Jerry B. Jenkins's Blog, page 15

Writing a book is no cakewalk. I ought to know—I’ve done it nearly 200 times.

But plenty of quality tools now exist to help make this challenging process easier.

The right book writing software can help you:

Organize your writing
Gain self-confidence
Write more crisply

Software writing programs you may want to check out:

(Full disclosure: If you buy any of these, I get a small commission at no cost to you. But these tools have helped enough writers to where I would recommend them even if I didn’t get a dime!)

5 Book Writing Software Programs That Can Make Your Life Easier
1. Scrivener

Scrivener is the ultimate book-organization tool.

It allows you to view your notes, research, outline, and writing all in one place, and you can print your whole manuscript with the click of your mouse.

There’s a bit of a learning curve, but Scrivener comes with tutorials, and many other such aids are easily found online.

It may look overwhelming at first (I’m still learning it myself), but it’s worth the time and effort.

Just give yourself time to get familiar with the basics.

Pros:

Virtual corkboard feature for note cards organization
Drag & drop outliner
Works with Windows, Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Easily applicable within Microsoft Word and many other programs

Cons:

Steep learning curve*

*I benefited from great teaching programs like Learn Scrivener Fast and Scrivener for Windows), plus Scrivener itself comes with a built-in tutorial.

Price: $45 for Mac and $40 for PC

Click here to buy Scrivener for Mac, and here for PC.
2. Google Docs

Google Docs is a great collaborative tool. My team and I are literally a thousand miles from each other, and we use this program virtually every day.

It’s a free, standard word processor that allows multiple people to work on the same document simultaneously. I’m working on this document in Google Docs right now.

Just as with Track Changes in Word, an agent or editor or accountability partner can help fine-tune your work-in-progress in Suggestion Mode. You accept or reject the suggestions, and you can both comment in the margin.

Other advantages:

Easily share your work-in-progress via email or a link
Access from any device
Free

Cons:

Performance slows when tracking changes on documents of 80 or more pages
Unable to toggle between Tracked Changes and Final Version without accepting all the changes

Price: Free

Click here to start using Google Docs .
3. Freedom

Freedom allows you to temporarily block apps, websites, and social media across all your devices so you can focus on writing (don’t worry, people can still reach you in an emergency).

You can even schedule the app to work automatically when you need it most — when you’re writing.

If you’re like me, you’ll be glad for the freedom from  online distractions where “just a few seconds” turns into hours of unproductive net surfing. Freedom can help you focus and increase your productivity.

And it works on all devices.

Cost: $6.99 per month, $29 per year, or a $129 lifetime fee.

Want to block distractions while you write?

Click here to get Freedom .
4. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid offers grammar, style, and writing suggestions as you write—for you to accept — or reject — at the click of a button.

It integrates with the apps and programs you use most, like:

Google Docs
Google Chrome
Microsoft Word
Scrivener

Other pros:

Detailed explanations
Built-in Thesaurus
Context-focused grammar checker
Free version

Con:

You need a premium account to access its best features

Price: $50 for 1 year, $75 for 2 years, $100 for 3 years, or $175 for life

I recommend trying the free version first.

Click here to get more info on ProWritingAid .
5. Grammarly

Similar to ProWritingAid, Grammarly can help fine-tune your writing.

It automatically checks spelling and grammar, whether you’re writing a book or an email.

The premium version also:

Checks sentence structure
Monitors word choice
Guards against plagiarism
Examines style
And much more

Other pros:

Free version
Google Chrome plugin for easy use on the web

Cons:

No Scrivener integration
Doesn’t work on mobile devices
You need a premium account to access its best features

Cost: $29.95 per month, $59,95 per quarter, or $139.95 per year.

Try the free version first.

Click here to get Grammarly .
Stay On Pace with Technology

Try these software programs and see if they help improve your writing.

My team and I will add to this list as we discover new products.

What are your favorite book writing software programs? Tell me in the comments.

Similar Posts:

How to Write a Novel: A 12-Step Guide

How to Overcome Writer’s Block Once and For All: My Surprising Solution

How to Publish a Book: My Ultimate Guide From 40+ Years of Experience

The post Book Writing Software to Help You Create, Organize, and Edit Your Manuscript appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

So you’ve finished writing your book—perhaps a lifelong dream—and now you want to get it published.

Where do you go from here?

You poured your heart and soul into the writing, and I hope you also spent countless hours editing and revising.

Any seasoned expert will tell you: All writing is rewriting.

Certainly the writing alone took months, maybe years. But you did something few people ever do: You finished writing your book.

Now what?

Maybe you’ve done your homework on the do’s and don’ts of publishing, but you’ve found so much conflicting advice that you’re overwhelmed.

How do you decide your next step?

In simple terms, you have two options:

1—Traditional publishing

or

2—Self-publishing

Which is best for you?

As one who has written and had published nearly 200 books since the 1970s, let me try to help you decide.

I’ll start with definitions so you know what you’re actually choosing.

Traditional publishing

Traditional publishers take all the risks.

They pay for everything from editing, proofreading, typesetting, printing, binding, cover art and design, promotion, advertising, warehousing, shipping, billing, and paying author royalties.

If a “publisher” requires any money from you—even a minimum number of copies purchased—they are not a traditional publisher.

They might refer to themself as a co-op or a hybrid publisher, and they might even insist that they accept some manuscripts and reject others, but they are not traditional publishers.

Self-publishing

Regardless what services or suppliers you use to have your book printed, this option is rightly referred to as self-publishing.

Why? Because everything is on you. You are the publisher, the financier, the decision-maker.

Everything listed above under Traditional publishing falls to you. You decide who does it, you approve or reject it, and you pay for it.

The term self-publishing is a bit of a misnomer, however, because what you’re paying for is not publishing, but printing.

So, the question becomes, why pay to be printed if you could be paid to be published?

Let’s Get Real

Some say writers can make a lot more money by self-publishing. They argue that rather than settling for just a 15% or so royalty of the sales by a traditional publisher, they enjoy all the profits.

The problem with this logic is that it too often underestimates what it costs to self-publish.

The likelihood is that the “profit” per sold book, often at best, equals about the same as a traditional royalty.

The drawback then is that as a self-publisher, you have vastly less experience promoting, advertising, marketing, selling, delivering, and billing than traditional publishers do.

