Motivation

                        . . . So What's the Big Deal About Motivation?

By Ruth Douthitt

I have to facilitate a presentation about motivation at work soon, so I have been deep in motivational videos, theories, and podcasts in preparation for it. 

The results? I am super motivated!!

I'm motivated to share motivational tools, and ideas that I have found so helpful for me.

Motivation

What's the big deal about motivation anyway? Why do managers attend such presentations about motivation?

Well, what are the benefits?

Improved productivity
Strong work culture
Reduced absenteeism
Achievement of Objectives

But why is motivation important for the rest of us?

As I have blogged before, I run and train for races. I am also an author with many projects set for 2018. Motivation is key for me to meet all my goals for the year.

There are so many motivational theories out there. I lean toward Maslow's Motivational Theory because it's simple:

If your very basic needs aren't met, then everything comes crumbling down. In other words, if you have no food in your belly, shelter over your head, and clothes on your back, you won't be motivated to do much of anything let alone achieve your potential!

But once those needs are met, then you move on to the other needs: Socialization, belonging and love, respect and acceptance, validation of ideas, challenging yourself...all of these can help you reach your potential, and then self-actualization.

Self-Actualization

What does that level look like? Let's use Oprah as an example. She reached stardom through hard work and innovation. She started the "daytime talk show" trend by restructuring it and making it more personal. That achievement led to her challenging herself by trying new concepts: Acting.

After receiving an Academy Award nomination, she had the self esteem to venture out into more challenging roles on TV and in film. She began her own studio and cable network.

But one thing keeps knocking her off the top of Maslow's Pyramid: Her weight.

Oprah's constant battle with her weight has always brought her down a few levels on the pyramid, but she has learned through the years how to get back up to the top.

And that's what self-actualization looks like. When you have reached autonomy (meaning, you no longer rely on others to reach your true potential because you know how to get back on top on your own) you have made it to the top!

No, becoming a billionaire is not the requirement of "self-actualization" or "transcendence." Gandhi reached that level without being a billionaire and you will, too. 

Being able to carry on without relying on others for your happiness is key for success. Your definition of success might differ from mine.

What's your definition of success?

The big deal about motivation is that we all need outside motivation to inspire our inner motivation so we can reach our definition of success. But knowing how to get back up again after falling down is what Self-Actualization is all about.

Motivation is a Big Deal

I strongly feel that our calling is to know how to stay motivated so we can motivate others around us. And by "others" I mean not just employees, but family and friends, too!

As a writer, I feel called to motivate my readers and students of writing. I have learned (and continue to learn...) how to get back up again after rejection and delay. I want to share my knowledge and wisdom. I'm a teacher, that's what I do!

Some motivational theories and tools you can try are:

Happify.com

Four-Drive Theory

Goal Setting Theory

These tools can help you assess your needs and learn how to help motivate others in business or in your personal life. We'd be crazy to think everyone knows how to motivate themselves. It's important for us to share our knowledge with others. That's how things change for the better.

What about you? How do you motivate others? Why is it important for us to do so?

R. A. Douthitt is an award-winning author of books for middle grade readers. She is now working on a contemporary inspirational novel, Leaving Eden for release later this fall. She is also an educator and speaker with a Masters degree in Education.

For information about my books, please visit my website: www.thedragonforest.com

For information about my artwork, please visit: www.artbyruth.com

Painting with Words

                 

By Ruth Douthitt

As an artist, I’ve learned how to see things. Painting and drawing are basically “seeing” and then expressing what one sees onto paper or canvas or any other desired medium. 

Is it possible for art and writing to be similar? I’ve blogged before about how running and writing are similar, but what about drawing or painting?

I’ve only been writing since 2004, published since 2008, but I’ve been an artist all my life. I can easily tell you the answer is YES! There are many similarities and that’s what makes me love both art forms. I’ll share what I’ve learned from both mediums of artistic expression with you and let you decide for yourself…

Creating art typically requires a process. This was something my art professors drilled into my brain over and over again. Conceptual development came first. What’s the context? Who is your audience? What is your theme? What are the comparisons? What other artists inspired the work? What is the purpose? How will it be created and why?

All this must be decided first before an artist even attempts to create art for a showing or exhibit. A concept brainstorm can be a long arduous process, but I found it fun. I suppose that’s why brainstorming a writing project is fun for me, too.

