Milestone? Or Millstone? Your choice.

It’s funny how the words “milestone” and “millstone” sound so similar, yet serve such different purposes. A milestone marks the mileage on a road, yet goes nowhere. A millstone grinds grain, yet never stops. On the other hand, the second definition for each are:

1. Milestone – a significant point in development
2. Millstone – a heavy burden

I find it ironic that the first word signifies movement, when the object itself clearly cannot move. Yet the second word weighs a body down to the point of making one immobile, even though the round object itself suggests movement.

How can we apply this observation to our writing?

A milestone represents a goal, an immovable spot up the road that we long to reach. It remains solid and steadfast, symbolically cheering you on to reach its side. There may be other milestones on the road, but we must keep our eyes on the first one in order to reach the others.

So often, we put too many milestones in our path, scattering our thoughts as we race about trying to reach them all before we’ve taken the proper steps. This confuses us which ultimately results in the opposite effect – a millstone around our necks, pulling us down into deep, dark confusion. We want to meet our one-thousand-word-a-day goal, but we can’t stop daydreaming about becoming multi-published and traveling the world. Or we work on our romance, then set it aside for a sci-fi. Then decide maybe a political thriller would suit us more. The result is a lot of unfinished, unpolished manuscripts taking up kilobytes in a folder on our computer.

Pick a goal and stick with it. When that goal is reached, look to that next milestone up the road. With each post you past, you will get closer to your final destination. And about that millstone? Let’s leave it out of our writing and only roll it out when we want bread.

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Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. She writes Spiritual Truth…With A Giggle, thus proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. With a passion for story, she dissects movies on her Craft Cinema blog. Read the first chapters of her books at Fiction Finder and visit her at www.KathleenEKovach.com. 

Meet my 8th child!

I’m like a proud parent, showing off my newborn. I even showed her to the lady at Curves, who sincerely tried to match my enthusiasm, but I could tell she was just being polite.

If you’re a published author, or even simply blessed your project by typing “The End”, you know the feeling. Every story, or article, or poem is a new beginning. It’s that bouncing baby book that you gaze at with wonderment. I created this. What a miracle!  It breathes new life into your stagnant career, reminding you that you can do it again, and again.

Oregon Weddings is my eight cover. Inside are stories I had already birthed and had covers of their own when they first came out:

• God Gave the Song – Two people learn how to forgive with the help of a melodious alpaca.
• Crossroads Bay – She seeks a treasure. He seeks her heart.
• Fine, Feathered Friend – An actress afraid of birds enlists the help of a bird trainer afraid of actresses.

But seeing this fresh, new cover brings back the excitement. I’m an author with child, dreaming of what the next one will look like. Holding this infant book in my hands makes me long to see the art on the stories still in my head. It gives me the kick in the pants I need to get them written.

I’m passing out cigars. Want one?

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Oregon Weddings is due out in early April. Watch for it in stores or order it online at Amazon!

Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. She writes Spiritual Truth…With A Giggle, thus proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. With a passion for story, she dissects movies on her Craft Cinema blog. Read the first chapters of her books at Fiction Finder and visit her at www.KathleenEKovach.com. 

Tale As Old As Time

 

Ah, romance! Boy meets girl. Boy is a mess. Girl sees something in boy that he never knew existed. Boy lives up to girl’s belief in him. Boy – now in his true essence – and girl live happily ever after.

This simple formula is what creates a good romantic story. We’ve seen it time and again.

• Beauty and the Beast
• Dirty Dancing
• African Queen
• Angel and the Badman
• Music Man
• Guys and Dolls
• The Lady and Tramp
• King Kong (Think about it.)

Sometimes it’s the girl who needs to move into her true essence.

• Sweet Home Alabama
• Hope Floats
• My Fair Lady
• Miracle on 34th Street
• True Lies
• Romancing the Stone

The beauty of this formula is that it’s flexible. Often, both boy and girl change.

• Enchanted

In a rare instance, the girl is changing the boy, but she doesn’t realize it.

• Ground Hog Day

Or the boy is changing the girl, but she doesn’t realize it herself.

• 50 First Dates

This is the lesson I learned when taking Michael Hauge’s screenwriting class at the ACFW national conference last year. Here is his bit of wisdom:

“The reason the romance character and the hero belong together, is because the romance character is the only one who sees beneath the hero’s identity and connects at the level of essence.”

We made him say that several times so we could write it down. This, my friends, is the key to writing a good romance. For an in-depth observation on this subject, please go to my Craft Cinema blog and learn how the animated feature, Megamind, meets this requirement. I have also included Hauge’s six questions to ask your character to understand his or her identity and essence. Watch the movie first, though, unless you don’t mind the spoilers.

Beauty and the Beast is the quintessential example of the identity/essence idea.

Beast is a prince trapped in a monster’s body due to his lack of the ability to love. When Belle meets him, he is living in that identity. Beast has no love or respect for any human being. He has captured Belle’s father, an innocent victim who accidentally trespassed on his property.

Belle offers her life for her father’s, and is now condemned to live in the dying castle forever. Through her spunkiness, she eventually stands up to the beast, who responds to her in his identity. He grouses and grumbles, even roars a time or two about how impossible she is. But we get a glimpse of his true essence when he protects her from wolves. He gets hurt in the process, and as she tends his wounds, he begins to open his heart to caring for another person.

