Contest feedback dilemma?

Have you had conflicting feedback from contest judges (or critique partners)? If so, read on as I share my thoughts on the matter.

First, I came to writing contests initially from the ranks of the unpublished, hoping that my contest entry would catch an editor's eye. Along the way, I received comments as different as night and day, some that were contradictory on the same entry from different judges.

Fast forward to the time when I began judging writing contests and even serving as a category coordinator. Each contest had its own scoresheet and level of detail required from judges. Each had a different trigger for using discrepancy judges.

Seeing contests from both side of the scoresheet gives me a strong insight into the judging process, one that I hope will benefit struggling writers. The easiest place to start is from the perspective of category coordinator faced with needing a discrepancy judge. More times than not, the distance in scoring came from the judge not being able to get at the meat of what's wrong.

For instance, you can have great characters and plot, but the dialogue to narrative blend can cause pacing errors which lead to poor scores in every category. Shallow characterization may reflect poorly on the plot making the story seem unbelievable. Conversely, a story that's all character and going nowhere will earn poor scores for more than lack of plot.

Knowing that judges have all levels of experience in story craft, and knowing that some judges have inherent biases, what can an author take from conflicting comments?

1. Some element of story craft needs improvement. Instead of having the knee-jerk reaction of "she didn't get my story," take a closer look at the passage that invited negative comment. Is there anything you meant to say or that you know intuitively that didn't make it to the page?

If you can't come up with anything, look first to characterization and then to plot, strengthening motivation, adding conflict, etc.

2. Few writers are born. Most of us are "made;" i.e., we continually learn how to improve our writing. Keeping up with other writers, published and unpublished, pushes us to keep striving to write tighter, more compelling stories. If you can't make heads or tails of your comments, you can set that project aside and come back to it, you can keep tweaking the scene, you can work on a new idea, one with stronger plot and deeper characterization.

A lesson I learned the hard way is that some early/first attempts at writing  have so many flaws that it is more trouble than it's worth to fix them. Take a good luck at your project with conflicting feedback. Search your heart to know if needs CPR.

3. Words matter. A too-strong word or a too-weak word can inflame a reader. They are investing themselves in the story as they read along. If you've written something out of character, the reader/contest judge is alienated. When this happens, some judges may over-react, causing you the writer to want to burn your story.
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Comments about motivation or acting out of character require attention. The good news is that oftentimes a tweak here or there will set things right. Other times, you may need to do reconstructive surgery, depending on the manuscript deficiency.

4. Despite best intentions, some judges feel distanced from the story and don't know why. It might be a case of too much passive writing, of insufficient deep POV, or even a book centered around an activity the judge dislikes. Always look to craft first when you have disparate comments. Anytime you wish you had a few minutes to speak to the person to explain what you did, realize that you won't have that chance with readers. Everything you impart has to go through the written word.

5. Stories touch people emotionally, and they may react emotionally. This is true for contest entries, critique groups, and book reviews. There are times when we have to accept that we can't please all of the people all of the time. To this day, when I receive feedback on a work in progress, I let the comments "rest" for 24 hours to be certain I'm not reacting defensively. I weigh each comment against my intent of writing that scene, and then decide what my reaction will be. When all is said and done, writers have to please themselves.

The more you write, the more you will trust your inner ear. Your writer's voice will strengthen and become more distinct. If writing for publication is your intention, continue to improve craft as a writer, find feedback avenues which strengthen your work, and develop a thick skin. You'll need it!

Maggie Toussaint
ps my Goodrerads Giveaway of 5 ARCS of Dime if I Know ends May 1. Sign up for your chance to win today! http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/49112-dime-if-i-know

A two-fer: Left Coast Crime and a new release

Left Coast Crime in Colorado Springs, Colorado, exceeded all my expectations. The facility was beautiful and spacious. The volunteers were oh-so-helpful. The authors and fans were friendly. And the food was great!

The sessions at LCC were mostly panels or interviews, and it was easy to drop in and out of the rooms. Sometimes it was very hard to choose between the four concurrent sessions. I have no industry news to report, only that mystery authors and fans are alive and well in Colorado!

