Edie Melson's Blog, page 234

What to do When a Writing Critique Hurts

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

We writers are a passionate, emotional group. While these traits help us create beautifully worded fiction and non-fiction, nothing slashes the heart deeper than a harsh critique of our work.We might catch ourselves thinking:“Even an idiot would get this.”“What? You’ve got to be kidding?”“Obviously, my style doesn’t suit you. Too bad. You’re missing out.”
Don’t get all self-righteous on me. We’ve all thought and said the above. Hopefully we didn’t contact the reader and blast him/her. We all learn from our mistakes. 
Never hurts to be reminded what we post online, stays online. 
Not every person reads our creations the same way. We are a diverse people with opinions and views, and ideas. Once a writer understands the freedom of perspective, we are also free to write our brand and what is on our heart about the subject. 
The only attitude we can project is the reader is always right—even when the person isn’t. How do we handle those anger-filled, bitter, and hurtful comments?
Below are a few ideas that will help us maintain our professionalism with poise and respect for ourselves and the reader who made a blunt statement.
What do do When a Writing Critique Hurts1. Know the difference between a critique and a criticism.Critique: an analysis of a literary work.Criticism: the disapproval of a literary work based on the person’s                                interpretation or regard of the contents’ faults or errors.
2. The criticism isn’t about you personally but what has been written. 
3. Don’t respond to the critique in the heat of the moment. Give yourself time to process. Don’t get involved in an argument.If the review is vicious or has insulted your integrity, ignore. Delete                              if possible.If the review simply hurt our feelings, be gracious and thank the                                   reader for their feedback.
4. Read the assessment carefully. Are any of the comments valuable? Do we need to make changes if not in this piece but in the next? Is this an opportunity to grow as a writer?
5. Consider seeking guidance from others in the publishing industry who are highly respected.
6. In some situations an offer to refund the person’s money may be in order, but be careful in choosing that alternative.
7. Refuse to quit!  
Honestly, I choose not to my reviews, and here’s my reason. If they’re good, I’m afraid I’ll get a swelled head. If they’re bad, I’ll cry for six months. I’m confident my editor will let me know if I need to be aware of a pitfall or a triumph.
What is your best method of handling a harsh critique?
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DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian Fiction books of 2014.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country.
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/diannmills, Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannmills or any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

9 Tips for Supporting Your Writing Spouse

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Today I wanted to share 9 ways to support your writing spouse. Writing is a tough industry, and the support of a spouse can be the difference between success and failure.

This isn’t really a post from what I wish had happened, but ways that Kirk has supported me—all without my prompting. 

Truthfully, I would not be where I am today without his constant encouragement, prayers, and support.9 Tips for Supporting Your Writing Spouse

1. Let the writer talk it out with you—even when it makes no sense! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve solved a writing problem just by Kirk listening to me. There’s just something about working through a problem out loud that makes it easier to solve. It’s also so much easier to do when you’re not alone.
2. Share the successes. A big part of the reason I even have success is because of Kirk’s encouragement and it means so much when he celebrates with me.
3. Share the successes. No, this isn’t a repeat of the previous number. I mean shout those successes from the rooftop. When I had an article published, Kirk was on the phone to his family and friends, bragging about my success. Now that we’re both on social media, I catch him doing the same thing, and it means the world to me.
4. Become a cheerleader. I know what you’re thinking, I wish I could have gotten a picture of Kirk with pom-poms, too! But you’re just going to have to use your imagination. Trust me, Kirk is the best cheerleader there ever was. And this writing thing is, more times than not, won or lost in your mind. Kirk’s atta-girl encouragement has definitely made the difference between success and failure for me—many times.
5. Give your spouse the respect he/she deserves. Every writer is following a dream and more importantly—God's call.That’s a gutsy thing for anyone to do. They need to be respected for taking a chance and putting it all on the line.
6. Help your writing spouse find the time to write. I don’t care if your writer spouse is retired or a stay-at-home-mom, finding time to write is tough. Help them carve it out of the family schedule so they don’t have to add guilt to the load they’re carrying.
7. Act as a gatekeeper. When I’m on deadline, and even when I’m not, I have certain times of the day blocked off to write. Kirk fields phone calls and runs interference for me during those times so I can be free to work.
8. Help your writing spouse find the money to improve their craft. This means helping with expenses for conferences, classes and organizations. I used to worry about spending family money on my dream, but Kirk gave me a different way to look at it. He told me that neither one of us would begrudge the other money to go back to college. And he said that was how he viewed my writing conference expenses. To him, that was my college, and as I became more successfully, my continuing education credits.
9. Follow your writer spouse’s blog. I don’t care if you ever comment, but surely you can keep up with what’s being written. This is a big deal. I talk to writers almost every day who are amazed and just a tad bit jealous that Kirk follows my blog—without me ever needing to ask him to!
Now I’d like to hear from you. How has your spouse supported you? How would you like for them to support you?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie

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Writing Better Books by Interviewing Your Characters

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

When interviewing our characters, we have to remove our novelist’s hat and don a journalist’s. You’re after a story, and it’s not time to be nice. 
A true journalist isn’t particularly concerned with the target’s feel8lings. In fact, a great journalist—a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist—goes for the jugular. He’ll poke, probe and pick scabs to get his story. He won’t leave his victim alone until they blurt out their secrets, their hidden desires, their deepest hurt. The same is true for us. I have over the years, taken my 7-page character interview and shrunk it down to a single page, keeping only the most probing questions. While we need the basic hair and eye colors, etc., what we really need to know is why they are the way they are and how did they become that way.
Let’s say your character is a people pleaser. How did she become like that? What is lacking in her self-confidence that makes her seek approval? Not just seek it, but the inner drive for approval is so deeply ingrained in her subconscious, she simply can’t stop it. 
That kind of drive for approval doesn’t just happen. It stems from deep within. That’s what we need to find out. And that takes more than surface probing. It can also take a lot of time. Our characters don’t give up those glimpses into themselves easily. 
Let’s say we have a character like this. We’ll call her Lucy. Lucy has an older brother, Billy, who, in her mother’s estimation, is about perfect. Billy is four years older than Lucy. He was an easy baby, an easy toddler, a little timid and always minded his mama. 
But Lucy was the opposite. Her curiosity led her to explore her surroundings and occasionally led her into trouble. Mama didn’t understand Lucy’s risk taking. She became distrustful of this small bundle of energy. Where Mama could leave Billy alone in his room playing, she constantly had to check in on Lucy, asking what she was doing. 
As our Lucy grows up, her back story could take a couple of different directions. One: Lucy decides since her mother doesn’t trust her, she may as well give her a reason not to and starts getting into real trouble. Lucy becomes a rebel. She becomes bad. If you’ve seen my posts on the lie our characters believe, you’ll find “I’m bad” on the list. That lie creates an interesting character.
Another avenue this could take is no matter how hard Lucy tries, she can’t get her mother to trust her. She can’t get the approval she seeks. Everyone wants approval, especially from the ones we love most. 
So dig deep. Don’t just settle on a lie for your character. And don’t settle for the first idea of what they want. Poke. Prod. Pick scabs. And keep at it until they give up their deepest hurt. That will make it easier to find the worst thing that could happen to them.
What was the biggest surprise your characters ever revealed when you poked?

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Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall sweet tea. She's a bestselling novelist, and playwright. Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her husband and a rascally Rottweiler who demands play dates with a whippet and a labradoodle. You can find Ane at her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, andPinterest.