Besides the fact that this is a full-time job that will likely rule out your having the time to write another book, with rare exceptions, traditional publishers sell many more copies than self-publishers do.

That said, self-publishing may be your choice under certain circumstances. Such as:

You’ve exhausted your efforts to land a traditional deal. That doesn’t always indicate that your writing is inferior. It could merely mean that your audience is limited, making your book a less viable business proposition for the publisher.


Your book is of interest to hundreds of people, as opposed to thousands. I self-published a couple of volumes of my father’s poetry, because it was of interest to several hundred friends and relatives but not to a mass market audience of thousands required by a traditional publisher.


You’re a college professor or in some similar occupation where you must “publish or perish,” but your area of expertise is so esoteric that your books would not likely be commercial successes on a mass scale.

In truth, there are many reasons you might opt to self-publish, so the issue becomes whom you can trust as a supplier for all the services you’ll be paying for.

That’s where you need to do your homework. Talk to others who have self-published to see whether they felt ripped off, over-promised, over-charged, etc.

Many vanity or subsidy or hybrid self-publishing suppliers have beautiful websites, rave reviews, and examples of beautifully produced books that will make your mouth water.

They’ll use terms like, “If we accept your manuscript…” when the truth is, many such firms would print anything you sent them as long as your check was attached.

They’ll offer all the services I listed above, but if you decide not to take advantage of those, you’ll pay less but also wind up with an inferior final product.

That’s why too many self-published books look self-published:

Amateur art on the cover.


No editing or proofreading.


Little thought to interior design or even typeface (many use sans serif type, while traditionally published books mostly use serif type).


Many use the word “by” before the author’s name on the cover, which you rarely see with traditionally published books.


Some self-published books don’t even spell Foreword correctly, but rather spell it Forward or Forword or even Foreward. And many use the British spelling of Acknowledgments, adding another E for Acknowledgements.

But those are the least of the potential issues.

With careful planning, studying, and comparing, you should be able to self-publish for much less than the $10,000 or more that many of these companies charge for their “premium” packages.

Are the Odds Against

Traditional Publishing too Great?

Few traditional publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t consider new writers and their work.

They accept submissions from agents or from writers recommended to them by one of their current authors.

I’ve been coaching writers for decades, so I’m well aware of the confusion, the desperation, and the frustration you may be feeling.

Which is why I wrote this roadmap to the publishing process.

By the end, I want you confident and clear about which route to choose—and you’ll know the steps to take.

Deciding

We’re in the busiest and noisiest era in publishing history. It has never been easier to get printed, and never harder to be traditionally published.

But don’t let that discourage you.

Getting a literary agent or a publisher to take a chance on you or your manuscript does not happen by accident. It requires time, focus, and excellence.

Begin by considering:

What genre or category is your book? The genre you choose determines your target audience, your potential agent, and even which publishers to pursue.


Who is your target reader and why will your book sell? And resist the temptation to say it’s for everybody. Naturally, we put that much effort into writing something and we wonder who wouldn’t want to read it? Truth is, that kind of thinking waves a red flag of amateurism to agents and publishers. Successful, even mega-bestselling, books don’t appeal to everyone. They are written to specific audiences, and if they cross over to other markets (as, for instance, the Harry Potter Young Adult titles—which have become vastly popular to adults as well), that’s a bonus.


Do you have a platform? If that’s a new term to you, it simply means the extent of your influence—how many people are interested in what you do. This is one of the first questions an agent or publisher asks. With the variety of social media and blogging vehicles available today, building a following and interacting with potential readers has never been easier.

How to Pitch to Traditional Publishers

If you’re a nonfiction writer you’ll want to submit a book proposal that includes a brief, one- or two-sentence synopsis (summary) of each chapter, plus three sample chapters.

A first time fiction writer is expected to submit a complete manuscript for consideration.

The Pros of Traditional Publishing

No out-of-pocket expenses if your manuscript is accepted.


Greater exposure.


Advance royalties. Most publishers offer an advance payment against royalties (which are yours to keep, regardless of sales), though amounts widely vary.


A team of professionals undertakes the editing, proofreading, and designing of your book.


Another team spearheads the marketing and promotion.

The Cons of Traditional Publishing

I won’t sugarcoat it—landing a book deal is rare. Thousands of wannabe writers flood agents and publishers with proposals every day.


It can be a slow process—from nine months to two or more years from signing a deal to actually releasing the book.


You may have creative input but little control over the process. Traditional publishers take all the financial risks, so they reserve the right to final decisions on everything from the cover and interior design to the title, pricing, and promotion. While many of these things are negotiable, your only recourse in a stalemate is to withdraw the book. They want to keep you happy, of course, but they get the final say. On everything.


Too many writers overestimate the potential income. While you read about seven-figure deals and multi-million dollar bestsellers, these are as rare as lottery winners. The vast majority of books don’t make up the royalty advance and thus never pay more.

The Process of Getting Traditionally Published
1. Edit Like Your Writing Life Depends On It, Because It Does

The most important step as you begin is to become a ferocious self-editor. Even if you choose to self-publish, the quality of your writing is determined by this.

Acquisition editors (first readers at publishing houses who decide whether your manuscript is worth showing to their bosses) and literary agents tell me they know within two minutes or as few as two pages whether your manuscript is worth pursuing.

That may not sound fair, but it’s the hard truth. If you wished they would have stuck with it till you got to the good part, next time start with the good part.

When it comes to your writing, a publisher’s decision can happen quickly.

Often, editors know within the first two minutes of reading whether your manuscript is worthy of pursuing, or not.

That may sound harsh, even unfair. But after 40-plus years in writing and publishing, I know it’s true.

That’s why I preach ferocious self-editing. All writing is rewriting. Revision separates successful writers from wannabes.

That’s where editing software like ProWritingAid can be helpful.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase ProWritingAid, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

ProWritingAid Overview

If you’re not yet an accomplished self-editor, a tool like ProWritingAid can help you produce a manuscript you feel confident about submitting to an agent or publisher.

It reviews and analyzes your writing for flaws, inconsistencies, and readability. It can generate 25 different reports — each analyzing your writing for a different flaw.

ProWritingAid can be used with Microsoft Word, Scrivener, or any other program you use to write your manuscript.

ProWritingAid Features

ProWritingAid’s strength lies in the reports it can generate about different aspects of your writing.