The final act is a poignant portrayal of true love. Beast allows Belle to go home after he shows her a magic mirror and she sees her father lost and sick in the forest.  At this point, he moves into his essence—now caring deeply for someone other than himself. This unselfish acts leads to his near demise as angry villagers storm his castle.

The mob is lead by Gaston, who early in the story made it known that he would have Belle at all cost. Through a series of events, Gaston and the villagers believe the beast to be dangerous and must be destroyed. In a one-on-one combat between Gaston and the beast, Gaston nearly meets his fate at the hands of the beast, but the beast relents due to his love for Belle and his new essence. He tells Gaston to leave and never return, but when Beast leaves him to climb up to the balcony where Belle awaits him, Gaston follows and stabs him in the back. Gaston then falls to his death.

On the balcony now, Beast is dying.  Belle cries over his limp body. He has sacrificed himself by moving into his essence—a caring and loving being. But, in true Disneyesque fashion, as he breathes his last breath, the spell is broken, and a dramatic transformation takes place. He turns back into the prince, a handsome young man who must now convince Belle that he is the person she has come to love. She’s skeptical at first, but when she gazes deep into his eyes, she sees him for who he truly is, the one she fell in love with, sans fur and fierce teeth.

And then they kiss. And the spell is broken all over the castle. And they get married. Sigh.

Please enjoy this quick look at the beautiful love story. It shows in only a few minutes how identity/essence works. 

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Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. She writes Spiritual Truth…With A Giggle, thus proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. With a passion for story, she dissects movies on her Craft Cinema blog. Read the first chapters of her books at Fiction Finder and visit her at www.KathleenEKovach.com.

Writing With God’s Voice

I can’t think of anything more worshipful in my writing than removing myself from the equation and allowing God’s voice to penetrate through the storyline. Following is an article I wrote for CCWC’s unpublished prose contest in 2002. It has become my plumb line in all of my writing since. I share it now with you, and I pray that you, also, will come to realize that the most important voice with which to write is God’s.

IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE

By Kathleen E. Kovach

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

Okay, repeat after me, "If you want to be a writer, you have to find your own voice." We've all heard it, read it, and studied it. It's standard curriculum for Fiction Writing 101. So, for years I tried to find my own voice.

I wrote poetry in verse, free verse, two lines, two pages, Haiku, Limerick. I even tried typing them in little letters like e.e. cummings, then despite my thickness, realized it had already been done.

I wrote short stories and novelettes, using first person, third person, a dog's view, but nothing seemed to be uniquely my voice.

So, I went into reflective mode. What is my voice? Why should I even have a voice? Who am I? Why would anyone want to listen to me? What do I have to say that's so important?

Then, out of the fog I call my thought process, a voice clear and strong gave me the answer. "I am."

What?

"I am."

I shook my head. I am…what?

The voice cleared my head with an eternity of wisdom. "I am important".

Those words seeped into my heart, my soul, my very existence. I had written about God before, but had I written with His voice? Had I allowed Him to speak through my fingers? Or did I just run with the idea in my head, hoping that it made sense?

The next step in this new revelation was to learn how to recognize God's voice. Out came the concordance. Scripture after scripture, I proceeded to learn wonderful things about God's voice. It evokes obedience--yet entreats. It commands and confirms. It roars, strikes like flashes of lightening, shakes the desert, and breaks cedars--yet, it is hushed. It's powerful, majestic, like a trumpet--yet, it can ask a simple question. It can raise the dead. It shakes heaven and earth, it twists the oaks and strips the forest bare--yet, the sheep who love that voice know it and are comforted.

My mission was clear. I must set myself aside and write with God's voice. This was harder than I imagined. Too many times I let my own beliefs, or the particular soapbox I was on that week, infiltrate my work. I had to stop and use the criteria from that concordance exercise. Did the message roar, was it powerful or majestic? Would those who read it feel comforted--or convicted? Would they feel anything at all? The voice of God moves objects, unseals tombs, and changes convictions. If I wrote with God's voice, it would change minds and mend hearts. Those who know His voice would say, "Yes, that's right."

What a responsibility! I had written for years, yet it was not until I became a Christian that I had anything to say. Then, I had to be certain it was not my words, but God's.

I'm still working on taming my voice to step aside for greater wisdom. But if I look to Him, and listen to that still, small voice, my writing will be stronger for it, and more importantly, will reach those who need to hear it.

Oh, someone is knocking at my door. I hear His voice so it's time to let Him in, have a meal together, and put my pen to paper.

Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. She writes Spiritual Truth…With A Giggle, thus proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. Check out her books at www.FictionFinder.com.

www.KathleenEKovach.com

Just Because

I love November. Not just because of turkey and pumpkin pie. Not just because of fall colors. Not just because my beloved snow should show up in the second snowiest month in Colorado. Not just because any of these things, but because of all of them.

Plus, it’s my birthday month.

Ah ha! Now we get down to it. I’ve lived on this earth a smidge over a half-century, (Ack! That sounds really bad!) and it wasn’t until a smidge before that half-century that I was awarded with my first writing contract.

Am I grateful in this, the most thankful month, that my dream had been realized before I turned fifty?

Well, not just because of that.

