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Advice from the Experts: Josi S. Kilpack (Author, Wife, Mother)

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By LDSPMA

I think the most wonderful thing a “successful someone” (be they writer, editor or filmmaker) can do is pass on their knowledge to those wanting to follow in their footsteps. If they can somehow help those following them to internalize their teachings and become what they were meant to be, well, that is not only wonderful but truly miraculous.

I think that’s why I started this series of articles. I wanted to see if I could introduce a few of you to someone who could help you become who you were meant to be—someone you could look up to, learn from, and possibly even connect with. What I didn’t realize is how so many of the people I interviewed on your behalf would help me. With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to Josi S. Kilpack.

Josi is wife to Lee (who manages a geriatric psych hospital in Salt Lake City), mother to four children—one of whom just returned from a mission—and, of course, a writer. Some of my favorite things I discovered about Josi during our interview are her love for watching the same movies over and over again, the way she is constantly challenging herself to be better writer, and her determination to use failures as an opportunity to learn how to succeed.

I hope some of the things Josi shares below will not only help you learn to succeed but be a miracle in your life:

  • “I dream of having a typical writing day . . . but instead, I look at the day and schedule a chunk of time . . . when [the writing] is going well, the house is falling behind. When it is not, I’m playing catch up.”
  • “[Writing well] is really about figuring out what works for you and trying to repeat it. I get a lot done when I have the ideas and the time at the same time, so I try really hard to brainstorm while I am doing other things and then write it down when I have the time.”
  • “Every time I start a new [novel], I have this fear that it will be my last book. It drives me crazy. I can tell myself logically that I said it every other time and it hasn’t been true. [I tell myself] it isn’t true this time either and . . . just keep going.”
  • “Tell yourself, ‘The only real competition is with myself.’”
  • “Look for ways to challenge [your]self . . . to write a different type of story or character or to write from a different point of view. Constantly . . . look for ways to stretch. . . . That challenge just against myself keeps me going in the right direction.”
  • “Get a few friends around you that tell you, ‘You are wonderful.’”
  • “Every journey, every author is different.”
  • “I am too stupid to be discouraged, but the friends I have made who understand who I am and what I love has been the greatest gift. Creat[e] that community and let . . . them support [you], and support them in their successes and failures.”
  • “Opportunities come because you take advantage of other opportunities.”
  • “Learn your craft. Make sure you are creating a good product. Learn about your industry. There is so much to know.”
  • “Being excited about your book is natural. You wouldn’t put the time into it if you didn’t think you had something to offer, but a lot of time that excitement is what keeps you from doing what you need to do. Do yourself a favor and learn what makes a good book cover, learn to edit, and understand what the steps [to success] are. If you don’t, after you get those first few rejections you will be discouraged and stop.”
  • “You [learn your craft at] conferences, through blogs, by meeting authors and talking to them, by learning from other people’s experiences. I don’t think you can be successful without those, but a lot of people skip that.”
  • “Marketing is not easy, and most authors hate it. We are introverted and like to make up our own worlds not go out into the world we live in, but you have to do it these days. . . . If I am asked to do something, I say yes as often as possible. Articles, book signings, speaking at firesides . . . I say yes. Figure out what you are comfortable doing and then do it.”
  • “Most of my story development comes from developing a character—what they want, what they are willing to do, and what they are not willing to do to get what they want. Then, putting them with another character and what they want is where a story comes from.”
  • “People are fascinating. . . . When I get stuck, I go back to my characters. [I am usually stuck] because I have taken my character in a direction that is not authentic to who they are.”
  • “If it is hard it doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong. It is just hard.”
  • “I don’t really think balance exists . . . whenever I am looking for balance, I am beating myself up because there is no balance. I have been trying to balance this for fifteen years, and I have still never achieved it.”
  • “What is the most important thing to you? . . . In any given moment it might be [different]. . .. For me [life] is a juggling act. What can I throw into the air so I can catch another something? And, honestly, sometimes it all drops. But if you are honest with everyone around you and with yourself, you can pick it all back up. There is a lot of guilt that goes along with this, but I look at it and say if I did it right the first time, I wouldn’t learn anything. . . . They are not eggs; they are bouncy balls. You still have to chase them. You still swear and get mad, but they don’t break, and you just get better at juggling as you go along. ”
  • “It is good for my kids to see that I am passionate about something. It is good for them to see that I am a person and not just a mommy. It is good for them to see that while I love them to bits, [they are] not the entirety of my existence. I don’t want them to give up who they are individually because of the roles they take on.”
  • “I have been doing this for a long time. I have raised my kids through it, and life has gone on along with my writing, but it is mostly my story that has been written through all of it. My writing was the vehicle that helped me grow. It has written my story. I would love people to be mindful that their [own] story is being written while they are writing.”

