How to select your genre

Many new writers like to say something like this:

“My story is in a new kind of genre. There is some romance and little historical and some science fiction all mixed together in a coming of age novel.

While you may not say this exactly, I am fairly sure that at some point you have decided you have a whole new genre, but, as King Solomon said in the Bible, there is nothing new under the sun. The same is true with our writing. While our books will have unique elements, we must keep our stories within an explainable category, aka genre.

How do you go about selecting a genre? Some say that you should write in the area you understand best, but that doesn’t always work for every author. While I have a degree in political science and history my stories are contemporary suspense novels. That means that I have more research to do in order to construct my plots, but it is the world I am best able to write in.

Consider what it is that most interests you and the kind of writing you get most excited about. Don’t limit yourself to the kind of writing that fits in with your background or learning. Look at the way the story starts to percolate in your mind. That is your first clue.

Once you’ve selected your genre you have the most important step: research that genre. There are certain conventions in writing that you must provide to your reader. Every genre is a promise. In a romance the promise is he and she will meet at the beginning of the book and be in a happy, committed relationship at the end. If you have her die on the final page you are breaking the promise you gave in writing a romance. In suspense you are promising the reader that there will be an emotional experience where life and limb are challenged. If the bad guy is caught 1/3 of the way through and you proceed to go in to the main characters childhood [without any further threat of the bad guy returning] you have broken the promise to the reader.

Within the formula there is always some room for a SKILLFUL adjustment [notice I said skillful], but you must master the convention before changing it.

In the comments why don’t you share a bit about the genre [or genres] you are writing in and what you like about that genre. You may also want to share your understanding of the conventions of that genre to help others learn about that kind of writing.

The Writing Career Coach blog is moving! After the first of the year we will only be posting to our main website. There you will find the blog, information on my speaking topics, FREE articles to help you with your writing and more. In order to receive or continue to receive these postings by e-mail, subscribe here.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at writingcareercoach.com
Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.
Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.
Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website.
Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.

Using what you live to deepen character conflict

"That will end up in a book."

If you spend any time around a writer you will hear that phrase. That is because so much of our writing is drawn from our personal experiences in one way or another. While most of my stories are not autobiographical [I don't stalk women based on a misinterpreted scripture, nor am I a college student in a small town trying to solve a murder], I have to admit that things that I experience do find their way in to my writing in one way or another.

Maybe it is the way I personally reacted to a breakup or disappointment. It could be that one of my characters is afraid of the same thing I am. These are all obvious and easy to do.

Have you ever considered bringing the dual nature of your personality in to your writing?

I am really a dichotomy. On the one hand, I am a successful speaker who really enjoys speaking to large groups. On the other hand, I am a total nerd who gets excited at the idea of doing research and looked forward to every term paper in college. My idea of a dream job would be sitting in a room full of ideas, articles, news reels, historical data, etc. and making sense of it all. Pecking away at a keyboard and discussing the implications with a coworker of similar temperment. Trying to find a pattern and constructing possible scenarios from it.

How do you reconcile the two? One is extremely extroverted, the other introverted. One thrives on feedback and the energy of a crowd, the other the quiet solitude of one's own thoughts.

I guess you become a writer. That's what I did.

Think about the contradictory things in you. Then take time to discover and deepen the contradictory nature of your main characters [including your villain]. Doing that will deepen your writing and create a more relatable story.

Learn how to get readers to pick you and your story by following these links:
Getting readers to pick you
How readers decide what to read
Presenting yourself well
Getting noticed by readers
Going on the hunt

The Writing Career Coach blog is moving! In order to offer you more services and a central location for all information I am moving this blog to our main website: http://www.writingcareercoach.com/ There you will find the blog, information on my speaking topics, FREE articles to help you with your writing and more.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.

Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.

Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.

Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website.

Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.

She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.

Special opportunities

This summer was the largest summer in the history of Writing Career Coach. I want to thank each and every one of you who took advantage of all the free resources as well as the coaching and editing services I provide.