I’m grateful because my LORD gave me the gift of turning story into something beautiful for Him. I’m grateful that He didn’t allow the spirit of “it’s too hard,” to enter my vocabulary. I’m grateful that somehow, when writing all those plays as a kid, poems during my teen angst, and volunteer newsletters after I became a mom, became a training ground for the bigger purpose.

What is the bigger purpose? Becoming a published author? No, the bigger purpose is the blessing God has put on my writing to reach untold numbers of hurting souls. I praise and thank God for that opportunity.

Yes. Just because of that.

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Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. Check out her books at www.FictionFinder.com.

www.KathleenEKovach.com

With A Giggle

A priest, a rabbi, and a Leprechaun enter a bar. . .

Humor. My forte. How did I ever miss my turn at posting when this was one topic I was so looking forward to?

I blame it on Margie. She did exactly as I requested and sent the topics to the blog writers early so we could be prepared. It threw off my rhythm.

Back to the topic. Humor.

My tag line is “Spiritual Truth. . .With A Giggle.” What I attempt to do is dig deep into my character’s souls, but present their story with light humor. For example, in God Gave the Song, Skye is dealing with deep abandonment issues, but I threw in an alpaca who clearly doesn’t like him. She’s normally a gentle sort who hums in contentment all the time, except when he’s around. His bewilderment creates a chuckle or two. 

In Crossroads Bay, Paul is trying to become independent in his catering business, but his little Spanish abuela (grandmother) is a constant deterrent. She’s so hard nosed, she becomes comical—to everyone except Paul.

And in Fine, Feathered Friend, due out this month, my comic relief is an African Gray Parrot  named Cyrano who tattletales Tim’s  affections to the lovely Glenys. This book is the closest to writing humorous that I’ve come so far.

(All three of the above books are in my Oregon series through Heartsong Presents.)

Mark Twain, the great American humorist says, “Humorists of the 'mere' sort cannot survive. Humor is only a fragrance, a decoration.”
- Mark Twain's Autobiography

This is what I strive for in my stories. I don’t want to be “uproariously funny,” I want to open hearts and minds to the truths that God has placed in my writing.

Mark Twain is also quoted as saying, “Humor is the good natured side of a truth.
- Mark Twain and I, Opie Read

This why I write with a giggle. Truth hurts, but humor is the sugar that makes the medicine go down. (Oh great, now I’ll be singing that song all day!)

Now. . .in direct contrast to what I’ve just told you:

A priest, a rabbi, and a Leprechaun enter a bar. The Leprechaun looks around and says, "Saints preserve us! I'm in the wrong joke!"

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Kathleen E. Kovach is a “peculiar person” in Christ and is often accused of following her own drummer—who, by the way, plays the bongos.  Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com. 

A Novel in 16 Weeks? Here’s how.

The topic this month is Time Management? How appropriate that I would remember it’s my day to blog twenty-five minutes before midnight. This is what I do. It’s how I roll. I serve an eleventh-hour God, and I am made in His image. Although, I doubt He waits until the last minute due to procrastination or forgetfulness.
Okay, enough of the excuses. Ironically, I’ve given talks on this very subject. I’ll give you a mini-lesson here on how to set up a goal sheet so you can finish your project on time.
You can use either the spreadsheet program on your computer or you can use paper. I caution, however, that if you use the antiquated spiral notebook, use a pencil, because you will inevitably be erasing. I like the computer because I can add or delete rows or change tasks as needed.
I’ll tell you how I set up my goals sheet, but feel free to change it for your own needs. Just keep it simple, or it will be more trouble than it’s worth.
All you need is two columns:

Week

Done X

Don’t worry about specific dates. Just know that you must accomplish whatever you’ve written down for the week. Please stop reading for a moment and access my goal planning sheet here. If that link doesn’t work, please email me and I’ll send it to you. This sheet will show you the guidelines I use for writing a novel in sixteen weeks.
And now, my disclaimer. This is my ideal goal sheet. Not every novel (or non-fiction work for that matter) is created equal. Each one is unique and needs more or less work in certain areas than other novels do. Goals get changed, rearranged, omitted, added. It becomes a living, breathing partner in the writing process. But I’m here to tell ya, my goal sheet comes in mighty handy when I’m faced with a four-month contract.
As you read my sheet, let me explain some of the tools I use. You may have other plotting tools. Or none. Whatever works for you.

• Skeleton – This is Randy Ingermanson’s brainchild.
• GMC – From a book by Debra Dixon. If you don’t have this book, and you’ve never learned about Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, order it today!
• SOP – Seat of the Pants. It helps me to write the first few chapters without plotting first to get a feel of the characters. I may not use these chapters in the final draft, but they’re important to get me into the rhythm of the story.
• ALL IN ONE – My term for a spreadsheet notebook I’ve created. It has several sheets to help me keep track and plot my story. I’ve discussed much of it on my blog.  Click on any of the four lessons titled, “Organize Yourself as a Writer.” You will note that the goal setting sheet is different from the one I’m showing you today. I started out using that one, but as I said. This sheet lives and breathes. It’s evolved for me, but if you prefer the one on the blog, that’s fine too.
• Highlight – This is from a class I took with Margie Lawson who presented the EDITS System. You can buy her lecture packet that includes this and other wonderful tools on her website. 
• Put aside – A story, like fine wine, needs to breathe. Around Week 12, I try to not look at it for as long as I can get away with and still meet my deadline. When I come back to it, I put on my critiquing glasses (not real ones, so don’t ask me where I bought them <grin>) and read objectively. The longer I let the story sit, the easier it is to pretend I’m just another reader.

