Sheila Hollinghead's Rise, Write, Shine!

Not Eye to Eye But Heart to Heart

2012-01-29T06:55:00.001-06:00

We’ve all heard it said—never discuss religion or politics.

Some people have said they are going to quit posting anything political on Facebook. Most people already keep their religious views to themselves.

However, is that the wise thing to do?

Not necessarily. I rarely say anything on Facebook about politics, mainly because I know so little. I keep my thoughts to myself. However, I do have a litmus test. Is the political candidate for or against abortion? I choose the one against.

When the political spills over into the moral, I feel it is my duty to speak up, whether that’s on Facebook, Twitter, or other social sites.

How about religious views? Is it better to keep them to ourselves?

We don’t have that option. We are to tell others of Christ. We are commanded to do so, albeit, with an attitude of love.

I said this the other day after a rather heated discussion. “We do not have to see eye to eye as Christians, but we do have to see heart to heart.” I don’t know if I heard that somewhere (probably), or if it came from my brain. Nevertheless, I really like it.

I realize that words can be and often are misconstrued. Here is a quote from Eternal Springs:

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

I rewrote Kahlil Gibran’s poem, changing the focus to the words I write. Here's my version:

I may house my words in the covers of a book

But they dwell in the house of tomorrow

In the eyes of the readers

Who will see them in their own ways

And not seek to make them fit my conception.

Just as we let go of our children, let them leave the nest, writers must also let go of their words.

Both processes are painful.

Both processes are painful for the same reasons. We know the world will not understand our child the way we do. The same with our words. People will put their own spin on what we write. They do not understand our words in the same way we do.

And this I wish to offer—if you believe I ever say anything that is contrary to the word of God, please let me know. Perhaps I have, inadvertently, and I certainly would need to correct it if I did.

~~Perhaps~~ I will make mistakes in the future. I am only a marred human and will make plenty of mistakes.

However, there is the possibility I will not agree with you. Perhaps I’ll think what I’ve written is Biblical.

Please tell me anyway. It will be a big help to me and to those reading my words. I do not want to spread false ideas.

Whether I agree or disagree, I promise I will always seek to see heart to heart, whether or not we ever see eye to eye.

(And, if you wish to know more of my beliefs as a Christian, this is the church I attend: Opp Church of Christ)

Writing and Insecurity

2012-01-26T09:40:00.001-06:00

Writers are notoriously insecure about their writing. I suppose everyone knows Stephen King threw Carrie in the trash. His wife rescued the manuscript.

People wonder why writers cannot recognize their own good writing. I have a theory.

Writers are like the creators of the Nazca Lines. The ancient Nazca, in what is now Peru, created these lines only visible in their entirety from a hill or from the sky. Here’s one example:

The people who made these lines could not see the entire picture. They were too close to the ground.

The makers of these lines trudged along pulling away the red-colored rocks to reveal the white lime beneath.

And writers do much the same. Many people believe writing a book is easy. Those are the ones who have never written one. It’s tedious work to edit the book, to pull away the rocky soil to reveal the clean lines beneath.

Someone said something to me the other day about me rereading Thundersnow. Perhaps I will one day. For now, I am still too close to the ground, too cognizant of the backbreaking work that went into creating the book.

Whether the book is good or bad, others will have to judge. Most writers want the people on the hills or in the planes to holler down at us—“Wow. That looks great!” “Wonderful job!” “How in the world did you do this?” or even—“Wait. You got out of line over there.” “Were you trying to make a spider? Looks more like a bird.”

For we are still covered with sweat and dust, staring down at the white lines and wondering if any way in this world these lines make sense. Only those looking from afar are objective enough to tell us how we fared.

Ways to help a writer:

1. Of course, the obvious is to simply tell them you liked his/her book (or that you didn’t) and why.

2. Visit the Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other product page and click on “Like” and/or write a review. Be honest in the review and tell what you liked or didn’t like. Writers need to know which lines are crooked in order to fix it next time.

3. Visit the Author page on Facebook and click “Like” at the top of the page.

4. Share the book with others on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or other social media sites.

5. Tell your friends and family about the book and why you enjoyed it. Encourage others to support the author.

There are lots of other ways. Hugs are always good!

Why the Movie Courageous Is Not Great

2012-01-23T08:54:00.001-06:00

I have been hearing a lot of hype about the movie Courageous. I finally decided to watch it. Raising children is an arduous task. Movies that help make people better parents are desperately needed.

So, while I applaud the movie makers and feel it was a good movie, I also think it could have been better.

The First Reason the Movie Is Not Great

Too many storylines diluted the main story. For example, in a story about raising children, one subplot dealt with a dirty cop, while another dealt with a man struggling to find a good job.

Yes, we should all be people of integrity. I’ve always loved this verse:

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ~1 Corinthians 16:13

Just as we should be mature Christians when we marry, it just follows we should also be mature Christians when we decide to have children. And, so, in that light, I can see the writers of the movie are saying we should serve as good examples to our children.

Yet that should have been a given, and the movie should have addressed some of the grittier problems of parenthood. Raising children correctly takes a tremendous amount of determination and energy. Unfortunately, many “Christians” take the view we can simply beat submission into our children. (Not that the movie advocated that.)

One Facet of the Movie I Liked

The movie did focus on one thing I have said many times. Now, right now, in this moment, when the sands of time slip so quickly through your fingers, spend every moment you possibly can with your children, create memories, teach lessons, and, yes, dance with them.

And that may mean giving up our own interests until our children have matured. Or, allowing them to be part of what we do, even when that becomes messier and more hectic.

When we took our young sons fishing one time, hooks got tangled into trees and fish finned small hands. My youngest son slipped on the sloping bank, grabbed for a hold around the leg of the chair where my other son sat. Sons and chair tumbled down the bank into the creek.

I looked at Carl and asked, “Are we having fun yet?”

A little of this was shown in the movie when the father decided to begin running with his son. I just wish more had been shown.

Another Reason the Movie Is Not Great

And that brings me to another reason Courageous was not the movie I had hoped it would be. It did not show these messy moments of childhood. It gave pat answers to difficult problems.

Let me give just one example. Here’s a quote from the movie:

Nathan Hayes: "Jade, I brought you here because I want to tell you how grateful I am that God gave you to me. I see my daughter becoming a beautiful young woman. And I can understand how any young man would be drawn to you. But I would also like for you to know that, as your father, I want the very, very best for you. One day, I'll give you away to another man, and I want that man to love God more than anything. Because if he does, then he'll love you. And I know how young men think. They want to win your heart, but they don't know how to treasure it. So I'd like to make an agreement with you. Jade, if you'll trust me with your heart, and allow me to approve any young man that desires to have more than friendship with you, I promise to take care of you and give you my full blessing when God shows us the right one."

Does the daughter say, “Hold on, Dad. You have to approve anyone I go out with? You’re kidding, right?” No, instead she says, “I will.”

Not many fifteen-year-old girls would agree to that—not without a long, heart-wrenching conversation. It’s not going to be that easy, folks. Not unless you have very compliant children. And, not unless you have proven over and over and over that you do have your child’s best interest at heart.

The Last Reason

Another part of the movie I did not like was the portrayal of the women as almost saintly. Only the wife of Javier had one weak moment when she wanted her husband to lie to keep his job, and she quickly repented of that.

Women are just as sinful of men. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Not every mother is a perfect mother.

In Conclusion

I did think Courageous was a good movie, and we need more movies like it. However, I felt it could have been an excellent movie. It missed the mark.

As we all do being merely human. I hope the next movie will delve a little deeper and not simply give pat answers but show us the true struggles Christians face. Movies parents need.

I hope Sherwood Pictures will be courageous enough to step up to the plate and bring us such a movie!

Never Forget a Password Again

2012-01-19T10:20:00.001-06:00

I started this about a year or so ago, and it works great. My email has never been hacked. (Knock on wood.) This is how it works:

For every website you need a password for, choose two letters. It could be the first two, the last two, the second and third, etc. Always be consistent or you’ll start getting confused!

Second, and, again, this part will remain consistent for every password you have, choose a four-digit number, one that’s easy for you to remember. Also choose a five letter word.

Now, put them together in whatever combination you choose—just remain consistent.

For example, suppose the letters from the website will be the last two, my number is 1953, and my word is “jumps.” I want to change my password at Amazon. I decide this will be the combination:

o1j9u5m3psn

For Facebook it would be:

o1j9u5m3psk

For Goodreads it would be:

d1j9u5m3pss

Let me give another example. I will use the last two letters of the website and the same number and word.

Amazon:

on1953jumps

Facebook:

ok1953jumps

Goodreads:

ds1953jumps

All you have to remember is your number, word, and the way you choose to combine them. And stay consistent!

Hope this helps!

Spit Shine Your Writing

2012-01-19T09:55:00.001-06:00

As I have said many times, story is paramount.

However, once a writer has a great story, he must polish it to perfection.

Someone told me yesterday that nothing polishes boots better than a little spit. Having a scientific bent of mind, I wondered about “spit.”

I know that real “spit,” saliva if you prefer, moistens our food and helps it slide down our esophagus easier. Even the most delicious food becomes challenging if saliva is not present. We choke on it.

In the same way, if our writing does not contain “spit,” readers are going to choke on it. They may manage to swallow, but it will be difficult.

Besides moistening food, saliva also contains enzymes that begin the breakdown of food. I’m guessing here that the enzymes might be the reason spit works better than plain water. The enzymes help eat away the gunk clinging to the boots.

In our first drafts, we also have gunk. Our “spit” will remove the gunk and let our words shine.

Spit is rather disgusting, and, yet, it gets the job done. Anyone who has ever spit polished a pair of boots will tell you it takes a lot of elbow grease and a lot of time.

Many people want to be writers. What many do not realize is the messy, disgusting part of getting the manuscript polished to a perfect shine.

How many are willing to take the time and effort needed to bring their writing to a stage of palatability for their readers?

Notice the title of my blog? Rise, Write, Shine? Today, let’s make it:

Rise, Write, Spit-Shine!

Ready?

Stepping on Ice

2012-01-16T10:22:00.001-06:00

Last week I read Lies That Can Poison Our Writing Career by Kristen Lamb

The first lie she deals with is this: “Lie #1 I’m not a real writer until I have a finished manuscript, landed an agent, am traditionally published, am selling books, have spent my retirement funds earning an MFA in Creative Writing.”

She goes on to say: “The title is not something we earn it is who we are. Our title defines our level of commitment.”

Am I truly committed? And, as I pondered the question, God hammered home things I need to pay heed to.

This Sunday, Marks sermon was based on Joshua 1:1-9. Listen to the words:

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

A couple of things struck me from Mark’s sermon. First, God promised Moses much more than the Israelites received.

Why? God tells Joshua: I will give you every place where you set your foot. The Israelites simply did not step out in faith to receive all God had promised.

I, too, haven’t stepped forth in faith. I have tentatively placed my foot onto the ice, to see if it will break under the pressure, to see if I will fall into the icy depths. I have not strode into my writing life strong and courageous. Instead, I have gone in with fear and trembling.

Second, God tells Joshua to: Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

God will be with me. He will guide me. My job is to stay focused, to meditate upon his word and then he will give me success.

That certainly doesn’t mean I’ll never fail.

Many people have been watching Tim Tebow’s team, the Broncos, in the playoffs. The Broncos were crushed by the Patriots, as most of the world knows. Tebow had this to say: “I just wanted to show character. You just continue to fight, and it doesn’t change who you are, who you play, how you go out there. You should be the same at all times. That’s what I wanted to show. It didn’t matter whether it was the first play or the last play or you were down by 42. I was going to be the same player and I was still going to give everything I have. Because that’s all I have to give. Every time I step on the field, I’m going to give my whole heart, regardless score-wise of what’s happening.”

Failing doesn’t matter. We still keep our focus, stay the same, still remain children of God, and give everything we have, our “whole heart.” When we do that, God will give us success. It may not be success by worldly standards, but, it will be success in the way God measures success.

And, so, no more testing the ice. I own the title, Sheila Hollinghead, author, for I know God will be with me wherever I go.

Care to join me?

What title do you commit to today?

Following

2012-01-11T06:41:00.001-06:00

My heart overflows with gratitude to God.

Something I have tried to keep in mind is that God’s timing is the perfect timing.

I was meant to be in this place at this moment, self published.

Kristen Lamb has a wonderful blog post on self-published authors here: Why We Should All Hug a Self-published & Indie Author

She says the self-published are blazing a trail. I don’t feel I am one of those.

The bushes and briars and weeds have been whacked away. I’m not blazing a trail but simply following it. Many have already gone down that trail, and I’m running to catch up.

I have said it before—publishers need to awaken to this fact: Publishers are not needed to publish a book. They need to begin to reinvent themselves before they are left in the dust.

It is ridiculousy easy to submit to Createspace and have a book published. All you need is a manuscript.

I have had a tremendous amount of help from the true trail blazers. And I am thankful.

There has been wailing and gnashing of teeth. (I’ve been joking that my brain broke along the way. There might be some truth in that. I started typing gnailing and washing of teeth. However, I did visit the dentist yesterday, and, yes, I suppose you could say I had my teeth washed. So, maybe that’s not so far fetched.)

The healing process has begun. A kind friend glued my brain back together, and I believe it is mending nicely. Yesterday was a great day.

The first time someone (who is not a close family member) asks for an autographed copy of your book is mind boggling and humbling. I’m reminded of the pencil analogy:

(1) Everything you do will always leave a mark!

(2) You can always correct a mistake you have made!

(3) What is important is inside of you!

(4) In life, you will undergo an occasional painful sharpening which will only make you better and more functional!

(5) To be the best Pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you! ~Anonymous

I pray I allow God’s hand to guide me as I continue my journey.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. ~Isaiah 64:8

Thundersnow Is Available for Your Kindle on Amazon

2012-01-09T20:15:00.001-06:00

Thundersnow is now available as an e-book here: Thundersnow at Amazon and here: Thundersnow at Smashwords. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

The print version will be available soon.

Thanks for all the support!

The Problem with the Kindle

2012-01-06T16:40:00.001-06:00

I really love my Kindle. I’ve said that many times. However, I do have a problem with it. It’s too easy to load up with books.

So many books—where to begin?

I wonder if I’m the only one with this problem. I buy a book or get one for free. I’ll start reading it and see another book that looks cool. I buy it and start reading it and see another book that looks cool . . .

Well—you get the picture. And now I have so many books to read. I sample one and then another and then another. The book has to be really good to pull me in and keep me reading when so many others are vying for my attention.

Guess what happens when you become a writer? You become friends with other writers. A good thing.

However, I want to read all the books my friends have written. Some have written multiple books. Acckkk!

Not enough time. My Kindle is getting loaded down with more and more books. If I start reading now and read steadily throughout the year, I’ll be through sometime in the middle of 2013.

That is, if I don’t buy any more books between now and then.

Should I make that a New Year’s resolution? I will not buy any books until July of 2013.

Right . . .

Visit Amazon to get your own problem . . . er . . . , I mean, Kindle.

(This is not a paid endorsement. Is this even an endorsement? Hmm . . . You’ll have to decide!)

Eternal Springs

2012-01-03T07:35:00.001-06:00

It was much more difficult to put my blog posts together into a book than I anticipated. I ran into a few snags—including my forgetful brain. I rushed to get it out in e-book form before the new year started. Because of the rush job, I’ve found many typos, and that I’ve repeated a couple of entries.

There may be more. As I’ve said, I’m easily confused.

I uploaded a new version and plan to probably upload a third version tonight or tomorrow. In a few weeks, after I’ve had a chance to check it more carefully, I’ll upload the final version (if anything is ever final!). If you would like the new version, visit here: Eternal Springs.

Thanks for understanding.

I thought I’d share a few pictures of the people and things I wrote about in Eternal Springs.

My beautiful grandkids are pictured here. J. C. is the one who, at the age of three, said I wasn’t really fat. (Thanks, J.C.!) The fellow in the middle is a miniature version of my husband. And, of course, that’s my sweet granddaughter who saw the tiny “flowers” in our lawn.

n’

My husband, Carl, is holding the “evil” companion that led Satchel astray.

This is a picture of my father as a young man.

A picture Carl took of the chickens inside one of our chicken houses.

Pico shown here drinking the clear water. No stale water for her!

This is K.C., the sweet dog who becomes Cujo.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to download Eternal Springs, here are the links: Eternal Springs at Smashwords and Eternal Springs at Amazon.

Thanks!

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 6

2012-01-02T07:43:00.001-06:00

Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18

Today we are finishing up this series on Faith Tests for Christian Writers.

Our works, our writings, should be done in meekness of wisdom.

That means we are not jealous, selfishly ambitious, boastful, or false to the truth.

If we do not have meekness of wisdom, what we do have is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

Let’s ask ourselves the questions gleaned from the rest of these verses:

Are we peaceable or spoiling for a fight?.

Are we full of mercy or full of cruelty?

Do we have the good fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) or the bad (sexual immorality, impurity, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, and envy)? (Galatians 5:19-23)

Or we impartial or biased?

Or we sincere or hypocritical?

When we view the outcome of our work—the harvest—what do we see? According to James “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Are we sowing peace? Is it our intent to make the world a better place?

If so, we just made an A+!

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 5

2011-12-25T20:55:00.001-06:00

Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18

Today we will look at being false to the truth. Some may say, “I write fiction. It’s not truth anyway.”

Au contraire!

