Welcome to November!

Welcome to November, the month containing Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving.

No surprise, this month’s theme is Thankful! I've already seen Facebook posts starting thirty days of thankfulness. Today, I’m sharing a short thankful list of what makes my life as a writer easier. This is personal, obviously, but maybe it will inspire you with ways to make your writer-life (or whatever your job is) easier or get you thinking about what you’re thankful for.

1. Each of my kids cook dinner one day a week. I give this advice to anyone with kids: Teach them to cook independently! This has far-reaching effects, but the one that fits my purpose today is that I don’t have to worry about dinner five days a week. All I have to do is ask each child what they want to cook, add their ingredients to my grocery list, and my work is done until eating time. I can write until dinner is served—or skip it altogether—knowing the evening meal is taken care of. If your children are still very young (early elementary school or younger), this is a future dream. But start working toward it now. Invite your kids into the kitchen and cook with them. And one day, instead of living off pizza during a deadline, you’ll have multiple supporters (at least until they go to college).
2. Coffee shops. I have a Mac desktop—my gift after signing my first publishing contract—and I really should spend more time at home writing on it. I did complete one manuscript at my desk about a year ago. But most of the time, I pack up my laptop and find inspiration in coffee shops. Or perhaps, I find relaxation when I’m in a coffee shop so I can create, instead of working a few feet away from the chaos that is five kids and three dogs. In fact, arriving at one I wrote in for several weeks, I would literally relax and feel my creative energy revive while standing in line to order! Whatever reason though, I’m thankful for a community containing so many coffee shops. 
3. Brainstorming partners. Most often, my brainstorming partner is my husband. But I have writer friends I call on to fill the role as well. I’m so thankful for these people! When I’m stuck on an idea—or stuck without an idea—just talking about the story can be enough to unclog the creative pipes. I don’t think I would be as successful if I just talked to myself. Actually, I know I wouldn’t be, since I talk to myself regularly.

What makes your thankful list as a writer?

Sarah Tipton is a writer of Christian Young Adult Fiction. Her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, released in August 2017.

Book Release Tips

My debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, released in August. Yay! Through the last month, I discovered a few marketing successes that caught me by surprise, and I wanted to share.

First off, marketing is not a strong area of mine, since it requires talking to strangers. Strangers who might reject you. But with the help of family and friends who love me (more than I expected!), I’ve managed to do some successful marketing. 

1. A Local Press Release. When the book officially released on August 11, a friend wrote a press release for me. Totally unexpected, and not something I’d even considered. She sent the release into the paper and the news stations. The paper printed it the following week, and I was invited to attend an authors’ day at an education conference happening in October and received a congratulations postcard from the Friends of a local library. Also, the press release included two book signing events I had scheduled, and a local bookstore owner attended one to invite me to do a signing or event at his store. So notifying local news agency of a release can generate marketing opportunities!
2. Book Signings. Bookstores are the obvious ones, but depending on your publisher, Barnes and Noble or other big booksellers may not be an option. But bookstores aren’t the only places to sell books. Local businesses like to be involved in their community, and you, a local author, are a member of the community, a really awesome member of the community because you actually wrote and published a book. Don’t confine book signings or selling to bookstores only. If your community has a First Friday or other regular event where businesses stay open later and/or offer special events to entice customers, ask about doing a signing there. If the book features a tea drinker, talk to a local tea shop. If the book features a musician, talk to music stores. Get creative. Readers don’t only shop at bookstores.
3. A Party. Throw a party and celebrate your accomplishment! This party can be big or small, real or online. Whatever kind of budget or resources you have, use them to invite everyone who has support you and encouraged you and gotten excited for you to help celebrate. I don’t know if the party I hosted was a big success as far as marketing and sales go, but the event was a boost for me, and a chance to celebrate with people I love while also introducing a few new readers to my book. And any opportunity that involves cupcakes and prizes has to fun for everyone.

What about you? Any book release and marketing successes? Any big plans for a debut release? 

Sarah Tipton is a writer of Christian Young Adult fiction. Her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, released in August 2017. Visit sarahtiptonbooks.com to connect.

The Qualities of a Hero

PSA: MY BOOK, BETRAYAL OF THE BAND, RELEASES THIS MONTH! Just had to get that out of the way before talking about this month’s theme: Heroes

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. A geeky teenager (Spider-Man), a wealthy playboy (Iron Man), a highly trained orphan (Black Widow). (Can you tell I’m an Avengers fan?) But even the most ordinary person can be a hero (or heroine). So what makes a hero heroic? The ability and willingness to save the world? If that were necessary, we’d all be writing superhero or save-the-world stories, and we’re probably not. At least, I’m not. Everyone in Betrayal of the Band is an ordinary—though musically talented—high schooler. But that doesn’t make them any less heroic.