Before I hear –  “But Kathy, this takes all the fun and spontaneity out of writing.” – let me remind you that this is a business.  If you are pursuing writing for profit, you must take the necessary steps to be successful. A goal planning sheet is one of those steps. And it’s not painful. I’ve done most of the work for you. Now, you can take this sheet and make it your own.
That is . . . if you can find the time.
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Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. A mom and grandmother, she lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com.

I Look On His Creation…and I Am Refreshed

Renewal. What a lovely word. Soft consonants, pleasant vowels. The very word makes one want to lay down in sweet grass and contemplate the clouds.

As you read this, I will be on my way to renewal, which for me translates to camping. All year long, I sit in my cluttered little office and stare at a computer screen. But when the weather begins to warm, my soul knows it will be set free for a season.

The poet comes out in me when I view God’s nature. I’ve compared a valley to God’s thumbprint and a mountain meadow to His sanctuary. If ever I feel dry and wordless, I simply return to His creation for my creativity.

Psalm 104 is a beautiful chapter on our creative God.

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul!
         O LORD my God, You are very great:
         You are clothed with honor and majesty,
² Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
         Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
³ He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
         Who makes the clouds His chariot,
         Who walks on the wings of the wind,
⁴ Who makes His angels spirits,
         His ministers a flame of fire.
⁵ You who laid the foundations of the earth,
         So that it should not be moved forever,
⁶ You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
         The waters stood above the mountains.
⁷ At Your rebuke they fled;
         At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
⁸ They went up over the mountains;
         They went down into the valleys,
         To the place which You founded for them.
⁹ You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
         That they may not return to cover the earth.
¹⁰ He sends the springs into the valleys;
         They flow among the hills.
¹¹ They give drink to every beast of the field;
         The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
¹² By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
         They sing among the branches.
¹³ He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
         The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
¹⁴ He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
         And vegetation for the service of man,
         That he may bring forth food from the earth,
¹⁵ And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
         Oil to make his face shine,
         And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
¹⁶ The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
         The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
¹⁷ Where the birds make their nests;
         The stork has her home in the fir trees.
¹⁸ The high hills are for the wild goats;
         The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.^[a]
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
         The sun knows its going down.
²⁰ You make darkness, and it is night,
         In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
²¹ The young lions roar after their prey,
         And seek their food from God.
²² When the sun rises, they gather together
         And lie down in their dens.
²³ Man goes out to his work
         And to his labor until the evening.
²⁴ O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
         In wisdom You have made them all.
         The earth is full of Your possessions—
²⁵ This great and wide sea,
         In which are innumerable teeming things,
         Living things both small and great.
²⁶ There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
         Which You have made to play there.
²⁷ These all wait for You,
         That You may give them their food in due season.
²⁸ What You give them they gather in;
         You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
²⁹ You hide Your face, they are troubled;
         You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
³⁰ You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
         And You renew the face of the earth.
³¹ May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
         May the LORD rejoice in His works.
³² He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
         He touches the hills, and they smoke.
³³ I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
         I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
³⁴ May my meditation be sweet to Him;
         I will be glad in the LORD.
³⁵ May sinners be consumed from the earth,
         And the wicked be no more.
         Bless the LORD, O my soul!
         Praise the LORD!

New King James Version (NKJV); Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. A mom and grandmother, she lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com.

Conference - A Word of Encouragement

I'm not scheduled to blog today, but I thought I'd slip in here since CCWC is...like...this week! I sent the following to our local loop yesterday.

Hello Rocky Mountain Zone!

As I'm sitting here in my office, listening to soaking praise music and loving my Lord Jesus, I feel compelled to write to you. The Colorado Christian Writers Conference is a mere two days away, and I know the emotions that swirl on this particular week every year.

First of all, for those who really wanted to go, but it just didn't work out this year, take heart. Put your faith in God and His perfect timing. Every year I hear about people who said they had really wanted to go but it didn't work out for one reason or another. Then afterward they knew why they weren't supposed to be there. Sometimes it was other things happening at home that they needed to attend to. Sometimes God blessed them in other ways regarding their writing careers or other aspects of their lives. At all times, they knew that God had intervened in their best interest. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28 NIV

I also know how the enemy likes to steal our joy. For those of you planning to come, but are finding one obstacle after another in your preparation, I'm going to introduce a radical thought. Praise God that this is happening! The enemy doesn't want you there because he knows God will receive the glory. "Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner." ~1 Peter 4:12-13 The Message

Consider in these next few days to soak in your Lord Jesus. Let no other voice but His speak to you. Play praise music, read your Bible, sit in His presence and listen to  His voice. Conferences come and go, but God is constant. He is the reason we want to write, so why not yield to His will regarding that calling. In other words: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~Phil 4:6 NIV

Remember that God loves you all, and whether you come to the mountain or not, be assured that He is with you wherever you are.


Blessings!
Kathy


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Kathleen E. Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director. CCWC was her first conference ever, and she praises God that He jump started her dream in May of 2002. To Him belongs all glory, and honor, and praise! www.KathleenEKovach.com

Supporting My Conference Habit

I love conferences. They're better than Starbucks. But slightly more expensive. I'm blessed to be able to use the money I've made from writing to, as my husband says, support my conference habit.

