The first and most prevalent concern I have seen is the growth in the efforts of scammers wanting to separate uninformed readers AND writers from their dollars. There is a rapid growth in the number of rapidly deployed sales pages cropping up online offering any number of great ideas and secrets in the form of eBooks. I have seen a great number of these get rich quick schemes in my research of this market and it is concerning. But the threat isn’t only coming from unknown parties.

I have seen a number of prominent writers, including many in the Christian marketplace, rushing books to the market that have little to offer in the way of real and tangible information. There are a growing number of writers throwing together ambiguous strings of text and offering their meager products at premium prices. I’ve even taken a few online courses about compiling my own eBook in order to garner quick sales and the advice from these sites comes off as disingenuous, especially those in the Christian market. While profits and a living wage are an important factor to consider when writing and publishing eBooks, I believe wholeheartedly that Christian writers should hold themselves to a higher moral ground.

This leads to the second concern I have been seeing in the growing eBook market. The freedom that is offered by this market is also one of its greatest weaknesses. In the not-so-distant past when authors had to submit manuscripts to the scrutiny of a publisher, the resulting quality was for the benefit of the reader. Now, with so many writers now bypassing editors, agents and publishers, the quality of reading material does appear to be suffering. The benefits have increased for the reader in the form of cost, but the benefits for writers in the way of profits have grown exponentially higher.

The temptation to dump quick, unreasearched, unedited manuscripts on an unsuspecting audience is difficult for writers to defend against. The best advice I can give any reader wanting to find eBooks worth reading would be to not make blind purchases. Many eBook markets allow readers to view a certain percentage of a book before buying it. If you don’t take advantage of this free opportunity, you may end up with buyers remorse more often than you would desire. This is concerning as too many disgruntled readers will hurt the overall marketplace. As a writer, if you do bypass editors, agents and publishers, please make every effort to write the very best manuscript possible. Happy readers make happy writers and vice-a-versa!

I agree with the comments thus far, but believe we are still skimming at the surface. Specifically I am seeking to discuss what are the most basic, inner qualities that God has instilled in the hearts of man. The first of these, which has not yet been addressed is leadership.

All of the other qualities that make up a man aid him in accomplishing his God-given role as the leader. This is not the base, arrogant, insensitive brute kind of tyrant, but a thoughtful, compassionate leader who lives out his daily life with intent.

This single characteristic alone has filled volumes, but we must narrow the topic to the main idea of this discussion. As we seek to better understand how we as men can write for a male audience, we should find ways to better communicate male leadership in our writing. Not domination, but leadership.

It has been my observation that in many ways, Christian male writers have softened the leadership role of their male leads in order to garner greater market share from a readership predominated by women. This lost dynamic, in my opinion, has contributed to the reduction of male readership. I mean let’s face it, most of us men are always looking for male characters that agree more with what we feel inside.

As Christian writers, we should not be wary of competing with the secular market which is relegating the role of masculine leadership to a downplayed, less important factor. I have a strong conviction that Christian male authors should provide a better biblical stance on manhood and transmit such qualities in our male characters. Whenever we find ourselves depleting the ideals we feel strongly within ourselves, we are adding to the confusion that is being generated by society in general.

So, now we have discussed a little about the qualities of man, let us focus on the biblical qualities of male leadership. That leads to this week’s question:

What are the biblical qualities of a male leader?

It has been asked more times than can be counted, “Where are all the real men?” The question is often asked by women who are looking for more of themselves in a man than they are for a real, masculine leader. This truth is likely to offend the sensitivities of a female audience, but this conversation is aimed at the men who have become uncertain of how they should talk, how they should act, and how they should write.

It isn’t than men need to come out of their caves armed with a club and issue guttural demands. No, that is not manhood at all. The image of a controlling, abusive male is the exaggerated opposite of the whimpering coward. True manhood lies somewhere in between, but in order to communicate what makes a real man, such a definition needs to be retrieved from the ashes of our modern culture.

So, what does it mean to be a man, a real man, with real and honest emotions, cares, thoughts and desires? If one cannot realize what a man is, how can we communicate with other men? Where can we look to discover the many aspects of man that have been tamed out of us for so long, without swinging the pendulum too far and thus becoming the overbearing brute?

