Good Advice

Now here's some writing advice I can get behind!




It's only 4.5 minutes and well worth your time. (And, hey, that's my book on his desk! Heehee)

Do you have any great advice for writers?

Apocalypse Panel: Defining the Apocalypse

It's time for the Apocalypse Panel again! This month's question:

What defines an apocalyptic story?

The easy answer for me is

The End of the World as We Know It



I think it's the "as we know it" part that is most important. Apocalyptic stories start from a point of the world that we know, that we are familiar with. I think it would be pretty hard to appreciate an apocalypse in a world utterly unfamiliar to us, since we'd have no "before" to compare to.

Also, the apocalyptic event affects the whole of society. After all, we all go through experiences that change our personal world as we know it. Marriage, children, school, jobs, divorce, death, etc. But those don't make an apocalyptic story. Still, as I think about it, maybe it is our own personal apocalypses that make world-changing apocalyptic stories so appealing to us.

Be sure to check out the responses from the other panelists!

#MyWritingProcess

I was tagged in this fun blog hop by two talented authors, Danyelle Leafty, who writes delightful fairy tales that you must read. Find and follow her on Twitter @DanyelleLeafty. She's awesome! And S.A. Butler, author of the Sonia Fletcher books. Vampire hunter novels with a twist. She tweets @S_A_Butler. Look her up. She's awesome too.

Thank you so much ladies!

Here is a bit about my writing process.

1. What am I working on?

Right now, I am revising my third Defenders of the Covenant novel, Shrouded Skies, looking forward to a September 2, release date! I have a Pony Express fantasy short story, Zeke vs. the Dust Devil that needs to go to beta readers. I have also started on the first draft of a new novel, The Glory of the Stars. Another LDS science fiction novel, though very different from Defenders of the Covenant.

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Hahahahahahaha! Most science fiction is not about Mormons. Most LDS fiction is not sci-fi. 'Nuff said.

3. Why do I write what I do?

Why does anyone write what they do? These are the stories that live in my heart and soul. The stories that insist I tell them to the world. I want to add goodness to the world.

4. How does my writing process work?

Umm... I'm kind of in
between processes right now. What has worked for me up until now is just no longer working. I'll keep you posted as to when I find something that does.

Anyway, thanks so much for tagging me Danyelle and Sara!

Feel free to share in the comments how your own writing process works. Maybe something will strike a chord with me. :)

The New Writing Plan: I will offer my creations to the world

Step 4 of the new writing plan is

I will offer my creations to the world in the best way I can find.

This is another tricky one. It brings up the whole self vs. traditional publishing issue, and like most people, I don't know which way is best. It is different for every author, and probably for every book or story.

I will publish "Roomies" on my website. (Done! This is a Defenders of the Covenant short story. Go check it out!)

I will publish my Christmas stories myself. (Look for that this holiday season.)

I will publish Shattered Skies (Defenders #3) myself. (By the end of the summer!)

I will seek professional markets for new short stories. (I just finished one today called Zeke vs. the Dust Devil. A western fantasy. I'm kind of excited about it. Submitting to short fiction markets again kind of feels like going back to the beginning of my writing career. And I'm okay with that.)

I will decide on publishing options for each future project separately.

I will NOT sign a bad contract. (I hate to say it, but I think this means I will not go with any LDS publishers again.)

Overall, I think I will probably stick with self-pubbing. It suits my personality a lot more. But I am not going to ignore the traditional publisher option either. As I said, I'll take it one project at a time.

New Writing Plan: I will create wonderful things, joyfully, courageously, and with reckless abandon

 I will create wonderful things, joyfully, courageously, and with reckless abandon.

Well, now we come to the hard part. The part I have been failing at for months on end. The part I'm not sure I can ever achieve again. The part that all the other pieces are trying to lead me to.


I will write stories I would want to read. Stories I feel excited about.

I will let go of my need for worldly rewards. (Where have I heard that before?)

I will set reasonable goals.

I will focus on daily writing, preferably for at least two hours a day.

I will practice believing that it matters. (See this list from Mette Harrison)

I work on knowledge-time-enthusiasm and relaxed-focused-prepared. (See these posts to find out what I mean here.)

I am still not having much success in actually creating anything. But I am trying. Honestly whenever I sit down to write, I am overwhelmed with fear and doubt. I know these things take time, so I will continue to work and to pray so I can get where I want to be.

The New Writing Plan: I will surround myself with beauty

I will surround myself with beauty.

I added an antique hutch and chair

This is probably the easiest part of the plan to implement, since that is my natural tendency anyway. And look at where I live. (See the blog header.) Easy-peasy, right? I am also focusing on less visible forms of beauty. 

