Author: Cherrilynn Bisbano - Managing Editor A3

A3's Managing Editor Host, Genre Chat. Junior Agent for Cyle Young
Winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. Published in MTL, Christian Rep and other online Magazines, Cherrilynn strives to write for the Glory of God. Currently, she is working on a series of non-fiction books and a YA mystery novel with her son. She is a Speaker with “WomenSpeakers.com” and “By Design Ministries". Cherrilynn resides in East Greenwich, RI with her husband and 15-year-old son, both named Michael; her M&m's.

Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage/Screen: Part 2

In our first article, we looked at how research was vital to prepare any director to present a script onto the stage or screen. Before an audience ever sees any kind of finished product, or really before the first rehearsal even begins, the director is faced with four major responsibilities. These four responsibilities include Research, Scripting, Reality, and Moments. This second column will explore how to read between the lines of any script to get the message intended for the audience.

Scripting

[bctt tweet=”As a producer or writer seeks a director to put their ideas into a visible reality” username=””], there is always the early meeting where many things are discussed. The first thing to be communicated is the basic theme of the play or musical. Once the director is intrigued, a script is usually given. The script is the playbook from which all decisions are made. The script gives you the basic who, what, when and where and now of any production. Yet, all questions are not answered and that is where the author usually gives the director interpretive control of what is produced. There are some writers who retain tight control of their intellectual property. One example is J. K. Rowling who had power over almost every decision of the Harry Potter series. But, in most cases, the writer takes a backseat to those putting up the money (the producers) and the director who interprets the script.

The director is given a wide range of discretion when putting the words of an author on stage or screen. Take for example the script of Jesus Christ Superstar. In one of the first act’s great songs, Mary Magdalene sings “I Don’t Know how to Love Him”, while Jesus is asleep. The stage directions say that Mary is unconditionally in love with Jesus.  Every stage production I’ve seen has Jesus asleep while she sings.

What is different is Mary Magdalene’s approach to the song. In the original 1973 movie, Mary is nearby Jesus and you are not sure if Mary is in love with Jesus as a man or as a follower. In the 2000 movie version, Mary is almost fondling Jesus as he sleeps. There is no doubt that her love for Jesus is merely sexual in nature. In a national touring Broadway production, Mary lies down on top of Jesus at the end of the song as the lights faded on the scene. Here, it is implied that Jesus and Mary Magdalene have relations.

So, which is the right approach? Which director was correct in their interpretation of the script? To answer that question, you would have to ask Andrew Lloyd Webber himself. In an interview, less than a year old, Mr. Webber mentions that Mary Magdalene does fall in love with Jesus, the man. So, was our first director mistaken? The simple answer is no. The romance was implied through the subtle direction rather than taking a tree branch and hitting us over the head to make that statement like our last example.

This is where good research comes into play. IS there any historical evidence that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ had anything other than a master/follower relationship? These answers then will lead you to our third responsibility of reality versus implied situations. We will focus on this aspect in our next article.

[bctt tweet=”Characters have personalities and certain characteristics that must be shown consistently on stage.” username=””] You need to keep focus where focus needs to be. Sometimes the stage directions need interpreting or need clarification. That is where a smart director will keep the focus on what is most important to the plot of the script.

Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, presents a short live-action presentation of Beauty and the Beast. Gaston urges the villagers to hunt down the Beast, but there is one man who is visibly struggling with this decision. A woman tries to get this villager to resist joining the mob. All this is happening while Gaston is singing, “Kill the Beast.” I watched the exchange between the wife and man instead of Gaston. I do not know if they intended to distract from the main singer, but obviously there was a message that the director wanted to get across. These are the kind of decisions made each day by directors all over the world. All of these possibilities can be interpreted through the script or libretto. Though the writer created the script, the director becomes the storyteller. [bctt tweet=”What story and messages are you planning on delivering to your audience?” username=””] Only you can answer that question as you prepare for your first rehearsal.

Dr. Jim Tippins is currently President of On the Edge Productions, Inc., a resource for Christian scripts and minister aids. An award winning author, Dr. Tippins is proud to share the stories that God has laid on his heart. He has produced, written, and directed scripts, musicals, reviews, and plays all over the country. He has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Overture Opera Company, Theater of the Republic, Swamp Fox Players, Community Choral Society, Florence Symphony and Long Bay Symphony. To see resources and more information, please visit,

www.ontheedgeproductions.org. Or join his blog at drjimtippins.com

Categories
Guest post archive Uncategorized

Not My Baby- Hope Bolinger

“Sorry, but I can’t make those changes to my manuscript. It’s my baby.”

We cling tight to our books, our babies, in fear that the red pen of death will not force our little infants to bleed out. But, often we forget babies must, in fact, grow up . . .

Any trip to a grocery store, airplane, or just about anywhere plagued by the sounds of shrieking children can hint at what most offspring lack today: good discipline. The same goes for manuscripts. Of the dozens of proposals I will review in a given month, several of these coddled “babies” lack good discipline – clean editing, structure, and pacing.

How often do we fail to realize the publishing realm exists in a professional adult world? It’s tough; it’s selective, and it cannot (nor does it have the time to) bear any childish behavior from a manuscript.

For your book to survive, consider the following disciplinary actions:

Bed Time: Proper Pacing

Often, we do not encounter proposals who go to bed too early (chapters which drag). Frequently, I will face tongue-tied, jumping-on-the-bed-at-late-hours, speedy reads that try to incorporate the villain, climax, and all the main characters in the first three pages.

Pause. Breathe.

Let the mystery build as the narrative progresses. Seep in details, like glimpses and visions children see in dreams. Give the child a moment to rest, to sleep. When she wakes, she’ll be well-rested, energized, and ready for that plot twist. The readers will be, too.

Mr. Manners: Copy Editing

A poorly-edited manuscript is like a screaming child on his knees by the candy display at a register, we don’t want to listen to it.

Handfuls of proposals had brilliant ideas, fantastic platforms . . . but they forgot basic grammar taught in middle school classrooms. Direct address commas would disappear. Sentences would miss articles such as “a,” “an,” or “the.” Stupid stuff – enough to make or break an author and his or her baby.

Sparing the Rod: Overdoing Edits

            There is something to be said about suffocating a child with exasperation. Some authors can edit a manuscript to death, dressing it in starch outfits and praying its rebellious middle school phase will never come along. Stiff children (who do not move in fear of reproach) with vacant eyes can scare off a publisher, too. If the narrative starts to sound like Google translate generated the words, you ought to reconsider your punitive tactics.

In Summary

If you love your baby, let it go – and let it grow.

Hope Bolinger is a professional writing student at Taylor University and intern at Hartline Literary Agency. Over 80 of her works have been featured in publications such as Christian Communicator and Church Libraries. She has also been featured in a handful of anthologies and has had a recent memoir she wrote about a WWII veteran published by Taylor University Press.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Setting Versus Dialogue

“It was a dark and stormy night.” One of the most famous opening lines of literature comes from Edward Bulwer-Lytton and has been parodied or used many times since its first printing.

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.” Here is another well-known first line taken from the modern-day YA novel “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan.

Which of these two hooks grabs you? Your answer might give a clue to what kind of writer you are.

The first line establishes a basic setting in just a few words. The second hook comes across more as dialogue since the character is speaking directly to the reader. Which spoke to you—the setting or the dialogue?

Many writers are either naturally talented at establishing setting or have an innate sense of the flow of dialogue, however, some struggle with gaining a balance between the two. It is particularly important for fantasy and sci-fi writers to know which of these is their strength. Since many fantasy and sci-fi worlds take a good amount of description, oftentimes dialogue can take a back seat.

How can you master this balanced tension of setting and dialogue? First, you’ll need to pinpoint which category you reside in. The next time you sit down to write, ask yourself: Do I see the setting in minute detail? Can I see every speck of world that surrounds my characters? Or, do I hear the dialogue first? Do my characters often come into focus while the background goes blurry? Whichever side feels natural is probably the area in which you are strongest. You now have a starting point to hone your craft.

Once you’ve established where your strength lies, you can begin the process of improving your weaker side. Sit down and create a chapter in the same way you usually do. Let it rest for a day. Then come back and read the whole thing out loud. Ask yourself: Can I see the setting? Is the background described with enough detail that I can feel the mood of the scene? Also, is the dialogue natural? Do I rely on only a line or two of dialogue to convey my message, or can I add to it to show the reader the interaction, instead of just telling them? Rewrite your chapter, read it aloud again, then repeat the process.

It may sound tedious, but after a few rounds, you’ll naturally add that needed setting or dialogue during your first draft, which will make less work later on. You may not get it right the first time, but being aware of your weakness will help you become better at your craft.

Setting and dialogue are equally important within any story. Fantasy and sci-fi writers can learn to establish not only a fantastical setting but to round out the story with exceptional dialogue, as well. After all, an eloquently written backdrop needs effective characters—and words between them—to keep the reader invested.

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com

Categories
A Pinch of Poetry

What is blank verse? – Darlo O. Gemeinhardt

What is blank verse? Blank verse doesn’t recognize a rhyme scheme but it does adhere to a developed metrical pattern called iambic pentameter. Each line of verse has five metrical feet consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable.

Blank verse was introduced by the Earl of Surry in 1540 when he published a translation of the second and fourth books of Virgil’s Aeneid.

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus more commonly referred to as Doctor Faustus written by Christopher Marlowe and first performed in 1592 is a prime example of blank verse.

The Emperor speaking:

     Wonder of men, renowned magician,

Thrice-learned Faustus, welcome to our court.

This deed of thine, in setting Bruno free

From his and our professed enemy,

Shall add more excellence unto thine art,

Than if by powerful necromantic spells

Thou couldst command the world’s obedience.

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor. Faustus, ed. by John Hollander and Frank Kermode, The Literature of Renaissance England, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973)  Scene XI, Lines 48-54

John Milton’s Paradise Lost, is another example of blank verse. It is divided into twelve books and of course is written in iambic pentameter.

He ended, and his words replete with guile

Into her heart too easy entrance won.

Fixed on the fruit she gazed, which to behold

Might tempt alone, and in her ears the sound

Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregned

With reason, to her seeming, and with truth;

John Milton, Paradise Lost, ed.by John Hollander and Frank Kermode, The Literature of Renaissance England, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973) Book IX, Lines 733-738.

Look at “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson it too is written in blank verse.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough

Gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades

Forever and forever when I move.

Alfred,Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses”  ed.by M. H. Abrams, General Ed, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, rev (New York: W. W. Norton & Company,1968) p.842.

Additional reading:

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Macbeth

Robert Frost’s “Mending Walls” and “Birches”

How to Write a Blank Verse Form

  1. Observe the world around you and let it inspire you.
  2. Train yourself by reading and listening to poetry.
  3. Write for a specific reason. Don’t be afraid to tap into your emotions.
  4. Carefully choose your words.
  5. Use concrete images and vivid descriptions. Avoid cliches.
  6. Don’t let yourself fall into free verse.
  7. Read your poem out loud.
  8. Edit and share.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes MG novels and the occasional poem.

She spends a good portion if each day taking care

of twenty-five dogs. That’s why she believes, “There’s

a Story in Every Dog.”

www.fromthedogpen.com

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

MAGAZINE ARTICLE IDEAS INSPIRED BY CHARLIE BROWN

“Wah wah woh wah wah” Is all I hear at times. I feel like Charlie Brown, a blockhead.  My brain refuses to think.  Does that happen to you when you are trying to come up with article ideas?  Well, Charlie Brown never gave up and neither shall I.

Writer’s block is a common occurrence.   So how do we brainstorm ideas to keep magazine editors interested in our articles and not pull the football out from under us when we try to punt?