In the creation of art, it is always best to know the medium of choice. What are its strengths and weaknesses? For instance, oil painting. What are the strengths of oil as a medium? Gorgeous color and texture. It lasts for a lifetime. Blends easily. Its weaknesses? Odorous, requires proper ventilation. It is very expensive. Requires additional resources for preparation and preservation, which can be costly. It dries slowly, so the process requires patience.

What about with writing? It is always best to know the strengths and weaknesses of the tools you select for writing: MS Word, Scrivener, Open Office, etc. What about where you write? Can you work in uninterrupted bliss?

In art, a rough draft does help. My one art professor required at least 15 (minimum) paintings/sketches that he would approve of before we even attempted to work on a painting for our show. I grumbled about it at first, but after a while, I realized how much this process helped to produce a “rough draft” of a painting or drawing first. Not only did it save me money on canvas or paper (my professor didn’t care about what we used for the 15 paintings or sketches…), but it forced me to slow down and truly settle on an idea that I had worked through. I loved that! I learned how to settle on a composition and explain why I did so.

Doesn’t this remind you of writing? When we sit with our editor to explain our plot premise of the rough draft, if we cannot explain it in an interesting way to him, then how will our readers understand it? A rough draft forces us to slow down and truly work out the plot details.

In art, the focus is intense. I can stare at my work for hours at a time. A wise artist will pause to take a step back in order to inspect his work from a different focal point. In fact, my professor always challenged us to turn the piece upside down! I definitely agree with this approach because the errors in the painting or drawing always pop out when turned upside down. I also look at my work in a mirror to find errors. In writing, taking time to step away from a work-in-progress is most helpful. When you come back to your work, errors glare at you. You are more capable of checking for point-of-view and the voice of the characters.

So, these are just some examples of how visual art and writing reflect one another. One can see why they both are part of the Fine Arts. Structure, planning, plotting, and preparation are necessary for both types of artistic expression.

Because I dabble in both mediums, I find it most fascinating how writing and art align so nicely. I suppose that’s why I love both art forms. Music, theatre, visual art, and writing…the Fine Arts are each unique threads in the tapestry of artistic expression. If you excel in one, you will probably discover that you can excel in the another! I am learning to play piano and violin. I also sing with a praise and worship band. Maybe, someday, I’ll try acting.

What about you? Why not give another form of artistic expression a try? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

For information about my books, please visit my website: www.thedragonforest.com

For information about my artwork, please visit: www.artbyruth.com

The Beauty of Distracted Writing

by Laura L. Zimmerman

I used to think I couldn’t write unless I had an hour or more to devote to it. Of course this would rarely happen, since a little thing called ‘life’ would get in the way. 

The idea was sound: I wanted to avoid distraction. I never wanted to settle for a 5-minute block of time, or writing with kids around because it seemed pointless. I couldn’t do my best writing in that environment, right?

But a few years ago I read an interview with a well-known author who claimed there was no excuse for writers who said they didn’t have time to work on their craft. While in college, she’d write on her Blackberry in the few minutes downtime she had before class, and that’s how she wrote her first bestseller. No amount of writing time was too little to get her book written.

So I made my own attempt. I wrote first thing in the morning, even if the kids were already up. I wrote at night, when it was past bedtime. I wrote in the middle of the day, as ‘Cupcake Wars’ blared in the background. Sometimes these only consisted of ten minute increments, at best.

Here’s what I discovered: It is absolutely possible to write this way. Not only that, but it’s rewarding! Is my writing perfect? No. That’s where edits and revision come in. But at least it’s a start. A writer isn’t a writer if there’s nothing on the paper, after all! Dropping my preconceived notion that I must have a specific amount of time to write has greatly improved the amount I get written.

I challenge you to do the same. Make an effort to write as many words as you can in the few minutes you have each day and see what a difference it will make in achieving your writing goals! 

Laura L. Zimmerman resides in Phoenix, AZ and is a homeschooling mom to three beautiful daughters. She is thankful for a supportive husband, who is always quick to encourage her love of singing, reading and drinking coffee. Laura writes young adult and middle grade fantasy fiction. You can learn more about her at www.lauralzimmerman.com, on Twitter @lauralzimm , and on Facebook. Laura is represented by Cyle Young through Hartline Literary Agency. 