It even allows you to choose what style of writing you’re doing and suggests appropriate edits.

ProWritingAid’s toolbar shows the reports you can choose. The premium version allows 25 different reports, while the free version (pictured below) offers 22 of the 25.

This toolbar may seem overwhelming until you learn what each report analyzes.

So I’ve asked my team to briefly explain each of these tools.

The 25 Reports
Writing Style

This report identifies issues such as:

Avoiding passive voice where possible
Deleting adverbs when not absolutely necessary
Removing repetition
And more

Grammar

This report identifies:

Sentence fragments
Misuse of apostrophes
Incorrect tense
And more

Overused Words

This report catches words that weaken your writing. This includes those that may be used in everyday conversation but are on-the-nose and don’t move your story along.

Clichés and Redundancies

Clichés are self-explanatory, but here are a few subtle redundancies to watch for:

“He clapped his hands.” What else would he clap?

“She shrugged her shoulders.” What else would she shrug?

Sticky Sentences

If this is a new term to you, it simply refers to sentences that get readers stuck because they contain needless words.

ProWritingAid refers to these as glue words.

Repeats

Points out duplicated words and phrases.

Sentence Length

Generates a graph of sentence lengths so you can identify where you might want to add variety.

Pronouns

Overuse can make your writing repetitive. This report identifies the pronoun percentage so you can review your usage.

Transitions

This report generates a ‘transitions score’ based on the percentage of sentences that contain one. ProWritingAid recommends maintaining a score of at least 25%.

Consistency

This check includes spelling, capitalization, punctuation.

Pacing

Slow passages cost you reader interest. The report identifies such sections, so you can address them.

Dialogue Tags

Suzie said. Ben shouted. Jamie whispered.

Dialogue tags identify the speaker, but too many slow your story.

This report identifies tags so you can determine whether each is necessary.

Readability

This report calculates these 4 scores for your manuscript so you can compare it to their guidelines:

Flesch Reading Ease Score
Coleman-Liau Formula
Automated Readability Index
Dall-Chall Grade

Vague and Abstract Words

I coach writers to choose the normal word over the obtuse. This check helps you identify words you might want to change.

Thesaurus

This report suggests replacement words but is programmed only for shorter pieces.

Diction

This report helps identify and fix complicated writing.

Alliteration

If you need a definition, click here. I urge avoiding alliteration..

Homonyms

This checks for words that sound the same but are spelled differently—like break and brake.

Corporate Wording

This is a form of what I call writtenese, language that may sound fancy but is pompous.

Acronyms

This report creates a list of abbreviations formed from the initial letters of a group of words—like USA, CEO, and NFL. It allows you to make sure they’re all correct.

Complex Words

Highlights words of three syllables or more so you can decide whether you might want to simplify them.

Eloquence

Helps identify various stylistic techniques.

Combo

This Check lets you choose which ProWritingAid reports are most helpful so you can use your favorites.

House Style

This report lets you create custom rules for ProWritingAid. You can tell the program to check specific words you tend to overuse or get wrong.

Plagiarism

Identifies copied material so you can properly credit it to the source.

How Does ProWritingAid Work?

It can serve as a word processor as well as an editing tool, but as I said, you can also apply it to the software you now use for writing.

So how should you use ProWritingAid?

You might want to try it to analyze your short pieces to see how it works for you. Ideally it will teach you better writing habits.

Here’s how the Consistency Check worked in Google Docs for one of my recent blog posts.

And here’s how it looked in the ProWritingAid web app.

ProWritingAid allows you to generate a few select reports during a free trial of 14 days.

The free version only allows you to run reports for a limited number of words.

The Premium version gives you access to all the reports on manuscripts of unlimited lengths.

How Much Does ProWritingAid Cost?

Parting Advice

I advocate using all the tools at your disposal to improve your writing. Your goal for a program like ProWritingAid should be to have it detect fewer mistakes with each new piece you write.

To check it out, find their website here.

Do you use ProWritingAid? Let me know of your experience in the Comments.

Related Posts:

How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps

How to Overcome Writer’s Block Once and For All: My Surprising Solution

How to Make an Author Website Within the Next Hour…And Why You Need To

The post ProWritingAid Editing Software Review appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

Regardless where you are on your writing journey—from wannabe to bestseller—you can benefit from entering contests.

Why?

Because the right contest can tell you:

Where you stand
How you measure up against the competition
What you still need to learn

Not to mention, you could win prizes. :)

That’s why my team and I conducted extensive research to not only find free, high-quality writing contests, but to also give you the best chance to win.

(We’ll update this post frequently with new writing contest details.)

Free Writing Contests
53-Word Story Contest

Prize: Publication

Deadline: Frequent contests

Sponsor: Prime Number Magazine

Description: Each month Prime Number Magazine invites writers to submit a 53-word story based on a prompt.

The Crucible

Prize: $150 1st, $100 2nd

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: Barton College

Description: Crucible and the Barton College Department of English welcome all writers to submit original, unpublished poems and stories. Writers are limited to 5 poems and stories no longer than 8,000 words. Entries must not be entered in other competitions.

The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

Prize: $1,000 and publication in The Iowa Review

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: The Iowa Review

Description: Due to a donation from the family of veteran and antiwar author, Jeff Sharlet, The Iowa Review is able to hold The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. Note: Only U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel may submit writing in any genre about any topic.

St. Francis College Literary Prize

Prize: $50,000

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: St. Francis College

Description: For mid-career authors who have just published their 3rd, 4th, or 5th fiction book. Self-published books and English translations are also considered.

New Writers Awards

Prize: $500

Deadline: 7/25/18

Sponsor: Great Lakes Colleges Association

Description: Every year since 1970, the Association has honored newly published writers with an award for a first published volume of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Note: Publishers (not the writers) are invited to submit works that “emphasize literary excellence.”

Young Lions Fiction Award

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: New York Public Library

Description: Each Spring, the Library gives a writer 35 years old or younger $10,000 for a novel or a collection of short stories. This award seeks to encourage young and emerging writers of contemporary fiction.

The Iowa Short Fiction Award

Prize: Publication in the University of Iowa Press

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: University of Iowa Press

Description: Seeking 150-page (or longer) collections of fiction by writers who have not previously traditionally published a novel or fiction collection.

Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Prize: $15,000

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: Pen/Faulkner

Description: Mary Lee established the Award in 1980 to recognize excellent literary fiction. It accepts published books and is peer-juried. The winner is honored as “first among equals.”

Friends of American Writers Literary Award

Prize: Up to $4,000

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: Friends of American Writers Chicago

Description: Current or former residents of the American Midwest (or authors whose book takes place in the Midwest) are invited to submit to the FAW Literary Award. Published novels or non-fiction books are welcome.

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: 12/31/18

Sponsor: Cleveland Foundation

Description: The Award seeks fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books published the previous year “that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity.” Self-published work not accepted.

Christopher Doheny Award

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: TBD 2018

Sponsor: The Center for Fiction

Description: Recognizes excellence in fiction or creative nonfiction on the topic of serious physical illness. The award is presented annually for a completed manuscript that has not yet been published. It was founded in honor of Audible employee Chris Doheny, a writer himself, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby and passed away on February 20, 2013. The winner of the award must demonstrate both high literary standards and a broad audience appeal while exploring the impact of illness on the patient, family and friends, and others.

Cabell First Novelist Award

Prize: $5,000

Deadline: TBD 2018

Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University

Description: Seeks to honor first-time novelists “who have navigated their way through the maze of imagination and delivered a great read.” Novels published the previous year are accepted.

The Gabo Prize

Prize: $200

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: Lunch Ticket

Description: Awards translators and authors of multilingual texts (poetry and prose) with $200 and publication in Lunch Ticket.

Transitions Abroad Expatriate and Work Abroad Writing Contest

Prize: $500

Deadline: August 1, 2018

Sponsor: Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc.

Description: Seeking inspiring articles or practical mini-guides that also provide in-depth descriptions of your experience moving, living, and working abroad (including teaching, internships, volunteering, short-term jobs, etc.).” Work should be between 1,200-3,000 words. All writers welcome.

Short Fiction Prize

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2018

Sponsor: Stoney Brook University

Description: Seeking short stories by undergraduates at American or Canadian colleges.

The Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities

Prize: $5,000

Deadline: December 30, 2019

Sponsor: The University of Utah Press

Description: Wallace Stegner was a student of the American West, an environmental spokesman, and a creative writing teacher. In his memory, the University of Utah Press seeks book-length monographs in the field of environmental humanities. Projects focusing on the American West preferred.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Prize: $15,000

Deadline: June 30, 2018

Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Press

Description: Seeks short fiction collections. Writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction with a traditional book publisher, or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in magazines or journals of national distribution are accepted.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: August 15, 2018

Sponsor: Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Description: Honors novels and story collections by African American writers. Entries that will be published in 2018 are accepted.

Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize

Prize: $500

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival

Description: Showcases essays set in Brooklyn. Five authors will be asked to read their pieces at the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival.

International Flash Fiction Competition

Prize: $20,000

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: The César Egido Serrano Foundation

Description: With over 40,000 participants last year, this prize invites authors to submit flash fiction in Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hebrew.

David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: 12/1/18

Sponsor: Langum Charitable Trust

Description: To make American history accessible to general educated readers, the Trust seeks American historical novels published in the previous year. Novels should take place in America before 1950 (split-time novels accepted). Novels set outside American but including American values and characters accepted (such as about the American military). Self-published novels not accepted.

Y. Boyd Literary Award

Prize: $5,000

Deadline: 12/1/18

Sponsor: American Library Association

Description: The Association seeks Military fiction published in the previous year. Children’s books not accepted—young adult and adult novels only.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: 12/1/18

Sponsor: Morehead State University

Description: Accepts outstanding books of all genres by Appalachian writers. Writers will have the opportunity to interact with students.

BCALA Literary Awards

Prize: $500

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: Black Caucus of the American Library Association

Description: For literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books as well as first novels. Books written by African Americans and published the previous year accepted.

Desert Writers Award

Prize: $5,000

Deadline: 1/15/19

Sponsor: Ellen Meloy Fund

Description: Accepts proposals for creative nonfiction about the desert that reflects the spirit and passions embodied in Ellen’s writing and her commitment to a “deep map of place.”

John Gardner Fiction Book Award

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: Binghamton University

Description: Seeks original novels or collections of fiction published the previous year.

Nelson Algren Short Story Award

Prize: $3,500

Deadline: TBD

Sponsor: Chicago Tribune

Description: Original, unpublished short stories under 8,000 words accepted for this award given in honor of the late Chicago writer.

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

Prize: $12,000 and publication

Deadline: TBD 2020

Sponsor: Graywolf Press

Description: Awarded to the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by a writer not yet established in the genre. Accepts memoirs, essays, biographies, histories, and more, but emphasizes innovation over straightforward memoirs.

New Voices Award

Prize: $2,000 and publication ($1,000 for the Honor Award winner)

Deadline: 8/31/18

Sponsor: Lee and Lowe Books

Description: Seeks a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color or a Native/Indigenous writer.” Only U.S. residents who have not previously published a children’s picture book are eligible. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry accepted that addresses the needs of children of color and Native nations by providing stories with which they can identify and which promote a greater understanding of one another.” Work should be under 1,500 words.

St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Prize: Publication and a $10,000 advance

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: Mystery Writers of America

Description: Seeks mysteries by writers who have never published a novel (not including self-publishing). Serious crime must be at the heart of the work.

Stowe Prize

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: TBD 2019

Sponsor: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Description: Named for the abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, recognizes a U.S. author whose work has made a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society. Can be for a single work or a body of work (fiction or nonfiction) within two years of submission.

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Contests: An Interview with Doc Hensley

To get you the complete lowdown on everything you need to know about writing contests, I consulted the ultimate expert.

Dr. Dennis Hensley is chairman of the Department of Professional Writing at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana.

It’s because of Doc that I unequivocally refer to Taylor as having the best university writer training program in the country, bar none. Ever since I heard him speak more than 30 years ago, I have never hosted a writers conference without inviting him to keynote and teach. Doc is always a favorite and never disappoints.

His students don’t just learn to write and sell and publish. They’re in the game every day, pushed to query and propose and market their work to real publications. So Doc isn’t preparing them to be professional writers when they graduate; he’s thrusting them into the action now.

Besides having students sell their writing, Doc pushes them into contests too. He’s turned out  enough productive writers over the decades to tell me that what’s good for them has to be good for you and me.