As Charlie Brown helped his little sister Sally do her homework, I have received help from many amazing writers.  Here are just a few of their suggestions to keep the creative juices flowing.   I have narrowed them down to three block buster activities: read, listen and observe.

Read

Read magazines.  Chose a favorite. Read it cover to cover before you submit an article or query. Magazines have a target audience. Each magazine has a rhythm to it.  Make sure you express the voice of that magazine.  Ask yourself, “What would I like to read in this magazine”?  Research their archives to see if an article exists.  Even if it does, you might have a different point of view on the topic.  Step up to the plate and pitch your idea. You may get a home run.

Read magazines that don’t interest you.  I now read Trade Magazines.  These are periodicals that are specific to a company or organization.  While I read one of these publications I got an idea. I submitted an article, and they published it.

Read the Newspaper.  It has current news upon which you could expand.  It also contains press releases on books and events. Find a good press release feed or website to keep up with current information. They can be a solid source of article ideas.

Blog and blog comments– Your blog may have great ideas for a magazine article.  Comments on your blog may give ideas also.   Follow blogs in the area of your writing expertise for inspiration.

Google Alerts–   Set an alert for each keyword on the topics that interest you. When you are alerted, don’t read the entire article. Scan the titles to see the popular topics.  Many great article ideas are birthed by using Google alert.  Here is a link for more information on Google Alerts.

http://google.about.com/od/personalizegoogle/ss/createAlertSBS.htm#step1

Books will give great insight for articles.  Read fiction, non-fiction and even children’s books.

LISTEN

Listen to TV or radio talk shows so you can have your finger on the pulse of what is popular and trending.  Watch morning shows or popular television talk shows for current ideas.  Radio is a great source to get the brain working.  Talk radio will give you an inside ear to what issues concern people.

Listen to webinars or podcasts on topics that intrigue you.  There are many free audio downloads on line.

Listen to conversations around you.  God has placed a variety of personalities, cultures, and opinions on this earth.   Go to the mall, coffee shop or sit on a bus and just listen.  You will be astounded by all the ideas.

Observe

Observe Surroundings.  Nature, people, and situations are a wealth of ideas.  I watched a bird hit my kitchen window and get knocked out.  My husband picked him up.  The warmth of my husband’s hands and the fear the bird must have felt gave life and flight to this little chickadee.  I can think of at least three articles I can write about the situation.  I bet you can think of one right now.

Personal experience.  Don’t ignore your daily routine.  There are great stories in the mundane.  We all experience similar situations in life, but we all don’t tell the story the same way or live it out with the same emotion.  A unique point of view makes for great reading.

There are many ways to brainstorm ideas.  Charlie Brown went to his friends Linus and Lucy for advice.  He contemplated the world as he listened to Schroeder play Beethoven.

We all need friends that can help us.  A friend like Snoopy who fights the battle for us.  Through prayer, he keeps the Red Baron from attacking our mind.  We need to stick together as a writing community and celebrate one another’s success.  We must give encouragement to one another when Writer’s block hits or our article does not get published.  Remember what the other Peanuts did when Charlie Brown picked a horrible Christmas tree?  They gathered around and made it beautiful.

One of my go to teachers is Edie Melson. Check out her post. “Tips for Catching and Storing Writing Ideas,  right here on A3.  She is one of the amazing writers that I mention in my article.  http://www.almostanauthor.com/tips-for-catching-storing-writing-ideas/

She continues to teach me daily through her blog The Write Conversation.

www.TheWriteConversation.com

How do you get ideas for writing?

Please share in the comment section. I look forward to learning from you.

 

Categories
Bestsellers

Best Selling Author-Stephanie Collins

Can you share a little about your recent book –

With Angel’s Wings is a true medical drama/unconventional love story. It is a memoir focusing on my unexpected introduction to and intense initiation into the world of special needs parenting.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

I think my second daughter, Sarah (“Hannah” in the book), was probably about 6 months old when I began writing therapeutically. In what felt like the blink of an eye, I had gone from being a young woman wrestling with a temperamental marriage to a single mother of an asthmatic, autistic toddler and an epileptic infant in heart failure. There was suddenly an overabundance of OMG moments, WTH moments, and “just hold your head in your hands because you can’t even remotely believe this is happening” moments. It all felt so surreal that I thought maybe writing it down would help me sort out my feelings and help me better cope with it all.

Other people (specifically nurses and therapists who were in our home, working with the girls) began to read what I had written. Multiple people said things like, “Wow, I’m working with another family right now, and I’m certain the mom is struggling with the feelings you wrote about here, but she doesn’t seem comfortable sharing her thoughts. I think she’s ashamed of her feelings or afraid to open up, and I think reading something like this would really help her to know she’s not alone…that the way she’s responding to what life is throwing at her right now is only natural.” After many similar comments, I decided to take a deep breath, close my eyes, and bear my exposed, bleeding heart to the world. I figured if sharing my tale would help just one family facing similar challenges, my fear of criticism from the rest of the reading world would all be well worth it. Meanwhile, anyone at all curious about our very different “lifestyle” would have an opportunity to take a few steps alongside me in the early days of my journey.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract?

Because I had no intentions of publishing, I had no reason to rush with my writing. Once I made the decision to share our story, however, it took me about a year to finish it up and prepare to send it to a publisher. I found a website called “Pubmatch.com”, where publishers list what types of works they are looking for and their requirements for consideration. I was extremely lucky to find a fantastic editor/publisher right away, and the rest of the publication process took about a year from that point.

How long does it take you to write a book?

To directly answer your question, this book took 18 years from start to finish.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

I just wrote whenever I had a moment. Sarah had a pretty bad sleep disorder, so there were plenty of wakeful wee hours of the morning, in which writing helped to keep me awake. After that, I became a pediatric nurse and I worked the 11 PM to 7 AM shift. Once again, whenever things got slow, writing was a good way to keep me [awake and] occupied while my patients slept.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

Nope. I don’t even really see myself as a writer. I’m just a mom who had a story that I couldn’t keep contained. I simply write from the heart. That being said, however, I’ve found the best way to think about what I want to write in my monthly blog and how I want to write it, is to go out for a brisk 3 to 4 mile walk. All my best ideas are found out on the roads.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

A mother of a toddler boy who happens to share the same diagnosis as my second daughter reached out to me via social media a few years ago. She happened to stumble upon my book and read it throughout one of her son’s many hospitalizations. She said that before she read With Angel’s Wings she thought for sure nobody could possibly understand how she was feeling. After reading it, she went out and bought more copies to hand out to her family, in hopes that if they could understand me in the book, they’d better understand her. That was my first response to my book from a fellow special needs parent, and it was exactly the type of response I had hoped for. We still keep in touch.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

Well, I don’t think anything about the writing process could have even come remotely close to matching the darkness of the days I wrote about. There are sections that still make my stomach roil when I read, sections I still can’t read without crying.

Which of your books is your favorite?

Pretty easy to answer this one, since there’s only one! I must say, though, that I’m really having fun writing my monthly blog, which is something of a continuation of the book’s epilogue.

Who is your favorite author to read?

Boy, there are so many amazingly talented authors out there – all of whom I LOVE to read – that I don’t think I can narrow my favorite down to just one. Right now, however, I am a massive fan of A.M. Manay, author of the supernatural November Snow trilogy, (book one is “She Dies At The End”). I could geek out for hours discussing the genius of that series!

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened too?

My number one advice to any new author is to invest in a REALLY good editor. Trust me; it’s money well spent. Beyond that, I would suggest getting involved in author support groups. There’s lots of GREAT advice out there from very supportive, seasoned authors that any new author can benefit from.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qIzVr6

Author Bio:

As it is a memoir, anyone who reads With Angel’s Wings (along with the epilogue included on the book’s website and my blog) will have a pretty good idea about who I am.  I am a mother of four.  Catherine (“Emily” in the book), 24 has high-functioning autism with mild to moderate cognitive delay. Sarah (“Hannah” in the book), 21, has a rare genetic disorder, Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome (history of 7 heart defects, non-verbal, non-ambulatory, incontinent, exclusively G-tube fed, seizure disorder, and profound mental and physical delays – she weighs 50 pounds and is the cognitive equivalent of about a 6 to 9-month-old). Will, 14, has severe ADHD and dyslexia, and Ellie, 10 – who I described for years as my [finally!] “typical” child [albeit with something of a princess complex] – was diagnosed in the third grade with ADHD/dyslexia (although, a significantly milder case than Will’s).  I have a 4-year degree in psychology and a 2-year degree in nursing.  I worked for approximately 10 years as a registered nurse on the medical unit at Seattle Children’s Hospital, but gave up my career to focus on the growing needs of my family. When I was 40 I set out to get rid of the 10 souvenir pounds I had collected from each of my 4 pregnancies. In the process, I found my inner jock, and I now love to walk, run and I’m addicted to Zumba. Other than that, I read every minute I can.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Dos and Don’ts of Magazine Article Writing

“Me, write for magazines? Never. I barely have the energy or expertise to write my book, let alone write for a publication. I am still re-learning paragraph structure, verb tenses and comma placement. I can’t even think about writing for a magazine.”

My entire attitude changed after attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I learned that there are thousands of Trade publications, children’s magazines and online companies looking for writers like you and me. The good news; we don’t have to be English teachers or New York Times Best Sellers to get published. We just have to be persistent.

Here is a short list of Do’s and Don’ts to get you started:

Do

Pray- God knows your writing style and will guide you to the perfect magazine that needs your talent. He will even help you pick the topics.  He may want you to write for Cat Fancy or National Geographic. Whatever the magazine, God will equip you for it. You may or may not write for a Christian publication.

Brainstorm. Make a list of topics to write about. You know more than you think. List jobs, classes, and previous education. Have you taken a specialized class? You can write about that. In my next article I will give you resources and ideas to find writing jobs.

Research Magazines– What magazine do you want to write for?   Study the magazine.   Research which editor to contact.   The more you know the voice of the magazine, the more likely you are to see your article in that magazine.

Learn to write a Query letter-A query letter is a formal, one-page letter, to propose writing ideas. It could also be called your pitch. There are many great free resources online to learn how to write a good query letter.   To get you started, check out www.freelancewriting.com.   A good Query letter will get you noticed, so do take the time to write it well.

Enjoy the process– The thought of writing for a magazine overwhelmed me. Am I good enough? Do I have anything to say? So far, the process has been amazing. I have met new people who have helped me and encouraged me.

Don’t

Get stuck in the learning process– Cecil Murphy and Jerry B. Jenkins are well-known award-winning writers. They are constantly striving to be better writers by reading books on writing and talking to other writers. Imagine if they’d waited until they thought they’d perfected the skill of writing?

Focus on weakness– We all have areas in our writing that are weak. Work on those areas; don’t be so consumed by them that you overlook your strengths.

Say no to an offer– You may be asked to write about a subject you know nothing about. With the World Wide Web at your fingertips you can research the topic. That is what I did for this article. It was fun and well worth the time.   The only time to say “No” is if it goes against your belief or you truly cannot do the topic justice even after researching.

Give up- The writers who succeed are not necessarily the best writers, but they are persistent. You will receive many rejections. Don’t take them personally. It is a business decision, not a personal attack. Some of the best article writers have a drawer filled with rejection letters.

Having your work in a magazine is an obtainable goal. In the next few articles we will discuss “How to write a Query letter”,” Resources to find writing jobs” and “Social Media tips for the Writer”

[bctt tweet=”“Me, write for magazines? Never.” #magpub #freelance #writer” via=”no”]

 

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Writing With Disability -Featuring Writing of The Holy Bible – Part Three:

Overcoming a disability concept with a man writing the word Disability on a virtual interface and then crossing through the - Dis - with a red marker pen as a motivational call to overcome adversity.

