Snow? It's about time...

I don't know about you, but I was ready for snow.

Don't get me wrong. I don't ski, snowmobile, or do any other of those outdoor sports. What I do like is looking out my window and watching the white fluffs come down.

No, I don't like to shovel.

I don't like to drive in snowy weather.

But I do like the looks of it.

And you know, it's kind of like putting out that first book. You slave over the thing; probably go over it a hundred times still finding real or imagined "mistakes." You may wonder if a publisher will ever pick it up. You may even wonder, like I did, if it just wouldn't save some headache if you did it yourself.

The weather when your writing, metaphorically speaking, may be a difficult shovel. You may even have difficult times driving in it, but in the long run, you'll more than likely be pleased with the results.

Kind of like sitting in your office watching the fluff come down.

What's In It For Your Readers?

Sometimes, when writing and publishing, we writers tend to get focused inward. Although we have been told to write to a particular audience and to focus on filling the needs of our readers, we may find ourselves looking inward to when and where we're going to make the next buck.

Photo by: Wonderlane, courtesy of Flickr

Unfortunately, when we make book writing all about us; how much money we're going to make, how popular we're going to become, etc., we lose the reasons we may be writing our book in the first place.

Photo by: Takashi(aes256), courtesy of Flickr

Yes, I go there too, but be assured that I don't live there. I prefer to ask myself, "What's in it for my readers?" And then I try to make my book and marketing efforts an answer to that question.

• I want the words I have written to be the best I can put out there. That means I want to write inspired words; words that create meaning.
• I want my editing to be sharp. Will my books ever be perfectly edited? No, but they will be edited.
• I want my cover to appeal to readers who enjoy reading my particular genre.
• I want my book's price to be fair and manageable.  
• I want there to be a take away value. A 'so what' factor. If a particular reader finishes my book and says, 'so what?' that's a problem. If they can ask, 'so what?' and then answer that question with, "I learned...." "I experienced..." that's a great thing.
• I want readers to come back and read other books I've written because they enjoyed the first one they read.
• I want readers to share my book with others either literally or by word of mouth, so that someone else will have a desire to read my books.
• I want to continue to see excitement in my reader's eyes when a free gift is given at a book signing or a book purchase.

When I ask myself, "What's in it for you?" instead of "What's in it for me?" I find that everything is taken care of. I share what I have written and others buy a particular book when it is right for them. There is no need to push or shove, just to be there to share.

God takes care of the rest.  

Creative Genius

Creating the best novel, short story or poem may just be on your agenda today, but are you ready for second best?

I don't know about you, but whatever I write, I want it to be the best work that I can put out. Does that mean it will be the best thing out there, walking hand in hand with the likes of C.S. Lewis?



Photo by: epSos.de, courtesy of Flickr

Not exactly. But it might.

Creative genius is a little like looking inside yourself for the good stuff and getting it out on paper just the way you see it. Is this always possible?

I remember writing "A River of Stones" 10 years ago and wanting to skim over the hard parts. It was far easier to merely mention that dad had left the family, far harder to talk about how the separation hurt. It was like I'd lost a part of myself. I wondered how I could keep going when I felt as if my love meant nothing. I wondered how a father could leave a family of children. Did he love us?

Now that I've stepped back from the situation I can see that it was the best thing. I grew up. I could see that my mother wasn't happy in her marriage, and I could see that she deserved a happy life. 

Was her life perfect after the divorce? No. But she met a new man and this man has stuck around, loved her, and cared for my brother and I like we were his own.



Photo by: gnuckx, courtesy of Flickr

And we are.

Creative genius is a little like hope I think. It's about reaching out and giving our writing everything and then waiting for the results that come from within. It's about sharing with others what we create, and no matter what the response (both positive and negative) we know we have been honest in our creation. Creative genius may not take a lot of time but it does take some work traveling through the hard stuff.

Will you make a visit?