I am excited to say that among my clients there are finalists in national contests, individuals who have acquired agents and some who are being looked at for publication. I’ve had clients sell articles to publications [for pay] and also have things published locally & nationally in exchange for bylines.

In addition to all of this I have received many emails about how you are growing as writers, advancing your careers and getting new focus and drive. We have expanded to include two assistants for administrative tasks, so I can begin to focus on only coaching and tutoring.

From its humble beginnings, Writing Career Coach is growing strong! Since we are going so strong I am financially in a position to offer some discounts and special offers to the people who got me here-you!

For those of you who read my blog and my newsletter I have a special offer! My September calendar is already booking up and I’m giving you first priority along with some substantial discounts and bonuses. All of these are on a first come, first serve basis. You may contact me through my website to book your spot. First, a bit for those of you going to conference, then something for everyone else.

Conference Dry Run

One of the greatest parts of a writer’s conference is the opportunity to meet with editors and agents. It is your shot to pitch your project. You want to do your best. The Conference Dry Run is what you need. For $25 we will have a 25 minute phone call. The first 15 minutes I will play the part of an editor/agent. For the last 10 minutes we will look at the strengths and weaknesses of your pitch and brainstorm ways for you to put your best foot forward at this all important meeting.

Proposal/Conference preparation plan

[Whether or not you’re going to conference]

I will edit your one sheet, give you a query template to use when you send in your requested manuscripts after conference, evaluate your synopsis [up to 3 pgs] and 30 pgs of your manuscript [up to 8,000 words]. You’ve worked hard to get this far. Make sure you’ve put your most professional face forward. $80 [I will only do 5 of these in September, contact me for scheduling.]

Complete Conference Prep Kit

Get the Conference Dry Run and the preparation plan for $100.

Coaching

I will now offer two kinds of coaching. Select the plan that best meets your needs.

Straight email coaching This has been the Writing Career Coach standard for years. For $30/month [with a minimum 3 month commitment] you will get the two writing career coach workbooks and 3 months of email coaching. This coaching includes customized feedback for each Writing Career Coach exercise.

Coaching with the phone option Or, for $50/month you can have the email coaching with a monthly 45 minute phone call where we can discuss marketing, brainstorming, answer questions, etc. This option is available to all of my clients [even those in other countries, however you will call in to a US phone number so you will incur long distance charges.] This is a great option for writers who want a little more.

I will accept 10 coaching clients in September. Anyone who signs up in August will get to begin immediately and get August as BONUS days! [however there is no additional phone call]

Edits
I will do content edits [see this blog for an example]. I have many happy clients from the US, Canada, Europe and the UK. I edit both Fiction and Non-Fiction. I will do 4 edits TOTAL at the price below, [one per week in September] so contact me for scheduling. A 10% deposit is required to hold your spot.

As a bonus ALL edits on full manuscripts of 50,000 words+ will get the full 3 month coaching plan with their edits FREE!! [A $90 value] They may upgrade to the phone option for only $50 TOTAL [not per month. This is an additional $10 savings.]

50,000-60,000 words $500 to do a complete edit.

60,001-70,000 words $550 to do a complete edit.

70,001-80,000 words $600 to do a complete edit.

Larger or smaller projects, contact me for a quote.

*Complete edit means I will go through the project one time. Some authors want a second edit after they complete revisions. If you’d like re-edits of your work, ask me for a quote.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.

Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.

Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.

Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website.

Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.

She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.

An example to illustrate...

One of my coaching students emailed me last week to do an edit. I gave her a very detailed critique on her opening paragraph. I then thought that what I shared might help other writers so I asked her permission to share it with you.

I have kept her anonymous to protect the innocent [and if she is entering Genesis she will want to STAY anonymous] but, if she chooses to reveal herself in the comments, I hope she'll tell you some of how she applied all of this to her full WIP. Please pay particular attention to the ways to construct questions in the reader's mind. It is not the only way, but it is one way. The key is understanding WHY you want to do that and how it will help you improve your writing.