 

King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah: Inclusion of Their Sick and Crippled

Picture a playground of children picking teams for a game. One by one team captains choose their teammates. Waiting to be called. in clear apprehension, is the child with red scaly patches on their knees and elbows.

There is a chubby kid who wears glasses looking off into the distance. The child with an obvious physical handicap, malformed knuckles, and webbed fingers expects to be last. A child with a vocal tic knows those who mock her will ignore her. The boy who stutters feels the same as does the one too shy to make eye contact. The unfortunate world of exclusion.

Inclusion means to allow to be a part of something. [1]Merriam Webster’s online dictionary defines it this way in selections one and four:

  • (1) the act of including: the state of being included
  • (4) the act of practice of including students with disabilities in regular school classes.

The story of David in the Bible is a favorite of mine because it is to me, the embodiment of inclusion. You may be familiar with the David, a shepherd boy, wearing no armor, who slays the giant Philistine, Goliath, using a sling shot and stones. There’s more to the story of David than the shepherd boy and his mighty slingshot.

The Prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to choose a man from the house of Jesse who would one day be king. Jesse had many sons, but The LORD gave Samuel specific directions. Each man was presented and had worthy qualities, The LORD said no:

“But the Lord told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks in the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7 NIV]

Jesse did have another son, he was young, and out tending sheep. Samuel requested he see him and when he was brought up from the fields, The LORD spoke to Samuel saying this was the son he should anoint to be the future king. David had the heart the LORD wanted.

David played many roles. He was a shepherd, a musician that played to soothe evil spirits afflicting King Saul, a warrior that fought for Saul’s army, and later crowned King.

One of King Saul’s sons, Jonathan, was also David’s friend. David made a promise to Jonathan that he would provide and care for his family should anything happen to him, his father the king, or his brothers. King David then kept his promise to Jonathan when he inquired if anyone of the house of Saul survived to whom he could show kindness.

Through Saul’s former servant, Ziba, David discovered Jonathan indeed had a son living. His name was Mephibosheth. “Ziba answered the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan, he is crippled in both feet.’” [2 Samuel 9:3 NIV]

Mephibosheth’s nurse saved him at the age of five running away from people who wanted to kill all remaining relatives of Saul. She dropped him and his feet were crippled.

To wonder why it was important for Ziba to tell King David Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet isn’t hard to understand. The sick, crippled, and diseased were shunned, excluded, and made to live away from those without afflictions. We can read Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet twice within the twelve verses of this short chapter.

At the time King David made his request Mephibosheth was in his forties, married, and rearing a son. He lived in a place named Lo Debar, the name meaning land of nothing.

Mephibosheth viewed himself unworthy and devalued. These feelings are recognized along with probable low self-esteem and low self-confidence. Mephibosheth arrives and stands in front of King David to receive an offered inheritance and a place at King David’s table as part of the family forever.

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?” [2 Samuel 9:8]

Mephibosheth despite mental and physical problems and shame chose to rise above his situation and take his inheritance enabling a better life for himself and his family. David offered inclusion, and Mephibosheth accepted.

The LORD requires us to accept and include people in much the same way as King David included Mephibosheth. The passages found in Isaiah and Jeremiah, speak to the inclusion of all individuals.

Isaiah writes from the Lord,

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? [Isaiah 43:5-9 NIV]

Jeremiah also writes from the Lord,

“Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here.” [Jer 31:8 KJV]

Writing stories with a disability requires our characters feel comfortable talking with the disabled. Another important aspect is portraying the disabled character as productive as their non-disabled counterparts. Why? To reduce a stigma where the characters with disabilities are unproductive as compared to the non-disabled characters.

A dialogue between disabled and non-disabled characters is a significant step toward encouraging inclusive behavior by the reader. Creating a sense of ease around those with disabilities isn’t as hard as one might imagine. Any place a person goes, people with disabilities go. Like anyone else, they go to school, shopping, movies, amusement parks, take the bus, ride the subway, drive cars, keep house, and go to work. If you see someone observe without staring, maybe start a conversation, you can see if they are willing to answer questions.

There are always people with disabilities who need care or assistance. If a person is in an accident and breaks a leg they need someone to care or assist them until they heal. If their break is severe or combined with other injuries, there may be no healing. This person is the same as they were before – on the inside. The heart stays the same. The inner person remains.

My parents were uncomfortable in the past when I’d ask questions of the disabled, “What happened to your leg? Where is your arm?” Was this a problem of their uncertainty of not knowing what to say, how to act, or being uncomfortable in the presence of a disabled person or was this the collective norm?

If inclusion had evolved since the days of King David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, perhaps this wouldn’t have been the case. In Jeremiah 31:8, I don’t read these words and think to myself some, a few, only the best and brightest, the most productive, or those without a flaw.

I believe we want to lift and include all people for the glory of the Lord. Everyone belongs. Everyone should be included. I’d like to think as writers we can follow the words in Proverbs 23:12:

 “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.”

Come back next month when I present Part Four: Matthew, Mark, and Luke Write Scores of Marvels. In the meantime, enjoy all the wonderful writing at Almost An Author.

Kathryn M. B. Johnson is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and caretaker alongside writing and advocating for disability. Drawn to those with special needs, she spent much time in elementary school helping in the special education classroom.

As an adult, after years in the field of accounting software and information technology, she started work as an Orientation and Life Skills Instructor at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. Here she worked with persons of all types of disabilities and disorders.  She believes when God calls us to a role, he needles us to get the job done.

Now, retired and disabled, she has combined her love of writing with a desire to advocate for persons with disability. Kathryn does her best not to get stuck. You can find Kathryn on Facebook, Twitter, or visit her website.

 

[1] Definition of INCLUSION. (2017). merriam-webster.com. retrieved 10 July 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inclusion

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

Making the Leap to Full-Time Freelance Writer

You will go out and leap like calves released from their stalls. – Malachi 4:2

Speaking of vulnerability, I’m about to open the kimono with you today.

Scary, right? I once had a boss who used that phrase—open the kimono. My colleague Joanne and I traveled to Uganda for a week. When Joanne came by the room to get me for a meal, I opened the door clad only in my hotel-issued bathrobe.

“Holland! Put some clothes on.”

“Don’t you want me to ‘open the kimono’ like the boss always says?”

“No!”

To this day, Joanne will ask me if some event happened on our trip to Tanzania or our trip to Uganda, and I will say, “Uganda. It was where I almost ‘opened the kimono’ for you, remember?”

Bonding with coworkers is always a blessing.

Anyway, I’m opening the kimono for you today. Last Friday, I officially became a full-time freelance copywriter. No more working for the man. No more putting in office hours. No more boring projects forced on me from on high. No more health insurance. No more regular paychecks. No more … you get the picture.

I’ve gone from saying I can’t believe this is finally happening for me to saying Sweet Home Alabama, I need a job with benefits.

Because of how everything transpired, I believe God opened this door. Most of the time, I feel like the calf released from his stall, leaping and gamboling about the field. The rest of the time, I’m wondering why no one is medicating that calf and then remembering the calf doesn’t have a prescription plan anymore.

On my third day as a full-timer, I’m offering you 5 things I’ve learned from making the leap to full-time freelance copywriting:

  1. Long-term relational investments pay off. I went from an average of 10 hours of freelance work per week with three clients to an average of 35 hours of work per week with the same three clients. I have several warm leads, too, thanks to writer and designer friends I’ve gotten to know over the years. Invest in your current clients. They’re your best bet to a secure future.
  2. It takes time to build a freelance client base. I started freelance writing for profit when my former colleague Joanne (see above) asked me to pick up the slack after her last copywriter took a full-time gig. From one small job to a full-time client base took three years. That was with God doing miracles along the way. We’re playing the long game, my friends.
  3. Have your marketing materials in place. My website is in production, but I wish I’d pushed it harder, sooner. Still, an online portfolio, references on LinkedIn, business cards, and a sizeable Twitter following can get you a long way toward securing new clients. They demonstrate credibility, and as copywriters, credibility is what backs our currency.
  4. Discover your niche. We start out writing anything anyone will give us to write. Since my first clients were non-profits and that was my background, I used to say “I’m a non-profit copywriter.” It was a non-profit strategy, let me tell you. Now I can say I specialize in writing about household products for urban-dwelling Millennials and in technology for non-techies. It’s still pretty broad (and believe me, I’ll write anything for a buck), but it’s a far more lucrative niche than non-profits. Having a niche helps establish my style and interests in prospective clients’ minds. Having agency experience helped, too, but it’s not vital.
  5. Ask your copywriting column fans for leads. If you are fortunate enough to author a copywriting column for an awesome site, ask your legions of fans to send you leads. Some people who read your column are aspiring novelists or Bible study writers, but they run into organizations that need writers all the time. They can pass those leads along to you – please! As copywriters, we don’t need degrees or certificates. We just have to write good copy that converts readers into buyers or donors.

So there you have it, my friends—a story about kimonos and calves and how God opens new doors when He’s ready, not when we are.

What leaps are you making in your writing career? What precipices is God kicking you over? What fields are you gamboling in like a young calf released from its stall?

Is God calling you to make a writer’s leap? You can open the kimono in the comments—metaphorical openings only, please.

 

 

Categories
Child's Craft

One Reason I Write for Children   by Jean Matthew Hall

Why do you write for Children?

  • To be famous?
  • To teach children the truth?
  • To evangelize children?
  • To fulfill my Daddy’s dream of being a writer?
  • To be affirmed?
  • To do something I love to do?
  • To get rich?

I have to admit that some of those reasons motivate me some of the time. Well, except for being famous and getting rich, of course. So why DO I write for children?

Once upon a time on a gorgeous spring morning, I was enjoying our backyard swing with one of my young grandsons.

“Higher, MeMe!” Mikey shouted. “Touch the clouds!”

“Can you? Can you touch that cloud right over there?” I asked him. I pointed to the sky and pumped harder.

One of Mikey’s little hands stretched upward while the other one held on tight to my arm.

As you’ve already figured out we never did touch any clouds that morning. But it sure was fun trying. It was exhilarating. The harder I pumped the higher we went and the more we enjoyed the cool morning breeze on our faces. The higher we went the more beautiful those clouds seemed to be. We threw our heads back and let the joy bubble out all over each other.

That joy was worth the extra effort I put into pumping that swing.

Later I realized that I do the same thing with writing.

I stretch myself and strain to become a better writer, and to attain publication. I can’t be satisfied with merely writing my thoughts in my private journal.

“Higher, God,” my heart shouts. “I want to go higher—to touch the clouds with you, Lord!”

Then I wonder why I want to touch the clouds.

Is it that seed of creativity God planted in my heart before I was born? Is it some innate unrest I have? Is it pride? Do I have a burning message to spread? Or, is it God’s Holy Spirit urging me upward?

I suspect it is a mixture of all these things. But mostly, it’s because I want my life to have a much wider circle of influence than just my dear family and friends. I want to impact as many people as I can for Christ in my lifetime and beyond.

Writing for children is one way I can do that. It is one way I can reach for the clouds.

And even if I don’t touch them it is fun trying. It is exhilarating to stretch myself and use the gifts that God has placed within me. It adds beauty and joy to my life and, hopefully, to the children who enjoy my stories and to the loving adults who share the stories with them.

And that makes writing and rewriting worth the extra effort.

