Writer's Corner: Bullet Proof Research by DiAnn Mills

Greetings and Salutations!

This week I am happy to present a guest article by one of my Houston neighbors, award-winning author DiAnn Mills.  DiAnn is an incredibly prolific writer with fifty books in print, and has sold over 1.5 million copies.  Six of her titles have appeared on the CBA bestseller list, and she is the recipient of numerous awards, including Best Historical of the Year from Heartsong Presents, a Christy Award, and an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award in 2010.

In addition to writing historical and contemporary fiction, DiAnn shares her expertise with other writers as a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a member of Inspirational Writers Alive; Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love; and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.  I’m also excited to tell you DiAnn will lead a teaching lab on fiction writing at the 2011 CLASS Christian Writers Conference!

You can read more about her at www.diannmills.com.  Be sure to check out the “For Writers” section, which is loaded with writer’s tips and an excellent collection of quotations by writers.

We’ll be hearing more from DiAnn in the coming months, but for this week, she offers fiction writers some tips and encouragement regarding research for your novels.  And if you’re not a fiction writer, be sure to read her article anyway, as proper research is just as important in non-fiction writing as it is for creating credible characters and believable scenarios in a work of fiction.

Enjoy!

Lawrence 

Writer's Corner

Bullet Proof Research for the Contemporary Suspense

By DiAnn Mills

           

Have you ever had an idea for a fabulous suspense novel, but the thought of completing the research killed the project before you were able to flesh out a plot? Oh, the protagonist was quirky and witty, and the villain was charming and manipulative. Yet a body lay flat without anyone able to solve the murder because you didn’t have the tools to find the killer.

You’re not alone. Many writers forego their dreams of writing a thrilling novel because they don’t have the tools for research. I’m a dreamer. I can explore any plot and write a believable synopsis. When the contract comes through, I’m celebrating—tweeting my new writing project and making claims on Facebook. But that is short-lived when I realize a big problem. How am I going to conduct the research?

Over the years, I’ve developed a thick-skinned approach for finding the details needed to ensure my story is credible. My characters have to walk and talk their roles, so I need to find real live people who have the same careers, expertise, and experiences.

Where do I begin? My first step is to search the public library and Amazon for books and recordings about the character or setting that have me puzzled. What I love about purchasing reference materials is I can highlight and make notes. When I believe I have a working knowledge of the research, I look for people to interview. Don’t panic. I have yet to meet someone who didn’t like to talk about what they do. Don’t you love talking about the life of a writer? Ask a mother about her day with her preschooler. Ask a teacher about her day with her students. Ask a teller what happens when her drawer doesn’t balance. Ask a policeman about how he approaches a domestic violence case. See what I mean? People are honored and appreciate others asking about their normal day—at least normal for them. So go right to the top. Introduce yourself as a writer and have your elevator pitch ready. Two things happen when you pitch your story to the potential interviewee: 1) you hook them into your story, and 2) you make them feel important.

When interviewing a specific career, especially a law enforcement agency or a member of Homeland Security, contact the Public Relations Director and explain what you need. I did this for the Border Patrol and received permission to ride the line with them. What a thrill! I phoned the Public Relations Director of my city’s FBI office, and we began a relationship for a series of books.

Sometimes the information we need takes us out of our comfort zone.

            Maybe you need to visit the morgue.

            Maybe you need to take a class in self-defense.

            Maybe you need to learn how to use a firearm.

            Maybe you need to pick up the phone and get started.

Writing suspense is not for the weak-hearted. Toughen up. Get the facts. You may get lucky enough to have the expert want to read every word of your novel. Move over you best selling writers. There’s always room for one more, and I’m ready to slide into place. 

***

Attendees at the CLASS Christian Writers Conference have the opportunity to meet

one-on-one with some of the Christian publishing industry’s top editors and publishers.

(Photo courtesy Saundra Burns)

Register Early for a GI-NORMOUS Discount!

When you register and PAY IN FULL for the CLASS Christian Writers Conference by March 31, 2011, you save $150 off the regular price of $675, for a discounted price of $525.  (NOTE: registration opens March 1, which is only two weeks away! )

About CLASSEMINARS

CLASSEMINARS, Inc. is the premier full service agency for established and aspiring Christian speakers, writers, leaders, and publishers. A one-of-a-kind organization, CLASS provides the complete training ground for tomorrow's spiritual leaders worldwide.  For more info on CLASS, please visit http://classeminars.org/.

The CLASS Christian Writers Conference blog is managed by Lawrence J. Clark, an author, speaker, and songwriter who frequently speaks and performs in schools, churches, and libraries throughout the United States. He is co-founder, with his wife Kristen, of HisWitness.org and NewBeginningsMarriage.org, for which he writes a regular column based on personality theory, marriage and relationships, men’s issues, and Christian living. 

Conference Reflection by Terry Burns!

Greetings, Folks!

One of the things I like best about the CLASS Christian Writers Conference is that attendees don’t just learn a lot of practical information about writing, and don’t just get the opportunity to meet with many of the top agents, editors, and publishers in the Christian publishing industry (although that alone would be worth the price of the conference!).  

