Chip MacGregor .com

What's your best writing advice?

Denise wrote in to ask, "What's the best writing advice you've received? Can you sum up the big picture for us?"

I can try...in ten lessons:

1. There are very few great books, but every great book begins with a great idea.

2. A great idea does not constitute a great book. Having a great story to tell doesn't mean you're going to have a great book. It takes hard work to turn even a fabulous idea into a reasonable book.

3. Therefore, keep refining your craft. Take whatever steps you can to improve your writing. Don't settle for what you are. If you're really good, you'll get discovered. "Greatness will out," to borrow an old phrase.

4. Books aren't written, they are re-written. That means you're going to have to write, revise, review, and restructure. Don't think you can create a good book without hard work -- you can't.

5. Read widely and write regularly. The two go hand in hand.

6. Establish a plan for your writing life. Have a time and a place to write. Write toward something. Establish writing goals. Few people move forward in the business side of any craft without some sort of plan.

7. Learn to listen. Get involved with other writers and learn from them. Ask editors for their opinions. Seek out a writing partner or group. Learn how to imitate great writers. Find a mentor. Shut up and listen for a change.

8. Face your fear: You're not the best writer on the planet. You're going to be rejected. Learn to appreciate others as better than yourself. Not writing because of fear is simply a way to protect yourself from potential failure. It's time to grow up.

9. Don't expect non-writers to understand. They won't. Learn to smile and nod a lot.

10. There is value in writing, not just in getting published. We learn about ourselves, about others, and about our world when we write. So there is value in writing something, even if you're the only one who ever sees it. If I help you publish your book, that doesn't validate your life. There are lots of jerks who published books, and lots of beautiful people who never published anything. If you're really a writer, you'll focus first on the beauty of the words.

What about you? What's your best writing advice? 

Metaphors, Collaborations...and a Story

Daniel asked, “Is the ability to craft great similes and metaphors a gift, or can it be learned?”

My guess is that it's a gift. I've watched some people in the industry and been amazed at their ability to "see" the link between one action and another. I wish I could do that.

And his follow up question: “What are some good learning tips for creating great metaphors?”

Beats me. I've never been good at metaphors. (Or, in metaphor, "When it comes to creating metaphors, I'm a lawn chair." See? Awful. I hate coming up with good metaphors.) Maybe you could just learn to steal the good ones.

Lynn asked, “I've been asked to collaborate on a book with someone -- what are some of the legal necessities I need to keep in mind?"

It’s a random list, depending on the topic of the book, the audience, the authors… but here are a handful of suggestions:

1. What's the subject of the book?

2. How long will it be?

3. How many words/chapters are each person's responsibility?

4. What are the due dates for each?

5. Who gets to pitch the idea? (me? the partner?)

6. What's the split of the money? (50/50? 60/40? 70/30? In whose favor?)

7. Are both names on the cover, the title page, the copyright?

8. Who owns the finished product?

9. Who has to get permissions?

10. Who pays for permissions?

11. Will each writer warranty their work?

12. Will we promise each other not to create competing works?

13. Who takes the lead with the publisher on things like title, subtitle, cover, art, etc?

14. Is there a kill fee if the book is cancelled?

15. If killed, who owns the work that's been done?

16. Can either party withdraw? If so, how?

17. Worst case #1: does moral turpitude effect this?

18. Worst case #2: upon death, what happens to the writing?

19. Do we take disagreements through an arbitrator?

20. Is this is to be confidential?

Does that help?

Tom asked, “What’s the one writing story you like to tell at writing conferences?”

That's easy... In 1919, a young man who had been injured in the war in Europe moved to Chicago, picking one particular neighborhood in order to be close to the noted author Sherwood Anderson. The young writer, impressed with the critical praise heaped on Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, had heard the novelist was willing to assist beginning writers. The two men became close. They met every day to read together, exploring the writing of newspapers and magazines, and eventually tearing apart the inner workings of novels. The young man brought his own work to Anderson, who helped him see how he could improve his craft. Anderson even introduced the young writer to his network of publishing associates, and helped him publish his first novel, which was met with critical acclaim. Its title was The Sun Also Rises. The young man’s name was Ernest Hemingway. Sherwood Anderson then moved to New Orleans, where he took another young author through those same paces, even putting up $300 of his own money to help that beginning writer’s first novel get published. The novel was entitled Soldier Pay. The author’s name was William Faulkner. Anderson would then move to California, where he worked with a young writer by the name of John Steinbeck. Sherwood Anderson shaped modern American writing more profoundly than any author except Mark Twain. Most of the writing instructors of the late 20th Century were, in one way or another, disciples of Anderson. 