The tide has been out for so long now, that it may be difficult to find what we seek among contemporary literature. At the same time, if we go too far back, we will uncover the simpleton picture of the archaic and domineering master. I, for one, am convinced that what we seek, as Christian men, can be found in the Bible. There are other sources too, but we must start with a reference with which to gauge the polar opposites. If the stories we wish to tell do not derive from the God-given spirit within us, why should we try to write at all?

Yes, the Bible is where we must begin to rekindle our minds with the traits of honor, leadership, value and wisdom. This is, of course, a discussion and by no means a dictatorial pronouncement from my point of view. No, I am as immersed in our current culture as any of you reading this and I have experienced too many failures of manhood to be counted. It is my utmost desire for this to be a searching and revealing experience and conversation among many male authors.

So, the question for this week is: “What are the characteristics of a man?”

It isn’t that men do not like to read, we know that. The problem is that too much of what we read doesn’t match our God-given personalities. Thankfully there are a number of male authors who have been given the gift to reach both men and women with their prose, but it seems for the most part that we are writing softer stories these days.

We have been convinced that all of what we write needs to paint a pretty picture and drift along on clouds of soft pillowed passion. What happened to the tough, gritty writing that men identified with? The majority of male authors that write for the secular marketplace are still biting bullets and doing hard things. Unfortunately, it seems that many Christian male writers have been duped  into believing that stories need to be tamed down in order to appease our critics.

I’m not buying it, literally! The circle of Christian male authors that I read is shrinking and that disturbs me. We are  in dire need of men who will take up the challenge of writing stories for men that read like stories for men. Enough of the flowery poetry! It is time to dig deeper and reach down inside ourselves to recall the nerve, grit and resolve that God has placed in our blood-pumping hearts.

Don’t think for one minute that your story cannot include nerve-wracking tension, edge-of-your-seat action, and yes, even blood. The heroes of our stories ought to storm through life, taking direct aim at solving whatever life throws at them. Trust me, it is okay to even include romance, but romance as seen through the eyes of the man, not the woman.

Our generation is starving for male leadership. Heroes that save the day, not through manipulation and coercion, but through hard work and steel resolve. Do we still have it within ourselves, men, to write tales of adventure that encourage the hearts of men? I think we do, and together we can find that masculine soul that so many of us are still longing for.

I hope you will join the discussion as we look for ways to improve our writing in order to end the disenfranchisement of our brothers in Christ! Mark your calendars for each and every Wednesday to come and be a part of Men Writing for Men!

As someone who can never remember a time when I did not enjoy writing, this question stopped me in my mental tracks. I am not usually a person without an answer, even if it takes me some time to fully articulate one, but this was different.

As I read through the various answers given by other writers, I didn’t find myself in complete agreement with any of them. Perhaps the closest answer that agreed with me at that moment was, “I have things to say to enrich others.” Although that was close to my initial reaction, saying it to myself brought up within me, a spirit of arrogance.

It is true that every time I write, I feel a sense of wanting to imbue some higher meaning, to call attention to a nobler sense of purpose. However, as I continued searching my own thoughts I began to ask myself the question, “What is it that you, Patrick, have to give?” The nature of the question did expose many of the failings I have experienced over the years and although each failure is washed in the blood of Christ, as a man I often revisit those things.

I have learned over time to forgive myself for the things that God forgave long ago and will continue to forgive, but the question remained as a ringing in my ears, “What do you have to give?”

The answer to this question, which slowly revealed itself to me over the course of the afternoon, exposed perhaps the greatest reason behind the ebbing motivation I experience in my writing. I have long prayed a single scripture each time I sit down to write, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3 (ESV).

Before becoming a child of God, I would write all manner of stories, some good, some bad, but never really intended to share them with anyone. When I began to develop a desire to write for God, it was His message that I wanted to convey, not my own. Thus, when I begin to feel like I am sending out a message of my own making, I feel less motivated to write. In comparison, when I truly feel that the words my fingers compose come from outside of me, I am increasingly energized.

