Happy 2016! My New Year's Non-resolution: Believe

Photo from Openculture.com

 
Missouri's famous writer Mark Twain once called new year's resolutions "harmless annual institutions of no particular use to anybody."

And, if my past performance can predict my future behavior, I can't argue with his words. 

At the beginning of each year, with a heart full of good intentions and a mind focused on success, I map out my resolutions and set what I believe are attainable goals. Then, by mid-year, or even sooner, I lose focus. My good intentions are either forgotten or deliberately ignored.

So, in the spirit of Mark Twain, I'm neither making annual resolutions, which I will not keep, nor will I set goals, which I'll either forget or ignore. I'm going to try something different.

I'm following a suggestion borrowed from Margo Dill's inspiring post on "The Muffin," the Women on Writing blog. In Margo's post, she writes that she is going to focus on one word for 2016. You can find Margo's one word on "The Muffin" blog.

Like Margo, I'm going to focus on one word for the year 2016. My one word applies, not only to my writing, but to every aspect in my life.

My one word is: BELIEVE

I believe God has a plan for me.
I believe I can do whatever His plan is if I take time to be still and listen.
I believe in myself.
I believe in others.
I believe I've been put on earth to help others.
I believe others are here to help me.
I believe in You!

As we turn the calendar page to 2016, I wish you health and happiness, peace and prosperity, and many blessings that you too may believe!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day: My Writing Process Blog Chain

Cead Mile Failte! (That means "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!" in Gaelic.)

I’m honored on this Saint Patrick’s Day that Margo Dill has invited me to be part of a blog chain to discuss my writing process.

Margo is a full-time mom and writer, as well as a creative writing teacher and an editor. Her latest YA book, “Caught Between Two Curses,”* will be published tomorrow.

Here are my answers to Margo’s questions:

1. What am I working on?

I always seem to have several projects going on at once, which is probably why it takes so long to complete anything. Right now—well after I finish working on income taxes—my focus is on completing a thriller I started in November during National Novel Writing Month. I finished the challenge with just over 52,000 words of a manuscript, titled "Framed in Black," which will end up being around 80,000 words. I put it aside over the holidays, but I didn’t stop thinking and planning. While my manuscript simmered I decided to make some major changes and have begun rewrites. So far, I’ve rewritten the first two chapters. 

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

It’s a thriller with spiritual overtones. The main character is female; a twenty-five-year-old English teacher living in the Midwest. The setting is in Missouri and in the Bavarian State of Germany.

3. Why do I write what I do?

In the past my focus was on short stories and personal essays. I’ve always wanted to complete a novel, so last year I decided to give it a try.

4. How does your writing process work?

I’m a write-when-I-can type of writer. The mornings work best for me. I scratch down ideas in notebooks. My first drafts are messy hand-written affairs. For my novel I scratched out a rough outline. The act of writing things down before typing them up helps me clear my thoughts so when I type the basics have already taken shape.

5. The last step in this process is to invite two other authors to participate in the blog chain.

I hope that my writing friends and blogging buddies, Mary Horner and Sioux Roslawski, who both are writers and teachers, will continue this blog chain.

Mary Horner is a teacher and writer who blogs at WritRTeachR about all things editorial, including writing, publishing, authors and books, and author of "Strengthen your Nonfiction Writing."

Sioux blogs on Sioux’s Page about writing, dogs, grown-up children, menopause, the joy of a marvelous book, classroom teaching in general, and specifically, the teaching of writing.

Thanks, Margo, for inviting me to participate in the blog chain. 

And "Adh mAr ort!" May you have the luck of the Irish with your new book, "Caught Between Two Curses."* 

* In my original post I had the wrong first word of Margo's book title.

Win a Copy of YA Novel BAKER MOUNTAIN by Doyle Suit

To celebrate the release of my critique group writing pal Doyle Suit's historical fiction YA novel, I'm giving away my advance reading copy. Baker Mountain is a Cactus Country novel published by High Hill Press.