And the reason Sherwood Anderson was so committed to mentoring beginning writers? Because when he was young, a more experienced author by the name of Theodore Dreiser had invested in his own life and craft. It's why I'm a fan of beginning writers finding a Sherwood Anderson to help them develop.

Sex and Language in Religious Books?

Elizabeth asked this: "With the rules relaxing on language in many general market books, it seems the rules have also relaxed as far as portraying sexuality in Christian books. I know you don't just represent religious books, but can you tell if this is the trend? How much is too much? How much can you reveal in romantic scenes?"

When it comes to both language and sexualty, I think two questions must be kept in mind:

1. Who is your audience?

2. What is your message?

If you're writing a romance novel for a CBA audience, any sort of foul language or explicit sexual description is simply going to torpedo your book. The gatekeepers of CBA are largely middle-aged, white, ultra-conservative types. (That's NOT a criticism, mind you, that's a description.) So any sort of over-the-line language will get you bumped, if not banned. (I know of an example where a CBA house rejected a manuscript because the author referred to a character's "silk underwear." Really! Apparently Christianity is a cotton-only kingdom.) Using curse words or describing any sort of sexual activity is not going to work in CBA.

If you're writing for a more general audience (and I say that because I do a lot of Christian books, and some people sort of expect me to have religious overtones in a lot of the things I represent), I don't think readers expect religious behavior from unreligous people. You have more latitude because of your audience and the message you're trying to send. I'm assuming that, even with some rough language or descriptions of bodies/actions, you're still seeking some sort of redemptive message to your readership. (If you see me at a writer's conference this year, make sure to ask me about the British actor who survived cancer and his postmodern response to God. Very funny story that, if I told it here, would bring me grief and 300 "I'm shocked" emails.)

If you're writing for the general market (I hate the term "secular audience"), I think it comes back to you knowing your own voice and your calling as a writer. What are you comfortable saying and showing? What words are you comfortable using? The fact is, if you're not comfortable with a scene as you've created it, you should probably change the scene. I think an author needs to feel he or she is going to be at peace with what he or she wrote. I represent a couple authors who use some salty language at times, but I have no doubt of their belief in God, and they have no doubt what they're writing is what they're supposed to say. Some of this points us back to the question of "what constitutes a Christian book?" If you see the writings of Dorothy Sayers and Walker Percy and John Grisham and Flannery O'Connor as Christian books (and I do), then you probably agree with me that sometimes the message of a book overshadows the exact words that are used, though the story is made up of those words.

If you're a Christian writer, listen to this: A few years ago, I'd have quoted the apostle Paul: "Do not let any unwholesome words come out of your mouth, but only that which is helpful for building others up, that they may give grace to those who hear." I might have used that as an argument to never use a swear word in your stories. (And, to be completely honest, my wife would still suggest I use that as my measuring rod.) At 52, my take on that verse has changed a bit -- enough to recognize that, at times, Christ Himself used some pretty tough language when dealing with difficult issues. He didn't swear, but he was pretty blunt in his description of certain people and behaviors. And maybe some authors, in writing for a particular audience, will use words and descriptions I may not choose to use. But I'm less apt to be critical of them than I used to be. You see, I sometimes swear. (Stop the presses! There's news.) I make lousy choices. I don't always follow my own advice. So I'm a sinner (huge news to many of you, I’m sure), but my faith tells me I’m saved by grace. I'm also a writer. And my writing is a reflection of who I am -- still struggling with issues. Not parading my failures, but revealing myself through my writing, even if at times that means letting people see under the veneer of spirituality I sometimes put on. 

I REALLY want to be "better." I want to be nicer. I want to be stronger. Some days I make it. Most days, I fall short. If I'm telling a story about a day I make it (or my character makes it, through me), that's probably going to reflect a much nicer, stronger, better person than if I'm telling a story about a day I really screwed up. Who are YOU writing to? And what is the message YOU want to tell? Answering those two questions will resolve much of the struggle over what words you can use in the telling. 

