Author James R. Callan Talks About Writing Challenges

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing.  He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years. He has had four non-fiction books published.  He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his sixth book releasing in 2014.

Learn more on his Blog and also his Amazon Author Page. 

Over My Dead Body is now available for pre-orders.   

The challenges in writing are many.  Everyone who sits down and faces that blank sheet of paper knows that.  What do I put on it?  What can I say that anyone will care to read? How will I get anyone to buy this even if I can write it? Self-doubt is a constant companion of the writer.

For me, I find two major obstacles in the writing life.  The first is time.  Writing a novel is a long process.  Because I like to see results quickly, I find I am drawn to chores that can be finished much faster.  Here is a decision to be made: do this short task, perhaps a household chore that can be completed in a few hours, or work on a novel that won’t be finished for eight months? 

The answer seems simple.  Do the household chore, finish it in a few hours, and work on the writing tomorrow.  What is a one day delay in an eight month project?  Finish the chore, get that feeling of accomplishment and get back to the novel.

The problem is that tomorrow there will be another chore that only requires a day. It could be finished, I get that sense of accomplishment, and the eight month project is only delayed two days.  What are two days in an eight month project? 

You can see where this is going.  There is an endless string of “short” projects vying for attention. And each will only delay the novel by a day.  But the few days turn into a few weeks, and before you know it, the weeks have become months.  Before you realize it, the really important project, the book, is delayed a year.

Big problem for those of us who need that sense of accomplishment, of completing a job. 

Let’s assume for a moment that I have managed to avoid some of those “shorter” chores and have actually completed the book. Now comes the second major obstacle: marketing. 

Marketing comes with several problems. First, it is something many writers are not familiar with. Then there is the uncomfortable fact that most writers are not particularly good at it.  And most writers are not interested in becoming good at it. 

Edie Melson, author, and editor, says with careful planning, you can achieve a good, solid social media presence in just thirty minutes a day.  Sound doable.  But I have not managed to do it right.  I can limit my time to thirty minutes a day, but I haven’t managed to get the solid media presence.  So I find the social media time growing and the results not growing.

Obviously I have not mastered this important challenge for the writer.

At this point, I’m batting 0 for 2. 

I am often asked if I am a plotter or a pantser. 

I think I am both.

I do a certain amount of plotting before I begin.   I like to have a direction, an obstacle, and a possible solution.  I don’t need all the details. I probably don’t know the subplots.  But I need the obstacle.  And before I actually begin, I probably have a number of snippets of conversation written.

Now, I’m ready to begin. The characters will help dictate any changes in the direction.  I am perfectly willing to let them do this.  I have tried to get to know my three main characters (protagonist, sidekick, and antagonist) before I begin.  I have visited with them, listened to them, and gained a lot of background information on each of them. If they begin to talk to me, to make suggestions, I am certainly going to listen, and quite likely follow their suggestions.

In this respect, I am a pantser.  The end result is that I employ both methods in the course of writing a book.

In Over My Dead Body, I began with the simple idea of a man dead while in the midst of a dispute with a large corporation over its exercise of eminent domain.  I set up my main characters.  I knew two of them well.  I had several snippets of conversation. I have a dialog signature for each. Generally, if I can hear the characters speak, I’m a long way toward really knowing them. I was ready to begin. And the pantser mode takes over.

Perhaps I am best described as a hybrid writer, ready to tackle those two big obstacles I face in writing.

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I Did it My Way, by Author Cathy Elliott

When I started writing novels, I had no idea. About anything. Somehow, I managed to pull together a stray chapter – a fleshed-out scene. But I was proud of it. And showed it to my mentor, Cindy Martinusen Coloma, who encouraged me to get to a writer’s conference to submit my “book.”

“All you need is a proposal,” she said. “A mini-proposal, really. Cover letter, a couple chapters…and a synopsis. ”

I nodded, wondering what in the world was a synopsis? Since Cindy was a busy author, I hated to bother her with those minor details. I worked at a library; why not look it up myself? Thus began what I refer to as my evolving synopsis style.

Side Note: If one has no plot, it’s not easy to write a synopsis. Even if one memorizes the definition.

At the beginning, I was a panster. I wrote as it came, by the seat-of-my-pants. For the first conference, I had two decent chapters that had no relation to one another, except in my mind. Different characters, different points of view. I had a problem. With only an inkling of how they might fit into the same story, I needed a plot, a way to connect them, or I couldn’t develop the dreaded synopsis for my proposal.

