Every year for five years now, Mike Dellosso has delivered a treat for us readers of suspense. I’ve been following Mike from the beginning and have always been astounded by his pace, his exemplary work ethic, and his consistent quality. He works a full-time job and juggles family life too. I know what goes into writing these types of novels, and the task is no small feat, especially in a market that is tough to break into and draw enough sales to keep a publisher happy. God has gifted Mike in an amazing way and opened doors for him to keep producing and reaching readers. Congratulations, Mike!

Frantic is another quality addition to his ever-growing collection. With this offering, I felt that Mike ventured into some new territory by delivering a more literary flavor. He spent more time developing his characters (Marny’s sense that he’s “cursed”) and their backstories. The result made the motivations deeper and the characters the true drivers of the plot. He masterfully wove in backstory via flashbacks to give the present story even more urgency and importance.

This adventure/suspense/fantasy novel begins when gas station attendant and unlikely hero Marny Toogood finds an urgent message from a woman in a car. She says the man driving the vehicle is going to kill her. Marny does the right thing and follows the car to an old house deep in the woods. After a daring rescue, Marny, Esther (the woman), and her gifted brother, William, find themselves on the run from Gary, a driven and twisted character who will overcome any obstacle—and kill anyone standing in his way—to get William back. William has mysterious supernatural powers, and Gary considers himself the boy’s divinely appointed protector. In his eyes, Marny is the bad guy. But Marny is just an average, insecure guy who wants to do the right thing.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse trek—and Gary’s killing spree—that takes the trio to several unexpected destinations and puts them square in the middle of multiple nail-biting escapes. As in several of his other novels, Mike likes to use the innocence of children to make evil seem even darker when contrasted against the innocence and light of childhood and faith. In this case, we find a child, William, with a unique gift of faith. He can start a fire, for example, when matches don’t work. I especially liked how his supernatural gift couldn’t be manipulated whenever the characters were in trouble. God decided when the gift would be most useful. Isn’t that so much like life according to God’s leading? God always pulls through when we’re desperate for help, but we can’t manipulate Him when we want a quick fix. And William isn’t there just to pull the rabbit out of the hat at just the right time.

I know Mike likes to write without an outline, and I think that technique really shines for a novel like this one. I couldn’t predict where their journey would take them next (maybe he couldn’t either), so the twists and turns kept me on my toes. As in a few of his other novels, the body count is high, but the violence is tastefully restrained—a quality I really appreciate. And there’s no bad language or crude references in a market that seems to be getting “edgier” all the time—again, thank you, Mike. About halfway through the novel, when I thought I had the story’s direction figured out, a big plot twist about knocked me off my chair. What we think is a cat-and-mouse hunt is really so much more.

In the end this was a fun and highly suspenseful read that kept the pages turning. I’ve always enjoyed tales of good guys on the run from bad guys, so this plot resonated with me right from the opening pages. The plot was engaging with just enough thrills to  create a nice pace and just enough chills to provide the right tone of creepiness without stepping into gratuitous violence and outright horror. The story touches on some nice spiritual themes as well. Some folks call Mike’s novels Christian horror. I personally think of them as creepy suspense. This is definitely one worth reading.

Note: Special thanks to the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Realms Publishing for a review copy.

See Part 1 and Part 2. 

#3: My novel must be pretty awesome—my significant other and friends certainly think so.

This is faulty thinking; with few exceptions (consider the amazing story behind The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans) significant others and friends could never replace industry professionals. Ask any established novelists, and they’ll tell you. Because spouses, family members, and friends have the relationship at stake and don’t want to hurt our feelings, we can’t expect them to provide an impartial evaluation that will deliver the goods we need as authors.

That doesn’t mean, however, that we should cut them off from our projects if they want to be involved. For example, my wife, Kim, a voracious reader, is always the first reader of my books. She always gives me great feedback beyond “This is wonderful because my husband wrote it,” but her review has its limits.

