I just finished A Sin And A Shame By Victoria Christopher Murray. I will review it later on this week.
I just started The Visitation by Frank Peretti. So far, the book has held my interest, and I want to keep reading it. It might take me awhile to finish this one, though, since it’s a very long book. The only thing that kind of put me off with this book the burning cross. I’m still unsure as to why this cover was chosen.
Meanwhile, happy reading and writing!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
of this book! The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner. I won this book on Barbour author Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog:
http://www.lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
When I picked up my mail today, I found the pleasant surprise of this book in the mailbox! I won it from commenting on her blog!
Also, I sent John’s Quest, my next contracted novel, into my editor last week! John’s Quest is scheduled to be released in March 2008!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
Some of you know that I’ve added a page for writers on my Black Christian Fiction website: www.blackchristianfiction.com, asking writers to submit questions and I’ll answer them as time permits. I’ve received a question recently from Belva. She wants to know:
I get a good idea for a story, and begin to write. After the first paragraph I am stuck. What do you do when you are stuck?
Belva
Belva, when writing a novel, the first thing you need to know about is your characters. Make sure you’re writing about people you and your readers will get to know and love. Check out my blog archives dated 5/3/07 and 5/7/07. In these blog entries, I talk about character development. There is a fair amount of work involved, and this work should be completed before you even start writing your novel. Once you have a feel for the people, get to know them, it will be so much easier to write about them.
I could go on and on about what else to do when you’re stuck. You might want to skip the scene you’re working on and jump ahead and write a scene that’ll happen later on in the story. You can always fill in the stuff that happens between the scenes later on.
Some authors plot out their story, chapter by chapter, before they even begin writing the book. This outline helps them as they write their novels.
You could also talk it through with another writer friend or a critique partner or group. I blogged about critique groups in my entry dated 3/29/07. Sometimes when you meet with other writers, you can help one another overcome story obstacles.
And sometimes, you just need to put the story aside, let it rest for a day or so before going back to it. Sometimes, when you set the story aside, the ideas will come to you when you are not actively thinking about it. This has happened to me at times. I’ll be watering my flowers, or going inside the grocery store, when an idea hits me, and I know what I need to do to make the story work.
I hope my suggestions have helped you, Belva, and everybody else reading this blog entry!
Happy writing!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
To all of the wonderful fathers out there: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
I’m off to attend a family reunion this weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’ll be blogging as time permits!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
When I received my Today’s Christian Woman magazine a few weeks ago, they had a nice surprise inside…a Love Inspired romance sampler. I think this is a great way for Love Inspired to promote Christian romance fiction to female readers! I would post the titles and authors advertised, however, I don’t have the sampler in front of me right now, and my cluttered brain can’t recall the information.
On to another subject, on my Black Christian Fiction website, I’ve added a page for writers. On this page, I encourage writers to email me questions about writing and seeking publication, and I plan on answering those questions on my blog, as time permits. I’ve received a question, and I plan on answering that soon. I plan on adding the same question/answer option on my homepage: www.ceceliadowdy.com
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
I know it’s late May, but in my mind it’s the third week in September….my writing mind, that is. The setting for my latest book is Ocean City Maryland. I’m currently researching different events that occur during the fall and winter months in the beach city! I’ve been to Ocean City a number of times, however, I usually go during the summer, when tons of tourists visit this place!
Sunfest sounded like a great event to highlight in my book! It sounds fun and wonderful!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
While doing a search on Youtube, I found a few book trailers of Christian fiction novels and Christian fiction novels that had been turned into movies. For the latter, the book trailer is actually a movie trailer, which certainly gives it a more professional appeal. Here are the links to the Christian book movie trailers I was looking at the last couple of days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f2N-93uBCo
House The Movie by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti
For those of you who are interested, I reviewed this book for my blog back in November? Feel free to browse through the archives to see what I thought about this novel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdAw98ZYVkk&mode=related&search=
Thr3e The Movie By Ted Dekker
I reviewed this novel sometime last year. Feel free to search through the archives to see what I thought of this thriller!
And here are a few Christian fiction book trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocAATP9E004
Left Behind – Eternal Forces By Time LaHaye And Jerry Jenkins
I just blogged about the first book in this series a few days ago, although I read the book several years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToEon3VXvXc
Petticoat Ranch
by Mary Connealy
I purchased this book recently, but have not found time to read it yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5HNztCTNf0
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding by Cindy K. Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBX8Nir0dk
Heart Of Gold by Rebecca Goings
If you see any other interesting Christian book trailers, feel free to send me the links so that I can post on my blog.
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
More and more authors are using book trailers to promote their books. A book trailer is similiar to a movie trailer which you usually see before a movie starts. I’ve noticed you view a lot of these on Youtube I’ll try and gather up a few book trailers for Christian novels and post the links on the blog tomorrow.
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com
That term was going through my mind when I was at work this afternoon! We hear of haunted houses, but never haunted office buildings! I was thinking it would make a cool story…if I could write that type of fiction! I think of Peretti or Dekker writing a novel about a haunted office building…the workers are trapped inside as demons lurk around the corner…
Oh, well, maybe I’m working too hard since those things were going through my mind today!
Later!
Cecelia Dowdy
www.ceceliadowdy.com