July 4th

I try to practice gratitude every day. Today at the top of my list are the men and women who have sacrificed so that we can have and keep the freedom we enjoy in the United States.

I'm grateful this nation was founded on the concept of liberty and justice and the pursuit of happiness.

I'm grateful that we are able, in this country, to disagree with each other without having to go to jail for that privilege and that changes of power can happen without requiring revolutions.

I'm grateful that our country has been able to evolve since it was founded and that we keep getting closer to the ideal that all men (and women) are created equal.

I'm grateful that we are a country where we can disagree with each other and still come together in times of crisis to help each other out.

I'm grateful we are a nation of possibilities.

Star Trek

I finally got to see the new Star Trek movie yesterday and I loved it. I didn't want to leave the theater! I'd like to talk a little about it from a writer's perspective.

One of the things I loved about it was the feeling of hope and daring bravado. I wanted to be part of that grand adventure that Enterprise was going on. The feeling was so powerful that I've been thinking about the movie ever since and why it worked, plus what it tells me, as a writer, about sequels.

Hope. It's one of the most powerful emotions we can have and perhaps one of the strongest antidotes to fear. There's hope in this movie. Hope that against all odds, overwhelming evil power can be defeated. As human beings we want and need to believe that. So....as writers, hope is something very powerful to include as part of our books.

Daring. Life can be scary at times—and for many people it is right now. The reaction may be to cling to what we know, what feels safe and yet rarely is that the safest strategy. Often the safest thing we can do is let ourselves be vulnerable and take risks. Not foolish risks but risks like the characters take in Star Trek—risks for a greater goal, a greater good, because it matters and because the outcome is so important. In our books, the risks our characters learn to take need to matter, too, and if we do it well can inspire readers to take good risks in their own lives.

Connection. On a very deep and profound level we all need to feel connected to others. The movie lets us see characters we've loved in the past. This is one reason series books are often so popular with readers—the chance to see beloved characters again and again.

Now about sequels and prequels. How often does a sequel/prequel work—especially if it's written by someone other than the original author? This does. Why? Because the twist was added that now things have changed. The characters can be somewhat different because different events are shaping them. At the same time, the have the same essential personalities they did before—though in some cases (okay Spock) we get a different perspective on those personalities. Both the familiar and the new. So there's a reason to keep watching, to want more Star Trek movies to see with this new crew.

Sure I have quibbles. What Trekkie or science oriented person doesn't? But ultimately what I care most about is how the movie made me FEEL. And that's an important lesson for any of us who are writers. What readers will ultimately care about most is how we make them feel.

Happy Writing everyone!

Changes

Life is always changing. And if we're writers that's a good thing because stories are about changes. A story begins when something changes in the lives of our major characters.

My daughter moved in briefly with me and has now moved out again. (That's part of why I haven't had a chance to post in a while.) It was great to have her here and good to know she's moving on to the next step. Sophy, my dog, is moping, of course, and spending a lot of time with her stuffed squeaky bear to cope.

Change is opportunity as well as challenge. It's growth as well as stress. It's a chance to move in new directions. That's true in life and it's true in our writing. If you're a writer and stuck in your story, it can be very useful to ask how you want or need your character to grow and what change would push them in the right direction. How will they resist the change or will they go with it willingly? One of the joys of being a writer is that we get to play with all the possibilities!

Baffled by My Space and Facebook

Well, I finally looked at my My Space account and set up a Facebook account and I admit to being baffled as to what to do next.

Part of me worries that trying to keep up on My Space and Facebook is going to take more time than I want. Part of me says: Get over it, this is the future!

It's a strange experience trying to sort it all out. Anyone have any suggestions for me?

Next Online Class

Note: In a previous post I wrote why I believe Book in a Week is so powerful. To see that post click here.

Book in a Week $75 ($40 if you have taken it before)
Dates: June 1, 2009 to July 3, 2009
Deadline to sign up: May 29, 2009
Class size is limited!

Note: All lessons and class discussion are by email so they can be read and responded to at whatever time of day is most convenient for YOU.

Class Description:

Have you started a manuscript and not finished it? Does life or self-doubt seem to get in the way? Do you ever feel as if you're banging your head against the wall trying to write a book someone will want to buy? Would you like help brainstorming elements of your story? Explore the possibilities of who you can be as a writer? Would you like to write better, faster and more easily than you ever have before?

Book in a Week is a process that will help you get organized, learn techniques that make YOUR writing easier, faster, better and more FUN! Learn who YOU are as a writer and what works best for YOU. Discover the elements that make a compelling story. Write that book you've been wanting to write—and do it faster than you ever thought possible!

This class will take you through every step of the writing process—from beginning to brainstorm all the way through sending material out to be published. And it will help you discover who YOU are as a writer.

Weeks 1-3:
Preparing to write the first draft of a book in one week
Creating compelling characters or how to write about real people in nonfiction
Planning plot elements or structure in a nonfiction book
Significance of namesEffective paragraph and sentence structure
Using imagery and sensory detail to add impact
Writing effective dialogueCreating a productive writing environment
Enlisting the support of those around you
Mentally gearing yourself up to write faster (and better) than you thought you could

Week 4:
Intensive Writing Week (June 20, 2009 through June 28, 2009)
(This is about discovering how writing fits into YOUR life. You can't do it wrong. You won't fail. No matter what happens you will discover more about yourself as a writer than you thought possible during that ONE WEEK of writing!)

Week 5:
Evaluating the writing experience itself
Making revisions
Publishing world info and sending out material

Bio: April Kihlstrom is an award winning author of 31 published romance novels. She offers coaching to fellow writers as well as classes and workshops on writing and has spoken at many conferences including: the Romance Writers of America national conference (romance) and the East of Eden conference (non-romance).

