Tag: Christian writer

Malapropisms — The Insanely Successful Yogi Berra Technique of Humor

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date November 24, 2016
2 Comments on Malapropisms — The Insanely Successful Yogi Berra Technique of Humor

Malapropisms

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

Say what?

A malapropism sounds more like a contagious disease than a humor technique, but it’s actually a safe and effective way to catch your reader off guard.

The late baseball catcher Yogi Berra was known as much for his malapropisms as for his skill behind the batter’s box.

A malapropism is the mistaken use of words often in place of similar-sounding ones. It can also be a nonsensical phrase — one that seems to make sense at first but leaves you scratching your head, such as these Yogi Berra malapropisms:

Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

We made too many wrong mistakes.

It’s like déjà vu all over again.

Yogi created so many malapropisms they became known as Yogi-isms.

Yogi-isms have cropped up everywhere. In fact, he’s been given credit for more malapropisms than he actually created. This led him to utter one more: I didn’t really say everything I said.

He may not have said all he said, but he did say, 90% of the game is half mental, and You can observe a lot by watching.

Most Effective Malapropisms

A malapropism is most effective is when it’s unintentional.

My 10-year-old daughter created one when she tried to quote a favorite line from the 1996 version of 101 Dalmatians.

She meant to say, “It’s not hatred that’s important. It’s the desire to annihilate.“

She accidentally said, “It’s not hatred that’s important. It’s the desire to laminate.”

Really? It’s the desire to cover in plastic? I’m still laughing over that one.

Whenever you hear a good malapropism, put it in your “Humor File.”

Feel free to add this one to your file:

My friend Carol was easy to trick and was a good sport about it. Once, when she caught on that I was tricking her, she laughed and meant to say either, “You’re teasing me,” or “You’re pulling my leg.” What came out, though, was, “You’re teasing my leg.”

Could Your Novel Use a Malapropism?

Malapropisms create not only a touch of humor, they can provide a needed comic relief in a mystery or drama. Or you could weave them throughout your entire piece and create a spoof, like the play “Murdered to Death.”

Malapropisms are also a good tool for making a character more lovable, like the animated character Dory of the movies Finding Nemo and Finding Dory .

“I suffer from short-term remembery loss.”

Malapropisms will catch your reader off guard and may hold them to the last page. Try adding some into your writing today.

[bctt tweet=”Malapropisms – The insanely successful Yogi Berra technique of humor #AmWriting #Humor” username=”A3forme “]

Now it’s your turn.

What are some of your favorite malapropisms?

Share them in the Condiments section at the bottom of the page.

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, humor, Jean Wilund, Writing tips, Writing with Humor

Create. Motivate. Inspire.

On Writing: 5 Insights from C. S. Lewis

Post author By Leigh Ann Thomas
Post date November 23, 2016
No Comments on On Writing: 5 Insights from C. S. Lewis

Need a bit of insight as you ready the pen or laptop today? Consider the following from one of the greatest writers of all time:

“Take great pains to be clear. Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding. In a story it is terribly easy just to forget that you have not told the reader something that he needs to know—the whole picture is so clear in your own mind that you forget that it isn’t the same in his.”
“When you give up a bit of work don’t (unless it is hopelessly bad) throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later. Much of my best work, or what I think my best, is the re-writing of things begun and abandoned years earlier.”
“Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.”
“Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is ‘terrible’ describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make us say ‘delightful’ when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers ‘Please, will you do my job for me.’”
“We must not of course write anything that will flatter lust, pride or ambition. But we needn’t all write patently moral or theological work. Indeed, work whose Christianity is latent may do quite as much good and may reach some whom the more obvious religious work would scare away. The first business of a story is to be a good story. When Our Lord made a wheel in the carpenter shop, depend upon it: It was first and foremost a good wheel. Don’t try to ‘bring in’ specifically Christian bits: if God wants you to serve him in that way (He may not: there are different vocations) you will find it coming in of its own accord. If not, well—a good story which will give innocent pleasure is a good thing, just like cooking a good nourishing meal. . . . Any honest workmanship (whether making stories, shoes, or rabbit hutches) can be done to the glory of God.”

Who is your go-to author for inspiration?

Get inspired and keep writing!

[bctt tweet=”5 Writing Tips from C. S. Lewis @A3forMe #amwriting #writer” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”Any honest workmanship (whether making stories, shoes, or rabbit hutches) can be done to the glory of God.” C.S. Lewis @A3forMe @lthomaswrites” via=”no”]

(1, 2) C. S. Lewis letter to a girl named Thomasine (December 14, 1959).

(3, 4) C. S. Lewis letter to Joan Lancaster (June 26, 1956).

(5) C. S. Lewis letter to Cynthia Donnelly (August 14, 1954).

More insight from Lewis: https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2016/03/26/15-pieces-of-writing-advice-from-c-s-lewis/

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, Create Motivate Inspire, encouragement, inspiration, Leigh Ann Thomas, Writing Instruction, Writing tips

Fantasy-Sci-Fi Storyworld

World-building From the Eyes of a Character

Post author By A.D. Shrum - Storyworld Columnist
Post date November 9, 2016
No Comments on World-building From the Eyes of a Character

The carbine was still jammed and Jim couldn’t do anything to fix it. He finally tossed it aside and cursed the shoddy Adronni weapon manufacturers – maybe their world would be next on the alien invasion tour. A shrill whine filled the air, and Jim pressed himself tighter against the debris-covered groundcar. A scant thirty feet away the earth erupted in blue smoke. As the remains of a prefab shelter rained harmlessly over his powersuit, Jim took inventory. A Gilgamesh repeater pistol, a single frag, and a suit of armor with a busted rebreather. As long as the reptilians didn’t gas him first, he’d probably live long enough for one of their walker units to plasma-blast him in the chest. He sighed. No, there was one last thing he possessed – the souls of his charred comrades pushing him on to avenge them. Jim unholstered the pistol and peered around the corner. Time to move – vengeance would be his!

On the surface, the above paragraph looks like an action scene. It’s dripping with tension, and Jim’s fate looks pretty bleak. But even an action-packed paragraph can be used to build your world. In fact, study it a minute and try to identify some of the foreign storyworld elements.

We’re not sure what kind of weaponry Jim has (laser? projectile?), but his attackers clearly have plasma weapons that explode in puffs of blue gas. And we can guess based on the grisly state of his allies that either the plasma weapons burned them alive or that the aliens have some other kind of burning weapon.

Let’s look at some of the subtler elements though. Take the use of the word “groundcar.” What is the implication there? Obviously a “groundcar” is a type of vehicle distinguished from some other type. An aircar? A hover car? We don’t know specifics, but use of that word reveals that methods other than ground-based vehicles are used for transportation in this world.

We also get a glimpse into the intergalactic relations. First of all, these reptilians are not only invading Jim’s planet but have apparently been on “tour,” invading many planets. We don’t know if “Adronni” is a company or a race of aliens, but we do know that either Jim or his military outfit purchased firearms from otherworldly suppliers. This establishes that the storyworld has interplanetary trade.

All of this could be done from a detached, third-person omniscient perspective, but the story is told from a deep, although third-person, POV. This not only conveys the gobs of storyworld information above, but it also does two other things: 1) it gives the action emotional impact. Sure, the battle scene is only a paragraph long, but you’re emotionally involved in the character. It inspires you to read onward and learn Jim’s fate, even as your imagination processes the alien elements. And 2) the world is shown with Jim’s particular biases. A comment like “shoddy Adronni weapon manufacturers” shows us Jim has preferences in firearms and the Adronni-supplied weapons are apparently not among them. This doesn’t mean his preferences are necessarily right, and a different character’s POV may reveal a different perspective on the carbine and its manufacturer. Your storyworld’s inhabitants, like those in the real world, won’t always agree on things.

This isn’t to say that every paragraph in your 90,000-word manuscript must be packed with exotic storyworld elements, but the first few chapters should do so as much as possible. And if you’re trying to get your audience attached to your characters in that same timeframe, doing so from a close, ground-level perspective can really help.

