Tag Archives: Karen White Owens

Story Starters Part 2

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I quoted an unknown author last month who stated “Bad decisions make good stories.” To this I will add, good decisions also make compelling stories.

A suddenly wealthy African American woman buys a town she discovered for sale on the internet. Henry Adams, Kansas, is one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. She promises to fix up the rundown town but asked for one thing in return: the townspeople must take in orphaned and/or abandoned children. Of course, many townspeople fight the deal. Good decision, life altering story. “Bring on the Blessings” by Beverly Jenkins.

Two angels work together to help a dying man who refuses to cross over because he didn’t want to leave his only grandson alone. The angels bring in a memory taker, who happens to be the grandson’s lost love. The grandfather was responsible for getting rid of her years ago, but she accepts the assignment anyway. Good decision, heartwarming story. “The Touch” by Karen White Owens.

A woman barely survives the slaughter of her family and other Tutsis by the Hutus. Her faith in God gives her enough strength to tell her story and to forgive the Hutus. Heart wrenching decision, riveting memoir. “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust” by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

A pharmaceutical sales representative files a sexual harassment suit against her boss. The company’s attorney is reluctant to take her case. The boss accuses the sales rep of stealing the company’s HIV cure to take the focus off him in the harassment suit. The attorney decides to take her case in spite of his attraction to her. Good decision, thrilling love story. “Acquisitions” by Kimberley White.

Katie Wilkinson is in love with the perfect man when he suddenly disappears leaving only a woman’s diary for her to read. Katie reluctantly begins reading the stranger’s diary which reveals a love story that changes her life forever. Good decision, touching story. “Suzanne’s Diary” by James Patterson.

A reporter receives a flyer in the mail that asks “Have You Seen This Child?” The child pictured in the flyer looks like her legally adopted son. Her reporter’s instincts win the fight with her protective instincts to discover the truth about her son’s birth parents. The search could cost the lives of herself and her son. Moral decision, great thriller. “Look Again” by Lisa Scottoline.

Take a second look at your stories. Have your characters made good, as well as bad, decisions that make your story riveting? Mysteries, romances, and memoirs all need compelling decisions that pull your readers into the story.

Works-in-Progress

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“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” — Philip Roth

Don’t feel guilty because you have too many works-in-progress with no end in sight. Take a look at your unfinished manuscripts and ask yourself why you can’t complete them.

Afraid your work will be rejected by publishers? Consider the case of Marvin V. Arnett whose memoir was rejected by publishers over 90 times. She decided to put the manuscript away until her family helped self-publish the book. Each chapter stands alone yet threads together a story of urban social history beginning with her birth during the depression and ending with Detroit’s 1943 race riots. Ms. Arnett’s successful book and standing-room-only lectures about Detroit were brought to the attention of the University of Nebraska Press which reprinted the book under the title, Pieces from Life’s Crazy Quilt. The book was required reading in one of their classes.

Afraid you don’t know enough about a particular topic to complete a convincing plot? I admire the persistence of author Heather Buchanan in completing Dark River, a well-crafted book about scandal, love, murder, and a 100 year-old tragedy. Her manuscript was a work-in-progress for ten years as she researched Detroit’s history, rewrote, and finally published her successful novel. The idea for Dark River came when Ms. Buchanan read a Detroit 300 newspaper article which mentioned the first known slave in Detroit. The woman was buried at St. Anne’s Church near the river and Ms. Buchanan imagined what the woman’s story could have been.

Afraid you have too much story for one book? Highly rated romance writer, Karen White Owens, changed her works-in-progress to a multi-book series, several additional novels, a novella, and has recently published two Angels-in-Waiting eBooks, using non-traditional angels to move her heartwarming stories along. The ethereal comings and goings of her angels and their non-typical interplay with humans is surprising.

Are you afraid readers won’t like what you’ve written? You can’t please everyone, but you’ll miss the opportunity to entertain or inform readers if you don’t finish and publish your work.

I’m working on all the above issues. My manuscripts include a want-to-be novel that needs more historical research, a romance with characters whose story seems to never end, and short memoirs that may not interest anyone except my family and perhaps not even them.

After putting aside my writing out of frustration, I realized that Philip Roth was talking about me. My many works-in-progress are going to be my path straight to hell. Care to join me?