Dawn Kinzer: How Does an Author Decide What to Write

Hi friends! Today, Dawn Kinser is our guest, talking about how an author decides what to write. Everyone, say hello to Dawn!

 

 

Author Bio:
Dawn Kinzer is a freelance editor, and her own work has been published in various devotionals and magazines. She co-hosts and writes for the Seriously Write blog. Sarah’s Smile is the first book in her historical romance series, The Daughters of Riverton. Hope’s Design is the second, and Rebecca’s Song completes the trilogy. Her first contemporary romance, By All Appearances, is set in the Seattle area. The sequel to that story, A Night Divine, will initially release in the boxed set of contemporary romances, Melodies of Christmas Love, in October 2020.

A mother and grandmother, Dawn lives with her husband in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Favorite things include dark chocolate, good wine, strong coffee, the mountains, family time, and Masterpiece Theatre.

Here's Dawn!

How does an author decide what to write?

I never set out to pen romances. I believed my path was leading me to women’s fiction—stories that focused on friendships and various issues that women face. But one day my critique partners told me to stop fooling myself. I was a romance writer. Once I accepted their wisdom, my stories flowed easier.

Contemporary romances came naturally, but even though I received interest from agents and publishers, none of my stories got picked up. So I set aside my most promising manuscript, Through a Mirror Dimly.

Although I loved reading historical romances, the thought of writing one felt intimidating. But when I got an idea to write a story set in my Wisconsin hometown that had experienced some glory days back in the early 1900s, I dug in. I discovered that I enjoyed immersing myself in research. Thus, The Daughters of Riverton series was developed with Riverton being a fictional place but inspired by my hometown and the people who once lived there.

The three-book series was received well, and I planned on writing a historical novella. But Through a Mirror Dimly kept coming to mind. When I mentioned that I was thinking about reviving that story, both critique partners confessed they’d been thinking about that manuscript too! Six years had passed since we’d discussed that book! It felt like God had given me a sign.

But what about switching genres? What would my readers think?

I realized that whether I write historical or contemporary novels, they all contain romance. And although told differently, each story includes the following themes: forgiveness; using our God-given gifts; finding purpose; and believing God has a plan for us, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

I reworked Through a Mirror Dimly and the title became By All Appearances.

Regardless of whether we write historicals or contemporaries, research is important.

By All Appearances is a romance set in Seattle about an attractive special events planner from a wealthy family and a disfigured musician whose lives have not gone according to plan.

Because Seattle is multi-cultural, I felt it was important to include a character with a different ethnic background from Liana, the heroine. Dalisay Ouano is Filipino, and she’s Liana’s best friend. I brought in a little bit of the Filipino culture through Dalisay’s family. To feel confident about what I portrayed, I asked a friend who is half Filipino to read specific scenes to make sure they were not offensive in any way.

Sometimes authors use fictional settings, sometimes real locations, and other times—a mix. In By All Appearances a combination of real and fictional was used. For instance, Issaquah is an existing town outside of Seattle, not far from where I live. The Filipino restaurant that Dalisay’s family owns is fictional.

Although not in the heart of Seattle, Village Theatre has been a popular venue for professional stage productions for many years. In this story, Dalisay is a set designer there with aspirations to design for the larger theaters in Seattle. Village Theatre has also been a part of my life as a mom of a performer and as a volunteer. No longer volunteering, my husband and I still enjoy attending shows there.

In By All Appearances, Bryan was scarred after being caught in a fire. Tough subject, right? Here’s how a real burn survivor helped me write this story ...

Through the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, I connected with a young Christian man. Robert was burned on 67 percent of his body—second and third degrees—and was in the hospital for ten and a half months. He and I began emailing back and forth, and his attitude was humbling as he willingly answered my questions and shared his experiences. Today, Robert is married and working in LA, helping the homeless. That’s a victory story!

When I wrote A Night Divine as a sequel, I already had the main setting and characters in place. But how could I write another story of hope and make it different from the first? Once again, I drew on my own experiences.