 

BIO for Jean Matthew Hall

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Her stories and poems appear in magazines for children and adults, and in inspirational anthologies. Jean is a member of the SCBWI and Word Weavers International. Read more from Jean at http://www.jeanmatthewhall.com/blog and Jean Matthew Hall Author.

 

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Blog Tour- Dana Pratola

Dana, Please tell us about your most Recent Book.

DESCENDED- ULRICK is the 4th and last book in the DESCENDED series, in which we encounter four men with angelic DNA – but they’re no angels. They act as “boosters” on earth to fight evil, particularly as it applies to sexual slavery and abuse, and they have supernatural powers (ULRICK can walk and see through any object, among other talents). They use their gifts in some pretty unique ways, though none of their powers can stop them from falling in love.  It’s Romance, folks ?

I’m also about to release IRELAND ADAMS, (under my pseudonym Elaine Dwyer) about an adrenaline junkie lawyer who falls in love with the boss’s daughter, Audra. It’s the second in a series, but these are stand-alones.

Why do you write what you do?

I can’t not write, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. As for why I write romance, I have no idea other than the love story in any book or movie has always been the element that draws me in. The dynamic between a man and woman, the sexual tension, are like magnets to me. And a resolution in the form of a commitment…what’s better than happily every after?

What are you currently working on?

SCOTLAND ADAMS will be next in the stand-alone series, followed by his sister, AMERICA (imagine, the only girl with 3 older, protective brothers, lol). I’m also bouncing between several others in various stages of completion.

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

Well, the DESCENDED series has been classified as Christian romance. And while it is Christian, I don’t like that label because in the past the genre has received – I believe, sorry CF authors – a deserved reputation for being sugary sweet and dry. Out of touch with the real struggles of people in this world. My fiction is nothing like that. My tagline even says “It’s not your mother’s Christian fiction.” My books have something to offer everyone and I want readers who aren’t Christians to read them as well.

My secular work, same thing. I try hard not to work with the romance fiction “pattern.” If I see one more story where the girl inherited a piece of property and the sexy carpenter/contractor/cowboy steps in to help her, I just may vomit, lol.

How does your writing process work?

Most often I have a scene in mind. Could be an ending, could be a love scene, or maybe just a line of dialogue I want to use, then I place other things around it until I think, “Hmm, is there a story here?’ I kind of work from the inside out, you could say. I’d love to say I was one of those authors who wake up with full novels, start to finish, in their head, but that’s not me.

BIO:

God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and three dynamic children, all of whom are destined to make wide, colorful splashes in this world. We share our New Jersey home with three dogs. I have no hobbies to speak of, unless you include writing. I don’t.

“It’s not your mother’s Christian Fiction.”

LINKS: https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Pratola/e/B005G40TAQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1454258802&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=elaine+dwyer

 

 

Categories
Guest post archive

Guest Post-HOW SOCIAL ISSUES CAN DRIVE STORY-Angela Andrews

Opinions.  Opinions.  More opinions float through a person’s mind in the course of a day than Aristotle has twelve-letter verbs, then Proust has flashbacks, than Joyce has commas, than Gabaldon has subplots. Multiply that number by 7.5 billion.  It’s safe to say, opinions are something we humans have in common.  What varies greatly is how vocal one can be with them.  Freedom is the determinant of how strongly we may share our opinions. As fiction writers, we should never mitigate this liberty. Beware this danger zone.  The simplest and most common way in fiction writing to miss all the caution signs is to base your story on a social issue.  I know. I did it.  Listen up, my chickadees, to a tale of caution:

About fifteen years ago, I wrote a novel.

Ugh.

At least I thought it was a novel.  I sent query letters around to agents, eagerly describing my work as a novel about abortion.  The lack of excitement—let alone interest—flummoxed me.  I did enjoy receiving one piece of hate mail from a secular agent.  The synopsis had engaged at least one person’s attention.  At the time, I was raising four young children, so it was fairly easy to “bottom drawer” the manuscript.  Someday, I thought to myself, there will be more interest—when I come across a sensible agent or audience. Truly, I had no clue who actually needed to become sensible.

Years later, I found myself in a graduate-level film school at a Christian university.  Although screenwriting is just a cousin to novel writing, they share one absolutely essential element—story.  I am glad to have had the training.  There, layer by layer, I became (more) sensible.  There were many delicious debates and papers about all things regarding story, genre, and narrative theory.  As I studied the subject at a deeper level, I discovered what was wrong with my book.

What had escaped my attention years previously now made me blush at my naivete and ignorance.  Guess those student loans were worth it.  My novel was not character driven or plot driven; it was driven by … a social issue!  Horror of horrors.  Amid all the dos, don’ts, and great advice of those who have gone before us, there must be room for concern over yet another vital element.  We must find the time for it because what drives our stories affects the finished product down to its very fiber.  To better examine these motivations, let’s have a conversation regarding story as we take a familiar drive and reflect on what is under the hood.

[bctt tweet=” Two types of vehicles for story leap to mind” username=”@realpubzoo”]

Two types of vehicles for story leap to mind: one driven by character and one driven by plot.  Energy or impetus for character-driven plots originates deep within the main characters.  The force of a plot-driven story comes from the circumstances or environment in which characters find themselves.  In a character-driven vehicle, the driver would be all about conversation, exploiting the time in the car to talk, dig deep, and learn about each other.  Whether the journey takes place in the rain or at night, little importance is placed on what happens outside the car.  It’s all about the journey.

In a plot-driven vehicle, the driver would be observant, taking the time to notice the all-important surroundings.  She sees every mile sign and landmark and knows what type of cars and trucks surround her.  For her, it is all about the destination.
When an author considers fiction as a means to explore a social issue, she must be circumspect because the issue is a mighty strong platform for conflict. Of course, conflict is oxygen to a story, as it propels the characters to choices and action.  It is a path for our characters—the road on which they travel. A social issue can be a powerful vehicle but should be only that.  If the issue takes over the story, disaster ensues.

[bctt tweet=”conflict is oxygen to a story” username=””]

A story, when viewed metaphorically as a painting, has a foreground, a middle ground, and a background.  The social issue which threads through the story must be no closer than the deep middle ground, but preferably the background.   When a social issue shines flashily in the foreground, it is certainly misplaced and becomes something very ugly: a message.  A work of fiction is not a place for a message.  When placed there, it wallops the reader over the head, shutting down the story by forcing an opinion on the reader rather than letting her arrive at her own conclusion. An essay or speech is the correct place for a message.  Using an issue properly can provide a powerful tool, but the construction must be handled deftly.  A boiling controversy is a marvelous source of conflict on many levels.  Characters can really squirm under the light shed by great tension.

Now back to my first novel.  It had plenty of conflict.  What else could it have?  It was about abortion.  The slope was too slippery and the temptation was too great for me.  I screamed the “right” opinion and heard in return the echo of a lonely, deep cave.  Now it is the poster book for all that can go wrong when you grab a social issue by its tail.  There was plenty of information-chunking, soapbox haranguing, and bold-face preaching with barely an ounce of divergent perspective.   It was obnoxious, pure and simple.

A great example of social issues used properly is from the book, Q & A, by Vikas Swarup which was the basis for the film, Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Swarup wove scads of issues into a story that brought the poverty and degradation of India’s urban ghettoes to vivid life.  Prostitution, thievery, class inequality, human trafficking, prejudice, greed—to name a few.  Every inch of this story was conflict.  Though the book was rife with these problems, the author nimbly used the issues as tools to keep the characters under severe, constant pressure.  He kept the reader’s focus on the issue as well but didn’t weigh in much with opinions (until the last sentence).  He allowed the reader plenty of latitude to interpret the situations and draw her own conclusions.

So, to sum up: a social issue can find a proper place in a work of fiction, but it must not be front and center.  A good test is what you say when someone asks you about your book.  If you say, “My book is about human trafficking,” then you need to drop the manuscript in the trash can and grab a blank piece of paper.  If you say something like, “when Johnny discovers his fiancée is missing, he thinks it’s the worst thing to ever happen to him; but when he learns she’s really been trafficked, his world falls apart,” you are on the right track.  A story is about the characters and what happens to them.  When your audience is curious about them, you are on good ground.  This story could have a social issue as an element, but one of many elements.  Used in this way, it is a great thing.  So, go boldly and wisely forward, wowing us all.

[bctt tweet=” a social issue can find a proper place in a work of fiction, but it must not be front and center. ” username=””]

ADDENDUM: A trick question.

Let us consider Dr. Seuss’ story, The Lorax.  Unabashedly pro-eco and anti-consumerism, the story rides high on a wave of social issues, as do many of his stories.  Do you believe Suess’ overwhelming creativity serves well as a counter-balance to his foreground placement of the issues?  Or do you feel the issues have walloped you too hard?

 

When Angela has spare time, she loves to quilt, sew period clothes, and partake of filmmaking.  She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University. Her screenplay, Life’s Other Side (2006) premiered on an American cable network and won several awards, including the Sabaoth International Film Festival in Milan, Italy.  She is building a nonprofit organization to plant libraries in under-resourced locations.  Her first was opened in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2017.  Angela lives with her husband in Virginia in an ever-emptying nest.  Hopefully, the dogs will not attend college.

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Write to Inspire-Terry Whalin

When we consider various markets for our magazine writing, often we neglect the market right before our eyes—the inspirational, religious marketplace. Maybe we avoid it because it’s the most personal part of our life and experiences.  In reality, this niche market is a wide-open opportunity to write about our personal experiences, lessons we’ve learned from life and the Bible or short stories or the range of articles from the broader marketplace—yet with a spiritual twist.

Years ago, I studied journalism at Indiana University.  I thought I was a hotshot writer who could hit any market.  As a new Christian, I naturally tried the religious marketplace. My writing efforts were last minute, lacked market research and 100% unsuccessful.  Because I failed to take the time to understand the market needs, I ended up writing strange untargeted articles that never appeared in print.

In contrast, years later after college, I gave the energy to research this market and understand it. I’ve written articles for more than 50 of these publications.  I’ve written devotionals, how-to articles, fiction stories, personality profiles, round-ups (a feature on a particular type of book like financial books or devotional books), book reviews and much more.

The motivation for writing about spiritual matters is more than the simple desire to be published.  Often the deeper motivation is to capture some experience, spiritual thought or how-to which motivates the reader into a deeper relationship with God.  The range of possible articles and age groups is a broad as your imagination.  Almost 700 inspirational magazines provide infinite possibilities for your writing.

This market requires a certain commitment to studying the publication, carefully reading the guidelines, then writing your article with a particular market in mind.  Often because the motivation for a particular article is beyond simply getting into print or being paid, the editors are more approachable and responsive to working with new authors.  While my last statement is true, it’s not always the case.  Often these publications are overwhelmed with poorly written, unfocused submissions.

If you study these religious publications, then appeal to their particular niche in the market with well-crafted storytelling, then I almost guarantee that your material will be carefully read, considered, then possibly published.

You can find these markets in your local Christian bookstore or publications, which you read weekly at your church.  Also your church library is a good source of various publications.  What type of religious material do you read on a regular basis? If you read a devotional guide like Quiet Hour  or The Upper Room, then through your life experiences, you have been gaining the background to write similar types of material.  Do you enjoy reading about the lives of other people, then you can write spiritually-based, personality profiles.  I’ve written about people like Disney Animator, Glen Keane (who created Beast in Beauty and the Beast) or best-selling author Janette Oke.

The stories don’t have to be complicated or involve interviewing someone famous.  The source material can come from your personal life.   When I lost a son years ago, we taught his older brother about death.  I wrote down the anecdotes from the experience and weaved it into an article called “Schooled In Death.”  Or I captured the story of my own spiritual journey through another personal experience article called “Two Words That Changed My Life.”

