A Workout to Get Your Manuscript Publisher Ready

By Rachel Sweasey, Rhiza Press

Last week I supplied a list of steps to follow in order to refine your writing to the stage where it can be submitted to a traditional publisher, if that is your intention. This week, I flesh them out a little.

1. Read widely

Okay, so this really has to happen before you start writing. Read heaps of really great writing by successful authors. Work out what they’ve done that makes you sit up and think. Look at how they structure their stories, how they use POV, build characters, paint scenes. How does their writing make you feel? I’ve just finished editing Patricia Weerakoon’s Snowy Summer and I swear I could smell Sri Lankan spices and feel the chill of mountain air on my face. How did she do that? Ask those questions and then practice writing that way.

2. Work out why you’re writing what you’re writing

American author Harper Lee only ever wrote one book. It is an international bestseller that has sold more than 40 million copies. To Kill a Mockingbird is written with exquisite skill. Yet why did she never write again? “I only had one thing to say and I’ve said it,” she said.

As a Christian writer, you might believe you are called to write and publish one thing in particular. If that is the case then I believe God will bless you with success if you are true to your calling. However, there’s a big difference between that scenario and being a writer of faith who has a talent and a desire to write. What is the thing you have to say? If there’s one theme on your heart that you keep coming back to, then I’d say that might be it. And once you’ve worked out what you want to write and why you want to write it … start the work of writing.

3. Do some writing training, and then practice

Whatever stage of your writing journey you’re at there are probably some new tools you can add to your pencil case (unless you’re Kate Morton or Ian McEwan :))

There are all kinds of online courses, mountains of books full of tips (take a look at the Books for Writers site, and talks given by authors in bookshops and libraries. Every little piece of training can help you improve your writing. Having heard Margie Lawson speak at last year’s Omega conference, I’d recommend her courses.

Some of the training you’ll find will give you some basic tips that you can apply to every piece of writing. Here are my favourites:

1. Beware weak qualifying adverbs
2. Make certain that every word is working hard work.
3. Check for head-hopping
4. Remove unnecessary ‘telling’
5. Write a first page to die for
6. Start in the action
7. Carefully proofread each and every line

4. Apply all your training to your manuscript

Whether or not you do all your training before you start to write your main thing, or you’ve already completed a manuscript and now need to revisit and refine it, now’s the time to apply everything you’ve learned.

5. Befriend a beta-reader (or three)

Find some widely-read friends who will read your (best) work and give you honest feedback. So, probably don’t pick your mum (she’ll gush) or your spouse (you’ll fall out). Ask them to report back on specifics: which characters did they feel connected to? Did they feel engaged with the plot? How hard was it to read/put down?

6. Apply the beta-readers’ feedback to your manuscript

7. Engage a Professional Editor

No, you don’t have to marry one. But you will have to pay for their services. Once you are sure that you have written the one thing you need to write, in the best way you possibly can, and you’ve applied all the new learning you’ve just gained, and you’ve edited, and edited, and re-written, and edited after applying the feedback from your beta-readers, then engage a professional editor. You might only want to pay for a manuscript appraisal at first, and a good editor will give you a detailed appraisal that will help you work out the big things you need to work on: structure, character building, tone, POV etc.

A professional editor will also be able to honestly advise you whether or not you are likely to find a home for your work in a traditional publishing house, or whether you should pursue self-publishing instead. Either way, the expense will be worthwhile.

8. Next? You guessed it. Apply the advice of the professional editor.

9. Re-engage the professional editor to complete a full edit

This is possibly an expense you’ll balk at paying. But remember the process of refining gold. If your aim is to refine your work to be the best it can possibly be, this is an important step. And in the long-run I believe it will be money very well spent if your aim is to get your work published.

10. Enter a competition

This is one tip that may be new to you. Many published authors first found success with their work in writing competitions. Believe it or not, these competitions aren’t just out there for a little fun and to give out prizes. There are talent spotters involved in the reading and judging process. Entering competitions achieves several goals. You’ll discover if your work is as good as you think it is. You’ll hopefully get some feedback (though you may have to pay extra fees for this). You have to write and edit to a deadline (always good practice). And you may even be talent-spotted 

11. Find a Publishing House

Another fact that may not be as widely understood as it should for emerging writers: Not all publishing houses are the same. In order to find the best home for your manuscript you need to research publishers in much the same way you’d try to find adoptive parents for an orphan. Do they publish stories like yours? Have they already published any similar? Which of their published books is your MS similar to (but not TOO similar – if your story has already been done before, then you have some serious re-thinking to do). Have you read their submission criteria? Does your writing fit? Have you included anything that they state they don’t want?