If you can figure out WHO your audience is (who will buy the book) and WHAT your message is, then you're well on your way toward creating a book you can be comfortable with. I represent some books you might not be comfortable with, in terms of language or behaviors or beliefs -- but so what? We're not all going to agree on every point, and God doesn't seem to mind our having disagreements (isn't that why we have denominations?). What's important is that YOU feel confident and comfortable in the book you wrote -- that it adequately conveys the story you have to share. 

Writing Basics: Write What You Know

Ever read a bestselling novel in which the hero was a construction worker?

Me neither.

It's a story-telling basic that writers – even published authors – tend to forget. It's the reason Stephen King's characters tend to be novelists. It's the reason we haven't seen Khaled Hosseini stray too far from the Middle East. Or Jeffrey Eugenides from Detroit. And it's the reason bestselling authors rarely deviate from their chosen genre.

Write what you know.

It's almost silly how often I see a proposal come through from a published author who suddenly wants to take a stab at writing for teens. Or African Americans. Or the thriller/adventure crowd. And yet that author has done nothing to understand the basics (let alone the complexities) that surround their new target market.

And if we're seeing this from published authors, imagine the type of stuff we see from unpublished ones.

The goal of a novel, however off-the-wall or hokey the plot may be, is to get the reader's buy-in. With it, the reader is able to fully immerse themselves in the story and, to some extent, believe in what's happening. Without it, the reader spends his time picking it apart, analyzing the details and scoffing at its overall ridiculousness.

This is because when authors write outside of their expertise, the sense of reality that should surround their story starts to deteriorate. Readers begin to notice inconsistencies and begin to question whether the author has ever even seen the Eiffel Tower or heard an M-16 fire or ridden on Chicago's 'L'.

A story can only be as good as the reality behind it, you see, and readers tend to be extremely educated in their genre-of-choice.

So, if you're a homemaker, living in a suburb of Cleveland with field experience in Nursing and a few Horse Jumping trophies in your closet, it's probably not a good idea to come to us with your idea for a nuclear warfare novel that takes an ex-Marine and a young Mediterranean fisherman and turns them into Israeli diplomats (not to mention best friends, of course).

Unless you've done a lot of research.

- Amanda

Overcoming Doubt

Great question for today. Chris wrote and asked, "What have you done, as a writer, to overcome and keep on writing in seasons of doubt and discouragement?"

Okay, much as I hate to reveal this, here's what my head tells me at times:

-Good Lord, you're awful.

-Nobody is EVER going to read this piece of tripe.

-You don't make enough money at this. Why don't you get a real job?

-This isn't working. You should at least check into the openings at Target.

-You're lazy. Your words are turgid. You don't know anything about this.

-Go check your emails again. Maybe find out if there's anything new on ESPN.com.

-You're going to fail! You'll live in a trailer, eat lard, and they'll have to lift your lazy butt out of there with a crane.

All of this comes to me, not with a subtle whisper, but in a screaming rush. Even now.

Um...maybe some of it is true. So I can think of a few things that help me get over it.

1. BIC. That's writer-talk for butt-in-chair. If I'll just sit down and start doing work, it's amazing how things start to get done.

2. My "Sunshine" file. Yeah, it's true. I keep a file of emails people have sent to me that basically say, "You helped me" or "Thanks for being wise." For years I kept a file folder of cards and letters people had sent, just to perk me up. I might be a total putz TODAY, but I can always look back and remember, "Hey...you were BETTER THAN A PUTZ that time!"

3. Friends. Cec and I send each other encouraging notes once in a while. Steve Laube too. Keri Kent. Greg Johnson. My buddies. I occasionally get the nicest messages from Jenny B Jones, or Rachel Hauk will say something nice on my blog. I sometimes call my best friend Mike and he'll remind me that I need to stop stressing and do some actual work now and then. People who understand what it's like to be a writer, or to be in publishing, can be tremendously helpful.

4. The monthly bills. You might think this is odd, but nothing motivates me like having to pay bills. And realizing that, once again, I've somehow stumbled my way through another month, and they're not going to turn off the lights or repossess my computer (though it's a PC, and I'd happily hand it to them). Hey! Another month down and I fooled them again!

5. Exercise. The world is a bright place when I force myself to run.

6. Coffee. 'Nuff said. Try Tully's if you haven't yet.

7. A walk outside. Getting into what GOD made, and not always being surrounded by what MAN made is a wonderful refresher.