Why do I love conferences? Let me count the ways.

1. I don't have to make my bed. Yes. That is number one.
2. I don't have to cook my meals. That would tie for number one, but I'm automatically outlining here.
3. I get to see friends that are normally only one inch tall on my Facebook page.
4. I get to cram my head full of craft ideas from the workshops.
5. I get to meet editors that can further my career.

Number five is actually where I started with my first conference, CCWC. It was at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in 2002 that I met then editors Jim and Tracie Peterson in the early bird clinic for romance fiction. I guess I was one of the those in the right place at the right time that year. They went around the room asking us what careers our characters had. When I mentioned dolphin trainer, they both perked up, and Jim said he wanted to speak with me. I had an appointment with him anyway for later in the day. Jim was the acquisitions editor for new authors at the time. Without even knowing if I could write, he said he wanted to see the full manuscript. How often does that happen? I found out in the years following that this is very rare. But my character's career had never been done in a Barbour Heartsong Presents. I made them wait two years before turning it in. If you ask Jim today why I did that, he can mimic me to a T, she "wanted it to be perfect!"

Well, that story is far from perfect as I've learned a little more about the craft through subsequent conferences, but it was the best I had to offer at the time.

Something else wonderful happened at that conference. As if hearing an editor saying they want to see a full manuscript wasn't enough, God, in His all loving grace gifted me with a competition win. I took first place in the unpublished prose contest. No, that wasn't the wonderful thing, although it was terrific. When I walked back to my seat with my certificate clutched in my fingers, I heard God say, "What are we going to write next?" At that moment, He became my writing partner. I knew the years of dreaming, of sweating over a typewriter, of wondering when I would become a real writer had finally eclipsed.

Tracie Peterson had started a tradition at the annual ACFW conference that continues today, handing out contracts to new authors in the general assembly. So, in 2004, with the deafening applause of my peers, and huge smiles from my Writing Partner, I received the contract for Merely Players. That story is now available in the anthology Florida Weddings.

See why I like conferences?

I share this not to discourage those who haven't had this life changing experience, but to let you know it can happen to you. Go to conferences, read books on the craft, take advantage of the free resources available on the Web, like my blog, Craft Cinema. I was in my mid-forties when I attended that first conference. Not young, not old, but exactly where God wanted me.

I pray you have a conference experience soon where you know beyond any doubt that God is ready to partner with you. There is no greater feeling.

Except maybe the part about not making your bed.

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Kathleen E. Kovach is the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for ACFW, leads a local critique group called JOY Writers, and is an award winning author with five books out and one on the way. www.KathleenEKovach.com

Spiritual Thread Creates Character

This article should have been titled, "How To Weave the Spiritual Thread to Strengthen the Character Arc," but it was too long. I'm going to share how I use scripture to increase conflict and shape my characters.

Barbour's Heartsong Presents line requires a scripture verse. It's placed on the back cover copy and needs to reflect the story.

I sometimes don't know what the verse will be until I dig into the story, get to know my characters a little better and see their fears, their goals, their dreams. But once I have the verse, I make sure the story is filtered through it.

In Merely Players, (Available in the 3-1 Florida Weddings,) the verse is, "O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me." --Psalm 139:1

The story has to do with people who hide behind masks, but God knows who they really are. They run into trouble trying to be who they're not.

In God Gave the Song, the verse is, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." --Mark 11:25

Again, the main characters must come to terms with this verse. Their inner struggles happen when they go against it, when they refuse to forgive.

And in Crossroads Bay, the verse is, "This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" --Jeremiah 6:16

The heroine, Meranda, wants to do things her own way, follow the path of her own choosing rather than God's.

To keep the spiritual thread strong, remember that the character's inner struggle is because they're bucking that verse. Conflict = going against God's word. And then, of course, their epiphany comes when they finally align themselves with the verse. Masks come off, forgiveness prevails, there is yielding to God.

The spiritual thread is not only the way we minister in our stories, it helps us maintain a strong character arc, so that our people start at one end of the thread, but make their way to the other--stronger for it.

*****

Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. A mom and grandmother, she lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com.

My Checklist for Chocolate-Induced Content Edits

Ironic that I should kick off this month's topic, Editing and Revisions. I just finished an eleven page content edit for the third book in my contemporary Oregon series entitled Fine Feathered Friend (Barbour Heartsong Presents.) I rejoiced when I got that. At least it wasn't fifteen pages like the first book's edits.

I have a system when tackling edits of this nature. See if yours is similar.

1. I open the large, thick attachment with fear and trembling.
   
   
2. I peruse it, looking for key words and phrases. (Great job! Made me smile! You are the best, funniest, most talented author I have ever worked with!)
   
   
3. When I don't find those key words and phrases, I minimize the window and tear my kitchen apart for chocolate. I know I'm going to need it.
   


4. After a quick trip to the mini-market on the corner for chocolate, I open the window again and look at the comments with a more professional eye.


5. My particular editor goes chapter by chapter. Generally, I skim through it the first time, changing the easy stuff first rather than getting bogged down on something that requires major thread surgery. This bouys my confidence when I see that much of it is easy to fix. (In God Gave the Song, for instance, she suggested I change a rock to a boulder. Whatever. I did it.)