Seattle has a huge homeless population, and over the years, I’ve had opportunities to serve and see simple ways we can help and bless these people who struggle every day.

For several years, my husband and I helped serve meals at a location run by the Salvation Army. Our friends are on staff at the Union Gospel Mission, and we’ve walked the streets with teams, handing out food in doorways and under bridges. I’ve visited shelters for women run by UGM, and I’ve participated in providing special events for women who are working so hard to stay off drugs, educate themselves, and create a new life for themselves and their children.

Because I have a heart for the homeless, writing this novella felt like a great opportunity to share God’s love to anyone who might need a little hope.

So how to authors decide what to write? Ideas come from experiences, research, sparks from the imagination, and God-given nudges.

By All Appearances

 

Liana Tate, a special events planner grew up in a high-profile family. No matter what she does, Liana feels she never measures up.

Bryan Langley, a talented musician, was close to signing a recording contract when a barn fire left part of his face severely burned. He survived, but his career did not.

When Liana’s father hires Bryan as a caretaker on the family estate outside of Seattle, Liana’s and Bryan’s lives become entangled. He risks public humiliation for Liana’s success, and she encourages him to use his musical gifts, despite his reluctance. Thrown together, will they achieve their elusive dreams? And will the two find the love and acceptance they yearn for, or will their actions only drive each other away?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/All-Appearances-Dawn-Kinzer/dp/0997815477/
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2R5n5SK
Books-A-Million: https://bit.ly/3m2iKhE

A Night Divine
Sequel to By All Appearances

 

 
One chilly December night, a tragedy connects successful model Camryn Tate and outreach minister Trace Gardner. As they share a common mission serving the homeless on the streets of Seattle, they provide more than food—they offer hope. But as Christmas Eve approaches, secrets have the potential to break Camryn’s heart. Although a sequel, this story can be read as a standalone.

A Night Divine is one of 7 new Christmas romances by 7 different authors that will be published in the digital boxed set, Melodies of Christmas Love. This set will release on Amazon on October 20, 2020.
Other authors included: Annette Irby, Lynnette Bonner, JoAnn Durgin, Chautona Havig, Lesley McDaniel, and Sylvia Stewart.

Here are Dawn's contact links

Contact Links::
Author Website: https://www.dawnkinzer.com/
Faithfully Write Editing: https://www.faithfullywriteediting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.kinzer.9
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dkinzer9/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnkinzer/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Kinzer/e/B01M04SD8U?
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dawn-kinzer
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15811132.Dawn_Kinzer


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed Dawn's post on how an author decides what to write.

Thank you so much for joining us, Dawn!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. You can submit a devotion, a writing-related post, or an author spotlight post. I also post book reviews on Fridays. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

Zoe McCarthy: How to Edit Awkward and Wordy Sentences

Hi friends! Today, my good friend Zoe McCarthy is our guest talking about how to improve our sentences in writing. Everyone, say hello to Zoe!

Author Bio:
Zoe M. McCarthy was pegged an expressive analytic in a personality test. Isn’t that an oxymoron? But it’s true. Zoe couldn’t survive without expressing her creative imaginings. Yet, this retired actuary* and introvert receives her energy from being alone in her home office overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Believing opposites distract, Zoe has seven published Christian contemporary romances. Her stories involve tenderness and humor and heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. She also has a book out on writing, Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days. Zoe and her husband enjoy canoeing and spending time at their lake cabin, where she writes during month-long sabbaticals—alone.
*Actuaries perform all the mathematical analysis for insurance companies, pricing products and estimating reserves to pay claims.

Here's Zoe!