8. Asking someone close to you to say something nice. It's an amazing thing, but if Patti says something positive about my work, I seem to have more motivation to get it completed. (I wouldn't suggest you all call my wife and ask her to say something nice, however. This may not work as well for the rest of you.)

Truth and Fiction

Gwen wrote to ask, "When working on historical fiction, if an author is using real people from history and not created characters, what is the author's responsibility to the character? I sometimes admit to feeling guilty of slander -- I'm using real people, but my judgments of their deeds and motivations is quite different than that of historians. What is the ethical line between historical fiction and history?"

I don't think there is a line connecting them. A novelist who is creating a story and weaving in actual people and events probably owes a debt to the reader to try and get the facts correct, I suppose (though even that is a questionable supposition, and many authors have altered facts and dates in order to tell a better story), but a novel isn't a textbook. It doesn't have a restriction that "you must have all your facts correct" or "you must accept the commonly held notions about a character's motivations."  It's a novel, for crying out loud. The author is inventing a story to entertain, maybe to explore themes and motivations, not to teach history. So, while I wouldn't create a story in which the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor on July 11, I see nothing wrong with an author creating a story depicting an interesting twist -- that Roosevelt knew about the attack ahead of time, or that it was the attack was a rogue group of Japanese military, or that it was all a mistake. With fiction, it's the STORY that counts, not the accuracy of the events. Besides, if we all knew the deeds and motivations of historical events, there would be no need to explore them further. A novel allows us to consider alternative interpretations -- that Richard III was actually a good guy, or that Sir Thomas More was a self-absorbed twit, or that Robert E. Lee wasn't the military genius he's been made out to be. Sometimes those ideas are daft (Oliver Stone's movie JFK was filled with tripe and innuendo -- which, of course, many movie viewers swallowed as gospel), other times the ideas can be reasonable (take a look at Elizabeth Peter's Murders of Richard III). But what your readers care about most is that the story is interesting, emotional, and readable.

An author I represent, Ginger Garrett, took a fresh look at Thomas More in her fabulous novel In the Shadow of Lions. A few people (including one editor) argued that she shouldn't take a well-beloved historical figure like More and paint him in a negative light. I found that notion daft. Isn't that one of the PURPOSES of fiction -- to get us to see things in a new way? There are some creepy things about More if you want to take an honest look at the historical record, regardless of his sainthood. And that's not at all on a par with a doofus like Oliver Stone just trying to do another hatchet job on someone he doesn't like. 

2. Mary wrote to ask, "As an agent, what are you looking for in a query?"

Every time I open a query letter, I'm hoping to see something I fall in love with. I want to see a great idea, supported by great writing, from an author with a great platform. I want to read an idea that makes me go, "Fabulous! Why didn't I think of that?!" An author platform that shrieks, "I can help support this book!" Writing that hooks me from the first line. It's rare, but it happens. On the flip side, the thing that makes me immediately plop the query into my "reject" pile is seeing a variation on a theme -- something that's trying to ride the coattails of a project that's already been done in a big way. (Examples include, "I was thinking we could turn the Book of Revelation into a novel" and "What about a book on making your life more purpose driven?" I've seen them both. Recently.) 

I always tell people I'm looking to be changed by a book. Nonfiction is basically written to solve a problem or answer a question, so it should share information that will change us -- help us to live more effectively. And novels are written to entertain and enlighten us, so the best novels change us by helping us see the world in a new way. All great books change us -- and that's what I'm looking for. Books that will CHANGE me. 

3. Denise wrote to ask me, "What's the worst query you ever received?"

This one is easy. All of us have pet peeves -- I happen to hate it when an author uses a query letter to sing his or her own praises: "This life-changing book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you quit your job and move to Toledo so you worship at my feet." Fer cryin out loud -- let somebody else sing your praises. The same holds true for competitive analyses in which the author basically bashes everybody else's book on the topic. Nothing will make you look more like a self-absorbed jerk than to suggest "Jerry Jenkins got it wrong but I'm doing it right." 

Of course, bad writing often wins the day. I once received a novel proposal that began with these words: "Ring, ring!" said the telephone. Barf, barf, said the agent. 

However, the worst query letter I ever received was from some prophecy nutjob in the Midwest. He claimed (and I swear I'm not making this up) that he and his son were "the two prophets foretold in the Book of Revelation." He informed me that I needed to send him "a contract and a sizable check," and warned that if I didn't do so, I was incurring God's wrath. He went on to say I could expect "severe weather patterns" and that God was "going to kick [my] ass." Really. Needless to say, I immediately leaped into action by suggesting he write to friend and fellow agent Steve Laube.

