define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); October 2013 » Page 4 of 5 » My Book Therapy

Archive | October, 2013

What Are You Harvesting?

Right now all over America, farmers are hard at work bringing in the harvest a year’s crops have yielded.

If they planned well, did their diligence and were fortunately enough to avoid severe storms, they most likely have a bumper crop.

Just like Farmer Brown in Iowa, you are harvesting as well. Maybe you’re not picking the last of the tomatoes but you are reaping the writing seeds you sowed way back when you began your year.

Hopefully, you decided on what you wanted to harvest right about now and planted the right seeds. You worked on that craft and made sure you got in your weekly word count.

Things come up just like on the farm. Perhaps you’ve dodged more than your share of early spring snows and late summer tornadoes. But what did you do after the storm? Did you care for your writing crop or did you throw in the towel?

The answer to that question determines what you’re reaping at this moment. If you are a farmer, you always farm. When things get rough and don’t go your way, you farm. When storms come across your crops, you still farm. When the tornado leaves, you pick up the pieces and, well, farm.

Writers—true honest to goodness committed wordsmiths—write. When things are good, they write. When things are bad, they still hammer out word counts. When the storms of life cause waves of despair to crash over them, they still write.

Why? The farmer can answer that better than I can. Right now—today—he’s very glad he kept farming because his silos are being filled, his cupboards are being stocked with food for the winter and his bank account is busting at the seams. He’s reaping what he sowed.

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Featured Frasier Judge Kerry Nietz!

This year’s Frasier Contest has come to a close. Congratulations to the Semi-Finalists, and our Grand Winner! In order to have the Frasier each year, we introduce the Judges on our blog. Its our way of giving back a little bit to the published authors who help us help YOU! So lets meet one of the Judges that made it all possible: Kerry Nietz, with his new book Amish Vampires in Space!

Q: Kerry, would you give us a little blurb about your the story?

A:“Jebediah has a secret that will change his world forever and send his people into space. The Amish world of Alabaster calls upon an ancient promise to escape destruction. Then end up on a cargo ship bound for the stars. But they are not the only cargo on board. Some of it is alive…or used to be. Now, with vampires taking over and closing in on the Amish refugees, these simple believers must decide whether their faith depends upon their honored traditions or something even older.”

Q: What is one piece of writing advice you could give to the MBT Audience?

A: I’m sure it has been mentioned on this site before, but the key to being an author is perseverance. That applies to all aspects of a writer’s life.

You need to persevere in writing the book. You need to make the time each day (or at least, every weekday) to sit down and write the thing. Set a daily goal for yourself each day and reach it. Push through the difficult areas. Take advantage of those times it is smooth going—write more! But get to the end. Then persevere through the editing phase, even if it means you need outside help.

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Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo? Consider this…

This Will Change Your Writing

I’m not kidding. What I’m about to tell you will impact your story. Especially those of you who are studying, writing, trying for publication.

I’ve been judging a contest. I feel like I could cut and paste the same comments in each one.

What does the hero/heroine want?
What is the story question?
What journey are they going on?
The inciting incident has nothing to do with the opening scene.
What is his/her fears? Desire? Give a hint of these in the opening.
What is the dark moment from her past?
Show some sort of competence. Meaning, a superpower (what he/she does well.) Good at his/her job.
Show confidence in the midst of failings and weaknesses.
What is the black moment?
What can the hero/heroine do at the end they can’t do in the beginning.

If you nail down these initial traits, you will have such a strong story.

I was recently reading a budding author’s work where the heroine is called upon for a dangerous task. But there was no leading up to how this would impact her own life. Sure, it’s challenging and exciting to be on a dangerous adventure, but at the end of the day, all of that is just busyness if it doesn’t bring about change in the protagonist.

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Social Media Minute—It’s Time to QUIT Social Media!

Yep you read that right.

The Queen of social media is telling you it’s time to QUIT social media.

NOT permanently (thought you were going to get out of it, didn’t you!), but I’m suggesting you take a break periodically, and re-examine your plan.

I used to keep up with social every single day, whether I was home or traveling. But I’ve learned that I can’t sustain a reasonable social media schedule seven days a week, indefinitely. So I’ve given myself permission to have weekends off and to relax when I’m traveling.

I know it sounds scary, but the truth is—it hasn’t hurt my platform at all—as a matter of fact it has helped it. Here’s two reasons why:

My updates are fresher.
I have time to expose myself to new blogs and new people.

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