Today we have a guest blog, from Claire Morgan at OEDB…

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student or a professional writer: there’s always something new to learn and ways to make your writing more refined, better researched, and more effective. Writing is essential for students who want to succeed, whether they’re enrolled in one of the top online colleges or an Ivy League university. As essential as it is, learning to write well isn’t easy. The best practices for writing and research can sometimes be subjective, and the finer points of syntax and style often take a backseat to looming deadlines and strict citation guidelines.

Luckily, there are many helpful resources that make it easier to build on your existing skills while
learning new ones. We’ve compiled links to sites dedicated to helping students, bloggers, and professional writers improve their techniques while also becoming better editors and researchers. Browse through the following list or focus on categories you need most. It’s organized by subject and resources are listed alphabetically within. With more than 150 resources to chose from, you’re bound to find something that can make your writing life a little easier.

Blogs

These blogs can help you learn more about the profession of writing, brush up your skills, and even see what it takes to get a book published.

1. Copyblogger: On Copyblogger, Brian Clark offers tips on how to improve the content, marketing, and business of a blog. A must for any writer hoping to gain readership in the digital sphere.
2. The Creative Penn: Joanna Penn offers up her insights on writing, publishing, and book marketing on this useful blog.
3. Evil Editor: Learn what not to do when submitting your work to an editor through this entertaining blog.
4. Fiction Writing: This About.com blog is a great place to get some basics insights on how to write better fiction.
5. Harriet the Blog: The Poetry Foundation maintains this blog, full of great reviews, news, and information about the poetic community.
6. Jeff Goins Writer: Check out Jeff Goins’ regularly updated blog or download his free ebook, The Writer’s Manifesto, on this site.
7. Problogger: If you’re looking to turn blogging into a career, this blog is a must-read, offering advice on everything from branding to building better content.
8. Write to Done: This blog is home to hundreds of articles, all on writing, that can help you improve your skills at things like comedic writing, finding inspiration, and more.
9. Writer Unboxed: Focusing on the craft and business of fiction, Writer Unboxed features numerous monthly contributors who share their own insights to the professional field.
10. The Writers Alley: Lacking in inspiration? Pay this site a visit for a little lift, helping you stay on track with whatever you’re working on.
11. Writer’s Digest: Learn how to improve your writing, find and agent, and even get published with the help of the varied blogs on this site.

Business and Legal Matters

These tools can help you to create a freelance writing business, get you through assignments in the best online business programs, or just protect yourself should you decide to publish.

12. Copyscape: Use this free service to learn if anyone has plagiarized your work.
13. Creative Commons: Creative Commons provides free tools that let you easily mark your creative work with the freedoms you want it to carry.
14. Intellectual Property Law: This list for online resources that focus on intellectual property will keep you busy for weeks. Some items focus on Canada, some on the U.S., and some on international law.
15. Legal Guide for Bloggers: Here, The Electronic Frontier Foundation provides a summary of U.S. copyright laws as they apply to blogging.
16. Performancing: This blog provides information that can help turn your blog into the prime marketing tool you need for your writing business.
17. Preditors and Editors: Save time and money by avoiding the common publishing scams featured on this site.
18. U.S. Copyright Office: Your writing is copyrighted the minute you’ve put it in a tangible form, but if you want further protection for your work you can register it here for a fee. The FAQ is free, however, and it’s the best tutorial around on copyright.
19. Writers & Artists: This “insider guide to the media” offers industry advice for writers and articles through articles, interviews, competitions, and in an online community.

Citation and Style Guides

These guides will help ensure you stick to certain styles when writing and correctly cite your sources.

20. APA Style: On the APA Style blog, you can get access to the fundamentals of American Psychological Association style, updates on specific style elements, and find loads of other reference material.
21. Associated Press Style: If you’re working on a journalistic piece, you’ll need to use AP style. Learn the fundamentals from this guidebook on OWL.
22. Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications: This guide provides examples of the most common government document citations. These examples are based on the Chicago/Turabian standard bibliographic style.
23. The Chicago Manual of Style Online: The Chicago Manual of Style’s website includes an online forum, guidelines for basic rules, and even creates quick citations.
24. Citing Sources: Learn how and why to cite your sources in this helpful guide from Duke University Library.
25. Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide: The serious scholarly analysis of comic art needs an equally serious way to cite that material. This is the scholar’s pop art guide to citation.
26. The Economist Style Guide: Want to write for The Economist? Whether you do or not, these are some solid style rules for any journalistic writing.
27. The Elements of Style: This classic book by Strunk and White is offered up in its entirety on Bartleby.com so you can improve your writing without spending a dime.
28. Footnote and Citation Style Guides: You’ll find a vast array of citation styles for business, education, engineering, science, and social science from this useful resource compiled by Lehigh University.
29. How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography: This site will help you compile a bibliography when you’re ready to pull all those citations together.
30. MLA Style: Not sure how to cite something correctly in MLA style? Use this online handbook to get started on doing things the right way.
31. Turabian Quick Guide: Essentially the same as Chicago Style, this documentation system does have a few differences which you can learn about here.

English Language Skills

Everyone, even seasoned writers, can use a little help with their writing and language skills. The following links can help you write anything from a term paper to an article for The New York Times.

32. Common Errors in English Usage: Confused about whether to use lie or lay? Use this site as a guide to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes in English usage.
33. English Practice: This site can help you practice English grammar and writing, even if you’re a native speaker.
34. Grammar Girl: Grammar Girl is one of the most popular grammar sites on the web and is a great place to look for answers to all of your burning questions about proper usage.
35. Grammar Handbook: The Center for Writing Studies at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana offers access to this incredibly useful grammar handbook that can ensure you’re getting things right in your writing.
36. Guide to Grammar and Style: Written by Jack Lynch, this site provides grammatical rules and explanations, comments on style, and suggestions on usage that Lynch put together for his classes.
37. Guide to Grammar and Writing: Choose from several modules that will help you to determine how to structure your writing with this tool created by the Capital Community College Foundation.
38. How to Use English Punctuation Correctly: Punctuation can be confusing but on this site you’ll find a cheat sheet that can ensure you use your commas, semicolons, and quotes correctly every time.
39. HyperGrammar: The University of Ottawa offers up a one-stop guide for proper spelling, structure, and punctuation on this site.
40. The Tongue Untied: Head to this site to find basic instruction on grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and punctuation.

Genres

These resources can help those who write in certain genres ó from fantasy to technical writing ó find support, help, and ideas for writing.

41. The Basics of Technical Writing: MIT professor Nicole Kelley offers students guidelines on how to create technical writing on science and technology topics.
42. Children’s Literature Web Guide: David K. Brown from the University of Calgary maintains this list of resources for writers who prefer to pen children’s literature.
43. Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing: Learn about the craft of writing a novel, screenplay, or play through reviews of popular stories.
44. Fasntasy-Writers.org: With news, a directory, writing challenges, and more, this site is a great resource for those who love to craft works of fantasy.
45. Poetry.com: Share your poems, get reviews, and win prizes on this fun poetic site.
46. Screenwriting.info: This site is an amazing collection of information on screenwriting. It offers up tips on how to write every element of screenplays, information about conferences, courses, and events, and much more.
47. Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers: Need some basic tips on keeping your stories short but sweet? This guide from Jerz’s Literacy Weblog can be a big help with step-by-step instructions on the process.
48. Textetc.com: Learn more about all forms of poetry, theory, and criticism on this simple but informative site.

Information and Data

These resources can help you to better research a story, offering access to a wide range of data, information, and primary resources.

