PLOTSTORM 9

I think we're on 9 anyway.

Sorry I haven't been able to blog every day but I've been very busy coordinating American Christian Fiction Writer's contest for published authors. www.ACFW.com

I am now on a first name basis with every DHL, FedEx, and UPS driver in the region. LOL!

My Postmistress was forewarned so she's cool with it. I think. He he. My FIL goes to pick up the books for me since I still can't life after surgery. It's funny because I hear the doorbell chime, go to the door and here stands this stack of boxes with legs. LOL! I can't even see my FIL's face or head due to so many packages of books in his arms.

Anyway, that has nothing whatsoever to do with Plotstorming so let me get back on track.

I've only had about four hours of writing time but in that four hours I've managed to get to 3, 200 words. I'm nearly through Chapter Two.

I'm not really happy with my opening, but I'm REALLY picky about my opening. My first line has to be perfect and I do seriously agonize over it for WEEKS before getting it right. Yes, one sentence causes me such grief. Actually I LOVE coming up with opening hooks and usually scored REALLY high on that in contests. Most people who read my stuff compliment my hooks so the hard work pays off. So I'm semi happy with the opening line but I may end up changing it if something better comes to mind. I groveled over my opening scene for the past two weeks and finally decided to just jot something down to get the story rolling. I may end up going back and revamping the opening because I really feel it is SO important to hook readers. So I agonize over my first chapter....then try to write every chapter as if it were my first. I use hooks to end the chapters and to begin them, but the most important hook is the one in chapter one.

So that's my progress. I am finally getting a better picture of what Chance (my hero) looks like. Since there are 7 USAF PJ's in this series, I want each guy to be as distinct as possible. Since they are all basically Alpha Males and Special Forces Soldiers, they all have some of the same traits and qualities, so it is an extreme challenge to make them each distinct. That's been fun. The hardest part has been deciding Chance's personality and physical appearance. I see the story in my head like a movie in moving picture with color, sights, sounds, everthing so that's how I try to write the story. So my reader can "see" the story like a movie when they read the book. So in order to help my reader picture everything, and feel, hear, see, smell, etc with all their senses, I have to be clear on how things look, smell, etc.

That chasm of constructing words and sentences in such a way to show the reader instead of tell them is one of the hardest things, because I'm not sure until an outside reader reads the story if I'm accomplishing that or not. What I see as a sympathetic character, three out of four judges in a contest thought he was stuffy and rude. So I gave him a personality makeover. I saw him as sensitive and compassionate but obviously that wasn't coming across in the writing. So bridging that chasm between what I see and hear in my mind and portraying that on paper...or in Word actually since I type my stories instead of write longhand...is one of my greatest challenges. And yes I obsess about getting it right because I'm a perfectionist. On the other hand, I know the story will go through many rewrites and revisions before I send it to my agent and editor, so I don't stress on self-editing issues while I'm penning my mess draft. As an author I know says, "No Rules. Just Write."

That's how I am approaching this first draft anyway. The one thing I do is change the font to pink and blue depending on whose POV I am in.

Okay, I plan to write a bunch this week, so hopefully by Saturday, I will have gotten pretty far into my rough draft.

I am writing in scenes at this point. I'll smoothe out the transistions as I go along because I'm anal like that. But as far as adding layers of setting description, and sensory description, the bulk of that will come later. Right now, I'm getting the basic dialogue snippets down and character introspection and their action beats.

Ex:

"You gonna eat that bagel?" (Dialogue snippet)
Shauna shrugged. "Nah. Go ahead."
Nick eyed the bagel with deadly intent. If he ate the last one, would she think him rude? Was she just saying she didn't want it since this was their first date? Most girls didn't like to eat in front of guys on their first dates, right? (<--Introspection) Nick reached for the bagel, tore it down the middle and handed her the biggest half. (<--action beat)
Shauna grinned and pink tinged her cheeks as she took the bagel. "How sweet. Thanks."
Her smile caused his stomach to do a little flipper thing. "You're very welcome," he said. (<-Dialogue tag)

FYI: One thing I used to do and one thing I see many beginning writers do (more beginning than me I mean...he he) is they use many creative words other than plain ol' "said" for dialogue tags. Such as: He Spat, She sputtered. He hissed. She yelled. He countered. She explained. He proclaimed. She argued.

I've heard many, many, many editors say they prefer the use of plain ol said unless you need to use a different tag word for emphasis or to set tone, such as this:

"Did you hear that?" she whispered, crouching behind the barn.
He stilled, nodded and held his arm out, prohibiting her next step. She froze. A flash of light shone through the trees. Like a streak through the yard, he dropped his arm and bolted after the would-be intruder. "Stop!" he yelled, already on the heels of the hulking form.

Okay so that was sort of a cheezy example but you see that "whispered" and "yelled" helped set the tone for the scene.

Another thing newbie (hey, I are one so I should know) writers tend to do is put both a dialogue tag and a beat when only one is necessary.

Here's an example:

"Are you going to the Parent-Teacher Conference after school today?" Miriam asked, leaning against the fence separating her property from her neighbor's.
Trina set the water hose down beside the plants and answered, "I think so. Want to ride together?"
"Sure," Miriam answered, pushing her sleeves up to help her new neighbor pull the overgrown weeds from her flower garden.

That could be rewritten as this:

"Are you going to the Parent-Teacher Conference after school today?" Miriam leaned against the fence separating her property from her neighbor's.

Trina set the water hose down beside the plants. "I think so. Want to ride together?"

"Sure," Miriam answered. She pushed her sleeves up to help her new neighbor pull the overgrown weeds from her flower garden.

"Great!" Trina smiled.

Since I have action beats there, denoting the speaker by each new paragraph, I don't really need the "Said" or "answered" or any other tag. Likewise, if you say, "said," you don't actually need a beat if you've sifficiently shown the reader the character's stance and action and established the setting for that snippet. You want to be sure not to have very long stints of dialogue with tons of tags but no beats though. That's called "talking heads" and makes it hard for the reader to:

Keep track of who's talking.

Picture your character and what they're doing at that moment.

Hope this helps you in your journey.

Blessings,

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

PLOTSTORM 8

Okay, so I was on the phone with another writer buddy today who does my presubmission line edits (waving to Robin) and we were talking about giving my heroine a quirk that stands out. Because the heroine in my last book had such a strong personality, I don't want my new heroine to pale in comparision, so today in plotstorming, I'm thinking of ways to layer my characters. Things to give them more depth, and show readers (without making it obvious that's what I'm trying to do) that how Bits (heroine) feels on the inside is way different than how she acts outwardly.

 

So we discussed what quirk we could give her, something she does, thinks, or says when she's nervous or mad or feeling insecure.

 

Bubbles. She's all about bubbles. She blows bubbles for stress relief and she always chews bubble gum. Always. She's a hefty gal who is not at all happy with herself. She's discontent. But to look at her outwardly, you'd think she's happy because she's boisterous and bubbly and laughs loud and often. But inside, she's self-conscious and always questioning what others think of her. She's also very envious of skinny girls...to an extreme. To their faces, she's nice and sweet, but inside she's thinking thoughts and wishing for the day gravity takes its toll on their bodies and that they'd suddenly have a surge in weight. Like about a hundred pounds pronto. LOL!

 

So I'm envisioning a scene where she's talking to a lithe, female Drop Zone employee, and blows a bubble, letting it pop loudly. Nearly to the point that it could be borderline rude. Of course Bits is doing it on purpose to pacify and amuse herself, but then to cover it up, she puts smiles sweetly and acts gushy nice so no one suspects her secret thoughts.

 

I may end up hating my heroine if I can't execute this and still make her a likable, sympathetic character who seems real and like they have credible dimension. I want to make her compassionate, but she struggles with envy big time.

 

Incidentally, I just had an email pop up from my small group leader from my church who said in the email that this week's discussion is going to be on "contentment." LOL~

 

SO that's where I am in the plotstorming. Just talking through this in a conversational manner and hoping it's not choppy or confusing. Just trying to let you guys into my mind so you can see how the story comes together for me. Hope there's something in these plotstorming sessions that you can use.

 

When I start writing my rough draft, I may be sparse, but will pop in occasionally to let you know how it's going in regards to the plotstorm and working everything in that I came up with.

