Authors Incognito

People Will Say You're in Love

2012-02-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

by Alice Workman

You have notebooks in your car, your purse, and in every room of the house—including the bathroom. You believe that paper napkins were invented just for writing emergencies. On holidays, you’re excited to have a day off from your job so you and your novel can spend some quality time together. You write—and edit—entire chapters in your sleep. (That is, on the nights you actually sleep, instead of staying up all night writing “just one more sentence” at a time.) Even when you aren’t actually spending time with your writing, you can’t seem to stop thinking about it.

You’re not sick. You’re just in love.*

Creating a novel has been aptly described as “bleeding from the forehead.” But when the love runs deep, it might feel easier to completely cut off your forehead than to give up your writing, at least for very long.

Like any love affair, the road is not always easy. There will always be awkward times. Frustrating times. Tear-your-hair-out-and-wonder-why-you-even-bother times. Eat the last half of the Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake and hope your family doesn’t notice times.

You and your novel may need a couple of days away from each other before you can become friends again. And that’s okay.

When you’re a writer, a real writer, writing isn’t just something you do—it’s a part of who you are. That’s why a rejection letter can feel more like a notification of eternal condemnation. Intellectually, you know that it’s just part of the business, and that the editor may have had no better reason for the rejection than the fact you happened to choose his ex-wife’s name for your protagonist. But inside it feels like you, yourself are being rejected. Cruelly and irrevocably.

But it’s also the reason you keep going—and going, and going—in spite of the rejections. And you know deep down that if you stick with it, through both the shine and the stink, the love will just keep getting better and better, until it blooms into something that the whole world will celebrate.

Or at least a few million loyal readers.

If it’s one thing we writers are good at, it’s dreaming.

A member of Authors Incognito, Alice Workman, also known as Mom to her five children and Aunt Alice to her blogging community, is a freelance writer and editor living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When she’s not busy reading, writing, studying, singing, knitting, gardening or caring for her family (whew!), she can occasionally be found updating her blog at http://www.askauntalice.net.

*From the song “I Wonder Why,” by Irving Berlin, 1950

The Birth of a Writer

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Danyelle and I'm addicted to books.

It all began when I was quite young. I had a shelf full of delightful picture books. One of my favorites was The Story About Ping. Ping was a duck who lived on a boat with all of his extended family on the Yangtze River. I don't remember all the story specifics, but I recall how fascinated I was with Ping and his plight. I would look through the pictures and read the story over and over.

Then I discovered chapter books. I laughed my way through Super Fudge by Judy Blume and read the whole series to my mom. As I grew older, I discovered more incredible stories and characters I fell in love with. People I wanted to be.

One day in elementary school, we talked about authors. I had not thought about the people who actually sat down at type writers (yes, back then they used type writers) and wrote the stories I loved. While I continued devouring books (7-10 on an average week), I began to imagine what it must be like to be the author. To create these people who were so very real to me.

And then, I began to write.

I have the very first "book" I wrote. I was in 6th grade. Electric Youth (yeah, I hear you snickering over there) was a gift for my Great Aunt Erma, which she held on to and sent to me after I got married. I pulled it out a few months ago and was oh so embarrassed. But hey, I was twelve. How many other 12 year olds were writing books instead of outside riding bikes with their friends? Zip that I knew of.

6th grade was also the year I wrote my first newspaper article. It was thrilling to see my name in the byline.

Junior and senior high school flew by in a blur of words And lots of boyfriends, dates, dances, and proms. I wasn't all book worm. =) I entered writing contests and surprisingly won quite a few. I went to college - business school, mind you. And wrote awesome papers. I played around with book ideas and wrote funny newsletters for college clubs. It wasn't until I was a wife and mother that I shared my dream to be an author with my husband.

And then one day - after many, many years of hard work, research, and bloody rewrites - it happened. I was published! I became an actual, honest-to-goodness author.

Now, I ask you, my awesome reader friends, at what point did I become a writer?

Was it when I wrote my first story? When I attended my first writers conference? When my first published book sat on the bookstore shelves?

I think it was years and years ago as I sat on a dusty floor devouring the story of a little duck named Ping.

And what about you? Each of our Authors Incognito members are on their own personal journey to pursue their writing dreams. Look back at your lives and share with me when you became a writer. Was it a certain book that inspired you, a moment of self-discovery, or a talent you developed? There are so many stories out there - I can't wait to hear yours!

I Am Drawn to Clear Colors

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

by Karen Mittan

I am drawn to clear, brilliant colors. That is why I enjoy the out-of-doors where I can lose myself in what I love most…God’s natural, ever-changing palette.

As a writer, I see words as being like the colors on that palette. There are black words. Malevolent, sinister, subversive, they creep over, around, and through our prose casting dark shadows like a thick mat of vining weeds. A natural choice for horror, one wouldn’t use them in a bright, positive piece any more than one would grow a thick canopy of Virginia creeper over a rose garden.

Then there are gray words. Not as fearsome or choking but still, like bitter sagebrush, they set a tense and caustic tone. Reminiscent of the clash and clamor of an angry sea on a stormy winter’s eve, they foment insurrection, leaving desolation in their wake. On a lighter vein, brown words are words we rely on for stability in our writing. Like trunks of trees or branches on bushes, they hold our prose together, bringing it to a firm, cohesive unit. Without them there would be no harmony or form in written language. And just as each tree and bush is uniquely the sum of its trunks and branches, so the organization of brown words makes each sentence and paragraph distinctive in itself.

And have you ever heard of purple prose? A little purple in judicious increments might be acceptable but fill an entire book with the color? That’s like trying to relax in a field thick with thistles.

Blues and greens are quiet words reminiscent of a clear summer sky arching over a cool forest glade filled with ferns and soft mosses. Silver words sent trickling through such prose can lull the reader into a near hypnotic somnolence. Used with care, this combination may gently lead him to conclusions he never intended to embrace.

White words, on the other hand, are as innocent and pure as a gentle snowfall. With unhurried serenity they bring harmony, tranquility and soothing calm.

Yellows and reds, however, are fiery, exciting words that give sizzle to a piece. Flames dancing at the edges of a thought or blazing through the center of a composition, they excite, energize, add brilliance to a work that otherwise would be dull and colorless.

As writers, we choose specific words to create a desired emotion in our readers. We are careful not to include too much darkness unless we’re striving for terror or mutiny. We avoid glittering glitz when the feeling we seek is stability or balance. We carefully prune our brown words so that their form is pleasing and even. When we wish peace, we use white words; with red and yellow words, we add fire. And sometimes we throw in a tiny dash of purple . . . just for fun. Thus used with care, the combinations of our words can present a unified, pleasing palette with just enough of each color deftly inserted to present a proportional whole.

Karen Mittan is a member of Authors Incognito. She is the author of I, Nephi . . . .

photo by Paul Jonasaitis

Back Up Your Work

2012-02-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

by James Duckett

As a tech professional I have an intense paranoia of losing documents or other forms of data. Few things are more frustrating than losing a document due to a power outage or any number of computer failures. Hitting Ctrl-S to save my work at every opportunity has become a habit due to losing several homework assignments in high school. It is a habit I highly recommend all writers develop.

Sometimes, more catastrophic circumstances can ruin more than a few hours of typing. A hard drive crash can literally destroy years of hard work. I’ve seen it happen, and it is never a pleasant experience. In fact, most businesses fail following a total data loss. And aren’t we, as writers, a business?

I believe that the most important responsibility of my job is to ensure that data is secure, backed up, and available when needed. I spend a lot of time fretting over whether or not my backup solution at work -- and at home -- is sound. I’ve tried preparing for the worst case scenario. For instance, what would happen if the house caught on fire? I kept my backup media in my fireproof gun safe but I was never convinced that was sufficient. Seriously, it kept me up late at night. Well, that and my video game addiction, but that is another story.

Thank goodness for online backups! There are several services available that will allow you to back up your data to the Internet. And it happens in the background without requiring extra work from you. If something catastrophic occurs, you are only a few mouse clicks away from retrieving your documents.

If you are interested in such a service, search for the term “Online Backup Services” and find the one that best fits your situation. Some are completely free if you don’t have much to back up. Pricing scales up depending on the amount of data you have. You can even find unlimited, all-you-can-eat solutions for less than $50 per year.

The prices are cheap considering what one would be willing to pay when the unfortunate comes knocking. Also, who can put a price on peace of mind and a good night’s sleep?

James Duckett is a member of Authors Incognito. You can catch up with him at his website, JamesDuckett.com, or on Twitter: @JimDuckett.

February Theme: The Love of Writing

2012-02-06T11:47:00.002-07:00

With Valentine's Day, February becomes a month celebrating love of all kinds. Last year, we talked about romance in writing, but this year we're going beyond just the genre and subplot to the love of writing itself. After all, writing is what brought us all together as friends. It's not just what we do, it's a part of who we are.

We have some fantastic thoughts coming up on the love of writing. When we love writing enough to make a place in our life and our time for it, we have to find a new balance for our other responsibilities. There are sacrifices and tradeoffs. But when we love writing, even the writing process, regardless of our publishing outcomes, has its own rewards.

What do you think? What are your rewards for writing? What do you do for the love of writing?

Photo by Luis Argerich

January Good News! Posting Warm Fuzzies on the AI Fridge

2012-02-03T00:51:00.000-07:00

Authors Incognito Good News! (And other fun things we heard through the grape vine.)

~ by Wendy Swore ~

Tristi Pinkston released her 9th book this month, Targets in Ties! It's the fourth Secret Sisters Mystery, and every bit as fun as the others. In addition, her first religious nonfiction was accepted by her publisher, and will be available in time for Mother's Day.(Wahoo for your new book!) Tristi has also been sharing her weightloss success with us. Yay, Tristi! We're doin' the happy dance for you.

Michelle Jefferies short story "Oh Christmas Tree" will be in Michael Young's Christmas anthology for next year. And her first page recieved a really nice critique at Julie Bellon's blog in December. Exciting news Michelle, good for you!

Donna Weaver submitted her query (first ever) for a blog contest hoping to be critiqued by an agent--though about everyone else in the world had a shot at it. Turns out the agent asked for a full! Donna Quips, "I guess the query works." Apparently so! Congratulations, Donna!

Stacy Henrie has some amazingly awesome news! In January, she signed with agent Jessica Alvarez of BookEnds, LLC. and her first book sold to Harelquin Love Inspired Historical. Her book will be published September 2012. We need confetti cannons for that one, Stacy. That is flat out awesome!

Danyelle Ferguson, (Author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: How to Bring People with Special Needs Closer to Christ) just received a phone call from the church office building. They asking her to help write a training document for the lds.org website (possibly to also be published in the Church News). They have it started, but want her to review it, add more information, and some personal stories. Wow! Danyelle, that just proves they know a good thing when they see it. Congrats. You deserve it!

Cathy Witbeck got the news from Stories for Children Magazine, that her article, "The Attack of the Bone Eating Zombie Snot Worm," will be published in their October issue. Hundreds of snotty worms are cheering on the ocean floor. With a cool title like that, what kid wouldn't want to learn about those worms? Great job, Cathy!

February Classes

2012-02-01T14:36:00.001-07:00

We're lining up classes for 2012! Whether you're recovering from NaNo or gearing up for the LDStorymakers contest, we've got a class coming up for you!

Woo an Agent, Wow an Editor: Refining Your Writing
February 6-10
Taught by editor Angela Eschler

We will be covering style and voice, how to streamline your manuscript (trimming the fat) or tighten your plot, and how to turn your prose into poetry (or something similar that your fans still want to read!)

Does that last one sound familiar? This is the expanded version of her one-hour class at Storymakers 2011!

Remember: the LDStorymakers First Chapter Contest Deadline is February 17 at 8 PM MST. You must be registered for the contest to enter!

Getting Close to your Characters: Taking the Dive into Deep POV

February 20-24
Taught by Jordan McCollum

How can I get convey my characters' likes and interests better? How can I keep my readers in my characters' heads? Should I--or shouldn't I--use italics for thoughts, or is this narration?

These questions and more answered as we take a look at the point-of-view from inside your characters' heads and dive into deep POV, the most popular mode of narration today!

All classes are totally free for AI members. (Yes, we are that awesome!) To enroll, look for directions at the bottom of the email to the group about upcoming classes.

And more great classes to come all year! Come participate to make them even better!

Jordan McCollum
Education Director

Photos by Roxanne Cooke and Chuck Grimmett, respectively

Share your writing resolutions!

2012-01-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

All month we've discussed reaching our goals.

So tell us: what are your goals?

Did you set writing resolutions this year? Do you have a very specific overarching goal that you're working toward?

Most people find that writing their goals down and sharing them publicly helps to make those goals more real, and adds a little more accountability. So tell us what you want to achieve!

Recipe

2012-01-27T08:00:00.014-07:00

by Karen Dupaix

This recipe was submitted by Trina Boice, and was featured in the Worldwide Cookbook. Enjoy!

COWBOY CAVIAR

2 TBL.	Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp.	Olive Oil
1 Clove	Garlic, mashed, pressed or chopped finely
1½ tsp.	Tabasco (or to taste)
	Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1	Avocado, ripe
1 can	15oz. black beans
1 can	Corn
2/3 cup	Sliced green onion
½ cup	Fresh Cilantro, chopped
½ lb.	Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 can	Salt to taste Pinto beans
	Tortilla Chips
	In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, Tabasco and pepper. Peel, pit and cut the avocado into ½" cubes. Add to vinegar mixture and toss lightly. Drain and rinse the beans & corn. Mix all ingredients gently together to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Best made 2-3 hours ahead. Serve with tortilla chips or add lettuce to make a salad. This is also great served as a relish with grilled chicken or steak!

Spotlight: Stephanie Nelson

2012-01-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

When I was emailed and asked to write a short blurb about myself so that I could be spotlighted in this month’s AI newsletter, I seriously thought, Really? Did you run out of “somebodies” to spotlight? I’m not really anybody but a mom and a lurker yet. After some urging and convincing from my sister, here goes…

I’m a small town-girl from a TINY town of 500 in southwest Wyoming. I was born and raised in Wyoming and I love it here! I’m currently almost a stay-at-home mom with my five kids. I say almost a stay-at-home mom because I work between 4-10 hours as an accountant at the local truck stop. My husband and I have been married for sixteen years. We have four boys and one little girl. The boys are all tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes when they get together – but they are ALL amazing. My little girl’s personality is just beginning to emerge. She is so very sweet and has a smile ready for anyone.

One of my good friends recently published several novels that I dearly love and enjoy. I also watched my sister struggle through NaNoWriMo last year and I thought, I can write a book too. That book is still in progress, but I did manage to put together a 90k word novel in about six weeks. Currently, I’m in the process of reworking several spots to make it more … well… MORE. I have 20-or-so ideas, thoughts, outlines, and/or WIPs. I don’t typically stay in one genre as several of my ideas are historical, sci-fi, action, and romance. I have received a lot of feedback from you, my fellow authors. All I can say is you all are amazing and have set the bar quite high. I hope I can eventually perfect my craft and have at least one book published! Thank you all for being such a wonderful example to me!

You can keep up with Stephanie on her blog, Crops of Memories.

How to reach your goals without really trying

2012-01-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

by Jordan McCollum
borrowed from here

Last year was my first Nano, and it went really well. Even cooler, I managed to do this without the world falling down around the ears. I'm the mom, of course, and I set the pace of the household. I do most of the housework (weeeell.... I'm supposed to). So how did I write 5000-6000 words a day (hours and hours of work) without running out of meals and clean underwear for the family?

Planning.

I was already used to one very useful phone alarm: a 15 minute warning to the time we need leave for school. So I decided to expand on that and use the phone alarm to remind me to do laundry (and switch it, fold it, and hand it off to the kids to put away), work with the kids to empty the dishwasher, read with the kids, start dinner and go to bed on time.

I planned dinners and even blog posts (on four blogs!) for the whole month in advance. Meals, topics and dates went on the calendar. I made up post drafts for each of those days with the topics all ready to go. I stockpiled topics and full posts. On weekends, I filled in the remaining posts and scheduled them to go.

It actually went really well—until I finished my novel and let a lot of it fall apart. But all that advanced planning helped me to maintain a good routine, be productive and run the house better than I usually did.

So how can that apply to other goals?

Schedule them now.

If you want to write 1000 words a day, pick a time and put it in your schedule. (Doing it at the same time each day can help, too.) Unplug from the Internet. Schedule a time with the fewest ~~kids~~ distractions around. I've used a handy plugin that would block certain time-wasting websites during certain times of the day—another helper.

