To Pre-order or Not To Pre-order? | Narelle Atkins

By Narelle Atkins @NarelleAtkins

There are no hard and fast rules, from a publisher/author perspective, on how and when to set up print book and ebook pre-orders.

Traditional Publishing and Pre-orders

Traditional publishers tend to set up long pre-orders, often many months prior to the book release date.

Book stores will order stock in advance of the book release. Retailers want the boxes of books to arrive at their stores prior to the book release date.

Distribution channels are set up by the publisher to encourage early orders from retailers and customers.

Independent (indie) Publishing and Pre-orders

Authors who publish independently have the flexibility to choose where they offer their books for sale, and whether or not they want to set up a pre-order for their book release.

For example, I set up the Kindle pre-order for my May 29 indie release (Solo Tu) at the start of April. Solo Tu is Book 7 in ‘A Tuscan Legacy’ contemporary Christian romance series.

Our Tuscan Legacy author group decided to release the books weekly, and we wanted all the ebooks to be available on pre-order for 99 cents (US) prior to Book 1 releasing on April 17. This gave our readers the option to pre-order all 9 books in the series at the heavily discounted price. The normal price is 2.99 (US).

Our marketing strategy, combined with the pre-order pricing strategy, has so far seen the new release ebooks rank in the Kindle Top 10 in the Contemporary Christian Romance category. This may not have happened if we hadn’t set up all the pre-orders weeks in advance.

Pre-orders and bestselling books

The pre-orders are added into the sales figures when the book releases.

For ebooks, this improves the initial sales ranking for the book.

For print books sold online and in stores, the availability of the book via retailers on the release date is important. If a shipment of print books doesn’t arrive at the stores in time, the book isn’t on the shelf for customers to buy on the release day. This could negatively impact the overall sales performance of the book.

Timing of Pre-Orders

I personally prefer my indie ebooks to release near the end of the month. The major ebook distributors pay monthly, and I get paid earlier if my release date is toward the end of the month.

Traditional publishers often release books early in the month, and Tuesday is a popular day for new book releases.

Price of Pre-orders

I’m going to use Amazon Kindle as an example of how pre-order pricing works.

Amazon guarantees their customers will be billed the lowest pre-order price for the Kindle ebook on the actual release day when the ebook is delivered to the customer’s account.

As a result, it’s illogical to increase the price of an ebook during the pre-order period. Decreasing the price during the pre-order period will result in all pre-orders dropping to the lower price.

Pre-release Book Marketing

A longer pre-order period provides publishers and authors with more time to market the book prior to the release date.

Endorsements can be collected to add into the final version of the book.

Authors can share the ebook with their street teams and bloggers and reviewers to create buzz and about the book before it releases.

NetGalley provides reviewers with an opportunity read books for review prior to the release date.

Advanced reader reviews can be posted on Goodreads.

Pre-order Deadlines: What happens if the pre-order deadline is missed?

There are negative consequences for publishers (including indie authors) who miss their pre-order deadline which results in the cancellation of the book release.

These consequences are outlined in the contractual arrangements with each book seller and distributor.

Book publishing is a business and it’s unprofessional to not deliver the product you’ve promised to your customers.

It’s disappointing for readers to receive the email advising that the book they’ve pre-order has been cancelled.

Indie authors have the freedom to choose how and when they publish. This freedom comes with responsibilities and obligations.

All publishers need to be realistic regarding the publishing deadlines they set.

They may choose to publish immediately once the final version of the book file is ready and not set up a pre-order.

They may choose to set up a pre-order once they reach a certain stage of the book production process and are confident they can meet the pre-order deadline.

What do you think of pre-orders?

As a customer, I love pre-orders. I subscribe to author newsletters primarily to keep track of their book releases. I pre-order early, knowing I’ll likely forget to buy the book later.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with pre-orders from a publisher or author or customer perspective.

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.

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Book Review: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont

Review by Jeanette O'Hagan


Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird is considered a classic writing craft book and has inspired a generation of writers. Like most popular books, it gets mixed reviews on Goodreads (though an over all positive rating). It is, perhaps, one of those books you love - or hate.

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”  Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott

The Book:

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and LifeAnne Lamott
Anchor Books: 1995
Available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016/

The Author:

Anne Lamott is an American novelist and non-fiction writer.  She writes about love and loss in her novels and explores parenthood, flaws, faith, and the craft of writing in her non-fiction with a self-effacing and gritty humour.

