Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 188

Writer: A Day in the Life of...

Times have changed. 
No one writes on these anymore...

No one sends their stories straight to the publishing house anymore like Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, or Jo March of Little Women.

Nope. In case you haven't heard, the days are winding down to our national writer's conference for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in Dallas, TX this week. Writers everywhere are busy panicking, polishing, printing, packing, and praying to publish (oooh, love the alliteration, heeheehee). My dining room looks like a mini publishing house.

After a morning at church, I helped Ted move our chicken coop for the winter, then chased chickens before I could sit down to polish some last minute edits.



The prepared writer needs business cards to trade like old fashioned calling cards. We trade them with other writers, new friends, editors, and agents. Then we won't forget who to contact after the chaos of spending four days with six hundred others in the industry.
The newbie learns to boil their story down to a single page used to "pitch" your story. The pitch is memorized and ready at any given moment. Jaime and I have driven to several ACFW conferences together over the years. We are known to randomly drop the "so tell me what your book is about?" question to practice  our pitches. Usually we stumble, mumble, and mostly cry about it, then laugh hysterically. But somehow, by the time we arrive, our pitches are ready to roll. 
I was all prepared to print a few copies of my proposals--a proposal is about a thirty page document that shows our agent or editor how your book can be marketed, and what kind of a platform, voice, and story you have. It includes sample chapters and compares your story to others on already on the market.
 Except my printer whacked out and decided to have random blank streaks through a few words on every page. It made me wonder how authors of times gone by managed to make pristine copies.I comforted myself to recall that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice looked something like this:
 We've come a long way, from handwriting to laptops and printers...
But after panicking that my rushed order of preprinted forms smeared ink all over the white page before they them shipped to me, I quit for the night and made plan B to stop by the printers Wednesday morning before my flight leaves. 
Besides all the pre-trip jitters, all the endless edits, all the never ending brainstorming--here's the best part of writing that makes it all worth it: friends who love stories and Jesus as much as I do! The first time I attended ACFW, I knew one person. Now, these dear women are like sisters.Jaime, Laurie, Halee, and Sarah--only Kara is missing here, but we'll she's flying in from New Zealand this year!
Jaime and I met when we sat at a "newbie" table at dinner, ACFW 2009, Denver.
Gabe and I met at ACFW 2010, Indianapolis And I met Erica in 2013So, stay tuned for more from the week ahead as Jaime and I, along with Gabrielle and Erica, zoom off to ACFW Dallas for a week of pitching, praying, worshipping the Lord, and most fun of all--laughing together and learning to know one another.
-------------Blog post by Anne Love-




Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 



Nurse Practitioner by day. 



Wife, mother, writer by night. 



Coffee drinker--any time.


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Day of Silence

Today at CCC, we pause to remember . . .


Where were you when it happened? What memories do you hold?

Family Pictures...

Yesterday, I shared our family pictures on Facebook. They are simply beautiful and I couldn't be happier. It had been five years since the last time we had a professional picture taken...and now I remember why.

Picture taking stresses me out. Not having my picture taken (that I don't mind), but getting everyone ready, then trying to get everyone to smile and cooperate when they need to. It isn't easy to get four children to smile at the camera at the same time.

Here are a few pictures...and the story behind them.

 One of my boys decided this was not the day to cooperate with the photographer. He was a bit shy and was more interested in exploring the estate we were at. No smile in any group family photo. :( 
I was really excited for this picture. This is the estate where I grew up (my dad was the caretaker). The white fence behind the kids encircled my childhood yard and the house where we lived is just outside of the picture to the right. I was my children's ages when I played in this very spot. The kids were supposed to run to us and jump into our arms...but right after this picture was taken, when one of the boys jumped into my arms, his hand accidentally ended up in one of the girl's faces, and tears ensued. The photographer said: "Okay, let's all recuperate for a moment before we continue."


I love this picture of the boys, because they were being so goofy. I also love this gazebo, because I set a scene in one of my stories in this very spot. It overlooks the Mississippi River. But right before this picture was taken, one of my daughters was standing where the boys are, slipped off, and ripped her brand new dress. She scratched her arm and got a large sliver stuck in her hand, which brought on more tears and more recuperation. :(

But then, there were pictures like this:


And this:


And this one:

These are just a few of the beautiful pictures we have. All the angst was worth the priceless images I have of my children at this stage of life.

