Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Understanding Disabilities-Statistics and Sources for Writers

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.

Magazines, literary agents, and publishers continue to look for excellent writing in fiction and non-fiction genres which exemplify diversity. The public asks for more inclusion of disabled persons in their reading material, and agents and editors want to grant the desires of their readers.

For writers, research can help you deliver believable content to meet the demand. If you are writing about disability, you need to know some facts, and you need to research.

Writing about disability isn’t new. How we write about disability makes a difference. Disability doesn’t care about your sex, color, race, or religious viewpoint.

This article shares disability statistics and links to additional sources of information so you can write well on this topic. This beginning resource will give you an idea on how to conduct more research based on your writing needs.

Quick Statistics:

  • Approximately 1 in 5 people in the United States currently has a disability.
  • About one-third of 20-year-old workers today will be disabled before they reach retirement.
  • Nearly 15% of the world’s population, have some form of challenge. That’s about a billion people.
  • The number of individuals who have significant difficulties in functioning reaches upward to 190 million.
  • Population numbers, aging, and the increase of chronic health conditions are the primary reasons for these high rates of disabilities. I should mention genetics because many disabilities can occur by being passed down through DNA.

These are staggering statistics. You or a loved one could become one of the disabled. A person in your family may have a disability they were born with, or have one because of accident, injury, or one which evolved over time.

What are these disabilities, and health conditions? While there are too many to list, they fall into several main categories. Disabilities may overlap categories. The descriptions listed here are general.

Categories of Disability:

  • Mobility and Physical Impairments – using a wheelchair, using a cane, limping, visible limb deformities, skin and hair disorders.
  • Head Injuries – Brain Disability – speech, motor coordination, learning disabilities.
  • Vision Disability –blind, wear glasses, use a white cane, a seeing eye dog.
  • Hearing Disability – communicate using sign language, wear a visible cochlear implant, hearing aids.
  • Cognitive or Learning Disabilities – may have behavior problems, difficulty learning to read or write, find learning difficult.
  • Psychological Disorders – may have depression, anxiety, mood disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders.
  • Invisible Disabilities – Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autoimmune Disorders, Chronic Pain.

The Use of Awareness Ribbons, Days, Weeks, Months

An interesting article written by Erin Blakemore, “A Brief History of Awareness Ribbons” on what may be the origination of the iconic explosion explains where the use of the colored ribbons may have originated. Whether these icons are useful for recognition depends on whom you ask. Since anyone can create them, colors can vary. In recent years, colored ribbons for illnesses, disorders, disabilities, and other causes exploded across social and print media. If you choose to use a colored ribbon in your story, make sure you use the correct color.

Use the same advice for ribbons as when using the associated days, weeks, and months. Their sole purpose conveys awareness for the array of disabilities and chronic illnesses assigned. You can find an extensive list of ribbons and dates of awareness at Disabled World and a similar list on Wikipedia.

More Research Links for Writing About Disability and the Disabled:

 

Kathryn M. B. Johnson lives and writes from Staunton, VA. She writes articles, essays, and blogs, and is compiling a book of essays about her time as a Life Skills Instructor for persons with challenges. She is also working on a memoir on learning through adversity, and mulling ideas for a mystery series. Connect with her at kathrynmbjohnson.com on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

Categories
Grammar and Grace

Presents for the Writer

For this post, I’m suggesting some books that you may want on your bookshelves or your may want to give as gifts to the other writers in your life.

William Strunk’s, The Elements of Style, has been a classic for almost a hundred years. Read it.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE (UPDATED 2011 EDITION) by [Strunk, William, Strunk Junior, William, William Strunk, The Elements of Style by]

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King is a must-have for writers. Read it, make notes, then read it again.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss shows grammar is necessary, but it can be fun. My copy came with a punctuation repair kit.

And just for fun, Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog by Kitty Burns Florey is a quirky history of the lost art of diagramming sentences. I always thought diagramming sentences was fun. After reading this book, I know other people like it, too.

Happy writing!

Categories
Storyworld

Anatomy of Grays: Alien Digest

The autopsy window allowed Jim a clear view of the good doctor’s grim work. The gray-skinned corpse had been cut open from neck to … whatever was between its legs, and its internal workings were just as alien as its external ones. Over the speaker, Doctor Stein began commenting on how the ugly fellow might digest its food. Apparently the little gray invaders had multiple stomachs like cows. Jim sighed. So their world was being invaded by bipedal gray-skinned cud-chewers. Great. Just great.

This month we continue our series on alien anatomy, literally delving into the bowels of unusual creatures – specifically their appetites. I’ve already posted an article about food and its necessity to your characters, which are probably vertebrates. That means they ingest their food, break it down, absorb it, and then circulate it to every single living cell in their bodies (which is headache-inducing if you stop to ponder it – don’t). Unused consumables are then disposed of in the same way that publishers typically treat unsolicited manuscripts. But with an alien anatomy, it bears mentioning that exotic creatures might ingest, digest, and circulate food differently.

 

Self-producing

Take for example a typical plant. Its food is self-produced, using a special pigment called chlorophyll, plus sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. It still needs potassium, nitrogen, and various other nutrients found in the soil, but the energy the plant uses is the sugar it produces for itself. This may not sound extremely interesting as a plot device in a book, but wait until you read John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War. I won’t spoil who the green-skinned creatures are, but suffice to say Scalzi incorporates a creature that uses chlorophyll-infused skin to further enhance its energy (as a hint, they aren’t the Jolly Green Giants).

 

Externally Digesting

Other organisms like fungus and starfish actually digest their food externally. A fungus emits enzymes into the soil (or plant, organism, or whatever the fungus is feeding on), and its “food” breaks down around the root-like hyphae. The nutrients are then absorbed into those little tendrils. Try not to think of that the next time you get athlete’s foot. Arguably more gross is the starfish, which actually spits its entire stomach out of its mouth to digest its food externally. Creatures like this are likely to be pretty alien. Again, the world of Scalzi’s Old Man’s War is populated with interesting characters. Take the Gehaar for example, which are blue, tentacled extraterrestrials that inject their food with acid and slurp up the mostly-digested syrupy mess into their mouths. Yuck. But who knows what your space-faring adventurers or fame-seeking wizards will find in their world?

 

Otherworldly Appetites

But not all creatures need to follow the same rules as those in our own world. The second book in Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter series (incidentally, no relation to the Pokemon craze), includes some creatures called Oni, which feast off of souls to prolong their life. They do this in an almost literal way, because the souls are actually stored in a stomach-like bag inside the creature, where they are processed and provide energy for the evil beings. Apparently such a malevolent metabolism makes a monster very hard to kill too, since an entire section of Alabama interstate was virtually destroyed in the process. You’ll have to read Monster Hunter Vendetta to appreciate it though.

 

Picking up a Monster Manual from Pathfinder or 3rd or 5th edition D&D can also give you some interesting ideas for aliens and fantastic creatures (Note: 4th edition is great to play, but the monsters typically lack back-stories). Examples from these books are Gelatinous cubes and oozes that tend to be mindless blobs of jello that are only semi-aware. If you touch one though, your skin will begin to decompose in their uniform acidic bodies. That’s because their digestive systems are little more than homogenous blobs of acid. Rust monsters are also interesting since they eat metal, including magic weapons. In one of the editions this meant that one of their waste products would sometimes be residuum, a magical substance used to enchant other weapons.

 

That’s all on the menu this month. Next month we’ll talk about alien sex and reproduction, but don’t worry, I’ll keep it PG. Still, you may not want to invite your grandma.

 

Gelatinous Cube Inspirational Photo from http://catsoftindalos.blogspot.com/2016/05/caverns-of-slime.html

Green Giant image from https://www.tellwut.com/surveys/lifestyle/food-drink/91881-jolly-green-giant.html

Categories
Tour

Blog Tour- Norma Gail

a3normagail

Please tell us about your most Recent Book

Land of My Dreams – Contemporary Christian Romance

Alone and betrayed, American professor, Bonny Bryant longs for a haven of peace. She accepts a position at a small Christian college in Fort William, Scotland, craving escape from her painful past. The passionate love which develops when she meets fellow professor and sheep farmer, Kieran MacDonell, is something she never anticipated.

Kieran harbors a deep anger toward God in the face of his own devastating grief. When Bonny’s former fiancé reenters her life, Kieran’s loneliness draws him to a former student.

How will Bonny decide between her rivals? Can they set aside the past to make way for a future, or will it drive them apart?

Land of My Dreams spans the distance between New Mexico’s high desert mountains and the misty Scottish Highlands with a timeless story of overwhelming grief, undying love, and compelling faith.

http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170

Why do you write what you do?

I feel called by God to share about the trials and triumphs of life through fiction. I believe Christian fiction is an avenue to reach people who might not be inclined to pick up a Bible or listen to a gospel presentation. It is also an effective method of discipling Christians and showing them how to work through life’s problems putting God first, and that problems result when we fail to put God first in our lives. Christian fiction to shows God’s love in story form with believable characters that readers find much like themselves.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently finishing on the sequel to Land of My Dreams. The working title is The Dream Disrupted. It is a continuation of the main character’s story from the previous book and the challenges they face as they begin married life on a Scottish sheep farm.