49. Answers.com: Answers.com is an encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, and almanac rolled into one.
50. Blackfacts.com: Here, writers can find a searchable database of facts related to black history that can be used to start research on a story.
51. ePodunk: ePodunk provides in-depth information about more than 46,000 communities in the U.S. through maps, cemetery listings, and even local newspapers.
52. FedStats: If you need government stats, this site is a smart place to look. It brings together data from more than 100 government agencies in one easily searchable site.
53. GeoHive: For global statistics, consider using this site.
54. InfoPlease: InfoPlease combines an encyclopedia, almanac, dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, and biography reference.
55. Internet Public Library: This online library is full of resources that are free for anyone to use, from newspaper and magazine articles to special collections.
56. The Library of Congress: If you’re looking for primary documents and information, the Library of Congress is a great place to start. It has millions of items in its archives, many of which are accessible right from the website.
57. NACo: If the information you’re looking for is at the county level, this website is one of the easiest places to begin looking for it, with information on everything from county representatives to local events.
58. The Old Farmer’s Almanac: This classic almanac offers yearly information on astronomical events, weather conditions and forecasts, recipes, and gardening tips.
59. RefDesk: Run a quick fact-check using the reference materials found on this useful all-in-one site.
60. State Health Facts: Kaiser Family Foundation provides this database, full of health facts on a state-by-state basis that address everything from medicare to women’s health.
61. U.S. Census Bureau: Learn more about the trends and demographics of America with information drawn from the Census Bureau’s online site.
62. Wikipedia: While you probably shouldn’t use it as your sole source, Wikipedia can be a great way to get basic information and find out where to look for additional references.

News Digests

Why visit a single news source when you can save time by gleaning current stories from digests and news roundups? Here are a few worth visiting for a great breaking news fix.

63. Alltop: Alltop aggregates news and blog posts from hundreds of sites. To narrow things down, you can pick a topic and get updates catered towards a specific area of interest.
64. Free Press: Free Press is a national nonpartisan organization that provides news about the media from a “democratic” perspective.
65. Memeorandum: This site aggregates top news stories in politics and related issues as they happen.
66. Popurls: Head to Popurls to get links to some of the day’s most popular news stories.
67. TechMeme: Get frequent updates on the latest stories in technology with the help of this site.
68. WeSmirch.com: Even gossip writers need a good place to find out about the latest dirt. This site is a great place to start.

Media Resources

These resources can help you learn more about what being an journalist in the modern age means, with some even focusing specifically on new media research and writing.

69. The Center for Public Integrity: Founded in 1989, this organization aims to reveal abuses of power, corruption, and betrayals of trust by politicians and private entities. Their website is a great place to keep up with some of the best investigative journalism.
70. CyberJournalist.net: If you’re drawn towards writing for the web, then make sure to bookmark this site to learn more about how to stay on top of innovations in media.
71. Investigative Reporters & Editors: Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. provides educational services to reporters, editors and others interested in investigative journalism and works to maintain high professional standards.
72. Journalism.org: The Project for Excellence in Journalism is a research organization that specializes in using empirical methods to evaluate and study the performance of the press.
73. NAA.org: The Newspaper Association of America is a good place to look for more information about the current status of print journalism in the U.S., and to see a glimpse as where media is headed in the future.
74. The Readership Institute: A division of the Media Management Center at Northwestern, The Readership Institute addresses research on how media can build readership, improve training for writers, and develop best practices for the journalism industry.
75. State of the News Media: The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism releases a new report on American journalism each year. Check out last year’s edition for insights into the future of the field and innovations that are changing it today.

Organization

One of the best ways to supercharge your writing is to stay organized. These tools, most of them free, let you do that with ease.

76. A.nnotate: This helpful tool allows you to leave notes for yourself about a resource online, so you’ll see them each time you return to the site.
77. Bubbl.us: A great mind-mapping tool, Bubbl.us can give you a leg up on organizing your thoughts and laying out a story.
78. Central Desktop: Central Desktop provides simple project collaboration tools for business teams so they can organize and share information efficiently, communicate with others, and collaborate on projects.
79. Dropbox: Store and share your writing online so that it will be accessible to you from anywhere, even on your phone or mobile device.
80. Evernote: Evernote lets you capture photos, articles, and even music you like, storing it and organizing it for you so you can easily reference it later.
81. Google Drive: Google has created a tool that makes it easy to keep your documents, spreadsheets, and other materials stored and organized online.
82. Memonic: With Memonic, you can take notes and clip web content, take this data with you or print it out, and share it with others who might find it interesting as well.
83. MindMeister: Another mind mapping tool, MindMeister makes it easier to see just where your story is headed.
84. Zoho Creator: If you’re doing intensive research for a project, creating a database can be immensely useful. ZohoCreator lets you do just that, with an easy drag-and-drop interface.
85. Zotero: Collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources right on your browser with Zotero.

Professional Organizations

Whether you’re a professional writer or a student planning to be one, professional organizations can provide useful resources, support, and information that can make you a better, more successful writer.

86. ASNE: The American Society of Newspaper Editors is a membership organization for editors and those who work with editors, but any writer, aspiring editor, or others interested in what they do can get in touch for help, guidance or information.
87. American Society for the History of Rhetoric: Founded in 1877, this group helps to foster the study of rhetoric throughout history, both in America and abroad.
88. The Authors Guild: All writers should consider joining this professional guild focused on helping authors get copyright protection, fair contracts, and the right to free expression.
89. Mystery Writers of America: MWA is a great organization for crime writers, fans of the genre, and aspiring writers alike.
90. National Writers Union: The NWU is the trade union for freelance and contract writers, journalists, book authors, business and technical writers, web content providers, and poets.
91. Online News Association: Founded in 1999, this organization is open to any journalist who produces news on the internet or in a digital platform.
92. Romance Writers of America: Those with a passion for romance writing should seriously consider looking to this group for resources, advocacy, and professional networking.
93. Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America: Likewise, those who focus on the science fiction and fantasy genre will benefit from connecting with SFWA’s more than 1,500 members.
94. Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators: If you write, illustrate, or have an interest in children’s literature, this is the place to turn for help and services related to your work.
95. Society for Technical Communication: Technical writers will appreciate the professional resources offered by this organization, from recent publications to jobs to courses.

Rhetoric

Solid rhetoric and persuasive writing skills can help any kind of writing be more effective. Here are just a few resources that can help you build your abilities.

96. American Rhetoric: Hear some of the most memorable and celebrated example of public speaking in history though the online speech bank on this site.
97. Bibliographies in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism: If you’re looking for some great reads on rhetoric, look no further than this list of bibliographies on the subject.
98. Read Write Think: Persuasive Writing: Here, you’ll get access to a strategy guide that can help you become a more persuasive writer.
99. The Forest of Rhetoric: Dr. Gideon Burton of Brigham Young University provides this guide to terms from Classical and Renaissance rhetoric.
100. Rhetorica: Visit this blog for analysis and commentary on the modern rhetoric found in journalism, politics, and culture at large.
101. Rhetoic: A Timeline: Confused about which, Aristotle or Cicero, came first? Don’t know if Augustine is considered part of Antiquity or the Middle Ages? Fear no more – this timeline will answer your questions.
102. Rhetoric and Composition: This site is loaded with rhetoric resources, including bibliographies, journals, reference material, and blogs.
103. Ten Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques: You can go wrong when you use any of the classic persuasive writing techniques laid out in this Copyblogger post.

Tools

The following tools include everything from word counters to image databases and can help improve the speed and content of your writing.

104. Autocrit: AutoCrit automatically identifies weak words and structures in your writing so you can clean it up.
105. Creativity Portal Prompts: Can’t think of anything to write about? This site provides useful prompts that can help get your creative juices flowing.
106. JournalistExpress: If you can’t remember the name of a specific newspaper or the name of a site you need, head to Journalist Express to get help with the answer.
107. MorgueFile: If you’re looking for a free image to use with an article or a blog post, look to this site for photography that’s free to use, with attribution to the artist, of course.
108. Resources for Technical Writers: Those pursuing a career in technical writing can find all kinds of useful resources and tools for both writing and career building here.
109. Statistics Every Writer Should Know: This site is billed as, “A simple guide to understanding basic statistics, for journalists and other writers who might not know math.”
110. Unstuck: Writer’s block can really destroy your productivity. Battle through it with this downloadable app that will help you get past any problem you’re facing.
111. Wordcounter: This program is much more than a basic word counter. Instead of just counting the number of words, it also pulls out words that you’re using too frequently, helping you add variety and interest to your work. Try running things through Cliche Finder, too, to weed out any other phrases you might want to avoid.
112. Writing Room: Get support from writers, writing guides, expert advice, and more on this great community site for writers.

Word References

Thinking of a word but can’t pinpoint what it is? These resources offer help with spelling, definitions, synonyms, rhyming, and more.

113. Acronym Finder: With more than 565,000 human-edited entries, Acronym Finder is the world’s largest and most comprehensive dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initials.
114. Arts & Humanities Dictionary: Through this dictionary, you can find the definition of hundreds of terms related to the arts and humanities.
115. Dictionary.com: Use a dictionary or thesaurus, translate words, or look up quotes and other information on this multi-purpose site.
116. Glossary of Poetic Terms: If you’re ever unclear on the meaning of a poetic term, head to this glossary from McGraw-Hill for some illumination.
117. MediLexicon: MediLexicon is a comprehensive dictionary of medical, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and health care abbreviations and acronyms.
118. OneLook Dictionary: More than 5 million words in more than 900 online dictionaries are indexed by the OneLook search engine so you can find, define, and translate words all at one site.
119. RhymeZone: Whether you’re writing poetry, songs, or something else entirely, you can get help rhyming words with this site.
120. Symbols.com: Want to use symbolism in your writing or analyze it in a famous work? Symbols.com can help, with more than 1,600 articles about thousands of signs from Western cultural history.
121. TechTerms.com: If you’re not a tech professional, chances are that you might find yourself more than a little confused about certain terms. Don’t be. Just look them up in this dictionary.
122. Urban Dictionary: Keep up with the latest slang with Urban Dictionary, where you can look up the meaning of hundreds of words you won’t find in the regular dictionary.
123. Your Dictionary Your Dictionary provides access to a dictionary, thesaurus, word etymology and much more.

Writing Services

If you need a little help with editing and revising your work, consider these sources for some perspective and guidance.

124. Academic Edit: Academic Edit specializes in editing scholarly documents such as theses, dissertations, and Ph.D. statements, but they also branch out into resumes and technical reports.
125. EditAvenue: At EditAvenue, you can choose an editor to look over your work based on a wide range of criteria.
126. Editing and Writing Services: The name says it all. This company can help you refine your work, especially if its for business or online.
127. Editor World: Get help turning a rough draft into a finished product from this professional proofreading and editing service.
128. Editorial Freelancers Association: Those in the market for an editor should check out this organization for freelance editors, writers, indexers, proofreaders, researchers, publishers, and translators. You can even post your job on the site to find help.
129. FirstWriter.com: This site offers a wide range of services from editing work to getting in touch with literary agents.
130. The Penn Group: Whether you’re looking for a complete rewrite or just a little perspective on your draft, this writing service has resources to help.

Writing Skills Help

Whether you’re writing a term paper or a book, these links can help you streamline and improve your research and writing.

131. 50 Tools to Increase Your Writing Skills: You’ll find some amazingly useful links here that can ensure you’re writing to your full potential.
132. Final Year Projects: Mike Hart’s site offers practical sources of advice to help students successfully write a final year project, dissertation, or thesis.
133. A Guide to Writing Well: Joshua Sowin offers a great guide to writing well distilled from the information in The Elements of Style.
134. How to Organize Your Thesis: Professor John Chinneck from Carleton University explains how to properly organize a graduate thesis from start to finish.
135. How to Write a Better Weblog: Written by Dennis A. Mahoney for A List Apart, this article explains some of the things you should and shouldn’t do if you want to write a great blog.
136. Poynter Online Courses: Poynter offers some great online courses that writers, especially journalists, can use to hone their craft.
137. Purdue Online Writing Lab: The Online Writing Guide offered by Purdue University is home to handouts and exercises on topics like effective writing, revising, editing, and proofreading, as well as other genre-specific resources.
138. Mind Tools Writing Skills: This basic review of what makes for good writing can be a great reminder to those who are caught up in the process.

Writing Software

These tools can help writers pen their latest work from almost anywhere, with some boasting features that make it easier to concentrate, organize ideas, and share work as well.

139. Blogger: This popular Google-owned site is a great place to start your own blog for free.
140. Scrivener: This popular, feature-rich program is great for organizing research, planning drafts, and writing novels, articles, short stories, and even screenplays.
141. The Literary Machine: This free software allows writers to compile research and writing modules that makes it easier to draw on information collected during research to write an outline or a final draft.
142. New Novelist: Created for Windows users, this program is specifically designed to meet the needs of novelists, making it possible to juggle ideas, notes, and more in one place.
143. Open Office: Why pay for Microsoft products when you can create free documents with Open Office? This open source software provides similar tools to the Microsoft Office Suite, including spreadsheets, a word processor, the ability to create multimedia presentations, and more.
144. Script Frenzy: Scriptwriters will appreciate this software. It offers an easy layout that helps outline plots as well as providing storyboard features, index cards, and even sound and photo integration.
145. Storybook: This open source software can make it easier to manage your plotlines, characters, data, and other critical information while penning a novel.
146. TreePad Lite: The free version of this software keeps the writing process simple, ensuring that information stay organized and your story stays on track.
147. WordPress: WordPress is another popular and free choice for starting a blog (or two).
148. Writer’s Cafe: Get creative with writing fiction with this easy-to-use software. Designed by a writer, it features a notebook, journal, organizer, writing tips, and even an e-book all about writing.
149. yWriter5: Another word processor for writers, yWriter5 helps break down a novel into chapters and scenes to make everything a little more manageable.
150. ZohoDocs: Zoho is another free word processing suite, and like Google Drive, it allows you to write and access your work from any computer with an Internet connection.

You can visit Claire’s blog at http://oedb.org/library/features/150-writing-resources/

Related to the recent posts about CBA and the general market, someone sent this: “I’m a writer who hasn’t been able to find success in the traditional CBA markets. I was told my book is ‘too message oriented for most Christian publishers.’ One house told me they want ‘values fiction, not message fiction.’ Is this a real trend? What is values fiction? How does it differ from message fiction?”

It’s a real trend. “Message fiction” is a story that gets weighed down by the author trying to deliver some sort of obvious, heavy-handed message. An example? Christian writers who want to send me their novel about the naughty 15-year-old girl who fools around, gets pregnant, then has to show me her struggle about whether to get an abortion or not, complete with angst and tears while the author hammers me with the message that “Abortion Is Bad.” WAY too heavy handed, and I see it frequenlty.

Look… I’m pro-life. But the author in that situation isn’t really trying to tell me a story — she’s trying to present me with a Major Life Message. And that’s boring. Who buys fiction to be preached life messages? Nobody. Pro-choice people won’t touch the book, and pro-life people don’t need to read it because they’re already convinced. If I want political messages, I’ll turn on MSNBC or Fox News (depending on your political leanings). If I feel a need for entertaining liberal messages, I’ll listen to NPR. But I buy a novel for the STORY. (And this isn’t limited to abortion books — there’s also the “We’re Destroying The Planet” books, the “Capitalism Is Evil” books, the “Obama Is The AntiChrist” books, and the “You Need To Fall On Your Knees And Accept Jesus Because You’re Going To Hell” books. They are all boring. Nobody wants them And they don’t work. So if you’re writing a book to share a message like that, publishers are probably going to ignore you.)

“Values fiction” is a story that reveals inherent beliefs within the context of the novel. Your values as an author are evident in the words you put on the page.  Take Huckleberry Finn as an example. There are some solid American values in that text — including some that were a bit shocking to readers of that period. Mark Twain has his protagonist decide to support a runaway slave, a black man, even though Huck believes it means he’s going to go to hell for doing so. Let me tell you, THAT opened some eyes in Twain’s day. But nobody would argue Huckleberry Finn is a “message” novel. It’s not a book with the Major Life Message that “White People Need To Be More Fair To Blacks.” It’s a story about a runaway kid and the adventures he gets into… but within the context of the story, Twain reveals some great values about race and freedom and how we should all treat each other. You see the difference?

Or have a look at a contemporary literary novelist — let’s take Lisa Samson as an example. Her books reveal some strong values — the there are different ways we can live out our faith. That we need to be accepting of other people in the church, including those who are different from us, those who are in pain, those of another race or socio-economic status, and those who are gay. She never comes out and holds up a sign that reads, “You need to embrace the poor or you’re a bigot.” Instead, she just tells a good story, with values, that reveals her worldview. Good values fiction does that without screaming or condemning or pointing to too-obvious references. It respects the reader to have enough brains to figure out what the values are inherent in the story. 

So if you set out to write a novel that will help people understand some Important Life Message, you’re probably starting off on the wrong foot. Instead, tell a good story. Let your characters and story reveal what you believe to be true. Entertain people along the way. That’s how you influence lives anyway.

Someone wrote to ask, “Put simply, where does depth in fiction come from?”

Depth is found when multidimensional characters who I can relate to, who I care about, face the timeless questions of life in the midst of complex circumstances, then make decisions that are open to interpretation. Their choices may not be right, but as a reader, I get to go through the experience with the characters. I see people in your story I have come to care about facing big decisions, making choices that I may or may not agree with, and I get to go through that season with them, and see the results of their choices, then measure them against my own life. THAT’S what causes me to learn, helps me to understand myself, and leaves me thinking about your book. And this can’t be faked – any bright reader will figure out when you’re faking depth or artificially trying to gin up emotion. So you can’t write with an agenda. Nothing is more boring than to read a polemic masquerading as a novel.

One novelist sent me this: “Writers of historical fiction seem to be interested in knowing what time period editors might be looking for. Is there a ‘hot’ time period you would like to see a book set in or any to avoid?”

Well, it’s changing all the time. Publishing is a tidal business– the tide comes in, the tide goes out. So Amish fiction doesn’t exist, then we’re awash in All Things Amish, then there are considerably fewer of those titles. And there’s nothing wrong with that — the culture embraces some topics or periods for a season. Some have more staying power than others (so “westerns” became their own genre, “Amish fiction” has become it’s own sub-genre in Christian fiction, and Chick Lit disappeared as a relative flash in the pan).Watching the trends can be fun, just to see what publishers are (and are not) interested in. But I rarely encourage writers to try and chase the trend — usually by the time you’ve spotted it, the market has moved on. 

That said, you’re asking a fair question. I’d say right now people have grown tired of the Civil War, but are still interested in Reconstruction, in both the North and South. There is once again interest in the Great Immigration period of 1880 to 1910, but the Downton Abbey craze seems to have gotten a lot of people interested in the empire-building period of the early 1900′s through World War 1 and into the Roaring Twenties. Of course, we’ve seen popular novels set in just about every decade of the 1900’s. Tales set in the 1960’s and 70’s have bombed in most markets so far, so I’d generally be wary of the era of long hair and love beads (and, of course, now that I’ve said that, I’m sure the next #1 NYT bestseller will be something like “Love Child: The Haight-Ashbury Series”).

Finally, I’ve had a couple people say to me, “I write fiction, and I’d like to know what you think is the one best step I could take in my novel writing career?”  

I’ve thought about this a lot, since I represent a number of novelists. I suppose part of me wants to say to beginners, “Take a class so you’re forced to write” or “find a writing partner so you’ve got someone to hold you accountable.” But, after having mulled it over, here’s my response: First, attend a great writing conference, then force yourself to attend stuff and meet people. It just seems like most of the novelists I know (not all, but most) found their careers moved forward by a writing conference. They got a chance to learn from really good writing instructors, they got to hear about the bigger industry, and they got to rub shoulders with a bunch of other writers.

That last part is part is particularly important. Writing is a solitary business, and it’s easy to go into your cave, produce something, and have no context for knowing if it’s any good (besides having a firm belief in your own abilities, and a loving partner who tells you how wonderful you are). So being able to sit and talk with other writers is a blessing — you find out they are facing some of the same obstacles you are, and you’ll be encouraged by the people who overcame those problems and moved on to the next step. You’ll discover creative people who you like, and who inspire you, and who sometimes have great solutions to suggest to you. I don’t do a bunch of conferences any more, because my schedule won’t allow it, but I try to go to RWA and ACFW every year, and get to Thrillerfest or West Coast Crime or Bouchercon or one of the suspense-writers gatherings. Every other year I aim to be at the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing, since it’s such a fabulous gathering of great minds. And once in a while I’ll speak at a smaller conference (I did one in Nashville and one in Dallas this year), just to meet with authors and try to give back a bit. This is the start of conference season, and there will surely be a good writing conference close to you this summer — try attending one and participating fully. It will make a difference.

The second thing I’d suggest is that you read great books. Don’t just read in your genre, though that’s a good place to start. Pick up GREAT literature and read it. There’s a reason a classic is called that, or why an influential book has staying power — it speaks to people about the art. Recently I’ve read a half-dozen titles that I think are wonderful novels — Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding, Jack Finney’s Time and Again, Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. I also just read Lisa Samson’s latest, The Sky Beneath my Feet, Ann Tatlock’s Promises to Keep, Vince Zandri’s The Remains, and I just re-read Susan Meissner’s Girl in the Glass and Mark Bertrand’s Pattern of Wounds. All were well-written and interesting. I also read a debut novel, Holly Lorincz’s Smart Mouth (which, if you haven’t read, you should check out on Amazon — the first chapter will have you laughing out loud). And if you want a difficult, edgy bit of reading that will astound you, pick up Les Edgerton’s The Rapist. Tough title, but a fabulously well-written book. If you want to be a great writer, hang out with other great writers. My advice. (And yes, I got to represent several of these titles. I’m biased, but these are all great writers.)

I’m off to BEA. We’ll have some guests blogging this week — thanks to good writers for being here while I’m on the road. Some great advice from thoughtful writer Keri Kent, a beautiful bit of writing from novelist Tina Bustamante, and a couple thoughtful posts from some award-winning friends. Enjoy. See you in New York.

Someone wrote to note, “My critique partner told me I need to put aside my nonfiction manuscript, since he doesn’t think I’m really healed from the incident I’m writing about. Is that good advice?”

Hmmm… Okay, let me think about how to answer this question politely, but clearly. I don’t know you. You may be a mess. You may need counseling. You may not be ready to write a book. And I suppose there’s something to be said for the fact that a nonfiction book is a tool that offers a solution to a question – so maybe if you haven’t worked all the way through it, you don’t have the solutions to offer yet. And that would mean you probably don’t have a book yet. 

Having said that, I don’t universally agree on the “wait until you understand it before you write about it” theory. The fact is, some of the best writing we have comes from people struggling IN THE MIDST OF pain. Take a look at James Agee’s Death in the Family or Brennan Mannings Ragamuffin Gospel or Lauren Winner’s Girl Meets God. One of the reasons we like those books, one of the reasons they resonate so well with readers, is because they don’t have all the answers. They are people struggling to find answers and, sometimes, coming up short. We live in a world that has questions and brokenness and pain — one that often doesn’t even believe in the notion of there being an “answer.” Letting others see the process we’re going through can prove helpful. So maybe you don’t really need to have all the answers to do a good book. 

I hesitate to make that argument, of course, because I’m afraid it will lead to me seeing more reflective poetry, angst-filled books on bad relationships, and screeds against groups who have hurt you. But while it’s always nice to see somebody who has gone through dark times and come out the other end victorious, remember that great literature can sometimes raise questions, not answers. 

Don’t you sometimes get tired of apparently Prozac-laden religious writers who want to tell you how they moved from difficulty to success, and sell you their twelve-step answers? Isn’t that one of the reasons people view Christians as out of touch? I represent a lot of faith-friendly books, and I see stuff all the time from people who have been through hard things. While I appreciate the fact that you’ve survived, the event itself doesn’t mean there’s a good book in it. The fact of difficult times does not make a book. People in Oklahoma are struggling with the aftermath of terrible tragedy, but that doesn’t mean they should all do a book. A good book generally has a great (if sometimes terrible) story to tell, and causes us to reflect on life or think about changing our lives in order to live more effectively in some way. So don’t send me your “I was healed” story unless there’s something more to it than “I was sick, now I’m well!”

Nor does the individual’s response to difficulty always make a book. (Or, to continue on the same theme, “I was sick, now I’m well. Praise God!”) Some people can’t write. Sometimes the rest of us can’t really connect to the story. My point is that even the BEST story about an active faith has to have some redemptive quality, plus some touchpoint in my life for me to care about it. To “write from the heart” means, to me, that you’ll share what’s really there — neither papering it over with Bible verses nor whining about the lousy hand you’ve been dealt, but revealing what you’re feeling, what questions you’re asking, what (if any) answers you’re getting. And doing it with great words, so that I appreciate the art as well as the story. AND, for it to be a great book, revealing something universal or transcendent about the experience.

To give this perspective, let me move the discussion into the realm of fiction. I was on a panel at  a conference one time, and somebody asked me what sort of novel I’d like to see. That’s a softball for me: “I want to read a novel that changes me.” I routinely come across fiction that entertains me. Nothing wrong with that — it’s largely why we buy fiction, and it’s the sort of thing that pays the bills for those of us who make a living in publishing. But occasionally I’ll come across a novel that makes me see the world with new eyes. A bit of writing that touches me by its power, revealing parallels between my own world and the world of the novelist. By going through that story, vicariously experiencing their struggle, I gain a new perspective. I learn a new way of thinking about my own life. Yeah, sure, sometimes the author shares an “answer.” But other times, the writer simply helps me to grapple with the questions. And THAT’S why I read. Does that help?

I’d love to see how you wrestle with this topic. Feel free to leave a comment. 

Someone wrote to ask, “Should an author who writes historical fiction stick only to fiction? Since so much historical research has to be conducted, how do you feel about authors using their novel research to also pen nonfiction?”

I think it depends on the author’s preference, or maybe their gifting. I don’t have any problem representing authors who write both fiction and nonfiction. However, it’s really tough for a writer to succeed at both. In my view, a novel requires a different set of writing skills than a nonfiction book — novelists require the ability to show, not tell, while nonfiction is all about telling. There are very few examples of writers who have excelled at both. (Yes, there are some, but not many.) And readers simply don’t cross over – most tend to be either fiction readers or nonfiction readers. And historical fiction readers aren’t generally that interested in reading a nonfiction book from a favorite writer, so even a bestselling novelist will find her nonfiction book to be a hard sell in the marketplace. For those very practical reasons, most historical fiction writers tend to stay with the fiction genre. 

Another writer wants to know, “What particular skills do you look for in a writer of historical fiction?”

A strong voice, first of all. The one thing that makes a novel unique is not so much the setting or the characters so much as the voice of the writer. Too many historical novels feel the same — the setting has changed, but the book could have been written by anyone. So what really sets it apart, and the first thing I look for, is a strong author voice. That being said, a strong sense of history and adequate research so that the story feels genuine are essential, of course. I want a story that’s unique and interesting, so it’s best if the writer has a passion for that particular period or the events surrounding the novel. I suppose I also prefer an author with a good vocabulary, particularly appropriate to the setting and time. I like to see a clear sense of mood. Good rhythm to their words. Clear pacing. Great characters in interesting situations. Strong dialogue. Vibrant scenes. Action or events that move me from one page to the next. And, if it’s to have a longlasting quality to it, themes that are greater than boy-meets-girl (which works fine in a historical romance, but we like to see more in a true historical saga). 

And I had one writer get in touch and ask me this: “Should novelists try to keep up on publishing trends? I recently heard a bestselling novelist say she never pays attention to the market – that if she tried to write what is currently selling, chances are the trend will have changed by the time she finished the manuscript. What so you think?”

I generally agree. As an author, if you try to chase the market, you have a tendency to always be BEHIND the trend, so your work is never really fresh. But sometimes a novelist has to pay attention – if nobody is publishing westerns, it helps to have your agent say, “Don’t do a western; we can’t sell it.” Or sometimes a publisher will say, “Do you have ANYONE who can do an Amish romance? We need an Amish book.” That’s when it pays off to watch trends. Of course, a bestselling writer doesn’t need to pay attention to trends – publishers are going to stand in line to work with her, and offer her a great deal of money no matter what she writes.

The fact is, I have to pay attention to trends as an agent. And if I’m representing you, it’s nice to know that you, as a writer, are basically aware of what’s happening in the market. Still, what I care about MOST is that you write a great book – trends or not. I do think some authors worry more about the latest trend than they do about the craft. That’s something I see evidenced at writer conferences, and I’ll admit that it bugs me. A good trend won’t help you sell your story so much as writing a great book.

And a personal aside: Bestselling writer, collaborator, and writing mentor to many, Cecil Murphey, lost his wife after she suffered a stroke over the weekend. Cec is a great guy, and man who has been a friend to me, to this blog, and to many writers who frequent this blog. Our prayers are with Cec and his family today. Hang in there, my friend.  

Recently, I received a call from my publisher. “You’re saving us a lot of money,” he said.


My response was instinctive. “Add it to my next royalty check.”


“I’m serious, man. We hired a scriptwriter to convert your novel to a script for an audio book. She had it back to us in three days. She said your dialogue was so natural, she pretty much just transcribed it.”

“You know what they say: ‘If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.’”


“Well,” he said, “yours is on the page, so we’re puttin’ it on the stage.”

ACT ONE, SCENE ONE

Although novels, short stories, and works of narrative nonfiction are venues of the mind, I try to write dialogue as though my readers will be in an audience listening to a performance. It forces me to keep the dialogue crisp, witty, poignant, and supported by the right stage business. Let me share with you some tips from scriptwriting that will enhance your prose.

Begin by reading and studying other writers’ scripts. And by that, I mean reading them aloud. When I was in graduate school as an English major, one of my profs made us read out loud in class. We read long passages from plays by George Bernard Shaw, Lillian Hellman, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Samuel Beckett, and Agatha Christie. I was amazed at how this approach to understanding literature also served to sharpen my ear in regard to writing dialogue for my short stories. I still do this today with TV and movie scripts, musicals, and stage dramas. You can do likewise by obtaining play collections from the library or downloading public domain scripts from the Internet.

TRYA FLIP-FLOP

If you’re not confident about how to make a scene dramatic enough, you can surprise readers by doing a flip-flop. In scriptwriting this is called role reversal. A “normal” scene would have a mother going berserk because her 17-year-old daughter has come in two hours after curfew. But think about how much more intense the scene would be if the teenager were admonishing the mother for coming in late:

“You couldn’t call or text to let me know you were okay?”

“It’s a school night. I thought you’d be in bed.”

“You’ve been a single mom for nine years, and you think I’m not going to want to hear about your first date?”

“It was just dinner with a friend, Sweetheart.”

“You’ve been gone seven hours, Mom. That was more than just dinner. Why are you so late?”

You can write a whole scene in the standard way, but then you can swap your characters’ roles. What if the employee argued against her boss about giving raises to the employees…or the teacher argued with her principal, insisting teachers needed to spend more time after school fixing bulletin boards and preparing lesson plans…or the insurance agent tried to convince the customer he didn’t need to purchase a $250,000 policy? To readers, role reversal is so unexpected, it compels them to see how the scene will unfold. It’s edgy, surprising, and captivating.


HAVE DIALOGUE DEFINE CHARACTERS

If an episode in your novel is lying flat, or if the narrative drive of your plot starts to fizzle, enliven things by having a character explode onto the scene. When Cruella de Vil arrives at the young couple’s apartment intent on confiscating all 101 Dalmatians, she bursts into the room in a whirlwind of total domination. Her hair is flying, her arms are flailing, her cigarette ashes are flinging. She wails and screeches as she bounces around the room counting the puppies.

Cruella doesn’t merely talk, she bellows commands, insisting the dogs be rounded up, turned over to her, and taken to her limousine. Her volume is high, her words are caustic, and her behavior is flamboyant. There is an immediate new intensity to the overall plot. What Cruella says and how she says it instantly define her as the villain, someone to fear and hate and distrust. (Note: Don’t you just love how her name contains the words “cruel” and “devil?”)

You can do something similar. A drill sergeant can burst into a barracks at 5 a.m. booming orders. An ambulance team can ram through the doors of an emergency room calling out vital signs for a patient being wheeled inside. A judge can suddenly lose her temper, slam her gavel, and lecture the defense attorney. In each instance, the power and volume of the dialogue will define the role of the person speaking, as well as intensify the energy of the scene.


THINKING UNIQUENESS, NOT ACCENTS

When I’m sitting in an airport during layovers, I listen to the way people around me talk, and I take notes. I don’t try to capture a German accent or a Southern drawl so much as I try to record the uniqueness of the speech patterns. How do people pronounce specific words? What words do they like to use, and which words do they repeat frequently? I find myself jotting down idioms, contractions, word order (syntax), and even ways grammar rules are broken. I sometimes transcribe overheard conversations and later read them aloud as though I’m an actor trying to learn lines in a play. It puts people inside my head who don’t sound like me. This leads to diversity in my fictional characters’ voices.


TALKING THE TALK

When dialogue works well, it gives vitality to a scene and definition to characters. Often, it has to be rewritten many times before it sounds natural. However, revision is worth the effort because readers return to authors who can talk the talk of insightful, entertaining dialogue.

==========

Dr. Dennis Hensley is the author of 52 books, including six novels and eight textbooks. A popular speaker and widely respected writing teacher at conferences, he is the Director of the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University in Indiana. You can see more of his thoughts at www.dochensley.com . 

A guest post by Karen Swallow Prior

In Charlotte’s Web, the first hint Wilbur the pig receives about the odd spider’s true character comes when she tells him her name, Charlotte A. Cavatica. What an oddly beautiful name for a creature usually associated with ugliness, fear, and death. Upon hearing her name, Wilbur tells Charlotte, “I think you’re beautiful.” And Charlotte, naturally, agrees.

Names are powerful words. We don’t think about names quite the same way people of old did, and this is our great error. In ancient times, a person’s name often signified an event, a personal quality, or a family relation. In this way, a name offered not only a label for oneself, but even more importantly, a connection to the world one was born into and a part of. The acts of naming and being named were momentous events laden with significance—just as it is significant that the first work God gave Adam in the Garden of Eden was naming the animals. To name something or someone is a gesture that is both creative and powerful. In Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White bestowed a spider with the name of Charlotte A. Cavatica. And he gave a little girl—one a lot like me—the name of Fern Arable, a name resonant with the pastoral qualities that permeate the pages of the book.

As for me, my mother chose my middle name, Irene, first because it is my grandmother’s name, and then she picked a first name suitable to accompany it. For most of my life, I thought of Irene as an old, ugly name. But now that I am older, and my grandmother is much more so, and I can better appreciate who she is and the life she has lived, I think it is a pure, strong name. Its origin is Greek; it means peace. I’m thankful for this name, not only because I think it is beautiful in both sound and sense, but even more because it came from my mother, and my grandmother, and it connects me to the world I was born into and became a part of.

All words are names, for all words signify something.

The power of naming is a subset of the power of all language. God spoke the universe into existence and, in giving us the gift of language He gave us a lesser, but still magnificent, creative power in the ability to name: the power to communicate, to make order out of chaos, to tell stories, and to shape our own lives and the lives of others.

The Book of Proverbs says that death and life are in the power of words. To choose a good word, to assign the right name, to arrange proper words in the best order: these are no easy tasks. Such work requires the creative power, the brooding, the birth pangs of a mother. Names, words, and language: they shape and create our souls the way a mother’s body shapes and creates our bodies. We describe the country of our origin as our fatherland, but our language we call our mother tongue. Indeed the words that often wield the greatest power in and over our lives are those spoken by our mothers, from our names, to words of encouragement, to words that define and shape our character, words of truth spoken in love. This power of words is akin to the creative, nurturing role a mother plays in our lives.

The getting of meaning, like the getting of a child, is an act of nature and grace. Yet, it’s an act so every day, so commonplace that we easily overlook its magnitude. Until we see that same power in a new and surprising context, exerted, for example, by a fictional spider on behalf of a fictional pig.

The story of Charlotte’s Web is a metaphor for the power words have to shape us into who others see us as well as how we see ourselves. For it is through words that Charlotte saves Wilbur’s life—not temporarily, as Fern has, but forever, at least the sort of forever that’s contained within the pages of a book. By knitting those words into her web which stretches above Wilbur’s pigpen, Charlotte makes the pig the talk of the town. No one, not even a farmer like Homer Zuckerman whose livelihood depends upon the fruit of his toiling, does away with a pig as special as Wilbur, one who gains widespread fame and visitors from near and far. Even when Wilbur loses first place at the County Fair to a much bigger pig, Wilbur’s life is no less secure than was my rabbit’s for his award of the red ribbon each year at the Monmouth Fair. Yet, Charlotte’s words not only save Wilbur’s life, they shape his life.

As she weaves words about Wilbur into her web, Wilbur tries to live up to the meaning of the words. “Some pig,” she proclaims. “Terrific,” she writes. And as if by magic, Charlotte’s serendipitously chosen words create in everyone who comes to see Wilbur, and even in Wilbur himself, a sense of being, in fact, “some pig,” and a pretty “terrific” one, too.

Wilbur protests when Charlotte chooses the word “terrific,” that he’s not terrific: “That doesn’t make a particle of difference,” replied Charlotte. “Not a particle. People believe almost anything they see in print.” When she chooses the word “radiant,” she puts Wilbur through a series of tests to see if he is. And Wilbur does “everything possible to make himself glow.” 

Charlotte observes critically: “I’m not sure Wilbur’s action is exactly radiant, but it’s interesting.”

“Actually,” said Wilbur. “I feel radiant.”

And the last word that Charlotte makes for Wilbur, “humble,” foretells both his second place ribbon and the ordinary but happy natural life her words allow him to live out.

When I was a child, I overheard my mother talking to some other adults. I was only half-attentive until I heard my mother speak my name. “Karen’s very perceptive,” my mother was telling them.

I piped up: “What does that mean? Perceptive?”

My mother hesitated, searching for another word. “Deep,” she finally explained. I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that either, but I do remember understanding that somehow, in some way, my mother noticed something that distinguished me, something she could name even if I could not. From that moment and for the rest of my life, my mother’s words—perceptive and many others—have helped me to be the thing she saw and named in me.

Like the old riddle of the chicken and the egg, the power of giving something its proper name, in turn, empowers it to become the name it is called; which comes first matters little, perhaps.

Charlotte, through her words, gives Wilbur life, just as her own life is nearing an end, but her life-giving role is not over yet.

She leaves behind dozens of offspring, born in Wilbur’s barnyard under his watchful eye. Three of these stay on in Zuckerman’s barn to be Wilbur’s companions, though none can replace Charlotte, for as the narrator says, “It’s not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

Like a true friend and a good writer, right words are hard to find. And all of these, like a mother, have the power to give life.

I’m sorry to have dropped out of the teleseminar last week. If you stopped by and were expecting me, I apologize for doing a no-show. Knowing I was going to be talking with Michael Hyatt, I went to a Mexican restaurant and ordered fish tacos for lunch (since everyone knows Mike believes fish tacos are the secret to great book publishing). Anyway, lesson for the day: When eating at a sketchy Mexican place at the beach, stay away from fish tacos. I got sick, and ended up in bed. My apologies, but I hear Mike and Amanda rocked it. Thanks for participating, thanks to Michael for being fabulous, and a huge thank you to Amanda for pinch-hitting and taking leadership of the event. 

If I can go back to writing and publishing questions, I thought you’d like to see this question someone sent me: “I’ve been writing for several months now, and I’m trying to figure out what my motivation is. Can you help me understand WHY I want to become a published author?”

A fascinating question. Okay, this may surprise you, but I believe most new writers basically want to get published so that they’ll be famous. They want that thrill of holding up a book with their name emblazoned on the cover, show it to their friends, leave it on their coffee table, maybe peruse a copy at the bookstore and casually mention to someone in the aisle, “You know… I wrote this.” I think most new writers are seeking fame and encouragement, that they believe validity and meaning will arrive out of publication. They see fame as offering a measurable amount of worth and competence. 

That’s not to say most new writers don’t also have something they want to say — they do. It’s just that many newer writers struggle with having a worthwhile story. Think about it — we all know it takes a while for a writer to become competent. Rarely do you see a novelist her her first completed wok contracted. The industry average is five complete books… in other words, if you’re starting out, it will probably be your fifth completed novel before you get a contract. That’s why so many writers give up after one or two — it takes persistence to complete five novels before a publisher will pay attention to your work. So, in my opinion, many writers get into the business as a way to express themselves; as a way to get noticed. 

Yet most writers who have achieved some level of fame fairly quickly eschew it in favor of craft. They may still enjoy the warmth associated with being recognized, or having someone come up and praise their words, but most successful authors discover that fame is not only fleeting, it doesn’t make us better people or better writers. And that, I think, is why so many successful writers I know spend considerable time attempting to improve their craft. In other words, the best writers are always trying to get better.

If that’s true (and it might be too much of a leap for some readers to accept), then the one thing a beginning writer ought to do is to devote himself or herself to improving their craft of writing. As an agent, I see hundreds of manuscripts every year that I reject for representation. Nearly all of these are rejected for one basic reason: the writer simply isn’t good enough. The ideas may be interesting, and the marketing may be slick, but the authors simply aren’t good enough to publish. That’s a message I’ve tried to get into the heads of beginning writers everywhere: Don’t try seeking “the secret” of writing; improve as a writer. I’ve yet to meet a great writer who is not published.

And how does one go about doing that? I don’t think it’s all that complicated – write regularly and expose yourself to great writing. A beginning writer should read widely, and should focus on great, not just popular, writing. A beginning writer should set aside time to write regularly, and should make writing a habit in his or her life. A beginning writer should find someone who can help him or her improve – a writing instructor, a writing mentor, an experienced editor, even a writing critique group, so long as the members can bring some wisdom to bear on the issue of craft.

I know of no other craft that promotes beginners before they are ready. Surely a young pianist doesn’t take a couple lessons and rent a concert hall to present Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.” A first-year ballet student doesn’t expect to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. An artist cannot expect to move directly from paint-by-numbers to creating fine portraits. Yet I often meet beginning writers who are hell-bent on publishing “something.” They often have no clue of their motivation or message (though they can dress it up with spiritual talk and make it sound like “a calling”). What they really want is to be noticed — to have be able to show someone “I did a book.” So my advice to beginning writers is to study the craft of writing by reading and listening to those who already know it, in order to become more like them.

Now, having said that I realize there are those in the industry (including a couple editorial friends) who disagree with me. They think “market” is more important than “craft.” In other words, “Don’t focus on becoming a good writer, focus on creating a salable book.” I understand that thinking, but I don’t agree with it. Right now ANYBODY can get ANYTHING published. Go to Amazon.com, and you can find a way to get anything (your company reports, your school papers, your nutcase political screeds) into print. Lulu and PublishAmerica and Author Solutions will print anything you send them. We’ve made “becoming an author” into the easiest, most-accessible form of “art.” You may not be able to paint well enough to sell a still life, or sing well enough to have a CD in Wal-Mart, or dance well enough to get cast in a show… but you CAN become an author! 

Well, I’m sorry, but that’s not really legitimate. One of the things that real publishing professionals provide is a filter. There is training and evaluation involved as agents figure out who can write, and editors determine what is valuable, and publishers produce books that offer something of merit. So part of the role of those of us who work in the industry is to strive toward some sort of quality. As I always say, if I were in this strictly for the money, I’d do porn. (It’s cheap, it’s easy, and there’s a huge market for it.) But I can’t make myself go there, since I still think part of my job is to help writers become better, and to help publishers sell good books. 

So what’s the motivation? In writing it’s probably to tell a story, I suppose. We write to inform, to entertain, to expose, to convince, to enlighten — there are a ton of motivations. But from a personal perspective, I think every good writer wants to be a great writer. 

Someone wrote to say, “I’ve never seen you answer this question… What moved you to begin writing?”

I’ve always been a words guy — I started writing as a child and never stopped. My mom said that, when I was in first grade, I came home and announced, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a book guy.” So I guess I had to live up to that promise. I’ve been writing ever since. My life has been intertwined with words. My first real job in college was as a copyeditor for a junior high science teacher’s magazine. I later worked for newspapers, then back to magazines, and eventually to books. I can’t not write. There are stories inside me, or stories I see, and they simply must be told. I love working with authors to help them tell their stories. Words are what move me. Thanks for asking. 