 

When I'm writing, I normally don't get on a computer that has email. I seclude myself from any distraction save my family. I bribe them for a few days writing time in which I can get the book done. LOL! But if you wonder how I can get an entire book written in a matter of days (8 days for book 1, 4 days for book 2). I prepare meals the week ahead of time, so they can be thawed out and baked and I save up casey's free pizza tabs too. LOL! So my cooking time is minimal that week I'm writing. I give my house a good cleaning before, and then after I write the book because it bugs me to have to write with clutter around me.

 

So that's what I did the last four days, clean from top to bottom. Clean out my desk, etc. Gather my research materials close. That consists of webpages, emails printed from my military sources, reference books on skydiving, and USAF PJ's, and Biblical notes on envy, contentment, etc. I am preparing to hybernate from outside activities, save church, and have stocked up on groceries so I don't have to shop for two weeks. Basically trying to set myself up for no interruptions.

 

Of course if someone gets sick that will change things, because my family is my priority, but I've spent a couple weeks away from the computer when my children are home from school, paying specialized attention, so they will be more merciful when I go to write my mess draft. I will have no TV, No IM time, No checking email even. I go digest on most loops and stay off the message boards I frequent, such as www.steeplehill.com

 

I cut myself off from all that temptation in order to get the book done. So if I'm gone for a few days from here, you'll know I'm diving in. When I come back up for air, I'll talk through the writing of the mess draft. I may break my "no online time" rule just to pop in a few times in order to post my word count or something.

 

As it stands now, I have a few scenes etched in a couple wordpad documents. About 2100 words. I need to aim for 60,000-65,000 words, so you see I have the entire book, save 2000 words, to write.

 

Any questions, feel free to email. I'll reconnect with you as soon as I come up for air.

 

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

PLOTSTORM 7

Sorry I've been MIA for several days, but let's play catch up.

 

I brainstormed with my two author friends, which basically consisted of me telling them what I had so far, and then them shooting ideas at me. So both of them felt I'm at a point where I should just start writing the story and let the characters take over, since I've developed them fairly well.

 

Here's a great example of how God often comes alongside me, (or actually, brings me alongside Himself is how it usually works..LOL!) to help me plotstorm. I mean, He's the most important person in my life, and the entire reason I write, well besides for my future readers. Hee hee. Anyway, so His input is extremely valuable.

 

I was praying about my books theme, which I also usually like to have prior to penning my mess draft. (What I call my first draft--just ask Camy and Robin why it's called a mess draft...sigh.) Anyway, I like to be able to sum the theme of a story up in one word. So what I wanted with this was "Balance."

 

The heroine needs to learn the balance of contentment, and the hero needs to learn the balance that seeing God rightly can bring to his life.

 

So I looked up scriptures that will potentially be the scripture theme verse for the book. A couple days ago, after praying about the book's theme, and knowing it needed to be "balance" I go to weekend service at church and theyr'e talking about guess what?

 

Yep. Balance. Hee he. I just love when this happens because I felt it was confirmation, and believe me my hand was heating the paper taking notes.

 

THEN, earlier before the night service, there was a womens' event at church in which the speaker did a magnificent job of discussing what?

 

Contentment....and balance.

 

Cool, eh?

 

So even though I don't have all the scenes in sharp focus, I have some major ones etched in my brain, enough to start the story.

 

So what I will do now is morph into a panster. I will wait until I have a few days of uninterrupted time (yeah right...what's that?) and WRITE. Just get the bones of the story down. It flows better if I can write the rough draft in under a couple of weeks. Yes, you heard right. But don't feel bad if your rough draft takes years to write. We are all different and you have to do what works for you. Think of food...pot roast would taste nasty after being mirowaved..but slow-cook that baby all day and WOW! YUM! Delicious. Some stories NEED to be slow-broiled over time. So if you're more of a crockpot writer than a microwaver...fear not. I heard somewhere, wish I could remember where, that it took the author of Gone with the Wind TEN years to write that story....and look what a classic it is.

 

Now, my research is a different story. I reasearch a series for literally YEARS before writing begins and the research is then ongoing. 2-5 years is avg research time for me. I've crash-coursed a research for a book in 6 m to a year, but I did not at all feel as secure about that book, and will probably double and triple check my research and let the story gel prior to subbing.

 

Anyway, that's where we're at with plotstorming.

 

An questions, feel free to email me.

 

Squirrel






 

PLOTSTORM 6

I mentioned I had two friends I was going to plotstorm/brainstorm this book with. Last night, one friend and I brainstormed until the wee hours...and I had such a BLAST. We were laughing (on the phone at first) SO hard my husband evicted me from our bedroom. Sigh. So I tiptoed into the living room and Pammer www.pamela-james.com and I continued our brainstorm via IM. I feel MUCH more confident about the story now, and am looking forward to diving into this story, rather than dreading it, or feeling at a loss as to the direction to go. Tuesday evening I'll brainstorm with another friend and Love Inspired author www.margaretdaley.com who can help me determine if what Pammer and I came up with last night is workable, plausible, and acceptible to my publisher's guildelines, etc. etc.

So how did the brainstorm go?

I told Pammer my basic premise, and let her know the story set up. I introduced her to my characters (verballly speaking) by way of telling her their backgrounds and the roles they played, or the appearances they made in books one and two.

You may remember my mentioning the novel I'm plotstorming is book three in a series.

So after I brought her up to speed, she began asking me questions to get me to think, and to help offer suggestions. Some of her questions were:

What's your hero's goal? (His goal is to help his sister heal from an assaut.)

Why does he want this? (Because his parents were killed in a car accident when he and his sister were young and they were shuffled from house to house and they only have each other now.)

What were his parent like? (Before they died, they were solidly loving and stable.)

What does hero believe about God? (Hero went to church a couple of times when he was young, may have even made a decision but he guesses it "never took" or that "God forgot about him in the shuffle of life" because He let his parents die and he and his sister be separated, the ONE thing Chance asked God for was to keep them together.

Is your heroine a Christian? Which one of them is the stronger Christian? (Yes, in the beginning of the book she's the stronger Christian but the spiritual arc is such that she begins to be deceived, and hero recognizes it. In the process of studying the Bible, and asking Christians how to help her, he comes to a relationship with Jesus and understanding God never actually abandoned him. So at one point in the story, he's seeking God more than she is and helps bring her back when she gets caught up in her body image to the point it becomes an idol, and being involved in things that subltly steal her simple devotion to Jesus.)

We discussed a few scenes, (some HILARIOUS), then talked about the heroine. We came up with a goal for her: That she wanted to be healthy because someone in her family recently had a stroke. She gets her cholesterol checked and realizes it's dangerously high, and wants to be healthy.

Pammer asked what the relationship conflict was. (Relationship conflict is mostly on Chance's part. He's the resistant one to the relationship for several reasons. He doesn't think he's good enough for her. He knows his sister needs to heal and needs the heroine's friendship to do so. He fears if he and the heroine date and end up breaking up, that will compromise his sister's friendship with the heroine, which will be detrimental to his sister's healing. It's no secret to any of their friends that heroine is head over for the hero, but he only sees her as a friend.

We brainstormed some other stuff, but mostly went over GMC. (Two main character's goals (What they want), motivation (why they want it), and conflict (what keeps them from getting it.)

I now have a good handle on both my hero and heroine's goals and motivations, but I'm still a little sketchy on the conflcits which will arise to challenge their goals. Hopefully Tuesday I'll have all the bugs worked out and can dive into the story.

Indidentally, I critted a book recently, by Camy Tang www.Camytang.com which floored me in the sense of how she kept upping the stakes and adding conflict. Her book will release from Zondervan some time this year or next, and would be an excellent study in creating character conflict.

More another day.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Squirrel
--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com ]=9998644322312`

PLOTSTORM 5

Okay, we discussed with my last Plotstorm post that I needed to delve deeper into my characters in order to continue plotting the book. Yesterday, I filled out some of those character worksheets I mentioned. How I format my character worksheet is I have a list of questions, then a blank beside it so I can just fill it out. Below, I will put a few of the questions I have in my character worksheets. Only a few because I have literally HUNDREDS of questions for each character. I don't always fill out every blank, just what I think will help me round him/her out and tell their story.