Last year, my favorite novel was Monster Hunter International written by Larry Correia. A contemporary fantasy novel like this doesn’t need as much storyworld explanation as a distant-future sci-fi novel, but the author does equally amazing jobs at world-building and deep character exploration. I’ve also just started Marc Turner’s When the Heavens Fall, an epic novel with some well-developed fantasy elements and several great POVs. A final verdict will have to wait since I haven’t finished it yet, but thus far it’s a great read and exemplifies some of what we’ve discussed here.

That’s all for now. Next month we’ll kick off a series on alien and fantastic biology. Until then, let me know if there are any other storyworld elements you’d like me to explore in this space. Thanks for reading!

Grammar and Grace

Compliment or Complement?

Post author By Hope Toler Dougherty-Grammar and Grace
Post date October 18, 2016
2 Comments on Compliment or Complement?

Earlier this week I wrote a post for my own blog and was reminded about two things: the difference between compliment and complement and the definition of a subjective complement.

Compliment and complement sound exactly alike. They’re homophones. They are spelled differently and have different meanings, however.

A compliment is a flattering statement. Your dinner guest might say, “This pesto is delicious. I’d love your recipe.” He’s complimented your cooking.

A complement is a thing that completes something else or brings it to perfection. A nice complement to angel hair pasta with pesto is a ripe tomato.

The tricky thing is remembering how to spell the correct form. Try this mnemonic device. I like compliments ( because don’t we love compliments?). The I in the previous statement can remind you to use the word with the i in it.

A subjective complement is one of those phrases you learned about in grade school. It’s a word or phrase that follows a linking verb (be, am, is, are, was, were,…) and renames or describes the subject.

My high school English teacher was a monster. (Not true, by the way.) Monster is the subjective complement because it renames teacher.

I have another example of a subjective complement, but I’m not sure it’s appropriate for this blog. I used it in the post I mentioned in the first paragraph. If you want to read it, go here. Read all the way to the end.

Now, go give someone a compliment!

Tags Almost an Author, blogging, Christian writer, Grammar, grammar and grace, Hope Toler Dougherty, writing

Storyworld

Board Games that Inspire Writing

Post author By A.D. Shrum - Storyworld Columnist
Post date October 11, 2016
2 Comments on Board Games that Inspire Writing

The murmur of countless alien tongues subsided as the chairman of the interstellar council called for order. The delegates to Mecatol Rex were unusually nervous tonight, and with good reason. By the end of the week, congress might put forth a motion to ban bio-technology, a move that would devastate the inhabitants of New Moscow. The young ambassador from the Federation of Sol held his breath as the insectoid chancellor of Sardakk N’orr took to the stage, violently shaking a proposal in his foreclaw. The political games had begun.

When you think of storyworld ideas, your typical sources are probably other books, movies, and TV shows. But have you considered board games? No, I’m not talking about Monopoly, Risk, or Sorry. Modern games provide a wealth of imaginative fodder for the aspiring novelist.

The example in my opening paragraph comes from a truly epic game called Twilight Imperium. In it, various alien races compete for galactic supremacy through military force, shrewd diplomacy, and delicate trade arrangements. While there are similarities to any conquest-type game, from a writing perspective the real gem is the character development of the individual races and the manner in which they interact in the galaxy. In addition to battles and alliances, the actual rules of the game get voted on regularly at the council event. It’s an intriguing concept for a game, and any sc-fi writer is sure to enjoy the political debates between each of the six players. Trade deals and a variety of starships round the game out and should provide an abundance of ideas for anyone hoping to write a space opera.

Smaller in scope but not in story, the game Love Letter is a simple game where each player has only a single-card hand. Easy to learn, but sophisticated enough to keep gamers coming back, Love Letter serves as a wonderful gateway for those unfamiliar with modern games. But even the included back story is captivating. Basically, the queen of the kingdom has died and various suitors are trying to win the hand of the princess. The king won’t just let anyone speak with his daughter, so he carefully guards the young woman. Her only hope – that some handsome prince might find a way to deliver a message through the castle staff. Filled with intrigue and amusing characters, you might be surprised at the writing inspiration you can draw from this simple game.

I recently had the opportunity to play the game Imperial Assault, a cooperative strategy game of heroes set in the Star Wars universe. While you might think you already know that Galaxy Far, Far Away pretty well, you should think again as you play this. Set in the period of the rebellion, each character possesses a deep history and exciting side quests. My character, a force-sensitive operative dressed somewhat like Mortal Kombat’s Sub Zero, is on the hunt for his former employer who might be selling secrets to the Empire. The set-up is similar to a Jason Bourne movie, but with enough interesting twists to keep me engaged. But the story isn’t just about my character, as each of the main characters has his own story that further fleshes out the universe. The elements of the world (blasters, walkers, etc.) may feel familiar, but the scenarios are unique enough that they may inspire you in ways that George Lucas’ films haven’t.

Set in the Wild West, Shadows of Brimstone puts you in the role of a sheriff, preacher, rancher, or any number of assorted other professions of the period, and pits you against a wide array of Cthulu-inspired critters. The blending of monsters with a gold-rush era landscape is a great and fresh setting. The individual missions are all twists on old west concepts, whether exploring an abandoned (and now demonically reoccupied) mine, rescuing a child who fell down a well (and is now surrounded by evil critters), or finding the source of a town’s disturbances (which happen to be in another dimension). The amount of storyworld built here is stunning. Many of the ideas could inspire a hopeful steampunk or fantasy writer.

This is just a small sampling of various games I’ve played, but the wealth of ideas that have gone cardboard is legion, and many host quirky and fun stories to boot. If you get a chance, stop by your local boardgame store and scope out the market. From the 16^th century piracy of Merchants and Marauders to the superhero battles of Sentinels of the Multiverse, you’re sure to find something that captures your imagination. Granted, you can’t lift their storyworlds directly without a copyright lawsuit, but if you’re searching for inspiration, this might be the ticket. Ooh, did I mention Ticket-to-Ride?

Twilight Imperium image from http://www.swordsandspace.com/2013/08/twilight-imperium-after-action-report_31.html

Love Letter image from https://lordoftheboard.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/love-letters/

Imperial Assault image from https://deathwatchstudios.com/2016/07/11/imperial-assault-heroes-of-the-bespin-gambit/

Shadows of Brimstone image from https://wediealotblog.wordpress.com/

Tags Almost an Author, Board Games, character motivation, Christian writer, Christian writing, Create Motivate Inspire, creative writing, creativity, fiction, Games, ideas, inspiration, novel, novelist, write, writing, writing ideas, Writing Inspiration

The Ministry of Writing

What do you believe about the Bible? — Seminary in 5: Bibliology

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date October 10, 2016
6 Comments on What do you believe about the Bible? — Seminary in 5: Bibliology

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. This is why growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.

As Christian writers, we are constantly Scripture is front and center in all we do. Our Bibles stay open — as we teach it by writing Bible studies, devotionals, and Christian living books. We study the text to frame-in our worldviews and take-a-ways in our fiction. It is used to reinforce what we believe, but what do you believe about the Bible.

It’s highly likely that you are like me and you’ve taken for granted the nature of the Bible, but I am so thankful for professors like Dr. Ron Mitchell of Central Baptist College who began his theology and apologetics courses with a study of Bibliology (the doctrine of the Bible). Along with writers like Dr. Norman Geisler, who began his systematic theology with the doctrine of the Bible.

Since Scripture is the launch pad not only for our writing, but also our calling — we need to secure in our minds and hearts the framing of that platform.

The Bible has a divine origin.

We refer to the Bible often as the “Holy” Bible. The word “holy” means to be set apart — special. The Bible is special, and it’s not because it is merely a good book, but because it is the Word of God. It has a divine origin even though actually penned by human hands, those writers were directed by God.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we read that the Bible writers were inspired by God. The actual Greek word for “inspired” means God-breathed. These men were not merely motivated by God as we think of inspiration, but they were moved by him. This inspiration went further than an idea of something good to do. Peter describes this vividly in 2 Peter 1:21, when he writes they were “carried along” by the Spirit.