Finding Your Way

                                   by Dana McNeely

Soon after I obtained my driver’s license, I learned the most ominous words in the English language. As I prepared to embark on my first cross-town errand, my mom rattled off directions involving cross streets, stop signs, and a fire hydrant on the corner. She closed with these words, which first inspired confidence, later fear:

You can’t miss it.

In writing, as in the rest of life, you can indeed get lost. Not everyone has a finely honed sense of direction, but if you get lost, you can find your way again! I struggle with plot. You may struggle with characterization, pacing, or dialogue. Writing workshops and craft books can inspire and guide our writing journey, but they can also overwhelm us. This is when we need to stop, breathe, and think about how we do our other work - our day job, caring for our family, planning a get-together with friends. We plan. We make lists. If we need  something, we go out and get it.

The Germ of an Idea

Ideas sneak up on us like a sports car in our blindspot. Pull over, grab your notebook, and write the complete idea - everything in your brain at that moment. Don’t just write “green hedgehog” because later, you’ll have no idea what that meant. Next, sit down and explore that idea. Make lists of things that might happen, where they happen, and who they happen to. Think about your main character, her friends, and her opponents. What are the worlds she lives in? There are probably more than one - her home and neighborhood, her work, where she goes for fun. What are the connections between the people in those worlds? Make sure there are connections - and collisions.

Small Goals

When I have a new idea, it’s a merry jaunt as I write those first chapters. The time comes, though, when I stall. Maybe I’ve come to the end of my ideas, maybe my day job has upped its demands, maybe there are familial issues to deal with. Days go by as I mull things over, but I can’t seem to get back in the driver’s seat. The last time this happened, a writer-friend  suggested writing just fifty words that day. “Start with writing about why you can’t write.” I learned that writing about what’s keeping me from writing, is naturally followed by solutions. If it’s the job or family, can I find 15 minutes to read what I last wrote? (Of course!) If it’s a dearth of ideas, could this silly thing happen? What if this other thing happens? Soon, I’ve written my fifty words, but nearly always it’s many more. And some of them are keepers.

A Writing Journal

The mystery author, Sue Grafton, has spoken about keeping a Writing Journal for each novel. When I learned this I zipped on over to her website and found several examples. In those journals I found validation for several of the behaviors I had already begun to discover, but I also learned more about discovering plot. Take a look at this little blurb from her “G is for Gumshoe” journal.

“Just checking in to have a little chat. I'm in Chapter 3 and feeling pretty good, but I'm wondering if I don't need some tension or suspense. We know there may be a hit man after her. She's currently on her way to the desert and everything seems really normal..nay, even dull. Do I need to pep it up a bit? She's almost at the Slabs. I've been doing a lot of description but maybe I need to weave it into the narrative better. Flipping back and forth from the external to the internal.”

A Hitchhikers Guide

Finally, in real life, I would never recommend picking up a hitchhiker. But on your writer’s journey, I recommend offering to proofread a friend’s manuscript, write a helpful review, or share your favorite writing tips. In fact, now it’s your turn.

Now its your turn, share your favorite writing tip!

Dana McNeely

2014 Semi-Finalist, ACFW Genesis Contest
2013 & 2014 Finalist, OCW Cascade Contest

https://www.facebook.com/dana.mcneely.5 
https://twitter.com/dana_mcneely

A longtime desert dweller, Dana McNeely dreams of rain. She lives in an oasis with her husband, Mike, two good dogs, and migrating butterflies.

Enough . . . a journey in writing

                                 By Barbara Bras

Thank you for inviting me to be the featured CWOW member this month. It’s an honor. In thinking about what may be interesting, I thought I would answer a question I often receive:  what inspired me to write and publish two books within a year?

It’s a bit of a story. Unlike many authors, I didn’t always write, nor did I yearn to write. In fact, the opposite was true for me; fear of judgment discouraged me from writing. Judgment from my mother, an English teacher and a strict perfectionist who demanded excellence in everything, especially writing.

In spite of the circumstances, my love of reading led to my first profession, teaching English at the high school level. Teaching laid the foundation for my career, which ultimately resulted in twenty-five plus years in various corporate environments as a Human Resources leader. Naturally, during my career I wrote a great deal, including proposals, papers, and communications of all kinds. But never anything creative, I never even journaled.

