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Tag Archives: writing

Most Valuable Quotes of My Writing Career

12 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Books by Michelle Stimpson, For Writers, Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

african american christian fiction, authors, christian fiction, michelle stimpson, publishing contracts, self-publishing, talents, writing, writing books, writing fiction

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  1. “We need to talk!” As a new author, I was very unsure about the culture of the industry. But one day Tiffany L. Warren and I sat around after a book signing talking, chatting, and comparing notes. It showed me that authors need to learn to stick together and share what works.
  2. “You don’t need to write like anybody else.” Fellow Walk Worthy Press author Stanice Anderson told me this before I had even finished the first draft of my first novel. Her advice freed me to just write what the Lord had put on my heart and not compare myself to others.
  3. “Get up!” If you’re sitting at your book table/booth at an event, do not sit down and hide behind your books. Get up, pass out your bookmark and meet people! Advice given by the late Francis Ray. She was also the first author to tell me that, often, the advance is the only money a writer will ever see, so negotiate for as much up front as possible when you’re dealing with a major publisher.
  4. “The best way to promote books and build your audience is to write more good books.” I learned this from following J.A. Konrath’s blog. I have never met him in person, but his blog was an invaluable resource to me when I went indie back in 2012. While I think the landscape of promoting ebooks has changed, this was such a fire-starter.
  5. “Write the books and publish them!” Vanessa Miller was ahead of the curve when it came to independently publishing ebooks on Kindle. When she and I sat down and really talked strategy as well as money, it made all the difference in my career (see #2)!
  6. “Either you publish these short stories or I will publish them and you can sue me later.” A co-worker whose students loved my short stories pushed me to start WeGottaRead.com, where I’ve published over 50 short stories and been read by thousands of kids/teachers worldwide.
  7. “I’ll find some stock art for the cover.” Okay. This is kinda bad and kinda not bad. Here goes: I was considering hiring this guy to do a book cover for me. He said he was going to charge me $600 and that he would find “stock art” to make the cover. I thought $600 was quite expensive, so I didn’t hire him. But that term “stock art” stuck in my head because it sounded like something…well…”in stock.” So after our meeting, I Googled the term. A whole new world opened up to me, and I knew there was no way I was gonna pay somebody $600 to go find a $20 picture for me and slap some words on it. Granted, there’s more to making a book cover than this, but this experience taught me to do my homework before hiring folks in this industry. Experts do need to be paid for their time/effort, but in my book, $600 is exorbitant unless the designer is actually having a photo session with models and the picture will be exclusive.
  8. “Are you ready to write your next book?” When my first publisher, Denise Stinson, spoke these words to me, I was like, “Huh?” I honestly thought Boaz Brown would be my one-hit-wonder. I was gonna write one book, be able to call myself an “author” for the rest of my life, and be happy. While this book is still of my most beloved titles to date, I didn’t realize that it was only the beginning. Denise’s question made me think differently about myself as a professional writer.
  9. “Can you bring home some milk?” On the flip side to #8, this is the question my daughter asked me on the phone after I’d finished telling her that I had been nominated for an award. Kids don’t really care what you do, how “famous” we are, or if we’ve been called for Oprah’s book club. They really just want to know that Momma is there and will take care of them. Having a family in the midst of all this writing has kept me grounded.
  10. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” Psalm 23:6. Somehow, some way, this verse spoke to me when I was about 23 years old. I just took it straight out of the Bible and made it mine. So when I wrote my first book five years later and sent it off to the first publisher who came to mind, I wasn’t deterred by the rejection letter. I just sent it off to the next publisher, and they wanted it. In fact, they published it in hardcover (I didn’t know that was a big deal at the time). I also didn’t know how hard it was supposed to be to snag a deal with a major publisher, particularly as an African-American in 2001. In retrospect, I’m GLAD I didn’t know. Had I focused on all the difficulties instead of Psalm 23:6, I might have thrown in the towel before ever trying. Because of His love and His Word, I expect goodness and mercy, and that has made all the difference in my life as a writer and beyond. He is good!