The origin and the preservation of the Bible belong to God. Jesus instructed that the Bible does not merely contain portions that can be considered God’s Word, but every word is His Word. In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus states that every jot and tittle of Scripture was important. These represented the smallest of pen strokes in the Hebrew language. Elsewhere in the Gospels we find Jesus recognizing the Bible as God’s Word.

The Bible has a human origin.

Most of you reading this are already convinced of the divine origin of Scripture, but those who do not hold the Bible in high esteem focus on the fact that people actually penned it. Many have found it hard to wrap their mind around how something that claimed to be God-breathed, but written by fallible people could be the perfect guide for us. Yet, the Bible is not the only revelation from God to show such a paradox. The Bible actually parallels the nature of Jesus. While on earth He was 100% God and 100% man all wrapped up in physical flesh.

The Bible, too, shares that tension. Even without trusting the claim from Scripture that it is God’s Word, the book displays a miracle within its own pages. On the human end over 40 authors wrote in a span of 1,500 years. Those 40 authors were drastically different from one another. Some were kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesman, or scholars. They wrote in different places spanning across three different continents.

The fact that the Bible would have any cohesive thread is a miracle in of itself. To illustrate this while teaching I have had a roomful students from the same time period and walk in life try to write a cohesive story independently. The result would be a train wreck.

The nature of Scripture is this tension of being written by God through men. This understanding is essential when we seek to understand and teach the text. Those who focus only on the divine aspect view the book as supernatural and search out hidden meanings unique to their own time period. While those who focus merely on the human authorship treat it as only history or a list of good ideas. The two must be blended.

The Bible is inerrant and infallible in its original manuscript (Autographa).

Although since in the creation of the Bible God used human authorship in a way that allowed the writers’ personalities and styles to be expressed rather than mechanically dictating to them in a robotic form, we must still understand it to be perfect. When we talk about the Bible being perfect it is in reference not to the leather-bond translation sitting on our desk, but rather the original manuscripts penned thousands of years ago. Manuscripts that no longer exist, but have been translated with great accuracy. There have been few scribal errors in translations, but the claim of God being the author calls for perfection. In that perfection, Scripture is without error — in factual and spiritual. Also being God-breathed means that the message and promises from Scripture are incapable of failing.

The Autographa or original manuscripts are long gone, but there is remarkable evidence of today’s translation being accurate. For example in looking only at the New Testament there remains more than 24,000 ancient manuscripts. These manuscripts take us back as close to 250 years from the Greek originals. Syriac and Latin versions place us only 120 years from the autographa In those, only 40 lines are in question. This is remarkable when compared to the ancient work with the second most ancient manuscripts which is the Illiad by Homer. There only over 600 ancient manuscripts. It appears God not only authored the Sacred Text, but He is preserving it.

The Bible was canonized.

Reading between the lines in this post, you have probably realized a final form of the Bible did not fall out of the sky. It took a 1,500 years for the book to be written. This ran from possibly Job, then Moses writing the Pentateuch, and closed with John penning Revelation. The Bible is a collection of multiple books. Throughout history, these books were pulled together. Ezra is credited with compiling the Old Testament. The Old Testament was in a canonized form by the time of Jesus, and had been translated into Greek in what we know as the Septuagint.

The New Testament also began as individual books and letters. These works circulated through the early church. Eventually they were collected and compiled into the New Testament. There is evidence that at least by 367 AD canon was complete. It would be made official in later church councils.

The term used for the complete “line-up” of the books in the Bible is canon. Canon means “standard”. Therefore, we have the standard of those books believed to be Scripture.

The Bible should be authoritative to our lives.

It is vital for our use of the Bible to realize it is this miraculous blend of divinity and humanity, but as we seek to apply the interpretation to our life the understanding of God’s inspiration should guide us. Since this is God’s special revelation to us, since it is His very words — they should not be merely suggestions or advice. Scripture is to transform our lives. We bow our lives before the text and respond in obedience. The Bible should be authoritative. It is the last word on how we should live and on matters of truth.

Tags Almost an Author, Author, author seminary, bibliology, Christian writer, Christian writing, hermenutics, interpretation of the bible, Jake McCandless, Prophecy Simplified, seminary for authors, seminary for writers, seminary in 5, Writing Instruction, writing seminary, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

Remember Your Christian Foundation: Seminary in 5 – Spiritual Formation

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date September 12, 2016
No Comments on Remember Your Christian Foundation: Seminary in 5 – Spiritual Formation

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. This is why growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.

If you are a Christian writer this post may seem unnecessary, but I want to help you remember your Christian foundation. Believe me, Spiritual Formation class in seminary seemed unnecessary to me. I’d been a Christian for over ten years and in ministry for half that, and there I was in a class that taught the basics. The basics I knew. The basics I had experienced, but it was the basics I needed to remember. And I imagine it wouldn’t hurt you to remember them.

As Christian writers we can get so wrapped up in our projects and the message we are trying to get across that we can easily forget that original joy of our salvation. We can forget the basics that each one of our readers need to know.

So let’s go back to the basics, to the foundations of our faith.

We Need a Savior

I trusted Christ as Savior and became a Christian at age 12. Some of you it may have been much younger, while for some of you it was when you were older. After a long time of conviction, I placed my faith in His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, but it wasn’t until I was studying theology that I realized my dire need for that salvation.

No matter how long you have been a Christian it is vital that you see the absolute need we have for a Savior. Matthew 5:48 states that we must be perfect to enter Heaven. This is impossible because as we know too well, and Romans 3:23 tells us — we all have sinned. In Ephesians 2:1, we read that we are dead spiritually because of our sins. Therefore, we can not be saved by any merit of our on.

When I was in early elementary grade I almost drown at a cousin’s birthday party. I couldn’t swim well and I ventured into the deep end. Fortunately, someone saw me and jumped in.

I couldn’t rescue myself — I had to be rescued. We, too, need to be rescued in light of our sins and in regards to eternity.

So no matter how much we grow in Christ, we can’t forget we are still completely reliant on His grace and mercy for salvation.

We Can Be Born Again

As I stated it is vital we realize that the core of our Christian walk and then our expression of that in writing is that we were spiritual dead. Romans 6:23 states that this spiritual deadness results in a spiritual death for eternity. Although a strong punishment is foretold, it is followed by a “but”. Paul records in Romans that although our sin leads to death, a gift of eternal life is available. We also read in Romans 5:8, that although we are sinners Jesus came and died for those sins. The price has been paid. An acquittal is available. Jesus has done all the work. The rope of eternal rescue has been let down, then by faith we can take that rope. When we place our trust in Jesus, repent of our sins, and commit to follow Him we are born again.

In that new birth, we receive the promised new heart. A large part of us being made new is that we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The power of Christ becomes a guide, counselor, comforter, and convictor in our lives.

We Can have a Relationship with God

When we celebrate our salvation in Christ, we think of the forgiveness of sin, but what I believe is the most amazing part is that we’re able to have a personal relationship with God. We’re no longer separated from Him by sin. We can walk with Him.

The Christian walk is not following a list of rules, but living in a relationship with Christ. It is not following the prescribed steps A and B, but rather staying in step with the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul instructs the believers in Galatia to walk in the Spirit.

We Need to Use Spiritual Disciplines

In our western mindset we actually would prefer that set of rules to follow as Christians. We prefer the methodology of science over the ebbs and flow of art, but walking in the Spirit is an art. It is a practice in which we grow into. It is in this frame work we must understand the spiritual disciplines. It’s said that if one was to ask a puritan preacher for counsel, he would reply, “Put yourself in the way of the Lord.” The preacher would mean for that parishioner to read their Bible, pray, meditate, fast, attend church, etc. Then in seeking God the parishioner would then encounter God. This is taking God at His word when He promised in James 4:8, “If we draw near to Him He will draw near to us.”

The believer actually already has God near since they possess the Holy Spirit. So spiritual disciplines are tools to help us stay in step with Spirit, so that the He can show us how to live.

We Need to have a Regular Quiet Time

Each morning I begin with what I call a quiet time which includes prayer, a devotional reading, and Scripture reading. I know others call that time by different names. Whatever you call it, you need to have it. Basically, it is a regular time in which you seek the Lord. It’s through a regular time that we are able to have our steps directed by the Holy Spirit. It is through hearing the direction from Him, that we are able to live out our lives as a follower of Christ.

