Category Archives: Natalie Bright

Meet the Author – Rory C. Keel

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Meet the Author

Since the creation of WordsmithSix as a critique group, we have evolved in many ways. While every member is like family and brings their own valuable insights to the group, sometimes there are changes. Some of our members have moved on in their life’s journey, however their contributions continue to influence our writing forever. Others have filled the empty chairs and have started their journey into the world of writing.

Each member of WordsmithSix is excited about our writing journey. For the next few weeks we will dedicate a Sunday blog to letting our readers know a little more about who we are. Each author will be asked a few questions to help you understand their desire to write and what motivates them. Maybe their answers will influence you in your writing.

This week we are excited to feature one of our original Wordsmithsix members. An established Author and Blogger, his writing includes: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers “The Challenge,” also, multiple devotionals published in the Secret Place magazine by Judson Press.. You can find more about Rory on his website Roryckeel.com

Please welcome Rory C. Keel

When did you start writing?

Being a preacher for 30 years, I’ve written many sermons but never considered myself as a writer. However I seriously started writing around 2006. When I say seriously, I mean with a determination to do something with it like publish or sell my writing.

One day I had a strong desire to write a novel using some historical research I had collected, and was confronted with the fact that I knew nothing about writing a novel. That was the start of my writing.

Why did you choose the genre you write in?

I would have to say that I write in the genre that I read and enjoy. I love reading inspirational Christian stories that encourage the human spirit along with history and the human resolve to overcome adversity. To be able to take lessons from the past and put them into words in order to inspire others in life, drives me to write in the historical Christian, inspirational genre.

What’s the best thing you’ve done to help your writing?

The best thing I’ve done to help my writing is to find a good critique group. To have a group of writers that will encourage you and give honest constructive criticism of your writing is invaluable.

What’s your writing routine like?

My writing routine usually starts with a cup of coffee at my desk in the early morning. This seems to be the best time of the day for me to write. I make a pot of coffee, sit at my desk and listen to classical symphony music while I write. I like to think of it as the soundtrack music to the movie I’m writing.

How do you reach that personal place that allows the writing to flow?

For me, reaching that place where writing flows happens when I put my self into the story. For a reader to be drawn into a story while reading, the writer has to go there first. When I see the setting, and know the character’s good traits and flaws, when I feel their emotions, that’s the point when the writing flows. That place becomes very personal because, by putting myself in the story I must reveal pieces of myself, both good and bad.

Are you an outliner?

Yes, I like outlining. Most of the time I have a beginning point and know where the story ends, so outlining is easy for me, especially if it is a historical writing. I think of my outline as a skeleton and the story is meat on the bones.

What has been your biggest writing challenge?

My biggest writing challenge is feeling guilty when I take the time to write. When I’m writing, it’s hard not to think about all the other things I need to get done. That might be easier to overcome if I thought of writing as work instead of a pleasure.

What are you working on currently, future?

Currently I’m working on a Christian fiction novel about a man with misguided determination and his conversion to the truth. It is the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to Christianity from his viewpoint as a Jew. Future works will include a sequel with the main character of Timothy, a student of Paul, and a completion of an inspirational story of one family’s struggle to improve their life over the Oregon trail. Along with these works a series of short devotionals for publication keeps the writing juices flowing.

What advice would give to new writers?

Keep going, that’s what I would tell new writers. After you’ve started your journey of writing you will hit roadblocks—keep going. When others tell you that you can’t, you can – keep going. When the mountain seems too high to climb, take small steps and keep going. Every writer, from beginner to bestseller, must start and finish so keep going.

What’s the most positive thing you could tell writers today?

If you really want to, you can!

WHAT SHOULD YOU TWEET ABOUT?

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WHAT SHOULD YOU TWEET ABOUT?

