Happy Wednesday, friends!

Sorry this is posting a bit later in the day. We had an interesting evening that including my husband falling off a truck, then having a 400 pound motorcycle fall on top of him, which he lifted off himself (my hero). Of course, at my insistence a trip to the E.R. Why my insistence? Because like all men, he was 'fine.'  He is, thankfully, minus some abrasions and a concussion. Needless to say, my day got shifted from the planned to the unplanned, but it's a perfect segue into our topic today....Editor and Agent appointments at conferences, in which anything can happen.

You've made it. You're at your editor/agent appointment and you have fifteen minutes tops to impress them. Often, in addition to the pitch, which we covered last week, editors and agents will often ask for a One Sheet. If you aren't familiar with this term, a One Sheet is simply your pitch and a mini-bio on a printed out sheet of paper. Why do editors and agents often ask for these? Because they see tons of writers at these conferences and it's an easy way for them to remember each author and story idea. So, it's really important that your One Sheet is filled with great content that is concise, and, of course, visually pleasing.

To give you an example, I'm going to share my selling One Sheet for my debut novel, Submerged. Keep in mind this is six years old. Today I'd make it more visually pleasing, but the content wouldn't change. I hope you find it helpful.

What to Include in Your One Sheet

A Photo -

As you can see it has my picture (yes I was younger, but moving on...:) It's important for the editors and agents to be able to put a face with your story. Always include a picture.

Contact Information - 

You also need to include a way for an editor or agent to contact you. I included my email and my phone number (which has been marked out for privacy reasons), along with my website. Yes, I had a website before I was published. It's not necessary, but if you have a quality website, then share it. It's yet another way for an editor or agent to learn more about you and to see you are serious about pursuing a career in writing.

Images 

Next, I included an image of divers because it was very relevant to my story, and then on to my short summary.

A Short Summary of Your Book and a Brief Biography

You don't want to overload your editor, just give them enough information to get them asking questions and here's where the 'anything goes' part comes in. Be prepared to answer questions. You should be ready to answer any question posed about your story, your writing history (how long you've been writing, if you have a mentor or work with a critique partner, how you learned and studied the craft), and you (some editors like to get to know a bit about the person they are chatting with).

It's a lot to be prepared for, but it's MUCH better to be prepared than to try and wing it.

I pray you have a wonderful conference. If you'll be at ACFW and have a One Sheet you'd like me to look over and practice your pitch, I'm going to make myself available for a short time period on Friday morning from 8-9. If you're interested email me at dani@danipettrey.com and let me know. Once I have five people, for time sake, I'll have it cut it off so I can give you a decent amount of feedback. I'll also let you know where we'll be meeting. Look forward to hearing from a few of you.

Blessings,

Happy Wednesday, friends! Thanks so much for joining me, and for giving my previous guests such a warm welcome. It's getting to be that time of year when a number of writing conferences take place, including my favorite--#ACFW. The American Christian Fiction Writers conference takes place once a year and this year it's in Nashville. I can't wait! I love Nashville, but since I'm not overly familiar with it, I would love if you could share any restaurant or sight-seeing recommendations.

Conferences mean spending time with other writers who understand the in's and out's of writing and the crazy journey a writer traverses. I LOVE spending time with other writers and I'm looking forward to seeing dear friends. Conferences also include opportunities for learning and, because I believe that you never get to a point where you should stop learning--ever, I'll be attending several workshops myself.

I will also be co-teaching a workshop with the awesome Becky Wade on Extreme Skills for Writers. This workshop focuses on combating the biggest joy-stealers that many writers face. I'll share those here with you after the conference. I'm also solo teaching (yikes!) a workshop on voice. So many writers hear 'you need to have a strong voice,' and yet the concept of voice remains elusive. I'll be sharing more on that topic after I return as well so, if you're interested, be sure to check back.

Today, I'm going to share with those of you who may be planning on attending a conference, or those interested in what writers go through, how to survive a pitch session.

What's a pitch session?

A pitch session is simply a short period of time (typically fifteen minute slots) where an aspiring or published author can sit down face-to-face with an editor or agent and pitch their story.

