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How I Write: Shannon Vannatter

February 22, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

What do agents do, and how do you find a good one?

Which is harder to write–your first or seventh book?

How do you combat writer’s block?

Shannan Vannatter is here to help!

Thanks for being here today! Let’s start with what you write — how did you pick your genre?

Contemporary Romance. I started out trying to write Romantic Suspense because I’ve always watched detective shows on TV. But my books were always heavy on the romance, light on the suspense. Finally, at a writer’s conference, I had an epiphany when the speaker said you should probably write what you read most. I read Contemporary Romance. After that epiphany, everything fell into place.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

In romance, the reader knows how it will end. It’s about how they’ll get to their happily ever after. Keeping readers interested and creating believable conflict to keep the characters apart until the end is hard. You can easily write yourself into a corner if you throw so much conflict at them that they can’t possibly overcome it. It’s a delicate balance.

I make sure their GMCs are rock solid before I ever start writing the book. Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goals, Motivation, & Conflict has saved most of my books from the cutting room floor.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

In some ways the first book was easier because I had years to perfect it. But it was also harder since I’d never worked with an editor. The following books were easier because I’d worked with an editor and knew more about what needed to go in a book and what didn’t. But they were harder because I had deadlines of three to five months. My 2^nd contracted book was the hardest. It was the first time I’d ever had a deadline. I learned writer’s block was a real thing.

What’s your writing day like?

I’m an acquisitions/content editor for Scrivenings Press now too. I work from about 11 am to 5 pm and then from 11pm to 2 am on weekdays. I juggle. Most days, I work on editing and do my writing at night. The hours in between, I spend time with my husband and son and do church-oriented things since my husband is a pastor. Weekends are for family and church.

How do you combat writer’s block?

The one time I had it, with my second contracted book, I’d had to turn in a synopsis for the book to my editor. I’m a pantser, meaning when I start a book, I know the characters and the basic plot twists and the end. Having to write the synopsis before I write the book is like pulling teeth for me. Having to write that book according to the synopsis by a certain date gave me writer’s block. I had to put the synopsis away and work on something else until it was out of my head. Then I wrote the book. A few times I got stuck and had to look at the synopsis to get going again. That’s how I still do it. But writing the synopsis is still the hardest thing I do. And often when I write the book, it doesn’t exactly follow the map I laid out of it. I warn my editors that I’m a pantser and things change as I write the book.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I come up with my heroine and hero first and give them baggage and careers or living situations that instantly force them to be together, but they mix like oil and water. I work their GMC out according to Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goals, Motivation, & Conflict. Once I have that formula, I work on plot. I use Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method to write the synopsis. Once I get the proposal done, I submit it. If it gets contracted, I forget everything I knew about the synopsis and write the book. If I get stuck, I go back to the synopsis. But if my characters take me in a new direction, I let them.

Since I’m a pantser, in a perfect world, I’d sit down with the characters, a few twists, and the ending in my head and just write.

If you have an agent, how did you find/pick your agent? What tips do you have for others looking for an agent?

I’m actually between agents at the moment. My most recent agent’s contract was all inclusive. Meaning if I want to write something for my own company, I’d still have to pay her. I don’t need an agent to write for Scrivenings, so I basically would have paid her for nothing. I’m currently talking to an agent I’m excited about and going over my manuscript one more time before I send her the full.

I’ve had a bad agent and I’ve had good agents. My first one realized I wasn’t ready, so she cut me from her list. My second one lost a contract for me and is no longer in the business. My third one was great—it was just a contract issue.

I’ve found a few things that might be a red flag in finding an agent:

If they’ve only sold to one publishing company, they might have a friend there and that’s the only reason they’re selling.

If they own the agency and don’t have any other agents, they may not play well with others which is a bad thing in the publishing industry.

If an agency has only been around a few years, they may not be proven yet.

Trust me, a bad agent is worse than no agent at all.

