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Kansas Authors Club: Author Ann Christine Fell

November 29, 2017 by Jim Potter 2 Comments

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·  Author Ann Christine Fell  ·

On Saturday I attended a district meeting of the Kansas Authors Club (KAC) in Hutchinson, Kansas.

All writers and those interested in becoming writers are welcome to join.

The main attraction was the guest speaker, Ann Fell, Winfield, KS.

Her book, Sundrop Sonata: A Novel of Suspense (2016), was published two years following her memoir, In the Shadow of the Wind: A Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Life Again (2014). Each publication, in consecutive years, netted the top KAC prize for a new book by a Kansas author.

I wanted to hear Fell speak because I’m always interested in what makes a prize-winning book, and I was curious about her writing process and marketing strategies.

Fell’s reputation preceded her. I had read that she tunes and repairs pianos. That’s right, someone has to make those house calls! Both piano tuning and writing are her callings.

In reference to piano tuners, she has said, “We’re quirky people.” (“Do You Want to Tune Pianos?” Category: Pianos, Oct. 17, 2015)

She’s also listed personal traits that make her successful. Beyond the strengths of musical and mechanical, I identified with her assets of being self-motivated, business-minded, an interpreter, and problem solver.

Clearly, a want-to-be author better be a self-starter or the work will never, ever, be completed. It’s a long, difficult journey.

At the meeting I described the process as “a marathon race, not a sprint,” then added, “with hurdles.” President-Elect Roy Stucky chuckled in, adding to the imagery, “like a steeplechase!” he said.

Author Fell’s presentation was titled “Note by Note/Scene by Scene: The Adventures of Crafting a Suspense Novel.”

It was packed full with valuable information on various topics including elements of a story, story structure, viewpoint, characters, layers of conflict, building suspense, etc.

I enjoyed hearing about how, in writing her novel, she mixed her passion for piano tuning and her life in rural Kansas.

This compared to the way I’ve used my career in law enforcement in the Wheat State as instrumental to my recent literary fiction. Izzy Woods is a piano tuner in Sundrop Sanata; Tom Jennings is a cop in Taking Back the Bullet.

I was fascinated when Ann told of her early Eureka moment while on a cross-country road trip. She shared that she “had an idea for a story and needed to figure out how to write it.”

Ann found what she was looking for: writing workshops by William Bernhardt, Oklahoma-based, prolific thriller/mystery/suspense fiction author (who just happens to be a pianist).

In writing suspense, Fell learned to “start with a zinger in the first sentence of the book.” She said she “put a lot of time into crafting the perfect opening line, and after that things fell into place.”

She also likes to end each chapter with a question or a cliff hanger in order to encourage the reader to keep reading!

Ann recommends polishing your words to perfection. Only after you have a draft copy of your book does the work begin. (That’s kind of depressing, don’t you think? But extremely important to know so you can plan for another base camp to rest and gain strength before ascending to the mountain’s summit.)

She added, “You need to be humble enough to listen to your readers.” Sharing your prose with friends and critique groups allows you to learn what doesn’t work. It’s extremely important to listen and learn.

Ann’s parting advice was, “Do the best you can. Don’t be satisfied with anything less.

“99.5% is failing. That’s the real world. Most pianos have 88 keys and 220 strings. If one string is out of tune, people will say the piano technician doesn’t know how to tune a piano.

“You have to tune the whole piano.”

Until next time, happy writing and reading.

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  1. F. C. Appelhanz says

    Polishing and listening…hmmm.

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      When we’re talking we’re not listening. I’ve got so much more to learn!

      Reply

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Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

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Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

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Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

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I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

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Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

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. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

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I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

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I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

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Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

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Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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