Enjoy his most recent adventure “Cat Littérature.”

and one of our favorites:

In 1995 I watched the movie Cold Comfort Farm. A British comedy, the story was not without charm, though I wouldn’t recommend this parody of literature for everyone. Early on, Aunt Ada, who seemed to be a bit crazy, said, “I saw something nasty in the wood shed.”

Throughout the movie, I waited to find out what Aunt Ada saw. I waited. And waited. But the question was never answered, at least not for the viewer. I tried to find out if the novel solved the mystery and was unsuccessful in that quest, making me believe the book did not reveal the answer, either.

In my mind, the story broke its contract with the viewer. Since whatever Aunt Ada saw had a great effect on her, I think the nasty something should have been revealed.

Apparently I am not alone. Even now, the Internet is rife with posts about the mystery.

Your turn:

Do you think all plot questions posed in a book or movie should be answered?

Can you think of another example where a big question was not answered? Were you bothered by this, or not?

I was just talking with a client the other day about the writing life. She’d struggled with getting started on her novel. Then, once she started, she said it was as though she couldn’t keep her backside in the chair. Everything else caught her attention: laundry, dishes, kids, dogs, yard work, and on and on. And when she finally managed to write most of the book, there was that darned ending! She’d written and rewritten and rewritten it again. What’s more, she was about to rewrite one more time!

“Am I the only one who struggles with all this? Does anyone else?”

After I snorted my coffee—and then cleaned up—I told her the bald truth: “Only everyone.”

Okay, maybe not every writer struggles with these things. But more writers do than don’t. It’s SO much easier to do…well, anything…than to stay focused on writing. It’s not that we don’t love what we do. Of course we love it. But it’s just so hard! And getting immersed enough in the story to stay immersed can be a real battle. So what’s a writer to do?

Well, use the different level of focus, for one thing.

I’m firmly ensconced in the camp of writers that has trouble starting, continuing, and ending well. Which is what got me focused on focus to begin with. And here’s what I’ve found. It helps a great deal to start out with mountaintop focus. How? By looking at the whole picture, I can then break it down to bite-sized pieces. And breaking things down into bite-sized pieces engages my love of puzzles and my desire to “fix” things, which gets me fully engaged. I do this as often every week, or as little as once a month, depending on how the writing is going. Any time I realize I’m out of the chair more than I’m in it, I take a day to do an overview—mountaintop focus–of the book. I consider the following:

Overall Story

• Am I staying true to my core message? Has the story gotten sidetracked? Is it going the direction I thought it would? If not, what has changed, and what does that mean for the book as a whole?
• Have I made the world of my story vivid enough, or do I need to go back and layer in details and descriptions?

 Characters

• Are the characters staying true to their motives, issues, arcs (character, spiritual, relational). Or has something changed for any of them?
• Are my characters multi-dimensional, or have I fallen prey to creating clichés? (I find this can happen most often with the antagonist. It’s so important to be sure our villains ring true.)
• If something has changed, do I need to reconsider that character’s place or role in the story?
• What characters have shown up without my permission? Why did they pop up? Do I need to keep them or should I incorporate them into existing characters?

I also evaluate pacing and plot. Once I’ve done this, I can use my mountaintop-focus points to break what I need to work on into smaller pieces. For example, in the Character category, if my overview has pinpointed issues for a character, I zoom in on that character and consider dialogue, beats, actions, emotions, interactions with other characters, and so on. I work on these aspects to ensure that character lives and breathes on the page. Once I’ve finished, I move on to the next character as needed.

And so it goes.

I’ve found this works well for all stages of writing, be it research, first draft, or rewrites.

So if you are a member of the “Oh, look! Laundry needs to be done!” camp, give the spectrum of focus a try. Whether you’re a plotter or, like I am, a seat-of-the-pantser, it really will help you keep your backside in the chair, and your fingers on the keyboard.

Now, let’s hear from you all! What helps you stay focused on the work?

Stephen King Delays E-Book! – In an effort to support physical bookstores he has delayed the ebook edition of his newest release.