Like this:

• Character's name______________
• Hair color____________________hair style___________________
• Eye color and shape______________________
• Body physique/type/height/approx weight_______________________
• Greatest dream______________________________________
• Greatest fear________________________________________
• Greatest accomplishment in their eyes_____________________
• Describe their relationship with God_______________________
• Current career________________________
• Education____________________________
• Personality type_______________________
• How their friends would describe them (three words)_________________
• How they'd describe themselves (three words)______________________
• Family history___________________________
• Relationship history_______________________
• Traumatic events that have shaped them_____________________
• etc, etc, etc.

These are only a few I thought of off top of my head. You can fill your character chart out as fully or as minimally as you want. Some people cannot use charts and that's fine. Each writer has to find what works for them.

This method works for me because I am a list person.

I would like to note that I also learn about my characters as the story goes along. Once I know them strong enough to kickstart their story, they usually take over and I'm constantly surprised at some of the things they do and how they react and decisions they make.

That said, you want to be sure to keep your character "in character." Meaning, if I have a hero who can be described as "generous" then put him in a scene where someone in his life is in dire need, not a con artist, leech, loser or user (lol!), and he has the means to help but hearltessly doesn't....that would be "out of character" for him.

Okay, more another day.

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

PLOTSTORMING 4

Okay so yesterday I mentioned that you should intro the hero and heroine as close to beginning of story as possible. In my story, my hero and heroine have known one another for years..but my readers haven't ever met them unless they've read the previous two books. So it's important FOR YOUR ROMANCE READERS that you let them meet the hero and heroine of the story asap, even if the hero and heroine haven't met one another.

At this point in my plotstorm, I'm thinking of ways to make my main characters likable. I want to really endear them to readers. If readers don't care about your characters, they won't care about their story. So I think this is CRUCIAL. How I do this is try to think of what endears me to a character or a real person, since I often fashion my characters after a conglomerate of people I've come in contact with in my life. A plethora of personalities if you will. I also watch movies for research. I figure out the precise moment a character slips into my heart and ask myself why. Or if I hear a story about a real-live person that makes me go, "Awww! That's so awesome or heroic, or whatever." I often use precepts for deepening characterization.

Some things that endear me to heros for example are:

Men who are gentle with babies and get down in the floor and play with children.

Men who are compassionate to animals

Men who are generous to the needy

Men who reach out to and respect the elderly

Men who stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves

Men who open doors for women and who have good, old-fashioned Boy Scout manners

Those are just a few.

Heroines I'm endeared to are often:

Honest

Transparent

Rely on God's strength rather than their own, yet they have a sort of inner strength and perseverance and fortitude.

Empathetic but not wimpy

Respect men

Just to name a few.

I stumbled upon Chip McGregor's blog today, and am posting the link because he has a GREAT blog. One of his posts deals with creating great characters. This man has been in the publishing industry for years and years and I hope you will bookmark his site in your favorites if you are serious about pursuing publication.

More tomorrow on PLOTSTORMING.

Here's Chip's link:

http://www.chipmacgregor.com/

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

DELVING INTO CHARACTERS

In response to Christa's comment question, I imagine the character as a real person, and create in my mind their life story so to speak. I do character charts that are so detailed, I know what my heroine carries around inside her purse. Not all of what I know about my characters will make it into the book, but it helps me write their story.

Some authors do personify themselves into the character, so to speak. But I don't do that, it just doesn't work for me. I imagine them a seperate entity from myself. I do, however, try to get inside their heads and hearts and thoughts and motives and hopes and dreams.

So to answer your questions, I, being the compulsive organizer that I am, form lists.

Physical traits
Mental traits
Character Archtype
Emotions
Fears
Spiritual state
Emotional makeup
Past
Etc,

There are a gazillion blanks I fill out. Some people can't create characters this way...by using character charts I mean.

I try to put them in scenarios and figure out how they'd respond, react, etc.

I often fashion them after actors or actresses so I can picture them, and better help my readers picture them.

The only way I know how to describe it, is I see them in color, in moving picture in my mind. I know their thoughts, the intent of their hearts, etc, etc.


If anyone wants examples of great character charts, there are TONS on the web. One I use very often is one Margaret Daley has on her website or blog. www.Margaretdaley.com

Navigate around there until you find her character worksheet.

Hope this helps,

Squirrel

PLOTSTORMING 3

Okay, I've roiled scenes around in my head for my current WIP (Work In Process.) I've also come to the conclusion I'm not at all happy with where the story is going, so I'm calling in the reserves. By this, I mean I'm consulting with a few friends who will brainstorm with me. This is all part of the Plotstorming process for me, as at some point in my novel, I usually like to run aspects of my story by people so they can keep me from making a huge mistake by investing myself into something that will not work in the end. I think I've said this before, but I'll reiterate that creating outstanding characters is of utmost importance. I'm thinking the reason I'm running into a wall with this story is that I've underestimated my characters. I don't know them well enough, or as well as I thought.

 

So over the next few days, I'm going to switch direction. Instead of trying to nail down all my plot points, I'm going to delve deeper into my characters. Into their pasts, into their secrets, into their personalities. Find out what makes them tick. Find out anything in their background that I hadn't thought of yet. Investigate their motives, their goals, their internal struggles. Then I'm going to do what most pansters do....

 

I'm going to hand the plot over to them and let them take over, run wild with it.

 

This is all part of Plotstorming for me, my method. I mentioned before I HAVE to know my characters before I can write the book.

 

I believe my first book sold largely because the hero was very likable. He made that story. I also had a secondary character in there who I had to tone down because she nearly overshadowed the heroine. So I gave that secondary character her own starring role in book two. She's the heroine. In revisions, one of the things my editors had me do was strengthen my heroine's character. I did that by changing her internal conflict from one of being a worry-wart and struggling with choosing faith over fear, to something entirely different. It completely changed the book, and changing her altered the plot significantly...and made it a much stronger book in my opinion.

 

So what I'm working on in the next two days as far as Plotstorming is:

Getting with a couple other writers either by IM or email, or phone and hashing out this plot. Getting ideas and running ideas by them, figuring out whether my characters goals, motivations, conflicts are going to be strong enough to sustain a story and bouy a plot.

 

Some great reference books that will help you if you're trying to grasp the concept of GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) are as follows:

 

GMC by Debra Dixon

Getting into Character by Brandylin Collins

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Techniques of a Selling Writer by Dwight Swain

 

There are several more, books by Donald Maas, and Jack Bickham as well, but the above will get you started.

 

For goal, I ask myself, "What does my character want?" The story goal has to be something concrete that the character can obtain or make happen within a time frame. For romance, it just can't be only the guy's goal is to get the girl, the girl's goal is to snag the guy. It has to be more than that. In my book that sold, my heroine wanted to adopt the little boy. That was her story goal. The hero wanted to be able to keep his promise to the little boy without running into the uncle who destroyed his family. I ask myself, "What does my character want more than anything in the world? What is MOSt important to them? What is their number one dream? etc."

 

For Motivation, I ask myself, "Why does this character want this goal? What happened in their past to cause them to pursue this? Etc.) What drives them? What motive? What reward? Etc. Exactly WHY do they want this (goal)?

 

For Conflict, I rub my hands together and cackle with a wicked glint in my eye, and ask myself, "Now..what can I do to throw a series of wrenches in the character's paths and plans that will keep them from getting the goals I've dangled before them?" "How can I keep making things worse and worse without overplotting?" "How can I make the reader think there is no possible way that everything is going to turn out okay between this hero and heroine, and cause angst over the characters reaching their goals or obtaining their dreams?" This is conflict. Your readers should feel it, and most certainly, your characters should feel it.

 

Okay, so I know what my problem is. I need to be sure their goals are solid enough to sustain a plot and make the story interesting enough for someone to want to buy.

 

More another day, for today, I'm going to Brainstorm with friends and see what kinds of havock I can create for my defenseless characters.

 

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

JANUARY PROMPT CONTEST-Squirrel's Story Starter

Rules and Contest Overview

In September of 2006, I started up my prompt contests again due to several requests to do so. Each month, the prompt winner receives a new Steeple Hill release. In addition to this, everyone who enters is placed in the larger contest. The larger contest runs for a year. In the larger contest, those who've entered my monthly contests will have a chance to win a 6 month Subscription to the Steeple Hill line of their choice.