Once you’ve found a home where your baby might settle and thrive, and after all of steps 1-10 have been followed, I think you might be ready to press ‘submit’ :)

About Rachel Sweasey

Rachel Sweasey is an editor at Rhiza Connect, the newly branded imprint of Rhiza Press dedicated to inspirational adult fiction for the faith-based market. She also edits the inspirational texts for Book Whispers, a consultancy that offers appraisal, editing, typesetting, printing, design, and marketing services. Rhiza Press also has a Young Adult imprint, Rhiza Edge. Rachel graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Composition. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and 3 children, has known Christ as her saviour since the age of 14, and serves in worship ministry in Wynnum Baptist Church.

2017 Omega Writers Conference Highlights #omega17 | Narelle Atkins

Left to Right: Elaine Fraser, Andrea Grigg, Iola Goulton, Margie Lawson, Jeanette O'Hagan, Narelle Atkins, Nola Passmore.

By Narelle Atkins

Wow. The 2017 Omega Writers Conference in Sydney last weekend was fabulous. Awesome. Brilliant. Inspiring. Around one hundred writers enjoyed the relaxed rural conference setting on the outskirts of Sydney. I feel blessed to belong to Omega Writers and the wider Christian writing community that encourages and supports writers in our part of the world.

Many thanks to Raewyn Elsegood and her conference team who worked hard behind the scenes. Jenny Glazebrook's new initiative to place attendees in host groups provided another avenue to build relationships and ensure first time conference attendees were welcomed into the Omega writing community.

The amazing Margie Lawson was our keynote speaker. We love Margie and love her teaching gift. Thank you Margie for blessing us by attending our conference. 

Margie is pictured above with the six Margie Immersion Grads who were at conference. Elaine Fraser is a 3-time Immersion Grad: Melbourne in August 2015, Sydney in August 2016 and a solo Immersion with Margie in Colorado in May 2017. Andrea Grigg and Iola Goulton attended an August 2015 Melbourne Immersion with Elaine (hosted by 4-time Immersion Grad Dorothy Adamek). Jeanette O'Hagan and Nola Passmore attended a Brisbane Immersion in August 2016. I attended a Canberra Immersion in March 2017.

Margie included quotes in her teaching points from Elaine Fraser's book Amazing Grace and Andrea Grigg's book All is Bright. It was exciting to see their excellent writing featured on the big screen.

Multi-published author Alex Marestaing from Southern California was our keynote speaker at the CALEB Awards. Yes, we really did have an international author who has worked with Disney attend our Aussie conference and teach our Young Adult and Middle Grade writers!

I had the pleasure of introducing the delightful Patricia Weerakoon and her much anticipated workshop 'Sex without Sleaze'. An informative and challenging workshop for fiction writers on how to write about sexuality and related issues in both the Christian market and general market from a Christian perspective. 

Multi-published regency romance author Carolyn Miller presented a fun and engaging workshop for fiction writers. We celebrated with Carolyn as her third book, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, was released in the USA during the week prior to conference.  

Omega Writers President Meredith Resce and Margie Lawson presented the certificates to the CALEB Award finalists. We live streamed the CALEB Awards via my Facebook Profile to Australasian Christian Writers and Christian Writers Downunder Facebook Groups. The video footage is in two parts and can be viewed at the links below.

2017 CALEB Awards via Facebook Live - Part 1

2017 CALEB Awards via Facebook Live - Part 2

Facebook Live Part 2 video includes Alex Marestaing's inspiring keynote address.

Facebook Live Part 2 video also includes Rachel Sweasey and Rochelle Manners from Rhiza Press and author Catriona McKeown (2016 CALEB Unpublished winner) discussing the upcoming release of YA novel The Boy in the Hoodie.

CALEB Awards co-ordinator Judy Rogers presented the CALEB Prize to the overall winner, Cecily Paterson.