So I asked him:

Why are you such a strong advocate of writing contests in 2018?

Contests force writers to hit deadlines. That means they have to finish, and finish on time. It’s hard to beat that kind of training.

If a writer wins or even places in the top three, it often means publication in a magazine or quarterly or journal. That’s fantastic exposure for any writer trying to build a platform—which means every writer.

How big a deal is winning, really?

Being able to list “contest winner” on your resumé impresses publishers and boosts your confidence. From then on, the covers of all your books can feature you as an award winner. The news can be publicized in your hometown paper, college alumni magazine, church newsletter, you name it—it garners notoriety. It can also help land radio and TV interviews.

How can a writer be sure a contest is legitimate?

Go to swfa.org, a free website that offers tips on how not to be cheated by scam artists who try to get you to pay for awards or charge editing fees to work on your manuscript. Any contest that charges anything is suspect.

What is meant by “blind” vs. “open” judging?

Blind judges don’t know the names of the writers they’re judging. In open judging, the bylines appear on the entries.

Doc, why are you willing to spend so much time judging writing submitted to contests?

Because it exposes me to such a wide range of topics and writers. For example, I judge a different category each year for one magazine contest. One year I may judge Editorials, so I analyze more than 50 of those. The next year I may judge Interviews, so I’ll read 50 interviews amazingly interesting people.

Reading widely like that keeps me on top of things and stimulates my own thinking as a writer. It also exposes me to many periodicals I might not normally come across. That’s good for me and for my students.

Also, besides just judging, many times I’m able to critique the submissions, providing guidance to writers who show potential but still need mentoring.

Also, I hope my credentials add credibility to worthy contests. Hopefully contestants gain confidence knowing that a judge has a degree in English and has himself written more than 60 books.

If a competitor doesn’t win a prize, should they regret having entered?

Not at all, because of some of the things I mentioned earlier. Entering requires hitting a deadline. It offers the chance at prizes and publication. And often it also offers a chance for feedback from the judge, which can prove helpful.

Any inside tips on how to win a writing contest?

Follow the guidelines precisely.  Some require submissions by email and some hard copy. Some allow multiple submissions, while others limit it to one entry per person. Some are genre specific, others not. Some want your full name and address on the cover page, others want your name on a separate sheet.

Whatever the guidelines ask for, follow them exactly or your submission may be disqualified.

Proofread carefully. Nothing is more disappointing to a judge than an excellent story full of errors, evidencing a lack of professionalism.

Avoid gimmicks, such as five different fonts or colors or lace-edged paper. None of that impresses judges.

Don’t resubmit last year’s entry unless you significantly revised it.

Dr. Dennis E. Hensley is the author of eight writing textbooks, ten novels, and dozens of other books. He serves as a judge for the Christy Fiction Awards, the Christian Book Awards, and the Evangelical Press Association Awards. For ten years he also was a judge for the Jerry B. Jenkins Operation First Novel Contest.

What’s your favorite writing contest—and why? Tell me in the comments.

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The post Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests in 2018 appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

Guest post by Emmanuel Nataf

You’ve wanted to write a novel for ages, but can’t seem to ever find the time to start writing. Or maybe you’ve started and just keep hitting walls. Why? For most of us, the answer is that commitments like family, jobs, and life keep getting in the way.

Or, it might be procrastination, and these obstacles are what you tell yourself are the issue. All you are missing is discipline. Every writer has a vision of being able to sit down and write a complete prize-winning chapter in one sitting, but this isn’t realistic. To get a flow going on a regular basis you will need to implement a writing routine.

Forming a regular writing habit builds stakes, holds you accountable to your goals, and keeps you on track as a result.

The reality is, you’re not going to feel like the muses of novel writing are hovering above you and guiding you every time you sit down to write. Building a solid, consistent routine will help you write, and write well, even when you’re not feeling motivated or inspired.

A writing routine will be different for everyone in terms of your environment, time availability, aims, goals — the lot. Even so, if you follow these tips for establishing and, more importantly, sticking to a routine, you can’t go far wrong.

1. Schedule your writing time

Try to choose a time and a place so that other things can work around your writing time, not vice versa. This way, you’ll be able to get into the habit of writing — even when you don’t feel like it.

If you wait for this time to come around naturally, especially in increasingly hectic lives, the hours required to achieve our goals of writing a novel or similar are not going to clock in.

We can draw on Stephen King’s wisdom here:

“Once I start work on a project, I don’t stop, and I don’t slow down unless I absolutely have to. If I don’t write every day, the characters begin to stale off in my mind … I begin to lose my hold on the story’s plot and pace.”

This time should be non-negotiable. Author and book coach Kevin Johns sees this as such a crucial part of creating a writing routine that he gives it its own acronym: NNWT, or non-negotiable writing time. Even if you can’t write every day like Stephen King, make sure you have time locked in multiple times a week.

Nothing is stopping you from starting right now: literally, open your phone and schedule writing time into your calendar — this will make you stick to it. Put in a realistic amount of time that you know you can afford, make sure it’s more than once a week, highlight it in something bright that you can’t ignore, and set an alarm to remind you.

2. Make this writing time sacred

J.K. Rowling, who knows a thing or two about writing successfully, advises writers to “be ruthless about protecting writing days.” She urges us to guard these moments that we set aside for writing and not to cave in to “distractions” such as meetings or social engagements.

Whether it’s every workday evening from 8 to 10, or three mornings a week starting at 7, don’t let anything get in the way of your writing. You’ve scheduled this time into your life, and it must be granted importance and gravitas.

This also means that writing time is for writing and writing only. Being lax with it will hold back your progress. If you set aside two hours to write, and in that time answer your emails, do a laundry load, and check Twitter, you’ll probably end up doing half an hour of writing, maximum. That would move the needle extremely slowly.

Research and planning should be done outside these hours. Writing time is just that: time to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

3. Quantify your progress

To know the progress you’re making, set yourself a word count goal per day or per week. The power of setting tiny, achievable goals cannot be overstated.

We as humans love having these little wins. Hitting daily goals (like Fitbit step-goals) gives us little boosts — spikes of dopamine — and makes us feel good about what we’re doing. Writing can be frustrating, so word count goals give you control over at least one of the factors of the writing process. That’s why daily word-counts are such a crucial part of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) competition.