I will create beauty in my home and my writing room. 

 I will listen to beautiful music. (Another easy-peasy step.)

I will notice and appreciate the beautiful things around me. 

I will surround myself with good people.

I will do random acts of kindness.

I will be beautiful outside and inside.

I will only use beautiful words. (No gossiping, complaining, yelling, etc.)

How do you create beauty in your life?

My new bulletin board of inspiration

The New Writing Plan: I will let go of my need for wordly rewards

So a couple of weeks ago, I told you about my New Writing Plan. I took some time off writing for Spring Break, because I was feeling creatively empty. Now I'm back and ready to put this plan into action.

Though the plan isn't in any particular order, the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about my future in the writing business was this:

I will let go of my need for worldly rewards.

This, I think, is one of the most important steps for me. Here are my thoughts on how to achieve that.


I will only check book sales on the last day of each month.

I will not ask for reviews, award nominations, or popularity votes.

I will not post "brag" posts about my books.

I will not look at any rankings of any kind.

I will not read reviews.

I will do only minimal marketing, such as maintaining my social networks, blogging, and taking advantage of opportunities that come my way. 

Yes, I basically decided to stop marketing my books. I'm afraid that's just shooting myself in the foot, but I feel it is necessary, at least for now, if I am to regain any joy in writing. So. We'll see how this goes.

Apocalypse Panel Question #2: Why draws me to write apocalyptic stories?

It's time for the Apocalypse Panel again! This month's question is a little less nightmare inducing. :)

What draws you to write apocalyptic stories?

To be completely honest, I'm not sure I am drawn to write apocalyptic stories. But I can tell you why I felt drawn to write Defenders of the Covenant, which features apocalypse-by-alien-invasion. This is from my website:

I first came up with the idea for Defenders of the Covenant while pondering the question of how far I would go to keep the covenants I have made. I take those covenants very seriously. What might I be asked to sacrifice? My life? Something harder? My mind churned up a worst case scenario of an alien invasion and a mother asked to give up her child to save the human race. That led to the short story which eventually became the novella, Consecrated.

I was fascinated with the "what if" behind that story. What if aliens invaded Earth? How would my church react? That was the basic grain of the novel.

For me, I wasn't thinking so much about the end of the world as I was about faith. Writing about the end of the world is an excellent way to delve into concepts of faith and loyalty and all sorts of things. Will I write any more apocalyptic stories? Hard to say. I don't have any in the works right now, but I never what sort of ideas are going to rear up and take hold of me.

What do you feel drawn to write?

Be sure to check out the responses of the other panelists!

Author Tag!

I was tagged by the talented Daniel Coleman for this post, so here goes:

What am I working on?

Well, I'm working on the first draft of a new LDS sci-fi novel called The Glory of the Stars. I'm also working on final edits for The Ransomed Returning (sequel to my first novel, Defenders of the Covenant). And then I'll start my first revision pass on Shattered Skies (third book in the series).


How does my work differ from others in it's genre?

There isn't a lot of LDS sci-fi out there. My books are different from a lot of sci-fi because it is so overtly religious, and it's different from most LDS fiction because it is sci-fi. :) This isn't always a good thing, but it is what I long to write.

Why do I write what I do?

My goal in writing has always been to write stuff that is both uplifting and entertaining. That's what I strive for. Adventure and truth.

How does your writing process work?

Chaotically. I write my first draft out by hand in a notebook. Then I type it (the part I hate most). I usually make a few changes while I'm typing. Then I'll let it sit for a month or two and read it over again to get the big picture. I'll cut or add scenes or change what I feel needs changing. When I feel it is the best I can get it up to that point, I'll send it out to some of my trusted writer friends for critique. I'll revise based on those suggestions, give it another proofreading pass, and consider it done! This takes practically FOREVER, by the way. :)

Okay, so I'm passing this tag onto Terry W. Ervin II and Todd (T.M.) Hunter! 

Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one!

It's that time of year again!

Oh, that time of year with presents to buy and wrap and mail and deliver. Cards to address. Lists to make. Halls to deck. Goodies to bake. Concerts to attend. Concerts to rehearse for. Etc, etc, etc.

Personally, I love it! It doesn't leave much time for writing, though. At least not for me. Still, I wouldn't trade the Christmas season for any amount of writing time.

So, Merry Christmas, my friends. Happy Holidays. Take the time to really enjoy yourself and focus on the ones you love.

And if you can keep your writing juices flowing too, all the better!