The Anatomy of a One-Sheet – Barbara NcNichol provides a simple explanation that you can use to help promote your book idea for speaking and to the media.

A Free Membership to CopyBlogger – Access to 13 major articles and a 20 part video series on how to write good copy. This is where sales are made, in the back cover copy, in the one-sheet copy, and on your web site.

5 Reasons Why Libraries Will Fail – First published in 1864.

Tsundoku – Your word for the day. Expand your vocabulary with this one illustrated below… Books purchased but left unread. Even Goodreads has an entire bookshelf of popular tsundoku titles.

I thought it might be fun to write a series that addresses some of the basic terms that define our industry. The perfect place to start, of course, is the letter “A.” And even better to start with the word “Agent.”

If you are a writer, you’ve got it easy. When you say you are a writer your audience lights up because they know what that means. (Their perception is that you sit around all day thinking profound thoughts. And that you are rich.)

If you are an editor, you got it sort of easy. Your audience knows you work with words and all you do is sit around and read all day. In my editorial days I was often told, “I’d love to have your job.”

But tell someone you are an agent and there is a blink and a pause. If they don’t know the publishing industry they think “insurance agent” or “real estate agent” or “secret agent.” Or if they follow sports or entertainment they think “sleazy liar who makes deals and talks on the phone all day.” I resent people thinking that I talk on the phone all day. (Hah!)

Even at a writers conference I always have someone ask, “What is it that you do?”

Deal Maker

An agent works on commission. Fifteen percent of the money earned in a contract they have sold to a publisher on behalf of a writer. I will be bold to say that any prospective agent who asks you for money up front is someone you should stay away from.

This is the category that most people focus on when defining the role of the agent. But it is only one small facet of what we do. Two months ago I published a list of the activities our agency had recently done as a way to help dispel the myth that we are only deal makers. It is how we earn our living but only a small part of our work.

Don’t get me wrong. This is a crucial part of what we do. Our contract negotiations are critical to the long-term health of the publishing/author relationship. Last Fall I taught a course at a conference called “Landmines in Your Book Contract.” Each time I read from an “offending” contract there were gasps in the room. There is a good reason to have a professional review any book contract you are ready to sign.

Advice Columnist

I’m not referring to our blog but instead to our daily conversations (phone, email, face-to-face) we have with our clients. The industry can be confusing when you first begin exploring its nuances. There was a time in your writing life when you didn’t know the answers either. So back then, who did you ask for advice? But what about now after learning the basics? Now the questions are more complex and the stakes are getting higher.

I spend hours helping a client review their options. For example when B&H Fiction closed two weeks ago we had a number of clients affected. Each one needed to have a full understanding of the implications for their situation and what to do next.

For another client it was wondering how to best work with their particular editor, someone I’ve known for many years. Everything is smooth sailing because the writer asked the right person for advice.

Career Counselor

In another conversation last week an author and I discussed her plans for her next book proposal. When to complete the proposal itself and what should be in it this time around – three books? – six books? – one book?

With another client it was deciding whether or not to try and sell his next idea to a different publisher. Not necessarily because of dissatisfaction but because I had multiple editors ask about his work and we had been wondering if their enthusiasm would convert to stronger support at a different house.

The question of whether or not to self-publish an e-book or some variation of that issue is something  we often address. Each situation is unique so cookie-cutter answers are of little help to a particular author.

Idea Machine

I am not saying my ideas are good, only that I can have a lot of them.
Struggling with the title of your book? We could brainstorm a half dozen alternatives at least.
Stuck in your writing? I often have a client call and we talk through their book to the place where they are stuck and come up with new ideas to break through.
Too many ideas in your head? I ask my clients to send me a “brain dump” of various storylines or book ideas. I can help decide which ones to shelve and which ones to present to their publisher next time around.

Sometimes just talking it through brings clarity to the author. It might not be my idea that worked, it was simply having the conversation that stimulated  creativity. It is a lot of fun when that happens.

