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How I Write: Judy DuCharme

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Across Lake Michigan in the land of delicious cheese (a.k.a. Wisconsin), Judy DuCharme writes award-winning fiction from her home in Door County. Today, she gives us a look at her process, her experiences, and her latest release.

Welcome! Thank you so much for being here today. Let’s start with the nuts and bolts: how long does it take you to write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?
That has varied quite a bit. My longest book, Blood Moon Redemption, took only 9 or 10 months to write, but 3 years to find a publisher. Lainey of the Door Islands was written over a period of 3 years but was published very quickly. It’s sequel, which I just finished, was written in about 9 months. It depends on time available with life interruptions, the anointing/inspiration, the need for research, and many other variables.

Editing takes time. The one I just submitted took me a month to edit. Of course, editing is done all along in the writing process. It’s good to let the book sit a while between edits and then give it fresh eyes. A publisher friend told me once, “Editing is never done, you just finally quit.” And you’ll edit more with your assigned editor from the publisher.

4If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?
Each is unique with its own difficulties and fun. My books are in several genres, so each one is an adventure.

I think the sequels are difficult as I feel I must write them to level of the first one or beyond. In the first in the sequence, I simply marched forward. In the second one, I needed to be careful to tie it to the first and continue.

My fiction sequel was fun and flowed, but I had to doublecheck times and places and names from the first one to make sure all fit. Then it went in a different direction than I expected, so that was interesting. My Cheesehead Devotional sequel required a lot more research and I had to make sure I wasn’t making the same point or drawing the same principle as I did in the first one.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?
I’ve enjoyed many conferences and they all have a special aspect though very similar. I loved Blue Ridge and would like to go again. The Florida (FCWC) is one that I’ve attended several times and really enjoyed. I’ve been to both the Philly and the Wheaton (Write to Publish) ones, and they are great as well. Each one offers timely instruction and connections.

What’s your writing day like?
Very undisciplined. For a season, I may find that 10 a.m. – noon is a great time to write. Some days that’s not possible. I may write at night. I often intend to write several hours or at a specific time, but those goals rarely work for me. I’ve learned, for the most part, to grab times when I can. I’ve found that even 45 minutes is helpful. I know many authors write 4-8 hours a day, but that rarely happens with me.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?
I’m definitely a panster. Inspiration, anointing, and ideas that won’t leave are what get me writing. Deadlines keep me going. I have had times where it seems I’m watching the characters decide the direction and action and I just try to keep up. Other times I pray and write as best I can, knowing I can go back and change it if it isn’t that great. And I do my research, whether its books or online, visiting the location, or interviewing people that have knowledge of the necessary info.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process?
That I’m expected to do most of the marketing, a completely different skill than writing.

What advice do you have for new authors?
Go to a conference. That’s where you meet publishers, agents, editors, and other authors. You’ll be able to pitch your piece and have it critiqued. You’ll also have several workshops to improve your craft—and we can always improve our craft. And do your research.

What does your revision process look like?
It has evolved as I’ve gone through the editing process with my publishers. I’m also in a critique group, Word Weavers. I’m learning to look at the story and recognize areas that can be eliminated. So often we feel that every word we write is inspired and it’s very difficult to cut some of those things. But it gets easier as time goes by.

I usually print my manuscript and go through and edit. Then, I go back to the computer and do those corrections and more as I go through online. Then I go through again and am always amazed at how much still needs edited. I know when the publisher assigns an editor, there will be more edits.

Walk with Lainey into the world of Door County and its islands in the late 1800s, a time of shipwrecks, lighthouses, and strong individuals who never gave up. Lainey becomes one of those rugged individuals as she faces tragedy and hardship. Her aunt and uncle, the lighthouse keepers on tiny Pilot Island, demonstrate the toughness needed to survive, but Lainey takes it a step further with her spunk and grace and becomes a shining light to all those around her. With humor, faith, close friendships and the young man who interferes with her ability to function, Lainey of the Door Islands will capture your heart, and she’ll inspire you to know that no matter what happens, God has a plan to prosper and not to harm.