4. Andy wrote to say, "I thought you weren't doing many conferences this year." 

I'm not. I'm team-teaching a "How to Write Bestselling Fiction" seminar with Susan May Warren for a handful of people in Portland later this month, and repeating that in Denver in late June, but those are small groups. (If you'd like to know more, check out www.themasterseminars.com ). And I'll put in an appearance for a couple events at the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing next week, but the ACFW conference is really the only big writing conference I'll be doing this year. 

However, if you'd like to interact with me, check out the marketing webinar I'm doing for Writers Digest this Thursday. We're going to be exploring marketing your books in the new economy, branding, writing good ad copy, and how to take charge of your own marketing plan. I think the cost is just $79, and you can find out all about it here: http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/self-marketing-for-authors-webinar/?r=chipblog033010

Would love to see you at the webinar. Enjoy your Easter Monday! 

chip

Not Going it Alone ...

 

I don't watch much television, but both my husband and I enjoy shows on National Geographic about climbing Everest. He usually comments on the enormity of the feat and is astounded by the risk and courage and pure adventure these climbers exercise on their way to the top. I shake my head and marvel that, for the sake of a few minutes of human glory, these intrepid souls risk their very lives.

I’ve asked my husband, “Would you do it, if you could?” His usual response? “Maybe. But I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

I’m simultaneously glad to think he would consider such a thing, and relieved that he’s really not motivated to try. I mean, I like to think we both have adventurous hearts, and that we’d be mutually supportive should either of us choose to pursue such an endeavor (as if!). But where he looks at the mountain and sees the eventual glory and reward that would make it all worthwhile, I consider the toll it would take and realize there is no way he - or anyone - could do such a thing alone. I'd have to commit in some way.

Don't get me wrong. If he wanted to climb Mt. Everest (heck, if he wanted to climb the ladder and take down the neighbor's Christmas lights), I'd do whatever it took to help make it happen. Help him break it down into small, doable steps. That's my strength. I keep him moving forward; he keeps me looking up, remembering to consider the big picture. I’m guess you could say I'm his Sherpa when needed, and vice-versa.

Do you have a Sherpa in your writing life?  A spouse willing to encourage you regardless of the sacrifices? A writing partner who understands the costs and keeps you moving forward regardless? A critique group committed to helping one another get in condition? Maybe, if you're ready, you have an agent who believes in your talent and is moving along with you step by step.

If not, perhaps this should be the year you find someone to help keep your eye on either the big picture or the next small goal, depending. Someone to hold you up when your knees buckle in exhaustion. Someone to keep you thinking about the importance of your personal goals when you risk losing motivation because you realize there is a line of people before you waiting for their turn to stand on top of the world.

Or perhaps someone to give you perspective and help you see that you even if you’re not ready for Mt. Everest, there are plenty of other shorter mountains and hills which might make sense for you to attempt first.

When it gets tough; while you’re wrestling to find the best way to add layers to your novel, researching statistics for your nonfiction work, tightening your dialogue, adding depth to your characters, reorganizing your outline, developing a twister plotline, or double checking that you've made the strongest word choices,it might be helpful to remember that right now, someone is waiting their turn to approach the peak of Everest, potentially having just conquered Hillary’s Step, and ascending, step by grueling step, the last 100 feet to reach their long planned destination.

I can't begin to imagine what that must be like. But, unless I've missed something, I don't think anyone has ever done it solo. The first recorded climbers to reach the top, Sir Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (who, by the way, for years refused to reveal which of them stepped on the peak first), certainly didn't do it alone.

Writing may not be as difficult or life changing a feat as mountain climbing. But, it is still a difficult one which is often regarded as a solo endeavor. In the end, though, I think it's important to remember that it really doesn't have to be.

Just something to think about while the snow flies and the winds of winter howl about us.

Happy Climbing!

Sandra

BOOK REPORT: What Sandra Learned This Summer

Okay, so summer isn't the vacation it used to be, is it? I'm still in denial about that. When my kid gets out of school in June, I'm still of the mindset that life should be should be all about popsicles, flip flops (I did not call them thongs, you'll note), searching for the perfect swimming hole, and lazing around in the hammock. Not only for him, but for me, too!