My thoughts:

I was a little unsure when I first started reading Bird by Bird. Lamott starts with an autobiographical recounting of growing up with her writer father and his bohemian writer friends, of her own first attempts at writing a hopelessly flawed short story titled Arnold - and her search for publication, which only came after writing about her father's death.  Like Stephen King's On Writing, the writing tips or instruction in Bird by Bird are woven with a strong autobiographical thread - which is perhaps its strength and also its weakness.

Lamott's tone is conversational. She addresses a range of issues that writers face, in part as a report of what she teaches her students and how they react to her teachings (often with horror), in part a direct conversation with the reader, in part flights of creative writing and almost stream of consciousness flourishes that can be wickedly humorous or deeply moving or even at times mildly annoying (perhaps depending on one's mood and experience). 

If you are looking for a paint-by-numbers or follow-the-formula approach to writing - you won't find it here. Lamott's process is deeply intuitive and largely 'pantsting' and highly creative. And the book is as much, or more, about what it means to be a writer, the writing life, as it about nutting out a perfectly structured plot or tracing a compelling character arc. As important as plot structure and character arcs, internal wounds and mirror moments may be - I found myself resonating to Bird by Bird in a deeper way than more 'how-to' writing books (which often detail the 'one' way to do things that only the writer has discovered). 

There are definitely gems of advice and insight in Lamott's musings - some of which may have become truisms over time. She deals with issues of perfectionism, insecurities, shitty first drafts, writers block, the need to fill the creative well and to be kind to our writerly selves, as well how to discover our characters (like an image emerging from Polaroid photo), go deep into the pain, discovering one's voice, and the proper weight of publication. Above all, she reminds us that the reward of writing is not outward accolades, but the joys (and pains) of writing itself. And through it all, she is brutally honest and bitingly funny. And here and there, she gives us poignant glimpses of faith and grace.

I found Anne Lamott and Bird by Bird  a refreshing and inspiring read.

*****



Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users. She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children. Find her on Facebook or at her webpages Jeanette O'Hagan Writes or Jenny's Thread.

Writing, Publishing, Marketing: What Do You Want to Know?

By Iola Goulton

It's almost the end of 2017. I must be getting older, because time seems to go faster each year.

And this is the last week of regular blog posts for 2017: we're taking the next two weeks off and sharing some of our favourite posts from our archives.

There's a lot of them. The Australasian Christian Writers blog has now been going for over five years. We've published over 1,000 original posts, had over 280,000 page views, and almost 11,000 comments. Several posts have been viewed over 1,000 times.

Thank you, everyone!

We're also busy planning for 2018. There will be a few changes ...

We're going to tweak the look of the blog—nothing drastic. Just a few changes to the style sheet. And some new branded graphics so that you can easily recognise and share our posts on social media.

Speaking of social media ... if you're on Pinterest, why don't you Follow the Australasian Christian Writers group board? (Click here to find the board. Because you know you want another excuse to visit Pinterest.)

We're going to introduce a new regular Tuesday feature: Tuesday Book Questions.

Let us know if you'd like to join in, either by contributing a post to the blog, or by joining in on your own blog. This is a great way of engaging with your readers on your website and on social media!

But most things will stay the same:

We're still going to have regular Thursday book reviews.

We're still going to share new releases each month.

Wednesday and Friday will still be general blog posts from a range of Christian writers from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific region.

We will still have a regular crossover post with our sister group, Christian Writers Downunder, on the first Monday of every month.

And we're still going to have our Monday craft posts, on a range of topics around reading, writing, reviewing, editing, publishing, and marketing.

That's what I want to ask you about today.

Writing. Publishing. Marketing. What do you want to know?

What topics do you want us to cover in our Monday craft posts? What specific questions do you have that we can help you answer?

People have told me they'd like posts on writing craft, marketing, and reviewing. But what do you specifically want to know that we haven't already covered (that 1,000 posts includes a lot of craft posts).

Please leave a comment and tell us what you want to know. The more specific your request, the better!

Also, let us know if you have a burning desire to share your knowledge on a craft topic you think your fellow writers might be interested in. We're always keen to showcase willing guest bloggers!

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

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So you want to write a bestseller?

Photo courtesy of bplanet/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Yes? Of course you do. I know I do.