Here are the blurbs from the back cover, including my own:

"This man puts a whole lot of himself into his books. His years spent wandering the Ouachita Mountains were not wasted. Baker Mountain tells it like it was for men and their families during and after the Great Depression." Dusty Richards

"Set during America's Great Depression, Baker Mountain by Doyle Suit harkens back to days of hard work and hard times. Through Suit's crisp and clear prose, vivid descriptions, and skillful painting of an era gone by, we learn the story of sixteen-year-old Gary Hill, whose life is turned upside down after the death of his mother. While Gary's father travels around the world in search of work, Gary moves in with his grandparents on their farm in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. In the shadow of Baker Mountain, city-boy Gary learns about farming, hunting, horseback riding, bootlegging, and falling in love. Baker Mountain is an entertaining coming-of-age novel of historical fiction whose message about the importance of education, self-reliance, and courage still resonates today." Donna Volkenannt

"Doyle Suit is a great storyteller with a smooth writing style, which is more than evident in his historical fiction YA,  Baker Mountain. From page one, my heart went out to poor Gary, having to leave his home in New Orleans to move to the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. But what he experiences in his new home will have you laughing out loud at times and crying with him at others. This book is especially wonderful for any library, classroom, or home school program." Margo Dill

To win a copy, just leave a comment between now and Oct 2. Winner will be announced Oct 3.

Writing is Elementary with Margo Dill (Part II)

In the photo above, Margo Dill holds a copy of her middle-grade book that takes place in the Civil War. The title of her book is Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg.

 

Continuing with my last post, here is the conclusion of the notes I took during the Saturday Writers meeting where Margo discussed "Everything You Need to Know About Writing You Learned in Elementary School."

 

Organization. Margo gave examples of how different types of writing are organized from beginning, middle, to end.

 

   * At the beginning of a story, catch the reader's attention to make them want to keep reading. Introduce the main character's problem. Wow the reader.

 

   * Some personal essays and picture books are wrtten as circle stories, such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Some stories start in the present, flashback, then end in the present.

 

  *  Some memoirs are divided into chapters or sections. Some non-fiction is written in chronological order or begins with a big event then continues from there. 

 

  * Endings should wrap up the plot and subplot in fiction. Draw non-fiction to a close without repeating the thesis or introducing new information. Be satisfying.

 

  *  Not every book will have a happy ending, but if it satisfies the reader's expectations and is true to the character, that's okay. Readers like order, so if you set up an expectation, stick with it. Continuity is important.

 

Voice. Experts say that voice is hard to define, but they know it when they read it.

 

   * Voice is something that can't be taught, but a writer can work to develop a unique voice. In fiction, it's the personality of the writer shining through. It is natural, flowing, interesting.

 

   * Voice has a lot to do with sentence fluency and word choices. Some suggestions: do more prewriting, write in first person instead of third, write with the reader in mind. The editor of Margo's book suggested she give more depth to her main character by writing personal journal entries for her.

 

   * Margo also gave an example of how readers prefer voice after reading books on the same topic. She mentioned two books she used when teaching about Rev. Martin Luther King. The students in her class preferred My Brother Martin, which was written by a family member of MLK, to a biography of MLK, which was written by someone who didn't know him.

 

Conventions. Proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc are important.

 

   * Conventions vary depending on the medium. She mentioned some editors use the Chicago Manual of Style while others use the AP Style Manual.

 

   * She was asked about her pet peeves as an editor. They include: improper use of apostrophe's, being inconsistent when using commas . . . using too many ellipses. . . and Capitalizing Words That Shouldn't Be. (Please excuse my attempt at humor to demonstrate Margo's pet peeves.)

 

Publication. The +1 portion of her presentation covered publication as well as editing. Some writers write for themselves and don't want to be published, which is fine. But if a writer wants to be published, Margo recommended they join a good critique group or hire a professional editor. Editing takes time and can be expensive. Don't expect to pay an editor $20 to edit a 400-page manuscript in a week. A good editor will be thorough and detailed with suggestions. To find a reputable editor, check out their credentials and get recommendations from other writers.

 

Hope you enjoyed reading about what Margo had to say about the elementary nature of writing. Next time I begin a story or an essay I'm going to try her potato method to dig deep and watch out for those pet peeves.

 

Speaking of pet peeves, one of mine is using it's as a possessive rather than its. Inquiring minds want to know: What are some of your pet peeves?

According to Writer and Editor Margo Dill, Writing Is Elementary (Part I)

Last Saturday I attended the monthly Saturday Writers meeting, which featured an exciting presentation by teacher, editor, blogger, and writer Margo Dill. Margo has a freelance editing business called Editor 911 and is a contributing editor and teacher for WOW! Women on Writing.