Consider this quote from E.M. Forster in Aspects of the Novel.: “We cannot understand each other, except in a rough and ready way. But in a novel we can know people perfectly. . . . In this direction fiction is truer than history, because it goes beyond the evidence, and each of us knows from his experience that there is something beyond the evidence.” (Emphasis mine.)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. John 14:6

When we pattern our lives on his, we will be living the truth. When we live the truth, we can write the truth.

Larry Bird once said, “I don't know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody - somewhere - was practicing more than me.” And just as basketball players are first taught the basics and then practices, sometimes daily, for years and years until dribbling and shooting become second nature, so must we practice our Christian living.

We learn what to do by studying the Bible, and then we live it out in our everyday lives.

And then we, as Christian writers, write it.

It simply becomes second nature.

I’ve mentioned before that books and movies achieve greatness when they have underlying moral premises. When the movie or book, the story, rings false to the audience, to those underlying moral premises that we all understand, the movie or book will flop, no matter the technical skills employed.

And those are the moral premises we find in the Bible. The moral premises that Jesus displayed.

Jesus—the one who displayed the truth.

Let us, as Christian writers, never be false to the truth.

Our test for today:

Next week, we’ll finish up this series. Are you ready for the final?

Random Thoughts

2011-12-23T05:29:00.001-06:00

I’m a little bleary eyed this morning. I haven’t been getting enough sleep. I’ve been putting in long hours for the past few days.

Someone mentioned doing a devotional. I thought—hey, I’ve got enough blog posts to do a 365 day devotional.

So, that’s what I’ve been working on. I need to finish it up in the next couple of days.

I feel like Ender in Ender’s Game who is beyond exhaustion and still rises each day to play the game. Or, like Frodo and Sam intent on destroying the ring.

They pushed on to their goal. And were successful.

Here’s a picture of the cover:

Setting a goal of December 27 to have it available in e-book format.

I’m falling asleep at the keyboard.

Hope you’ll be able to check it out when it becomes available!

(By the way, that’s a picture my son took at Cypress Springs.)

I almost forgot . . .

Merry Christmas!

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 4

2011-12-19T08:19:00.001-06:00

Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18

We are continuing our study of this passage from James. Today we are specifically examining “do not boast.” The following story shows the dangers of boasting:

A lion and a tiger were drinking beside a river when the lion let out a huge roar. The tiger said, "Why do you roar like a fool?"

"That's not foolish," said the lion, with a twinkle in his eyes. "They call me king of all the beasts because I advertise."

A rabbit heard them talking and ran home. He thought he'd try the lion's plan, but his roar was just a squeak. A fox came to investigate and ate the rabbit for lunch. The moral of the story: When you advertise, be sure you've got the goods and can deliver them.

There is nothing wrong in recognizing our abilities, as the lion does in this story. We do need to realize where our abilities come from.

All our ability comes directly or indirectly from God. We make the choices of how to use the ability he gives us, but God gives us the raw talent or the opportunities to develop talent.

Proverbs 9:23 tells us: A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

So, what does it mean to be humble?

According to Charles Spurgeon, Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.

And William Temple tells us: Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.

All that matters is that we strive to please God. We humble ourselves so God can and will lift us up.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. ~Proverbs 11:2

One of my former preachers, Raymond Elliott said this: We can have respect for self without conceit; concern for self without selfishness; love of self without vanity.

After all, the Bible does say to love others as we love ourselves. It’s okay to know our abilities and even to advertise when necessary—in a humble manner.

Our job is to become the best us we can be.

When we become right for God, we can write for God in the manner he wants us to. Without boasting.

Right for God; write for God.

No boasting necessary!

Trailer for Thundersnow

2011-12-16T14:53:00.001-06:00

Things I’ve Learned (CreateSpace)

2011-12-14T08:23:00.001-06:00

I have been trying to come up with a list of steps for CreateSpace. This may not suit everyone, but it has been helpful to me. These are just suggestions. Everyone needs to read the submission guidelines before uploading their manuscripts. With that said, here are my hints for preparing my manuscript for CreateSpace. (If you find any errors, please let me know! Thanks!)

Hints for CreateSpace document (to make a 6 X 9 book):

In Microsoft Word 2007:

1. Choose Page Layout --> Little Arrow on Page Setup--> Paper --> Width: 6"; Length: 9"

2. Page Setup --> Paper --> Paper Source: Default Tray

3. Page Setup --> Paper --> Apply to: Whole Document

4. Page Setup --> Margins --> Orientation --> Portrait

5. Page Setup --> Margins --> Custom Margins --> Margins --> Top 0.8, Bottom 1.0, Left & Right 0.8

6. Page Setup --> Margins --> Gutter 0, Gutter Position left

7. Page Setup --> Margins --> Apply to: Whole Document

8. Page Setup --> Layout --> Header & Footer 0.5

9. Page Setup --> Layout --> Vertical Alignment: Top

10. Page Setup --> Layout --> Apply to: Whole Document

11. Home --> Paragraph --> Little arrow --> General --> Alignment --> Justified

12. Home --> Paragraph --> Little arrow --> Indentation --> Special --> First line --> 0.3 ***Make sure the tab key was not used to indent paragraphs!!

13. Home --> Paragraph --> Little arrow --> Spacing --> 1.15

14. Make sure the # 11, 12, & 13 are applied to the whole ms.

15. Begin each chapter 14 spaces down.

16. Insert --> Page Number --> Bottom of page, centered

17. Insert --> Header --> (Type in text you would like)

18. Insert --> Page Break at the end of each chapter (also at end of title page, table of contents, etc.

19. Turn document into PDF file.

I’m sure I’ve probably left out some formatting!

However, when the manuscript is suitable according to CreateSpace guidelines, it’s time to upload. And that’s what I’m off to do!

Thanks for stopping by!

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 3

2011-12-12T06:29:00.001-06:00

The Scripture:

Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18

We have been taking a closer look at these passages from James. James is speaking to Christians when he says “Let him show his works.” As Christian writers, our works include our writings.

In my first post of this series, I looked at “meekness of wisdom;” in the second post, “bitter jealousy.” This is the third question we’ll be exploring: Are we guilty of selfish ambition?

Eriteia: The Greek Word for Selfish Ambition

From Strong’s Concordance we learn “selfish ambition” is translated from “eritheia” that means “rivalry, hence ambition.”

Strong’s further gives the following definitions:

Short Definition: ambition, rivalry
Definition: (the seeking of followers and adherents by means of gifts, the seeking of followers, hence) ambition, rivalry, self-seeking; a feud, faction.

HELPS Word-studies also has light to shed on the word. We find this information from them:

Eritheía (from eritheuō, "work for hire") – properly, work done merely for hire (as a mercenary), referring therefore to carnal ambition (selfish rivalry).

Ancient Greek uses eritheía ("mercenary self-seeking") of acting for one's own gain, regardless of the discord (strife) it causes. Eritheía ("selfish ambition") places self-interest ahead of what the Lord declares right, or what is good for others.

This word was used to refer to men seeking political gain by unfair means. That gives a good picture of what James means here, doesn’t it?

Should Christians be Ambitious?

The question I would like to pose: Is it wrong to be ambitious? For example, should we be ambitious in promoting our work?

One of the definitions Webster’s gives for “ambitious” is having a desire to achieve a particular goal.

Goals are a good thing. If we desire to publish a book in order to spread God’s word, or to strengthen our fellow Christians, or to make the world a better place, or fill in the blank with a good motive here, that’s a good thing, a very good thing.

And, if we wish to reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people, that’s not a bad goal to have. Are we not to go into all the world to tell others of Christ?

Problems arise when we place self-interest ahead of what the Lord declares right, or what is good for others. (See HELPS Word Studies above)

When Does Ambition Become Selfish?

When we think only of ourselves and crush others in our quest for our goals, that’s when ambition crosses the line.

There’s something I have had to work through in my own writing life. When does my writing become “selfish”?

If we choose writing over things like cleaning house, cooking, or partaking in church activities (besides worship services), that does not necessarily make us selfish. All of those things are good. But are all those things the best way we can use our time? Often, it’s not a matter of choosing good over bad, but choosing the best over the good.

We must not neglect the people in our lives when pursue a writing career. And, we certainly do not need to neglect God.

However, we must carve out time for God, family, friends, and our writing. Perhaps an analogy will help illustrate what I mean.

Is it selfish for a person to devote years of study to become, say, a doctor? Would we say, “Frank is so selfish for going to medical school”?

Of course not. We would probably commend Frank for devoting his time to that endeavor.

Does that mean Frank should ignore his family and quit attending worship services? No. But Frank will make sacrifices to become a doctor.

In the same way, as writers, we make sacrifices to read, study, and write. We make those sacrifices to become the best writers we can be—even though it may appear that we are selfish to family and friends.

Sometimes family and friends may need gentle reminders that our work has importance and ultimately will glorify God.

Testing, Testing

God wants us to use all of the abilities he has given us.

Working hard in order to achieve goals is not selfish ambition.

Our ambition becomes selfish when we engage in rivalries and develop cliques in order to achieve our goals.

Our ambition becomes selfish when we change the things we say or do in order to become popular with men, instead of seeking God’s glory.

And that brings us to today’s test:

Next Monday, December 19, we’ll be looking at question #4 in the series—Are you guilty of boasting?

Meanwhile, join me Wednesday for things I’ve learned and Friday for Random Thoughts.

Thanks for dropping by!

Self Publishing

2011-12-09T08:19:00.001-06:00

The folks over at ciaindie, a website for Christian self publishers, have been so helpful!

They demonstrate the principles we are taught by the Bible. Those principles of being encouragers and serving others.

Right now, I feel like a taker. And, I am! I’m taking advice and words of encouragement.

I’m working through some formatting issues with their help. And some issues with the writing itself.

I likened it to walking around with toilet paper stuck on your shoe all day, and no one tells you.

So, right now I have some toilet paper issues. One of the members told me to take the toilet paper and make confetti. And, on the day of publication, rain down the confetti.

And that I plan to do. Soon. Very soon.

By the way, I finalized the cover—I think! This is it:

Coming very soon!

There Is No Tab Key!

2011-12-06T21:34:00.001-06:00

One thing I’ve learned this week is to never use the Tab key. Never, ever tab over. CreateSpace does not like the tabbing.

Take a screwdriver and remove your Tab Key. ***** WARNING! Joking, people! Don’t do that! *******

Okay, wish I had known not to use the tab key before I started writing this book.

I had to do a search through my manuscript and find every time I tabbed.

In case you’re like me and wondering how to do it without losing your mind, this might help. Choose “Search and Replace.” In the “Search” field, type ^t. Leave the “Replace” field blank. And then choose Replace All.

That removes all your tabs. Supposedly.

I should mention I use Microsoft Word 2007.

My next step was to remove all paragraph formatting so that I could start with a clean slate.

I went to Page Layout –> Paragraph and clicked the tiny arrow in the lower right corner. The one that blends in so well that it took me a while to find. I rolled everything back to zero. In the “Special” menu, I chose “First Line” and rolled it to zero also.

I made sure these settings were applied to my entire manuscript. I then saved, closed, and reopened my manuscript to be sure all the spacing for the first lines of paragraphs had been removed.

Next, I went back to Page Layout –> Paragraph –> Tiny Little Arrow Microsoft Doesn’t Want You to Find. This time, by “Alignment” I chose “Justified.” Then I clicked on the drop-down menu for “Special” and chose “First Line.”

For my manuscript, I went with Indent 0.3. You may choose whatever you see fit. For professional purposes, there is some type of system. As you undoubtedly know, Googling “paragraph indentation for published books” will bring up articles to read.

Great fun!

Where did I put the copy of my Serenity Prayer?

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 2

2011-12-05T00:48:00.001-06:00

Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18

A couple of weeks ago, I began a study on Faith Tests for Christian Writers by studying this passage from James.

As Christian writers, our writings are our works. This passage teaches us the correct way to view our works, our writings, from a Biblical perspective.

In Part 1, we asked: Do we, as Christian writers, have meekness of wisdom? (Faith Test for Writers, Part 1)

Today, let’s look at a second question derived from this passage. Do we, as Christian writers, suffer from bitter jealousy?

Jealousy touches everyone at some point. Jealousy drives a lot of unchristian behavior. Jealousy makes us do and say things that normally we would not say or do.

One time, a group I participated in was given an assignment to write a short essay. I cannot remember the topic; however, I do remember one person doing an exceptional job.

I also remember my reaction. As we left the room, I made a catty remark. I remember it well, because my conscience pricked me. The exceptional writer was a close, Christian friend, a friend I should have congratulated on a job well done. Instead, to make myself feel better about my own feeble attempt, I put her down.

God calls us to use the special talents he has endowed us with, even if they are not on par with others.

I worked hard, but I did not succeed as well as my friend. So what? I am stilled called on by God to do my best.

One of Tim Tebow’s favorite quotes is this: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. ~Tim Notke

Our talents may not equal those of someone else, but we can work just as hard as they do. Will we garner the same amount of success if we put in the hours? Probably not. But we will be using the opportunities God has given us instead of burying them in the ground.

My preacher, Mark Littleton, taught this passage not long ago. He used this illustration: “What is the most difficult instrument to play?” a reporter once asked a famous conductor. The conductor answered, “Second fiddle. No one wants to put in the hard work required to become second fiddle. If they can’t be first string, they simply quit.”

As Christians, we are not given that option. We are to do our best whether we are first, second, third, or even last.

When we work solely to please God and not man, and that “man” includes self, we will be able to put aside jealousy. God loves each of us equally. There’s simply no need for jealousy.

Furthermore, if we work to please God, we will be able to truly rejoice with those who succeed. We will know they are expanding the borders of God’s Kingdom.

And, for that, we should be truly grateful. A grateful heart has no room for jealousy.

Here’s our test with question #2:

Join me next Monday to look at the next question in this series:

Do I have selfish ambition in my heart?

(Special thanks to Mark Littleton for his lessons on James.)

Don’t Hate Christmas!

2011-12-02T22:24:00.001-06:00

Part of the CW Blogchain. Check out the sidebar for other great posts from the wonderful writers in our chain.

Gifts from the heart come from a loving spirit. But how do we maintain a loving spirit during the stressful holiday seasons?

Many people hate this time of year, some because memories of departed loved ones are especially poignant, some because of the commercialization of the season, and some because of the extra workload Christmas brings with it. While some of us may not hate Christmas, and some actually love this time of year, it is true many of us are more stressed. Let’s examine six things we can do to help us, even those who love Christmas, enjoy it more.

Sad memories make this time of year difficult for many. The first thing many of us need to do is to accept death, not bury our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist. Everyone is dying—we just do not know the hour or day. I know it is difficult to accept death, and I’m certainly not trying to minimize the pain we feel when loved ones die. However, as Christians we have hope. In possibly the most beautiful words in the English language, Paul tells us:

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? I Corinthians 15:54-55

^{This time of year is a perfect time to reminisce, to remember Christmases past, to honor the memories of those who have gone on to meet their reward. Will tears be shed? Perhaps, but tears are a gift from God. And everything God gives is good.}
Furthermore, this may be the perfect time to drag out those old pictures and share memories with the new and old members of our families. We may just find laughter intermingling with the tears. And taking time to just be with our families can give us a respite from all the hustle and bustle and renew our energy.
Other people hate this time of the year because of the commercialization. For years I complained bitterly when I saw ads or commercials for Christmas gifts before Thanksgiving. Well, now we’re seeing them before Halloween. Christmas is like the Blob (if you’re as old as I am and remember the movie), sprawling to possibly encompass the entire year. We already have Christmas in July in many stores. Unless we are the business owners or unless a law is passed to prohibit anything Christmas except in the month of December (a great idea, don’t you think?), we must accept things as they are and as they may be in the future. The Serenity Prayer has helped me with this.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen. ~Reinhold Niebuhr
Of course, we know we can change our own focus. Instead of the take attitude, have a give attitude. Reach out to those in need at this time of year. Open our hearts and pocketbooks to the poor of this world—whether poor in money, or poor in family or friends. We may not be able to change the world, but we are capable of changing self.
Also, we need to let go of unrealistic expectations. In some distant galaxy far, far away, there may be the “perfect” Christmas, with smiling children eagerly sharing, with a perfectly cooked Christmas dinner, with gifts elegantly wrapped, and each gift just what the other person wanted. I haven’t seen it here on earth. Here we are imperfect people going through trials and tribulations, learning to be more Christlike, yet failing more often than succeeding. We need to change our perspective and see each challenge as a way God is molding us into who he wants us to be. We need to change our perspective and see others as God sees them and not place unrealistic expectations on them.
And when we fail those challenges, forgive ourselves and others, just as thoroughly as he forgives us. Enjoying the good, forgetting the bad.

Learning to accept death, not being afraid to reminisce about those who have gone on before, to accept the commercialization of Christmas we have no control over, to change ourselves by focusing on those in need, to let go of unrealistic expectations, and to forgive ourselves and others when we fail our goal of a perfect Christmas are six ways to create gifts from the heart and a more peaceful and joyous Christmas.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,ways to not hate Christmas,stress at Christmas,Serenity Prayer,Bible,I Corinthians,death,victory,forgiveness

Random Thoughts: Fearing Success

2011-12-02T07:54:00.001-06:00

CW Blog Chain Participants: Woops! I forgot today was my day. I’ll post tomorrow. Thanks for understanding!

I’ve been working on getting Thundersnow ready for publication. Trepidation is dogging my footsteps.

I’ve beaten my fears back to a certain extent by focusing on God (and with a little help from my friends). It has nothing to do with me. Success or failure. It is all about pleasing God.

I fear success almost as much as failure. Why, you may ask? Several reasons.