2017 CALEB ~ Published Fiction

Winner: 
Charlie Frank is A-OK - Cecily Anne Paterson (CALEB Prize Winner)

Finalists: 
Daystar: The Days are Numbered - Anne Hamilton 

Forgiving Sky - Jenny Glazebrook 

Amazing Grace - Elaine Fraser

2017 CALEB ~ Children’s Picture Books 

Winner: 

Small and Big - Karen Collum illustrated by Ben Wood (CALEB Prize Runner Up)

Finalists: 

The Mighty, Mighty King Christmas Book - Penny Morrison illustrated by Lisa Flanagan 

My Imagination - written and illustrated by Ellen Wildig

2017 CALEB ~ Published Non-Fiction 

Winner: 
Burn My Letters: Tyranny to Refuge - Ruth Bonetti
Finalists: 
Heaven Tempers the Wind - Hazel Barker 
Becoming Me - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

2017 CALEB ~ Unpublished Manuscript 

Winner: 
Siren’s Fight - Kristen Young 
Finalists:
In the Middle of the Whirlwind - Hannah Currie 
The Gryphon Key - Elizabeth Klein 
Holy War - Anthony Peterson

Karen Collum & Cecily Paterson

Many thanks to Margaret Holahan who took hundreds of photos for Omega Writers during the weekend and allowed me to access the Dropbox and share photos in my post. The photos that are date stamped are from the Omega photo collection. Enjoy browsing the conference photos and plan to attend the 2018 Conference in Adelaide. 

Raewyn Elsegood & Margie Lawson

Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Rowena Beresford

Rose Dee at the Registration Desk

Katrina Roe

James Cooper

Penny Morrison

Introducing the 2017 Omega Writers Conference

By Iola Goulton

Bookings for the 2017 Omega Christian Writer’s Conference are now open. The conference is being held from 27-29 October 2017. The venue is the same as last year, the Edmund Rice Conference Centre in Mulgoa, and there are many familiar faces on the organising committee. And there will be a lot of familiar faces from previous years.

There are some changes—excellent changes.

First, all attendees will be placed in host groups for the weekend—a small group that will meet together on the first day, led by an experienced conference-goer. This gives everyone an opportunity to meet new people, and gives first-time attendees someone to ask if they have questions. This isn’t a big conference compared to some, but it can still be a daunting experience if you’ve never attended a writing conference before.

My tip: if you’re flying into Sydney, take the conference bus. We all meet at a coffee shop to wait for the bus, which leaves at 1:30. It’s a low-key way to meet people before we actually arrive at the venue.

It also helps to remember that many writers are introverts, and our group is no exception. Many of the people you meet at the conference who act like extroverts will go home and spend the next year in their introverted writing cave. And dieting. Because they feed us well!

The Programme

This year, there are three streams on offer: fiction, children/young adult, and non-fiction:

Fiction

The fiction stream is headlined by the weekend’s keynote speaker, Margie Lawson. Margie is an international speaker and writing coach, and many members of Omega Writers, Australasian Christian Writers, and Christian Writers Downunder have benefited from her online courses (from Lawson Writer's Academy), or attended an in-person immersion (five days of brilliance).

While Margie specialises as a fiction coach, many of her key messages are equally important for non-fiction writers. For example, she’s a big fan of using cadence, power words, and rhetorical devices to add impact to our writing. Great preachers use many of these same devices.

Other speakers in the fiction stream include Dr Patricia Weerakoon, and Carolyn Miller. Patricia had been scheduled to speak last year but had to pull out at the last minute, so we’ve been waiting to hear her for a long time!

Children/Young Adult

Australia has a wealth of Christian talent writing for children, and four of these talents will present a combined workshop: Rochelle Manners, Rowena Beresford, Katrina Roe, and Jemima Trappel.

Attendees will also hear from Penny Morrison, and from American author Alex Marestaing, who will also be the guest speaker at the CALEB Award dinner on Saturday night.

Non Fiction

Non fiction authors will be treated to sessions from May Luan Kim, JoAnne Berthelsen, and James Cooper.

You can find out more about all these speakers at the Omega Writer’s website.