Judy DuCharme grew up with Lake Huron next to her back yard and has always loved the water. She, her husband, daughter, and son moved to Door County in 1984. After teaching 5th Grade at Gibraltar School for 22 years, Judy followed the calling that tugged at her all her life to write. She has 7 published books, one more to be released this summer, and another one submitted to the Publisher. She also writes for Guideposts Magazine. Her awards number near 20. If you visit Door County, you may find her hiking in the woods, jet skiing on the bay, worshipping at her church, teaching a Bible study, cheering for the Green Bay Packers, playing with her amazing grandson, or sitting outside enjoying the beauty around her.

https://www.judithducharme.com/
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How I Write: Jennifer Uhlarik

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Looking for a good writer’s conference to attend? How about tips for breaking through writer’s block? Today, multi-published author and editor Jennifer Uhlarik sits down to tell us what it’s really like being a writer.

Welcome! Let’s start with what you write and how you picked your genre.
I write historical fiction, with my favorite time period being the Old West. I kind of fell into this genre accidentally. I come from a long line of history nerds, and as a child, I read a lot of “horse” books—The Black Stallion series, etc. But when I got to the point that I’d read every young adult book I could find with a horse on the cover, I started searching for something new. I went into my oldest brother’s room and raided his bookshelf, found the only book that had a horse on the cover (a Louis L’Amour western), and began to read it. I quickly discovered that the horse was okay, but the guy on the horse was amazing, and the time period in our country’s history was rife with struggles and adventure. That’s where my love for the genre was born.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?
Oh gosh. I’ve found that every book comes with its own challenges. No one is any easier than another. Some take inordinate amounts of research to get the history down. Others, the characters are tight-lipped and won’t tell me what they’re thinking. So each one is difficult in its own way.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?
My new favorite is Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I love the faculty—they always have a great group of authors, agents, editors, and other industry professionals teaching classes at this conference, and everyone is so encouraging, no matter what stage of writing you’re in. And hey, you can’t beat the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain setting!

What’s your writing day like?
A typical day for me is to wake up, read my Bible, then go to the gym with my (retired) hubby. Once we’re home, we’ll have lunch together, and I’ll get to work. I’ll work through the afternoon until dinnertime. We’ll prepare and eat our meal, maybe watch a bit of TV together, and depending on how much more I need to get done that day, I’ll usually sit back down and write a while more. If I’m on a close deadline, then all bets are off, and I’m shackled to my computer until the story is done.

How do you combat writer’s block?
Usually, my writer’s block comes in the form of not knowing how to bridge the gap between where I am in the story and the next major plot point, so sometimes all it takes is to re-read the synopsis I wrote for the story. Other times, I go back and re-read part or all of the story to catch the flow and spirit again. Or I talk to my husband and writing friends who are familiar with the story to see what advice they might give on how to proceed from the point I’m at. And—most of all—I pray for God’s inspiration and try to be quiet and listen for His answers.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?
I’m what I call a “plantser”—a hybrid between a plotter and a pantser. I’ve written a full synopsis (usually 1-3 pages long) on every story that I’ve published before I began the story. This gives me a nice broad-stroke framework. But it also gives me lots of freedom to explore the twists and turns and be a bit more free-spirited in how I move between the major plot points.

What advice do you have for new authors?
First, it’s a proven fact that people who set realistic/attainable goals are far more likely to achieve them. Those who write them down and post their goals where they can see them are even more likely to make them reality. So set writing goals, write them down, and put them where they are staring you in the face every day—above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, or all of the above. Second, never give up in pursuing those dreams. No matter how many times you get told “no,” keep moving forward until you hear a “yes.”