No Other Name

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

I said I’d never do it. But I did it. And actually, I’ve been somewhere near the worst of them all. I said I’d never be one of those moms who went through the whole list of her kids’ names before hitting on the right one. But at least once a week the entire time my kids were growing up, I would want to say something to one of them and…there it was: roll call. I’d hit every name on my five-kid list, and sometimes even throw in a couple of my own siblings and a stray cousin or two. To add still more offense, I would often manage to get a couple of the pets’ names mixed in there, too. You can imagine how the kids loved that. At least I would fight the urge at that point to say, “Sit. Stay. Good teenager.” Well, most of the time. But it got downright embarrassing. I thought about adding a “Banana” and a “Fanna-fo” hoping they might be fooled into thinking it was some kind of name game.
I would’ve just given up and numbered my kids, but I had no doubt I would’ve called the wrong number. By the time you call your kids the wrong number once or twice, they’re likely to be insulted enough to completely tune you out anyway. “You have reached a kid who has been disconnected or is no longer listening….”
I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day. I can’t even remember why now, but somewhere in the conversation she said something surprising and I said, “Surely you’re kidding.” She said, “I’m totally not kidding. And don’t call me Susan.” Then there was a long pause. I think we were both processing. After the processing came a couple of snickers and she said, “Oh wait. It’s ‘Shirley,’ isn’t it.” Then we both laughed uproariously for a good ten minutes.
Sometimes there’s just no substitution for the right name. In Acts 4, Peter and John were standing before the rulers trying to explain whose name they were using to do all the preaching and healing they had been doing—the preaching and healing they had just spent the night in jail for, by the way. But Peter didn’t need a roll call. He told them flat out, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NIV).
No substitute. No other name. Not Susan. Not any name on any list I might rattle off. The name is ever and always: Jesus. He is the one who has all power to do all saving. And He makes salvation available to every person of every name. 
How glorious that our Heavenly Father has given Jesus the greatest name, the greatest, most honored and holy place. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Philippians 2:9-11, NIV).
Surely that’s reason to celebrate! Though let me make it clear, I’m not calling you “Shirley.” And please don’t call me Susan.

TWEETABLE
No other name - inspiration from @RhondaRhea on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet) 

Rhonda Rhea is a humor columnist for lots of great magazines, including HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway and more. She is the author of 10 nonfiction books, including How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Person? and coauthors fiction with her daughter, Kaley Faith Rhea. She and her daughters host the TV show, That’s My Mom, for Christian Television Network’s KNLJ. Rhonda enjoys traveling the country speaking at all kinds of conferences and events. She and her pastor/hubs have five grown children and live in the St. Louis area.

Earn Your Respect as a Writer

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

"Nobody takes me seriously or respects my time."

This seems to be a common refrain I hear from newer writers. They’ve finally worked up the courage to get serious about writing regularly and some of their closest family and friends won’t respect their time. They get calls during the times they’re writing and attitude if they don’t stop to talk. They hear comments that undermine their newfound confidence.
“You can do that, after all you stay home all day.”

“Oh come on, you’ve got nothing better to do.”

And my favorite. “It’s not like you have a real job.”

So what’s a writer to do?

To begin with, take a deep breath and realize this problem isn’t unique to writers. It happens to everyone who works from home—I should know—my husband and I have shared a home office for the past thirteen years. For some people an office isn’t an office if it isn’t off site. Not logical—but an all too common misconception.

I’ve fought this battle—sometimes more successfully than others—and these are the strategies I’ve come up with. 

First, make certain you’re setting the example you want followed. By that I mean keep regular hours. Notice I said regular hours—not normal ones. For years I wrote with young children. That meant writing in the afternoons and after they were in bed. Just because you’re working odd hours doesn’t mean you can’t have a schedule. Second, treat what you’re doing like you’re serious. If you blow off writing for shopping and lunch several times a week your friends and family won’t understand if you don’t stop for them. Third, be consistent. If you’re not accepting calls from your mother-in-law because you’re working, don’t spend the afternoon on the phone with your best friend. Stay focused on your writing. This is even more critical if your time is at a premium. Fourth, recruit a support team. Instead of adversaries, enlist your friends and family to help you reach your writing goals. Communicate those goals, clearly and frequently. Ask for their help to reach them. After all, what mother doesn’t want to help her baby succeed! Fifth, share your victories. Let those that help you share in the joy of goals accomplished and milestones reached. These five things have helped me immeasurably over the years. But they’re not a cure-all. There will still be those who think what you do is fun and not work. Expect that, anticipate it even. Knowing it happens to everyone takes away a little bit of the sting.