By Natalie Bright

Think of all the ways you can say BUY MY BOOK without typing BUY MY BOOK. Here are a few examples:

ü Are you signed up for my Newsletter? (link to website)
ü Are you following me on Amazon? (link to Amazon Author page)
ü I’ve posted a new picture on Facebook! (link to Author Public Page)
ü Quotes about reading, books, authors, writing. You don’t have to have a link in every post.
ü Quotes from your books with a direct link to your website. Make it easy for Followers to find you and your books.
ü Major brags or awards that can be retweeted over the course of several months at different times, just said in different ways. Remember, it’s estimated that about 10% of your followers are actively online at any one given time.
ü ReTweets from local news items of interest and area businesses.
ü Facts and interesting tidbits about your town or state. If you want to keep a low profile and keep your local area private, tweet about the settings in your books.
ü Add links to your books and generate new followers who are interested in your work.
o Make specific comments about cover art and give kudos to your design team with link to your book.
o Comment about the look or personality of your characters with link to your book.
o Comment about specifics on the covers with link to you book.
o “Cover Reveal” for new books with link to your book.
o Research notes and pictures of research pics with link to your book.
o Comment about events and booksignings as “going to” or “been there” with link to your book.
ü Exchange Pleasantries
o Happy Monday. Have a great week everybody.
o TGIF Have a great weekend.
o Personal glimpses: Baked cookies with granddaughters this weekend. What did you do?
o Comments about meals, dinner parties, and special outings.
o Pay it Forward: Time for coffee and a great book, with link to one of your favorite authors.
o Pic of your patio flowers
o Pic of the view from your office window
o Pic of your pets

Now that you have a list of ideas to work with, make a social media plan and rotate these posts between all of your social media sites. With useful tools like Hootsuite, you can schedule posts in advance. Don’t flood them all with the same stuff. Think about how YOU engage. At lunch, I usually glance at Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you do a blanket post to everything at the same time, my feeds are flooded with that same message from you and I’m very annoyed, which means I’ll probably order dessert. It’s your fault.

Hoorary for Us, because now more than ever before, authors can connect directly with readers. It’s a great time to be a writer.

Be nice. Have fun!

 

ENGAGING YOUR READERS

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ENGAGING YOUR READERS

By Natalie Bright

Let’s switch hats for a minute and be a reader. Let’s think like a fan of books.

Do you follow your favorite authors on social media? Do you enjoy learning more about them and their books through Instagram or Facebook interactions? Do you appreciate glimpses into their daily lives and their writing process? I follow the people and the topics that are of a personal interest to me.

As Facebook evolves into a “Pay to Play”, I am being gutted with ads. And then there are ads on Twitter too. The good thing is that I’m having ongoing info overloads on topics of my choosing, like bestselling authors, book publishing, genealogists, historians, and parents of teenagers. On a regular basis I receive email notification from Twitter on posts labeled “Popular in Your Network”. This week’s included several tweets from a favorite author which annoyed me greatly. It read: “Make sure to buy my book on Amazon.”

Pushy. Intrusive. Down right rude. I’ve been a life-long reader of this person’s work, and yes, I am well aware that there are books for sale.

WE KNOW YOU

Your followers have probably purchased a book or two. Maybe even read it, told a friend, and perhaps posted a review. They know you have books for sale. Or perhaps they haven’t made a purchase yet, and just want to learn more about you. If there’s a connection, they may become interested enough to read your work.

I want to buy YOUR book. I want to discover great stories by new-to-me authors. Perhaps it’s the beautiful cover that entices me, or a brilliant tagline. It’s NOT going to be a pushy, condescending ‘call to act’ that makes me want your book.

BECAUSE YOU CAN’T FAKE IT

If you don’t enjoy social media, do not pretend to be engaged with your fans by posting mundane, meaningless posts because someone told you to. It’s not sincere, you’re only irritating us, and you’re most certainly not attracting new follows, which should be your goal. If a new follower visits your twitter page and your feed is full of self-promotion, they’re not going to follow you. Would you follow you? Either be your true self because you sincerely want to engage with people, or stop it. Don’t post meaningless garbage. Just don’t. If you’re not interested in it, more than likely your fans won’t be either. I’m not naïve enough to think that big name authors do all of their posting, but the savvy ones have assistants who can be authentic and work hard at reflecting the personality of their clients.