Friend

Let’s be careful with this one. By “friend” I mean someone who is much closer than a business acquaintance but not so close that we look forward to painting each other’s toenails. To use the cliche of culture, I’m not your BFF. But I can certainly be that person in your writing world with whom you can share deeply.

With some clients it is talking through a spiritual crisis. For others a relationship breakdown. It can be the need to have someone know their health problem, one they don’t want publicly known. And even those writers who are buried by self-doubt, they need to have someone they trust who can encourage them in the right way.

Some of these relationships do grow into wonderful friendships. But make sure you keep your boundaries well set and your expectations reasonable.

10 Commandments for Working with Your Agent

If you haven’t read this list of ten commandments please do so (Just click the link above). It is a fun way to look at the topic. It is one of our top ten most read blogs ever.

Your Turn

Does this article create new questions for you? If so, either ask them in the comments below or click the green button in the right column called “Ask Us a Question” and we will try to address it at some point.

Do you like stories with unsure endings? Where you don’t know if the main characters will live happily ever after?

I am a reader who doesn’t like open endings, probably because I enjoy novels that are heavy on romance and I like to know the couple can expect a happily-ever-after. My personal preference is for a novel that doesn’t beg for a sequel for the protagonist.

A Satisfying End?

Gone with the Wind ended with Scarlett O’Hara saying that tomorrow is another day. Because we had spent considerable time with Scarlett — 1200 pages, in fact, we knew that Scarlett would get her way. Somehow. Because she was Scarlett. So while in the most technical of terms, Margaret Mitchell left us with an open ending, it was still satisfying enough. Except that later, some felt the story did beg for a sequel. The sequel was panned in most quarters.

Do I Tie Up All Loose Ends?

The open end is quite different from tying up all loose ends, though. Leaving some loose ends untied makes for the ability to turn the first story into a sequel. Or two. Or three. When I was writing novels, often fans would ask to find out what happened to one of my minor characters. A favorite example of mine is a character I had planned to throw away. He was a raging alcoholic, last seen sleeping on a buggy seat, drool dripping from his mouth. But my readers wanted Lord Cecil to be redeemed. And he was, in The Lady and the Cad  (The going rate? A penny. God keeps me humble.)

Do I Plan for Sequels?

I think it’s good to propose three books. Throw in a charming sister, an errant brother, or a friend in early books who might capture readers’ imagination just enough that they’ll want more. Another way to tie in stories is through an engaging location that readers will want to visit again and again.

For nonfiction, it’s also a good idea to show that you have ideas for other books. They won’t be sequels in the same sense, but will make sense for your ministry. Perhaps three books on various aspects of marriage or family relationships or financial management, or social justice. You get the picture.

Your Turn:

If you read Gone with the Wind, were you satisfied by the ending? Or did you think the book needed a sequel?

Do you like open endings? Why or why not?

What is the best open-ended book you have read?

What is your favorite series of books?

You Get Great Reviews but Few Sales – An analysis of a common problem for authors. I know of an author with over 100 Five Star reviews on Amazon but less than 2,500 books sold.

Are All Book Covers Created Equal? – See what a bunch of sixth graders said when asked the question.

Cryptomnesia makes us accidental plagiarists – This article should scare you a little. This afternoon I showed a friend a new novel by a client, the friend declared, “I just read a novel with that premise last week!” Yikes!

You’ve Been Saying It Wrong (11 Famous Quotes That Have Changed Over Time) – I loved this article. Consider having a know-it-all character in your story correcting everyone around them with the “right” version. But the problem with that idea is the previous link in this post. If two of you use the idea then we’d have a problem!

Sometimes it is helpful to review publishing terms to make sure we are all talking about the same thing.

The cover of a book invariably will state the author’s name. Every once in a while there are two or more names listed (i.e. Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee). The use of “and” or “with” is the code word that tells the reader what type of professional relationship is between these names on the cover when it comes to how the book was written. Each is a “collaboration” but are not identical.

AND

If the names are connected by an “And” they are co-authors. Each with top-billing. They have worked hard to create a book something that reflects both of their perspectives on the topic.