What's a story pitch?

A story pitch is, essentially, encapsulating your entire three-hundred page manuscript into a matter of carefully crafted minutes.

Sounds crazy, right?

Trust me, when you are sitting there with your palms sweating and heart racing, it feels a lot like you're on a tilt-a-whirl. Then, even if you make it through your actual pitch, you have to be ready to answer questions and sound somewhat coherent and knowledgeable. Some people ace this entire thing while others, like me, feel more like you're on a carnival ride. Either way, here are some practical steps that you will hopefully find helpful:

• Remember that the editor or agent is a person just like you -- even if their nickname is 'Dream Crusher'. (Yes, he truly exists and guess what, he's my editor and a truly wonderful person.)
• Have your pitch prepared well in advance. Put it on index cards and practice on whoever will listen to you until you can read it concisely and with confidence.
• Bring your index cards to your pitch session. Yes, you are allowed. Try not to refer to them but, if you get stuck, you can glance down at your lap, remember where you are, and get on with it.
• Make sure your pitch includes the premise* of your story, introduces your characters, and shows how the characters will be forced to change and grow.
• Dress professionally. If you want to show them you are taking your writing and future career seriously, then please don't show up in worn out jeans and a ratty t-shirt (I've seen it).
• Bring a business card, so they have a way to reach you.
• Bring your one sheet. What's a one sheet? Well, I'll be covering that next week on Writerly Wednesday along with sharing my one sheet for Submerged.

*Premise: If you aren't sure what a premise is or how to create one, see this previous post.

I hope you all have a fabulous week! Please feel free to ask any questions you have regarding pitches and any conference questions in general. I am always happy to answer.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

I'm super happy to introduce long time friend and talented author Beth Vogt.

I can't wait to see what Beth has to share with us today!

Lie to Me

We are taught early in life that it’s wrong to tell lies. It’s not until much later that we are taught not to embrace lies. But by then, it’s too late. We’ve listened to lies about ourselves and we believe them to be true. Lies like:

• You’re not pretty.
• You’re not smart.
• You’re not good enough.
• You’re not ever going to amount to anything.

While we often carry around a multitude of lies-that-we-believe-are-true, there is usually one lie that becomes the LIE that affects us more than all the others. This Lie is created by some experience that wounded us emotionally. Writers refer to this as the Dark Moment of our past.

A real-life example of a Dark Moment

In 2007, I experienced a life-threatening illness. At first, my doctor-husband Rob closed down his practice and stayed with me around the clock. My fever reached 104 and at times I didn’t recognize him. In the midst of all the initial fear and stress, Rob and our two oldest daughters lost track of our then six-year-old daughter. She sat outside my bedroom door, waiting for her daddy to come out and tell her that I had died. Unfortunately, we didn’t know this until she told us about five years later.

Was this a Dark Moment for my daughter? Absolutely. Was she wounded emotionally? Yes. The possible death of a parent is a major fear for children. At that moment, my daughter felt abandoned. What Lie did our daughter believe? That she wasn’t seen, that she wasn’t valued in a time of crisis. For several years after my illness, we noticed a marked insecurity in my daughter, especially when I left town for a writers conference or if I got sick in any way. When my husband and I discovered what had happened, we reassured her, praying with her about it.

Understanding the power of the Lie we believe is important in writing fiction, too.

Your imaginary characters need to believe a Lie -

and you, as the author, must determine what the Lie is.

Your character’s past – who they were before they appeared on page one of your manuscript – determines why they say certain things. Why they make certain decisions. Why they stiff-arm God. Why they want nothing to do with love.

Imagine wrapping a piece of twine around a wooden top and then releasing it to spin, spin, spin … and topple. The twine represents your character’s Lie. The Lie influences your character’s choices and beliefs because they believe the Lie is true.

In my latest release, Almost Like Being in Love, my heroine Caron believes the Lie that she’s just not good enough. Why? Because Caron never earned her father’s approval. Her Dark Moment, which involved working for her father during high school, involved Caron overhearing her father say something extremely hurtful about her – and Caron hears the echoes of his words to this day.