One is because if I’m successful with the first book, people will expect me to duplicate that success. I may have only one book in me. On that point, we’ll just have to wait and see.

The second reason is because success may jar me out of the world I live in at this moment. Things may change. A disruption in the status quo. Do I want that?

The odds for success are against me. I don’t remember the average number of books sold per author, but I remember it’s not high. And, the definition of success varies. What if I sold 1000 books? Would I consider that successful? Yes. That would be awesome.

If I sold 10,000? That would be scary.

It reminds me of this quote by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Wait. Did she say shine? And the name of this blog is Rise, Write, Shine? Hmmm . . .

I am a child of God. On this earth to serve God. Not to worry about success or failure. It’s not about me. It’s about God and laying down my life for him.

Even if it kicks me out of my comfort zone. Or especially if it kicks me out of my comfort zone.

Whew. Okay . . . Talked myself out of the fear of success, even if I feel it is a bit farfetched. Now, how about failure . . .

Technorati Tags: Thundersnow,fear,success,writing

Things I Have Learned from NaNoing

2011-11-30T06:28:00.001-06:00

This is National Novel Writing Month, for those of you who may not know. The challenge is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. And the prize is . . . well, knowing you have written 50,000 words.

I decided to take the challenge this year and, back in October, thought about what to write. Some people do not like to plan ahead at all but simply write whatever comes to them. They call it writing by the seat of their pants. I call it channeling spirits. (Just joking!)

I don’t believe I have ever been able to sit down and write “cold.” I have to daydream a little before I can write. So . . . all those long bubble baths, the dozing in the hammock, the taking of naps is really me working hard.

At least, that’s what I tell my husband.

However, even though I have to think before I write doesn’t mean I don’t follow my fingers where they lead. Sometimes it’s one of those aha moments. Such as the naming of the dog back in book one (years ago), and the significance that name develops in book 2. Unplanned. One of those God moments to me. (Maybe just something corny to my would-be readers.)

And that was only the beginning. My fingers led me places I had not thought of before that moment and to subplots that became a strong thread of the main plot.

I have learned to trust my fingers, wherever they lead. If it’s just a bunch of gibberish, that’s what the delete button is for—after NaNo, of course.

Something else I have learned—keep my nose to the grindstone and persevere, even when my nose gets ground away.

You see, my computer crashed. Three times. Everything wiped clean.

Thank goodness for online backup and flash drives. I did lose words, around 3000 all together, and hours while I worked on my computer (I have two and both crashed.). I finally broke down and bought a new computer and reinstalled my software. I still haven’t installed everything, but I’m working on it.

And, I’ve said, since I first heard of NaNo years ago, why was this month chosen—the month of Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping? Obviously, some man chose it. Or someone who didn’t cook.

But through it all, I have typed away, cheered on by friends and family. Persevering even amidst the trials. A lot like life, isn’t it?

And this is my award:

That and 50,114 words.

Something well worth the effort.

Congrats to all my fellow NaNo winners!

And thanks to my family who put up with me during NaNo.

Giving Thanks for Autism

2011-11-28T07:36:00.001-06:00

Note: Since this is still November, a month in which we emphasize thanksgiving, I thought I would recycle this blog post from a few months ago. Next Monday will be A Faith Test for Writers, Part 2. Thanks for the read!

Some may think this a strange title for a post.

When parents watch their child from birth and notice difficulties with speech, or perhaps no speech at all, and they struggle with their child’s temper tantrums when routines are disrupted, and then finally learn their child is autistic, they usually do not rejoice.

Yet doesn’t the Bible teach us to give thanks always, to rejoice always?

And, may I submit, parents may actually have reasons for rejoicing and giving thanks. Many people with autism are remarkable people with remarkable strengths. Their brains function differently than the so-called normal brains, but that may actually be a good thing. A very good thing.

For example, one twelve-year-old, Jacob Barnett, diagnosed with autism, is challenging Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Jacob has an IQ of 170 and left high school at the age of eight. Eight.Here’s Jacob Barnett in 2009 discussing dark matter.

Albert Einstein himself was believed to be autistic. Other famous people who may have been autistic were Mozart, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Isaac Newton, and Thomas Jefferson, to name but a few.

Autistic people “have unique strengths such as memory, attention to detail and the ability to keep track of seemingly unrelated facts. These strengths are very useful in computer and engineering fields. . . Autistic people can easily identify shapes embedded in designs or individual notes embedded in musical chords – shapes and patterns that normal people often do not see. This ability to think and see in patterns means the autistic brain has the potential for unusual excellence in math, chess, computer programming, music, engineering and physics.” (Read more at Suite101: New Research on Autism Reveals Benefits http://www.suite101.com/content/new-research-on-autism-reveals-benefits-a237273#ixzz1JqMBfmEr)

On American Idol this season is an autistic named James Durbin. He has been diagnosed with Asperger’s (a form of autism) as well as Tourette’s Syndrome. Despite, or perhaps because of his Asperger’s, he is one of the frontrunners. Time will tell if he is able to excel in a musical career.

This is Durbin, before becoming a contestant, singing “The Star Spangled Banner”:

For the Mozarts, the Dickinsons, the Barnetts and the Durbins, for all the autistics who enrich our lives and leave us in awe, I give thanks and rejoice that God has seen fit to bless us with them.

Why Are the Twilight Books So Successful?

2011-11-25T08:42:00.001-06:00

One of the quotes I have seen on Facebook lately is this:

“Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.” ~ Stephen King

And I got a kick out of the quote. A laugh-out-loud moment. However, I don’t entirely agree.

I haven’t seen the last Twilight movie and I have read only one of the books. It’s not really my type of story. However, I’m always interested in why some books or movies transcend into pop culture phenomena. Many people are stunned by the success of the Twilight series. And while I don’t have all the answers, I do have a theory about their success.

Most if not all popular books and movies have underlying themes we first encounter in the Bible. Those themes are, as King points out, overcoming our fears, standing up for what is right, and laying down our lives for others.

And, yes, Twilight has those themes interwoven throughout.

And something that undergirds these. Something that is also Biblical.

The greatest theme. The theme of love.

Edward loves Bella with a sacrificial agape love. And Stephanie Myer made this a perfect agape love. The type of love we all long to experience.

So . . . while I’m not a Twilight fan, I understand the appeal.

However, we live in an imperfect world and cannot find such love among fallen people.

People (and vampires) can only imitate God’s love.

Christians are called to strive for such love. However, we will never be able to obtain God’s perfection, his perfect love.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:37-39

Too bad more young people are not seeking this love through the truth of God’s word.

Only God can offer such love to us.

The rest is but a imitation, only a shadow in the Twilight.

2011-11-24T07:58:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Blogging Schedule

2011-11-23T00:49:00.001-06:00

My blogging schedule is changing. Look for posts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

I’ve been thinking about the focus of my blog and have decided to keep it on Christian writing.

On Mondays, I will do a devotional-type post that I’m calling “Inspirations.” Often this will pertain specifically to writers of Christian fiction. However, often the observations I make or scriptures I share will be applicable to all Christians.

On Wednesdays, I’ll be sharing some type of “Information.” At this moment, these posts will mainly deal with my self-publishing journey and the things I learn along the way.

On Fridays, my posts will be called “Interjections.” These are random thoughts I interject into my blog, things that interest me such as TV shows, books, or news articles.

My goal is to maintain this schedule for at least one year.

Rise, Write, Shine! is all that is necessary to accomplish this. Hope to see you along the way!

Faith Test for Christian Writers, Part 1

2011-11-22T07:54:00.000-06:00

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18
We’re studying the book of James on Wednesday nights, and these verses we studied last week resonated with me.
As a Christian, when I write, I strive to realize my responsibility to adhere to God’s word. I often wonder how a person believes the words they write come from God while others believe they are from the devil. These are Christians viewing the same words very differently.
I’ve had people attack things I have written, and it makes me stop and think. How do we know the words we write are the words God wishes us to write?
We may not always know. However, I believe the Holy Spirit does guide us. When a person lines up his/her spirit with the word of God, the words will be the right words.
Although that brings up another question. How do we know we are lining up our spirits with the word of God? Isn’t it great that we can find the answer right here in God’s word? Let’s take a Faith Test.
In verse 13, James uses the term “meekness of wisdom.”
At Dictionary Reference meek is defined as:

1. humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.

2. overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
3. Obsolete . gentle; kind.
~ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meekness
In today’s world, we want to appear anything but meek. However, we, as Christians, are called apart from the world. Jesus was meek, and we are to follow in his footsteps. And that means “patient,” even when others provoke us, as we see in the first meaning. Or even consider the third meaning: “gentle, kind.” We, as Christians, should not write with an attitude of impatience or unkindness.
Not that we can always be as patient, gentle and kind in our words as we should be. James says in this same chapter “if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well (verses 2-3).”
We may not have reached perfection, of never stumbling in what we say, but it’s something we are to strive for.
Does this mean we cannot have conflict in books? Of course not. However, if we are not writing with the ultimate goal of helping others to be Christ-like, to develop kindness and patience, we’re missing the mark.
Books teach. Even if we say we are writing only for entertainment, our books still teach. We, as writers, are teachers. And as teachers we are held to a greater accountability. (Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ~ James 3:1)
So, let’s take the test. Are we showing our works (our writings) in “the meekness of wisdom”?
And that’s just question number one. We’ll continue the test next time. Hope you join me!
(Special thanks to Mark Littleton for his lessons on James.)

I Can't Believe . . .

2011-11-18T05:15:00.001-06:00

I'm giving myself a few minutes this morning to write my blog post although I am so far behind on NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) right now. My laptop crashed. I had written around 800 words on the morning of the crash. I really didn't lose much--it could have been much worse. And then I was without a computer for a day or so.

I can't believe that not only did my laptop crash, but the desktop did also. What are the odds of our two computers crashing on the same day? I restored the laptop, but the desktop seems to be beyond repair. I bought a new one, and my husband and I are trying to install needed software.

I can't believe installing software can be so difficult.

I can't believe customer support is so unhelpful (I don't know why I find that one hard to believe).

I can't believe I am three or four days behind on NaNo after finally catching up.

Five More Things I Can't Believe:

I can't believe Leroy Bell (on The X-Factor) is sixty years old. That guy's found the fountain of youth!

I can't believe Ozzie (on Survivor) is still going strong.

On a related note, I can't believe "Coach" is behaving like a relatively normal person.

I can't believe Terra Nova, with dinosaurs running around, is so boring.

I can't believe the Duggars are expecting another child.

I can believe I will catch up today. I believe, I believe, I believe . . .

11-11-11 Random Thoughts

2011-11-11T10:12:00.001-06:00

Today is 11-11-11. How cool is that?

Numbers have significance in the Bible. For example, there were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days before his temptation by Satan.

I wondered if the number eleven had any significance. This is what I found:

ELEVEN: disorder: 10 + 1 or 12 – 1; also disorganization, unfulfillment, imperfection.

At Kadesh-Barnea the Children of Israel traveled 11 days from Mt. Sinai. In one more day they could have been in the Holy Land but their faith failed them.
The last two Kings of Judah each reigned 11 years before the Babylonian conquest of Judah.
- Jehoiakim
- Zedekiah (Agape Bible Study)

This has turned into a different blog post than I originally started to write. I’m off and running down a rabbit trail.

Instead, I was going to talk about the time-gulping, mind-numbing, headache-inducing everyday things we have to deal with. Specifically, I was going to talk about computer problems. Just one example—I keep getting a message: Catalyst Control Center is not working. I tried different things, and it still shouts in my face every time I start the computer. *Sigh.*

Not long ago I wrote a post dealing with always being professional and positive. No complaining—even about computers. Today, I’m being unprofessional and negative.

A little bit of explanation. I have just spent two hours deleting and uninstalling and reinstalling. Catalyst Control Center is still mocking me.

These things are meant to teach us patience.

This morning I set a goal of 10000 words today. Others can do it, why can’t I? Because I get distracted seeing the Catalyst Control Center box.

Focus, Sheila, focus.

Nine Book Covers

2011-11-08T22:33:00.000-06:00

Part of the: Check out other participants in the side bar!

I have been working on book covers. When I counted the number I had saved, it came out to nine. So . . . I decided to share my nine book covers. If you find these mind-numbing boring, please feel free to skip.

Still here? Here's the story. A few weeks ago, I decided I would self publish my young adult novel. Many writers who self publish hire someone to do their book covers. However, I like to try new things. I decided I would do it myself. Following is part of my process.

My first attempt was not an attempt at an actual book cover. I wanted something to use in the book trailer I made. I thought I would adapt this later on for my book. I rejected it for several reasons. The main reason was because I didn't like the font. I moved on to this:

I started rethinking my choice of this blue cedar tree. I thought it was cool to begin with. I learned a process to make a picture look like snow was on the ground. The problem, I found this too "cool." The colors, the blue and white, convey a coolness, plus I don't think the cedar tree gives a sense of the story. On to my third try.

I like this one! But again cool blue colors. I searched for a picture of a teenage girl. Almost all of them wore heavy makeup. My heroine, living during the Great Depression, definitely did not wear makeup. I found one picture but had to cut off the side of her head since she wore several pairs of earrings. As someone said, she looks like an Eskimo. On to my next try.

Again, I'm using the same picture of the girl. This book cover came from a template on CreateSpace. Several told me the title and my name were too small and would be unreadable in the thumbnail. On to another try.

I liked this one, at first. The girl was supposed to be looking out a window. Most people said she was in a "box" and complained because the bluebird was lost in the clouds. Okay, I agree. And the winner is:

Since I could not find a picture I liked, I decided to take my own. I made a visit to my cousin's house. She has an old barn, and I had my granddaughter pose inside the barn. I still had my bluebird picture and I wanted it added to the picture I had taken. My son did some photo-editing of the two pictures, and I love it! This one I decided was a keeper. I love looking at it (maybe because it's my granddaughter?). There's more variety of color. The title and my name are fairly large. But now I had to do the backcover.

I liked the picture but felt it was too dark. The blurb needed more work.

This is better, I think, although I'm not sure if anyone would know that's a cedar tree. And I didn't like the way it looked with the front cover. One more try.

Back to my original cedar tree. I'm not sure, again, if anyone can tell that this is a cedar tree. And I'm still not sure about the blurb. Okay, may be a few more tries before I make a definite decision. *Sigh.*

Bonus video:

I redid my book trailer, using the book cover I have finally chosen. Hope you enjoy it!

Trailer for In the Shadow of the Cedar, Book 1: Thundersnow

2011-10-27T16:12:00.001-05:00

If you'd like to see this on YouTube, the link is: Thundersnow

Harvest and Mr. Holland’s Opus

2011-10-20T20:43:00.001-05:00

(This post is part of the CW Blog-chain. Check out the other great posts on the topic of “harvest” by clicking on names in the side bar.)

I am in the autumn of my life, in a period of harvest.

When I apply the theme of harvest to myself, I think of Mr. Holland’s Opus. My life parallels Mr. Holland’s in many ways. I retired after teaching nineteen years; Mr. Holland, thirty years.

Mr. Holland wanted to be a composer; me, an author. Mr. Holland and I first viewed teaching as a backup plan. We both thought we could teach and pursue our artistic endeavors.

We were both wrong.

The joys of imparting information and transforming young lives became more important than our artistic pursuits. One quote from the movie is this: A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that knowledge doesn’t go to waste.

And Mr. Holland gave his students that—not just a knowledge of music but the “compass.” He passed to them his love for music. Mr. Holland created an opus, a work of art, yet not what he envisioned. Instead it consisted of the students he inspired over the years. They were his opus.

As I taught science, I, too, endeavored to give a “compass.” I brought God into the equation as I taught about his wonderful creation. Perhaps I also served as a Christian example to my students and planted seeds that are even now being harvested. That is my prayer.

Of course, I made mistakes. As did Mr. Holland. Mr. Holland’s biggest mistake was not being supportive of his deaf son. Eventually he seeks to make amends and repair their broken relationship. My favorite part of the movie is when he sings the John Lennon song to his Beautiful Boy.

Mr. Holland had one son; I have two. And they were and are beautiful boys, inwardly and outwardly. After watching the movie the first time, I sang the song to them, in my broken voice, broken more with emotion welling up inside me. For I, too, have made many mistakes. Yet God still chose to bless my family and me.

Families are the largest part of our opus, the harvest we reap. The harvest that belongs to God.

In this autumn of my life, I hope to continue harvesting seeds I have sown. No, more than just harvest. With God’s help, I want to take the wheat to the mill, and grind it fine, and make the bread. With the crystal spring running through my life, perhaps I will succeed.

It is not too late to produce my opus, my written body of work. Now is the time for me to take my life experiences, the knowledge I have gathered, and produce books before the winter is upon me when no man shall reap.

If I am able to bake the bread, i.e., produce the books, it will be because God gave the rain and the soil and the sun. He gave me the means to grind the wheat and will give me the skill to turn the flour into bread.

The harvest truly is great, but I must choose to do the work.

Back of the loaf is the snowy flour
And back of the flour is the mill;
And back of the mill is the wheat
And the shower and the sun
And the Father's will.

(~Maltbie D. Babcock)

Amen.

Technorati Tags: harvest,cw blog-chain,writing,Mr. Holland’s Opus

Random Thoughts

2011-10-19T16:12:00.001-05:00

No, today is not Friday. My post for Friday will be on the CW Bog-chain, so I decided I’d write a few words for today, especially since I skipped Monday’s post. Here are some of my random thoughts for today.

I am changing. I’m feeling kind of like a caterpillar when it begins to excrete juices to destroy its bloated body. Not pleasant.

I’m destroying some things.

