My Journey to Women's Fiction

Starting in the late 1970s, I devoted my time to writing SF stories with varying results. I even stopped writing all together in the late 90s due to work stress and fatigue, but the dream never died. After retiring, I wrote and published two devotionals and two church histories, and was a Georgia Author of the Year Nominee for An Easter Walk.  Check out the "Books" tab above for more info on my writings.

Then a story that wouldn't be denied woke me from a nap--only I had no clue what it was in terms of genre. It wasn't mystery, suspense, or thriller. And it wasn't SF, fantasy, or romance.

So, where did the story of a childless widow's progression to be an abused girl's mother bear ready to take on the world to protect her daughter fit? I hunted and could only come up with the amorphous definitions of mainstream or contemporary. Hunting an agent who represented those genres seemed doomed to fail before I even completed the rough draft.

Gradually I became aware of a genre called women's fiction and started investigating the definition and searching for conventions as you can see from these past post--What's the Genre? and What is Women's Fiction? Part One and Part Two. Did my WIP fit? And did I want it to? The cumulative effects of reading definition after definition that said, "Women's fiction is written by women for women readers" really made me want to turn away and run. Then, thanks to Amy Sue Nathan's fabulous blog--Women's Fiction Writers--and all the interviews she does with writers began to sink in. I realized the truth that my wip, FRIENDLY FIRE and its sequels, have been women's fiction all along. Though I know I'm repeating myself, the creation of the Women's Fiction Writers Association has given me a welcome feeling--I feel like I've come home. ; )

And now more from Orly Konig-Lopez, founding president WFWA. Also, check out her post on Writers in the Storm about writers organizations and WFWA's origins.

So, let's back up for a minute and I'll try to fill you in …

The Founding Team consists of the founding board members:
President: Orly Konig Lopez
Vice President-Programs: Kerry Lonsdale
VP-Finance/Treasurer: Laura Drake
Secretary: Linda Avellar
Wise Writer (although we're looking for a different title): Marilyn Brant
Maggie Marr (who is advising on legal matters), Sharla Lovelace, and Florence Fios.

In most situations the founding members would have done the ground work to establish the association before bringing members into the fold, but RWA decided to refocus the specialty chapters so that they better align with its mission to serve career focused romance writers. While that decision was right for RWA and the many romance writers under their umbrella, it left a lot of us feeling homeless...because of the timing with the RWA-WF chapter, we wanted to make sure that all those who voted to dissolve and those who were interested in a more inclusive women's fiction chapter had a home. Which is why we're all on the loop.

That said, we're not an official organization just yet. The Founding team is going through the steps, including developing a mission statement, deciding on board positions, developing a website, filing the paperwork, drafting bylaws, defining the programs we'll offer, what the membership dues should be and when to collect them, and I could go on and on about the many discussions we're having. The thing to remember is that we're starting from the ground up.

So yes, as the founding team we are implementing certain decisions in order to create an association that will benefit women's fiction writers. In the end we really hope to create a welcoming and nurturing community that will provide the resources and networking opportunities that all of us seek as writers of women's fiction (not women writers - there's already an organization for that). Over the next few months, we'll roll out the details as they are solidified.

I can testify to the feeling of home and belonging that the founding members have already created. I'll keep you informed as WFWA shapes up. I do hope you'll join us on the loop if you write women's fiction. The conversations are amazing!

The WFWA website it up!  Check it out at http://womensfictionwriters.org/

Charlotte Rains Dixon and Her New Book--Emma Jean's Bad Behavior!

“Life is good. A life centered on writing is even better.” ~~Charlotte Rains Dixon

 

Charlotte Rains Dixon is an author, writing coach, teacher, and supporter of creativity in all its forms. She lives in Portland and delights in helping writers do what they love to do—write. I met her in the blogosphere a few years ago and follow her informative blog at charlotterainsdixon.com

 

In 2011 I took her up on an offer of a free fifteen-minute coaching session. Charlotte is funny, inspirational, and truly gifted at helping writers over the obstacles we all face. Check out my post “Tea with My Inner Editor”  for one of the results of my session with Charlotte.

 

Charlotte’s new novel Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior was released by Vagabondage Press on February 12 and it’s a great read.

 



 

 

 

Best-selling novelist Emma Jean Sullivan longed for a baby for years, but after she and her husband Peter were unable to conceive, she staunchly vowed to become the standard bearer for all childless couples. And she succeeds spectacularly. At age 48 (43 according to her blog, Life, Full Tilt) Emma Jean enjoys a rabid anti-baby fan base and her novels have sold millions. But now she confronts a dilemma larger than any that her heroines have faced: she’s pregnant. And the baby’s father is not her husband. 