For those of you who have wondered about my editing and coaching, this is a sample of what you get. I hope it will help all of you.

Her opening read:

I gripped the steering wheel as Nikko slept in his kennel in the back of the jeep. The phone call that interrupted dinner was from Sheriff Logan, telling me a six year old girl went missing. The longer the child is missing the more difficult to pick up the scent. So far, they have not been successful.
Before leaving Boones Creek, I drove through McDonalds at the edge of town for a cup of strong coffee. Nikko had water in his kennel, besides he sleeps while I’m driving.
***

This is what I said to her:

I really see that you've improved.

As I started the first paragraph I started some changes [suggestions] to you. Look below-

You gripping the steering wheel and Nikko sleeping aren’t related. It is better to say something like.

I gripped the steering wheel and tried to process everything Sheriff Logan had said. Behind me Nikko slept soundly in his kennel. His near silent breathing the only noise besides the thundering of my heart. Another girl missing, a six year old, and Nikko and I were needed. Every second that ticked past would make the scent harder for Nikko to pick up. How long had she been missing? How old was the scent?

Nikko let out a muffled whimper from his slumber. Was he dreaming of chasing a rabbit through the woods or was he running to escape the nightmares like I do?
***

I want to tell you what it is I was doing here and why. Gripped is a GREAT verb but we need more. Therefore I have her gripping the steering wheel PROCESSING what the Sheriff said. Immediately the reader starts to wonder what the sheriff said, what her relationship with the sheriff is, what we are going to find out next. She could have heard a loved one was dead. Maybe she is under suspicion for a crime. We don't know. So the reader will keep reading to find out the answer.

You had the dog sleeping in the kennel but it seemed like a distraction before BUT by HEARING the breathing it engages more of our senses and we start to experience the scene a bit more. Now we are in a car, there is a dog sleeping behind her and we can hear it breathe. "But what did the sheriff say and what does this DOG have to do with anything?" The reader still wonders.

Her heart is thundering. She is gripping the steering wheel. Both indicate stress or fear...hmmm, the reader wonders why.

Next, a girl is missing. And the heroine is needed with the dog. Okay, he is a service dog. A blood hound? A cadaver dog? No, the next sentence indicates that the scent could grow cold. That means we hope the girl is still alive. So the reader keeps reading because we still have the unanswered question of why the narrator is so upset? Then we learn of the time constraint. We want to yell to her "Stop sitting there!!! Go find the girl !!!"

Then we HEAR the dog again [see, how we have touch and hearing weaving through this scene]. Anyone familiar with a dog knows what this sounds like, but we add a sinister twist to it. The heroine wonders if the dog is dreaming happily or if it is tortured LIKE SHE IS!!

This question of her internal struggle is "BRIDGING CONFLICT". Go look at it in "Writing the Breakout Novel" and you'll see it's function. This is a lingering question you don't want to answer too quickly. This is ALL just the opening paragraph. The FIRST paragraph of your story. Compare this to what you wrote and you'll see that I simply added some unspoken questions to the readers mind as they read. You see some I introduced and then quickly answered. Others I introduced and left unanswered.

The big thing is add more senses. You have a great framework to do this with. You had the dog sleeping, I introduced the sound of his snores...

So read through and start to think of places you an include sensory details [the five senses]...and try to associate many of them with an emotion as well. "The comforting smell of pine pulled her back to grandma's house and the pine trees that bristled outside her window at night. It was her safe place and the one she always imagined escaping to when life at home became too terrifying." Do you see how you've learned a bit about the character, her relationship with her grandma and her childhood all because of a smell?

So, look over your MS and see how you can add those things [we don't want to over do it. Descriptions are like salt. =) ]

I hope this helps.

***
So, if you've ever wondered what I do when I coach and offer edits, now you know. I hope all of you will see a nugget in here that will help you in your writing. If you have any questions you can contact me through my website www.WritingCareerCoach.com or www.TheBalancedLife.com

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

A Newbie's look at craft

Today I’m going to share an interview I had with another of the authors I mentor through WritingCareerCoach.com’s mentorship program. I hope that the new writers out there will be encouraged and that the established writers will see something that brings them back to their ‘first love’…writing.

