Christian Writers Downunder: exploring genre

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Monday, 2 December 2019

Exploring Genre | 2019 Roundup and Master List

We've come to the end of another year of genre crossposts between Australasian Christian Writers and Christian Writers Downunder, so it's time for one final summary post.

Jeanette O'Hagan kicked off 2019 with an excellent roundup of all our previous posts.

We then moved into some exploring more genres in fiction, from well-known Westerns to newer genres like slipstream.

Jessica Kate discussed romantic comedy—the history, some writing tips, and recommendations of her favourite Christian rom-com authors.

Amanda Deed and Jeanette O'Hagan discussed fairytale retellings, which can fall into the romance genre (because every good fairytale ends with a wedding) but also have elements of fantasy.

Christine Dillon discussed women's fiction—issues-based fiction that's not just for women (and which may or may not have a romantic thread).

Roger Norris-Green discussed his prolific career writing Westerns, where the hero is a good man (or a man who is changing for the better), who treats women properly, and who always gets the girl.

Jeanette O'Hagan explored the history of dystopian fiction, and current trends in the genre in the Christian and general markets (and it's interesting how even general market dystopian often has a religious underpinning).

David Rawlings introduced us to slipstream, an elusive mix of fantasy and literary fiction, set mostly in world we know, but introducing speculative elements.

We then moved into nonfiction.

Anusha Atukorala shared an excellent post on writing devotionals, with plenty of links to some great resources.

Cecily Patterson discussed why she loves reading memoir, types of memoirs, and three tips for those writing memoir.

David Malcolm Bennett discussed writing biography, a genre that appeals to him because of his love of history.

We're currently discussing what we'll cover in 2020.

Monday, 7 October 2019

Exploring Genre: Memoir

Memoir is one of my favourite genres to read, and I’m in good company, it seems.

I did a quick google search for ‘best selling Australian books 2019’ as I wrote this article, and unsurprisingly, the first three books I saw were memoirs.

The right memoir can do exceptionally well. Elizabeth Gilbert sold over four million copies of her Eat, Pray, Love, the story of her quest for meaning and inner peace across several continents. It was equal to Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, the story of a miserable Irish childhood. Another miserable childhood story, this time from the US, The Glass Castle, sold 2.7 million copies.

Why do we love to read other people’s real-life stories so much?

They’re a good read.

The best memoirs are well-written, with a distinctive voice and a strong story structure that has the beginning, middle and end that every work of fiction relies on. We follow the character through their challenge, quest or discovery, fight their battles with them, and marvel at their transformation at the end.

They give us true insight into other people.

Putting your hopes, dreams and flaws on a page for all to see can feel exposing for the memoir writer, but it’s a gift to the reader. We don’t know many people as well as we know ourselves. When you read someone’s heartfelt story, it’s an opportunity to intimately understand not only an individual, but humankind.

They allow us glimpses into situations we haven’t experienced.

I’ve never lived with drug-addicted parents, hiked a 1200-mile trail or travelled to a war zone to be a medical officer, but I’ve read the experiences of those who have. Their stories opened my eyes, moved me and challenged me. Most of us live safely in the suburbs; reading a memoir is a world-widening experience.

They teach without being didactic.

While I press the point home to my memoir students that writing their story is not the same as writing a sermon (ie. no lecturing!) it’s true nevertheless that readers will learn. Lessons are gained from the writer’s experiences and transformation. Anyone who has ever tried to teach a child—or an adult—will know that we all listen to a story more easily than a ‘you should’. By reading other people’s stories, we learn lessons for our own lives.

Types of memoirs

While it’s true that there are plenty of memoirs written about tragic childhoods, abusive marriages or terrible sicknesses, memoirs don’t have to be miserable. There are canine memoirs, eccentric-mother memoirs, travel and celebrity memoirs and a whole sub-genre based around the ‘My Year Of…’ concept. I’m thinking Julie and Julia, where Julie Powell decided to cook her way through the famed French cookery book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking; and Rachel Held Evans’ A Year of Biblical Womanhood, in which she spent a year following the Bible’s instructions to women, literally and figuratively.

You could argue that blogs, which after all, are mostly personal stories, are memoir in short form. Often, a blog will become a book. My memoir, Love Tears & Autism drew on the five years of blog posts I published following my three-year-old son’s diagnosis with ASD.

If you’re writing a memoir, here are three tips.

A memoir is not the same as an autobiography

An autobiography spans a person’s lifetime and doesn’t necessarily have an overarching story arc that ties it together. Sporting or political ‘memoirs’ are more technically biographies and often are not much more than a series of events or anecdotes in chronological order. It’s important to get the facts and details right in this sort of narrative. A memoir, however, tends to focus on a period or significant event in a person’s life, and is more about how the person perceived the events, was challenged by them, and learned from them.

See yourself as the 'main character' of a story

Any good fiction protagonist must be a well-rounded character, with flaws as well as strengths. If you’re only shining off the page of your memoir, readers will close the book in disgust. We all know that real people have warts. Memoir readers want to see a balanced, honestly drawn character.