 

The room was packed! In fact, the staff had to add additional tables and chairs to accommodate more than 50 writers who turned out to listen to Margo talk about "Everything You Need to Know about Writing You Learned in Elementary School."

 

Margo's presentation was energetic and informative and filled with helpful hints for writers to use the tools they learned many years ago, but may need a nudge to remember. She focused on the 6+1 traits of writing: Ideas, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Voice, Organization, Conventions and Publication.

 

Here are some notes I jotted down during Margo's presentation: 

 

* Ideas. Sources for ideas can be your life, the Internet, newspaper articles or cartoons, books, just about anywhere. According to Margo, you don't only have to write what you know. You can research a topic or talk to other people. She used the example of traveling to Vicksburg to research her recently released book, Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg. One fascinating tip was using the "potato" method for generating ideas. Don't use the first idea that comes to mind; dig a little deeper to get something fresh beneath the surface. She also talked about how, like potatoes, ideas can become rotten if you don't do anything with them.

 

* Word Choice. For advice on word choices, Margo recommended reading On Writing by Stephen King, who cautions writers about overuse of adverbs and adjectives. Instead, use specific nouns and verbs. Watch for passive voice. Use word choices that fit your genre. For description of a chacter, don't be like a J.C. Penney catalog, but mention distinct characteristics. When using colors, be specific, don't overuse, and have a reason why one color is mentioned several times. (I took that to mean that, for example, does the color red signify an angry or passionate character?) Send overused words to the "word graveyard, where words go to die." Overused words include: very, good, bad, happy, sad, just, little. Also, watch for repeat words. I found this humorous list on AskMen of overused words, some of which I use more than I should.

 

* Sentence Fluency. Vary the length and type of sentences, and vary how your sentences begin. During the editing process, study your manuscript. Watch for the first word of each sentence. Always read your work out loud. If writing in first person, watch for starting sentences with the word "I." For third person, don't repeat the character's name too much. Instead, use pronouns--although to avoid confusion, when characters are speaking in dialogue and both are the same sex, it's okay to use their names. To build suspense use shorter entences and action words. Longer sentences help readers catch their breath.

 

In my next post, I'll share what Margo had to say about: Organization, Voice, Conventions and Publication.

 



Guest Post by Margo Dill on Writing Historical Fiction

I'm thrilled to have Margo Dill as my special guest today. Margo is a children's writer, an editor, and a blogger who also is a contributing writer to Women on Writing, WOW! Margo and I met more than a dozen years ago at a weekly critique group, and we are founding members of the Saturday Writers chapter of the Missouri Writers' guild. Although our lives have taken us in different directions over the years, we still have remained good friends.

White Mane Kids recently published Margo's middle-grade children's book Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg.

Welcome, Margo, I'm so happy you could join us on such a chilly morning, and congratulations on your new book. After reading the early chapters in critique group, it's exciting to see the book in print and read the final version.

Finding My Place is a wonderful book of historical fiction. The setting is Vicksburg, Mississippi, in the summer of 1863. Thirteen-year-old Anna Green and her family are thrust in the middle of the attack on Vicksburg. Here's what Margo has to say about writing historical fiction.

***

Stopping the History from Getting in the Way of Historical Fiction

By Margo L. Dill

I loved researching the Civil War, especially the Siege of Vicksburg for my historical fiction middle-grade novel, Finding My Place. I actually went to Vicksburg, Mississippi for a few days and toured homes that were standing during the Siege and spent hours on the battlefield where the Confederate soldiers tried to hold off the Yankees. I went to the library one afternoon and poured through the vertical files, finding an actual newspaper from 1863 printed on the back of wallpaper. I read diaries of women who survived the siege, living in caves slaves built out of the yellow Vicksburg hills, and other historical fiction books set in Vicksburg as well as history books about the battle itself.

So, with all that research, when did I start writing the fiction and how did I balance it?

That’s the hard thing about writing historical fiction, especially if you love history. You have found a period of time you’re interested in as a writer, and you love to research. You want to share every little fact with your reader, but your reader doesn’t want to read a history book. If she did, she would go to the nonfiction section and pick one out. She wants to read about your characters and plot, while learning some history on the side.

I struggled with this balance. I wanted to have thirteen-year-old Anna Green, my main character, experience everything that the citizens of Vicksburg did in 1863. I wanted to share every sacrifice that the people had to make, what happened on each day of the Siege, and how the people survived with so little supplies. But kids especially get bogged down with too many facts thrown into the story.

Mostly what I did to keep my balance, and what I’ve heard from other historical fiction writers, is that I focused on the story. Instead of thinking to myself, I am writing a historical fiction book for kids set during the U. S. Civil War, I had to think—I am writing a book about a 13-year-old girl who doesn’t know where she belongs—physically and emotionally. She has a brother and a sister that depend on her, but she’s not ready for this role.

Once I started focusing on the story and the characters in my setting of the Siege of Vicksburg, I found balance. When Anna is trying to decide whether or not to take James and Sara back to their cave and stay on their own, it was easy to work in some of the daily tasks that people had to do back then and even how the soldiers bombed the citizens most of the day, resting only for meals. Focusing on the story made the research details that much easier to fit into the story—naturally.

Historical fiction is fun! It’s a great way to learn about a time period. It’s not easy to write, until authors start thinking about the story and the characters and less about the actual history.

***

Thanks, again, Margo for your insight on not letting history get in the way of writing historical fiction.

Margo L. Dill is the author of Finding My Place: One Girl’s Strength at Vicksburg, a historical fiction middle-grade novel about 13-year-old Anna Green and her struggle to keep her family together during the Siege of Vicksburg. To read a summary or purchase an autographed copy (a perfect Christmas present for children ages 9 to 12!), please go to http://margodill.com/blog/finding-my-place   or  on  Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-My-Place-Strength-Vicksburg/dp/1572494085/

 

Winner of Melissa Ann Goodwin's The Christmas Village

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment or question for Melissa Ann Goodwin.

The winner of Melissa's charming Christmas book, The Christmas Village is:

BOOKIE

Congratulations, Bookie! I have forwarded your e-mail address to Robyn at WOW! Women on Writing, who will be contacting you soon.

If my other blog visitors would like another chance to win Melissa's book, Margo Dill at Read These Books and Use Them, is hosting Melissa until Nov 20.

Check out Melissa's post: " Every Town Has A Story: Ways to Encourage Kids (and Grown-ups) To Write" for some great tips to come up with ideas for stories or essays.

The contest on Margo's blog ends at 8 p.m. on Nov 20, so hop on over and leave a comment or share your favorite Christmas tradition for a chance to win a copy of The Christmas Village.

Thanks to Melissa for her generosity and wisdom and to Robyn at WOW! for inviting me to have Melissa as a guest blogger on Donna's Book Pub.

What's Luck Got to Do With It?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Louis Pasteur: "Chance favors the prepared mind." His quote appeals to me because it leads me to believe that while it's good to be lucky, luck is unpredictable, but hard work combined with luck can eventually lead to success.

I was reminded of Pasteur's quote this morning after reading Margo Dill's thought-provoking post on the WOW! Women on Writing blog. I've known Margo for over a dozen years. She is a go-getter who works hard, isn't afraid to take chances, and follows through on any assignment she takes on, so I value her advice.

Margo offers some solid tips on the WOW! blog today. In "Be Ready for your Writing Career," she discusses how important it is to be prepared for any opportunity that comes your way.

What's also special about her post today is that author and literary agent Evan Marshall left a comment with a suggestion about having two synopses ready--one short and one long one. So, if you want to learn more, pop over the the WOW! blog and read Margo's post.

Quick poll. Curious minds want to know: What do you think is most important for success--luck, hard work, a little bit of both, timing, divine intervention, or something else?

Saturday Writers "Seeds of Change" Workshop With Jen Cullerton Johnson

Tomorrow, members of Saturday Writers, local children, teens, teachers, and parents have a rare opportunity to participate in a special "Seeds of Changs" workshop.


Jen Cullerton Johnson, author of Seeds of Change, will present a workshop designed to give participants the tools to write about the environment around them. Jen Cullerton Johnson has published fiction and creative nonfiction in literary journals and magazines. She holds a MFA in Non-Fiction, a MEd in Curriculum and Development and is a founding member of MuseWrite a literary arts organization based in Chicago. She lives and teaches in Chicago, Illinois.

During the "Seeds of Change" workshop participants will learn how to observe nature through keeping a nature journal. They will use their inspiration to write a piece of their choice: poetry, short story, essay, etc.

The workshop will be presented at the St. Peters Arts and Community Center, 1035 St. Peters Howell Road. Registration opens at 9:45, followed by the mini-workshop which begins at 10:30.