Mentoring Is a Relationship

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By Barry Rellaford

Reflect on a time in your life when someone believed in you, saw something important that you didn’t see in yourself, or gave you an opportunity to learn and contribute. Who comes to mind?

Perhaps it was a teacher. A family member. Someone you worked with. A Church leader or adviser. A sports coach, music teacher, or theater director. Maybe it was a leader of a writing workshop. Perhaps it was someone you interacted with for only a moment.

I’ve asked people around the world to engage in this simple reflection, and I’m constantly inspired and humbled by their answers.

The person you’ve thought of likely served as a mentor for you—someone who helped you develop your potential, especially professionally.

Mentoring is more than an activity; it’s a relationship. While the focus is on the performer’s development, mentoring brings benefits to the mentor as well. The dividends of mentoring relationships are much the same as in other high-trust relationships: increased confidence, improved results, greater positive energy, and true joy.

One of the greatest mentors in my professional life was Chriss Mecham, my supervisor in my first corporate job. She took a risk to hire me (I didn’t have the two years of corporate management development experience CompuServe was looking for) and rapidly gave me opportunities to understand and work toward achieving my potential.

But Chriss could be tough.

At one point, I was being a maverick, drawing attention and credit to myself. In a very direct and caring way, she helped me see that the work I was doing depended on an entire team. And instead of reining me in, she opened the gates, continued to extend trust, and gave me more opportunities to grow. I love and appreciate her for the investment she made in me, and we’re still close friends 30+ years later.

Belonging to a professional organization like LDSPMA provides many opportunities to mentor and be mentored. “Let’s take a look at some of the ways to find or be a mentor.”

How Do I Find a Mentor?

To find a mentor, start by thinking of people in your field whom you admire. Seek them out in person, online, or by phone. See if they would be willing to occasionally meet or otherwise talk with you to help you progress in your career.

Another way to find a mentor is to come to LDSPMA’s annual conference. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to interact with industry luminaries in an intimate setting. Meet speakers and panelists before and after their sessions. Connect with them online and through what they’ve published.

Also join LinkedIn, and follow thought leaders. Comment on their blog posts and social media pages. If you’re interested in having someone you admire serve as your mentor, then ask. It’s that simple. Meeting the potential mentor in person and establishing a meaningful relationship will facilitate this possibility.

For example, Richard Leider is one of the luminaries in the field of purposeful work and living and is the author of several bestselling books, including The Power of Purpose. I traveled to the San Francisco Bay area to attend a workshop he was leading, and I took the initiative to help him set up for the day and to visit with him one-on-one. That initial meeting grew into the opportunity to spend three weeks together in Tanzania and to lead workshops together. Most successful people are generous in paying forward the investment their mentors made in them.

With so many new publishing modalities, you may find that your mentor is younger than you—and more experienced! Don’t be embarrassed to learn from them, and see how you can help them in return.

What If I Want to Mentor?

Reflect on the person who extended trust to you, and do the same as they did—for the same reasons. Care about people. Care about your profession. Invest your energy and time in helping others by providing mentoring.

In a professional association, like LDSPMA, one of the greatest benefits of membership is mentoring relationships. If you’re an experienced editor, publisher, writer, filmmaker, composer, podcaster, or other publishing/media professional, look for opportunities to share career and life lessons and help shorten the learning curve of a rookie in the field.

Take on leadership roles in professional circles. Share lessons learned in talks, articles, LinkedIn posts, and other online avenues.

Conclusion

“I am a part of all that I have met,” wrote Tennyson in Ulysses. I seek to be the best part of all whom I’ve met. I look forward to meeting you at an LDSPMA event or online. Please let me know how I can help you in your journey of sharing light!