Every article is different and the publications are distinct. You can learn the skills to put together an excellent magazine article and write to inspire others. It’s important to write for their guidelines, then send in your material for consideration. You can write these magazine articles but it will involve learning then putting it into practice.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

Categories
Truth Be Told

Tooth Be Told-Insights into Going to the Dentist

(This week my husband lost a crown while eating a piece of licorice—that in itself is probably worth a post of its own—so now he begins the whole process of getting it replaced. His dilemma reminded me of my own experience several years back.  Here’s a piece on what I leanrned.

This morning I’m having the first step done in repairing my cracked tooth. To be very honest, I’m not excited about sitting in the dentist chair for an hour and a half. I’m really quite anxious. I lost some sleep over it last night. I’m just not a big fan of pain and even less of a fan of the unknown. In the parlance of the day: I’m a wuss.

As I wrote the preceding paragraph, I ran my tongue over the broken tooth. I cracked this tooth on April 1, nearly three months ago. Actually, I think the tooth had been cracked for six years and the piece just finally gave way. In spring of 2004 I had a cavity replaced and from that point until three months ago I had pain on that side of my mouth whenever I chewed. I think that dentist cracked the tooth when she replaced the filling and I believe that because once that piece gave way, I’ve had no pain on that side and I have no trouble biting or chewing there.

Another thing I became aware of as I ran my tongue over the tooth that is now half gone is that I’ve gotten used to this new shape of my tooth. So, if there’s no pain and I’m used to the odd shape and feel, why go through all the pain to “fix” it? Pondering that made me realize that I do that with a lot of things in my life. I accept less than perfect to avoid the pain of correction. I put up with the difficult rather than addressing the problem and avoiding the conflict. I’m so used to what’s missing it seems natural.

I know that the obvious answer is to take care of this tooth now and avoid larger issues later. Life is that way. Putting off or ignoring what needs to be done doesn’t make sense. In the Bible, James even says that to know what we should do and not do it is sin. So the sin of omission isn’t just about our dealings with others, it’s also how we deal with ourselves, our bodies. Maybe Fram (the auto parts distributors) had the right idea with their motto: Pay me now, or pay me later.

So I will sit in the dentist’s chair for an hour and a half today and again three weeks later. Hopefully, I will save the tooth and avert further problems in the future. I think I’m worth that. Perhaps that’s actually been the real missing piece. It is time to get that fixed.

Tina’s writes to inspire. She loves the challenge of a devotion’s brevity, a Bible study’s clarity, and an article’s ability to change lives. Communicating truth, whether written or spoken, defines Tina’s passion and purpose. Tina’s thoughts can also be found at PotOfManna. Tina is an active member of Word Weavers, serving as a chapter co-president, online president, and mentor

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Fantasy Flash Fiction 101- Laura Zimmerman

Fantasy Flash Fiction 101

Could you write a story in 500 words? What about 100?

Flash fiction is a genre that has grown in popularity in recent years. Those committed to it enjoy the challenge of creating a complex story in less than 1000 words—some choosing to stick below 500 or even 100 words total. The key to flash fiction is that the story must be complete, encompassing a beginning, middle, and end, as well as a plot twist at the close. This genre can be both fun and challenging. The writer must create as tight a story as possible, while still evoking the same emotion one would experience from a full-length short story.

The positive point to writing this type of work is that the genre itself fits nicely within the fantasy or sci-fi world, particularly because of the twist ending. However, a writer within the fantasy/sci-fi niche will have a few habits they may need to refine if they want to be successful in this genre.

Setting: With a limited set of words and an entire story to tell, there is typically no room for a descriptive setting. This may be difficult for a fantasy writer. Many publishers will allow a higher word count for a novel in the fantasy/sci-fi genre to leave room for world-building. Unfortunately, flash fiction doesn’t give this extra word allowance. The writer needs to choose the perfect word to describe not only the mood of the scene but what might evoke a physical description of the surroundings to the reader. Instead of giving a detailed description of a broken down house that’s been empty for years, the writer might have to limit himself to simply using the word “dilapidated” knowing that the reader will see the shattered windows and chipped paint in their mind’s eye.

Physical Appearance: Once again, there just aren’t enough words to effectively describe your characters. Forget hair and eye color, or other mundane information that isn’t necessary to the story. Choose a single characteristic that will make the character stand out but will also tell a bit about that character’s personality. “Amelia shrank beneath his stare and pushed her glasses back in place.” In this example, the reader knows Amelia is low in self-confidence but what about those glasses? I would imagine they are part of what makes her self-conscious in the first place. She certainly doesn’t stand out as part of the popular crowd. I didn’t need to know if she was fat or thin, tall or short—she clearly sees herself as plain, which will lead the reader to see her in the same way.

Dialogue: Effective dialogue is another challenge you will face when creating your flash fiction in a fantasy or sci-fi setting. There may be unusual language or phrases you wish to insert, but there will be no extra words to give such an explanation. Once more, take your time to word your story so the reader can understand the intent without having to be told the precise meaning. Dialogue is also an opportunity for the writer to establish setting or physical appearance and still keep that word count tight.

The main thing to remember when writing fantasy/sci-fi flash fiction is to make every single word count. Find one word that can take the place of many. It may sound easy to write a story in 100 words, but I find that I take longer to write a single flash fiction story than I do an entire 2000 word chapter!

Flash fiction is a challenge every writer should undertake to help sharpen their writing skills. It will hone your talent to tell an effective story in a limited number of words and can be a great boost to your creative side!

Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com

Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage-Jim Tippins

From Script to Stage/Screen

INTERIOR. ICE CREAM PARLOR – DAYTIME

Myrtle Beach in the Summer

The directions in the script are simple: A man and woman in their early 20’s sitting across from each other sipping on two milkshakes. The dialogue begins after those directions. Wow, there is not much detail in this example. The director is often given a great amount of latitude in creating what is reflected on stage or screen.

For every director, church dramatist, worship leader, community theater and Broadway director, there are four questions and four basic responsibilities for any director to address. Before an author’s words are formed into something that is visual, powerful and relevant you must answer these four basic questions:

  1. Who?
  2. Why?
  3. Where?
  4. When?

These first four questions are generally answered in the first few pages of the script. Who? A couple? Brother, sister? Friends? The script then starts filling out these characters and the story they inhabit. Why are they there? Needed an out of the way place? A busy place? Ultimately, the script will reveal that as well. Where? Well it’s in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the summer. That nails it down. When? Is it the past, present, or future? We look to the script as well.

Costumes, props, set pieces, staging, lighting, everything is in need of a firm grasp of these four questions. The script is inspired by the author, but interpreted by the director and the who’s, why’s, when’s, and when’s are just the basic answers to these questions.

To go to the next level in preparation for putting script to stage or screen, the director is faced with four major responsibilities. From the simple reader’s theater to the largest play or musical, a director must prepare for rehearsals through Research, Script, Reality, and Moments. This first column will explore how research can impact everything put on stage or screen.

Research

Research goes beyond the written script. A script is not meant to be an encyclopedia or almanac of everything. It is up to the director to do a little research. The scene above is set in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the summer. What is the average temperature there during the summer? If it’s near the beach, are there people in bathing suits coming in? Is the lighting going to very bright or muted? For this one scene we have to answer a hundred questions. Sometimes actors cannot get an understanding of their character unless they get some sort of motivation from the director. And the director cannot get all of the answers of these questions from the script. That is where research is vital to any production. Since research takes place at the very beginning of any production here are some tips to help in your research.

  1. The Internet is an incredible source of information. If you use the internet as your main source of research make sure you confirm and reconfirm all the information. There are as many opinions as there are noses….everyone has one. There is a reason most schools do not take Wikipedia as an official source. Wikipedia was created and van be edited by anyone with access to the internet. Try to find those that are authorities in the areas in which you need help. And don’t just take their word for it. Check with other authorities as well. A good researcher always checks their facts.
  2. Don’t take for granted information commonly overlooked. A good biblical example is where Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas comes up with a gang of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. The scripture says that there is a captain and officers involved but were they Romans or were they from the temple? Research shows that the temple had soldiers officially and a sort of hired mercenary as approved by the Romans. The Romans may have been involved, but what a feeling of empowerment if you were to make that decision based on true knowledge and not just tradition.
  3. Have your research needs on your mind outside the production time. One of our creative arts teams was using stuffed characters for the Mark Lowry song, Cartoons. When we went into Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, we walked into the Warner Brother’s store and we were all very happy when we found about half of the stuffed characters that we needed in one place. Always be on the lookout for things that will help your production.
  4. Find and utilize people who are experts. In another biblical production we wanted to create a realistic High Priest costume. The breastplate contained 12 gems representing the tribes of Israel. On top of those gems is written in gold, the names of each of the tribes. We were walking around the local mall and saw a goldsmith who would make and personalize your jewelry. After a few minutes we found out he was of the Jewish faith. It just happened that I had a copy of the Hebrew names in my pocket. He took one look at it and said he would be honored to attempt such a task. Two weeks later, we had twelve gold names as required for the High Priest.

Research keeps you safe from scrutiny and complaints. People are smart and glaring inconsistencies will distract people from receiving the message that God might have for them. Whether it is a biblical or secular production, we must strive to be as authentic as possible. Do your research.

Dr. Jim Tippins is currently President of On the Edge Productions, Inc., a resource for Christian scripts and minister aids. An award winning author, Dr. Tippins is proud to share the stories that God has laid on his heart. He has produced, written, and directed scripts, musicals, reviews, and plays all over the country. He has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Overture Opera Company, Theater of the Republic, Swamp Fox Players, Community Choral Society, Florence Symphony and Long Bay Symphony. To see resources and more information, please visit,

www.ontheedgeproductions.org. Or join his blog at drjimtippins.com

Categories
Bestsellers

Best Selling Author-Steven James

Welcome, Steven, can you share a little about your recent book – In Every Deadly Kiss, FBI Agent Patrick Bowers grapples with a series of baffling murders in Detroit and discovers a terror plot with roots that stretch back centuries. This is the tenth Patrick Bowers book and one of the most complex storylines I’ve ever tackled.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books? I write to entertain my readers. I don’t start with a theme or message I’m trying to get across. While the stories do address issues of morality, I don’t set out to convince anyone of anything, but rather try to ask big questions through the context of an intriguing story.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? In a sense, I’ve been making up stories my whole life. When I was a kid, I never considered that I could become a writer; I just knew that my imagination was the place I felt most at home in. I started writing for magazines in 1996 and published my first novel in 2007. Over the years, I’ve done a number of nonfiction books, but these days I’m most interested in telling big stories through novels.

How long does it take you to write a book? It typically takes me about a year to write a novel. I’ve done a few young adult novels which are somewhat shorter than my Patrick Bowers thrillers, but still, I’m a rather meticulous author and with all the drafts and rewrites, even those took at least six months.

What’s your writing work schedule like? I would say it’s most like a roller coaster. I tend to write and edit in the mornings and work on new scenes and brainstorm at night. It seems like in the afternoon my brain shuts off, but at times, I will sneak away for a week or two and just write as much as possible every day. Throw in lots of coffee, a few Cheetos, a bit of aggravation, and plenty of discarded drafts and you have a pretty good look at my life.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it? I’m not sure how interesting this is, but I do write standing up. I typically edit on a music stand, often listen to electronic or trance music when I write—anything with a driving beat but no words to distract me. I guess my quirk comes when I send a book in and then traditionally do three things: buy a new candle to light while I write, go see a matinee, and buy a frou-frou drink at a coffee shop.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career? It’s always fun to win awards or hit certain bestseller lists, but I don’t know that those things bring me joy. I would say it’s hearing from readers, especially when someone writes to me and says, “I hate reading but I loved your book.” Anytime I can instill in someone a love for reading again, it makes it all worthwhile.