Even someone who devours novels and is detail oriented isn’t going to look at your project the same way a publisher, literary agent, or established author would. Why? These people have studied the “craft” of novel writing for years and know what sells. Definitely recruit friends who are avid readers and can see detail problems; however, also recruit others who have studied novel writing (whether through education or books) and understand the techniques that make them work.

Novelists Helping Novelists

Where can wannabe novelists go to find this advice? That question isn’t too difficult to answer if we think about it. Other authors are marooned on the same island—they need someone to read their manuscript and provide constructive feedback as much as you do. Why not do a trade? “I’ll read your novel if you read mine. Then we can give each other advice.”

Why other authors? They’ve poured hundreds of hours into their work, so they can relate to the emotional and temporal investment. If they are seriously pursuing publication, they should have studied the novel craft. If they are already published, even better. At least one of their novels has passed through the publication door—a big achievement. This shows they have an eye for what makes a novel work. They’ve also worked with editors at a publishing house and should bring invaluable experience to the table.

My advice is to befriend as critique partners a few authors who are at least on the same level or are preferably more advanced than you. Otherwise you may find yourself in the bad situation of the blind leading the blind. Whoever you find needs to have at least read some of the important books about novel writing (this should be mandatory) and understand the craft well enough to give solid advice.

Or, if you can’t find another novelist, consider hiring an experienced fiction editor to provide a novel evaluation or copy edit. I provide this type of service through my home business. A good number of other novelists do as well.

A Spoonful of Sugar . . .

The honest but hard truth is that sometimes novels need to hurt before they can get better. If we remember that the advice is intended to help and not hurt—and that God intends this situation for our good—we should be able to receive feedback with maturity and the right spirit.

Do you remember those lyrics from Mary Poppins—”A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”? Pointing out flaws should never crush the spirit. Here’s some advice to help the “medicine” go down more easily:

Tips for Those Giving Feedback

1. Temper the criticism with praise. Before pointing out what doesn’t work in the story, take some time to point out what does. Here’s an example:

I think your characters are really strong, and I love how Mary has that sleep disorder. That really factors well into her lack of alertness during the day and how someone could steal her purse right from under her nose. Yet I’m not sure about the subplot about the ring . . . Is it really credible that her husband, Tom, would be the thief?

2. Ask questions. Sometimes asking questions is more effective than making declarative statements. Instead of saying, “Your POV is all wrong in this scene. You’ve head-hopped three times,” try this: “Have you thought through who would be the strongest POV character in that scene? At first I thought It was Mary, but then we seemed to be in Tom’s head, but then Theresa almost choked on her toast. So I was a little confused.”

3. Provide constructive criticism; that’s criticism that is balanced—not just “This part of your story doesn’t work at all” but rather, “I think this part of your story could be stronger; here’s what I think would improve it.” See the difference? If you’re like me, you want to know not only what’s wrong with your story but how to fix the problem. A negative statement by itself does little more than cause discouragement.

4. Admit that you could be wrong and don’t know everything. “I could be wrong, but on page 36 Brittany comes across to me as a tad too snarky with Dillon about his losing her cell phone. What do you think?”

5. Remember that the author may have spent thousands of hours and several years on this project, his or her “baby.” An emotional investment has been made. Tread with caution.

Tips for Those Receiving Feedback

1. Don’t defend yourself. Just listen. Some comments may be valid; some not so much. If you are tempted to respond emotionally, give yourself time to calm down before responding. (Back-and-forth e-mail feedback is ideal for this. You can always read the e-mail and reply later.) Then, after you’ve checked your pride at the door, take an honest look at what your critique partner said. Then respond with a thank you and get to work on your manuscript. Don’t defend yourself.