 

Rules for monthly contest:

Write a 500 word scene and submit it to my email address Cheryl @ CherylWyatt.com (lose spaces before and after the "@").

Authors of entries retain all rights to their work and I do not publish or reproduce it in any manner.

Winner will receive a free Steeple Hill book of their choice.

Entries must be received by Jan 25, 2007.

Winner will be notified by Feb 1, 2006.

Book is mailed to winner within a week of winning. 

 

JANUARY's PROMPT:

 

Write a 500 word scene beginning with one of the following sentences, using five of the ten prompt words following the sentences:

 

 

"Give it back!"

 

"He sure filled out since high school, not that I noticed."

 

"That's the most despicable thing imaginable."

 

Grin

Quirk

Job

Move

Hometown

Peanut Butter

Garlic Bread

Ball game

Motercycle

Coach

 

HAPPY WRITING!

 

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com

PLOTSTORMING 2

As promised, this post is dedicated to letting you in on my plotting process. You may share these PLOTSTORMING with other writer friends if you like as long as I get credit. Grin.

 

Since the book I'm plotstorming (brainstorming a plot for) is part of a series, I have skimmed through my first two books (the first of which is contracted, the second of which is with my editor now, awaiting a verdict of yes or no) to refresh myself of the storyline. I paid particular attention to areas the characters for book three (the one we're plotstorming) came up either "onstage" in the book, or by mention of another character in the first two books. None of this is relevant unless you are plotstorming a series. So from here, we treat this like any stand-alone book.

 

Now remember everything here is progressive as far as my thought process. What I'm writing down may not even resemble what I end up with, because I may get so far and decide it's not working. So these are just ideas rolling around. When I have a good handle on how I want the book to go, I will start my mess draft. (What I call my rough draft.)

 

Now remember, up to this point, I already know my characters...inside and out. That's half the battle for me. If you're a plot-driven writer instead of a character-driven writer, this process may not work. Knowing the background of my characters is something that I need to have before I ever begin to plot. 

 

Today's PLOTSTORM for PJ Book 3:

 

I'm mulling over my opening...as usual! LOL!

 

Opening Scene: Not sure yet. (How's that for brilliant? LOL!) Seriously, as of today, I have NO CLUE what my opening scene is going to be. I've batted around a couple things, but won't decide on the opening until I know the rest of the plotpoints. I always agonize over my first chapter, and especially my first scene since this is the thing that will hopefully "hook" my readers and help them want to read the rest of the book.

 

Potential openings: C and A talk B into a makeover since she's lost weight since the hero has been deployed. Heroine loves hero but they're just friends. Heroine is best friends with hero's twin sister, who is recovering from a brutal assault. Twin moves to the town of my story setting with heroine as roommates.

 

Heroine has double motivation: She wants to help her best friend recover emotionally and physically from a sexual assault which occurred in book 2. Her other (hidden) motivation though, is to be near to the hero more often, since his USAF Pararescue team's home base is now in Refuge. (Setting of books one and two).

 

I always ask myself what I want to accomplish with the scene. I must have at least three reasons (Thanks to Margaret Daley for that great idea www.MargaretDaley.com ) for a scene being in a book or I cut it.

 

What I want to accomplish with my opening scene:

 

-Hook reader from sentence one. I'm HUGE on perfecting that first sentence and spend a ton of time and energy coming up with it.

-Introduce my hero and heroine. I think it's very important in romance to get the two main characters intro'd as close to the front of the book as possible.

-Hint to reader about characters' goals. (hint: this has to be more than the romance of a girl getting the guy and the guy pursuing the girl.)

-Hint at heroine's motivation and internal struggles(2 separate things) so I endear her immediately to readers. No backstory dumps.

-Endear my characters to reader. There is a gazillion ways you can do this. I often do it by letting the reader glimpse through dialogue, etc, something sad in the character's past, or something they're dealing with right now in their life that evokes emotion and sympathy.

-End scenes and especially the chapter with a killer hook.

 

Okay, more tomorrow...or as soon as I get more in my brain.

 

 

Toodles,

 

Squirrel

 

 

 

 

 

 

--
~Cheryl Wyatt~ Gal. 2:20 ~Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com
www.SteepleHill.com
www.CherylWyatt.com

PLOTSTORMING

After the new year starts, I'm going to dive into the next book in my USAF PJ series. Over the next week I will brainstorm my plot for that book, a term I refer to as Plotstorming. I'll post this process in case it helps other writers. Each of us have our own methods, and you have to find what works for you, but in the meantime, maybe you'll find something in my method that you can use.

 

Up to this point, I've researched the novel. I always start there. Research is ongoing.

Then I get to know my characters. I usually have to know my characters completely before I can fully engage the plot.

Then I begin to think of the major plot points in the story. I do what is called a scene index. I usually average 15-20 chapters per book, and each chapter usually has 1-4 scenes, three on average. I'll use the story I just turned in to my editor. My scene index looked something like this:

 

C1S1: Manny crashes his parachute. Taken to hospital via helicoptor. Remorse hits him for not telling his buddies he'd given his life to Christ a week prior. He fears for his life.

C1S2: Manny wakes up to find Celia at his side. Surprised she's there because he propositioned her at their best friends' wedding. They talk. She's aloof.

C1S3:Celia leaves the hospital room when Joel returns. Remorseful over being cold to Manny. Amber told her of his conversion but she doubts since her father was a hypocrite.

C1S4: Manny taken to surgery. Celia worries since her husband died in the line of duty as cop. She cares for Manny and doesn't want to because she doesn't want a guy with a dangerous job again, but the draw between them this past year has been strong.

 

C2S1: Manny released to rehab. Gets to know Javier, Celia's son.

C2S2: Celia gets angry because she doesn't want Manny influencing Javier to a dangrous career.

 

C3S1: Bla-bla-bla

C3S2: Bla-bla-bla

C3S3: Bla-bla bla

 

C4S1: Bla-bla bla

 

all the way to C20S3 (or last chapter and scene # when the guy gets the girl and all live happily ever after)

 

Okay so just with that, "C" stands for "Chapter" and "S" stands for "Scene."

 

Sometimes I number is this way, so I can refer to the particular scene:

 

Chapter 1

S1: Manny crashes his parachute. Taken to hospital via helicoptor. Remorse hits him for not telling his buddies he'd given his life to Christ a week prior. He fears for his life.

S2: Manny wakes up to find Celia at his side. Surprised she's there because he propositioned her at their best friends' wedding. They talk. She's aloof.

S3:Celia leaves the hospital room when Joel returns. Remorseful over being cold to Manny. Amber told her of his conversion but she doubts since her father was a hypocrite.

S4: Manny taken to surgery. Celia worries since her husband died in the line of duty as cop. She cares for Manny and doesn't want to because she doesn't want a guy with a dangerous job again, but the draw between them this past year has been strong.

 

Chapter 2

S5: Manny released to rehab. Gets to know Javier, Celia's son.

S6: Celia gets angry because she doesn't want Manny influencing Javier to a dangrous career.

 

Chapter 3

S7: Bla-bla bla

S8: bla-bla bla

 

So there you have it. The way I organize my scenes.

 

Once I have my scenes I decide whose POV it would best be written from, and then I highlight the scenes I plan to put in the hero's POV in blue and the heroine's in pink or some other feminine color.

 

When I'm writing, I also change the color of the font to pink or blue, so I can be sure I'm not headhopping. My publisher likes authors to stick with one POV perscene is possible. With the colors, I know whose head I'm in so to speak. LOL!

 

Okay, I hope this helps someone.

 

As I plotstorm my upcoming novel this next week, I'll post that process. I can't post it right now because I actually have never, ever thought about how I plot since I'm usually a panster. Plotstorming scenes does keep my story from stalling in the middle though.

 

You'll find your way. Until then, maybe my way will kickstart something for you.

 

Happy wriitng!

 

Squirrel

--
~Cheryl Wyatt~ Gal. 2:20 ~Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com
www.SteepleHill.com
www.CherylWyatt.com

RAPID DEPLOYMENT KITS

The holidays are a time when families get together, so for deployed soldiers and their families, the holidays are sometimes the lonliest days.