Advice from the Experts: Liz Adair (Wife, Mother, Mentor, Author)

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By Lessa Harding

Once again, I find myself wishing I could take a poll when introducing the expert of the month. I would love to hear who your favorite authors are and why. I would love to hear whom you look up to, who your heroes are, and how you would react if you met one of them.

A few months ago, a friend recounted the first time she met her favorite author. My friend talked about going weak in the knees, not being able to form coherent thoughts, and stumbling over her words as she attempted to ask the author questions. I giggled as my friend said she had a “writer’s crush” on the author.

I have to admit that this month’s article was extremely difficult for me to write because of my writer’s crush on our expert. Liz Adair is one of my favorite authors, and I admire the depth that her characters have, the wit and humor they display, and her ability to write a story that both entertains and captivates. I also admire her as a person.

The first time I met Liz, I experienced what other aspiring authors experience when they’re lucky enough to meet Liz: the overwhelming feeling that I could do anything I wanted to do. One of the writers she has mentored described the experience by saying that Liz “helped me see that I have something to offer and encouraged me to grow beyond myself.” Another confided that Liz “made me feel like a real writer for the first time ever.” And another said, “She breathed into me a belief that I could write books.”

Liz has written 10 novels and 3 novellas, has received the Whitney Outstanding Achievement Award for mentoring writers, has owned and operated a bakery, and has helped found more writers’ groups and conferences than I can count, including the American Night Writers Association’s Northwest Writers Retreat and the Kanab Writers Conference. But the thing I admire the most is the effect she has had on the lives of people she has met along the way, including her husband of 58 years and her 7 children. I love this description of Liz given by someone who has known her for over 10 years: “Liz . . .  becomes your true friend and just loves you. If she can share something she’s learned along the way, she does. She rarely asks for anything in return, [but] those who walk . . . the path with her . . . are forever changed. Liz makes you want to be a better person and to achieve great things by just being Liz.”

As you read the following insights she shared for this article, I hope some of the encouragement and confidence Liz exudes will leap off the paper and help you walk your own path.

  • You don’t need a rigid writing schedule. “I have no typical day of writing. I have things that have to get done, things that may get done, and writing. I try to write after doing the things that have to get done. I’m more of a mosey-along writer. I stop and smell a lot of roses.”
  • Associate with other writers. Her “tip for those trying to publish for the first time [is to] hang out with writers.”
  • Need ideas about writing rituals? Here’s Liz’s: “[My] process is to sit down “process is to sit down with a pencil and notebook and block out the plot points in each chapter. Then I sit at the computer and write about a half a page about each chapter. After that, I begin the first draft and grind it out to the end.”
  • “I’ve learned a lot about three-dimensional villains from watching Turkish films.”
  • If you want to publish but haven’t yet, “start learning the craft now. You’ll be so much further ahead when the barriers that are keeping you from doing it are no longer there.”
  • On writer’s block: “I think fallow times are useful in the creative process. When I’m ready to write again, I’ll know it. That’s why self-publishing suits me so much better than working with a traditional publisher. I don’t have to force anything.”
  • On rejection: “I think time and perspective are the only things that help.”
  • “Let others read and critique [your] writing. I mean, hard critiques. I belong to a critique group that has met for two hours a week for a dozen years now, and we pull no punches. It has made me a much better writer than if they loved everything I sent to them.”
  • Her personal motto: “‘Pull up your socks.’ I had that as a personal motto long before compression stockings became a part of my daily routine.”
  • “Writing is its own reward.”
  • “Write! Write! Write!”

“The Fighting Preacher” Delivers a Knockout and Tugs at the Heart

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By Alice M. Batzel
Published Author, Playwright, Journalist, Poet, Freelance Writer

Writer/Director: T. C. Christensen
Producers: T. C. Christensen and Ron Tanner
Production Company: Remember Films
Distributor: Purdie Distribution
MPAA Rating: PG (for thematic content and some action)
Running Time: 121 minutes.

