On Writing: Pesky Possessives

Several years ago, I helped the ladies of our church publish with a cookbook. One of the questionable terms that came up in a few of the recipes is “confectioner’s sugar.” Did it have an apostrophe or not?

I checked out a bag of the little white powder at the grocery store, and the manufacturing company had it spelled “confectioners sugar” on the label.

One of the gals in the church took the time to look up possessives in an English book and found that, at least, in her resource confectioner DOES use an apostrophe in this phrase: confectioner’s sugar.

Publisher’s choice? This is often the case with punctuation, and, unfortunately, the rules always seem to be changing.

So, FYI, I’ve included just a few of those pesky possessive rules for you to ponder. But don’t bet your life on any of these; in a year or two, some could be different, or the editor with whom you work might have her own idea.

Just try to understand the pesky possessive’s point of view.

Possessives Generally, a possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s to a word that does not end in s, and only an apostrophe to a word that does end in s. An apostrophe is not added to plurals.
Singular Brooks child lunch sheep lady man passerbySingular Possessive   child’s lunch’s sheep’s lady’s man’s passerby’s	Plural Brookses children lunches sheep ladies men passersbyPlural Possessive children’s lunches’ sheep’s ladies’ men’s passersbys’
Add an apostrophe to a word that ends in an s sound. Or just write “for conscience sake.” for old times’ sake for conscience’ sake for appearance’ sake Add an apostrophe and an s to a foreign name ending in a silent sibilant. Descartes’s invention Des Moines’s schools faux pas’s Indicate common possession by making only the last item in a series possessive. Teddy, Peggy, and Nancy’s home Indicate individual possession by making each item in a series possessive. Teddy’s, Peggy’s, and Nancy’s homes The following types of possessives should be written as singulars. artist’s paintbrush baker’s yeast farmer’s market confectioner’s sugar florist’s wire printer’s ink writer’s cramp painter’s tape So, there you have it. Remember these pesky possessive rules to sharpen your writing skills!

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On Writing: Christian Horror

It’s hard to believe, but there is a brand new genre out there for us writers AND readers to try to absorb: the Christian horror genre.

I’m trying to wrap my heart around the concept of this new genre, but I’m having trouble accepting it. The whole idea of “Christian horror” seems like such an oxymoron, a genre filled with opposites that cannot coexist on the same page. Can two be together unless they agree?

As the director of the Montrose Christian Writers Conference held in Montrose, PA every July for five days, I’m always looking for faculty members for the upcoming year. This past year, we had two faculty members co-facilitate a Fantasy Work-in-Progress for teens and young adults interested in writing fantasy. I’ll continue to look for faculty members who can work with young people concerning their book ideas with the express purpose of making sure the conferees are not stepping into “the dark side” as they create their new worlds.

Ever since Harry Potter appeared on the scene, and then Twilight (plus dozens of other similars), these spooky fiction subgenres are running wild in the market at the moment, so everyone with a pen in his hand is jumping on the bandwagon to write a best-seller thriller, Christian or not.

In my search to fill faculty positions, I’ve been given the names of three different publishing companies (I’m sure there are lots more) that are now releasing “Christian horror” novels. At my request, an editor at one of those companies has sent me a manuscript of the creepy genre to read so I can get a grip on what the Christian market is trying to present to its readers with this seemingly contradictory new type of book.

I’ve been told that the main difference in a secular and Christian horror is thus: The Christian book exposes the occult, witchcraft, demonic activity, or “whatever wicked this way comes” for what it is: evil. The book then presents the gospel of Jesus Christ with hope for the future to be delivered from such evil.

With that promised vision of hope in the resolution, we can work toward “Christian fantasy” or “Christian science fiction,” but, frankly, I dislike the phrase “Christian horror.” Hopefully, we can accept the new genre as part of American literature that is not only a good read, but also presents “the truth” based on biblical principles and hope beyond the gory grave.

If I feel the dark side encroaching way too much into my “Christian” comfort zone when I pick up one of these books, I might just have to put the book down and walk away, concluding that this new genre is not for me. It certainly won’t be for me to write, and I’ll resolve never to pick up a horror book of any kind again, whether it has the “Christian” label on it or not.

This remains to be seen.

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On Writing: Get That Novel Written!

