I just finished a rewrite of Once Upon A Prince, releasing April 2013 from Zondervan. Covered nearly 87K words in two weeks. Not my favorite thing to do – tackle a rewrite in two weeks but that’s how it worked out. The opening needed a big change in my mind as well as my editor’s. Openings are my weakest. I tend to tell too much story. Not back story per say, just too much “pipe” as we say at My Book Therapy. I build too much story world. So I needed to tackle the opening and when I do that, I tend to ripe to shreds and start over. I probably rewrote the opening five times. Here’s the danger in doing that: forgetting other correlating threads in the story. I […]
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Advice to new authors
Recently I asked the book therapy team for blogging ideas. The newly contract Lisa Jordan asked: “What about something for the debut author? Some of us are still a little foggy about what types of promotion work, how much of our advance to use for marketing, juggling different stages of book 1 while writing book 2, managing writing time while dealing with other life obligations–job, family, church, etc.” Great question, Lisa! In this ever changing world of publishing, e-books on the rise, the popularity of electronically self publishing, it seems the author has to be writer, promoter and marketer. When I was first published seven years ago, there were twitterings of an author spending half of their advance on promotion, but I thought those were just rumors. Heresay. What “one” […]
Read the Rest“NEITHER SNOW NOR RAIN NOR HEAT NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT…”
We had a major rainstorm up in the northland yesterday – roads washed out, a river coursing through our yard. And, of course, the internet was down…so I had to pack up my computer and forge my way into town to send it from my husband’s hotel. As I left the house, my daughter said, “Are you sure you want to brave the elements?” Of course! Because I was focused on the end goal of getting my blog up (and, of course, checking my email1). I drove around downed trees, and navigated a small river with m SUV, and dodged piles of dirt but I finally made it to town. And my blog. On your hero’s spiritual journey, he’ll have downed logs to traverse and rivers to wade through, and […]
Read the RestNo Dilemma here!
You guys are great writers – there’s not doubt about it! I got this piece from Barbara and wanted to walk through it to point out its strengths. Great job! I want to read this book! Set up: Mountain guide Jackson Barrett plans to start his own mountain climbing business someday when he can get the money. He has just received news from a private investigator that his grandmother–whom he didn’t even know he had–has died and he has inherited her farm–on the condition that he live there six months first. Jackson stared after him. This man just shook his whole world—then walked away? He had a whole slew of questions all right, beginning with How did you find me? (Susie: Love the internal monologue here – great set up). […]
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