And, I also have a new author picture!


So here's my question for you: Do you take annual family pictures, bi-annual, or has it been a while since you've had family pictures taken?

Gabrielle Meyer:
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Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Erica Here: This Labor Day, my husband took me to the Minnesota Renaissance Fair. We had never been before, though our children, who also came along, had been.

Let me say that as a person who is no fond of crowds, there were a LOT of people. But let me also say that as a person who enjoys watching people, MN Ren Fest is a spectacular place to see unusual people.

Most of the attendees arrived in costume, and a lot of them added to their costumes throughout the day. There were girdles, cloaks, gauntlets, corsets, skirts, veils, tabards, chain mail, armor, and so much more for sale.

Jewelry, pottery, glass, iron work, leather work, musical instruments, hats, swords, daggers, bows, arrows, quivers, candles.

Scotch Eggs, giant pickles, cheesecake (on a stick,) cider floats, turkey legs, cheese curds, loaded fries, funnel cakes, barbarian burgers, mead/beer/ale/wine/soda/water/lemonade.

Then there are the shows. My favorite by far were the jousting demonstrations, but we also saw running patterers, magicians, musicians, jugglers, tightrope walkers.

A truly unique experience.  Here are some of the pictures my husband took.

We entered at the King's Gate, and over the entrance, actors
hurled comments and insults and jokes down on the patrons.
It's all in good fun, and they were clever.
My kids and their friends, ready to enjoy the day.
The delightful and resourceful Deborah and Ruth,
 who created their costumes
 themselves. I am totally in love with Deborah's hat!
I loved the riding skills demonstrations.
The horses were enormous with feet the size of dinner plates.
The man inside the rail in the black tunic was a rabble-rouser,
working up the crowd, telling them who to cheer for,
 and teasing and poking fun at both the crowd and the contestants.
The riders attempted to pluck a metal ring off a
crossbar with their lance. Each time they succeeded,
a smaller ring was placed on the crossbar.
Eventually, the riders were threading a
2" ring on their lance at a full gallop.
This was a show called The Wacky Chickens.
This man has been a regular performer at Ren Fest for 40 years!
Juggling, music, dance, magic, and tomfoolery were the order of the day.
Jousting! The contestants rode onto the battlefield,
showing their colors and ready to test their mettle.
They were not even joking! Lances shattered
 (a piece even flew into the crowd.)
The sound of the lances hitting armor was amazing.
Clanging metal, thudding hooves, cheering crowds. 
These horses are so strong.
Smash! The horse on the left, a Clydesdale,
was by far the fastest of the horses.
He barreled down the jousting court!
This knight was shaken up by a particularly hard hit. We were right at the end of jousting area, and when he arrived in front of us, he was leaning over his horse's neck, groaning. We heard him say, "He hit me dead on."
The knight got his revenge. He took another lance, and on the next pass, he unseated his opponent.
The facial and neck armor worn by one of the horses to protect him during the joust.
That same horse, enjoying getting out of his heavy armor.
The Royal Processional. The king and queen of the festival with members of their court.
Heather and Julie after a day of feasting, shopping, and being entertained.


My kiddos getting their Renaissance Geek on!

So, what did you do on Labor Day? Have you ever been to a Renaissance Festival?



Erica Vetsch:Executive AssistantEarl Grey Aficionado Find me on PINTERESTFind me on GOODREADSFind me on AMAZON.COMFind me on FACEBOOKFind me on my WEBSITE

What Happens At A Writer's Conference #ACFW

It's the time of year when, if you read a lot of writer's blogs, they're sharing all about upcoming writer's conferences, their preparation to meet with agents and editors, the classes they'll be attending, potential hopes for contracts, travels, and more.

Erica, Anne, Gabrielle, and I are all preparing for next week's ACFW conference in Dallas, Texas. YAY!! (follow me at www.facebook.com/jaimejowright for the play by play).

I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look at what happens at a writer's conference. This will be very educational for those of you considering attending one in the future, and for those of you who prefer to read and not write, this will also give you some insights.