Almost two years ago, our Pastor handed out little pieces of paper during his sermon that said, “ENOUGH.” He questioned our inane desire to accumulate things when we already have the one thing that is needful. Just as Mary choose to worship at the feet of Jesus rather than be distracted by the world, so must we choose what is most important. (Luke 10:42) It struck a nerve.

Shortly thereafter, I made the decision to leave my position of ten years. Unsure of my next move, I focused my energy on a burning desire. Ever since the Lord provided a son for us through a miraculous adoption, I believed He wanted me to share it as an encouragement to others. I had tried to write the story many times without success. I signed up for retreat that promised, “Write your book in a weekend!”

The three-day retreat required nonstop writing, first in long hand, then on the pc. Amazingly, at the end of the third day I had not only finally written the story of the miraculous adoption, I had shared the incredible disappointment and heartache of the years that followed, all captured within the context of my life and the life of my ancestors. Wrapped in God’s Grace, a Life Rediscovered had materialized. I felt a great release and I thought that would be the end of my writing.

Over the next few months as I edited the book, I followed the system of editing for 45 minutes, and writing new material for 15. What emerged during those 15 minute segments became Cassandra’s story, or She Who Knows, a Tale of the Heart. The story unfolded in front of me, inspired by the woman who supervised my student teaching in Honolulu back in 1977.

Barbara Robinson was an inspiration to me both as a teacher and as a person. As we worked together that semester, she shared many stories and took me under her wing. She told me the story of how her grandmother, a musician, had come to islands and married her seafaring grandfather. She spent a great deal of her childhood isolated in the mountains on Maui, presumably to recover from an illness. When finally allowed to return to school years later, her years of isolation and her archaic English made for a lonely life. She also believed she that she had an usual gift, which she decided was better left unused.

So what began as an effort to share my story and encourage others has developed into a love of writing and a desire to serve the Lord through my new passion.

Soli Deo Gloria. To God Alone Be the Glory!

Barbara Bras

AuthorBBras.com

 

Things Take Time

                               By Gail Kittleson

Some people seem to read their destiny from childhood—others receive glimpses, but their vocation evolves and blossoms over decades. The latter rings true for me. From adolescence, I loved reading all kinds of novels, history, and poetry. I wrote some—mostly poems, and knew writing was more than casual for me, yet that understanding remained nebulous until my fifties.

In the meantime, I plunged into life as a pastor’s/Army chaplain’s spouse, parenthood, created a sympathy card line for the bereaved and caregivers, taught college expository writing and ESL, and became a grandparent.

A nomination to a state writing retreat led me to memoir. Oh my . . . and that led to delving deeper into essays, which led to writing women’s historical fiction.

Writing and writing and writing . . . oh my!

I’ve probably never felt so much in my God-intended niche before. Connecting with individuals in workshops I facilitate gives me such a high. But writing, day in and day out, sustains me and allows a channel for my gift of story to flow. I’m so grateful my true vocation has found me, even though it took some time.

Characterization Takes Time

Right now, a heroine holds me enchanted. She’s with me all the time—every day I learn something new about her. This World War II character fascinates me, because in several ways, she’s not like me. Her predecessor, Addie, hung out with me four and a half years, and I thought I’d never be closer to a character.

But then, along came Twila Fae Brunner. She reveals the spunk I squelched in early adulthood, and pursues her dream even before she knows its specifics. How I wish I’d been more like her, unafraid of life and willing to take risks! No hiding her light under a bushel for Twila!

Anyway, it’s such a delight to consider what makes this young woman tick, especially in light of the chaos the war forced upon her generation. But they made do, and Twila’s way of making do includes working at a POW camp about an hour and a half from our home in Iowa. Doing research has led me to such interesting connections, which led to doing a workshop in that town—Algona, Iowa—in September.

“You can’t hurry love...” The Supremes had it right back in 1966, but I’ve imposed a deadline on Twila Fae. She must divulge all her secrets by September first, plus whisper a title for her story.

And then I need to get going on the edits for another sequel that’ll take me back into Addie’s life. This book, A Purpose True, releases in February 2017 (when I’ll be in Arizona).

Listening and listening and listening . . . oh my!