That situation birthed what I called my trusty “plot parties.” I invited three or four writers out for pie and coffee and we brainstormed ideas for my story. Madly taking notes, sometimes I got a great suggestion that made it worth the cost of the pie. More often, something was said that caused me to think, “Not that…but how about this?” By the end of the night I was not only on a sugar-high, but had something like a story pieced together. A plot.

Though I liked the panster role, as a new writer, I didn’t have the liberty to enjoy it long. A synopsis was always required. Agents and editors alike wanted to see how I’d crafted the story from the first page to the last. My chapters would show off the writing. But the synopsis would tell them if it was worth the read.

Once I accepted my lot, I came to rely on my synopsis. I wrote long, long ones, relating everything that happened. The cat sneaked under the house and came out the next day, dragging a clue. The protagonist went for coffee, then couldn’t get to sleep that night, setting her up to see something she normally wouldn’t. That bratty child down the street threw a ball through the neighbor’s window and made her mad – maybe she had a temper that got out of control? The protagonist’s sister collected pink lustre. I put in all the details I wanted to know for later. It became a very dear guide to my story.

Saving the long synopsis as “Synopsis.mine.doc” I began to cut words for the proposal. No editor wanted to know the sister collected pink lustre. I edited it over and over, then sent it to my first reader, Maxine, who cut more. Finally, I had something I could send to my agent, who cut it some more before sending it out in the proposal.

This worked through two books. And several unsold proposals.

During the writing of A Stitch in Crime, I tried something new. I took my first, long synopsis and cut

it into chapters, estimating where one chapter should end and another begin, drawing lines for separation. Using the required word count as a guide, I decided how many chapters were needed to make up the entire book. Then, as I wrote, I noted the word count for each chapter, writing it down. Having the chapter word counts written in bold ink on the page caused me to notice if concurrent chapters were all the same length. If they were too similar, I’d find a place to end a chapter early and cut the length every so often. To mix it up.

With this method, I was better able to keep track of things that shouldn’t slip by without another mention. I’d put a Post-it in a later chapter as a reminder. It looked a mess, but it served me well.

Truly, there is no right way to write and plot. There are many ways. You must find your own way. I finally found mine.

Though someone was just talking about Scrivener….

Cathy Elliott is a full-time writer in northern California whose cozy mysteries reflect her personal interests from quilting and antique collecting to playing her fiddle with friends. She also leads music at church and cherishes time with her grandchildren. Cathy’s other plot-twisting works include Medals in the Attic and A Vase of Mistaken Identity.

Website & Occasional Blog - www.cathyelliottbooks.com
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/cathyelliott10/
Facebook – Author Cathy Elliott cathyelliottbooks.com

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Attending a Meeting of Plotters' Anonymous with Betsy St. Amant

My name is Betsy St. Amant . . . deep breath . . . and I am a… plotter.

That’s right, I confess. I’ll admit it! I’m a plotter.

There’s two types of authors, if you weren’t already aware of this crucial concept to the writing industry. Plotters and pansters. The plotters are those who, well, plot their story in full before writing it. And the pansters are those who fly by the seat of their pants and wing it all the way through.

See, I’ve always secretly wanted to be a panster, but it was simply not meant to be for this Type A, slightly OCD girl. Sometimes I stand back at writers conferences, listening to other authors teach or just talk amongst themselves of how they have no idea what will happen next in their work-in-progress, and wow, how exciting is that? Anything could happen! The sky was the limit. They could fly!

While I stand nearby, clutching my three-to-five page, neatly typed, double-spaced synopsis. (And for the record, no, it’s not pink and scented like Elle Woods’ resume on Legally Blonde, but I have thoroughly considered the idea.)

Oh, I’ve tried to be a panster, trust me. I’ve tried to embrace that freedom and soar! But maybe my ripped-knee jeans are just too bottom-heavy, because there is definitely no flying by the seat of these pants. I just end up typing aimlessly, while my characters essentially wander aimlessly and stare at each other on the page, tapping their heels and checking their watches. Epic fail.

I think this goes back to my own personality. In real life (as in, by day, since by night I am Super Author) I like control. I like to know what is coming. I hate surprises. Spontaneity can turn right back around and hit the trail because plans make me happy. Ridiculously happy, even. I enjoy having something to look forward to, and despise the uncertainty that comes with not knowing if I do or not.