So how do you take an average, everyday protag—or even an unlikeable protag—and turn them into a hero (or heroine)? I’ve composed a short list of a few of the qualities, but I’d love to hear some others!

1. Sacrifice. In most stories, the hero (or heroine) is making a sacrifice. This doesn’t need to be a huge, life-or-death sacrifice like Harry Potter makes at the end of The Deathly Hallows. This sacrifice can be an ordinary, every day giving up, such as turning down a college scholarship to stay home and assist a disabled parent or coaching a younger sibling in soccer instead of hanging out with friends on the weekends. In Into the Fire, by Kim Vandal, the hero (or heroine), Kate, sacrifices dating and most of a social life to appease her mother’s fears. While these aren’t life-or-death sacrifices, for the hero the sacrifice is a death of a dream or a desire and also the willingness to put someone else ahead of those dreams or desires.
2. Love. Often a hero (or heroine) is motivated by a strong love. This doesn’t need to be romantic love. Think Katniss in The Hunger Games. She volunteered out of love for her sister, and she never saw herself as a hero for doing so. Even Iron Man, who mostly only loves himself, is spurred on when Pepper is threatened. This is probably related to sacrifice—because who’s going to make a sacrifice for someone they don’t care about?—but caring for someone more than for themselves is a quality of a hero.
3. Fight. A hero (or heroine) is willing to fight for what’s important. Again, this doesn’t have to be a huge, “oh no, the evil villain is going to destroy the whole world unless little old me stands up to him.” This is the boy willing to stand up to bullies in defense of an almost stranger. Or the girl refusing to let the loss of an athletic scholarship destroy her college dreams. In The War that Saved My Life, Ada is the least likely hero. She has a club foot and can’t even walk when the story begins. She’s been so abused, both physically and verbally, that she truly believes she’s worthless and useless. Yet she never quits. She continues to care for her brother and pushes herself to learn things like riding a horse, because the hero (or heroine) always keeps fighting.

These are only three qualities that define a hero. What would you add to the list? How can you use these elements to make your protag even more heroic?

Sarah Tipton is a writer of Christian Young Adult fiction. Her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, releases in August 2017.

Weaving in the Normal Abnormal

Summer nights. In Alaska, where I live and where my debut novel (releasing in August!) takes place, nights in the summer don’t look much different than summer days. I’m not above the Arctic Circle, so technically, we don’t have 24-hours of daylight, but the period from sunset to sunrise is twilight. May through July is my favorite time to adopt a puppy because the middle of the night visits outside give me the chance to see the midnight sun, like last night, when my not-really-a-puppy-anymore Yorkie needed to go out at 2 a.m. It could’ve been 2 p.m., except the city was quieter and I was tired.

For Alaskans and my characters in Betrayal of the Band, putting on sunglasses at 10 p.m. is normal, but how do you weave in something so normal to your characters that they wouldn’t think about it, yet it’s not normal to most of your readers?

1. Action. As mentioned above, putting on sunglasses at 10 p.m. or squinting against the sun’s glare. Those are natural actions for the character which serve as a reminder to the reader that the setting is different from their normal. 
2. Add a Character New to the Environment. Introducing a character, either as a POV character or a supporting character who is new provides the opportunity to talk about the unusual normals, because to them—like the reader—it isn’t normal. 

What ways have you seen authors make clear their characters’ normal when it’s abnormal for the readers?

Sarah Tipton decided she wanted to be sixteen forever, and she’s accomplishing that through writing contemporary YA fiction. In 2015, Sarah won ACFW’s Genesis Contest in YA, and her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, releases August 2017. She finds plenty of creative inspiration in the heart of Alaska where she homeschools her five children. When she’s not sitting cross-eyed in front of the computer getting hand cramps, she enjoys running, reading, and getting crafty with yarn. 

When NOT to Take Criticism

Several contests opened this spring, so in a few weeks, authors will be getting back scoresheets and . . . criticism. 

But not all criticism is helpful. “I don’t like this character” is one of those unhelpful comments. What isn’t liked? Personality? Reactions? Hair color? I mean, it could be any reason, and if you don’t know the why, how can you improve? 