Review Ranking: 9 stars out of 10 (using IMDb’s ranking scale)

I attended the premiere of The Fighting Preacher, a movie by Utah writer/director T. C. Christensen, on July 17, 2019. Among those who attended were Christensen, cast members, the crew, the film editor, producers, Utah Film Commission representatives, production/industry associates, and family. In preparation, I did a bit of research and studied the promotional information regarding the subject of the film. I was interested and eager to see how the historical story of Willard Bean and his wife, Rebecca Bean, would be told.

The film takes the audience on a journey back to a time when religious prejudice in the United States was common, especially for a faith that was unfamiliar to the majority of Americans. And when such faith was accompanied by historical discord, acceptance would be a monumental feat. Willard and Rebecca Bean found such to be the case when attempting to set up residence in Palmyra, New York, in 1915. At the request of leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Beans accepted a unique missionary assignment. They were called to become residents and caretakers of the property known as the Joseph Smith family farm located in Palmyra and to preach the gospel. They were also called to establish community relations between the Church and residents in Palmyra and to help arrange the purchase of Church-related historic properties in the area. Any of those assignments would have been a challenge; in combination, they were daunting indeed.

Used with permission from T. C. Christensen

After the Beans arrived in Palmyra, they were emotionally tormented. Numerous attempts were made by community members to defame the Church and to make the Beans’ lives miserable. When Willard and Rebecca arrived, they had been married for less than one year, so you can imagine what an obstacle the opposition presented for the young couple. The fact that they chose to remain despite such circumstances shows their character, grit, and commitment to the calling that their Church leaders had extended to them. The Beans were the first members of the Church to reside in Palmyra in 84 years. A welcome was long overdue, but the Beans surely didn’t receive one. As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for the Beans because of the community’s negative reception of the couple. There was an occasional acceptance, and when it occurred the Beans felt as though it was a blessing from heaven. I felt the same way whenever the Beans achieved a victory during their earliest years in Palmyra. Additionally, I particularly enjoyed seeing this couple grow in their love and devotion for one another.

Used with permission from T. C. Christensen

The Beans attempted through various means to make friends and contribute to the community, but often the responses were a deaf ear, unkind actions, and vicious remarks. Finally, Willard, with the encouragement of Rebecca, defended himself, his family, and the purpose of their mission. The community soon learned with whom they had been dealing. You see, at one time, Willard had held the title of middle-weight champion in the United States. At times, Willard had to call upon those boxing skills to defend himself and his family because of the enraged sentiments of the abundant number of individuals who opposed the Church. As a result of using his boxing skills while a Church representative, he was often called “The Fighting Parson,” to which the film adapted the title to be “The Fighting Preacher.” The boxing scenes in the movie show Willard’s boxing to be an asset to meeting the challenges of his Church assignment. The portrayal of gratuitous graphic violence is absent. Instead, the film successfully shows Willard’s sportsmanship, athletic ability, and defeat of his challengers.

Used with permission from T. C. Christensen

While some residents responded through facing Willard in the boxing arena, others responded with continued contention. The Beans then implemented a more robust effort to provide community and individual service and compassion without any expectation of reciprocation. The endeavor was tedious and sustained over time, resulting in gradual acceptance and a feeling of belonging. Finally, after years of continued effort, the Beans became respected community members and took an active role in many service organizations in the community. Their children likewise received benefits from enduring their trials. What began as a Church assignment of five years ended up as a mission of twenty-five years, by the end of which the Beans were endeared to and honored by the community.

Used with permission from T. C. Christensen

The film’s cinematography is exceptional. Attention is given to detail of subject and expression, as well as an expansive panoramic view. Such cinematography has become a trademark of Christensen, and audiences look forward to him delivering it in each of his films. I commend the casting director; each of the actors provided a solid performance, demonstrating skill, consistency, and sensitivity. I didn’t detect any weakness in the acting. Even the extras presented a colorful collection of characters of unique expression and appearance, adding to the entertaining visual quality of the film. The technical components of the film are aesthetically pleasing. The musical score is captivating and appropriate for the period. Even a seasoned critic would find it difficult, if not impossible, to point to any legitimate flaws in these aspects of the film.