So what have you found to help when you struggle with sabotaging friends and family?

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,
Edie
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Focus Your Writer’s Eye with These 7 Tips

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

By and large writers are an observant lot. Things others might brush over or miss entirely stay with us, sparking ideas that blossom and grow. An overheard conversation can lead us to the plot of entire book. 
But like any skill that comes naturally, there's still room for improvement. I call it focusing the writer’s eye. Today I want to give you seven tips to help you focus your writer's eye.
1. Stop hearing, and take time to listen. The world around us is filled with words. So much so that it becomes a kind of white noise. As writers we need to be able to pick out the bits and pieces that resonate with the souls of our audience.
2. Search out the music. The spoken word can have a lyrical quality. As writers it’s our job to capture that music on a page. Develop an ear for the cadence in words and sentences.
3. Take what’s being said—not what’s meant—and follow it an unexpected end. For example, I overheard someone talk about another person’s downfail. No that’s not a typo, I meant to write DOWNFAIL. From the context, I know he meant to use the word, DOWNFALL. But that lead me to a cool devotion on the difference between the two concepts. 
4. Paint a picture . . . with words. Look at something that intrigues you, or inspires you, and recreate it in words. Try to boil it down to the essence in a way that others can experience what you did.
5. Expand your horizons. I’ve heard it said that the English language is limiting because it’s not a large language. There just aren’t as many words as in other languages. That may be true, but while the average adult is said to have a vocabulary of between 20,000 – 30,000 words, they probably only use about 5000. As writers, we need to strive to be above average. As a matter of fact, it’s my opinion we should set standard. 
6. Stretch your creative muscles. Along with number 5 above, don’t just stick with what you know and do well. Stretch yourself by venturing beyond your comfort zone. If your chosen field is fiction, try writing poetry. If you are most comfortable with non-fiction, give writing short stories a try. You may not choose to add that skill to your repertoire, but what you do write will be richer because you branched out.
7. Practice, practice, practice. It doesn’t matter what discipline, every artist will tell you it takes time to become proficient with your medium. This is just as true with words. Get familiar with your medium. Take time to learn the nuances, master the graceful ins and outs of language.
What are some things you do to help you see the world around you in such a way that you can capture it on the page? Share your own tips here. Also, I’d like to issue a challenge. Take one of the above points and practice it every day for a week. Then, next Friday, report back and let’s share what we’ve learned. I’ll do it too.
And don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLESCapturing the world in words—7 Tips to help  focus your writer’s eye – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives. Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.

Prevent Post-Writing-Conference Burnout

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

I enjoyed attending the 2019 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. During the conference many industry relationships were cultivated as discussed in my last article  Writing—A Juggling Act .  I saw friends I hadn’t seen since last year and met new ones. Now I have several new podcasts and magazines to query, dozens of social media pages to like, and book proposals to complete. By the time I got home exhaustion ensued. 
To stay organized during the conference, I created a to do list on the Notes app on my iPhone. I titled it To Do List After BRMCWC. It contained a prioritized A, B, and C list. During the conference as ideas popped into my head, I added them to this list. Many people suggested different tactics to further my writing career—so I added them to the list. Thank goodness I did. I could not have remembered everything after I got home that I included on my three page list.

Post Conference BurnoutWhen I returned home, family obligations prevailed. My two college-age daughters were home. One was moving across the country and the other to Washington DC for an internship. So my organized to do list sat untouched. Family was my priority. I try to follow the hierarchy of Christian life—first God, spouse second, children third, work, friends, and ministries, in that order.

