Katy McKenna Raymond  
Personal blog of christian writer Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri


Katy is represented by
Greg Johnson at
WordServe Literary

Read more Katy at
LateBoomer.net

Follow Katy on Twitter

Follow Katy on Facebook

Novel Approach

Two weeks from today, I’ll be sitting with thirty others in the Early Bird Session (think I’ll catch any worms?) of the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas.

In the session, authors Deb Raney and Colleen Coble—who will have been perusing our manuscripts since September 1—will offer personalized tips for improving our stories. Besides their valuable critiques, time will be allowed for each novelist’s work to be brainstormed by the others in the group.

I’ve been party to a few critique groups, but never a brainstorming session. I hear you can come away from a good brainstorming time with more ideas for your book than you know what to do with. I hope I can be a viable contributor to the others, since some days I feel that my storm is more like a mild sprinkle.  :)

This whole crazy novel-writing thing started nearly five years ago, when I challenged myself to do National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November of 2001. I completed 50,000 truly horrible words that month, words I’ve never shown anyone because they are more dreadful than even I can bear. But, hey, it was a start.

I abandoned that ill-begotten story and moved to the next. I worked on Novel Number Two for a year or so before giving it the heave-ho, too. Before I trashed it, I actually took the beginnings of that novel to the Calvin College Festival of Faith and Writing in 2002, and several editors asked me to send them the proposal and three chapters. What? You mean I’ve got to finish THREE WHOLE CHAPTERS? And what on earth, I wondered, is a proposal?

They say the third book’s the charm, don’t they? Man, I hope they’re right!

I’ll go to Dallas with my third novel actually finished, except for the kind of tweaking that writers always do, even to novels long published. I learned how to write a proposal, and even how to get past writing the first few chapters over and over again, ad infinitum.

Every scene in a book should move the story forward, and it’ll be fun to see if every book in my life moves me forward. I can’t wait to meet the editors and agents in the line-up at ACFW, plus all my wonderful writer friends in the group.

And who knows? One of these days, I may be blogging about getting a contract to publish my very third book.

Whoa. The idea of it sends me right back to the tweaking board.

Posted by Katy on 09/07/06 at 08:15 AM
Fallible Comments...
  1. We are going to have sooo much fun! And Katy has a great proposal!
    Posted by Colleen Coble  on  09/07/06  at  09:03 AM
  2. Can't wait, Katy! And um, when you say "trash"...you don't really mean TRASH, do you?? NO! Say it ain't so! You may have tossed a very fixable masterpiece!

    See you in Dallas!
    Posted by Deb Raney  on  09/07/06  at  09:23 AM
  3. Katy, I can't wait to see you there! I'll bet (if I bet) this book will be the one for you! :o)
    Posted by Ane Mulligan  on  09/07/06  at  09:47 AM
  4. Katy - really enjoyed your post and love the pics to the left. What'cha drinking? Coffee or tea? Made me feel so at home!And I'm with Deb. You really didn't say 'trash' did you? Where? Never trash ANYTHING! This advice comes from Queen of the PackRats" - ME. I believe I have everything I've ever written -- just can't find it but it's around here somewhere.

    Looking forward to meeting you in Dallas! And being in EB with you.
    Posted by Jess  on  09/07/06  at  10:47 AM
  5. Colleen--I am so psyched for EB!! And to see you and Deb and all the folks. You're both so kind to be helping us newbies!

    Deb--There's a hard copy somewhere. But I've stored it far afield. Every time I come across it when I'm looking for something else, I grown. But still, there are a few nuggets in the pan of dust.....hmmmm... ;) I'm hoping you and Colleen can get me past writing unpublishable gobbletygook once and for all!

    Ane--Is betting permissable if only bodacious amounts of chocolate are involved? ;) Oh, wait, I'd want to bet on the same side you're taking, and I don't think we want to split the chocolate, do we?

    Jess--Nice to meet you first here! I took a peek at your site and it looks great. I'll check in again. About the cup: if I remember correctly, it was an empty prop. My hubby took the pics for an article the Kansas City Star did about area bloggers. The shot on top of the page was in the paper. I believe my friend Lisa Barker pointed out in a previous post that the cup looks empty. That is SO unlike me! It should have COFFEE in it, but if you visit, I will happily also serve tea.... :)
    Posted by Katy  on  09/07/06  at  12:22 PM
  6. Great plug for Calvin's Festival of Faith & Writing! (That's my Alma Mater.) Because of that Festival, I can say I've eaten dinner beside Lee Smith and pushed Madeleine L'Engle in her wheelchair. :) (And heard a lot of great authors.)

    Good luck with your conference!
    Posted by jen alves  on  09/07/06  at  01:25 PM
  7. Hey Katy,

    I won't be in the EB session, but I'll be in Dallas. It'll be fun to see you again.

    Best of luck on writing, tweaking, brainstorming, selling, etc.!
    Posted by Meg Moseley  on  09/08/06  at  06:00 AM
  8. Soon to be in that old airport together again, Katy-Girl. I am stocking up on $20 bills. I can't wait to see how many I can swindle this year.

    And just think- we also get one night in a hotel together. Now that will be even better. I Might have to get out the hundred dollar bills for that one.

    I'm jealous - you're bringing a real book. I'm bringing 1/5 of something that is supposed to read like a novel. I'm just kidding though - I'm not jealous. I'm hoping THIS is your year, girlfriend. You deserve it, you talented little thing.

    I love ya!!! (Oh, yeah - these blogs you have written are about to make me weepy. Too close to home here. Time for some comedy)
    Posted by Kath  on  09/11/06  at  03:13 PM
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