The cover to the right is a book from two of our clients coming out in December by Ellie Kay and Danna Demetre called Lean Body Fat Wallet: Discover the Powerful Connection to Help You Lose Weight, Dump Debt, and Save Money. They worked together to approach two rather different topics (wellness and finances) and put them under one umbrella of a book on general health and wealth. If you look carefully you will note that it lists Ellie AND Danna.

WITH

Books that use a “with” connecting the names on the cover mean that the first name is the principle person. It may be their story, or their idea, or any number variations of that. The second name is the writer. They are hired either by the principle person or by the publisher to put the book together.

The cover to the right is a book by Kim de Blecourt “WITH” Ginger Kolbaba called Until We All Come Home. It is Kim’s amazing story but Ginger put the words on the page. There are a number of highly skilled “with” writers, also known as collaborators who have a special talent for writing other people’s stories. Lyn Vincent is probably one of the most well known in our industry for collaborating on bestsellers like Heaven is for Real and Same Kind of Different as Me.

Note however that the principle is the person whose story is being told. But cover credit is given to the writer who has able actually make the story readable.

GHOST

There is third type of collaboration that is hidden from the reading public. This is where the writer receives no cover credit for their work in writing the book. There are a lot of well known books that are written my someone who is not credited on the cover. I wish I could rattle off a bunch of titles or author names to “shock” you with the practice. But that would be unfair and in some cases we have non-disclosure agreements to prevent that information from getting out. I know of some organizations that have a writer on staff who does the writing of the books for that organization, but the writer does not receive a “with” credit on the cover.

Rather than distract from the intent of today’s post, let’s just say that the issue of ghostwriting can be a little controversial. A few claim that it is a form of lying to public or at least being deceptive. Others find it perfectly acceptable [see another great article linked here]. And still others draw the line at novels saying that ghosting non-fiction is okay but fiction is not.

Let’s just say that it is a fairly common practice for people who have tremendous ability as speakers and leaders but have neither the time nor expertise to have someone else write their books. So they, in essence, use a contractor to build the book. To carry that metaphor a little further, we might know the name of the building “Trump Towers” but we don’t know the name of the contractor who actually built it. In most cases the book idea itself came from the visible person’s speaking or their vision, but another person is the one who put flesh on the idea.

WARNING

Be very careful before you get involved in any of the above three relationships. Make sure you have the nature of your relationship spelled out in a contract. We will not let our clients go very far with a project unless they have some sort of contractual agreement between them in a collaboration. I once saw a friendship dissolved between two writers when the publisher switched the names on the front cover of the book. The person who was now listed second claimed they had written most of the book and should get primary listing and accused the other writer of engineering the swap of names. Read the blog post about the lawsuit between the original people around the novel The Shack. A cautionary tale about the need to have things crystal clear in writing from the beginning.

For Mothers around the world who taught their children the love of books. Like mine.

I love you Mom.

But I promise NOT to buy you an e-reader.

As a proud native Virginian, I find it painful to read about the possibility that our early settlers may have practiced cannibalism when my state was but a mere colony. If you have been following the story, you have seen that much of the media presents conjecture as fact but at this point whether or not they resorted to cannibalism during the starving season is speculation. Speculation or not, the idea makes me shudder.

The Gallant Sir Walter Raleigh

My third grade Virginia History book opened with the story of how the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh placed his cloak on the mud for Queen Elizabeth I so that Her Majesty’s feet would not have to touch the ground. Then, as far as I can remember, we moved on to the House of Burgesses, the heroic Pocahantas (not the Disney version), and the founding of the College of William and Mary (not necessarily in that order). I’m sure they mentioned the colony’s hard times. An eternal optimist, I like to focus on success so those facts didn’t stick as well with me. Of course, we were told a few more brutal tidbits during high school, but still, according to my memory, the accounts were coated with frothy icing.

But Surely Everyone Was Rich!

As a teenager, I used to imagine myself as a heroine in an historical novel as being among the rich women who wore pretty dresses and drank tea all day. A more realistic scenario is that I would have been wearing simple clothing while toiling with my husband to eke out a living from the Virginia soil. Perhaps like my great-grandmother, I would have given birth to seven boys.