6. Then, I hit the things that require more thought, making sure my bowl of Hershey's Almond Toffee Milk Chocolate Nuggets is within reach. (In Fine Feathered Friend, she worried about the hero's grandfather and if he'd ever had the doctor's appointment that I had mentioned, and what was the outcome? Um...no, I totally forgot about it. And in the course of the story, I had to redo some things to show that he missed his appointment. And once you mess with a thread, you have to make sure that you haven't snipped it somewhere else along the line.)


7. I go item by item, checking off each one or making a notation. (Ask raptor center about this, talk to crit group about how to approach this, and my favorite, IGNORE!)


8. I try to leave enough time to read the entire story over again with all of my changes. This will, of course, prompt a little more tweaking, but is well worth it. (NOTE: If the editor has sent your manuscript for you to make track changes, DO NOT accept all of the changes unless instructed to do so. If you want to read a clean manuscript, save to a new document, then hit accept all.)


9. Satisfied with my changes, I send them back to my editor and finish off the bowl of chocolate as my reward.


10. I step up my Curves program to five days a week instead of three to get rid of the chocolate-generated fat on my thighs.

That's how I approach edits that come back from my publisher, but I utilize the principle in a similar way before sending it out in the first place. Attack the small stuff, assault the larger picture, annihalate the bowl of chocolate. Regroup at Curves.

*********

Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has three books published with two more contracted. A mom and grandmother, she lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com.

Are You Split on Romance?

This month, in honor of Valentine's Day, the Inkwell authors will talk about romantic elements, whatever that means in their writing. Not all of us are "romance" authors, but I'd wager that most of us write romance to some degree. The percentage of how much space that romance takes on the page determines whether it can fall into that category.

Valid genres include Romantic Suspense, Romantic Comedy, Mystery Romance, etc. These have strong elements of both. I write straight romance for Heartsong Presents. They require 50/50 romance, where both points of view are represented, and we see a clear romance thread between both the hero and heroine.

How do you know whether you've woven the romance thread for both points of view equally? To answer that, let me tell you about a character named Meranda Drake. She's my heroine in the next Oregon book, Crossroads Bay, due out soon. Meranda is a charter boat captain with her sites set on--no, not a man, but a treasure of coins. This character gave me such fits because she's a tomboy, focused on her quest, and clearly not needing a man no matter how cute I made him. Through the first few chapters I kept pleading with her, "Meranda, I know the coins are important, but come on! Paul is standing right there practically drooling for you and you can't see it." It wasn't until she realized one day that she needed to talk to Paul over a disturbing event in her life that she finally started having romantic feelings for him. It was then that she started talking to me like a girl instead of a boat captain.

Crossroads Bay very nearly became a mystery with romantic elements because of my tough as nails heroine. But once we got to the point where she saw in Paul what I saw in him, I could go back and edit in little hints of interest to create that 50/50 requirement.

Flashback to my first Heartsong book, Merely Players, (available in the 3-in-1 Florida Weddings.) I couldn't keep the hero and heroine apart. She was supposed to be mad at him for forgetting about her for ten years, but she kept caving. Then I would have to remind her why she was mad at him by creating conflict. I don't know how many times I wrote a kissing scene and had to delete it.

So, find the balance in your own writing. Do you want to be known as a mystery romance writer? Then pump up the romance to equal the mystery. Do you want to write for Heartsong Presents, Steeple Hill's Love Inspired, or others that requre the 50/50 romance? Be sure that both povs have the strong romantic thread.

For a visual on the 50/50 romance, watch the movie Ever After with Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott. Both romance threads weave together so beautifully they appear to dance.

*********

Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has three books published with two more contracted. A mom and grandmother, she lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. Visit her online: www.craftcinema.blogspot.com, www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com, www.KathleenEKovach.com.

Minor Characters That Strike a Chord

So, if it wasn't hard enough to develop your main characters, now it's necessary to pull your minor characters off the page! Why? I don't know. I heard that somewhere.

And ever since I heard it, I've worked at making those walk-ons people the reader wants to get to know better. At least, that's the goal.

So, how do you give depth to a character that is in only one scene? Well, in Merely Players, (currently available through Amazon in the 3-in-1 bundle, Florida Weddings) I had a character show up in the last quarter of the book. He was a helicopter pilot tasked by the hero to take him over a hurricane devastated area so he could find the girl he nearly left behind--for the second time. At first, I wrote this character into a long scene that I had to cut, so I knew quite a bit about him by the time I was through. In the end, instead of spouting off about his war missions, I simply gave him a ball cap that read "POW-MIA Lest We Forget." Now, we instantly know that since he's flying a Vietnam era copter and has that hat on, this man has a history. He's not just a flat walk-on.

In God Gave the Song, available here, I had a blast creating a gaggle of hippies, all fifty-ish women who still went by the names Lark, Daisy, Saffron, Quail, and Emerald Dawn. Oh, and Agnes, who, according to the hero, Skye, could have benefited from a flowery name.

In the following excerpt, I use description to give an earthy, tie-dyed, groovy picture of the Bohemian flock:

Paul noticed Skye and shook his hand. “Hey, glad you could make it. Ruthanne called me to say you were coming.” He looked down at her. “I notified the girls.”

Her hand flew to her open mouth. “You didn't!”

Skye looked at Ruthanne and then at Paul. “The girls?”

Ruthanne's gaze darted around the foyer as she placed her hand on Skye's arm. “Four of Hannie's friends. They are remarkable artisans and have sort of formed a club with Hannie as their leader.”

“What? Like the Ya-Ya Crafthood?”

“Something like that. They're all about the same age and—”

“There he is!”

Skye turned at the sound of a woman fast approaching him, her sandaled feet slapping the tiled floor. Short, burgundy hair adorned her head, and she seemed weighted down with the turquoise jewelry around her neck and on each finger. Three other women trailed after her like naturally greying tails on a brightly colored kite.

Oh, great! Granola-fueled earth mothers.


For a visual on how this is done, watch Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. Jimmy Stewart has a broken leg and to pass the time, he watches his apartment dwelling neighbors out his window. We never meet any of the minor characters that he observes, but we know all about them by their actions. The most poignant being the one nicknamed Miss Lonely Heart, who can't seem to get an even break with the men she brings home. Just when it looks like she's about ready to kill herself with pills, a song drifts into the courtyard from the musicians that Stewart is also watching. She stops and listens to the song, and we know that she's decided not to commit suicide. Later, we see her in the apartment with the band, telling them how much she loves that song, and we know the song saved her life.

Minor characters should have their own song to sing, and it's up to us, the writers, to allow them their spotlight.

How Big Is Your Goldfish Bowl?

Funny thing about goldfish. They only grow to the size of their bowl. At least, that's what I've heard. I'm not a fish person.

You can feed them Ben & Jerry's Double Chocolate Gummy Worm ice cream, and they still won't outgrow their bowl. Why? I don't know. This isn't an article about fish.

It's an article about writing. And more specifically, your writing, and your place in the writing world.

Are you content to call your writing a hobby? If so, then that's fine. You will be very happy in your bowl with plenty of room to swim. But if you want to bust out of that bowl, there are steps to take, and they don't involve eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream, with or without worms.

First, you must start calling yourself an author. Seems a pretty simple step, but you'd be surprised at how hard that is for some people. Do you write? Anything? For publication, hopefully, someday? Then you're an author.

Second, treat it as a job. No, you can't write only when the muse hits you if you are an author. Set a time and place to do your job. If you can only manage an hour on Saturdays at the local McDonalds while your kids are in McPlayland, that's fine. But stick to it. That's your part-time writing job. I suggest clocking in and out as you would any job. You can do that in a notebook or you can create a spreadsheet. I have directions on how to set up your own on my blog.

Third, network. No, this doesn't mean spending all your time on Facebook. Um. . .don't go looking at my profile. By network, I mean meet people who can further your career. Go to conferences to talk to editors and agents. Join ACFW and other writing organizations. Talk to successful authors to see how they got as far as they did.

Hobbies are fine. And if you're content with writing an article here, a devotion there, playing with your novel, no one is saying that's wrong. But if you feel deep down into your soul that this could be a career for you, start calling yourself an author.

Learn. Grow. Leap out of that bowl!

***
Kathleen E. Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director and has published four books with two more contracted. For tips on organization, go to http://www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com/ and find "Organize Yourself as a Writer" in the label section.

Picture above is attributed to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anothersarah/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Research - Here and There

I'm writing this from my sister's computer in Oregon. Gotta love sis. Shari was my tour guide along with her husband Neil and my mom Ruth last year when I needed to research my southern Oregon series. Kudos must also go to my hubby Jim who chauffeured all of us in our rented car.

At that time, we visited all three places where my stories were located. Ashland, Coos Bay, and Shady Cove/Crater Lake. It was fun visiting with my family while working, and claiming that trip on my taxes was the icing on the cake.

I've written the first two of the series. and found that research to be invaluable. The smells in Ashland's Lithia Park, the feel of the air on the coast, the vast beauty of Crater Lake...all accomplished by physically being there.

This year, besides wanting to see my 88 year-old mom, I wanted to take the opportunity to visit Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene. The predatory bird sanctuary is the setting for my third book, but I'm going use my writer's Free Pass card and set it in a picturesque little town (Shady Cove) just miles from Crater Lake. We'll be going there the end of next week, so I won't be blogging about it here, but please watch for updates at kathleenekovach.blogspot.com and Facebook.

If you're able to go to the places you're writing about, it can enhance your story so much. But if not, the internet is such a fabulous resource. I've not only checked out obvious sites, but also blogs of people with the same passions as my character. For the first book, God Gave the Song, I found blogs of people who raise alpacas. Some of my scenes in that book came straight from those blogs, including a game where a cria (baby alpaca) loved to play a game of "let's bounce off mommy." For the second book, Crossroads Bay, I found sites dedicated to clubs focused on historic tall ships since my heroine is related to Sir Frances Drake, and her great-great grandfather was a shipbuilder who lost a ship just off the coast. (Yes, modern day treasure hunts and pirates ensue!) And for Fine Feathered Friend, I became a Facebook "fan" of the raptor center and have gleaned much from the people who post their status.

Look for the different ways to research your novels. Think outside the box. Your stories will come to life if you visit your settings, but if that's impossible try to tap into people with the same passions as your characters.

God Gave The Song should be available soon at www.heartsongpresents.com. Read about two people with abandonment issues and the melodious alpaca who helps them heal.

***
Kathleen E. Kovach is the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for ACFW. Her Web site is www.KathleenEKovach.com

Book Covers & Sonograms

One of the best things about becoming an author is the day you open your email and find your publisher has sent the first glimpse of the artwork that will soon become your cover. These “glimpses” are called mockups.

One of the best things about becoming a grandmother is seeing the sonogram for the first time. A sonogram is the ultrasound picture that allows you the first glimpse of your grandbaby.

Last week I saw the sonogram of my fourth grandchild.

I also received the mockup of the cover for my fourth book.

Sonograms show a work in progress.

Mockups also show a work in progress.

When you see the first sonogram you either think, “What a cute little face.” or “What a cute little inkblot.”

When you see your first mockup, you either think, “This is perfect! The artist catches my vision of this story!” or “What were they thinking? Did they even read the five page form I sent of every minute detail?”

The baby in the sonogram finally makes an appearance. You either think: “What an absolutely beautiful red-faced raisin.” or “Kinda looks like your Uncle Fred,” if it’s a boy. “Kinda looks like your Uncle Fred,” if it’s a girl.

Mockups finally arrive on your doorstep attached to real books. You either think: “I’m proud to have my name stamped on the front of this cover.” or “Where’s the Wite-Out?”

Yes. I’ve had both reactions to my covers. The good thing about a book cover over a baby is that if you have an author-oriented publisher like mine, they allow you to suggest changes.

My three grandchildren and Inkblot? Absolutely gorgeous. Every one of them!

Kathleen E. Kovach is an award winning author, leader of the local critique group JOY Writers, and the Rocky Mountain Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathy lives in northeast Colorado with her husband of over three decades. She has two sons, three grandchildren (and an inkblot), and two grandpets - all of whom, at one point or another, have taken advantage of the revolving door on her empty nest. She is the creator of two blogs: www.kathleenekovach.blogspot.com and www.craftcinema.blogspot.com. Please visit her website at www.KathleenEKovach.com.

Why Do You Doubt?

Our church has been going through a video series during our Sunday School class called, Faith Lessons--In the Dust of the Rabbi. In it evangelical historian Ray Vander Laan takes a group of people through the holy land and teaches history and practical application. It's a great series.

Recently, we watched the group climb a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Ray tells the crowd that Jesus went here after the feeding of the five thousand. He had just told the disciples to get into a boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida, which was across the lake. Ray asserts that they probably didn't want to go because of the squalls that took place in this part of the lake, dubbed "The Abyss." (This isn't in my Bible, but Ray, as a historian has other geographical resources.)

As they fatefully predicted, a huge squall came up and they strained against the oars. Ray tells the group that Jesus was no doubt sitting on the mountain and watching them the whole way. About the fourth hour, (probably around four o'clock in the morning,) Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. He nearly passes them by because he was intent on getting to Bethsaida, as he said he would. But did Jesus not see them out there struggling? Or was this a faith lesson for the disciples who didn't understand the miracle of the five loaves and two fish? (Mark 6:52)

They see him walking by on the water and fear it's a ghost. I mean, seriously. Who else would be walking on the water? No doubt, if I'd been in that boat, miles from the shore, I wouldn't have thought my rabbi would be chancing by. He tells them "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Matthew 14:28 picks up the story. Peter calls out to him. "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." And Jesus says, "Come." Poor impetuous Peter. Wanting to be just like his Lord, he jumps out of the boat, but fearing the wind--promptly sinks. Jesus shakes his head and says, "Why do you doubt?" as he fishes him out and escorts him back to the boat.

This is where Ray posed a question that had us discussing at great length later. "What did he doubt?" Jesus? Why would that be? Jesus is still only toes deep in the water. The conclusion was that he doubted himself.

Okay. Let's look at the big picture here. Jesus gives the disciples a directive. "Go to Bethsaida and I will meet you there." They all hop in the boat, grumbling. They'd just seen the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and still didn't quite get it. (Our class decided this was a faith lesson for them.) Just as they feared, they hit a storm, and what do they do? Panic! In the meantime, Jesus is watching them from the hill. Once they're good and scared, he heads out onto the lake. Then, during one of their most dramatic lessons, they doubt.

You know where I'm going, don't you?

In 2002, I received a clear directive from God. "Write, and I will partner with you." At various intervals along the way, I have felt the squalls of life threaten to capsize my dream. Where is Jesus? I cry out.

He's on the hill watching me. Seeing how I will do. Probably shaking his head as I panic when the words don't come, and when they do they sound amatuerish. He says, "Oh, Kathy," when I want to quit because an editor has torn at my precious story, slashing and ripping at the carefully placed concepts like fierce winds to a sail. Finally, at the fourth hour, He gets up, and walks toward our previously agreed upon destination. I want to be like my Lord. I try, yet I fail, and He asks me "Why do you doubt?" He hasn't changed. I don't doubt Him. I know He will partner with me. I know His will for me is to produce written witnesses. I know He is still standing there, waiting for me to "get it."

Why do I doubt myself?

Sound familiar?

If you're in a storm, take heart. Jesus is watching to see how you'll do. To see if you've grown in your faith. Every trial is a strengthening exercise. And once you "get it," you will be able to walk with Him hand in hand. Safely. Without getting wet.

I have my toe in the water. Anyone joining me?