Paula Mowery: A Healthy Author is a Productive Author

Over the last several months the topic of health has weighed on my mind. Maybe you can relate to several hours of sitting in a desk chair writing and editing. Some of my favorite writing blogs and even writing craft books have addressed this unhealthy practice. I finally decided to take all of the information and suggestions to develop a plan for myself. 

The result of following this plan has not only made me more healthy but more productive. For example, I have made progress on my WIP and not experienced my normal story blocks. Because I set a timer, when the buzzer sounds, I stop writing and make a few short notes in the margin. This allows me to immediately jump back into the story during my next writing session. I make progress in all areas that I need to spend time on each day.

So, how about you? Do you need to become a healthier author? Start by listing the tasks you need to accomplish each day. Rank these in order of importance. Establish a time period for each task. I wouldn’t suggest longer than 45 minutes. Now, in between each task add in 10 to 15 minutes of movement or exercise. After your exercise interval is complete, sit down and begin your next working interval.

Here is a basic plan:

• 30 minutes Bible reading and study

• 10 minutes exercise

• 45 minutes Write on WIP

• 10 minutes exercise

• 30 minutes Social media

• 10 minutes exercise

• 45 minutes Editing for contracted authors

• 10 minutes Pilates

Because of church activities and weekend family activities, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday differ. I will modify to fit my schedule on those days. However, Sunday is my day to totally get away to honor the Sabbath.

Has anyone else implemented a plan? I would love for you to leave a comment and share. You never know how you might inspire someone else to become a more healthy and productive author.

About Paula:

Paula Mowery is a published author, acquisitions editor, and speaker. Her first two published works were The Blessing Seer and Be the Blessing from Pelican Book Group. Both are women’s fiction, and their themes have been the topics of speaking engagements. Be the Blessing won the Selah Award in 2014 in the novella category. In November of 2013, her first romance released in the anthology, Brave New Century, from Prism Book Group. This book went to number five on Amazon’s bestseller category, historical Christian romance. Legacy and Love is her first solo romance.

Paula is a pastor’s wife and mom to a college student. She homeschooled her daughter through all twelve years, and they both lived to tell about it. Before educating her daughter at home, she was an English teacher in public school.

You can follow Paula on Facebook. Learn more about Paula on her blog or enjoy her monthly columns on Christian Online Magazine. You can also check out her blog for Christian writers.

Paula Mowery: Are You Starting Well?

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / iqoncept

As an acquisitions editor, I read a lot of manuscript beginnings that don’t get off to a good start. I often push on through at least the first few chapters, but a reader isn’t required to read on. We authors want our readers to be captured and reeled in, not wanting to stop reading our work.

So, how can we start well? Let me offer a few suggestions to help us evaluate whether we’re off to a good start.

Does my story start in the middle of the action?

We’ve heard this taught and read it in writing craft books, but what does it mean? This means start with something exciting, something that will hook the reader. Often writers begin with a beautiful description of setting or pour on the historical background of the main character (backstory) to make sure the reader is up to speed.

Don’t make your reader wade through all of that background information. Jump into the story. Shock that reader! After you capture their attention then you can go back and fill them in a little at a time as the information is needed.

Is my story showing the reader what is happening?

Yes, the dreaded show versus tell is important in the beginning. Don’t cop out by using telling words like felt, thought, wondered, and remembered. Show me in detail how the character felt. For example:  Telling - She felt sad.  Showing – Her chest ached and tears slid down her cheeks and off her chin. Don’t tell the reader she felt sad. Make the reader feel the sadness. That will further hook your reader and make them stay for the rest of the show.

Am I following the rules of grammar?

Ugh. English class. You got that right. Check to make sure your writing is in proper sentence form as well as consistent in verb tense. This is another common problem. The normally acceptable verb tense to write in is past tense. This means that you write scurried instead of scurries. The only times that you include present tense verbs are in dialogue and internal monologue.

Is my POV consistent?