Perhaps that’s too strong a word. Not destroying—just changing. I have put blocks on almost all the websites I visit. One reason is that I simply visit them out of habit. I’ve become bored with most and mindlessly click with no real interest in the content. Kind of like mindlessly flipping through TV channels.

That’s changed too. I’m bored with TV shows, even those I once loved. Hmm . . . little internet time, little TV time. So, now what?

Discipline has eluded me for many years. I am going to try, again, to get more of the things done that I yearn to do. What are those things?

I consider myself a scholar. There aren’t too many of us around in actuality—at least, to my knowledge. In my real life, I know three, and one of them is me.

What do I mean by scholar? I define it as a person who loves to learn; a perpetual student. I have said, for the past forty years, that if someone would pay me to be a full-time student, I would jump at the job. Sadly, no one has offered. No matter. I can study without being paid. If I develop the self discipline.

As I have grown older, my areas of study have changed. A couple of things, however, have remained constant. My main interest, as it has been for years and as it should be, is the Bible. The Bible is an endlessly fascinating book. I long to delve deeply into its pages and even beyond—back to the archeological finds and the undergirding--the history.

The greatest commandment is to love God, and I can do that by studying his word. The other great commandment is to love the people he created. People, their motives and actions, are also a fascinating study. Motives and actions depend, to a large extent, on personality types. And, of course, that’s something all fiction writers need to study.

Beyond that, I would also like to write a book dealing with raising children by their personality types. The hardest job in the world is raising children. I know more now (of course) than when I was raising my own children. Wouldn’t it be great to learn even more, to share that knowledge, to help parents make fewer mistakes? I longed for a book like that as I stumbled through parenthood.

And, lastly, my third area of interest, surprise, surprise to those who know me well, is travel. Yes, I want to travel more. This ties in with the books I am writing. I don’t think a writer has to be 100% accurate as far as setting is concerned. After all, that’s what imagination is for, right? But I do believe a writer should be fairly accurate when dealing with a specific location.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

And, that says it all!

Technorati Tags: 2 Timothy,study,scholar,Bible study

Change

2011-10-10T08:40:00.001-05:00

So, Blogger has come up with something new—Dynamic Views. I’m one of those resistant to change—but aren’t most of us? Facebook has recently made changes that have many up in arms.

People are usually slow to warm up to innovations. Sometimes people are unwilling to accept change at all. Remember the New Coke? It was introduced in 1985 (That long ago? Perhaps you don’t remember.), but the Coca-Cola firm returned to Classic Coke when an outcry arose.

Most changes, however, are good in the long run. Thank God for those innovators, those who thrive on change, constantly pushing to make things better, faster, or just . . . sleeker. I suppose Steve Jobs was one of those people. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the products from Apple that we have. He wasn’t content to maintain the status quo.

Perhaps you’ve read this quote by Jobs:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. ~ 'You've Got to Find What You Love,' Jobs Says

As far as I know, Jobs was not a Christian. Yet what he says resonates with me. One thing I would add is “to follow your heart and intuition” as God leads you. Study his word to find his will for your life.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

Change is coming to all.

For Christians, the change will be glorious!

Technorati Tags: change,Blogger,Steve Jobs,death

Johnny Depp and Hank Williams Jr.

2011-10-07T08:10:00.001-05:00

(Johnny Depp) told the November issue of Vanity Fair in an interview that he found being photographed a "weird" experience. "Well, you just feel like you're being raped somehow," he was quoted as saying in an excerpt released Tuesday. (Johnny Depp apologizes for Vanity Fair "rape" comment)

Most of us understand Depp’s sentiment. He feels he is being violated, exposed, abused, and used, when he is being photographed. I don’t understand how this is even an issue. Rape is a terrible thing. If he had said something flippant about rape, belittled it in some way, that I could understand. But he didn’t. He simply tried to put what he felt in a way to be understood. And yet some misunderstood and were outraged by his simile. Depp chose to apologize.

What we need to understand is that someone, somewhere will always be offended by even the least offensive of terms. Should we let a small group infringe upon our freedom of speech?

Let’s move on to Hank Williams. This is the controversy (in case you’re one of the six people who haven’t yet heard): Williams, whose song "All My Rowdy Friends" has been the "Monday Night Football" theme on both ABC and ESPN since 1991, said on "Fox and Friends" that he thought House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner playing golf with President Obama "would be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu ... In the shape this country is in?" ESPN Pulls Williams from MNF Opening

First, let me say this. I don’t watch Monday Night Football and couldn’t care less if a song of Hank Williams Jr. opens the show or not. Secondly, I don’t like Williams music and never have. Thirdly, as a Christian, I believe we are to respect the president of the United States.

The question is, does Williams’ remark disrespect President Obama? Does he say Obama is like Hitler? No. The analogy has nothing to do with President Obama, per se. Obama and Boehner playing golf together is like Hitler playing golf with a Jewish leader. This analogy is about the tension existing between the president and Republicans.

To fail to understand these are simply analogies make some as bright as burnt-out light bulbs in the Superdome.

My apologies to light bulb makers everywhere.

Technorati Tags: Johnny Depp,Hank Williams Jr.,analogies,ESPN

Interruptions and Writer’s Block

2011-10-03T12:56:00.001-05:00

Things are not going as planned. Do they ever? God’s ways are not our ways. I’m taking deep breaths, soothing breaths, and enjoying the sun—for what are small disturbances compared to the mightiness of God?

And, yes, they are small, very minor, problems that still have me irritable, like grains of sand in my shoe. Enough to chafe and irritate. Yet, it is in how we handle the small things that help develop character. We can allow such things to take on dramatic proportions, and, swatting at gnats, swallow a camel.

We must stop at times and empty our shoes of the grains of sand. Stop and be thankful our shoes are not filled with shards of glass.

To be more to the point—I have squandered away a week. Oh, sure, I did accomplish some things. One thing I accomplished was learning why I have accomplished so little. As a writer, I have been mentally blocked since the ACFW Conference. I spent two full days figuring out why.

At the conference I discovered the enormity of the three-book series I am writing. Two taboo subjects for publishers of Christian fiction I was told.

And, I was also told I had a story line good enough to be, well, . . . something. The questions I had, the things blocking my writing, were—1. Am I a good enough writer to tell the story? 2. Am I a fearless enough writer to tell the story, unafraid of possibly offending some? And, lastly, 3. Am I pleasing God by telling this story?

I sorted through these questions and have put my indecision, my mental blocks, behind. Four days ago I decided to simply do my best and leave the rest to God. Not everyone will like the story and that’s okay. I need only please God and myself.

However, since that decision, for the past three days, I’ve had one interruption after another—the grains of sand in my shoes.

Now to shake my shoes to rid them of the grains of sand. And take the deep breaths to calm my soul, so I may have the clarity of thought to proceed.

Technorati Tags: writer's block,interruptions,God's will,fear

One Thing I Learned From the ACFW Conference, 2011

2011-09-25T20:00:00.001-05:00

I wrote a blog post last year in which I mentioned I ate lunch with Carol Johnson (along with some others). I didn’t mean to. I was looking for a place of refuge and didn’t notice who was sitting at the table. What a great experience!

This year I sat down for the first breakfast of the conference. Guess who was seated at the table? Carol Johnson.

She noticed me before I noticed her.

“Don't I know you?” she asked.

I reminded her of the dinner we had with James Scott Bell, Tim Downs, and Dan Walsh, among others.

Her eyes lit up. She asked about my work and gave me some advice.

I’m struggling for the words to describe our meeting. Soothing, calming, encouraging, warm, and inspiring all come to mind.

She is such a gracious lady.

Definitions of gracious:

1. Characterized by kindness and warm courtesy.

2. Characterized by tact and propriety

3. Of a merciful or compassionate nature.

4. Characterized by charm or beauty; graceful.

5. Characterized by elegance and good taste. (thefreedictionary.com)

All true of Carol Johnson.

One thing I learned at the ACFW Conference this year? Be gracious.
A lesson for all.

Illness: Fight or Die?

2011-09-19T17:45:00.001-05:00

I have a question in two parts.
Part 1--
If you were diagnosed with an illness and were given less than a fifteen percent chance of survival, would you accept treatment, hoping to beat the disease, or would you refuse treatment?
Part 2--
What Biblical basis, if any, could you provide to support your decision?

Just Stop It!

2011-09-19T10:22:00.001-05:00

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

We are to do what the Bible tells us. Many of us sit on the pew every Sunday and leave services, forgetting what we have just heard. We need to stop it. You’ve probably seen this video:

So, what are some of the things the Bible tells us to do? Romans 12 gives us a good starting place. Consider these:

1. Let love be without hypocrisy.

2. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

3. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

4. not lagging behind in diligence,

5. fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

6. rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation,

7. devoted to prayer,

8. contributing to the needs of the saints,

9. practicing hospitality.

10. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

11. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

12. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.

13. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

14. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

15. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

16. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”

17. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-20

Stop just sitting on the pew, letting God’s word wash off you like water off a duck’s back. Instead start doing what the Bible teaches us.

And we “will be blessed in what (we do)”!

Technorati Tags: Christian living,Romans 12,James 1

Home Is Where the Heart Is

2011-09-15T21:40:00.001-05:00

Carl and I are doing a little remodeling job in our home. Today we make a trip to the local building supply store to pick out a decorative plank. It’s for the kitchen wall, a place we will hang a few pots and pans. As we examine the spruce planks, Carl and I admire the grain of the wood.

“Look at this one with all the knots,” Carl says. He runs his hand flat along the board and then stands it upright.

I take a step back. “Oh, I like that one.” I move closer to touch some of the knots.

Carl tells the sales rep I like rustic boards. He does too, but he doesn’t say it.

“Do you want to look through any more?” I ask.

“No, I already picked out the best one.” He grins at me. “I always pick out the best.

“Of course you do. You picked out me.”

And we laugh.

“We’ll take this one,” I say.

The sales rep looks from Carl to me. “Do y’all always agree so easily?”

“Not always,” Carl says.

I raise my eyebrows in mock anger. “What do you mean? We never disagree about anything! How dare you say that!”

Carl laughs. “We always get along, but we don’t always agree. We talk things over when we don’t.”

The sales rep says, “And you get the last word. ‘Yes, dear.’”

Carl and the rep share a look of commiseration, and I wonder how many times over the years the rep has seen spouses squabbling.

Carl says, “It’s true the man is the head of the house, but the woman is the neck and the neck controls the head.”

More laughter from the two men. I don’t laugh, because I have seen it so many times. Women browbeating their husbands, and husbands withdrawing and letting their wives take charge.

Carl places the board in the van so that it lies upright between our two seats, dividing us. And I ache, knowing some spouses would let such a small thing as this plank divide them.

Not us. I touch the plank and admire the knots, knots that sometimes weaken a board. But not always. Sometimes the fibers grow around the knot and simply add more beauty.

And I know rugged planks and remodeled kitchens do not make a home.

And I know a plank will never divide us.

For home is where the heart is. And my heart is right here, in this moment with Carl.

Where it will always be.

Technorati Tags: home,marriage

Fear of Creativity?

2011-09-12T17:32:00.001-05:00

I ran across something interesting today, something I have touched on in previous posts. ICR reported:

In a report scheduled to be published in the journal Psychological Science, Cornell University psychologist Jack Goncalo and two colleagues showed the results of two studies that compared what participants openly said about their views on creativity with how they reacted to novel ideas. The first experiment confirmed that participants showed "an implicit bias against creativity." . . . Apparently, people tend to be governed by a deep-seated desire to maintain a sense of certainty. New ideas can trigger discomfort, since they introduce unfamiliar possibilities. . . Further, the feelings of uncertainty can arise from fear of failure, "perceptions of risk, social rejection when expressing the idea to others, and uncertainty about when their idea will reach completion." Study Says People Subconsciously Resist Creative Ideas

This article is not aimed toward writers yet we can certainly apply it to any creative activity. Interesting, eh?

Chandler Brooks: Wasn’t That a Kick?

2011-09-11T21:54:00.001-05:00

Auburn struggled in the first football game of the season against Utah State. Later, I was watching one of those post-game television shows. Actually, my husband and son were watching it, and my eyes were glazed over. Not only do they have to watch the football games, they also have to watch shows about the football games.

Nevertheless, a segment came on about one of the kickers, Chandler Brooks, that piqued my interest. Brooks said he has practiced the onside kick for the past three years. Three years! This was his first opportunity to execute the kick during a game.

And his work paid off. Against Utah State, his onside kick helped Auburn come from behind to win.

Brooks didn’t fret or quit the team because he didn’t get the chance to play for the past three years. He simply went to work to be the best onside kicker he could be and carved out a niche for himself. A niche that helped lead his team to victory.

As Christians we can learn a lesson from this. We may not be the best Sunday School teacher, or the best at writing, or the best scholar. Yet we can carve out our own niche and work hard within it.

We need to take inventory and find one small thing we can improve, something to help us in our service to God. Think of Dorcas. Acts 9:39 says: All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

Dorcas didn’t have to be great at all things or many things to be remembered. She was remembered for her tunic-making skills, something some might find insignificant. Not so to her friends.

Nothing is insignificant when used for God’s glory.

Sharing of the tunics helped strengthen the bond between Dorcas and the other women. And isn’t it possible sharing tunics with others could have led someone to Christ?

Our victory may not come today or tomorrow. And we may wonder why we even bother honing our skill. But one day we may be called upon to execute that which we have so diligently practiced.

And that may lead others to ultimate victory!

Wouldn’t that be a kick?

Technorati Tags: Christian living,Auburn,football,practice

Coming Home

2011-09-06T17:19:00.001-05:00

Back in 1971 I crossed my college campus while loud speakers blared a song across the quad. As I walked to class that day, I heard Country Roads for the first time.

It was one of those everyday moments holding more than just the everyday. A yearning welled up inside of me and spilled over into tears that slid down my cheeks. Take me home? What home?

My father was a career soldier and I lived many places in my childhood. I was born in Nuremburg, Germany and also lived in Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey, France, Georgia and Alabama. My father retired from the army when I entered the tenth grade and we moved to Columbus, Georgia. We lived there two years and then moved to Phenix City, Alabama for my senior year of high school. And then it was off to college. I never lived long enough in one place to consider it home. I had friends scattered across the country, but no close friends. Even my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins were relative strangers to me.

That day on campus I wondered, how could a road take me home when I feel as if I had no home?

The closest thing I had to a “real home” was my aunt’s farm where my grandmother lived. Several generations of both sides of my family were farmers in south Alabama.

My roots were there, on a farm, in the country, in south Alabama. Yet it really wasn’t my home, never a place I had lived, only a place I visited. But I yearned for such a home as that—a place filled with friends, family and fellowship.

A few years later, after I first heard the song, I graduated from college and returned to Phenix City to find a job and to mend a broken heart. There, I found Christ and a wonderful church family. Yet, I still felt restless. I never felt it was my home, so I decided to make another move—this time to Montgomery, Alabama.

I received a job offer from a Christian school in Montgomery and was making plans to buy a home. And, then, my father died. I turned down the job offer to stay with my mother in Phenix City.

And, yet, I fretted. I wanted something else. Before my father died, he had bought 50 acres of land in the country, in south Alabama. I told my mother we could have a house built and move there. She agreed.

A year later the house was built. I had traveled down several times to apply for a teaching job, but no one was hiring. One superintendent told me if I had a job teaching I should keep it (in other words, stay in Phenix City). The state was struggling financially and unemployment rates were in the double digits.

My mother and I did something unwise.

We moved anyway. We moved to our country home where the sun rose over the pond and reflected the beauty of God’s creation.

She was fifty-six and I was twenty-six. We both looked for jobs. No one was hiring. She turned fifty-seven and I turned twenty-seven.

“We’ve got to leave—go somewhere we can find jobs,” she said.

“Wait. Just wait a little longer.” I didn’t want to leave. I had found my home.

The days ticked by and she became more insistent. Across the road from us was a gas station/country store. One day she stopped to buy gas and told the woman running the store we were leaving.

The woman told her son-in-law. Her son-in-law told his single brother. “You missed your chance. I told you to call her. Now it’s too late.”

His brother Carl thought, well, she’ll soon be leaving anyway, why not call? He called and asked to come over to meet me. I said sure. He did.

My mother and I stayed.

I married Carl two month after we met.

And, I often sing those words I heard forty years ago when I come home today, to my home, to the home God gave me, to the place I belong.

It’s great to be home.

Carl with our granddaughter

Part of the: Check the sidebar for more great stories and thoughts on “Coming Home.”

Why My Christian Life Stinks (Sometimes)

2011-09-05T10:54:00.001-05:00

Why is my Christian life often deflated, and weak? These words may sound familiar to you. I wrote this about my writing last weeks. However, we can apply this to other areas of our lives. Why is our Christian life often what it should not be?

Fear is the short answer.

No fear. Sometimes I overthink things. I hesitate to say the words that are true to me. The fear of offending makes me try too hard to please. By trying to please men instead of God, my words are empty, or simply left unsaid.

I hold in the words, words of healing, of love, of encouragement, afraid my words will be rejected or misunderstood.

How do we gain enough courage to speak when our words are needed?

We’ve all heard this--Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.

When we reach that point, when we have nothing left to lose, when we have been stripped of all but our essential self, when we speak our words to please God, when we no longer fear because our greatest fears have become reality, that’s the point at which we begin to do God’s work.

Thankfully, we don’t have to fail on epic proportions. We need only strip away our pride, our envy, our timidity and simply lean on God’s guidance.

Surrender all! And then we will have nothing left to lose and will be free to speak without fear.