To find a good agent:

Find an agency that’s been around for at least five years with lots of sales to multiple houses and employs multiple agents.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

Even though I’m an editor, it’s hard to self-edit. I love my characters and my story, so it’s hard to see any flaws. I have a foolproof technique that makes sure I have the right mix of emotion, conflict, dialogue, setting, movement, and internal thoughts on each page, without too much of anything. I teach a class on it. On top of that, I eat sunflower seeds still in the hull while I edit. Someway, it keeps me focused, cracking those shells and digging out the seed with my tongue. My ankles are swollen the next day, but it works.

Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.

She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.

Connect with her: Shannon’s Website, Shannon’s Blog, Shannon’s Facebook, Shannon’s Goodreads, Shannon’s Pinterest, Shannon’s Twitter, Newsletter Archives, Shannon’s Amazon Author Page and Shannon’s Bookbub. Sign up for her Newsletter to get a free e-book, recipes, behind the scenes info, & enter exclusive giveaways: Shannon’s Newsletter

Recently, Shannon joined Scrivenings Press as co-owner/acquisitions/content editor.

He came to find the children…will he stay to win her heart?

Learning he’s an uncle shocks Ross Lyles—but after years of handling his brother’s bombshells, at least this surprise is a blessing. A pair of five-year-old blessings Ross is determined to meet, if he can convince their aunt to give him a chance. Fiercely protective, Stacia Keyes is worried he’ll try to take the children…and lassoing her trust is harder than he ever imagined.

Available at Walmart from mid-Feb to mid-March. Or online:

A Texas Bond – ChristianBook
A Texas Bond – Amazon
A Texas Bond – BarnesandNoble

The Making of a Christian Bestseller by Ann Byle (book review)

February 18, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Journalist Ann Byle takes readers and writers inside the world of Christian publishing. Includes reflections and interviews from more than forty well-known authors, editors, agents and other publishing professionals. Provides inspirational and up-close insights from those who help shape the books that are enjoyed by millions as well as helpful information about the publishing craft for aspiring writers. Among the interviews are Jerry Jenkins on handling success, Terri Blackstock about writing fiction and Karen Kingsbury on connecting with readers.

A collections of interviews, this is equally parts writing tips and encouragement. Some of the marketing tips are outdated now (websites were just becoming a thing when this was written), but the rest of the book was not only easy to read, it was educational and enjoyable (if you like reading about publishing; otherwise it’ll bore you).

There’s something for just about everyone in this book, from tips on fiction and nonfiction, adult books and children’s books, writing, editing, and marketing. I would definitely recommend this book to any writer who needs a bit of encouragement and wants some advice thrown in as well.

Get your copy here!

How I Write: Barbara Britton

February 8, 2021 by Karin Beery 2 Comments

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to novel writing, as is evident with Barbara Britton. She doesn’t have an agent. She lets music inspire her. And she’s here to share some of her writing tips and suggestions with you!

What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I write primarily Biblical Fiction, but I have also published a WWI Historical novel. Looking back, I think my genre chose me. I taught Bible stories to elementary students in a chapel setting. When I decided to write a novel based on a Bible story, that manuscript sold to a publisher. I had been honing my “voice” in my teaching without knowing it.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

When you don’t live in the time period that you are writing about, you have to research the lifestyle and customs. With Biblical Fiction, you may have to cross-reference Scripture to get the entire background to the story or characters. With anything related to the Bible, an author wants to get the theology correct. When Scripture is silent on a part of the story, I have learned to place an author note in the back of the book with reasons why I chose a certain interpretation.

Research can take time away from actually writing the story. An author must be diligent to not let research derail their inspiration and determination to get the story written.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

A debut novel may have taken one, five, or ten years to write. No one knows about the book except the author and their critique partners. There is no pressure or deadline to finish the book. Once you publish a book, your readers and publisher want another one and they want it fast. The traditional publishing process is slow, so the faster you write, the more your books can release closer together.

The pressure of “your next book” can slow the creative process or stymie it altogether. I’ve heard it said that if you are going to indie-publish a series, have at least three books written in the series, or all of it written, before you release the first book. Then you can rapidly release the series and keep the interest of your readership. Of course, after the series ends, you will still hear, “When’s your next book coming out?” Only the author knows what is a practical, and realistic, timeline for them to write a book. I can’t write a book in six weeks. I can write a book in six months if I have a deadline. I prefer to write a Historical in nine months.