 Through no fault of her own (he was just so damned adorable), Emma Jean had begun a passionate affair with Riley, a fetching airplane mechanic she met at a book signing in L.A. Terrified of losing both her fan base and her identity, she struggles to maintain her sham brand and her marriage. But Peter is busy embezzling Emma Jean’s money and completely uninterested in fatherhood, and Riley has his hands full with problems of his own. Not only that, her latest novel is a miserable failure, and a Vanity Fair reporter, who plans to out Emma Jean’s pregnancy to her fans, is stalking her. What’s a suddenly broke, failing, middle-aged, pregnant novelist to do? Why, flee to a glamorous resort town, of course. There, Emma Jean plots her next move. 


 

I've finished reading Emma Jean's Bad Behavior and I am enchanted, Charlotte. Emma Jean’s snarky exterior hides a deeply wounded and insecure soul who is searching for the truth of the story of her life. She's delightfully flawed and I wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her.

Readers get to meet Emma Jean in the pages of your book. Where and when did you first meet her?

 

Charlotte—Emma Jean burst forth in my brain at a time when I was visiting L.A. regularly to work with ghostwriting clients.  Much like Emma Jean herself, I'm fascinated and repelled by L.A., half of me loving it, the other half hating it.  The city is just so big, so full, so overwhelming, so everything.  And I think Emma Jean, who has some of the same characteristics, was born of my wonder at this place.  Emma Jean lives in Portland, like me, but when we first meet her she's in L.A. for a book signing and the city figures largely in the novel. I'd had a couple of discussions with a friend who is a screenwriter about how funny it would be to get pregnant at an advanced age, and out of that stew sprang Emma Jean.  I wish I could point to a specific moment when me met, but it was more like in real life when you're aware of someone who might be a friend of a friend or an acquaintance and all of a sudden that person comes into your life.  She was quite vocal and insistent once I met her, however!

 

ZM—Please share the journey Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior made to publication. Why did you choose a small press?

 

Charlotte—I love to talk about my journey to publication because I think that it is instructive, and I hope inspiring, to other writers.  Once I'd gotten the manuscript to a point I felt good about, I started submitting it to agents.  I had the great good fortune to have some personal introductions, which got me to the top of the pile.  But over and over again I heard that agents loved Emma Jean but felt she was not relatable enough to make the novel saleable.  I heard that word "relatable" a lot.  In nearly every rejection I'd read, Thanks for submitting your novel to us.  We love it, but we don't think we can sell it because…

 

I ran through all the personal introductions and kept submitting to agents I found through my own research.  One thing that kept me going was that I got encouraging responses about the writing.  The agents might have been taken aback by Emma Jean, but they were complimentary about my writing and many offered to look at my next novel. I ended up submitting the book to over 50 agents.

 

In the fall of 2011, as I was in the middle of this frustrating submission process, an old friend with whom I'd gotten my MFA contacted me and told me his novel had found a publisher—Vagabondage.  I knew this novel well because I had critiqued the manuscript (for the record, it's Facing the Furies by Daniel DiStasio).  It was a novel that I absolutely adored and so I checked out the publisher.  They had a submission form on their website and on a whim, I submitted Emma Jean.  Dan told me he'd heard back in two weeks and the website said they responded in six, so when I didn't hear back, I just figured it was another no.

 

Fast forward to March 2012, nearly five months later.  It was a Saturday afternoon and I'd been out all day, so I was checking my email on my phone.  I noticed an email from Vagabondage and idly looked at it.  Thanks for submitting your novel to us.  We love it, and would like to publish it.  I was so used to reading the same old rejection that it took me a few minutes to realize they were accepting me, not rejecting me!  Even after it sunk in, I kept going back to the email to make sure I hadn't read it wrong.

 

Please, writers who are reading this—don't give up!  When you know you've done your best and have honed your novel to a point that it's publishable, keep going.  We creatives give up way too fast.  I know I have in the past, and the reason that Emma Jean is published is because I just kept going.

