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Ways To Help Readers Connect

Welcome to the Friday CAN post this December from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com. I always happy to share information for writers on techniques of writing, especially writing fiction.

Readers are important so knowing how to help them connect to what you write is important. I hope this post will provide you with techniques and ideas that work.

Readers love stories that mean something to them. They may never experience the same event or problem, but they’ve had similar experiences or fears that those things might happen to them. It’s through the emotion authors bring to the characters that makes readers care. Caring creates an emotional connection. This is what you want.

The industry and retail stores

I ’ve spent a lot of time this month with other writers as well as editors and retailers. I spoke at the International Christian Retail Show in early July and attended two conferences. The trade show continues to decrease in size but the energy and hope abounded. The publishing industry has done more to partner with author organizations.

 

Partnering with God in 2011

 C. S. Lakin here, wrapping up the year!

As you reflect on your writing journey over 2010 and look ahead to the next year, what thoughts come to mind? Did you reach your writing goals? Did your hopes and dreams come true, or was the year beset with disappointments--more than you'd thought? This writing life is all about a life lived with purpose and calling. No one has to tell any of us how hard a path this is--spending so much precious time dedicated to this endeavor of putting ideas on a page, in hopes those ideas might ultimately lead someone to God. Often we doubt ourselves, feel we are wasting time, being indulgent in a career that often gives little back in rewards--monetarily or otherwise. It is often enough for me to revel in the satisfaction of accomplishment--that I've written something meaningful or clever or powerful. But, looking at the bigger picture, that's not why we believers write--to feel good about ourselves and what we can do.

Organization To Do

 

 

My article last month was titled Organization to go. Wouldn’t it be nice if things were that simple? Organization could be handed to us the same way we’re able to get our clothes from the dry cleaners, fast food from McDonald’s, and prescriptions from Walgreens. But it’s not that simple. We have to work for it. 

As mentioned in last month’s article, we all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. Have you ever been amazed at how some people can get so much done during the day? I’m a big fan of to do lists and prioritizing. With the explosion of PDA’s and smartphones there are many ways to organize your time, you could even call it organization-to-go, after all. Some hold the opinion that it takes too much time to figure out these devices and instead, they rely on the old tried and true method of pen and paper. As long as you have the list, the format doesn’t matter.