Now, there’s an algorithm that’s been created that can help de-mystify what it takes to produce one. Why did Fifty Shades of Grey sell so well when by all accounts it has many issues from a writing craft perspective? (That’s what I’ve been led to believe not having read it myself)

Well, a couple of people in the publishing/academic biz decided to find out if there was a DNA to what makes a bestseller. I stumbled across this book, aptly titled “The BestSeller Code”, the other week when I was reading the review section of Saturday’s paper. So I decided to investigate a little further.

The book was released September last year and the data used was taken exclusively from the New York Times bestseller list, which is as good a list as any I guess. The model has data supporting 20,000 titles captured over a five-year period. I presume the NYT picks up Christian fiction bestsellers, well those that compare in sales numbers to all other fiction. Do let me know if this is a poor assumption.

I read a number of reviews of the book both from Amazon and others in overseas papers and was a little surprised there wasn’t a nice little summary of what the key attributes were. I’m very happy playing in data (hey, I’m a Chartered Accountant by trade!) and hence the left side of my brain went looking for that nice summary that I could share with you.

A winning formula?

Judging from the various reviews I’ve read the book does not arrive at a formula. Which is no real surprise. If there was one the whole concept of bestseller would have to be redefined, however, by all accounts it does provide some interesting insights into some key commonalities that are typically found in those novels that top the charts. Here are a few that I’ve been able to discern:

• A well-paced plot and engaging characters do matter, while the setting is less relevant,
• A compelling inner struggle and closeness between the main characters are important,
• Characters presented in unexpected and non-traditional ways who “make things” happen,
• The use of everyday language and active verbs,
• Consist of “shorter, cleaner sentences, without unneeded words”.

Nothing startling. I like how the review in The New Yorker sums the book up: “… there’s an awkward charm in watching an algorithm discern the things that humans appreciate instinctively.”

Oh well, back to what we know: write the best novel you can utilizing the “key tenets of craft and style.”

By the way, apparently our own Liane Moriarty and Graeme Simsion both rate exceptionally well according to the model.  

Anyone read a good bestseller recently?

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

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

Investing in Writing

by Jeanette O'Hagan

One day, the CEO of a large company goes on an extended international trip. She gives each of her three area-managers funds to invest while she is away. When she returns, she calls each of them into her executive office to report on their outcomes. Stephen made a killing in renewal energy futures, Zoe more than doubled the seed-investment in property developments.
The third exec is obviously nervous as he enters her office. He fidgets with his tie, fumbles the sugar spoon as he stirs his coffee.
'So Philip, how have your investments prospered?'
The young man clears his throat and pushes a folder across her desk.
Her eyebrows shoot up. 'What's this, a bank statement? Two per cent interest?'
'Yes, boss,' he mutters. 'I knew you can't stand failure. So, I put your money in the safest place I could think of.'
'You knew I can't stand failure? You could have least put it in a growth fund.'
The next day, the CEO made Stephen and Zoe partners of the company, while Philip received a redundancy package.

I've changed a few details but you probably recognise the gist of Jesus' parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). No doubt we could draw different lessons from this biblical short story (dare I say flash fiction) - but one thing seems clear to me. The CEO (or master) expected his managers (or servants) to invest and multiply his money. Perhaps even take risks with it. The one thing that got the boss' blood boiling, was doing nothing, playing it safe. It seems, God expects us to invest, certainly in the sharing the gospel message, but also in the gifts, abilities and passions He has given us.

If God has called us to be writers, then surely He wants us to invest in our vocation. To take risks even. To give it focus, time and effort.

During Grade 11, everyone wanted to know what I planned to do after I graduated from High School. I didn't have much of an idea but eventually decided on Medicine. My mum said, 'If you want to be a doctor, Jenny, you have to work harder in your subjects.' So I did, I worked harder, I got into Med School, studied for six years, was an intern for two. I had to invest hours of study, years of education into achieving my aim.  Becoming a doctor doesn't just happen, it required investment of time and energy and commitment. It also took six years (eight if you count Grade 11 & 12) when I didn't earn a single cent as a medico. It takes time, effort and deferred gratification to be a teacher, a lawyer, an engineer, a nurse, a builder, a painter ... I could go on. And isn't it also true of sports and hobbies; whether it's playing chess, making quilts or sailing yachts.

Why should it be any different with writing? Whether we wish to write as a hobby or hope to earn a living from our writing, it is usually not enough just to write without investing in the craft, in knowledge and connections.

