Rachel Starr Thomson

This post lifted from a promotional e-mail sent out by Writer’s Digest, complete with links. It’s a great explanation of why I decided to go to this conference — and why you, if you want to write professionally, may want to consider attending one as well. (If you decide that you simply have to be in New York this September, let me know so we can meet up!)

Writer’s Digest Conference
The Business of Getting Published
September 18 – 20
The Marriott Marquis
Times Square
New York

If you’re serious about achieving success as a published author, you should be at the Writer’s Digest Conference in September. Here’s why:

1.) You’ll get a one-on-one, professional evaluation of where you are in your career.
The Writer’s Digest team interacts daily with writers from all walks of life, with deep experience evaluating publishing materials. At your one-on-one editor meeting, a Writer’s Digest editor will review your writing and show you what paths are available to you, where you should focus your energy, and how to position yourself for greatest success.  Register and submit a writing sample by September 1 and you may be one of 10 people invited to also meet one-on-one with a literary agent. Click here for more details.

2.) You’ll learn the ins and outs of marketing and promoting your writing.
Once a book is accepted and published, a writer’s job is just starting. Successful authors know it takes time and energy to market and promote a book, both on your own and in partnership with the publisher. Writer’s Digest Conference shows you how the marketing and promotion process works, both in person, online, and with social media tools.

3.) You’ll start building relationships for long-term success.
Having a successful career as an author means you need to start building relationships with other writers, authors and industry people TODAY—not when you need something. At Writer’s Digest Conference, you’ll meet and interact with other writers, editors, agents and industry experts.

4.) You’ll move your career online.
If you’ve been holding off on starting that author website, building that blog, or jumping into Twitter, then this conference will show you best practices in the field. Don’t wait to start until you have a book ready to sell–you need to get known BEFORE the book deal. You can do that online—and we’ll show you how.

5.) You’ll learn nuts-and-bolts information not covered in most writing conferences.
Most writing conferences focus on helping you hone the craft of writing, but being a good writer is only half the puzzle. You need to know how to find your audience through publishing, promoting and selling your writing.

Take the next step to make your writing career a success.

Click here to register now!

I just finished the working outline for The Advent! I am really excited about the way the book has shaped up. Of course, “finished” is a funny word — in this case, the outline will continue to be “working” until the book is actually written. I do have some ideas to tweak and two plot lines to tie up, but I think I may wait and see how they flow once the book is actually being written.

The best thing about this announcement is that I’d written “Finish Advent outline” as a goal for this week, but I didn’t think it was going to happen. I just got to cross it off the list, making myself feel mighty productive. And now, with an actual plan in place, writing can commence.

See you on the other side!

P.S. Wondering what in the world I’m talking about? Download a free copy of Worlds Unseen, the first book in The Seventh World Trilogy, which will finish up in December 2010 with the publication of The Advent. Or you can purchase Worlds Unseen or Burning Light at these links or from any major online retailer.

There’s nothing like importance to bring on total professional paralysis.

The Advent, let there be rejoicing, is shaping up really well in outline form just now; I think it’s finally done bursting out in useless fits and starts and is shaping into a story. But part of its difficulty getting to this point is that it feels important: it’s the end of a series, it deals with heavy issues, I want it to be really good.

All this week I’ve been struggling with paralysis in another area.

I’m going to a Writers Digest Conference in September, and all attendees get to submit something ahead of time for use in a 15-minute critique with an editor. Ten attendees will be chosen to meet with an agent as well, on the strength of their submission. We have a few options, and two are relevant to me.

1. A query letter for a finished novel.
2. A self-published book.

I have both — a query for Angel in the Woods, and of course Worlds Unseen and Burning Light in book form. The conference is unusual in that it addresses marketing and other concerns for both self- and traditionally published authors, and a few of the sessions will address transitioning from one to the other.

What would YOU have submitted?

I mulled this choice for days and finally decided to send a query for Angel. The biggest factor in that decision? IF something crazily wonderful was to happen and the materials I submit were to catch the attention of an agent or editor and actually lead to publication (a big, REALLY BIG “if,” I know), I’ll be happiest if The Advent can keep on its current trajectory without interruption.

Anyway, I sent the query about an hour ago. The paralysis of importance is over; now is the hour of the potential agony of regret :). Who knew freelancing was such emotionally fraught work?

I’ve heard it said that every writer has two books: the one in his head, and the one that ends up on paper. CSFF Blogger Julie did an interview with Robin Parrish in which he says,

There was also a desire on my part to do a story that was totally character-driven. The Dominion Trilogy was a blast to write, but the most common feedback I got about it was that it was very plot-driven. Not that that’s a bad thing, necessarily, but the most resonant and emotional stuff does usually come from character-driven storytelling. I wanted to prove that I could do both, so I’m very pleased with the fact that Offworld is entirely driven by these very three-dimensional characters and their needs, emotions, and decisions.