What has been your darkest moment(s)? When I was writing Opening Moves, the story gave me nightmares. It was troubling and dark and difficult. I still think it’s one of my best-written novels, but emotionally it was probably the most difficult one to get through. I don’t think it’s possible for me to completely divorce the emotions my characters are feeling from the ones I personally experience.

Which of your books is your favorite? I think that Every Deadly Kiss and The Rook are my two favorites. I came up with the idea for The Rook while reading to my eight-year-old daughter about sharks. I still remember sitting on the couch with her and figuring out plot point after plot point based on what I was reading. So even though it’s been a decade, that story is still one of my favorites. Every Deadly Kiss ended in ways that I had never expected, with twists that I had never anticipated, so I think readers will really connect with this latest book.

Who is your favorite author to read? Man, that’s a hard question. I would say that there is an author named Calvin Miller whose work really inspired me as I was getting started as an author. His Singer Trilogy is unlike anything I’d ever read before. He weaves imagination, faith, and myth together in an unforgettable way.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened too? I like how you phrased this question! People are quick to give advice, and most of us are rather slow to listen to it. I would say, as far as advice, never fall in love with your first draft and rage against mediocrity. Despite how much we might want to find a shortcut toward excellence, I don’t think one exists. I’ve tried everything I can think of to save time, but in the end, it just simply takes months of hard work to create a work of excellence.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you? I’ve been rejected dozens of times. No one likes it; it isn’t fun, but it’s taught me persistence and also the importance of believing in the work that you do.

Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books? I mentioned The Rook earlier, so maybe that’s the story that’s on my mind, but there is a scene where Lien-hua Jiang who is a female FBI agent ends up fighting one of the villains toward the climax. One of her legs is chained down and she kicks him in the head, and when he backs away, she says, “Come here, Creighton, and I’ll make you wish you could fight like a girl.” That’s always been one of my favorite lines.

Where do you get your ideas? There’s nowhere that I can think of that I don’t get ideas from.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make? First, publishing too early. Rather than working on a story draft after draft to make it the best they can be, they opt to self-publish their books long before their story is ready to be shared with the world. Second is not keeping everything believable all the time.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market? Attend a writer’s conference where you can learn from industry professionals, meet agents and editors, and use the opportunity to ask them questions one-on-one.

Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2sRJbKs

Steven James is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of thirteen novels. He has a master’s degree in storytelling and is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest.

Best known for his psychological thrillers, he has received more than a dozen honors and awards for his books, including three Christy Awards for best suspense. His novel The Queen was a finalist for an International Thriller Award.

Steven’s groundbreaking book on the craft of fiction, Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules, won a 2015 Storytelling World Award, recognizing it as one of the year’s best resources for storytellers. He is the host of the podcast “The Story Blender,” in which he interviews great storytellers from the world of cinema, oral performance, and writing about the craft of great storytelling.

Steven leads regular Novel Writing Intensive retreats around the country that provide in-depth instruction for serious novelists. For information on these seminars, visit www.novelwritingintensive.com.

For information on his fiction, visit www.stevenjames.net.

To book him to speak, e-mail info@stevenjames.net.

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

Put the Horse in the Theater and the Cow on the Roof -How to write sales copy that gets results

Did I ever tell you about the time my grandfather rode a horse down the center aisle of a movie theater in the middle of a show?

Pop (my grandfather) grew up in a small town in south central Kentucky. When this story happened, he was in his late teens—the age immortalized in the song lyric “old enough to know better, still too young to care.”

Pop saw a horse tethered on the town square, and an idea imprinted itself on his mind. He untied the horse, jumped on board, and trotted it to the end of town in a 1930s version of joyriding. At the town’s limits, though, there was only the Cumberland River, which at that time had no bridge. With nowhere to go, Pop turned the horse around and headed back to town.

For a teenage boy, joyriding a horse from town to the river wasn’t enough of a thrill. It was time to up the ante.

Pop saw the perfect opportunity. The town’s movie theater had just opened its doors. For a small fee, viewers could watch jerky, black-and-white Westerns. A show was in progress. People were inside. Another idea imprinted itself on his mind.

Somehow, Pop got that horse through the doors of the theater and rode it down the center aisle. The darkness, the unfamiliar sounds, and the (screaming) people inside terrified the horse. It went berserk in the middle of the theater. Somehow, Pop and the theater’s owner got the horse out of the theater and onto the square where it took Pop for a less-than-joyful ride back to the end of town. Before they reached the river, Pop fell off, and the horse found its own way home.

It was the one and only story Pop ever voluntarily told about his youth—except the one about the time he and his friends put a cow on the roof of the school.

What this has to do with copywriting (why you should keep reading)

Imagine being in the audience at a movie. It’s dark. It’s cool. There’s a story about horses and cowboys flashing in front of you. Maybe you’ve got an arm around a girl, or a guy has his arm around you. No wild man on a horse rides down the aisle. The movie ends.

You get home that night. Someone asks, “How was the movie?”

You say, “We had a good time. It was a Western. We ate popcorn.”

That day would eventually be lost in the haze of many such days.

But what about the people who were in the theater the day Pop rode a stolen horse down the center aisle? I bet those people had an electrifying story to tell when they got home! And I’ll bet they didn’t forget that day for a long time.

They were probably having a good time watching a story on the screen, but it was becoming actors in a far more dramatic and immediate story that made the day memorable for them.

I really do get to copywriting. Keep reading.

Today, an audience of people is consuming stories on blogs, on social media, and on printed letters stuffed in their mailboxes. The world is snowed under by written content, and storytelling is king. Your story must arrest the attention of a world already focused on a competing story.

How will your story be heard amidst all the noise? You’ve got to ride a horse into the middle of their movie.

To stand out, your story needs three elements:

Urgency

Call people to act now.

Remember the Law of Inertia? A body at rest will remain at rest; a body in motion will remain in motion. Your readers are at rest, and delay is comfortable. Don’t let them stay passive.

Urgency is especially important when writing fundraising letters. If you’re writing an appeal about a child who needs eye surgery or he’ll lose his sight, that’s not a good time to let your prospective donor delay. If what you wrote is true, your readers need to act now.

Make your prospect feel like they’re in a crowded theater with a wild horse. Act now, or get trampled.

Involvement

Ultramodern companies are using gamification as advertising. Why? Because people want to feel involved in what they buy or give to.

If you can make your copy fun and engaging, do it. A sense of play will lower people’s natural defenses. That’s why sales pieces often include chachki in the envelope. Your game or chachki should be logically connected to your copy’s message, though.

In some cases, you’ll have no control over the pieces in your package except the copy. In that event, make sure the copy engages readers. Make them feel like they’re right there, players in the story themselves.

The people in the movie theater that day went from watching people wrangle a horse on the screen to actually wrangling one themselves. Which made a more powerful impact?

Surprise

If your readers can guess every turn, every bridge, every swamp, and every stop on the way to the predictable end, your story is boring. Surprise them! Let them watch a jerky black-and-white Western for a few minutes before you ride a real horse into the middle of the theater.

As I said in an earlier piece, fiction and copywriting have a lot in common. Both require a plot full of twists and turns that leads to a satisfying but not predictable ending. Don’t bore your reader.

Want your copy to stand out in a sea of stories. Include urgency, involvement, and surprise. A stolen horse probably doesn’t hurt either.

What are some of your tips for writing copy people will remember?

Holland Webb: I love telling the stories that people put down so they go take action. I’m an advertising copywriter by day, an aspiring novelist by night, a parent, a dog-lover, a prison volunteer and a follower of Jesus.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Disability Bible Series Part 2-Moses Writes of Skin Ailments and Speech Troubles

Overcoming a disability concept with a man writing the word Disability on a virtual interface and then crossing through the - Dis - with a red marker pen as a motivational call to overcome adversity.

The Holy Bible, shows the stigma of disability and the encouragement and inclusion for the disabled, despite today’s protests and advocacy, and how far have we come.

I believe through writing characters with a disability we can encourage a change in the current dynamic.

This month let’s explore the possibilities of disability and writing with another well-known writer, Moses. The first five books of Old Testament of The Holy Bible, and others, like the wonderful story of Job, are believed to be written by Moses. In his grand adventure story in the book of Exodus, Moses writes of his disability in Exodus 4:6-16[NIV[1]]

Then the LORD said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So, Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[2] —it had become as white as snow.

“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So, Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.” (Ex 4:6-7 NIV)

Don’t you imagine Moses horrified? Leprosy! Today, we have come up with an additional name for Leprosy, Hansen’s Disease (HD). Leprosy, or HD, is an infectious disease caused by specific bacteria found in drastically poor and dirty conditions. Today, HD can be cured if treated. People may think of groups of sick, rotting-skinned people cast far away when they hear the word Leprosy. There are; however, significantly fewer leper colonies today. India, Africa, and China are places; however, where places segregating people with HD still exist.

I have psoriasis[3]. In the culture and time period of Moses, I would have been examined by a priest, deemed unclean and sent out for seven days. My psoriasis is visible and incurable, but the symptoms are treatable. I would have remained unclean and sent to live outside my community, unable to live, worship, or associate with my peers or family. Thankfully, we now have medical doctors and the knowledge psoriasis is not contagious.

My daughter likewise has psoriasis. After explaining her condition to the school office after her first outbreak (at age eight), her unknowing teacher removed her from the playground. It was a warm spring day and she wore shorts to school. Since the school office failed to inform the teacher and seeing red, inflamed, scaly patches on my daughter’s knees, shins, and elbows, this teacher sent her to the office to sit away from the playing children. The teacher was afraid my daughter had some hideous contagious disease. The office called me to pick up my daughter at school. You can imagine how upset I was when I arrived to find out why.

The shame and heartbreak for my child! The awful confusion and embarrassment she must have felt in realizing for the first time she was different. I want to think times have changed but unfortunately, I see things like this all the time.

Giving a character a trait like psoriasis, for instance, you can show situations and feelings not only for the character but for those unfamiliar with it and their reactions as well.

Further in Moses’ writings in verses ten through twelve, we find out Moses has a speech impediment.

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Ex 4:10 NIV)  

Even though Moses had been raised with the best of education as royalty in Egypt, somehow, he was aware of his difference from others. It is thought he may have stuttered or had some other form of speech impediment. I imagine he was mocked, made fun of, or ridiculed at points in his life creating lowered self-esteem and self-confidence.

The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex 4:11-12 NIV)

I have a great fondness for verse 12 and I’ve grown closer to the LORD because I know he has plans for me and everyone who has, or may acquire a disability. Here is Moses living with a speech impediment and God is giving him a leading role! Certainly, we as writers can do the same and give a significant role to a character with a disability trait.

But Moses said, “O LORD, please send someone else to do it.” (Ex 4:13 NIV)

Here again is Moses with his lowered self-esteem and self-confidence affirming itself again as he tries to get out of this task the LORD is asking him to do. Moreover, how many of us wait for someone else to write a character in their book with a disability? Perhaps then we won’t have to find out if we can write disability. Personally, I believe anyone can write disability in any genre.

Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.

You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.

He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” (Ex 4:14-16 NIV)

The point here is so simple. No person gets through life without help from others. We had parents and teachers in school teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. We had people to confide in whether it be the LORD, family, friends, or someone else. Help is always available. There are resources everywhere, and yes, people with disabilities are everywhere and many are extremely approachable to answer your questions.