I am working on a contemporary Christian romance novella about a girl who eloped with her favorite rock star only to have him divorce her without explanation after 16 months. He shows up at her door ten years after their wedding wanting to reconcile.

Research is under way for a three-book historical series beginning prior to the Civil War and ending around 1922, following a group of families through the trials of frontier living, based on true stories of my ancestors.

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

Much of today’s writing is fiction-lite. As a Bible study leader of over 21 years, I love to bring depth to fiction, to create hard struggles and characters who are far from perfect. I want my audience to discover that God is present in every moment of life, especially when things seem the most dark. Readers have said that Land of My Dreams makes them “laugh, cry, worry, sigh, smile.” I love to challenge the image of Christian romance by making it show the moments we would never want anyone to see, the times when believers are at their lowest.

How does your writing process work?

I am most definitely a pantster. I only resort to outlining when I get stuck, which is not often. I love to sit down and let the story and characters flow. My characters often surprise me with the twists and turns they throw me into, but they find their way out with prayer and help from the Lord. I typically write in layers, just getting the story out, then getting to know the characters better, filling in the setting details that make my story world come alive, and then rearranging the order of events if necessary. I get lost in my writing enough to occasionally forget that dinner needs cooked and I am sitting my pajamas.

Author bio:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, winner of the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. She is a former Bible Study Fellowship discussion leader who established the first weekly women’s Bible studies in her church in 2003 and continues to lead a weekly small group. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is a former RN and homeschool/soccer mom who loves family research, history, and Scotland. Norma lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 40 years. They have two adult children.

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Can I Write for This Magazine?

 I love print magazines and I take a number of them as a subscriber. When they arrive, frequently I read them cover to cover. While I enjoy many different types of publications, as a writer, I also take a deeper look to see if there is an opportunity for me to write for the magazine.

In this article, I want to give you some of the benchmarks and resources you can use to evaluate your magazines and see if you have an opportunity to write for this publication. As a former magazine editor, I know every editor begins the issue with a blank magazine filling the pages. These empty pages spell opportunities for freelance writers.

First, look at the age of the publication. If a new magazine, often the editor is open to working with new writers because they haven’t built a stable of contributors. If the magazine has been around for years, notice who writes the articles. Are their names listed on the masthead as “contributing writers?” If so, then the magazine may be mostly staff written and does not use much freelance material.

Next use Google to search for the magazine online. Do they have writer’s guidelines? If so, then they are normally open to freelance submissions. Read and follow their instructions. Does their website list themes for forthcoming issues or have a “themes list?” If you pitch an idea related to these themes, then you will get more interest from the editor.

Go to your local library and use the latest Market Guide. Use the index to look up the  entry for the magazine. What percentage of their magazine is freelance? The higher the percentage the more likely there is opportunity for the writer.  Do they pay on acceptance or publication? As a writer, I prefer publications that pay on acceptance. Magazines that pay on publication may hold your article for many months before publishing (and paying).

As in book publishing, the magazine world is constantly changing. For example, I noticed recently Architectural Digest has a new editor because each month the editor writes a little column in the front of the magazine. Change can spell opportunity for the writer because a new editor may be open to new ideas and new pitches for the publication.

If you want to write for magazines, learn how to write a query letter or one page pitch. Then craft appropriate pitches (from the guidelines) to the editor. Yes you may garner rejection but repeated rejection is not necessarily bad. Maybe your article is rejected because someone else pitched a similar article or the magazine has already purchased a similar article. Yes these situations happen and I’ve seen it as an editor. The repeated pitching of appropriate articles also gets you positive attention from the editor. The editor also assigns articles to freelance writers and you want to be one of those people who gets an assignment. To gain an assignment, you have to be on their radar. As a freelance writer, you get on their radar through professional pitching.

Every magazine is looking for dependable, professional writers who can deliver excellent writing on the editor’s deadline.  You will have to prove yourself but as you deliver quality writing repeatedly, then you will gain the editor’s trust and become someone who is a part of their regular writers. The procedure is a process and begins with studying the publication then pitching appropriate articles.

Opportunity is everywhere. Use these tips to begin writing for publication.

  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
Uncategorized

Weave Your Advertising Copy Like a Strand of DNA-by Holland Webb

 

I was one of those early readers your child psychologist warned you about. All my pals lived between the pages of books. My first such friends were a sweet-spirited pig, an ingenious spider, and a rat with an attitude. I read E.B. White’s classic, Charlotte’s Web, when I was … well, really young. I won’t tell you my age. You wouldn’t believe me.

What I remember most wasn’t the events of the story. It was crying for four straight hours when I finished it. I wailed until my grandmother came downstairs and asked my mom, “What’s wrong with him?”

And so for the first, but definitely not the last time, my mother answered that question with the phrase, “His book ended.”

What could be sadder, huh? Humans are story beasts. We consume stories as hungrily as we do steak and potatoes. Despite (because of?) the modern world’s reliance on data, the power of the narrative continues to shape culture – informing us what to buy, what to wear and who to vote for.

Are you a non-profit fundraising writer or an advertising copywriter looking to write compelling text? Choose the narrative. It will accomplish what you set it free to do. A narrative strategy that has worked for me in business and professional writing is one that appears in the Hebrew Bible, the letters of St. Paul, Beowulf and the Harry Potter series – Ring Composition.

          Ring Composition is a form of literary structure that makes your text compelling and readable. It takes two ideas and arranges them into the following pattern: ABBA. Like the Swedish rock group, but I digress.

The first idea (A) introduces and closes the piece. The second idea (B) is repeated twice in succession. The pattern can be recurrent and can be expanded – ABCCBA, or even ABCDCBA with multiple ideas leading to and then away from a central concept. Unlike an essay, your central point falls in the middle of the text not at its culmination. Forget the old line graph model of a text. Think of it as a strand of DNA, circling itself, but headed in one direction.

Ring Composition originated among the ancients when most stories were orally transmitted rather than privately read from a book. Ring Composition gave the story its cadence, which helped the storyteller remember the order of events.

Genesis 26:34 – 29:9, the Jacob marrative, offers an excellent example of Ring Composition with a central theme – deception uncovered – occurring smack in the center before the storyteller wends his back through the events in reverse order. In the beginning, Esau is the son of his father’s favor. The story leads through deception to the climax and then back to its origination point – the father with his son of blessing. Only it’s a different son this time. Now, Jacob has wealth and blessing and Esau has nothing. Rather than putting the crisis at the beginning or the end, the storyteller inserts his crisis, his moment of change, in the middle.

Try it. Put the change point in the middle of the story you tell in your non-profit’s appeal letter or your advertising copy. Wend your way back to the beginning.

Confused about what your crisis moment is in advertising copy? Here it is: when the reader intervened.

          Your story’s hero is your reader. Its crisis is the moment the reader made a decision to give, buy or volunteer.

For non-profit fundraising writers, the lowest emotional point of your story occurred just before your donor arrived on the scene. That means the first half of your thank-you letter retells the exact same story you used in your request. You’ll arrive at the crisis, the incendiary moment, in the middle of the letter. For example, “This is how bad things were for a family living under the bridge. But then YOU came and changed everything.”

When you are writing with Ring Composition, stick the main point in the middle and don’t repeat it. With repetition comes deafness. Make your main point once, and leave it alone.

          Once you create a crisis, echo your plot points from the center back to the beginning; this is the “BA” in “ABBA” or the “CBA” in “ABCCBA.” This last half is when the reader is most engaged, seeing herself as the hero who takes action to change things – whether that’s by donating to your charity and changing a life or buying your product and improving her family’s well-being. The last half of your ring-structured narrative should consistently build your reader’s emotional engagement.

          One warning: Never make yourself, your client or your organization into the story’s hero. You are incidental. Your text is a story about a descent into something bad (for ad copywriters, that might be using rough toilet paper instead of your client’s softer option), a hero’s intervention (which feels like the reader’s own intervention), and a climb back up the same slope they descended with help from the hero-reader.

The Harry Potter story is ring composition in a class by itself. Harry’s crisis moment occurs in the middle of each book and the middle of the series with the story echoing itself from the crisis to the conclusion. It’s a novel instead of advertising copy, so Harry is clearly the hero of each book and of the series, but the plot itself resists moving outside this structural boundary. The story’s Ring Composition gives the reader an unconscious map by which to navigate the magical world.

Your advertising or fundraising copy, using narrative structure, can capture your reader’s imagination and compel her to take action. Let the crisis fall in the middle of your story, build backwards and watch your reader’s interest – and potential investment – grow. You may even follow in the footsteps of that dear old spider Charlotte, an unparalleled advertising writer, whose web-woven work followed a little Ring Composition theory itself. Don’t believe me? Read her words again. Be sure to bring tissues.

About 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
The Ministry of Writing

Know Your Manual — Seminary in 5: Old Testament Survey

Save money. Learn theology. Become a better writer. Minister more effective. That’s my hope for you. In this second year of my column, The Ministry of Writing, I want to take you to seminary — writing seminary. If you have had the chance to go to seminary, then let this be a refresher. If you haven’t please soak up this tuition free theological education given each month in 5 points. God has called you to write. You want to glorify Him and reach the world, but the problem is that we can easily be false teachers and not know it. Therefore, growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.