Randy Ingermanson (The Snowflake Guy) in his e-zine says there are three things which help us succeed as a writer:

Content - have a great story to tell (fiction), a great idea or expertise to share (non-fiction).
Craft - learn how to write the best we can and in a way that connects with our target audience.
Connections - network with fellow writers, editors, publishers at conferences, workshops - and I would say, online.

Maybe we also need Commitment - not to give up, but to keep on going despite setbacks and obstacles - and Covenant - the willingness to keep God at the centre of what we do, to honour Him and trust Him with the results.

What are ways that we can invest in our writing?

• Make time to write
• Join a good critique group or form one
• Read craft books or blogs (like this one)
• Journal, reflect on our writing process
• Have creative or author dates - fill the well (Julia Cameron) 
• Read, both in our genre and out of it
• Use writing prompts, free-writing, experiment
• Participate in workshops, conferences, seminars
• Enrol in a writing course
• Get feedback - from beta-readers, editors, fellow writers
• Learn from rejections 
• Learn to assess and edit our own work
• Submit our work to publishers, competitions, anthologies
• Connect with readers at book signing, events or on social media
• Support other writers through constructive feedback, reviews, following and buying books
• Study and invest in marketing and promotion
• Go to book fairs, festivals, conventions
• Pray about our writing and the writing of others; ask others to pray for us
• Trust God's leading and take some risks

Not all of these ideas will suit everyone.
Which ones resonate with you?
Which ones do you think are essential?
Which ones do you do well?
Where could you improve?
What could you risk?

Paul says of the Gospel, 'I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.' (1 Corinthians 3:6).  Whether we are writers of specifically Christian fiction or non-fiction or of cross-over fiction- or whether we are Christians who write for the general market; if we invest, if we keep God at the centre, then surely we can trust Him to give the growth - whether that is spiritual - in lives touched and transformed (perhaps even our own), or more material - books published and sold, audiences reached, a living made.

Whatever we do, let's not be like Philip in our re-told parable and bury what we've been given through fear or complacency.

****
Images © Jeanette O'Hagan 2017

Jeanette O’Hagan first started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of nine. She enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing.

Jeanette is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. Recent publications include Heart of the Mountain: a short novella, The Herbalist's Daughter: a short story and Lakwi's Lament: a short story. Her other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

Is There Such Thing As a Bad Plot?

Photo by Greg Westfall, used under
Creative Commons licence.

Why did they do that?

You want to throw the book across the room.

Your heroine has just put herself in danger for no reason. The hero has lost his temper over something trivial and broken up with the heroine. These characters make no sense.

You decide life is too short and turn on Netflix.

When dissecting a disappointing novel or movie, it’s easy to blame a poor story on bad plot, characterization or dialogue.

But, I suggest, these may only be symptoms of a single problem: the author was unable to convince you of ‘why’.

Why did the heroine throw herself in danger? Why did the hero really leave?

If the author can convince you that the path chosen was the only one that made sense to the character, then you aren’t going to be bothered that the heroine just jumped from a plane without a parachute. It was her only option! Her country/sense of identity/loved one/integrity was at stake.

If you believe the character’s motivations, you’re empathizing with them, and wondering whether they’ll ever reach their goal or not.

But if you’re frustrated with what seems to be a silly decision, you won’t care that the dialogue is witty or the description is poetic.

I believe there are few bad story ideas, just under-developed character motivations.

Even good books can be made great by strengthening the reasons why characters made the decisions they did.

Read the last scene you wrote. Find a decision a character made. Can you make that decision the only logical path, given the position you’ve put them in? What is at risk if they follow any other course of action? Can you increase those risks?

The more we understand why, the louder we’ll cheer as the character achieves their goal.

Jessica Kate is an Australian writer. She prefers the term 'writer' because it's too hard to say 'training developer, aspiring author and former journalist' in one mouthful.

She loves reading anything by Jenny B Jones, watching The Proposal, and writing Christian contemporary fiction full of romance and drama. 

Her manuscript, Hating Jeremy Walters, was a finalist in the 2015 Frasier Awards and she's currently working on her second novel.

 She loves connecting with reader and writers at Facebook, Instagram, and her website.

The Genre Interview with Jeanette O'Hagan

Welcome to the Genre Interview. Brisbane author Jeanette O'Hagan has agreed to answer our questions.


