My Thanks as a Writer

Happy Thanksgiving! May this be a time of remembrance for all God has done and a time to celebrate with family and friends.

This week I would like to share the latest Holiday newsletter I'm sending out to my subscribers. And in it are plenty of reasons I give thanks as a writer this past year, especially to God for allowing me to minister His word through the art of storytelling:

Hello and welcome to the 2009 holiday newsletter for author Lauralee Bliss!
I can’t believe it’s been so long—nearly a year—since I last sent out a full newsletter. And it’s strange, too, as this has been a tremendous year of blessing as far as my writing goes, as you’ll soon see in the NEWS section. But I’ve learned so much and continue to grow as I write and seek new opportunities to minister through the written word. I hope to communicate with you more often as doors open and I see where the journey of writing leads me.

NEWS
Shortly after I sent out last year's holiday newsletter, I received news from the Heartsong fiction editor at Barbour that they were contracting a three book series based in the lovely state of Utah. The first book should be going to press soon, as I just completed the galleys. Book one, entitled Love’s Winding Path, based on the Prodigal Son story and set in Moab, Utah near Arches National Park, will feature rafting on the Colorado, among other things. And what better way than to experience storymaking firsthand, so my husband and I spent a few weeks this past June doing just that. We explored Utah for this series as well as some of the beautiful national parks in the Pacific Northwest. Here’s a link to my Facebook page and the wonderful places we saw. Also check my hiking blog for one of my adventures scaling Lassen Peak in the snow!

I have several new releases out this holiday season. The first of my Christmas releases is Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Summerside Press (of which we journeyed to the lovely town of Bethlehem to see the town in winter along with the beautiful snow covered mountains). Check out my Bethlehem Blog for reviews and the history of this interesting town set in northern New Hampshire. My second holiday novel is A Blue and Gray Christmas that I wrote with three other gifted authors. My novella takes place during the battle and aftermath at Fredericksburg, VA. I’ve also had past Heartsong novels re released in two collections—Blue Ridge Brides and Mountaineer Dreams. You can find these releases and my Bethlehem book at your local WalMart or Sam's Club or at your local Christian bookstore. And of course, online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, etc.

This past September I flew to Denver for the annual ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference. What a wonderful opportunity to network with authors and editors. Unfortunately on my way to the airport, I suffered a severe ankle sprain and spent most of the conference hobbling around and putting bags of ice on a very swollen ankle. But God was gracious, and I had a good time meeting with editors and discussing various projects, some of which have turned into proposals and are currently being considered at various houses.
Finally, I have written my first nonfiction book, a personal account of the Appalachian Trail hike I took with my son in 2007. I am looking at different avenues of publication, as soon as funds become available.
So it has been a busy year for me!

Blog
"Blissful Writing Thoughts" chronicles my ideas on writing, a writer’s life which can have its many ups and downs, as well as announcing upcoming books and contests. And new this year, I am having popular authors guest once a month on my blog to share their writing insights— some of whom are even offering book giveaways. I hope you will have a chance to pop over and take a look at Blissful Writing Thoughts and subscribe to the blog. I publish every Monday (unless I am out of town).

A Very Special Giveaway!
As a thank–you for being a part of my writing ministry and in honor of my book, Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, I'm giving away a handmade ornament with Bethlehem, New Hampshire inscribed on it. I bought this in the actual town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire last year while researching my story. I will hold the drawing on December 19th. If you are receiving this newsletter by e-mail, you are already in the drawing. If you are not and would like to be included in the drawing, please send me your e-mail address along with a note that you would like to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter by Lauralee Bliss (this is to abide my anti Spam laws. See other restrictions below). Please have your request in no later than December 19th. Thank you for being a part of my writing ministry!

Contest rules: US residents only. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

AND Great Gifts for Christmas or any time!
With tough economic times these days, why not give the gift of a great book? Most of my titles are on sale on my website and at terrific prices. Shipping will depend on the number of books and how you wish them sent. But if you order three or more titles, I will pay for shipping! So please check out my website for books that I will be happy to autograph.

Wishing you a most blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s mercy, grace, and peace.

Lauralee Bliss
Website: http://www.lauraleebliss.com/ Email: blissful63@gmail.com

I am also on Facebook and Goodreads! Come be my friend. I love readers!

Copyright 2009, by Lauralee Bliss. All rights reserved.