If you want to read a certain number of books next year, start collecting recommendations. Figure out whether you prefer reading on an eReader/mobile device (if you have one) or paper book. I like library books since they come with built-in deadlines—and, oh yeah, they're free. Use good tracking software.

If you're trying to research a project, make a list of resources, get them and give yourself a timeline to read them.

If you want to lose weight, schedule your exercise sessions with yourself. Make up healthy meal plans in advance. Buy and prepare healthy snacks.

We all know that goals should to be broken down into steps to be achievable. But what it really comes down to is to just do it, to quote Nike. Little reminders and baby steps help me.

What does it take to help you just do it?

Photo by Kent Wein

Jordan McCollum is the Education Director of Authors Incognito. You can catch up with her at her blog.

Bye Bye, Resolutions—Make Life Changes that Last!

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

by Connie Sokol

Making a life changeis more than saying, “I want to lose 20 pounds” or “Finish that novel!” Thegreat news is that it’s easier than you think. It simply takes a subtle shiftin mindset and a few keys to successful goal-setting.

Set goals from a Life Paragraph. Years ago friends gave us a plant for ahospitality gift. Determined to let this one live, I watered it diligently fortwo weeks until one day I looked at the plant closely and experienced anepiphany: it was a fake plant. Oh, yeah. Resolutions are like watering a fakeplant—they aren’t real. Successful goals come from connection—choosing theideal outcome you want first, thenusing goals as vehicles to get there. Try creating a Life Paragraph. It’s soeasy, but powerful. Life coaching guru Brian Tracy has said, “Theestablishment of a clear, central purpose or goal in life is the starting pointof all success.” Once you have a clear paragraph of what you want from life,goals are easier to choose and achieve.

To create aLife Paragraph, brainstorm buzz words to describe your ideal life in threecategories: Self, Relationships, and Life Skills. For example, in Self youmight have, “positive, spiritually centered, emotionally healthy, fit,” etc.After brainstorming all three areas, combine and edit them to create one juicyparagraph about six to eight sentences long to describe your ideal life. Havefun with this! Tweak and change until you feel it best describes what you’ll beworking toward.

Real goals for RealPeople. Good goals are specific andmake you stretch, but not feel overwhelmed or like downing a cheesecake. I’vecoached women for ten years and my secret to their success is one goal a week. That’s it. Choosewisely and then go to it. And remember Hyrum Smith wisely says to include thefollowing in writing your goal: make it realistic, timely, specific,measurable, and action-oriented. Translation: “I will write 3,000 words thisweek during (3) one-hour sessions from 9 to 10 p.m.” Or, “I will do a FUNworkout three times this week for 20 minutes, varying cardio and weights.”Voila.

As you set goals, be flexible forsomething better. My writing goal last year was to finish a novel I’d worked onfor a year. But, another plot idea fell into my mind with accompanying wholescenes. I focused on and finished the new novel toot-sweet. And, I returned tothe original novel refreshed and better prepared.

You can’t believe what you can achieveby combining your Life Paragraph with a well-chosen goal—just one—each week.I’ve been able to write and publish books, be a public speaker, be a stellarmother to six children (that’s up for debate), teach my children life skills,and run our home generally well (except weeks before, during, or afterholidays), and enjoy it all (most ofthe time). I’m not special or tremendously talented. It’s by small and simplethings that great things come to pass, like keeping the kitchen counter clear.So give this a try. If you need a little boost consider my “Take the 8-weekChallenge!” You can enter at www.8basics.com—it’s free with motivational blogsand podcasts to help you stay focused.

Reward Yourself and Keep Going. After setting a goal,choose a reward and use it! One woman paid herself five dollars for each workout then put that money toward a new outfit. Go girl! Rewards help change yourneuroassociation to goal-setting—a fancy word for salivating Pavlovian style toset and achieve a goal, all because of the promise of an hour-long nap. That’smy kind of reward. Whatever you choose—attend a writing conference, buy a writing book—use it to keep yourself focused andcommitted.

So create that Life Paragraph,choose a connected goal that makes you excited to start, and reward yourefforts along the way. This is your year to create fabulous change, so go getit!

A member of Authors Incognito, Connie Sokol is a mother ofsix—expecting her seventh—and a presenter, former TV and radio host, and authorof several books, including Faithful, Fit& Fabulous. For tips, columns, and books, visit www.8basics.com.

Good news minute!

2012-01-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Cathy Witbeck is excited to announce the "Totally Cliche" short story collection published by the Mormon Mommy Writers is now in softcover! Cathy's story is featured in the collection which can now be purchased at Amazon.

(Save up your good news! The next good news feature runs on February 1!)

I Am a Writer

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

by ali cross

The single most important way for you to stick with your writing goals is to change your perspective.

As long as you are playing at writing, it's going to continue to fall to the bottom of your to do list and be relegated to the land of the I Wish or the realm of Almost.

And hey, you're a mom/dad, employee/stay-at-home-parent, housekeeper, dog walker, homework helper . . . the list goes on and on. You've got perfectly good reasons for not putting your writing higher on your list. I'm just saying that as long as you do that, you have to be okay with not meeting your writing goals.

However, if you're serious about those goals in 2012, you must come to terms with being a writer. When I was first starting out, I took a class from the late Ken Rand, a prolific writer and writing instructor. He always said, "Anybody can say you can't write, but don't let anybody say you don't."

Call yourself a writer. Do it. Do it NOW. Put writing at the top (or near it!) of your to do list and then write, write, WRITE! Start with small goals, if you're hesitant to take this giant leap into real writerhood, but set them and meet them you must.

Otherwise, you'll forever live in Almost and you'll never know what it feels like to become a full-fledged citizen of I Did It.

ali cross is the author of Become. She is the Media Director of Authors Incognito. You can catch up with her and her ninja-writer friends at her blog.

Getting and Staying Motivated to Write

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

by Betsy Love

How in the world do you stay motivated when other activitiesbeckon you, like work, kids, cooking, cleaning? It’s tough to be a writer andeverything else. One of the secrets I learned in my goal to publish a book wasto set aside time to write. Like all worthy activities, if you wait for themoment to arrive it will never appear. My dear friend Marsha Ward recentlyjoined us in BIAM (Book in a Month—kind of like NaNoWriMo, but less stressful).Each participant sets a goal: X number of words per day and then we report atthe end of the writing day what we accomplished, even if it was a big fat 0.Where was I? Oh, yes, Marsha—her goal was 25 words per day. That’s one reallylong sentence, two medium ones or 3 short ones. Definitely doable! Herphilosophy is: “If I sit down and commit to 25 words per day chances are I’llwrite much more” (or words to that effect). Call me an over-achiever, but Istrive for 100 words per day when I’m not in the throes of editing.

Another trick I do to keep motivated is to have a writingbuddy. If I know I’m going to have to report to her what I’ve written or workedon, I’m more likely to be writing. Belonging to a critique group is another wayto stay motivated. Mine meets once a month—that allows me plenty of time toslack off and stress on the day we meet, that’s why I fall back on the othermotivators.

One other trick is to hop on over to either http://sprintwriters.blogspot.com or to http://iwritenetworkning.ning.com/and do some sprint writing with other like-minded people. Now, mind you, mostof the time it’s rather lonely there, but if I set my timer, report in the chatframes that I’m sprinting, I’m more likely to actually write and not getside-tracked with checking my email or updating my status on Facebook. Whichleads me to my last tip—set a New Year’s Resolution to CREATE time to write.All it takes is one page per day and in a year you can have a finishedmanuscript. Who knows, it could happen quicker as you watch your one pagequickly become two or three per day.

One last piece of sage advice and that has to do withwriter’s block. We all get it once in a while. I heard this adage and find itvery helpful. “When the muse strikes, let her find you hard at work.” As I tellmy English students, “If you can’t think of anything to write, start with thesewords—I know I have something great to say and any second it will come.”Sometimes they have to write it over and over, but every time without fail, Iwatch this AHA! moment and soon their pens are flying (or keyboards). Try it!

Happy writing!

Betsy Love is the author of Identity and a member of Authors Incognito. You can keep up with her on her blog.

Adjusting our goals

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

by Lani Woodland

One of my favorite things about January is setting New Year’s resolutions. The end of one year and the beginning of another seems like the perfect time to see how well we did in our goals for the last year and what we should strive for in the next. For me, writing goals is very important. I get easily overwhelmed by projects and to do-list so I have to break them into lots of bite-sized pieces. I’ve found timed writing sprints are a less stressful way to reach my daily word count than sitting down and telling myself a number of words I have to meet. Using that process I somehow manage to limp myself through writing. Editing is harder though; my goal is always to edit a certain number of pages but that almost never works. Some scenes, like the action sequences, are a lot more time consuming to revise than say a dialogue heavy section.

One of my biggest goals was to get published. The road to publication finally came true for me, but it didn’t happen the way I thought it would. I think writers need to be incredibly strong people. We really take a beating to make our dreams come true. When I first started writing I thought I would be like Stephanie Meyer. I mean, I was like her. I was a Mormon, stay-at-home mom. Now granted I hadn’t had a dream about my book but still I had a fully formed idea. I wrote my book, edited it, and started sending it out. She sent out nine query letters. I figured I should probably query about eighteen people just to be safe. I look back at that naïve girl I was and kind of want to give her a hug and prepare her for the pot-holed, ego bruising, tear-filled road ahead of her. I never kept exact count of how many people I queried, but all but one of those ended in rejection. A solid two years of rejection. But at the same time, that painful process really helped me edit my book. I learned what wasn’t working. When I finally decided to submit to a small publisher, my book was strong enough that they believed in me and wanted to publish my book.

A small publisher wasn’t my original goal. But when I was shopping Intrinsical my goal changed. I thought I would get an agent, a huge advance, etc. But it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t how it was going to happen for me. At least not for this book. It isn’t that my goal didn’t come true, because it did. I wanted to be able to publish and share my stories with other people. It just happened in a way I hadn’t originally thought it would. I still have hope that maybe someday the original dream will happen for me. Maybe for a later series I write when I’m an even stronger writer.

Upcoming AI classes!

2012-01-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

We're lining up classes for 2012! Whether you're recovering from NaNo or gearing up for the LDStorymakers contest, we've got a class coming up for you!

NaNo--Now what? Finding a Revision Method that Works for You
January 23-27
Group taught

Revision can mean just that: re-vision. Seeing your story again to make it better. But the process of revision is very personal (like most things in writing!). In this class, we'll have several published authors share the revision methods that work for them--and you can find the strategies that work for you to make your story stronger.

Woo an Agent, Wow an Editor: Refining Your Writing
February 6-10
Taught by editor Angela Eschler

We will be covering style and voice, how to streamline your manuscript (trimming the fat) or tighten your plot, and how to turn your prose into poetry (or something similar that your fans still want to read!)

Does that last one sound familiar? This is the expanded version of her one-hour class at Storymakers 2011!

Photos by Jean Burgess and Roxanne Cooke, respectively

Using Personal Experiences to Create Conflict

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

by Danyelle Ferguson

Writers often use conflict they are familiar with when theydevelop plot. “Familiar” is a subjective term. It can be something they read ina book, saw on a tv show, or a headline from the evening news. Or it could be apersonal experience.

Last Thursday night, the water line to my house broke. Thebasement flooded. After a late night visit from the plumber, our family spentthe rest of the weekend cleaning up and trying to manage the not-so-fun side ofno running water. Not only has it been a stressful, demanding situation, but asthe repair estimates have come in, I’ve realized it’s a major hit to the wallettoo. I figured with all this upheaval, I would set my writing aside for thenext week. After all, I’ll be running to the laundry mat and shuttling ourfamily to a friend’s house each day for baths and showers. Yippee.

But then last night, my head started to twist and turn thesituation into . . . What if?

What if when my character’s bakery is vandalized, the waterline was somehow broken? Is that possible? What would be the consequences?

Or what if the water line at her house broke? What kind ofkink would that throw into her life? And how embarrassing to have Mr. Hunky Guycatch up with her after two days of no showers and in grungy yucky clothes.Would he wrinkle his nose and start breathing through his mouth to manage thestench? Or would he just jump in and start to help – beginning with an order for lunchto be delivered?

Hmm . . . possibilities, possibilities.

So, what kind of disasters or “uh-ohs” have you experiencedthat later inspired new conflict in your stories? I’m looking forward tosome commiseration here, my friends. Bring it on!

Reaching Goals

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

by Tamara Passey

This is not a how-to. Volumes have been written with brilliant formulas for setting and reaching goals. This article is a true story about me and one experience with reaching a goal, and why I persevere.

My fourth year of Girls’ Camp, the leaders planned an overnight camping and canoe trip. We hiked into our campsite, set up our tents, and in the morning, set off to canoe down a beautiful river in Rhode Island. So far, so good. Our goal was to canoe until noon, load up the gear, have lunch, and be driven back to our various homes. Hard, but doable.

We finished closer to six p.m.

Around midday, we came to the place we thought was the finish line. I was tired, spent, cramped, and hungry. Ready to be done. But we weren’t. Our leaders had parked their vehicles many miles downstream, either from confusion or misjudging the river, I’m not sure.

So we paddled, and paddled some more.

During those hours, we encountered some of the more difficult parts of the trip. There was a place where the water level was low and we had to get out of the canoes and carry them over muddy riverbeds. Near sundown, we also saw a gorgeous sunset where the warm evening sunlight streamed through trees and across the water.

Regardless of my physical exhaustion, I was glad I hadn’t missed that view.

For me, the finish line had been moved. But I was able to overcome the challenges, experience more beauty, and ultimately realize more of my potential. Potential I didn’t know I had until it had been put to the test.

I think of that river now when I face challenges to my writing goals. And I persist. I write and I write some more. I’ve reached places where I wanted to be ‘done’ with a certain project only to learn I had miles to go. So I’ve kept going. Knowing what was waiting for me. Challenges? Yes. But beauty and realized potential, too.

Tamara Passey is a member of Authors Incognito. You can catch up with her on her blog, Why I Get Up.

Starting The Year With Good News!

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore

Rashelle Workman reports that EXILED broke an Amazon bestsellers list: ( Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology )

Exiled has won several Cover Wars (I believe 4)
And is on several top ten covers of 2011 lists .

Exiled has been nominated for a Whitney as well.

ALSO, RaShelle released an adult mystery/suspense with romance novel entitled SLEEPING ROSES through her publishing company, Polished Pen Press. It's been downloaded over 2500 times since it's release 12-21-11 and has hit a couple of bestseller's lists as well. (Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Romantic SuspenseKindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense)
And finally, Rashelle had a couple of WWW talk show interviews (blog talk radio) and (litpod) .

Wow, girl, you have been busy! Congratulations!

Heather Justesen just picked up copies of her book, Family by Design, this week!

They are already available for sale on Amazon, and she will be signing in Costcos and Seagulls in January and February and launching my book at Pioneer Book on January 21st with Tristi, and two other authors (Tristi will be launching her latest, Targets and Ties that day as well.).

Also, Heather's spinoff novella, Shear Luck, will be out in a week or two (still waiting on cover art) and she will be giving it away FREE as an ebook to anyone who purchases Family by Design by midnight on February 4th.

Stay tuned for website links for that!

Way to go Heather! Good luck on those signings!

Robot Playground, the publisher of Transcendent, Tales of the Paranormal, (with short stories by Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin and Evan Joseph )

Has a very cool giveaway with over 25 books from many of our Authors Incognito authors including:

Lani Woodland
Melanie Marks
Elana Johnson
Karen Hoover
Heather Justesen
CK Bryant
Tristi Pinkston
Cindy Hogan

Laura Bingham
Cheri Chesley
RaShelle Workman
Ali Cross
Cathy Witbeck
Tori Scott
Elizabeth Mueller
KC Blake
& Wendy Swore

I mean really, can you get any cooler than that? With twenty five different prizes, your chances are really good.
Here's the link. It runs through the 15th of January.

Danyelle Ferguson and Lynn Parsons, shared an awesome review of their book, Disabilities and the Gospel, a book about how to teach and help people with special needs come closer to Christ.

Congratulations!

Okay Authors Incognito members! Your good news now runs twice a month (the 1st and 3rd Wednesday.) We want to hear from you! Be sure to send your good news, links and pictures to me, Wendy Swore, so I can get it in the next news post!

Resolutions, goals and failure

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

by Christine (C.K.) Bryant

I hope the new year finds you all healthy and happy. For me and my family, life has certainly thrown us a few curve balls, especially these past couple of weeks with my kidlet being out of school and my husband's mother moving in with us. But we're pressing forward and trying to remain positive. Which is the way it should be.