Publishers and Editors

Publishers Rochelle Manners (Rhiza Press/Wombat Books) and Deb Porter (Breath of Fresh Air Press) will be attending, and both are available for paid one-on-one appointments, bookable at the conference. Rochelle Manners also runs the conference bookstall, so bring your wallet—no EFTPOS is available, and you will want to buy books. Lots of books. (Rochelle can be persuaded to post them if your airline luggage limit is a problem.)

The conference also gives you the opportunity to meet one-on-one with freelance editors (including me). This is a great opportunity to get some feedback on your writing, and some direction for your next steps. Appointments can be booked at the conference, and are paid.

Are you convinced yet? Then it’s time to book! 

Bookings are open at the Omega Writers website. Note that there is a discount for members of Omega, so this is a great time to sign up if you’re not already a member.

Are you planning on attending the conference? Do you have any questions about conference?

Writing ~ A Lifelong Learning Process

By Narelle Atkins

I started writing my first book last century. Fourteen years later I sold that book to a traditional publisher in a six book deal. My writing apprenticeship of fourteen years is long by today's standards.

A debut author has options in 2017 that didn't exist when I started writing. They can pursue traditional publishing opportunities or independently publish their first book. Both options are legitimate. The wisdom lies in an author discerning which publishing path (traditional, indie, or hybrid) is best for their writing career and whether or not their book is ready to be published.

Writing quality matters. In many ways it matters more in 2017 than it did last century. The book market is saturated with books that aren't going out of print. The supply of new print, digital, and audio books available for readers to purchase or borrow increases every day. Millions of books are available online. Readers are no longer limited to reading what's available on the shelf in their local book store or library. The best quality books will stand out in a crowded market where word of mouth marketing sells books.

My fourteen year writing apprenticeship was largely spent on two key things. Firstly, I invested time and money in learning the craft of writing. I took writing classes, read craft books, attended writing conferences, worked with critique partners, and entered unpublished writing contests.

Secondly, I learned how to write a marketable contemporary Christian romance that attracted the interest of an editor at a publishing house. Both of these endeavours required skills that aren't born from natural talent. A writing career requires persistence, hard work, and a willingness to learn.

The hard work doesn't end when your debut book is published. Marketing and book promotion activities become part of an author's life. Readers who enjoyed your first book eagerly await your second book. And your third book. They want to be wowed again and again by the stories you create.

Writing professional development is a lifelong pursuit for authors. Traditionally published authors have to wow their editor to obtain their next contract. All authors have to wow their readers to inspire them to buy their next book.

In early March I was blessed to have an opportunity to attend a Margie Lawson Immersion Master Class over a holiday weekend. In Canberra. Only a fifteen minute drive from my home. I've wanted to work with Margie for years and I was thrilled that I could fit the Writing Intensive Master Class into my 2017 schedule. The timing was perfect for a bunch of reasons.

Margie Lawson is our international keynote speaker at our upcoming 2017 Omega Writers Conference, October 27-29 in Sydney, Australia.

Have you made plans in 2017 to pursue writing professional development opportunities? Do you have the 2017 Omega Writers Conference dates marked on your calendar? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor

Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins

Fun, Fresh, Feisty and Fierce! An Immersion with Margie Lawson Explained ... by Andrea Grigg

Margie ready to go!

I’d heard a lot of very good things about psychotherapist and editor, Margie Lawson. And after talking to friends who had signed up for an immersion being held in Melbourne, straight after the Romance Writers of Australia conference which I was already attending, I signed up too.

Best move ever!

Margie is a warm, funny, energetic, and inspiring lady. For five days, seven of us hunkered down with her in the home of our host, the lovely Dorothy Adamek. We arrived at 8:30 in the morning and didn’t leave most nights until 9:30 pm.

Sound intense? Well yes, it was, (hence our group name, 'Fun, Fresh, Feisty and Fierce!')  but there was endless encouragement, lots of laughter, constant ‘aha!’ moments, and an abundance of gourmet food (thank you Dotti!).

Each morning, Margie presented her fabulous, so this-is-what-my-writing’s-been-missing techniques and gave us exercises to work on. She also spent time with us one-on-one, going     over our manuscripts. What an invaluable daily half hour that was!

Elaine still working hard ...

