Page 56 Tag

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Cathy Bryant has tagged me to play this fun book meme.

The rules:
Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 56 and go to the fifth sentence, typing that sentence and a few others around it.

Well, books are never far from me, but they're not always right beside me as I type. Today we're in luck, however. Healing Promises by Amy Wallace is by my side.

Page 56, sentence 5:

"You know I will. Though I still think this whole thing's a bit sudden."

I now tag WordVixen, Darcie Gudger, Deena Peterson, Rel Mollet, and Robin Shope.

Have fun!

Book Buzz Meme - I've been tagged!

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I've been tagged twice to play this fun book meme! First by Mimi Pearson, second by Rel Mollet. Two wonderful ladies with wonderful blogs/websites, btw. So, here goes:

HOW IT WORKS:

Mimi and Rel have listed five of their MUST Read novels and five "Keep Your Eyes on These" novels. Then they tagged five bloggers who they asked to post the list on their site. They added one book to each list but also subtracted one book. Finally they tagged five other bloggers, linked here at A Christian Worldview of Fiction, and commented to the post so visitors knew how the list had changed. I'm using Mimi's list since she tagged me first. :) I've also put my added book in italics.

If you aren’t tagged but want to play, copy the 'how to' paragraph above, make your own list of MUST Reads and Keep Your Eyes on These, and tag away. It will be fun to see if we can generate some book wars … uh, I mean, discussions … good, healthy, respectful discussions!

My five MUST Reads:

The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (Revell)
Demon: a Memoir by Tosca Lee (NavPress)*
Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer (WaterBrook)
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (NavPress)*
Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis (Zondervan)

My five Keep Your Eyes On These:

Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce (Moody)
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead (Thomas Nelson)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (WaterBrook)
DragonLight by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press)*
The Legend of the FireFish by George Bryan Polivka (Harvest House)

FIVE BOOKS TO LOOK FOR SOON:

The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello (Thomas Nelson)
Shade by John Olson (B&H)
Field of Blood by Eric Wilson (Thomas Nelson)
Conspiracy in Kiev by Noel Hynd (Zondervan)
Stepping into Sunlight by Sharon Hinck (Bethany)

I'm tagging:

Darcie Gudger at Joy in the Litterbox
WordVixen at Quest to Write
Katie Hart at Writing Christian Novels
Heather Hunt at The View From Stonewater
Jenny B. Jones at her website blog

3 Writing Tips

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I've been tagged by my good friend WordVixen to do a writing meme. The rules are simple (luckily!). You post three writing tips that you've learned along the way, and then nominate 5 more bloggers to take up the meme (which, by the way, is pronounced "meem"). Here goes:

1. Writers are made, not born.
I think a very common misconception among beginning writers is that they can sit down at their computer, bang out a manuscript, and then expect a publisher to pick them right up. This does happen, but rarely. Why would we think a writer's path is different from say a doctor's? If you want to be a doctor you can expect to spend at least 10 years learning and perfecting your craft. I think writers should expect the same. If it happens sooner, great. But go in expecting a ten year apprenticeship. You'll be less disappointed when the years pass and you're still banging away at your computer!

2. Read, read, read.
This tip makes it to many lists like this for a reason. I believe we can learn more by reading other novels (talking to fiction writers) than reading how-to books. We'll pick up more than we might imagine. We'll recognize the structure of a story, and what makes it compelling. It'll happen naturally if you read widely. You might not be able to name exactly why something works, but you'll have a gut feeling what does. That skill will be one to ride the river with.

3. Don't worry about your voice and branding too early.
This is something I've noticed a lot in beginning writers (and of course I'm still learning a ton myself). They focus less on their craft and more about their "voice" and how to brand themselves, than I personally think they should. Your voice will develop naturally the more you write, and why worry about branding when you have nothing to brand? Yes, I understand both of these things are important at some point in our writing careers, but if we focus on writing the best books we possibly can, we'll eventually get to the place where these things naturally fall into place.

I could go on and on with various tips I've learned, but I'll stop here and leave the rest for another day. :) Now ... who to tag? I'm going with Mike Dellosso, Katie Cushman, John Perrodin, Donna Fleisher, Darcie Gudger, and Creston Mapes.

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The CFBA blog tour this week is for Marilynn Griffith's new novel Happily Ever After. Marriage. Motherhood. And a Monster-in-law. Interesting ... :)