 

Here's a way you can help bring some joy to our deployed soldiers during what can be some of their most difficult days. If you'd like more info on how to serve those serving us, click the following links.

 

http://give2.ccci.org/featured/rdk-email/

 

http://give2.ccci.org/featured/rdk-email/kit.php

 

Squirrel

--
~Cheryl Wyatt~ Gal. 2:20 ~Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com
www.SteepleHill.com
www.CherylWyatt.com

SIX DAYS LEFT! And Tribute

Only six days left to enter December's Prompt contest!

 

Scroll back a few posts to read the prompt, and send me your scene.

 

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas as we remembered the birth of our Savior.

 

TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE:

 

King Jesus, I love you. Thank you for coming to be like us so we could be with You. Thank You, Father, for sending your precious Son.

 

I love you more than anything, and for the new year in front of everyone, I commit my works to You. It's all for You, Lord. I write as worship.

 

Love,

 

Squirrel

--
~Cheryl Wyatt~ Gal. 2:20 ~Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com
www.SteepleHill.com
www.CherylWyatt.com

LOITERING HIPPY

My mother's helper confessed something to me this week that cracked me up. When she first came to interview for the job of our babysitter, she said she pulled up and became concerned. It seemed there was a hippie guy standing in our driveway. She thought it was terrible that a hippie guy was loitering with a baby in his arms in our driveway.

Turns out, she comes in to meet my family...and Hippie guy was my hubby. ROFL!

Here's my Hippie.

Neighborhood Fiasco

We had some excitement in the neighborhood last night. About thirty police cars from several counties surrounded our block 2/3 of the way. Apparently there was a high-speed pursuit for many, many miles which ended in front of our neighbor's house. You can't tell by the picture but there is a black car surrounded by police cars. The local police officer put his car sideways in the road, stopping the car. The two guys jumped out and fled on foot. They caught one right near the alley beside our home and dragged him across our yard in handcuffs. The other was apprehended less than a mile away. I've never seen so many police cars in one place. Our house was literally strobing blue from all the lights and it's not often that you have cops running through your yard with shotguns. LOL!

Squirrel

WRITING NEWS: NERVES, NERVES AND MORE NERVES

Well, my nerves are up in arms again because my agent and I subbed the second book in my USAF PJ series (Wind Warriors) to my editor www.SteepleHill.com yesterday. EEEEEK! Biting my fingernails over here.

This was my option book. (In Harlequin contracts, they like a first time author to give them first dibs on the next book you write.) I really hope they like it and want to buy it. My faithful Robin, who does my pre-submission edits http://www.robinmillerbooks.com/CritiqueBoutique.html likes this book better than the first, and believe me, if Robin thought it sucked, she'd be the first to let me know. LOLO!

I'm hoping the editorial team at Steeple Hill will love it too. I didn't send it to Caminator www.camytang.com http://storysensei.blogspot.com/ for a structural edit because she's under deadline for her second Asian Chick Lit book with Zondervan but normally I wouldn't sub a book without these two girl's hawk eyes going over it, as well as my other faithful critters. http://michelleswritingspace.blogspot.com/
http://www.pamela-james.com/home.html
http://syndihawkins.blogspot.com

These women are a contant source of encouragement to me, and I'm praying SO hard they sell soon. Pammer writes Inspirational romantic suspense, Syn writes chick lit-women's fiction with a hint of romance, and Michelle writes historicals and women's fiction. I think I will be as excited for them as I was for me as soon as I hear they've sold.

Leigh Bale, also a new author with Steeple Hill and I traded critiques on my second book too. http://www.leighbale.com/ I critted her upcoming suspense submission, and I LOVE THAT BOOK! I'll let you know when it sells, because I'm sure it will. She's a phenominal writer.

Robin just sold to Steeple Hill Suspense and I'm so excited for the three of us!!!! Our books will come out pretty close together. Tiff Miller, my webdesigner just this week sold to Barbour! YEEEE TIFF!!! http://www.ambermiller.com/index.html

Speaking of my agent, www.hartlineliterary.com www.tamelahancockmurray.com she sent me the most beautiful congratulatory basket, to celebrate my first book contract. I put a picture of it up there.

UGH...BUG...

My children often come up to me with bright eyes and grinning faces and say, "Close your eyes and open your mouth, Mom! We have a surprise for you!"

So I do as told because they usually set a cheese and peanut butter cracker or a candy kiss, or something really yummy in my mouth. Often I do this little game with them, too, where I'm the one putting the treat in their mouth.

Sometimes the game turns silly.

For example, as I sit awaiting my "treat" with closed eyes and open mouth, I'll often pop my eyes open when I sense them getting near with my treat and say, "Wait, you're not getting ready to feed me a bug, are ya?"

Boisterous giggles follow. This goes on and on as their hands get close to my mouth, until finally I let them stick whatever they have in my open mouth. Of course I bide by the rules and keep my eyes shut.

Especially today, when my toddler tells me, "Close your eyes and open your mouth, Mama! Gotta special treat for ya!"

I proceed to do as asked, and lo and behold I feel something really gross and prickly touch my tongue. My eyes fly open, my hand flies up to my mouth where I've spat.....

something that I think must have been a cricket.

Sigh.

The joys of motherhood....and I wouldn't trade these moments for anything.

The cricket on the other hand...I'd definitely trade for a cracker.

Squirrel

MORE MHC PARTY PICS

Enjoy!

Squirrel

MHC Christmas Party Pics

When you're used to seeing your coworkers in nursing and surgical scrubs, it's really neat to see them all gussied up.

I actually tried froglegs at the party and ya know what? They were GOOD!

Hope you enjoy the pics.

Cheryl

GOOD TIMES WITH OLD FRIENDS

With Christmas drawing near, nostalgia sets in, at least for me. A dear friend (waving to Debby) invited me to attend an annual Christmas party for the hospital I worked at for many years.

Hope you enjoy your holiday season, and remember the little baby whose birth offered the free gifts of hope, peace, and salvation to all who believe in Him.

Have a blessed Holiday season!

My favorite Christmas memory is when my aunt and cousins came to visit from out of state unexpectedly. I'll never, ever forget opening the door and seeing them on the landing. That memory is etched forever in my heart and mind, and echoes of our precious (and uncexpected) time together still make me smile to this day.

I'd love to know what your favorite Christmas memory is. I will draw names of all who post a comment, then one person will receive an ornament from me.

Squirrel

DECEMBER PROMPT CONTEST-SQUIRREL'S STORY STARTER

Well here it is....the moment you've all (fourteen) been waiting for: (LOL!)

DECEMBER'S PROMPT:

To reiterate the rules, write a 500 word scene beginning with one of the following hook lines, and try to use at least five of the ten prompt words.

As always, you retain rights to everything you send and it will not be posted anywhere.

Deadline for entry of December's prompt is December 31 since I'm late getting this month's prompt out.

Winner will be notified the first week in January, and will receive their choice of a new release Steeple Hill book.

It's not too late to jump on the Story Starter bandwagon for the overall contest...where the overall annual Story Starter winner will receive a six month subscription to any Steeple Hill line of their choice paid for by me to the book club. This mother contest in only a few months in and there's room in the race for you. Remember, you don't have to have won to be included in the mother contest, you just have to consistantly enter. The person who's entered the most number of times in a twelve month span will win. So come on guys, that's only twelve total times. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Now, let's move on to the good stuff.

DECEMBER'S PROMPT:

Write a 500 word scene beginning with one of these lines:

Of all days, why did this have to happen today?

"I got your message and came as fast as I could. Sit down, tell me what's wrong?"

"You'll never believe who I ran into at the doctor's office."


Diagnosis
Plan
Support
Tabloid
Train
Motocross
Eggs
Collision
Turkeys
Flee

Happy Writing!

Oh, and as always, send submissions or questions to Cheryl @ CherylWyatt.com (remove spaces before and after the @ sign)

Squirrel

A TITLE IS BORN!!!

Well,

you may have noticed I've been MIA much the month of November. That's because I participated in National Novel Writing Month www.Nanowrimo.org where I dove into a writing cave completing a 65, 000 word manuscript.

I'm back with another completed manuscript in my USAF PJ (Pararescue Jumper) series and GREAT NEWS!!!!

Houston! We have a title!!!

