3 Key Ingredients of a Great Writer

post by Michelle Griep

It's November. That means thousands of writers are pounding away at their keyboards this month, hoping their manuscript will become the next #1 NY Times Bestseller.

See what I have in my hand, kids? It's a pin. A sharp, pointy silver rod of death, and I'm stabbing balloon after balloon. Pop. Pop. Pop. Because the ugly truth is there's only one thing that makes for a great bestseller and that's a great writer. And there are three ingredients that go into all the greats. Look deep inside, little writer, and see if you have the makings or if you're short an egg or two . . .

3 Ingredients of a Great Writer

Guts
There's a fine line between knowing writing rules and being hog-tied by them. It takes courage to cross the line now and then and break those rules. That implies you must know what the "rules" are first, but at some point you need to let go and freefall into your writing. Take risks. Not care anymore if your story gets published. Write for the breath-stealing exhilaration of creation.

Reading
Great writers read. Excessively. And in all genres. There's something to be said for osmosis. Reading great writing tends to come out as great writing.

Time
This is the ingredient everyone wants to skip, especially all the bright-eyed newbies out there who think their first manuscript is God's gift to mankind. It takes time to become a great writer. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Lots and lots of chocolate and weeping. Granted, the timeline isn't the same for all writers, but it's a rare genius who gallops out of the gate into novel stardom. Most pay their dues one year at a time, critique by critique, workshop by workshop. Slow down, little cowboy, and enjoy the ride.

If you're missing one of these ingredients, don't despair. Just work toward the one you need most. Stick with it, because there's a kingpin of all ingredients inside every great writer: perseverance.

History Lesson: Ballpoint Pens

post by Michelle Griep

Book Available at Amazon

Everyone's got their favorite writing utensil, and I'm not talking MacBook Air. I mean pens. My fave is a big bad boy Pilot G2 Pen. Writes like a dream. But I got to thinking . . . where the heck did this little gem come from? What's the history? When did we set down our quills and ink and pick up a ballpoint?

Pay attention, class, because today you're going to be educated.

John Loud, an American leather tanner, patented the original ballpoint in 1888. But he never did get around to developing it after he received his patent. And most of those who came after him failed at it too because they used ink that was too thin, which made for splotchy writing and stained shirt cuffs.

But then along came László Bíró, who worked with his brother György. They gave thicker ink a whirl, like the kind used in newspaper presses. Bingo! They had a winner. Yeah, it still left some blobby's but nothing as drastic as the previous disasters.

This all took awhile to get to market, though, because of one teensy-weensy problem . . . Nazis. The Bíró's had to run off to Argentina in 1943 to really kick production into gear. Later that year, the British Air Force needed a pen that could work at high altitudes and they ordered 30,000. After that, voila. Ballpoint pen fame.

In 1946, a ballpoint pen sold for about $10 (which is about $100 in today's market). Good old-fashioned competition drove down that price so that by 1959 you could buy one for 19 cents. 

And that's your history lesson in a nutshell. Interested in more detail? Snatch up the book over at Amazon.

How a Cover is Born

post by Michelle Griep

Cover for my next book due out
July 2016

Book covers are magical things. I have no idea how a book cover travels from concept to finished product. I'm certainly no artist, but I do have a big mouth. So I asked my editor over at Barbour exactly what the process is and she gave me permission to share the info with you . . .

1. One of the first things after starting the contracting process is that the publisher gets in touch with the author to ask for cover direction. This is important for a few reasons:

• understanding the vision the author has for the cover
• understanding the visual points that have potential to be compelling

At this point in the process, it’s very likely the editor has not read the full manuscript, so it's up to the author to get the ball rolling and set the tone.

2. Ten to twelve months prior to the release of the book, the creative director sends the author cover direction to a design house. Publishers usually work with several scattered across the country. That design house typically creates 3 or 4 comps that get reviewed by the creative director and editor and they choose their favorites. Usually that first round is shared with the author. Oftentimes these comps have placeholder models if a photo shoot is necessary. 

Side Note: In the case of my last release, Brentwood’s Ward, the cover was an interesting mix of stock photography and model shoot. The heroine and setting was a stock photo, and the hero was a model shoot for the head and the body was a stock photo.

3. After a concept is nailed down, the designers start showing the publisher options for models if a photo shoot is necessary. Sometimes the author is asked to weigh in on these options. This is always a little bit of a harried time because of scheduling models, securing wardrobe pieces, and making sure all the details are in place. Sometimes models become unavailable (for whatever reason) and a new option needs to be chosen. Same thing with wardrobe and/or specific props. Sometimes certain items or settings have to be avoided because it’s impossible to be historically accurate.

4. The designers take the shoot photos and execute the design and then send it to the creative director. There are usually a few tweaks and then it's used in sales training meetings, so that sales, marketing, and editorial are all seeing the same cover image. That’s about nine months out from release date. If the team has some huge objection to the cover, the creative director addresses that with the designers, and then that’s when the author would see it as a “final” cover. At that point, potential tweaks can still be made, but nothing major.