 Four of us already knew each other, but it took no time at all for us to bond with the other two immersioners. Improving our writing was our goal and boy, were we given the Bunning’s Warehouse of tools to do it!

I love studying writing craft. I’m always keen to know how to improve my style, strengthen my structure and learn new strategies. I received all that and more from Margie. 

Here’s a quote from Catherine Hudson on the subject:  

'Many writing craft books tell you the dos and don'ts, a whole list of rules that in the end, make you feel confined, shut in.... and frankly, suffocated. Margie Lawson's lecture packets and her immersion have set my creativity free! She gives tools to make your writing fresh, fun, and marketable. Margie is a powerhouse of writing knowledge, creative energy and editing humour. I've never laughed so much as someone carved up my work to turn it into a thing of beauty. Love it! I plan to attend more of her courses soon.'

Was the immersion tiring? Exhausting? Overwhelming? Yes, but oh-so-worth-it. Here’s what Cassandra Shaw and Elaine Fraser had to say:

Cassandra: 'You’ll be excited. You’ll be exhausted. You’ll be near tears. You’ll be wondering why you did this. When it’s over, Margie will leave you inspired, driven, and confident you now have the tools to craft a novel beyond your biggest NYT dreams.' 

Elaine: 'On Monday, I was full of enthusiasm. On Tuesday, I was ready to quit. On Friday, I had the tools I needed to triumph.'

And this from Iola Goulton: 

'Dotti raved about her first Margie Lawson. And her second. After a week with Margie, I can see why. I now understand and can apply a huge range of power writing techniques and understand the effects of Velcro hands, thumbies, and choosing the right cookies. If you want to know what any of that means, you’ll have to ask me in person at the Christian Writers Conference in October … or attend a Margie Lawson immersion yourself. I guarantee Margie will show you how to be a better writer (or editor!).'

So, what preparation was involved?

Each of us brought five chapters of a manuscript to work on. We also purchased three specific ‘packets’, a group of printed out online lectures, (Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices and More; Empowering Characters’ Emotions; Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues like a Psychologist) and applied them to our chapters before the immersion. The packets are only $22 USD and FULL of amazing examples from ‘Margie-grads’, many of whom have gone on to write NYT best-sellers! I’ll be purchasing more of the packets in the very near future.

Will I sign up for another immersion?

You bet! But if Margie doesn’t make it back Down Under, (the immersions are held mostly in the U.S.) I will access more of the lecture packets or sign up for an online course.

I hope I’ve managed to whet your appetite concerning all things Margie Lawson. Check out her website http://www.margielawson.com/ and see which part appeals.  And if you ever get an opportunity to attend an immersion, go for it! You'll be so thankful you did.

Out to dinner on our last night. From L-R: Cassandra, Andrea, Catherine, Dotti, Iola, Lauren, Margie, Elaine

5 Reasons Every Novelist Needs Margie Lawson

By Dorothy Adamek 

There's been some talk about Margie Lawson of late. Have you heard the chatter? Margie Lawson is coming to Australia to present at the 2015 RWAust conference in August and run her world famous Immersion Masterclasses. 

Here's a post I wrote in 2013 about the benefits of studying with Margie. NOTHING has changed. If anything, I've learned I need this MORE. 

How about you? Are you ready to take your fiction writing to the next level? Looking to study the craft of writing with a master teacher? Perhaps, even change the course of your writing career? 

If you haven’t already met, let me introduce Margie Lawson. I’m a proud Margie-Grad. I’ve studied and applied her writing wisdom, and today I want to share the five reasons you need her, too. 

1. Margie Lawson knows psychology. And writing. And how the two should sit in a knot in every writer’s toolbox. Margie’s a psychotherapist, editor and international presenter. If you’re keen to sharpen your characters’ visceral responses, or even learn what a visceral response is, then you need to knock on the Lawson Writing Academy door. Discover how Margie’s decades of psychotherapy translate into online writing courses and lecture packets. You’ll learn how to Empower Characters’ Emotions, Write Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist, and plunge into the Deep Editing System. If you’re serious about writing fiction, you won’t regret taking Margie’s courses. Your editor, agent and reader will thank you. And long before they do… you’ll be thanking yourself. 