At the beginning of a story make sure you choose a main character or the main character to begin. Write only what that character can see and experience. This includes not having that character describe her own physical description. Do not switch point of view unless you indicate this by some kind of wingding like three stars (***) or something similar. Remember that the POV character can’t see herself turn red or blush. In her POV, blushing would be warmth crept to her cheeks.    

Should I start with a prologue?

Can I be honest here? Many of the prologues I have read are just backstory dumps. Presently, I don’t see editors really keeping a prologue.

Refer to the first suggestion – just jump into that story. You can trickle backstory in as needed later.

Also, I’ve seen a prologue completely give away a story. Don’t do that. Keep that reader guessing so she can’t put down that book until she reads: The End. 

These are just five simple elements a writer needs to guide her in making sure she gets off to a good start with her story. Before clicking that send button, really study your story’s beginning to make sure it captures your reader and reels her in, not letting her go.

PAULA MOWERY is a pastor's wife and a former homeschool Mom. She’s also a Christian writer. Her articles have appeared in Woman's World and in an ongoing column on http://christianonlinemagazine.com/. She also writes Christian fiction. Paula’s debut novella, THE BLESSING SEER came out July 6, 2012 from Pelican Book Group. The sequel, BE THE BLESSING, released Sept. 13, 2013. She is an author and acquisitions editor with Prism Book Group. My story, Forgiven, is in the anthology, Brave New Century which released Nov. 13, 2013. This book appeared on Amazon's Top 100 Bestsellers in Religious Historical Fiction.

Paula Mowery: DPOV Basics

Through my experience of writing and having books published as well as editing for my acquired authors, I have developed some basic things to look for in terms of deep point of view. POV essentially refers to the character the reader is experiencing the story through at a given time. This perspective can be deepened or honed to allow the reader to connect even more strongly with the POV character. To have the reader feel as though she/he is experiencing what the character is experiencing is what the writer wants to achieve. This is the goal of DPOV.
Here is a mental checklist I use when revising my work or someone else’s:

1.  Check for head-hopping.

The writer must remain in the same POV until indicating in some way that they will be changing (insert a wingding or start a new chapter). Please don’t make your reader dizzy by hopping from the thoughts of one character to another. When in a certain POV, write only what that character would do, say, think, observe.

2.  Only write what the POV character can sense.

The POV character shouldn’t give a physical description of herself/himself.

For example: Her cheeks reddened.

The POV character can’t see this.

Better: Heat rushed up her neck and into her cheeks.

3.  Get rid of telling words and just say it.

Even in a POV character’s internal thoughts, she/he wouldn’t think the words thought, felt.

For example: She thought he might be tired. He supposed she needed time to herself.

Better: He might be tired. She needed time to herself.

4.  Show in order of occurrence.

For example: She shuddered after the knock at the door and wondered at answering.

Better: A knock on the door jolted her. She shuddered. Was it safe to answer?

5.  How would the POV character really be thinking?

Would the character use internal questions?

For example: He wondered if he should open the door.

Better: Should he open the door?

6.  Show emotion; don’t name it.

For example: She was mad.

Better: She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

DPOV is a skill in progress. Keep working to give the reader that close-up experience with your POV character.
Some resources that have helped me personally are The Emotion Thesaurus by Ackerman and Puglisi and Rivet Your Readers With Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

About Paula Mowery:

PAULA MOWERY is a pastor’s wife and a former homeschool Mom. She’s also a Christian writer. Her articles have appeared in Woman’s World and in an ongoing column on Christian Online Magazine. She also writes Christian fiction. Paula’s debut novella, THE BLESSING SEER came out July 6, 2012 from Pelican Book Group. The sequel, BE THE BLESSING, released Sept. 13, 2013. She is an author and acquisitions editor with Prism Book Group. Paula’s story, Forgiven, is in the anthology, BRAVE NEW CENTURY, which released Nov. 13, 2013. This book appeared on Amazon’s Top 100 Bestsellers in Religious Historical Fiction.