I was selected to participate on two panels. The first panel was on Thursday, March 21, "Romance and Mystery-Finding the right mix," moderated by Donnell Ann Bell. Panelists included Tina Whittle from Statesboro, Ga, and Mara Purl, a former actress from "Days of Our Lives" turned mystery writer. Thanks to Donnell's insightful prompts, we talked about blending romance and mystery into our current releases, followed by a lively question and answer session.

Pictured from left: Maggie, Donnell, Mara, and Tina.

Author Mike Befeler organized the established author breakfast on Saturday morning. About 30-something of us got up one at a time to speak for an entire minute about our book for sale at the conference. I practiced the day before with my friend Barbara, so hopefully I wasn't such a motor mouth that actual words could be heard...

The second panel is participated in was on Saturday, March 23, after the established author breakfast. "Traditional Mysteries: Murder by the Book" was ably moderated by Patricia Stoltey, another Five Star author. Panelists included G.M. Malliet, Sheila Simonson, me, and Nancy G. West. Another fun group of mystery writers and interesting topics. One attendee came up after the panel and said this was the first panel she'd ever been to where she wanted to buy everyone's books.

Pictured from left, Gen, Maggie, Sheila, Nancy, and Patricia.

On Friday a group of us "left the building" for a ride around town and lunch at the top-rated "Marigold's". What fun! Thank you, Donnell, for inviting me along on this outing.

Pictured from left, Donnell, Maggie, Barbara Graham, Kari Wainwright.

I spent some time with Bob Spiller in the raffle basket room. He did a great job of keeping everyone straight. My only regret is that I forgot to take a picture of my gift basket I donated with Death, Island Style, a shore bird, a turtle and lots of seashells.

Beth Groundwater clowning around with Edgar; Barbara Graham, left; LC Hayden

Terry Odell with Mike Befeler

Bob Spiller, standing. Cathy Dilts, sitting

Some of these pictures are from the Saturday breakfast, others from our Friday night gathering - a group of Five Star authors met in Deni's office, aka, the bar. What fun! Even better, a bunch of soldiers in their dress uniforms thronged the place too. Lots of nice scenery.

Barbara Graham, editor Deni Dietz, and Maggie

On Saturday morning, snow fell so fast from the sky that the huge panoramic view of the mountains was completely blocked. It let up a bit in the afternoon, but I was glad I'd worn boots and layered my clothing.

Nancy West, Sheila Simmons, and Maggie

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the conference, made some new friends, and hopefully found new readers. The really good news is that my hot pink ink pens were very popular. Many people picked them up off the promo table, thus moving me one step closer to being a household name (I wish!).

The bonus was seeing the grandkids afterward, which delayed our return home. Newspapering kept me busy through the rest of the week, and I woke up today to find my romantic suspense, Hot Water had released on Kindle. I'm scrambling to get the link distributed, but I'd love for you to check it out, and if you decide to read it, be sure and post a review.

Buy link for Hot Water at Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/d9ly236 In Hot Water, a cop and an arson investigator are on the trail of a serial arsonist.

That's it. Whew! I'm so glad to be home. I love attending conferences, but there's nothing I like better than coming home. Now I just need to update my website and write a newsletter!

Maggie Toussaint

www.maggietoussaint.com

From Bob Mayer's mouth to my ears

First Coast Romance Writers recently hosted Bob Mayer with his "Write it forward" workshop. A NYT bestselling author, Mayer has more than 50 published books and speaks on team-building, life-change, and leadership. 

One of the first things I noticed is that Mayer's perspective on organization and effectiveness stems from his experience as a West Point graduate and a Special Forces A-Team leader. He breaks down any problem or task into doable steps, something which has served him well throughout his distinguished writing career. With my background working for the Army, his linear, spreadsheet approach to planning really hit the right note with me!

Here are a few of the things that I picked up and my take on them:

Mayer: Distribution is no longer the choke-hold in the publishing world. Now it's discoverability.
      MT: He put into words what I've been grappling with this last year. It's not enough to put a book    out. You have to let people know you've published something, and you need a marketing hook to draw them in. the trick is knowing where to spend your precious time - and figuring out where the readers are.