See the events as a story

Readers have expectations of what a story will give them. They seek challenge, tension and a win (of some kind) at the end. If you know the rules about story structure, you’ll be better placed to write a memoir that will hook readers and give them exactly what they are looking for.

Looking for good examples of memoirs to read and learn from? You’ll find some of my favourites listed on this page of memoir resources.

Cecily Paterson teaches memoir writing in her unexcitingly named online course, Write Your Memoir. Her own memoir, Love Tears & Autism won Third Prize in the 2012 Australian Christian Book of the Year Award. She’s the author of seven MG/YA novels for girls, with an eighth title to be published with Wombat Books in 2020.

Monday, 1 July 2019

Exploring Genre | Jessica Kate introduces Romantic Comedy

Blast the glitter cannons and dance in the streets everybody, because romantic comedies are BACK!

We all have our favorites, but from Pride and Prejudice to I Feel Pretty, rom coms are one of the most beloved genres by women across the world. And whether they come in book or movie form, they’re also one of the most highly criticized.

Is this criticism justified? How can we make a positive contribution to the genre? What even IS a romantic comedy, and who are the current movers and shakers?

Pull on your fluffy slippers and grab your popcorn – we’re going to Rom Com University.

What Is a Romantic Comedy?

We could debate this all day folks, but for the purposes of today, I’ll keep it short and sweet – a romantic comedy has a romantic relationship at its core, and it’s told in a humorous manner.

What is a rom com? Jane Austen's Emma qualifies, though Anne of Green Gables still has a plot even without darling Gilbert Blythe.

That said, storytelling is generally more of a spectrum than neat boxes.

Recent additions to the genre such as I Feel Pretty and Isn’t It Romantic focus more heavily on the heroine’s journey, but I still count them. If you removed the romance from either of those stories, there would be no plot left. In Christian fiction, I’d say Bethany Turner’s The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey are comparable. However, I wouldn’t count a movie like Bridesmaids that focuses on the female friendship as the core story and just has a romantic subplot.

The humorous part can be tricky too—how funny is funny enough?

I’ll be honest and tell you that some readers call my novel Love and Other Mistakes a ‘romantic comedy’, while others would say it’s a romance with lots of family drama. I consider it borderline so I call it a ‘sassy romance’.

Regardless, I won’t be nitpicky. Much of the advice today will apply to your funny-women’s-fiction-with-a-romantic-subplot or your sweet-lighthearted-romance.

What’s Happening Now in Romancelandia?

In the world of romance, otherwise known as Romancelandia, romantic comedies are making a strong comeback.

Trends in romantic comedies have changed over the years, but the key ingredients stay the same.

Long story short, for movies at least most people consider the 90s to have been the Rom Com Golden Age (all those Meg movies), the 00s to have been the Fall of Rome, and the 10s to have been a barren wasteland. Or more accurately, this decade has seen few true rom coms, but romantic comedy elements have found their way into all sorts of other genres (including a lot of television).

But now Netflix is once again changing everything…

Over in the book universe, Bridget Jones introduced us to chick lit in the late 90s, which was followed by a boom (Confessions of a Shopaholic, anyone?) and bust by the mid to late 00s. Now general market names like Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne are bringing rom com books back in a big way. (Though to be fair, Sophie Kinsella never stopped being awesome.)

Writing romantic comedy in book form means an author has less scope for physical comedy, but plenty of opportunity in author voice and description.

In the Christian/sweet fiction market today, Kara Isaac, Bethany Turner, Kristin Billerbeck, Melissa Tagg, and Jenny B Jones are all major players in the contemporary category. Historicals have their share of humorous romance too, with Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Deanne Gist and Jen Turano all contributing. I’m sure there’s more that I’ve missed (add them in the comments!) and you could probably question the strict definition of whether these are rom coms, but like I said…it’s a spectrum.

Shifts in the Genre

Now that we’ve had a chance to recover from some of the less-awesome rom coms of the 00s, Netflix has recognized what we knew all along—there’s millions of people out there whose Friday nights just aren’t the same without some swooning and laughter. But this is a new generation of romantic comedy, and it’s worth noting the differences between today’s rom coms and those of the 90s and even 00s.

Questioning the premise.

Recent rom coms such as I Feel Pretty, Isn’t It Romantic and even the TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (which its writers call a ‘deconstruction of the romantic comedy) reject the old rom com premise that a man’s love equals a happy ending. Sorry Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, but the perfect partner doesn’t complete anyone. These stories focus more on the heroine’s internal journey to self-love, with a strong serving of romance on the side. As Christian authors we believe this can go a step further—to a heroine secure in her value due to God’s love. Don’t be afraid to examine conventions in the genre and flip them on their head.

Smart is sexy.

The modern women in these romantic comedies are far less concerned with the designer brand of their high heels and far more focused on their professional careers or small businesses. These are no damsels in distress—these women kick corporate butt, and the men who pursue them must match their intelligence and wit.