Similar to other historically influenced films written/directed by Christensen (e.g., The Cokeville Miracle, Ephraim’s Rescue, and 17 Miracles), The Fighting Preacher demonstrates attention to biographical detail and historical accuracy throughout, excepting minor instances of artistic license. Filmed in New York and Utah, the cinematography takes advantage of the topography of the land. Clothing and architecture of the period are well represented. Even the interior of the old schoolhouse where a number of scenes take place helps the audience feel transported in time. After the film, alongside the credits, numerous historical photos and informational facts about the Beans were presented. My eyes were already teary, but with the archival and photographic feast, tears coursed down my cheeks.

The Fighting Preacher is a noteworthy filmmaking accomplishment. Christensen has written and directed an exceptional film worthy of numerous awards. He’s a well-researched visionary filmmaker—one of the most talented filmmakers of this generation—and he consistently delivers quality films. He shows the audience the truth and invites them to receive a valuable message. He uses the highest caliber of storytelling through his screenwriting, directing, and cinematography. This triple combination is unique among industry professionals. Whereas other filmmakers choose to work with fiction, he tells a true story of historical significance, one that is worthy of the audience’s time and that can inspire the human spirit. The running time of the film is not adequate to tell the entire story of Willard and Rebecca Bean, but the events depicted in this film portray the significance of this couple’s lives. In Christensen’s final remarks to the audience attending the premiere, he said, “My hope is that this film will go out and inspire others to be kinder to one another.” That takes courage and faith. That’s what Willard and Rebecca Bean had. That’s what Christensen has.

Adapted, with permission, from the review at https://www.alicembatzel.com/2019-1.

Advice from the Experts: Steve Piersanti (Former Publishing CEO, Founder of LDSPMA, Acquisitions Editor)

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By Lessa Harding

In high school I had a homeroom-type class that contained a mix of students from every grade. There were a number of classic high school characters, as well as some who broke all the molds. There was the kind, handsome senior who’d fit in any Hallmark movie. There was the beauty queen who thought she was better than everyone else. There was the Christian girl who stood up to every attack on her beliefs. There was a soccer star, a basketball champion, a physics wiz, and a math nerd (that last one helped me solve homework problems using dry erase markers on the window). And there was the guy everyone wanted to be. He had a successful business, good grades, and a confidence that somehow removed him from the social hierarchy that is high school. We all knew he’d succeed at whatever he did, and we all looked up to him for it. Recently, my thoughts turned back to him. The reason? I was interviewing Steve Piersanti.

I know nothing about Steve’s high school experience, but I have to admit I felt like I was a freshman again looking up to that most-likely-to-succeed senior in my advisory class. Steve is the kind of guy who gets back up every time he gets knocked down, who accomplishes everything he puts his mind to, and who then helps others do the same. I was amazed to learn that he not only founded LDSPMA but also founded and edited a student scholarly journal while attending BYU, graduated with highest honors, began his career as an advertising copywriter at Jossey-Bass Publishers, and worked his way up to the position of president at the same company. Later, he founded Berrett-Koehler Publishers and served as CEO while also working as an acquisitions editor. He somehow also found time to play basketball, lead an annual gardening workshop, prioritize family functions, and go backpacking. The best thing about him, though, is that unlike the senior in my advisory class, Steve is approachable, is kind, gives encouragement, offers praise when it’s due, and is willing to help others who want to follow in his footsteps. Let me share some of his advice for traveling along the path to success:

  • “Most authors are primarily focused on how their books are written. That is important, but what is equally important is the marketing of your book.”
  • “The number of books being published annually in the US has tripled in 12 years, while total book sales have not grown.[1] . . . The only way publishers have kept afloat is by shifting more and more of the marketing to the authors. An author today must come to their publisher with a marketing plan…. What publishers look for now is the author’s so called platform. When you submit a proposal to the publisher, you need to include a strong section about what you are willing to do to help market your book.”
  • “If you want to get up to speed on how to get your book published, here is how you get started:
    • Go to the annual LDSPMA conference, and learn about how to market books.
    • Learn what successful authors do, and do it yourself.
    • Figure out what your potential assets are (e.g., blogging, social media, connecting with audiences, and speaking).
    • Get involved with groups and associations in your genre.
    • Then think about publishing your book.
  • “You have to pick the right publisher to pitch your book to. Most have a particular area they are interested in. You need to do upfront research about the publishers you would like to pitch to.”
  • “When a publisher asks, ‘What are the competing works,’ don’t say, ‘It has no competition’ or ‘My book is unlike any other.’ Those kinds of statements work against you.”
  • “Everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up. Figure out what you want to do, and actually start going after it instead of going on your current inertia.”
  • “Everyone has many setbacks. I suppose [the best response] is going back and revisiting what you are really trying to accomplish. What really matters and what doesn’t matter? . . . [After a failure] you have to come up with a new game plan and come at it with a new perspective.”
  • “Some things are going to take decades. You just have to accept that. You can keep going!”
  • On how to balance family and work: “Family commitments that I make, I always came through on them. If I said I was going to be somewhere, I did it. Don’t let something ‘come up.’”
  • “Don’t work on Sunday. That is a day for family and church. Same thing with Family Home Evening. . . . Build [your schedule] around [those important family obligations].”

