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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

Tooting My Horn Tuesday for Characters, Conferences, and Cool Writers

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You know how when you hear someone speaking, maybe a preacher, maybe a teacher, and it starts out so well and then…you…just…driffffttttt…offffffffffff.

Um, anyway. Sometimes, someone comes along and commands your attention. If you were lucky enough to attend the free (Yeah, that’s right. FREE!) writer’s conference at Agnes Scott College during the Decatur Book Festival, you may have been grabbed by any one of nine different writers!

Author N.M. Kelby grabbed my attention. There was no drifting off at all during her presentation on “How to Write Great Characters.” She had so much good stuff to share, I don’t know where to start. But according to this multi-published author, you should start your fiction story with a great character, because character-driven stories are selling.

And here’s a list of what Ms. Kelby says fiction readers expect:

1. Your characters must either reveal themselves or change in some way. (Okay, that’s standard fiction-writing procedure. But she had a lot to add. Which I’d remember if I took better notes.)

2. Readers want to identify with your hero. (Even with an unlikely hero, there must be something there the reader can relate to.)

3. Romances must be earned. (You can’t tell me you don’t feel like screaming when a romance is thrown in, all nice and tidy-like.)

4. Wrongs gotta be paid for, one way or another. (Does the word “guilt” ring a bell?)

There may have been a few others on the list, but that should get your great character started. Use dialogue and action to build your character, and write your heart.

Perhaps that was the real attention-grabber. Write your heart, and the great characters (and readers) will follow.

(Here’s her latest books. Considering all the great info she shared (for free!), the least I can do is give her a shameless plug!)

Finding Something Friday on Pick-Your-Market-and-Submit

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I found a warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart email in my Inbox this week. I heard from a writer friend of mine whose story had (sorta) been selected as a finalist in a contest. Terrific! And guess where she heard about that contest?

That’s right. Here at the old Hall of Fame. I (sorta) didn’t remember the contest, but that’s beside the point. The point is that people actually win writing contests, or get their stories accepted at markets, all the time. Why can’t that writer be you? So, here’s a few places to submit:

Stories That Lift like (likes?) family-friendly fiction, between 50 to 2500 words. Pay is $5 to $20, enough to buy a cheeseburger or three. Read more about the guidelines here.

Cell Stories would love to put your short (1000 to 1500 words) story on miscellaneous cellphones. Unfortunately, they’re not a paying market. But I mention them because they accept reprints. Maybe you’ve already sold a story or two, but wouldn’t mind one bit sending it out there again, amongst the masses, into cellphone world.

Baconology, a soon to-be-published anthology of horror stories based on what I like to call PORK GOLD, will accept submissions until the anthology is filled. So don’t lay about, like a pig in a sty, rolling around in the mud of story ideas. Get that psychotic pork plot on paper and send it in (more details here).

There, now. That should keep you busy till next Finding Something Friday. Meanwhile, I need to check the last few FSFs. ‘Cause I kinda should be submitting something myself. (And by “something,” I mean something other than whatever totally creepy, but scathingly brilliant, PORK GOLD story I write. Right after, um, lunch.)