So now I’d like to introduce Kathryn Neff Perry

Q. Share one thing you have done recently to improve your craft?

A. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS HIRE A WRITING COACH. THE SECOND THING I DID WAS TAKE HER ADVICE AND BUY THE BREAKOUT NOVEL AND THE WORKBOOK

Q. What are some things you're doing to market even before you're published?

A I POST TO MY BLOG DAILY AND KEEP MY WEB SITE UPDATED, HOPING FOR MORE EXPOSURE

Q. What genre do you write and how did you become interested in it?

A. I WRITE MYSTERIES/SUSPENSE. I BECAME INTERESTED IN MYSTERIES/SUSPENSE FROM THE FIRST NOVEL I READ. I'M A HUGE FAN OF ROBERT PARKER. I LOVE TRYING TO GUESS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.

Q. If you had to give one piece of advice to someone just starting out as an author, what would it be?

A. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON, AND TO WRITE EVERYDAY.

Q. Do you have a blog/website? What is the theme and the address?

A. MY WEBSITE IS www.kathrynneffperry.com. MY BLOG address is www.kattskomments.blogspot.com. The theme for both is inspiration. My hope is for other authors to find inspiration from my words.

Thank you so much for sharing with us. It is important to write every day-even if no one ever sees your words. It is the discipline of writing that you’re developing and that will help you grow as a writer.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

Aspiring Writer, Big Dreams

Lauri Pierce is another aspiring writer in my coaching program. She shares what she is doing to grow as a writer in this post.

WCC: One thing you have done recently to improve your craft?
LP: I'm reading (and am almost done!) this great book called Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.

WCC: What are some things you're doing to market even before you're published?
LP: I have started a blog and intend to send and inform family and friends of the site to get it out there and growing. I'm also planning to post the address on Facebook and Myspace, and possibly a few forums. From there, who knows where else! Perhaps bumper stickers? Lol ;)

WCC: What genre do you write and how did you become interested in it?
LP: Good question... I don't really have one specific genre though. Right now, I have a historical fiction, a thriller, a fantasy/allegory, and plain fiction in the works. I also enjoy writing nonfiction articles when a neat idea comes. Above all though, and perhaps this is what you were looking for, the similarity between them is the same. They are Christ based and/or have an uplifting message. Meaning, to me, is very important.

I became interested in these and writing in general by reading.

WCC: If you had to give one piece of advice to someone just starting out as an author, what would it be?
LP: If you have a passion to write, you can do it! It will take time and effort on your part, but it is possible. And NEVER (if I could double underline this, I would) let anyone tell you otherwise.

WCC: Do you have a blog/website? What is the theme and the address?
LP: Indeed, I do! The theme is God, writing, and life (and all three combined). I might give some advice on things I've learned about writing one day, talk about something that really struck or touched me in life the next, and then share something God did in the following. The ideas are boundless -as is life. The address is http://laurislacuna101.blogspot.com/.

Lauri, Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.

So what about all of you? January is nearly over, what have you been doing to build your writing. Leave a comment.

This one is still pursuing her goals...

Today I'm pleased to have one of the individuals in my coaching program, Katt Anderson, share a bit about writing, what she's done to grow as a writer and how she is working to take her writing to the next level. I hope you will enjoy this post. I will have a couple others throughout this month as we focus on goal setting and following through.

WCC:What is one thing you have done recently to improve your craft?

Katt Anderson: This past year I have changed a lot in my writing. I always take to classes that ACFW offers and I have heard of others that I have taken. I have been working with Tiffany for over a year now and I do recommend her classes, especially the one-month intense class. It really brought my thinking to the center. Last year I attended two seminars, Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and October Writers Retreat. When I was there, I met a lot of authors and I have been networking with some of them. Conferences are a great way to meet people and don't be afraid to ask them questions.