With making my family a priority, I pushed to meet my writing deadlines. But my office suffered because I had no time to unpack from the conference. After getting my adult children settled, I was even more exhausted. So I sat down to read a book about rest that I bought at the conference. 
RestMy Blue Ridge instructor Sandra Dalton-Smith MD wrote the book  Sacred Rest . From reading, I found there are seven different types of rest: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative. To find out what kind of rest I needed, I took a quiz at RestQuiz.com. I needed physical and creative rest. 
To rest physically I went to bed earlier and completely rested on Sunday. God gave us a rest day for a fundamental reason—to restore our bodies. To gain creative rest, I spent more time outside amongst nature. In the morning, I sat on my front porch and listened to birds sing while I meditated with the Lord. Meditation improves brain health. After just a few days, my creative juices began flowing again.

Soul Care
Next, I picked up Edie Melson’s book  Soul Care for Writers . I began adding a soul care devotion to my morning routine. On the third day, the devotion suggested going outside to notice the colors, smell, and intricacy of all that God created. I could smell the confederate jasmine blooming in my backyard. Abundant peace washed over me. The post-conference burnout faded.
I as I delved further into the devotions it was as if they were written for me—a writer. And they were. From one writer to another. Discussions about fear, rejection, and overachievement ensued. This turned into a heart-to-heart talk with God about relinquishing my will for my career to his will for me and my prose. The Lord is my boss. He is not a task master but a loving God. I want him to steer my career not my desire for success.

When you get home from a conference, don’t start working on your long to do list right away. Instead, revitalize your soul with rest, spend time with the Lord, and ask him to guide you. Then clean up your office and writing space. An organized work area brings clarity. Once you are rested, attain clarity of mind, and God’s guidance that to do list won’t be so unattainable anymore. Happy writing!

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Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHSSusan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACH with the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner  7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES ,  CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES , HEALTHY LIVING JOURNAL, SCRIPTURE YOGA a #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and  YOGA FOR BEGINNERS  which ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product  HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA  is a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COM You can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.

Writing with Purpose

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Writing a book is no sprint—it’s a marathon. A cross-country marathon. As you run through fields of modifiers and metaphors, you eventually encounter hills of writer’s block. Ducking distractions and swatting flies of doubt and anxiety, you barrel forward closer and closer to the finish line. By the time you reach the last leg of the race—the final editing of your book—your energy and enthusiasm reach an all-time low. What’s a runner—that is, a writer—to do?
Running alongside every writer is an ally, a friend in the writing process. Its name? Purpose. The reason you started writing your book in the first place. When you’re almost to the end of the writing and editing process, don’t give up. Let Purpose nudge you forward. 
Ask yourself the following five questions to refresh your purpose in your mind and heart. Don’t let the time, energy, concentration, or challenges of writing hinder you from fulfilling your purpose.
5 Questions to Refresh Your Writing PurposeHow could my message help others to have more hope, encouragement, or practical advice?What inspired the idea for this book—a personal difficulty, a friend’s trial, a need in the world today, or a message of truth from Scripture? How has God confirmed for me that He wants me to do this project?If I stop now, what specific encouragement will the world be missing? What principles has God taught me about this topic that He wants me to share with others?
So don’t stop, writer friend, when the finish line is near. Keep your running shoes tied on. Listen to your friend, Purpose, and finish well. Let Purpose help you to keep going, and depend on God for the wisdom, creativity, and grace to see your book finished. The world needs as many messages of hope and truth as it can get, and yours is going to make a difference. 
Think about what book (besides the Bible) has impacted your life the most. If the author hadn’t reached the finish line, what hope or encouragement would be missing from your life? Tell us in the comments below, and remember that your book may be as meaningful to someone else one day. Keep writing, and don’t forget to join the conversation!
TWEETABLES
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Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of  Refresh Bible Study Magazine , and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. The first book she compiled, Breaking the Chains, won a 2018 Selah finalist award. The next compilation, Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character, uses the metaphor of house renovation to show how God renovates our hearts. Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.com, thoughts-about-God.com, the Arise Dailyblog, PursueMagazine.net, and two blogs on writing. She loves spending time with family and friends, making jewelry, and hunting for the best donuts. Connect with her at her blog,  The Scrapbooked Bible Study , and on Facebook and Twitter. 