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3

Technorati Tags: overcoming fear,speaking,fear

Why My Writing Stinks (Sometimes), Part 3

2011-08-31T21:28:00.001-05:00

More and more posts are popping up dealing with some things I have been thinking and feeling. I wish I had time to address them all, but I need to wind up this series. However, there were two particular posts that struck a chord with me, and I would like to share what these authors had to say along with some of my thoughts.

The first post is by Jenny B. Jones. She’s teaching creative writing and this is one of the things says about her students and herself:

Author Joseph Chilton Pearce says, “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” These kids don’t have that fear. Yet.

But when you write for a living, you do. You write for industry standards, for your publisher’s expectations, for your own expectations, personal rules, logic, for trends, for this, for that.

And it sucks the fun right out of it. And sometimes it sucks the life out of it. And sometimes it sucks the life out of the author. (http://www.jennybjones.com/2011/08/26/the-value-of-fun/)

Jenny spoke so beautifully it brought tears to my eyes. As I said in Monday’s post, (because of fear) the words that do escape my fingers are only misshapen vessels. And, instead of building something of beauty, as does a glass blower, I’m writhing in pain because of my fear. And the writing joy is being sucked from me as well.

Our fears can strangle and leave us blocked, unable to create. One of the great fears we often have is we’ll never be published writers. Jennifer Crusie talks about this in her post, A Writer Without a Publisher Is Like a Fish Without a Bicycle.

Crusie says women were once fed four great lies (I’m not so sure we are not still being fed these to a certain extent—but that’s not our topic). Also, writers, she states, are being fed four corresponding lies.

The first lie for women was marriage made them “real” women. Crusie says in the same way, writers are fed the lie that being published makes us “real” writers.

We are not to be ashamed that we are unpublished. Every single writer once stood in the same shoes. Were great writers less great before publication? I love reading biographies of writers. Many struggled to become published, and many never knew fame in their own lifetimes. Most wrote in relative obscurity. Yet they were “real” writers.

We must proclaim the truth: writers are real writers whether published or unpublished.

The second lie for women, according to Crusie, was they must change themselves to wrangle a husband. For writers, it is we must change our writing to wrangle a publisher.

I think this is even more true if we are writing for the Christian market. (Can a lie be more true?) Some Christian publishers expect certain things when they receive a manuscript. Writers can go crazy trying to meet those expectations. This is the thing: If we are truly Christians, we should be writing books that reflect who we are, but, as we are writing them, we should not be writing them to please a publisher, an agent, our critique partners, our spouses, our friends, or even our fellow Christians. Whom, then, are we writing to please? God, of course. We write with a dedication, with a focus as narrow as a laser beam, aimed at the One. When we write to please God, we, as always when we obey God, ultimately please ourselves, and, perhaps, in so doing, please a few others along the way, perhaps even a publisher or two.

We must proclaim the truth: God is pleased when we, as Christian writers, do not distort our writing but remain focused on him. God will lead us on the right path. (And this does not mean to be arrogant and unyielding to correction. Others may guide and correct our writing along the way, but as we are in the process of writing, we should forget all else and focus on God. Trying to please others while we are doing the actual writing, will leave us confused and unfocused.)

“Any husband was better than no husband” was the third lie told to women. And, according to Crusie, the corollary for writers is “any publication is better than no publication.”

This makes writers desperate, throwing themselves at anyone and everyone. Spamming Facebook walls, sending unsolicited emails, pitching in bathrooms. An ugly sight. We need to retain our dignity. Let me expand this one to the lie: anyone buying my book is better than no one. Well, that might be true if we’re only interested in the monetary value of our book. If we think our book is of any integral worth—and hopefully we have done our best to make it so—it deserves to not be thrown at people willy nilly. That includes publishers. We should look for publishers who will be a good fit for our book, just as we need to look for readers who will enjoy our book. I’ve got to say it. Don’t prostitute your manuscript or book.

We must proclaim the truth: we will treat our manuscript/book with the dignity it deserves and wait for the right publisher (and readers).

And the last lie women were once told was even a bad marriage was better than no marriage. For writers it is staying in a bad relationship with a publisher is better than no relationship with a publisher.

And, again, this indicates what we think we and our books are worth. Are they worth being taken advantage of, ignored, or browbeaten by some unscrupulous publishers? (Not that I’m saying there are any. I don’t actually know many publishers. And I say that out of fear some publisher may read this.)

We must proclaim the truth: if we value our work and ourselves, we will refuse to stay in an unhealthy relationship with a publisher.

Because of our fears, we buy into these four lies. God tells us throughout the Bible to fear not, he is with us. Let us cast away our fears and proclaim the truth, to write with joy, therefore enabling us to enjoy the dignity we deserve as writers. (And to quit stinking!)

Technorati Tags: Jenny B. Jones,Jennifer Crusie,publishers,writing fears

Why My Writing Stinks (Sometimes), Part 2

2011-08-29T20:57:00.001-05:00

In yesterday’s blog post, Why My Writing Stinks (Sometimes), Part 1, I mentioned this amazing phenomenon—many people blog, tweet, or have status updates on the same topic at the same time. For example, this morning I read this post, The Angst of a Diseased Author, by Linda Yezak. Perhaps it’s because we are reading one another’s thoughts on various forums and we all come up with the same idea at the same time. Or it could be a God thing.

Personally, I like to think of it as a God thing.

Fear does cloud our writing. The question is, what can we do to overcome that fear?

Last week I watched a 2008 video of J.K. Rowling giving the commencement speech at Harvard. Why did I watch a 2008 video? I rarely watch videos and this one was exceptionally long and made three years ago.

Someone had posted the link, and, for whatever reason, I clicked on it and watched. When Rowling touched on this topic, the topic of fear, the topic I had already been reading and thinking about, I sat up and listened. Here are some of her words:

What I feared most for myself . . . was not poverty, but failure. . . Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew. . . why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free . . .

(The rest of the speech’s text can be found here.)

We’ve all heard this--Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.

When we reach that point, when we have nothing left to lose, when we have been stripped of all but our essential self, when we write our words to please God, when we no longer fear because our greatest fears have become reality, that’s the point at which we create our best work.

Thankfully, we do not have to fail on epic proportions. We need only strip away our pride, our envy, our timidity and simply lean on God’s guidance.

Surrender all! And then we will have nothing left to lose and will be free to create without fear.

Part 3 coming soon!

Technorati Tags: failure,fear,writing

Why My Writing Stinks (Sometimes), Part 1

2011-08-29T04:24:00.001-05:00

Why is my writing often trite, deflated, and weak?

Fear is the short answer.

Liam Clancy was one of the great Irish balladeers and a key figure in the folk renaissance of the early 1960s. Naturally he ran across 20-year-old Bob Dylan who was starting to get noticed in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village.

In the superb Martin Scorsese documentary,No Direction Home, Dylan recalls Clancy giving him some advice (fueled by more than a few pints of Guinness). "Remember Bobby," Clancy said, "No fear, no envy, no meanness." (read the rest here: No fear, No envy, No meanness)

No fear. That's the hard one for me. Sometimes I overthink things. I hesitate to say the words that are true to me. The fear of offending makes me try too hard to please. By trying to please men instead of God, my words are empty, or simply left unsaid.

I hold in the words, words of healing, of love, of encouragement, afraid my words will be rejected or misunderstood.

God says repeatedly throughout the Bible to not fear, he is with us.

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3

Let us trust in God and write without fear.

My Pot Boileth Over: Learning to Accept Interruptions of Writing Time

2011-08-22T10:56:00.001-05:00

My writing time stands firmly on the front burner, a dangerous place. I’ve been cleaning spills as it boils over and doctored a few burns.

Last week was a good example. It was not a good writing week. A doctor’s appointment, necessary shopping for a new microwave, and unnecessary shopping for my eighty-eight-year-old mother (that yielded nothing), plus a couple of real-life social activities, did not leave me with a large block of writing time. I am not one of those people who can write fifteen minutes here, fifteen minutes there. I need at least three hours of uninterrupted quiet time to come up with any cohesiveness.

But I think I accepted most of the interruptions with good grace. Instead of fretting over wasted time, I read some really good blogs and wrote a couple of blog posts myself. I can’t really say I suffered, but the following verse helped me through the week:

(W)e rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

And it was a productive week—just not in the way I had envisioned. I learned a lot from reading informative blogs, but my biggest learning curve, perhaps, was in patience and endurance.

In not throwing the pot off the front burner.

I’m keeping it there.

Just learning to adjust the control knob along the way. I’m a slow learner, but I’m getting there.

One spill at a time.

Technorati Tags: finding time to write,patience,perseverance

Why Someone Became My Favorite Blogger

2011-08-18T12:43:00.001-05:00

This week I have spent more time reading blogs than I normally do. One blog I rarely read became my favorite blog this week. I’m not going to name the blog, but if you are a blogger, see if the shoe (or, in this case, blog) fits.

My favorite blog:

loads quickly. Many readers of blogs do not have the patience (or time) to wait for your blog to load. Bloggers need to choose quick-loading templates and limit widgets and add-ons that tend to slow things down.
makes it easy to comment on posts. Professional bloggers want as many comments as possible. Choose settings so that anyone may comment and also do not moderate the comments. Any comments that are inappropriate may be deleted by you later. Another thing, don’t make readers fill out verification forms (CAPTCHA). There are other ways to avoid spam comments.
has the blogger’s picture prominent. Readers like to know they are talking to a real person. Another thing, information about the blogger is prominently displayed. People are wary, especially in our electronic age. They want to know about you before offering up a comment. Let them know who you are. (That doesn’t mean handing out phone numbers and addresses. Be cautious but as open as you find comfortable.)
has the subscription form easy to find at the top. And I subscribed! Don’t hide your light (subscription form) under a bushel if you’re looking for regular readers.
is simple, clean, and easy to navigate. Don’t have your blog so busy, or so cutsey, that it’s distracting.
has an easy-to-read font that is dark black on a white background. Reading from a computer screen is difficult enough. Don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be.
uses one striking image per post. One or two should suffice for anyone except professional photographers.
shares incidents from his/her life. Now, I’m going out on a limb with this last one. How often have you read: Give the reader something they can use; Make it about the reader; Readers won’t come back if you don’t fulfill their needs? The thing is—sometimes we can give the reader what he/she needs without stifling self. Readers want to know about you. And this blogger is brave enough to share. What readers do not want from bloggers is self-centeredness: READ MY BOOK. I AM A GREAT WRITER., etc. They do want to know your heartaches and trials. They do want to know how you handle adversity. They do want to know if you have a sense of humor. They do want to know if you can be trusted. By learning about you, they can also come away from your blog with something useful—if only a chuckle for the day. Don’t hide yourself. Let us, your readers, get to know you.

Do you have a favorite blogger? Does her/his blog share any of these characteristics?

Technorati Tags: blogging,ways to improve your blog

Marketing Our Books

2011-08-17T12:22:00.001-05:00

Kristen Lamb’s blog has some interesting insights about why traditional marketing doesn’t sell books. As a matter of fact, the title of the article is: The WANA Theory of Economics: Why Traditional Marketing Doesn't Sell Books (click to read).

She mentioned a large number of Americans do not consider themselves readers. That intrigued me and so I Googled to find out the number. Here are some of the facts I found in an article from 2009:

On average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading.

Reading scores for American adults of almost all education levels have deteriorated, notably among the best-educated groups. From 1992 to 2003, the percentage of adults with graduate school experience who were rated proficient in prose reading dropped by 10 points, a 20 percent rate of decline.

In 2002, only 52 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24, the college years, read a book voluntarily, down from 59 percent in 1992.

American 15-year-olds ranked fifteenth in average reading scores for 31 industrialized nations, behind Poland, Korea, France, and Canada, among others.

You can read the rest of the article at: Study: Americans Reading A Lot Less. The article goes on to say teen books have increased in sales, but that was attributed to the Harry Potter books, often bought by adult readers. So that may be an artificial blimp on the radar.

And, so it seems, authors have an uphill battle—promoting books to nonreaders. With authors, even traditionally published authors, forced to do so much promotion, we need to understand what sells books, even to the nonreading public, and the best means to garner success for our work. Kristen Lamb has written a book We Are Not Alone--The Writer's Guide to Social Media many writers might find useful.

Has anyone read it? Comments? Thoughts?

Technorati Tags: promotion,Kristen Lamb,Writer's Guide to Social Media,nonreaders

You Know You’re an Old Writer If . . .

2011-08-16T11:35:00.001-05:00

1. You find it easier to concentrate on your writing now by simply turning off your hearing aid.

2. You still hit the keyboard with too much force because you learned to type on a manual typewriter.

3. You would rather be typing on a typewriter instead of dealing with some of Microsoft Word’s idiosyncrasies. Why did three asterisks turn into a line? Help!

4. You still space twice after a period.

5. When you hate what you’ve just written, you get frustrated because you can’t tear the paper from the computer, wad it up, and throw it at something. (By the time you print it out, the urge is gone.)

6. You still have trouble with acronyms, as in this email to a son in college: Dear Jack, Wanted to let you know your dog, Charley, died today. LOL, Mom (Doesn’t LOL mean “Lots of Love”???)

7. You get writer’s cramp instead of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

8. You still think traditional publishing is the only way to go.

9. You don’t have to take a bathroom break while writing an exciting scene. “Depend” on it!

10. A deadline has taken on a whole new meaning.

Jump in. Join the fun by adding your own top ten!

Technorati Tags: writing,older writers,humor

Judging and Loving

2011-08-15T07:30:00.001-05:00

My husband preached last night and I thought I would share part of his sermon with you.

Probably the memory verse most people in the world can quote is “Judge not lest you be judged.” Does this say we are never to “judge” sinful behavior? Can loving people ever judge others, ever point out wrong doing? We sometimes are guilty of jumping to conclusions too quickly and that is what is being condemned by Jesus. We have heard it said, “Hate the sin and love the sinner.” The world today says, “Ignore the sin and love the sinner.”

I recently read a book based on Matt. 22:35-40. I read this book because of the cover. It said: Everything you thought and knew about Christianity will be turned upside down. When you find out how to really serve God, it will rock your world. When I read the blurb on the cover, I wondered what in the world this guy was going to talk about. He based his book on Matthew 22:35-40.

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The author said that Jesus focused on these two commandments. And that’s true, definitely true. Yet the author goes on to say that as long as we are doing it in love, we are free to live any way that we want to. That unconditional love for our fellow man means we never see faults, never point them out, and basically allow people to live any way they choose. This even extends to all sorts of sins: euthanasia, abortion, and sexual immorality. As long as it’s done in the name of love.

Yet notice something in these verses. Verse 40 says “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. All the Law. Love did not destroy the Law of the Old Testament during the life of Jesus. These verses tell us that the Law depended on Love.

Here are some more verses worldly people love to use when they say do not judge:

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 4:8-11

Worldly people say “see, Jesus didn’t judge.” But is that true? He told the woman—“from now on sin no more.” He recognized the sin. He didn’t have to point it out—that was done for him. But he did not condone the sinfulness of this woman.

To truly love like God, we must know God. How do we know God? By knowing his word.

As Christians, we are to discern between good and evil. That is our job—to warn others and to save them before it’s too late. Are we doing our job?

Technorati Tags: judging,love of God,Christian love

God’s Steadfast Love Never Ceases

2011-08-08T10:59:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, as I taught my Sunday school class, a verse jumped out at me. Genesis 39:21 says: “ But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

Have you ever felt imprisoned in your circumstances, circumstances beyond your ability to control and with no way out? Many of us have felt this way at one time or another. It could be an illness or a bad job situation or the responsibility of being a caregiver. These and many other situations may feel to us like a prison. Let’s look to this verse as an example of how to handle such times.

Notice this: “The Lord . . . gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Joseph didn’t do anything special to merit that favor. God did it for him. Even when we are going through tough times, God is giving us favor and we may never open our eyes to see it.

I don’t know the conditions of the prison Joseph was in, but they were probably horrific—little food, filthy conditions, no bed to rest on, and brutal inmates. Even with the favor of the keeper, conditions were probably worse than anything we will ever experience. Yet in the midst of his suffering—for which Joseph was in no way responsible—God helped him.

Notice also that God did not immediately release Joseph from his prison. Yet, during that long night, God “showed him steadfast love.” Often in our prisons we feel angry with God because years pass. Our spirits droop when he does not release us and we have no hope of getting out any time soon.

God has his reasons for keeping us imprisoned, reasons we may never understand this side of heaven.

Joseph trusted God and made the best of his circumstances. If he had struck out with anger to those around him, if he had become embittered, if he had sulked in the corner of his cell, he never would have had the opportunity to become second only to Pharaoh, to become one of the great men of the Bible, to save his people.

And to become an example many of us need to follow.

Yesterday, while teaching this one verse, I was the one who learned. I learned:

1. We may be suffering through no fault of our own.

2. God may allow us to spend many years within our “prison” walls.

3. God will grant us unmerited favor in the eyes of others.

4. God’s steadfast love never ceases, even when we’re imprisoned and feel forsaken.

5. We must work on our attitudes while imprisoned and not become bitter, resentful, or unkind.

6. God has a reason to keep us in our prisons. Perhaps, like Joseph, it’s to prepare us to do great things.

Imprisoned? Let go and let God --a clichéd saying, but one that is applicable. Great things await if we simply trust God!