Then there’s other criticism that means well, but is wrong. You just know it’s wrong. For example, my debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, that releases in August contains three POVs. Five years ago, when I was just starting the story, I met with an established author at a conference for feedback. She advised telling the story from one POV. She also informed me that my plot was lacking excitement. 

I left the meeting feeling less than encouraged. I’m a plotter, so on the one hand, at least I only had to throw out a synopsis and a scene list, not an entire manuscript. On the other hand, did I really need to abandon my vision and create an entirely new story?

I spent a couple of weeks thinking and praying about the story and the concept, and I came to the conclusion that the story was supposed to be about the band. Not one character’s journey, but the journey of the band. So one POV wasn’t right for the story. But while I knew I wouldn’t take that advice, that didn’t mean the rest of her advice should be ignored. Confident in my decision to keep the multiple POVs and tell the story of the band, I tackled my synopsis and scene list again. I analyzed books with multiple, equal POVs and brainstormed until I had a better manuscript to write. Three years and two rounds of edits later, I received an offer of publication.

So not all constructive criticism or well-meaning (and well-respected!) advice should be taken. But that doesn’t mean the criticism isn’t useful. Examine your story and determine why you shouldn’t listen. Perhaps the advice is off the mark, but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t lacking in some other way. And you’ll have a strong argument for your decision!

How’s the Weather?

What do you talk about when you can't think of anything to say? The weather, of course! Seriously though, weather has been on my mind a lot. Or affecting my mind.

While the calendar says spring arrived over a week ago, in interior Alaska, we still have snow. Like a lot of snow. Like you could lose a full-grown Labrador in the snow. But last week, the sun appeared and so did puddles, and I started to feel sunny inside too. Then the clouds came back.

After nearly nine years of living in Alaska and experiencing the extremes of sunshine-all-the-time and darkness-all-the-time, I’m beginning to see how the weather affects me. January and February are tough months if I don’t have plans to leave the state for warmer, sunnier climates. Last week, when the sun was shining, I felt happy and energetic. Then when the clouds returned, I felt lazy, listless, lethargic.

I’m so moving to Hawaii someday.

Anyway, what does this have to do with writing? In high school English, we talked about weather being used as symbolism. At the time, I thought that was dumb. The weather occurs regardless of how a person feels. It doesn’t rain when I’m sad or depressed. The sun doesn’t shine just because I’ve gotten good news. And to an extent, I still feel that way. The weather doesn’t mirror my emotions.

But from experience, I know weather does affect a person. When I’ve had bad news, a sunny day makes me angry. An overcast day zaps my energy and pulls me down, even if everything else in my life is happy and positive. And today, with the sun shining again (despite SNOW this morning!), I don’t feel the pull to lie around napping all day like I have every other cloudy day this week. 

So the weather should be considered in our characters’ lives. Besides the obvious—one doesn’t go cross country skiing on the river in the summer—how is weather impacting the plot? What would a scene look like on a rainy day versus a sunny day? What if the day were windy? Humid? Dry? And how is the weather impacting the character’s mood and behavior? Good news on a nasty-weather day? Bad news on a sunny, blue sky day? For a character who deals with stress by gardening or running might like bad news on a sunny day, and bad news on a stormy day for that same character could send her into a desperate situation if caught outside in the rain, thunder, and lightning. 

Obviously the weather isn’t a consideration in every scene, but give some thought to how the weather could add conflict to a scene or within a character, and have some fun considering the possibilities!

Fiction and a More Loving World

Fiction is powerful. Magical, even. In 2014, Scientific American wrote an article reporting on a study linking reading—specifically Harry Potter—and the development of empathy in the reader. With all the hate reported in the U.S. in the last couple of years, empathy and love seem to be in desperate need. And authors have the power to encourage a more loving world. So how and in what ways?

1. Create Characters that Honestly Portray a Marginalized Population. Authors provide the opportunity to crawl inside someone else’s skin. We show the emotions and the uniqueness and not-so-different-ness of people. Readers have the opportunity to connect with someone who is different from themselves, and yet not so different (we’re all just human, after all!), and that can change their perspectives about someone they may have ignored—or worse. 
2. Don’t Consistently Reinforce Stereotypes. Personally, I’m not against a stereotypical minor character. I believe stereotypes exist because plenty of people fit. But we need to be wary of consistently allowing an entire group to always be villainous. Like police officers being the bad guys, parents being unreasonable, jocks being bullies. We have the opportunity to show authority figures can be relied on and the popular kid is kind and friendly. That’s power to stop fear.
3. Don’t Include a “Type” Because You Should. This is basically me saying, ignore the first two suggestions if they don’t fit the story. Readers recognize fakes. If it’s not natural or you can’t pull off a certain ethnicity, don’t include that just to make your story diverse. Yes, we need to create a more diverse world in our stories because the world around us is diverse. But it has to be real. Better authentic characters than a token minority.

