Does Writing Have to Hurt?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

As a follow-up to my “Day in the Life of a Writer” post from two weeks ago, I’ve invited an aspiring writer to chime in on the process today.

 Before I introduce her… if you’re reading this blog via email or a feeder, and don’t see the huge giveaway gadget on my sidebar…I want to let you know that Critical Condition is up for a Goodreads giveaway until Sept 18th. Click the link to enter (you must be a member of the Goodreads book lovers community)

Amy Leigh Simpson is the completely exhausted mother of two of the most fearless, rambunctious, and adorable toe-headed toddler boys in the Midwest. She writes Romantic Suspense and loves to take readers on a spirited journey of finding grace and redemption through stories that are equally inspiring, nail-biting, and hilarious–and maybe a little saucy!

Take it away Amy…

Most writers have had a long love affair with books. They are dreamers who have been creating and molding their characters and their story world since grade school.

I wish I had caught the bug early, but sadly, I am one of those rare few who didn’t sprout from infancy glued to the pages of the classics. In fact, I’m pretty sure I hadn’t read a book cover to cover until college. There, now ya’ll have some dirt on me!

In college I studied Sports Medicine. I was even accepted into a highly competitive Doctorate of Physical Therapy program where I had to intern for two semesters at a PT hospital.

I ended up declining the program but a lot of what I write for Romantic Suspense draws from my first hand knowledge of trauma and recovery.

If any of you have ever received physical therapy you can attest to those excruciating beginnings when you felt like an ant scaling a mountainside—when every inch felt like a mile. Ever feel like that as a writer?

It’s a wonder more doctors aren’t evangelists. After working in a rehabilitation center for a year—even as a believer—it was so painfully clear how miraculous the healing process is. But like everything else it takes work.

Sure we might start out with a great idea, enough determination to wrangle a bull, and perhaps even a hearty portion of natural talent… but that’s not enough to create a masterpiece. Seeing your PT everyday isn’t enough to heal you. You have to fight through every snail-paced step until you have the strength and freedom to run.

Similar to doctors, we writers have to be chronic students. Digging deeper into the plot, the motivations, the dark moments to expose the wounded parts of our stories. Then we can go to work on them! Tweak, whittle, fine-tune until our writing muscles are weak with exhaustion. But those words, refined by something akin to fire, will be strong enough to make a difference.

For the writers in the group, I encourage you to keep fighting through those tedious therapy sessions. Believe in your stories enough to push through the pain.

Here are some tips from today’s PT:

1. Set realistic goals and keep your eyes forward. If you keep starting over at the beginning you’ll always be that far from the end. You can do another lap once you’re finished!

2. Push yourself but don’t overdo it. It’s a lot harder to pick someone up off the floor than it is to simply slow down.

3. Take time to recuperate. Intervals of rest are essential for progress!

4. Don’t give up! You might fall but Someone is always there to catch you.

Your Turn: Writers: How have you been giving your novel a workout? Readers: What things in your life require the most exercise? Were the results worth the effort?

Check out Amy’s blog about life, lit, and the love of writing at http://writersbreakroom.blogspot.com/

Treatment for Critical Illness – How far would you go?

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Each critically ill patient feels differently about what lengths they’re willing to go to treat their disease. Have you ever given any thought to this question for yourself?

Image courtesy of vichie81 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s a question raised in my October release, Critical Condition, and one I first gave serious thought to while reading through the questions in a do-it-yourself Power of Attorney document soon after losing my mother to a twelve year battle with cancer.

Toward the end of my mother’s life, when it became clear that no traditional treatments were working, she was asked to participate in an experimental treatment study, much like one of the doctors in the story supervises.

For the first time in all the years she’d battled the disease, my mom succumbed to depression.

What we didn’t realize at first was that it was a side effect of the experimental treatment. After a few months it became obvious that the treatment was prolonging her death, not her life.

She no longer found joy in life…not even when her young grandchildren visited, which was not like her.

She made the decision to go off the medicine. All medicine. And for six glorious weeks, she was Mom again. She even returned to work and started golfing. She looked great. She felt pretty good.

