My Writing Process

Okay, I stole this from Rachel Pudelek, young adult fantasy author, and adapted this Q & A for my blog. The rest of you may steal this just as I did. :~)

1. What are you working on?
I am currently laboring on a YA Historical novel called, “Hidden Places,” which is set in Poland during WWII.

2. How does your work differ from others in your genre?
Well, much of the young adult fiction out there on the Holocaust is told from a Jewish perspective. For the longest time I thought it might be interesting to tell a story from the POV of a Catholic Polish girl and how she copes with the Nazi occupation.

3. Why do you write what you write?
I don’t know. Most likely out of compulsion. Ever since I read Anne Frank’s diary, I have been obsessed with the Holocaust. I have been writing since I was a kid so it was only natural that I would eventually write about the Holocaust.

4. How does your writing process work?
Uhh, there is a process? I know there is much hair pulling and chocolate nibbling, but a process? Just kiddng.
Usually I read a book or watch a movie and am drawn to a certain person/character. I create a story for this character, secondary characters, situations and scenes. Then comes the research, which includes reading hundreds of books and articles, watching documentaries and movies. Next, I write a freakishly bad first draft. After that there is a two week rest period and then months and months of revision. Then I get it into my head that my WIP is ready and send off a barrage of queries to literary agents. Following hundreds of rejections and two years of addictive labor, I must come to terms with the fact no one wants it, go into a period of intense mourning, set it up on the proverbial shelf and then start all over again with a new project.

“How Sweet the Sound,” by Amy K. Sorrells

A Southern Novel of Second Chances

Description:

From a distance, the Harlans appear to be the perfect Southern family. Wealth and local fame mask the drama and dysfunction swirling through their family line. But as the summer heats up, a flood tide of long hidden secrets surface.

Devastation from a rape followed by the murder of two family members brings three generations of the Harlans together on their pecan plantation in Bay Spring, Alabama. Chief among them is Anniston, who by the time she turned thirteen thought she’d seen it all. But as her heart awakens to the possibility of love, she begins to deal with her loneliness and grief.

This tender coming-of-age tale, inspired by the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, shows how true healing and hope comes only from God. Though our earthly family can wound and disappoint, our heavenly Father brings freedom to those long held captive through His mercy and grace.

About the Author:

Amy K. Sorrells is an author and occasional poet writing words of hope for a hurting world. Winner of the 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest, and two-time ACFW Genesis Award Semi-Finalist, Amy got her start in journalism writing for medical publications, and enjoyed a three year stint as a weekly op-ed columnist for her town newspaper. When she's not writing or reading, she can be found bare-handed in garden dirt, or covered in paint while up-cycling found treasures. A graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three sons, and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana. You can visit her website by clicking here.

My Thoughts:

The best thing I can say about “How Sweet the Sound” is “WOW, WOW, WOW!”

To be frank, I rarely read Christian fiction anymore. I am tired of the one-dimensional characters, the cliché dialog and the predictable situations. I was looking for something new to read, and after learning that this book was from the POV of a teen girl in the south and told in the first person, I picked it up. My expectations were low; after a few pages I usually get frustrated and toss whatever book I’m reading back in my library bag.

I was drawn in by the characters, the beautiful descriptions and the meat of the story itself. I don’t want to give anything away, but Anni Harlan was an intriguing protagonist and her narration of the events reminded me of Scout Finch’s narration in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

For the first time in a long time, a book affected me and made me tear up. I felt like I was in the south when reading it and was convinced that the author, Amy K. Sorrells was a southerner. To my surprise, I learned she lives in Indiana, my home state! Kudos to this fellow Hoosier!

Critiquing My Query

A couple months ago, I submitted my query letter to Kate Testerman of KT Literary for her to critique it. Last Friday, Ms. Testerman posted it and her thoughts. Even a couple of her readers commented on it. Definite food for thought. I thought it would be cool if I posted my original letter here and then post the new version of it.  

Dear Daphne:

Please allow me to introduce you to my novel, “Hidden Places.”

At the backdrop of Nazi occupied Poland, spanning from 1942 to 1943, the story is told through the eyes of Hanna, a young and imaginative girl who dreams of going to Hollywood to become a famous actress. Her world is turned upside down when her father decides to hide Jews. In the beginning, she is appalled and prejudiced but after she gets to know them, Hanna grows to love them. When her parents choose to no longer hide her Jewish friends, she takes it upon herself to set up a new hiding place and protects them.

Truth and honesty are woven into the fabric of the story using finely delicate threads. My heroine is not perfect; she is the product of an era steeped in anti-Semitism. Hanna thinks Jews are different… until she meets one. She must come to terms with the fact that everything she was ever taught was wrong. It is a bildungsroman story, where a selfish young girl transforms into a selfless young woman.

My novel is a historical, written in the first person as an epistolary narrative and is approximately 70,000 words. The target audience is for young adults and hopefully is reminiscent of the actual diaries that youths had written during that turbulent time in history. If “Hidden Places” meets with success, I would like for Hanna’s story to be the first in a series outlining her life during WWII.

Those who liked Ruta Sepetys’ “Between Shades of Grey,” which is a novel of a young girl living in a Soviet gulag, may also enjoy my novel.

I am a regular contributor to [website]’s online magazine “[title]” and will soon have my second non-fiction story published. I am seeking representation from an agent and would be honored if you would consider me.

Thank you and God Bless.

Sincerely,

V.L.A.

Click here if you want to read her suggestions.

Now here is my new version.

Dear -----------:

Please allow me to introduce you to my novel, “Hidden Places.”

At the backdrop of Nazi occupied Poland, spanning from 1942 to 1943, the story is told through the eyes of Hanna, a young and imaginative girl who dreams of going to Hollywood to become a famous actress. When she gets her hands on a blank book, she can’t help but use it for a diary, even though what she writes could lead to trouble.

The world as she knows it changes dramatically when her father decides to hide a Jewish family. He claims that they are friends of his despite the fact no one in the family knows them. Overnight their simple life becomes entangled with secrets, deceit and danger. In the beginning, Hanna is prejudiced, due to the influence of her mother; she thinks Jews are different…until she gets to know one. Through her interactions with one of their guests, a teenage boy named Jakob, she must come to terms with the fact that everything she was ever taught was wrong.

After an encounter with the Gestapo, her parents decide to no longer hide Jewish friends; Hanna takes it upon herself to set up a new hiding place and protects them.

My novel is a historical, written in the first person as a fictional diary, and is approximately 70,000 words. The target audience is for young adults and hopefully is reminiscent of the actual diaries, that youths, such as Anne Frank or Mary Berg, had written during that turbulent time in history.

Those who liked Ruta Sepetys’ “Between Shades of Grey,” which is a novel of a young girl living in a Soviet gulag, may also enjoy my novel.

I am a regular contributor to "website's" online magazine “TITLE” and will soon have my second non-fiction story published. I am seeking representation from an agent and would be honored if you would consider me.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

V. L. A.

Okay, now what do you all think?

FEMNISTA: MARCH / APRIL “A TIME OF WAR”

The latest issue of Femnista has been released. This time the topic is, "A Nation at War." It features stories of those involved in or living during a war. Read about the lives of about Raoul Wallenberg, "Gone With the Wind," and "Gods and Generals. Included is an article by yours truly, detailing Louisa May Alcott's contribution as a nurse during the Civil War.

Check it out. Amazing articles, awesome writers!