What does your revision process look like?
By the time I write “the end,” my stories are usually pretty sound as far as the story itself. I’ve got two readers—a dear writer friend and my husband—who help me keep the story on the right track. But I am always over my word count, so a lot of my revision process is finding ways to cut words without having to cut content. That means examining every sentence to see if I can cull even one or two words to bring the word count down. Across a full manuscript, those one or two words per sentence adds up to thousands of words and has always gotten me to my goal.

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West.

Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list several times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Women Writing the West, and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

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How I Write: Valerie Goree

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Do you lose your writing inspiration during the summer? It can be hard to focus when there are so many things going on and the beach is calling your name. You still need to write, though, and today Valerie Goree is going to talk about her publishing experience to help motivate all of us to keep writing!

What do you write? How did you pick your genre?
I write romantic suspense because that’s the genre I prefer to read. In writing romantic suspense, I create the level of suspense I’m comfortable with, and although I sometimes question law enforcement officers to make sure I get the details correct, I still control the action.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?
The most difficult aspect of writing romantic suspense is to develop a balance between the two elements. The romance must blossom alongside the suspense thread. Neither should overshadow the other. I create situations where the characters have to rely on each other to solve the mystery and so build the bonds that will lead to romance. All my novels have a strong spiritual thread, too, that has to be woven throughout the story.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?
I think the following books were harder to write because by then I knew more about the craft of writing a good story. The first novel I wrote flowed freely, however, when I presented it for a critique at a conference, I was sadly disappointed that my book baby was no instantly snapped up by a publisher. So yes, it might have been easy to write but it was not a polished product. I have since revised it considerably, and now it is in print. Forever Under Blue Skies, available from Amazon.

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?
My favorite book is The Emotions Thesaurus, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, published in 2012. Authors are familiar with the “rule” Show Don’t Tell. This book lists a variety of emotions, then describes the physical actions or gestures that reflect that emotion.

For example, I can write: Rosa was anxious. (Telling.) Or, I could write: Rosa clutched her purse to her chest and blew out a serious of short breaths. Then she rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at the clock again. (Showing.) Naturally, I also rely on how I would act in a given situation, but the book delves deep into the emotion.

What’s your favorite writers conference?
My favorite conference is the Mount Hermon Writers Conference. They offered a plethora of workshops for fiction and non-fiction authors. The causal atmosphere in the lush forests near Santa Cruz, California, allowed want-to-be authors to visit with multi-published folks, agents, and editors. The website indicated the conference may be cancelled. Sad.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?
I’m a pantser/plotter. I begin by completing background information for my major characters. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What happened in their pasts that makes them who they are today? What jobs do they have? What are their hopes and dreams for the future?

When I know who will star in my story, I outline the basic plot, especially the suspense element. I know how I want the story to end … and so the writing begins and the pantser takes over.

Quite often a character will “give” me details during a conversation with another member of the cast. My plan might be for the plot to veer left, but the character will say something that takes the story in a completely different direction. This may sound strange to some readers, but believe me, many authors will agree that if your characters aren’t “talking” to you, maybe it’s because you’re taking them in the wrong direction.

What advice do you have for new authors?
Read the genre you write, study craft books, attend conferences and workshops, but keep on writing. As with any other skill, you have to practice to improve.  If possible, join a critique group. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll learn.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?
I edit as I write. Sometimes this interferes with the creative process, but my OCD tendencies usually won’t allow me to continue if I’m aware of mistakes or plot holes. Before I begin a chapter, I generally know what I want to cover and sometimes I jot down notes to remind myself. Many times throughout the process, I stop and reread what I’ve written. This allows me to spot inconsistencies or problems.

When the novel is complete, I search for weasel words and either remove or replace them. I’m always surprised at how often I use the word “just.”

American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

After serving as missionaries in her home country of Zimbabwe and raising two children, Glenn and Valerie moved to Texas. She worked in the public school system for many years, focusing on students with special needs. Now retired in Washington, Valerie spends her time writing, and spoiling her grandchildren.