2. Margie loves fresh writing. She lives for it. When fresh writing grabs her, she slaps sticky notes all over that brilliance. She shares examples with her students, over and over and over, until the cadence of words sings across the room and each student stops to breathe it in. Margie will tell you, “It’s all about fresh writing,” and her enthusiasm is contagious. She trains the ear for what every reader deserves, and what every writer longs to deliver. 

3. Margie kills clichés. Don’t touch them. Don’t even think about them. Even if one bobs around in your mind, all pretty and perfect, don’t be fooled. Margie won’t care. She’ll take you a different way, deepen your writing senses and you’ll soon recoil when clichés flirt with your writer’s head. Instead, you’ll find the scaffolding to transform clichés into powerful writing. The way you hang laundry on the line. One word at a time. Here, here and here. Flipped and swapped, until words slap you across the head all crisp and bright, you’ll wonder how you never thought of it that way before. But Margie has. She’s taught her methods to hundreds of authors and I’ll bet there’s no reason you can’t be one of them. 

4. Margie plays with colours. Yes, she does. Just when you thought she was all frowns and tsk tsk…. turns out… her love of pinks and blues and greens will illuminate your world. She’s turned an ordinary pack of highlighters into a fierce editing tool, (along with her EDITS System) and you’ll never despair about what’s missing from your pages or what’s messing your story flow. You’ll learn to spot strengths and opportunities in a darkened room with your eyes half shut and your manuscript the wrong way around. Ok, maybe you’ll need the light on, but you’ll learn to edit with your pages upside down. For real. It’s a Margie-thing. And it works. I promise. 

 San Antonio fun with Margie Lawson, Lori Freeland and Dorothy Adamek

5. Margie keeps tricks up her professorial sleeve. She opens her home for Immersion Retreats where she welcomes writers to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills. Her Colorado mountain home is the perfect location for writing masterclasses, and Margie’s schedule also includes retreats all over the US. As well as presenting at the RWAust 2015 conference, for the first time ever, Margie Lawson will be conducting two Immersion masterclasses in Melbourne. (My home, to be exact, and I’m thrilled to share Margie with the Aussies and New Zealanders who will attend.) Those participating will discover what’s beyond the lecture packets and online courses, as well as enjoy one-on-one time with Margie and her red pen. (Read more about my 2013 Immersion Class here.)

Have you ever taken (or strongly desire to take) a Margie Lawson online course? Studied one of her lecture packets? Attended an immersion retreat? 

Yes? No? Want to? Visit Margie’s amazing website of online resources and courses for more inspiration. http://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy-courses

*****

Dorothy Adamek lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three gorgeous kids. 

She's the winner of the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love Competition, 
and the 2104 Inspirational Category Winner of the TARA Writing Contest. 

Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots. 

All About Dotti and ACW Birthday Scavenger Hunt

Rita here. Today I'd like to introduce Dorothy Adamek. An Australian writer of Historical Romance, she lives at Crabapple House with her Beloved and their three children, twenty fruit trees and Gilbert the cat. A graduate of La Trobe University, Dorothy studied Literature, History and Education. She taught secondary school English and English as a Second Language.

Romantic shot of Dotti and Her Beloved

Dotti, you are a regular blogger. What is it called and what would you mainly talk about? Does it have a theme?

Hi Rita. I’ve been writing at my blog, Ink Dots, since 2009. I started journalling my writing adventures and sharing some of the historical details I’ve unearthed in my research. I chose the name Ink Dots in salute to olde worlde writer's ink, and picked up the dots from my nickname, Dotti. Ink Dots represents what I write ~ Historical Romance ~ The Heartbeat Of Yesteryear. 

Currently, I post twice a week. On Mondays I interview an historical romance author and most weeks the author generously offers one giveaway copy of their latest release. I love promoting other authors this way, and some return to Ink Dots every year (or sooner) to celebrate a new release. 

On Friday I’ve been following my 52 Author Dates challenge. Each week I step away from the writing desk to stretch myself as an author and experience various tasks/excursions I may have otherwise avoided. (I’m a chicken when it comes to swimming in cold water and entering wild places like thousand year old caves.) These challenges are designed to give me a taste of emotions my characters may face in the life I create for them. Following the author challenge has helped Ink Dots grow a faithful readership of those who visit every week to keep up with the fun. http://dorothyadamek.blogspot.com.au


Rita: Every time I've visited I find something that intrigues or amuses me. I don't always comment, Dotti, but enjoy my peep just the same.

