The Art of Semi-Fiction

In which Robynne and Jane become super jocular (they clearly crack themselves up) as they turn one of the most asked questions in writing (How can I get published??) on its head. Here, the dynamic duo opts to unpack the four top ways NOT to get published. Robynne also drops a truth bomb about intelligence, but that’s just a bonus for you. As are Jane’s exemplary acting skills. But I digress. In this episode, all important points are covered … submission guidelines, how much to send in a submission, deadlines and dates, and how and when to follow up. Follow these tips to the letter and you’re pretty much guaranteed NOT to get published. Of course, wedged in between all this tongue-in-cheek banter are some hard, cold truths: there are some important industry expectations, guidelines, and plain, old etiquette. If you follow them, you will, at the least, avoid being immediately tossed in the circular file. And getting your properly formatted, properly submitted, submission-appropriate work seen dramatically increases your chances of getting published. You’re welcome.

In which Jane dives into one of her very favorite topics: The benefits of keeping a journal. Why keep a journal? There are so many reasons … to evaluate and examine big events … to process huge emotional episodes … to generate ideas … prayer requests … devotionals … brainstorming. You get the idea. They can be all these things and more. Anne Lamott uses 3 x 5 cards, Robynne loves a combination of writing and voice recording, and Jane loves bejeweled journals. What does this have to do with your writing journey? A lot, actually. Especially if you’re on this whole Christian writing journey. It’s a great place to process and ponder what God is doing in your life and what He’s calling you to do. Especially in a private, nobody-is-going-to-read-this way. Jane’s tips are wonderful. Anyone want to carpool to the stationery store?

In which Robynne waxes poetic on one of her favorite topics: Writing Conferences. She firmly believes that writing is a team event, NOT a solo sport. So, she’s particularly passionate about this topic. Northern California has a particularly rich literary environment with numerous solid conferences, workshops, etc., but there are over thirty Christian writing conferences scattered throughout North America. WCCW, ACFW, and OCW get a big plug for quality conferences on the West Coast, but there are numerous worth a look. Robynne gives a load of tips on how to choose and get the most out of your conference experience and explains in detail what you can hope to gain when you step out of your comfort zone and into a quality Christian writers conference! (hint: it involves relationships, finding your tribe, improving craft, and getting fully inspired)

In which Jane tackles the tricky subject of figuring out unique ways to get your creative juices flowing when you’ve finished a project and need a new direction, hit a literary wall, or are suffering from a bad case of writer’s block. So, if inspiration is eluding you, here are some interesting possible sources for your next greatest writing idea. Or starting point for a free writing session. Or some notes you need to give to your therapist. But I digress. On dreaming, we learn something interesting: Jane tends to dream in plots. Robynne tends to dream and remember emotions. No one should be surprised by either of those revelations, though. But headlines are a great source of timely, complicated plot points, too. Basically, inspiration is all around us.

In which Robynne and Jane further their discussion about different kinds of writing groups. This time, however, they hone specifically in on critique groups. Robynne makes the VERY bold declaration that if she had to choose between BEING critiqued and critiquing others, she’d always choose critiquing others. Why? Listen in and you’ll find out! What’s more, you’ll learn what The One Big Thing is, and why it is a crucial component in a strong, effective, life-changing critique. If you don’t leave this episode with renewed respect for the art and value of critiquing AND a new skill that will greatly improve your own writing, you must have fallen asleep during the episode. Have an espresso and listen again. It’s worth it.

In which Robynne and Jane wade through the different kinds of writing organizations, critique groups, and beta readers, etc. There are the obligatory definitions, and a few very bad jokes, but mostly, you’ll learn what these entities are all about. Why is that important? Writing is not a solo sport. It’s a team event and, at some point in your writing journey, you’re going to need challenges, support, and information. Where do you get these wonderful things? In a writing organization or group of some sort. Of course, we tout Inspire Christian Writers and West Coast Christian Writers in this episode, but, truthfully, there are many wonderful groups and organizations out there. Hopefully, after you listen to this episode, you’ll feel better equipped when searching for the group that’s right for you.

In which Jane and Robynne answer the burning question: Should you join a writer’s organization? (Hint: the answer is a RESOUNDING yes!). Robynne, who happens to be the president of a writer’s organization, and Jane, who happens to sit on the boards of two writer’s organizations, are obviously in the camp of “Writer’s organizations have immense value!” But Robynne concedes that it’s necessary to choose the correct organization. Making sure it fits your needs is paramount. WCCW (West Coast Christian Writers) gets a mention, Inspire Christian Writers, of course, ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Oregon Christian Writers … and even Romance Writers of America. If you’re thinking about getting involved somewhere, this is the podcast for you. All the pros and cons are discussed, so you’ll emerge equipped to make a great decision for your writing journey. You’re welcome.