First, all conferences begin with a high element of panic. Induced by the idea of trying to explain a 300+ page novel in 50 words, meeting with the people who hold the power to make or break your book, or when the realization sets in (as it did yesterday) there is NO STARBUCKS in the hotel.


Second, consternation. When you realize you forgot your business cards at home, or your pre-arranged appt to meet with the PERFECT editor just got double booked by your conference appt. with another PERFECT editor. OR! When your Spanx rips the night of the big formal gala.


Third, that moment you have a surge of confidence. The kind that tells you that you ARE capable of conquering the publishing world. That editors WILL fall in love with you. That your friends DO have your back. That there IS a coffee shop at the hotel after all.


Fourth, when you realize your confidence was about 2 seconds long, your friends still have your back, but really? You sort of look to the sky and remind yourself that "God's got this".


Fifth, the moment of conference when all your appointments are over. Maybe you bombed them, but guess what?!!? They're OVER. Now you can sip your coffee instead of chug it.


And finally, that moment when you and your friends/sisters finally and completely, utterly and definitively . . . lose it.



__________________________________________________
Jaime Jo Wright - author of spirited turn-of-the-century romance, stained with suspense

COMING SOON! March 2016, "The Cowgirl's Lasso", The Cowboy Bride's Novella Collection from Barbour Publishing
Visit Jaime's web site: jaimejowright.com
Email Jaime - jaimejowright at gmail dot com
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Your Prayers: Hot or Not?

I want my prayers like I take my coffee--HOT! One of my favorite scenes in the new movie War Room: while having coffee, the leading lady asks the starring lady how her prayer life is and she answers "okay, not great, but not bad." So the leading lady hands her a cup of lukewarm coffee, and she's completely unimpressed. Point made. No one sits up for a cup of "meh" coffee.  smile emoticon  Life is too short and too messy for half-hearted prayers. How espresso do you need yours??

Enjoy your Labor Day! Take your family and friends to see War Room and think about injecting "a latte" power back into your prayer life. If you've seen it already, what did you think?What will you change about your prayer life?What part hit you the most? -------------Blog post by Anne Love-




Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots. 



Nurse Practitioner by day. 



Wife, mother, writer by night. 



Coffee drinker--any time.


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Book Report & #Giveaway: Irish Meadows, by Susan Anne Mason

Super excited to feature a stellar Irish novel today! Ever since I saw the movie Far & Away, I've loved Irish settings. And I know, Anne LOVES Ireland and its inhabitants too. So it's fitting we host a review of this novel today.

Irish Meadows is Susan Anne Mason's new novel from Bethany House Publishers. Filled with angst, thwarted love, marriages designed to save her father's farm and the awful reality of falling in love with a priest devoted to his church.

I loved the sisters in this book. They were both so different and yet embodied the Irish culture, faith, and spirit. It was also a pleasant read. Not bogged down by lots of Irish/American history and yet it was peppered throughout the well-moving story. It captured my attention and I was more than pleased at the end of the book.

Susan Anne Mason has a new follower/reader in me! I'm looking forward to her next release! :)


1911, Long Island, New York

Faced With an Uncertain Future, Sometimes All You Have Left Is the Courage to Dream
Brianna and Colleen O'Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he's put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures.

Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry--as long as her father's choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men quickly complicate everyone's plans.

Enter to win your copy!

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__________________________________________________

Jaime Jo Wright - author of spirited turn-of-the-century romance, stained with suspense

COMING SOON! March 2016, "The Cowgirl's Lasso", The Cowboy Bride's Novella Collection from Barbour Publishing

Visit Jaime's web site: jaimejowright.com
Email Jaime - jaimejowright at gmail dot com
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Conference Prep

With the ACFW Conference less than two weeks away, I thought it would be fun to share this blog post I originally wrote two years ago before my second conference. I've learned even more since I wrote this, but it's a good starting place for conference newbies. If you're going to ACFW for the first time, I hope this helps put your mind at ease. ~ ~ ~ ~I will be attending the ACFW Conference and I'm busy preparing for the meetings, classes, and networking I'll be doing while there. I can't wait!!