My sold manuscript, A SOLDIER'S PROMISE will release from Steeple Hill Publishers in January of 2008.

www.Steeplehill.com
www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com


A SOLDIER'S PROMISE is book one in the PJ series. (Wind Warriors.)

YEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Don't you just LOVE the title? I do! I can't take credit for thinking it up though. Someone on my book's vision team did. It's perfect though to the story, both metaphorically and literally.

Pass the word along to your friends!

I'm going to change the name of the second and third books in this Wind Warrior series to match the first.

I'd like it to be

A Soldier's (something).

So any and all ideas for that are welcome. If the book sells and we use your title idea, you WILL receive a free autographed copy from me as well as your name acknowledged in the front of the book.

Ones I've thought of so far are:

A SOLDIER'S QUEST
A SOLDIER'S HEALING
A SOLDIER'S HEART
A SOLDIER'S PURPOSE
A SOLDIER'S SONNET
A SOLDIER'S SHELTER

Come on! Send me your title ideas! There are five other books in this series.

Squirrel

Interview with LOST IN NASHVEGAS author, Rachel Hauck

Welcome to the Treehouse branch of author Rachel Hauck's 's blog tour.

Today we're going to be blessed with some insights from Rachel on writing as well as her newly released book, LOST IN NASHVEGAS by Westbow Press Publishers.


About the book:

Cheryl Wyatt: 1. What a totally awesome title. Who came up with it?

Rachel Hauck: I can take no credit for the title. WestBowdecided during one of their meetings. But I love it.

CW: 2. What gave you the idea for this book? Can you talk about what sparked it?

RH: My agent deserves credit for starting this book.She called me with an idea and ta-da, here it is.

CW: 3. What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

RH: I hope people feel encouraged to go for theirdreams. God loves dreamers.

CW: 4. What was your favorite scene to write? The most> challenging? The funnest?

RH: My favorite scene is when she finally decides tomove to Nashville. The funnest were the scenes withLee. The most challenging? Getting all the Music Rowlingo and details correct.

CW: 5. Did you know your plot or your characters first? Can you expound a bit?

RH: I have to know my characters. I also have to knowt he story points and where this character is going.They have to go hand in hand for me.

CW: 6. Ahh. Interesting. Will there be a sequel?

RH: There is not a sequel to Robin's story, but there is a second NashVegas book, Diva NashVegas that comesout in the spring. This is a story about a country superstar.

CW: 7. I'll be looking forward to Diva NashVegas as I'm sure many readers will too. Who was your favorite character to write in Lost in NashVegas and why?

RH: Robin was my favorite character. I suppose she's alittle like me... :)


About the Author:

CW: 1. Did this story or the writing of it change or challenge you in any way? If so, how so?

RH: This story challenged me to go deeper as a writer. And, I had more research to do that I have in the pastand a tight deadline. But it was fun and God enabled me to do it.

CW: 2. I love how you give Him the credit, and how you depend on Him as a writer as evidenced by this interview, and how great your writing is. What are you working on now?

RH: I'm working on a book set in South Carolina's lowcountry.

CW: 3. Oooh Cool! When can we look for another book from you? Next release date? What\'s that book about...can you> give us a teaser?

RH: Spring 2007 and Fall 2007. No teasers. Have to buythe book.

4. LOL! Well then, can you share what your most favorite reader letter has been?

RH: For Georgia On Her Mind, I had several emails frompeople who started out with, "I don\'t normally like to read, but..." I loved the idea that something I wrote encouraged someone to read.

CW: 5. That's awesome. Can you talk about the process of making a memorable character?

RH: Get inside the character's head and heart. Spend time with them. Let them become real people. Don'tlimit characters to your own understanding, habits or beliefs. Don't create characters to carry your"message" forward. Create people with good hearts as well as flaws.

CW: 6. I'm sure many writers will find that helpful. What about a plot? Do you do it?

RH: I'm not a plotter-outliner, but I do have to know where the story is going - the conflicts, the darkmoments. this inciting incident.

CW: 7. Wow. And a whole book comes from that springlboard. Very cool. What\'s a typical day like for the life of> Author Rachel Hauck starting from the moment you> wake up to the time your head hits the pillow?

RH: It varies. Some mornings I go to Spinning, thenprayer at church. Others, I work right away. But, I'mabout to change my schedule so I'm more focused andtime is used more wisely.

Rachel, thank you for your time and a really fun interview!!!

To my blog readers, I hope each of you will pick up a copy of Lost in Nashvegas. ISBN: 9781595541901



Thanks for having me, Cheryl!!

Rachel*****************


For web site, blog and book news go to:www.rachelhauck.com

For information on blog tours, check out http://www.heatherdianetipton.blogspot.com

NOVEMBER PROMPT CONTEST OPENS

Squirrel's Story Starter for November is here!

Remember...your retain all rights to your work and I do not print it anywhere.

Contest will end November 25, 2006.

Winner will be notified by December 1, 2006

New prompt will be posted by Dec 5, 2006. Previous month's winner will receive their prize by this date as well. (Prize consists of a new Steeple Hill release as well as another notch added in the chance to win a 6 month subscription to the Steeple Hill line of their choice.)


Submit a 500 word scene to Cheryl @ Cheryl Wyatt.com (close spaces on either side of @) using the following prompt:


Begin your scene with one of the following sentences, and use 5 of the ten prompt words in the body of your scene. Give it any tone you wish, but I'm going to be looking for strong beats (action gestures the character performs) to ramp the tension in this scene as well as compliment each of your dialogue lines. I want to be able to picture this scene as if I'm in the audience and your characters are on stage.

Scene Starters:

"They found it by the river."

"I'm afraid I have to pass."

"I thought she was with you?"


Prompt words: (You may use any variation of each word, ie plural, etc.)

Gripped
Clenched
Panic
Pound
Waver
Missing
Funnel
Trust
Convey
Snicker


Happy Writing!!!!


Squirrel

WHERE THE STORIES HAPPEN

I'm always curious when I read a book about where the book was written. If the setting of the book is Winterish, with characters frolicking through snow, I often imagine the author sitting by the fireplace. Maybe there is a steaming cup of hot chocolate on the small table beside her. A notebook rests on her knee as her stockinged foot rests on a victorian chair. Her hand cradles her favorite pen as sleep cradles the rest of her family and the house and neighborhood sleeps. For her inspiration maybe she watches flecks of white dust the windows, mesmerizing her as she creates a fictional world which will touch and entertain readers. Maybe she smiles at the snowflakes who've danced their way down to glimpse through the window into the warm house as a novel whose characters will outlive their creator come to life on the page.

Same thing if the setting of a book is in the city. Makes me want to go visit that place and eat the food mentioned in the book.

Just in case you happen by one of my books in the store in the future and wonder where the stories happened, here is a glimpse into the life of one author. Ingore my messy desk now because there is chaos in every corner of my house. I usually like things to be more orderly but hey....sometimes life happens. My house may not be clean but my family knows they're loved.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Please leave a comment letting me know what your favorite setting in a book and why. Or if you'd love to see a particular setting in a book and haven't or haven't lately.

Don't be shy! Talk away!

Squirrel

PROMPT CONTEST DEADLINE LOOMS

One more day to get your monthly entry in guys!

Remember....those of you who enter consistantly over the next twelve months will be eligible to win a six month subscription to the Steeple Hill line of your choice.

Hurry! Get those entries in!

Squirrel

Surprise Party-Friends and Family attending

Two tables of people and we took up one entire room at Changing Seasons

Renee's SCRUMPTIOUS cake! It amazes me how someone can make a glop of icing turn into a sage rose. Incredible.

The CUTE tea cups and LOOK at the little dainty spoon!

Those of you who subscribe to my blog, I hope you don't hate me for all the influx of pics in your blog. LOL! It just occurred to me. Blogger wouldn't let me upload more than one pic at a time for some reason. Something about my cookies being disabled. Hmm. Disabled cookies? Don't know about that but I'll tell you, that CAKE was DE--E--E-LICOUS!

Squirrel

Spring Room at Changing Seasons

Book Deal Surprise Party Pics

The Spring Room at Changing Seasons

SURPRISE!!!

Walking into a wonderful trap! For a second I wanted to flee since I don't like being the center of attention. LOL! I pray each of you have friends and family who love you this much.