Novels include: Deceive Me Once; Colors of Deceit; The Stolen Lives Trilogy, Weep in the Night; Day of Reckoning; and Justice at Dawn, to be released July, 2021. Valerie’s latest novel Forever Under Blue Skies, is now available from Amazon.

https://www.facebook.com/ValerieMasseyGoree/
www.valeriegoreeauthor.com

How I Write: Ane Mulligan

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An author’s brand is important, but sometimes it takes a while to figure out exactly what it is. Christian fiction author Ane Mulligan wrote several books before realizing her brand wasn’t genre specific. She’s here to tell us about it, as well as sharing some of her fiction writing tips and tricks.

Welcome! Let’s start with the basics: what do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I started writing contemporary women’s fiction, but a story set in the Great Depression continued perking in my brain. After the four contemporary books were published, my agent told me to go ahead and write the depression era one. She had noted that all my books feature an ensemble cast of strong Southern women, helping one another through life’s issues. That became my brand/genre: Southern-fried Fiction.

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

I used to write one a year, since I am the managing director of a theatre company. But when COVID-19 shut the theatre down, I wrote 2 ½ books in nine months. The two were edited and turned in. Now that our theatre is open again, I’m trying to find the middle road and write two per year. We’ll see.

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

Early in my career, I loved James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure. It taught me a lot about the structure of a book. Jim has a great way of teaching. Then his book Quantum Story helped take my writing to another level. I must add my favorite writing companion book is The Flip Dictionary. It’s more than a thesaurus. For example, the word fear: The Flip Dictionary gives you synonyms for different types of fear. I love it and always have it beside me when I write.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?

The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is my favorite. It’s at a retreat center near Ashville, NC. The accommodations are beautiful, but the main reason is the selection of classes. It’s amazing! They offer a wider variety of classes of any conference I know. I took a continuing, in-depth class on Scrivener, the writing software I use. I found a class I loved on Bullet Journaling. Who knew I could design and customize my own planner?

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

Once I have that “what if” of an idea, I choose my characters’ photos and names. I’m a visual writer and I must have photos to interview them. I also believe names are so important. I’ve had characters change names on me after I’m part way through a book. So, I spend a good amount of time finding those things first.

Then I do an intense interview and write their backstory, sometimes going back several generations. Most of this never goes into a book, but I’ve got to learn about the character’s fears, the lie they believe about themselves, and their motivation, before I can begin to write word one. At that point, I will finally note a few scenes I know must happen to get from the beginning to the end.

With every book I write, I find I get stopped about one quarter or a third of the way in. That’s when I stop and call a critique partner to brainstorm. After a few minutes, I’m filled with ideas and have no problem finishing book.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

I always edit yesterday’s work top start my new writing day. I also have three of the world’s best critique partners. They catch everything. Interestingly, each of our editors (and we are all at different publishing houses) say we have the cleanest manuscripts they see. And finally, before I turn in the manuscript, I have two beta readers who pick-up little details we might have missed.

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw PETER PAN on stage, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. One day, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, BookBub, Goodreads, Pinterest, Twitter, and The Write Conversation.

How I Write: Tracey Lyons

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All writers dream of getting published, but not everyone realizes that getting that first book published is just the start of the journey. Staying published is hard work. Author Tracey Lyons shares some of her insights from her years of experience as a successful novelist.

Thank you for being here! Let’s start with talking about what you write.
I write Amish fiction for Harlequin Love Inspired. My agent suggested I try to write in the genre because the historical market was fading. I’m previously published in historical romance with several different publishers. She felt my voice would be a good fit for the Amish genre.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre?
I have to say the most difficult part of writing in the Amish genre is there’s so much to learn about the culture. They are a fascinating group of people. And every single community is different in how they dress and the things they are allowed to do. I also struggle with being authentic to the culture.

How do you work through those challenges?
I do my best to research the area where my books are set. In this case, I traveled to Clymer, NY and drove around the area taking pictures and visiting shops along the way.  I try to put myself in the world of being Amish so my characters come across as the real thing.

How long does it take you to: write the book?
It usually takes me two to three months to write the book.