WCC: What are some things you're doing to market even before you're published?

KA: That's a good question and one I am getting started doing. I do several things. I'm a member of the Church of Christ and most of the churches have Ladies Day. That is a time where ladies from different congregations get together for a day of worship, just women. I have spoken at our Ladies Day and we are preparing for another one in May. I am also open for any other speaking engagements. I'm always introduced as a writer and I tell my progress. Another way is to write for publications, newspapers, anything. Right now I do not have anything published, but I am working on them. You can also speak to different local organizations. This has been swimming around for a while in my head and I'm ready to take the leap.

WCC: What genre do you write and how did you become interested in it?

KA: I write historical romance. I have always loved history. My best subject in school. The town I live in is very old and there is a lot of history from 1775 and on. When I was in elementary school, a historian of the town would come to our classes and tell us stories. I enjoyed it very much. Then my grandmother was raised in the coal mining towns in Southwest Virginia. She told me so many stories about the early 1900's. Her father was a sheriff and he also told me a few.

WCC: If you had to give one piece of advice to someone just starting out as an author, what would it be?

KA: One piece of advice is hard. There are so many things to do such as classes, conferences, etc. My one piece of advice is to read well written novels in the genre you want to write. Study those books when you read them and learn how the author says and explains certain things. How does she/he show emotion? How do they do back story? There is so much to learn and reading is a good way to do that. Wording is different in each era.

WCC: Do you have a blog/website? What is the theme and the address?

KA: I do have a website and a blog. The address is www.kattanderson.com. My blog is www.kattscribbles.blogspot.com. The theme is the journey of writing. I do have guest interviews and the last one was with Amanda Cabot discussing her book Paper Roses. It is a historical romance.

Tiff, thanks so much for interviewing me. You know I love to talk, so I have enjoyed telling about my journey. Life is a journey and each day is a different page or scene. We make it what we want it to be and I have decided to enjoy it. Thanks so much.

Thanks for sharing from your heart, Katt. Tomorrow I'll spend some time talking about ways to build your writer's platform. I hope to see everyone there.

You know what to do, but how???

Happy Monday!!

I truly mean that every time I say that. I love being a writer and I love coaching other writers and helping them to be all they can be.

So many people make New Year's Resolutions [although I haven't heard as much of that this year...guess it's because I quit listening to the News all the time.]

I don't make Resolutions because it is no more effective than making a declaration.

I make decisions and I follow them with action.

If that is you, then you're in the right place. Last week I called you all to make January a foundational month. Not only am I encouraging you to do that, but I'm going to help you with that.

We're going to lay the foundation for a successful new year in your writing business. Over this next month I will not only suggest steps to take but I'm going to allow a few of the people I coach to tell you some of what THEY'RE doing to grow their business. Some of them have ideas identical to me, others have taken what I've taught and forged their own path.

Either way, 2009 can be an opportunity for you to meet those goals.

Our economy is in a time of flux. Our government is in a state of transition.

Uncertainty can be scary.

But, history has shown us that the people who adjusted TO change are the ones who sky rocketed in growth.

Make this your month to grow!

Many of you have emailed me to ask about my coaching program. It runs 3 months starting from the day you register [so if you register January 15th it will run until April 15th] so you always get 3 full months.

Yes, if you own one or more of the products you do get a discount on that first month.

And I have a few more spots for January [only 8] so if you'd like to sign up for coaching this month, do it quickly.

One final thing, if you have high school students [homeschool, public school or private school] and they're dreading that term paper I'm teaching a semester long class on mastering the term paper. It is $30 for the SEMESTER [yes, it is a crazy cheap deal. I love teenagers and want to see them succeed]. I only have a few spots left so email me directly if you'd like your student to have the private tutoring. Or if they want to purchase the product without tutoring. I no longer do the e-loop so all tutoring is private tutoring.

See you tomorrow and we'll delve in to the year your business exceeded your expectations!

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany's Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany's award winning manuscript "A Face in the Shadow" on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer's Rest.