Flip clichés for comedic effect.

Man Up, Isn’t It Romantic and Crazy Rich Asians all find different ways to poke fun at the ‘run to the airport’ cliché—even just by showing how hard it really is to make a grand romantic speech on a crowded airplane. See if there’s any cliched moments that you can twist—your readers will love it!

Write Your Rom Com

Whatever decade (or century) they were written in, the great romantic comedies have the same storytelling principles that serve all genres:

Multi-dimensional characters.

Sweet Home Alabama is one of my favorite rom coms because there’s so many layers to Reese Witherspoon’s dilemma – not just the two men in her life and her flourishing fashion designer career, but complicated relationships with her parents, her friends, her future mother-in-law, her own regrets and her nostalgia. Plus, the secondary characters are more well-rounded the your average ‘best friend’ cardboard cut-out. Everyone has their own flawed lives, not just the main characters.

A strong voice.

Sally Thorne’s wildly exuberant descriptions (like an explosion of rainbows and sherbet for your brain), Janet Evanovich’s deadpan way of describing ludicrous situations and characters, Jenny B Jones’ southern sass—all essential ingredients to the success of their respective stories. Voice isn’t something you can force, but it is something you can cultivate. What tickles your funny bone in rom com books? Take note and make an effort to put your own spin on it.

Witty dialogue.

Is there a rom com in existence that doesn’t have witty dialogue? Jane Austen set the bar high and we’ve been striving to meet it ever since. Good banter takes a while to get right—the first drafts tend to come off abrasive—but seek out feedback and refine, refine, refine. And watch everything Aaron Sorkin ever made.

Comedic situations.

Get creative and see what you can make happen. Janet Evanovich has managed to destroy Stephanie Plum’s car in all 25 novels of the series so far—she even smushed it with a garbage truck once—and it’s a running joke of the series. The ‘proposal story’ one-upmanship scene between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal is comedy gold, as is Sandra Bullock’s interesting dance moves with Betty White. I Feel Pretty plays with cringe humor, while Confessions of a Shopaholic lets Becky Bloomwood tie herself in knots as she tries to cover up her lies.

Funny description.

In rom com books there’s extra room for comedy in your description. You could compare your heroine’s bed hair to a rat’s nest…or an electrocuted octopus. Contrast a character’s expectations (glamorous night out) with reality (strapless bra cutting off blood supply). Go crazy.

Strong romantic tension.

Stronger than in your sweet romances, these characters feel an irresistible pull toward one another—but they’ll fight it with everything they’ve got! This is why some of my favorite rom coms have characters with history (The Proposal, Sweet Home Alabama, Two Weeks Notice) because the bond of shared history really helps ramp up that magnetism.

An evenly matched hero and heroine.

Power dynamics are important. If one character has an advantage over another (in The Proposal, Sandra Bullock is Ryan Reynold’s boss) then circumstances have to even the scales (Sandy is a fish out of water in Ryan’s Alaskan hometown). Especially in stories with a love/hate trope, the characters will spend the story either fighting one another or fighting a third force side-by-side, so they need to be evenly matched with complementary strengths and weaknesses.

Know your secret spice.

There’s a magic ingredient common to all your favorite books, movies and TV shows, regardless of genre. James L Rubart calls it the theme of your life. If you can’t detect it, go back to that list of favorites and ask ‘what was my favorite moment in each of these stories?’ Knowing this helps you generate story ideas you’ll stay addicted to.

Go deep and make us feel something.

While they’re not romantic comedies, let’s borrow from Pixar’s kid-friendly comedies for a moment. While they’re known for making parents laugh, those movies deliver an emotional kick every time—who doesn’t tear up in Finding Nemo? The pain of the characters’ emotional journeys provide a strong contrast to the humor, like a diamond sparkling on black velvet. It makes us appreciate the laughter that much more!

Whatever brand of romantic comedy you love best, the guiding principles of storytelling remain the same. Study those who tickle your funny bone the most, layer in strong character motivations and whack in some seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And have fun with it! 😊

About Jessica Kate

Australian author Jessica Kate is obsessed with sassy romances.
She packs her novels with love, hate, and everything in between—and then nerds out over her favorite books, movies and TV in the StoryNerds podcast. When she’s not writing or discussing fiction, she’s hunting the world for the greatest pasta in existence.

Her debut novel Love and Other Mistakes releases July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hits shelves in January 2020.

Receive her sassy short The Kiss Dare FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com, and check out the StoryNerds podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.

About Love and Other Mistakes

Jessica Kate’s hilarious, romantic debut novel proves that some mistakes—including love—are begging to be made again and again.

Natalie Groves once had big dreams. But soon after her fiancé, Jeremy Walters, inexplicably broke off their engagement and left town, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Now tasked with keeping her family afloat, Natalie’s grand plans have evaporated . . . and God feels very far away.

Fast-forward seven years, and Jeremy is back in Charlottesville with an infant son and years of regrets. When his niece, Lili, lands on his doorstep in need of a place to stay, Jeremy needs help—and fast.