Gail Kittleson
DARE TO BLOOM!
http://www.gailkittleson.com/
www.facebook.com/GailKittlesonAuthor
http://amazon.com/author/gailkittleson

  

A Call to Write

I was a young mother – in my 30’s – of five children. I was active and  involved in church with a life filled with crises. My marriage had hit bottom, my oldest child – a fifteen-year-old daughter – was pregnant, there was never enough money to meet our needs. The list could go on, but you get the idea. 


Leola Ogle
CWOW Secretary

I loved Jesus. When plagued with despair and depression, my faith in God was never shaken. I remember standing in the church kitchen on a Sunday after our ladies had served food, set up and took down the fellowship hall. As president over our women’s group, I had been busy. In a quiet lull, my shoulders slumped with the enormity of the problems I was facing. 

One of the church ladies walked into the kitchen. I pasted a smile on my face and engaged in small talk. Few people knew everything, but most knew some  of my struggles. Mary gazed at me with compassion. “You are such an inspiration, Leola. No matter what you’re going through, you never miss church. You stay strong in your faith.”

I thanked her. She left the room. I gritted my teeth, fought back tears, and mumbled, “I don’t want to be an inspiration anymore, God. I just want the pain to go away. I want to not hurt anymore. I want my life to be okay. Why? Why is all this happening to me?”

There have been a few times in my life when the spirit of God has spoken clearly to my spirit. He did then. He simply said, “Because of what I’ve called you to do.”

For years, I thought God was referring to this thing or that thing. I’ve always been involved in ministry in the church. Years after God spoke that to me, I worked nineteen years in the ministry of Teen Challenge. Maybe that’s what God meant.

Do you feel called by God to be a writer? It was a dream rebirthed in me before I retired from Teen Challenge. I can truthfully say it’s what God has called me to do at this stage of my life. So why hasn’t my writing journey been what I anticipated it would be? Especially since God reminded me, “Because of what I’ve called you to do.” I know now that all those experiences have set the groundwork for my writing. 

The voice of our writing is usually an extension of our life experiences. I write/want to write about real life issues Christians face. As my own experiences weave in and out of what I write, I understand that although God isn’t responsible for the things that ripped my heart out, He has used it to bring depth to my writing that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. 

I’m truly convince God has called me to write. So why do I have so many days where I just flat out don’t want to write? Days I ask myself what’s the use? Who’s going to read my stories/books? 

You know what? The enemy of my soul tells me those things. I’m responsible to write. God gets it to whoever it’s meant for. 

God, I pray for those who are struggling right now. Whether it’s in their personal life or in their writing journey. Remind us of Your faithfulness. Remind us that what You have birthed in us will accomplish Your purpose if we stay true to the calling. Your love, Your mercy and grace are sufficient. You reign over our lives in splendor and majesty. Thank you, father God. 
     
                                                 - Leola Ogle

 

A reflection . . . by Dee Kincade

Dee Kincade
CWOW VP

Last Saturday, January 30, Karen Ball, from Steve Laube Agency, spoke at CWOW Mini-Conference. First, I must say I was impressed by how down-to-earth Karen was, then by her knowledge, energy, and her humor. But, more importantly, her love for the Lord.

 

At the conference, Karen shared information about POV characters and show not tell. We also completed a character building chart to help us “get to know” about our characters better. As authors, we need to know every aspect so our characters will act and respond true to who we made them be. 

 

In my opinion, Karen saved the best information for the end of the day.

 

I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has been disappointed at some point in our writing career. Many have received negative comments from a reader or an editor, or maybe no response from a publisher, it might be a lot fewer sales than you hoped or possibly unfavorable responses from beta readers or critique groups. It is, sadly, part of being a writer. 

 

I’ve read articles suggesting writers to toughen up. Some advise us to ignore uncomplimentary comments from readers; others tell us not to read reviews. But, how do we get our hopes up when we are already in that place? 

 

At the conference, Karen reminded us that we are NOT writing for ourselves, our agent, publisher, or even our readers. We are writing because God wants us to write. He has given each of us something to share with others. 

 

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I needed to hear that. God places people, websites, and articles in our lives to help us navigate through those things that drag us down. However, ultimately, and hopefully first, we turn to God for help. When we are right with Him, He will lead us down the right path of “our writing career.”

Happy writing!