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?

One of my favorite craft books is Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. The book makes Deep POV easy to understand. It’s a short book and the answers to Jill’s questions and exercises are in the back of the book.

What writing book do you want to read next?

A book that I recently purchased and want to use more in my writing is The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I like seeing the list of physical reactions to emotions in the book and the reasons for such emotions. I once had an editor tell me that my character had sweaty palms too many times. A writer has to vary the emotional and physical reactions of their characters.

How do you combat writer’s block?

I try to have a playlist for each story. I find music that is the essence of my character or tells the emotions my characters are going through. I like fast-paced music for action scenes and quieter songs for impactful scenes. I play the music before I sit down to write, and it helps put me in the mood to write.

I also recommend having critique partners and deadlines to submit chapters for review. If you have to get a chapter written for your fellow authors, you will find the time to do it.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process? Why did it surprise you?

I began writing stories before social media existed. Publishers and agents didn’t talk about platforms because they didn’t exist in the world of fiction. Now, a writer must have a following on several social media platforms, and a website, before their work will be considered by some agents. Being active on social media takes time. The interaction can take time away from drafting new stories.

Some authors will hire virtual assistants to manage their social media accounts. This helps with the time crunch, but it costs money. A writer has to find the right mix between being engaged on social media and making their writing a priority.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

Grammar is not my best subject. I rely on grammar books, Google, and my critique partners to catch mistakes before I submit my manuscript to my publisher. I write my story on paper and edit it as I type it onto the computer. I review a chapter before I send it to my critique partners for feedback. When I think my story is done, I will read it from start to finish. I also send it to beta-readers for their comments. When I think the story is as good as I can get it, then I send it to my publisher.

I do not have an agent. If an author has an agent, the agent will go over a submitted manuscript for errors or improvement.

Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Barb ventured into Christian Historical fiction in 2020 with “Until June.” Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Find out more about Barb’s books at http://www.barbarambritton.com/books.html

Barb is also active on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

How I Write: Amy R. Anguish

January 25, 2021 by Karin Beery 2 Comments

Authors tend to write what they read, but not always. Amy Anguish is one such author. It’s not that she never reads her genre, it’s just that … well, I’ll let her tell you.

Welcome! Let’s start with what you write — how did you pick your genre?

Can I say my genre picked me? Is that weird? I write mostly contemporary romance with a little women’s fiction. I read a lot of Contemporary romance and women’s fiction, although I might actually read more historical. Why don’t I write historical? I’m too lazy to do all the research. 😉 But also because the stories that come to me are set in the here and now, and I have to write what’s in my head. Otherwise, it won’t shut up.

Same here! I love to read historical romance but have no desire to research and write it. So, what’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

I’d say my biggest challenge is making sure my books and characters are all different enough from each other that people don’t feel they’re reading the same story over and over again. I’m sure that’s hard for authors across all genres. I try to give each character their own quirks and flaws and favorite drinks.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

I started writing (seriously) by participating in Nanowrimo. The goal is 50k words in 30 days. I’ve won ten times now, and four of those books have been published with another coming in Dec. Cram-writing seems to work for me. Editing, I have to wait a few months before I even look at a manuscript after writing it or I won’t catch much. Then, I can usually go through it again in less than a month. Finalizing? I’m honestly not sure. Each book has been different so far, so I don’t have a standard to go by.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

The first was obviously hardest simply because of lack of experience. I started that one knowing how it began and that there was a conflict, but having no idea why the conflict existed until I neared the end of the book. It evolved while I was writing it and became rather different than I thought it would. Now, I am better at knowing how and why things need to happen, and usually go in with a bit more of a plan, although I’m still a bit of a plantser (see below)

What’s your writing day like?

Being a mom of young children (4 and 6), I have to grab writing time when I can, mostly during naptimes and after they’re in bed. That includes all my editing, marketing, and other writing-related stuff too. But they’re both going to be in school in a year and a half and then who knows? I’m looking forward to finding out.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?