The conference also serves as a spiritual renewal, with morning devotions, evening worship music, free time for prayer and meditation in a beautiful setting, and top-notch keynote speakers.  I have personally benefited from this portion of the conference, and will be writing about my experiences in coming weeks. 

One of many gorgeous sights at the Ghost Ranch

(photo courtesy Saundra Burns)

This week, though, I am happy to include a “conference reflection” by one of my favorite cowboys, Terry Burns.  Terry is an author with over 30 books in print, among them ten novels; he has also written numerous articles and short stories.  In addition to his prolific writing career, Terry also serves as an agent with Hartline Literary Agency.  You can find him online at terryburns.net.

Enjoy, and God Bless!

Lawrence

Conference Reflection

By Terry Burns

For a person who wants to be, professes to be, or IS a Christian writer, the single most important question is this, "Has God called me to write or do I want to write and offer it to Him?" What's the difference? Sounds the same, but it isn't. One is an offering from us to God. We initiate it. If we are genuinely called to write, He will initiate it. If He does, then it is an assigned task and an obligation, and we must be acutely aware that God always finishes what He starts.

If we accept the premise that there is a difference, then how do we know which is which? For a Christian writer the starting point is always prayer. If we pray, "I want to write for you, Lord, is it ok?" or any similar utterance, we are holding out an offering, pure and simple. It will undoubtedly be accepted and will be pleasing to God, but will clearly be a gift from us.

Determining if we have been called to write is much harder. It still has to start with prayer, but we can't dictate terms to God. We must start with something along the lines of "Show me what you would have me do, Lord." An open-ended question, then we must prepare our hearts and mind to receive the answer.

Terry Burns reading cowboy poetry at

2010 CLASS Christian Writers Conference

(photo courtesy Saundra Burns)

I was conflicted with exactly this timeless writing question. I prayed that God would tell me what to do. No strings, no "is this what you want?" Just asked Him to reveal His will. The mail came shortly after that and I got a brochure from a week long writing conference in Glorieta, New Mexico. Coincidence or circumstances? I thought coincidence even though later when I checked no one could tell me how my name came to be on the mailing list.

No matter. It cost too much to go, I couldn't do it. Then my wife came home and I told her about it.  She got a funny look on her face. An audit at work had produced a payment for some unreimbursed overtime. She had a check neither of us had expected or counted on for the exact amount needed to go to the conference. Coincidence, or circumstances?

The pastor gave a sermon on special gifts (church), and the subject started popping up in Sunday school and our Bible reading. A half dozen other things I won't go into occurred. Finally I said, "I get it, Lord, I'm going."

At Glorieta they knew how to lead the way through the next logical step in the process. We were taken through an exercise designed to help us identify our special gifts. Not surprisingly, mine were encouragement and writing. Corroboration, but still did not distinguish between an offering and being called.

They were prepared for that, too. I had been to a number of writing seminars, courses, and conferences, but not a Christian conference. Prayer, consulting the Bible, and interface with people of faith all played as strong a role as the actual discussion and study of the craft of writing. I knew by now that I would use my words for God as best as I could, but did not know on whose initiative I was to do it. To be truthful I rather hoped it was on my own initiative, far less responsibility and pressure.

It didn't work out that way. God used all of the sources during the week to convict me and convince me that the call was sincere. But I was only a fiction writer, and was not qualified to do it. Then I learned the next big difference between the two. If it was an offering, then it would be made out of my own skill and ability. If God was assigning me the task, He would see that my ability, skill and even character was molded to fit the requirements.

A cookie-cutter recipe for success as a Christian writer? No, I'm certainly not qualified to offer that, but I do think it is a good example of the proper process. Let me be clear, however, that there is nothing wrong with writing of our own accord strictly as a gift or offering. It will be joyously received.

The Glorieta Conference is the same conference that is now the CLASS Christian Writers Conference, held at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM. I owe them a major debt and will continue to support the conference, and attend as long as they think I can bring something to the table.

 ***

 

Register Early for a HUGE Discount!

When you register and PAY IN FULL for the CLASS Christian Writers Conference by March 31, 2011, you save $150 off the regular price of $675, for a discounted price of $525.  

NOTE: registration opens March 1^st

About CLASSEMINARS

CLASSEMINARS, Inc. is the premier full service agency for established and aspiring Christian speakers, writers, leaders, and publishers. A one-of-a-kind organization, CLASS provides the complete training ground for tomorrow's spiritual leaders worldwide.  For more info on CLASS, please visit http://classeminars.org/.

The CLASS Christian Writers Conference blog is managed by Lawrence J. Clark, an author, speaker, and songwriter who frequently speaks and performs in schools, churches, and libraries throughout the United States. He is co-founder, with his wife Kristen, of HisWitness.org and NewBeginningsMarriage.org, for which he writes a regular column based on personality theory, marriage and relationships, men’s issues, and Christian living.