Social media is a powerful tool. Marie Force, bestselling Hybrid Author, engages regularly with her fans and recommends that authors spend as much time on Facebook as possible. Nora Roberts is posting this week from Italy, with breathtaking views, delicious food, and tales of her shopping exploits. Eloisa James posts tidbits and pictures from all over Europe on her many travels. Indi author, Joanna Penn, of the Creative Penn, credits her success to Twitter. These are just three examples from a few of my favorite authors who use social media in extraordinary ways. There are many more.

Happy Tweeting!

 

MY CHARACTER LEFT ME

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MY CHARACTER LEFT ME

By Natalie Bright

Writing an entire novel is the most wonderful, soul-changing, frustrating, dreaded task you’ll ever tackle. In fact, I once said that I’d never writer a book. My articles and short stories were enough for me.

Several years ago I started a lovely historical story with a 16 year old protagonist targeted to YA market. The suggestion was made that I consider dropping her age to 12 or 13. I rewrote it, and now I have two 7,000+ word manuscripts. I never finished either. Both versions seem wrong, leaving me uninspired and frustrated. Where did my main character go? Will she ever emerge again?

Write.

SHE’S BACK…

These past several months, this character has been nagging me a lot. She still holds much mystery for me and I must know more about her and the time of her life. The historical period continues to hold much intrigue. I see her as a young girl, on the verge of being woman. I see her being involved in a forbidden love, so a 13 year old is not going to work. YES! I SEE her and she’s getting clearer every day. As to her exact age, I haven’t a clue. Both versions are a muddle in my head.

Note to self: Don’t question the why. I have a beginning and I have an ending. I need to make a list of possible conflict that she must overcome. I will write the scenes in my head, no matter the order. Make it to the end. With the help of my WordsmithSix group, we’ll make it tidy and tight.

Write more.

CRITIQUE THAT MAY STEER YOU WRONG

I’m not saying that it was a waste of my time to rewrite the book with a younger protagonist. Maybe it will help me see the main character and her journey more clearly. At this point, who am I trying to please? The answer: me.

Take writing advice with a grain of salt. In the end you’re the author and only you can make the final decision. Absolutely, make that scary leap and let other people read your work before you publish. I know that you’ve dug to the depths of your soul and sweated over your pages for months and months, perhaps years.

Step back. Listen carefully to your trusted beta readers. Consider all of the possibilities, but in the end you have the final say.

LET’S BEGIN AGAIN

I’m starting over. For the third pass I’ll use elements from both versions. My gut is telling me this story has potential. Hopefully, I can find the heart of the story and it will emerge from the mess I’ve made. This will be a great project for NaNoMo in November, and I’m going to reach the end this time. Phew. I feel so much better about this. Thanks for listening, WordsmithSix!

Just.

Keep.

Writing.

 

LISTEN TO YOUR CHARACTERS…Or They May Abandon You Forever

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LISTEN TO YOUR CHARACTERS…

      Or They May Abandon You Forever

By Natalie Bright

My novel about a 14 year old boy set in the Texas frontier is a typical coming of age story, which involves him finishing the job of delivering a wagon load of goods after his father died. Ben has a run in with outlaws, is shot by a Comanche arrow, gets lost in the wilderness; just your typical Wild West adventure. The young Comanche brave would not leave me alone. The only thing I could do to get that kid out of my mind was to write key scenes in his viewpoint. I realized I liked him and instead of being my antagonist, the story changed. I inserted Roving Wolf’s scenes where they belonged in the already finished book. I now have two protagonists who become friends.

LESSON LEARNED

Here’s what I learned from that experience: you don’t have to write an entire book chapter by chapter in that exact order. For some of us, Point A to Point B is not how our mind works when it comes to creative fiction.