One of the beauties of being a Christian writer is that we have a manual for all the instruction we provide and all the stories we tell. This manual is, of course, the Bible. Yet, this beautiful resource should also reign us in. For our, writings should be based on an accurate use of that manual. The manual is authoritative and therefore we are not to manipulate it for our own ideas. Therefore, it vitally important that you know your manual. Even the first half of this manual — the Old Testament.

Knowing this manual begins with reading it — reading it all, but we must also go deeper into an intensive study of the Bible. Even when this deeper study occurs sometimes we tend to jump to the details of particular books, passages, narratives, principles, or persons; and, by doing so we miss the big picture. I urge everyone to take a “survey” class or pick up an Old Testament and New Testament survey book. A survey study gives a bird’s eye-view of the text. It helps see the greater picture of what God is up-to and how each individual book fits together. There are also Bible Studies out there that accomplish this task such as The Story and The Gospel Project. The Story focuses on the greater history narrative in how all of the Bible fits together. The Gospel Project aims to trace salvation history throughout Scripture. I highly recommend Paul House and Eric Mitchell’s survey of the Old Testament book. There may be books that give more details, but this book perfectly pieces the books in the Old Testament together.

Here are five key points that you would learn in a survey of the Old Testament.

 

  1. The Bible (therefore, the Old Testament) is about God.

After reading this point, it’s likely you replied, “duh.” But before you skip to the next point, take a minute to think about how you utilize and approach the Bible. You may know the fact that the Bible is about God, but very few people actually approach this supernatural text in such a way. We read the Bible for inspiration, historic truth, or life principles. All of those things are there, but they are secondary.

First and foremost, the Bible is a revelation of the eternal God to his creation. The common cliché, that “It’s not history, but HIS STORY” is so true. The person and nature of God, along with His interaction with mankind is the purpose of His Word. We shouldn’t read “us” so much into the text, but rather look for God to reveal himself to us.

Throughout, the Bible and especially the Old Testament we learn characteristics of God. In the Old Testament, we learn He is the Creator and is sovereign over that Creation. We learn that He is just and punishes sin, but more than anything He desires to show grace, mercy, and love. The list could go on and on. By following, God’s relationship with Israel presented in this testament we receive a large sampling of how God works. The prophet Malachi instructs that God does not change. Our God is the same today as He was in the past.

 

  1. The Bible (therefore, the Old Testament) is Supernaturally Composed .

This is a reiteration of my posts on bibliology and interpretation of the Bible, the Bible was inspired by God. Throughout, the Old Testament this is revealed in notes on each book’s composition. Often the prophets speak on behalf of the Lord when they say, “Thus says the Lord.” We get insight in how God’s people like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, and others communicated with God.

This first testament in God’s Word was penned over 1,000 years by over 30 different authors from different backgrounds and locations. This is a task that is impossible by man alone.

I point out the supernatural nature because biblical scholarship has difficulty accepting the prophecy which has been fulfilled, the miracles, and the scientific knowledge displayed. Various explanations are made to undercut these supernatural aspects, but doing so goes against over a millennium of accepted understanding. Many books on the Old Testament that you might pick up would present ideas and conclusions that does discount its transcendent claims.

 

  1. The Old Testament tells of the Special Calling of Israel.

If you read the Old Testament literally and straight-forwardly, it becomes unarguable that God has a special relationship with the nation of Israel. Drastic changes to how one interprets the Bible has to be made for anyone to believe anything on the contrary. For in the first 11 chapters of Genesis, the foundation of the world and all the nations are presented, but following chapter 12 the rest of the Old Testament zeros in on the descendants of Abraham — Israel.

In Zechariah 2:8 and in other similar passages, God declares directly this special relationship. Zechariah 2:8, “For this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye’.” This is also seen in the calling of Abraham found in Genesis 12. Then in following passages, this special relationship unfolds. The law is given to them, their history is shared, and prophets come to call them back to God and His law.

This special calling does not cease in the Old Testament, but that section of Scripture makes that calling crystal-clear.

 

  1. The Old Testaments Show the Centrality of the Covenants.

 There are many details and different narratives throughout the Old Testament, but this portion of the BIble cannot be understood apart from the covenants God makes with Israel. Three of these stand out. The Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants provide the background for the direction of history and the words of the prophets. The Mosaic Covenant is a thread that stitches each and every facet of the Old Testament together.

The Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants are unconditional promises God makes to both Abraham and David along with their descendants. We find the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. Paul House and Eric Mitchell write in their survey textbook that God promises three things to Abraham. God promises an heir, land, a relationship. It is promised that Abraham’s name would be made great and he would have many descendants. This would require an heir. Next, God swore to give the land in which he would lead Abraham to find. Lastly, this covenant stated that the people of Abraham would be blessed and those who blessed them would also receive that blessing.

The Davidic Covenant is recorded in 2 Samuel 7. This covenant guarantees the lineage of David to be the rightful kings of the nation of Israel. God promises to establish David’s throne forever. Through this covenant the promises to Abraham are reiterated and connected to David.

These covenants are like a computer app that continually runs in the background while the display on the screen frequently changes. The law taught the Israelites how to live in the land, the history books showed the unfolding of these promises, and the prophets constantly referred to these covenants as a source of hope.

The Mosaic Covenant is the law. This covenant is summarized and formalized in Deuteronomy 26 – 30. This covenant was conditional. If the law was obeyed blessings would follow, but if God’s law was broken there would be curses. In the pages of the Old Testament that follow this Mosaic Covenant is front and center. The history books showed this fleshed out. The wisdom books called the people to follow the law. The prophets preached judgment because the covenant had been broken.

 

  1. The Old Testament Consists of Multiple Genres.

 One of the key principles in interpreting the Bible is to realize the different genres that are used. Each genre has its own set of interpretative rules. The Old Testament is full of multiple genres. There are basically four divisions in this first half of Scripture.

Genesis – Deuteronomy presents the Law.

  • Understanding that these five books make up the Law helps in interpretation. This was the foundation on which Israel’s history was judged, and the basis for which the prophets preached.
  • These books are prose, but feature declarative statements of the actual law mixed with narratives of history.

Joshua – Esther are the history books.

  • These are narrative history of Israel.
  • All those these books are prose, they do contain elements of poetry at times.

Job – Song of Songs are the wisdom or poetry books.

  • These books are forms of poetry and lists of short proverbs.
  • It is important to understand their prominent poetry structure, as well as, the nature of wisdom proverbs.

Isaiah – Malachi are the prophets.

  • These are divided into two sections the major prophets and the minor prophets. The only distinction in this classification is their sizes. The 13 minor prophet books were one book in the Hebrew canon.
  • These books contain prose and poetry. Most of them are divided into “oracles” which were spoken messages by the prophets.

Understanding these different genres is vital for the correct interpretation.

 

Conclusion

These points fall flat in capturing all that needs to be known about the Old Testament, but one of the strongest concepts that needs to be taken to heart is that the Old Testament should not be neglected. The Apostle Paul stressed that he preached the “whole counsel” of God. [bctt tweet=”We need to include the “whole counsel” in our writing.” username=””]

So, first of all used the manual God has given us. Then don’t skip the first half, but know this part of your manual.

Categories
Screenwriting

How Plot Can Kill Your Character

SEVEN 38

Every story begins at your Initial Stimulus – that spark of an idea that captured your imagination. The thing that got you excited and revved up. That initial flash of creativity you just knew would make for a great movie idea.

Initial Stimulus is also something much deeper though. Simply put, it’s your inspired connection to that basic story idea.

Having an inspired connection to your story idea is significant because inspiration is significant. It’s important to recognize that inspiration comes from passion, whereas motivation does not. When you’re motivated to do something you want to accomplish that objective and then move on.

Inspiration is much more profound than motivation because it stems from passion. As such, it causes you to personally invest in what you’re working on. To connect to it emotionally. In short, motivation can be fleeting, while passion always endures.

TYPES OF INITIAL STIMULUS

The Initial Stimulus can come to us in many different forms. It can be an intriguing character, like the dark side of Tyler Durden in Fight Club. It can be fascinating subject matter or event that interests you, such as the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the film, Selma, or one woman’s inspiring activism portrayed in Erin Brockovich.

Or the Initial Stimulus can just be a simple “what if” that comes from the ether of your own imagination. What if a serial killer used the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi? The “what if” behind the film, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

No matter how it comes to you though, it’s important to understand the psychological impact that the Initial Stimulus has on the overall creative process. Having an inspired connection to your story idea is crucial to story development.

Why? Because it’s the driving force behind why you want to tell a particular story. It’s the momentum that will sustain you throughout the lengthy process of developing and writing a feature length screenplay. And it’s also the thing that can cause your story to crash and burn, killing your character in the process.

THE PITFALL OF INITIAL STIMULUS

Having taught Screenwriting at the MFA level for almost two decades, as well as having professionally consulted on north of five-hundred screenplays and films, I can say that a pervasive mistake I see all too often is that the writer gets so excited about their Initial Stimulus, that they instantly jump in and start plotting.

Never stopping to first define the single most important building block of story – character. Character is the narrative cornerstone in building a screenplay with emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.

Jumping right in and plotting your story is the equivalent of eagerly hopping into your car to go somewhere cool and exciting… Only to have no idea where you’re going or how to get there.