Unfortunately, but mercifully, the end came quickly after that. I share this as an example of one scenario and one choice.

My dear writing friend who passed away while I was writing the final draft of this story, had a very different type of cancer which she had battled for two decades. She’d tried many, many different alternative and complementary treatments.

These varied experiences prompted me to ask:

What if a patient, her doctor and her loved ones disagree on what they’ll risk for the chance to be cured?

And so the idea for Critical Condition was born.

Book Blurb: There’s a murderer in the hospital, and nurse Tara Peterson is determined to prove it. With mysterious deaths in the cancer ward, anyone could be next. But no one wants to believe her…except for undercover agent Zach Davis. The murderer wants Tara’s suspicions silenced, permanently. To protect Tara, Zach lets her in on his secret, and unwittingly into his heart. Tara and her three-year-old daughter are like the family he lost years before. Zach will risk everything to keep them safe, no matter the cost.          

Critical Condition

Your Turn:  Have you ever faced life or death decisions when it comes to yours or a loved one’s health? What factors would you consider most important in making a decision for, or against, a course of treatment?

Fun Friday – Romantic Times Review for Critical Condition

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Today’s post is short and sweet, because I’m working like crazy to finish the first draft of my next Love Inspired Suspense. But…

I wanted to celebrate with you the fun news I heard this week about my October release Critical Condition.

For those who have read the Undercover Cops series so far, this book has Zach (introduced in Deep Cover) as the hero.

The news is…

The Romantic Times Magazine gave Critical Condition 4.5 stars!!!

The 4.5 star rating is described as a fabulous read, a keeper–their second to highest rating.

But what was even more thrilling for me was how the reviewer described it:

“Well-developed characters and fast-paced action will keep readers fully engaged in this wonderful tribute to spouses struggling with a loved one’s illness.” 

The hero lost his wife to cancer eight years ago and now has to work undercover in a hospital to stop a killer. The suspects include several medical professionals involved in experimental and alternative treatments.

The reason I soooo appreciate this reviewer’s description is because I wrote the final draft of this story after losing my dear writing friend to cancer and dedicated the story to her husband who is the kind of hero I imagined Zach being.

Your Turn: Would you like to help me spread the word about this upcoming release?

You could…

Share this post on FB or G+ using the icons below the post. 
If you’ve already read the book (through Hqn), please consider posting a review on Goodreads or your favorite online retailer. (Note: some, like Amazon, don’t allow review posts until the book releases October 2nd) 

or…
Visit the book, or others in the series, at your favorite online retailer and click the “like” button. With Amazon this only works if you’re signed in (ie. have an account). With Barnes and Noble and CBD.com, you can “like” using FB or G+ social media buttons.
Clicking the photos in the sidebar, takes you to the books on CBD.com (Christian Book Distributors)
Thank you so much for visiting my blog today and helping me celebrate. It is my dearest prayer that this book will inspire you to cherish the gifts of each day and open your heart to new possibilities. 
Have a fabulous weekend!

How to Bribe a Writer…

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Offer to critique her manuscript…

Laurie critiquing

while she cuts mat board, stretches canvas with a stapler that could cripple a weight lifter, and cleans a thousand annoying specs of dust off the glass for your art show.

Me slaving

This is how I spent several afternoons and evenings last week helping my critique partner, Laurie Benner, who also happens to be a fabulous artist and photographer, get ready for her first big art show.  
It was a lot of fun learning new skills–thank you Google and dear people who posted videos on how to stretch canvas–while brainstorming a heart-stopping ending to my current work in progress. 
The best part was seeing the fruit of our labor on display (the lines behind are chains for hanging):

Highland Dancers – photos on canvas & fine art paper

Rowing Scenes & Horse Scene in Oil Pastel

Photos on Canvas

Yes, we still had to spend a long time afterward fussing to get all those pieces straight and mount labels! But aren’t they interesting?

When she showed me the set of old locks and keys that I’m working on in the top picture, I immediately started imagining a suspense story they might inspire. And I’ve already got my eye on another one for future cover art!!!

