Internal Supply by Elaine Fraser

When I’m not writing I can be found reading, thinking, learning, or travelling. My life is filled with spontaneous travel and spontaneous events. It wasn’t always like that and, I must admit, I found it easier to write when the discipline of a set schedule compelled me to keep working.

When I began travelling more, my scheduled life unraveled and I found both benefits and drawbacks.

A set schedule gave me the structure I needed to fit things in, and a random life led to the development of the ‘later virus’.

The biggest benefit of living without a set schedule is that my internal supply is refilled by new experiences and spontaneous trips to unexpected destinations. 

In order to write you need something inside to write about. What do you draw on that informs your writing?

I’ve developed a flow in my life that might not look like yours.

I travel for around three months every year. I book in for some sort of training, conference every year. I attend a writing group. I belong to a collective.

I pray. Meditate. Go to church. Listen to inspiring messages. Worship.

I read widely. I view widely. I listen widely.

Stuff swirls around in my head and, somehow, it is translated into writing. So when I’m not writing, I’m building my internal supply.

Despite this, my internal supply has been sucked dry. It’s been a big year and a couple of weeks ago I crashed—big time. Somehow my internal supply was dry. The travel, the reading, the inspiration factory of life, wasn’t filling the tank like I thought it should.

So, I retreated. I got quiet. I nestled into God and took some time to reconnect with Him.

I’ve been reminded that if my internal supply isn’t filled with God, then all the other things I try and fill it with are in vain.

This weekend I’m at the Omega Writers Conference in Sydney, as will a lot of you. As we fill up our internal supply with inspiration from speakers, worship, prayer, being still and having time away from regular responsibilities, I pray you too will have your internal supply restored, or at least topped-up.

He who kneels the most, stands the best. D.L. Moody

www.elainefraser.co

What God Wants

by Lynne Stringer

My latest novel, Once Confronted, was launched on 1^st October 2016, and in the lead-up to its arrival, I was running around madly, trying to make sure everything was in place. I managed to remember everything and both the online and physical book launches went off without a hitch.

Unfortunately, this proved a draining experience, especially given the personal nature of the story of Once Confronted, and the fact that I put my protagonist, Madison Craig, through an armed robbery, a scenario which I have also experienced. This meant that any vestige of energy I had left fled the moment the book launch was over. This was a bit of a problem because, as we know, the launch is only the beginning. The hard work goes on long after that.

It’s been difficult to find the energy I needed to keep going. However, one thing has driven me—the firm belief that God wants this book out there. There’s no doubt in my mind that God gave it to me for a reason.

Why else has He spent my whole life preparing me to be a writer? It was not my career of choice. Writing was something I did for fun when I was younger. I knew there was no point trying to make any money out of it. My father’s a writer too. I could see from his experience that it was not the path to a quick fortune.

Yet God trained me in every aspect I needed to become an Indie writer. He gave me jobs in two different bookstores so I learned how to sell books, then took me to the Baptist Union of Queensland, where I started writing small articles for The Queensland Baptist newspaper (The QB) to help out the editor. Some of the other staff encouraged me to do a journalism course, which I wasn’t too enthusiastic about. But I did it, and shortly after, the editor of The QB resigned. Who took his place?

Me.

I was the editor and chief journalist for The QB for seven years. Once I left that role, I started to write fiction again. I had already written the novel that was to become Once Confronted but other things had crowded it out, so it simply remained a file on a computer program.

After I wrote my first published novel, The Heir (the first book in the Verindon trilogy) in 2010 and Rochelle Manners of Wombat Books agreed to publish it, I thought of Once Confronted again. By this time, I was editing both fiction and non-fiction for Rochelle.

Once my trilogy was published, Rochelle asked me if I had an idea for a contemporary book.  Once Confronted, which had been waiting in the wings since 1998, immediately came to mind.

Perhaps it’s not this book specifically that God has plans for. But I’ve always felt that this one is special because of the prominent theme of forgiveness, as Madison has to decide whether or not she can forgive the men who hurt her. While I have no idea who my attacker is, if he ever seeks me out, desperate for forgiveness, I have to decide if I can offer it to him.

Perhaps this is why God wants it out there so badly. It’s a public statement of not only what I think it is a good ideal but a challenge to myself to go beyond what I might think I’m capable of. I hope it will challenge others in this way too.

Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life. She was the editor of The QB for seven years, and currently works as a professional editor and proofreader.
Lynne is the author of the Verindon trilogy, a YA science fiction romance. Her latest book, Once Confronted, is a contemporary drama set that was released in October 2016.