It doesn’t make any sense. So why do screenwriters do this then? Two reasons.

One, because plotting a movie is one of the more creatively exciting parts of the entire story development process. It’s one of things that gets the artistic adrenaline pumping. It’s enjoyable to do.

Secondly, as people we tend to be vertical thinkers, so sequencing and creating order (or plotting) is something that is intuitive, it comes natural to us.

Think about it, if a person looks up at the stars at night, the first thing their mind will do is to form shapes and patterns out of the stars.

The reason being is, they’re intuitively trying to make order out of chaos. It’s called, Pareidolia, which is where the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists. This is actually hardwired in us as humans.

THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF PLOTTING FIRST

This natural instinct of wanting to jump in and instantly create order by plotting our screenplay, well it ends up causing all sorts of narrative repercussions.

Most notably of course, we end up with un-compelling characters that are afterthoughts – ones that lack authenticity. Instead, they become broad characterizations that are devices solely needed to serve our plot. Human chess pieces being moved around in a story in order to oblige a plot’s end result. Which is hands down the quickest way to cut the life of your screenplay short.

Not to mention, by putting the cart (plot) before the horse (character), we often end up losing track of that inspired connection (Initial Stimulus) we originally had with the basic story idea to begin with!

All of this is why there are more unfinished screenplays than finished ones. More first drafts that never see the light of day than do. And more just plain bad spec scripts out there than good ones.

So as you begin to develop your story idea, always remember that once you have your Initial Stimulus in place… Stop!

Resist that urge to jump in and start plotting the story. Fight that feeling of wanting to instantly work on plot. Instead, first develop and define the key building block of all successful stories – character.

In doing so, you’ll be able to better craft a plot that has emotional resonance that an audience can connect with.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Long is a produced screenwriter who has sold, optioned, and pitched projects at the studio level and has had original screenplays in development with Academy Award ® winning and nominated producers. Mr. Long is also a nationally recognized screenplay consultant, as well as a former Professor and Head of the MFA Screenwriting Program at FSU’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he taught for almost two decades. He’s currently Founder of PARABLE, an innovative online screenwriting course.

Categories
Dear Young Scribes

Re-Evaluate Your Writing Career by Returning to Your Author Dream

Almost every aspiring author dreams of what their life as a published author will look like some day: Multiple best-selling novels. Lines that stretch out the door at book signings. A cabin in the mountains. Books made into movies. Fat advances. And, of course, spending every waking hour either typing up the next Great American Novel or responding to fan mail.

Obviously that picture is far from the reality of what the life of today’s average novelist looks like. In order to make a living in today’s writing industry, most authors don’t just write books. They also teach. Speak. Blog. Write freelance articles. Offer coaching, consulting, or freelance editing services to other writers.

Yet with all of the possibilities for today’s writer, how are we supposed to know which paths to pursue and what kind of business model to create? After all, being an author is equivalent to being an owner of a small business. Sometimes I can become distracted by all the ideas floating around in my head that I forget to remind myself of the Big Picture of my writing career—the reason I’m pursuing this dream in the first place.

So, for the new year, I’ve decided to re-evaluate my business model and where I currently stand along my writing path. How am I doing this?

By returning to my Ultimate Dream as an Author.

Of course, your career as a writer might not look the way you originally thought it would. But I believe that, if God has given you the desire and dream of being an author, then it must’ve been for a reason. He has a plan and a purpose for this gift of yours. What is it that He’s planted inside of you? Why do you feel like you’ve been called into this profession? Is it to reach the lost? To provide lighthearted and clean entertainment?

    

With all of the possibilities for today’s writer, it can often be tempting to get carried away in all of these money-making avenues. As you begin a new year in your writing journey, it might be wise to re-evaluate where you currently stand by going back to the start, to the very moment when you first felt that tug on your heart to pursue writing.

I advise doing this by getting alone with God and your journal. In your journal, write the answers to these questions…

  1. What did I originally envision when I first felt called to pursue writing?
  2. Is that the same vision I have in mind for my writing career today?
  3. Are the steps I’m taking today leading me toward reaching this Dream Author Career?
  4. Are the decisions I’m making supporting my mission statement as an author?
  5. What do I believe God wants to accomplish through my writing career?

 

By answering these questions, hopefully you’ll be able to see your writing career from a big-picture perspective—beginning from the time you first dreamt of being an author, to where you stand today, and finally, where you’re headed. As you journal, spend time in prayer and ask God to give you the vision He wants you to have for your writing career. If you’d like to take it a step further, you could even summarize this vision down to 1 – 3 sentences, write it on a post-it note, and stick it on your computer or at your desk. That way, any time you come across a career-altering decision this year, you can see if it supports this vision.

Sure, that crazy dream you first had when you dreamt of becoming an author might be a stretch. But what if there’s some truth in that? What if God gave you those desires for a reason?

Every new year brings with it an exhilarating rush of possibility. Another chance to reach higher, try harder, and pursue new goals. But before we rush toward planning the path before us, let’s not forget to first be still and seek our Guide, the giver of this gift. Tune your heart to His. Is the path you’re headed one that’s been mapped out by Him?

With every step, let’s seek His direction and guidance. If we do that, then we’ll remain in His will. And who knows? The vision He has in mind for our writing careers might actually exceed anything we could ever imagine…

[bctt tweet=”Re-Evaluate Your Writing Career by Returning to Your Author Dream @TessaEmilyHall #writerslife” username=””]

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Taking Critique Like a Jedi

Taking Critique Like a Jedi

May 25, 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope—a small indie film with an unknown cast and modest working budget—became an overnight sensation and took the world by surprise. Characters like Han Solo, Princess Leia and Darth Vader would become immortalized in the eyes of fans. The cast and crew began a multiple decade journey of fame and fortune.

The franchise also entered a world of criticism.

It is inevitable that any work of art will face criticism once released to the public. Over the decades since the original Star Wars film was released, the fan-base has grown with the advent of social media. As fans around the world connect, they have opportunities to discuss the good and the bad. It didn’t take long for one of the most famous plot hole discussions about the original movie to take hold: How could a conglomerate like the Empire overlook such an obvious flaw which could lead to the destruction of the Death Star?

However, with the recent release of the spin-off film, Rogue One, producers were able to address the discrepancy. Not only have die-hard fans been giddy over the beach battle and space fight that rivaled The Empire Strikes Back installment, but also reception of the movie has been overwhelmingly better than the last few movies in the series. And the producers did not miss their chance to correct a three-decade long ‘oversight’ to satisfy even the most critical of fans with an explanation of how that crippling weakness could’ve secretly been added to the design of the Death Star.

As writers, we face a world of criticism for our work. Which is one reason why critique partners are a good idea to help bring to light inconsistencies within the script. Hearing negative feedback about our own work can sting, sometimes so much so that the critique itself can cripple a writer into wanting to give up. But ultimately, a good critique should inspire—not discourage—a writer toward better writing and a desire to make his/her manuscript the best that it can be.

We’ve all had our fair share of feedback that made our stomachs drop and our palms go clammy. The thought of re-writes and hours of revision can dishearten the best of us. But how many of us can afford to present a story with such a large plot hole, and still create a multi-billion dollar franchise to keep it afloat? And how many of us will get the opportunity three decades later to set the record straight?

Attending critique groups and hearing corrections from fellow writers might be uncomfortable—scary even—but it should be a necessary part of who we are as writers. Don’t allow negative feedback on your work cause you to walk away from your craft. Rather allow it to inspire you to take an objective look at your work and consider all points of view.

We all have setbacks in our manuscripts. It took George Lucas four separate scripts before he found the perfect formula that became the original Star Wars movie. It can feel as if we face a real-life Darth Vader, at times. But it is up to us, as artists, to dig deep within our creativity, to find the strength to become Luke Skywalker, to rise above the difficulties we face, and see our journey through to the end. You never know how your work might resonant with someone. It just might be powerful enough to blow up a Death Star.

Bio: 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 Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

HOW Many Words, Take Two

Irony. It’s my new middle name.

In my post for last month I detailed how I had been working on a project in which the word count was 250 words per piece. I mentioned how, as a wordy person, I struggled to pare down my work to meet that limit.

Well.

Two days after I submitted that blog post, I got an email from my editor. There had been some miscommunication about the word count—the 250 word limit was for the previous project I had done for the same company (finished last summer). The current project actually had a 500 word-limit.

500 words. DOUBLE what I had written. God has a sense of humor.

The editor praised my pieces but asked that I rewrite them to make them LONGER. After all of the sweat I had expended to keep them short. I had to laugh at the irony.

And here’s the deal: once you have learned to “write tight” and have worked to limit yourself on words, it’s incredibly hard to double the word count.

“God is very, very, very, extremely, unbelievably good.” That’s what I wanted to write, but I didn’t. I dived back in and tried to extend my stories without seeming like I was stretching. Trust me—it’s not as easy as it sounds. The editor gave me some nice suggestions on how to “beef up” the pieces, and hopefully they turned fine. I truly appreciate her taking the time to work with me in this situation.

As I finished the last edit today, I thought of two things.

First of all, scripture came to mind: Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. That’s Philippians 4:11-12, New King James Version. The CHV—Carlton Hughes Version—might read, I have learned how to write tight and how to stretch out the word count.