If used well, fiction can create a more loving world. Through reading, we learn that people, regardless of race, socio-economic status, religion, or whatever difference, share similar emotions, similar fears, similar love. Yes, a story needs a villain, and plenty of bad guys exist in real life too, but fiction can be the starting point for people to react with love and kindness instead fear toward someone who is different.

Sarah Tipton is a writer of Christian Young Adult fiction. Her debut novel, Betrayal of the Band, releases in August 2017.

Changing Things Up

Welcome to 2017! 

I love beginnings. New days, new weeks, new months. Yes, I am someone who actually loves Mondays. On Monday, the week always holds possibility and the chance for something better than last week. I also love mornings for the same reason, and because of coffee. Mornings = Coffee, so how can they be bad?

And today is not only a Monday, it’s the first Monday of 2017. A new year, fresh and open to possibilities. A chance to change things up to meet goals.

Okay, I confess, I didn’t wait until the first of the year to change things. I started last Monday. I’m impatient like that. But since I made changes a week ago, I’m now an authority, so I can give advice.

The last couple of months, writing has been a struggle. Really, for the last year. I did complete a manuscript in 2016, but that happened because I took a week off from life and wrote like a fiend. Truthfully, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to work writing into my everyday life. My other responsibilities feel more important: homeschooling five children, feeding those same five children (even though they do a lot of the cooking, I still have to do the grocery shopping, some assisting, and fix a few meals), driving those children to activities, spending time with my husband, exercising. Yes, those responsibilities are all important, and I honestly enjoy them all too. (Except the tenth grocery store visit in a week. That I do not enjoy.) But I was giving these activities priority, which left me too tired to do the writing thing. I had the time to write, but not the mental energy. Sandwiching writing after homeschooling and exercising and before driving and feeding left me too drained. Those two to three hours became my downtime, NOT my writing time. So I decided something had to change.

A few years ago, I started making sure homeschooling happened first because it was the top priority, and for several years, that worked. Then that schedule stopped working. But because I had drilled into myself that I wasn’t motivated enough to succeed at homeschooling when it came second in my day, I took a really long time to address this problem and recognize that I needed to—and could—make a change. Not only that, but life had changed. My kids are older. Our school day isn’t filled with phonics and addition and crafts. I don’t need to be my freshest, most patient self because the subjects no longer try my patience (most days anyway). Writing can take the first of my day when I’m freshest and school the second half, when all I really need to do is check assignments, read, and ask questions.

So if you’re finding writing (or any other important task) not fitting into your life, here are a few tips to try changing things up.

1. Reevaluate Those Things In the Past That Didn’t Work: So you tried once a month cooking five years ago to give you a couple more hours in the evenings to write, but you ended up eating out too often because you consistently forgot to thaw the meals. Or you attempted to write during your child’s music lessons but you were constantly distracted by the teacher’s teaching and couldn’t focus. Just because these things didn’t work before doesn’t mean they can’t work now. Maybe you can tweak the idea to fit your life better, such as once a week cooking, so you can prep ingredients but keep them thawed in the fridge, or write in the car during music lessons since your child is older now. Don’t continue rejecting an idea simply because you tried it once and failed. You’ve changed. Your life has changed. So try again.
2. Think Outside the Box: For a while, I took a long nap in the afternoons. I got up in time to help with dinner, spend time with the family, and after the kids went to bed around 8ish, I wrote until midnight. Then I’d sleep until five-thirty, go to the gym, homeschool, and after lunch, nap again. It was like living two days every twenty-four hours. Day one was gym and homeschooling, Day two was family time and writing. And it worked. So try arranging your schedule unconventionally.
3. Don’t Give Up Too Soon . . . : When implementing a change in your life, don’t quit before giving it a realistic chance. If you’re getting up an hour earlier to write first thing in the morning, and by day three the newness has worn off and there isn’t enough coffee in the world to wake you up, don’t give up on the experiment. Keep setting your alarm. Keep programming your coffee pot. Keep making the change.
4. . . . But Don’t Be Stubborn About What Isn’t Working: If after a month of waking up early you’ve actually written LESS than before you tried writing in the mornings, reevaluate. Obviously, writing early in the day isn’t working. But maybe it’s only the writing muse that sleeps in while you actually find yourself awake and not hating the solitude of the quiet pre-life hours. If so, what could you do during that time that doesn’t require creative brain cells but would free up time later in the day when the words start flowing? 