2. Remember that you see the story through your filter alone. You may be missing something important. That’s why other eyes are so important. If you’re like me, sometimes your mind inserts words that aren’t even on the page. Spare yourself some embarrassment. Rely on others and value their objectivity. As long as they understand about the “spoonful of sugar,” they may spare you a world of grief.

3. Remember that God has placed this person in your life for a reason—for your good.

Therefore, if you are a wannabe novelist, go beyond family and friends in pursuit of those who will give valuable, constructive feedback. In the long run, your novel will be so much better as a result.

I fear it’s true. I think I’ve caught it, and I might need counseling.

What is it?

ADD for adults. And I don’t think I ever had it until I bought my Kindle Touch last fall.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my Kindle Touch. Um, but that may be the problem—I fear I love it too much. Just ask my wife.

When my kids are watching family movies I normally watch with them, I prefer to surf around on my Kindle Touch (is surf the right word? Maybe blaze would be better to stick to the motif). And there’s a lot to check out. But here’s what’s scary—I’ve paid like maybe $3 tops, yet I have more than 900 books downloaded.

But how is that possible? It’s no mystery that free Kindle books are available every day. You just need to check the right blogs to find out what they are. And they’re not all junk either. Want a sample?

I just downloaded an interesting story about a woman who left Mormonism. Hey, here’s another one about making money and worrying less about it. Oh, look. A new novel about smuggling the Mona Lisa through France (it’s no longer free, sorry) during World War II—that sounds fascinating. Ooooh. Another Holocaust memoir. I love those, even though they are a little depressing.

Oh, look. Hansel and Gretel for my eight-year-old. Maybe she’ll want to read that. I’ll go ahead and download it just in case.

Oh, hey. More free books today. I can’t possibly read them all right now, but I’ll get them all just in case I might want to read them sometime down the road . . .

The garbage needs to be taken out? OK, thanks, dear. I’ll get to it soon. But first . . .

Look what’s on the Kindle free e-book best-seller list today. Sherlock Holmes and A Tale of Two Cities and Dracula and Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know. I don’t think I’ve read all those. Just in case, I’ll download them. After all, they’re free, and they don’t cost me anything, and . . .

See what I mean? So many books and all on one e-reader. Yes, it’s a great thing, but is it also a curse? As my wife says, it’s like leaving a child in a candy store.

As soon as I start reading one thing, I remember something else I wanted to look at. And since Amazon’s storefront is so easy to access over my wireless connection from the comfort of my family room couch, I can browse all sorts of other books I don’t have and even download samples if I want to see what those books are like.

It’s either a book lovers’ paradise or their worst excuse for indulgence. How does self-control factor into all this?

Before I know it, I’ve spent the whole evening browsing around and reading parts of various books without reading any one book from start to finish. I’ve read only three complete books on my Kindle since last fall. And it’s all because of this weird ADD thing that’s set in. Maybe I just need to turn my Kindle off and talk to my wife and kids for a while.

Naw, I can always do that later. Besides, I might miss something really important. Like another free book.

Note: This is partly satire. I really do love my wife and kids, and I make a point to talk to them at least once a day, even if it’s only “Could you pass the salt?”

See Part 1.

#2: I know how to tell a good story. I don’t need these novel-writing rules.

I’m always amazed when I hear that someone invested hundreds, if not thousands, of hours into writing a novel before studying how novels are written for today’s market. Yet it happens. Just ask agents and publishers.

But why? Is it because of arrogance or ignorance? Or maybe a little of both? In my last post I addressed the absurd notion that whatever comes from the heart must be untouchable. I think sometimes newbie authors can become too enamored with their own words. They reveal how thin-skinned they are by how quickly they bristle at the slightest negative remark about their work.

But constructive criticism is how all of us grow. It’s a true maxim that sometimes we can’t do something right until we learn what we’re doing wrong. In fact, it’s often by making mistakes that we learn the most important lessons. Based on experience, I believe that.

So let’s assume some newbies are simply ignorant, teachable, and need instruction. What advice can I impart?

It isn’t enough to simply be able to tell a good story. No, you can’t write like Dickens today (a master storyteller indeed) and expect the masses to eat up your books. The publishing world has expectations of what a modern novel is supposed to look like. “But I have natural storytelling ability,” you say. Maybe so. But getting that story from your head into a format today’s savvy readers will gobble up is something else.

You need education—and that’s not optional.

The Value of Reading

So how can you get educated? It’s true that by reading lots of novels like the ones you want to write, you can learn a great deal. But reading novels by itself doesn’t go far enough. The craft of writing good fiction doesn’t just happen by osmosis or by reading lots of novels because the novels don’t explain why the author did what he or she did. In short, they won’t explain the rules or proper technique behind good fiction writing.

“What? Rules!? But I hate rules.” Get used to them. You can’t even drive down the street without traffic rules. That’s life. And for the budding novelist, that’s why books about novel writing are indispensable. A few of my favorites include the following (nope, no commission here):

• Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
• Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell
• Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson
• The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
• The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
• Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
• And there are so many other good ones.

Or just head over to Writer’s Digest and check out some of their books (there’s not a dud among them).

What will these books teach? Here’s just a topic sampling:

• Openings (grabbing your reader from the first page)
• Flashbacks (yes, there’s a certain way to do these)
• Chapter Hooks (to keep the reader turning pages)
• Dramatic Beats
• Characterization (how to populate your world)
• Speech Tags (use a simple “said” 99 percent of the time, if you even need a tag)
• Point of View (avoid scene head hopping)
• Showing Versus Telling (this is a big one newbies struggle with)
• Revising (first drafts stink)
• Book Proposals (what agents expect)
• Query Letters (how to knock on the door)
• And the list goes on and on.

The Value of Advanced Education

The best way to show an agent or publisher you’re a clueless novice is to ignore the many great resources about fiction technique (and the craft they teach) and simply wing it from your heart. After all,  you’ve read every John Grisham novel there is at least three times. So you must have the techniques down by now, right?

Actually, writing in a way that emulates an author you like is a great way to get started, but again, it won’t go far enough until you understand the why of novel writing. Like I’ve said (forgive me for beating the dead horse), this requires education perhaps via writing blogs, books, and maybe even advanced education.

In 2003 I took a novel-writing class at Writer’s Digest School (wow, that was almost ten years ago). I enrolled in a correspondence course and snail-mailed lessons to my “coach” every week (I’m sure they use e-mail and online forums now). I can’t say enough good things about this class, since I wrote the first fifty pages and developed the characters and plot for Fatal Illusions, the Christian suspense novel Kregel later published.

If I hadn’t taken that class and found the encouragement—and yes, constructive criticism—I needed during that phase of my life, I have no idea where I’d be today. Probably still trying to write a novel and not getting anywhere.

Do I’ve got it all down? Not by a long shot. But I’m not afraid to learn. And neither should you.

Maybe you’re not ready for the financial or time commitment of an online class. No problem. Start with books or blogs on technique and study—don’t just read—the novels you want to write.

Accept that your storytelling ability is not enough.

Get educated. Expect to work hard.

And never, ever give up.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

***Special thanks to Jon Wooten of Charisma House for sending me a review copy.***

Mike Dellosso is the author of numerous novels of suspense, including Darkness Follows, Darlington Woods, and Scream. He is an adjunct professor of writing at Lancaster Bible College and frequent contributor to Christian websites and newsletters. Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers association, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer’s Network, and FaithWriters, and he plans to join International Thriller Writers. He earned his BA degree from Messiah College and his MBS from Master’s International School of Divinity. He lives in Hanover, PA, with his wife and daughters. Hometown: Hanover, PA
Visit the author’s website.