If you have a particular goal, for example, “I want to have a first draft of my manuscript done in six months,” this would mean working out what this translates to in words per month, week, and day. Track this to stay in line with what you have set yourself.

The fun side of this is rewarding yourself. Crossing things off that calendar, physically printing off pages you’ve written and adding them to a done pile — anything that gives you a sense of public, visible achievement is worth it.

Writing something as long as a novel may often feel like working for a long time with no reward. As a writer, you have to reward yourself when you reach your goals, which is much easier when these goals are concrete and achievable.

4. Publicize it

Your public could just be your friends and loved ones. Purposefully use shame and disappointment for your own benefit by telling them that you’re writing a book. This puts pressure on you, as does publicizing your goals.

If you have something visible, like a calendar that shows your self-set deadlines or workloads, this can help keep you accountable to goals that would otherwise be easy to pretend you never made. Equally, you can tell your friend/fiance/fellow writer that you’re going to write 400 words every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday after work, and get them to check.

Starting a blog and publicizing your progress is another way to give you that extra incentive, as you don’t want to look bad in front of your followers by not meeting your goals .

You’ve got this!

Know what environment you work best in and use this to your advantage. Whether it’s the bustle of a coffee shop or a silent room at home, you know where and when you produce your best work.

Appreciate that these are all estimates, especially if you don’t have a contract yet. A writing routine will give you direction, even if you don’t have an actual deadline. It will help orient you, rather than just writing whenever you feel like it.

Writing is a challenge, but so rewarding. The key is to stick to it. Establishing and dedicating yourself to the process says that you believe in yourself, and that you can do it.

Emmanuel Nataf is the founder and CEO of Reedsy , the world’s largest marketplace of experienced publishing professionals. In addition to connecting authors with editors, cover designers , and book marketers, Reedsy offers a series of free online courses, including one on building an unbreakable writing routine .

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The post 4 Steps to a Writing Routine You Won’t Want to Break appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

Without a deeper meaning than just its plot, your story remains a shell of what it could be.

A story with a theme answers, what does this mean?

That’s the kind of a story that resonates with readers and stays with them.

Getting Started: What Is Theme?

Plot is what happens Theme is why it happens. Why you’re telling this story. It’s the message you want readers to take away.

In fact, I urge you to determine why you want to tell a story before you even begin. Know why you’re writing what you’re writing. Don’t just write to write. That’s not a good enough reason to be a writer. Write because you have something to say.

Ask yourself:

What will this story teach my reader about life?

If you write to merely entertain, don’t expect your stuff to be memorable.

Clear Theme Examples

Aesop’s Fable The Tortoise and the Hare (The danger of overconfidence)
George Orwell’s 1984 (The beauty of individual freedom and the danger of absolute power)
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien (Love and mercy overcome evil)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (Endurance and perseverance know no age)
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (The timeless beauty of sacrificial love)
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (The dearest things to us are often found at home)

Allowing Theme to Speak for Itself

Resist the urge to explicitly state your theme in the story. That may have worked in a quaint way with Dorothy at the end of The WIzard of Oz, but readers today don’t need the theme writ large. Tell your story and it should explore your theme and make its own point.

Readers are smart.

Subtly weave your theme into a story and trust readers to get it. Don’t rob them of the experience.

In my own novel Though None Go With Me, I wanted to explore the question of whether there was any payoff this side of heaven for a life of complete surrender to God. At a young age my heroine decides to make the rest of her life an experiment of obedience to God.

Her reward? She becomes a modern-day Job with everything she cherishes ripped from her. In the end we experience with her a Mr. Holland’s Opus type ending, answering the theme’s question, but letting the reader come to his own conclusion.

Know your theme and explore it through your story. Your writing will never be the same.

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The post How to Develop the Theme of Your Story appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

Guest post by Dave Chesson

Research can make or break your novel.

When readers choose your book, they expect to be transported into a believable and engrossing world.

Research is the key to creating an immersive environment to be enjoyed and savored.

Conversely, a badly researched novel can shatter the suspension of disbelief, causing your reader to lose patience with your book and even leave a negative review.

The importance of research for reader enjoyment and, consequently, author reputation can be seen in the following review of Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s novel Kingdom Come.

The reviewer in the above image gave the maximum five-star rating to the novel as a direct result of “remarkable research.”

So how do you carry out the same quality of research for your own work? After all, not all writers are researchers. It can be difficult to know the right way to go about it.

Thankfully, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Read on to discover three research tips you can use on your novel—from hugely successful authors.

Know Your Reader, Your Questions, and Your Sources

It’s important to understand what your readers expect from your work before you conduct your research.

After all, information about almost any subject on Earth is readily available. If you’ve ever found yourself going off on tangents and opening new tabs while browsing the web, you know exactly how easy it is to get distracted by the sheer amount of information out there.

Reader Expectation

The time you can dedicate to research is probably limited, so spend that time in the most focused and fruitful way possible. Achieve this by gaining a solid understanding of your readers’ expectations.

Readers of the Left Behind series expect accurate use of Biblical prophecy. Readers of historical war fiction expect to find the correct weapons from that time period.

If you’re unsure of how to best meet reader expectations, try the following:

If you’ve published in the past, use the feedback you received. What did your readers praise? What did they dislike? Can you get a sense of what they ideally expect from your work?
If you’re a new author, look at reviews for similar work within your genre. After all, you are likely to sell books to people who buy similar books. Established authors are also likely to have a wealth of feedback you can draw upon.
Feel free to explicitly ask your readers. If you have a mailing list, solicit feedback on what makes or breaks a book in your genre. If you have a social media presence, conduct a poll.
Refer to the many avenues people use to voice their opinions to understand what readers love. Check out forums for fans of your genre, fan blogs, reader groups on Facebook, relevant hashtags, and so on.

Formulate Specific Research Questions

Once you understand what will best satisfy your readers, develop a list of specific research questions, based on either your novel outline or the general topic.

This is how bestselling author K.M Weiland carries out her research.

Imagine your main character is an English vicar. You could research this generally, but creating specific questions ensures you’ll include everything important. You can add questions as you go, but having a list to start with will help you remain focused.

Form a list of topics your research will cover, and then create specific questions for each.