Of course, it’s the dream of every writer to have a best-selling novel on the shelves of every book store in the country sometime in their writing career. And most writers have great ideas that would make super novels. But the reality is that most of us don’t have three to six months to lock ourselves up in a bedroom with our computer and get that brilliant idea down on paper in a form of the English language that can be read without an interpreter. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed to have a best-selling series, The Keystone Stables eight books, with over 250,000 in print.

Here are a few suggestions for you would-be novelists to help get you motivated to start and finish a manuscript that just might land you a contract with a leading publishing company. These simple steps worked for me not once but 17 times, enabling me to publish just as many juvenile fiction and Amish novels at an average of three-months writing time a piece:

1. Analyze your time and budget it. Prioritize so that you have time to write every day.Yes, I know it’s impossible to write every day, but if you have this at the top of your priority list, you’ll get it done more often than if you just haphazardly decide, “Oh, it’s Monday. I have two extra hours today. I think I’ll write.” Your novel will never happen this way.

2. Write a short outline or description of where you’re going with your story and characters. I know many authors who have written their same novel over and over, and to this day they still haven’t finished it because they never resolved the ending. Their characters seem to be lost forever in some kind of word time warp, never to “live happily ever after.”

3. Don’t worry about perfect English the first time you write. Just get your brilliant idea down on paper. Worry about the PUGS (punctuation, usage, grammar, spelling) later.

4. Let your finished manuscript sit a few weeks then get back to it. You’ll read parts of it and wonder Who in the world wrote that junk? This is a great time to start revising. Go through each scene with a fine-toothed comb, making sure your characters move the plot and/or subplot forward.

5. When you finish revising your manuscript, print the entire thing on paper, read it aloud, and get it into the hands of a critique group or other writers who will tell you the truth. Aunt Susie or Brother Bill will only tell you how wonderful you are, but that won’t get your manuscript ready for a trip to the editor’s desk at the publishing house.

6. While you’re revising again and perfecting your work, send out your queries, at least five at a time. It might take up to three or four months for you to get a response from the editors. if at all. In that framework of time, you can hone your manuscript and shape it into something that any editor would want.

7. As soon as possible, attend writers’ conference to meet those editors and agents. That’s your best opportunity to get that contract in your hands.

So, get the computer turned on, get your brain tuned in, and get typing. You just might be the next great American novelist!

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On Writing: Working with an Editor

When it finally happens, you know, the phone call or e-mail that says, “Congratulations! You’ve got a contract with our company!”, prepare yourself for the exciting adventure of seeing your name in print. There’s nothing quite like it after you’ve been trying for years to do so. Have a party or go to McDonald’s for a latte or buy your dog a big box of treats. Celebrate somehow. Then prepare yourself for the next step in your writing life.

As you enter this new phase of writing/publishing, determine in your heart to do the best job you can with the editor to whom you are assigned. The editor is your friend, not your arch enemy who is set on destroying every clever phrase you ever penned.

Here are a few tips that I learned along the way that might help you in your “strange encounter of the first kind” with the person who has been hired to make you look real good:

1. Before you ever submit your first draft to your editor, revise, revise, revise your manuscript. Have a critique group edit it; have another writer friend or two critique it, and send the best possible manuscript to the editor after you’ve rewritten it at least seven or eight times. Your editor is NOT your high school English teacher. He/she expects you to know how to use commas, quotation marks, and colons.
2. Be on time with assignments – editors are on a very tight schedule. Don’t give them deadline headaches. If you have excuses for not meeting those deadlines, you won’t be invited back for another contract.
3. Divorce yourself from your manuscript and analyze it objectively. Your editor is going to suggest changes you won’t like. The words you wrote are not written in stone, and, as much as you think your manuscript is your newborn baby, it is not. Accept with a learning spirit the changes the editor wants.
4. If you are set on keeping your words, discuss the matter with your editor. Explain your reasoning but be willing to listen to his/her explanation. Your editor is a hired professional who knows the ins and outs of publishing. He/she KNOWS what will work 99% of the time.
5. Thank your editor often. When the project is done, send him/her a card of gratitude, at least. (A small gift as a token of your appreciation would be well received.) He/she just might remember you the next time the company is looking for an author in your genre specialty.

So, there you have the basics of working with that editor who wants you to succeed as much as you do. Remember, you’re on the same team. Just let the editor be the quarterback.

Marsha Hubler
www.marshahubler.com
www.marshahubler.wordpress.com
Author of the Keystone Stables Series

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