For many authors, pitching appointments are at the top of our preparation list. Everything else pales in comparison when we start to think about pitching. We can never start practicing and preparing for these important meetings too soon.

Three areas I'm preparing right now are one sheets (or pitch sheets), business cards, and practicing my actual pitch.

One Sheets. When I start to prepare for my pitching appointments, the first place I start is with my one sheet. This is the piece of paper I'll place in front of the editor when I sit down to pitch. Here's my very first one sheet (my agent used this one as an example in a blog post she wrote for the Books & Such blog about preparing your one sheet):


On my one sheet I have my story question (or hook), an image that represents my story, my picture, the "back cover copy," information about the book's length, genre and series potential, my bio, and contact information.

I feel this one sheet captures the essence of my writing. Make sure your one sheet does the same.

The first year I pitched, I took Beth Vogt's advice and organized a pitching folder. You can watch her great vlog here. Since she does such a fabulous job explaining pitch folders, and how to have a successful pitching appointment, I won't go into too many details. But I want to share what I felt worked really well about her advice.


My pitching folder

I bought three sturdy folders and placed my one sheet on the left, my full book proposal on the right (including the five page synopsis and first three chapters of my novel), as well as my business card in the little slots on the bottom left. When I sat down for my pitch appointments I took out my one sheet and placed it on the top of the folder. It was great to have the pitch sheet ready to give to the editors when they extended their hands. I based my pitch on the "back cover copy" and if I needed to, I could easily look at it for reference if I forgot my words.

Having everything together in one place came in handy when an agent--who I talked to in the hallway before a meal--ask for my entire folder.

Business Cards. I discovered business cards were mostly used to connect with other writers. When I come home from ACFW I have dozen and dozens of business cards from people I meet. It's a great way to gather contact information. The editors I talked to didn't take my one sheets, but they did take my business cards.

Here's what my business cards look like:



I tried to make my business card and one sheet look similar. My best advice is to make sure you put your picture on your card! This will help people put a face with your name later on.

At the conference be sure to have these card easily accessible! You'll find yourself exchanging cards all the time.

Pitching. Ah, pitching. I admit, I was very nervous to pitch my story the first year. But I learned a few things before I went to the conference, and I learned a few things while I was there, that have put my nerves to rest...a little bit.

First, practice, practice, practice! Practice in front of the mirror, practice with a friend or family member, and practice while you're doing household chores. It's hard to condense a 100,000 word story into a two or three minute pitch (because that's about how long it should take you)--but you can do it! You want to hook the agent or editor in the first thirty seconds and then keep them hooked for the next few minutes. After that, hopefully they want to know more and they'll ask.

Start with a great story question. The first year I asked: Can breaking someone's heart be the ultimate act of love? Both times the editors raised their brows and said: "Can it?"

One thing that surprised me about pitching was how it was actually done. It's hard to imagine what it will be like, so I thought I'd explain it as best as I can. First, you show up for your scheduled meeting about fifteen minutes early and wait in the waiting area with a lot of other very nervous people. :)You're told to be quiet, since meetings are taking place close by.

People are talking quietly together, encouraging and praying for one another. A few minutes before your scheduled time, the coordinator with call all the writers to one place and explain what will happen. There is a long hallway with many meeting rooms. You will be told where your agent/editor is waiting.

A minute before you go into your appointment a whole group of other people will be exiting the meeting rooms, done with their appointments. Then the coordinator will tell you to find your meeting room--quietly. At this point, you walk down a long hallway with about fifty other people. It kind of feels like you're being herded!

The meeting room is well lit (I say this, because for some reason, when I imagined pitching appointments, I imagined sitting at a table in a dark room with a large light shining directly on my face...) :). There are about five or six small tables set up in the room, with two chairs at each table, directly across from one another. There will be name tags on their tables so you know which person to go to. The agent or editor will be sitting on one side and you'll take the chair on the other. Hopefully they are smiling at you when you walk in! :) You sit down, with a smile on your face, and take a deep breath. Remember there are about a dozen other people in the room talking, so don't let their chatter distract you.