To take this thought further, which God did with me yesterday, when I have neglected reading His word or acting as His servant, the less I have of His to give. The end result is a dead and lifeless document, which in the end is what I would be without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As I concluded my mental and emotion wrestling match that resulted from a simple question, I realized that I write in order to give to others what God has given to me. If I am not sharing in His blessings, the whole act of writing feels like some laborious process that has no need to be shared.

This is not to say that God grants me more than He does to anyone else, but what He shares with me is not meant for me to keep to myself. The Greek word for this, as I discovered in my time of contemplation is, “didomi.” which simply means, “to give.”

This realization has opened a whole new world to me as I realized that I cannot give what I do not have. If my child wants an ice cream and I have neither ice cream nor money with which to purchase it, I cannot give it away. In the same way, if I am not receiving the things God wants to give me, I cannot give them away.

The old saying, “One must give in order to receive,” falls flat in the light of God’s unlimited grace. The truth of the matter is that, “one must receive in order to give.” This is the ultimate picture of relationship and the true nature of how God wants to interact with us. He shares with us not to make us greedy, God gives to us in order that we may share with others.

God, to this day, has not sent me material wealth, although we do much better than most of the world, but what God does share with me is a love for sharing words. Not my words as I am not really all that full of wisdom, but His Word which will never return void.

It is upon that last point that drives my passion for writing historical fiction. Those of us who do write in this particular genre tend to believe that a better understanding of history is very important to our future. There are clear patterns that repeat themselves across time. Perhaps one of the greatest factors in this circle of unending events is the fact that we as a people are not learning from our mistakes (or our successes).

This is where many historical fiction authors attempt to step in and wave a red flag in an attempt to either warn people not to go back there again or to highlight how a similar circumstance was aptly solved in the past. There are other writers who simply enjoy the periods of time within which they write, but even so, the characters in those stories are living out lives and resolving conflicts.

It is within the context of history that such characters come to life and must navigate particular circumstances to some resolution. Isn’t that what contemporary life is still about? Readers of any given genre are not interested in characters that simply exist. They want vibrant and real emotions, reactions, and experiences.

The fun part of a historical setting, for me, is that through the research and writing, I realize that much of what human kind experiences today is really not that much different from the actions of our ancestors. A high school or college history class may not be able to relay such a reality because within that context, the focus is on the places, dates and names. The conflicts themselves are most often glossed over which makes contemplating their actions much more difficult.

Readers are interested in the human story, the life-blood of any good piece of writing. It may seem illogical to think that a story from the past can be as relevant to modern society as a piece of contemporary fiction, but we historical writers beg to differ. The human story, as played out across the centuries, has really not changed all that much. Our characters may not communicate with cell phones or across electrical networks, but in the end, communication is established and problems (hopefully) are resolved.

If you have not ever read a historical fiction novel, I would encourage you to at least give one a try. You may be surprised to find that regardless of the places, dates and times, the characters are alive with hope and promise for a better tomorrow, your tomorrow. I know that as I write, if I can entice my reader to a better understanding of our past, the chances for a better future will increase.

As writers, we understand that there are many aspects to our craft, but the common thread that follows most of us is solitude. A writer that can whip out a manuscript in the midst of a noisy and chaotic environment is a rare creature indeed. It is much more common for a writer to require a calm, quiet atmosphere in order to draw out the creative spirit and lay down a believable tale.

The problem is that the longer a writer hides behind closed doors,  their ability to draw from reality becomes diminished. Writing involves characters , settings, weather, and emotion. Long periods spent away from those things that a writer tries to convey can be detrimental to their own personal relationships as well as their sense of what is real and what is fiction. There are a number of ways in which writers can balance the writing life with the reality in which they exist.

Although certain circumstances require a writer to be sequestered in order to achieve productivity, it is important to remain engaged with friends and family. Make an intentional effort to spend quality time with your loved ones and never let the manuscript become the highest priority in your life. Allow the people who love you to understand that your writing is important to you and work with them to determine an agreeable schedule for your writing that also allows for letting others into your world, and you into theirs.

Another great source of community for writers are writers groups and conferences. When writers come together as a body, they share their combined frustrations, successes and techniques for surviving the craft. Writers who actively engage each other in groups and conferences often experience tremendous growth in their own ability to write effectively.