Tags Almost an Author, Christian foundation, Christian writer, Christian writing, following Jesus, following the Holy Spirit, foundation of faith, Jake McCandless, seminary for writers, seminary in 5, spiritual formation, writer, writing, Writing Inspiration, Writing Instruction, writing seminary, Writing tips

Platform and Branding

3 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Writer Platform

Post author By Susan Stilwell - Platforming
Post date September 3, 2016
1 Comment on 3 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Writer Platform

When building a writer platform, few of us consider hiring a virtual assistant, or VA. Most of us are DIYers, learning the ropes so we can understand what’s happening in the online world.

Not everyone, however, has the desire, time or ability to continue doing it themselves. In those cases it’s wise to enlist the help of someone with experience. A virtual assistant can be a godsend for a busy writer struggling to grow their platform.

3 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Writer Platform

Saves time.

Creating social media content, formatting blog posts, responding to comments and messages, facilitating online discussions, etc. takes time and focus. A virtual assistant can perform many of these tasks for you, leaving you with time to write and engage in the places you enjoy.

Saves money.

Some content requires premium images and designer fonts, and that content often needs to be formatted for different social media networks. Many virtual assistants have access to these types of and can work with you to create a custom look that enhances your brand.

Some VAs are also savvy with WordPress and Blogger, and may be able to help with minor website modifications.

Saves sanity.

Sometimes you need a social media respite due to travel, health, family demands, or deadlines. A VA can help keep things moving forward when you need to take a break.

Other times you may need help because of changes in social media networks. Not only do the networks change, but your audience also changes. What works one year may not engage your audience the next. An experienced VA may also help you brainstorm new strategies.

Where can I find a virtual assistant?

Finding a good virtual assistant can be challenging but it’s not impossible. Beware of economy sites as many of their sources live outside the US and may not have good English skills. Premium sites do a better job of pairing you with a VA who’s a good fit, but many require you to schedule interviews and pay fees.

A reliable way for a writer to find a VA is to crowdsource. Post the question in a Facebook or LinkedIn group. Ask your writer friends if they’ve worked with a VA or can recommend a VA.

Being able to outsource the things you dislike will not only reduce your frustration level but it will also give you margin. Hiring a virtual assistant can enable you to do what only you can do—write and share your message.

If you’re a writer who loves social media, has good content creation skills, and enjoys keeping up with trends, maybe YOU should be a VA! It’s a great way to hone your skills, help your fellow writers AND earn a little money!

Shareables:

[bctt tweet=”When growing your #writer platform consumes too much time, via @a3forme @susanrstilwell ” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”You don’t have to DIY your #writer platform, via @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”Where can I find help growing my #writer platform? Ask @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”Are you a #writer who hates #socialmedia? Outsource it! @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

Tags Almost an Author, Author Platforms, build a platform, Christian writer, platform, steady platform growth, susan stilwell, virtual assistant

The Ministry of Writing

Five Dangers of Theological Training: Seminary in 5 — Orientation Part 2

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date August 9, 2016

Image of stained glass taken by Andreas F. Borchert and labeled for reuse.

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. This is why growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.

Disclaimer…

You are reading this because you want to be a better minister through your writing, and I believe that necessitates intentional biblical and theological training. That training does not have to be in a formal seminary, but the teaching must be correct. Last month I wrote on five reasons why you must receive training. Again I can’t stress enough the importance — when you go to a doctor and your physical life is on the line you definitely want someone who has been trained. Right? So shouldn’t we desire that as much or more with the minister who is sharing eternal life.

Even though I am strongly for theological training, I agree with your grandmother, uncle, neighbor, and that guy at church who has warned you that seminary messes up good ministers. Training can and has messed up good writers — good servants of the Lord. Yet the risk far outweighs the dangers, but I do want to warn you of five dangers of theological training.

The Five Dangers…

The Danger of Puffing Up (Pride & Self-Righteousness)

Not only is the danger realized by countless examples we have witnessed with our own eyes, but Scripture directly warns of this. In 1 Corinthians 8:1, we are warned that knowledge can puff up while love builds up. The difference between knowledge and love expressed in this passage seems to be on their reach beyond ourselves. Although our possession of knowledge can help others, it can also cause us to become prideful and full of ourselves. Yet, love for one another builds each other up in Christ.

The context of the passage is instruction on how these newly converted Christians should deal with eating meat that had been served to idols. Paul is trying to explain Christian liberty, but he knows legalism is the enemy of that liberty. It seems in history and today the religious people or churches who focus on knowledge and sincerity of doctrine tend to be those who are the most mean spirited. They are the churches full of truth, but void of love. This was the nature of the Pharisees in the Bible.

Not only can knowledge make one legalistic or not loving, but it can make one prideful.

Gaining knowledge through theological training does not have to puff one up or cause them to be legalistic, but the danger has been proven over and over.

2. Danger of Not Relying on God

This danger of theological training has been gained by personal experience, and I have heard others express the same sentiment. Although this is gained from experience, Scripture makes clear that as followers of Christ we are to rely on God. In John 5 we read Jesus say that He could do nothing without the Father. In which He was pointing to the God sized results. We can use human efforts, but only God can bring the supernatural harvest.

I would not trade the theological and ministry training I have received, but I look back on the early days of my preaching with great joy. I began preaching at 16 and had no clue with what to do. Armed with a Bible and an A-Z Topical Concordance I went to work. I have to rely on God for everything and He delivered. It was amazing messages were given to me more spontaneously. God showed me things in unique and surprising ways. Messages came to me almost verbatim. Then I had to pray through every aspect of any ministry work.

Through seminary I had a greater understanding of the Bible. I learned teaching and preaching techniques. I learned how to do it in my strength. I was a better preacher, but I struggle with the temptation to rely on my training and not God.

As a Christian writer you need theological and writing training, but still only God can bring the supernatural harvest and transformation that you desire to see. Rely on Him.

3. Danger of Doing Ministry in Own Strength and Not Letting the Spirit Work Through You

This is very similar to the last danger, but I share it to make a point. The more we learn, the better we get as writers and ministries, the more we get in the way of the Holy Spirit. Again it God who is the Lord of the harvest. We are just His workers. Although we may have learned to correctly divide the Word of God, and to effectively convey it in writing, we should still desire to see the Holy Spirit work.

4. Danger of Losing Your Own Personality

As you probably can tell from my writing, I was trained in preaching not writing. I had a preaching class in which you would preach before the class, and then the professor would you evaluate you. One particular professor pushed each of us to follow this certain pattern, I hated it. But we took it as the way one must preach. So I went through a phase where I threw out my creativity and sense of humor to preach a “certain way.” I lost my personality. This can happen in our writing. Training can push us to do it a particular way, but we still need to be us. Don’t lose your personality.

5. Danger of Losing Evangelistic Zeal

First and foremost you are ministering through writing because the Lord has called you to do so. Then I imagine the second reason is that you hope others would come to Christ and experience a relationship with Him. You are driven by your evangelistic zeal. I have watched over and over as fervent soul winners lost their fire in seminary as they became wrapped up in knowledge and forgot what mattered most. Don’t let that happen to you. Listen to this warning given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:6, “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.” Don’t get wrapped up in the secondary, please focus on the primary.

Promise Me…

Although there are dangers to theological training, you must still recieve training, but promise me that you will not lose your fire in the process. You only need to focus that fire.

Tags Christian writer, Christian writing, dangers of seminary, dangers of theological training, five dangers of seminary, Jake McCandless, seminary dangers, seminary for writers, seminary in 3 or 5, seminary in 5, writer, writing ideas, Writing Instruction, writing seminary, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

Why You Need Biblical Training: Seminary in 3 or 5 – Orientation Part 1

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date July 24, 2016
5 Comments on Why You Need Biblical Training: Seminary in 3 or 5 – Orientation Part 1

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 3-5 points. God has called you to write. You want to glorify Him and reach the world the problem is that we can easily be false teachers and not know it. This is why growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.