Technorati Tags: Joseph,Genesis,Prison,Attitude,Patience,Perseverance

A Look at Brutal Truth

2011-07-27T11:33:00.001-05:00

Today I read The Dark Side of Christian Reviews by Linda Yezak. She was responding and elaborating on this from The New Authors’ Fellowship: Outside the Echo Chamber. In this post Mike Duran says: Most Christian reviewers seem to feel obligated to give good reviews to their brethren.

I agree totally with both posts.

And then I came here, to my blog, forgetting I had recently posted Brutal Truth.

Do I believe Christian Writers have an obligation to be truthful with one another? Absolutely. Yet we need to season our words with salt. We should not speak brutally as I have heard others, including myself, do at times.

We should not take delight in ripping others apart and that’s the reasoning behind Brutal Truth.

Let’s look at the inspiration for my poem:

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —

Emily Dickinson words pack a powerful punch. Yes, we must tell the truth, but notice the line “with explanation kind.” Our words should always be those of love, or else we might “blind.”

Words are powerful. Our words are powerful.

And that’s what I tried to convey in this poem:

Brutal Truth by Sheila Odom Hollinghead

Brutal truth shatters our self delusions.

Clashing cymbals

pierce as truth blinds and tears

soundless fall.

(We all know the old “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s simply not true. Words can, and often do, break hearts. Especially “truthful” words told by heartless people.)

Clashing symbols of

self shatter and delusions

soundless fall.

Truth lies content.

(“Clashing symbols of self” refers to the fact that we often have opposing views, especially writers. At times we think our words are wonderful. Other times we think they’re rubbish. I’ve personified “truth,” but this actually refers to the person who tells the “truth” with such brutality. Yes, they’re now content that they have left you broken.)

Self shattered and delusions

searingly engraved by

truth, lies contend

for fragile souls.

(The problem arises when we take something that perhaps is true and turn it into an untruth, a lie. Someone might say, “Your grammar is terrible!” True. But then we take it to mean we are terrible writers. Not true. Grammar is just the tool to get the story out. We may have wonderful story-telling abilities and that’s what makes good writers. We must evaluate critiques dispassionately and not allow them to turn us into a quivering mass, afraid to put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard.)

Searing in graves,

piercing truth blinds and tears

fragile souls.

Brutal truth shatters our self delusions.

(And, so, we go to our graves, never utilizing the talents God has given us because we have allowed “brutal truth” to tear and shred our souls, to destroy our true selves.)

The main point of my poem is this: It’s okay to have self delusions, to dream big. Plagued with self doubts, we will never try. We have to delude ourselves into thinking, “Yes, I’m a great writer.” This gives us the confidence to pick up the pen and begin to travel the path to publication. Self delusions are not always bad. They only become bad when we think we’re so great we do not need truthful input from others.

Truthful but not brutal.

So let’s “tell the truth but tell it slant”!

P.S. In a coincidence, one of those God things, I just read Industrial Strength Friends in which Ray Noah says this: There’s an interesting verse, Psalm 141:5, that says, “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me — it is oil to my head. My head will not refuse it.” The Hebrew word for kindness is “hesed”, which means loving acts of authentic friendship. We need to have people who have the freedom to be totally, lovingly truthful with us. And, by the way, we need to be that kind of friend as much as we need them.The temptation we all face is to surround ourselves with people who make us feel good but don’t help us to become righteous. However, we will never grow past our character flaws and personality weaknesses if we don’t have people speaking truth into our lives. Proverbs 15:31 says, “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.” There’s an old Jewish proverb that says, “A friend is one who warns you.” Got anyone who will warn you?

And he ends his post with this: That’s not a declaration of open season for brutal honesty, but it does speak of the vital connection between the health of our whole being and the difficult conversations needed to get us there—and God’s gift of true friendships that makes it possible. (emphasis mine)

Technorati Tags: reviews,critiques,truth,Christian

Brutal Truth by Sheila Odom Hollinghead

2011-07-21T12:55:00.005-05:00

(A pantoum based on Emily Dickinson's:
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —)

Brutal Truth by Sheila Odom Hollinghead

Brutal truth shatters our self delusions.

Clashing cymbals

pierce as truth blinds and tears

soundless fall.

Clashing symbols of

self shatter and delusions

soundless fall.

Truth lies content.

Self shattered and delusions

searingly engraved by

truth, lies contend

for fragile souls.

Searing in graves,

piercing truth blinds and tears

fragile souls.

Brutal truth shatters our self delusions.

Quotation Marks? Prepositions? Confused?

2011-06-20T23:15:00.001-05:00

Grammarian myths abound in the United States. I believe no one knows all the rules of our convoluted grammar that evolved over the years.

Some people think they know a rule and become annoyed when someone doesn’t follow “the rule.” Recently, I have seen writers buying into a couple of myths, and, while I certainly don’t claim to know all the rules, I do have a handle on these two.

First let’s examine just one of the uses of quotation marks, partial quotes. I hang my head in shame on this one. I confess I used quotations marks incorrectly for years. Finally I repented when someone had the courage to point out the errors of my ways.

This is correct:

Some people believe life is more than a “walking shadow.”

This is incorrect:

Some people believe life is more than a “walking shadow”.

A partial quotation ends with the period first and then quotation marks in the United States.

Now to move on to the next myth, ending sentences with prepositions. Even after reading Winston Churchill’s famous quote, some people still do not get it. Churchill apparently wrote the following to an editor who had changed one of his sentences: “This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.” In a misguided effort, the editor rearranged the sentence in question to avoid ending it with a preposition, infuriating Churchill. (For more information concerning the quote, check out this link: “Churchill” on Prepositions.)

It is okay to end a sentence with a preposition.

Sometimes ending with a preposition is the best way to end . . . .

“on.”

Professionalism

2011-06-14T07:46:00.003-05:00

I watch two reality shows on television and I’ve noticed something. Those who display Christ-like attitudes are the people the audience adores. Being humble, hardworking, kind, and peace-makers will win someone a million dollars or a recording contract, if the audience has their say. In other words, if the contestant displays professionalism, he/she is much more likely to emerge a winner.

Recently I read a couple of blogs that dealt with professional conduct among writers. Two things hit home with me. The first was not to be complainers. The second was for those of us who are bloggers to be consistent and professional when we post. Let me expand on these.
Not complaining, according to the blogs I read, extends even to complaints about computers, internet service, and all other electronic devices that drive us crazy. (Was that a complaint?)
It is a universal complaint among writers (and the general public, for that matter), but we are advised to keep such complaints to ourselves. What if we forget to save our work and our computer crashes and we lose weeks or months of work? We roll up our sleeves and begin again, sans complaint.

Thomas Carlyle sent his only copy of The French Revolution to a friend whose maid used it to start a fire in the fireplace. Carlyle rewrote it. The point is, people admire those who pick up the pieces without complaint and get on with the work. The Bible tells us to do all without murmuring. (Philippians 2:14)

That’s the beauty of morning pages. Pulling out a notebook and ridding ourselves of all our frustrations, and in doing so perhaps finding solutions, will allow us to approach Facebook, Twitter, our blogs, or other social networks with a smile in our words. And that can greatly impact how people see us.

The second point in creating a professional attitude pertained to bloggers. We never know who may be reading our blogs. Some agents and publishers check out blogs to see if writers they are considering are consistent and professional in their blogging. If a writer cannot meet blogging deadlines, will he/she be able to meet publishing deadlines? If the blog is filled with typos and incorrect grammar, will the blogger need enormous amounts of help?
Sometimes bloggers forget people are actually reading the words they post. For whatever reason, the majority of people reading will not comment. Therefore, we assume, no matter what the stats say, that people are not reading our blogs. We need to realize these words represent us to the public.

A blog feels very personal, like a private diary. But it’s not. I know I’ve been surprised several times when people walk up to me and mention my blog. People we never would have imagined read our words and we need to always be aware of this, especially as Christian writers.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

If we heed the words of the Bible, if we are indeed Christ-like, if we keep our words wholesome, and if we build others up, we are indeed professionals.

And that will guide us on the right path.

Technorati Tags: professionalism,blogging,writers

Branding

2011-06-07T10:16:00.003-05:00

Artists, as we’ve often been told, need to discover their brand. One way to do this is by answering questions about yourself.
Some of you may have seen the following before. I think it says a lot about how we see ourselves. These are my answers.

If I were a month, I’d be November.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Thursday.
If I were an object, I’d be an iron skillet.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be pensive.
If I were a song, I’d be “21 Guns.”
If I were a pair of shoes, I would be sturdy shoes, laced-up, covering your toes kind of sturdy. Umm . . . . steel-toed work boots?
If I were a time of day, I'd be ten pm.
If I were a planet, I’d be Venus (because Venus is covered with clouds).
If I were a sea animal, I’d be a dolphin.
If I were a direction, I’d be lost.
If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be a bookcase.
If I were a liquid, I’d be Diet Coke.
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a ruby.
If I were a tree, I’d be a Weeping Willow.
If I were a tool, I’d be a hammer.
If I were a flower, I’d be wisteria.
If I were a kind of weather, I would be fog.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a violin.
If I were a color, I’d be red.
If I were an emotion, I’d be nostalgic.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a peach.
If I were a book, I’d be David Copperfield.
If I were a sound, I’d be wind chimes.
If I were an element, I’d be mercury.
If I were a car, I’d be a 1945 red Ford pickup.
If I were a movie, I’d be Old Yeller.
If I were a food, I’d be cornbread.
If I were a place, I’d be the ocean.
If I were a material, I’d be muslin.
If I were a taste, I’d be salty.
If I were a scent, I’d be honeysuckle.
If I were a body part, I’d be hands.
What would your answers be?

Avoiding the Writing

2011-05-30T21:42:00.001-05:00

I am constantly trying to create the perfect environment to write in. I think it is a way to avoid the actual writing.

Life just ain’t ever going to be perfect.

Instead of perfection, I should be seeking discipline. A phone call, the dogs barking, a sudden headache are all excuses for me to abandon my work.

Why do I continue to do this? It’s as if I’m in a holding pattern right now. I’m wondering what is going to happen next in my writing career and I’m twiddling my thumbs instead of getting on with the next book.

I think part of the problem for me is that I’m my mother’s primary caretaker. I’m just not sure if I get a book published that I’ll be able to do the promotional aspect expected from me. I can’t leave her alone for extended periods of time. At least, I don’t think I can.

While I’m avoiding writing, I have rearranged the study and loaded up a box of books to give away.

I like the study rearranged this way. It’s much more open and I have a comfortable, albeit worn, chair in the corner. Really, I have created a perfect spot for me to write.

Besides rearranging the furniture, to get back into a proper frame of mind, I’ve begun rereading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Last week I started writing my “morning pages.” They do seem to help clear my mind.

I’ve also started keeping a journal that chronicles my writing journey. I’ve kept a prayer journal for many years, although I don’t write a prayer in it every single day, but now I intend to do so.

I’m trying to establish a routine. With a routine in place, I’m hoping the writing will flow more easily. (You know—If I build it, the muse will come.)

My new routine will consist of this. I will write my morning pages, my writing prayer for the day, and jot down some ideas in my writing journal.

(By that time the day will be over! At the rate I write, probably so.)

Seriously, I hope this will help with my frame of mind and will allow me to get some things accomplished.

In the meantime, at least my closets are getting cleaned out!

Do you have any routines for your writing?

Technorati Tags: avoiding writing,routines,discipline

Ways to Choose (and not to choose) the Perfect Book Title

2011-05-24T09:26:00.001-05:00

The titles of our books scream out to the readers. Yet what are the titles saying as they vie for attention among thousands of others? Sometimes they might be conveying messages we do not wish to convey. We need to think before we settle on a final title. Publishers can steer us in the right direction, but often we self publish and choose our own titles. The right title may be the deciding factor of whether or not someone buys our book.

I have read titles that have left me bemused, to say the least.

For example, I have read Christian book titles that may be construed as sexual innuendos. Steven Tyler is enjoying a boost in popularity right now. If you’re old enough to remember that far back, his group, Aerosmith, had a hit song entitled “Walk This Way.” The song dealt with sexual themes. If we entitle our book, Walk This Way, people may very well think it deals with pornography or at least graphic sex. We need to be careful if that’s not what we’re trying to convey.

Sometimes we try to be clever and come up with a title that is a take on something already popular. An example of this might be Rudolph’s Journey. And you know people reading the title are immediately going to think of reindeer and that’s why you chose it.

Sure, it may help pull readers in, but if the book is about a boy named Rudolph and has nothing to do with reindeer or Christmas, you may well run the risk of disappointing or even angering your readers.

Where, then, you may ask, can I find good titles? Many well-known books are titled from lines of poetry. For example, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a line from a John Donne poem.

As a matter of fact, the title of my blog was inspired by a line of poetry. Emily Dickinson wrote: I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine. And, thus, I settled on Rise, Write, Shine!

Also popular are books entitled from Shakespearian lines, such as Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.

For Christian writers, the pages of the Bible hold thousands of potential titles. My other blog is entitled Eternal Springs. This verse inspired the title:

(John 4:14)

The reason I chose this title is because springs are within us, a gift of “water” from our savior, and lead to eternity.

Another reason, however, is because “Eternal Springs” reminded me of the saying Hope springs eternal. This particular title, then, is a two-for-one.

Another source for book titles may be a main character’s name if the character name is unique. Again we need to be careful. The character may be named “Liberty” in a contemporary romance. A person reading the title may be expecting a historical.

Place names from the book may also be used especially if they have a special significance. Or an event central to the theme or words conveying the theme of the book. Jane Eyre’s Pride and Prejudice comes to mind.

Let’s be careful when choosing book titles (or blog titles, for that matter). Book titles may cause people to buy books with wrong expectations, leading to confusion or anger. Quotes, character names, place names, and themes are great sources for book titles. Titles stand out even more when they have a double meaning.

Titles take time and thought. Remember, the title is the first thing a reader sees. Let’s spend the time and energy to choose just the right title to make that all-important good first impression.

*(Disclaimer: I’m just using my blog titles as examples of ways to come up with titles. This is not to imply my titles are good or bad.)

Any titles you especially love? What are some other good sources of titles?

Technorati Tags: book titles,how to choose book titles

P.S. When doing some rearranging on my blog, I lost my followers. Thanks for those who have rejoined. If you have not rejoined, please consider doing so. Thanks!

A Response to Russell D. Moore’s “Can Romance Novels Hurt Your Heart?”

2011-05-19T15:36:00.001-05:00

Many Christian writers have read Can Romance Novels Hurt Your Heart? (click on the link to read Russell Moore’s blog to see what all the fuss is about) and have left thoughtful and passionate defenses of writers of Christian romance.

In the comment section, some people have blasted fiction in general, implying that Christians should not be involved in the writing or reading of it. This is not the first time I have heard this and, frankly, I’m getting tired of hearing Christians complaining of fiction.

In response, this is the comment I left. “Tim Downs spoke eloquently at the ACFW Conference last year about “story” (if my memory serves me correctly). He shared how Nathan confronted David. Instead of openly accusing David of murder and adultery, Nathan tells the story of the man with one ewe lamb that the rich man had stolen from him. A fictional story yet one that contained truth and a story David responded to with a broken and contrite spirit. That is the job of Christian writers of fiction–to convict the world, to prick hearts by being more true than the truth. Or, conversely, to offer comfort and compassion to those in pain. Be it sci-fi, romance, mystery, fantasy, or whatever. Are there Christian books that fall short? Sure, but all men sin and fall short of the glory of God. Christian writers are instruments in the hands of God. They must write as their consciences dictate!”

And, again, poor old Harry Potter is attacked. One person had this to say in the comment section:

I also agree that no Christians (period) should be reading the stuff market today. That includes Harry Potter, Twilight series, etc. All that does is make you yearn for the next one, take your eyes off Christ, and put your feet on the wide road.

(Some still see the Harry Potter series as an attack on Christianity. Check out this blog for J.K. Rowling’s beliefs: J. K. Rowling, a Christian?)

I have shared my beliefs about the Harry Potter books before and will do so again, I’m sure, so let’s get back to the question at hand.

Should Christians be reading fiction? Should Christians be writing fiction?

Yes and yes.

Can I get an amen?

The World’s Hottest Pepper

2011-05-03T09:27:00.001-05:00

My mother-in-law, many, many years ago, when my boys were preteens, grew what was billed as “the world’s hottest pepper.” Carl broke off a pod, took a bite and swallowed it whole, and then pretended to chew it.

Of course, both my boys, being the competitors they were, wanted a bite of the pepper. For a second or two, they chewed their bites. And then they raced for the faucet and gulped several glasses of water before their mouths cooled. It was just too much.

Only a tiny bit of that pepper is needed to season food. We don't need to bite off big chunks.

The same way, only a few select words can 'season' our writing. We do not need big chunks of description. When reading, most readers conjure up their own images. And that’s a good thing.

If they picture their Aunt Sally as the kindly old woman, the story becomes more personal.

We need to make each word count if we limit the details. Vivid nouns and strong verbs describing our characters bring them to life.

The best descriptions are those that compare and contrast by using similes and metaphors. Even if the Bible were not the word of God, it would still be the greatest piece of literature ever written, and it gives us many examples of comparing and contrasting. For fun, let's look at a few examples from the Song of Solomon. (I know many believe this is a description of Christ and the church. The Bible is filled with symbolism and thus it may well be. We'll look at it simply as descriptions of actual people.)

Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. 2:2

A comparison: his darling is like a lily; and a contrast: a lily among thorns. We're used to hearing such comparisons today, but, when this was first written, the vivid imagery was fresh, as ours should be.