Writing Memoir - 3 Keys to Keep You On Track

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel

“So what?”

Unfortunately, that may be just the response when you say you want to write a memoir. Why do you do it anyway?

To communicate a true story. Your story. Or at least part of it.
For a long time, the only people writing memoir were those who were rich, famous or extremely influential. But today anyone can write a memoir – and memoir stories are showing up in blogs, devotionals, and a whole variety of non-fiction books.

Why in the world would people read your memoir?

To gather important lessons, insight and perspective to help in their own personal stories.

Writer Douglas Crow puts it rather bluntly, “Nobody cares about your book. What people truly want is to improve their lives. The only reason someone may find your story interesting is how it relates to them.”
I’d like to encourage you to write your memoir, even if you aren’t rich, famous or particularly influential. Just remember these 3 keys to writing a memoir that people will read:

Memoirs include a Theme
Don’t try to tell your whole life story. Pick one theme and weave stories using that thread. The theme you choose must be universal, yet personal, something others can relate to, even if they have never experienced exactly what you have. Memoir doesn’t work when it’s just a bunch of unrelated stories – there must be something that ties them together. How do you choose which theme? Brainstorm some of the most significant watershed moments in your life. As you do, certain constants will emerge --- perseverance over challenges, learning from bad choices, helping the underdog, etc. Remember to include a vital takeaway.

Memoirs are Interesting
Please don’t give us every single word that every person said when that thing happened to you. Just because it occurred doesn’t make it interesting. But if you use storytelling techniques you can make even the most ordinary everyday incident absolutely fascinating. Just don’t stretch the truth (remember James Frey and Brian Williams…) Use fiction techniques in writing your own non-fiction. And be sure to grab the reader from the very beginning with a great opening scene, perhaps even the pivotal moment of decision. Use dialogue to be vivid in your storytelling.

Memoirs are Personal, yet Universal
A truly good memoir is one we can all connect to in some way. It’s not just your autobiography; it’s about something bigger than just you. What are people going to do after they read it? Are they moved to make a decision, pursue a dream or change a habit? Perhaps the trickiest part of memoir is the personal vulnerability. 
In memoir, writers are willing to work our way into our readers’ hearts through honest sharing of the hard parts of our story. Honesty is not the same thing as confession (blurting out stuff for shock value.) And you don’t have to include every detail. As Meghan Daum observes, “Honesty means making the reader feel less alone. Honesty is inherently generous. Confession is needy and intrusive.” Pray before you share your story and ask God to help you do it in a redeeming manner.

As you write memoir, remember that readers are looking for your story to help them live their story. If we tell our story well, others will discover insight and inspiration valuable to their own lives. For those of us who are followers of Christ, this is the very reason we write, isn’t it?

“Every word You give me is a miracle word — how could I help but obey?

Break open Your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.”

Psalm 119.129-130 MSG

Live your story. Write your story. And embrace your role in God’s great Kingdom Story.

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Writing Memoir - 3 Keys to Keep You On Track from @LucindaSMcDowel on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Writing a memoir is still all about the reader - tips from @LucindaSMcDowel on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Lucinda Secrest McDowell, M.T.S., is a storyteller and seasoned mentor who engages both heart and mind while  “Helping you Choose a Life of Serenity & Strength.”  A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, McDowell is the author of 13 books and contributing author to 30+ books. Her books include the award-winning  Dwelling Places  (2017 Christian Retailing BEST Award for Devotional),  Ordinary Graces   (2018 Selah Finalist),  Live These Words , and  Refresh!  Lucinda, a member of the Redbud Writers Guild, received Mt. Hermon “Writer of the Year” award and guest blogs for The Write Conversation, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog and (in)courage. Whether co-directing   “reNEW ~ retreat for New England Writing,”   pouring into young mamas, or leading a restorative day of prayer, she is energized by investing in people of all ages. Lucinda’s favorites include tea parties, good books, laughing friends, ancient prayers, country music, cozy quilts, musical theatre, and especially her family scattered around the world doing amazing things.  Known for her ability to convey deep truth in practical and winsome ways, she writes from “Sunnyside” cottage in New England and blogs weekly at http://www.EncouragingWords.net/ 
Follow Lucinda on Twitter: @LucindaSMcDowel