My Seminary Testimony…

God gifts us all for the work He calls us to do. I wish God had gifted me to excel on the gridiron, baseball diamond, or with a guitar, but He saw fit to bless me with mad skills in the classroom. I was given a photographic memory and good reading comprehension. In High School, my God-give classroom gift drove the girls wild as you can imagine L.

During High School to add to my absolute coolnesity I was called to preach. At 16, I began preaching and working in ministry. I wanted to glorify God and set this world on fire with the Gospel. I gave up professional bass fishing dreams and went to a Bible College to study Bible and pastoring. But I told God and my family that I would go until a ministry opportunity came up then I was quitting school. Fortunately, God did not open that door until He opened my eyes to the importance of a minister being educated. I became convinced that if a doctor who deals with physical life has to go through so much training than one who deals with eternal life should do far more. It was crazy how I never put it together that I needed to use my nerd skills in ministry.

Now a formal education in seminary is not necessary, but learning the information that is taught in seminary is necessary for your ministry. It is also important that you are receiving the correct teaching.

So I hope the Holy Spirit will convict you as He did me. In this orientation I want to share five reasons why you need a theological education.

Orientation in 5 Points…

You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The “Ministers” in the Bible Received Training.

I challenge you to think of a leader in Scripture who was called by God to teach and share the Gospel who was not trained. Again they may have not sat in a classroom, but they were taught. Not only is there an absolute precedent of His servants being trained, but learning is valued throughout Scripture. Beginning in the given of the Law, Moses continually instructed the people to teach others and especially their children the precepts of God. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we read that parents were taught to teach their children the law everywhere they went. This importance of learning is expressed in the nature of the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

This value of training was made evident in its practice. Here is a short list of those who were trained for God’s work.

Moses was “educated” in the wilderness
Moses trained Joshua
Elijah trained Elisha
Eli trained Samuel
Jesus was “educated” in the wilderness
Jesus trained the disciples
Paul also had a wilderness time in Arabia
Paul trained leaders in his church plants.
Paul trained Timothy

You Should Seek Biblical Training Because of The Warnings of False Teachings and False Teachers.

The warnings given of false teachers in the New Testament is almost overwhelming. We find several in Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels. In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches false teachers can be spotted by their fruit. Jesus later teaches that it would be better for a false teacher to have a millstone hung around their neck and be thrown in the sea than to lead little ones astray. The battle Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees centered on their false teaching.

The Epistles in the New Testament are devoted to warning of false teachers. Here are some chapters where such warnings are given: Romans 16, 1 Cor. 2, 2 Cor. 13, all of Galatians, Ephesians 6, all of Colossians, 1 Thess. 5, all of 2 Thessalonians, all of 1 Timothy, all of 2 Timothy, Hebrews 13. Then all of 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, Jude, and most of Revelation.

False teaching is also warned against in the Old Testament. This is seen in the Balaam scenario and in the problem of idolatry.

We need to know the truth so that we are not false teachers. We also need to have the truth to combat false teaching.

You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The Call of a Minister Includes the Call to an Education.

Timothy’s call which is not much different than the call of ours, is found in 2 Timothy 2:15:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV84)

Did you catch that Timothy was not only to share the Gospel and help others, but he was called to correctly divide the truth. One has to be trained to do this. The best course I took in helping me correctly divide Scripture was hermeneutics. This will be our monthly course in September.

You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The Nature of How God Works Through Us Necessitates It.

2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21 detail how God works in us.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, – 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV84)

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NIV84)

Yes, the Holy Spirit inspires us and carries us through our writing, but God uses what we have in us. In all the writings in Scripture the personalities and education of the Bible writers show through. You will be a better tool in God’s hand if as He “carries” you along in the Spirit, you have a strong theological training for Him to utilize.

You Should Seek Biblical Training Because We are Held to a High Standard.

James 3:1 says it all,

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. – James 3:1 (NIV84)

Tags Almost an Author, bible training for writers, Christian writer, Christian writing, Jake McCandless, seminary in 3 or 5, theological training for writer, writer, writing seminary, Writing tips

Craft Writing with Humor

Thou Shalt Commandments For Writing With Humor

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date June 27, 2016
2 Comments on Thou Shalt Commandments For Writing With Humor

Click to learn the two greatest commandments for writing with humor

Thou Shalt write with humor.

But how?

By following these two commandments from humor author James N. Watkins:

I. Thou Shalt Know Thy Audience

When you know your audience, you understand how far you can take your humor. You know the envelope.

Once you know the envelope, push it.

Humor that surprises — not horrifies — your audience works best.

Each audience has its nuances.

What makes a group of writers chuckle might fall flat with a group of doctors.

What works in an article written for teenagers may leave a group of seniors scratching their 80-year old heads, or worse, wagging them in disdain.

II. Thou Shalt Not Be Ungracious

Turn on the news and opportunities to poke fun at someone will present itself in short order.

Someone in Somewhere, USA will have proved yet again a Murphy’s Law of the South which states,

Whenever a guy utters, “Hey y’all, watch this!” something stupid is about to happen that will end in a 911 call.

Watkins encourages writers to ridicule behavior, not people.

If you want to make fun of someone, make fun of yourself.

Watkins’ took his inspiration for this great commandment from the Bible. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6).

Obey Watkins’ commandments for writing with humor and you’ll entertain your readers, not lose them.

[bctt tweet=”Follow The 2 Greatest Commandments For Writing With #Humor #AmWriting #Author” username=”JeanWilund”]

Check out James Watkins’ website Hope and Humor as well as his book Writing with Banana Peels.

Tags Christian writer, James N Watkins, Jean Wilund, writers, Writing Instruction, Writing tips, Writing with Humor

The Ministry of Writing

Ministering Through Writing Doesn’t Always Mean You Write

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date June 25, 2016
4 Comments on Ministering Through Writing Doesn’t Always Mean You Write

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I am writing this article and you are reading it because we enjoy or at least are comfortable writing. Writing is a safe place for us. It may not have always been a safe place, but after time we become at home at our keyboard.

I also believe you are doing what you are called to do, but ministering through writing doesn’t always mean you write.

[bctt tweet=”To be a faithful writer we have to often do things that are not writing.” username=””] More than likely these things will take us out of our comfort zones and that is okay.

We often need to shut our lap tops and leave the coffee shop to perform tasks that are far different than writing.

Tasks like:

Go to a conference
Give a speech
Have a one-on-one conversation
Make a phone call
Ask difficult questions
Promote
Learn social media
Make a pitch
Go to school
Ask for favors
Create a website
Create business cards
Keep up relationship networks

And the list could go on. Now, we writers come in all shapes and sizes we are both introverts and extroverts, but I believe mostly introverts. If that is you, you may be fearless — but not me. I have phone-phobia, not much on promoting my own stuff, and find life easier if I can avoid having any contact with other humans. So living in a distant cabin with a Keurig and Pandora writing works for me, but as a Christian writer I am not called to just write — the calling is much, much bigger — it is to be an ambassador of the One True King. Therefore, the message I have been sent to write is important, and I must commit to do whatever it takes to further that message.

So please don’t just write — follow God.

In that He will lead you out of your study and into other tasks, but tackle them with the same fire in which you write. They are one in the same, all ebbing to the same goal. In the same way in which God empowers and sustains you to write He will do the same on the podium or on the phone.

Fulfill your calling — write — but also fulfill your calling by following wherever He leads.

Tags Almost an Author, awkward writer, Christian writer, Christian writing, introvert, introvert writier, Jake McCandless, minister, shy writer, writing ministry

Grammar and Grace

Aid for Comma Splices

Post author By Hope Toler Dougherty-Grammar and Grace
Post date June 23, 2016
No Comments on Aid for Comma Splices

A writing acquaintance of mine recently posted about her disdain of the comma splice, more importantly, the proliferation of this punctuation error in today’s printed materials.

Here’s an easy definition of a comma splice: the misuse of a comma to join two independent clauses (two sentences).

I bought new yarn yesterday, I already have fifteen skeins waiting for me to crochet.

In the above sentence, the comma comes between the two sentences. Wrong!

Here are easy fixes.