It is written God made man and woman in his own image, and he created each for a reason and a purpose. God did not see Moses as a speech impediment, God saw Moses as His leading character with a speech impediment trait that didn’t matter squat to what needed to be done. God did not see the disability stopping Moses from attaining the goal.

Even if you haven’t read the half-dozen or so books of The Holy Bible thought to be authored by Moses, you probably have heard these stories. As writers, we’ve got an advantage when it comes to sharing similar messages just as God did with Moses. All we need do is make the required changes in our writing.

Main characters need to shine and settle in the minds of readers long after they turn the final page. The actions characters take to achieve story goals must send them toward getting what they want. If not, hopefully, their actions get them to a better understanding of themselves and the world they occupy. This applies to characters in every book. If they don’t then we have a book no one wants to read.

You can create memorable, standout characters with disability traits by seeing your character as a human being first – not an affliction. Do this well and your readers will see them as you do. Already in your mind, you are creating a character with varying traits, so why not add a disability trait to an obvious featured character? Research traits, write what speaks to you as the truth. Observe the world around you. Isn’t this what we as authors do?

Next month I’m taking you on a tour with Part Three of this series: King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah Write of the Sick and Crippled. In the meantime, check out all the fantastic content on writing and the writer’s life at Almost An Author.

Kathryn M. B. Johnson is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and caretaker alongside writing and advocating for disability. Drawn to those with special needs, she spent quite much time in elementary school helping in the special education classroom.

As an adult, after years in the field of accounting software and information technology she started work as an Orientation and Life Skills Instructor at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. Here she worked with persons of all types of disabilities and disorders.  She believes when God calls us to a role, he needles us as needed to get the job done.

Now, retired and disabled, she has combined her love of writing with a desire to advocate for persons with disability. Kathryn does her best not to get stuck. You can find Kathryn on Facebook, Twitter, or visit her website.

 

[1] Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All right reserved.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy

[3] https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

Why I’m Jealous of Carlton Hughes And 5 Things Copywriters Can Learn from Him

 

The Internet is swooning over Carlton Hughes.

As of this writing, Carlton’s last comedy writing article here on Almost An Author has three times (3x!) the number of views my May article on copywriting has. And the comments? I had a single polite note from the associate editor. Carlton, on the other hand, got a ton of women writers chiming in on his comment thread.

If I were twelve years old and there were no parents around, I’d moon him for that. And then I’d run. Fast. Nah, I wouldn’t do that. Carlton would slither home and tell his mom. Then, we’d all be in trouble—me for doing it and you for “letting it happen.”

Sad fact, guys: comedy is going to outperform information every time. Do you want to make them buy? Make them laugh.

Here are 5 lessons copywriters can learn from comedy writers:

  1. Start with the “I/You.”

What’s the first word of Carlton’s opening line? It’s “I.” And the last word? It’s “someone” (implying you). Writing for content marketing is a two-way conversation between the business and the reader. Use the actual words “I” and “you” over and over again in your drafts until you master the art of conversational writing with a purpose.

By the way, make sure the “I” isn’t you. Does the business owner sound hip and smart? Your prose needs to sound hip and smart. Does the CEO sound down-home and folksy? Your copy needs to reflect that. Write in the voice of your client, not your own voice.

  1. Be vulnerable.
    We live in the age of vulnerability. We trade in information, and we have few secrets. By sentence four, Carlton has hinted that a glimpse of his personal woundedness is coming. Great comedians use their own woundedness as the currency that buys laughter. Businesses can trade with that currency, too.

When one of my clients had a banner weekend, they wanted me to create an article that didn’t gloat about their success. Instead, I wrote about the company’s concern that rapid sales growth might not be good news for their clients. In the article, we asked tough questions and answered them through an outside interview. We didn’t say we were the best, biggest, and baddest software company in the history of the world. Rather, we let our customers know we’re on their team no matter what.

  1. Look at the layout.

How long are Carlton’s paragraphs? One or two sentences, right? It makes the article easy to scan, doesn’t it? You’re tired of hearing me ask rhetorical questions, aren’t you? Comedy writers do short and catchy well. Copywriters can, too.

Also, see how Carlton bolds and italicizes his words. While this trick can be overdone, pulling out the best lines with bold fonts, italics, or designs can be a great idea. (Badly done, it can also be a ghastly idea so have a professional designer take a peek at it for you.)

  1. Be funny.

For some reason, we think of advertising, sales, or information about business as dry and boring. But nearly anything can be funny if you make it so. I used to teach middle school so let me insert this warning: Some things are not funny! Avoid those things.

I have a client who retails business-related software and hardware to mid-size companies. Let’s just say writing for this client is not an exercise in jocularity. For an article entitled The Benefits of Vendor Consolidation, though, their notes listed one benefit as “one number to dial, one leadership team to negotiate with, and one neck to wring.” I left the “one neck to wring” phrase in, and they published it. It helped humanize them a little.

  1. Use contrasts to your advantage.
    Carlton wrote, “Bunn completed his speech, and I assume he returned to his room to write another bestseller. On the other hand, I trudged across campus through a monsoon to my lovingly-appointed Ridgecrest room and got real with God.”

See what he did there?

Returned versus trudged through a monsoon

His room versus my lovingly-appointed Ridgecrest room

Write another bestseller versus got real with God

That’s genius.

Harness the power of the contrast. Are you writing for a non-profit that helps homeless people? Contrast the life of a homeless person today with that same person’s life after your reader makes a gift. Are you writing about pricey cat litter boxes? Contrast the life of your reader’s cat today with the life it will have once the reader has purchased the box.

All great comedy, like all great copywriting, is emotionally impactful storytelling designed to provoke a response.

Carlton, your comedy writing article got a response. Readers loved it. Women sighed over it in the comment thread. Copywriters took notes on it.

You want my response? Head outside and look up. See that big, white moon in the sky? Imagine I hung that there just for you. That’s my response.

Readers, if you’d like to share your thoughts on how great comedy writing and great copywriting are alike – or if you’d just like to rag on Carlton a little more – the comment thread is open.

I have to go inside now, and I probably won’t be back out for a while. Carlton called his mom and told on us.

About Holland:

I love telling the stories that people put down so they go take action. I’m an advertising copywriter by day, an aspiring novelist by night, a parent, a dog-lover, a prison volunteer and a follower of Jesus.

Categories
Guest post archive

The Importance of Outlining: Andrew Zabriskie

 

I wrote my first fiction novel in four months during 2009 because I believed I could write a novel.  Perhaps a bit arrogant and presumptuous, but I believed God had blessed me the talent of writing, and I felt convicted to utilize that talent for telling stories.

The first draft wasn’t horrible, but it was obvious right away that it was far from complete.  I added, I took away, I put back, I removed again, I started over.  Four times.  With the help of some very patient peer editors, I continued to flesh out the plot, characters, and settings.  Outline?  Nah; who’s got the time? I’m tryin’ to write here!  Besides, I’ve already got the meat of it.  Just gotta tweak it a bit, y’know?

Yeah, well that went on for five excruciatingly long years, each laden with a plethora of doubt, discouragement, frustration, and fear.  I pushed through and self-published anyway.  Shortly after that, I submitted a revision (for $100) upon realizing that I wanted to do something in my sequel that the first book wouldn’t allow logistically.  Finally, I was – oh, wait; I need to make another revision critical to plot continuity for the entire series.  To say this was getting tedious would be a vast understatement.  My incredibly supportive wife wasn’t thrilled about the ongoing financial hemorrhaging either.

So I humbled out and made the decision to outline my second novel before writing one word.  Believe me, this was difficult, because I was excited and eager to race out of the gate once again.  After all, I’d learned so much from the first experience; surely I’d do better this time around!  But I reigned in my creative horses and began to outline.

What a difference.

Writing is like building a house (yay metaphors!).  The premise of your story is your foundation, but the outline is your framework.  Without it you can’t clearly define the size, shape, and position of each room (scenes).  It provides structure and support for the weight of the rest of the house (plot).  It creates the necessary spaces for all the plumbing, electrical and air (action).  And of course, it holds the roof up (climax).

Again, this is just the framework.  At this stage you don’t worry about things like the drywall, light fixtures, appliances, or even furniture (personalities, motivations, backstory).  The outline can be vague, but it needs to have a sense of sturdiness.  Not completely rigid, mind you.  You may find yourself altering it, but that’s ok – while the outline exists to support story development, the actual development of the story provides service back to the outline, either to validate it or expose its weaknesses.  But even if it’s the latter, it’s now a minor correction instead of a complete overhaul.  It’s much easier to knock out a few two-by-fours than to remove a load-bearing wall.

With a clear outline and some much-needed confidence, I wrote my sequel in a little over a year.  After peer editing, I made a few scene revisions and polished some dialogue, but it was finished, and complete as-is.  Looking back, I was surprised to realize how natural outlining felt.  If you think about it, we do it when we take trips, go grocery shopping, get our kids ready for an upcoming school year, or cook dinner.  Plan and organize.  It’s truly not that difficult.

But how long should outlining take?  What should my outline look like?

The answer to both questions is this: there is no exact formula.  It’s not a matter or right or wrong, it’s about what works for you.  Remember, we’re artists!  We’re creative and subjective!

“Thanks Andrew, that helps a lot,” you may say sarcastically.  Ok, fine.  Allow me to offer a bit more.

Regarding the duration of the outlining process, you need to devote significant time to this in the beginning, but don’t camp out here.

“Still not helping.”

What I mean is this:  have sober judgement of yourself.  Don’t be impatient and rush through this stage for the sake of checking a box and saying, “Yup, I got me an outline!”  I get it.  You’re drooling to bring your characters to life.  You can’t wait for them to [input your amazing premise here], but without a road map, their Ferrari will never make it to the destination.  They’ll run out of gas and/or get lost, and they’ll blame YOU, because you wrote them into the middle of that mess.

On the other hand, don’t allow the outlining process to be an excuse that keeps you from moving forward.  In other words, don’t let indecision and insecurity about your writing turn your outline into a hiding place.  You don’t polish an outline.  Face your fears and write!  Again, it’s art, so it’s not wrong or bad.  Let it guide you.

Regarding the content of your outline, make it something easy to understand and refer back to constantly.

Maybe you’re a sticky-notes-everywhere kinda person.  Fine; organize them visually so you can see the structure and timeline of your story.  Storyboards?  Go for it.  Traditional document-style outlining with bullet points?  Hey, if that’s your thing, run with it.  I swear by Microsoft excel (for pretty much everything, but I’m really ocd), and I’ll be sharing about that later.  While you can get input on every aspect of your writing, your outline really only needs to make sense to you.  But if you’ve never done one before, experiment with several methods until you find one that’s comfortable.

Don’t worry about what someone else’s outline looks like.  This isn’t a contest.  As long as you have a basic idea of the beginning, middle, and end of your story, I’d say you have an outline.  You can build from there.  Just about anything can work.  Remember Mad-Libs?  Take a closer look; it’s an outline.

Outlining saved me time, money, and all of the negative feelings expressed above in the third paragraph.  I’m convinced it’s essential to the success of any literary project, regardless the genre.   I hope you find my thoughts to be helpful and encouraging.  No matter what, don’t give up.

Andrew Zabriskie is a lifelong avid fan of high fantasy and science fiction. He lives in Charleston, SC with his phenomenal wife, two cuddly cats, and a very old and quite cantankerous horned frog with a penchant for world domination.  He has a passion for weaving the truths of the gospel into his storytelling.  Andrew is the author of The Brotherhood of the Blade series, available as eBooks on Amazon.  Follow Andrew on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.zabriskie.author

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Tour

Blog Tour-Joshua J. Masters

Joshua J. Masters is a pastor, author (American Psalms), Christian speaker and artist. He currently serves as an Associate Care Pastor in South Carolina. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Josh is also comfortable working both in front of and behind the camera. Joshua lives with his wife, Gina and their dog, Franklin.