The theme for this month is setting goals for the new year. I know. I know. I hear you all groaning. I did the same thing, adding an over exaggerated eye roll to add emphasis. Not because it isn't a great subject to talk about, but because every year I set goals and then fail at achieving them. It doesn't matter if the goal has to do with my writing, my family life, my personal expectations or something totally off the wall, something always gets in the way and I feel horrible about losing my momentum and ultimately giving up. Each year I vow this year will be different. Ha! NOT!

What I wanted to do was research goal setting and give you some great advice, but instead I stumbled upon THIS ARTICLE by Dean Wesley Smith . . . and I couldn't have said it better. So, instead of me making a mess of the subject, head on over to his website and read what he has to say. It's a little long, but well worth the read. Puts a whole new perspective on setting and achieving goals in our lives. Then let me know what you think.

Christine (C.K.) Bryant is the author of Bound, a paranormal romance. She serves as the Executive Director of Authors Incognito. Catch up with Christine at her blog.

A new year, a new format!

2012-01-01T21:32:00.001-07:00

For 2012, we've decided to change up our format. Rather than one huge post a month, we'll spread the great content throughout the month. That means you'll never have to slog through an enormous newsletter in one sitting again (unless you really want to).

This also means that each contributor will have a chance to receive individual attention and comments. (Nudge nudge.)

So stay tuned tomorrow and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday thereafter for all the great writing tips, essays, tech corner, good news, recipes and spotlights!

December 2011 Newsletter

2011-12-01T07:00:00.011-07:00

December 2011 Newsletter

December's Theme:

Getting Your Family Involved in Your Writing

Contents

From the Executive Committee | They Become Otherworldly, Too by Mary Gray
Good News & Book News | Member Spotlights: Katie Dodge & Kristen I. Robison
Writing tip by Michele Paige Holmes | Tech Corner | Recipe

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family. 

~Anthony Brandt

From the Executive Committee

Family and Writing

During the holidays, our hearts often go to our families—and so does a lot of our time. And writing, whether we consider it a hobby or a job or something in between, demands time, too. Sometimes those two conflict. The worst case scenario is having our families resent and discourage our writing.

We hope, however, that we can get our families behind our writing, teach them to be our biggest cheerleaders. They may not quite get all the quirks and vagaries of the writing life, but the more they understand what our writing means to us and how they can support us, the happier we can all be.

Read on for some great essays and tips on how writing affects our family, and how they can become our biggest supporters (with our help). And don't forget—registration begins for LDStorymakers 2012 today!

Jordan McCollum

Education Director

They Become Otherworldly, Too

by Mary Gray

I’m often startled by the ordinary appearance of writers. We create such larger-than-life characters that it seems we, too, should be six foot eleven with shimmering lips and burrow-your-fingers-in Downy-plush hair. But, no. We’re ordinary—painstakingly so. Probably because most of us prefer doting on our worlds over enduring ourselves in front of the mirror. (Potbelly? Let’s just not bother turning on the light.)

But I’ve discovered something—a phenomenon involving those we most love. Did you ever notice our families’ seemingly ordinary appearances somehow transform when they care to steep themselves in our worlds?

When my six-year-old met Kiersten White at the library, he said, “That was the best day of my life!” I swear he grew several inches—he may just now be six foot eleven. When my three-year-old claimed she knew the true sounds of the letter “e,” her conspiratorial smile twitched and I know her lips shimmered beyond the visible spectrum of light. And when my sweet husband claimed I’d written something “horrible” (he tends not to like it when I shove my fictional children in dryers with kittens) his hair seemed to say, “Rub me; glean my natural goodness, please.”

So do you see what happens when we involve our families in our worlds? Their physical attributes amplify so they become otherworldly, too.

Of course, the hardest part is remembering to invite our families into our worlds. But I can think of a few particular instances when including mine actually worked:

I asked my sister to read my writing; she now gets what I love to do, and eagerly accepts any first drafts
I registered my son on Goodreads, and he soars through books faster than me (Can anyone say Lemony Snicket’s? The kid read the entire series at age six.)
When my daughter hit me and claimed “the bad guy” did it, and I asked what he looked like, she claimed he had “skin of the cordon bleu.” I was sure to ask what he smelled and sounded like, too.

I cannot wait for when my kids can read my favorite books. (I read and write YA fiction, so really that time isn’t too far off.) But when my kids beg to write their own stories in lieu of jumping on the trampoline or swimming, I know they’re cluing into the writing—

With luck, they’ll come around to seeing that potbelly I mentioned as “otherworldly,” too.

Mary Gray is a member of Authors Incognito. She recently signed with literary agent Kat Salazar of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents. You can keep up with Mary on her blog, The Gray Willow.
Back to top

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore

We had aplethora of good news this month!

First off, congratulationsto all our crazy Nanowrimos that got those big numbers on word counts! We hadseveral winners including, Kathleen Brebes won, Jordan McCollun and Donna Weaver! Thanks letting us know, ladies!

JordanMcCollum also received some awesome news while we were at the writer’s retreat;Covenant Communications will be publishing her first novel, tentatively titledSaints and Spies, in 2013! *group happydance* After doing a few cartwheels to celebrate, she got right back towork and logged over 50k words by November 8^th and finished thenovel at 78k on November 14^th! Wow. Better do some more cartwheels!

Connie Sokolfinished her gift book for publication (and release in spring by CFI)"Motherhood Matters: Joyful Reminders of the Divinity, Reality, andRewards of Motherhood," as well as her first romance novel "CaribbeanCrossroads". She also did a booksigning at Utah Valley University, did her monthly Studio 5 TV spot as amotherhood specialist (loosely termed), filmed a guest spot for a talk showpilot for KJZZ that involved Nathan Osmond, Cherie Call, Peter Breinholt andothers, and most importantly, still got her six children to where they neededwith what they required (okay, mostly...) while prego with her seventh baby. Shequips, “Who says miracles are not in our day?” Agreed, Connie. You win thesuperwoman award for the month! Congrats on all your hard work!

Maria Hoagland’s book, Nourish &Strengthen, launched on Nov. 1. It is now available in all the usual placesincluding her blog. She also reached over 36K words this month, essentiallyfinishing novel number two! Way to go!

Mary Gray signedwith a literary agent! *Wahoo! More happy dances!* Her name is Kat Salazar with Larsen PomadaLiterary Agents and we're just about to go on submission. Read all about it on her blog.

Ali Cross was part of the Dark Carma tour, launching her book, Become. Here’s her blurb:

Sixteen-yearold Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s coldand lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where shemust face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi isforced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—thatshe has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, hascreated her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason tochange—something she’s never had before—a friend.

If you wouldlike an autographed copy, you can go to her website . Become is alsoavailable on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.

Need moregood news? Well, don’t forget that Christine Bryant’s book, Bound, was also a part of the Dark Carma tour. Her cover is beautiful too! (When we got back from the writer's retreat, my daughter stole Bound from my bag and devoured it in a day. She loved it!)

WendySwore, Melanie Marks, and Lani Woodland have stories coming out this month inthe YA paranormal anthology called, Transcendent. The book is almost ready and should be available before by early-mid December,in time for Christmas! Here's the blurb: Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories.

Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you.

Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction.

Wendy Swore’swinning short story horror, Voodoo Hog, is now available on Lebrary as part ofan anthology called, Aspiring Writers Short Story Winners, where ALL the proceeds go to St. Judes children’s hospital. These 12 stories are only 750 words each, so it makes forquick, intense, and fun reading.

*update!* Here's the info on the other two books in the Dark Carma tour! Congrats ladies!

BOUND (#1 in THE CRYSTOR Series)
by C.K. Bryant
YA Paranormal Romance

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.
Available on Smashwords or Amazon.

EXILED A young adult sci fi romance
Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become a kelvieri, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.

Now she wants revenge.
First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate.
Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.
Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.
Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week.
Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.
But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—her.
PURCHASE EXILED as an ebook.

Whew! I think we got it! If you have some great news that you wanted to share, be sure to let us know and we'll get it in the next AI newsletter!

Member Spotlights

Katie Dodge

I grew up in West Point, Utah as the sixth of seven children of two saintly parents. After graduating high school I nannied for a Jewish family in Connecticut. (Where I found I make a pretty mean matzo ball soup. :) Now I live in West Haven, Utah and I'm a wife and busy mother of three beautiful girls. When I'm not trying to tone down the drama (from said beautiful girls) I write whenever I get the chance.

I've always had a love and passion for reading and writing, but really decided to pursue my dream of publication a little over two years ago. I write Historical and Women's fiction and have embraced my inner history-loving nerd while researching for my latest WIP, which is set in the Civil War era. I'm so very close to finishing the revising process and I'm excited to get querying!

Also, I'm a writer's conference junkie. I love them. A lot. So if you go to any Utah conferences, keep and eye out for me and say hi! I love making connections with other writers. Or as I like to say, "my people." I started my blog earlier this year and try to post when I can, although I've been really bad about it lately. My blog is katieonfiction.blogspot.com if you want to stop by. :)

Kristen I. Robison

I self-published my first novel “Mom, what can I do now?” at the young age of 7. (Wait, is a 7 year old at the copy center making her own books the same as self-publishing?) I sold a whopping 6 of these books to my family. By the time I was a teenager, I was staying up all hours of the night, taking community offered writing classes, friends were editing my work and I thought a couple of manuscripts were pretty good. When I came home from my honeymoon, my dad handed me my floppy disk which he proudly said he’d “wiped totally clean.” I hadn’t kept paper copies of my novels because I had hoped to print them off on my husband’s new ink jet printer instead of my father’s dot matrix. I literally broke down and sobbed…my books! After that, I basically gave up and stopped writing.

I told my husband that once my youngest of three kids was in school full time, I would FINALLY have time to organize the house and make dinner. In an effort to avoid that, I decided to start writing again. I was shocked going to the LDStorymakers conference when I learned about how high tech everything has become in the writing world. I feel like a little fish swimming upstream, so thanks to all of you for your help and tips! Right now I’m writing a historical fiction novel set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1300’s. It isn’t going as quickly as I’d hoped due to spending obscene amounts of time volunteering at our elementary school, gardening, being a Webelos Scout Leader, supporting my husband’s work schedule and church calling, the many complications of life, and of course taking time out for reading.

I’m re-learning writing and practicing it at my anecdotal blog: www.kristenirobison.weebly.com

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw

Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

WRITING TIP

by Michele Paige Holmes

Years ago, when I began writing seriously, I was a stay-at-home mother of three young children—all of whom were asleep by 7:30 each night. My husband worked full time and was pursuing an MPA, so I had time to myself each evening. During the days, I could count on two hours to write while our children napped. It was an idyllic schedule in terms of writing.

Wish I’d appreciated it more!

Fast forward fifteen years, and we’re the parents of five children—ages two to twenty—all living at home. A couple of them never seem to sleep. My husband works four ten-hour days now, so often we don’t eat dinner until 7:30. Evenings are consumed with children’s activities, homework, and church responsibilities. Our oldest is dealing with some issues that are physically and emotionally draining. I homeschool our daughters with dyslexia. Our youngest, an active two-year-old, has never been a great sleeper at naptime or at night. Church callings have kept my husband’s evenings busy over much of the past several years, and for a while I worked part time to help our budget. In short, we are at the peak of stress and responsibility in our lives (or I sure hope so), and that equates to a terrible, awful, almost impossible time to write.

Yet I do write. Because I need to. Helping my family understand this has gone a long way toward making my dreams a reality. Having a family and being an author don’t always mesh, but a few things I’ve learned along the way have made it possible.

1.Share your dreams and goals with your family. Tell them in plain and specific terms what it is you want to accomplish. Paint a realistic picture of what it’s going to take to do this (likely years without return on your investment of time). Then, instead of telling them, ask them what they will do to help you. I’ve found that if it is their idea (“I’ll watch my little brother for two hours every Saturday, so you can write,” or “I’ll put the kids to bed, so you can edit after dinner”) there’s a much better possibility of follow through. Of course, you’ll need to repeat this pattern fairly often (yes, Mom is still working on that same book; these things take time), and you’ll need to express a lot of thanks. Comparisons are also good. I so enjoy watching my children perform, compete etc. but I also see those experiences as opportunities to remind them of the joy we all get from their talents and success. I then remind them that, even though I’m their mom, I also personally enjoy that same kind of challenge and fulfillment. Which brings me to my next tip—

2. Encourage your spouse to develop and pursue his/her own talents. My husband runs marathons and does triathlons. These sports require a lot of training and time, and while that is sometimes difficult, it is also great. We don’t begrudge the time away from each other, pursuing our individual interests. I understand and respect his needs and desires to stretch his abilities, to improve, to work hard and know success. In turn, he respects mine. I love to be there at the finish line, cheering him on. He believes in me and encourages me when I need it most.

3. And I need encouragement a lot. Being a writer means facing failure—over and over again. Let your family experience this with you. My children have seen me stand at the mailbox and cry over a particularly painful rejection. They’ve seen me come home from critique group with papers covered in red ink. They know I spend months rewriting; they understand that, for me, creating a good story does not come easy. They have also seen my successes. They were there to open the box containing copies of my first novel. My daughter gets excited when she sees someone at school reading one of my books. My husband tells me how many people are waiting for copies of my newest release at the library. In a sense, they’ve lived the cycle with me—and hopefully learned a lot about hard work, dealing with rejection, persistence and patience. I know I’ve learned a thing or two about patience.

Being an author and having a family will always be challenging. It is also rewarding and fulfilling. Family will always trump writing. They have to come first; my successes or failures there are infinitely more important than any story I create. Understanding this has helped me treat time as the precious resource it is. It has also forced me to hone my skills as a writer and to more fully enjoy the journey with those I love the most.

Michele Paige Holmes is a Whitney-award winning author. Her latest novel, Captive Heart, is out now. She is new to Authors Incognito this year. You can keep up with Michele through her website.

Tech Corner

~James Blevins

I read an interesting article the other day. Thierry Brenton, CEO of a French IT company, has decided that in 18 months, his company will no longer use internal e-mail. In its place, they will instead resort to instant messaging and an internal social network for all intra-company communications. Calling e-mail "pollution", Brenton has made it his personal crusade within the company to clean up the lines of communication within his company.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think this is complete and total lunacy.

Like all technologies, e-mail is a tool, and like all tools, e-mail is the best tool for many jobs. Can it be over-used? Sure. All you have to do is look at your spam folder or count the number of jokes, stories, alerts, notifications, newsletters, and urban legends someone has set you to realize there's a lot of static that comes through via e-mail.

But my intention here is not to extol the merits of e-mail, nor is it to list all the things we can accomplish more easily via e-mail. Rather, rt is to show that behind every supremely bad idea, there is often a glittering diamond of truth.

As writers, we tend to feel most comfortable sitting behind our keyboards. We like the fact that we can take as much time as we need to form and re-form our words until they say exactly what we want them to say. Behind the security of our computer screens, we can put ourselves out there without having to really put ourselves out there. Communicating almost exclusively via e-mail, blog posts, Twitter, text messages, or Facebook can become a bit of a security blanket if we let it.

The danger here, is that written communication can never convey tone of voice or body language, the things that make us human, that enable us to make connections with each other on a deeper, more profound level. When we substitute writing for talking on a consistent basis, our relationships can suffer.

For example, my family members used to call each other on their birthdays. Now, we just write on each other's Facebook walls. Granted, it's a quicker and more convenient way to send a birthday greeting, but somehow those messages feel hollow and lack warmth. I think I am going to buck this trend in my family and revert back to making phone calls.

In fact, I would like to invite all of you to join me. If you have friends or family members with whom most or all of your recent communication has been mainly via e-mail, Facebook, text message, or chat, step away from the keyboard. Pick up the phone and call them, Skype them, or visit them in person if possible. As wrong as Thierry Brenton is about completely doing away with e-mail, he couldn't be more right that we all need more of that human touch in our lives.

RECIPE
Title
~ Karen Dupaix

Recipe

Closer

Thanks to the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum

November 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-01T06:00:00.035-06:00

November 2011 Newsletter

November's Theme:

National Novel Writing Month

Contents

From the Executive Committee | Good News & Book News | Whitney-eligible Books
NaNoWriMo Tips! | 3 Quick Tips for Getting a Working Rough by Connie Sokol
Tech Corner | Recipe

"By now you’re probably ready to give up. You’re past that first fine furious rapture when every character and idea is new and entertaining. You’re not yet at the momentous downhill slide to the end, when words and images tumble out of your head sometimes faster than you can get them down on paper. You’re in the middle, a little past the half-way point. The glamour has faded, the magic has gone, your back hurts from all the typing, your family, friends and random email acquaintances have gone from being encouraging or at least accepting to now complaining that they never see you any more—and that even when they do you’re preoccupied and no fun. . . . 