Question is, did it work? I think yes. Lyn of ResAliens agrees:

The author’s strength is character driven stories – good people with angst set in compelling situations with enough reality based conflict to give the fantastical elements of the story their appeal. I like spec fic but I like good characters and story telling best. And Parrish delivers.

The process of writing is a struggle to form a vision so clear you can put it into words; to find words so perfect they express the vision. Offworld has inspired a lot of people to ask whether Christian fiction should be more overtly Christian, whether sci-fi ought to include more sci-, whether car chases really belong in a novel and not on a screen. Perhaps because I’m incurably nosy about creative processes, I find myself asking other questions: Did the author tell the story he wanted to tell? Did he get those car chases on paper, or are they still blazing through his head somewhere, unable to be truly expressed in words?

I enjoyed Julie’s interview and especially Parrish’s comment about wanting to prove that he could write two kinds of stories. That’s the kind of challenge that excites me as a writer: Can I cross that horizon? Can I conquer that territory? The answer is always “I hope so — let’s see.”

For me, a major horizon is expressing my Christian faith through fiction. I write nonfiction articles on faith all the time, but I shy away from triteness with all my soul, and I can’t seem to express Christianity in fiction without being trite. Fantasy fiction is the closest I can come, as I can explore and express the supernatural with such abandon. Someday I want to write a “real-life” novel about faith, just to prove I can — to myself as much as to anyone else.

This post wraps up the CSFF Blog Tour for Offworld. Check out the list of other posters on Becky Miller’s blog, and leave a comment here. I’ll be giving away a copy of Robin Parrish’s book next week, so check back!

Two of my books are bestsellers: Worlds Unseen (fiction) and Heart to Heart: Meeting With God in the Lord’s Prayer (nonfiction). No, you won’t find them listed in major newspapers alongside Harry Potter or The Shack, but they’re squarely at the top of the Little Dozen Press Bestseller List.

Self-publishing has been a challenging venture, and a fun one. I don’t self-publish because I’ve given up on breaking into traditional publishing, on the contrary, I’m still sending out query letters and making plans in that direction. Nor am I doing it because I believe it’s necessarily a “better” way to get into print. I’m doing it because I wanted to learn more about the business side of publishing, earn a little extra cash, and most importantly, reach readers.

That’s what I love most about my bestsellers. I’ve sold over 100 copies of Heart to Heart from the back table at Soli Deo Gloria Ballet productions, especially Father, which uses Heart to Heart as the basis of its narrative sections. As an author, it’s a humbling and amazing experience to share my work with people in such a personal way, and when they buy a book, they’re taking home something that’s a part of me and allowing me to carry on a conversation about God with them.

In April, I spoke at a couple of homeschool conferences and was excited by the reception given to Worlds Unseen (I sold out). I wrote Worlds six or seven years ago and never really thought others would get a look at it — it was one of those manuscripts destined to go under my bed. But I knew it was good enough to be read, and I’m having so much fun now, sharing it with other people, discussing the concepts of fiction and fantasy with them, bringing the story to life all over again.

Wherever my writing journey ultimately takes me, my Little Dozen bestsellers will always have a special place in my history. They’ve brought me readers, and readers are the most valuable gift any writer can have.

(By the way, if you’ve read either of these books, would you consider writing a review and posting it on Amazon.com and BN.com? If you haven’t read them and would like to, you can purchase them from those retailers, order them through your local bookstore, or buy them through www.rachelstarrthomson.com.)

Before I’d even seen Pendragon: Sword of His Father, I knew I wanted to interview its creators. Marilyn Burns, who stars as Wenneveria in the film but also handled other film creation aspects — from cowriting the score to designing costumes to helping with a million logistical details — was kind enough to grant me an interview. As I’m a writer, I wanted to know especially about the writing of Pendragon. Enjoy!

Rachel: Every good movie starts with a good screenplay. What was the process of writing the Pendragon screenplay like? Who really took the role of screenwriter?

Marilyn: The Pendragon screenplay was written as a joint effort by the team… which (although it definitely led to some interesting debates!) allowed to us to incorporate good ideas from every member of our team.

The script writing process began when our team got together for a week-long trip over Christmas break. The distance between our families was a challenge, but we continued to work long distance, and got together many times to work over the next year or so.

Each person had a slightly different role in the process – Chad kept everyone on task, I used a laptop to organize our ideas, Aaron and Nick generally provided a little comic relief… The younger kids always had plenty of ideas as well, and the parents would stop in now and again to offer suggestions. There was never any lack of opinions!

Rachel: Those of us who write books know that a story will change considerably from our original idea as we encounter obstacles, new ideas, and creative spurts. Did you find this to be true in the writing of Pendragon?