By the way, if you want to read some great Christmas stories, my sci-fi Christmas novelette, Joy Ride, is only 0.99 for Kindle.

Or you could pick up the Carol of the Tales anthology (with one of my stories) and help out a great cause too. All proceeds from the book will be donated to Autism Speaks.

Guest post: Terry W. Ervin II--Research: Even the Little Things Add Up

 I am pleased to welcome sci-fi/fantasy author, Terry W. Ervin II back to the writing chair to talk to us about the importance of research. (You can read Terry's One Word Interview here.) His latest novel, Relic Tech, is an action-packed sci-fi adventure I highly recommend. Take it away, Terry!

Research: Even the Little Things Add Up
When readers decide to pick up one of my novels, they’re committing both time and money—valuable commodities that they could easily spend elsewhere. Because of that fact, I strive to tell the best story I can, which includes doing the necessary research. To me necessary means not only the getting the big things right, but the small, peripheral ones as well.

For example, in my debut novel, Flank Hawk, one of the factors that led to the post-apocalyptic setting was handful of nuclear warheads penetrating the U.S. ballistic missile defense systems and detonating. Pulled from two chapter starts:

Nestled in Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD had been on full alert. Coordinated satellites viewing the earth in the infrared part of the spectrum recorded the demise of one ballistic missile while radars, including the Cobra Dane early-warning on in the Aleutian chain and the X-band floating on a nearby platform, tracked the two surviving sub launched missiles as they climbed…

…A battery of six interceptor rockets from silos at Fort Greely in Alaska and four more from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base raced skyward. An experimental tracking and intercept aircraft from the Vandenberg base was already aloft. While it strained for altitude, airmen activated its advanced tracking and targeting systems, and prepared its powerful laser should any warheads survive the kill vehicles housed in the interceptor rockets.

To get it right required hours of research, learning the basics of the USA’s missile defense systems and equipment, capabilities, and locations along the West Coast. Only a fraction of what I dug up and organized actually made it to the pages of the novel, and only to a few paragraphs on a few pages, but the point of research isn’t to show off all the work an author did. It’s to incorporate only the necessary details to enhance the story.

As an author, I want to get it right for the reader, not only for the story, but because the readers out there have varied knowledge and experience. I’d be embarrassed to receive an email from a disappointed reader, telling me I’d gotten it wrong—especially something that I could’ve gotten right.

Another example comes from my most recent release, Relic Tech. It’s a science fiction novel that involves some interstellar space travel. One of the things I incorporated was time dilation, which is a phenomenon that occurs as a ship travels through space. The closer a ship comes to approaching the speed of light, the greater the time variation there is between those aboard the traveling ship as compared planet side individuals.

In Relic Tech, the time dilation was along the lines of minutes and hours, rather than months and years. Still, Security Specialist Keesay (the main character) uses a 20th century watch not controlled by the ship’s chronometer to track the phenomenon. It’s only a minor point in the plot, as Specialist Keesay attempts to predict when the civil transport Kalavar will actually emerge at its destination, as opposed to what’s been told to the crew.

Not only did it take considerable time and effort to research and calculate the time dilation based on the Kalavar’s rate of travel, but it was also important to remain consistent with the distances between the star systems and exoplanets, (only a few fictional) incorporated into the storyline, and how long the actual travel between them would take based on a ship’s or message rocket’s speed.

All of this took time, a lot of time—time that some might argue wasn’t really necessary. Nevertheless I did it, all the charts, figures and calculations, and had it double-checked by my former college roommate, who majored in physics and minored in astronomy, and then went on to earn a Master’s degree in mathematics. You might guess, in addition to internet research, I’m a firm believer in consulting experts in fields where my knowledge isn’t adequate.

Would the a reader know if I made it all up…remained orderly and consistent, but sort of played a little fast and loose with the rate of travel and distances, and ignored the relatively minor time dilation? Probably not. Would they have cared? Maybe not. But I owe it to the reader, to get as much right as I reasonably can. Even the little things, because I believe they add up, giving my novels, such as Relic Tech, depth, authenticity, and consistency.



Terry W. Ervin II is an English teacher who enjoys writing fantasy and science fiction. His First Civilization’s Legacy Series includes FLANK HAWK and BLOOD SWORD. He is focused on completing SOUL FORGE, the third novel in the fantasy series.

His newest release through Gryphonwood Press is RELIC TECH, a science fiction novel packed with action, adventure, aliens and even a bit of a mystery.

In addition to writing novels, Terry’s short stories have appeared in over a dozen anthologies, magazines and ezines. The genres range from science fiction and mystery to horror and inspirational. GENRE SHOTGUN is a collection containing all of his previously published short stories.