"Welcome to the club. 

"That’s how novels get written. 

"You write. That’s the hard bit that nobody sees."

~Neil Gaiman in a NaNoWriMo 2010 pep talk

From the Executive Committee

Celebrating National Novel Writing Month
by Danyelle Ferguson

I love everything about November - the gorgeous colors on the trees, jumping in piles of leaves with my munchkins, the crisp weather, celebrating my birthday, and the deliciousness of Turkey Day. November is heaven.

I especially love the crazy, hellish experience of participating in NaNoWriMo. Are you taking up the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 short days? Or are you setting a different goal? No matter what you choose, share it with your family and friends. Tell us what you've accomplished and no matter what nuttiness comes up in your life, keep tapping away at your keyboard.

During the final week of NaNoWriMo 2010, I got to about 47K. I was in the final stretch. The big 50K finale was so, so close . . . when my hubby woke up one morning and said, "Honey, my stomach doesn't feel right." After a few key questions from moi, I realized he most likely had appendicitis. Yippee! A friend came and got my munchkins, then I took my hubby to the hospital, where it was confirmed that he did indeed need surgery. Just before my hubby was knocked out, he turned to me and said, "I challenge you to go down to the waiting room and hit 50K before I come out of surgery." Then he went all goofy and was wheeled out.

Dude. Was he serious? He wants me to write while he's being operated on? I went down to the waiting room, twiddled my thumbs for a few minutes (freaked out a bit), then took my hubby's advice and pulled out my netbook. I didn't hit 50K (it was the shortest surgery ever - 40 minutes!), but I did hit that magic number while I sat by his bed watching him sleep off the anesthesia.

There's no way I would have taken time for "me" while my hubby was in the hospital had he not encouraged/challenged me to finish my goal. Each of us is going to hit road bumps along our NaNoWriMo journey. Not all of us will hit the top of our Word Count Bars. BUT we can encourage each other to keep going, especially when we have the perfect excuse to set our keyboards aside. Every word you write/edit/review puts you closer to your goal & celebrates that fact that YOU. ARE. A. WRITER.

Enjoy celebrating the craft you work so hard to hone. Happy National Novel Writing Month!

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Jordan McCollum (Wendy Swore on hiatus)

The Hidden Kingdom, Book 1 of the Heroes of the Highest Order chapter book series, by R.K. Hinrichsen (our own Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen!) is now available as an ebook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. The paperback version will soon be available through Createspace. For more information, check out heroesofthehighestorder.com.

Melissa Lemon is hosting a launch party for her book, Cinder and Ella, from 6 to 8 PM Friday, November 18 at Three Little Monkeys (285 South Mountain Road, Fruit Heights, UT 84037). Come celebrate!

This month, three of our members (including two EC members) are launching their books together as part of the Dark C.A.R.M.A. Tour! AI members in the tour include:

C.K. (Christine) Bryant, with Bound.
Ali Cross, with Become:
RaShelle Workman, with Exiled: TURN SIXTEEN. BECOME IMMORTAL. LIVE OUT ETERNITY AS A PRINCESS. If only life were that simple.

Their books will debut on 11-11-11 (though the eBook version is ready now for some of them!)

Danyelle Ferguson & Heather Zahn Gardner will appear on Good Things Utah on Wednesday, Nov 2nd to talk about how to help kids with autism and other cognitive disabilities at church. Tune into ABC4 at 10 am to see them in action!

WHITNEY-ELIGIBLE BOOKS

A partial list of novels by members of Authors Incognito eligible for the Whitney Awards—please nominate any you feel worthy! All Whitney nominations must be in by December 31, 2011!

Title	Author	Publisher
Exiled Bound	RaShelle Workman C.K. Bryant	Polished Pen Press in cooperation with Literary Underground Dragonfly Press
Become	Ali Cross	Ninjas Write Publishing (Releasing November 11)
Nourish & Strengthen	Maria Hoagland	Sisters Ink Publishing
Watched	Cindy M. Hogan	O'Neal Publishing
The Armor of Light Book 2 of the Wolfchild Saga	Karen E. Hoover	Tin Bird Publications
Two Souls are Better Than One Book 1 of the Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard	Karen E. Hoover	Tin Bird Publications (Releasing December 12)
Double Deceit	Stephanie Humphreys	Walnut Springs Press
Blank Slate	Heather Justesen	Jelly Bean Press
Cinder and Ella	Melissa Lemon	Cedar Fort
Dearly Departed	Tristi Pinkston	Walnut Springs Press
Hang 'Em High	Tristi Pinkston	Walnut Springs Press
Black Dragon	Rebecca Shelley	Wonder Realms Books
Ebon Blade	Rebecca Shelley	Wonder Realms Books
Firebird	Rebecca Shelley	Wonder Realms Books
Mist Warriors	Rebecca Shelley	Wonder Realms Books

NaNoWriMo Tips!

Do just what the intent of NaNo is--turn off that internal editor. Your goal is not to have a polished, finished product on December 1st. It's just to have a completed story. The real writing happens in the edits anyway, so just get the basic story down. You can't edit what you haven't written yet.

—Donna Weaver

A NaNo series by Danyelle Ferguson:

NaNoWriMo: It's Time to Step Up and Accept the Challenge (includes all the important things to set up on your NaNoWriMo account)
NaNoWriMo: Plot & Conflict
NaNoWriMo: What's Your Goal? (includes setting non-traditional goals for NaNoWriMo)
NaNoWriMo: Prepping Your Family for NaNoWriMo
Tips & Tricks to Meeting Your Word Count Goal During Thanksgiving Break

Make sure you have at least a loose outline of where you want the story to go, know your characters (I write journal entries for important characters to get their cadence and word usage and also to learn more about them), and once you start writing, put on blinders and don't go back to fix or change things. If you decide to change something twenty pages back, make yourself a note for your first edit and plow ahead as if the change was already made. This is about getting the story written, not writing it perfectly the first time.

—Heather Justesen

AI member Becca Birkin recommends AnnDee Ellis and Carol L. Williams' blog. Becca says, "They are really gearing up for NaNoWriMo, and there are a ton of useful tips and support there. . . . They give some great suggestions, like the character letters. My character has some nasty things to say back to me, so I better get it written before they leave my head!"

Jordan McCollum will be running a NaNoWriMo series in November to help WriMos with productivity and inspiration.

3 Quick Tips for Getting a Working Rough

by Connie Sokol

For those who are writing but are at that can’t think/too overwhelmed stage, here are a few tips that helped me get my MS to a working rough draft.

#1. Use Save the Cat tips for scene structure. Blake Snyder, author of Save the Cat, shares how to break down your plot into 15 basic “scenes” like a movie script but it works fabulously for novels, too. Written on index cards—or typed, cut and taped onto a large white board—these 15 scenes provide a simple, flexible outline that keep your actual writing focused. The overall structure follows a rhythm of proven high and low points, give direction for timely transitions, and indicate when to address or resolve key points in your novel. Yes, it’s formulaic but after adding solid writing you can’t feel the formula. This outline method helped me go from a few plot paragraphs to a rough draft of 83K in about 60 hours.

#2. Barf it out. In the rough stage sometimes we get half-way through and start second-guessing ourselves, or taking early advice. My motto has been to "barf it out," just get it on paper as close to what you think it should be. Before I used the above scene structure, I had written many isolated scenes that had come to mind. When I was ready to create a draft, I plugged them in to the Snyder scene structure and was able to chain them together to create fabulously connected passages. Barfing it out helps you get the complete thought out of your head and on paper. Then you can go back and edit within the context of the entire story. Often I’ve cut and edited scenes midway, thinking the length was wrong or the writing poor, only to go back and add them in to get the complete flow. That’s when I can make the wisest decision as to what should stay or go.

#3. Double check scene hooks. After getting two-thirds of the way through my manuscript, I could see issues with scene meandering or blah-blah writing—meaning, lots of great dialogue but no substantial forward movement, or, a great location and movement but no real connection with the reader. One friend suggested using Clint Johnson’s three key elements in a scene hook: reveal character, introduce conflict, and pose a question. These excellent hook tips helped me rework the chapters to immediately engage as well as give the reader clear direction as to what to expect (or not) from the chapter.

Hopefully one of these tips will spur motivation for continued writing during this dedicated month!

Connie Sokol is a member of Authors Incognito. She is the author of several books, most recently Faithful, Fit and Fabulous.

Back to top

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw

Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

Tech Corner

~James Blevins

Last month, I covered the benefits and drawbacks to writing out a novel by hand. This month, I am going to discuss the opposite extreme—computer software that does it all. And by that I mean software that does everything.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to do as much as possible while sitting in front of your computer keyboard, then you will probably be interested in a program called Scrivener. While Scrivener has long been available exclusively for the Mac platform, it is about to be released for Windows as well.

But what does Scrivener do? Simply put, it is designed to make a writer’s life much easier. For instance, do you use index cards to plan and organize your novels? Scrivener allows you to create virtual index cards and then put them on a virtual cork board. Unlike real index cards, when you reorder your virtual index cards in Scrivener, it rearranges the text in your manuscript to match. I imagine this would be a significant time-saver, since you wouldn’t have to manually re-enter or re-order the scene or chapter synopses in your document.

If you like to outline your writing, Scrivener has a built-in outliner. You can use as many or as few levels as you see fit, and you can drag and drop sections to reorder to your heart’s content. Just as with the virtual index cards on the cork board, changes made to the order of events in your outline will show up in your manuscript.

Do you prefer to start at the beginning of your novel or screenplay and write through to the end? You can do that. However, if you like to work on one scene at a time, or perhaps you would like to break your novel down even further into beats, then Scrivener will allow you to do that as well. When you’re finished, you can then combine every section together to get your completed masterpiece.

Are you a writer who likes to set goals for yourself? With Scrivener, you can set a target word count for your novel, as well as targets for each individual writing session. You can then see how much progress you’ve made toward each of those goals.

If you’re about to make a bunch of edits to your manuscript, but you would like to have a backup of your writing just in case something doesn’t go according to plan, you can always take a snapshot you can easily revert back to should you deem it necessary.

Are you easily distracted? Scrivener has a full-screen mode that helps to eliminate things that tend to draw your attention away from your writing—such as taskbar notifications that you have new e-mails in your inbox.

Finally, are you having trouble finding the perfect name for your characters? Scrivener comes with a name generator that will give you a list of random names from several different origins. You can also look up name meanings via Scrivener’s name dictionary.

The Windows version of Scrivener, which will be released on November 7^th, has all of these features. The Mac version has all these features plus many more. The cost of Scrivener is actually pretty reasonable--$45 for Mac and $36 for Windows if you pre-order. Trial versions are available, so you can give it a spin and see if it works for you. Visit http://literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php for further details.

RECIPE
Classic American Apple Pie
~ Karen Dupaix
Bring a fresh-baked apple pie to your Thanksgiving feast. This is my favorite, no-frills apple pie. It is delicious!

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9-inch two-crust pie (recipe below)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled, pared tart apples such as Winesap or Granny Smith (need about six)
2 Tablespoons butter

Pie
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples. Add the apple mixture to the pastry-lined pie pan; dot the top with butter. Cover with top crust. Pinch edges of the bottom and top crusts together, and then trim flush with the pan's rim. Cut four slits in the top to allow steam to escape and sprinkle with sugar. Cover pie with aluminum foil; remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, 40 to 50 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Pastry
2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 Tablespoons cold water

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, and cut shortening into the mixture until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water and toss with a fork until pastry is moistened. Divide pastry in half. Gather one half into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until it is large enough to cover the bottom of the pie pan, about 12 inches. Fold pastry into quarters; unfold and ease into pie plate, pressing firmly against the bottom and side. Roll out second half to cover the pie, about 10 inches. Fold into quarters, place over filling and unfold.

Now get out there and get writing!

Thanks to the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum

October 2011 Newsletter

2011-10-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

October 2011 Newsletter

October's Theme:

Characters

Contents

When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.

~Ernest Hemingway

From the Executive Committee

Giving Life to Our Characters

Just in case you forgot, and haven't been in a store in the last three weeks, October means Halloween. It's our chance to dress up as some crazy characters and live out a fantasy for a few hours.

As writers, however, we spend a lot of time living in our fantasies (don't tell me you've never dressed up as something related to one of your stories!). As we polish those fantasies and make them gleam, we have to breathe life into our stories, and especially our characters. The more I write, and the more I read, the more I'm convinced that characters make or break a story. Lackluster characters stall a story faster than almost anything else.

This month, our newsletter and our upcoming classes focus on creating characters (and plots) that will keep our readers' interest, characters that will come alive in their imaginations, characters that could inspire someone other than you to dress up for Halloween.

Enjoy!

Characters

by Jennifer K. Clark

I’m going to come out and admit it, fully aware that this stigmatizes me as the black sheep in my yuletide loving family. My all-time favorite holiday is Halloween, and one of my favorite autumn pastimes is developing my Halloween character. I literally spend days creating a unique costume that will be the highlight of the evening. Don’t get me wrong, store-bought costumes can be nice, but there are a million of the same ones out there. The little extra planning I put into my character, along with a few unique accessories usually affords a big pay off. I’m sure we’ll all agree that the same goes for developing our written characters—a little extra work goes a long way.

There are plenty of books out there on the subject so I’m just going to share two of my favorite techniques in developing a unique character. First I need to mention that I always start with the basics. This is like the store-bought costume. Character card, driving desire or goal, and character arch among other essentials are always applied.

Now for the fun part. How do you get your character to stand out from the rest? One way is to give them a marker. This is a character’s signature trait—something mentioned a few times which the reader associates with that character. It can be physical like Harry Potter’s scar or the Weasleys’ red hair. It can be a mannerism. Brandon Sanderson marked Vin in his Mistborn Series by the way she sat—always trying to look small and insignificant. The Count of Monte Cristo had a habit of twisting his hair. It can be an object like Sherlock Holmes’s pipe. In my novel, Mark of Royalty, Miranda is marked by her locket. She always rubs it when she thinks about her past life; something that her husband picks up on and resents. There is no limit on what a marker can be and they’re fun to come up with so pick something for your character: a clothing style, a certain smell, or even their driving style (Jennifer Aniston in Bounty Hunter).

Another fun thing I like to build into my characters is a contradiction. Can you have a bully that is supportive? Or can someone with cruel traits be really likeable? Contradictions can make readers curious drawing them into the story. Take Snape—his actions show his absolute loathing of Harry Potter, yet he will do anything to protect him. That’s interesting. Characters that violate their stereotype surprise us; they pique our interest, and make us want to follow them. I personally know a big burly coal miner that you wouldn’t want to cross paths with . . . unless it’s in his flower garden.

As writers we have hundreds of ways to accessorize our writing, so we shouldn’t settle for store-bought characters. Just remember that a little more effort can go a long way.

Jennifer K. Clark is a member of Authors Incognito. Her first novel, Mark of Royalty, co-written with her sister, debuted this year. Read more about her on her blog, The Enchanted Life of a Storyteller.

October Blogfest

The October AI Blogfest will be held on ~~Halloween~~ moved to October 28 with a theme of FEAR.

Stay tuned to JordanMcCollum.com for the full details later in the month!

Pumpkin photograph by William Warby.

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore [on hiatus] & Jordan McCollum

Angela Millsap and her husband Dale welcomed a new daughter into the world on Tuesday, September 20, 2011! Five older brothers and one older sister also welcome baby Ingrid.

Book releases
Ronda Hinrichsen will release The Hidden Kingdom, Book 1 of the "Heroes of the Highest Order" Chapter Book series, will be out in early October under the name R.K. Hinrichsen. The website is under construction, but you can find it at heroesofthehighestorder.com.

Awards
The League of Utah Writers announced their awards, and a number of our members were honored:

(dis)Abilities and the Gospel by Danyelle Ferguson & Lynn Parsons, M.S., won the 2011 Bronze Quill Religious Book Award!
Tristi Pinkston's Secret Sisters won the Silver Quill for Adult Fiction!

Book signings
Cindy Hogan will be touring select Utah Costcos throughout November, usually from 12-5. Her first novel, Watched, is now on its third printing!