THE PERSON WHO ORGANIZED MY "BOOK DEAL SURPRISE PARTY"

Marcie (right) and myself at Changing Seasons October 21, 2006

CHANGING SEASONS TEA HOUSE AND GIFT SHOP

"NOT UNLESS WE'RE ALL SUFFERING UNDER SOME GROUP DELUSION"

This response came from my friend Marci after one of the most wonderful days yesterday. She had organized a surprise party for me, invited many of my friends and family and then lured me there for lunch. I walked into this tea room sort of place and there they all sat. Renee had baked a beautiful and delicious cake. Then they had me going through tissues like mad as they each shared a special memory of a time with me, or the first time they met me. Guys, I was bawling. It was so awesome and I will not forget that day, ever. I felt SO loved. On the way home in the car, I said to Marcie, "I'd forgotten most of the things they mentioned until they started describing it." Then I said, "I just had no idea all these people see me this way." They talked about what they described as my strong faith, my adventurous spirit, my perseverence through hardship, my love for Jesus, my faithfulness as a friend, my generosity. It would take like ten pages to write everything they said down. Marcie said, "That's how we see you, and so unless we're all suffering under some mass group delusion, sister, believe it!"

So I pray God gets this in my heart. I also pray for each of you a church family of people who really are doing the stuff that Jesus did and who really are living out their faith 24/7 in a relevant way. I will never, ever take my church family for granted again. Marcie even had an invitation made with roses (my favorite flower), one of my favorite bible verses around the edge, as well as my author tagline (Pouring my vial of words over Him). She says the guy is also making a poster size of it. Then the tea room owners asked me to come back and do a booksigning!!!!!!!! How cool is that? And another really awesome thing is the place was named Changing Seasons and they had put us in the spring room. Okay now you have no idea how prophetic and significant this is. Let me see if I can explain.

Right before the ACFW conference in Dallas in September, I felt like God was impressing upon me that I was about to enter a new season. His words felt like He knows I've been in a really hard Winter season where I had to endure excruciating physical pain, immobility, physical therapy which made things worse because they'd misdiagnosed me. Then when the correct diagnoses came, I faced major surgery which terrified me. I knew God could go, "Pling." and I'd be healed but no. He made me face my worst fear...that I would bleed to death on the table or succomb to a bone infection and leave my daughters without a mother. Being a nurse has made me paranoid I guess. Who knows.

Obviously God brought me through with no complications because I'm sitting here typing this and I must say, I'm getting pretty fast on my walker. LOL! I felt like God gave me the verse, "Behold I do a new thing, I'm making rivers in the desert and a way in the wilderness. Now watch it spring forth." I'm paraphrasing but that verse is also one of my favorites. I felt like God had given me that promise. Then I go to the conference and the theme? New Beginnings. The key verse? The one I just typed. I even got a writing magazing that I felt God sort of snickering at...if He does that, I feel like He did. It had a picture of a Squirrel on it. Here's the deal..that's my nickname. I don't go around looking for signs.I really don't. But I do know when God perks me up BEFORE I SEE OR HEAR SOMETHING and says, "Hey, listen up. This is for you." So He does have a sense of humor. I feel like I'm coming out of a really hard season and spring in on the horizon. God is so awesome. If you're going through a hard season, it will pass. I promise. He will make a way for you. He will go through it with you. He will never leave or forsake you. He loves you and wants to be in your life.



I hope you enjoy my surprise party pictures today.

Squirrel

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

I forgot to mention in my last post that my editor has graciously agreed to do this "What Happens After The Call" blogposts with me. I will post her replies so you guys can see what happens on the editorial end of things. I will probably have her let us in on what steps happen leading up to the call.

I feel this will help you understand why there are the necessary turn around times in publishing. Not only do editors read the mansucripts and proposals that come in to be considered, they edit and work with the authors already in their care. I'm sure there are a gazzilion things they do which we don't realize too. Like answer emails and phone calls, judge writing contests, attend writers conferences, etc.

So stay tuned for more on "What Happens After The Call."

Squirrel

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CALL?

For those of you wondering what The Call is. . .it is what aspiring writers refer to as The phone call where they are offered a contract by an editor. Usually their first contract. If the writer has an agent, then the agent may make The Call.

Over the next year or so until the release of my book, I will be blogging about the process from here for those of you wondering. Remember that each house might be different. I'm just going by what my house does. (Steeple Hill) www.SteepleHill.com

So you all know my call story because I blogged about it before. My call came from my agent. During that call, she went over the terms of the contract and asked me if I agreed to them. A lot of people at this point will say, "Give me 72 hours to think this over." But for me to do this would have been goofy I think because the editors knew how badly I'd been wanting to write for this house. Heck, the entire WORLD probably knew it. Plus I was aware from researching this house that they mostly use what is called a boiler plate contract, meaning it's pretty standard for first time/newbie authors. I also know the house is reputable so I wasn't concerned legally about agreeing to stuff over the phone.

Anyway, so I agreed verbally to the terms. At that point, my agent called the editor back who called her with The Call and informed her I agreed to the terms. The editor and I then exchanged emails and kudo sort of convo. We agreed on a time we could speak over the phone to talk about some details.

The next day she phoned me and we discussed some of the details. In that phone call, we discussed things like whether I wanted to write under my real name or use a pseudonym (also known as a pen name). She also asked me to be thinking about a revision deadline. That there were going to be some more revisions they'd requested on the manuscript. She emailed me those revisions. I looked them over and we talked about a do-able deadline. They gave me up to 90 days, which is a really wonderful deadline. No pressure as I had feared. I can coast leisurely and make sure I'm turning in my absolute best work. So after we discussed things like that, they were going to draw up the contract and mail it to me. In the meantime, I got cracking on the revisions she'd emailed to me.

I went over the revisions and we discussed any questions I had and any areas I needed clarification. Can I just say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE working with an editor? Some people may balk at another person suggesting changes in their work. I, on the other hand, really think these changes will make the book better. So I'm learning that a book is a team effort. A collaboration of my creativity, and my editors' experience as someone who knows what sells, and who knows the readership of the house she represents. This trust is crucial at this stage and I love that I feel the editors "get" my story and are open to my suggestions too.

My deadline is December 15th. For the next couple of days, I will be polishing and proofreading the revisions. Then I will mail them in early in case I didn't go deep enough on some of the revision points.

All in all there were less than twenty five points. These were broad strokes. Thankfully no major plot or character issues like the book had before. For example, my editor wanted to see more of the sick boy. She felt like he was recovering most of the time and not really sick. So this could probably be fixed easily by adding a sentence here and there, and then maybe a scene or two where he has a crisis.


The way I revised my ms was I lettered every revision point. Thankfully I only got to "V" otherwise I would have then lettered them "AA" "BB" etc. Then I printed out a paper copy of the ms just as I sent it to the editor. Then I went through the ms and coincided the letter with the part of the ms she mentioned. This was easy and took less than an hour because she put the page number or chapter there. I went through the paper copy and put a red x over everything that needed to be cut. Then I went to the computer document, copied and renamed it. That way I have a hard copy of the ms as originally subbed, and a paper copy to write on. I also proofread better by paper than I do by computer so I catch more mistakes on paper. The copied document is the one I went about applying the changes to. This way, I always have the original as a reference because when you go to cut scenes, the pages after that won't line up with the editor's revision notes.

After I cut everything that I could possibly cut, including areas where I tended to overdescribe (another revision point), I had cut about five or six thousand words. This is good because next came the building back up of scenes where she wanted more of this or that. For example, my hero disliked the town but I only hinted about it in chapter one. The reader didn't find out his internal conflict until about page 132 or so. My editor asked me to bring it in sooner, so I did and that took maybe a paragraph of word space to accomplish that. I didn't dump the info all at once though. I put a sentence here and there, or added a few words to an existing sentence to hint at/let the reader know why he dislikes this town so much.

For the last couple weeks I have set the ms aside and not looked at it AT ALL. This is so when I come back to it, I will hopefully see it with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes you know your story so well, it gets confusing as to what happened when. An example of this is I typed in, "Since you'll be my best buddy today and all." It was a statement that the soldier made to the little boy in reference to a pact they'd made which happened in (what I thought was) an earlier conversation. In proofreading today though, I realized I'd put it in BEFORE that conversation happened which would have confused the reader most likely. See, I knew they'd had that conversation, but because the story is so much in my mind, I thought I'd read it when I apparentl had just recalled it from writing it before. So this is why a fresh set of eyes is crucial before you turn your work in.