 

ZM—What’s the best thing about publishing with Vagabondage Press? www.vagabondagepress.com

 

Charlotte—My editor, Nanette.  She's amazing.  She did a fabulous job of editing the book, and she's also held my hand throughout the entire process, answering my many questions and reassuring me every step of the way.   I've also been impressed with the rigor of the process, from the content and grammar edit, through the copy editing and proofing.  I'll never forget when a writing friend said to me, "You mean they actually edit you?" As if all small presses just accept books and throw them up for sale.  Small presses are fast becoming the biggest and most vital segment of the publishing industry, and with good reason.  We all need to learn not to discount them just because they are small.

 

ZM—In publishing today, getting an agent, finding a publisher, and marketing all seem to be tied to genre. What is Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior’s genre?

 

Charlotte—I call it women's fiction, which annoys me every time I say it because we don't have a category called men's fiction.  A few years ago it would have been called chick lit, but that became a pejorative so I avoid it.  You could also classify it as a romantic comedy, but I'm afraid that the word comedy might turn people off, making them think that it's full of jokes.  It's not.  The comedy comes from the gap between Emma Jean's view of herself and reality.

 

ZM—Many craft books stress that writers must read and read a lot. Who is your favorite author, or what is your favorite genre? What draws you to a book you read for enjoyment?

 

Charlotte— I love women's fiction.  I always feel like I should have a long list of classics of literature to name, but truth to tell I love women's fiction because I can empathize with the characters, which I think answers the second half of your question.  I read authors like Jennifer Weiner, Juliette Fay, Jo-Ann Mapson, and Lolly Winston, writers who tell a great story with characters that you feel you know.

 

I'm glad you asked this question because I agree with all those craft books—writers must read a ton in order to write.  I once had a client who struggled with writing a memoir and about a year into our relationship I learned that she didn't read, which explained everything to me!

 

 

ZM—Finally, what question do you wish interviewers would ask, but they never do?

 

Charlotte—Well, one of the things I'm wrestling with is people's reaction to the characters in the book and how similar they might or might not be to people in my life.   So a question might be, "How similar are you to Emma Jean?"  And my answer is that in some ways we are a lot alike and in many other ways we're not the same at all.  I admire Emma Jean's brash ways and she always seems to have a witty or smart rejoinder.  Me?  Not so much.  I'm the one who always thinks of the perfect thing to say a day later, which is why, I might add, I'm glad I'm a writer who can revise and edit!  Emma Jean has many experiences that I don't share but we do share a similar outlook on life.

 

I love the process the process of writing fiction, and part of the reason I enjoy it so much is this melding of real life and completely fictional elements that happens.  We take a bit here, and there, combine it, and throw it on the page and magic happens!

 

This has been a fabulous interview, Zan Marie, thank you so much!  Your one-sentence synopsis of Emma Jean's story nails the novel perfectly—I needed you when I was writing my query letter.

 
 

Charlotte Rains Dixon is a writer and writing teacher. She has published numerous articles and stories as well as three non-fiction books. Charlotte received her MFA in creative writing from Spalding University and teaches in the Loft certificate-writing program at Middle Tennessee State University. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Blind Spots and THREE announcements

Blind spots--we all have them when we're drafting. My main one is the overuse of the word as. Add a heavy sprinkling of that, just, and every -ly adverb and I have a lengthy search and destroy mission set for the first revision...and second...third... ; )

My characters also have a distressing habit of dropping the subjects of their sentences when they speak. So, add that to the list of problems I have to constantly seek out. Add the fact that they nod, smile, and grin through every possible scene and I'll be busy when I rewrite.

So. Share.

What are your most common blind spots?
Who knows, I might be doing the same thing and haven't noticed it yet. ; )

Announcement 1~~Don't forget--I'll be interviewing Charlotte Rains Dixon about her new book Emma Jean's Bad Behavior on February 19. You won't want to miss it. Charlotte is an author, writing teacher, and writing coach. Check out her blog at charlotterainsdixion.com.

Announcement 2~~Check out Lara Lacombe's big announcement! I'm thrilled for her and Edge of Trust! Another writer to introduce you to later in the year or early next year. ; )

Announcement 3~~There's a new home for women's fiction writers--Women's Fiction Writers Association. Here's what it is and how to join the loop. I'll add more info as the WFWA gets off the ground. ; )

“The need is for an organization dedicated to women’s fiction. Whether the stories are contemporary or historical; literary or commercial; include a dash of romance, a heap of romance or none at all; the stories all have one common thread—they are about a woman’s emotional journey.

A new organization—Women’s Fiction Writers Association—is being launched to fill the need. It will be an inclusive community of career-focused women’s fiction writers with networking, education and support at every step in their career path.”