Darth Vader and Pickles

by Rebecca Blevins

What are you (or your children) going to dress up as for Halloween? My kids are planning on being Star Wars characters. (Even down to which Luke Skywalker from which episode. I’m glad they know, for I have no idea.)

We’ve had fun going to the thrift store and hunting down parts of their costumes. I enjoy how excited they get to be a favorite character for an evening. It’s amazing to see my children’s personalities change once they get into their costumes. (Should I have cause to worry about my two-year-old Yoda?)

What do children’s costumes have to do with writing? Good question!

When creating fictional characters, we usually give great thought to details like clothing and eye color, yet how much of this really defines who our characters are? Some of the most interesting details aren’t commonplace. Think of Harry Potter with his lightning-shaped scar, or Count Olaf’s beady, shiny eyes (Series of Unfortunate Events)—the evil count can’t fool the Baudelaire children no matter how many disguises he dreams up. Even in Michael Scott’s Nicholas Flamel series, Sophie and Josh’s magic powers smell of vanilla and oranges, respectively.

Once we have a character’s appearance in mind, there are other things we can weave in to flesh him/her/it out and bring them to life. Involving other senses adds depth to your character. For example, Edward in Twilight has a unique smell. In Peter Pan, you know when the crocodile draws near because of the ticking clock in his stomach. Perhaps a character has creaky knees or cracks his knuckles, or wears a trademark perfume, or walks with a cane, or wears a monocle, or smells like onions—the odd, the slightly different or unique, sets a character apart and makes him/her/it more interesting.

However, even with all these elements, there is something else that needs a great deal of attention when creating an authentic character:

Make your character imperfect.

A completely evil villain isn’t believable. Even the most obnoxious villain has a redeeming quality somewhere, whether it be a fondness for his/her pet porcupine or yearning for a lost love. The main villain in Hunger Games enjoys roses, and his breath smells of something-I-won’t-write-here-in-case-anyone’s-eating-dinner-right-now. The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera is pretty evil, but he has a weakness and longing for beauty and music that causes us to identify with him. Maybe your villain constantly craves chocolate brownies. Not that I’d call that a redeeming quality, but it humanizes and makes the villain more familiar to us.

Imperfectness and quirks bring life to characters.

Just as a completely evil villain isn’t believable, neither is a sickeningly perfect hero/heroine. Give your characters some bad habits and interesting traits. Maybe your heroine chews her fingernails and doesn’t like cats. Maybe your hero has to shower twice a day—no matter what—and always forgets to put away the milk. Little quirks of personality and habits make our characters seem more real. A wonderful example of a quirk is Detective Carl Hamilton in Tamara Hart Heiner’s novel Perilous. The detective has a fondness—read, addiction—to pickles. It’s that odd element that makes him feel familiar, real, and brings an unexpected note of freshness to his character.

So, I don’t know if Darth Vader hates all cheese except grated Parmesan or melted American, or has an aptitude for mathematics, but the Darth Vader who will be walking around with Luke, Leia, and Yoda on Halloween night does.

I think he’s far more interesting.

Rebecca Blevins is a member of Authors Incognito. You can read more about the characters in her life and writing at her blog, I Am a Pistachio.

Member Spotlight

Angela Millsap

Born in Virginia, before I was 12 years old I had lived in Singapore, England, and the Netherlands, and had travelled to many other interesting places. The broad cultural exposure I gained from my father’s employment gave me an open perspective on the world--as well as lots of books! Airport bookstores bestowed the works of such as Enid Blyton, Marguerite Henry, and Andrew Lang upon me from an early age. Books are still treasure to me and I’ve collected quite a dragon’s hoard!

I met my future husband at Utah State University--and reading Jane Eyre together while on a choir trip cemented our relationship. I received my BS and ME in Aerospace Engineering in 1999 and 2006 (probably fueled by my love for all things Star Wars and Star Trek.) My husband Dale and I are today parents of six seven homeschooled children (the latest model born 9/20/2011.)

I’ve been a writer as long as I’ve been a reader, striving to create the perfect story. I began writing in earnest in 2008 and am a three-time NaNoWriMo winner, completing to a rough draft stage a humorous middle-grade retelling of the frog prince, a YA dystopian tribute to Farenheit 451, and a memoir of my elementary school years overseas. I attended conferences for the first time this year and was amazed at how inspiring and helpful they were in motivating me to revise and grow stronger in my craft. Hooray for LTUE and LDStorymakers!

I reside with my family at Thousand Frogs Ranch in Northern Utah. When I’m not writing I raise goats, chickens, vegetables, and children. Read about my latest reading and writing adventures at www.angelamillsap.com.

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw

Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

Upcoming Writers Incognito Classes

PLOTTING 101, OCTOBER 3-7, Taught by Jordan McCollum

Starting your story's engine—before it stalls out

Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, having some idea where you're going in your story is the best way to beat writers' block. You can use this class to fix a stalled WIP or plan out your NaNo novel. We'll cover the basics of plot and several plotting methods, and I'll be applying them to create an actual outline I hope to use for my next novel so you can see them in action!

CHARACTERS 101, OCTOBER 10-14, Taught by Karen E. Hoover

How to make your characters stand out in a crowd

Ever wondered why some characters are so memorable and others you can’t even remember their name? Well, this class will hopefully give you some of the tools you need to create those memorable characters that people actually miss when they shut the cover of your book. We will primarily use tools from the book “GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict” by Debra Dixon and discuss some of my personal methods to make my characters come to life for me. It should be lots of fun.

PLOT AND CHARACTER WORKSHOP, OCTOBER 17-24 (extendable by request)
Bring those rough outlines, sketchy characters, and blocked WIPs out to play! In a workshop format, this class gives us an opportunity to shore up weak plot lines and character motivations, and generate new ideas, by drawing on the power of collective brainstorming.

To enroll in a class, just join the WI list. For more instructions, ask on AI.

WRITING TIP

by John Waverly

When I first started writing I made my heroes too perfect. After all, they are the hero.

Most of us take up writing as an escape, and the main character becomes an extension of us—our dreams. We write about the somewhat awkward, but well liked, beautiful girl who has great friends and gets the dream-boat guy; or the super-powered, magic-using boy who is naturally talented.

These stories often turn into travel logs where the only thing stopping the hero is getting somewhere before it's too late. Or the bad guys who grow more powerful with each step like video game boss fights.

After attending a few conferences, I learned I needed a flawed protagonist. One who could grow through the story and overcome inner demons. I'd choose lowly characters: the orphan, the ostracized teen, or the recently divorced woman.

In other words, I swung the power pendulum too far. I felt my protagonists had to be weak and "normal", but this isn't the right principle either. There is a middle ground for strong but likable characters.

The other night I watched The King's Speech. (I liked it—crisp writing, great actors, strong cinematography.) The main character starts out as a handsome prince in one of the most powerful nations on the planet. He is born to wealth, respect, and power. He has a beautiful wife who supports him and two loving children. His father, the king, is tough but wants what's best for him. As protagonists go, he has it made.

Except for two weaknesses. I'm not going to delve into them for fear of spoiling the movie, but those two weaknesses play integral parts in the plot. The story doesn't focus on his power, his prestige, or his good looks. In fact, those become minor stumbling blocks. The story revolves around his weaknesses.

So, what is the correct principle?

Your hero can be as powerful as you want in every aspect except where the conflict of the story takes place. In other words, you can have an almost perfect character—the kind who makes everyone around them seem less than awesome (think Superman), but the story needs to be about their weaknesses. (Who should Superman save, his girlfriend or the world?)

This may involve some serious soul searching especially if your protagonist is subconsciously an extension of your hopes and dreams. You'll be a better writer for it, and maybe learn a bit more about yourself in the process.

How powerful are your protagonists? Do their weaknesses play into the story? Does the story play against their weaknesses? Or are they just tacked on to make the character more "believable"?

John Waverly is a long-standing member of Authors Incognito. Read more of his thoughts on characters and writing at his blog, A Universe Behind Your Eyelids.

Tech Corner

~James Blevins

Of all the technologies a person could use for their writing, the simplest of all is good old-fashioned pencil and paper. This technology has some tremendous advantages. It is the most cost-effective, portable way to write. You’ve already faced the learning curve years ago in elementary school. If the power goes out, as long as you have a light source, you can still put your words down on paper. It’s also dirt-cheap. For less than the cost of a meal at a fast food restaurant, you can equip yourself with enough pencils and paper to write a very long novel indeed.

But as with all technologies, there are tradeoffs that offset the advantages of writing by hand. For starters, it’s more difficult to edit your work if it’s written on paper. Also, it’s costly and time-consuming to make backup copies. When you’re ready to send your work off for critiquing or to land an agent, people don’t want handwritten manuscripts. That means you will either have to pay someone to transcribe it for you, or else you will have to do it yourself, which is not a quick process. And speaking of slow processes, unless you’re a hunt-and-peck typist, writing a novel by hand will take significantly longer than it would if you had simply typed it to begin with.

Despite all the cons inherent in writing a novel by hand, there is one benefit that could make doing so completely worthwhile. It all has to do with the function of our brain hemispheres.

As you may already know, the brain’s left hemisphere is the logical, linear, ordered hemisphere, and is responsible for language functions such as grammar and vocabulary. The right hemisphere is non-linear, creative, and processes audio and visual stimuli.

Once we have learned to type, typing on a keyboard becomes an activity that primarily engages our left hemisphere. When we write by hand, it engages both hemispheres. In particular, researchers have learned that cursive writing not only engages more of the right hemisphere than printing does, but that it engages much more of the brain overall.

If you think about the best books you’ve read, they possess two important characteristics. First, there is a definite story arc and a progression to the plot. It doesn’t meander all over the place and go nowhere. This logical progression and order comes from the left hemisphere.

The other quality of a really good book is that it’s fresh, unpredictable, and the characters come alive. It’s creative in some way that strikes our fancy. The creativity in a good story comes from the right hemisphere.

In other words, the best books are ones in which the author engaged both hemispheres of his or her brain while writing. If you type your stories, unless you find other ways to engage your right brain, you are more likely to end up with a book that is logical, ordered and . . . predictable. But if you write out your novel by hand in cursive, you are more likely to end up with a story that’s not only logical and ordered, but also creative and fresh.

Maybe you don’t want to write out an entire book by hand. That’s quite alright. Neither do I. But the next time you get to a point where the creative juices aren’t flowing, or you don’t quite know how you’re going to resolve some predicament you’ve put your characters in, you might want to consider putting the scene on paper in cursive. The results just might surprise you.

RECIPE
Pumpkin Squares
~ Karen Dupaix

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups pumpkin puree (16-oz. can)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together. Sift dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Stir until flour is moist. Stir in nuts and raisins.

Prepare 12" x 16" sheet cake pan with cooking spray or shortening. Pour batter into sheet cake pan. bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Frost when cool.

Frosting:
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cube butter or margarine
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water

Soften butter and cream cheese. Beat together with powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually add hot water, beating until frosting is smooth.

Many thanks to our contributors this month! May your stories be filled with even more interesting character than your Halloween!

Thanks to the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum

Photo courtesy of SMJJP

September 2011 Newsletter

2011-09-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

September 2011 Newsletter

September's Theme:

Self Publishing!

Contents

From the Executive Committee | Why I'm a Dedicated Indie Author by Marsha Ward
Good News & Book News
Self-publishing vs Traditional Publishing: One Perspective by Joyce DiPastena
Member Spotlights: Kristy Tate & Karen Hoover | Self-publishing tips by Cindy Hogan
Tech Corner | Recipe

The wish — which ages have not yet subdued
In man — to have no master save his mood.

~Lord Byron

From the Executive Committee

"Times are Changing"
~Christine Bryant

And they've been changing for quite sometime. The invention of the ebook has taken the publishing industry by storm. Anyone can throw their book on Smashwords or Amazon.com for FREE and sit back and wait for the millions of adoring fans to snag it up. You'll be rolling in the dough in no time, right?

Well, maybe. But only if you do the work and put out the best book ever. Sure, Amanda Hocking did it, but she also did her homework, created an AWESOME marketing plan and put out a quality piece of work. She also did something else. She made us all believe that we can do it too.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from David Farland in the form of his "Kick in the Pants" article that comes around every week or so. He talked about ebooks and compared the statistics to publishing traditionally. It got me to thinking. I'm sooooo ready to be published. My book has already been under contract with a publisher who later reneged. I've also gone the rounds with query letters and tried to find an agent. They liked it, they just don't LOVE it enough to represent me. We've all heard THAT one.

Sooooo, why NOT try being an Indie? I'm creative. I know how to use Photo Shop and take great pics, so I can rock a cover. My book has been through several crit groups and survived. I've edited, revised, and gone through several rewrites. I THINK I'm ready.

*sigh*

Am I ready?

Do I have a webpage? Yep.

Blog? Yepper Depper.

How's my online presence? Well, I have over 1000 Facebook friends, belong to several writing groups, have my feelers out there in the writing community. I think I'm ready.

Okay, so I don't tweet like I should, but I can learn.

*gulp*

*deep breath*

Yes, I AM ready.

Anyone else wanna take the plunge and become an INDIE????? Come on. The water's not THAT cold.

*SHIVER*

**This post was taken from one I wrote for my blog, Day Dreamer.

Why I'm a Dedicated Indie Author

by Marsha Ward

I have several writer friends who have published their work independently, and more who are curious about indie publishing. I'll share some facts about how a few hours' work has impacted in my life.

Long-time friends know why I started indie publishing. I had a health crisis, and didn't want to die with manuscripts unpublished. I put out three print books with iUniverse, The Man from Shenandoah, Ride to Raton and Trail of Storms, and they were well received.

When Smashwords.com was created two years ago, I jumped on the electronic book bandwagon, and uploaded my first two novels. Smashwords delivers content to most of the big ebook retailers, including Sony and B&N. They have NOT been successful in getting distribution to Amazon, so authors were advised to go to the Amazon Kindle site and do it themselves. I'd heard the Kindle preparation process was complicated and difficult, so I held off. In the meantime, I had some sales through Smashwords channels.

I added my third novel to Smashwords in late April, and decided to see how hard it really was to format for Kindle. Astonishingly, with the free software Kindle Direct Publishing offered, it was easier than preparing a manuscript for Smashwords!

I uploaded my three novels to Amazon Kindle, plus several short stories, an anthology, and a sampler with chapters from my novels. My prices ranged from $.99 to $3.99.

Now I had TEN ebooks of various sizes going through both Smashwords distribution and Kindle's stores.

After I uploaded my works, I joined a couple of Facebook groups, mentioned the works, and then got busy preparing for a road trip that took up a good part of May.

In June I had emergency major surgery and did no marketing for my books.

In July I was beginning to feel like a human being again, and to see if I'd sold any ebooks on Kindle, I took a look at my sales figures.

I about got my socks knocked off! In May I had sales of 90 UNITS in the US Kindle store ($209.03 royalty), and 5 UNITS in the UK store ($6.35 royalty).

In June I sold 94 units in the US and 3 units in the UK. Royalty figures for the period of June 4 through July 9 were $287.09 and 63 pence for the UK.

In July I sold over 104 units. August looks to continue the upward trend.

These aren't figures in the tens of thousands of sales or royalties yet, but ebooks have the advantage of the long tail. They never get swept off a bookstore's shelf after a month. They are FOR.EVER!

I'm quite astonished by the success thus far of my Western-flavored novels and stories. Am I ever likely to send out queries, try to get an agent, or nervously stand in line hoping for a gatekeeper to say I'm good enough to publish? I don't think so! I'll remain an indie author, thanks.

Marsha Ward is a long-time member of Authors Incognito. She is the author of the Western novels The Man from Shenandoah, Ride to Raton, Trail of Storms, as well as numerous other works. She blogs at Writer in the Pines.

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore

Take a peek at all the good news and book signings!

Rachelle Christensen and Nichole Giles were finalists in the Romance Writers of America Heart of the West contest in the published category! Way to go gals!

Nichole Giles, Cindy Hogan, Heather Justesen, Tristi Pinkston and Keith Fisher did a signing all together and had loads of fun meeting the fans. (Fun pictures shamelessly lifted from Tristi's Facebook)

Nichole will also be signing at Authorpalooza at Barnes and Noble in Orem, UT on Oct 22, 2011, 1-4 pm.