Don’t be afraid to explore those flashes of imagery in your brain. It might be a piece of dialogue. Maybe it’s a minor character that keeps nagging you about a scene you left them out of. It might be a place that flashes in your mind, and then poof, it’s gone again. You know someone was there and something happened, and you have to write it before you learn why that place is important. For me, it’s like an explosion in my head. The imagery of that character is so alive. Sometimes it’s a conversation that seems so vibrant and real, it can’t be ignored.

TALKING CHARACTERS

Some writers say that their characters never talk to them, and usually it shows in their stories. Their characters are flat, lifeless, with no personality. When you take the time to dig into your character’s head and heart, then their personality will become real. When they are real to you, they’ll be real to your readers.

DIG DEEP: HERE’S HOW

If your book is in 3rd person, rewrite several scenes in 1st person POV. Free write, in your character’s POV, about their childhood, favorite things or people, life experiences, greatest fears. The deeper you dig, their motives, desires, angst will become clearer. That protagonist will begin to tell you even more (truth!). I know, it’s a creepy, strange and glorious experience, so I wouldn’t mention it to your non-writerly friends. I promise, one of your characters will pop into your mind out of and tell you something wonderful. Keep in mind, that the majority of the things you learn about your protagonist and antagonist during this process will not make it into your manuscript. When you’re character is faced with a conflict, you’ll know exactly how he or she will react and that’s what endears them to your readers. We learn more and more as the story progresses.

Don’t be afraid to give your characters the attention they deserve. Allow them to tell you their secrets. Just make sure you’re taking notes.

The Perfect Writing Space

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The Perfect Writing Space

By Natalie Bright

The second blog post I did for WordsmithSix Blog, I talked about my perfect writing space: our lovely home office. It should have been the perfect place to dream, imagine, explore words, and create. When it came to the work in progress, I couldn’t write a darn thing in that room. Instead, the kitchen table called out to me. I watched my world as I wrote: the kids were much younger, food simmered on the stove, and the dogs peered at me through the window.

Years later WordsmithSix has grown to almost 500 subscribers (thanks everybody!), and I’m writing in a new space.

Luckily, I’ve been able to cut my day job hours which allows me more time to write. In the office space that we share with my in-laws, I’ve taken over my mother-in-law’s office. It hardly seems possible that she’s been gone almost ten years. She was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. Material wealth had absolutely no meaning to her. She was never interested in fancy clothes, shoes, or filling her home with stuff. Instead, her collection of Stephen King and Dean Koontz hardbacks were her pride and joy. She loved a good horror story. Cooking a huge meal for her family or proudly showing me the first prefect rose on the bush that she had grown from a dead twig where her rewards. This was where she did the books for their real estate business, and where my kids sat on her lap to play computer games. She kept a pile of trucks and legos in the corner.

The memory of her quiet presence reminds me that this was always her office, which is why we haven’t used it until now. It has been transformed into my ordered chaos. Stacks of edited manuscripts, research notes, and books that cover every available space. I don’t have to be orderly or put anything away, and it’s wonderful. I look forward to work every morning and can hardly wait until my hands are on the keyboard.

As for the kitchen table, it’s back to being a table in the kitchen. The home office has been taken over by our high school aged son who has embraced the online gaming community.

I guess the point of this blog is this: be YOU, create when and where you can, and realize that crafting words is a complicated, joyous process that we shall never understand.

What about you – has your perfect writing space changed from time to time?

Where is a Book Born?

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Where is a Book Born?

By Natalie Bright

For bestselling author Jodi Thomas, it begins with a walk on the land where her story is set. Here’s a link to a video that explains her process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG4IeXueJDA

The pictures were taken by me during the Spring and Fall roundups on our cattle ranch located in the Texas Panhandle, where she has done most of her research. Hope this inspires you!

For more information about Jodi Thomas and her Ransom Canyon series, go to jodithomas.com

#amwriting Despite Myself

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#amwriting Despite Myself

By Natalie Bright

Self-doubt. I hate when that snarky voice in my head creeps into my work about the time I’m gung-ho in the middle of a new project. The fear of judgment. Is this good enough? Will this book appeal to readers? I can’t write this.