To contact Terry or learn more about his writing endeavors, visit his website at www.ervin-author.com and his blog, Up Around the Corner, at uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com (with information on where his newest release is currently available)

Goals: Good or Bad?

Last week I set a goal for myself to write 5 pages a day, six days a week. I posted my intentions publicly in several Facebook groups and committed myself to report my progress each day. I didn't meet my goal every day, but I did write 25 pages, which was 25 more than I wrote the week before. So, that's awesome. Goals are great motivators and can help keep us focused on important things.

But I noticed something else too. As soon as I sat down and actually made a goal, the guilt set in. I went to bed almost every night feeling like a failure. Like I could never do enough. Either I wrote, but the housework didn't get done, or I went grocery shopping and made sure homework got finished, but didn't get the writing in. And so on, and so on... I began to feel again like I was never good enough. (A feeling that had largely left me when I wasn't so concerned about writing a certain amount each day or week. Of course, I wasn't writing anything!) I felt this way despite the fact that by and large I was successful in meeting my goals and taking care of the family.

Goals can be a two-edged sword.

So, while I think it's important to have goals and be accountable for reaching them, it is also helpful to realize that they are just goals. Not laws. Not life or death. Not living  up to a goal does not make me a failure. After all, I'm getting more done than I would otherwise. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can't do it all. I can do what I can. And that's okay.

Enthusiasm!

I've been participating in a writing challenge this month. I challenged myself to write a hundred pages in the March. Not an easy task! Last week I failed miserably. I wrote only nine pages! I felt bad at failing yet again, but I decided to keep trying. I figured if I could write five every day (except Sunday), I could still make the goal.

You know what? I have totally shocked myself by writing five pages every day this week! Yesterday, I did it in spite of the fact that I didn't start at all until about 10:30pm. And I still got to bed before midnight! It feels like some sort of miracle. Like I'm Peter walking on the water and any minute I'm going to start doubting I can write five pages a day, and I'll start sinking. But no. I can do this. I have faith.

A couple things I think have made a difference for me this week. The first is that when I sit down to write, I leave my iPad in another room. This has made a HUGE difference.

Second, I have been working on the enthusiasm side of Rachel Aaron's writing triangle. Not only my enthusiasm for writing itself, but my enthusiasm for the scenes I am writing. Take yesterday. I had come to a new scene and I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to go. I kept trying to make the character fit into the plan I had made for him. Wasn't working. Finally, I just let my imagination wander. What else might he do? I hit on a possibility that took him in the exact opposite direction I intended. It totally worked. I was excited about it. And bingo! I got my five pages in just over an hour.

I think we all need to write what we are excited about. What we can get enthusiastic over. Because, after all, if we don't love it, neither will anyone else!

Here's hoping for some more enthusiasm today!

A Room of My Own

I have been waiting for this for a very long time.

My own writing room!

 The pink bean bag is my writing chair, with a cozy afghan my sister made me to keep me warm when it gets cold there by the window. That blue bag on the desk is sunflower seeds, my favorite writing snack. I have a calendar there on the wall where I am keeping track of my page count each day. I am hoping my own room will help me be more productive.

So far, so good!

Me in the writing chair with my ear buds on and pen in hand!

Happy 2013!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long, unintentional hiatus there. Holidays, traveling, and pneumonia threw me for a loop there for a while. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I didn't write as much as I was hoping for, but instead of beating myself up about it, I'm just going to move forward from here. I have high hopes that I can train myself to consistently write 1000 words a day and get this novel done in a few months instead of over a year. I'm not there yet, but I think that is because it's such a change for me. I'm not going to be able to do it overnight. I was reminded of this quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf yesterday, and it seems particularly appropriate.

Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents. The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior’s grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.

So, what are your hopes and dreams for this year? What do you want to become in 2013?

Be sure to watch for my interview with short story contest winner, Almiria Wilhelm, and for her story "The Favourite," which will be coming in a couple of weeks! 

A Career-Changing Performance

Writing is not a performance art. We don't stand up on a stage and create a novel in front of a live audience. Thank goodness, huh? (Actually, I quite like performing, but not in that way!)

Our performance comes when a book or story is published and out there for everyone to see.

I read an article about a rising opera star that really inspired me. It talked about all her grueling hours of rehearsals as she prepared to perform at Covent Garden, and how terrified she was the evening of her dress rehearsal. It got me thinking about how it might apply to writing. Do we not have to put in many grueling hours before our creations are ready for their performance?