I bought new yarn yesterday. I already have fifteen skeins waiting for me to crochet. (Break the two independent clauses into two sentences.)

I bought new yarn yesterday, but I already have fifteen skeins waiting for me to crochet. (The comma plus a coordinating conjunction—and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so—can correctly join two sentences with the comma placed before the conjunction.)

I bought new yarn yesterday; I already have fifteen skeins waiting for me to crochet. (The *semi-colon is a stronger than the comma and can separate two sentences by itself.)

I bought new yarn yesterday; however, I already have fifteen skeins waiting for me to crochet. (The semi-colon precedes a conjunctive adverb and then a comma.)

*Some fiction writers avoid using the semi-colon.

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, Comma Splices, editing, Hope Toler Dougherty, writing, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

Better Understand God’s Instruction — Try Triangulation

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date May 21, 2016
2 Comments on Better Understand God’s Instruction — Try Triangulation

Labeled for reuse from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Waas.png

As a Christian writer in your life or in your writing it is not merely about what you want to say or do. You are an ambassador of Christ. You are a soldier in His command. Therefore, you should be seeking Him consistently, walking in the Spirit so that you know His instructions.

I have no doubt that you are doing this, but being certain we are understanding the Spirit’s guidance is not always that easy. We can hear His voice. We can know that voice as we read in John 10. This is not so much a science, but is an art. It is something that is developed over time. Hearing God’s voice and being certain it is something you can continue to do better.

One way you could do this better is through triangulation.

I highly doubt you have heard this term in a sermon, but maybe you have heard it in an overly technical explanation about your cell phone or a GPS.

I grew up fishing on a local lake. One side of that lake was wide-open with no apparent landmarks on the surface, but underneath there were some serious honey-holes. The trick became finding those spots again after catching fish there the trip before. So to help find those spots we would locate a landmark on the shore. For example, we might chose to line up with the old concrete plant’s smokestack.

The issue would be the smokestack might put us close to the fishing hole, but not exactly. We could be in a three hundred yard circle of the key spot that was no bigger than a bucket. If we added another landmark then we would get closer. So maybe the smokestack on the east and the fourth buoy in the south. Those landmarks would get us close, but still not exactly where we wanted to be, but three landmarks put us exactly where we needed to be. The smokestack on the east, the fourth buoy in the south, and the boat ramp to the west — and we would find that exact spot. The three points of reference created a triangle.

Now days we don’t work so hard. The honey-hole is marked in our GPS and we can go right to it. The reason the GPS works so well is not because a signal from one satellite is locating us, but there are signals from at least three. The GPS uses the same principle of triangulation.

So now back to us hearing God’s voice. How many points of reference are you using to determine His instructions to you?

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, through His Word, through circumstances, and through other believers. All though through each source of His voice we can know all we need to know, it can be easy to misinterpret. But if we are consistently allowing multiple avenues in which for His voice to speak into our lives, when they line up we can be certain we are hearing clearly.

Each day as I have my “quiet time” with the Lord I don’t rely on just one avenue, but I try to allow for triangulation. I have a prayer journal in which I write my morning prayer and I write down what I feel the Spirit may be speaking to me. I also list circumstances that I believe may be important in determining His Will. So that is the point of reference of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

During my morning quiet time I read a portion of Scripture. This is a point of reference from His Word. I also try to find a reading plan that someone else has designed that way each day’s reading is objective. If left to me to pick passages I am going to consistently go to Jeremiah 29:11 and dream of that next book contract.

I also do one or two devotional type study books. This I refer to as my teacher point of reference. I am letting God use a teacher to speak into my life. I try to do two such books at a time. I like to have one that is more inspirational and then one that is more doctrine focused. I say a fun one and a boring one.

You may say all this is over kill, but by having usually four avenues for God to speak into my life if they all line up in some way then I feel with certainty I am hearing correctly. Now they don’t always line up, but when they do — triangulation works and I better understand God’s instruction.

Tags Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, devotional, encouragement, hearing God's voice, Knowing God's will, quiet time, seeking God, Writing Inspiration, Writing Instruction, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

God Uses Your Writing in Your Writing Ministry

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date April 21, 2016
3 Comments on God Uses Your Writing in Your Writing Ministry

The title of this post sounds ridiculous I know. I’m sure this article will get flagged by the A3 editors, but I did intend to make that seemingly redundant statement— God uses your writing in your writing ministry.

You may be finally convinced God has called you to minister through writing. You may be at the point that you are pursuing that call to write, but I am afraid you may still feel you need to be someone else when you write.

You know God has called you. You are being obedient, but you want to have the style of someone else or the talent of your writing hero. You may even feel God wants you to be that other person, but that is not true.

[bctt tweet=”God called you to have a writing ministry and He wants to use your very own writing.”]

There are many things that can be gained from reading the Bible in its original languages. One of the most valuable insights I have gained is the humanity of the authors. Now don’t for a minute let that diminish the divinity bond in the Bible’s pages, but God didn’t call His authors to be robots. In the midst of God-breathed text one can still find the personalities, the styles, the gifts, the talents, the skills, and vocabulary of those human authors.

All though there are many points in which this phenomena appears there are two passages that are my favorite.

The first passage which displays the humanity of the Bible’s authors is 2 Peter 3:15-16,

… as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Peter writes that the Apostle Paul’s writings are hard to understand. This is supported when Paul’s books are read in the Greek. Paul is very wordy and has long, long sentences. In a New Testament Greek class it will be a couple semesters in before Paul’s letters are studied. The beginner begins with John, Mark, Peter, or James — not Paul or Luke.

Interestingly, Paul and Luke would be the academics of the bunch.

My next favorite point of Scripture where the humanity of its authorship appears is John 20:4,

...Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

In this passage, John seems to make this footnote that tells that he ran faster than Peter. You would think an editor would have cut that passage out, but the Holy Spirit gave that very human note a green light.

Throughout the Old and New Testament each book bears the mark of the man who penned it. God used their writing for ministry. Peter didn’t have to write like Paul. Moses didn’t have to write like Samuel. James could be straightforward. Luke could be technical. Ezekiel could be unique. Zechariah could be out there. John could be simple. An older John could be grandfatherly. David could be poetic. Solomon could be wise and introspective. And you could be you.

God uses your writing for your writing ministry.

Tags Almost an Author, biblical writers, Christian writer, Christian writing, Create Motivate Inspire, inspiration

The Ministry of Writing

You Already Have a Writing Team

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date March 26, 2016
No Comments on You Already Have a Writing Team

Like me you are probably trying to build a support team for your writing — a reading group, a critique group, editors, an agent, an IT person who will come to the rescue in the middle of the night for free, publishers, publicists, etc. But you already have a writing team. A team that is easily forgotten.

The other day I contacted a guy to hire to help me do communications for a ministry I am involved in. I emailed him that I was looking for a Felicity from the CW’s Arrow and a Cisco from CW’s Flash. Like you, possibly, he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, but lucky his wife watched the two television shows. Arrow is a television show based off the DC Comics character Green Arrow. Green Arrow is a crime fighting vigilante who wears a green hood and uses a bow. Flash is a television show based off the DC Comics character Flash who after being hit by lightning gains supernatural speed which he uses to do good in his city.

The two shows have caught my attention. For one, I was a comic book nerd back in the day, but secondly, it has given an interesting take about other people in the lives of these superheroes. Both characters have a team that helps them. Green Arrow has Diggle who helps with intelligence and crime fighting, and he has Felicity who is a computer guru. The Flash has Joe who is a detective, Caitlyn who is a scientific genius, and Cisco who is a technology guru. In every episode it is evident that the superheroes can’t accomplish their missions alone.

The shows go beyond the immediate “official” team and shows how the hero’s mission affects so many others lives. There are those who know the hero’s true identity and struggle to carry that burden. Then there are the family members and love ones who do not know the identity, but still feel the effects of the hero’s double life.

Now maybe it is self-serving to attempt to connect my writing to a superhero, but I need all the encouragement I can get. No seriously, our writing ministries are important. Like the Arrow and the Flash we are trying to change the world, and we aren’t doing it alone. [bctt tweet=”You can’t accomplish your writing mission alone — it takes a team.”]