For those who live in Niagara, Laurie’s work along with another artist’s will be on display for the month of September at The Mahtay Cafe in downtown St. Catharines.

Your Turn: What do you like to do to express your creativity?

Happy Labor Day!!

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Happy Labor/Labour Day to my American and Canadian readers, and…

Happy Australian Flag Day to my Aussie readers…

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday.

I guess the Brits had their last summer bank holiday last week.

Your Turn: Ever wonder why it’s called Labor Day when it’s a day OFF work? Any other countries have holidays today?

Fun Friday – The Art of Ironing

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Aside from by stepsister in England–love you, Bec–does anyone iron anymore?

I mean I love to have ironed clothes. What I find infernally frustrating is spending so much time ironing a shirt and then having it still end up looking like I didn’t!

Is there an ironing secret I’m missing?

My aforementioned stepsister assured me that starch was the answer, but it’s just not doing the trick for me.

Okay, the tin is a little rusty on the bottom because it’s the same tin I bought for Bec’s visit from across the pond two and a half years ago. Has it really been that long?

Clearly, I haven’t given the starch suggestion a fair shake …thanks to seersucker and those other wrinkly-style clothes. ~grin~

But seriously, there’s got to be some secret I’m missing.

And I’m desperate, because now that I have one of these new-fangled condensing dryers instead of the traditional air type, my hubby’s T-shirts are more wrinkled than ever.

Ooh, there’s got to be a conflict in this for my heroine somewhere! Gotta go write!!

Your Turn: Any tips on ironing to share? What’s your biggest housekeeping pet peeve?

A Day in the Life of a Writer

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

First let’s start with an ideal day.

5:30 am  Rise and rush to the keyboard brimming with ideas and write 1000 words before breakfast

7:30 am  Take the dog for a walk and celebrate the beautiful day

8 ish Eat breakfast, spend time in The Word

8:45 am Check emails with lightning speed and post a wildly happy post to Facebook because I’ve practically already met my writing target for the day (if I’m not writing two books at the same time and horribly behind schedule)

9:00 am Reread what I wrote before breakfast and not think it’s horrible

9:30 am Write, write, write…words flying from my fingertips onto the screen. Okay, I did start by saying this was an ideal writing day… the kind I haven’t had since before I learned how a publishable novel is “supposed” to be crafted. Before I learned all those “rules” of how to write a good story. Before I had an email inbox the size of Mount Everest.

Enough said. Let’s move on to a typical day.

6:30 am Wake up a little bleary-eyed because I foolishly stayed up reading until midnight or 1 am, but after going to the bathroom decide that since I’m awake I might as well stay up. If I’m smart and self-disciplined, I don’t check emails, but turn on a software screen called Omni which features a blank screen except for a few barren trees along the bottom and soft music in the background.

Then I write my next scene, or if I haven’t figured out what happens in my next scene, I write about what needs to happen. On wonderful days, I can write about 750 words before the rest of the household begins to stir.

Things fall apart from there!

Most days the dog does get her walk. Emails usually take much longer to read and respond to. Then of course, if my characters aren’t cooperating and the words just aren’t flowing as they should…

You know what, there is no such thing as a typical day. I write at all hours. My most creative and productive times are usually later in the evening.

I tend to devote afternoons to editing or responding to the art department’s questions or reader’s questions or interviewer questions or the myriad of marketing-related tasks that go along with being published.

And most days I love it all.

Some days I wonder why I torture myself. Okay, during the first draft stage, I tend to have a lot of those days. LOL

But the days when words fly from my fingerprints and tidbits that I threw into the story on a whim suddenly and serendipitously tie together, are pure bliss.

Your Turn: What makes routine day special for you?

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to Make Characters Mind without Losing Yours

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Last week, I noticed a book in my daughter’s diaper bag titled “How to Make your Children Mind without Losing Yours.” Oh, I remember that book well from the days that very same daughter challenged every request we made.

Now… my characters are acting up!

They simply won’t do anything I ask.

They have minds of their own, utterly oblivious to the fact that I created them!!

And I thought making children mind was a challenge!