Plantser—which is sort of both. I started a pantser, going in not knowing what all would happen. Now, I start with a VERY rough outline, which may or may not change as I write. And still not knowing everything that will happen.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process?

How long things take in the traditional publishing world. I knew books weren’t published overnight, but I’ve learned, more often than not, it’s more than a year between contract and release date.

Something else that surprised me is how amazing the Christian publishing world is. I feel like I’ve gained several families with my various publishers and editors and other author friends, and it’s so nice to have these people to walk through this world with.

What does your revision process look like?

I think I might be a little strange about how I write and revise. I usually write about two books a year now. One of those is most often during Nanowrimo in November, but the other is done in usually less than two months, if I have my way. With cramming all those words into just a few weeks, I’m exhausted afterward and wait for a bit before even looking at the manuscript again. This lets it be fresh so I can catch more mistakes. Then, I send to a friend or two who help catch a few more things and point out sentences that might have made sense in my head but didn’t on paper. Then, thankfully, if I get a contract for it after that, I have at least two more rounds of edits with professional editors.

Can letters from the past spur a couple on to the future of their dreams?

Christiana Jones dreamed her whole life of living in Huntsville, Alabama, so she can’t figure out why it doesn’t feel like home. Her relationships—on social media and in real life—seem shallow and empty. When she unearths a stack of her grandparents’ letters, it spurs an idea. Could she find something deeper with a penpal?

Jordan White is taken aback when his cousin Tina suggests he become penpals with her childhood best friend. What could a Louisiana boy have in common with a girl two states away? After all, he’s happily settled on his family’s property and working the job he always wanted. But every letter they exchange has him wishing for more.

As they grow closer through their written words, the miles between them seem to grow wider. Can love cross the distance and bring them home?

Amy R. Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at:

http://abitofanguish.weebly.com
http://www.facebook.com/amyanguishauthor
https://twitter.com/amy_r_anguish
https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEiu-jq-KE-VMIjbtmGLbJA

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C.S. Lakin (book review)

January 19, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Fiction writers often struggle to improve their craft, and the biggest challenge comes from the inability to see what isn’t working. The prose feels off. The scene isn’t gelling. The dialogue sounds stilted or clunky. But they don’t know why or how to fix it. This book lays it all out.

5 Editors Tackle the Twelve Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing demonstrates the deadly dozen pitfalls on the road to a strong story, along with revisions that show writers exactly how to avoid novel failure.

No other writing craft book offers such detailed instruction in how to spot and remedy the major flaws of fiction writing. What makes this book an important addition to a writer’s bookshelf?

This in-depth guide to self-editing is an invaluable resource for any writer of any genre. It shows, not just tells, how to write better fiction. Using it, you’ll be armed with the tools and skills you need to conquer the twelve fatal flaws of fiction writing.

As an editor, I work with a lot of new novelists, and most of them make the same mistakes. I’m always looking for good books to recommend to help them learn how to identify and correct those mistakes — this book is going at the top of my list.

I’ll be honest — it’s not a great cover and the title is a bit tedious. I know three of the contributing editors, though, so I picked up a copy. Still, it took me a couple of years before I decided to read this.

If you’re a new writer struggling to understand and master the basics of fiction writing, you need a copy of this book. It approaches each “fatal flaw” from five different angles, increasing the odds that the reader will connect with and understand one of the explanations. On top of that, the book is full of before and after sections, so even if the reader doesn’t completely understand what the author is saying, all you need to do is compare the before and after examples to see how something was edited.

I’ll be adding this to my list of must-haves for new authors, next to Jeff Gerke’s The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, Brown and Kings Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, and Kathy Tyers Writing in Deep Viewpoint.

G rated. Get your copy here!

How I Write: Shannon Vannatter

The Making of a Christian Bestseller by Ann Byle (book review)

How I Write: Barbara Britton

How I Write: Amy R. Anguish

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C.S. Lakin (book review)

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