If you have written for any period of time then you have a good team that works hard to let you “save the world.” I imagine you have a team like me. I have my wife who has for years given up her husband’s one day off and her only day to have a break from being mom to allow me to write. She has agreed to invest money into editing, critiques, contests, and writers conferences all the while knowing my promise that we would eventually make it back was a lie. Then there are my daughters who sacrifice their Daddy time and play without him even though he is just a closed door and headphones away. Then there is my congregation that has not received their pastor’s full attention so that he could write. There are my parents who know they are in trouble when they get older because their writer son is going to be busy spending 2,000 hours on a manuscript that will never see daylight and not be able to help them, and he sure is not going to have any money. They are a team player willing to offer my family a place to live if turns to that. Then my poor in-laws who know I can’t provide what their daughter deserves because I spend too much time watching stupid YouTube videos and reading “Where are the WWE Stars Now?” — uh, I mean writing. Then there are my fishing and hunting buddies who have to go alone because I’m hanging out in my office drawing ligers.

Again if you have written for any period of time you too have a team like me. Remember them. You can’t do it alone, but you already have a writing team.

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, encouragement, Journeying Through the Writer's Life, Ministering through writing, writing, writing support, writing team

Grammar and Grace Uncategorized

Five More Confusing Word Pairs to Consider

Post author By Hope Toler Dougherty-Grammar and Grace
Post date March 12, 2016
No Comments on Five More Confusing Word Pairs to Consider

We’re continuing to examine words that are used incorrectly.

Enthused/Enthusiastic—Although enthused has become acceptable in standard usage, old school people still prefer enthusiastic.

My daughter was not very enthusiastic about salmon for dinner.

Farther/Further—Farther is used for geographic distances. Further means “in addition to” without involving geography.

A great bed and breakfast is located about a mile farther down the road.

Further accidents can be avoided with common sense.

Fewer/Less—Use fewer for groups or collections with parts that can be counted individually. Use less for things in bulk.

The fifth grade class earned fewer cupcakes than the fourth grade.

We added less butter in our brownies for a low fat option.

Impact/Affect— Some people shudder when impact is used as a verb although it’s become acceptable in standard English.

The impact of the wind knocked me down. (Yes.)

The song impacted me more than you’ll ever know. (No. This usage may bring to mind images of impacted teeth…or bowels. You don’t want that, do you?)

Instead, use affect.

The nostalgic play affected me to the point of tears.

Irregardless/Regardless—Old English teachers might have rapped knuckles and said, “Irregardless isn’t a word. It isn’t in the dictionary.” My dictionary has it listed along with the definition of non standard English. Irregardless is, however, a fun café in Raleigh, NC. Please use regardless instead.

Do you agree or disagree about the usage of enthuse or impact?

Happy writing!

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, editing, grammar and grace, Hope Toler Dougherty, writing, Writing Instruction, Writing tips

Dear Young Scribes

10 Tips for Reading Through the Eyes of a Writer

Post author By Tessa Emily Hall - Becoming an Author
Post date March 10, 2016
5 Comments on 10 Tips for Reading Through the Eyes of a Writer

For most writers, our passion to write was birthed from a passion to read. We grew up immersed in books. Books that touched us, entertained us, made us laugh and cry. And somewhere along the way, we discovered that we, too, wanted to create the same effect for readers through our own stories.

As writers, it’s only natural that we should want to learn from the masters. We should not only read for enjoyment, but for education as well.

Sure, there are plenty books on the writing craft that can give us instruction. I’m not against this at all. But personally, the best way I learned how to write was from reading books through the eyes of a writer.

How is this done?

Here are 10 tips for reading through the eyes of a writer:

1. Study the plot as it unravels. When would you assume Act 1 ends and Act 2 begins? Can you identify the character’s external and internal goals at the beginning of the book? What is the conflict and unanswered questions that the author has set up? How is the backstory woven in without interrupting the story?

2. Study the scene structure and pacing. Does it begin in a way that “grabs” you? Does it end in a way that lures you to read the next scene?

3. Study the author’s wordsmithing. Are there words you are not familiar with? If so, highlight them and research their definition. How does the author’s word choice create tension? Strengthen mood and emotion? How does it develop characterization and paint the scene in your imagination?

4. Study the rhythm. Read the book out loud. How do the words and dialogue flow? How are the sentences structured in a way that intensifies the mood of the scene?

5. Study characterization. Does each character have their own unique personality, dialect, style, traits, etc.? How is this revealed in a way that shows rather than tells? How do the secondary characters contribute to the plot, and are they three-dimensional or cardboard characters?

6. If you lose focus in the book, identify at which point your attention began to lack. Was it caused from a decrease in conflict/tension? Did it become too easy for the character to reach his/her goal? Or is it because the scenes were passive, written about the character’s day-to-day, dull life?

7. If you love the book, identify why you can’t seem to put it down. Is it the writing style or the plot? Is it because the writing is concise and tight, or because suspense is woven into each scene?

8. Study the emotion and humor. If the story makes you cry, take note of how the author tapped into your emotions. How was this emotion portrayed without “telling” or coming across as overly dramatic? If the story makes you laugh, take note of the kind of humor the author used and how they portrayed this without coming across as cheesy.

9. Study the setting. Do you think it was well-developed and/or well-researched? Does it contribute to the mood of each scene? How did the author use sensory details to highlight unique features of the setting without interrupting the flow of the story?

10. Study the theme. Do you have an idea as to what the theme is by the end of the book? If so, how did the author get this across without “preaching” to the reader? Or if it did come across as preachy, how could the author have subtly woven in the theme instead?

It might take longer to read a book if you study it through the eyes of a writer rather than a reader. But if you do this — if you dissect books as you read them and highlight passages when necessary — then this should result in a major improvement in your own writing.

“To succeed as a novelist, reading novels must be a priority. Don’t be afraid. You won’t lose your voice; you will only enhance it. And soon, students will be using your novels as their textbooks.”

~Linda Hall

[bctt tweet=”10 Tips for Reading Through the Eyes of a Writer @tessaemilyhall #amwriting #writingtips”]

[bctt tweet=”Can our writing improve by studying the books we read? @tessaemilyhall #writingtips #amwriting”]

Do you read books through the eyes of a writer? If so, how has it made a difference in your writing?

Tags Almost an Author, Author, Christian writer, creative writing, novel, teen writers, writing, Writing Craft, writing education, Writing Instruction, Writing tips

Craft Writing with Humor

Adding Humor to Your Writing Is As Easy as 1 – 2 – 3: The Rule of Three, to be exact.

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date March 8, 2016
4 Comments on Adding Humor to Your Writing Is As Easy as 1 – 2 – 3: The Rule of Three, to be exact.

Adding humor to any type of writing is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.

Not 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

Or 1 – 2.

1 – 2 – 3.

Research shows we like lists of three. Four sounds overdone. Two feels incomplete. Three is just right.

I guess Goldilocks and the three bears were right.

The literary device known as The Rule of Three says lists are funnier, more satisfying, and more effective in threes.

I agree.

Here are three easy tips for adding humor using The Rule of Three:

1. Add an Unexpected Humorous Ending to a List of Three.

Whether you’re writing a serious or comedic piece, throwing in a humorous ending to a list of three grabs your reader’s attention.

Getting fit and trim is easy. Eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less processed foods, and borrow your skinny neighbor’s five kids and three dogs to chase around.

In the above example, the third point could easily lead into a serious discussion about adopting a more active lifestyle for an article on health and fitness.

It could also lead into a humorous anecdote in a novel about two friends who are opposites.

In my last article, I talked about using opposites in humor, which is otherwise known as juxtaposition for you scholarly types. Check it out here.

2. Add an Unexpected Serious Ending to a List of Three

A list that starts out humorous but ends in a more normal tone is another method for catching the reader by surprise and introducing the topic in a memorable way.

The following example could be used to introduce the topic of why every writer should join a critique group.

The most successful road to publishing awakens delusions of grandeur, unearths deep-seated insecurities, and leads through a writer’s critique group that will help keep the author grounded somewhere in between.