Welcome Joshua, please tell us about your most Recent Book:

My most recent book is American Psalms: Prayer for the Christian Patriot. I was really moved by the scriptures reminding us to pray for our leaders and that God has a purpose in every leader he places in authority—even when we don’t agree with them. The result was a book of worship-based prayers for our nation with teaching components to help the reader learn how to pray for the country without political bias. There are 52 weekly prayers, additional psalms for special days of prayer like holidays, and worksheets to help the reader focus their prayers. Through writing American Psalms, God changed the way I look at prayer, our country and our leaders.

Why do you write what you do?

Writing is one of the ways I connect with God. Eric Liddell, the Olympian depicted in Chariots of Fire, once said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” I’ve never been much of an athlete—actually, I wince if someone throws something toward me, but I’ve always identified with that quote because it’s how I feel when I write. God changes me, and often explains things to me as I write. So when asked, “Why do you write what you write?” It’s usually because God is trying to tell me something. That’s why I primarily write Christian non-fiction, but even my occasional adventures into fiction are about something God is trying to teach me.

What are you currently working on?

I’m actually working on a book focused on the life of our dog, Franklin. He was rescued from a puppy mill and faced a great deal of adversity before coming to us. The trauma he faced as a puppy left him with a lot of struggles to overcome. In the book, the events of Franklin’s life serve as lessons about our own faith. Each chapter ends with a Bible reading and questions for spiritual growth that you can gnaw on with the rest of your pack. Franklin recently started his own Twitter account and gives frequent updates on the book: @FranklinThePup. I also have an ongoing blog at www.joshuajmasters.com

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

My prayer is for my writing to be relatable and challenging at the same time. The simple story of a rescue pup need not be limited to simple themes. I want my writing to be enjoyable, even fun but still lead the reader into a deeper relationship with Christ. My goal is to share what some consider difficult Biblical truths in a way that is encouraging. I want to build a relationship with the reader that makes it safe to explore the parts of their faith where God wants them to grow.

How does your writing process work?

I have a tendency to write things that can be broken down into sections—works within the greater work. In American Psalms, each prayer can stand alone, but they’re woven together to intentionally create a larger theme. The same is true with Franklin’s book. Each chapter is a unique lesson of faith, but the story is continuous and connected.

Because of that, I tend to work on each section as an individual work. I’m always thinking of the larger story, but I focus on what each individual piece is teaching. As for the process itself, it starts in my head. I will go round and round with a section in my head long before I put anything on paper. I usually get 2-3 key sentences that I jot down (often the last sentence) and build the piece around that.

Once I’ve written a section, I will leave it alone for a few days and go back to it with fresh eyes. That’s usually where I more specifically tailor the piece to work with the other sections of the book. To be honest, I’m always a little surprised how God orchestrates it all to fit together.

Contact:

Email:                    josh@joshuajmasters.com

Website:              www.joshuajmasters.com

Twitter:                @joshuajmasters, @TheBatPastor, and @FranklinThePup

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Jobs in your “Inbox” and more

Magazine writing jobs sent straight to your inbox? Yes, it is true. I get them every morning. So how can you get them?

We know that surfing the internet can wipe us out.   With millions of articles, and people contributing to this sea of information, how do we fish out what we need?  As I began my search, I was overwhelmed by all the sites on freelance writing; I felt like I was drowning. I made the pond smaller by narrowing my search to, “list of freelance writing jobs.” To save you time, I hooked a few valuable sites, along with other resources, that could land you writing jobs.

Websites

There are many websites that you can subscribe to that will send writing opportunities directly to your email. Some sites charge a small fee to apply for the job or use the site. Most are free. Here is a very short list to get you started.

Freelancewriting.com–   I subscribe to their Morning Coffee enewsletter. It is a great resource for writing jobs. Brian Scott has done all the work for us. His morning newsletter has sections for contests, writing gigs, and a Call for Submission section.   From time to time he sends out an email with time- sensitive requests. He lists magazines needing a last- minute article. This e mail comes to you every morning.

Freelancewritinggigs.com– A great place to find writing jobs. Check out the “Resources for Writers” tab while you are there.

Outsoure.com- This website allows you to bid on freelance jobs. The variety of jobs is amazing. Everything from blogs, magazine articles and medical magazines.

Freelancer.com- This is a free monthly trial website. Ultimately you will pay to submit for jobs.

Remember, this is a very short list. For more information you can brave the waters and do your own internet search for writing jobs. Don’t forget to subscribe to each sites job list. Writing jobs can also be found in your local newspaper, online Job sites (i.e. Indeed, Monster, etc.) and also craigslist will post freelancing jobs.

Books-    Although these books do not send information directly to your inbox, you can find a list of magazines along with the submission requirements.

2015 Writer’s Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published- This book is a wealth of information for every writer. There is a section just for magazines.

The Christian Writers Market Guide– Similar to the Writers Market Guide, this book is specific for the Christian writing community.   You can only order on line at www.jerryjenkins.com/guide

YOU

Let others know that you write. You are your best resource. You have an intimate knowledge of the subject. I attended a local social media class, stated I was a writer and was approached by two people to write for their publication.

No matter where you are in your writing career there will always be more to learn. The number of websites and people looking for writers like you increases daily.   Keep learning and growing.   Please share your successes and bumps in the road.   We are all here to learn from each other.

My next article will describe the Query letter and its importance. Your Query letter sells you and your article idea.   Please pass the word to your friends. A3 is the place to be.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

DON’T PANIC. INTERVIEW By: Terry Whalin

 

For most magazine articles, I need information beyond what I have myself. To gather this information, I will often interview someone. For more than thirty years, I’ve been interviewing different people. Some of them are well-known celebrities and bestselling authors. Some of them are unknown people.  No matter who I’m interviewing, I get a touch of panic right before the interview happens. Maybe it’s the same sort of adrenaline rush that I’ve read about in figure skating. I’m hesitant to admit it but it still happens. Whether well-known or unknown, each of these people have graciously answered my questions and provided the story material that I’ve needed for my magazine articles.

Whether you interview on the telephone or in person, it’s an excellent skill for every writer to add to their skill set and highly recommended. For beginning writers, I recommend you begin with someone familiar—such as a family member or a friend. Prepare a list of questions, establish a time to interview them and turn on your tape recorder. I recommend taping the interview so you can capture the quotations and don’t always have to be tied to writing notes. I’ve never been able to write fast enough (even learning shorthand in high school—and haven’t used it since) to capture someone talking at a regular pace. It slows down the interview process to continually pause and for the person to wait as you complete your notes.  I record mostly to make sure I get my quotations right.

If you are recording on the telephone, I recommend you use the Radio Shack “Smart” Phone Recorder Control.  For legal reasons, you need to tell the other person that you are recording and secure their permission on the tape (the rules are different in every state but to make sure it’s the best procedure). This device makes recording easy because it’s directly connected from your telephone line into any tape recorder. Telephone interviews are some of the most difficult—because you can’t see the other person for the visuals to add to the article. Also it’s a situation much more out of your control. For example, the other person can have an interruption, such as another phone call, and suddenly end your conversation—and sometimes you are stuck not getting your required information.

Whether on the phone or in person, make sure you prepare with a list of questions and a plan. It’s not a firm plan because other questions will develop during the interview. Like many of the skills that I’m highlighting in this series, interviewing is something to practice repeatedly and you will improve your techniques.

Over the years, I’ve been amazed at the people who forget about my tape recorder and will say to me, “I’ve never told this to anyone but…” Often this story material becomes some of the best in my articles.

During the interview, I always make sure to find out how to return to the person for possible follow-up questions or to give them a copy of the article. If you don’t, you will be shocked how you think of one important question as you write the article or you hang up the phone—and can’t get back to the person.  In general, the high profile the person, it’s more typical for them to call you—and not reveal their phone number—often for control purposes. Asking how to return to them is a critical question that everyone needs to include in their interview.

During my interviews, I’ve learned way more information that I include in my actual magazine articles and I recommend interviewing as a skill which every writer needs to develop and include in their skill set.

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

Categories
Tour

Blog Tour-Dana Romanin

Please tell us about your most Recent Book

Abby’s Letters is about a seventeen-year-old girl who fakes her mom’s life in order to protect her little sister from foster care.

Here’s the back cover copy of my book, Abby’s Letters:

For years, Jane’s mom told her horror stories about her time spent in foster care. Now she’s determined to keep her little sister from suffering the same fate.

Seventeen-year-old Jane Sanders has had to take care of her alcoholic mother and little sister, Abby, since her dad died seven years ago. And now Mom had to go and die too. Authorities determine it was a homeless transient who died in the fire of the old manufacturing plant, but Jane knows the truth.

There is no way she’s going to let Abby go into foster care which leaves her with one option—fake her mom’s life. As far as Abby knows, their mom is in rehab. And Jane wants to keep it that way. She’d be eighteen in a few months then she could become legal guardian to her sister. With the help of her best friend, Clark, it should be easy, right?

Juggling nosy neighbors, a concerned school counselor, and an oblivious new boyfriend turns out to be harder than Jane thought. But the real problem begins when Abby starts writing letters to Mom. Through Abby’s letters, Jane sees a different side to their mom—a side she could have loved. And loving Mom is something she didn’t plan on. Because loving somebody makes it harder to ignore their death.

 

Why do you write what you do?

I write to shine a light into the muck of the world. I gear my books toward young and new adults because I’ve worked with teens for over fifteen years as a youth group leader and/ or Sunday school teacher. And I see a real need for books that uplift, encourage, and inspire. I also write to entertain—to elicit giggles and tears.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on the sequel to Abby’s Letters. It follows the lives of different characters that you meet in Abby’s Letters and gives a little update on Jane and Abby’s life.

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

I’m still a kid at heart. I love reading young adult books, but nowadays it’s hard to find one without explicit language or scenes. Seriously. It’s a gamble to just randomly check out a YA book in the library nowadays. Trust me. So I strive to write books that entertain without being well…demoralizing.

How does your writing process work?

I usually start out knowing only the beginning and end of a book. The middle is a little fuzzy. I focus my planning on character development. I take each character, big and small, and interview them. I ask them questions and drill deeper and deeper until something significant about their character is revealed. This process may look strange to an outsider. I sit down in a comfortable chair with a notebook and pen, then I ask a question, the character responds in my head (not audibly, I’m not that crazy), and I write down their responses. After I’m done, I read over my messy notes and highlight the significant responses. Not only do these interviews give my character’s depth, but I discover things about them that affect the plot of the book. Sometimes I even discover a character so demanding that she requires a book of her own. Hence the sequel to Abby’s Letters.

 

Dana Romanin has dreamed of being a writer since she was a little girl pretending to be Anne Shirley (from Anne of Green Gables). She used to write under a forsythia bush, but now she writes in a messy office that she shares with her sewing obsessed daughter.

Dana’s short story, The Silence of Sand, was chosen for adaptation into a short film performed by the Blue Man Group. Dana has also published short fiction for teens in Encounter—The Magazine and had a short story published in a Family Fiction anthology, The Story 2014. Her first novel, Abby’s Letters, releases in June 2017.

She lives in a small town near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia with her wonderful husband, three beautiful kids, and a lot of persnickety pets.

You can find her blog and awkward videos on her website www.DanaRomanin.com. She can also be found on Twitter (@DanaRomanin) and her Facebook fan page (DanaRomaninAuthor).