               Dee Kincade

P.S. Go to www.writefromthedeep.com

 

 

Bringing in the New Year with Brenda



Brenda Poulos
CWOW President

Well, here it is. The start of a brand new year. It’s hard for me to believe I have held the office of President for twelve months, already!

As my mother always says, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Truth is, it has been a lot of fun. The CWOW members are a great group of people.

I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know a lot of them. I have learned a lot about writing this past year.  If you’ve been coming to our meetings, I know you have, too.

Due to the illness of our keynote speaker, Karen Ball, we cancelled our January 2015 mini-conference at the last minute. However, we heard from some interesting speakers throughout the year, as well as hosted five workshops at the Tempe library.

Five of us flew to Dallas in September for the ACFW Conference. We had a great time at the workshops, learning from “big name” authors and agents. We were able to put names with faces as we had ample opportunities to network. I came home with a suitcase full of book giveaways. Great stuff.

We have asked Karen Ball to come back on January 30^th to speak at our 2016 mini-conference. We look forward to hearing the presentation that she had planned to give last year: “Taming the Fiction Dragons” and “Know Your Characters.” You won’t want to miss it. (Click HERE to go to the CWOW web page for conference information and RSVP.)

We are planning to keep our same schedule of events for 2016. This means you can count on lunch meetings and guest speakers in odd-numbered months; workshops in even-numbered months. Meetings are always on the last Saturday of the month.

Our workshops will continue to be held at the Tempe Library from 1-3 p.m. Since Coco’s closed, we have tried having our luncheon meetings at various places, so please check the website or email me at mtnst14@gmail.com to find out where we will be in March. (If you are a member, you will get a personal email each month with this information).

We welcome your feedback and your suggestions for workshops. Let us hear from you!  We are committed to the growth and future success of every CWOW member!

If you are serious about your craft, make it your New Year’s Resolution to be at all of the meetings. It is essential that we continue to hone our skills. What better way to do that than among dedicated and knowledgeable fellow writers at CWOW?

Blessings for 2016,

Brenda Poulos, CWOW President 2016

Check out more on Brenda including her books and blog at www.brendapoulos.org

Crowd Funding for Indie Authors

                                                                         By Rebecca Bruner

Independently published authors face two major hurdles to success: financing and book promotion. Professional quality publishing packages for print books can cost thousands of dollars, and without a marketing plan, your book is still likely to become just another title floating through cyberspace on the endless tides of Amazon.com. Crowd funding provides authors with the means to both raise capital to underwrite the costs of publishing, and at the same time, build an audience by raising awareness for their book projects.

What is Crowd Funding?

Crowd funding is a way for groups of people to sponsor projects and products that they feel strongly about. In exchange for their pledges of financial support, crowd funding investors are offered “Perks.” A perk is any product, service, or benefit that the supporter will receive in exchange for the money they pledge.

If you stop to think about it, non-profit organizations, including local churches, have always been subsidized by the donations of people who feel strongly about their mission. The same basic principle operates in crowd funding, except that the donors receive tangible perks in exchange for the money they invest in a project.

Kickstarter and Indigogo

Two of the most widely known crowd funding platforms are Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) and Indiegogo (www.indigogo.com). These platforms have slightly different emphases. Kickstarter focuses on raising money for creative projects. Indiegogo has a broader focus and is therefore less exclusive about what kinds of projects they will take on.

If you are a fiction writer, and you have no plans to crowd fund anything other than fiction, Kickstarter may be right for you. If you plan on crowd funding any non-fiction projects, Indiegogo may be the better choice.

With both Kickstarter and Indiegogo, setting up a campaign is free. However, these sites obviously have to make money to stay in business. They do that by taking a percentage of the money raised through the crowd funding campaigns hosted on their websites (this can be anywhere from 4-10%). It costs nothing to set up a campaign, but once the money comes in, the host site will collect their share of the donations. Learn more about the specific costs associated with Kickstarter and Indiegogo by visiting their websites.

Fixed Funding vs. Flexible Funding

Another significant difference between these two major crowd funding platforms is that Kickstarter only allows for fixed funding campaigns, while Indiegogo also allows for flexible funding campaigns. A fixed funding campaign is an all or nothing proposition. Your supporters pledge money toward your project, but if you do not meet your goal, you don’t receive any of that money. Your supporters pay nothing, and you get nothing. End of story.