[1] See the article titled “The 10 Awful Truths about Publishing,” https://www.bkconnection.com/the-10-awful-truths-about-book-publishing.

So You’ve Written a Book. What Now?: 3 Steps from Lisa Mangum

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By Lisa Mangum, Managing Editor at Shadow Mountain

So you’ve written a book. Now what? Well, after revising it and polishing it and reading it through one more time, you’re probably ready to send your book to a publisher. Here are three things to get you started on that journey.

1. Do your research. Not every publisher publishes everything, so make sure the publishing house you’re submitting to is actually looking for the type of thing that you write. A house that doesn’t publish children’s picture books will not publish your children’s picture book, no matter how well written it is. You’ll need to research publishers online, look at their backlist titles, and perhaps even follow them or their editors on social media.

Another way to narrow down your list of publishers is to look at other books in your genre. In addition to looking at who the publishers are, check the acknowledgments page, since authors often thank their agents and editors by name.

2. Follow the guidelines. In your research, you’ll likely have found submission guidelines posted somewhere on each publisher’s site. The best thing to do once you’ve read through the guidelines is to follow them exactly. If the guidelines specify to submit 10 pages, do that. If they say to send the pages in the body of an email (as opposed to an attachment), do that. If they say you must have an agent in order to submit, get an agent.

As a general rule, agents, editors, and publishers like to see manuscripts formatted with the following specs: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.

3. Write a query letter. Writing a query letter is one of the hardest steps in the process, but the document is required by agents and editors alike. There are a lot of resources online that can help you learn how to write a query letter (a great place to start is AgentQuery.com), but here’s a simple overview of how to structure your first draft:

A basic query letter has three paragraphs. The first is the “hook”—the premise of your story summarized in just one or two sentences. The second paragraph is where you can elaborate on the storyline, introducing secondary characters, plot points, and themes. The final paragraph is a short bio of who you are and why you wrote the book you’re pitching. Somewhere in the letter, you also need to mention the book’s title, genre, and approximate word count.

It can be hard to distill the entire plot of your book in one paragraph, so I recommend focusing on the four Cs: character, conflict, choice, and consequence. Introduce me to your main character. Explain the conflict he or she is facing—the goal that needs to be accomplished and some of the obstacles that are standing in the way. Focus on the choice your main character has to make at the end of the story. Make it clear what is at stake for the main character by presenting the consequences of that choice.

Finding a publisher for your book can feel like a marathon at times, so don’t panic if the path feels long and a bit unpredictable. Just keep moving forward and working on your craft, and you’ll find the path that is right for you.

Novellas: Why You Should Be Writing Them

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By Heather B. Moore

The Basics

What is a novella? According to Jack Smith in the Writer magazine, a novella “combines the compression of the short story with the sprawl of the short novel, and many writers as well as readers find this attractive.”

How long is a novella? Novellas range from 20,000 to 40,000 words. Anything above 50,000 words is considered a short novel. Anything under 20,000 words is considered a novelette. Under 7,000 words is a short story.

Why novellas? Before the advent of digital publishing, novellas were a hard sell because print runs would be very small and profit returns would be slim. In fact, Chuck Sambuchino recommended in a Writer’s Digest article that if you’d written a novella, you should expand it to a novel before pitching to an agent or publisher. And to those who weren’t published yet, Sambuchino said, “My best candid advice is to finish this novella and stick it in a drawer.”