What genres do you write?


Jeanette: I mainly write fantasy fiction and poetry - though I do have an interest in memoir and non-fiction - and my first and only science fiction piece has just been published in the Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking anthology.

I am currently working on a sequel to my recent release Heart of the Mountain and on a fantasy fiction series Akrad's Legacy which is secondary world, courtly intrigue with fantasy elements.



What market do you write for (Christian or general, clean reads etc)?

Jeanette: My aim is for cross-over fiction - i.e. fiction that appeals to the people outside the church with a subtle faith element.


In which genres do you have books available for sale?


Jeanette: Fantasy fiction, a contemporary inspirational women's fiction anthology, mixed anthologies and poetry.


How many books have you published in each genre?


Jeanette: I have a fantasy fiction novella sized e-book (Heart of the Mountain, published August 2016) and also fantasy short stories, a contemporary inspirational short story and a number of poems available in nine different anthologies published between December 2015 and September 2016.


Are you published traditionally, indie, or hybrid?

Jeanette: I've Indie published the short novella (Heart of the Mountain) and two anthologies - Glimpses of Light (Nola Passmore and I edited GOL & a total of 21 authors contributed) and Let the Sear Roar (Madeleine Calcutt was the editor with a total of 9 authors). These books are published under my imprint By the Light Books.

I've also had stories and poems published in other anthologies by other publishers or groups: Tied in Pink and Like a Girl by Far Horizons, Another Time Another Place by Swinburne Students, Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly Speaking by Breath of Fresh Air Press, two poetry anthologies by Poetica Christi and one by FAWQ.

Did genre influence your decision to choose a particular publishing model?

Jeanette: No, not really - more opportunity.

Are your published works available in print, ebook, or both?

Jeanette: Both - though the short novella is only available as an ebook & the three poetry anthologies are only available in print.

Why do you write what you write? Do you feel called to write?

Jeanette: I write what I love to read. I write to express my feelings and imagination. I write to celebrate my wonder in God's creation and in His love for us, His children. I write out of my love for story.

About 8 years ago, a door slammed shut on a ministry dear to my heart and, while I grieved that loss, God began whispering that He had other dreams and plans for me. Gradually, the door to writing opened as another way to express His call on my life. I learnt about and enrolled into a Masters course on Writing, I went to (what became) the Omega conference and met other Christian writers and discovered other opportunities -- to learn and to write and to be published. I do feel a calling to touch the imagination of readers and to seed a wonder and desire for God's beauty, presence and love.

I think fantasy fiction has great potential to share spirituality and Christian hope in a non-confrontational way.

Many thanks to Jeanete O'Hagan for sharing her thoughts on genre.

Jeanette O’Hagan enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. She is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. She recently launched Heart of the Mountain: a short novella. Other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

Story Trumps Structure: Review

by Jeanette O'Hagan

Story Trumps Structure by Steven James, Writers Digest Books 2014

“Award-winning novelist Steven James explains how to trust the narrative process to make your story believable, compelling, and engaging, and debunks the common myths that hold writers back from creating their best work.”

I was excited when I first saw Story Trumps Structure and even more excited to use my Christmas Amazon voucher to purchase it.  I've read quite a number of craft books over the last few years as well as working on writing theory as part a Masters in creative writing. I’ve appreciated learning about the hero’s journey, three act structure, character arcs etc but the formulaic approach and 'one size fits all' some pundits propose has often troubled me. Surely there are other structures and approaches? Not all the books I’ve enjoyed are strictly three act structures with rising action and precise plot points at 12, 25, 37 or 88% marks. And if every author follows this formula, doesn’t the action become predictable? 'It must be time for the inciting action' or 'the major setback.' As Tom’s Gauld’s cartoon Hero says, ‘The quest was a lot more fun before you got that book on story structure.” 

Besides, what about slice of life fiction (like Alexander Smith Call’s Number One Ladies Detective Agency)? And then there are the theorists that contrast the ‘male’ mon-climatic novel with a feminine multi-climatic novel (Hélène Cixous, and Luce Irigaray). Okay, I’m willing to concede that fiction written by literary theorists is not always very readable, but there’s also the question of non-Western story telling which is often structured differently (despite Campbell’s claims).

I feel almost like a heretic having doubts about the universality of the linear, three act structural formulas modelled after the film’s industry appropriation of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth (e.g. Syd Field Screenwriters’ Workbook).