Testimonials from students who have taken the Book in a Week class:

“I have taken several online classes, none of them writing related. Still, none of them have been as well planned, documented and executed as BIAW.”

“Wow...Let me begin by saying Thank you Thank you Thank you! What an amazing process and generous amount of information given in a relatively short amount of time!”

“This course was certainly value for the money. A price can't be placed on the invaluable information and experience you imparted during this course.”

“I'm a better writer. I'm a faster writer. I'm a more confident writer.”

Payment for the class may be made by check or by Paypal. To sign up send an email to aprilkihlstrom@yahoo.com with Book in a Week class in the header and in the body of the email please put: your name and whether you prefer to pay by check or Paypal. Also, please let me know if you have taken the class before.

Note: If cost is an issue, please let me know and on a case by case basis we may be able to work something out.


Permission granted to forward to anyone who may be interested in taking this class.

Grief

Grief is a funny thing. It hits people in different ways. For me, part of it is that I don't much feel like putting up blog posts or things like that—it just doesn't seem important to do so.

I lost a friend a few weeks ago. One of the sweetest, kindest, most spiritual people I've known. It wasn't as if we were best buddies or that I saw this friend often but...his sudden death still leaves a profound gap and it hurts that I didn't have a chance to say good-bye. And it resonates with all the other losses I've had in my life.

And I haven't felt much like posting to my blogs.

But...I'm also a writer and it is part of who I am to think as a writer. I find myself thinking about how different people handle grief in different ways. I remember how when it was my parents, I felt cold all the time. I note that this time, in this case, that isn't happening but odd moments bring the person to mind. I find myself noting, too, how others have and continue to react to this person's death—what an impact one life can have.

It is the individuality of the responses—as well as what they all have in common—that strikes me as a writer. If I were to put the death of a character in a novel, I know that each person in the book who reacted, would react in unique ways. Part of our job, if we are writers, is to illuminate the human condition and explore possibilities and in doing so perhaps give readers permission to be who they are in how they react to life and death.

So, my apologies for such a long gap between posts. Hug those people who are important to you and make sure you tell them so. Notice, if you are a writer, the wonderfully diverse ways the people you know react to life and death and try to show that diversity in what you write.

Wishing all of you the best,
April

PS On an organizational note, I've been asked when my next Book in a Week class will start and I'm tentatively thinking the last week of May or the first week of June.

Why Book in a Week

I understand the confusion. I was dragged into my first Book in a Week (BIAW) kicking and screaming swearing I couldn't do it and the idea was crazy! Now I believe in the concept with all my heart—even for people who never want to actually write the first draft of a book in one week.

Why? Because it's a gift we can give ourselves as writers.

For one week, we tell ourselves and those around us that we ARE writers and WRITING MATTERS!

For one week, we ask for support in making writing a priority in our lives. (As a wife and mother, even with contracts in hand, I often felt everyone and everything else should come first.)

For one week, we let ourselves write with total freedom from worrying about “the rules.”

For one week, we dedicate ourselves to writing with joy.

For one week, we write what we want to write, what's closest to our hearts.

For one week we trust our muse, our subconscious, the Divine working through us—however you want to look at it, we trust what we write. We go with the flow, we DO NOT REWRITE! We trust that whatever we are writing is what we need to write in that moment.

In one week we know whether or not we love this project.

In one week we know what it is we need to find out to finish writing this book.

In one week we know whether or not it's likely to work out.

For one week, we are WRITERS.

It's only one week, so we can take chances and write those things we were told we couldn't do.

It's only one week, so we can try new things and PLAY.

It's only one week, so we can risk trusting ourselves because after all, how many times have we wasted more than one week not writing because we were so afraid we would get it wrong?

It's only one week, so if it doesn't work, we can throw it out and take another week and try again.

It's one week of being who we are at our truest depth.

If we are writers, I truly believe that in writing we tap into something that will also let us cope with any and all of the non-writing challenges in our lives as well. I can't explain it, but I have seen the truth of this over and over and over again.

When we write this way, writing faster than ever, trusting ourselves, we can then step back and look at the experience and see what and when and where and how we wrote best. We begin to know what works for US—not anyone else, but what is right for US. We begin to see our true voice as well as the tropes we are drawn to most. We can begin to see what is natural to OUR first draft. We can begin to understand that a first draft only has to be a first draft—nothing else—just a first draft.

You may never want to try to write that fast again but you will have gained priceless insight into yourself as a writer and your process and what you write.

This is why I teach Book in a Week classes. This is why I believe so whole-heartedly in the process.

People who have tried this have gone on to write award winning books. Some were under contract within a short period of time after taking the class. There is power in writing from the heart and writing true to who you are. Your most natural voice emerges. You are more likely to write that unique story that tugs at the heart—because you are being true to your muse. And you are most likely to see clearly the areas in which you may want to learn more about how to write what you want to write.

If any of this sounds good to you, my next online Book in a Week class starts Monday, April 13. You can email me at aprilkihlstrom@yahoo.com to sign up. Let me know if you've taken the class before. The class runs 5 weeks with 3 weeks of prep work, one intensive writing week, then a week to evaluate the experience, talk a bit about revisions and sending out manuscripts, etc. All lessons are handled by email so you can read them at any time of day (or night!) that works for YOU. Cost is $75 for first time students, $40 if you've taken it before. Note: If cost is an issue, please let me know and on a case by case basis we may be able to work something out.

What I love about TEACHING this class is that I get to share the things it took me years to learn and help you write better faster. I share how to brainstorm your book and the critical elements your book must have. I share with you the things I've learned over my 30 years of being a published author that I've never seen elsewhere. There's a reason even published authors have taken my class. I hope you will give me a chance to help YOU.