Sometimes it’s impossible to type THE END because of my self-doubt and the battle raging within my own mind. Its so senseless and aggravating, causing your daily word count to come to a screaching halt. Does that ever happen to you?

“Now that I have given myself permission to let the raw side of me loose on the page, I’m finally finding my true voice.” So admits Joanna Penn in her book

THE SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR MINDSET:

A HANDBOOK FOR SURVIVING THE WRITER’S JOURNEY.

I want to share these words with WordsmithSix peeps and how this book has re-energized my goals in regards to my writing. I keep reading the highlighted portions over and over. Ms. Penn covers all of the horrible things that crowd our mind when we should be using that brain power and creative energy to write. She gives readers a glimpse of her own struggles by sharing portions of her personal journals.

Ms. Penn states the problems most writers face and the antidote in clear, concise common sense language. It’s an eye opening read for any writer and a must for every writer’s reference library.

Find out more at the thecreativepenn.com

Advice for Writers from Michael Blake!

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Advice for Writers from Michael Blake!

By Natalie Bright

In May 2015, Michael Blake, best known as the author of Dances with Wolves, died. I didn’t hear about it until much later, and now, over a year after his death, I finally found my notes from a talk he gave in Amarillo in 2009. While in the area, he talked to the Panhandle Professional Writers, did a presentation at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, and also attended an event at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Dances with Wolves sold over 3.5 million copies, and was translated into 15 languages. The 1990 film, which Kevin Costner directed and starred in, won seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Mr. Blake also won the WGA Award and Golden Globes for his script.

Mr. Blake shared with Amarillo writers a heartfelt and grippingly honest reflection of his successes and rejections as he toiled within the L.A. movie crowd. After becoming engrossed in Indian history, his long-time friend Kevin Costner, encouraged him to write a novel rather than a screenplay. Mr. Blake told us that he struggled with the ending. The L.A. atmosphere did not lend itself to the inspiration he craved. He decided to move to Arizona where he lived in his car, worked as a dishwasher and completed his book.

Based on my notes from his talk to the PPW group in Amarillo, I thought you might like to know his advice for writers. Following, are some of Mr. Blake’s best quotes that resonated with me personally.

§ “Writers are driven to create something from our heart and soul. This is in direct conflict with the agent, producers, and editor’s side of the business,” and for this reason he encouraged us to not be afraid of rejection.

§ “No matter what, keep writing at a level that people will want to read, and keep reading.”

§ “American Indians knew things about the world that we had forgotten. Modern life has moved us away from life on earth. We need balance between earth and our existence.” This belief inspired him to write a story.

§ “Inspire with your writing.”

§ “It’s all about finishing. Power through and get it done.”

§ “Writing must convey feeling. Be different and devastating in terms of feeling.”

§ “Make every conceivable effort to put good words on paper.”

§ “Stay at it!” says Michael Blake. “If you remember only one thing from my talk, this is the thing I want you to take away—never give up.”

“Be devastating in terms of feeling”—I love that! If you haven’t had a chance to read the book, Dances with Wolves, I highly recommend this great story set in the American West. As a writer, I feel extremely blessed to have been present for such an inspiring talk from a true visionary and gifted man.

R.I.P. Michael Blake. Thank you for sharing your passion with the world.

Quotes about Indie Publishing

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Quotes about Indie Publishing

“Content is King. Promotion is Queen” ― Bob Mayer

“You are a start-up … The next great business is you.”—Hugh Howey

“The best self-promotion is your next book. And the book after that and after that …”—Bella Andre

“The good news about self-publishing is you get to do everything yourself. The bad news about self publishing is you get to do everything yourself.”—Lori Lesko

“We relish the freedom, and accept the responsibility, that comes with running our own show.”–Orna Ross, Author and Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors

“The most important thing for anyone– regardless of whether they’re an author– is to decide what is their definition of success.” –JOANNA PENN, The Creative Penn Podcast

Traditional or Indie Publish continues to be a daunting questions among today’s authors. I wish you all the best on your journey to publication, dear WordsmithSix readers.