Marilyn: Definitely! The process of creating the story and writing the script took several years, and the final version was definitely much different from our original concept.

It was often a struggle to create a unified storyline from the many different ideas offered by each team member, but we hope that the final product allowed us to create a powerful story with a strong and unified message.

Rachel: Pendragon is based on one of the great archetypal stories of all time: the story of Arthur, King of Britain. Your Web site calls Pendragon “an exciting historical fantasy.” How much would you say is history, and how much is fantasy? Did research influence or change the story, or did you do most of the research before writing the story?

Marilyn: The story is based on the few facts which are actually known about the character Artos or Arturius, a British general who later became the basis of the legend of King Arthur. Pendragon is a name referring to this British leader, and his standard – literally “head of Dragons.” We mainly avoided the later legendary material, and built our own fantasy on the general historical setting, and the few factual elements which are known.

We did a great deal of general research before beginning the script, and specific research later, as we were developing concept art for props and costumes, etc.

Rachel: My sisters and I watched the credits with our fingers on the “Pause” button so we could read them in depth. I was impressed by how much YOU did–writing music, designing costumes, playing a starring role, and more. Did you know what you were getting into when you began this project? Out of all the hats you wore, which was your favourite? Which was the biggest stretch for you?

Marilyn: We definitely had no idea what we were getting into when we began the project! Balancing each of our many roles was definitely one of the biggest challenges for our team. (Not to mention that many of us had jobs or were going to school full-time “on-the-side”! :) The scope of the project grew as we worked on it, so the final outcome was on a much grander scale than what we had originally envisioned. It’s probably a blessing we didn’t know what we were getting into at the beginning, or we may never have started!

Personally, my favorite job was probably the hands-on creative aspect. Imagining a fantastic costume or prop and then setting about turning that into a tangible object. The ingenuity required to do it on our budget just added to the challenge, but it was great fun. One of my favorite creations was Ambrosius’ leather armor – it is constructed from a set of covered hockey pads… just add leather! :) The music was also a lot of fun, and wearing the costumes… and the opportunity to talk with kids was definitely my favorite part of playing the “princess” role.

Rachel: Some Christian artists feel that Christian art, whether it’s music, movies, books, etc, shouldn’t be based around a particular message. Others feel that communicating certain truths is the whole point. Pendragon obviously doesn’t shy away from communicating messages. Of these, which do you feel is most important? If your viewers could come away with one truth burned in their hearts by the movie, what truth would you want that to be?

Marilyn: Our goal with Pendragon was definitely to communicate a clear message – we hope to inspire viewers to embrace the specific challenge that God has for their lives. “The One who gave the Vision still calls…”

Rachel: And of course, the Most Obvious Question: is Burns Family Studios working on another film?

Marilyn: Our goal at Burns Family Studios is to produce Christ-centered historical action films that will inspire and encourage – up till now this is a genre almost untouched by other Christian film makers. Our current goal is to pay off Pendragon‘s creditors, and lay a financial foundation for the next film, which we hope will have a significantly larger budget and broader reach. Stay tuned…

Many times I have read the writing advice, “If you’re going to be a writer, you just have to write — park yourself in a chair and write something every day, no matter how small” and nodded sagely, smug in the knowledge that I do that. I write. The park-self-in-chair method has worked rather well for me, producing over 14 book-length manuscripts (I haven’t counted recently), not including short stories or articles.

But lately that advice makes me squirm. I haven’t written in weeks. No nonfiction other than marketing letters and press releases for Hiding Place; certainly no fiction. Write for fun? It’s been ages. I am so busy doing writing-related work that I have no time to write!

(This blog is an obvious exception. It’s either keeping my skills whetted or stealing valuable fiction time — you judge which.)

For now, I’m going to take this as a season. Objectively speaking, my plate is heaped Everest-high, and it can be good to take a sabbatical from any discipline now and again. Objectively speaking, my plate will shrink back down to normal about mid-May. Then I will write again, and all these months of character-stretching work, ministry, and new experiences will have made me a better, more mature, more capable person, and that will spill over into my stories. I hope.

In the meantime, if you haven’t read any of my writing, there’s a lot of it on this site :). You can read Taerith,  a novel about a young wanderer at the crossroads of good and evil, in its entirety. Or check out Letters to a Samuel Generation, a collection of essays on walking with God. “Journey” is an allegory in the vein of Pilgrim’s Progress. Worlds Unseen, my first fantasy novel, is available for download as a PDF, as is Part One of Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled. Or, if you feel like supporting a starving artist, you can even buy books ;).

And if you do read any of the above? Please, leave me a comment and let me know. Even writers who aren’t writing love to know they’re being read.

Early early this morning I said goodbye to an editing project I’ve been working on since November: Wayback, by Sam Batterman, coming from VMI Publishers in May. Wayback combines three of my favourite things: science, speculation, and faith. It follows a team of scientists as they travel through time to the antediluvian world — that is, the world just before Noah’s Flood.