To join the email loop and be part of the conversation, contact Laura Drake at Laura_drake1123 [@] yahoo [dot] com

Mini-Reviews IV and an Announcement

And another list of good reads for all of you who have lots of time to read, read, read... ; )

CARNELIANS Catherine Asaro (Science Fiction)
Carnelians is a solution for all the various story lines in Asaro's Skolian universe that began in Primary Inversion in 1995. Even if there are subsequent books, this one answers the burning questions. It's a bit telling so that all the threads will knit together. Still, it's a good read.

CAPTAIN VORPATRIL'S ALLIANCE Lois McMaster Bujold (Science Fiction)
This is another example of a great SF series that is nearing its end. Bujold has created a vivid, detailed universe that centers on Miles Vorkosgian and his family. One of those relatives is Ivan "You Idiot" Vorpatril, but in this new book, Ivan comes into his own. Bujold's "Vorkosiverse" is so good, that John and I regularly reread and enjoy it all over again. Great Read!

DANDELION SUMMER Lisa Wingate (Inspirational)
This is part of Wingate's Blue Sky Hill Series. I've never read any of her books before, but I will seek them out now. Dandelion Summer has a light touch with the inspirational part of the story. What's most impressive is the fully-realized characters of J. Norman Alvord and Epiphany Jones who both learn the importance of family and that it's not too late to connect. Great read.

STILL LIFE IN SHADOWS Alice Wisler (Christian Literary)
This is a fascinating story about the challenges facing those who choose to leave the Amish Community. It's an interesting read.

THE SPARROW Mary Doria Russell (Literary Science Fiction)
The Sparrow is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. It is an intriguing, thought provoking, and deeply philosophical look at faith and how it is lived out in real lives. I'd recommend this book to anyone who asks me for a great read and warn them that it will show them the complexities of faith and obedience. A Must Read!

And now the announcement! I'll be interviewing Charlotte Rains Dixon about her new book Emma Jean's Bad Behavior on February 19. You won't want to miss it. Charlotte is an author, writing teacher, and writing coach. Check out her blog at charlotterainsdixion.com.

Outlines, Pantsers, Organic, Linear--What's Your Method

Outlines and other methods of organizing writing is a perennial discussion among writers. There are nearly as many opinions as there are writers. I've been known to talk about the topic a few times. (Check out How the Writing Minds Works or Terra Incognita.)

While I don't use a formal outline to write fiction, my master's thesis, on the other hand, was meticulously outlined. I do use a rough storyboard/table of scenes that allows me to write where ever my mood or muse takes me.

 

But as I get closer to completing the rough draft for FRIENDLY FIRE, I think I need a little bit more organization, so that I can see the remaining holes (or to be honest, the gaping canyons) I need to fill in. ; )

 

There's a great discussion of how other authors write starting with outlining on Barbara Rogan's blog, In Cold Ink. The post is In Praise of Outlines. As a member of the Books and Writers Forum, she started a corresponding discussion that got a lot of great comments, too. In fact, many of the writers involved described how their minds work with some amazing analogies.

 

Diana Gabaldon who is known for her historical novels with a twist uses the kernel method and added the following analogy.

"I just tell people I'm a network writer; i.e., my brain is not wired linearly, but hooked up as a network. Imagine one of those Christmas-light things that's like a net, with bulbs at each juncture. When I get a kernel and start working, one of the bulbs lights up--but often, so do other bulbs in the network, often ones that aren't anywhere physically near the first one."

 

Beth Shope described her organic, linear method in the following way:

"I was just thinking yesterday that organic writers plant the seeds of future plot development as they write, sometimes all unknowing. Anything, however innocuous at the time--an event, a line of dialogue, an observation, an object--can end up producing fruit. If you look back along the trail of the story, you can see which seeds grew and bloomed, and which turned out to be weeds. Those you yank out."

The truth of the discussion is that whatever method works for each writer is what they should do.

Do you outline, write in chunks, or use a linear format?
What works for you?

Who knows you might help me find some enthusiasm for this next, necessary step in my journey to completing FRIENDLY FIRE.

It's the Little Things that Count

copyright Zan Marie Steadham 1977
 

Have you ever noticed that the little details in a scene really are the ones that make the scene come alive? They aren't mentioned for more than a sentence or two, but you see into the character and into the setting because of them.

An example of one such small detail is a wedding ring. I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring for over ten years due to over-active nerves that is a side effect of my Fibromyalgia. Since I started taking a new medicine for it, I'm less achy and find that I can wear my wedding ring for at least a few hours instead of a few minutes.