Mayer: Are you striving to survive or striving to succeed?
     MT: This question also provoked a gotcha moment for me. Juggling a day job, a family, writing  and promotion doesn't leave much time to look at the big picture. Most days it feels like I'm trying to survive. Success is the goal, but it often feels like I'm too far in the trenches to glimpse success. I make long term plans and set goals at the start of a project, but I only plan from project to project. If I want more out of a writing career, I have to plan for more.

Mayer: Why do you write? What do you want to achieve by writing? What do you want to do with each book? Take your eyes off the prize and put them on the goal. Write your goal in 25 words.
     MT: These are a few of the questions he posed to get us thinking about our goals. He also said perseverance is more important than talent, and that writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Ability plus zeal plus hard work trumps talent.

Mayer: With books, you're selling emotion and logic. Can you communicate the shiver?
     MT: This explains to me why a book that is poorly written is still compelling. If the shiver comes   through, that emotional connection propels the story, a lot can be forgiven. A book that reads well and communicates well will sell well, but emotion trumps logic every time.

Mayer: Anger and guilt are flashpoints that can break a character. They spring from an underlying fear. Writers should figure out what they fear (writing-wise); they should do the same for their characters - and then push them to face their fears.
     MT: Gosh. What am I afraid of? My biggest fear is that my brain won't hold out. I feel compelled  to write fast and deeper with every book I write. Scenes that used to scare the beejesus out of me are easier to write now. Big take-home moment for me: I need to make a character "fear" list as I'm creating their bios. (does anyone else include fear as part of their character-creating process?)

Mayer: Three steps to change: 1. Moment of enlightenment. 2. Making a decision. 3. Sustained Action.
     MT: This was an Aha! moment for me. Realizing something isn't working IS NOT the moment of  change. Neither is making the decision to try a different plan. The moment of change comes when you move into that broken place and start doing it a different way. Ever notice how some folks complain about this or that but they never get out of their rut? They never finish the process.

Mayer: Emotional stages of change: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
     MT: Mayer went on to say that it's hard to change behavior as habits are trained into us. But he    also said we can learn from any source, and that if something makes you angry, focus on it.

Mayer: You can't separate your writing from you. Lean into fears gradually. The goal of communication is to provoke a response.
   MT: I agree with his "can't separate writing from you" - I think that's why so many of us get emotional about those 1-star reviews and negative comments about our work. It's definitely personal, no matter how nicely you section it off. Trust yourself to provide open and honest communication and you'll have less anxiety and fear. The better you know yourself and your characters, the better you can tell those stories. We definitely filter the world through our own point of view.

Mayer: Know the rules, have a good reason for breaking them, and accept the consequences of breaking the rules.
    MT: I broke the rules with my nudist colony murder mystery, for good reason. I wanted to be  different. But different is also scary to some houses, if it's too different. I shopped around until I found the right house for Murder in the Buff. It didn't attract a NY publisher, but it accomplished my goal of writing something different - and believing in my ability to pull it off. Some chances pay off big, some you learn from. It's all to the good. Lesson: cozies are a very traditional market.

This barely scratches the surface of our Bob Mayer day, but it gives you an idea of some of the topics he covered. I have some cool new Bob Mayer reference books, and I hope to skim through them all this week. I may not be the Queen of Promo, but that's my new goal!

Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com

Yoga feet and crashed computers

New definition: Hell week is when your computer crashes and you want to torch it with a flamethrower. I didn't think there'd be enough yoga in the world to get me through this past week, but here I am, back in cyberspace.

My computer fixer has my deepest admiration. Note to self: pay attention to those little lower right hand side of the screen messages that say your hard drive is in trouble... Fortunately, I had online backup of all the good stuff. I didn't have my email program backed-up though, so another lesson learned. Back that sucker up, too.

Imagine, if you will, a wound-tight computer junkie with an unresponsive computer. White hot panic sears her mind. Her thoughts race and freeze simultaneously. She nearly runs out the door to the computer guy in her jammies, remembers street clothes after she puts the computer in the car. Back inside. Jump into clothes. Race to The Guy, mostly obeying speed limits

Babble. And babble some more. Tears well. Computer is sick. Needs help. Shoot it or fix it?