Marketing to Your Reader

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Marketing to the reader should begin before typing the first word of your book or article. To reach that reader you need to understand the person’s real desires and needs. Your words will be a gift to that reader. Consider what your reader really wants and write to meet those desires. What’s the question you can answer that is on their mind or heart? What’s the challenge in their life that I causing struggles? What emotion do the struggles cause? Those are the felt needs. Keep them uppermost in your writing and then showcase them in the marketing.Market the book to make readers aware that you have solutions for their specific needs as they struggle to do life. Reach out and assure the reader that your book will meet the needs. You need to help them trust you and your words by sharing how it changed you and is changing others.
Market by appealing to those needs and showing results. Show that the book will meet basic needs of acceptance, affirmation, adventure, assurance, and approval. This is done in fiction through characters overcoming the struggle. In nonfiction, it’s done when we help the reader overcome and embrace something new. Either way, we serve to meet their needs.
AcceptanceShow the reader they are accepted by you. That means you show them compassion, show you understand their heart and struggles, and show you care. This can be done by questions and even surveys or a few anecdotes. Sandra Felton launched her success on writing about getting organized with a few questions in a newspaper want ad: Messy? Want help?  She gave a meeting time and place. That started a support group and later the editor of the want ad followed up to see what happened. The follow up article went nationwide and started a ministry. A mom writing about mothering shared those chaotic moments of grape juice spilling, a child bleeding, and more that let her readers see she understood and walked beside them in the struggle to parent well.
Affirmation of EncouragementLet the reader know that overcoming the struggle is doable. That can be anecdotes of I reached rock bottom when a light bulb went off and I found a way to cope and even thrive. They assure the reader you can do it to with a few steps, a change of attitude, or some method. You share how in doing life a little better every day it can make a lifestyle change. Invite them to join a wall of success in your Pinterest or other social media, newsletter, or blog. 
AdventurePeople do what something new and fresh, Readers want excitement and adventure, either in a small or big way. This can be done even in a parenting book by asking readers to share the little and big successes on social media or in responding to your newsletter. It’ done through inviting the reader to pause and make a memory of what he or she accomplished. Share stories from readers to market the book and remind them that they can join the journey and follow the quest.
AssuranceReaders want to believe that your ideas work and are doable and effective. Let them know they can do it because others have done it. Assure them it is easy. Reassure them they will get through, they will grow, they will gain something valuable, or they will live with more peace, joy, or contentment. Do this by sharing testimonies of people who can gush with enthusiasm and endorse the book because it changed him or her in some way.
ApprovalPeople want approval. They want to know their life matters and their actions make a difference. They want to know you listen and approve of their achievement, their moving forward, or their decisions. Invite readers to let you know how they feel when they have finished your book and applied the ideas. Share their reactions.
Marketing with these ideas in mind is what builds a tribe. People feel they belong when you show you care and applaud their efforts.

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 Marketing to Your Reader - tips from @KarenHWhiting on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

5 Things to keep in mind when marketing to you reader - @KarenHWhiting on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

JOIN Karen in New Jersey June 21st
Karen will hold at a one-day seminar. The morning will be workshops on writing craft. afternoon will be a group critique where she will give time to each attendees’ piece or need  in writing or marketing. $50. https://www.facebook.com/events/384673485595781/
Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com) is an international speaker, former television host of Puppets on Parade, certified writing and marketing coach, and award-winning author of twenty-five books for women, children, and families. Her newest book, The Gift of Bread: Recipes for the Heart and the Table reflects her passion for bread and growing up helping at her grandparent’s restaurant. 
She has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than seven hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Leading Hearts, The Kid’s Ark, and BCM International. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting