BookingIt

I'm heading toward third base! The journey to getting published feels like baseball to me right now. I cracked the ball and sent it soaring (sent out my queries). I reached first base. Then I got a request for a full. That's my second base. Some people go straight home from there, but I'm heading toward third. That's because I received a revision letter from an editor. *swoon* Remember I had a full out to a publisher? They've requested some revisions which I am only too happy to do! So right now I'm trying to get these done so the manuscript can go out for some reads. I've heard that some writers are discouraged by revision requests. Maybe they're overwhelmed (I was a little) and they step off the base and are out. DON'T step off the base. If you get a request, and it feels doable and you resonate with it, RUN like lightning for third base. This is pretty exciting for me. I could still get out but I know there'll be other chances for me to bat ag

My grandma is in town so I won't be blogging this week. Do you have anything special going on? If you could wish for something special, what would it be?

One of my pastors said something on Sunday that resonated with me. Speaking of the Christian life, and following Jesus, he said: "The proof of desire is in the pursuit." Writers love to write. Some of us are content to hide our stories away and write for our own pleasure. Some of us want to be published though. Our desire can be reflected in our pursuit of publication. How can editor buy our book if he never reads it? How will an agent represent us if she never sees our query? What are you doing to pursue publication? How do you get your work out there? Is your fear of failure greater than your desire to be published?

First chapters are always fun for me. I love setting up the story and creating some juicy conflict. One thing I try to keep in mind is that I start the story right. There's a lot of advice to start the story with action, which is great, but I also think there's another important aspect to the first chapter and it has to do with character arc. The first chapter should start with your main character in their ordinary world. This is the world they've been in before the story started. The same problems, the same people, the same moral structure. Somewhere in chapter one, usually toward the end, something happens or some choice is made which propels the main character into a new world. A new job, a new challenge, or maybe new choices. This change that occurs should be something that challenges your hero or heroine's character. Thus, the character arc begins and chapter one ends with your main character in a struggle that will continue throughout the story and at the end of t