On a related note, someone asked, “As a writer, what keeps you going through the setbacks and disappointments?”

I suppose a lot of writers will tell you that writing is therapy – and I suppose it is for me, in a way. But I’ve kept writing because I still have stories to tell, I still have things to say. I rarely feel the setbacks I’ve faced were because of my writing. Rather, they were in spite of my writing, or maybe they were at odds with my writing. So I kept writing until I could convince the people who made the mistake of saying “no” in the first place.

And let’s face it – most “disappointment” authors face is really the simple act of rejection. Writers hate to hear the word “no.” But I’ve never been one who allowed “no” to get in the way of accomplishing what I wanted. So while I’ve had more than my shares of “no” as both writer and agent, I’ve continued writing because that’s what I do. The fact that some publisher doesn’t want to purchase my words doesn’t mean those words lack value – I don’t expect the act of publishing to somehow validate my life. My words are meaningful. They are my message, part of some bigger life purpose, I suppose, even if they are only meant as a message to myself, or my family, or the authors I represent. I continue writing in the face of rejection simply because that’s who I am.  I must continue writing. Most writers will probably agree with that statement.

And one writing friend asked, “If you were beginning your career today, what would you hope to accomplish?”

I’d like the world to be different because of my words, of course. I like to educate, to assist, to enlighten, to entertain. The body of my words is meant to take people a bit further along the path, so that they better understand who they are, who we are as people, how we are to live in light of truth, I suppose. (And yes, I realize I’m beginning to sound like a windbag. Sorry. Maybe taking a bunch of personal questions on the day before leaving on a trip is a bad idea…)

Hey, writers, I’d love to hear you answer these questions. Why did you start writing? What keeps you going at it? And what do you hope to accomplish?

We’re continuing our “ask an agent anything” series, where I’m trying to offer some short answers to your general publishing questions. If you’ve got a question you’ve always wanted to ask an agent, send it to me or leave it in the “comments” section. One reader wrote to ask, “What is “voice” in writing? “

Voice is the personality of the author, expressed through words on the page. When you write, your word choices, your phrasing and structure, your thinking and themes — they all help establish your personality as a writer. So the way I write is different from the way someone else writes — my personality comes through, and shows how I’m different and unique as a writer. (An example: Stephen King and William Faulkner both like long sentences, psychological implications, semicolons, and the use of the word “and” in their works… but nobody ever picked up a Stephen King novel and mistook it for a William Faulkner novel. Though they share some characteristics, each writer has his own personality, and that comes through on the page.) Of course, not every writing voice is good — just as not every singing voice is good. A great writer has a voice that is appealing and interesting.

Similarly, another person asked, “How does a writer know when he has established a strong voice in his work?” 

It takes time and effort. I’ve always thought a writer recognizes his or her own voice over time, so the more you write, the better you hear yourself in your words. My experience is that, as I write more and more, my personality becomes clear on the page. When we talk, your words don’t sound like mine. Your stories don’t sound like mine. Your personality is unique, and getting that to be clearly expressed on the page will help you define your voice. (So, for example, when I tell my story of being in the air on Sept 11, the way I tell the story of that day will be different from the way YOU might tell it.) The writers we love best express themselves through their own voices, and we love hearing those voices because they are individual, and, in the words of Carolyn Sloan, “they teach us to be ourselves by supplying us with an example of genuine emotion…” Great voice in writing is a unique and courageous act. And I don’t think it can be created — I believe it rises up from the soul of the writer.

And one writer wanted to discuss contests: “I’m entered in the Writers Digest Short Story competition, which states that Writers Digest has one-time publishing rights for the top 25 entries. So if I’ve entered, have I given up my publication rights? And as an agent, would you chew me out for being a bonehead? I just want to know if I’ve made a mistake in giving up my non-exlusive rights.”

You might very well be a bonehead (I’m reserving judgment), but you’re pretty safe with the WD contest. First, if it’s really “non-exclusive” rights, you’re free to re-sell those rights. And if this is a one-time agreement, it’s similar to any other print publication article. I doubt I’d chew you out… especially in the short story market, which is a tough, tough place to get published.

One writer wrote to ask me, “What do you think of POETS & WRITERS magazine? Do you subscribe? Why or why not? And if you used to, why don’t you now?”

I think Poets and Writers is a wonderful magazine. It offers very good information on writing and the industry, incorporates a lot of event and academic stuff, and has always worked to get writers connected to one another. There’s not much else like it. I used to subscribe, but I no longer do. That has nothing to do with the quality of the magazine, but instead with the fact that I can’t stay up with so many publications. A couple years ago I took steps to simplify my life, and that included giving up some of the magazines that were good, but that I didn’t have time to adequately read. (I took further steps last year, cutting out even more magazines, axing TV news, etc.) For those writers interested in the literary side of the industry, Poets and Writers is an excellent resource.

I have received this question several times: “You apparently do a lot of religious books. Is there a website that connects inspirational writers specifically with Christian agents? If not, do you think there’s a market for one?”

I do not know of a website that connects religious writers and agents. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one, it just means I don’t know of one. There are websites that attempt to connect Christian writers and publishers, including ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com, but I don’t know if there’s one aimed at agents. Would there be a market for one? Maybe — my sense is there’s a market for just about everything. The questions would be “is it any good?” and “is it better than what we currently have?” The industry is rapidly changing, which means the role of agents is changing significantly. Some well-meaning sorts tried to create a Christian literary agent association a couple years ago, but it didn’t work out. I thought it was a noble effort, but I also wasn’t in favor of joining… I just didn’t feel it was set up appropriately. You’d have to think through things like “how are you going to define Christian?” and “what sort of guidelines are we going to have?” I have no doubts about the sincerity of religious-book agents — I just don’t know that it’s big enough to really have its own organization. Why not simply do what I did and join the Association of Author Representatives (the trade organization for full-time literary agents)?

Another writer had a similar question: “Is there a place in religious publishing for a strong Christian story, but with rough patches of reality along the way?”

Of course there is. Publishing is replete with examples of literary novelists with religious themes who include some of the grittier aspects of life. If you’re unfamiliar, read the works of Lisa Samson, Flannery O’Connor, Gina Holmes, Susan Meissner, Ann Tatlock, Mark Bertrand, Elizabeth Musser, Ginger Garrett, Mary DeMuth, Alice Wisler, and Charles Martin. There are plenty of writers doing Christian books in a real-world setting. (I’m going from the seat of my pants, so I’ve doubtless missed some other fine writers who ought to be included.)

Similarly, I’ve received several forms of this question: “Do religious publishers really have such overly strict requirements that they cannot use such words as ‘priest’ or ‘sex’ without being dismissed?”

No. That’s completely untrue. At least, in my extensive experience. Sure, if you’re doing a sweet romance, you can’t use racy language — but that sort of expectation is extant in ANY publishing line. You write to your audience. If your audience wants a clean romance, you write a clean romance. If they want a vivid action scene, you create a vivid action scene. But there’s not some written or unwritten code, other than societal norms. Think of it this way: If you’re writing to a religious audience who is offended by overt sexuality, then it’d be pretty dumb to include it in your novel with is supposed to be aimed at them. (A note: You may be referring to a blog post from bestselling novelist Ted Dekker a couple years ago, in which he cited a long-out-of-date document from Harlequin that listed certain words they didn’t want used in their religious fiction, in order to keep from sounding sectarian. Harlequin has since taken down that document, and the discussion has moved on.)

Happy to keep the conversation going…