Imagine writing a crime novel set in 1920s London. You might choose the following categories with particular questions for each:

Language. Slang in use at the time? Could people generally write well? Different types of dialect based on occupation/social status?
Everyday life. How did people spend their time? Common food and drink consumed?
Geography. How did London in the 1920s differ from today? What about the rest of the country/world? How will this impact your story?

The exact categories and questions will depend upon your genre.

Research Sources

Now consider the best places to find the information you need. You should also have a system in place to collect your findings, such as the research capabilities provided by specialist book writing software. While Google is powerful, it’s by no means your only option. Some useful sources include:

Wolfram Alpha . Like a genius librarian who quickly and accurately answers almost any question. The image below shows Wolfram Alpha in action.

Google Scholar . High-quality academic information. Excellent if you want a more believable character or story with a depth of info far beyond a normal search engine.
Internet Archive . To see how a website used to look, use this. As you can see, it’s possible to view Jerry’s website all the way back to 1999!

Library of Congress . A rich source of American history. View photos as well as other media. You can also “ask a librarian,” as seen below.

People: Your Richest Source

Turning to your laptop or smartphone by default when researching can lead to overlooking the richest research source of all — the people around us.

For your novel to be truly great, it should focus on more than just facts. It should contain rich human thoughts and feelings.

Margaret Mitchell based a lot of ‘Gone With the Wind’ on the real stories she’d been told in her childhood about the American Civil War. Her book is not only historically accurate, but it also feels authentic.

Draw On the People In Your Life

Your family. Ask older relatives what life was like growing up. How much did things cost? Did people speak differently to each other? Ask younger relatives what matters to them. How do they spend time with their friends?
Your friends. Ask those with different occupations or backgrounds, religions, political stances, etc., for their perspectives. This can make your novel more believable than if you merely guess what different lives are like.
Strangers. Observe people wherever you go. What are they wearing? How do they talk? Good novelists are constantly watching.
People online. People reveal a lot about themselves on forums, social media, and their blogs. The gives you the opportunity to research people all over the world you might never otherwise come across.

Aren’t novels simply superb when you the characters feel real? You can give your own story this level of authenticity by drawing upon the rich experiences of the people in your life.

Travel For Research

Nothing beats actually visiting the place you will write about.

Bestselling thriller and non-fiction author Joanna Penn advocates journeying to your book’s location and getting a firsthand feel for it. This may seem impossible on your budget, but think outside the box:

Travel during less popular times of the year. Check out a site like Skyscanner and compare airline prices.
If you can’t afford to go to your specific location, choose somewhere similar but cheaper. Just fact check your research against the actual city to avoid inaccuracies.
The next best thing to actually being there in person is virtual travel. Google Maps gives you a street view walk around almost anywhere on Earth. You can see the buildings and even what people are wearing.
Watch documentaries on your location on YouTube or a similar site.

Other Internet Resources

TripAdvisor . See what real people thought about the attractions, restaurants, and accommodation of cities all over the world.
Travel Blogs . High-quality posts provide reports to inform and inspire your writing. Many also contain brilliant photos that will help when writing your descriptive passages.
Travel Forums . Forums allow you to ask about a particular place from a wide range of people who’ve been there. This is a great option if there’s a particular detail you can’t find anywhere else.

Author Research — What’s Your Personal Process?

Effective author research comes down to:

Choosing careful questions and sources based on reader expectations
Making the most of the life experiences of the people around us
Exploring a book’s location, either firsthand, on the Internet, or by interviewing others

These research tips were suggested by bestselling authors. What’s your favorite research idea? Do you have a personal process you like? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Dave Chesson is the guy behind Kindlepreneur.com, one of the world’s largest book marketing websites. Having been a nuclear engineer for the US Navy, he’s a pretty large quantitative nerd who loves the numbers and understands the differences in how things work, especially inside of Amazon.  You can find more about his type of analysis like his guide to getting book reviews or even some of his free tools on his site.  

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How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader

The post 3 Research Hacks for Your Novel appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

As a reader, I’ve never felt a good book was too long, even more than a thousand pages. And I’ve never found a bad book short enough.

One of the most common questions writers ask me: “How long should my manuscript be?”

Well, different publishers look for different lengths for different genres. Helpful, eh?

You’ve always wanted to write a novel. But something’s stopped you.

Maybe you’ve tried before, only to get thirty pages in and lose steam because:

Your story idea didn’t hold up
You couldn’t overcome procrastination
You feared your writing wasn’t good enough
You ran out of ideas and had no idea what to do next

You may be surprised to know that even after writing over 190 books (two-thirds of those novels) over the last 40 years, 21 of them New York Times bestsellers (most notably the Left Behind Series), I deal with those exact problems every time.

So how do I overcome them and succeed?

I use a repeatable novel-writing plan—one that helps me smash through those obstacles. And that’s what I reveal to you in this definitive guide.

Imagine a finished manuscript in your hands, or your name on the front of a newly published book—does that excite you?

Better yet, imagine letters from readers saying your novel changed their lives, that your words gave them a new perspective. A renewed hope.

If other writers enjoy these things, why not you?

First, you have to write a novel. :)

This guide details the plan I use to write all my novels. I hope you enjoy it and that you can apply it to your own writing!

Contents

Nail down a winning story idea.
Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.
Create an unforgettable main character.
Expand your idea into a plot.
Research, research, research.
Choose your Voice and Point of View.
Start in media res (in the midst of things).
Engage the theater of the reader’s mind.
Intensify your main character’s problems.
Make the predicament appear hopeless.
Bring it all to a climax.
Leave readers wholly satisfied.

Step 1: Nail-down a winning story idea.

Is your novel concept special?

Big enough to warrant 75,000 to 100,000 words?
Powerful enough to hold the reader all the way?

Come up with a story idea laden with conflict—the engine that will drive your plot.

I based my first novel, Margo, on this idea: A judge tries a man for a murder the judge committed.

Take whatever time you need to sift through your story ideas and choose the one you would want to read—the one about which you’re most passionate.

It must capture YOU so completely you can’t get it out of your head. Only that kind of an idea will draw you to the keyboard everyday and inspire you to write the novel you’ve always dreamed of.

Step 2: Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.

If you’re an Outliner, you prefer to map out everything before you start writing. You want to know your characters and what happens to them from beginning to end.

If you’re a Pantser, you write by the seat of your pants. You begin with the germ of an idea and you write by process of discovery.

As Stephen King says, “Put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.”