You Can Always Learn New Revision Techniques

This is me sometimes in the picture - frantically trying to make my manuscript the best it can be. Going over and over it, checking the flow of the story, checking grammar, checking for words that spellcheck misses. All important areas so that your story, and not the glaring mistakes, comes forth to the editor's eye.

For me, I tend to write and write whatever comes into my mind and worry about the rest later. I am not a proficient typist either, so the spelling is atrocious. Sometimes I will go back to spellcheck and it is so bad, I can't even figure out what it is I was trying to say! I did take a typing class in high school, but I have not gotten much better, even with the dozen books I have written! But going back over with spellcheck also enables me to go back over the sentences and the story in general. Even if I have to do it many times. And through that careful perusal, I am able to pick out places where the story drags, the sentences are in the wrong place, or even sentences that can be deleted altogether.

One of the best classes I took at the Philadelphia Write His Answer conference was on revising your work. Every author needs to take a course like this, no matter how many books they have published. There are always new things to learn to make your work shine even brighter. And I found out about redundancy with words, choosing the best of two actions in a sentence (not both actions), dialogue (such as the author "says" things, not does things when speaking such as sigh, laugh), and as this one teacher from the Christian Writers Guild said - "resist the urge to explain (RUE)" - such as - Sylvia was frustrated. She paced the length of the room. This can simply be stated - Sylvia paced the length of the room (as the frustration level is already implied by the action).

Now I have written quite few bocks, but these types of revision techniques were important to learn. Especially now, as I am working to revise my latest mss in progress. I can employ them to make my work tighter and shinier. And hopefully land that elusive contract as a result.

I Have No Idea What to Write...

I have no idea what to write today on my blog. This is what is running through my mind as I sit here.

Usually I've had some momentous writing experience to detail in my blog for the week. Instead I spent time recounting some interesting experiences on my hike this past weekend, which I detail in my hiking blog. Perhaps that is to be my spiritual gauge for this week. The importance of blogs. Writing blogs. Blogs of every shape and size. Blogs that deal with your interests. Blogs that help you with your writing, whether they be one of inspirational content, a blog of personal interests, or a blog reviewing books and even other blogs. But they have one thing in common. They help you with your writing technique, exercising your gift, if you will, as you chronicle your journey and bring your thoughts into focus. I know many have advocated the idea of journaling as a way for writers to exercise their craft. Blogging makes that journaling come to life via the Internet - providing a place of unique publication where others can share in your words.

For me as a fiction author, it's not just writing novels, but also bringing my inner thoughts to life. To work on creating that nonfiction aspect of my career as well. Blogging has helped me do just that. From the online journal I kept when I hiked the Appalachian Trail last year with my son (and is now useful for creating my nonfiction book about the journey), to my current hiking blog that details trail experiences or even thoughts leading up to a 30 year dream come true (like the hike last year), to this blog chronicling writing ideas, they all serve an important purpose for me as a writer and you as the reader. And they are an important avenue of my writing ministry.

Hey, guess what? I found something to write about after all!

Expanding Your Profile

Well, it's time to wander off the deep end into unknown territory. As most of you know, I have leaped from being a fiction author for over twelve years into the newest realm of non fiction writing. I certainly don't know everything, even after attending a writer's conference, but I am trying to get my feet wet.

I am pleased to share that an outdoor magazine just recently accepted a small piece of my work for inclusion in their September magazine. It was an incident that happened on our hike a few years back for their CLOSE CALLS section. Click here for the article and scroll down until you come to Mountaintop Madness. When this came out, I was able to add it to my biography list I was compiling for my main event - my big non fiction book on our hiking experience.

I am also entering a writer's contest of sorts - that is, I am writing an article for a possible book compilation by Dr. Gary Chapman on the extraordinary things people do for love. Again I am taking an incident from our time on the trail last year when my husband performed a miraculous feat so he could see my son and I. This type of writing helps me practice in the area of non fiction while giving me the opportunity to sell. All in the name of building my resume for the important book I desire to have published.

If you have the desire to write non fiction or fiction, begin by writing. Look for opportunities to practice your craft, especially in the smaller areas like magazines and book compilations. Even writing contests. Go to a writer's conference and learn the techniques. Get involved in critique groups and other writing organizations. And then get your work on the editor's desk as soon as it's ready.