Finally I thought of Roseanne Roseannadanna, the character Gilda Radner used to play. She would end her Weekend Update reports by summing up life in a few simple phrases. My latest escapade might sound like this: “It’s always something; if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Either you have to write to a very short word limit or you have to stretch out what you’ve already written. Or you have food stuck in your beard (Roseanne would have wanted me to include that last sentence, as she thrived on gross things).”

I think I’ll go rest now. I’m very, very, very, extremely, unbelievably tired.

Categories
Free Your Mind LifeStyle

Weekend In Barcelona

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

[/vc_column_text][bquote type=”tagline” prk_in=”I have given no small attention to that not unvexed subject, the skin of the whale. I have had controversies about it with experienced whalemen afloat, and learned naturalists ashore. My original opinion remains unchanged.”][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

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Categories
The Creative Tool Kit

5 Habits To Spark Your Creativity in 2017

The creative tool kit

Spark Your Creativity

“Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits.” Twyla Tharp

Every break of daylight offers new and fresh opportunities to start again, to improve, to overcome. Celebrating the start of a new year is the proverbial cherry on top.

Because practicing good habits is a springboard to increasing our creativity, what better way to start the new year than to review our current habits and priorities in order to make our 2017 the most creative ever?

In today’s post, let’s look at five specific habits that are sure to spark creative energy into your daily endeavors.
  1. Join Instagram. Give your followers an idea of what goes on behind the scene of your creative work. Where does your creative energy take flight? Snap and share! Spiff up your camera skills and share your work (and others, as well.) Follow people or businesses that you might not normally follow to gain a deeper perspective of the world around you.
  2. Learn to Maximize your Minutes. E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web gets right to the heart in his popular quote: “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” Ouch. There’s plenty of detailed information on the Web as to how you can make this happen. The point is, it needs to happen.
  3. Define Your Peak Time and Stick to It. Most creative types are early risers. This fact has been documented numerous times but there are others, like Carl Sandburg, who worked late into the evening after everyone had gone to bed, writing till early morning. If you’re not sure when your energy level is at its peak, jot down how you’re feeling throughout the day – and do this for a week. By the end of the week, you should be able to tell where your peaks and plummets of energy occur most days. Define it, then do your best to do your most creative work during those hours if possible. If you hold a day job during that time, see #2 above. Arrange your break around that time. Get creative!
  4. Slow Down. Henry James nailed it with his quote, “A writer is someone on whom nothing is lost.” Our pace may be frantic for a season but even in the busiest of times we can shift our sensory panel into low gear by choosing to breath deeper, stare longer, listen more carefully. Take notes…a lot of them. No detail is too minute.
  5. Exercise. A little goes a long way in helping our bodies to stay fit as well as our minds.

 

Which of the above habits do you plan to begin in 2017? If you have a different one, please share!

Categories
Platform and Branding

5 Questions Writers Should Ask Before Joining a New Social Media Network

by Susan Stilwell @susanrstilwell

Social media is a part of life and savvy writers stay on top of the latest trends. Each year new social networks emerge, each promising to be the most engaging. Busy writers want to maintain a relevant and growing social media presence, and asking these five questions can help decide if a new network is worth pursuing.

social media icons

1. What do I have to offer there?

Do you have photography skills? An image-driven network like Instagram can give you an outlet for your hobby and also let your followers see some of the things that inspire you.

Do you enjoy creating or curating professional information? LinkedIn might be a good fit.

Are you an engaging public speaker? Live video will enhance your presence by letting your community see you in action. Video is one of the most engaging mediums and many networks are incorporating it in their platforms. The personal touch video provides can benefit any writer.

2. Is my audience engaged there?

All social media networks have a mobile app available, and many of them can access your personal contacts. Allow the app to access your address book and see who’s there. Check out a few profiles of your friends and influencers and take note of their followers, content, and strategies.

3. What is the learning curve? 

This can be difficult to gauge but notice what others are doing and see how your skills compare. Instagram followers appreciate artsy photographs or interesting graphics, so you’ll want to brush up on those skills. If you’re interested in live video streaming, then you’ll want to invest in a “selfie stick” or a portable tripod and practice delivering succinct messages. To create good instructional videos for YouTube or Vimeo you’ll need some basic video editing skills as well as an understanding of how to share or embed your content.

4. How will this grow my platform?

Social media can be used for a host of reasons:

  • building relationships,
  • driving traffic to your website,
  • growing your number of followers,
  • launching books,
  • increasing engagement,
  • sharing your message,
  • learning new skills,
  • introducing you to a new audience, etc.

Decide on your goal, do a little research and then develop a plan. Periodically evaluate your progress and make the necessary adjustments, including leaving the network if it’s not working for you.

5. How will one more network affect my life?

Joining a new network can be fun and exciting, but it can also become cumbersome if you don’t have the time and energy for it. Will another network add to your stress level, or will it energize and inspire you?

 

Social media is an important part of a writer’s platform, one that can also enrich your personal life. Answering these five questions will help clarify your goals and determine if joining a new network is right for you.

Shareables:

[bctt tweet=”How can a busy #writer maintain a relevant #socialmedia presence and stay focused? via @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”Joining a new #socialmedia network can benefit a #writer but can also add stress. via @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”As a #writer, what are your #socialmedia goals? What questions clarify your needs? via @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

Additional resources:

Hubspot – Visual Marketing Content Strategy

Lifewire – Joining A Social Network

Categories
Bestsellers

Best Selling Author-Ronie Kendig

a3ronieauthorphoto

Can you share a little about your recent book – Conspiracy of Silence is the first book in my brand-new series, The Tox Files. It features a former Special Forces team, an archaeological artifact, and a centuries-old plague. I’m especially excited about this series because I’ve been able to explore several points of history and span the globe with adventure and excitement.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books? I write because I have a passion for stories and people. The theme throughout all of my novels is one of hope, along with Rapid-Fire Fiction action and adventure.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? While I might have only been writing since my early twenties, I’ve been telling stories since I was a little girl—with my Barbie dolls. LOL From the moment I decided to seek publication until my first contract was about 6.5 years.

How long does it take you to write a book? On average, I write my novels in about 4-6 months, depending on the novel

What’s your writing work schedule like? For the most part, I write in the evening after homeschooling, dinner, and tae kwon do. I usually stay up until midnight or 2am, writing.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career? My greatest joy is simply getting to tell stories for the Kingdom, much like Jesus did.

What has been your darkest moment(s)? Stepping out on faith with a particular series and watching it not do well. That’s fun in reverse.

Which of your books is your favorite? Ack! I can’t admit to that publicly or my characters would never speak to me again. However, I can say that each series brought a different joy to the writing process. Right now, I’m having a blast writing The Tox Files and plot book #3.

Who is your favorite author to read? Right now, my favorite author is David Baldacci, who somehow manages to grip me by the throat in the first few pages. And he keeps the stories clean, so that makes it easier for me to trust him and enjoy the read.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened to? Know the rules, master the rules, but don’t get suffocated with the rules. The rules are meant to help hone your craft, so it’s vital to know them backwards and forward, but it’s equally important to understand your writing and be confident in that.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you? Rejections happen every day, in small ways. Sometimes, it feels like being in a pool of piranhas, but it’s taught me to write for the joy. To write because I get to. Not to write toward a goal. I mean, sure—we want our books to do well and succeed, but what is “well.” What is “success”? Isn’t that simply doing what we were supposed to do—write the book?\

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make? The most common mistake is spending so much time on the technical aspects of writing that the heart of the story is lost or muddled. Again, this goes back to the mastery of rules but not getting suffocated by them.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market? At writer’s conferences—yes, they cost and can be expensive, but it’s the best way to develop relationships. It’s an investment in your future.

a3conspiracycropmed-194x300

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of a dozen novels. She grew up an Army brat. Now, she and her husband, an Army veteran, have an adventurous life in Northern Virginia with their children and a retired military working dog, VVolt N629. Ronie’s degree in Psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.

Categories
Book Reviews

Conspiracy of Silence-Ronie Kendig

 

In Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files #1), Ronie Kendig crafts a suspenseful, fast-paced tale that combines archeology, the military, medieval history, politics, Biblical history, bioterrorism, and a dash of romance.

Conspiracy of Silence continues the story of Cole “Tox” Russell, which began in the prequel/novella The Warrior’s Seal. While readers do not need to read The Warrior’s Seal first, they may well be drawn to do so after reading Conspiracy of Silence.

Exiled and disgraced, Russell is called upon by the President of the United States, Russell’s own brother, to eliminate an assassin. Russell reassembles his old black ops team and immediately finds himself pressured into adding Kasey Cortes to the unit. Cortes, the younger sister of one of Russell’s former girlfriends, has harbored a crush on Russell since she was twelve; she is now an expert in deception detection who has been working tirelessly to clear Russell’s name. The squad, now including Cortes, quickly gets to work and travels across the globe in an effort to stop a terrorist from releasing a deadly toxin that originated in Biblical times.

Kendig’s characters are well-drawn, complex, and realistic. Russell is a hero who selflessly and courageously strives to protect his country even after it has turned its back on him; at the same time, he is a complicated, dangerous man. His team members are an interesting mix of characters as well. Each one makes great sacrifices for their country; each one deals with their own very real and realistic flaws. The author also avoids the common trap of creating stereotypical, cardboard-character villains. Just as the characters are realistic, the dialogue is authentic and “natural”.