There are exceptions, of course. For example—spontaneous flowers arriving as a delivery for me at work? Wonderful! Penning an entire novel without having a clue where it will end up? Heart attack!

I say all of this with slight jest, of course, because I think even the true pansters of the industry have to write with at least some skeletal structure to their story. But they definitely leave more room for surprises and detours compared to us plotters.

But as with everything, it takes all types, and this Type A girl is quite happy with her plotted course in life. And I do believe my editors appreciate the summaries I provide early on! However, there is always room for personal growth, just like with my characters. Too much of anything is usually a bad thing, and it might be time in my life to start being open to a few more surprises. A little more spontaneity. A bit of the unknown.

Because isn’t that where God works best—outside of our plans?

As an author, I shake up my characters. They think their day is going to consist of This and That with perhaps a bit of Something Else…yet I come along, shake the snowglobe, and watch the flakes and bubbles float where they will. And while all of that swirling chaos often looks like a hot, disorganized mess, it always lands and settles into a beautiful, snowy masterpiece by the time I type The End.

How many times as an author, or as a single mom, or as an employee, have I felt like a hot, disorganized mess? Too many times to count! How many times have I thought my day, my year, my life, was going to consist of This and That and Something Else? How many times have I planned and prepared and longed for a certain outcome, just to see it shaken right out of my slippery grasp?

And yet...I always land and settle somewhere safe, secure, and more beautiful than where I began.

I’ll keep plotting my stories. I can’t help it.

But maybe I’ll loosen up a little and prepare for some shaking up from the One who holds the whole world in His hands.

It’ll be beautiful. 

Betsy St. Amant has a heart for three things – chocolate, new shoes and sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. She lives in Louisiana with her adorable story-telling young daughter, a collection of Austen novels, and an impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. A freelance journalist and fiction author, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is multi-published in Contemporary Romance. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to the Tangled soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching, and can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha.

www.betsystamant.com

www.writergetsreal.blogspot.com

@betsystamant

https://www.facebook.com/BetsySt.Amant

Make sure to stop by tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of Betsy's latest release, All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes.

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An Interview with Deborah Raney

On Tuesday, author Deborah Raney gave us a tour of her sweet new office space. Today she's agreed to answer some questions for us.

1) Welcome back to The Borrowed Book, Deborah! Tell us -- have you always wanted to be an author? If not, what made you decide to write, and how long have you been at it?

I knew I wanted to be an author the summer I was 11 and read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books. That’s the first I remember making the connection that books had authors and that being an author was something you could be when you “grew up.”

My granddaughter has been reading through that series this year. I love seeing kids reading good books.

2) Have you ever had a funny experience connected with being an author? For instance, has someone ever overheard you discussing the merits of one murder weapon over another or caught you shooting at a can of gasoline to see if you could make it explode?

LOL! Nothing quite so dramatic as the above, but I’ve definitely had some things happen that made me laugh. Usually at myself. At one of my early conference speaking gigs, when I was an unknown author. I was delighted when over 800 women showed up at one of my workshops. I was feeling rather smug about my growing fame when I overheard two conferees saying they couldn’t wait to hear me speak: “She’s Dennis Rainey’s wife––from Family Life Today, you know!” Oops. No wonder they were flocking to my sessions!

That's funny! But you can take comfort in the knowledge that now, they come to hear you.

3) What do you love about being a writer, and what do you like the least?

I love that I get to work from home and make my own hours. I especially love that I’ve gotten to meet some of my own favorite authors, who are now friends.

4) Are you a plotter, a pantser, or a combination?

Almost completely a pantser, but I do occasionally plot a few chapters ahead.

Viva la pantsers!

5) Do you write full time, or do you work it in alongside a full-time job?

I’ve been very blessed to be able to write full-time since the beginning. My husband has been wonderfully supportive of my writing career and has made it possible for me to devote full time to writing.

6) A supportive husband is a tremendous blessing. So what do your kids think about your being a writer?

When they were younger, they took it for granted. It wasn’t until they went off to college that they realized that what I do is somewhat unusual and that sometimes they would run into complete strangers who were impressed that their mom was “the” author Deborah Raney. I remember my oldest daughter calling me from her out-of-state college, incredulous, to say, “Mom, did you know you’re famous!” She’d returned some books to the library, had seen one of my books on the check-out counter, and expressed surprise. Apparently the librarian was very excited that the author’s daughter was a patron.