This line struck me: Relaxed, focused, and prepared, she entered the stage for the dress rehearsal—and had a wonderful experience.

 Relaxed. Focused. Prepared.
I realized this is exactly how I need to approach my writing sessions.

 The article went on to say:

 “At her core she is incredibly focused, and by the time she had an audience, she was prepared to give a career-changing performance." 

There it is again. Focused. Prepared. And think about it. A career-changing performance. Isn't that what we all want our books to be? 

So, that's what I'm thinking about now. How to put in the time and the effort, the focus and the preparation to see that my novels deliver a career-changing performance.

This could change everything!

As I have mentioned before, I desperately want to shorten the time it takes me to write a novel. I am hoping to start in November and write a novel in 100 days. Isn't it interesting how the universe seems to put things in your path just when you need them most? Yesterday, I read a blog post (actually two) from Melanie Bennett about how she significantly increased her word count without spending more time writing. She referred me to a post by Rachel Aaron about how she went from 2K to 10K per day. (Per day! And here I'm aiming for 1K per day. Baby steps, right?) Her triangle is so simple and yet amazing. Knowledge, time, and enthusiasm.

I found both posts hugely inspirational. I think this could really change my life. I am so excited to try. Go read them and tell me what you think!

Now for a couple of announcements.

Photo by Julien Tromuer

Five more days to enter the short story contest! The entries are starting to flow in and I am so excited to read them. If you're thinking about submitting, please do. Any genre, under 7500 words. Go for it! Deadline is October 31.








 My short Christmas story, "Broken Things" comes out in the anthology Checkin' It Twice on November 15! Yay! I've been interviewed over on the Checkin' It Twice blog. Come read about my love affair with all things Christmas.

Have a great weekend!

Why Write?

It's a question I've been asked many times.

Photo found here

Why do you write?

I think there are many answers to that. I write because I enjoy it. I love to create characters and plots. I love to connect with readers. I like to daydream. I want to develop my talents. I feel like it is an important part of my life.

I don't really have to answer that question for myself anymore. I've got lots of reasons. I think a better question is

Why do we need writers?

Does the world need writers? I sure hope so! There are enough of us out there.  But why does the world need writers, really? Particularly writers of fiction?

Storytelling is as old as humanity. I've heard it said that fiction is the truest form of writing, because in story, we are really telling the truth about ourselves and our lives.

I think we need writers to help us see ourselves as we really are. But I want to hear your thoughts.

Why do you think the world needs writers?

One Thing at a Time (Or Not!)

Another piece of advice from Kevin J. Anderson at the Storymakers conference last spring was to work on multiple projects at the same time. I can certainly see the wisdom in that. There's a lot of stuff to get done when it comes to writing, and as I mentioned in my last post, I want to speed up the process. That is going to mean working on more than one project at once, which is something else I haven't done in the past. I am a one thing at a time kind of gal.

But no more! I think the trick is to have the projects in different stages, so I'm not working on the same thing on multiple projects.

Anyway, here's what I want to work on right now.

1. Drafting a Christmas story (almost done with that)
2. First revision on Shattered Skies
3. Planning and outlining the new novel

Of course, once the Christmas story is done, I'll need to revise that too--in time for Christmas. Hopefully that will only take a matter of days, though.

What projects are you working on? Do you work on more than one at a time?

A New Challenge

My new notebook is ready! 

As you probably know, I finished my third novel, Shattered Skies at the end of August. It took me fifteen months to write it. That's the same amount of time it took to write The Ransomed Returning. I'm thinking, that's just too long! I really need to speed up the process. So, in addition to creating my ideal writing environment, I am giving myself a challenge to write a novel in a hundred days.

That's not quite NaNoWriMo speed, but for me it will be huge. I plan to start in November when everyone starts NaNo. It'll be my own personal NaNo.

At the moment I am working myself into this writing pace with a short Christmas story. Once that is done, I will begin planning the novel. I know that's the only way I'll be able to write that fast. Problem is, I'm not normally a planner. So, this is going to be a big change for me, but I'm excited to try.

Now I just have to figure out which novel I want to write next. Either an LDS urban fantasy demon fighters type thing, (working title: Lions of the Lord) or a straight up sci-fi, alien planet space opera, still religious in nature, but only subtly LDS (working title: Cold Sun). What do you think? Both ideas have been vying for attention for over a year. It's hard to choose, though I'm leaning toward the sci-fi (my first love).

So, what challenges have you taken lately? Are you doing NaNo this year? Do you have any tips for planning a novel?

Don't forget to enter the short story contest! Ends October 31.