And that's a wrap, folks. As you can see by the art I've included in this post, the cover for my next book is already finished and my manuscript isn't even due in until December 1st. I know. Crazy, right?

Beyond Goodreads

post by Michelle Griep

How real do you like your fiction? Personally, I like to read authentic, gritty reality-fiction. I want to feel the characters' emotions as if they're mine. I want to taste and smell and live inside the skin of the hero and heroine. I want the author to rip out my heart, swing it around on a string until I laugh and cry and throw up, then set it gently back in with a light kiss. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently it is. Some readers don't feel the same way I do, and as a result, not all publishers will put out that kind of fiction. Okay, so most won't, leastwise in the Christian market. Is that good or bad?

Neither, actually. It just is, which makes it tricky for readers like me to find a book that satisfies. But never fear, little readers. Besides the mothership of them all, Goodreads, I've found several more sites to help you discover books no matter where you land on the gritty to fluffy spectrum . . .

FictionFinder
Their motto is "So many books . . . so easy to find!"

WhatShouldIReadNext
An entire database that compares "like" books. Enter a book you like, and it will bring up a list of other books that are similar.

YourNextRead
This is somewhat like What Should I Read Next but their stated goal is to "make discovering, buying and enjoying a book as simple as finding your next film or band."

The Latest Book Rage

post by Michelle Griep

Want to know what the trendiest type of book will be this holiday season? Nope, not dystopian. Nopety-nope to thrillers or vampires or zombies. And a big unh-unh with a side of no-no sauce to epic Amish sagas. The latest craze is coloring books.

Yes, for adults. What's up with that?

Therapy. Most people color for stress release in this crazy town world. But there's also a certain amount of peer pressure going on as well. Folks have started pinning their finished masterpieces on Pinterest or snapping shots of them on Instagram, so now all the cool cats want in on the game. There's even a National Coloring Book Day in August.

These aren't your garden-variety coloring books you doodled in as a kid. Most are intricate, with themes like architecture or botany. Crayola recently put some out with geometric and kaleidoscope themes. Shoot, there's even a Game of Thrones coloring book coming out for Christmas.

Once you decide to purchase one of these books, you can color alone or invite buddies over to art with you. Either way, you'll destress and bring a little color into your life.

3 Reasons to Delete a Scene

post by Michelle Griep

Here's your permission to chop a questionable scene.

Sometimes you need to ditch a scene, and that's okay. Wait a minute. I see you walking away with that little attitude shake of your head, and I know what you're thinking.
"Girl, please. If I wrote it, I'm dang well going to keep it. Sheesh. That's like throwing away words. Don't you know writers are starving in China?"

To which I respond with a loud, juicy raspberry. Why? (Cue evil laughter) Have I got a handy dandy list for you.

3 Reasons to Delete a Scene

1. Your gut tells you to.
Ever have that sinking feeling when thinking of your current manuscript? Like you know something's not quite right? That something's out of character for a character? Listen to your instincts. Ax the part that's bugging you because your intuition is likely spot on.

2. Your critique partners and/or editor tells you to.
Just because a scene looks great in your head doesn't mean it can transfer over well to ink and paper. You, as the author, are sometimes too blind to see it. When others tell you a chunk of writing is either awkward, unnecessary, or confusing, instead of defending yourself, get rid of it.

3. You came up with a better idea.
Brilliant new ideas don't always happen, but when they do, hop on that pony and ride it into the ground, Hoss. Leave behind good for fantabulous.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself After You've Written a Scene

post by Michelle Griep

Sometimes you just gotta ask, "What the heck?"

Just because you've written a scene doesn't mean you can pack away your computer and grab yourself a brewskie. Guess what, little writer? Your work is NOT done. There are some questions that you need to ask yourself after each and every scene you write . . .

1. What was the conflict in this scene? 
Were the stakes dire enough?

If you can't identify a conflict in your scene, delete it. Yeah, that's harsh, but cut the fat and get to the lean mean story. No one wants to read about characters who don't have problems. Readers want to punch those kinds of characters in the head.

2. Was your POV character a force to be reckoned with or was he a piece of day-old toast?

If your character doesn't grab your reader by the throat and shake him around a bit, then he's meh. And you know what a meh character is? Death to the book. Spice it up, folks. Make your character interesting and active, someone who forces the plot to move forward, not the other way around.

3. Why did you care about this scene as an author? Were you bored with it? Why?

If the scene you just wrote doesn't interest you, it won't interest the reader. If this is the case, go back and lob a hand grenade into the scene. Throw in a unicorn. Rip out the heroine's heart and stomp on it. Do something that makes you care about the scene.

4. What will happen tomorrow when you sit back down to write? Where will the story go? And what will happen if the story doesn't go that way?

Sure, it's great to map out your story so you have a general guideline to follow. It's also great to know what you're planning to write next time you sit down. But now and then, go for uber great by mixing the plot up a bit. Take it in a direction you never intended for it to go. You don't have to keep what you write, but more than likely you will because it will excite you about a new direction.