Cindy M.Hogan is doing signings at the Bountiful Costco this month for her contemporary romantic suspense novel called, WATCHED, at these times:

September

1st 11-5

3rd 12-5

7th, 9th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 21st,and 23rd 11-5

Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen,Best-Selling Author of TRAPPED and MISSING

(Mystery, Suspense, Romance) just finished 2 Costco signings for her novel TRAPPED and is preparing to e-publish a chapter book called “THE HIDDEN KINGDOM.” It's Book 1 of "Heroes of the Highest Order." Deirdra Eden Coppel created the cover, and Ronda hopes to have it ready to publish in October. You can subscribe to her newsletter, by emailing her!

Karen Hoover is doing a blog tour for THE ARMOR OF LIGHT during September and into October. She’s still looking for people who want to join in the fun if there are any volunteers. Also, she’s moved her weekly flash fiction and poetry challenges to www.sprintwriters.blogspot.com and added a monthly short story contest. If anyone is looking for a way to jumpstart their writing or just have some fun, check it out! The official release date is September 6th, what would have been her mother's 80th birthdayAuthor of The Sapphire Flute: Book 1 of The Wolfchild Saga

Wow! Awesome news everyone. Keep up the good work!

We look forward to seeing what everyone gets done next month!

Self-publishing vs Traditional Publishing: One Perspective

by Joyce DiPastena

It has been four years since I originally self-published my medieval romance, Loyalty’s Web, and since that time much has changed in the world of self-publishing, particularly with the fast-moving popularity of e-books, so my experience might be a little outdated. And yet I suspect that some things, at least for now, still hold true. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Advantages of self-publishing:

(1) The author has ultimate control of his or her book’s content. This may or may not be a good thing. An excellent editor can catch a lot of glitches that a writer might be too close to the material to see. On the other hand, a poor editor or an editor with a different “vision” of your book can be a tremendous stumbling block to your creative happiness. My current editor and I are mostly in sync with my books. But I had an almost-editor once who “loved my book to death”, but then made me add so many ill-fitting elements to the story that I literally cried with relief when she ultimately rejected my revisions.

(2) Your book never has to go out of print. Yes!

(3) Your royalty percentage on each sale is tremendously higher than it will be with a traditional publisher. But you’ll still have to sell enough books to cover the cost of whatever self-publishing package you went with. (If you went with a self-publishing package.)

Advantages of traditional publishing:

(1) As an unknown debut author, I cannot overstress the advantage it was to me (and my sales) to have my book physically in a bookstore. My sales numbers soared once my book appeared in Deseret Book over what they had been as print-on-demand. Not to national bestseller standards, of course, but being on a bookstore shelf gave me much wider publicity much faster than all the internet strategies I had previously been able to think up. Others may be better at promoting themselves, but for me, the advantage of the bookstore is a simple fact.

(2) I know that ebook sales are supposedly soaring. A report released by the Association of American Publishers in January 2011 quoted ebooksales rising 115% over the year before. But my personal experience has been the following:

In June 2011, 29 other authors and I sponsored a 30 day giveaway on our blogs. In the three years that we have been running this giveaway, entries for print copies of books has remained consistently higher than entries for e-book copies. And every time I hold a giveaway for one of my books, whether on my own or someone else’s blog, and offer “winner’s choice” of a print or Kindle copy, the winner has thus far requested a print copy…every single time! E-books may well be gaining ground (swiftly), but my personal experience is that they still have not overtaken the popularity of hard copy books. Something to weigh if you are considering going with an ebook-only version of your self-published book.

(3) And of course, it’s nice to have someone else pay all the costs of actually producing your book and deal with the hassle of getting it into a bookstore. After that, self-promoting your book may or may not be pretty much the equivalent of promoting a self-published book, depending on your publisher. (With smaller publishers, you can pretty much count on it being equivalent. But there’s still that “book in an actual bookstore” advantage.)

Joyce DiPastena is a long-time member of Authors Incognito. She is the author of Loyalty's Web and Illuminations of the Heart. She blogs at JDP News.

Member Spotlights

Kristy Tate

Dr. Seuss was my first love. When my mom left me in the children’s section of the library I’d find Horton and the Cat. My mom hated the good doctor and refused to checkout his books. He was my secret, guilty pleasure. Eventually, I read about Narnia, Oz and Green Gables.

When my mom grew too sick to visit the library, a friend brought her a stash of romances which she kept in a big box beside her bed. Weekly, this good friend replenished the box. My mom didn’t know I read her books; it was like the Seuss affair, only sexier. Reading became my escape from a horrific and scary situation. Immersed in a story, I didn’t have to think about the life and death drama taking place on the other side of my bedroom wall. Books were my hallucinogenic drug of choice. In college, I studied literature and fell in love with Elliot, Willa and too many others to mention. (This had no similarity to my dating life.)

I’m no longer a child living with a grieving father and a dying mother, nor am I the co-ed in search of something or someone real, nonfictional. I’m an adult blessed with an abundance of love. I love my Heavenly Father and His son, my husband and family, my dog, my friends, my neighbors, my writing group, the birds outside my window.

Because I’m a writer, I also love my characters. I adore their pluck, courage and mettle. I admire the way they face and overcome hardships. But, as in any romance, I sometimes I get angry with them and think that they are too stupid to live. At those times, I have to remind myself that they live only in my imagination, unless I share. Writing for me is all about sharing--giving back to the world that has so generously shared with me-- because I learned a long time ago that the world is full of life and death dramas. Sometimes we need a story to help us escape.

And we need as much love as we can find. That’s why I write romance. I self-published my novel, Stealing Mercy, a few weeks ago. My decision to self publish is a story that deserves its own spotlight and is shared on my blog kristystories.blogspot.com.

Karen Hoover

Karen Elizabeth Gillespie Hoover was born in California, but only lived there until the age of 4, when her father passed away. Shortly after, her family moved to Washington to be near her grandparents. She has also lived in Oklahoma and in Utah since she was 14, graduating from Woods Cross High in 1989.

She received a music scholarship for flute and went to Utah State University, but during her second quarter she developed a severe case of mononucleosis and had to go home. After spending a year healing, she decided to serve a mission and was called to the Connecticut, Hartford mission, covering Connecticut, most of Rhode Island, upstate New York, and a small corner of Vermont. She had the pleasure of serving in all four states.

In October of 1993, she enrolled in massage school, and shortly after met Gary Hoover while sitting on a piano bench, helping a friend compose harmonies for her songs. She heard Gary sing and instantly fell in love. Christmas Eve of that same year, he proposed, and they were married the following July.

After seven years of being unable to have children, Gary and Karen did a foster to adopt program, originally fostering three half brothers, and eventually adopting two of them. They were sealed as a family on October 10, 2002.

Karen's first book, The Sapphire Flute, was published by Valor Publishing Group in March 2010, but due to financial challenges, the company closed its doors. Karen has now gone Indie and is publishing the rest of her series, The Wolfchild Saga, on her own. The Armor of Light, book two, will be released on September 6th and she couldn't be happier. Life hasn't gone according to her plans, but it is still full of joy.

Karen resides in Tooele, Utah. She blogs at A Writer's Ramblings.

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw

Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

SELF-PUBLISHING TIPS

by Cindy Hogan

Have you been checking out self-publishing, or indie-publishing as it is now being called, and feel overwhelmed with all of the information out there? I’ve got your solution. I started a series on my blog several months ago called, “The Secrets to Indie Publishing.” This is not just theory or opinions. It is a specific walk-you-through-it series that focuses on the nuts and bolts of publishing your book and ebook all by yourself.

I began writing this series because when I started looking into publishing my own book, there was a ton of information out there, but no real how-to advice. I took the plunge anyway. How hard could it be? I discovered just how hard and now want to make it easy for you. So, yay for you! You don’t have to make the same mistakes I made and will be able to sail through the process without fear. No one should have to go through what I did. Come learn from me.

The series starts with the basics. Secrets #1-#3 are all about getting your manuscript to be the best it can be. #4-5 talk about who to use for creating print books and ebooks. Others walk you through the steps in publishing a print book and ebook including getting coverart for free.

There are so many things to keep track of and it’s hard not to miss a step. For example, have you thought about getting an LCCN? Do you know how to go about it and when to go about it? Did you know you have to get an LCCN before you publish or your book or you're out of luck? There are so many choices for choosing an ISBN. Where and how do you do that? What should you put on the first and last pages of your print book? Your ebook?

In the future, I will be covering more on marketing, the business side of things, the real downside of indie-publishing, when indie publishing is the right choice, the pros and cons of POD publishers, how to get your books printed if you don’t use a POD publisher as well as how to find a distributor—and much, much more.

As the landscape changes for publishers, and more and more brick and mortar book stores disappear as people choose to buy books online and ebooks become the norm, we, as authors, need to be educated on what's happening and be prepared to step up and take the future into our own hands. The future looks bright if you are prepared.

Come join me on Tuesdays and discover the path to publishing your own works in a way that is stress-free and enjoyable. Knowledge is power.

Happy publishing.

Cindy Hogan is a member of Authors Incognito. She self-published her first novel, Watched, this year.

Tech Corner

~James Blevins

If you were to ask random people on the street which automobile manufacturer built the highest quality vehicles, odds are a high percentage would answer, "Toyota." What does Toyota do to distinguish itself among car companies? The simple answer is they have made the manufacturing process an exact science, setting the world's standard for efficiency.

Since this is the "Tech Corner," you are probably wondering what this has to do with technology and writing. Surprisingly, the answer is everything.

Knowing that Toyota is the paragon of manufacturing efficiency, what kind of computer system do you suppose they use to run their supply chain management and operations scheduling? Would you believe they don't use computers for this complex, mission-critical task? It's true. Toyota uses a low-tech system of cards, whiteboards, and I couldn't tell you what else.

The reason I hold up Toyota as an example here is to show how easy it is to fall into the trap of assuming the most effective technology is the one that is the most advanced. This is not always the case.

As writers, we may think we need to use a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, or OpenOffice, in order to write effectively. That may or may not be true. At the moment, I'm using a simple text editor. Since it does everything I need it to do for this article, there's really no need to fire up Word. When I write my wife love letters, I eschew the computer entirely, opting instead for a pen and paper. There's something more intimate, more personal, more expressive about the way words come across when written in my own handwriting than what can be found on a printed page.

My point then, with regard to the various and sundry technologies at our disposal to help us write, is that only one thing matters. The result. Technology, in whatever its incarnation, exists as a tool to help us accomplish some task. The most effective technology then, is whatever enables us to attain our desired result. If the words flow most easily when you write in longhand on paper, do that. If you are at the top of your game when sitting at the keyboard using a full-featured word processor, do that. If you are most effective when dictating your writing into a microphone and letting vocal recognition software turn it into words for you, go for it.

In upcoming articles, my plan is to examine various technologies we can use to write, exploring the pros and cons of each. Who knows? Perhaps one of these technologies will revolutionize the way you or I write.

Wouldn't that be something?

RECIPE
Peanut Butter Cups
~ Karen Dupaix

1 cup butter
1 lb. (4 cups) powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 12-oz. package chocolate chips

Blend in mixer. Press into bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Melt chocolate chips in double boiler (or microwave) and pour on top of peanut butter mixture. Let cool. Refrigerate until firm.

Whether you decide to continue on the traditional course or self-publish, best of luck in all your endeavors!

Thanks to the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum

Photo by Jeremy Hall

August 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-01T08:00:00.023-06:00

August 2011 Newsletter

August's Theme:

Balance in the Writing Life

Contents

From the Executive Committee
The Balancing Act: Not as Easy as You Think by Sheila Staley
Good News & Book News | Finding Balance in Life by James Duckett
Member Spotlights: Renae Mackley & Melanie Marks
Writing tip by Krista Lynne Jensen | Tech Corner | Recipe

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and                     think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work [and write!]                     every day some. 

~Robert Fulgham, author of Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

From the Executive Committee

"The Choices I Make"
by Ali Cross - Media Director

There's a lot I could say about how to juggle all the balls we each have in the air. But none of it would really matter, because my story isn’t your story.

All I can say is this: We all have our priorities and our own choices to make.

Your priorities, your choices will be different from mine. But I think if you took the time to examine what your priorities are, then you might find you’ll do a better job of keeping those balls moving right along.

For me, my priorities are first, myself. This was a really hard one to accept. Nowhere in any self-help book, parenting book, or even scriptures, does it say to put yourself first. And yet, this is what feels right for me. My health and happiness are paramount—without those things the juggler loses the strength to launch each ball into the air. Without the juggler, the balls won’t be launched or caught at all. Because I am the juggler. So I come first.

Next, comes my relationship with God. And this doesn’t include my calling or the activities I do as service within the church. This is just me; in prayer, in scripture reading, in constant association with my Heavenly Father. He brings the skill, the patience, the awareness, and the knowledge to get those balls moving in an orderly fashion.

My husband and children represent most of those balls. They include being kind, loving them, serving them. The nice thing about these balls, is that once I get them going and I pay attention to them, they return the favor by imbuing me with strength and happiness each time they pass through my hands.

And finally, my writing--which is really back to me again. Because I am my writing. Writing is an essential element in my care for myself. If I’m giving priority to myself, then I’m giving priority to my writing as well.

Notice, I didn’t include homeschooling or housework as any of my balls. Of course I have them, and they do take their turns whirling among the other colorful balls that I swing through the air. But they come and go.

It isn’t necessary for me to juggle all the balls at once. I am not always serving my husband, so I can throw up the homeschooling ball during those times. I am not always serving my children or writing, so I can replace those balls with housework for a while.

Really, the only balls that I try to keep going all the time are the ones that represent my love and care for myself, and the ones that represent my love and care for God.

I never have all my balls up in the air at the same time, and I think this is how I manage everything I have to do—by making my priorities, and then building my life around those things. Also, I try never to expect perfection. If a good juggler drops a ball, he doesn’t drop all of them in search of the one rolling away. He simply keeps going, knowing that when he stops he can gather up the dropped ball and include it in his next round.

The same holds true as I juggle all the things I’m responsible for. I’ll drop a ball from time to time, but that’s okay. I just keep going with the balls I have until the day is done. Tomorrow is a new day, my balls will all be assembled and ready for me to animate them, and because I’ve taken care of myself, my hands and mind will be all the more nimble, and perhaps I’ll do a better job of keeping my balls in the air.

It all comes down to the priorities you set and the choices you make. Each juggler is different, and so are we!

The Balancing Act: Not as Easy as You Think

by Sheila Staley

There are so many things in life I love to do. It seems though that there are more things that I HAVE to do than what I love to do. How do we figure out how to weigh these things equally so we do not go insane? Not all of us get to be a full time writer. There are more people that are working full-time outside the home or staying home running the home. Every second of the day is very precious, and it is our challenge to find how to equalize the many demands in our life.

I once read someone comparing the balancing act with a car that only had three tires. If we tried to drive this car we wouldn’t go very far. No matter how strong each of those tires were, the car wouldn’t be able to function if it were not balanced on all four tires. The corner with the missing tire would drag the ground and stop the car from moving.

In our lives, we must keep all of the different aspects in balance if we are to get anything done. If we ignore one part of our life it will drag us down. As we work towards balance the many areas of our lives will start supporting and reinforcing each other.

So how do we make sure that we find time to write as well as getting other everyday “must-dos” done? I recently did something I had not done before. I learned how to prioritize my priorities. I can see you laughing at that, but hear me out. I first had to decide what mattered the most to me. Then I made a list of my priorities in order of importance. After writing this list I have tried to act on my priorities. Of course you can’t have ten things on your priority list. It probably won’t work for you. If you want to get your writing done, then writing needs to be in your top five things that are a priority in your life. If you are hoping that you will FIND time to get the writing done, we all know that it won’t happen. Sticking to your list of priorities will help you be able to give each of them a place in your life. At times your #1 priority may be moved to the #3 spot, but try to stick with your top 3-5 things. Now will your priority list always stay the same? Of course your list won’t stay the same. The beauty of this concept is that you can change it when needed. With school starting soon, our children will be top priority in giving them a good start of the school year. Even so, writing can and should stay in your top five-priority list.

The important thing to remember about all of this talk about balance and priorities is found in this quote from the Prophet Brigham Young, “Life is best enjoyed when time periods are evenly divided between labor, sleep, and recreation… all people should spend one third of their time in recreation which is rebuilding, voluntary activity, never idleness.”

Sheila Staley is a member of Authors Incognito and LDS Women's Book Review. She blogs her own book reviews at http://www.whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/.

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore

July was full of reunions and family fun, but some of us still got those sprints in, those query letters written, and those contracts signed!