Another description:

Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. 4:1-2

If we used a description like this today, readers would be pulled out of the story. One simple reason is because we're not used to seeing flocks of goats and sheep. If we were raised in the culture of the Old Testament, this descriptions would produce vivid pictures. (And it does even today, although it makes us giggle.)

Let's end with a description of the man:

His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. 5:11-12

To modern ears this description is over the top. However, it does conjure up images in our minds of a very handsome man.

Our descriptions should be like "The World's Hottest Pepper," creating sensations our readers will never forget. However, we need to remember a little goes a long way and the best way to describe is by comparing and contrasting.

Just as the coolness of the water contrasted with the hotness of the pepper, our vivid images should flow like a flock of goats on a hill.

Technorati Tags: simile,metaphor,descriptions,Song of Solomon

Symbolism

2011-04-25T22:42:00.001-05:00

I’ve been looking over my scores in the Genesis contest. One of the judges gave me a two (out of five) on this: Do inspirational elements grow organically out of character or plot? Another one gave me a three.

This surprised me. In the section I submitted, the main character discovers a place called Cedar Spring after she has had a difficult day. At the beginning of the section, I use this verse: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12

Do I have to explain the symbolism of cedar? That it was used in the building of the temple? That it was added to the burnt sacrifices? That it was used to build the Ark of the Covenant?

That it is used to symbolize Jesus.

And, of course, the clear flowing spring that brings her a feeling of peace. Surely that doesn’t need explanation?

Do the “inspirational” or “religious” elements have to be blatant in “Christian” books?

This is a YA novel, and, given the lack of Bible knowledge even among professed Christians, should I cut the symbolism?

Perhaps I need to give some type of explanation as to why this particular chapter is placed at this particular point in the book.

To me, of course, this was an inspirational element that grew from the main character’s need to find peace after two unsettling events.

Symbolism is used to add an extra depth to the words we write. But, if no one “gets it,” why even use it?

Then again, maybe one day, fifty years from now, a literature teacher will be discussing my book. She will ask her students, “What is the symbolism of the cedar tree?”

Nah, that won’t happen. Not unless it’s a Christian school.

(By the way, I know the cedar trees we have in the United States are not the same cedars mentioned in the Bible. Yet both have similar qualities. For instance, they both repel insects and both are often used in construction.)

Christians often lament the lack of “good” Christian literature being published today. And I am not saying my manuscript is better than that being published.

However, I believe “in your face” Christian elements should not be the first thing Christian judges, publishers, or agents look for in a manuscript.

On the other hand, it is certainly possible the judges knew exactly what I was aiming for when I wrote this chapter. They just didn’t believe it worked and thought it bogged down the action.

This has made me rethink the way I wrote this story.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be rethinking it and trust in the readers to “get” it, or, if they don’t get it, trust the power of the story to be enough for them to enjoy the read.

To symbolize or not to symbolize—that is the question.

Or perhaps the question is—what’s the correct way to symbolize?

Do you ever use symbolism in the stories you write?

(Somehow I lost my Networked followers. Please refollow if you have not already done so. Thanks to those who have already refollowed!)

Technorati Tags: symbolism,Christian writing

The Lessons Writers Can Learn from James Durbin

2011-04-19T09:16:00.001-05:00

I recently wrote a post about lessons writers can learn from Casey Abrams. (The link is HERE.) I must admit, though, that James Durbin is my favorite American Idol contestant. Yes, this grandmother loves the hard-rock sound of James Durbin.

And these are some lessons he can teach us writers:

James has overcome severe limitations. In an Idol interview he said, “I have Tourette’s and Asperger’s, but Tourette’s and Asperger’s don’t have me. I’m doing what I can to suppress it. It’s not who I am.” As writers,we all have limitations. However, we can write even within those limitations. We may not be able to write the next great American novel, but we can choose to write the book within us.
Another lesson for writers is the developing of a brand. For example, he wears cloth tails. When asked about it, he said he does it to stand out; to be different. We need to look for something to set us apart; something people will remember us by. And that goes for our characters also. What makes them unique? What “brands” them?
One of the symptoms of Durbin’s Tourette’s is facial tics, yet Durbin doesn’t focus on the “thorn in his side,” and shun the promotion part of the process. He knows promotion is part of the process, as difficult as that must be for him. Probably the writing profession has more introverts than other professions. We have to put away that introverted part of us, take a deep breath, and promote ourselves—facial tics and all.
James also connects with his fans by reaching out to others with similar problems. One woman wrote: “James was kind enough to send my son a wonderful message on an autographed photo, and an autographed bandana. He is amazing.” Writers need to develop connections, but let’s do it in the right way. As Christians, it’s not all about us. We need to genuinely care about others and reach out a helping hand to them.
Durbin also knows his audience—hard rockers (and grandmoms)—and is not afraid to sing hard rock songs, although a hard rocker has never won American Idol. Many people change who they are to seek fame. James sticks to his guns. We too should know who we are and become the best we can be. In other words, not write for popularity but write because of what lies within us. Be true to ourselves.
Another thing that is obvious—James has worked hard to develop his God-given talent. We need to put in the time to polish our writing—to make it the best it can be.
Lastly, James adds his own unique sound to the songs he sings. We must not just be imitators but look for that uniqueness that lies within each of us, and, again, that takes time and hard work. Writers call it “voice.” It is something that can be developed. (Two of my posts on developing voice can be found HERE.)

Will James Durbin be the next American Idol? Someone with Tourette’s and Asperger’s. A hard rocker. Not your typical American Idol winner.

Yet, despite of, or perhaps because of, his limitations, he just might be the next American Idol.

And, despite of, or perhaps because of, our limitations, we just might become whom God wishes us to be.

When updating to a new template, somehow I lost all my followers. Please re-follow! Thanks!

Technorati Tags: James Durbin,lessons for writers,branding,connections

Rambling Thoughts on Genesis Contest, Critiques, and Agents

2011-04-12T16:05:00.001-05:00

I am not a Genesis Semi-finalist and that’s okay.

This was the first writing contest I’ve ever entered and I learned some things.

Different judges view your work differently.

Why, of course, they do. (Duh! Slapping myself upside the head.) They’re people like anyone else.

That reminds me of an idea I had a few years ago. I had one of the characters in the book write my query letter. It went something like this:

Dear Agent,

I told Miss Sheila I would write this here query letter for her. Shucks, agents are just people—they put their britches on one leg at a time, less’n they’re one-legged.

Sure hope you ain’t one of them one-legged agents. Iffen you are, seeing as you’re one-legged, I reckon I can outrun you.

Some people just don’t have a sense of humor. Or perhaps my sense of humor is warped. Anyway, it didn’t garner me an agent. Not one with one or two legs. Perhaps I offended everyone. Perhaps I’m offending people now.

The thing is, you can’t please everyone. As Christians who write, our aim should be to please God. He gives the increase if we do his will.

I joined my first online critique group over fifteen years ago and guess what book was being critiqued? Thundersnow. I received conflicting advice right from the start.

One critique I remember said: “The mother is too mean.”

Guess what? I toned her down. Almost to the point that I lost my story.

Something I find difficult to understand—why do people think it’s unbelievable for mothers to humiliate and abuse their children? I see in the news a story about a mother withholding medication from her child. Unbelievable? Yet it happens.

A later critiquer told me, “Make Momma meaner. Up the ante.” While Momma is abusive, I’ve seen worse. This story is about Sarah Jane surviving that difficult situation.

Giving Momma back her meanness helped me regain my original story.

The thing is, as I’ve said, you can’t please everyone. Write your story the way you think is right.

And then worry about getting the right agent—be he one- or two-legged.

Just make sure he has a sense of humor.

Writing in First Person

2011-04-04T21:04:00.001-05:00

The book I am now revising was first written in third-person point of view. During the revision process, I changed it to first. I am now revising this new version.

Writers are often advised not to write in first person for numerous reasons.

Why, then, am I?

It feels “right.” The main character is a fourteen-year-old girl who is not me at the age of fourteen, but, perhaps, is the me I would have liked to have been. I am so close to this character that I feel like I am her. I feel like I am living her life.

I mentioned before, that as my real days warmed up, I became confused, thinking it was fall instead of spring. My revisions were at the point in the story when it was fall. My real life and my life inside of Sarah’s head became intertwined.

(No prob now because spring has sprung in the book as well as in real life.)

I am now about half-way through revising the rewrite. One problem with writing in first person is the difficulty of staying in this person’s point of view through an entire book. However, so far, I’ve only caught one point-of-view error.

It’s often a good idea to get others to look for point-of-view errors. Recently, I read a portion of a manuscript from a multi-published author with a major point-of-view error. I believe these are the hardest errors for authors to spot in their own work. Practice, practice, practice and then being critiqued is the only way I know to learn POV.

Another problems to overcome while writing first person is the tendency to begin every sentence with “I.” Here’s a sample from my manuscript:

Tears burned my eyes. I rose abruptly. “I’ll be back later.”

I didn’t look back, but I heard chairs scraping across the floor.

I hurried, jumping over the porch steps. I ran to the road. I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand. I slowed to a walk, a cool breeze cooling my hot cheeks.

I didn’t know where I was heading until I saw the path winding up the slope by the trees. Cedar Spring. I scrambled up the bank and entered into the coolness of the trees.

Wow. Twelve “I”s in that short section. That was the first rough draft. The first revision reads like this:

Tears burning my eyes, I rose abruptly. “Be back later,” I mumbled.

Chairs scraped across the floor, but I didn’t glance back. Not knowing where I headed, I jumped down the porch steps and trotted down the road. With the back of my hand, I swiped at the tears. A soft breeze blew cooling my hot cheeks as I slowed to a walk.

To the right of the road, a path wound up the slope. The path to Cedar Spring. Scrambling up the bank, I entered into the coolness of the trees.

Still quite a few “I”s, and that’s unavoidable. But now, the structure of the sentences has changed so that not as many sentences begin with “I.”

Notice this in particular: “I heard chairs scraping across the floor.” I dropped the “I heard.” Who else would hear but Sarah, the “I”? And also: “I saw the path winding up” changed simply to “a path wound up.” Who else would see the path but Sarah? So, again, the “I saw” is unnecessary.

Despite the difficulties, I believe first person helps pull your reader deeper into your story. It’s certainly pulling me deeper. What season is it again?

Critique of the revised version, anyone?

Technorati Tags: first person POV,revision,point of view

Six Lessons for Writers to Learn from Casey Abrams

2011-03-29T09:27:00.001-05:00

Who in the world is Casey Abrams, you might be wondering. If you watch American Idol, you know he is one of the contestants, arguably, the most talented musician/singer of the bunch.

And last week he was booted out by the American Idol viewers. The judges decided to use their one and only save on this talented guy. He still has hope if this experience taught him the lessons he needs to be successful, lessons writers also need to learn.

His failure proves that great talent does not necessarily equate success, and these are the reasons why:

Casey’s physical appearance is said to “resemble a Fraggle” and “something a cat barfed up.” Harsh, I agree. Yet, like it or not, we are judged by our appearances. Casey needs to be better groomed; he needs to look like a professional. This also applies to writers, who mainly work “behind the scenes.” In our case, we need to look like professionals in all aspects of our professional lives. Our work should be well formatted. Our blogs should be attractive. Our dress should be neat and clean when we meet with editors and agents. It doesn’t mean we have to look strait-laced. It simply means we need to look like we care. Unkempt appearances might convey we are just as careless in our work ethic. Why take that chance? With a little effort, we can spiffy up.
Casey does not have a target audience. Scotty has the country vote, James has the hard rockers, and Pia’s elegant beauty appeals to the guys—just to mention three of the other contestants. Who’s Casey’s target? A friend on Facebook used this as a status: Commitment to everything = Commitment to nothing. Someone responded: Or...in trying to make everyone happy, you make no one happy. Who is Casey trying to please? He needs to look within and figure out who he really is and then find his audience, find out what type of audience he wants to commit to. By trying to appeal to everyone, he is appealing to no one. And we as writers must also know who we’re performing for. And, that’s not to say to write for a specific audience. Writers should write the book within them. But, in the end, we must identify who that work is for. We may write brilliantly, but, if we have no audience, who will want to publish us?
Casey is perceived by some as arrogant. He chose to perform a Nirvana song one week and some condemned him for it. Bravery is needed to take on challenging projects. However, some saw him as parodying the song. Talented people make bigger targets. This reminds me of when Jesus said to sit in the lowly seat. In other words, don’t get too big for your britches. We can know our true value without being arrogant. We need to carefully choose our words and actions, especially as Christian writers, to convey the correct attitude of respect.
“Branding” is another area Casey needs to address. One of the judges told him he could do anything. Unfortunately, that’s not what audiences want. They want to “brand” you, label you, file you away in the recesses of their minds. If we do too many things, as Casey does--playing different instruments, singing songs in a variety of ways, we confuse people. Sometimes branding is a difficult process for writers. Fortunately, resources exist to help us determine our brand. With a little time and effort, we can develop an easily recognized persona.
The judges also had a hand in Casey’s failure. The week before, this is what Casey was told: by Steven Tyler--“I think you’re the perfect entertainer.”; by Jennifer Lopez --“You might be like ‘The Guy’ right now. You can really, really carve out a niche for yourself and be amazing.”; by Randy Jackson--“You are definitely a true original.” All great comments, right? Yet they did nothing to steer Casey in the right direction. It’s good to have “judges,” critiquers, but let’s find those who can help us grow, who are willing and brave enough to point out our mistakes. “Yes” men are never the answer. We need critique partners who will help our writing soar, even when the process may be painful.
And the last mistake Casey made was in playing up his weirdness. People like the unusual, but they like it within the confines of normalcy. Have you noticed most popular movies have elements that are easily identifiable? One example is Indiana Jones. As many know, George Lucas based the format on serials, something many of us remember well. The idea of the whip came from Zorro. (according to: The Raider.Net) Making a movie like a serial, brought us something new, something we had never seen in movies before. Yet Lucas started with the familiar. Writers, too, must have a foot in the normal as they branch out into the quirky. Otherwise, the jolt may overwhelm.

Casey Abrams serves as an example of things writers need to keep in mind. Writers need 1. to look professional, 2. have a target audience, 3. learn humility, 4. know our brand, 5. seek out knowledgeable critiquers, and 6. keep one foot in reality as we explore our quirkiness. Casey has the talent. We may have the talent. Yet all the talent in the world will not garner us the success we seek until we learn these six lessons.

Technorati Tags: branding,professionalism,target audience

Give the Lady a Ride by Linda Yezak

2011-03-28T07:51:00.005-05:00

A review by Sheila Hollinghead

A sophisticated young woman, Patricia Talbert, unexpectedly inherits a ranch from an aunt and uncle she barely knew. Because of a misunderstanding years ago, a rift developed between her now-senator father and his Texas-rancher brother. Yet now her uncle has bequeathed his ranch to his niece.

Patricia must make a decision, to sell the ranch and disrupt lives, as she planned before her arrival, or to work out a solution with the people at the ranch, people of the land, strongly rooted in the word of God. Has her time away from her roots, working for her father, the senator, destroyed her sense of integrity? Will she allow her superficial belief in God to grow or will she remain disillusioned and distrusting?

As she struggles with her conscience, she asks the attractive foreman, Talon, to teach her bull riding, a strange way for her to work through her faith. Yet the challenge allows her to see life in a new way, from atop the swirling power of a bull. And allows her to see even difficult challenges may lead to great fulfillment.

Give the Lady a Ride is peppered with characters learning from each other--learning more than how to ride a bull, learning more than love comes at unexpected times in unexpected places, but also learning to rely on the guiding hand of God.

Put on your chaps, clamp that cowboy hat down, hold on tight. Get ready for a Ride.

Give the Lady a Ride
by Linda Yezak

Available now!

The book is available at 777 Peppermint Place—Linda’s website.
And here: Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

What’s J.K. Rowling’s Secret to Success?

2011-03-26T22:29:00.007-05:00

Why are the Harry Potter books so wildly successful? To quote myself: Story trumps all. If you don’t have a compelling story, no one will want to read what you write. But, if you do not have compelling characters, no one is going to remember what you write. (from Life-changing Books -- Writing) But what makes this story different?

J.K. Rowling’s great imagination spawned a great story, a compelling story. And then she peopled the story with compelling characters. The one that springs to mind for me is Dolores Umbridge, the sadist with a penchant for frolicking kittens and tweed outfits. Even the minor characters are richly drawn, such as, Luna Lovegood, the flakiest of the flaky, Colin Creevey, Harry’s fawning fan, and Hagrid, the half-giant with a giant heart.

But, as I said before, story trumps all. Yet the characters are the underpinings of the story. To quote myself:

Movies, TV series and books dealing with the great Biblical themes of characters enduring hardships, learning to love, and willing to lay down one’s life for others will always draw people to them. People are hungering and thirsting to be spiritually satisfied but often do not know what they are hungering for. (from I Once Was "Lost")

God endows us with the desire for bravery. Yet we often feel inadequate for the tasks that lie before us, just as Harry does. Yet Harry, a skinny, average kid transcends his own puny abilities. Rowling gives him the means to test his bravery against a much more powerful foe and we devour the books to discover his fate. Harry is the underdog and most people root for the underdog.

We have seen this in other great movies and books such as Star Wars, Rocky, and Lord of the Rings, all with main characters who are underdogs, yet are able to triumph. Notice also that the hero in these stories always has a mentor. In Harry’s case, it’s Dumbledore, whom I believe symbolizes God. (see Harry Potter--Christian Books?)

And in each of these, the heroes have friends to lean on, Ron and Hermione in Harry’s case, and they usually face disastrous results when trying to go it alone.