However, I think I work harder during the summer just to keep up than I do during the rest of the year. It's okay though. I love fall, too. Though the ubiquitous roar of leaf blowers (grrr... get a rake, people!) has replaced the more pleasant ka-chink wop-wop-wop of sprinklers, it's good to be back at work and thinking through what I learned this summer.

This summer I met editors and authors at conferences in Philadelphia, Oregon, Denver (twice), and Seattle. And I learned a lot. I think, though, I can distill my most important summer lesson into a quick three point report. Hopefully I'll get a good grade.

AUTHOR BE READY, BE WILLING, BE ABLE

Be Ready

If there ever really was one, the age of selling book ideas is practically over. Even well published authors are now having to work harder to get commitments from publishers than ever before. Considering this, if you have a semi-completed novel and are a first-time author, my advice to you is to not bother working on marketing it until it is complete, edited, and polished to a high gloss. Spend your energy doing the hardest thing first - finishing it! I talked with several authors over the summer who had great ideas for novels, but I can't sell ideas. Certainly not for first timers, and unfortunately, it's getting difficult to do for well established authors also.

The thing is, publishers (and therefore acquisition editors) are looking for a sure thing. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, if they don't know you, nothing feels sure to them. If they have heard of you and you are represented by a well-known, reputable agent, it can help. BUT, the first question out of every editor's mouth these days is "What is the author's sales history?" The second question? "Is it finished?"

Be Willing

I'm working with a published novelist whose third book sold over 20,000 copies in the general market in the first six months. But when her agent went part-time, her editor left on maternity leave and decided not to come back, she and her book were more or less orphaned. When we started talking about a year ago, we decided it was best to keep her options open regarding her next project and try marketing it in both CBA and the general market. She reworked the proposal some, and I got to work pitching it, and her.

With her track record, writing experience, and work ethic, I thought it would be a slam dunk to find this author a new home. The proposed (finished) novel received lots of interesting feedback, but no commitments. After about six months of trying, we decided it was time to take a new approach. A year and at least six full-length synopses and dozens of sample chapters later, we have just received a commitment from a publisher. Given the current state of things in publishing, she may be looking at the smallest advance of her career, but this author understands the importance of keeping in the game for the long haul and she's willing to do what it takes to begin building her career again.

During the time we were looking for the right publisher to help her relaunch, she worked hard to respond to the suggestions and recommendations of several editors and was open to discussing other possibilities. Never once did she complain that she was too good (though I thought so), too busy (which I know she was), or too important to do what it took to get published. I don't like that I had to ask her to jump through so many hoops to get her here, but that is the reality and what it took in her case. The good news is that I'm certain her hard work and willingness will pay off.

Be Able

I see bad writing all the time. Given all the books, websites, conferences, lectures, and generous authors who lead critique groups and spend their time mentoring junior authors, there is simply no excuse for it.

After seeing lists and lists of workshops and classes offered at conferences, meeting successful authors who also freelance edit, hearing story after story of authors who spent years honing their craft before getting published, it's clear to me that while it may be more difficult for some than for others, writing is something which can be learned, practiced, honed, and constantly improved. I'll admit that the ability to write well is an innate talent for some. But, it is still hard work for every author. Some may say it comes naturally, or that not writing is not an option for them. But I don't think I've ever heard or read an author say "writing is easy". If so, I'd wonder who they were plagiarizing.

Being ready takes time. Being willing takes sacrifice. Being able requires resources. Becoming ready, willing, and able demands all three.

Perhaps now is a good time to head back to school in one area or another? Good news is, flip flops are optional.

Sandra writes about the "L" word ...

After having worked for myself as a freelance writer, and now agenting, I don't think I could go back to a nine-to-five job working for someone else. Never say never, but seriously, the freedom I've enjoyed in both "jobs" far outweigh the benefits I'm missing working for "the man". Cafeteria food. Overpriced health plans. The opportunity to practice defensive driving during rush hour.

And, I'd totally miss out on responding to the questions folks ask about an industry I love.

It's my birthday, (and I'm on vacation) so I'm going to allow myself the indulgence of answering this one often debated question which I hope stirs up lots of discussion and other questions, from you.

Gina asked:

What kind of Christian fiction do you wish you could find more of?

Personally, I wish I could find more Christian fiction that tells the story of redemption and discovery through a focus on character vs. plot.