Most of us are fitting writing into our lives around family and job and other obligations, and sometimes, the pieces stop fitting together. When that happens, don’t give up on a piece that isn’t fitting. Make a change instead. Try fitting those pieces together in a different way, build a new picture, and make a new beginning.

Your Creative Space

I’ve recently moved. Not a major, new-city-new-life type move, but it is a new house which means I’m carving out new spaces to write in. So writing spaces and office spaces are on my mind. 

Any space can become a writing space. I’ve written in hotel rooms, studio apartments, coffee shops, church classrooms, theaters. For me, these are what I need to settle into a space and make it inspiring:

1. A computer or a tablet with a keyboard. Okay, so that’s probably a little obvious. I have, in a pinch, written scenes in a notebook, but I prefer typing. My iPad mini and a bluetooth keyboard served me well for a few months, and they fit easily in a purse without adding much weight. I can be ready to write at a moment’s notice.
2. Music. For me, music is often necessary. It blocks out nearby conversations, if I’m writing in public, or the screams of either silence or the kids if I’m writing at home (playing screams, of course). Music also gets me into the story’s mood, since I generally pick a specific album or build a playlist for each manuscript. So this also means I usually need earbuds. Once, I had to beg my husband to bring me a pair when I was at a coffee shop. Now I make sure to keep a pair in every bag that I might carry with me.
3. Coffee, tea, or water. I need something to drink. If the writing is flowing, I’ll ignore it, but I need a mug or cup nearby. Just because.
4. Bathroom access. Number 3 explains this necessity, but I need breaks while writing, and a trip to the bathroom is the best excuse to get up and move. 
5. Table and chair. While I have written while sitting on the floor, I prefer a table of some sort and a regular chair. I know many writers who write on the couch or the bed, but for me, that’s not usually where I’m able to be most productive. I also like to get dressed as opposed to staying in pajamas even when I won’t be leaving the house. 

What’s on your list of necessities for carving out writing space?

Writing Through the Stresses of Life

Despite today’s title, I’m not sure how much advice I have to offer on this topic, but this is where I’ve been this year—stressed. But it’s been a sneaky stress. By that, I mean I haven’t necessarily felt stressed in my head, but I’ve seen the effects of stress. Tired. Crazy dreams. Lack of motivation. 

I’ve spent the last year apart from my husband, Brian. No, not a separation. He’s been away at school, and I chose not to move. Moving didn’t make sense. Not when we intended to return to the same place when he graduated. Instead, the kids and I remained in our home of the last eight years and took vacations to visit Brian. But what I didn’t realize was how great of an effect that separation would have. My kids are older. They contribute quite a bit to our household—cooking one night a week each, doing daily chores to help keep up the house, etc. I’m not tethered to them like when they were young. I can take four or more hours to myself, either in the house or away from it, with the expectation that they won’t need me.

In many ways, this past year has actually been good. I’ve enjoyed my somewhat independence. I’ve enjoyed spending extra time with the kids playing games and exploring new TV series. (We recently got into I Love Lucy, which has been fun to watch and to discuss.) But as the year went on, my ability to give attention to writing waned. Something about being the sole parent, whether the kids needed my constant attention or not, drained me. Not having another parent or adult around to reassure me that taking time to myself was okay left me feeling a little guilty when I did. 

So I’m confessing I haven’t written through my stresses this year. I’ve critiqued. I’ve judged contests. I’ve done edits for my publisher. But my creativity has been shot. No new writing. No edits to complete a manuscript for pitching. 

That doesn’t mean my year has been wasted. I’ve been learning. I’ve read a ton—like probably around 100 books since Christmas. I’ve judged contests, which has increased my skills with critiquing. The scoresheets have helped me focus on necessary elements, digging deeper than, “The writing is great! I loved the characters!” Because that’s been an area of struggle for me. I like to enjoy what I’m reading, so I choose not to analyze too deeply. But I’m a better critique partner (and judge) when I do.

So even though this year hasn’t been productive as far as producing content goes, I’m not ending this year-away-from-my-husband without success. I won a major writing contest and I signed my first contract. I’ve critiqued and (hopefully!) judged soon-to-be-published manuscripts. This is how I’ve written through the stresses of life—keeping my mind and my presence in the writing world, even if my creativity has taken an extended vacation.

Do you have any advice for me? Any ways you have fought through stress to write successfully?