In Story Trumps Structure, Stephen James proposes an alternative approach to detailed planning based on a precise formulaic plot structure. Like Stephen King, he is a pantser and his organic approach focuses on the unfolding of the story based on certain story dynamics or principles and reader expectations. Thus he argues that the number of acts in a story depend on what the story itself needs. I was a little disappointed to find that he unequivocally supports a linear plot with orientation, crisis/calling, escalation, discovery and change. I had hoped for some exploration of possibility of different structures. Yet, I found that many of his insights shed light on how stories work with a number of ‘aha’ moments along the way.

Some of the things I liked:

• Authors make promises to their readers which they need to keep.
• The story needs to escalate – if you start with a dramatic beginning, you can’t drop back to something less exciting. However, it’s more important to escalate tension than to merely escalate action. The reader needs to care about the characters and the stakes need to be raised.
• It takes time and incubation for both the story and the familiarity (as authors) with our characters to develop. 
• The story should arise organically out of the characters, who they are, what they want and the challenges they face. There needs to be clear cause and effect. The problem with planning can be that things can be made to happen that fit the plot but not the characters, which strains believability or seems gimmicky or artificial.
• We need to meet the reader’s expectations which depend on genre, narrative weight, causality and believability – but at the same time, we need to surprise them. The ending should be both inevitable but unexpected.

He also explores foreshadowing, narrative weight, twists, characterisation and finishes with common plot flaws and how to fix them.

At one point James argues that the organic method is the only method to use, and he is quite critical of planners. (Died in the wool planners can be equally as partisan). God made us all different, which I believe includes differences in our writing methods. Stephen King is the ultimate pantser, while J K Rowling is a planner – both write gripping and brilliant fiction. Personally, I’m a ’tweener and I don’t think James has changed me. I usually mull over a story, working out the main characters and at least some of the major ‘tent posts’ or plot points before starting writing but then important details emerge as I write (or continue to mull over the story). Like most writers – my characters can, and often do, surprise me.

Story Trumps Structure does give Pansters credible and cogent guidelines to help shape the free reign of imagination. Yet, I think it is also of value to ’tweeners and plotters in understanding a deeper level of story dynamics and of how to mould and polish one’s story so it becomes one cloth, a tapestry of great beauty and impact.  I’ve learned much from the book and can see myself dipping into it from time to time to remind me of its wisdom.

Jeanette O’Hagan enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. She is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. Her short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master’s in writing. She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

You can find her at her Facebook Page or at Goodreads or on Amazon or on her websites  JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .

The Perils of Pantsing when you’re a Plotter

By Narelle Atkins

A few weeks ago I independently published my eighth book, a contemporary Christian romance novella that I wrote for Love Blossoms, a multi-author indie box set. I’ve always been a plotter, and I’ve written detailed outlines for my seven previously published books.

For my latest book, The Bridesmaid’s Hero, I decided to try something different. The time frame for the novella project was tight. I agreed to write the book in mid-October, and I needed to indie publish it on Amazon Kindle in January.

The three month time frame included the Christian Writers Conference in Victoria where I presented a workshop, a One-Day workshop I presented in Sydney for the Australian Christian Writers Fellowship, an additional interstate weekend away for my son’s golf tournament, the end of school year in December, and the busy lead up to Christmas.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo but I didn’t have time to put together a detailed outline with index cards (my usual process) before the end of October.

In November I became a pantser for this story. I enjoyed the freedom of writing and discovering more about the characters as the story progressed. I had a basic story outline developing in my mind that included the main turning points, climax, dark moment and resolution. Without preconceived ideas from the outline on what should be happening in each scene, I was able to explore different directions that naturally evolved from the story. I gained a new perspective on character-driven plotting. It was fun and exciting.

There was also a downside. I discovered the perils of pantsing when I was used to plotting. My basic story structure was robust and I didn’t need to add or delete scenes. But there were other issues that needed to be addressed.

I didn’t have time to rest the story before I sent it to my critique partners and beta readers. On December 26 I finished writing and editing the first version of the story. I had a copy editing deadline of January 10 and a box set deadline of January 15.

My lovely critique partners and beta readers read the early version of the story during the Christmas and New Year break. They found a number of problems that I didn’t usually encounter when I outlined my stories in advance.