I do believe everyone who has ever read your blog gets the feeling you're more than 'slightly' interested in history, as a pre-published writer, tell us what era you love and why? Also which settings are you likely to choose for your novels?

Dotti: I’m a serious fan of most things olde worlde. The Australian colonial era is my favourite. Anytime in the 1800s draws me and I’m currently working on a 3 book series set on Phillip Island in the 1870s. I’m also working on a goldfields series set in Ballarat in the 1850s, with yet another project set in the 1840s. You can read more about why I love history on my About and Australia Pages at Ink Dots. (Ah, I'm with you on that. Two of my last books have an Australian setting.)

Rita: Not all writers find support in this special calling. How are you finding this? Friends? Family?

Dotti: I’m surrounded by tremendous support as a writer. My family cheer ‘loud and proud’ and tell their friends and colleagues about my writing. God has blessed me with many kindred spirits in the book world who understand the peculiarities of the writing life. Readers and writers alike pray for me each day and share the writing road with all its dips and peaks. And I’m blessed to be able to return the gift of praying for my supporters, too. I know this is something not every writer enjoys and I don’t take it for granted. If there’s a writer reading this now, weighed down by little support or discouragement, please message me. I’d love to pray with you. In many pursuits, prayer is the foundational work and writing is no different.

Rita: You've been travelling around lately. Would you share where and any 'take away' thoughts?

Dotti with James Scott Bell, RWAust '14

Dotti: I’ve enjoyed two conferences and one intensive writing retreat in the last month. Together with thousands of romance authors, (waving at Narelle Atkins and Mary Hawkins) I attended the Romance Writers Of America national conference in San Antonio, closely followed by the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Sydney. As always, the conference experience delivered inspiration and the much needed opportunity to examine industry trends and meet with industry professionals. I highly recommend writing conferences for the enormous learning opportunities. Two of my favourite workshops this year were, ‘Write Faster-Write Smarter’ and ‘How the world's best storytellers do it. Pixar's Secrets.'

Dotti's Immersion Master Class with Margie Lawson

In between conferences, I attended a Margie Lawson Immersion Master Class, also in San Antonio. Margie Lawson teaches her own brand of deep editing in small groups of 6 or 7 and I never come away from this kind of writing retreat the same. If there’s one resource I’d share with a fellow author, whether beginning or well established, it’s the benefits of what Margie Lawson offers from her web community in the form of online classes, lecture packets and writing retreats. http://www.margielawson.com/

Rita: It's been so interesting to find out a little more of what makes you 'tick', Dotti. (Incidentally, our heroine of Green Gables, Anne, always asked that her name be spelled with an 'e' but in Dotti's case that is reversed. So from now on, Dotti, the 'e' I always used is now forever banished!)

Dotti: Thanks for interviewing me today, Rita. It's been fun answering your questions. I look forward to welcoming new Ink Dot's friends. Come and say G'day.

Rita Stella Galieh is a scriptwriter and co-presenter on Vantage Point, a 5 minute program broadcast throughout Australia. She has contributed to several US Anthologies by Adams Media and has two Historical Romances published by Ark House Press. Each year she and her husband minister in Buddhist Government schools, prisons, hospitals & churches in Thailand.

Things can change in a heart beat.
http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter @RSGalieh

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ACW SCAVENGER HUNT CLUES FOR WEDNESDAY:

Clue 7 from Dorothy Adamek: What is the real life setting of Dotti's Australian romances? http://dorothyadamek.blogspot.com.au/

Clue 8 from Rita Galieh: What is my mother's maiden name? http://www.ritastellagalieh.com/ 

Clue 9 from Paula Vince: What is the name of my most recent novel, released just this year? http://justoccurred.blogspot.com.au/ 

We hope you're enjoying the hunt and locating the answers to the clues. The contest rules are listed in Monday's post. Please remember to comment on Monday's post, complete the online form and your Rafflecopter entry. Rafflecopter lists all the options for gaining extra entries in the drawing, including commenting on the posts this week. 

The Scavenger Hunt closes at 2pm on Sunday, September 7 (AEST). The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 9. Good luck!