My first editor started by introducing herself and asked me to tell her a little about myself. This immediately set me at ease. I love talking about my home and family. After that, we launched into my pitch. The second editor greeted me with a handshake and told me to tell her about my story.


My first pitching appointment! The editor had this lovely smile
the entire time I talked to her. She put me at ease and asked
great questions about my writing.

Five minutes before your time is up the time keeper will come into the room and say: "Five minutes left" or something like that. Sometimes, I use my entire time, and sometimes I finish with a minute or two to spare. Once, I spoke with an editor who simply asked me to send her my manuscript right away and we were done in five minutes.

There is nothing I can say that will magically prepare you for the conference. It takes a lot of time, hard work and determination--but you can do it! Remember that you are the expert concerning your story and that God has called you to write it--no one else. Don't forget to be confident, yet humble. Try to put your nerves in their proper place. God gave you these nerves to keep you alert and conscious of your performance, but if you let them have too much control they can work against you.

And last, but not least in any way, pray, pray, pray. If God has called you to it, He'll walk you through it. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).

Your turn: What makes you the most nervous about pitching? If you've pitched before, tell us about it. If you have any advice about one sheets or business cards, I'd love to hear it.

We have a winner from my giveaway last week to celebrate my new publishing contract with Love Inspired Books! The winner of the August Box Set of Love Inspired Historical (eBooks) and


a copy of each of my novella collections is:


Kim Hansen-Amundsen!! Congrats, Kim. I'll be contacting you soon.

Gabrielle Meyer:
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The Last Bit of Summer

Erica here. With all this talk of kids heading to school and pumpkin spice everything soon to hit shelves, it feels as if fall is rushing at me with the speed of a runaway train.



I don't mind fall. In fact, I like the colors and the cooler temperatures. But fall is the harbinger of winter, and I am not a fan of bitter cold. As a result, I am clinging to the last bits of summer here in the north.

We're packing in lots of activities this week. We're attending an outdoor wedding, and we're all going to the Minnesota Renaissance Fair.



And in a few days, my husband and I are headed south for a week's vacation and the ACFW Conference. We'll be touring some historical sites and meandering to Dallas.

What are you doing to enjoy every last bit of summer?



Erica Vetsch:Executive AssistantEarl Grey Aficionado Find me on PINTERESTFind me on GOODREADSFind me on AMAZON.COMFind me on FACEBOOKFind me on my WEBSITE

When She Walked Away . . .

She was so tiny. I knew she'd never grow up. She fit into my arms like the missing puzzle piece. Her eyes were so aware, so bright, so searching. Even as an infant, she analyzed the world around her. More so than normal. Our doctor told us that she made him nervous--as if she looked into his soul.

She matched my heart, beat for beat, and she carried it with her with every impish smile, twirl, sprint, and laugh. Her tears were far more rare than her sparkling eyes, and her dreams were bigger than reality, and she didn't care.

It was wonderful to know my baby was secure in the safety of our home, in her imaginary mermaid world, her princess dresses, and her rock climbing fortresses.

And then one day . . . everything changed.

She grew up.

She walked away from me.


I stood and watched her go to her first day of school, but I shed none of the customary tears. For she walked with fortitude and determination. Anxiousness reflected in her eyes, mixed with giddy excitement. A warm embrace, a whispered prayer, and she murmured in wonder: "I think I'm going to be okay, Momma."

I think you will be, Baby Girl. It is I who will suffer some as you carry away my heart into the big world. May my heart break before yours, let mine bleed in your sorrow, may mine be bruised and battered, if just to keep yours innocent and whole.

And, while my wishes I breathe over you be bigger than our reality, may the One who is large enough to guard you rise to His promise, as the King protects His princess.

Jesus watch over you, my love, Jesus will protect you.

Love,
Momma

__________________________________________________
Jaime Jo Wright - author of spirited turn-of-the-century romance, stained with suspense

COMING SOON! March 2016, "The Cowgirl's Lasso", The Cowboy Bride's Novella Collection from Barbour Publishing

Visit Jaime's web site: jaimejowright.com
Email Jaime - jaimejowright at gmail dot com
Like Jaime on Facebook
Friend Jaime on Twitter
Meet Jaime on Pinterest