Each writer’s life has unique aspects that require balance, and it is up to the individual to work out those specific details. If you find that your writing life has consumed you and that you have left no room for personal relationships, it is time to step back out into the sunshine and welcome your circle of friends back into your life. Your manuscript will wait for you to return.

Perhaps the most important role that goals serve is to provide a solid target for which to pursue. If we do not set specific writing goals, we will tend to allow almost any other outside influence to capitalize upon the time that we could spend writing. The key here is to have specific goals. Resolutions, which are all the rage this time of year, are typically rather vague and hard to measure. Goals on the other hand should be specific and clear.

Rather than saying, “I need to write more next year,” which is a typical writer resolution, a more specific goal could be to write 5,000 words per month or three blog posts, or perhaps one article for publishing each month. These goals are clear and specific. If a month goes by and there was no progress on a particular goal, that can be measured.

Whatever your goals are, and they will be different for each person, make sure to publish them in some clear and readable format, print them out and post them in your writing area. If you think it would help, try to enlist the help of a friend or fellow writing buddy to hold one another accountable to your goals.

We will revisit this topic next December and see how well you did in creating and sticking yo your writing goals for 2012! Until then, Happy New Year and Happy Writing!

One of the most important factors that writers look for in performing their craft is time of peace and quiet that can be set aside to become one with a manuscript. It may be true that during the holidays our calendars become quite crowded with parties, events and other family activities, but a wise and practical writer will negotiate specific periods of time to write.

Inspiration is also an incredibly important ingredient that many writers long for. What better time, especially for Christian writers, than the Christmas season to find motivation and inspiration? All of us are talking about the coming into this world of our savior, Jesus Christ, thus the stories of love and redemption are at the forefront of our minds.

Writers also need a clean, relaxing atmosphere in order to remove the distractions that can deter from the writing process. If your home is anything like mine, it is rarely ever cleaner than during the month of December. As for relaxing, if by some miraculous break you find the house quiet except for the crackling fire in the fireplace, there simply are few times a writer can be more relaxed. Sitting by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a laptop is among my number one settings for writing productivity.

Perhaps also, and this isn’t necessarily a motivating factor, but it can be rewarding, is that a great many number of other writers are out of town or visiting family and have not been able to set aside time for their own writing. This can be used as a sort of advantage in that your writing may just become more visible due to the reduced volume in general.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for my own increase in productivity this time of year is that school is over for the semester and I do spend more time away from the office due to holiday vacation. The highest priority during this time of increased availability is to spend it with your family, but I find many more opportunities to write when the pressures of the “real world” are reduced, if only for a week or two.

If the holidays are not for you what they are for me when it comes to increased ability to write, one thing remains true. The focus this time of year is the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Spend this time remembering why we have the gift we have been given and share thanks with God for His willingness to grant us such a rewarding talent. Use any time you have to refresh your love for Him and perpare your heart and mind for the year to come.

Merry Christmas from Patrick G. Whalen and It’s the Write Time!

I have a few different tools at my disposal, but I would probably say that the vast majority of my writing is done in Microsoft Word. There was a short time when I no longer had Word available to me, so I tried out the free, OpenOffice solution.

OpenOffice worked great and fulfilled all my writing needs. In fact, I wrote so much of one of my manuscripts in OpenOffice that I am simply going to just keep it there and finish it as it is.

Microsoft Word is, in my opinion, a much better solution that offers a much more professional feel to the process. The software itself has so many options and functions built into it that I simply cannot find another product solution that can top it.

Now, for novel writing, I know there are a plethora of software packages on the market, but there is only one that I have experience with. SpaceJock Software’s yWriter is a pretty decent tool for constructing plotlines, but it is a rather labor intensive process. I can only imagine that other novel writing software options maintain similar complexities, but yWriter, being a free product, is what I use.

There are two features of yWriter that I have found very useful. The first is the ability to break down chapters into scenes and create a more visible representation of the word count and “energy” of each smaller segment. Second, yWriter has a feature which allows the writer to see how many times each individual word is used. This is extremely valuable in creating a more interesting story without over using the same words.

Now, about you, what do YOU use to write your stories and articles?