For more information on Lynne, her books and her writing, visit her website: www.lynnestringer.com 

What They Never Tell You - by Buffy Greentree

Pug - You Feel Me.

Everyone tells you how hard writing is, but I really feel they give all the wrong reasons. So yes, there are the usual distractions - life, work, finding out there are eight seasons of The Good Wife on Netflix, and/or realising exactly how much editing a manuscript really needs. We all have those. But these have nothing to do with writing.

At the core of many of my writing struggles is my relationship with my main character. It is in a very real sense like having a child. There are times of excitement as they actually start to respond to you, so you don't feel like you're just babbling to yourself. Then there is the joy of leading them blindfolded into the roomful of presents you've been collecting all the way through their story. You can sit back with a cup of tea and watch while they run from one to the next with squeals of delight.

These are wonderful times. But then there are the teenage years.

First there's the sulky teenager: that finger-tapping dullness of a character who has no personality yet and refuses to be written into anything - would you like to do this? I dunno. What about this? Meh. 

Then at some stage this morphs into the rebellious teenager: the hair-pulling frustration of writing, scrapping, rewriting a scene that you'd carefully planned because the character has changed and no longer likes acting this way. But you always loved going to the park. Mum, no one goes to the park anymore, write me something better.

And finally there's the problem I'm currently stuck in - the 'I'm the centre of the universe' teenager. Basically, right now I don't like my main character very much. Of course I still love her, I just don’t approve of how she’s acting. I've been told that with real teenagers you're not allowed to slap them out of it. Luckily, writing's not nearly as considerate.

I'm currently trying to polish episode five of a twelve part serial. So far I've allowed Laurie to take control of her life and try to make it perfect. Unfortunately, she's making it clear that this just leads to complete self-absorption. She's so focused on getting what she wants that she doesn't even care about the other characters - I didn't even know one of them was married because it had never occurred to Laurie to ask. That came as a surprise to both of us.

By the end of the episode I get to pour cold ice down her back so she stops being a pain and realises she needs to change. However, until then I have 15,000 words of her not realising. That is to say, continuing to think she's the bee's knees and everything should go her way. If you've never been in this stage either with a character or a child, let me tell you - it's darn annoying and enough to make you want to pack them off to wherever it is they go to grow. Summer camp, maybe.

And then I have the audience to consider. I feel like that poor mother whose child is throwing a tantrum in the middle of the supermarket, while everyone else is judging. It's not my fault! I'm told they all go through this stage. She can be a real sweetie when you get to know her. 

So there is really only one solution. I'm just going to unwrap a chocolate bar and sit down in the aisle until it's over, past caring about all judgement. In writing terms, I'm going to stop trying to make my character appear better and more likeable, and instead push her out into the world just as she is.

Anyone else struggling with a character/actual teenager? Any good tips?

5 Reason Why I Write

In January 2011, South East Queensland was the scene of devastating floods.  A mother and her son drowned in floodwaters in Toowoomba, and a further 22 people met their end  in the Grantham area. There were horrific accounts of drowning deaths, and vivid descriptions of what survivors endured.  I was not personally affected by the flooding, and knew no-one who was, but the devastation and loss of life really  played on my mind and upset me.  I was shocked at what had occurred, and felt deeply for the many people who were so terribly affected by this unexpected disaster.  The morning of the flood, I had planned to go out with my children, but changed my mind when a friend rang, wanting to visit.  Had we ventured out, we were headed for the area that was severely and quickly  flooded. What if we had have been there when the wall of water hit? I thanked God for His protection, but the thought of what if…..made me sick to the stomach. The flood and it’s effects made me think of the enormity of loss and destruction that we often hear about overseas…..tsunamis, floods, earthquakes in which hundreds or even thousands of lives are lost.  The devastation is unimaginable.   Here I was,  struggling to come to terms with the loss of 24 lives in our area, whereas people in or near these overseas tragedies have so much more to contend with, in so many ways. What happened here made me more aware of the reality (to a small degree) that our overseas brothers and sisters have to live with. And that distressed me.

 I struggled for a few months with the effect that the flooding had on so many lives and communities.  Then I decided to write about it.  I penned a poem, trying to convey the devastation, horror, grief, heartache, sorrow, etc.  I could hardly believe that after expressing my thoughts and feelings through writing, the burden lifted.  I still felt for the victims, their families and friends,  but not with the same intensity.  I still empathized, but wasn’t distressed like I had been.  I hadn’t realised the strength of the cathartic effect of writing until that day.