Edit the book?
The editorial process is shared with my agent and the editorial staff at my publishers. And that takes another two to three months. There are a lot of phases a book goes through. You have your copy editor, your content editor and a line editor.  The final process is exciting because I get to see the effort of my team come to fruition in the finished product. So overall from start to finish it’s about a 9-12 month process, give or take.

Which was harder to write: the first book or the following books?
 The first book is fun to write because let’s face it, what do we know about writing when we first start out? LOL! We have a story we want to tell and that’s pretty much all we know. There’s a sweet innocence to that first book. But I would have to say the next book I write always seems to be the hardest. When you’ve become multi-published and hit a few best seller lists, the expectation that my next book has to be better than the last one is always in the back of my mind.

What’s your writing day like?
I’m for the most part a morning writer. I start my day with my mug of tea and I find my favorite chair to sit in. I look out the window while I’m drinking the tea and think about what I’m going to work on that day. Then I get to work. Sometimes I write in my office, but most times I sit downstairs in the kitchen or in front of my fireplace and work. Then around noontime I take a break. I might nap after lunch. And then I do edits and work on marketing. Nothing too exciting!!

How do you combat writer’s block?
Let’s face it, writer’s block sucks. And even the most prolific authors suffer from it at one time or another. This past year I had it the worst it’s ever been. I decided to think outside the box. Instead of beating myself up every day sitting at my laptop, staring at that blinking cursor on the screen, I took some in-depth writing classes. One was on strengths for writers. I have to tell you it was so refreshing to look at my career from a different angle. And it really bolstered my confidence as a writer and now I’m back at my work, writing on a daily basis. This is a tough business, but if it’s what you were born to do then you will find a way to make everything work and to find happiness in putting those words on the page.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser or plotter?
I’m a bit of both. I usually start with a seed of an idea. Like a movie clip, it plays over and over in my head. Then I write the first three chapters and a synopsis. If that makes sense, I then move on to a plot board. This is something I’ve done the past few years. Prior to that I was doing outlines and timelines. But I really like to be able to move my ideas around. And post-it notes on a tri-fold project board work best for me. I also love to do research. So, I have to throw in time for that. I do a combo of books, internet and traveling to the places where the book is set.

If you have an agent, how did you find/pick your agent?
Believe it or not, my agent and I first met years ago when we were both starting out. At that time, she rejected me. Then over the years I published without an agent. Then I went through three agents and kept querying Michelle. She rejected half a dozen projects of mine. When my former agent and I parted ways, I sent Michelle Grajkowski an email telling her I’d left my current agent and would she be interested in repping me? She said yes and the rest is history.

What tips do you have for others looking for an agent?
Know what your writing style is. Have a clear concept of where you want your writing to go. Don’t ever discount a lunch where you’re chatting at a table with an agent because you never know when the timing will be right and you’ll end up working together.

How do you self-edit your manuscript? 
I don’t have a huge process, but here it is. I write the first draft as free flowing as I can. However, I tend to edit as I write. Meaning when I sit down in the morning, I look at what I wrote the day before. I make adjustments where needed and then I write the new pages. After the book is complete, I do a read through to make sure it all makes sense. I look for grammar issues, and plot points that might not make sense. I also want to make sure I have clear goal, motivation, and conflict for both the plot and the characters. Then I have a beta reader go through it. My agent reads through it and then off it goes to my publisher for their editorial process.

A Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Tracey sold her first book on 9/9/99! Tracey’s books have been translated into several languages. She holds membership in American Christian Fiction Writers and Novelists Inc. A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey writes small town, sweet and inspirational historical romances. She is a National Excellence in Romance Fiction, The Greater Detroit Booksellers best, and OKRWA’s Reader’s choice awards finalist.

Learn more about Tracey and her books by visiting her website at www.traceylyons.com. Or by
following Tracey on social media at:
https://www.facebook.com/TraceyJLyonsAuthor,
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tracey-j-lyons

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

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