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Two Ideas to Help You Write Your Book

29 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Books by Michelle Stimpson, For Writers, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

african american christian fiction, authors, christian fiction, gifts, talents, writing, writing blog, writing books, writing fiction

If you’re thinking about writing a book but you’re really not sure how to push through the often-frustrating process, you might consider hiring a writing coach or surrounding yourself with a group of writers to help you to “The End.”

stressed african woman with computer

Writing Coaches

In a nutshell, a writing coach is like a physical trainer. They don’t do the work for you, but they can help you through the process.

A writing coach offers guidance through the developmental process. He or she will help you outline your book and plan the chapters. After defining the scope of your book, you and your coach will decide upon a calendar. Every week or so (depending on what you two decide), you’ll send a chapter to your coach via email. The coach will give feedback on each chapter. You’ll move forward through each chapter of the book with your coach’s input and a sense of accountability along the way.

Some coaches provide other services, but this is the basic gist of what writing coaches do and how one can help you reach your writing goals.

For the record, I am NOT a writing coach. I don’t use a writing coach, but I know authors who have used writing coaches, particularly for their first book or two.

The writing coaches I know well are all booked up for now, but you can send me an email if you’d like their contact info. If you’re a writing coach or if you know if a good writing coach, please feel free to post your contact info. in the comments!

Writing Critique Group

Study group

My first experience with a critique group came at the home of award-winning, seasoned author Lena Nelson Dooley (thanks, Lena!).

Here’s how it worked: One evening each week, we met and circled up in her living room on chairs and couches—sometimes as few as 5, as many as 12 or so. Whoever had something to read (up to 10 pages double-spaced) read their work aloud. Everyone listened and followed along (if that person brought copies for everyone to read). Lena commented first, then everyone else went around the circle adding their two cents. Some of the comments were praise, most were suggestions for improvement, all were helpful. Even if I didn’t bring a chapter, I learned so much by listening to the other writers’ work as well as the following critique.

We all wrote Christian fiction or non-fiction. Most were members of the local ACFW chapter, but some were personally invited.

Several of us who used to go to Lena’s formed a smaller group, closer in proximity. It’s been absolutely amazing to celebrate the achievements of the group. Since we’ve been meeting, 3 have signed multi-contract deals with major publishers and several have self-published with amazing success.

If you don’t know any authors who might invite you to a critique group, consider forming a critique group of your own! Quick tips:

1) For safety’s sake, I’d host it in a public place (library or café) unless you know everyone

2) My groups have been all-women. When I hosted a group in my home, we did move it to a library when men wanted to start coming. I don’t think my husband would have taken kindly to some dudes sitting up in his living room with me when he came home from work

3) My groups have also been comprised of people who read and write in the same genre, for the most part. When people understand the genre’s expectations, they are able to provide critique that lines your work up with the standards

4) In my current group, we don’t bring physical copies of our work. We send it via email ahead of time. Everyone makes their comments through Microsoft’s reviewing options. We send the comments back to the author via email after having our conversations.

If you’re not the one for meeting face-to-face or one-on-one coaching, you might consider virtual support groups (Google hangouts, FB groups, etc.). Any more ideas for how to collaborate with others to finish your work? Please post in the comments!

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A Day in the Life of a Writer

06 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Audio / Video Posts, Books by Michelle Stimpson, For Writers

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Tags

african american christian fiction, authors, christian fiction, michelle stimpson, novels, publishing, self-publishing, writing, writing blog, writing books, writing fiction

For YEARS, I have been resistant to blogging. I’ve even blogged about how much I don’t blog very often because I just don’t have the time. But last week, after reading a blogger’s recap of her typical day, I caught the blogging bug. I mean, I really, really caught it.

Write Sign, Love for Writing, for writers and authors.

In hopes of inspiring those who have been trying to decide if writing is something you might want to do full-time, I’ll share my typical day (6 days a week):

7:30 am – Wake up but stay in bed. Change the channel from ESPN to TBN. Listen to Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, John Hagee and Joseph Prince while dozing in and out.

9:30 am – Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast. Replay episodes of ministers (from above) that I really wanted to listen to closely while I’m getting dressed. Stretch or maybe exercise for a little bit while listening.