 So, why write? For me, there are a number of reasons.

 One being the healing effect mentioned above. As I record my thoughts, feelings, heart, etc. my emotions are being released and expressed. And that is a necessary and healthy thing.

Another is to record what God is doing in my life.  I love to journal and enjoy being able to refer back to what I have written. I find this a great way to encourage myself in the Lord. It is a permanent testament to His goodness and faithfulness, and at times I need to remind myself of this.  

Writing also helps me to remember things. I am a visual person, not an auditory person.  While studying at  university, I made copious notes. This helped me to retain knowledge and information.  To this day, I take notes when I listen to a sermon, otherwise it literally goes in one ear and out the other. ( And, sadly, this is becoming more of a problem as I grow older…...)

I also write as an expression of my creativity.  If we have been gifted with creativity, we need to find outlets for this.  Mine come in varied form. As well as writing, I love to mosaic, and over the years have enjoyed patchwork, hand stitcheries, scrapbooking.  A feeling of great satisfaction accompanies these activities, especially upon their completion.

And last but certainly not least,  I write to glorify God.  My desire is to spread His message of love and hope, and to touch the hearts and lives of others for Him. The written word is a great vehicle by which we can spread the gospel.
I leave you with a question. Why do you write?

Janelle Moore lives in Toowoomba, Queensland with her husband and their two teenagers.  She enjoys writing devotions and short non-fiction works, often using her children and their antics as her inspiration.

We Need Each Other

The principle - no person can succeed alone - whether in their personal life, work life or, in this case, creative life, is one of the reasons that groups like Christian Writers Downunder exists. I think it has been demonstrated clearly over the years that fellowship and connection that takes place within a church community has many benefits to not just a person’s spiritual life, but also their emotional, mental and relational life as well. In the same way, the connections and friendships we make within Christian Writers Downunder contribute to each of us who identify as creative with the written word. 

We should not take this group, or other groups that provide resource and support, for granted. 

This last month, I have been in constant communication with the leaders of Omega Writers. Similar to this Face Book group and regular blog, Omega Writers seeks to provide help for writers, editors, publishers and other creative types. Omega Writers are the group who sponsor and organise our Christian writer’s conference – coming up next week. They are the group who sponsor and organise the CALEB award writing prize – winners to be announced next week.

But Omega Writers and all that it provides by way of resource and support doesn’t just happen. In my discussion with the leaders, it has become evident that we need to appeal to the greater Christian writing group, and see if they would be willing to help. I have written a piece, but rather than put it here in text form, I decided to stretch my skills in presentation, and have filmed, edited and uploaded a short piece. I’d love for you to click on this link and have a look. It has been endorsed by the Omega Writers leaders.

PS my skills in audio manipulation are not well developed, and I have discovered it sounds much better if you use ear-buds or ear phones. 

PPS the background music was written and recorded by one of my sons – used with permission. That definitely sounds better if you use ear-buds or ear-phones.

Meredith Resce has been published in the Australian Christian market since 1997. She has been part of Omega Writers since its beginning, and is still very much a supporter of Australian Christian writers.

To read more about Meredith Resce, visit her website – www.meredithresce.com

That link again: Omega Promo Video

Riding those writing waves - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

No, I have never been a surfer! But over the years, I have had to learn how to ride the highs and lows of those writing waves and the ever-changing, often choppy seas of publication and book promotion. I am so thankful to God for keeping me afloat, guiding me around those dangerous rifts and preventing me from being wiped out along the way!

Perhaps my current writing and speaking week will serve as an example of those ever-changing waters for me.

·         Last Saturday, I held the launch of my latest book, Becoming Me. I combined it with a visit to our church’s Art Installation, where a piece of my writing on the theme of solitude was on display. The waters I have had to navigate with this book were certainly quite choppy at times. Then organising the launch, preparing the food (not my strength!) and speaking as well caused a few more waves!  Yet in the end, everything flowed well and I truly enjoyed myself.

·         On Sunday, with the cancellation of the Sydney Book Expo, I instead met with the publisher of two of my previous books, along with other authors and an illustrator. It was so good to encourage one another and to realise we are riding similar, yet uniquely different waves.

·         On Monday, I spoke to around ninety men and women at a Probus Club about my writing journey and the joys and challenges of being published. What a privilege to address such an attentive group of older folk and later to answer their varied questions! Yes, I was tired, yet I felt God carrying me along on a lovely, warm current as I spoke and giving me strength.