The trouble with these, though, is that CBA booksellers don't know how to describe them quickly, which makes them hard to sell. Several CBA publishers have success with authors who write in what is often described as a more literary style. But, they have to limit the spots for these because it often takes years for these authors to build a following. This makes them hard to find in CBA bookstores, specifically.

Take my favorite book - PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger. A word-of-mouth book which took a couple years to grow into a best-seller. It's one of the most "Christian" novels I've ever read, but I've yet to see it shelved in a CBA store. The most obvious reason for this is that sales folks who call on CBA stores sell CBA books. Still ... I often wonder what might happen if Christian bookstores stepped a little outside the lines and stocked non-CBA books. Gasp. I know. It's heresy. Like I said, it's my birthday. Indulge me.

The strength of books like PEACE LIKE A RIVER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, EAST OF EDEN, is that the authors carry you away on the strength of their prose and the breadth and depth of their characters.

But, they are hard books to categorize without using the L word. Literature. It's an oft ignored category in CBA for a very good reason. It doesn't sell well.

I know, I know. I sound like a snob. I'm not. I understand the desire for commercial fiction. And, as an agent, I've learned to appreciate this desire, and come to understand the enjoyment of reading more commercial novels. Honestly, I've been pleased to learn that there are more excellent writers in CBA now than I thought I'd find when I started agenting two years ago.

And, literary or not, working with authors to help them entertain, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of their readers is not just a job. It's a dream job. In fact, it's like it's my birthday -- everyday.

Sandra

Hey -- while I'm here, I have a favor ... I've been racking my brain to come up with my own birthday blog tradition but so far the best I can muster is a fruity-drink recipe contest. Obviously, the islands are getting to me.

Anyone have any suggestions, I'm game!

When Things Settle Down ... (a post by Sandra)

It's a myth, you know. That idea that someday life will settle down.

After driving back and forth all week between home and the Oregon Christian Writers summer conference, I was very much looking forward to several uninterrupted hours in my home office yesterday to catch up on unreturned emails and phone calls and to submit several projects which had been requested recently.

That was my plan, anyway, so I settled in and got to work.

Then ... the remodeler notified me he was going to need to spend the next hour or so turning the power on and off so he could figure out how the circuits in our house were configured before rerouting a power cable.

"That's fine," I told him, smiling on the outside while wondering on the inside if a few little jolts of 220 might not be actually be good for him. 

Since I prefer to work at my desktop computer, I attempted as long as possible to work in between the inconvenient "off power" periods, but it wasn't long before he came in scratching his head and notified me he'd have to shut it down for an undefined period of time.

I gave in and moved to using my laptop, which, twelve minutes later reminded me that my battery was low. I'd forgotten to plug it in after returning home from the conference the night before, and so now I had no reserve.

I couldn't leave the house because the remodeler was here, so the notion of running up to the coffee shop or library was out of the question. How much, I wondered, could I get done on my Blackberry?

My to do list narrowed quickly to those emails and calls which I knew would keep me up all night if they'd not gotten handled, and I got them done.

My point is ... Life Happens. Every season and stage of life presents its challenges and like one of my heroes, Roseanne Roseannadanna, liked to say ... "It's always something."

Having worked as a freelance writer for years, I know the challenge writers face when life interrupts and forces us to engage. For most writers, we like chunks of uninterrupted time. Spans where the mind knows it's not going to get derailed or redirected. Writers like momentum. And yet it, often, is the hardest thing to find and to sustain.

So, what's a writer to do?

There are times when, for the sake of personal sanity, writers simply have to change their expectations.  For example, if you're a mother with kids at home during the summer, your former routine of writing in the mornings when the kids off to school may now present the risk of turning you into a raving witch. And no one wants to live with a raving witch. But, what are your choices? Quit writing? Wait til the little buggers go back to school? Some do. Others figure out how to create a new rhythm and keep it going.

At the conference this past week, Lisa Samson shared how she wrote her first novel (in a spiral notebook with a pen - no power needed) while her child napped. Two hours a day of consistent writing. She found a way to fit it in where she was in her stage of life. And guess what? Within a few months she had a finished first draft. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't edited. But it was finished. It worked because she wanted it badly enough to find a way.

If its important to you, you'll figure it out. You may have to get creative. You may have to fight for it. You may have to constantly change your approach when life refuses to settle down.

Remember, there will always be "something" threatening to stand between you and your keyboard (or pad and pen), but if it's important to you, you'll find a way.