10:15am – Go to the prayer closet. Read, study the Word, journal, pray.

12:15 pm – Write fiction

1:00 pm – Eat lunch.

1:30 pm – Return the morning’s phone calls. Handle inside-the-house business (i.e. update sales chart, schedule free books, sales, ads, read professional blogs, etc.)

2:30 pm – Write fiction, social media

4:00 pm – Handle outside business (i.e. post office, groceries, stuff my husband put on my list of things-to-do because he thinks I do nothing all day)

5:00 pm – Housework, listen to podcasts or other material that grows me professionally or spiritually. Eat.

6:00 pm – Write fiction

7:30 pm – Break. Watch TV with my husband while he unwinds. He likes reality TV shows or sports. I don’t like either of those, but I do what I have to do.

9:00 pm – Write. Might be fiction, might be a presentation, perhaps a blog J

11:00 pm – Update daily sales chart.

11:15 – Call it a night. Pack my husband’s lunch. Go to bed.

Following this schedule, I’ll get anywhere from 1500-2000 words of fiction written daily.

I answer email messages and phone calls as well as post on social media throughout the day. My husband is also home some days and may work at different times, so there’s some variety.

Sometimes I go to bed around 11:30 pm, sometimes I stay up until after midnight to write if I’m really on a roll or under a deadline. On those nights, I look like this video.

So, tell me…is this what you thought the writing life was like? If you’re an artist, what’s your typical day like?

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Avoiding Distractions While Writing

25 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in For Writers

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

michelle stimpson, novellas, novels, publishing, writing, writing blog, writing books, writing fiction

Fellow author Jeaninne Stokes and I recently corresponded about a common question: How do you keep from getting distracted by your writing while writing. Specifically, if you’re working on chapter three, how do you keep from going back and fixing something in chapter one without getting stuck in chapter one again?

Just so you know: I am not the queen of staying-on-track. However, I have devised a few tricks that keep me from getting completely derailed when I write.

1. Write description later – If I’m writing a restaurant scene and I have no idea what the restaurant looks like, but I know exactly what I want my characters to say to one another at their table conversation, I skip to the conversation because I don’t want to mess up my flow. I make myself a note in the text (see below) and then I come back through and describe the restaurant when I revise (which is AFTER I finish the entire first draft). By the time I start revisions, I probably will have gone out to a restaurant with my friends and thought, “Oh! This looks like the kind of place for that scene!” and then I’ll insert the description. One note: Now that I’m more conscious of using “character as setting” thanks to my critique buddy Lynne Gentry, I want to make sure to include details that add to the mood of the scene.

point1

2. Research small things later – If a character was born on a Tuesday in October of 1947, I may need to know an actual date so I’m going to have to look this up. But if I stop writing and skip on over to the internet to look up the 1947 calendar, there’s a good chance I’ll get distracted by a whole bunch of stuff that took place in 1947 and I really don’t need to be in the internet at that moment. So, I make myself a note within the text (like above) and come back to it later. The internet is probably my #1 distraction when it comes to writing. I try to stay off of it when I’m composing.

3. Keep a document called “Things to Fix Later” – While I’m working, I keep another word processing file open entitled “Things to Fix Later.” Every single book I’ve written has had such a file in its folder. In that file, I keep notes about what needs to change in a previous chapter now that something relevant has unfolded in a later chapter. Even if I have a pretty good outline, things still change as I write.  (Spoiler alert – the picture below is from my book The Start of a Good Thing.

Screen shot of my list of things to fix.

Screen shot of my list of things to fix.

When I go through the revision process, I fix these issues.

Okay, my fellow authors, that’s all I have to share for today. I hope these little hints will help you make your way to the final chapter! Please feel free to add to the conversation in the comments.

Be blessed 🙂

authorsignature

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First-Person or Third-Person?

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Uncategorized

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

african american christian fiction, authors, christian fiction, fiction writing, michelle stimpson, self-publishing, writing, writing blog, writing fiction

Blank notepad and pencil

I had an interesting conversation this morning with fellow author Nigeria Lockley about whether to tackle a book in first- or third-person. Our conversation sparked some ideas worth sharing because this question comes up often in workshops and even in critique group. Of the 21 fiction books I have written, 11 are first-person and 10 are third-person narratives. I speak from this body of experience only and I do hope other writers will chime in on the comments.