 

In Conspiracy of Silence, Kendig constructs an amazingly fast-paced plot captures the reader’s attention from the very beginning to the closing page. The author smoothly weaves multiple subplots and numerous characters, and she moves the reader smoothly and believably from Jordan to India to England and on, integrating historical elements into the present-day tale of bioterrorism.

Published in December 2016 by Bethany House Publishers, Conspiracy of Silence, deftly explores issues of good and evil, redemption, the cost of heroism, and our society’s struggle to combat terrorism. Readers will, no doubt, find themselves up far past their bedtime, unwilling to put down this newest offering from best-selling, award-winning author Ronie Kendig.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Silence-Files-Ronie-Kendig/dp/0764217658

 

Book Review by Patti Miinch: Patti Miinch, a widow and mother of two adult children, lives in Southeast Missouri. Her lifelong passion — as both a writer and a reader

— for the written word led her to pursue a career as an English professor. Her hobbies include watching college and professional sports, spending time with her family, knitting, spending time outdoors, and traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Writing with Disabilities-Kathryn M. B. Johnson

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.

 

I have a disability. In fact, I have several. My body dictates everything for me: when I write, how I write, and where I can write. What it doesn’t dictate is what I write, and it certainly can’t tell me I am unable to find a way to write.

Above all, having a disability doesn’t diminish my desire to write.

I’m sure most people are familiar with the story of Helen Keller but did you know that Agatha Christie, the best-selling novelist in history –  aside from the Bible and Shakespeare had a learning disorder? Or that Albert Einstein probably had autism, and his students had to lead him to his appointments?

[bctt tweet=”Many famous people, including writers, accomplish what they love despite a disability” username=””]

You need only Google famous people with disabilities to see how many have overcome challenges to make their dreams come true.

When you have a disability, the activities in your life are different from the norm. The similarities to living life to its fullest potential remain the same for anyone. Like the famous people I’ve mentioned, to write with disabilities means you create the strategies for when, where, and how you work based on what is best for you. I’ve had to make many changes to adapt to my personal challenges.

When I Write

I write when my body allows me to write. It’s this simple. If my body doesn’t allow it, I listen to my body and adjust my schedule accordingly.

How I Write

I use a computer, wire bound composition books, a tape recorder, and Dragon Naturally Speaking software. Most new computers, tablets, and phones have some sort of speak-technology available today. I keep all my tools for the task within reach.

Where I Write

I have an office space in my home. I write at an old desk, and I use a good fitting chair. If sitting at the desk becomes too painful I might write on the living room sofa, in a recliner, at the dining table, or in bed. I’ve also written in the car, in the doctor or dentist office waiting room. If I have pen, pencil, and paper, or my tape recorder I can write, or dictate into my tape recorder.

More Strategies for Writing

Depending on your specific set of challenges the following items are important to me as a writer, and you may find them helpful as well.

Desire

 A person who wants to write knows they want to write. Without the desire, the prospect of doing it cannot be accomplished.

Health

Disabilities and challenges come with health issues. Taking care of yourself is vital. Your special needs, and your doctor’s orders will dictate your course of action. Follow the cues of your body. If you need a break, don’t hesitate. Exercise and a good diet are important for your body, mind, and spirit. Drink plenty of water to give your body the ability to function as it was meant to function flushing out toxins, and keeping the brain and our mental acuity strong. Always remember to respect your body.

Spiritual

I strengthen my spiritual connection. I give thanks for each new day, and my God-granted abilities. Having a spiritual connection for your soul is calming. Your spiritual connection will give you a sense of purpose. Faith supplies meaning in a person’s life that drives us to do what we need, or want to do.

Knowledge

To write well, you must read, or listen to, and study the craft of writing. Include books, magazines, and online resources on topics you want to write about. Read outside your normal genre. Be surprised and inspired by a subject you may have never encountered before. If you can’t physically read, have someone read to you.

Social Contact

Find like-minded individuals to support you, and support them as well. Writing is a solitary and lonely endeavor. When you have a disability, this can feel even lonelier. Take online classes and workshops and engage in the forums. Find a writer’s group or book club you can join. If you can’t go out, bring them to you. Start your own! Facebook and Twitter are good choices, but be careful not to let any social atmosphere eat up precious writing time.

Resources

Here is are a few of my favorite resources I’ve found helpful in my writing life.

https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/how-start-business/business-types/people-disabilities

  • An inspiring disability website with tons of information:

https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/publications/

Remember

Remove the D, I, S, what’s left is Ability. Always believe in yourself.

 

Kathryn M. B. Johnson writes about life and hope— essays, blogs, and articles. About adversity in life, and on disabilities. She lives and writes from Staunton, VA, and is compiling a book of essays about her time as a Life Skills Instructor for persons with challenges, and a memoir on the topic of learning through adversity. Connect with her at kathrynmbjohnson.com on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

Informational Photo Credits:
By Sign Video (Significan’t Sign Video)
  • Note: Download image file: Download Full Resolution – (cropped by Kathryn M. B. Johnson to meet size requirements for almostanauthor.com 12/15/16).
Categories
5 For Writing

Procrastination and the Pen

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By Doug Peterson

I stepped slowly out onto the board of a high dive at our local swimming pool, and I was terrified.

I was in elementary school at the time, but I still remember it vividly. I leaned out over the edge of the board and stared down in horror. From above, the drop looked a million times higher than from below. The diving board seemed so high that I thought I should be wearing a parachute, and if I could have retreated back down the ladder without losing face, I would have. I eventually jumped that day, but I didn’t do it again for years.

But what in the world do diving boards have to do with writing?

For some of us, taking the plunge and starting to write in the morning can be as painful and as intimidating as jumping off a high dive. As a result, we procrastinate. We stare out the window. We check our Facebook page. We wander downstairs for a cup of coffee. We do anything except put our fingers on the keyboard and start writing.

In my “5 for Writing” rules, which you can find at the end of this blog, my first rule is: “Get writing. Find the time to write. Then do it.” It sounds simple and straightforward. But for many writers, taking that first step—taking the plunge—is the most difficult part of the job. This is especially true if you’re a procrastinator by nature.

I should say up front that procrastination is not a problem that I face. But I have talked to many writers who struggle with the issue, and my wife is a therapist who has counseled people on procrastination. She explains that there are two primary forces driving procrastination—fear and comfort.

Fear. Some writers have a hard time sitting down to write because they are afraid that the ideas won’t flow, or that people who read their material will scoff (or, even worse, fall asleep). To make matters worse, they may have just read what they wrote the day before, and they’re disappointed. It sounded so much better yesterday! What happened overnight?

In my metaphor of the swimming pool, this writer’s fear is the equivalent of being afraid of jumping off the high dive. But my swimming pool metaphor doesn’t end there. The other reason that my wife says people procrastinate is…

Comfort. Writing is hard, especially when you’re trying to squeeze out those first few lines, so I compare this form of hesitation to walking SLOWLY into a cold pool. I swim twice a week, and there’s nothing more excruciating than cold water. Okay, a root canal is more painful…I’ll give you that. But for writers, those first few paragraphs can be as painful as walking slowly into a pool of ice-cold water.

In a cold pool, it’s actually less painful to jump right in than it is to wade into the water, because if you do it slowly the water will creep its way up your exposed skin, torturing you inch by inch. But this torture still doesn’t stop us from putting off that inevitable plunge into the frigid water. The same is true with writing. We try to put off the pain of actually starting, and we increase our suffering in the long run.

So just jump! Dive right in.

Keep in mind that “jumping in” doesn’t mean that you don’t plan out or ponder what you’re going to write before you begin. I do a minimal amount of outlining—just enough to know what I’m going to write that morning. But beyond that, I dive in.

Even with all of the good intentions in the world, there are always those pesky distractions and temptations, luring you to do something other than write. It’s the same at the pool. You know you need to be getting exercise, but the deck chair and snack bar are oh so tempting. Why get all wet and out-of-breath swimming laps when you can soak up the sun and drink lemonade by the pool?

Similarly, when you face your blank computer screen, you can think of so many other things you can be doing. The problem is that procrastination creates guilt. Even if you try to delay the work by doing something that you think will be more enjoyable, a sense of dread may eventually develop—especially if you have a deadline hanging over your head.

The bottom line: Procrastination might give you short-term pleasure, but it gives you long-term problems. So start writing, even if your initial work ends up in the trashcan. We all belly-flop sometimes.

So, bring to your writing the discipline of a swimmer. And before you come up with a dozen or more reasons why you shouldn’t be writing, sit down and start typing. If you’re really inspired, feel free to yell, “Cannonball!”

* * *

 5 for Writing

  1. Get writing. Find the time to write. Then do it.
  2. Learn by listening—and doing. Solicit feedback, discern what helps you.
  3. Finish your story. Edit and rewrite, but don’t tinker forever. Reach the finish line.
  4. Thrive on rejection. Get your story out there. Be fearless. Accept rejection.
  5. Become a juggler. After one story is finished, be ready to start another. Consider writing two at once.