An internship opening finally presents Natalie a chance at her dream job, but she needs a second income to work around it—and the only offer available is Jeremy’s. They could be the solutions to one another’s problems, provided they don’t kill each other in the process. When they join forces, sparks fly. But they both know there’s a thin line between love and hate . . . and that love will turn out to be the best decision—or the biggest mistake—of all.

Click here to find Love and Other Mistakes at your favourite online retailer.

A Girl’s Guide to the Outback

Romance author Jessica Kate explores the hilariously thin line between love and hate in her heartwarming new novel. Kimberly Foster needs help from the last man in the world who would give it.

She and Samuel Payton fought so much during their three-year stint as colleagues that they now reside in different halves of the globe. She’s still the business director of the Virginia-based youth ministry that Sam founded, while he’s back at his family’s farm in rural Australia.

But Kimberly can’t find a suitable replacement for Sam, and the ministry is in trouble. She needs him back. What she doesn’t know is that the Payton farm’s finances are scarier than statistics on Australian spider bites.

She and Sam strike a deal: if she can use her business savvy to save the farm, he’ll return to Virginia and recruit and train his replacement.

Soon Kimberly’s on the edge of the Outback, working more closely with Sam than ever before. Can she protect his family’s legacy, the ministry, and her heart?

Click here to find A Girl’s Guide to the Outback at your favourite online store.

Monday, 3 June 2019

Exploring Genre | Christine Dillon Introduces Women's Fiction

We're continuing our series of joint posts with Christian Writers Downunder. Today, author and missionary Christine Dillon is discussing Women's Fiction (which, despite the name, isn't just for women).

Introducing Women's Fiction

According to Wikipedia, Women's Fiction includes layered stories about one or several characters, often multi-generational that tackles an adult character's struggle with world issues resulting in emotional growth. It may include elements of mystery, fantasy, romance or other subgenres, but is not driven by these elements.

The Women's Fiction Writers Association says:

the driving force of women's fiction is the protagonist's journey toward a more fulfilled self.

When I started writing fiction I hadn’t yet heard of women’s fiction. I called my books ‘contemporary inspirational’ or ‘issues-based Christian fiction’ (a label I invented).

At the same time I was reading a lot of Christian fiction and getting frustrated at the huge number of romance stories out there which just weren’t my thing (with a few exceptions). I started asking around, saying, “You know, books like Francine Rivers writes, tackling an issue like abortion or divorce. Issues that people face in their daily lives.”

“Oh, you’re looking for women’s fiction,” I was told.

My thoughts on Women’s Fiction

My initial response was lukewarm to having my books labelled ‘women’s’ fiction because I hoped men would read them too. There doesn’t appear to be an equivalent genre for men.

When people ask me about my books I still use my own definition of ‘contemporary Australian Christian fiction that tackles issues that Christian’s face in their daily lives.’

Women’s Fiction tends to be contemporary but some historical stories have women’s fiction elements. Think Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, or biblical fiction—Pearl in the Sand or Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar.

Elements Found in Women’s Fiction

A crisis issue like abortion, divorce, spouse having an affair, accident, or unemployment, that triggers emotion and eventually life change.
A focus on the emotional and thought-life of the character. It is a spiritual (if it is Christian fiction) and emotional journey for the lead character(s).
Nil or minimal romance. If there is romance, it is not the focus of the story. After all, it is pretty hard to avoid any romance if you’re writing about real people.
Women’s fiction doesn’t need a ‘happily ever after’ ending, which is something romance readers seem to expect.
Character-driven stories rather than action driven.
The main characters are often women, but in my opinion don’t have to be. Otherwise my third and fourth books in my ‘Grace’ series are not going to be the same genre as the others.
Readers can often say, ‘I’ve experienced that’ or ‘I wonder what I would do in that situation?’ These stories often prompt discussion.
The book often ends with a reflection from the main character about what they’ve experienced and how their life will change.

Women’s (Christian) Fiction I’ve enjoyed:

Deborah Raney - she specialises in putting people in situations
Ginny Yttrup - especially Words
Brenda S Anderson
Catherine West
Francine Rivers - I especially like And the Shofar Blew
Ann Tatlock

Here's a question for men:

Have you read books that are labelled ‘women’s fiction’ - what did you think? What did you like or not like?

So which stories have you enjoyed that could possibly fit into this genre?

P.S. Christine has been delighted that many men love her books and she even has younger teen boys who can’t wait for the next.

About Christine Dillon

Christine never intended to become an author. She started with non-fiction but is currently publishing a series of contemporary, Australian Christian novels. In daily life she is a Bible storyteller and trainer working mostly in Asia and Australia. Besides reading, Christine loves the great outdoors especially hiking and cycling. You can find Christine at http://www.storytellerchristine.com

Monday, 1 April 2019

Exploring Genre: Slipstream

By David Rawlings

In this month's cross-post with Christian Writers Downunder, David Rawlings discusses slipstream, an ellusive mix of fantasy and literary fiction.