I especially liked reading about the 1920s because I could relate to the age of the motorcar and more conveniences than past eras. So when Grandpa Bagley told me, “The twenties were tight times,” I was shocked and disappointed. The people I was reading about were rich! Wasn’t everybody back there then?

Wine and Roses — NOT!

One of the most unromantic marriage stories I ever heard was told by a relative who came of age at the turn of the twentieth century. She said, “I could either work on the farm for my daddy or work on the farm for myself. So I decided to get married.”

Indeed, in fiction, we seldom read about the unromantic side of history. One element of city living that comes to my mind is the practice of throwing the contents of a chamber pot out the window, possibly hitting a passer-by. We read about war heroes, but not the mundane reasons some were sent home. For instance, my great-great grandfather was released from the Confederate Army not because of anything as dramatic as fire and bullets, but because of an intestinal inflammation known as dysentery. And even though some authors do mention the economic and social benefits of certain marriages, the hero and heroine nevertheless love each other dearly by story’s end. Unfortunately, the reality in many political and economic alliances was not so rosy.

No doubt I’m missing some gritty books out there, but I think most writers of historical fiction usually know far more about how life really was in their chosen era than they let on to their readers. We all want to read about conflicts far more interesting than bare economics, or the depressing reality of a political marriage where the couple goes their separate ways after producing an heir an a spare.

What We Really Want

When pursuing novels, few of us want to read in detail about the neverending battle against dirt, soot, and pests, the uncertain and possibly unsafe food supply, or the stench and crime of the city. We dress our characters in silk. We insist that our heroes be gallant like Sir Walter Raleigh. (Don’t believe those nasty rumors that the story is a myth. Of course it happened!) We demand that our hero and heroine find true love regardless of the circumstances. Because, in reality, isn’t happily ever after what we all really want?

Your Turn

If you write historical novels, what facts have your omitted?

Whether or not you write historical fiction, have you been glad to learn brutal facts, or wish you didn’t know them about our history?

As a girl, I was taken by the story of Sir Walter Raleigh and have been married almost 29 years to a man who is very gallant. What stories inspired you as a child?

What book would you recommend for writers of historical novels to use as a research tool?

We’ll get back to focus next week, but something has been weighing heavy on my heart and I want to share it with you.

We all know that publishing is a tough gig. It was proven yet again by what happened last week with the B&H Publishing Group’s fiction division (see Steve’s blog about it). It’s easy to commiserate with the authors impacted by this sudden change, to pray for them and encourage them. But I saw something happening in a number of blogs and author loops, and I confess it troubles me. What I saw was people making caustic comments about the publisher and about the people who work at the publishing house. Even to the point of questioning their faith. As in “How can they call themselves a Christian publisher and do something like this?”

Friends, first and foremost, there is no such thing as a “Christian” publisher. There are publishing houses that provide Christian products, many of which have people working there who are Christians. But, as Steve put it, business is business, even when the business has the higher purpose of spreading the Gospel of the Good News. And Christians in business must sometimes make terrible decisions to keep their companies going. I know we, from the outside, look at the impact of some of those decisions and are outraged. Especially when those we care about are hurt. Disagree with them, yes. By all means, disagree. But to call into question someone’s faith…to accuse them of doing wrong or evil because we disagree?

Not on your life.

Because neither you nor I know all the details. We weren’t there, with them, inside their heads and hearts as they made these decisions. Not one of us saw how making these decisions impacted them. How they worried or struggled or sought God’s counsel. And none of us can say, with any measure of truth, that they didn’t seek God! How dare we presume to do so?

When you or I are tempted to do this, I pray these words will stop us: “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Our love.

If that doesn’t do it, how about, “Love your enemies!” (Because heaven knows, the way some folks have talked about this publisher, they must be our enemies.) As it is written, “Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

This business is hard. Grueling. It can chew you up and spit you out. Let’s not make it even harder by our words and actions toward each other. Instead, let’s take these painful times and let them turn our eyes to the One who called us to writing in the first place. None of this surprised God. Nothing that any publisher or business does can change the fact that He is in control. Of every aspect of our lives. And He is at work, refining us. Even in the hard times. Especially in the hard times. Look to Him and His truths to get past the pain and anger, and to remember who we are—HIS children—and why we’re doing this—to bring His truth to a weary world.