My first book, Boaz Brown, came easily as a first-person novel because in many ways, I am LaShondra. We’re both educators, we both grew up in a Dallas suburb, we have the same church background and were raised in almost identical family structures. Couple that familiar background with the fact that I’ve been keeping a journal since the age of 12 and one can see how I found it fairly easy to sustain a first person book for 300+ pages.

Then came the challenge with my second novel, Divas of Damascus Road. It’s a book about several women in a family dealing with drama. I started off writing the book in first-person because that was my style, but I got about five chapters into it and realized the story wasn’t working. I called my publisher, Denise Stinson, and told her my dilemma. I felt like someone had turned on a light in my head when she said, “Why don’t you try changing it to third person and see how it sounds?” I ran with her suggestion and the book came to pass, but I confess: I didn’t like writing it as much because I didn’t feel as connected to the characters.

Since those experiences, I ask myself a few questions when it comes to deciding on point of view.

1. Who can tell the story best? If one very strong character has an excellent vantage point and has enough personality to tell the story, try first-person. Mama B is the kind of character who is very opinionated and has so many quirky little country, old-school sayings, no one call tell the story quite like she can. I don’t think she would want anyone else telling her story. I like the plots in her books, but (in my mind) it’s really all about being close to a godly woman like Mama B and seeing her relationship with God grow even at her age.

2. Is this more about the plot or the character? While ultimately good fiction brings both into play, if the book is more about what happens than who’s telling it, try third-person. You can be in lots of different places and know what’s going on “Meanwhile, back at the farm.” Unlike Kendra Norman-Holmes who always keeps men at the forefront of her books, I have a really hard time writing male main characters. I don’t think like a man, so it’s hard for me to go first-person with a male character. Anyway, my first attempt at a male main character came with the book Stepping Down. It was an especially tough go for me since it was a full-length novel rather than a novella. While the main character, Mark, does undergo his character arc, the message of this book was paramount in my brain. There was also a sub-plot going on behind his Mark’s back that needed to be told through is wife’s eyes, so third-person was the only way I could make it work.

3. Would I want to read this story in first- or third- person? This is kind of a tricky question because I’ll read a well-written first-person book over a good third-person book any day, but I still have to ask myself the question because if I’m not careful, I’ll write what’s easiest for me rather than what works best for the book. I started off saying that first-person comes naturally for me, and it does. But first person is harder for me to sustain now that I’m writing books that aren’t about a character who’s basically me. The beauty of a third-person book is that I can skip on over to another setting and pick up drama from different characters and households. Because of this, writing third-person is faster for me. The mathematician in me has estimated that I write about 900 words an hour third-person, 600 words an hour first-person. Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating, taking the easy way out when I write third-person. (I know – I’m taking it too far, right?)

Here lately, I’ve been experimenting with using more than one POV–sparingly! I wanted to write No Weapon Formed (sequel to Boaz Brown) in first-person, but there was some stuff going on with Stelson that I didn’t want LaShondra to know about. And I didn’t want Stelson to give this big explanation speech near the end of the book –that always sounds cheesy to me. So I called my friend Lynne Gentry (who reads like a gazillion books a month) and asked her if it was “okay” to have a few chapters written from a secondary character’s POV in third-person. She said to me, “You’re self-published. You can do whatever you want.”

I was like, “Oh yeah! That’s right!”

At the time, I was also reading Tia McCollors’ Friday Night Love and saw that she’d switched POV and gone from first- to third-person a few times for the male’s perspective and I was like, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!”

So there you have it.  If you can write first person and get into the character’s head, give it a shot. But if the plot, your style, or even your genre dictates otherwise, stick to third. I realize that this blog comes down to the a age-old advice to “do what works for you.” I can only add to that wisdom by suggesting that you try your hand at both and develop your skill in both so that you can use them as each book demands.

Happy Writing!