As an author, I’ve always had issues trying to throw a genre rope around what it is I’m writing. As an author yourself, you know why it’s important—it’s nice to have an answer for the inevitable question you’ll get after you announce you’re a writer: “So what type of stories do you write?” We all need a literary hook on which to hang our hat.

My answer has never fully satisfied me.

“A bit of contemporary. A bit of speculative.” It’s actually both but fully neither, and you want to have a descriptor that fully sells how you write. My stories take place in the real world but have speculative elements. I know that speculative fiction is often used as an umbrella term to cover anything “weird” but I’ve never thought my writing embraces science fiction, fantasy, horror or even dystopian fantasy. No aliens. No wizards. No clowns lurking in the gutters.

My debut novel, The Baggage Handler, is a story told in an airport and at 2019 locations of work, University and home – making it contemporary – but sets challenges for characters that are more fantastical. With my next novel – The Camera Never Lies – I’ve set it in the present telling the story of the marriage of a marriage counselor, but the story contains a mysterious camera that drives the story forward.

So I'm writing about a world we all know, but introducing elements that we don't.

How could I better define what I was writing? The best definition I could find is from the TV show Black Mirror, which focuses a lot on the technology we use in our society. Creator Charlie Brooker refers to stories that take place in society “in 10 minutes’ time”. It places stories in a world we can relate to, but adds an another element that throws off your equilibrium. That wasn’t bad as a description.

Then someone mentioned Slipstream.

Slipstream was first coined back in the 1980s and has remained an elusive mix of fantasy and literary fiction ever since. The best definition seems to be that it “falls between speculative fiction and mainstream fiction.”

Slipstream, like many other genres, appears to be a broad church; some argue slipstream throws you off your axis into cognitive dissonance territory. Others talk about slipstream being science fiction with less robots or aliens. Other describe slipstream as nonrealistic fiction; stories that take the best of both and apply it to a modern society. I found some attempted definitions that outlined the experience of reading a slipstream novel as “fantastical, illogical, surreal and jarring.”

That’s a fairly wide berth.

This genre plays with the edges of reality, and can even be found in Christian fiction. My favourite story by Ted Dekker – Skin – fits this description. This is the blurb:

“A freak storm has spawned three tornadoes that are bearing down on the town of Summerville.

Yet under the cover of the storm looms a much more ominous threat: A vindictive killer known as Red who's left a string of victims in his wake and is now bent on exacting his final revenge on the unsuspecting town.

But there is an enigma surrounding Red that the FBI is unwilling to admit-closely guarded secrets of something gone terribly wrong beneath the skin of Summerville. Secrets that will destroy far more than one small town.

Wendy Davidson is caught in the middle. She's a recovering cult survivor who takes refuge in Summerville on her way to visit her estranged mother. And with her, four strangers, any of whom could be the next victim . . . or the killer.”

The longer you go into Skin, the more it feels like it’s playing with the edges of reality.

I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s set in a contemporary environment but stretches the bounds of what reality could be. And the final third of the book is mind-bending.

I’ve just finished reading The Pages of Her Life from James L Rubart (an advance copy, lucky me!) It’s the same deal with this book – it’s a story about contemporary issues surrounding a young woman surviving the games of the corporate world, but the story is driven by a fantastical element.

Modern problems with modern characters, but the central component is a journal – a mystical journal – that becomes one of the central characters.

One book belonging to Frank Peretti crops up – with Prophet telling the story of a newsroom, but brought into the mix supernatural voices.

I think it’s important to reflect both the contemporary and speculative elements of these stories, and mine. To say it’s contemporary says it’s accessible. To say it’s speculative says it will appeal to your imagination. Maybe the label of Slipstream brings both of those elements, and better encapsulates what you'll get when you read books like these.

Slipstream is one of those genres that appears elusive to find, but that’s what I’ve found as I’ve looked into it.

So which stories have you read that could possibly fit into this genre?

About David Rawlings

David Rawlings is a based in South Australia, a sports-mad father-of-three who loves humour and a clever turn-of-phrase. Over a 25-year career he has put words on the page to put food on the table, developing from sports journalism and copywriting to corporate communication. Now in fiction, he entices readers to look deeper into life with stories that combine the everyday with a sense of the speculative, addressing the fundamental questions we all face.

You can find David at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Monday, 3 December 2018

Exploring Genre - Collaborative Writing

by Jeanette O'Hagan

We often imagine writing as a solitary pursuit - the writer huddles alone in his or her attic, putting words on paper (or computer file) with a big do-not-disturb sign on the door.

In fact, while there are long stretches when writing requires peace or at least lack of interruptions, producing a book most often calls for a team of people from critique partners, beta-readers, editors, proof-readers, graphic artists, formatters, publishers, booksellers, and publicists.

But there is another way, that writers can collaborate and that is in the actual writing itself in collaborative works. There are in fact quite a range of opportunities.