·         On Tuesday, I met up with a friend who was unable to attend my book launch but couldn’t wait to buy my new book. And today (Thursday), I will be meeting up with some other old friends who likewise will want to hear all about my new book. I do not take this loving support for granted and am so thankful for it.

·         On Saturday, I am to speak at a women’s ‘Bookfest Breakfast’ at a church not far away. I am so looking forward to riding this particular wave. I don’t know where it will carry me—I have never met the women at this church—but I know I can trust God to navigate me in the right direction.

·         On Sunday, I will attend the 25^th birthday celebrations of the NSW Writers’ Centre, where I will receive a book package and free membership of the Centre for a year! I am one of five winners of a writing competition in which we were asked to share something of our experiences at the Centre. What a great little wave to ride to the shore, where yet another interesting writing week will begin!

Of course, some periods of my writing journey have been much calmer, with little happening at all. Perhaps that is where you are at right now. Or perhaps you’re struggling in some muddy, turbulent writing waters and feel you are in well over your head. Yet whatever is happening, may you be aware of God’s gracious presence with you and experience God’s peace and strengthening to keep swimming—and writing!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and two non-fiction works, Soul Friend and Becoming Me. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

A Sunday School Song I love.....

(or a bit of encouragement from the Bible)

Dianne Riley

The best book to read is the Bible

The best book to read is the Bible

If you read it everyday

It will help you on your way

Oh, the best book to read is the Bible

I wonder if you know that little Sunday School song? Such an old fashioned song, but so true.

For some the Bible is the hardest book to pick up and read. 

I’ve always enjoyed reading the Bible and journaling. Over the years I have filled many fancy and ordinary books with my thoughts, ramblings, special verses and prayer lists.

Although I have to admit, as a teenager, going into my room and shutting the door to read was mostly an escape from my father’s smoking!

Reading is certainly an escape for so many. 

How thankful authors are for this!

As we know the Bible is a wonderful handbook for life. So many authors, so many different stories, topics, inspirations and real ‘page turners’. 

How about Haman, in the book of Esther? A really bad guy, plotting the downfall of Esther’s Uncle Mordecai, I love how the tables are turned! Who would have guessed?

What a wonderful opportunity as Christian writers to bring the flavour of love, victory and hope into what we write.

Whilst meandering through the Psalms once more, I came upon some real encouragement in chapter 37.

King David encourages his readers not to fret because of evildoers (v:1). There is also a reminder for us to trust in the Lord and to ‘do good’. To ‘feed on His faithfulness’ (v:3).

The world is full of despair. Fear, as terrorism seems to be everywhere in the media, showing atrocious acts of violence. God has given us the gift of wonderful imaginations to bring some goodness into the minds of those who have come to ‘our’ writing to escape.

May we ‘do good’ and lead others to the feast awaiting us in the ultimate escape – heaven.

I can be found in the Southern Highlands of NSW, recently relocating there to escape to the country with my husband. Having unpacked (well mostly) I am ready to sit at my desk find inspiration from God, the amazing view and write!

www.dianneriley.com.au

Marketing your book in a boxed set

By Narelle Atkins

Boxed sets have proven to be a lucrative way for authors to market and sell their indie fiction ebooks. Check out the Amazon Kindle fiction genre lists and you’ll find numerous boxed sets among the top 20 bestsellers. 

Last year I wrote a 3-part series on indie boxed sets for the Australasian Christian Writers (ACW) blog. The posts contained information on how to publish a multi-author indie boxed set.

The Benefits from Indie Publishing a Box Set Collection 

How to Write and Publish a Multi-Author Indie Box Set: The Beginning  

How to Write and Publish a Multi-Author Indie Box Set: Preparing to Launch

I write contemporary Christian romance (CCR). In this post I’ll be referring to the CCR genre for examples of boxed sets purchased from Amazon Kindle. 

History of Christian Romance indie boxed sets

The indie author boxed set trend in the CCR genre kicked off in late 2014. The first Christian/inspirational romance box set to hit the Amazon bestseller lists in the CCR genre was Red Hot Squeaky Clean ROMANCE collection (Boxed Set): Ten Shades of Inspirational Romance, released in October 2014. The stories in this box set covered a range of Christian romance genres including historical, mystery, suspense, and contemporary.

Mistletoe Kisses (Inspy Kisses Box Set Book 3) was released in November 2014. It was the first Christian romance boxed set to hit the USA Today bestseller list. Four of the eight books in the collection are CCR. 