As a writer, we need to forget the adage to not tell lies.

You want to craft characters that readers care about, right? One key to doing that is to create the Lies your hero and heroine believe. Deepen your story by using the Lie to affect your characters emotionally because it impacts their relationships. Then weave in the spiritual truth and allow God to heal the Lie. In doing so, you’ve created true-to-life fictional characters. After all, we’ve all believed lies. And we also know the freedom in discovering and embracing the truth.

What about you? Are you telling your imaginary characters lies?

---

A GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!

Many thanks to Beth for this awesome post. Beth has also kindly offered to give away an autographed copy of Almost Like Being in Love to one lucky winner (U.S. entries only). All you have to do to be entered is answer Beth's question in the comment section below. If you aren't a writer, feel free to just say "hey" to be entered. Let's give Beth a really warm welcome.

Have a blessed Wednesday, friends.

Today, I'd love to introduce a lovely writer, lady and friend. If you aren't familiar with Lisa Wingate, you are missing out.

Selected among Booklist’s Top 10 for two consecutive years, Lisa skillfully weaves lyrical writing and unforgettable settings with elements of traditional Southern storytelling, history, and mystery to create novels that Publisher’s Weekly calls “Masterful” and Library Journal refers to as “A good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe.”

Lisa is a journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the author of twenty-five novels. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol Award nominee, a multiple Christy Award nominee, a two-time Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RT Booklovers Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner for mystery/suspense. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. Booklist summed up her work by saying, “Lisa Wingate is, quite simply, a master storyteller.” More information about her novels can be found at www.lisawingate.com.

Many thanks to Lisa for sharing a great topic on Writerly Wednesday today.

What I Wish I’d Known When My First Novel Was Published

By Lisa Wingate

No matter what trajectory your particular writing career may take or what point you’re at in your quest, you can safely assume that, if you’ve chosen this profession, you’re in for a roller coaster ride. A writing career is challenging. It’s demanding. It’s busy. It can be unforgiving and maddening. It can also be unbelievably rewarding and filled with moments of story and human connection that are nothing short of bliss. With my twenty-fifth book, The Sea Keeper’s Daughters, hitting shelves in the September, I can honestly say that my career has been filled with things I didn’t expect. That’s probably because I knew next to nothing about the business when I started.

If I could go back to the moment I sold my first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, to (then) Penguin Putnam, I’d tell myself a few things:

1. Write because you love it. 

I know everyone says that, but it’s true.  If you really want a long career, you must figure out how to produce book, after book, while managing promotion, production edits, multiple forms of communication, and life in general. Set a manageable daily page quota or daily writing hours, and hold yourself to it.  One of the hardest things about writing is time management.

2. Finish your first manuscript and write another. 

It’s almost impossible to sell on a partial in fiction if you’re unpublished.  Polish your manuscript and send it out, because as much as we’d like them to, editors won’t come looking in your desk drawer.  While you’re waiting for news, write another book.  If the first one sells, you’ll be set for a two-book deal.  If the first one doesn’t sell, you will have eggs in another basket.  Be tenacious, be a thick-skinned as possible, keep writing while you wait for news.

3. Rejection stinks, but it happens.

Rejection isn’t anything personal; it’s just part of the business, and it’s to be expected.  Your project isn’t bad just because it gets rejected.  It may not be that editor’s (or agent’s) cup of tea, the house might not be buying right then, they may have another author under contract whose work is similar to yours, and so on.  There are so many reasons a book can be rejected, and the real trick is to look at the rejections as a tool and then move on.  Don’t make sweeping changes based on one opinion unless there’s an imminent sale involved.  Conversely, if you receive the same criticism from several editors (or agents), consider pulling out the red pen and getting to work

4. You probably won’t hit the NYT immediately.

In fact, few writers ever reach this coveted level. Be careful how you measure success. Setting lofty goals is a good thing… right up until you feel like a failure for not achieving them. Myriad factors determine which books get the “perfect storm” of great cover, great market timing, and heavy publisher promotion. Some of it is just luck. Write the very best book you can. Do what you can to promote. Stop obsessing. Write another book.

5. Find your creative tribe.

On any given road, you’re never the only traveler.  Others walk in shoes like your own and shoes that are different.  Find them. Critique one another’s work, brainstorm together, give creative criticism, take creative criticism, and learn from one another. Give back more than you get.

6. Cheer for other people.

One of the best promotional avenues available to writers today, yesterday, and tomorrow remains cooperative promotion. Find authors whose work is similar to yours. Shout out for one another’s successes, awards, and new releases. Your readers will thank you for the tips and you’ll feel good about doing something positive for someone else. You’ll also have that warm feeling when others do the same for you.

Above all, while you’re walking the writer-road, be aware, be in the moment, don’t close your eyes even for an instant.  Wherever you go in life, there are nuggets of story along the trail.  Sometimes you’ll see them coming; sometimes you’ll stumble over them.  Pause long enough to pick them up and examine them.  Your writer's mind can take it from there.

Lisa

Read a free excerpt of The Sea Keeper’s Daughters: http://lisawingate.com/seakeepersdaughtersexcerpt.pdf

Where can readers find you on the Internet?

Lisa’s website: www.Lisawingate.com

Lisa’s newsletter: Signup here

Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest  |  

Lisa’s blog: The Untold Story

Group blog: www.SouthernBelleViewDaily.com

Again, many thanks to the awesome Lisa Wingate. In addition to sharing her wisdom, Lisa has gracious offered to give away an autographed copy of The Storyteller. To be entered to win, simply comment below. The winner will be randomly drawn and announced on August 1st's Monday Cuppa post.

Blessings,

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm SO excited to launch a new blog segment named Writerly Wednesday. Each Wednesday I, or a fabulous guest, will share answers to your writing questions (you can ask in the comments section below or email them to me at dani@danipettrey.com), along with writing lessons, writing quotes, and all things writerly. I hope you'll enjoy this new segment. It was born out of my readers' questions. I enjoy sharing my love of writing with you, but I know there are so many different ways to write and so many different approaches that I've also invited a number of dear writer friends to share their wisdom here with you. Next week's guest is the fabulous Lisa Wingate. Lisa will be sharing What I Wish I’d Known When My First Novel Was Published and will be giving away a copy of her fantastic novel The Story Keeper so be sure to come back next week.

Now on to today's topic--How to Create a Story Premise.

First, let's start with what a premise is. Writer's Magazine defines a story premise as:

A story's premise is more than a quick synopsis, or a simple thesis statement defining the theme or argument of a story. It is your canary in the storytelling coal mine and your lifeline as a writer."

While Writer's Digest says:

This premise is the underlying idea of your story-the foundation that supports your entire plot. If you can establish what your premise is at the beginning of your project, you will have an easier time writing your story."

I love the first quote.  LOVE. However, the second is true as well. To me, the story premise is simply an idea. The spark that gets your creative juices flowing, that makes you say 'what if?' That's how I start my stories. Each begins with prayer and two simple words. What. If. 

From there I follow the imagination God has created in me, and my brain tracks through a myriad of ideas. These ideas can come from anywhere--a newspaper article, a quote, even a picture. Something sparks and I've got my what if.

In an attempt to not to ruin the ending of my novels or any other novels for those who may not have read them, I'll give examples of what if story premises from films.

• Groundhog Day: What if you lived the same day over and over again?
• Raiders of the Lost Ark: What if an archaeologist is hired by the U.S. government to find the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis?
• Die Hard: What if terrorists take an entire office hostage during their Christmas party?

Now these are very basic nuggets of their full story ideas, but it's a start. And, it's where I start--with a nugget, with a spark of an idea that I can play with. It's how I create my story premise and how I start all of my novels. I take an idea, play with it, pray over it, and then sit down and start writing.

How about you? How do you come up with your story premise? For readers and writers alike: share your favorite story premises from novels or movies that just captivate you in the comments below.

Thanks so much for joining me on this week's edition of Writerly Wednesday. Be sure to stop back by next week for the fabulous Lisa Wingate.

Blessings,