But seeing that book in my daughter’s diaper bag reminded me of the key lesson that I never forgot from reading it. That was to let your children experience the consequences of their choices.

“So, dear character,” I said, “if that’s really the road you want to go down, guess what? You can live with the consequences.”

And they will be bad. Very bad. ~hee, hee, hee~

Yes, as oftentimes happens with children, characters need to learn their lessons the hard way. The harder the better for the reader. Wouldn’t you say?

So I threw out my neat little story outline, and put my characters on the therapist’s couch and had a serious heart-to-heart with each and everyone of them. Wow, was I surprised.

In some cases, the emotional baggage that I thought was driving their inner conflict wasn’t it at all! I had one character who wasn’t even who I thought he was!!

Needless to say, the weekend turned out to be quite an adventure as I caught up on all the writing I hadn’t been able to do while I’d been steadfastly trying to fit my characters into the mold I’d hatched them from. Now I understand why writers who write by the seat-of-their-pants enjoy it so much.

Every day is an adventure as you wait to see what happens next.

Of course… I have an eerie feeling that I’ll start losing my mind again during the editing phase, but why worry about tomorrow when today has enough trouble of its own?

Your Turn: What lessons have you learned from having to face the consequences of your actions? Or what lessons have your children learned that way?

P.S. Did you catch the book title on the book my grand daughter is reading in the photo? And Then I Had Kids

P.S.S. For any writers in the group, click the link for more detailed posts featuring writing tips and articles on the craft of writing

Fun Friday – Visiting Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Last Friday, I took my granddaughter for her first carousel ride.

The carousel is at Lakeside Park, which happens to be the “Miller’s Bay” park I had in my mind’s eye while writing Deep Cover and Shades of Truth.

Of course, the landscape is quickly changing as a highrise is going in on the main street.

But the antique carousel, carved in 1905 and brought to St. Catharines in 1921 is still going and continues to attract young and old alike.

At a nickel a ride, it’s the best deal in town!

Lakeside Park is located on the shores of Lake Ontario near the mouth of the Welland Canal. The area is home to the annual Henley Regatta and is becoming a popular spot for kite surfing.

If you look closely at the horizon, a third of the way across from the left, you can see the skyline of Toronto across the lake.

Your Turn: What do you enjoy doing on a day off?

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Do you tend to focus on your weaknesses or your strengths?

Have you ever considered that your greatest weakness might be your greatest strength?

Think for a moment about a weakness you consider yourself to have. What might be a corresponding strength?

Here’s what I mean… weaknesses and strengths are part of the same continuum. How they manifest in your life has a lot to do with your perspective.

The wrong outlook propels you toward disaster.

A positive perspective equips you to succeed.

So when my daughter, at five and six years of age, put up a stink every time I asked her to do something, I could have called her uncooperative or stubborn or any other number of not-so-positive attributes. Instead, I admired her ability to negotiate and her courage to express her opinion. More than once, through gritted teeth, I told her that she’d make a good lawyer one day.

For my own sanity, probably more than for her mental health, I was looking for the positives.

Can you relate?

If you’re a “creative” type, you may have been criticized by your parents and teachers as being a dreamer or lazy.

Yet, that ability to shut out the world around you and let your imagination run wild is an essential quality for a writer.

Or perhaps you’re criticized for being too obstinate as the heroine in my current wip is. But what is obstinancy?

It’s firmly adhering to one’s purpose or opinion. Not yielding. Not giving up.

Are you seeing the strengths in that definition?

I am. My heroine is determined and persistent and she won’t give up, and because of it, she’ll ultimately win the day, but along the way, her unyielding nature is bound to stir up trouble.

We tend to respond to fiction when it resonates with us. When we recognize ourselves in the characters or in their experiences or in their dreams or in their circumstances.

If, unlike the villains I talked about on Monday, the hero rises above a tragic experience, if she triumphs over impossible odds, we are filled with hope that we could triumph, too.

Your Turn: What’s a weakness you feel that you have and the corresponding strength? If you can’t think of what the corresponding strength would be, we’ll help!!

Praying you see yourself in a new positive light today!

Image courtesy of Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net