With the controversy that erupted recently about #copypastecris we decided that a discussion about ghostwriters would be a good idea. If you haven’t heard about this controversy it must be because you are hard at work writing your masterpiece and not wasting time on social media.
Basically, a bestselling author plagiarized large chunks of her books, stealing from other best-selling authors. There were whole paragraphs lifted right from the pages of other peoples work. If you Google @copypastcris you can catch yourself up on all the sordid details.
In our podcast we decided not to focus our attention on this other author, who blamed the whole fiasco on ‘a ghostwriter she hired’, but on the issue of actually using a ghostwriter in the first place.
Should we, as Christian authors, (Christian being the operative word) hire a ghostwriter for any reason, or would it be morally wrong. In other words, should we be passing ourselves off as the author of a work we didn’t write?
Join our discussion and let us know what you think about this issue. Don’t forget to head over to Patreon and watch our Postcast.
In Him, Christina Cattane
Episode 28: Online Release Parties
During our podcast meetings, we have thrown around the idea of posting an out-takes video. Well, your wait is over because today we filmed a whole hour’s worth! Of course, this wasn’t intentional but we’re hoping that all of our goofs and silly mistakes are a good omen concerning Jen’s own online book launch party tonight; you know, similar to the old ‘break a leg’ adage.
Ecclesiastes 7:14a (NIV) reminds us of this:
“When times are good, be happy but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”
There was an important lesson in today’s crazy podcast. It showed me how nice it is to have a group of women whom I can be comfortable enough with to flub in front of them without too much embarrassment. I believe that this group is the type of the thing God blesses His children with when we trust Him during the good times and the bad. And I felt like it was a good bonding experience for our writing group. I hope they did too…because these women are my valentines 🙂
While I am praying for only the best for Jen tonight, if the avalanche of oopsies continues throughout the night, I know she will be thanking God for the results He has in mind for her. Regardless of our (my) performance today, we gave much valuable advice and plenty of tips to get you thinking about how to launch your own book.
Episode 27: Tropes
This week our encouragement for writers focuses on one aspect of improving your writing craft. Tune in to the podcast each week for more encouragement for writers and self-publishing tips!
Imagine you are six years old. Papa has come in to your room to tell you a good-night story. He tells you, “this is a fairytale about a knight, a dragon, and a princess.”
You snuggle under your down-alternative comforter, prop your head on your copper-cooling memory foam pillow, and settle in for a good, old-fashioned fairytale, where the dragon is beastly, the princess is imperiled, and the brave and handsome knight rides to the rescue.
But, what if, in Papa’s tale, the Princess is a World War II fighter pilot, the dragon is a personal trainer with a penchant for self-help books, and Prince runs away to Kansas to open a combination coffee shop and 10 minute oil change?
Chances are, while you may learn to appreciate this “different” sort of story, you’d feel a bit confused, or maybe just a bit disappointed. That list of things you expected to happen in our imagined story are examples of genre Tropes. Whatever genre you write in, you want to make sure you are delivering what the reader expects, which means you need to be aware of the Tropes of that genre.
On today’s episode, we discuss tropes and their importance in your story. Let us know what you’ve discovered about your genre in the comments below. And, don’t forget to join our Patreon for even more fun and informative content.
Until next time,
Jamie
Episode 26: Self-Editing: Planning Your Process
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11
This has always been one of my favorite verses. While it may not have anything to do with writing a novel directly, It still inspires us to use our best words when honoring God as Christian writers. Today’s episode is all about editing our works to polish them up like a golden apple.
Jenifer, Jamie and Tina discuss their individual editing processes. While all three of these ladies always end up with a wonderfully clean piece that is a pleasure to read, they all go about it in their own personalized way.
If you’re new to editing as I am, you are sure to come away from this video inspired; if you’ve been editing your books for years, we still think you’ll enjoy the camaraderie of our little think tank. If you have a tip to add, we’d love to hear from you!
Jenifer Carll-Tong is the best-selling author of historical Christian romances and co-host of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast.
Episode 25: Office Hours for Writers
During NaNoWriMo the ladies and I started discussing how to continue the momentum we had going. We were making it a point to get into a Google Hangout and sprint together most days, and our word counts were amazing.
It was decided that we would have what we are calling ‘office hours. We bookmarked a hangout and we meet there each weekday and some Saturdays at an agreed upon time. We have three timed sprints and then it’s water cooler time. We are each still working on something to advance our career, but this is the time to chat or ask for input.
I have personally gotten so much accomplished during office hours that I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop.
Check out our latest podcast where we discuss our ‘office hours’, how it has helped each of us be productive, and how you can do it too.
Don’t forget to check out our Patreon for our post casts, where the shenanigans really take off, as well as some serious critiques of our writing.
Episode 24: Bullet Journals for Authors
This week our encouragement for writers is all about time management. We take on the task in a fun and creative way. Tune in to the podcast each week for more encouragement for writers and self-publishing tips!
Bujo…not just for the Boujee
I’ll be honest. When I first heard the term “Bujo,” I thought it must be something trendy and frivolous, like branding irons for your steak, or bat poop coffee. I can tell you now that I was so totally wrong. A “Bujo,” cutesy as it sounds, is actually an extremely practical, endlessly adaptable, and completely personalize-able way to manage and organize your life. What writer couldn’t use a giant helping of THAT? Am I right?!
The word “Bujo” is simply a mashup of the words “bullet” and “journal”. The idea originated as journaling via bulleted lists, instead of in the traditional longform paragraph style. Early versions were basic, black and white, ink on paper, practical tools. Now they can be simply that, or so much more, depending on the owner’s tastes and needs.
Join us this week as Rhonda and Tina cover the basics of Bujo, and then we discuss ways to make your Bujo as Boujee (or not) as you like.
–
Jamie
Episode 23: In the Trenches: Publishing Your Novel
Writing your book is hard. It takes dedication and true grit to take a story idea and turn it into an 80,000 word representation of that story. So, before I go any farther, if you have been able to type the words “The End,” then congratulations! If you have yet to finish your novel, then let me encourage you… you can do this! The world needs your story!
After all that hard work, the rest should be easy. Just hit the publish button, right? Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. Next comes the editing, then book covers and layout, then marketing and promotion, and the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming. It can be frustrating. We know. Because we are smack dab in the middle [Read more…] about Episode 23: In the Trenches: Publishing Your Novel
Jenifer Carll-Tong is the best-selling author of historical Christian romances and co-host of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast.
Episode 22: Writing Goals
This week our encouragement for writers comes in the form of a goal setting session with the podcast hosts. Tune in to the podcast each week for more encouragement for writers and self-publishing tips!
Episode 21: Author Beware
This week our encouragement for writers comes in the form of a reminder about internet safety. Tune in each week for more encouragement, support, and great self-publishing tips!
Hi, Christian indies!
When I was a child, the Publisher’s Clearing House (PCH) entry form was still sent by U.S. Mail. It was a glorious, fat envelope, with promises of potential for great fortune stamped across the front. Inside was an enormous sheet of perforated, full color lick-and-stick stamps, each representing a magazine subscription one could purchase by affixing the stamp to the appropriate place on the order form, which doubled as an entry form for the Sweepstakes. My Mother would never even open this alluring piece of mail-into the trash can it would go. Somehow, one day, I discovered this fascinating packet. Maybe I saw the mail before my Mom got to it. More likely, I saw the captivating red letters beckoning me to “enter to win” peeking out from the can when I was asked to take out the trash. Whatever the case, I was immediately intrigued and excited about this correspondence.
You see, I had watched the PCH people in commercials on tv, showing up at someone’s house with a gigantic cardboard check made out for millions of dollars. I could not believe my Mother would just throw away this chance at winning big bucks!
[Read more…] about Episode 21: Author Beware