One or the other of these approaches will simply feel most natural to you. But many are  hybrids—needing the security of an outline and the freedom to let the story take you where it will. Simply do what makes the most sense to you.

(I cover strategies for both types here.)

Regardless, you need some form of structure to keep from burning out after 30 or so pages.

I’m a Pantser through and through, but I never start a novel without an idea where I’m going—or think I’m going.

Step 3: Create an unforgettable main character.

Before you start page one, you’ll want to understand your characters.

Your most important character will be your protagonist, also known as your lead or your hero/heroine.

This main character must have a character arc, in other words be a different, better person by the end.

That means he (and I’m using this pronoun inclusively to mean hero or heroine) must have potentially heroic qualities that emerge in the climax.

Your lead can have human flaws, but those should be redeemable.

You’ll also have an antagonist, the villain who should be every bit as formidable and compelling as your hero. Make sure the bad guy isn’t bad just because he’s the bad guy. 

I was always saying the wrong things around Billy Graham.

One of his aides even told me I had been selected from a handful of authors to assist him with his memoirs because I was the one who obviously hadn’t prepared an answer to his team’s most predictable question: What qualifies you to do this?

I blurted, “Oh, no one’s qualified! All any writer could do with such a privilege is to try to do justice to the man’s story.”

I spent the better part of 13 months in the early 1990s traveling to and from Mr. Graham’s home in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and his nearby ministry offices in Montreat. (I assisted him in writing the birth-through-the-Nixon-years for his autobiography Just As I Am.)

But even my first interview question was off-track: “What must it feel like to be so well-known, so popular, that hundreds of thousands come to hear you preach in stadiums all over the world?”

He looked puzzled, as if he had genuinely never thought about that. He wept quietly as we watched a black and white film highlighting his 1950s crusades, including the massive London events where he spoke to 120,000 at Wembley Stadium.

He ignored my question and said, “Let’s just pray and thank the Lord for what we just saw.”

When I pressed, asking if he didn’t at least appreciate how current crowds greeted him with warm applause, he shook his head. “I smile, but I’d rather dig a hole and crawl into it.”

I said, “But they’re just thanking you…”

He said, “Isaiah 42:8 says, ‘I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another…’”

More dumb questions

Once, as he was walking me out at the end of the day, his secretary caught up with us and said, “Diane Sawyer is on the phone for you.”

I said, “For him or for me?” Fortunately, she thought that was funny.

Another time, he suggested we get away and work at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One morning I followed him to the hotel barbershop where he got a haircut. A manicurist working nearby struck up a conversation with him, asking, “So what do you do?”

In his inimitable accent, Mr. Graham said, “I’m a preachah.”

She said, “Oh, I don’t care for preachers that much. Except Billy Graham, I do like him.”

He said, “You like Billy Graham, do you?”

“I do. I really learn from him.”

“Well, thank you. I am Billy Graham.”

She frowned. “Oh, you don’t even look like him!”

The barber caught her eye and mouthed, “It’s really him.”

She said, “Oh, my God!”

And Mr. Graham said, “No, but I work for Him.”

My last ill-advised questions

Once, when his secretary interrupted a session, telling him, “There is a call you’ll want to take,” I waited several minutes until he returned.

When he got back, trying to be funny, I said, “So, what did President Clinton want?”

He blanched and said, “Well, I’m not at liberty to say.“ And he narrowed his eyes at his secretary.

I said, “Oh, she didn’t say anything! I was just trying to be funny, but I wasn’t, and I apologize.” He just shook his head and smiled.

Near the end of my time with Mr. Graham, I wondered whether I had enough takeaway value for the memoir. Such a book must not simply be about something; it must be for the purpose of something.

For our last session, we sat knee to knee across from each other in his modest office. My goal was to see what readers could glean not from all the experiences he had enjoyed as a worldwide Christian leader, but rather from his own personal devotional life.

But, as usual, I broached the subject the wrong way. I began, “People look to you as a spiritual leader, a model, almost like the Protestant pope—”

“Oh, no, they shouldn’t do that…”

“But they do. Many see you as the Christian leader of our time—”

Mr. Graham said, “They really mustn’t do that. When I think of the number of times I’ve failed the Lord, I feel this low,” and he reached and placed his hand flat on the floor.

And I thought, Billy Graham has failed the Lord?

I kept trying to ask the question, basing it on how he was so revered. He would have none of it.

I said, “Well, just tell me how you maintain your own spiritual disciplines.”

Finally, I had hit on something he was eager to talk about. He leaned forward, boring in on me with those piercing blue eyes. “The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing and to search the Scriptures. And I do that.”

I was stunned. “You pray without ceasing?”

“I do,” he said, “and I have every waking moment since I received Christ at age 16. I’m praying right now as I’m talking to you that everything I say will glorify Christ.”

I could barely speak, yet still I wondered if there was takeaway value here. Had he set the bar so high no one could emulate him? When I found my voice, I said, “What form does your searching the Scriptures take?”

Mr. Graham said, “Wherever I am in the world, in someone’s home, my home, a hotel room, here in my office, anywhere, I leave my Bible open where I’ll notice it during the day. Every time I see it, I stop and read a verse or two, or a chapter or two, or for an hour or two. And this is not for sermon preparation; it’s just for my own spiritual nourishment.”

Now we were getting somewhere. Everyone wants a daily devotional life, even if they can’t pray without ceasing. I said, “How do you get back into it if you miss a day or two?”

He cocked his head and squinted. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that.”

“You never miss?”

“No, I said it’s nourishment for my spiritual life, and I don’t want to miss a meal.”

Over his shoulder, on the corner of his desk, lay his open Bible, just as he said.

Postscript

Years later while hosting a writers conference at The Billy Graham Cove, I received word that Mr. Graham would like my wife Dianna and me to visit him at his home. We found him bedridden, recovering from a broken hip. And he told us this story:

He said the doctor had visited him that morning to give him an injection directly into his hip bone. “He told me it was going to be quite painful and so I should try to imagine myself anywhere but here, maybe in some Shangri La.” Dianna and I both thought he was going to say he set his mind on heaven.

But he said, “I told that doctor, ‘There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here right now.’ And the doctor said, ‘Why, Billy? I told you this is really going to hurt.’ And I said, ‘I always want to be in the center of God’s will, and if this is where He has me today, this is where I want to be.’”

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