Realm Makers 2025

A Fun Annual Pitstop on the Indy-500 to Publication

          At Realm Makers ’25, the annual convention for Christian sci-fi/fantasy writers, a young aspiring author approached me admiringly, her face red and her smile wide. “You’re Donald Maass, right?”
          “Actually, no. I’m glad to be mistaken for him! But that’s Donald Maass.” I directed her gaze toward the only other man within fifty yards wearing a sport coat.
          “You look like him,” she said and galloped away.
          I wear a coat and tie to writing events to help me feel grounded. In my medical office, I dress nicely because my patients’ issues are serious, and I want to be equal to the challenge. After thirty years wearing a professional costume, I feel unserious in shorts and a tee shirt.
          Most of the writers at Realm Makers are younger people, many the same age as my children. Despite their youth, some have already filled shelves with their published novels. Few at the conference have witnessed as much life and death as I. And it’s not simply the age; it’s the mileage. At fifty-seven, I feel like I’m nineteen again . . . but for the third time. Do I possess the stamina to find my readers worldwide and share with them, through fiction, the deepest riches of my ancient soul? By God’s grace, I hope so.
          Mr. Maass is perhaps my favorite writing teacher. He founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. He’s written many volumes about the writing craft, including Writing the Breakout Novel. I highly recommend his material.
          At the Convention, Mr. Maass spoke about No-Fail Openings. I hope he’ll forgive me if I reappropriate (or accidentally misappropriate) some of his content!
          You’ve been to the library or the bookstore. You recall seeing readers pull a book from the shelf, perhaps read the blurb on the back cover, then turn to Chapter One. Thirty seconds later . . . they reshelve the book and walk away. Why?
          The opening hasn’t stimulated their entire imagination—their mind and heart together.
          The standard fairy tale opening works: Once upon a time . . . But why? Because anything can happen! The door is open. Enter, dear Reader, and find the wonders.
          Immediately after the reader steps into the new world, she forgets her surroundings. She turns to the second page. The new book crackles in her hands. She inhales deeply between the pages and forgets herself. The librarian taps her on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt, Miss, but we’re closing in five minutes.”
          Her mind explodes with anticipation. She’s discovered a heroine who matters, in a tale like none other, but with just enough familiarity.
          What’s going to happen?
          Rhythm and rhyme, rhythm and rhyme. The hypnotic beat draws her in.
          Three minutes to closing.
          No needless flashbacks. No excessive backstory. Only the immediacy of now.
          The characters the reader meets disagree on the facts of their world. Not only the facts, but the very meaning of the facts. The stakes matter, and the heroine is in trouble. She needs help urgently, but there is none. Where will she turn next?

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          My author journey continues. Thank you for joining me. Truly, I could use your help gaining additional readers. The literary agents expect me to build my own loyal readership. One editor said I need at least 400 subscribers to my newsletter and a vigorous presence on at least one or two social media platforms for him to consider my manuscript. His numbers skew low. One thousand engaged readers may be a more realistic minimum for most agents. For writers of non-fiction, that number rises to ten thousand.
          At the conference in Grand Rapids, I pitched The Legend of Crumble’s End: Call to Journey, to multiple agents. One requested the full manuscript. Several others took my printed synopsis, prologue, and first chapter and said they would get back to me.
          One of my greatest current challenges is my limited reservoir of strength. I work forty hours each week practicing family medicine, and I still have fibromyalgia, though it’s fairly-well managed. How will I overcome and progress in the writing?

• I will reduce my Substack posting to every other week, for a time, to save strength for completing the edits on my second novel.
• I made a new writing connection, a Canadian author who writes dystopian YA fantasy. We hope to encourage each other to persevere and find renewal after our periodic setbacks.
• Finally, I depend upon you, Dear Reader. It’s for you that I write—for you and the generations yet unborn. I want to bring hope into this broken world, to redeem suffering itself, to unite families through magnificent, iconic characters that will endure for ages. I appreciate your prayers and encouragement. Thank you for your help.

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