The first third of the story was messy. Many of the character motivations were unclear because I’d unknowingly changed my mind about the details as I wrote. This included details in the back story. For example, the relationship between the heroine and the hero’s mother was inconsistent. Did they know each other before the story started? In one scene they did, in another scene it seemed like the opposite was true. 

My time line was off. The time references in the scene transitions needed to be tracked and adjusted. During the editing process when I reviewed the feedback from my critique partners and beta readers, I reverse engineered an outline in an Excel Spreadsheet and dealt with the time line problems.

I learned a lot from experimenting with my writing process. I like having time to brew my stories in advance, and rest my stories before I edit. An outline helps me to keep track of the details and generates fewer time line, back story and character inconsistencies.

I’m currently writing my ninth book. For my new novella I’ve typed up pages of background information. I’m writing a fast and rough first draft as I complete my outline. For my traditionally published books I wrote proposals in advance (three chapters plus synopsis).

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Have you tried different writing methods? Do you have a defined writing process, or does it change depending on the book? 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.

Narelle's latest release, The Bridesmaid's Hero, is available for a limited time in the Love Blossoms box set.

13 #badwritingadvice Tips to Winning NaNoWriMo

By Iola Goulton

We are now most of the way through National Novel Writing Month, which means many of our members are in the middle of their last-ditch attempt to win Nanowrimo 2015: by writing an original manuscript of 50,000 words or longer in the calendar month of November.

I've collated thirteen foolproof tips to help those who don’t think they’re going to win:

1. Always use adverbs with dialogue tags. 

Ignore the writing instructors who say it’s a bad idea because adverbs are telling when you should be showing. In fact, if using one adverb is a bad idea, do better: use two.

2. In fact, use adverbs liberally.

Use them generously, magnanimously throughout your manuscript. This simple tip can easily and effortlessly add a thousand words or more to your Nano winner. Don’t worry about whether they fit the context literally or figuratively. You can effortlessly make them fit beautifully.

3. Use lots of meaningless filler words. 

Use words like really, quite, just, and very. They really don’t add anything very useful to the plot, but are quite handy for just making a sentence longer.

4. Repeat yourself. 

A lot. Readers are often trying to read your book while they watch TV and try and cook dinner, so it’s easier for them to keep up with the plot and characters if you say the same thing in two different ways. It helps them keep up with the plot. Sometimes they’re distracted or not paying attention so it’s important to repeat yourself. A lot.

5. Mix beats with dialogue tags

“I’m sorry,” Joe said as he staggered into the wall.

instead of

“I’m sorry.” Joe staggered into the wall.

Mixing beats and dialogue tags is another subtle form of repetition through telling, and readers love repetition, especially through telling. And it is ten words instead of seven. Bonus!

6. Load your manuscript up with back story. 

Everyone knows that our characters traits and habits are often a result of their upbringing, so what better way of showing readers how imperfect your characters are than to show their upbringing in painstaking and minute detail (more than once if possible, as readers love repetition).

Even better, show how their parents and grandparents were raised, to show why they are such messed-up characters. And don’t limit yourself to your main characters: of course we want to see how the homeless guy who appears in one scene ended up on the streets because his grandfather kicked his mother out of the house after she got pregnant.

7. Never use contractions. 

“Don’t” counts as one word, while “do not” counts as two. Sure, a contraction-free manuscript is annoying to read, but Nano isn’t about writing a book someone would want to read. It’s about writing 50,000 words as fast as you can and uploading them to Kindle on 3 December.

8. Use spaced scene dividers. 

Just leaving a blank line doesn’t add to your word count, but *** counts as one word and * * * counts as three.

This is an excellent tip to employ if you’re prone to headhopping: simply add a scene break every few paragraphs, you can both increase your word count and be sure you’re not headhopping. If you don’t know what headhopping is, now is not the time to learn. Just add those * * * scene breaks between every second paragraph and no one will ever notice whether you’re headhopping or not.

9. Suspension points

Use lots of suspension points, and make sure you’re using the US variety ( . . . ) because they count as three words while the Alt-0133 version (…) only counts as one. If you’re clever, you should be able to get two sets of suspension points . . . or three . . . in each passage of dialogue . . . more if your characters are upset . . . or rant a lot.

10. Pick your tense. 

Some authors have trouble with tense, and never know when to use past, present, future, subjunctive, conjunctive, just plain junctive . . . the solution is simple. Put them all in, and then no one can possibly complain you’ve got it wrong , you’re getting it wrong . . . or you’re going to get it wrong.