Does Book Design Quality Matter Today? – In essence the writer is saying we have talked a lot about craft but not enough about production quality.

Social Media Isn’t Just about Networking – Laurie Alice Eakes has some good advice.

The Myth About Introverts & Extroverts–Could You Be an Ambivert? – Clever article from Kristen Lamb.

An Author’s Guide to Publishing – from the Huffington Post.

In case you missed the news, last Thursday B&H Publishing (a division of Lifeway) realigned their fiction division. A number of changes accompanied the decision.

1. B&H will continue to publish fiction, but only if the novel is connected in some way to other Lifeway projects, i.e. novelizations of movies like “Courageous.” [Please read their announcement on the company blog and this press release/article from Publisher's Weekly date 5/6/13. A third version appeared in Christian Retailing's daily newsletter.]
2. Novels scheduled for release through March/April 2014 will continue as planned. But all novels contracted thereafter have been cancelled. Authors may keep advance monies prepaid and rights to those books will revert, but all future contracted advances will not be paid.
3. Julie Gwinn, executive editor of fiction, will transition out of the company in July after completing current projects.

Business decisions like this are just that…business decisions. To understand these business decisions one must view them through the lens of history. B&H has been publishing fiction periodically for a long time. In 2007 they made a decision to become more intentional and hired Karen Ball to be their senior editor (link to the press release at that time) and work with David Webb who was the Executive Editor. Soon thereafter they hired Julie Gwinn to direct the marketing of their fiction line.

This initiative’s new titles began hitting the market in 2008…right at the time when the nation’s economy went into a severe recession. The absolute worst time to launch a “new business initiative.” Thus, from the beginning, there was an economic hole that became very hard to climb out of.

Over the next five years many changes occurred. They promoted Karen Ball to Executive Editor but then released her in 2010 (to our benefit because it allowed her to join our agency!) and put Julie Gwinn in charge of the whole line. Note that the number of bodies overseeing the department shrank over time…. There were also changes at upper management of B&H with a new President and a new Trade Publisher.

Meanwhile during the six years since the announcement of the fiction initiative they didn’t have a “breakout” novel per se. They had quite a few that did very well but no single title or author, unrelated to a movie, climbed the bestseller lists and dominated. And there is the key to the success of a publishing division…at least one barn busting title. It wasn’t an issue of quality, in fact eight of their books were finalists in the Christy Awards. It was an issue of sales volume.

What are the implications for the industry? Especially the fiction side of things?

1. Fewer slots available for authors.
2. Fewer bidders for new projects that garner multiple publisher interest.
3. A number of established authors have to find a new home (see #1). Authors with cancelled contracts will attempt to find a new company to support their writing efforts. Especially those for whom writing fiction is a full-time occupation. Many agents received calls last Thursday with this news and on Friday received a list of titles from B&H affected by cancellations.
4. A general shudder throughout the author community.

We have a choice when faced with adversity. One choice is to panic, cry out, and wring our hands with fear seeing this as confirmation that the industry is collapsing. Or we can get busy, absorb the news, and remember that we are not in control…there is a big God who was not surprised by these developments. One of my clients chose the latter despite having three future contracts cancelled.

We’ve survived similar changes in the past. NavPress disbanded their fiction program overnight five years ago. Multnomah fiction was slowly absorbed by Waterbrook’s fiction division after the company was purchased in 2006. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I am confident that content will win out. The best writers and the best stories will carry the torch. Readers demand great stories and readers are publishing agnostic (they don’t care who the publisher is). The market puts their money behind the projects that capture their interest and attention. Readers are hungry for the next best story!

If I have left something out or misrepresented any of the above facts I will gladly correct this post. Either let our office know privately or post a comment below. My desire is to let this post be as informative as possible.