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From 3.4 Schedule Online Promos

05 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Books by Michelle Stimpson, For Writers

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

authors, christian fiction, self-publishing, writing

 

There are a gazillion websites that help authors promote books. Why would bloggers and companies help you promote books? Because they are affiliates of the retailers. They get paid every time someone clicks through a link on their blog/email and goes to a website to buy a book. For example, Jose is a blogger. He hosts a website called ‘Jose’s Bargain Books’. Every day, he posts information about books that are on sale. Some readers visit his site daily, several thousand get emails from him about the books on sale. When those readers see a book they like, they click Jose’s link and find themselves at the Amazon sales page for the book. Jose will get a percentage (usually anywhere from 1%-4%) of whatever the reader spends at Amazon, whether they buy the recommended book or not. Jose gets a ‘finder’s fee’ just for sending the person to Amazon—even if they get to Amazon and decide to buy a toaster instead! This is called affiliate marketing, and it is how Amazon became Amazon.

The 21-Day Publishing Plan: From First Draft to First Sale in Three Weeks or Less

REAL21DayCover

 

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From 3.3b Get Your Author Biography Together

04 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in For Writers

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Tags

christian fiction, publishing contracts, self-publishing, talents, writing

This is the place to really toot your own horn on Amazon. Let your potential readers know that you are a real person. Share your professional background as well as a little information about you (i.e. he loves to spend time with his Yorkies). And don’t underestimate the value of a good story in the bio, even if you are writing non-fiction.

The 21-Day Publishing Plan: From First Draft to First Sale in Three Weeks or Less

REAL21DayCover

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From 2.1a Ways to Arrive at a Book Cover

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in For Writers

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

african american christian fiction, authors, christian fiction, publishing, self-publishing, talents, writing

During week one, you reviewed the covers of bestselling books in your genre. My suggestion is that you stick with what sells. No need to reinvent the wheel. The only time I recommend that you shy away from mimicking the bestselling covers is when the author of the bestseller is a public figure. People will buy Joel Osteen’s books because he is a household name. Unless you are immediately recognizable (or if your face/body tells the story), putting your face on the cover of the book may not be the best idea initially. You can always change the covers later. (Joel Osteen’s earlier books did not have his picture on them.)

The 21-Day Publishing Plan: From First Draft to First Sale in Three Weeks

REAL21DayCover

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From 2.3b Reviewing the Editor’s Changes…

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by michellestimpson1 in Uncategorized

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michelle stimpson, novels, self-publishing, writing, writing books

You need to be in the right frame of mind to review your editor’s suggestions and changes. Sometimes, looking at the edits can make a person feel as though they are back in fifth grade and the teacher just returned a paper covered in red ink (“-1 for the missing capital letter”, “-2 for the missing comma”). Remember that you haven’t paid an editor to make you feel good about yourself. You paid an editor to point out everything that is wrong with the book. The more they caught, the better.

From The 21-Day Publishing Plan: From First Draft to First Sale in Three Weeks or Less

REAL21DayCover

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Free Places to Post Info. About Your Book

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by michellestimpson1 in For Writers

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

book marketing, book publicity, writing

Image

If you’re like me, you LOVE writing but could really care less for the publicity end of things. If you’re like me, you also recognize that what God has for you is for you. You do perform tasks as He directs, but you realize that He is the One who works in you to complete those tasks (Philippians 2:13).

So, in the sisterly spirit of sharing information that has allowed me to spread the gospel of Christ through the works He has caused me to write, I share with you a short but easy list of free places to share news about your books. (Now your Facebook friends can stop putting you on blast for posting things to their pages without permission – LOL!)

Since I’ve only actually played around with a few at this point, PLEASE feel free to add to the list for the benefit of all.

There are many, many more, of course, but many are only for free books — and some are simply outdated.

Again, PLEASE share!!!

Be blessed! -Michelle

_____

bookdaily.com

published.com

http://firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com (Free Blog Tours for Christian Books, it’s a complicated process, but it’s a neat group of bloggers)

booksie.com

addictedtoebooks.com (book must have 5 reviews of Amazon.com already)

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