With a flexible funding campaign, you receive all the money pledged toward your project, whether or not you meet your funding goal. However, for campaigns that fall short of their funding targets, Indigogo charges higher fees.

The main advantage of a fixed funding campaign is the motivation it gives your supporters. If they want your book and they understand that it won’t be published unless you get enough pledges to reach your goal, they will feel a greater sense of urgency about getting their friends to support the project too. This may be a little easier if you are writing non-fiction, because people may be quite passionate about your topic, even if they have not yet read your book. It’s somewhat more difficult to inspire the same kind of passion in fans who haven’t yet read your fiction.

Resources for Learning More

I learned about crowd funding for authors when I attended an evening session presented by Thomas Umstadt Jr. from Author Media at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference last spring. He explained the basics of how to use crowd funding platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo to finance independent publishing projects.

Since then, Author Media has produced “The Ultimate Crowd Funding Course for Authors” http://www.authormedia.com/products/ultimate-crowdfunding-course-authors/. In this course, Thomas Umstadt Jr. and author Mary Demuth discuss all the phases of a crowd funding campaign, drawing heavily on the lessons they learned through Mary’s highly successful campaign for her book, Not Marked: Finding Hope and Healing after Sexual Abuse. Mary raised about 250% of her original $10,000 goal and pre-sold approximately seven hundred copies of her book in the course of her crowd funding campaign. I highly recommend this very helpful and comprehensive resource. After listening to it, I felt very well prepared to design a crowd funding campaign of my own.

My Own Experience

Right now, I am working to set up a crowd funding campaign for Welcome, Earthborn Brother, my science fiction novel for young readers. I’m planning to launch this campaign on Indiegogo by the end of March. I made the decision to do this for two principle reasons:

      1.  To raise money— Writing is my day job. Publishing independently puts all the costs of book production on the author’s shoulders. I simply don’t have the money for all those essential up-front expenses, like professional editing, layout, and cover design. I can’t afford to spend so much getting Welcome, Earthborn Brother published that I have to sell thousands of copies just to recoup my initial investment.

      2.  To promote my book—I see crowd funding as a great marketing tool. Unlike independent film makers or visual artists, authors have it pretty easy when it comes to figuring out what perks to offer our supporters. We can offer them copies of our books! In exchange for different donation levels, I plan to offer copies of my ebook, my print book, and autographed copies of my book. Because nearly everyone who invests in the crowd funding campaign will receive the novel in exchange for their support, I will be enlarging my reader base automatically. I’m hoping people will get so excited about Welcome, Earthborn Brother that they will spread the word to their own friends and social networks, encouraging them to invest in this campaign, too. I think it’s a fantastic promotional strategy.

Why Indiegogo?

I decided to use Indiegogo for two main reasons:

      1.  The first reason is that I also write non-fiction. If I should decide down the road to crowd fund a non-fiction book, I know that Kickstarter is not open to projects of that kind. In some ways, this campaign will be an opportunity for me to learn the ropes of crowd funding through Indiegogo so that if I need to create a bigger campaign in the future, I will understand how it all works.

       2.  The second reason is that Indiegogo allows for both fixed funding and flexible funding campaigns. Since this will be my first experience with crowd funding a book, I’m not completely certain what to expect. That’s why I wanted the option of creating a flexible funding campaign.

 I’m quite excited to see how all of this will work out. I’m planning to run this campaign throughout April, 2015. If you are interested in following the progress of this venture as it unfolds, please check out my blog at www.rebeccabrunerauthor.com.

 

Writing Characters - The Men in My Life

 

By Shannon Taylor Vannatter

I’ve been happily married for thirty years and have a thirteen year old boy. They are the men in my life. But since I write inspirational romance, there are other men in my life. For my readers to fall in love with the hero, I have to fall for him first. A large part of a lovable hero comes from how they treat the heroine. That part is easy. My heroes treat my heroines the way my husband treats me.

As my writing has evolved, I’ve found an audience for cowboys. But my husband isn’t one, nor do I live where there are a lot of genuine cowboys. I had to learn their lingo and mannerisms as well. The best place to study cowboys that I’ve found is Texas. Especially since my rodeo books are set in Texas. Since we have family there, we visit every few years. And as a rule, I try to only use settings I can actually visit, so I know I’m getting the details right.