Gas station attendant Marny Toogood thinks it’s just another ordinary day on the job until an urgent message from a young girl in the backseat of a car draws him into a daring rescue attempt. Now he is on the run with Esther and William Rose from their insane “uncle” who thinks it is his mission from God to protect William, a boy with incredible faith that gives him supernatural powers.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Realms (February 7, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1616384808

ISBN-13: 978-1616384807
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

My Review: 

I received a copy of this novel barely a week ago and am still working on it. I am enjoying my read and hope to post a review after I’ve finished it. Congratulations on another novel, Mike!

He was going to kill me.

He had me in a headlock with one arm and a knife held to my throat with the other, his hot breath tingling against my ear.

If I didn’t get this story published, this guy called Novel Writing was going to slit my throat and leave me lying on the floor, bleeding out.

But what was I supposed to do to leap from newbie writer (who wasn’t taken seriously) to published novelist? The answer is pretty simple, but I was deceived by many misconceptions years ago. I thought telling a good story and being a decent writer were enough.

They weren’t.

The publishing world has expectations, and if writers don’t bone up on what those expectations are, their masterpieces, their Great American Novels, will never leave their writers’ caves.

Today I’m often approached by many who have written a novel or would like to and want the best advice that will make them successful. (Since I’m a published novelist, they think I’m the expert of all-things-publishing. I’m not.) When I ask probing questions, I usually discover they have the same misconceptions I had years ago.

Sometimes we have to learn what we are doing wrong before we can learn to do what’s right. With that thought in mind, I offer ten common misconceptions of the wannabe novelist (presented in installments).

#1: Just write from the heart. God will do the rest.

After all, what comes from the heart must be made of pure gold, right? Wrong. (In fact, it seems to me that the Bible is pretty clear that our hearts are fatally flawed if not for the saving grace of Christ. But that’s another story.) Wannabe novelists will never see their novels in print until they learn that, though God indeed opens doors in His time, novel writing takes hard work.

It takes humility. It takes grueling perseverance. It takes education. It takes thousands of hours to weave words, characters, and story threads together into a believable milieu. And sometimes it may feel like the hardest thing you’ve ever done.

I do believe in God’s sovereignty and that He will empower you to do His will, but He expect you to work.

Hard.

Just trusting Him isn’t enough.

Fatal Error

One thing I’ve also discovered is that though some wannabe novelists are seeking to be published in the Christian market, they’ve failed to do their homework as to what is currently being published. This is a fatal error. It’s like trying out for the cheerleading squad but not checking out who else is trying out. Or who won the tryouts last year. Or what the judges are looking for.

There is wisdom in studying the Christian fiction market. For one, these authors persevered and walked the road ahead of you. If you reach out to them online, you’ll discover that many went through the same hardships when they were getting started. They offer priceless wisdom. They can relate, and they can encourage.

What Publishers Are Looking For

Without knowledge of recent books, how can you know what publishers are looking for? I read Christian fiction from various publishers voraciously.

Besides enjoying a good story, I learn so much about pacing, characters, spiritual themes, current issues, and contemporary conflicts. I learn about story arc and how characters change from beginning to end. I learn about how long these novels are supposed to be, how many chapters they contain, how much message is enough without being too much. And the list goes on and on.

Writing from a Deep Sense of Urgency

At the same time, I do believe there is merit to writing from the heart. Writing about an issue from a deep sense of urgency buried in your soul. I think that’s an admirable reason to write. And I think you’ll have more success writing from that drive than writing according to recent trends. For example, several Christian vampire novels have hit the market due to the Twilight series craze.

You can hop on the current fad and write a book like that—a lot of authors do. But I think in the long run you’re better off writing out of whatever passion drives you. Perhaps it’s about finding justice for the innocent. Perhaps it’s about overcoming the scars of a tragedy or one’s past. Perhaps it’s about finding God’s will and living it in spite of gut-wrenching adversity.

There are so many good reasons to write, but don’t believe for a second that God will open doors until you’ve done your homework and put your time in like the rest of us.

See you next time when we look at Part 2.