 

Categories
Write Justified

The Common Comma

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Plenty of ink has been spilled and battles fought over the necessity and superiority of the Oxford or serial comma. After the period, the comma is the most used and misused punctuation mark. No doubt, we’ve all heard and seen that commas can kill.

A comma’s uses are myriad, and there are many rules about its usage. Whereas a period is an end punctuation mark, a comma indicates a pause or small break. We’ll start with one of the more common uses: joining clauses.

Independent clauses: Complete thoughts that stand on their own can be joined with a conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, etc.)  and a comma.

EX: The game went fifteen innings, but the Cubs lost on a fluke error.

EX: Mary couldn’t walk out of a fabric shop without at least purchasing a fat quarter, and Anne was only too happy to introduce her to every shop on the East Coast.

However, when verbs share a subject (compound predicate) they are not separated with a comma.

EX: Mary returned to the store for thread and hurried home to begin another project.

EX: The third baseman caught the fly ball and threw it to second for a double play.

A rare exception to this rule would permit a comma between the verbs if there was a possibility of misunderstanding as in the following example:

EX: Mary recognized the woman who took her parking space and giggled.

Without a comma, it’s not clear who giggled—Mary or the other woman. For clarity, insert a comma:

Mary recognized the woman who took her parking space, and giggled.

Independent clauses may also be joined with a conjunction and an adverb. In those cases, both a semi-colon and comma are used—the semi-colon before the conjunction, the comma following.

EX: The new shop carried Mary’s favorite line of fabric; however, it cost more than her meager budget allowed.

Follow the same punctuation pattern when using a transitional expression between two independent clauses, such as for example, in addition, namely.

EX: The Cubs earned a trip to the World Series for the first time since 1945; in addition, the young team has the potential for winning seasons for the next few years.

Commas are often used to set off introductory phrases. It’s not grammatically necessary to set off short introductory phrases of two or three words, but neither is it incorrect. Be aware of the publishers preferences and note these guidelines:

An introductory phrase that functions as an adverb indicating time, manner, place or degree, does not need a comma, unless the reader could be confused.

  • At noon the whistle blows.
  • On her desk are pictures of her grandchildren.
  • At his leisure Bill read the morning paper.
  • Too often the best answer is the common sense one.

Longer adverbial and other introductory phrases, however, are set off with commas.

Adverbial phrase:

EX: On the last Saturday of every month, the quilt guild holds a sewing day.

Adjective phrase modifies the subject of the independent clause:

EX: Of all the quilts at the show, Mary’s won the most ribbons.

Phrase contains a present or past participle:

EX: Coming off injured reserve, Schwarber hit a grand slam to put the Cubs ahead.

However, when a sentence begins with a gerund, a present participle that functions as a noun, it is the subject and is not separated from the verb with a comma.

EX: Designing one’s own quilt using computer software is becoming more common, even among novice quilters.

Next month we’ll look at more common uses of commas.

Categories
The Efficiency Addict

Writing Research: Enhance Your Fiction with Facts

How to enhance your fiction with facts found through writing research.

Welcome to The Efficiency Addict column, helping writers work more effectively every day. This month I’m pleased to welcome back Kathleen Neely to share what she’s learned about writing research and how this new knowledge is enhancing her stories.

Happy Writing! ~ Cynthia Owens, The Efficiency Addict

****

When I read a novel, I want to escape to unknown places, adventurous experiences, and pursuits that my real life isn’t brave enough to follow. The old adage, write what you know, sets extreme limits. The need for research isn’t limited to historic fiction. Your reader will appreciate time spent developing occupations, settings, and hobbies. Legal and medical scenes can hold great intrigue. Give your readers something they don’t know.

Writing Research–Ideas for Each Writing Stage

Research can be accomplished during prewriting. Identify the central theme of your story, then research the topic so you can gently weave authenticity into every chapter.

Research occurs during the process of writing. While it isn’t ideal to stop the flow, sometimes inspiration strikes that wasn’t part of the original plan. I have a protagonist that plays the violin, an afterthought as her character developed. Never having picked up a violin, I went to the most immediate source, the Internet.

Research continues post-writing. After gathering legal information for a novel involving a law suit, upon its completion, I sent scenes to a friend who is a lawyer. He clarified a few facts and provided better legal language. I’ll be doing the same with the violin scenes. Upon completion of my current work-in-progress, I’ll send them to an acquaintance who plays that instrument.

Sources for Your Writing Research

We have many sources of research available to us. Let me tell you a few, and then I’ll tell you my favorite.

The hands-down best source is primary experiences. If you can visit the city of your setting, ride along with a paramedic, live among the homeless, or whatever your novel includes, there is no better research than experiential learning.

The most readily available is clearly the Internet. Today’s writers have the advantage of unlimited resources through videos, articles, and newspapers at the touch of their fingers. One of my novels includes information about a drum circle. I had never experienced one, and didn’t have the time to travel. The YouTube video provided a great secondary experience that allowed me to capture the essence of an evening of free-style rhythm.

Personal interviews tap into primary sources. We know people in many different fields of life—lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers, builders, mechanics. I could go on and on. They are great, reliable sources of information, and generally love to talk about their specific field, especially when their feedback leads to an acknowledgment in your book.

Regardless of your timing or method of research, make sure you have a good cataloging system. Today’s world of literature includes many sequels and series. You never know when you’ll need that same information.

There are many apps available to catalog research such as Zotero. Additionally, there are many Social Bookmarking sites like Delicious. They allow you to search, organize, edit, and store helpful links found on the Internet.

And my favorite? Personal interviews. I always prefer talking to people. I choose a grocery store clerk over a self-scan. I’d rather make a phone call than use the ‘help’ icon on my computer. I have used the various sources available, but I love to phone a friend.

Research for novelists is an in-depth subject, and I’ve only touched the surface. I’d love to hear your tips.

Shareables–Because sharing is fun!

[bctt tweet=”Writing what you know is limiting. How to write beyond your experience. @NeelyKneely3628 #WritingTips #Fiction” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”Enhance your writing with facts. Tips for #Writing research. @NeelyKneely3628 #AmWriting” username=”@EfficiencyADict”]

Author Kathleen NeelyBio: Kathleen Neely is an award winning author, receiving first place for her debut novel, The Least of These, in the Fresh Voices Contest through www.AlmostAnAuthor. She won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA. You can read two of her short stories in A Bit of Christmas – 6 Christian Short Stories Celebrating the Season, available on Amazon. Along with numerous guest blog appearances, Kathleen is a regular contributor to www.christiandevotions.us. She lives in Greenville, SC with her husband, Vaughn, and enjoys time with family, reading, and traveling.

You can contact Kathleen through:
KathleenNeelyAuthor.com
@NeelyKNeely3628

Categories
Guest post archive

Platform Building-Is It Really Necessary?

“Your platform isn’t large enough.” The pretty blonde editor closed my proposal and handed it back.

I attempted a smile, thanked her for her time, stood up, held back the tears, and walked out of the room as gracefully as possible—holding my breath. When I reached the fresh air outside, I wanted to scream.

Ugh! I despised that word, platform—the elusive golden ticket. I refuted this modern publishing precept for big platform with the thoughts . . . but what if a book is amazing? What if an author is really talented? God is a big God! He can do anything.

But now that I’m on the other side of publication with two books recently released, I’ve learned a few things, and I have a better understanding of the importance of platform.

Talent and a unique idea can land you a contract with a small publisher. Many of us don’t care the size of the publisher; we just want to see our baby in print. (Am I right?) There are small to medium size publishers who will take a chance on a new writer with a small platform. And we are thankful for them. I’ve been blessed with such publishers.

But after the release of two new books in less than two months, I can tell you that I’m thankful for the platform, though not large, that I began to grow with the launch of my blog seven years ago.

Day in and day out I’ve consistently written for my followers.

I’m so glad I stayed the course and kept on writing even on days when the views were low and no comments or shares surfaced. Honestly, I’ve felt compelled to blog, and I know that God alone has been behind that grace to do so. In the consistency, perhaps the monotony, I’ve gained loyal followers. I have my tribe—a small tribe, but they are mine.

I am proof that everything the industry professionals tell you is true. Platform, a place to get the word out about your book, is paramount.

[bctt tweet=”Blogging, speaking, and social media are three venues to build your platform” username=””]

Social media is a gift. We must embrace it as authors in the twenty-first century. But I do give this rule:

  • Use it socially, not just as a tool to promote your book and blog.
  • We must share others’ joys and concerns, cheer people on, allow people into our lives, and share our books and articles for the edification of others.
  • Share other author’s books and blogs too—more than your own.

I’ve been amazed by how fast a post about your book’s release can spread through social media simply because your friends and followers love you.

But they don’t just love me; they’ve become familiar with my writing. They know what to expect. I am so thankful I started working on platform years ago. It takes time. If an author doesn’t start blogging or social media(ing) until after her book comes out, it’s too late. There’s not been enough time to grow it.

You’ve got to start NOW. Start building your platform before the contract, not just because the publishers demand it, but because you will greatly depend on that platform when the time comes for your book to release.

I do offer this warning. At one point early on in my career, I “wore” this pressure to grow my platform “on my sleeve.” In other words, I came across as desperate for people to subscribe to my blog. I was begging. I’m all about authenticity, so my publishing journey, rejections, and disappointments often became the topic for my blog posts. One day a close friend called me and told me that my dream to have my book published was idolatrous.

