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A Season for Trust

Jeanne Dennis here. Since June, I’ve been a member of the CAN Board. Even though you haven't heard from me personally for several months, I post the CAN book releases on this blog every Tuesday and help keep the CAN website up to date. 

During this holy season, I wanted to touch base with you again and express what’s in my heart. We live in a time of personal, political, and financial uncertainty. Countless people now struggle with poor health or finances; suffer the loss of loved ones, jobs, or homes; or deal with other crises. Pain and loss often feel more acute during this traditional time of joy, hope, and peace.

People need our words as writers and speakers now more than ever. So even if the paragraph above describes our lives, let’s make this Christmastime a season of trust – trust in the One who knows all things perfectly, does all things well, and makes all things beautiful in His time.

CAN Book Feature: Patterns and Progress by Amber Stockton

Patterns and Progress

By Amber Stockton

December, 2009

 

ISBN-10: 1602606870

ISBN-13: 9781602606876

Shannon Delaney was right.

Every time she might consider changing her stance on what other people called progress, something bad would happen and she would be proven right again. Take the day Jacob Berringer almost ran her over in that new Model-T, for instance. And he had the nerve to suggest she'd been daydreaming? Or the Titanic. A marvel of modern invention. Look where that got them. Or how about the new tractor her brother insisted they try out. What did he get from that? A broken arm. Why can't things just stay the way they are—the way they should be?

Patterns and Progress

By Amber Stockton

December, 2009

 

ISBN-10: 1602606870

ISBN-13: 9781602606876

Shannon Delaney was right.

Every time she might consider changing her stance on what other people called progress, something bad would happen and she would be proven right again. Take the day Jacob Berringer almost ran her over in that new Model-T, for instance. And he had the nerve to suggest she'd been daydreaming? Or the Titanic. A marvel of modern invention. Look where that got them. Or how about the new tractor her brother insisted they try out. What did he get from that? A broken arm. Why can't things just stay the way they are—the way they should be?

A Season of Gifts

By Deborah Rather aka Arlene james

Merry Christmas! Hope your Thanksgiving celebration was as bright as my own and that the holiday season brings you untold joy.

This is the time of year when families get together and friends show up, a time of decorations and gifts and indulgence. It's also the time when I most love being a writer.

Believe

 
A happy Monday to you from Bonnie Leon.

 Signs of Christmas are everywhere and gift ideas have been tumbling through my mind. What should I get for my husband, children and grandchildren? I’ve also been thinking about the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. What must it have been like to be Mary when she looked upon her son, God’s son? The Christ child lay in her arms only because she’d bowed her will to God. When she chose to obey did she know the sacrifices and heartache that lay before her?

Outline #4 – Developing Subplot Arcs

It's another writing blog day and I'm a day late, but better late than you know what. . .as they say. First I want to wish you a blessed Christmas and joy in the new year, and next I want to continue talking to you about the fourth point on the Outline series I've been sharing with you which is  Subplot Arcs.  At the Gideon conference, I had the opportunity to hear about some interesting concepts that work while outlining plot elements for a dynamic film or book. The fourth point under outlining dealt with developing subplot arcs.

4. Develop subplot arcs affect the main plot. Weave these subplot arcs through the novel rather than dropping them into the story and then resolving them early. A subplot must make an impact on the main story and change it in a meaningful way by adding conflict.

Think Outside the Box--High Concept

Hi, y'all! Leanna Ellis here and we're discussing high concept. Often in publishing authors get boxed into what is selling. Romance sells. Okay, boy meets girl, falls in love, loses girl, wins girl. But to make your story stand out and to get past that marketing department at the pub board, you need to think outside the box.

Let's say you're looking at your blurb and you're thinking there isn't anything high concept about it. So what do you do?

Noel, Noel!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! This is Janice Thompson, your CAN vice-president. Let me start by thanking those of you who've been promoting the CAN blog through twitter, facebook, etc.Keep up the good work.  Our goal during the month of December is to remind people that this blog is our gift to the writing community. The CAN blog has a lot to offer, and best of all. . .it's free!

Today I want to tell you a little story. It happened a few years back at Christmastime. My daughters were helping me decorate our living room for the holidays. The room looked fantastic. I reached into the box of decorations and pulled out my "N-O-E-L" plaques (four individual letters spelling out the word NOEL). I always loved placing them on the piano in a place of prominence. I located the "N" in no time at all and placed it on the piano. Next came the "O." Funny, looking at the two of them together, I realized they spelled out the word, "NO." Not a very happy holiday message. Next came the letter "E." I fished around in the box for that final letter. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. My daughters and I stared at the "NOE" and shook our heads. "Mom," one of my girls said. "There's no L." 

Live to Write about it

Hello from Jeanette! Today my family woke up to our first major winter storm of the season. It closed schools (including the University) and kept most people home shoveling snow. My sons and I had to scoop the driveway twice before my husband got home from work and then he still had to clear more. Early in the day we got hit with another type of storm—the news that the store where my husband works will be closing in four weeks. They promised to transfer employees to other stores but we know there is a chance that some will find themselves out in the cold. So we’re tapping into what we learned through this past year of one storm after another and trusting that God will not only get us through it but use it for good.

Joy in the Midst of Messy Situations

Dianne Neal Matthews here, taking a break from decorating the tree. Last night I helped with a Christmas party for the women in my church. Since the theme was "Christmas Memories", we invited the ladies to write down and turn in favorite Christmas memories to be read throughout the evening. As always, my mind returned to a long-ago scene that still helps me keep my focus in the right place during this hectic month of December.

Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail

Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I mentioned in previous months, I’m currently in the midst of an experimental year, applying principles from my retail business to the marketing of my fiction. If you’ve missed earlier posts, and would like a better explanation of my background and what these posts are about, please see Principles #1 through #3 here.

So, on to Principle #4…  Repeated contact through social networks drives sales.