World Champion, and four-time Professional Bull Rider World Champion, Dev Summers is the only man to have ever ridden the notorious Satan 101--a big, rank old bull that's been named the PBR's Bucking Bull of the Year for three consecutive years.

"Early last year in Montana, though, Old Satan got even with our cowboy and nearly ended his career. But you can't hold a good man down. Dev's back in the running, and, as luck would have it, he's drawn into another go-round with Satan."

A hush fell over the crowd as they realized this could be the ride of the night, maybe even a ride that would go down in the annuls of rodeo history. But what most of them didn't know was that Satan 101 had turned killer.

Nobody had wanted to ride him since April when Tim Roberts, a guy with whom Dev must have logged a million miles over the last twenty years, had run out of luck up at the Nampa Classic in Idaho. The bull had turned on him with the same vicious intent he'd laid out for Dev last year at the NILE Invitational in Billings, Montana. While all the cowboys had helplessly huddled in shock around Tim, the bull rider had died in Dev's arms before the Justin Sportsmedicine Team could reach him.

Tim's death had left a pall hanging over the bull riders. Every cowboy who'd drawn Satan since April had learned how to pray--and how to mean every word of it. Many had been hurt bad enough to be knocked out of the competition. Others had barely escaped injury. No one had ridden him.

The beast was at this moment trying to hook every cowboy within reach of his deadly horns, effectively sweeping them off the sides of the chute like dust from a doorframe before completing his customary exhibition and dropping to all fours, ready to fulfill the announcer's rhetoric.

Dev removed his Resistol hat to mop the sweat from his brow with his shirt sleeve. With a foot on either side of the metal chute, he eased out over the brindle's wide back, reminding himself that he could beat Satan. He'd done it once; he could do it again. All he had to do was focus and not think about what the animal was capable of doing. His entire career--maybe his entire life--would ultimately be measured by this one ride. The announcer's glowing words made him sound so indestructible, but the announcer wasn't close enough to smell his fear.

Satan felt Dev's pant legs brush his hide, and he reared again, forcing Dev to scramble to safety. Along with his other injuries, Dev had pulled his groin muscles last week, and it was there he felt the strain from his hasty retreat. He was tired of always fighting the pain, riding it out, sucking it up, swallowing it down. He was thirty-five--too old for this shit. He hurt everywhere, and he was sick of it. Damned sick of it. There was no longer a thrill to dally with death. He’d accomplished all he’d set out to do in the sport and then some. There were no more mountains to climb--except maybe to ride Satan one last time.

Walk away, man, while you still can. You've been wanting to for a long time. He heard Tim's voice in his mind, as if he were standing right there next to him. And maybe he was.

Don't worry, old buddy. Win or lose, live or die, this is going to be my last ride.

Five-Star Reviews for The Last Rodeo

2008-09-15T10:04:00.001-06:00

The Last Rodeo got a terrific five-star review from Midwest Book Review! They called it "a unique and highly recommended piece of western fiction."

I also received a five-star review from multi-published author, Karen Lockwood. She said, "Linda's been known for her historical novels, so this is a departure for her, and a journey well worth the read. She should gain a whole new following of readers with this one. You're going to love this book."

Published author, B. J. Anderson, said, "This book pulled at the heart and left me feeling satisfied! The characters were so human, and their hardships kept me turning pages. I will read [this book] again and again over the years to come."

Watch for an excerpt from Chapter One soon to be posted here on my blog.

Short Story Finalist

2008-09-08T11:03:00.000-06:00

I just found out that my short story, "The Ranch," is a finalist in Women Writing the West's first annual short fiction contest! The winners will be announced at the WWW conference on October 24th at the conference in San Antonio. The five stories selected as finalists will also run in Women Out West Magazine, starting with the January 2009 issue. Pretty exciting stuff!

Critiquing Your Own Work

2008-09-07T22:11:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have problems critiquing and revising your own work? Don't know where to begin? Here are a few interesting quotes on the subject from well-known writers:

"Think of and look at your work as though it were done by your enemy. If you look at it to admire it, you are lost." Samuel Butler

"A writer is unfair to himself when he is unable to be hard on himself." Marianne Moore

"I write my first version in longhand (pencil). Then I do a complete revision, also in longhand . . . then I type a third draft on yellow paper, a very special certain kind of yellow paper. No, I don't get out of bed to do this. I balance the machine on my knees. Sure, it works fine; I can manage a hundred words a minute. Well, when the yellow draft is finished, I put the manuscript away for a while, a week, a month, sometimes longer. When I take it out again, I read it as coldly as possible, then read it aloud to a friend or two, and decide what changes I want to make and whether or not I want to publish it. I've thrown away rather a few short stories, an entire novel, and half of another. But if all goes well, I type the final version on white paper and that's that." Truman Capote

September Issue of IDAHO Magazine Now Available

2008-09-06T22:44:00.000-06:00

I got my September issue of IDAHO Magazine and was really pleased with the article that Bill Corbett wrote, entitled, "From the Wild West to You," a feature about my life growing up on a ranch and how it has influenced my writing. If anyone gets the chance to read it, let me know what you think. Those who have read it so far, said they really enjoyed it. If you'd like to read more of Bill's work, click on the Will Edwinson link (the pseudonym Bill uses for some of his work). His book, "Buddy, His Trials and Treasures," relates the somewhat mischievous adventures of a young boy growing up in the 1940s.

Idaho Writers League Conference

2008-08-25T12:20:00.000-06:00

The Idaho Writers League is holding their annual conference this year in Idaho Falls on September 25-27 at the Shilo Inn Convention Center. It looks like it's going to be a really good conference. For more information on the schedule, check out their website.

I'll be giving a workshop on Saturday about "Creating Mood and Sense of Place." I received my first award," Idaho Writer of the Year" from the IWL many years ago so this is an opportunity to share a little of what I've learned during my ongoing writing journey. Should be fun.