After I proofread it and polish it and get it in as close to submittable form as possible, I will send it to my crit group or a woman I use to line edit to go over it for me. It would be best if it were a person who has never read the story so they can pick out mistakes. I remember one of my critters (Critique partners) finding an error that got past four people, including myself. I had my heroine driving around an impouded car for eight chapters. LOL! Eight! I guess I forgot it got impounded. I'm really glad they caught that one. I've read books where the hero starts out having brown eyes and ended up with blue by the end. This is the sort of mistake that outside readers can pick out. By outside readers I mean people you trust to be honest who are unfamiliar with the story.

Okay, enough for today. My hands hurt and I imagine your eyes do too.

Blessings,

Squirrel

STEVEN BLY AUTHOR INTERVIEW and PRESS RELEASE

Hey all you faithful blog people who faithfully read my blog,

Janet and Stephen Bly are mentors of a wonderful writing organization called Christian Writers Guild.

I'm posting an interview...hope you will consider ordering a book! This is a really awesome concept, I must admit. Enjoy!

Squirel


AUTHOR TAKES ON CHARACTER’S QUEST

Stephen Bly of Winchester, Idaho, award winning author of 100 books, has so gotten into his newest character’s life, that he’s caught up in the search to find Juanita, the girl of rodeo cowboy Hap Bowman’s dreams. “An idiot obsession,” Hap’s roping partner, Laramie, chides. But Hap and Steve keep looking anyway. And so does Bly’s family, friends and fans. He’s listed her description on the home page of http://www.onestepovertheborder.com/: raven dark hair, dark eyes, has a petite birthmark the shape of a horse’s head under her right ear. She lived in sight of the Rio Grande and spent time with 12-year-old Hap Bowman in Central Wyoming, summer of 1988 and is 31 years old now.

Bly’s hoping to see “Have you seen my Juanita?” signs pop up everywhere—on websites and message boards, in waiting rooms and bulletin boards, on car bumpers and t-shirts, at rest stops and stuck to magnetic surfaces. “Maybe we really will find her,” Bly says, “If so, she’ll be featured on our website for sure.”

One Step Over the Border is a romp, a road adventure. It's CowboyLit that has inspired a blog by Hap Bowman, a Juanita Sightings page, and an audio poetry reading. Bly’s three sons are working on a video for the site and they’ve gotten the whole family involved in the production. There’s even a free “Have You Seen My Juanita?” Search Kit ready to send to those who e-mail cowboy Hap at HapBowman@yahoo.com with their snail mail address.

Bly’s no stranger to getting heavily involved into his characters. In Paperback Writer a distracted detective rides along with his author, serving as alter ego and companion in troubles on the road. “Life imitates art, they say,” Bly muses. “I care so much for my characters I find it hard to let them go. But also my desire is for the reader to find their own real life discoveries, to be encouraged in their own struggles, by the vicarious ‘entering into’ the quests of my fictional characters.”

The story of Hap’s search to find his Juanita, in the book One Step Over the Border, releases June 2007, by Center Street/Hachette Book Group, USA. Pre-orders are now available through http://www.blybooks.com/ and soon will be via
http://www.amazon.com/ or your favorite online bookstore.

CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stephen or Janet Bly, P.O. Box 157, Winchester, ID, 83555

e-mail: stephen@blybooks.com or janet@blybooks.com
website: http://www.blybooks.com/

BOOKS, BOOKS and MORE BOOKS

Just a few places I hide my stash. I'm really thankful for a husband who enables my book addiction. Tee hee.

Squirrel

SISTAHOOD OF THE SAGGING SHELVES

Okay, there's a discussion going on at the Steeple Hill message boards www.SteepleHill.com about writers and readers who have book addictions. We're lamenting over there about how there are SOO many books and not enough shelf space.

So I'd like to know, when you run out of shelf space, what place or space do you create for you books? I'm thinking a hardback coffee table is in order here. LOL!

And here's the sad thing..I've loaned away/given away probably a thousand books in the past two years. Here are my keeper shelves which are creaking and groaning in protest because the shelves are three books deep...meaning the books you see in front? Um, yeah, there are one or two rows behind them. And I have sterilite containers of books like you see pictured below under my pool table.

Just for fun! Enjoy!

Squirrel

SQUIRREL'S STORY STARTER FOR OCT 2006

Okay blogger and bloggerettes,

Before I post another prompt for October's contest, let's go over Da Rulz so you guys don't have to scroooooll back.

Squirrel's Story Starter Rules:

--- Submit the scene on or before October 25th to my email address: Cheryl at CherylWyatt.com (replace "at" with "@" and lose the spaces).
----The winner will receive their choice of one of five new Inspirational Fiction releases from Steeple Hill publishers.
----Write a 500 word scene using one of these three opening hooks:

1. "Get down from there immediately!"
2. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen."
3. "A little to the left."

----Incorporate five of the ten words into the story, and this month, I'm looking for active verbs...meaning try your best to use verbs that end in "ed" rather than using a "was" with an "ing"...for instance: He was running sounds passive. He ran sounds more punchy and active. Got it? Okay.

Here are your prompt words. Use as many as you like, but use at least five.

Squished
Swished
Scratched
Swathed
Nose
Knows
No's
Loose
Lose
Waffled


Winners will be notified by October 31st and prizes will be mailed the first week of November.

You retain ALL rights to your work. I will not post or print it anywhere, and in fact will delete entries once I've logged entrants names for that month and chosen a winner.

If you'd like to enter my contest, leave a comment letting me know. Don't forget to leave me your name and email address so I can contact you if your entry wins. At that point I would email and ask you for your mailing address. I do NOT share your personal information with ANYONE.

If you send three friends to stop by my blog, then you score a bonus point! Just make sure you tell them to say you sent them.

Remember: The person(s) who enter the most prompt contests in a twelve month period will receive a chance to win a paid-for by me six month subscription to the Steeple Hill line of their choice.

Happy Writing!

Squirrel

WORD IS OUT!!!! I SOLD MY BOOK TO STEEPLE HILL!!!!!

WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I had just sent an email and was staring at my tagline that says, "Pouring my vial of words over Him" when I felt Him ask me, "Will you promise to always write as worship?"

"Yes, Lord." I said and THAT moment The Call came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEEEEEEEEEE!

Pray that I keep my end of the bargain up. Kinda feels like I just signed two contracts. LOL! HE IS AWESOME!

This is the first book in my USAF PJ (Pararescue Jumper) series. Not sure of a release date yet but tentative title is House on Haven Street.

I love new beginnings! He's true to His promise....He makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert and I love watching it spring forth!

YEEEEEEEEEEE GOD!

YEEEEEEEEEEEE my new editor, Melissa!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEE my agent who's beside herself with excitement for me!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE everyone in the world....okay so that's a bit dramatic but I CAN'T HELP IT!

I've had this dream since I was a little girl to author a book!!!!!

YEEEEE for God putting a sense of destiny in me before I even actually knew Him very well. But He sure did know me.

Whisper, shout, hum, or however you want to speak...a sincere "Thank You" to Him on my behalf today, okay?


If you get a chance...bop over to www.steeplehill.com

Take a moment to sign in (free of charge) and join the party they'll be throwing for me over there!!!! Just click on Talk and go to the thread that says something about SQUIRL SOLD, or Cheryl Wyatt Sold.

THANX to my faithful blog readers for all of your support!!!

Squirrel

DIVING IN to revisions

See Squirrel's brain.
See Squirrel's brain on revisions.
See Squirrel's brain fry with revisions.

I have a BIG, BIG secret....that I can't wait to tell you all just as soon as I get clearance.......


WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: Did I happen to tell you I'm TERRIBLE at keeping secrets?

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel somewhat better....maybe I won't explode now.

STAY TUNED FOR SOME FABULOUS NEWS!!!!!

ACFW Conference Pictures

Here are some pictures of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in Dallas.Enjoy!

DALLAS ACFW PICTURES-Genesis Winners

Here are some pictures of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in Dallas.

Enjoy!

Squirrel