In examing these stories we find they follow similar story lines from the Bible. One example: David, a lowly shepherd, is pitted against King Saul just as Harry is pitted against Voldemort. Yet he has guidance from Samuel and friendship with Jonathan.

We even see parallels in the greatest story, the story of God's son. Although Jesus is the son of God, he's an underdog, a lowly carpenter, pitted against the Jewish leaders and the great Roman Empire. He seeks guidance from his mentor (God) and has friends, his disciples, to help him in his work.

I think readers recognize this resemblance to Biblical stories intuitively, whether they are able to give voice to it or not. And people have longings to be like these characters. They may not want to admit they long for a father-like figure, such as Dumbledore, or the ultimate father, God. They may not want to admit they long for steadfast friends, such as Hermione and Ron, or David’s friend, Jonathan. They may not want to admit they long to be brave, even in the face of their puny abilities, as David was when facing Goliath. (They may not want to admit their abilities are puny.)

They may not want to admit they long to be part of something larger than themselves. They may not want to admit that evil exists in the world and they long to help destroy it. Yet these longings are universal, whether people admit to them or not.

God endows us with all of these longings. When a book, or in this case a series, comes along that speaks to these longings, it becomes a classic.

These, then, are the reasons J. K. Rowling succeeded:

She crafted a compelling story.

She peopled the story with compelling characters.

She explored great themes, themes we see in the story of David and other great Bible stories. Here are a few ways Harry and David are similar:

Harry and David both had mentors; Dumbledore for Harry and Samuel for David.
Harry has close friends to support and encourage him just as David has Jonathan.
Harry is an unlikely hero, an average boy who faces someone vastly stronger than himself. David is a teenage shepherd boy when he faced Goliath. And later David faces the wrath of King Saul.
Harry and David are both ridiculed by their families. (See 1 Samuel 17:28 to see David's brother's opinion of him.)
They both have times of great popularity and times when people turn against them.
They both show great courage and give their all for the sake of others

Great Biblical themes pull people into the story, whether readers recognize these themes or not, because we long to be like these characters.

Readers are looking for stories about average people, underdogs, who are facing overwhelming challenges. They are looking for stories of friendship, stories with characters of integrity, stories where people may be consumed with fear, yet still have the courage of their convictions.

J.K. Rowling has an understanding of human character, as well as an understanding of great themes, coupled with imagination that enabled her to craft a phenomenal story. And this did not spring fully formed from her brain. Much study was needed to bring the story to fruition. We can see by her body of work that she is a conscientious and diligent writer.

As Christian writers, we seek to understand the human condition. We seek to explore the great biblical themes. Most of all we seek to glorify God. How much are we willing to work to accomplish this? J.K. Rowling worked hard to learn story, theme, and character development and implemented what she learned.

The secret to her success.

We would do well to emulate her.

Technorati Tags: Harry Potter,characters,theme,Biblical themes,story,J.K. Rowling

Psalm 121

2011-03-24T23:45:00.009-05:00

Before I left for the ACFW Conference last year, I jotted some notes on the back of a sheet of paper. I stuck it in one of the zippered compartments of the bag we received and completely forgot about it.

Monday, I pulled the bag out of storage to cart supplies to my new writing place. This morning my helpful hubby stuck my junk drives into that zippered compartment before I left for “work.” When I pulled them out, I found the slip of paper I haven't seen since last September.

The notes are written on a scrap of paper that has Psalm 121 printed on it.

Did I do that on purpose? Did I print out Psalm 121 to encourage me while I was at the conference. I don’t remember.

These are the words I read:

A coincidental thing happened that makes this more meaningful. After I returned from the conference and began revising my manuscript, I decided to add a scripture to the title of each chapter.

One of the verses I used was Psalm 121:5: The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at you right hand--never remembering this was a scripture I took with me to the conference.

This is one reason I love to write. The Lord reaffirms his love, his care for me as I pound out the words.

This is the first post in the resurrection of my previous blog, Clearing Skies. I plan to focus on writing but will also post my reactions to events, places, things—whatever catches my fancy.

My Prayer:

Dear God,

You who created the vastness of the universe have everything under control. My life is in ruins when I take it upon myself to “fix” things as I have been doing. Give me the wisdom and the strength to rely on you, to trust you to guide my path. Give me the wisdom and strength to trust others on their own paths. I know you are with them and will guide them.

Great is your faithfulness. Thank you for allowing me to rediscover Psalm 121 this morning. Thank you for keeping watch over me and shielding me from all harm.

Help me to always seek to reveal you in my writing—as “foggy” as that image may be. Please clear my mind and clear my writing, and most importantly, clear me, make me transparent so that you may shine through me.

Thank you, God, for the SHINE this morning. I needed it.

In Jesus name,

Amen

QUESTION: How has God reaffirmed himself to you? Do you have a story you wish to share?

(Note: I'm keeping my posts on writing from my old blog--if you're wondering where those posts came from!)

Finding Voice

2011-03-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

Writer’s voice is defined as the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer’s use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works). Voice can be thought of in terms of the uniqueness of a vocal voice machine. As a trumpet has a different voice than a tuba or a violin has a different voice than a cello, so the words of one author have a different sound than the words of another. One author may have a voice that is light and fast paced while another may have a dark voice. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer’s_voice)

So, in other words, it’s everything thrown in, including the kitchen sink. Some writers are “good” writers in that they use correct grammar, have clear, concise writing, and, possibly, even write of interesting things, yet their voices can be interchanged with thousands of other voices.

It’s similar to American Idol. Every year I get somewhat upset because the judges pick the top twelve contestants with generic voices, voices interchangeable with hundreds of other voices. I believe with the number of people who try out, twelve unique voices should be easy to find. Many chosen by the judges may be labeled “good” singers, yet their voices are not unique.

But, perhaps I’m wrong and it is difficult to find a singer with a unique voice, even among thousands. Just as it is difficult to find a writer with a unique voice.

Why is it difficult to find unique voices among writers?

Let’s look at an analogy. Caterpillars are quite ugly creatures when they hatch out. Tiny at first, they munch leaves and grow bloated. They eat whatever they find in front of them, and when they’ve grown to a sufficient size, they enter the pupa stage. Inside the cocoon, something fascinating (and disgusting) happens. The caterpillar excretes enzymes that eat away much of the bloated body. The few remaining cells then regenerate into a butterfly. It emerges from the cocoon as a beautiful, soaring creature.

So, too, we writers munch on all the advice given to us. We grow bloated with information and misinformation. And that’s a good thing. Without the nourishment, the caterpillar would never become the butterfly. But when we have studied and learned our craft and grown as much as possible, we need to enter into a pupa stage, a stage during which we examine ourselves, our writing, and destroy the bloat, destroy that which is not essentially ours. And that takes courage. Courage to try new things. Courage to trod a different path. Courage to soar.

Soaring is scary. We’re putting ourselves out there, flying high, flaunting our colors, and it’s easy for people to target us.

Caterpillars are camouflaged with their “feet” on the ground, surrounded by many more caterpillars exactly like them. They don’t have far to fall.

But which would you rather be?

If we are brave enough, and spend enough time really examining, we will excrete those juices that will destroy the bloat (and yes, destroying our “body” will be painful). However, if we do it correctly, we will also leave a kernel of cells able to generate a much greater beauty.

And then we have to be brave enough to find a place of quiet, to allow that kernel to grow. Brave enough to prioritize our writing.

But our greatest bravery is needed when we emerge from the cocoon, unfurl our colorful wings, and fly.

Have you munched enough leaves? Have you studied the craft? Have you learned from mentors and critiquers?
Have you destroyed the bad? Have you learned to cut unncessary words? Have you learned focus? Is every sentence, every word, meaningful? Have you destroyed the "bloat"?
Have you taken time to examine yourself and your writing? Have you practiced the "basics," so that now you can add your own special touches? Have you taken the time to really think about your writing style and to let the cells grow into beauty?

If so, unfurl your wings and fly.

Ready?

Do you believe you have found your unique voice? Any insights on how you accomplished it?

Worlds Shaken

2011-03-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

Worlds Shaken

by Sheila Odom Hollinghead

The world shook, their world,
And mine.

Waves washed over lives, their lives,
And mine.

Smiles faded from faces, their faces,
And mine.

Cores melted deep within, their cores,
And mine.

Hands lifted in surrender, their hands,
And mine.

The world broke in minutes, their world,
And mine.

Their cores melt still.

Arms forever unmovable,

Raised in surrender.

Bodies forever broken,

Washed to the shore.

Their world shakes still.

My waves wash over me;

I throw my arms up in surrender

To he who mends broken lives.

The unshakable solidifies

my faith; my core

steadies and

hands clasp, to steady theirs.

Finding Voice, Part 2

2011-03-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

(Continuation of last Wednesday’s post, Finding Voice As a Writer.)

At ChristianWriters.com we delved a little further into finding voice.

Over there I asked this question:

Do you think voice can be taught? I think it's like our singing voice--we can have voice trainers, coaches, critiquers, books on the craft--but when it comes down to it, we are the ones who have to discover just what our voice is capable of.

A great response came from Scott Fields. He had this to say:

You make an excellent point here. Obviously we can be taught the fundamentals of the language as well as the elements of style. Someone can show us what "works" and what doesn't. But it can't be taught in the same sense that mathematics or chemistry can be taught. It's not so exact a science.

I like your illustration of a singing voice. If you have it, it can be improved, but you're the one who has to make the effort to see it improve. But there's a deeper aspect along that line: often times you're not the best judge of whether you're improving appreciably or not. You need other ears to listen to you and tell you when you hit an off-note, or when you need more strength in your tone, or when your voice just doesn't fit a certain song. The problem is that our voice resides and resounds inside the same space as our ears, which can interfere with our ability to objectively analyze how we sound. (Anyone who has ever watched American Idol knows this to be true. ~ Sheila)

The same is true for writers. What with our ideas residing and resounding in our own heads, we're not always the best people to see whether they work once they're on the page. We need other eyes and ears to tell us how we're doing--and we need to be willing to listen to constructive criticism offered by those who see what we're not always able to detect as clearly in our own work. In the end, that's really the only way we can be taught.

And I agreed 100% with his assessment. We do need critiquers to keep us on track. This is especially true at the beginning of our writing career. We need especially to listen to the masters, read the classics and understand why they are classics.
I went on to say this:

Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We absolutely need our fellow Christians to teach, support, and encourage us, but ultimately it's up to us to work out our own salvation.

In the same way, writers need teachers and mentors along the way, but ultimately it's up to each writer to work out his/her voice. If we listen too long or too intently to others, we may wind up losing our voice.

I remember reading a story when I was a child. The teacher explained step by step how to fashion a cow from clay. One child made "adjustments" along the way. At the end, all the cows made by the students looked the same except the one belonging to the brave child who listened to his inner voice. And he shaped a much better-looking cow in the end.

But his cow would not have been the best unless somewhere along the line he learned what was needed to build the "basic" cow.

Each person is unique. Some of us require decades of study. Some learn as a child. But each must learn to build the "basic" cow and then we can add our own touches to make it our unique voice.

The voice of a writer is developed by outer forces as well as the uniqueness our creator endowed us with. It only makes sense to take advantage of the many opportunities around us to learn our craft and practice it. Somewhere along the way our unique voice will find its way into our writing. And “better cows” will be made.

P.S.
Can you believe this was a story in one of our reading books? What were the teachers thinking? Oh, right—that we needed to grow up to be independent thinkers!

Making Changes in Writing Routine

2011-03-23T01:08:00.001-05:00

Finding a proper writing workplace, proper goals, and, most important, a proper attitude can be a challenge. Some people can write in the midst of a bustling family life. Some people eke out fifteen minutes throughout the day to write while stuck in traffic or while the baby naps—whenever they find the time.

Some people have the drive necessary to keep going, no matter the obstacles.

Unlike me.

I need a place of solitude in which I can hear my own thoughts. A place I can organize my days, weeks, and months.

I’ve decided home is not the best place for me to do these things. There’s a place only five minutes from my home where I am free from all distractions, including the internet. I have a table where I can spread out all my material. I have electricity and a roof over my head.

Everything I need. Writers don’t need much to write.

Sometimes I wish we did. Like an artist with his array of brushes, canvases, and other supplies. I like the idea of having a case to open, sort of like a treasure chest. And from it withdraw the tools needed to create.

All we need nowadays is a computer and our fingers.

Of course, we can gather up materials if we want to create a story board or a collage. But actually our needs are simple.

And a simpler technology is to use pen and paper. I used to think I was more creative with pen and paper, but now I’ve gotten used to pounding out words on the keyboard. And it saves the trouble of of transcribing my horrible writing. Cuts out the middle man. Saves time. Saves paper. Saves me from writer’s cramp. (Now I just have to worry about carpal tunnel syndrome.)

Needing only a laptop gives us the freedom to seek out the new places.

I’m giving this place a try:

Day One--I managed to write seven hundred words in an hour and a half. I did have to do a little research—looked up some scriptures in the Bible. I plan to work for six hours. I think it’s possible I could write five hundred words an hour; three thousand words a day. That would be sixty thousand words a month. Possible and I have accomplished that during National Novel Writing Month. But I think I will set a goal of two thousand words a day; ten thousand words a week; forty thousand words a month. I like to accomplish my goals and I don’t want to set myself up for failure.

Day Two I spent working out kinks in Microsoft Word 2007. I still managed to get quite a bit accomplished—much more than I would have at home.

Time for me to roll up my sleeves for Day Three and “dig my wells.”

What changes have you made in your routine? How have the changes helped you? Have you found a quiet place to write, free from distractions?

Have the Right to Be King

2011-02-24T23:02:00.002-06:00

A lion and a tiger were drinking beside a river when the lion let out a huge roar. The tiger said, "Why do you roar like a fool?"
"That's not foolish," said the lion, with a twinkle in his eyes. "They call me king of all the beasts because I advertise."
A rabbit heard them talking and ran home. He thought he'd try the lion's plan, but his roar was just a squeak. A fox came to investigate and ate the rabbit for lunch. The moral of the story: When you advertise, be sure you've got the goods and can deliver them. (from a friend’s Facebook status)
I read this and thought how aptly this ties to writing. A writer can get out there all day long, pushing their book, giving away bookmarks, pencils, etc., but unless they deliver the goods, the book is not going to sell.
Well, sure, if you push it enough it will sell a few copies. But it’s not going to be a bestseller.
I think as writers we need to spend more time on producing good quality writing instead of promotion. When we get that right, when we have “the goods,” then we can roar.
If we’re like the poor rabbit, critics will eat us alive.
Short post today. I need to get some sleep. I’m to have two MRIs tomorrow, back and brain. And have a dear friend’s funeral to attend.
Appreciate all prayers!

Writing Advice? From Me?

2011-02-22T22:45:00.002-06:00

It’s Moonlight Wednesday. I call it this because this is the day I normally post something about my writing, and, just as the moon reflects the sun, I hope my writing reflects the SUN. On Wednesdays I’ve been discussing, on and off, one of the novels I have written.
I generally do not discuss the craft of writing. I am unpublished. And, although I’m fifty-seven, I do not have a large body of even unpublished writing to my credit.
So who am I to give writing tips?
I do have some credentials. I almost have a minor in English. Doesn’t that make me an expert? I have been a voracious reader for most of my fifty-seven years. Doesn’t that make me an expert? I took one creative writing class. Doesn’t that make me an expert? I have read Writer’s Digest for fifteen years or so. Doesn’t that make me an expert? I have read many books on the craft of writing. Doesn’t that make me an expert?
Nope. None of that makes me an expert.
However, I’m not afraid to critique others. It’s something I do now every time I read a book. It’s something I do now every time I see a movie. It’s something I do now every time I read anything. (And I annoy my husband as I analyze every story. I usually try to keep quiet, but when I see something that is just so wrong, it’s hard not to speak up.)
Perhaps that makes me an expert. The craft of writing has become so engrained I automatically see “problems.” Just as an architect automatically judges buildings he sees. Or an interior designer automatically addresses the “problems” he sees in a home. Or an artist automatically sees “problems” within a painting. Or singers or musicians hear “problems” when someone sings.
No, no. I’m just an amateur, a newbie still learning the craft and still making mistakes.
But, I’m still going to throw in my two cents here. Expert or not. (I often wonder if there are any true experts in creative writing.) Anyway, I’ve noticed a problem with many books I have read lately and I would like to address it.
The problem is lack of focus. I wonder if these writers outlined their books. The books are so unfocused—so cloudy. I’m not saying outlining is strictly necessary—at least, I’m not saying it’s necessary when you begin writing.
I have seen so many writers who are proud to be pantsers, that is, seat-of-the-pantsers. They love to sit down and just write and let the characters lead them where they may, discovering the story as their characters reveal it.
And there’s nothing wrong with that approach. I know it’s fun. However, after the fun, it’s time to get serious. Focus your story.
What’s its meaning? Why are you writing this particular book? What’s the theme? Once you know the answers to those questions, go back and outline your book.
Outline when you’ve finished writing the first draft? Yes.
And think about each chapter. No. Think about each scene. Perhaps a character in your book led you down a rabbit trail. Delete that scene if it’s leading nowhere. File it away somewhere. Perhaps it will fit in another book.
But keep this book focused. Perhaps eliminate too many subplots. Perhaps rearrange chapters. Don’t get hung up on a beautiful piece of writing. If it doesn’t follow your theme, junk it. Make your meaning clear.
Think, fellow writers, think. And when you’ve thought your book through, think some more.
And stay focused.
Clear those skies. Let the SUN shine!

Technorati Tags: writing,focus,outlining