The Guy looks at her as if to say, "not another one." She tries to give her address, transposes the PO box number. Can't remember her phone number. Finally she hands him her work biz card. His cheek twitches as he tries not to laugh.

Finally, she gets the sad story out. It's broken. I need it. Now.
He says he'll look at it.

She leaves, forgetting her coat. Forgetting to take his number with her. Forgetting to ask a timeframe. Forgetting to ask how much it will cost. Feeling like a part of her is missing.

The call comes. Hard drive is bad. Asks if she wants a rush job. YES!

Time passes. She limps around on an old unit for days. Tries to do yogic breathing and balance poses. Wobbles and hyperventilates about the computer.

Another year of moments passes. Finally the computer is ready. All the files were saved. Yay. Email wasn't backed up. Boo.

But everything works. And its fast. All that slow and "not now" stuff of the old hard drive is GONE. Happy days.

Oh boy. That crazy person was not me!!! Was it?

Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com

ps Booklovers Bench is giving away a $50 gift certificate. Contest ends on March 17. Click on over to enter: http://www.bookloversbench.com

It's dark in the editing cave

Authors talk about "editing caves" as if they are real places. My editing cave is the same physical location as my "writing cave," and yet it feels different - darker, gloomier.

A quick glance around assures me that the lights are working and my monitor is at full brightness, so why the different feel? Especially when editing is one of my strengths?

Frame of mind.

Here's my simplistic explanation. To pound out a first draft is equivalent to construction. You started with an idea and built on it, letting the imagination and/or an outline guide you. Each step of creation involves adding something that wasn't there before.

Those results are tangible and immediately transparent. A writer can step back and look at word count and see progress.

However, editing is akin to rennovating a building. Anyone ever lived through an office or home fix-up? Dust is everywhere. The noise drives you crazy. Everything is out of place and disrupted.

Those same challenges occur during editing. Sometimes it's the foundation of the story that needs work. Sometimes there's only a cosmetic facelift needed. In any event, the changeup can be disorienting.

Especially once you consider that authors are taking apart their own work. No wonder we grumble about editing! In the midst of the fix, precious words are cut, sometimes entire scenes find their way into the recycle bin. We get pulled into the microscopic level of craft, all the while trying not to disrupt the artistic flow of words that give the story fluidity.

In the editing cave, it always gets worse before it gets better. The virtual dust and noise discourage us. Many writers harbor self doubts, and it's easy to assume the story is crap at this point. Conversely, the temptation looms to hurry up and finish, to get the story launched right away, but the simple truth is, a well-edited story is a more satisfying read.

Respect your process.

Though bookselling is competitive, I submit that we are competing against ourselves. Writing the best book possible each time hones writing craft and builds a reader base.

Sure it may be dark in the editing cave, but wouldn't you rather find the mistakes and shore up the flaws before bright lights shine on the book? I know I would.

And hopefully, I'll emerge from my editing cave in March. Rough Waters will be worth the wait!

Maggie Toussaint
HOT WATERS - coming soon

ps you may have noticed a few differences here at Mudpies. I selected a different background to reflect my love of the ocean, a minor "edit" to be sure, but its a happy color for me. And, thanks to Jeannie Reeves, I have an updated image and I couldn't be happier with it. Thanks for your hard work, Jeannie!

Cool covers, Gr-r-r-r-eat Contest

Omigosh! What a week I'm having. So much good news I'm about to split open like ripe watermelon. Honest to goodness, I need to catch my breath.

Okay. Slightly better. Let's start off with the Giveaway!

The Booklover's Bench is an ultracool new site just for book giveaways. We're giving away a NOOK e-reader and five books. The books up for grabs have elements of mystery and romance, and they are page turners, for sure. Our contest runs from today, Feb 7 through Valentine's Day, Feb 14. (Gosh, I'm so excited I just misspelled Feb. Fixed it. Need another deep breath). Click on over to see what all the hoo-rah is all about! http://bookloversbench.com/

And as luck would have it, the covers to both of my summer release books arrived in the last two days. Amazing, right?

HOT WATER will release first, as an ebook, April-ish and in print in July most likely, though that's still being worked out. This is the second book in my Mossy Bog romantic suspense series, and it came about because fans kept asking me "Are you going to write Laurie Ann's story?" So I did, and this fab story has an awesome cover, don't you think?