For my first cowboy book, I spent a day at the Fort Worth Stockyards, where my rodeo series is set. I researched the rodeo, history, and lifestyle, but I spent a lot of time just watching and listening to cowboys. I also Googled and found a list of cowboy lingo and rodeo slang to help me get into character.

Since we’re talking romance, they have to look good too. I’m a very visual writer. In the beginning, my friends and family saved their magazines and catalogs. I cut out pictures of attractive or interesting looking people and kept them in a large folder. When I started a new book, I’d get out my folder and find a picture to represent my hero and heroine. It depended on the story. If there was an important side character, I found their picture too. And if hero and/or heroine have kids or pets, I had pictures for them also.

For the last ten years or so, I’ve Googled to find my characters. In a way, I miss the old catalog and magazine days. It was more time consuming than Googling, but with the JC Penney catalog and Redbook magazine, I didn’t worry about seeing underdressed men. When I first ventured into internet images, I used Stock Photo. But as my booklist grew, Stock Photo didn’t have enough variety. One day, I Googled male models with green eyes. I found a lot of them, but some of them didn’t wear clothes. And if you Google cowboys, they almost never wear shirts.

I finally figured it out—I Google male model headshots. Sometimes, they don’t wear shirts, but you can only see shoulders. Not that I’m opposed to shirtless men, but it feels odd when I have to send my editor pictures for the cover art and I send her a shirtless cowboy. I’ve only done that once and apologized because it was the only picture I could find that fit the cowboy in my head.

I used to keep all of my character images in my Picture file on my computer. But then I discovered Pinterest, a writer’s best friend. I have boards for all of my books except my first two rodeo titles I wrote before I discovered Pinterest. I have a board where I keep images of future and potential characters and a board of engagement photos for scene inspiration.

Now, as I write books, I create a board with characters and scenes as I go. On my Rodeo Family board, I included a lot the heroine’s clothing since she dreams of being a fashion designer. My book boards have gotten larger and more detailed with each book. And when it comes time to send my editor images for cover art, I have everything together and ready to go on Pinterest. I keep private boards for books not yet released. Shortly before the book releases, I make the board public and share my Pinterest reveal on Facebook, so readers can get a glimpse of the book to come.

I often joke about getting paid to Google men and that it’s part of my job. A few years ago, I was stuck on a character, partly because I couldn’t find a picture to represent the guy in my head. My local writer’s group was planning their first retreat, so I went and once everybody learned about my character problem, several of them helped me Google men. We laughed because our Christian writer’s group was Googling men at our Christian retreat at a church camp.

My husband knows about the cowboys in my life. Often, I’ll be at the computer and he’ll ask what I’m doing. My response—Googling men. He doesn’t bat an eye. In one of my dedications, I thanked my husband for not minding if I dream about cowboys all day.

Answer this question for a chance to win a paper copy of my latest release, Rodeo Family: Do you have any tips for organization in writing or any other area of your life?

To purchase your own copy now, click here. 
 

TORI EATON IS READY TO START OVER 

She's beginning a new chapter in Aubrey, Texas, away from her abusive ex-boyfriend. As she picks up the pieces of her broken life, Tori's surprised at the helping hand the church's new song director, Brant McConnell, offers her, and at the warm emotions he inspires.

Brant is drawn to Tori. And as their friendship grows, so do his feelings for her. But Tori is still hounded by her past, and the walls she's built around her heart are high. Can he convince the wounded beauty that he's exactly the kind of man she needs—and deserves?

               

Central Arkansas author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife. She lives in a town with a population of around 100, if you count a few cows and once climbed a mountain wearing gold wedge-heeled sandals which became known as her hiking boots. Vannatter won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award in the short contemporary category, The 18^th Annual Heartsong Awards 3rd Favorite New Author and #1 Contemporary Award.

She has ten published titles and is contracted for five more. Her books are available at: christianbook.com, barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, harlequin.com, and barbourbooks.com. Learn more about Shannon and her books at http://shannonvannatter.com  and check out her real life romance blog at http://shannonvannatter.com/blog/.

Connect with her on Facebook: http://facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter, Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29672798-shannon-vannatter, Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stvannatter/, and Twitter: @stvauthor.