Times have changed. Oh, yes. Now, novellas can be published as e-books and achieve success.

The Benefits

The fact that esteemed publisher Covenant Communication is holding the Story Catcher novella contest is a good indicator that traditional publishers have now included novellas in their publishing lineups.

If you’re unpublished, writing a novella is a great way to learn the craft of fiction with a shorter body of work.

If you’re published, adding novellas to your lineup is a great way to give your readers a shorter work to read and enjoy (and purchase, of course) in between your novel releases.

A novella can be a story about one of your secondary characters—a character who maybe doesn’t need a full novel, yet your readers are asking for more information about that character. Writing a novella is also a great way to test out a new genre. Perhaps you write historical fiction and want to try writing a mystery or contemporary romance. Start with a novella to see how things go.

Novellas are also an excellent way to experiment with writing in a different point of view. For example, maybe all of your works are third-person narrative, and you want to try writing in first person. Or perhaps you’ve written a romance novel in the heroine’s point of view; as a bonus, you could write the same story in novella form from the hero’s point of view.

Your publisher might invite you to contribute to an anthology in order to cross-promote your work with other writers in your genre. You will be given a general theme to write to and will be asked to adhere to a word-count limit. In this way, writing a novella becomes a marketing tool to gain new readers, as well as a way to keep your publishing career relevant with more frequent releases.

How to Write a Novella

How to write a novella? Many novelists struggle with writing a shorter version of their full-length novel. In that same vein, writing a 20,000 word novella compared to a 40,000 word novella requires a different strategy.

Below, I’ve included tips on crafting your novella in a way that will satisfy the reader and help you stick to an appropriate word count. Keep in mind that if your readers are used to full-length books from you, you’ll need to be doubly sure they will be happy with your shorter works as well. You don’t want them throwing your book, or their e-reader, across the room in frustration. Yes, they can pine a little and wish the book was longer because your characters and storytelling are wonderful, but you want the reader to feel a sense of completion and satisfaction at the end of the story.

  1. Your main characters should already know each other. You’ll catch the reader up on their established relationship, but it will save you word count if you’re not starting a relationship from scratch.
  2. You need fewer influential characters—both primary and secondary. You might include the main character’s father or sister, but you won’t have scenes involving all six siblings, two aunts, and a grandmother. Or your detective might interact mostly with his partner, not with the entire police force.
  3. In full-length novels, it’s important to avoid info dumps at all costs and to develop scenes fully. In novellas, you’ll need small info dumps strategically placed so that the story can move forward at a faster pace.
  4. Your story timeline needs to be shorter. Instead of covering months or perhaps a year or more, as you would in your full-length novel, you’ll cover a few weeks in your novella.
  5. Your plot should be simpler than in a novel. This doesn’t mean your story should be one-dimensional. In a mystery, perhaps only the final couple clues need to be found. In a romance, the heroine is at the point in her life that she’s ready to settle down but has to overcome one complication, not five or six. In a fantasy, you’ll create a world that is relatively easy to set up and is streamlined.
  6. Your novella should have only one—or maybe two—viewpoints.
  7. Novellas should have shorter chapters. Crafting 5- to 6-page chapters will move the pacing along much faster than 10- to 12-page chapters will.
  8. You should scale down the conflicts so they can be solved by the main character or through a single circumstance.
  9. You should craft smaller-scale events. In a mystery novella, the murder event should include one person and one incident, instead of a series of murders. In a historical romance, the romance should quickly fit into the plot arc; the hero shouldn’t need to first run off to war for two years. A fantasy should stick to a specific location and shorter timeframe rather than include epic battles or characters going on a year-long quest.
  10. Your novella’s solution needs to be satisfactory. For example, in a historical romance novel, a typical arc might involve the relationship between the hero and heroine developing into confessed love and a possible marriage proposal. In a novella, the relationship might reach its pinnacle at the first kiss, with a promise of more.

Best of luck with your future novellas:

Check out some of Heather B. Moore’s novellas and novels:

Her next book is Deborah: Prophetess of God, coming in September 2019.