Setting definitely plays a part in this book as police woman Laurie Ann and arson investigator Wyatt are on the trail of a serial arsonist and a murderer. You'll have the small town charm that I'm known for, the sigh of the mossy oaks, and the ever present pull of the tides - and a smokin' hot love story.

DIME IF I KNOW is my third in my ongoing Cleopatra Jones mystery series. Cleo's the single parent mom who uses her accounting skills to follow the money. In DIME, her golf pro boyfriend is implicated in the murder of a woman in a no-tell motel.

Cleo's already out-thought the cops on two other homicides, and she's most assuredly not going to let Rafe go to jail. But the strength of their relationship is tested as she realizes how little she really knows about him.

I don't have these covers up on my website or even here at Mudpies, so you're the first to see them. Except me of course, and I can't pick a favorite because they both scream "read me!"

What a fun spring and summer this is going to be.

Don't forget to click over and enter the contest at Booklovers - my funny Murder In The Buff is up for grabs over there. http://bookloversbench.com/

Have a wonderful day!

Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com

Shootin' Class

I'm not a member of the NRA and I don't have a carry concealed permit, but several events converged leading me to spend three hours this week learning how to shoot a handgun.

First, as a mystery and romantic suspense author, I like having hands on time with elements in my book - in a safe enivronment of course. I did FATS training at the Writers Police Academy a few years back and was fairly terrible. I knew I needed to up my game.

Second, there's a gun rush going on right now. It's like the gold rush because people are flocking to gun stores like nothing ever seen before. Everyone wants to buy a gun for protection.

Third, my handgun profiency (as mentioned above) is awful. I didn't even want to consider the possibility of owning a gun unless I knew how to handle one. Lo and behold, there was a class just for ladies not too far away.

Not knowing what I would find, I packed up two bottles of water, a granola bar, and a pouch of almonds inside the tote bag with my notebook and pen. The other women in the class ranged in age from new moms to seniors, and they were all keenly interested in this topic. No one had randomly entered this class. I learned the instructor is booked solid for the next three months.

We had some handouts, but it was hard to keep my eyes on the papers when there were so many guns on a stand at the front of the room. I'd never been around so many handguns. Black ones. Silver ones. Cammo-looking ones. Paper targets were posted at strategic points in the room.

Serious stuff indeed.

We began with nomenclature for revolvers: muzzle, barrel, cylinder, hammer, grip, safety, trigger guard, trigger, and bullets. For semiautomatic weapons, there's no cylinder. Bullets are inserted in the base in a cartridge thing called a magazine.

As the instructor drilled us in stance, grip, and loading, unloading techniques, he stressed safety and the value of practicing. Also, one thing I was worried about, gun recoil, was not a factor at all. Holding a handgun high on the grip kept it steady. I had no jarring of my hands, arms, shoulders, or body.

Did you know if you have guns at home, you should handle them in front of a bookcase? That's so if a gun fires while you're handling it, the bullet will be stopped by the books. Bullets will tear through walls, windows, mattresses, and more. According to the instructor, the shelved books act like a bulletproof vest in their stopping power. Always be safe!

Another part of the class that surprised me was learning which eye was my dominant eye. For years and years I thought it was my right eye. Come to find out it is my left! That set me back on my heels. But sure enough, when it was my turn at the range, lefty did me proud.

Two things were hard for me. One was holding a heavy gun. Some guns were just too big for my strength. Along those same lines, some triggers of double-action guns were too hard to squeeze. Apparently, my fingers are not as strong as the average bear's.

Did I become a sharpshooter because of the class? No. I don't see that in my future at all. But I do have a new respect for what guns can do and learned that they should be handled safely. The instructor told us about biometric gun safes you can get that read your thumbprint, so that your kids can't get into the guns.

I came home smelling like gunpowder, but oddly happy that I hadn't failed. I've often joked that if I'd been born in pioneer times, I'd be dead by now. But maybe, just maybe, I would've been able to shoot a rattlesnake before he bit me.

Maggie Toussaint

ps congratulations to Dawn Staniszeski who just won a copy of SEEING RED, my sweet romance about the bed and breakfast money pit.