Types of Collaborative Writing

Ghost Writing

In ghost writing, an experienced and capable writer is employed or invited to write a story on behalf of someone else, often a celebrity or someone with a unique and fascinating story or both. This is most often done with memoirs, but can happen with fiction. In many cases the ghost writer is paid and his or her name does not appear on the cover or may appear but in a secondary fashion (eg Deva Star with Jane Smith).

Jeanette Grant-Thomson has done some ghost-writing, in addition to her own fiction and non-fiction. For instance, Healing Song was co-written in connection with Merrilyn Billing and tells Merrilyn's story.

Illustrators

In picture books particularly, the illustrator contributes as much to the story as the writer. There are many wonderful examples of this synergy between image and word such as Wombat Books' Same by Katrina Roe and Jemima Trappel, Can God See Me by Penny Reeve and Shannon Melville, Do You Remember? co-written by Kelly O'Gara and Anna McNeil, and illustrated by Kelly O'Gara.

Though I do confess a particular affection for Colourful Memories, written by Catherine Bauer and illustrated by my daughter, Kathleen O'Hagan.

Partnerships

In some cases, a more established well known writer might partner with a newer writer with fresh ideas.

In other cases, two or more writers may combine together to write the one book or series of books. In fiction, each writer may be the primary writer for one of the main characters. Of course, the writers need to agree on a range of things like settings, the plot, the subject, the themes, characters etc and may need to write the other writer/s character in their own character's scenes.

Meredith Resce, Rose Dee, Paula Vince and Amanda Deed worked together to write The Greenfield Legacy together, each one writing one of the characters to produce a great story about the legacy of past decisions.

Anthologies

In anthologies, authors can contribute short stories and/or poems that may centre of a theme or subject matter, or genre, or setting.

Glimpses of Light (published in 2015, the International Year of Light and edited by myself and Nola Passmore), includes a range of short stories, non-fiction pieces, flash fiction and poems on the theme of light. Contributions were from both new and more established writers, including Jo-Anne Berthelsen, Jo Wanmer, Adele Jones, Lynne Stringer, Nola Passmore, Adam Collings, Paula Vince, Anusha Atukorala, Ellen Carr, Jeanette Grant-Thomson and others.

The science fiction and fantasy anthology, Medieval Mars, has stories set in a futuristic Mars conceived by Travis Perry, that is a Mars that has been terraformed, settled and then regressed to a medieval level of technology. Each story is set in different spots in the world and written by different authors, including Adam Colling's Lynessa's Curse. The stories were published both as the collection Medieval Mars and individually as short stories by the authors.

Book Bundles

In book bundles, multiple authors contribute their books (either full length novels or novellas) usually of similar genre, theme, or setting.

Narelle mentioned some romance book bundles in the November genre post.

I've participated in two - On the Horizon - which involved 22 authors writing sci-fi & fantasy set in low technology worlds. Akrad's Children was included in this and the aim was for volume of sales over a short period. Over 900 copies were sold over the three month period the bundle was available. The boxed set continued in an altered form in Limited Horizon - with 12 Fantasy and Science Fiction Novels, Novellas, and Short Stories from 12 authors, including my Heart of the Mountain. Many of the authors in this series are secular, but write in the same or similar genres to me.

Book Series

This year, I was part of a group planning on writing a series of full length novels set in the same world. Initially we had maybe 10-12 people involved. Three or four of the authors got together and formed a premise, setting and timeline of the world. I wasn't initially that keen on some of the elements, but after much thought, come up with a premise for a storyline that fitted into the world & which I liked.

We set up a calendar of publication for 2019 on a monthly basis (I had May), with the idea that each author would bring out a novel set in the world (and consistent with each other's works). We started with a lot of enthusiasm and I was quite excited about the idea though I had other writing projects to finish before I could get started.

Then over time, one by one, people began dropping out for various reasons. Much to my disappointment, the main organisers decided to pull the plug on the project. I have still got my plot synopsis, which maybe one day I will write.

I think multi-author book series a great concept and would love have another attempt at something like this (novel or novella) again, hopefully with better success.

It has been done. Again, Narelle mentioned the Tuscan Legacy book series, romance novels with a common setting and plot thread. There's also the Jane Austen project - in which various well established authors were invited to write modern adaptations of the different Jane Austen novels in a contemporary setting.

Pros and Cons

Advantages

Writing in partnership with other writers may spark imagination and creative energy. It may draw on the strengths of each writer and add depth to characterisation or setting. Plus it builds in feedback and editing on each other's writing.

Sometimes the more established writer/s brings visibility and connection with a larger fan base while the newer, up and coming author can bring new ideas and inspiration and a freshness to the stories or a particular insight (if, say from a particular demographic or culture).

In much collaborative writing, authors can be introduced to the fans of the other authors. While readers, attracted by an author they know and love, may discover new authors with similar writing styles, themes or genres.

Different forms of collaborative writing often enables authors to pool or share marketing efforts, thus allowing a bigger splash or more impact per buck.

Disadvantages

With partnerships, the partners may have different understandings of what needs to happen or want the story to go in different directions. So there is a potential for disagreement which may derail the project.

Logistics may be a problem; for instance, finding the time to plan, to share segments for feedback or different writers may write at different paces etc. Finances, copyright, royalties, costs must all be worked through and agreed upon and then held to.

The bigger the group, perhaps the more likelihood that either the project may take a long time or fall apart altogether.

There are pitfalls to consider in collaborative writing, but such projects can be both fun and worthwhile.

Have you ever been involved in such a project or considered doing so? What advantages and disadvantages did you find? Would you do it again?

*****

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing.

Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users.

She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children and Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Her latest release, Stone of the Sea (the third novella) is now available. .

Subscribe (here) to Jeanette's monthly email newsletter for the latest on cover reveals, new releases, giveways, and receive the short story Ruhanna's Flight for free.

You can also find her on:

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Monday, 2 July 2018

On Writing Suspense

Jenny Blake | @ausjenny

Today we have Sandra Orchard visiting us talking about Suspense. Welcome Sandra.

So you think you might like to write a suspense?

Well, I’m Sandra Orchard and in the last seven years, I’ve had 16 novels—romantic suspense, mysteries and cozies—traditionally published. And here are my top five tips to help you get started.

1) Know readers’ expectations of your subgenre

Writing genre fiction is all about meeting readers’ expectations. So . . . the first thing you need to do is figure out what kind of “suspense” novel you’re writing.

For example, if it’s a suspense with romantic elements, don’t pitch it as romantic suspense, because a true romantic suspense has both a full suspense plot, and a full romance plot that are intertwined throughout the story. And publishers such as Love Inspired Suspense know their readers want both the emotional satisfaction of a romance and the adrenalin of a suspense, and the odd romantic element tossed into an otherwise riveting suspense won’t cut it for their readers.

And a mystery is entirely different again. In a mystery, the protagonist sets out to solve a crime that has already been committed. Readers approach mysteries with the anticipation of solving a puzzle along with the sleuth. Whereas, a a suspense is more like a coil that tightens around the protagonist. She’s in a race to avoid being the victim of a crime and the reader is more concerned about how much damage the villain will cause if he’s not stopped. Thrillers may be all of that with high action to boot.

2) Research, research, research

The more you know about the elements you wish to include in your story, the more authentic it will read. If you say, she smelled cordite after a pistol was fired, every reader who knows anything about modern guns will know you didn’t do your research. Research crimes, technology, occupations, personalities, even settings.

Tension is often heightened in the details.

3) Use Setting to Up the Suspense

Use all five senses to immerse the reader in the action, to foreshadow and to drop clues. But … don’t stop the story to convey description. Same goes for all the other research you’re itching to include in the story. Keep description active, sprinkling it in as the story unfolds. Choose strong verbs and nouns that show the mood of the pov character to do double duty of both heightening suspense, as well as showing the character’s internal conflicts.

For example, in my debut novel Deep Cover, I give readers this glimpse of the opening scene:

Rick glanced skyward and prayed for a miracle. A lone backhoe loomed on the horizon, silhouetted against the steel gray sky, its tires caked in mud. Too bad the machine wasn’t big enough to dig him out of this mess.

Notice the word choices: Loomed, steel-gray, dig, mess—they show his frustration without ever saying he’s frustrated and they ratchet up the stakes for him.

4) Craft your Villain well

A common mistake among beginning crime writers is to create two-dimensional, slow-witted villains. The villain’s motives should be as realistic and believable as your main characters’. Your villain’s background must be as well fleshed out as your hero and heroine’s. In my opinion, a well-characterized villain can totally justify his actions in his own mind. He needs to be a worthy opponent. Also, give him a redeeming quality.

5) Play fair

Facts are facts. You can’t pretend they’re not, just to make your life easy. That said, it’s okay if everything in your story isn’t 100% possible, but within your story world it does have to be plausible.

Moreover, you must play fair with the reader. That means logic counts, and you can’t pull a convenient explanation or twist out of the blue; you have to set it up first. Every detail you’ve written matters, especially in whodunits. As the adage goes, if she’s going to shoot the gun hanging over the fireplace in ch 18, you better have shown it in ch 2.

Bonus Tip:

Up the tension and urgency in a scene with short sentences and short paragraphs, even a single word.

Your Turn:

Share a suspense writing tip or something you often see in suspense novels that drives you batty. Or ask a question and I’ll do my best to answer it.

Today's post is cross posted at Australasian Christian Writers

Sandra Orchard—winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and several Canadian writing awards—leaps off the garden trails of her herbal-medicine-researcher-turned-amateur-sleuth (Port Aster Secrets) series, to the museum corridors of her plucky FBI art crime agent Serena Jones, in A Fool and His Monet, Another Day Another Dali and Over Maya Dead Body. She’s also contributing to several multi-author cozy mystery series with Annie’s Fiction. When not plotting crimes, Sandra plays make-believe with her young grandchildren or hikes with her hubby and husky near their home in Ontario, Canada.

Connect at: www.sandraorchard.com
http://www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard
https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorSOrchard/

Monday, 2 April 2018

Exploring Genres: Biblical Fiction

by Susan Preston

“Those who call themselves Christians and attempt to follow biblical morality as they understand it are now among the most persecuted religious groups in the world (Newsweek, January 4, 2018). Sadly, this is increasingly true even in nations where “Christianity” is considered the predominant religion.”

So, if Christians are being stopped from sharing their faith with others who are interested how can we fulfill Christ’s commission to ‘go into all the world?’

I heard a minister say, “People prefer their truth wrapped in fiction.”

If that is the case, Christian writers are demonstrating and sharing their faith – not necessarily overtly, which can put some readers of, but by the way they write their characters’ lives.

Where does Biblical fiction fit in to this?

Apostle John series by Susan Preston (new covers)

Because, as Solomon wrote in Eccl 1: 9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

We can be encouraged, inspired and even challenged by the lives of those who have ‘gone before.’

The first Biblical fiction book I read changed the way I understood the Bible. Before reading Lynn Austin’s first book in the Gods and Kings series, much of the writing in the Bible was, to be honest, boring. After that, I never read anything about Hezekiah again without ‘seeing’ him as a person.

I used to run church kids groups and holiday programmes. After several years it was rather ‘ho-hum’ another lesson on a parable.

If it was now, my lessons would be vastly different. In researching for what I thought would be one book, I discovered so much about the life, the times, the challenges and the faith of the people through the centuries.

To include some of this in a story/book/series gives the reader a much better reading experience as pointed out by Debbie Roome in a recent post in a post called Story Telling in 3D.

Many ‘Biblical fiction’ writers appear to be taking research from some of the old movies like Ben Hur and others of that era.

Modern saddles were not invented until 365 AD.[JO2]

“The first saddle is believed to have been invented in 365 AD by the Sarmations. Proud horsemen who used their horses in battle and also sacrificed them to the gods, their saddle creations were brought back to Europe by the Huns.”

They did not include stirrups. This is the history of stirrups –

“The stirrup was invented in China in the first few centuries AD and spread westward through the nomadic peoples of Central Eurasia. The use of paired stirrups is credited to the Chinese Jin Dynasty and came to Europe during the Middle Ages.”

Well-written, and well researched Biblical fiction brings life to the words in the Bible. (Both Testaments.)

When Jesus taught it was from ‘the scriptures’ – there only was an Old Testament, and this was what He taught from. After Him the Apostles used the Old Testament, and the letters of the other Apostles.

Understanding the pain

There were many ‘pain-points’ for the people of the Bible.

To the Israelites the Temple was where God dwelt. In many instances the Bible shows that the Temple was what was worshipped, not God.

Understanding this helps a writer of Biblical fiction better bring those people to life.

The day was counted from sunset to sunset, not as with our modern calendars. This was one of the most difficult things for me to ‘get my head around.’ The next day started as soon as the sun set on the previous one.

People, even in New Testament times, did not sit down to a dinner of ‘meat and two veges.’ Meat was only eaten on special occasions. If they were near a sea, or large lake, fish would be part of their diet… but not all the time. In the Old Testament, a time when meat would be eaten by a family was after a ‘peace’ or ‘thank’ offering had been made.

Biblical fiction can be a joy to read

Some writers of Biblical fiction have done the research necessary to make the books authentic. One such – Lynn Austin’s Biblical historical series. (There are two different series.) Jill Eileen Smith gives us a peep at some of the ‘heroines’ of the OT as does Mesu Andrews.

Nearer the time period I write about, Carol Ashby has done an awesome amount of research on Roman times, and Carlene Havel is a recent discovery of a great writer.

As for me…

Three of my books have won awards, and all had great reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews.

I put a great deal of research into everything I write, as I imagine other authors do.

Sometimes, I am a slow learner. A long time ago I was told my book covers do not reflect the genre they represent… but I loved the images, four of which were from a Christian friend in Tasmania, a gifted photographer.

Well, I finally listened and had new covers made. Time will tell if they DO reflect the genre.

You can see them here… http://www.susanprestonauthor.com/apostle-john-series-2/

I read other genres, but Biblical fiction is close to my heart now that I have ‘met’ the people behind the words in the Bible.

Susan Preston’s Christian faith is important to her, but she does not preach in any of the stories, instead, respecting her reader's right to make up their own minds.

She describes herself as a story-teller. Research, fascination and curiosity became a combination of treasure hunt and mystery tour. (She is still researching.)

Susan’s life experiences were not always happy – the death of a son, then in 2013 the death of her husband/best friend. The emotions from all these experiences contribute to her understanding of the people of the stories.

She was a registered Psychiatric nursing sister, a registered computer trainer and assessor, possessor of the Master’s qualification for Microsoft Office 2007 which she says comes in very handy, and has numerous other qualifications.

Susan says, “The ‘people’ in the books have become ‘family’ as I learned to walk in their shoes.”

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