Works Cited

Chuck Sambuchino, “How Long Is a Novella? And How Do You Query Agents for Them?,” Writer’s Digest, November 18, 2008, https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/how-long-is-a-novella-and-how-do-you-query-agents-for-them.

Jack Smith, “The Novella: Stepping Stone to Success or Waste of Time?,” The Writer, October 4, 2017, https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/fiction/novella/.

Advice from the Experts: Ann Acton (Author, Day Care Owner, Wife, Mother)

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By Lessa Harding

If you run a Google search on “how to be a good or successful writer,” you get suggestions like “read,” “write every day,” and “write what you know.” A search for the “characteristics and strengths every writer needs” provides a list of traits that include discipline, imagination, a good grasp of grammar, and a love of words. I recently met a writer who embodies these characteristics. It’s Ann Acton, author of The Miracle Maker and The Vanishing (the latter is set for release this September).

When I met with Ann, I asked her what she thinks her greatest strengths or talents are. I expected her to say something similar to what came up in the Google search results, and while Ann is indeed disciplined, imaginative, and a lover of words, she believes her greatest talent is that she was able to rewrite the poem ’Twas the Night before Christmas. I have to admit to laughing out loud at her answer. Her response was unexpected, but it really set the tone for the whole interview. In fact, rather than calling it an interview, I would prefer to call it a not-coffee date with a soon-to-be best friend.

Over the course of our not-coffee date, I began to see why Ann’s self-identified talent is truly her greatest strength. Ann is real, is down to earth, loves to laugh, and has learned the hard way how to deal with difficult situations. She rewrites her own story every day and makes it fit her world. When her children struggled with learning, she home-schooled them. And when her husband got sick, she turned to writing—even when it required waking up at 5:00 a.m. This difficult time in her life led to her writing The Miracle Maker, which was published by Covenant Communications.

Ann told me that she did not originally want to be a writer—it wasn’t in her story. She hadn’t even entertained the idea until she completed a spur-of-the-moment rendition of ’Twas the Night before Christmas and her husband said, “You know that not everyone can do that, right? I think you are a writer.” A little further down the road, her mentor, Liz Adair, gave her the final push. Ann said, “[Liz] told me I was a writer, and then I was one.” Sometimes it just takes a few gentle nudges for us to recognize our potential. And now for some advice from Ann:

  • “It has been the best thing for my writing—failing and then learning to not look at it as failing.”
  • “Sit down and write every day. Write consistently. It doesn’t have to be good, because that is what the delete key is for.”
  • “Writing is truly just therapy, so just pour it into your writing.”
  • “I think our strength [as women] comes from [our] softness.”
  • In speaking of the hard things we go through in life: “Someday, all these things will just be fodder for writing. I [didn’t think] anything good could come out of this part of my life, but now I can see it.”
  • “Because you are a writer, people will connect with you. People will come up to you and just start spilling their guts. These are dreams people have to be writers, and it is so cool to be a part of that.”
  • “The hardest part [about being a writer] is constantly failing. Writing is hard. It is subjective, [and] people are not all nice. A lot of writers say it is hard because of the solitude, but not for me. For me it is the constant reading something wonderful and going, ‘Will I ever be that good?’ Having to change that thinking process from ‘I am not good enough’ never goes away, . . . but I can get better. Whatever I put out today is not me. I can become better even if this [work] is a failure.”
  • “People are so afraid someone is going to tell them they are really not a writer. You don’t need permission. Be gentle with yourself. Enjoy the process, because it is going to be a process.”
  • “Comparing yourself only causes resentment. Someone else’s success has no effect on yours. Every writer struggles with something, and no journey is easy.”
  • “Support your friends because their success has no bearing on you.”
  • “Don’t let anyone have the power to take away your dreams. If there is something you want, why should you let anyone take that away from you?”
  • “There are times and seasons. You are never going to have extra time, [because] you are going to fill it with something. If you want to be a writer, you have to fill it with writing.”
  • “Just do something. Even reading a book is working on your writing.”

Ann also shared a tip from Liz:

  • “Every single writer is working on something. Grammar is the easiest thing to be working on because it can be taught.”

I hope some of this advice Ann shared will give you the gentle nudge you might need to take your own story in a new direction.