Last night I sat down to give it a final proofreading, so I got to see how all the changes Sam and I made have come together to create a better story. I ended up working until 2:00 in the morning, but what fun. While you were snug in your beds, I had a front-row seat to the most cataclysmic event in history.

Today I start editing a book about a family in a small Michigan town, and I printed out 322 pages of YA fantasy for critique. I have the best job in the world.

As I finish up this week of blogging, I want to remind you that I want to hear about your journeys in writing. Have you written or published a book, learned something really cool about writing, or undergone a creative overhaul lately? Let me know! I’m always looking for Wednesday passages, interviewees, and links of interest to young writers.

I’ll finish up with a few words from a young writer in England who wrote to me last fall. Judith Elizabeth is a regular commenter around here, and she had some great things to share about her own writing journey and her vision for ministry through fiction. I asked her if I could share some of her letter here, and she graciously gave me permission. Enjoy!

Dear Rachel,

Hello from England! My name is Judith Elizabeth Allen. I found your website via Boundless, after reading your article ’20-Something Reasons to Live at Home.’ I’m 24 and I live at home with my parents and my three younger sisters, so I definitely appreciated your perspective and encouragement in that article! :) Since I discovered it, I’ve enjoyed exploring your website and reading your blog – commenting, too! (One of the “Elizabeths” who comments on your blog is me!) It’s been a real encouragement …

A little introduction … I’m a home-school graduate and a writer. I’ve written for most of my life – I actually have the very first story I ever wrote, when I was 4! When I was 12 I dreamed-up, designed, illustrated and wrote a series of historical paper dolls and my parents published them – I sold about 10,000. (Although, you wouldn’t think so, judging from the number of books I have left!) When I was 14 I wrote my first (short) novel. And when I was 16 and graduated, I decided to be writer – before being a wife and a mother! “Being a writer” has always, I must admit, been one of the many things I’ve done since graduating – I help my father with ministry, I’m a “housedaughter” and help my mother with housekeeping and homemaking, I help my younger sisters with school, I’ve helped young home-schooling mothers with small children and babies … and more! I’ve written as much as possible and learned a lot just by writing – stories of all shapes and sizes and novels short and long. Now I’ve completed one “serious” novel and I’m editing two more – intended to be a trilogy. I’m also planning more novels – enough to keep me busy until I’m 80, at least!

Judith went on to talk about her passion for writing as a way to reach into the prevailing culture and bring change. I applaud her mission, as it’s one I share.

One of my passions as a writer is for children. Every time I walk into a high street bookstore here in England, it breaks my heart to see the books being sold for children between eight and sixteen. There are still some old classics (‘Anne of Green Gables,’ ‘Little Women,’ ‘The Famous Five,’ ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ ‘Swallows and Amazons’) available, but most of the books are modern novels – about illicit-romance and black-magic, mostly. Illicit-romance is presented as desirable and good and black-magic is presented as harmless and fun. When I was a child, the boys and girls I read about in novels were my heroes and heroines. Some people “suggest” children may unconsciously imitate the attitudes and behaviours of the people they read about in books. I know children do consciously and deliberately imitate the attitudes and behaviours of their heroes and heroines and it breaks my heart to know children are looking up to boys who practice black-magic and girls who experience illicit-romance. I would so, so, so love to write books – good, exciting, adventurous books – about children and teens who live in strong families and have good male/female role-models and overcome evil with good. The stats. for depression in children are heartbreakingly high here in England and I would love, somehow, to write books that break through the darkness that surrounds modern children and bring them a message of hope …

My other passion as a writer is for our generation. There are countless strong, wonderful Christians in our generation … but there are many (here in England, anyway!) that are floundering in disillusionment and doubt and apathy and purposelessness. I believe with all my heart that G-d has SO much more for Christians! History is the ultimate adventure and romance, the ultimate fight between good and evil in the hearts and souls of mankind, the ultimate “epic” … G-d’s “epic.” History is also full of men and women – REAL heroes and heroines – who had unshakable faith in G-d … who lived and died for Him … who gave up everything to answer His call and defended His truth with their last breath. And although history is full of evil and injustice, history is also full of some of the things our generation is craving – lasting romance, strong families, men who were men and women who were women. Just writing about it in this letter sends shivers down my spine! I want to write novels that capture a reflection of G-d’s “epic,” that present our generation with the heroes and heroines of our Judo-Christian heritage, that uphold the “Garden of Eden Ideals” we’ve lost sight of … and through fiction based on historical events and imaginary characters based on historical ones, inspire our generation to stand up and be counted for G-d … even if (especially when!) being counted for G-d means giving up everything to answer His call and using one’s last breath to defend His truth.

On that powerful note, I’m signing out for the weekend. See you all on Monday!