In which Robynne and Jane talk about how freewriting can help develop your skillset, perspective, and even your writing voice. What is freewriting? Many things. It’s sitting down and writing without a goal. It’s writing inspired by a certain picture. It’s writing to defined and stated parameters for a specific amount of time, but without a real goal. It’s any kind of writing where you are unsure of the outcome and are writing to see what comes out. But why do it? Why do we take time out of our precious writing time to work for seemingly no goal? Oh! The many benefits! Jane leads with a wonderful reason … freewriting can help clear emotional gunk. Robynne adds that freewriting can serve as a sort of literary “cup of coffee,” to wake the brain and get warmed up before settling down to goal-oriented writing. It’s also invaluable in providing insight into a conflict, a character, or a relationship. We can freewrite a scene from another point of view to understand our characters, whether they are fiction or real, and see them from a new perspective. This can help us develop the complexity of characters and situations. And who doesn’t like richness in writing?

In which Robynne and Jane continue their conversation about the role truth has in fiction. However, this time, they swerve into the question of whether there can be too much truth in fiction. Jane gives a great example of where too much truth can be problematic, namely when a piece becomes too graphic. Robynne adds that poorly disguised “characters” can have legal ramifications. A rousing discussion ensues on how to honorably, judiciously work truth into fiction via changing details that don’t matter. Robynne calls this “taking a literary exacto knife” to the details that matter, extracting them from the “real” person or situation, and transplanting those crucial details into a wildly different fictional character or circumstance. With a brilliant example of Food Network’s “Chopped,” the ladies end this episode with a little cheekiness, but also solidly making their point.

In which Robynne and Jane dive into another aspect of Memoir: how it intersects with fiction, nonfiction, and creative or narrative nonfiction. They run through the definitions of the various genres, in case you’d forgotten, before sinking their teeth into the heart of the issue. Robynne asks Jane a daring question … “Is Memoir a stand-alone genre, or does it cross over into fiction and straight nonfiction?” And, after a few moment’s consideration, she knocks an answer out of the park. (She clearly knows her stuff.) And between the two of them, the case for crossover is made.

In which Jane and Robynne talk about the nemesis of many a’writer: Proposals. The good news? They’re actually not that scary. In fact, they’re often born of one of the most exciting things that can happen to a writer—an expression of interest from an agent, editor, or publisher. ‘Tis true proposals are composed of many different components, but once you know what they are and how to attack them, you are ready to pull this baby together. Jane and Robynne get down to the nitty gritty of what makes up a proposal, what is unique about non-fiction vs. fiction proposals, and how you can pull a solid one together. Most proposals fall in the 30-40 pages range, and, though that might sound daunting, it’s really just a lot of small sections put together. So. Grab yourself a coffee and a pen and get ready to face the giant. You’ve got this!

In which Robynne and Jane continue their conversation about “inciting incidents” and where to enter a story. Jane mentions Susan May Warren who says “the inciting incident is something that comes along and interrupt your life” (the phone call, the accident, the meeting). What a great way to define the Inciting Incident! Right after that quote, The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, one of Robynne’s favorite authors, is used as an example of how even literary fiction uses this technique. We bring back Susy Flory’s Thunderdog and Cynthia Ruchti’s Miles from Where We’ve Started to underpin the examples. It’s a rousing discussion on how important it is to choose how and where to enter your fiction or narrative nonfiction story for greatest impact.

In which Robynne and Jane establish the plain truth that there is plain truth embedded everywhere in fiction. Jane admits that 95% of her fiction is rooted in truth and gives an example of why that’s the case. They make the brilliant point that you can really only write from what you know, even if that truth is dissected and reassembled into another form. Playing the devil’s advocate, Jane brings up the genre of fantasy and puts Robynne on the spot. With a few deft strokes, a recounting of her experience living in England, and mentions of CS Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet and Roald Dahl’s The Great Glass Elevator, Robynne establishes that even when we write about the fantastic, we are drawing deeply on elements of truth.

In which Jane and Robynne dive into a controversial topic: How can you have true dialogue in Memoir and Nonfiction? With examples such as memoirist Susy Flory in hand, they traverse the ins and outs of how to have dialogue as true as possible, and where the grey areas lie. A brilliant quote from author Jan Kern helps make the case for both using dialogue in the first place, and how important this fiction technique is when writing memoir or personal narrative. She says: “Narrative nonfiction should be written so the story-telling is so compelling it reads like well-written fiction.” Brilliant, huh? And to do that, we need to use the whole gamut of fiction techniques, including dialogue, as we craft our creative nonfiction. The rub, however, is that we need our dialogue to be as accurate as humanly possible when we’re writing something we’re calling “true.” We revisit the example of Kate Flanders’ book “The Year of Less” to underpin this point. Gone in large part are the days of dry “how-to’s,” my friend. Creative Nonfiction, awash with fiction techniques like Dialogue, are the wave of the future.

In which Robynne and Jane head back to the super-popular topic of Memoir to pick up where they left off in Episode 3. Only this time, they balance the discussion by establishing that Memoir isn’t just a platform for dark, difficult topics. Laughter is a perfect ingredient in modern personal narrative! We talk about a number of works-in-progress and published works which use humor or address lighter topics. Favs like James Herriott pop into the conversation, and we also talk about Kate Flanders’ “The Year of Less” and Marie Kondo “Spark Joy” as great examples of the lighter side of Memoir. Dear friends Michelle Cushatt and Kathi Lipp also make their way into the conversation with the way they open their hearts and lives through their Communicator Academy podcasts and Kathi’s Clutter Free books. This is a conversation worth joining us for!