In previous installments, we discussed self-promotion and took a hard look at what the Bible says. In Part 2, we learned from Scripture that everything we do should be for the Lord and not for men (Eph. 6:7; Col. 3:23). Therefore, if we look at what we do—write and sell books—from a biblical perspective, we’ll see that it’s really God we are/should be promoting and not ourselves. We are merely microphones for a greater purpose. We glorify Him through the beauty of words, through the spiritual struggle of the characters in our stories, by depicting faith and goodness winning the war over evil, by offering a message of hope to a needy world. In essence, as John Piper pointed out, God has called us to have an influence for truth in this world—and that calling requires death to self. “He who would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” How can we promote ourselves if we’re to be “dead” to self? That would be like giving an award to a corpse. 

In short, according to Scripture, we should be God promoters, not self-promoters. Unfortunately, the world gets caught up in the cult of personality, and we can’t control whether people see us as celebrities or “famous people” because we happen to write and publish novels. But what we can do when this occurs is point them to the One who let us borrow these gifts during our brief time on earth. After all, without Him we are nothing. 

Consider these words from Glass Road Public Relations: 

When someone comes to Christ, he/she forsakes all in order to come under His Lordship. Think of a servant in a royal household. Are the clothes on the servant’s back owned by the servant or provided by the Master? The food that the servant eats – a possession of the servant? If the servant is granted time by the Master to, say, pen a treatise on serving with humility, is that treatise the Master’s or the servant’s? If the servant is called to the Master’s chamber to sing or perform a role, who owns that production? In Christianity, it is all the Master’s. Everything is done for love of the Master and anything produced at His direction is His – not only because it is created with talents on loan from Him, but also because the servant’s heart seeks only the Master’s glorification.

But what if we go astray? What if ego trumps calling and we find ourselves reveling in—and even seeking—the praise of man? What did Jesus say in Matthew 6? “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven” (NLT).

Sobering words. Convicting words. Words that go against the grain of what the world tells us every day. 

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? A friend slaps us on the back and says, “Wow, that was the best story I’ve read in years.” Do we say, “Well, praise the Lord” or do we allow our egos to swell? We are so prone to words that caress our pride (I’m preaching at myself here), as if we wrote that story out of our own creativity. As if God had nothing to do with any of it. As if we have fallen prey to the world’s philosophy of self-exaltation. By taking for ourselves the glory He alone deserves, do we not in essence deny Him? 

What a tragedy, for we are mere stewards of His gifts. Whatever greatness we achieve has nothing to do with our own greatness. It’s all about God’s greatness. So then why would we accept glory for the gift God let us borrow for a while? All glory should go to the Lord (1 Cor. 10:31). If not, as Matthew 6 says, we’ll have our reward. We’ll get no reward for that good deed—for that novel we wrote—in heaven. 

So what is our motive for writing and promoting our books? Are we truly writing to glorify God? Or are we seeking fame and fortune—to be the next best-selling author with the six-figure book deal? If so, what a tragedy, for we are called to so much more. 

Recently, novelist Ann Tatlock summed up our calling well:  

Why do you write? Why do I write? Is it so that we might experience what the world calls success? Is it for recognition? Awards? Money? Is it so we have a means whereby we can measure our own self-worth?

There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to succeed. There is nothing wrong with wanting remuneration for the work we do. Nor is there anything wrong with longing for the satisfaction of seeing our words in print. But it is not these that are at the core of our calling. Not if we are Christian writers. Not if we have been called by God. 

We write to tell [the world] that [God] is here with us. . . . As writers, we are one small part of God’s voice answering the cries, telling men and women to hold fast because there’s hope.

There is hope, and God has called us to glorify Him by publishing that hope. That must be why we write and market our books. Anything less will be void of heavenly reward. 

Great Article.

http://altongansky.typepad.com/writersconferences/2012/02/why-do-we-write.html