11 Fixes to Edit Awkward and Wordy Sentences

“Telling me to ‘Be clear’ is like telling me to ‘Hit the ball squarely.’ I know that. What I don’t know is how to do it.” —Joseph M. Williams

First, let’s look at an awkward, wordy passage in Ella’s point of view.
Grayson had said he’d made a decision not to return to their relationship due to the fact that Ella was unable to change.1 But hadn’t he seen her establishment of a different approach to her behavior over the last year? 2 She’d made great improvement in the area of dealing with life’s problems. 3

Under the circumstance in which Dr. Peters came to town, Ella’s hope to become a better person had been ignited by him. 4 It was her belief that Grayson wasn’t aware of the root of her poor attitude, but Dr. Peters was. 5 Through the patient inquiry method therapy, he showed her how her upbringing had an impact on the way she perceived and reacted to her environment. 6 He really helped her rise above her past injuries and learn new ways of how to respond to her fears.7

Second, let’s consider fixes for clearness and conciseness – sentence by sentence.
(All 11 fixes are mentioned – a few, multiple times. Fixes are in parentheses.)

Sentence 1.
• Watch for the verb make: make a decision (decided); made use of (used); made a correction (corrected).
• Avoid wordy phrases: Due to the fact that. (because) Was unable to. (could)
• (Or rewrite the sentence.)

Sentence 2.
• Avoid changing verbs into nouns, especially adding –tion. For example, rewrite, was in need of an estimation, as “needed to estimate.” For Sentence 2’s establishment of a different approach, (she’d established. But better to rewrite the sentence using simpler strong verbs).

Sentence 3.
• Watch for the word make: made great improvement (improved).
• Avoid vague noun phrases: in the area of dealing with (remove the unnecessary phrase the area of.)
• (Or rewrite the sentence.)

Sentence 4.
• Avoid wordy phrases: Under the circumstance in which (when)
• Use active voice. Watch for the word by: Her hope to be a better person was ignited by him (he ignited her hope)

Sentence 5.
• Limit it is, there is, and there are: It was her belief that (she believed, but the entire phrase is unnecessary)
• Avoid negative forms of phrases: Wasn’t aware of (was unaware of; was oblivious to; was clueless)

Sentence 6.
• Avoid strings of nouns: patient inquiry method therapy (asked probing questions)
• Avoid inflated words: had an impact on (had affected) (more examples: facilitate (help); cognizant of (know))

Sentence 7.
• Delete weasel words: really helped (helped) (more examples: very unique; quite nice)
• Avoid unnecessary prepositional phrases: of how to respond to her fears (to face her fears)

Finally, let’s look at a possible rewrite in Ella’s point of view. Grayson claimed Ella could never change and refused to reconcile their relationship. What did he think she’d been tackling this past year? She’d turned her life around.

When Dr. Peters came to town, he’d ignited Ella’s hope to become a better person. While Grayson was clueless to what caused her poor attitude, Dr. Peters had uncovered the source. He’d asked probing questions, then explained her upbringing had affected how she viewed and reacted to others. Over time, he’d helped her forgive her abusers and learn healthier ways to face her fears.

The edited version is 91 words compared to the original’s 143.

Which of the eleven fixes will improve your sentences?

Zoe has written a book Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript. Below is more information about this book.

Information on Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days

Zoe McCarthy’s book, Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days, is a fresh and innovative refocusing of your novel or novella. Through a few simple—and fun—steps, Zoe helps writers take their not-ready-for-publication and/or rejected manuscripts to a spit-polish finish. Writing is hard work, yes, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. ~Eva Marie Everson, best-selling and award-winning author, conference director, president of Word Weavers International, Inc.

If you want to increase your chance of hearing yes instead of sorry or not a fit for our list at this time, this book is for you. If you want to develop stronger story plots with characters that are hard to put down, this book is for you. Through McCarthy’s checklists and helpful exercises and corresponding examples, you will learn how to raise the tension, hone your voice, and polish your manuscript. I need this book for my clients and the many conferees I meet at writer’s conferences around the country. Thank you, Zoe. A huge, #thumbsup, for Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days. ~Diana L. Flegal, literary agent, and freelance editor

Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript is a self-editing encyclopedia! Each chapter sets up the targeted technique, examples show what to look for in your manuscript, then proven actions are provided to take your writing to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned writer or a newbie, you need this book! ~Sally Shupe, freelance editor, aspiring author

Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days is chock-full of practical techniques. Numerous examples clarify problem areas and provide workable solutions. The action steps and blah busters McCarthy suggests will help you improve every sentence, every paragraph of your novel. If you follow her advice and implement her strategies, a publisher will be much more likely to issue you a contract. ~Denise K. Loock, freelance editor, http://www.lightningeditingservices.com/

Tidbit about the book: For over seven years, I’ve devoted my blog to mostly writing topics. In 2016, an editor and an agent, separately, told me I needed to turn my writing blog into a book. I didn’t want to throw blog posts into a manuscript. I wanted to help authors write their novels or get their manuscripts in shape so they could avoid the rejections I experienced in the early years of my writing journey. So, I attended a workshop on turning a blog into a book and began putting the book together. The publishing company of the editor who suggested I write a book published Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days in 2019.

Here is Zoe's contact link and a buy link for Tailor Your Manuscript in 30 Days

Contact Link:
https://zoemmccarthy.com

Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Tailor-Your-Fiction-Manuscript-Days-ebook/dp/B07PF7RBQZ



Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed Zoe's post helping us with our writing! Check out Tailor Your Manuscript in 30 Days and her other books. 

Thank you so much for joining us, Zoe!


If you're an author and you'd like to be showcased here, just let me know. You can submit a devotion, a writing-related post, or an author spotlight post. I also post book reviews on Fridays. Must be inspirational or clean, can be fiction or nonfiction.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/

How to Grow Rhino Skin-Guest post by Josee Telfter

Hi friends! Today we have Josee Telfer sharing a writing craft post with us.

How do you deal with rejection? Does it just run off your back like water off a duck? Or do you curl up in the corner, never to write another word? Josee has a great post for us today on how to deal with rejection and how much control to let it have over our lives. Here's Josee!

How to Grow Rhino Skin

Every writer knows rejection is a given. At best, it’s a quick pinprick, without lasting pain. But a particular rejection at the wrong time, from an unexpected source can knock you down so hard, you seriously consider walking away from your writing for good.

In my native language of French, we have a proverb that states, “Tout nouveau, tout beau.” There’s no English equivalent but it means that whatever is new is beautiful. It can pertain to an object, a relationship, a job, anything really. After the newness wears off, we become disenchanted by the cracks and imperfections we see, maybe for the first time.

Several years ago, I attended a regional writer’s conference where I met some of the most generous, warm-hearted people because writers are truly some of the kindest out there. I was a fresh-faced newbie writer floating along in the honeymoon phase where everything is exciting and even the hard bits are wonderful because they’re character builders.

In one of the conference workshops, a New York Times Bestselling author opened her session with a story about meeting with her editor in a crowded Manhattan restaurant for lunch to discuss her most recent novel. She’d poured her heart and soul into her book, as writers do, and it had been an especially difficult story to write. She was thrilled with the finished product and felt very proud of her accomplishment. But over lunch, her editor took a deep breath, leaned forward and in a hushed voice informed her there were serious problems with the novel. It needed a lot of work. The author, who by this point had penned more than a dozen best-sellers, burst into tears. Right there at the table, in the middle of the restaurant.

This story shocked me. I thought to myself, if a talented, successful writer like her could still have her precious work decimated, there’d be no hope for me. On my drive home that weekend, I made the decision that no matter how many rejections I received, no matter how awful the critique, I wouldn’t let them get me down. I was going to develop rhino skin.

And I did. I queried nearly two-dozen agents and got rejected over and over. I didn’t shed a single tear. I lost contests and didn’t bat an eye. After I signed with my agent, she subbed out my novel only to be met with one “no” after another. I refused to let it get me down. I’m not saying it didn’t sting. Rejection is never fun. Some hurt more than others. The ones you really want can be especially painful, but still, I dug my heels in and told myself it was all part of the business. Sometimes I gave myself a day to feel dejected. But never more than that. After all, I had work to do. And besides, J.K. Rowling got rejected seventy-three times. Or something like that.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Excited about my new project, I sent away the first few chapters for a critique. I know this person doesn’t hold back, but I’ve always appreciated that level of intensity. I trust her, implicitly.