Once I discovered this happy side effect, I realized that the scene I'm working on was missing something--Laura Grace's wedding ring. In the scene, Laura Grace has just suffered a mild heart attack and after an ambulance ride to the ER and being admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit, she realizes that she isn't wearing the wedding rings she's worn for over forty years. Including that little detail makes the scene more real and reveals that she was a devoted wife and as a widow hasn't forgotten her husband.

I rubbed my face trying to dig up some semblance of alertness. Jerking my hand away, I stared at it. "Where are my wedding rings?"

Another such detail is the fact that Laura Grace is nearsighted and can't read the clock she can see as a blur on the hospital room wall. She can hear the tiny clicks of the second hand, but can't tell the time. That makes her distinctly uncomfortable while revealing her need for glasses. Here's a sample.

How long had I been here? I knew I was in a cardiac care ICU room, but without my glasses, I couldn’t read the blur of a clock that floated on the wall in front of me. I could hear the seconds hand’s movement, tiny click by tiny click.

How do you include the tiniest of telling details that open the window into your characters?
What detail have you included that comes from you life experience?

Genre...again and Mini-Reviews III

It seems that everything is based on genre these days--finding an agent, pitching publishers, and marketing. That can be limiting to writers who write stories that cross genre lines or take on characteristics of several genres. I'll admit to being a omnivorous reader who will read anything. ; ) If it has a strong main character, I'm happy. All of these books have main characters who come alive. You won't forget them.

CASTAWAY DREAMS Darlene Marshall (romance)
Award-winning author, Darlene Marshall's latest at first seems as frivolous as Daphne Farnham's wardrobe. But like the frilly dresses, lovely hats, and perfect shoes hide the truth about Daphne's true nature, Marshall's light romance hides deep character development. It's a delight to see what's at the heart of the story. Castaway Dreams is a light and racy romance full of wit. Great read.

PAINTING NAKED Maggie Dana (literary women's fiction)
This one is racier than my usual read, so be forewarned.
The MC has a coming-of-middle age story. Jillian Hunter will win you over and make you think about the assumptions we all make about life. Good read.

TAI-PAN James Clavell (historical)
I periodically reread Clavell's Asian Saga for the amazing stories and vivid characters. TAI-PAN is the second in the series and is set during the founding of Hong Kong. With a tightly plotted story and an unforgettable main character--Dirk Straun--Clavell proves he is a mastery storyteller. Good read

Julia Spencer-Fleming--the Clare Ferguson and Russ Van Alstyne mystery series:
Not only are Spencer-Fleming's books wonderful, intricate mysteries, she also creates deep, rich characters. The developing relationship between Clare Fergusson, the Episcopal priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, the police chief, is amazing for it emotional reality. If you read mysteries, read these books! If you love real characters, read these books. I've read the first four--In the Bleak Midwinter, In a Fountain Filled with Blood, Out of the Deep I Cry, and To Darkness and To Death. I can't wait to read the next three books.

Do you have a favorite genre? What is it?
Or do you join me in the omnivorous reader group? ; )

Planning a Plot

It's a new year and I have big plans for it. For one thing, I want to finish the rough draft of FRIENDLY FIRE. I'm about 85% done, but I know there are many holes and discontinuities in the story. So, how to writers figure out what goes where?

Some writers outline an entire book before they begin writing. Others start writing at the beginning and go to the end. I can't do either of those. I did try to create a story board for the first Cherry Hill book early in the process, but quickly put it aside when the characters' development began to take the story in unforeseen paths. ; )

Now I've got nearly an entire story that needs to be trimmed and fluffed into shape. There are two books on my shelves that have come highly recommended when working on plots.

• THE WRITER'S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler
• PLOT AND STRUCTURE by James Scott Bell

The subtitle of Vogler's book--Mythic Structure for Writers--is a window into plots based on Campbell's The Hero's Journey. Its multi-layered pattern is very good for fantasy and science fiction stories.

Bell's subtitle--Techniques and Exercises For Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish--is also a clear indication of the plan Bell sets out. Based on the classic three-act story pattern, Bell shows various ways to plot a book to keep a reader in the story.

After working with both books, I think I can say, Bell's is a better fit for my stories, but I'll certainly keep Vogler's ideas in mind if I ever finish my science fiction novel that I've worked on for over twenty-five years.

What about you? Do you have a preferred reference on plot and structure?
Have you read either of these two books?
If you've read both, which do you prefer?