Danyelle Ferguson had a terrific month full of fun signings and got a very positive review from Deseret News! Here's the review link for anyone who would like to go check it out! http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705388401/Book-review-disAbilities-and-the-Gospel.html

Also, her fundraiser kick off for Christian Youth Theater went awesomely! Danyelle says, “We had tons of people in the store for the events and I'm sure we're a good chunk of the way towards meeting our goal. During my signing, I signed about 40 books. The awesome part of that was that only 2 of them were for LDS church members. The rest were for a huge variety of Christian denominations. Some were church leaders buying the books, others families. I made lots of great contacts to present at churches, youth groups, and support groups. Happiness!!! The best part of the event was talking to everyone. There were so many people sharing their stories and experiences. I just loved the whole night.”

You can read about the event here http://www.queenoftheclan.com/2011/07/fundraiser-kick-off-success.html

Tamera Hart Heiner signed a contract for the sequel to Perilous with WiDo. Currently titled Altercation and expected release date of January/February 2012. Congratulations Tamera!

http://tamarahartheiner.com

http://tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com

Betsy Love learned how to make a book trailer this month. Her son Thomas wrote and performed the music with a definite Latin American feel and the result is pretty fun. Check out her blog to see it. http://identitynovel.blogspot.com

We had several people get positive feedback on the queries and many more sign up for the fall writer’s retreat! So good job everyone! I hope you have good news to share next month too!

SIGNINGS

August 10th from 2-6 pm

Authors Danyelle Ferguson, Karen Hoover, and Heather Justesen will sign their new books at

Liahona Books, 17 E. Vine

Tooele, UT 84074

Tuesday, August 2nd from 7-8:30 pm

Danyelle Ferguson

Kids on the Move Early Intervention Center

Speaking Event & Signing

"How to Help People with Cognitive Disabilities in a Church Setting"

475 W. 260 N.

Orem, UT

Friday, August 5th from 11 am - 2 pm

Danyelle Ferguson signing with Rachelle Christensen and Elodia Strain

Confetti Books

273 N. Main St.

Spanish Fork, UT

Saturday, August 6th from 1-4 pm

Danyelle Ferguson signing with Rachelle Christensen and Elodia Strain

Pioneer Book

585 S. State St.

Orem, UT

Tuesday, August 9th from 2-4 pm

Danyelle Ferguson signing with author and musician C.S. Bezas

Crowley's Book Store @ The Quad

1485 Poleline Rd

Twin Falls, ID

Wednesday, August 10th from 2-6 pm

Danyelle Ferguson signing with authors Karen Hoover and Heather Justesen

Liahona Books

17 E. Vine

Tooele, UT

Finding Balance in Life

James C. Duckett

Finding the right balance in your life can help establish a sense of well being, reduce burn-out, enlighten your life, and enable you to be your most productive self in all areas of your life.

The trick is finding your right balance. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, your priorities will change throughout your life, making the right balance a moving target. You need to constantly find the right balance between work, family, friends, and yourself -- in the order that works best for you!

It is easy to fall into daily and weekly routines unaware that aspects of your life should be adjusted. Start by evaluating your life. Look at how you spend your time on a weekly -- or longer -- basis. Are you spending too much time at work? Or not enough? Are you not spending time doing the things you love, like writing, but spending excessive and nonproductive time in front of the television or computer?

After evaluating your life, set priorities. Determine what is important to you and look for ways to be more effective in realizing your priorities. If life has taught me anything, it is that everything can become more efficient and all you have to do is question the routine and find ways of doing it smarter. For example, grocery shopping is important. But you can make more productive use of your time by going on a Tuesday night instead of waiting for the weekend when the lanes are crowded and the checkout lines are long.

Another example from my own life: I once worked a job with flexible hours. I came in at 6:00am and found I would normally get more done the two hours before everybody came in than the other six hours combined. A coworker took the opposite approach: he came in at 11:00am, finding he was more productive after everybody went home.

Schedule what is important to you. I have a very busy friend who values cycling and puts on his work calendar when he is going to ride his bike. Despite his overwhelming schedule he rarely misses a ride.

Do the same with your family. Schedule movie nights, family meetings, house work, and dates with your spouse. You will probably be amazed at how much additional time you can spend with your family just by adding it to your calendar.

Don't forget about scheduling for yourself. Take care of yourself. If you don't, you will not be as effective in other areas of your life, including work and family. Get some exercise, it will give you more energy and help you better cope with the stresses of life. Put in a adequate amount of rest and recreation. Eat right. Feed yourself spiritually and socially on a regular basis. Make life a continuous learning experience. Schedule time for yourself so that you can become the best version of you possible in all aspects of your life.

I keep saying to put stuff on your calendar. But you also need to set limits. Yes, you can work too much. You can also spend too much time relaxing. Even exercise should be done in its proper moderation.

And don't fill up your calendar too much while scheduling; leave some white spaces between your plans because meetings do go long, traffic does gets tough, and the unanticipated happens. Plan for the unexpected, and you'll find you are not stressed running between obligations.

James C. Duckett joined Authors Incognito this year. You can read more about his writing journey on his blog at http://www.jamesduckett.com.

Member Spotlights

Renae Mackley

Don’t be shocked, but I haven’t always wanted to be a writer. I enjoyed creative writing throughout school where I grew up in Southern California (love to bodysurf) and wrote my first thirty years life history, but that was it. I graduated from BYU with a BS in Clothing and Textiles to become a stay-at-home mom until I started substitute teaching. Becoming an author didn’t enter my head until most of my six children were raised and gone. I focused on family, church, and music.

One day, after my kids became more independent, I started reading novels again and a thought appeared that I could write something like this. Naively, I wrote a suspense novel. I didn’t even know about critique groups. Its subsequent rejection didn’t daunt me and I began a scripture-based story of Rebekah and Isaac. I spent a year on it before I discovered O. S. Card’s Women of Genesis series. I knew nothing of marketing or how to critique. What I did learn was that I could complete such a project and that I needed help.

This is when we built and moved into a new house in Northern Utah. I met Melissa Cunningham, who asked me to join a critique group she was starting. Talk about passion. I was exposed to boot camp and conferences. (I left 2010 boot camp needing to resolve the fact that Tristi didn’t care enough about my MC.)

The Seventh City, my Book of Mormon fiction, is being reviewed for publishing. It won the first chapter contest in the historical fiction category in May. My WIP is a YA suspense. I appreciate your friendships and all that I’ve learned through AI. I enjoy cooking, composing music, relaxing with a Netflix movie, travel, my grandchildren, and sweets.

Renae Mackley is a member of Authors Incognito. Visit her blog at www.renaeswritespot.blogspot.com.

Melanie Marks

About me (in third person, as it’s my bio used everywhere):

Melanie Marks was born and raised in California. She is married to a naval nuclear submarine officer and blessed with three amazingly terrific kids.

Melanie has had over fifty short stories published in magazines such as Highlights, Woman’s World and Teen Magazine as well as in various anthologies. She’s had four children’s books published and one LDS teen novel, The Dating Deal. More teen novels are forthcoming in late 2011, such as The Stranger Inside; A Demon’s Kiss; and When Kyle Came Back.

Melanie enjoys reading in the bathtub, writing in bed, and living in a house longer than two years.

Now about me in first person:

I’ve always loved writing. When I was a pre-teen, I’d fall in love with a book and never want the story to end—so when it did, I’d write more about the characters and keep the story going on my own until I’d fall in love with another book and write about those characters instead.

I didn’t really think about writing for the public and getting paid for it until I had children and I would read them stories from children’s magazines, and I’d think, “I can write stuff like this.” So I did. I sold my very first story to ‘Teen Magazine for $500. I used the money to buy my kids bunk beds and I got a lot of fan mail from teens. It was awesome. I was hooked.

I had to put off writing full-length novels until all my kids started school, because I could fit writing short stories into their naptimes, but novels were too time consuming and complicated for me to work on in such tiny spurts of time. But I’m so thankful I had the short story experience as it boosted my confidence in my writing and let me learn that some things sell and some don’t, but my writing is pretty good either way. It also let me get used to rejection—without having to put a whole novel’s length of effort into my endeavors. Also, I got to work with a lot of different editors and learn from them and grow as a writer—without having to pay for expensive writing classes, which at the time I couldn’t afford. Instead, I got paid. And getting paid right up front for my writing instead of relying on royalties was awesome too.

Melanie Marks is a member of Authors Incognito. Visit her website at http://bymelaniemarks.com.

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw

Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

WRITING TIP

by Krista Lynne Jensen

A few years ago, when faced with my first edit, I found an article called, “10 Easy Steps To Strong Writing” by Linda George. In one of her steps, she listed a bunch of familiar words, and then told me to avoid using them. This one step changed the way I edit. It tightened up and actually simplified how I wanted to express myself.

a little almost anyway at the present time began to by means of certainly considering the fact that definitely even exactly fairly in order to in spite of the fact in the event is was were just perhaps probably proceeded to owing to the fact quite rather real really seem slightly so some somewhat sort of started to such that the usually very which

These are words we all use, but don't need to. They tend to be "narrative" and pull the reader away from the story, reminding them there is an author out there making this stuff up. We want our stories to be real, and we want our readers engrossed in the worlds we create.

What I find most interesting, though, is that out of this list, the words I see most overused are that, which, was, and there. Basic words we use all the time, right? But here are some examples of how avoiding using these words can change the sound of your sentences.

1) a. There were feathers all over the wood floor.

b. Feathers littered the wood floor.

2) a. He drew her into a place that she never wanted to be. A place that she didn’t deserve.

b. He drew her into a place she never wanted to be. A place she didn’t deserve.

3) a. The alcove was lined with lit candles, which flickered against the walls.

b. Lit candles lined the alcove wall, flickering.

4) a. Alisen smiled as she opened the door and let the cat into the long, narrow mudroom. This was as far as the cat was allowed.

b. Alisen smiled as she opened the door to the long, narrow mudroom, as far as the cat was allowed.

5) a. He was trying to pull her up as the engine was sputtering to life.

b. He tried to pull her up as the engine sputtered to life.

Do you hear the difference?

Of course, some of these words would be used by characters in dialogue. It is, after all, language. But find them and try to rework the sentence, the scene. Usually, you can find a way. If you can’t, leave it. If you’re working through your manuscript and removing as many of these words as you can, it won’t hurt to have a few.

6) a. The rope was tight around us both as we made our way through the tunnel, and my skin was nearly covered with mud. The cave floor was a slick mess of slime, and neither of us were moving steadily.

b. I held the rope tight around us as we made our way through the tunnel, my skin covered with mud. The cave floor was a slick mess of slime, and neither of us moved steadily.

Make your words work for you. Keep your sentences active, and keep your reader in the story. And above all, love what you’re doing!

Krista Lynne Jensen is a new member of Authors Incognito this year. She currently has three novels coming soon or under contract with Covenant. Catch up with Krista at her blog, Krista Lynne Jensen.

Tech Corner

~James Blevins

Personal Computers

Sometimes computers can be frustrating. Sometimes they do things we don't anticipate, and we want to throw them across the room. Sometimes we think they're out to get us or something. The thing is, no matter how much computer scientists have progressed toward artificial intelligence, the fact remains that computers have no free will whatsoever. So despite the moniker, "personal computer", when good computers go bad, it's never personal.

I still remember my first encounter with a computer. It happened nearly 28 years ago when I was in third grade. Mrs. Colley showed us the Commodore VIC-20 that had been purchased for every homeroom in the school. I will never forget what she said to us.

"You tell the computer what to do, in what order to do it, and it will follow your instructions exactly."

In other words, a computer will only do what it is told. No more. No less. A computer will follow the instructions of the electrical engineers who designed the CPU and all the other electronic components. It will follow the instructions of the programmers who created the operating system. It will also follow the instructions of the programmers who created the software you use on a regular basis. It will respond to the keys on your keyboard, your mouse clicks, joystick movements, etc. according to the rules it has been given.

The problem is that human beings tell computers what to do, and we humans are far from perfect. Our logic is quite fallible.

As a result, while computers will always do exactly as they're told, what we see on the screen in front of us is only the tip of the gigantic iceberg of instructions our computer is following (to the letter) at any given moment. The fact that it works with any degree of reliability or predictability is a testament to the incredible feats of engineering that went into its design and construction.

So the next time you encounter computer problems, and you think your stupid computer must have it in for you, take a deep breath. Remember that whatever has happened, it has happened because the computer has responded to some condition or instruction exactly as it has been told to react. There is always a perfectly logical explanation for whatever just happened. It's nothing personal.

If you still feel the need to vent by yelling, screaming, and cursing at your computer, go for it. You can react as irrationally as you like, saying whatever you like about your computer's mother(board) and you won't hurt its feelings in the slightest. Your personal computer will never take it personally. I promise ;-)

RECIPE
Barbecued Hamburger (Sloppy Joes)
~ Karen Dupaix

2 lbs hamburger
1 large minced onion
1 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar

Fry hamburger and onions until hamburger is brown. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer until thick. Serve on buns.

Best of luck reaching your balance with work and real life this month!

Thanks to the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum.

Photo by Mark van Laere

July 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-01T09:00:00.003-06:00

JULY 2011 Newsletter

July's Theme:

In the Service of Your Fellow Beings

Contents

From the Executive Committee | The Patriots Among Us by Donna Weaver
Good News & Book News | July Blogfest!
Serving Others with Our Words by Cheri Chesley
Member Spotlights: the Executive Committee
Writing tip: Stories are Linear by Robin Weeks
Tech Corner: Getting the most out of digest mode | Recipe: Cherry Squares

Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass  identity we see in the making all around us. In the end, writers will  write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save  themselves, to survive as individuals.

~Don DeLillo

From the Executive Committee

Why We Must Give

There are many ways we can serve others, especially as writers. As a struggling artist, sometimes I lose sight of what being a writer is all about. Sure, I want to be published, but it's more than that. I want to be knowledgeable about my craft and have the confidence to reach out to others and teach them what I've learned. My road hasn't been easy. I didn't go to college or start taking my writing seriously at an early age. At forty . . . ahem . . . something, I feel way behind on the learning curve and wonder how much of a career I'll be able to enjoy before I'm rocking my golden years away on a porch somewhere. It would be so easy for me to be selfish and spend every waking moment working on ME, writing MY book, searching for MY agent and refusing to help others.

But that just isn't me.

For one thing, I LOVE helping others. Not because I feel I'm better or that I know more, but because I remember what it was like when I was at that stage of development and I craved for someone to give me their time and a little wisdom from their years of experience. I'd be the first to admit that when the time comes for my book to sit on a bookstore shelf, my name shouldn't be the only one on the front cover. There isn't enough room for all the writers who have helped me get where I am today.

So, next time someone asks for your advice or help, take a few moments from your busy day to pay it forward. You'll be glad you did.

The Patriots Among Us

by Donna Weaver

It began with an act of treason. I doubt they had any idea just how far it would take them. They were, after all, children of the British Empire, the world power. I imagine they thought if they could just get Mother England to loosen her grip, things would be fine.

However, Mummy Dearest felt it appropriate to make her child pay some of her own expenses, and the colonies, as often happens with adolescents, decided to push back. Why pay without a say?

So began a series of events that did more than morph America from a dependent colony to a sovereign nation. It shaped our psyche as a people, gave us a love of—and demand for—freedom. Sacrifice, because of the dear price paid, became a building block of our nation.

When we consider the famous Founding Fathers, the names of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin come to mind, though there were many others. These were men of status and wealth, who risked much to take a stand. In the closing line of the Declaration of Independence they stated, "We pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

But many others also sacrificed, people whose names we don't know and cannot revere. The lowly farmers and merchantmen, the craftsmen and tailors, who took up arms to defend our fledgling country, who left behind their wives and children. Poorly trained and inadequately supplied, they fought and bled and died for an idea. They were the first, but they certainly weren't the last.

Thomas Jefferson said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots." There is a new generation of men and women who, in the service of their fellow beings, will never be the same again. Another crop of widows and orphans, of crippled and emotionally scarred veterans is being created.

My friend, Bert (a Vietnam Vet), shared the following experience with me on Memorial Day via Skype:

Yesterday my wife and I went out shopping. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, a young man in a wheel chair, obviously a wounded veteran, dropped several small items on the ground. Before we could stop to help, and even before his wife or children could help, he leaned over with his one remaining arm, pushing himself with what was left of his two legs (not much), and grabbed his stuff. He dropped back down in his seat with a big smile of accomplishment, not with the scowl of frustration that so many of us would have had.

My God! Where do we get people like this?