I opened the comments and only made it halfway through before I fell apart. As I sank to the carpeted floor of my bedroom, my positive outlook collapsed, and a gush of tears poured forth for the better part of the day.

An exceptionally busy week compounded by financial stresses and personal matters had softened my rhino skin. Unbeknownst to my astute critiquer, her comments unraveled me in a way I never saw coming.

For the first time in my writing journey, I seriously considered walking away. I’d given it a go, I told myself, and tried with all my might, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I pleaded with God to either open a door or remove the desire to write from my heart.

A funny thing happened. Later that evening, I found myself thinking about my story and my characters. Ideas ran through my head about how to fix the issues. Puffy-eyed and exhausted, I took out my pen and notebook and scribbled notes.

The next morning, I woke up and cried again. That was a first. Then a friend reminded me in a simple text that I was going to get rhino-tough skin. That was enough to snap me out of my funk. Because look, in this business, you’re either going to tough it out or you’re not.

So, what can you do to develop Rhino Skin?

• Separate yourself from your work.

As creatives, we pour ourselves into our art. Rejection feels personal because to a degree it is. However, you are more than what you write or create. Remind yourself of that. Maybe your book isn’t the right fit for that agent or editor, or maybe it needs a lot of work. Either way, it’s about your novel, not you as a person.

• Remind yourself you’re in good company.

Every success story leaves behind a trail of rejection. Successful people don’t back down. They meet rejection in the face and up the ante. Talk to fellow authors about their struggles. Google “famous author rejections.” That should make you feel better.

• Become solution-oriented.

Rather than allow the critique or rejection to crush you, turn it around and ask yourself how you can use it to your advantage. Successful people come back from rejections with new proposals. Maybe you need to look at things differently. That might mean writing in a different genre or word count or stylistically changing things up. Try first-person narration if you’ve always written in third. Think of rejections as calling cards moving you into the path you’re supposed to be on.

• Set a time limit.

When rejections come your way, decide how long you’ll allow yourself to wallow. Is it a few hours? A day? I recommend nothing more than twenty-four hours, or the following morning when you wake up, whatever comes first. If you allow yourself a limited amount of time to grieve or be sad about the “lost” opportunity, you’ll be surprised how much quicker you move on.

• Be grateful for the rejection.

“If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.” I have that quote on my home screen. When rejections come, Thank God that he kept you from something that wasn’t meant for you, or wasn’t in your best interest. Rather than focus on what you’ve missed out on, tell yourself it’s only narrowing the field and bringing your target into sharper focus.

• Set small goals.

Nothing can deter action faster than a stinging rejection. Set small goals that you know you can tackle in a short amount of time. That sense of accomplishment will propel you forward and help get you out of the funk. Then stick with it. Consistency is key.

Lastly, press on. The most successful individuals aren’t necessarily the most talented, or the brightest, or the most educated. They’re the ones who persisted.



Author Bio:
BIO: Josee Telfer writes Contemporary Romantic Women’s Fiction. In addition, she is a free-lance editor and ghost writer whose work has appeared nationally. In her free time, she likes to challenge herself in the kitchen by cooking international foods from around the world. Currently, she’s on a Korean food kick which was likely triggered by her love of K-Dramas. Originally from Québec, Canada, she lives in Vermont with her husband and their three children. A 2018 Golden Heart Finalist, Josee is represented by Ann Rose of Prospect Agency.
Visit Josee’s website at https://www.joseetelfer.com/


Friends, I sure hope you enjoyed Josee's post! I've learned so much. Now, let's get to writing and submitting!

Thank you so much for joining us here today, Josee!

If you'd like to submit a devotion or a writing related post, just let me know.
Check out my website, connect with me, and sign up for my newsletter. https://sallyshupe.weebly.com/