Love Brings Us Home was also released in November 2014. It hit the Amazon bestseller lists in CCR and contained full length novels that were previously published as individual indie releases. 

USA best-selling author Hallee Bridgeman was an author in Love Brings Us Home and Red Hot Squeaky Clean Romance. Hallee is our international guest speaker at the upcoming Omega Writers Conference in Sydney, October 28-30. 

Market research on boxed sets in CCR genre 

I put together a spreadsheet based on a sample of CCR multi-author boxed sets I’d purchased in the last 2 years. 

My research included: 
14 boxed sets in the CCR genre 
105 books (with only 1 duplicate title in 2 boxed sets)
45 authors – a combination of indie authors and hybrid authors who are traditionally published
7 titles by Marion Ueckermann
6 titles each by Kimberly Rae Jordan and Valerie Comer
I also sourced book release information from the Inspy Romance group blog (established in February 2014 for CCR readers)

My multi-author boxed sets I included in my research

SPLASH! (released in June 2015, retired in November 2015) 

Love Blossoms (released in January 2016, retiring soon in late October 2016) 

An Aussie Summer Christmas (new release in September 2016) 

Other CCR multi-author boxed sets in my Kindle account or on pre-order (minimum 6 books in each set) 

Candy Cane Kisses

Falling For You

Christmas Blessings

Immeasurably More

Snowflakes and Mistletoe

CCR boxed sets in my Kindle account that are no longer available for sale

Whispers of Love (USA Today Bestseller)

Home for Christmas

Summer of Love

Love’s Gift

Love Brings Us Home

Mistletoe Kisses (USA Today Bestseller) 

The boxed sets ranged in price from US0.99 to US2.99. I paid between US14.00 to US20.00 to purchase the 14 boxed sets (most were priced at 99 cents). As a result, the average price I paid for an individual book is between 15 to 20 cents. 

Is the price for boxed sets too low? 

The answer is yes and no, depending on your perspective. Traditionally published ebooks are often priced higher than indie ebooks.

If you’re a reader, bargain priced ebooks combined with the ability to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (US9.99 per month to borrow an unlimited number of ebooks) is appealing. Avid readers can indulge their favourite past time without hurting their bank balance. For many readers Kindle Unlimited has replaced their use of public libraries (and free print book borrows).

If you’re an indie author and can place your book in the right boxed set in your genre, at the present time you can make a reasonable return on a competitively priced boxed set due to volume sales and page reads in Kindle Unlimited. Please note this strategy for success could change at any time due to the rapid changes that constantly take place in the publishing industry. 

The bestseller lists are your goal

For many readers the Amazon Kindle bestseller lists have replaced the physical bookshelf in stores as the place they browse for books. Book exposure on the bestseller lists and in the hot new releases lists is critical for reaching potential readers. Paid advertising, for example Bookbub, can help ebooks rise to the top of the bestseller lists. 

Boxed sets can help authors reach new readers who are fans of their co-authors in the boxed set. 

Bestseller lists provide both the platform for finding new readers and the visibility to gain ebook sales/page reads that generate income for authors. 

Successful authors place series books in boxed sets 

The large majority of books in the 14 boxed sets I researched were part of a series. If a reader falls in love with your writing, they may buy your entire backlist. 

Repeat books in multiple boxed sets

We need to think like a reader when we’re marketing and promoting our books. How would we feel if we purchased a boxed set containing repeat books we’d already bought and read in previous boxed sets? From my sample of 14 CCR boxed sets, the only repeat title was published in boxed sets with release dates of more than 12 months apart. 

Traditional publishers reprint their bestselling books and sometimes update the cover art. When I used to work in retail on the returns desk, the most common reason for customers returning print books was due to an accidental repeat purchase.

If you have a brand new story to place in a boxed set, it would be wise to seek a boxed set opportunity that will be marketed as brand new stories. 

Have you participated in a boxed set or anthology collection? Do you enjoy reading boxed sets? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

This post is being shared on the Australasian Christian Writers blog and the Christian Writers Downunder blog.

If you’re looking to connect with writing groups online, you can join the Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group and the Christian Writers Downunder Facebook Group.

Omega Writers Inc. provides helpful resources and membership benefits for writers who live in the Australasian region.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia. 

Her latest novella release, Seaside Christmas, is available in An Aussie Summer Christmas boxed set from Amazon for 99 cents. 

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor
Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins