Seekerville: The Journey Continues

I originally posted this two years ago, almost to the day. As with every post I share, I try to think about where I'm at in my writing, and lo and behold, it seems not much has changed in two years. So I'm reposting this because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who could use the reminder.

Life can be overwhelming. There are days/weeks/months when it seems the hurrier we go, the behinder we get. Some days you feel as though you’re barely keeping your head above water. Still, you press on, going through the motions, treading water like there’s no tomorrow because if you don’t, you might go under. Frustration turns to panic, and you grow weary from the struggle because no matter how hard you try, you’re not making any progress.

Let’s face it, our schedules are busy. We are multifaceted people who wear many hats—child, spouse, parent, employee, caregiver, chauffeur, and the list goes on. We have families to take care of, to-do lists a mile long, deadlines to meet. Throw in all of the uncertainty this year has piled on and it’s no wonder we find ourselves struggling to stay afloat.

I don’t know about you, but in times like that, I’m often my own worst enemy. I become so focused on the struggle that I forget I have other options. That instead of merely trying to keep my head above water and drifting with the tide, I can choose to be purposeful.

How?

Float – I know this seems counterproductive when you’re busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger but hear me out. When someone is in danger of drowning, floating gives them an opportunity to catch their breath, conserve energy and consider their options. But first they have to stop flailing.

We can’t shrug our duties, but in the midst of the chaos, we can pause to reevaluate. Waiting at a stoplight? Talk to God and ask Him to show you if everything on your to-do list is imperative or are some things simply desires. The Bible encourages us to “be still and know.” Sometimes we don’t know because we refuse to be still. Yet that stillness is where we renew our strength. That doesn’t mean you have to carve out a big chunk of time. Simply keep the conversation going. God is always there.

Once we’ve had time to catch our breath, we’re ready to…

Swim – Unlike treading water, swimming means progress. But it helps to know where we’re going. That we’re headed in the right direction. So, we want to…

• Be deliberate – Make a list, then contemplate the most efficient way to tackle that list. And don’t forget to cross things off as you complete them. Nothing energizes me more than seeing that I’m actually making progress.
• Be realistic – Know your limitations. Just because you have the time doesn’t mean you’ll have the energy to bake those six dozen cookies for the church bake sale. Remember, it’s okay to say no.
• Be flexible – You know what they say about the best laid plans. It’s better to expect the unexpected and be pleasantly surprised than to be blindsided. Building flexibility into your plans helps reduce your stress level should those unexpected things pop.
• Be prayerful – God is our strength when we are weak. He’s the calm in the midst of our storm. Whatever task you’re facing, you’re not alone. Call on Him and He will answer.

As we head into what is, typically, the busiest time of the year, this post serves as much to encourage me as it does you. Unless you’re using it as a means of exercise, treading water involves expending a lot of energy for little to no gain. And the older I get, the more determined I am to work smarter, not harder. I don’t want to get nowhere fast. I want to move forward prayerfully and purposefully, savoring all God has in store along the journey.

Do you ever feel as though you’re treading water in the sea of life? What helps you stay on task without overextending yourself?

by Mindy Obenhaus

I just turned in the proposal for book four in my current series, Hope Crossing, and let me tell you, there were a lot of things I had to keep track of. The hero, the heroine, a K-9 companion, two grandmas, previous/secondary characters, and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, maybe not that last one, but it is a Christmas book, so you never know.

Yes, there are a lot of moving parts to every story. Those details you need to keep track of so that your heroine doesn’t start out with blond hair and blue eyes and then have brown hair and brown eyes by the end of the story. But when you’re doing a series, it’s not just about those characters. You have to consider all the ones who came before them. And, if the current characters have been in other books prior, you need to stay consistent with not only their physical appearance, but what the reader already knows about them.

Here are a few things you need to mindful of when writing a series –

Backstory – It goes without saying that you need to know the backstory of the person/persons your story is about, but what about secondary characters, particularly those who might have been in a previous book? How are secondary characters connected to the main characters? What’s happened to them since the last time the reader saw them in another book? Have they married or had a baby? None of these need to be lengthy, just snippets so the reader understands the relationship to the main characters and either satisfy the reader’s curiosity if they’ve read the previous books (readers want to know what's happened with those characters they've connected with) or make them curious enough that they want to go back and read about the other characters.

Timing – How much time has passed between the ending of the previous story and the opening of the current story? Not between release dates, but the stories themselves. Does the current book pick up where the last one left off or is it months later? This also plays into the ages of the characters, as well as seasons and changes in the lives of previous characters.

People – Whether they are main characters or secondary characters, keep the physical appearance consistent, unless there’s a specific reason for a change. What role do they play in the main character’s life? What’s their connection? Or, if they’re a secondary character who’s going to have their own story later, what can you hint at? The heroine in the proposal I just sent off has a cameo in my upcoming Christmas book. I was able to create a connection between her and the heroine in my upcoming release that I was then able to use in my current WIP.

Setting –Are there any landmarks, businesses or other places people frequent? Make sure your descriptions of them are consistent, though they can be tweaked based on a character’s perception. How does the landscape change with the seasons? If there’s a flood in one story, don’t have a drought in the next unless there’s been a reasonable passage of time.

Book series are a great way to build readership. If they like one, they’re apt to pick up the next. If they read one out of order, they may decide to start at the beginning so they can fit all the pieces together. However, there are a lot of moving parts that the author has to keep track of. Some use spreadsheets while others use a document or even a notebook. And then there are those who find themselves pulling up previous manuscripts to check their facts (raising hand but contemplating a spreadsheet 😉). Whatever works for best you.

Readers, have you ever read a series that had inconsistencies? Writers, how do you keep facts straight on your stories? Leave a comment for an opportunity to win a signed copy of my latest release, The Cowgirl’s Redemption OR a copy of Her Holiday Lawman a 2-in-1 rerelease with Ruthy’s The Lawman’s Yuletide Babyand my The Deputy’s Holiday Family. US mailing addresses only, please.

 by Mindy Obenhaus

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference in St. Louis. Something we haven't been able to do since 2019, so there was a whole lot of this going on.

Writers' conferences can be exhilarating and uplifting. They can rejuvenate your writing. But they can also be overwhelming. With so much information packed into just a few days, one can come home wondering what to do and where to start implementing all that you've learned. So here are a few tips for wading into those post-conference waters.

Rest - This is number one not only because you've been put through the paces physically, running from one workshop to the next, but because it's important for your mind. While you sleep, your mind processes all of that information you took in so when you finally review your notes, your recall will be better.

Break it down - Instead of reviewing your notes as a whole, focus on the workshops you attended one by one. Otherwise, they'll all blend together. By recalling individual sessions, you're apt to trigger even more recollections. Questions someone asked that you failed to write down (I'm the worst at notetaking). Comments from the presenter that weren't on the PowerPoint. 

Try out what you learned - Once you've reviewed the sessions you attended, contemplate how you can apply your new knowledge to your writing/publication process. Strategize each one by asking where it might fit or how you can best utilize them and then test them out.

Be realistic - I've been to a lot of writers' conferences over the last sixteen years and heard many stellar ideas. Ideas other people raved about. Yet didn't work for me. Everyone has to find their own writing process. What works for someone else might boost your productivity, or it might styme you. And no writer wants to feel stymied. So don't beat yourself up, simply set those notes aside and move on.

Writers' conferences can be beneficial no matter where you are in your writing career. We never stop learning. I can't tell you how many times I've walked into a workshop to find well-known, multi-published, best-selling authors among the students. Yet we all learn differently. So gather all the information you can, evaluate it, try it, then take what works for you and set aside the rest. Because we're always evolving, always moving forward, pressing on to that which God has called us to. 

by Mindy Obenhaus

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Right now, I'm staring down the barrels of two deadlines, a blessing for sure. But just when I thought I was on track to finish ahead of schedule, life happened. Family came to visit. A granddaughter who wasn't supposed to give birth until after those deadlines develops preeclampsia and the doctor decides they have to induce NOW. So, we made the four-hour drive and waited out the twenty-four-plus hour labor so we could be there to greet our first great-grandchild.

As an only child, the desire of my heart was to be part of a large family. As a writer, the desire of my heart is to write stories that touch readers' hearts with biblical truths. 

I'm back at my desk now, a good night's sleep behind me, working hard to meet those deadlines. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Can I do it in my own strength? No. But I know that with God nothing is impossible. So, I will trust in Him, knowing that while He may not be early, He's never late. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

by Mindy Obenhaus 

People often ask me where I find ideas for my stories. And while I wish I could say something like, "Well, there's this secret book and it has all these great ideas," I usually just shrug my shoulders and say, "Everywhere."

The truth is, we never know what will spark a story idea. It can be an event, a personal experience, genealogy research, even a place. My very first book began forming in my mind as I roamed the mountains around the small town of Ouray, Colorado. 

An integral part of any story idea is asking, "What if?" You hear/see/read something and the next thing you know, your mind has latched onto a tiny morsel of information and is already running with it. Sometimes it hits a brick wall, other times you find yourself with the makings of a really good story.

Here are a few places you can find story ideas:

• The News - Yes, these days watching the news can be torture, but occasionally there will be a nugget buried somewhere in a story that has you asking, "What if?" Human interest stories can really spark things. I saw something on a local news station not long ago that triggered an idea.
• Research - Sometimes research for one story can lead to an idea for another.
• Other books or movies - No, I'm not talking about plagiarizing, I'm saying put a spin on them. Have you ever watched a movie or read a book and thought to yourself, "What if this had happened instead?" You know, there are only so many tropes out there. The key is to flip them around and look at them from every angle and come up with a different approach and a whole new story. 
• Divine Intervention - Ever have one of those moments where a story idea just pops into your head while you're doing something mundane like washing dishes or folding laundry. No matter how crazy the idea might be, write it down, because you just never know. While you may think it's nothing that would lead to something, it could be that God's only giving you what you need at that very moment. If He formed the universe out of nothing, He can certainly get the ball rolling on a story by giving you one tiny glimpse.

Now it's your turn. Writers, where are some odd places you've come up with story ideas? Readers, what do you think when you read a story that's put a spin on a classic trope? I've got a copy of A Soldier's Homecoming, an upcoming a 2-in-1 with my 2016 release, Falling for the Hometown Hero and Renee Ryan's 2010 release, Homecoming Hero for one lucky commenter (US only, please).

by Mindy Obenhaus

Lately I’ve been working on increasing my productivity as a writer. I’d come to a crossroads in my writing that called for a change. What I’ve been doing, the pace at which I’d been working just wasn’t sufficient anymore. So I was faced with a dilemma. Settle for the status quo or strive for something more?

I wanted more.

The big question, though, was “How?” I mean, I was already at my computer for hours each day. Granted, a good bit of that might have been spent staring at the ceiling as I struggled to write an entire scene each day. At least, a scene a day was the goal, though I rarely achieved it. Inevitably, I’d get bogged down in details. Setting, what is she wearing—

Of course, that led to an internet search and down a big old rabbit hole. And by the end of many a day, I hadn’t made much progress at all. At least, until it got down to crunch time. As that deadline approached, I buckled down and sailed through those scenes. I began to wonder why I wasn’t that disciplined all the time.

Obviously, it was time to change my approach to writing. It was right around that time Mary Connealy shared that she wrote a thousand words a day. Period. And if you’re familiar with Mary’s books, then you know just how quickly those thousand words can add up.

Hmph. “A thousand words a day,” I thought. That’s doable. So you know what I did? I tucked that little nugget into my memory and continued along the path I was on. Until I came to the afore mentioned crossroads. I did a little math. If I did a thousand words only five days a week that would be five thousand words a week. Twenty thousand words in a month.

So, I decided to make the change. I committed to those thousand words a day, five days a week. There were a couple of days I fell short, but I made them up the next day. And you know what? It worked. By the end of the month I’d written almost 24,000 words. Not only that, I found I was much more disciplined. I felt less pressure, too.

So if you’re looking to increase your productivity—

Set an achievable goal – Something that will work with your schedule. For me, a thousand words a day is maybe two-thirds to half a scene. Yet I often found that once I got going, I was more eager to finish it.

It doesn’t have to be perfect – The goal was to simply get the story out of my head. Part of my problem before, why I’d labor over each scene, was that I wanted it to be perfect. By giving myself the freedom to simply get the bones of the scene down, along with a good chunk of dialog, I was able to move on instead of getting bogged down in the details. Though often times, they still made it in there. Particularly if I had a good visual in my head.

Stick with it – This was not difficult once I saw how much progress I was making. It felt good to see that word count climb. Honestly, I’ve never really tracked my daily word count before, so that might have played a role. I’m goal oriented, so knowing I was aiming for a specific number was good for me. It was a more tangible goal than simply saying I wanted to write a scene.

Now, I’m sure many of you may be looking at this and thinking this is no big deal, that it’s what you do this all the time. In which case, I applaud you. But April 2022 was a pivotal month for this writer. And to think, I owe it all to Mary Connealy. Go figure.

Mary, I owe you a dinner. For the rest of you, give me your thoughts. Have you ever made one small change in your life that suddenly made a world of difference?

Oh, and before I go, I’ve got a brand-new cover to share with you. The Cowgirl’s Redemption is the first book in my new Hope Crossing series and releases on August 23^rd. Here’s a bit about the story.

She came home to make things right. Will she be given a second chance?

Gloriana Prescott has returned to her Texas hometown to make amends—even if the townsfolk she left behind aren’t ready to forgive. But when her mother’s ranch manager, Justin Broussard, is tasked with saving the struggling rodeo so his teen daughter can compete, Gloriana sees a chance to prove she’s really changed. But can she prove to Justin, and the town, that she’s trustworthy? 

by Mindy Obenhaus

Did you ever get growing pains when you were a child? My youngest son sure did. He’d have a hard time getting to sleep because his legs always hurt. He’s now 6’2”, so that could explain things.

What about spiritual growing pains? You know, when God decides He wants to grow us.

That’s where I find myself right now.

While I’m walking the path, I believe, God has set before me, He’s recently suggested a slight deviation from the course I had planned. Not verbally, mind you, but through a series of events. This amended route I feel He’s pointing me to is going to be more challenging than what I’m used to. It’s going to require some adjustments in the routine I’ve grown comfortable with. I’m going to have to work at it.

Kind of like weight training. I enjoy weight training. But when I become accustomed to a certain weight and start thinking it’s easy, that’s when it’s time for me step things up a notch. Which means increasing the amount of weight I’m lifting. And it’s not easy. Matter of fact, it’s downright hard. For a while. Then, as I build more muscle, it gets easier.

And so it is with our spiritual life. God doesn’t want us to be comfortable. On the contrary, He wants to push us out of our comfort zones.

How we respond is up to us.

We can…

Fight it – Been there, done that. When I was writing my fourth book, there was something God wanted in that story, but I knew it was going to be very emotional to write. So I ignored it. Bottom line, I had to rewrite that book three times. The third time, I did what God had been telling me to do all along. Not only did my editor love it, I had no revisions. If I would have listened and done it God’s way the first time, I could’ve saved myself a whole lot of time and stress.

Carefully consider – This is my modus operandi. I want to be certain that what I’m sensing truly is from God and not my own foolish desires. And having an honest discussion with Him is the only way I’m going to know. Expressing my concerns and fears. He already knows them anyway. Then I have to be willing to listen and remain watchful for those little signposts He puts in my path, pointing me in the way I should go.

Jump right in – I rarely do this unless I know beyond a shadow of a doubt. Which, most often, doesn’t come until I’ve carefully considered. But occasionally, I just know God is saying, “Go!.”  For some with more faith, though, this may be right where they start. They’re so in tune with God, they don’t even stop to think about self, they just do. I don’t know about you, but that’s what I aspire to.

After nearly colliding with more than one signpost, I know where God is leading me. And while I know it’s not going to be easy, He’s already confirming my decision. Letting me know that He’s got me right where He wants me. And that’s always a good place to be.

 How do you approach things when you feel as though God is trying to stretch you? 

 

Of course, conflict doesn’t always come in the form of a villain. Conflict is anything that stands in the way of a character achieving their goal. Have you ever been late for an appointment because you were stuck in traffic? And how many horrible scenarios ran through your head before you got to said appointment? Only to find out that the person you were meeting with was stuck in the same traffic.

• Know your character’s goal – While characters have an overarching goal in a story, each and every scene also needs a goal, motivation and conflict. Start by asking yourself what the character’s goal is in any given scene.
• Keep them from reaching that goal – Say their goal is to make it to the bank before it closes. What will happen if they don’t? Will a check bounce? Will their house be foreclosed on? And what if there’s a traffic accident along the way that prevents them from getting there? See how those small things can all work together to create conflict for your character?
  
• Take things from bad to worse – In his book Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass says to ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that can happen to your character at that moment?" Then he says to find a way to make it happen. I’ll admit, I kind of blew that one off for a while. But then I tried it and not only did it work, it's now my go-to weapon for adding conflict. Here's an example from the story I'm currently working on. When the heroine deserts the hero, leaving him to tackle a two-person job by himself, he jumps in her stuff, accusing her of taking advantage of him. Naturally, she's indignant. He didn't even give her chance to explain. Yet as she's stewing about his behavior, she finds herself acknowledging that even though she thought they were finished, she really just wanted to get away from him because she's attracted to him and doesn't want to be. So, what's the worst thing that can happen? She realizes she was in the wrong and that she needs to apologize. Yet just when she's about to do just that, her parents arrive, trying to talk her into selling the Christmas tree farm she's inherited. But she loves the place and wants to convince her parents she's doing the right thing. But while she's showing them the farm, hoping to overcome their objections and impress them with her extensive plans, the hero comes back. Is he still angry? Will he make her look bad in front of her parents, confirming their opinion that she's being foolish? Okay, that was a very rough scenario, but I hope you were able to see how each of those little things--realizing she was the one in the wrong, her folks arriving, preventing her from apologizing, and then the hero coming back before she's had a chance to apologize--only add to the heroine's conflict.