11. Use that.

Remember that the word “that” can be added to so many sentences without that impacting the meaning. If you can add that once or twice in a sentence, do that. So serves a similar purpose also.

It’s so useful, especially at the beginning of sentences. Also, don’t forget to add also to the ends of your sentences, in dialogue also. As well works as well.

12. So don’t refer to your characters by name. 

That name is only one word, and you can easily add that necessary word count by referring to that character as “the blond boy”, “the tall boy”, or (for extra impact!) “the tall blond boy” instead. If you must refer to characters by name, perhaps because you’ve been silly enough to have two tall blond boys as characters, refer to them by their full name. With the number after it: Severus Ignatius Leslie Lloyd Yellowstone III.

13. So don’t use adjectives in the same sentence as the noun. 

Instead, move the adjectives to an entire sentence of their own, like this:

The room had three chairs and a table. The walls were white. The table was brown. The chairs were red.

instead of
The room had three red chairs and a brown table.

That’s sixteen words, where your writing instructor would have used a miserly ten. I’m sure you can do better than that also.


What other #badwritingadvice hints and tips would you like to share that will help your fellow writers win Nanowrimo 2015?

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  or Tsu.

I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog. I'm a Top 25 Reviewer at Christian Book, in the Top 1% of reviewers at Goodreads, and have an Amazon Reviewer Rank that floats around 2500.

What Next?

I recently joined many of you in attending
the Christian Writer’s Conference in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. I had a great time talking with old friends and meeting new ones, and I’ve already got the next conference in my no-longer-pristine 2016 diary (it’s 28–30 October 2016, near Sydney).

All the sessions I attended at the conference invited questions from attendees, and there were some great discussions. But I also heard a few whispered questions after the sessions, and one of those has stuck with me:

What next?

While I didn’t think she was discussing the conference programme, I also wasn’t sure what she was referring to. That got me thinking.

What is next?

For some people, it’s getting the first draft started … or finished (*raises both hands*). For some, it is revising, tightening, making sure the story is there, that they’re getting the point across with the required degree of subtlety (or not). For some, the next challenge is finding critique partners or beta readers to identify the issues you, the writer, hadn’t noticed (after all, if you knew it was a problem, you’d fix it. Right?). Some are in the early stages of self-editing and need advice on how to self-edit. Others are confident self-editors who are now facing the challenge of finding a freelance editor who will help mould the manuscript into shape, or polish it until it shines.

For some, the challenges are more outward focused: how do you find an editor? A proofreader? An illustrator? A cover designer? A book designer? A formatter? A publisher? An agent?

Do you need an editor, proofreader, illustrator, cover designer, book designer, formatter, publisher, agent … any of the above? All of the above?

Do you find a publisher? How? Do you self-publish? How? Do you need an agent? How do you get one?

What about marketing? A platform? Social media? Book launches? Reviews? Email lists? There are a myriad of things we should be focusing on as writers, but how do we prioritise. With so many things that could be done, the appropriate question might be what first.

And I’m sure this list only scratches the surface.

I understand the dilemma. I’m working through a lot of these decisions myself (hey, how do you think I came up with such a long list?).

As one of the three Australasian Christian Writers administrators (along with Narelle, our fearless leader, and Jenny, administrator extraordinaire), we are in the process of planning the ACW blog calendar for the first quarter of 2016. We have some ideas—see list above—but we’d like to know what you would value.

So we have a few questions for you:

1. What next? What is your next challenge in the writing journey? What is your next step into the unknown?
2. How can we at ACW help? What topics would you like to see us cover? What do you want to know more about, but don’t know where to start looking? What’s next?

Please leave a comment with your answers. This is your opportunity to shape our blog!

(Note: while I believe there is no such thing as a stupid question, I also know and understand that sense of apprehension and nervousness about openly asking a question *everyone else* knows the answer to. If you have a question or comment you’d rather share privately, please email me at igoulton [at] christianediting [dot] co [dot] nz, or message me on Facebook.)

About Iola Goulton

I am a freelance editor specialising in Christian fiction, and you can find out more about my services at my website, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  or Tsu.

I love reading, and read and review around 150 Christian books each year on my blog. I'm a Top 25 Reviewer at Christian Book, in the Top 1% of reviewers at Goodreads, and have an Amazon Reviewer Rank that floats around 2500.