Children and teen writing contest winners will receive their awards at noon, followed by lunch at 12:30. Open mic begins at 1:30, and the event ends at 3:00 p.m. Visit the Events page of the SW website for detailed schedule and to find out how to sign up for the open mic event.

This special event will feature door prizes, refreshments, pizza for lunch, book signings, and lots more. Margo Dill Balinski does an excellent job planning and organizing our annual workshop each year, and this one promises to be extra special.

Hope to see you there. The "Seeds of Change" workshop is sponsored by:

*Saturday Writers
* Missouri Writers’ Guild, (http://www.missouriwritersguild.org/)
*Cindy Allen, Saturday Writers board member
*Margo L. Dill, (Editor 911: editing services and business writing, http://www.margodill.com/editor911.html)
*Amy Harke-Moore, (The Write Helper, editing services http://www.thewritehelper.com/)
*Lou Turner, (High Hill Press, http://www.highhillpress.com/)
* Donna Volkenannt, (Donna’s Book Pub http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com/ and author of stories in Cup of Comfort for Christmas, Cup of Comfort for Military Families, Cup of Comfort for Women, and Irish Inspirations)

Margo Dill Interviews Clara Gillow Clark on Her Blog

Today in St. Peters, MO: Rain showers, high 45 degrees.

Yesterday and today Margo Dill is interviewing Clara Gillow Clark, a great historical fiction author. Clark has donated a copy of all three of her Hattie books to give away as prizes to lucky winners who comment today (or yesterday) on Margo's blog. You can leave a comment about the book or a question for Clara. You can also discuss historical fiction for middle grade or YA and/or recommend any good historical fiction books you’ve read.

I didn't get a chance to comment yesterday, but I left my comment earlier today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll win a copy of one of the books. Even if you don't have young ones who might enjoy one of Clark's books, you can donate the book to a library or school--after reading it, of course. But act fast because today is the last day to leave a comment or question. And, good luck!

Win a Book on Margo Dill's Blog

Today in St. Peters, MO: Chance of thunderstorms, high 80 degrees.

Be sure to visit Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them blog BEFORE 5 p.m. TODAY for a chance to win one of two books that will be given away from the comments on her blog. The first name chosen gets to select which book he or she wants--either Travels with Tarra or Just for Elephants, both by Carol Buckley. The second name will get the second book. Margo will draw names on Friday, September 4 at 5:00 p.m. CST. Good luck!

March Madness in Missouri

**Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: This afternoon it will be windy, high 69 degrees. Take off your jackets and hold on to your hats!

Here's a special announcement from MWG Conference Publicity Chair, Margo Dill Balinski, to members of Saturday Wriers and any other interested writers:

"During March Madness, the Missouri Writers’ Guild is making the following offers for the 94th Annual Conference in Cape Girardeau:

1. Calling all College Students: If you are currently enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university, you can attend the MWG conference for $139, which is a savings of $30 off the current price.

2. Saturday Only price: We’ve had several requests about attending the MWG conference on Saturday only. So, we are offering pricing just for Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. (includes lunch). The prices are $109 for MWG members, $119 for chapter members, and $129 for non-members.

3. Deals on Master’s Classes and the Banquet: FOR ONE WEEK ONLY From March 9 to March 16, you can sign up for a master’s class for $10 off ($55.00) or for the banquet for $5 off ($20).

4. More Deals on Master’s Classes and the Banquet: If you add a Sunday Class or the awards' banquet to your registration from March 17 to April 2, you will get a $5.00 off coupon for the conference book store when you check in at registration on Friday night. (If you are only attending a Sunday class, this will not apply because the book store is only open on Friday night and Saturday until the banquet.)

5. If you live in the St. Louis area and can attend the SLWG meeting on Saturday. . .Barri Bumgarner, MWG board member, has been invited by the St. Louis Writers' Guild to share a program and information about the conference. If you register on that day and pay Barri in cash or check to the MWG, you will save! We are basically offering early bird pricing on that day only if you attend Barri's talk and pay that day. If you need more information about this, you can e-mail me at margodll@aol.com

Check the MWG conference website for more information: www.mwgconference.org, call Margo at 217-714-8582, or e-mail Emily at esh@mwgconference.org.

Hope to see you there!
Margo Dill Balinski"

I'm going to the conference on Friday and Saturday, so I hope to see you there, too!
Donna