She didn’t understand. She had no idea how many hours I had spent with the Lord checking my heart about this. Nor did she know my agent was telling me she would not pitch my book to publishers until I grew my platform. Our friends who are not involved in this industry don’t know what’s needed in the market today, nor do they understand the ache—the calling inside of us to see our books in print. So, be wise in your words. Not everything we learn from God needs to be shared at that moment to that audience.

My friend’s judgment/warning did cause me to check my heart again—for the hundredth time and to sit back for a little bit afraid she was correct. But God made it clear to me that He alone could tell me to stop writing. My writing and platform building comes out of obedience to Him.

 I do what I can, and the rest if up to God. But I will do my part. I’ll blog, share on social media, speak, and teach, join writing groups and attend conferences. I’ll make my business/author cards and attend networking events in my community, and I’ll be open to whatever the Lord would have me do that day.

I am free to do this because I’m not selling me. I’m sharing the story God gave me to share. It’s my ministry. He’s given us wonderful tools in this modern era to generously love others across the country and the world with our words. He has called us to employ the written word to bring life to a dying, hurting world.

Build your platform, if not for the industry, for God.

andylee

 

 

Andy Lee is an award-winning writer, blogger, Bible teacher, and author of two books, A Mary Like Me: Flawed Yet Called (Leafwood 2016), and The Book of Ruth Key Word Bible Study: A 31-Day Journey to Hope and Promise (AMG 2015). She encourages digging deep to live fully at www.wordsbyandylee.com.

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Humility Without The Humbug

Elaine Marie Cooper

As I dropped off several of my novels at the bookstore before Christmas, I noticed a man that I assumed was a customer speaking with a young man at the desk. I waited my turn until the employee looked at me as though he was ready to help me.

Maybe he’s his friend and just stopped in to visit.

I proceeded to explain that I was dropping off books to sell on consignment when the “friend” said to me. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” I was confused by his question.

“Get your books in print.”

That was a loaded question that I didn’t have a lot of time to answer but I explained briefly that I’d attended writer’s conferences and connected with editors and publishers there.

He glanced at a woman sitting behind the desk and said, “Where can I find out about writers conferences?”

I saw the woman’s face and it was clear she didn’t want to have a discussion with the man. The situation became even clearer when he told the store employees that he had a great idea for a book and needed to find a publisher. “The book is called, ‘Tinkerbelle Joins the Army.’” He was obviously feeling inspired and excited by the prospect of seeing his story in print.

Fighting back laughter at the title, I said, “You can do a Google Search for writers conferences. They are held all over the country.”

“Oh, I need to find one in Des Moines. I don’t drive.”

I felt sorry for the man who obviously had some serious limitations in his life. But I was even sorrier that I had almost laughed at his book title.

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Who was I to look down my nose at someone who I assumed would never make it in the publishing world? Who was I to laugh at a title that I thought was ridiculous? Who was I to snicker behind the man’s back, the way I’d seen others in the industry make fun of those who seemed unworthy?

 

I felt a definite check in my spirit that I was not to demean another with my judgment—or in my actions. When the man saw my name on my books, he held out his hand to me and said, “Can I shake your hand, Elaine Cooper?” I forced myself to smile and extended my hand to respond to his shake. “Nice to meet you,” I answered.

And it truly was nice to meet him. Because he reminded me that dismissing this simple man’s dreams was akin to dismissing the importance of the “surplus population” that Ebenezer Scrooge hated in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” My initial lack of humility in looking down at this customer that everyone tried to ignore was akin to saying “Bah, humbug.” Instead I should have treated him with the warmth that Jesus would extend. I should have said in my heart and in my words, “God bless us everyone.”

And if you ever see a book entitled “Tinkerbelle Joins the Army,” know that I had the privilege of meeting the author and shaking his hand.

Merry Christmas!

Categories
Create. Motivate. Inspire.

A Note by Any Other Name

Three days before Christmas, a delivery man turned in our driveway, honked the horn, and requested my signature. Then he presented me with a certified letter, calling out “Merry Christmas” as he drove away.

A certified letter? This wasn’t something I received every day. Or ever.

The return address was stamped with the name of a publishing house where I had submitted a work of fiction. My knees wobbled and for a moment I forgot I was standing outside in 30-degree weather without a coat or shoes. My heart beating double-time, I flew into the house and stood staring at the envelope.

Could it be? After all this time? This was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever!

Heart still skipping, palms slightly moist, I began to read:

“Thank you for your submission. Our staff has looked over your manuscript, but we have decided not to pursue publication at this time.”

Wait, what?

Confused, I studied the envelope. But it came by certified mail.

Certified. Mail.

Some writers call them no-thank-you notes. But let’s call them what they are—rejection letters. Whatever we have attempted to submit for publication has been returned with the carefully pre-penned words: Thank you for your submission, but…

It’s the “but” that gets me every time.

The words following that but tend to blur into garbled script—it doesn’t meet our needs at this time…we have decided not to pursue publication…it doesn’t fit our editorial calendar…

I thought about finding a job writing the infamous rejection letters. Let’s see…I so appreciate your courage and hard work…and believe me, this is not personal…and, um, I don’t want you to give up your dreams of publication…but…

Oh well. I guess straight-and-to-the-point is best.

My certified rejection was unique, but there have been other no-thank-you notes containing glimpses of hope, and if I hadn’t been blinded by my poor attitude, I might have recognized what they offered.

Flipping through my rejection file, I paused to read a note from several years ago. It began typically enough…Thank you for your recent submission. Unfortunately…

And several years ago, that’s where I stopped reading.

But now, I continued: Unfortunately, it is too long for our children’s book format. If you would like to rework it and resubmit we would be happy to review it again.

Wait, what? Rework it and resubmit…?

Shame washed over me as I realized what my attitude may have cost me. This publisher had given me a touch of direction, an offer to review it again.

And I had thrown away the opportunity.

I am so thankful we serve a God who redeems our mess-ups and uses them for His glory. Romans 8:28 is a verse I tend to shy away from, but its power is unmistakable. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Some of the good from my mistakes and no-thank-you notes center on the Holy Spirit’s work in my heart. Through my faltering steps, God has worked to refine me and call me into a place of deeper trust and reliance on Him. Keeping my hand in His gives me the courage to keep those submissions out there, trusting the results to His purposes.

A writer’s life is a jumble of joy and despair, elation and misery. But everything in the life of a Christian writer can be used for the glory of God.

Even a certified no-thank-you.

 

What is the most unique no-thank-you you have received and how can you use it to encourage other writers?

[bctt tweet=”Thankful we serve a God who redeems our mess-ups and uses them for His glory. @lthomaswrites #amwriting” username=”@A3forMe”]

[bctt tweet=”What can we learn from rejection? @lthomaswrites #amwriting” username=”@A3forMe”]

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Seamless Self-Editing––Part VI

Writer's PenCase-2We all want our manuscripts to be the best they can be. In the past, we’ve relied on unskilled critique partners, groups, and professional editors to do our work for us. But, [bctt tweet=”Prospective authors must learn how to edit their own work to the point where a publisher will consider it as it.” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #publishready

Continue reading “Seamless Self-Editing––Part VI”
Categories
History in the Making

Create Timeline of Novel’s Events

By Sandra Merville Hart

 

Somewhere in the midst of writing my second novel my story started to get away from me. I couldn’t remember what day or week something happened in my plot, requiring me to reread earlier passages. This prompted me to create a timeline of my novel’s events.

Creating a Word document containing the timeline for our stories maintains accuracy, keeps us organized, and shows where the plot requires additional action.

I read a novel where two chapters spanned the summer only to find that the following chapter stated all those events happened in only two weeks. The author’s mistake on time jolted me out of the story. The things that happened early in the novel in a specific timeframe were incorrect. I continued reading though I had lost trust in the author. This discrepancy could have been easily fixed and monitored by maintaining a timeline.

Tracking this detail also keeps authors organized. My timeline is arranged in chapter paragraphs and contains the chapter’s major scenes. It begins with the character whose perspective the scene is written along with a brief description of the action and the date. The day of the week is also important because this detail grounds us. For instance, church is part of normal Sunday activities for Christians and in many historical novels whereas Monday begins the work week.

The time of day matters a great deal in suspense and mystery genres so tracking this detail saves the author constant rereading of prior scenes.

Timelines note every change of character perspective or date.

Historical novelists writing about particular events such as a Revolutionary War battle, the assassination of President Lincoln, or the San Francisco earthquake pay close attention to details. Tracking dates and historic occurrences within the novel keeps us focused and organized.

Another advantage of maintaining a novel’s timeline in the midst of writing is that it shows where the plot needs strengthening. Authors will see where the story’s action slows and picks up again.[bctt tweet=”Creating a novel timeline helps #writers track story details in each chapter. #writing #history” username=”Sandra_M_Hart”]

Tracking which scenes are in a particular character’s perspective helps to evaluate who gets the most “air time.” This can be important for specific genres like romance.

Authors may refer to timelines when writing novel proposals as a springboard for writing summaries, synopsis, or back cover copy.

I generally update my timeline upon completion of chapters. It you possess a forgetful nature like me, consider adding this organizational tool to your writing routine. It has saved my sanity countless times.