I hope as we attend our 4th of July barbeques and fireworks shows that we'll take a moment and thank Heavenly Father for these patriots and their families. That we'll say a pray for their healing. It's unlikely their names will ever be repeated on the lips of school children, but it's their hardship, their pain, and their noble hearts that make our celebrations possible.

Donna Weaver joined Authors Incognito this year. She blogs at Weaving a Tale or Two.

Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board

(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)

~by Wendy Swore

Stephanie Abney wrote a news article about an interesting all male LDS chorus that was posted on www.MomonTimes.com . When she was in Utah for LDStorymakers, she drove up to Ogden and attended one of their rehearsals and interviewed them in person. You can read all about these fun guys here.

Marsha Ward has some great news to share: she’s going home! She says, “I've been away almost three weeks now, what with the unplanned surgery and the stay in the nursing center. There's still a lot of strength-building to do, but I can do it in my own home.” We’re glad to hear that, Marsha. We wish you a speedy recovery.

Heather Justesen's most recent book, Blank Slate, is launched in Fillmore! Wahoo! Nichole reports that this book is one of her favorites Heather has written.

The tumor removed from Nichole Giles' daughter's neck came back benign, and she will need NO further treatment now that it's all gone. Yay! We are all happy to hear that!

Danyelle Ferguson reports that (dis)Abilities and the Gospel has a July Blog Tour!

July 6th - Danette @ Everyday Adventures

July 8th - Sheila Staley @ LDS Women's Book Review

Sheila Staley @ Why Not? Because I Said So!

July 11th - Kathy @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

July 13th - Jessica @ Fringies
July 15th - Heather @ Fire and Ice by Little Red Reads
July 18th - Nichole Giles @ Star Crossed Book Reviews
Comments will to enter you to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

(dis)Abilities and the Gospel Kansas City Launch

AND Fundraiser for Christian Youth Theater's H.E.A.R.T. Program
July 30th
Barnes & Noble
Oak Park Mall - Overland Park, KS
11-4 pm
Proceeds from all purchases at Barnes & Noble NATION-WIDE made with the Fundraiser ID # will help raise money for scholarships for kids with disabilities who want to be a part of Christian Youth Theater's classes (acting, dance, and singing) and theater productions. More information will be announced on Danyelle's website and blog.

Tristi Pinkston did her first signing at Costco and sold out the store! (That’s because you are awesome, Tristi.) Congratulations!

Her cookbook, titled "Bless Your Heart," is specifically designed to help lower your sodium while keeping your taste buds very happy. These are really delicious, family friendly recipes that are easy to make and inexpensive. Persons with high blood pressure will gobble them up - the typical low-sodium diet is so bland. And even if you don't have high blood pressure now, you'll appreciate these recipes to help stave off developing heart problems later. (10% discounts & sneak peeks for preorders.)

And last but not least, many Authors Incognito members are getting good results on their query letters. Keep up the good work everyone, and next month we can share good news from you!

Authors Incognito Blogfest!

Our second blogfest is coming up this month! This time around, Media Director Ali Cross is hosting.

The blogfest will run Friday, July 15, 2011. This time around we'll be asking for a short piece of original flash fiction: 250 words.

Ali will announce the theme on her blog. Be sure to check out the announcement and sign up on Ali's blog on Monday!

Serving Others with Our Words

by Cheri Chesley

Like most of us, I was breezing through the month of May like nobody's business. The last month of school. About two inches shy of finishing my first full-length ebook. Looking forward to my son's graduation from 8th grade, my daughter finishing her first semester of home school, and actually submitting my second novel to my publisher. Then, on May 11th, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook, "Hello Facebook Friends and Family. Got some news. Nope, not good news. Yeah, I really wish it was. Really, really wish it was. Trying to decide how to tell you all. So, here it is... I have breast cancer. Wow. That took 10 minutes to type."

Rebecca is 35 years old, has a husband and three young children. She home schools her two older kids and beads necklaces and other awesome things. She does crafts at home that somehow cover my fingers in sticky construction paper and glitter just thinking about. I can't do the great, clever things she does. I write stories. But I wanted to help.

Two days after her announcement, she went in for a mastectomy. Seriously. They'd caught it early, but she had an extremely aggressive form of cancer that needed to be eradicated quickly. Already she's had two rounds of chemotherapy.

The day in between her announcement and her surgery, I went over to see Rebecca with another good friend. I burned with the desire to help her, but I just didn't know what to do. I'd fasted that day, hoping something would come to me, and it did. God is so amazing. He's right there when you need Him—always.

Before talking to Rebecca, I'd discussed the plan with my husband. He's okay with it. I told Karen, our mutual friend who went with me that day, and she thought it was a great idea. I absolutely KNEW it was the thing I should do, but I had my reservations about how successful I would be. Rebecca's a private person—sharing her life isn't easy for her. And she's the kind of person who has a difficult time accepting help, like a lot of us (me), even when she needs it.

Karen and I stayed firm. I told Rebecca I would take her kids to church every Sunday she needed me. Karen would help out any time she needed someone to take the kids. Then we dropped the big one. I said, "I'm going to donate all of my proceeds from my book sales through August 31st to help you pay your hospital bills. And you don't get to say no."

Rather than protesting (though that may have been the Valium), Becky teared up and said, "Thank you." We made announcements at church—the generic kind that the bishop approves because they can't be seen endorsing a particular product. The incomparable Tristi Pinkston is helping me spread the word through blogs and friends. This is my new plan; this is my work right now. It's not without sacrifice. I'd made secret plans for my very first royalty check ever, but I know this is what I need to do. I know it's the right thing.

Cheri Chesley, a member of Authors Incognito, is the author of The Peasant Queen. You can read more about her dedication to serving her friend in need at her blog, or see how you can help at allaboutthewhites.blogspot.com/.

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Member Spotlights
This month we're spotlighting our executive committee so that you know who to turn to with questions or issues!

Media Director Ali Cross

Ali Cross has always been a dreamer--probably a lot like you. When she would tell her family what new adventure she wanted to take on, they’d roll their eyes and say something like, “Oh yeah? Well let us know how that works out for you.” Meaning, of course, that no one expected her dreams to amount to much.

After all, she had wanted to be a pilot in the Canadian Air Force, a Royal Canadian Mounted Policewoman, and Prime Minister of Canada. She wanted to be a youth minister, an opera singer, and a ballet dancer.

The good news is . . . not all dreams stay relegated to dreamland forever.

She was an opera singer (five years with Opera Idaho) and tried ballet for one magical summer when she was thirty years old.

An she's discovered new dreams that are coming true even now. Yes, she's still a dreamer, but look where her dreams have taken her!

In addition to writing Young Adult and Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy, Ali keeps a kick-butt blog where writers become ninjas and everyone trains together for ultimate writing ninjAWESOMENESS.

Ali's currently serving as Authors Incognito's Media Director. She can help with questions relating to your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking issues. If it has to do with you reaching your audience, Ali's your go-to girl!

You can visit Ali at her blog: www.alicross.com, or on Twitter: @ali_cross.

Education Director Jordan McCollum

Jordan McCollum has studied writing craft since she was a teenager, and one of these days, that's really going to pay off. While she'll read almost anything, her favorite genres to write are mysteries and thrillers, with or without romance. Hard to beat a story where true love conquers all and good defeats evil!

As the education director, her job is to help us improve our writing craft. To do this, we've recently started online classes via email through the Writers Incognito list. In June, we learned about Microsoft Word from Abby Annis and critiquing from Josi S. Kilpack. We'll have more fun classes each month!

She's also in charge of this newsletter, and for this, we need your help. Each month, we'll send out an email assigning the various features. If you're assigned to a feature, please do it. If you're unavailable that month, please let her know ASAP.

If you have any writing questions or ideas for classes, please let her know!

She blog about writing craft at JordanMcCollum.com, and she occasionally Tweets @JordanMcCollum.

Activities Director Danyelle Ferguson

As the Activity Director, Danyelle is in charge of coordinating all the fun activities and M&M party during the LDStorymakers conference. Each November, she organizes a totally awesome writers retreat. It's the perfect way to kick off the hellish month of NaNoWriMo. She also took on the job of moderator for the ChatterIncognito list—which seriously means she's going to need those reading glasses her optometrist recommended. Oh yeah, Danyelle is also the AI liaison with the Storymakers group. A little known fact is she was recruited as Christine’s personal slave.

Whenever the Queen Bee cracks her whip, Danyelle jumps and gets the job done. When asked about her role as the Executive Director's grunt worker, she said, "It's a tough and demanding job, resulting in hours of sweat and tears every week. But I guess someone's got to do it. I mean, it gets me out of housecleaning, laundry duty, and even cooking sometimes, so it’s totally worth it."

At home in Kansas, she's known as Isaac-MJ-Rob-Anna's mom or John's wife. She loves reading and getting her butt kicked at the gym. She's the author of (dis)Abilities and the Gospel, but has re-jumped into the awesome genre of romance – as the ladies in her head all search for their own modern-day Mr. Darcys.

Executive Director Christine Bryant

Christine Bryant always been a writer. Even before she could compose a single word with a pen, she scribbled her version of cursive along the open page, just to see what it looked like. She spent my teenage years swiping her father's old Royal typewriter so her muse could breathe life into what her vivid imagination had created.She's a member of the Idaho League of Writers and a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature.

When she's not with my family or tickling the computer keys, she loves camping, reading, scrapbooking, listening to all kinds of music, and making new friends.

She currently lives in the middle of sage brush and lava rock with a spectacular view of the Snake River Canyon in South Central Idaho.

As Executive Director, Christine heads up the Executive Committee, but unlike the other members, she doesn't have specifically-defined duties aside from moderating our lists. If you need something that doesn't fall under the responsibilities of the other members of the Executive Committee, please don't hesitate to contact her. You can visit her blog at christinebryant.blogspot.com.

Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests

~Tobyn DeGraw
Conferences, workshops & contests, as well as book signings & launches, have moved to Events page!

Writing Tip: Stories are Linear

by Robin Weeks

In my college stage combat class (yay future fight scenes!), I learned the story of the punch:

Pull your fist back, broadcasting that you’re a-gonna hit someone.
Throw your arm forward, toward the face of the person being punched.
Slap noise (you clap your own hands or the victim claps theirs).
The victim whips his head to the side (away from the punch).
You continue your fist through the punch.
The audience leans over and asks their neighbors if you really punched him.

Easy, right? Also easy to get wrong:

Wrong #1: With your back to the audience, you quick-jab your fist forward. The victim falls backward. Audience wonders if he tripped.

Wrong #2: You pull back, the victim (who isn’t paying close attention) falls down. Audience wonders why he’s so scared of your fist.

That’s theatre. Let’s explore how it can go horribly wrong in your writing.

The night was quiet and Jane was darning her socks when Henry fell into her lap. He’d just gotten up to answer the door a moment before when Bandit Ben had burst in and hit him. With a mace. Which had been handed to him by his shifty-eyed companion. After Ben’s gun had misfired. Jane had been so scared through the whole encounter, she’d been frozen, unable to even scream. Until Henry’s dead body landed in her lap.

With non-linear writing, the reader must constantly rewrite the scene in their head. Jane is startled out of her sock darning by Henry falling into her lap. No! She’s been scared for a while now. Did he have a heart attack? No! He’d answered the door and been punched. No! He’d been hit by a mace. But not at first—first he’d almost been shot. THEN he got hit.

As we’re writing, we often decide to up the stakes, and we write the ideas as they come. Then we think “Hey, how startling for my readers if Henry just lands in her lap like that!” And maybe we decide that just skimming over Henry’s demise to get to Jane’s kidnapping is okay. And often it is. But this scene can be even more compelling if told in the proper sequence:

A knock shattered the quiet night. Jane looked up from the socks she was darning as Henry opened the door. Suddenly, a huge fist pressed a gun to Henry’s head. Bandit Ben. The hammer fell with a click and Jane froze. Henry tried to push the door closed, but Ben grabbed a huge mace from the shifty-eyed man behind him and swung it at Henry’s head. When Henry’s body landed in her lap, Jane finally found her voice.

I made both 78 words for fairness. :)

David Farland said at Life, The Universe, and Everything, that the word THEN is very often cut-able, since fiction is supposed to be linear already. Make sure your sentences and paragraphs tell the story as it happens—without backtracking.

Robin Weeks recently joined Authors Incognito. She works with David Farland's Writers' Groups. You can read more about her take on writing at robinweeks.blogspot.com.

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Tech Corner

~Jordan McCollum

Getting the Most out of Digest Mode

Our Yahoo Groups have a digest mode, which sends out emails in batches of 25, or early in the morning, whichever comes first. (For example, if 26 emails are sent in a day, the first 25 will be assembled into the digest, and the 26th will be sent at the appointed time.)

Personally, I love the digest mode. It makes it easy to follow the various conversations we have as well as manage the hundreds of messages that come from this group each month. One of the biggest benefits of digest is how it assembles the emails. It groups emails according to subject, or by what email you're replying to even if you change the subject.

Here's an example of how the digest mode groups emails (All email images from this post are from Gmail.):

Note that these are only grouped from among the 25 most recent emails to the group.

Each subject line is linked to the email clicking on the link will take you down to the email—most of the time.

Naturally, 25 messages pasted into a single email makes for one pretty long email. In the right-hand column, you'll see "Message clipped. View entire message."

If there are parts of the email you want to read, and the links won't work, find that message and click View entire message. (Depending on how long the email is, the message is sometimes posted at the end of the email.)

Emailing the group and responding to emails is easy, too. To begin a new subject, you can just address it to [the name of our group, no spaces or punctuation] at yahoogroups.com. To reply to an email in a digest, there are options below each message:

Reply to sender will send an email directly to the person who sent the message to the group. Reply to group will send an email to the entire group—but neither of these options will "quote" the email you're replying to. You'll have to enter the subject line, and none of the messages will appear in your email.

To quote the email I'm responding to (and make sure Yahoo recognizes that my message is part of that conversation), I use Reply via web post. This link takes you to the Yahoo Group website, ready to post a reply with the subject line and quoted email filled in (you may have to sign in with Yahoo to continue):

One note here, whether you're on digest or not—please remember to trim your emails! You probably don't need all twenty-seven emails in the conversation tacked on to the end of your message. Two or three is plenty.

It's kind of a mess when you're receiving individual emails, but on digest it's extremely unwieldy.

For example, here is ONE untrimmed message in a digest. Each column represents an entire screen with my browser font set as small as it will go:

Obviously, when you're on digest mode, you use the Back to Top and the table of contents to navigate quite a bit ;) .

There's one more option below each message in the digest that is also handy: Messages in this topic (5). The number indicates how many messages are in this topic. Clicking on this link also takes you to the group, but to the single message view:

There's a ton of information on this screen! The message itself is front and center (cut off on this image is the subject line, which is a large header at the top). In the blue column at right, the author of the email is listed, with an option to send a message to them. Below the email, there's the option to Reply to the email (directly to the group).

Below that, there's a list of the other messages on this subject, with date, time and author information. Each indent in this list means that the email is a reply to the one above it. Here, the second and third messages are both replies to the first message, while the fourth message is a reply to the third, and the fifth is a reply to the fourth. The message you're reading now is highlighted in blue in this list.

If you want to see this view, you can get to the group website from any (untrimmed) email from the group. At the right-hand side of the top of each email, there's a link to Visit Your Group:

And it's here that you can change your settings to digest mode. Above the group name on the group home page, you'll see a link called Edit Membership. Click on it.

Under Step 2, select Daily Digest:

Click Save Changes at the bottom, and you're done! Welcome to digest mode!

Note that when you switch to or from digest mode, Yahoo doesn't keep close enough track of this, so you might miss a few emails, or see them twice.

RECIPE
Cherry Squares
~ Karen Dupaix

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 can cheery pie filling
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350. Gradually add sugar to butter, creaming at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. At low speed, add flour and lemon juice. Pour batter into a well-greased 15x10x1 inch (jelly roll) pan. Mark off batter into 20 squares, 5 rows by 4 rows. Place 1 tablespoon pie filing in center of each square. Bake about 30-40 minutes. While warm, dust with powdered sugar. Cool. Cut into squares. About 20 servings. This is a very festive looking dessert and goes well with the 4th of July celebrations.

This Independence Day (and always), may we all remember the price of freedom and treasure our heritage.

Thanks to this month's contributors and the newsletter staff: Wendy Swore, Tobyn DeGraw, James Blevins, Karen Dupaix and Jordan McCollum

Fireworks photo/art by Beverly