That's awesome!

7) How do you get your best ideas?

Because I write contemporary women’s fiction, most of my best ideas sprout from the seeds of real-life stories––newspaper headlines or stories I heard from a friend of a friend of a friend. Of course, I change as many details as possible to make the story my own, but when you start with a situation that’s actually happened, the story can’t help but feel real.

8) What do you do to get past writer’s block?

One of my best tips is simply to keep writing, even if it feels like your work is absolutely awful. Sometimes I find in editing that my writing wasn’t as bad as I feared. Other times I find it was indeed awful, but at least I have something to work with. Anything is better than that formidable blank page.

I agree. The worst thing you ever wrote is better than the best thing you never wrote.

9) What’s your favorite method for keeping a story’s middle from sagging?

Kill somebody. LOL! Usually if I’m struggling with a sagging plot it’s because I haven’t set the story up well enough, haven’t turned up the heat on my characters, haven’t asked enough questions. If I fix those things in the earlier chapters, there’s usually no problem filling the middle with interesting scenes.

10) Do you write every day? What does your typical writing day look like?

There truly is no such thing as a typical day. It all depends on what point in the life of a book I’m at. When I’m on deadline I need to get at least 1000 words a day on the page. The last couple of weeks before a book is due, I may have to write 2-3 times that many words. But before that deadline gets close, I often spend more time on social media, doing interviews, working on edits for the last book I turned in, or going back and forth with the cover designer or publicist. My deadlines don’t always allow, but I try to take a nice break––at least a couple of weeks between books to clean off my desk, gather my research material, and gear up for the new story. I also travel 5-6 times a year to teach at writers conferences around the country.

11) Do you like to listen to music when you write?

Yes! I’ve found that movie soundtracks are great background and mood music to write by. The music in movies greatly enhances the emotions you feel while watching, and for me, it’s the same with writing a novel. I hope those heightened emotions I’m feeling as I listen to music come through in the emotion of the novel.

12) Do you have any rituals you like to go through before you start writing, such as make yourself a cup of coffee or tea? Do calisthenics to get the blood flowing? Lock yourself in a room and warn your family not to disturb you upon pain of death? Read something inspiring? Pray?

I have to have a tidy house (beds made, dishes done, pillows fluffed) before I can write. Then I choose my music to write by, light some scented candles, make a cup of coffee in the Keurig coffeemaker that sits in my office. If it’s raining outside my window, that’s the formula for a perfect writing day!

If I had to have a tidy house before I could write, I'd never get anything written! But I agree with the rain part. Perfect ambiance.

13) Writing is a sedentary occupation. What do you do for exercise?

Every weekday at 6:30 a.m., my husband and I head down to our basement workout room for 45 minutes on the treadmill and elliptical machine. We also do stretches, lift hand weights, and run the stairs a few times. All while watching old TV series on the TV. I’ve come to rather enjoy those morning workouts!

14) Do you have any pets? Do you own them, or they you?

We’ve loved a series of cats throughout our 38 years of marriage, but now that we are traveling together several times a year, it’s easier not to have a pet. We miss having a cat in the house though, and I suspect we’ll get another one once our schedule doesn’t include quite so much travel.

Pets are good companions, but you're right--it's easier to travel when you don't have to worry about them.

15) What fun fact would you like your readers to know about you?

Though I was told as a teenager that I probably wouldn’t be able to conceive, the Lord blessed us with four children. But their births spanned the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s! I gave birth to a boy in the ’70s, a boy and a girl in the ’80s, and our surprise baby girl in 1990.

Never say never! When people told you that, I expect God chuckled, knowing what He had in store for you.

Thank you, Deborah for visiting with us at The Borrowed Book.

And readers, don't forget to come back tomorrow to enter to win a free copy of Deb's

latest release, The Face of the Earth.

Deborah Raney is the award-winning author of several novels, including A Nest of Sparrows and the RITA award winning Beneath a Southern Sky and its sequel, After the Rains. Deborah's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was the inspiration for World Wide Pictures' highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV for the second time. Deb's novella, Playing by Heart, was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her novel for Howard/Simon & Schuster, Yesterday's Embers, appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list. Known for her sensitive portrayal of family struggles and relationships, Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women's retreats and writers' conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas.

  

Learn more about Deborah at http://debiraney.blogspot.com.

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