I should be editing...

Because Jessica Patch doesn’t want me to finish my editing before she does, she gave everyone a list of questions to answer. Thanks a lot, Jessica! 

1. Chocolate or Vanilla and why?

Chocolate. I don’t trust anyone who answers vanilla.

2. Have you ever shoplifted? Ever thought about it? 

I’m a rule-following, guilt-ridden kind of person. If I had ever shoplifted, I would probably turn around and tell the cashier the truth before I got out of the store. 

3. Colored polish or French manicure? 

My fingernails are always either unpolished or half covered in chipped polish. They never seem to look good.

4. Where's the last place on earth you'd want to visit and why? 

Antarctica. I hate for my feet to be cold.

5. What's your least favorite food? 

Tomatoes. I’ve never been a fan. I’ll eat brussel sprouts and any kind of weird animal my husband shoots and brings home, but no tomatoes.

6. How many licks do you think it really does take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? 

7. Hotels or camping? 

Camping...as long as someone else is there to do all the hard work like setting up the tent and starting the fire. Plus, I’m a germ-a-phobe, and hotel rooms weird me out.

8. Which celebrity that is alive (there is no Jesus loop-hole here, people) would you like to meet and why? 

Anne Lamott. When I read her books, I pretend we’re BFFs.

9. Do you have a smart phone? Can you live without it? Be honest...okay you can. Would you want to? Be honest. 

I can’t live without it. It’s sad.

10. If you could be any animal which one would you be and why? 

A zebra because they have really cool black and white mohawks. What do you think? Do we look alike?

11. Home cooked or 5 star meal? 

Somewhere in between. I love going out to eat, but I don’t like stuffy restaurants. My favorite places are usually local (not chain) restaurants. And my husband and I love trying new restaurants when we go on vacation. 

I’d love for you to play along on your blog or pick a question and answer it in the comments!

ABCs of the Content Edit

Repost from November 2010

Every step of my journey to publication has been a huge learning experience for me. The revision letter was no different. The content edits forCanyon Walls were pretty extensive. At first, I was disappointed, but now, I realize that it is just another step in making me a better writer. Here are a few of the things I learned from my content edit.

A - Avoid emotional whiplash - In an effort to create more tension in scenes, I was unintentionally making my heroine an emotional mess. When an editor labeled this “Emotional Whiplash” a light bulb went on in my brain. What a great way to explain this problem! When you’re adding conflict and emotion in a scene, be careful not to jar your reader.

B - Be Decisive – The editor (at least in my case) lets you know what needs to be changed, but doesn’t tell you how to change it. After I read through the revision letter, I had to make some big decisions about what I would do to correct the problems in my story. No one knows your story better than you do. Learn to follow your instincts, make a decision, and make it work.

C - Consider subplots carefully – Just because you love a secondary plot in your novel, doesn't mean it belongs there. What does it add to your main story? If you removed it, how would it change your story? If it doesn’t add anything to your plot, cut it.

D - Details are important – Content editors are experts at picking up on those little inconsistencies. Before you send your book to an editor or agent, do a read through looking at the details. Come up with a system or a spreadsheet to track these easy-to-miss, but incredibly important, details.

E - Enjoy the process – A big set of revisions can be stressful and cause a lot of self doubt. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Trust me, I know! Every now and then, I had to step back and remember that I’m getting the chance to do what I love to do. What could be better than that?

Interview with Jessica Nelson

I'm so excited to have Jessica Nelson here today. Jessica's new Love Inspired Historical, Love on the Range, is available for pre-order now!

Jessica, tell us a little about your journey to publication. 
It has involved a lot of rewriting.  Love On the Range is the first manuscript I ever finished and it was specifically aimed toward Love Inspired Historical. That said, I was such a newbie and new nothing about writing a book. Fortunately writers are an amazing group of people and I’ve had invaluable advice from a broad range of people during the scope of writing that manuscript and the others sitting on my hard drive. For a more in-depth idea of my path to publication, I did a post on Loretta Boyett’s blog a while back. Here’s the link. http://lorettaboyett.blogspot.com/2011/11/jessica-nelson-her-writing-journey.html

I'm a big rewriter too! Why do you write inspirational romance? Has this always been the genre of choice? 
Absolutely.  I adore romances and could never write something without a romantic thread. As for inspirational, I don’t know that I could write a story without Jesus involved. I never questioned whether he’d be in the story or not. He just is. 

That's a great way to put it. I love learning about the writing process other writers go through. Are you a pantser, plotter, or somewhere in between? 
Definitely a pantser with a little forethought as to plot turns, etc.

I'm a little jealous. I can't write anything unless I've plotted out beforehand - or course there are always a few surprises. What has been the biggest surprise from the time you decided you wanted to write a book to today? 
Hmmm. Good question! I’m not sure. Maybe that I’m actually going to be published?? LOL

Well, I'm so excited that it is! Thanks so much for spending time with us today. Here's a little more info about Jessica and her novel, Love on the Range.
Jessica Nelson, in keeping with her romantic inclinations, married two days after she graduated high school. She believes romance happens every day, and thinks the greatest, most intense romance comes from a God who woos people to himself with passionate tenderness. When Jessica is not chasing her three beautiful, wild little boys around the living room, she can be found staring into space as she plots her next story. Or she might be daydreaming about a raspberry mocha from Starbucks. Or thinking about what kind of chocolate she should have for dinner that night. She could be thinking of any number of things, really. One thing is for certain, she is blessed with a wonderful family and a lovely life. 

Love on the Range - Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero known as Striker, then she’ll never have to depend on anyone ever again. Rancher Trevor Cruz can’t believe his secret identity is being endangered by an overly chatty city girl. But if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that Gracie’s pretty little snooping nose is bound to get her in trouble. So he’ll use her determination to find “Striker” to keep an eye on her…and stick close by her side.

Where can we find you online? 

Website:  http://www.jessicanelson.net/

Blog: http://jessicanelson7590.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Jessica_Nelson7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaNelson

A Roadmap for Your Story

This month I'm presenting on the topic of outlining at my local ACFW chapter meeting. I'm an extremely detailed, aka obsessive, plotter. I'm planning to teach how anyone from a seat-of-the-pants writer to a plotter can use my system to organize their novel, either before they begin (for plotters) or as a tool for editing (for SOTP writers).

So I'm coming to you for help. If you were hearing a presentation on plotting, what would you be interested in learning? Would you like to see examples? Would you like to do some hands-on exercises? What questions would you have about the process of plotting?