In the Language of E -- Brenda J Wood

Are you frustrated with the gurgle of ebook trivia buzzing around your head, demanding the use of some of your 'little gray cells"-(Agatha Christie's Hercules Poirot)? Before you jump into the fray and start the painful crawl toward an ebook, read this.

It is said that author Alexander Dumas loved melons so much that he donated hundreds of his works to the town of Cavaillons, the melon capitol of its day, in exchange for twelve melons a year for life. Writing time wasted? Only the author can say for sure. Think of 'eBooking' as 'energy into book' and decide how you want to spend yours.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have a major writing work in progress?
2. Am I basically computer illiterate?
3. Can I in all conscience take the time and effort required to cultivate this new skill?
4. Will ebooking frustrate me beyond measure?
5. Is this something I will use on a regular basis?
6. Is ebooking a waste of my writing time?
7. Do I struggle to find enough writing time already?
8. Can someone else do it for me at a reasonable price?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, do not waste your time eBooking.

I currently have three books in E form (Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind, The Big Red Chair, and Heartfelt-366 devotions for Common Sense Living). God Gluttony and You will soon follow. I took the easy way out because I am not a computer techie and I don't care to be. I do not care to spend my time in droll, dull (at least to me!) cutting, pasting or whatever. Still, I confess that I felt somewhat guilty until I read Lorilyn Roberts recent interview with James Scott Bell.

LORILYN:"The single most challenging issue for writers is technology - how to set up and manage Twitter and Facebook, how to create a landing page for book launches, how to resize jpegs and format files into eBooks, just to name a few. Writers quickly get discouraged, daunted by the amount of time it takes to learn it all, not counting the actual process once you master the basics. Do you have any practical ideas on how to tackle the seemingly endless changing landscape of I.T. and balancing that with the creative side of writing?"

JAMES SCOTT BELL: "The nice thing is that these functions can be farmed out at a reasonable price. Simply pay for those things you are not comfortable doing. Especially when it comes to editing, cover design and formatting. You can find an almost unlimited number of freelancers in each area. Get recommendations, check portfolios and client comments. Do a little homework.)"

Aha! Vindicated! And I said a grateful little prayer of thanks for my ebook go-to-guy, Rik Hall.

Still determined to eBook your self?

Rik offers some common sense advice:  "The most important thing to remember when preparing a work for publishing as an ebook is that ebooks are not print books. If you try to make your ebook look like a paper book you will only frustrate yourself. With print books, you control everything. The font type, the font size, the justification, the page count, but with ebooks the ebook readers all of that is gone. The person using the eReader has full control of that. There are no page numbers per se because each screen is a different size and while one person might like a tiny font size, another might like it big. As well, the reader may be reading your work on a computer, one of many Kindles, a Kobo, a Nook, a Blackberry, an iPad or even an iPhone. Keep it simple. Simple is good." Rik Hall

I don't eBook for the same reasons I do not cut my own lawn. I'm simply not good at it. I don't have the equipment, the time or the inclination to do it. I do what I do well and I hire the rest.

In Exodus 31:1-11 (MSG), God says things like this:

"See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel, I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft he's an all-around craftsman. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I've given the skills to make all the things I've commanded you. They'll make everything just the way I've commanded you."

My skill is writing. Rik's (and others like him) do technical stuff. It is a fine partnership.


Brenda J Wood, author & speaker

Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind
The Big Red Chair-storybook for grieving children
Heartfelt-366 Devotions for Common Sense Living
God, Gluttony & You, the Bible Study

http://heartfeltdevotionals.com
www.facebook.com/brendawoodspeaker

When writing feels like walking on water - Violet Nesdoly

"To me the story lacks drama. I think it needs more conflict, more suspense, more changes in pace and more growth in Bezalel himself."

These were the words I read about a quarter of the way through a one-page document titled "Critique of Destiny's Hands" on January 3, 2012. They were the considered opinion of a wise and astute writer friend whom I had contacted, just before Christmas, to give me feedback on my book-length story.

My first reaction on reading her whole critique was panic. What have I done? I asked myself, as I thought of my signature, newly dry on the publishing contract I had already signed, and the people at the publishing house, eager to get on with the job. My friend's words conjured up a hefty rewrite that could take weeks, maybe months to complete. Could I even make this story work?

There was another problem. Hubby and I were one week away from a much anticipated vacation to Hawaii. So I wouldn't be able to tackle this for at least three weeks as I wasn't about to wreck our dream holiday with writing work.

You know the command, "Pray without ceasing"? Right about then, that's what I began to do.

Also about then, I kept bumping into advertisements of James Scott Bell's Elements of Fiction Writing - Conflict and Suspense. Ping! Wasn't that the very thing my critiquer said my story lacked? And so the night before leaving on our trip, I downloaded it onto my Kindle, along with his Revision and Self-Editing. I might not be able to work on my story, but at least I could read about how to salvage it.

In hindsight the timing couldn't have been better. The break gave me distance and an objectivity that I needed. I started playing with the ideas my friend had thrown out and getting new ones—all executed, in my imagination, with the techniques and finesse that JSB explained and demonstrated so well. By the time I returned from our warm January break, I was eager to get on with the job.

Of course, working out those things in real time was another matter entirely.  It took six gruelling weeks of concentrated effort with many ups and downs and  sleepless nights before I emailed my publisher the revised document, hoping that I had hit the mark. The words of my editor at Word Alive Press: "...let me tell you how much I enjoyed your manuscript. I found this to be utterly captivating and well-written. Well done!" brought a huge sigh of relief. 

Looking back on this whole experience, I'm quite sure of one thing: the way this happened was no accident. For if I had known the amount of work still needed on the book, I would not have contracted to publish it, and it would not be around today.

All that to say, when you find yourself walking on water, push aside the panic with prayer. Get help. Work really hard. Keep looking at Jesus' face instead of the waves. And one of these days you'll be scrambling back into the boat with a stronger faith, and maybe you'll be a better writer too. 

- Violet Nesdoly
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Need a break from the 21st century rat-race? Travel to a different time and place via Destiny's Hands, a new novel recently released by Word Alive Press.

Experience Egyptian slavery, the exodus, crossing the Red Sea. Meet Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Hur, and Bezalel.  Eat quail and manna. Drink water from rocks. Live the temptations and questions of wilderness wandering.

Find out what readers are saying and where to purchase HERE.

Website: www.violetnesdoly.com