3. Change-up a Well-Known List of Three

Can you fill in the last word in each of these lists?

Live, Love, _____.

Friends, Romans, _____.

The good, the bad, and the _____.

Surely every American knows these famous phrases. (If not, check the bottom of the post for the answers.)

When we take a familiar list of three and change it up with something unfamiliar, we throw our reader off and make them laugh.

I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt.

When well-done, The Rule of Three brings a smile to our readers’ faces, encourages them to keep reading, and results in smiling authors.

It’s a win-win.

Not everything has to be grouped in three’s.

The answers to the blanks in #3 are:

Live, Love, Laugh.

Friends, Romans, countrymen.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt came from the famous quote by Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.

What are some favorite change-ups you’ve heard? Share them in the comments below.

[bctt tweet=”Adding #Humor to Your Writing is as Easy as 1-2-3. The Rule of Three to be exact. #amwriting #author”]

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, humor, Jean Wilund, The Rule of Three, writing, Writing Instruction, Writing tips, Writing with Humor

The Ministry of Writing

Character Over Completion

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date February 8, 2016
4 Comments on Character Over Completion

Labeled for reuse https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Maniac9.jpg

I work like a mad scientist. When I am working on a writing project I am all in — laser-beam focus. I won’t shave. I can’t think about anything else. I don’t call my mom (sorry Mom). I lose track of the college football polls. My desk becomes littered with coffee cups, water bottles, and empty diet coke cans. My trashcan overflows with pierced K-cups. My desk lamp never gets turned off. There are stacks of research books everywhere I go. The project consumes me.

My metamorphosis into Dr. Frankenstein is due to the fact that I believe called of God to complete the project. I believe that the book or whatever it might be will change the world. Life begins to revolve around that important project.

Amazingly in those times I am able to do well with my quiet times and my relationship with God. I guess I incorporate prayer and Bible reading into the project. But my prayers center on the project. My Bible roulette is all about finding inspiration to push on.

Life becomes about one thing — the completion of that project.

When I struggle to even give my wife and children adequate attention. When I fail to contact family and friends I love dearly. When I don’t even do the hobbies I love then my personal character development is nowhere on the radar.

Writing. Word Count. Editing. Weed words. The perfect Pandora station. Research. Those things are on my radar.

Life becomes solely about completing the project which means that my attitude may go to pot.

It is downright scary how that I can be so driven to please God and serve Him through the completion of a project, but I totally ignore pleasing Him by becoming the person He wants me to be. I listen to lectures and read blogs of writing tips, but ignore the Holy Spirit prompting me not to be a jerk.

In pastoring I have been given the best advice on making my family a priority. I am regularly reminded that if I succeed as a pastor, but fail my family then ultimately I have failed. I think that same principle should be applied to our writing and our own character. If we succeed in creating masterpieces for the Lord, but fail to let Him work in our lives then we have failed.

To put our sanctification in perspective we need to keep in mind Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” [bctt tweet=”Although we may be called to write, we are first His workmanship.”] We need to let Him work.

Therefore as writers driven to glorify God and reach others we must remember the words from the Psalm 46, “Be still and know that He is God.”

We need to get up from our desks. Step away from the lap top. Turn off the music. Let the coffee cool down. And let Him complete our character over us completing a project. As followers of Christ, we must remember character over completion.

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, Writing tips

Craft Writing with Humor

Five Ways to Add Humor Using Juxtaposition

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date February 2, 2016
8 Comments on Five Ways to Add Humor Using Juxtaposition

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong . . .

Perhaps that should be the theme song for the useful literary device called juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition — positioning two or more characters, ideas, objects, or places beside each other in order to draw comparisons and contrasts — and for our purposes, a laugh.

Regardless of what genre you’re writing, juxtaposition is a powerful tool, especially when you want to add a touch of humor.

Below are five ways juxtaposition can add humor to your writing:

1. Juxtaposition Provides an Unexpected Laugh

A non-fiction author may write about a serious subject, but depending on the topic, he may still wish to add humor. (See How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics.)

Juxtaposition is a great way to inject humor and make any statement more memorable.

I read a poem recently by an unknown author. One line remains stuck in my head like the Nationwide theme hum by Peyton Manning, except I like this line:

I thoroughly hate loving you.

What a perfect juxtaposition. Love and hate.

2. Juxtaposition Creates Interesting Conflict

Without conflict, there’s no story.

Novels, movies, and plays often feature lead characters with opposite attributes or personalities in order to create interesting conflict.

Consider the 1970’s TV series The Odd Couple.

The juxtaposition of the fussy, neat freak Felix Unger with his apathetic, sloppy roommate Oscar Madison created five seasons of TV fun and plenty of awards.

Watch the following opening theme song for The Odd Couple’s humorous juxtapositions:

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, humor, Jean Wilund, writer, writing, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

Fiction Writers are Teachers Too

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date January 20, 2016
1 Comment on Fiction Writers are Teachers Too

Labeled for reuse. Image can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cybrarian77/6284181389

Christian nonfiction writers receive all the credit for being the biblical and spiritual teachers. If we want to learn the truth then we are told to pick up one of those boring nonfiction books written by a preacher, but that is not fair because fiction writers are teachers, too. Actually learning is accelerated far more through narrative than simple prose therefore we learn more from fiction writers than we even realize.

Education experts and our own experience tell us that we learn best through watching examples than hearing a lecture. As famous author Henry David Thoreau once said, “If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see.”

Your stories in your fictional writings teach. They teach far more than a sermon or “how-to” book does. Therefore, you must understand you aren’t just a story teller — you are a teacher.

Your writings teach a lot of practices, doctrines, and values — but most of all you teach worldview.

You don’t just teach worldview you create worldviews. You create whole worlds and then you teach how that world should be viewed and understood.

So how do I know this? Because I am trying to instill a Christian biblical worldview in my children, but that worldview is constantly being challenged through the fiction books, movies, televisions, and clichés that fill their lives.

We guard the shows and books that my children see and hear. We find stories that convey solid values and don’t introduce “bad” things. But even in those good stories a different world view is presented. Even in the good stuff my kiddos see people who are good people, but do not walk with the Lord. The self-sufficiency of man is championed. In many of those stories, the world just appeared and was not created by an almighty God. The characters live their life and do not worship God. In the stories the characters chase their own dreams and don’t let the Holy Spirit guide them. Nature may be worshiped. The list could go on. Here are some of the worldview challenges that has come up:

[bctt tweet=”“Daddy, Calliou doesn’t pray before he goes to bed.””]

“Daddy, do you think Daniel the Tiger knows Jesus? He doesn’t go to church.”

“Daddy, do you know that at that princess castle with the tea cups you can ride that all of our dreams will come true. Can we go?”

“Daddy, do you know that the ponies (My Little Pony) can make rainbows, too?” (Meaning in addition to God).

“Daddy is Jesus like Superman?”

“Daddy on Dinosaur Train I heard that dinosaurs were here millions of years ago.” (Did I mention I am young earth proponent?)

I could go all day. None of these are terrible. There are all good shows, but they portray a worldview of life without God or a reality where something is a god.

Not only do they portray things, they shape worldviews.

So what kind of worldviews are you creating?

Please be creative and tell amazing stories, but how about still portraying the biblical worldview and values you hold dear.

Refer to the one, transcendent Creator. Refer to an afterlife. Have your hero still reliant on the Creator. Have your character carry out spiritual disciplines. Again know that you are shaping your reader’s worldview.

Author Brian Godawa wrote, “Every story is informed by a worldview.” I would add that every story shapes our worldview.

[bctt tweet=”Since fiction writers are teachers too, teach a biblical compatible worldview.”]

Tags Almost an Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, fiction, fiction vs non-fiction, Ministering through writing, nonfiction, Writing Instruction

The Ministry of Writing

God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date December 22, 2015
9 Comments on God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together

Allowed for reuse. The original can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/theilr/345056969.

So God has called you to write. You have a “writing calling”.

He has burdened your heart to share a particular message, to tell your story, to tell someone else’s story, or to create a powerful creative piece.

The Holy Spirit has guided you to use your gift, talent, or love of writing to glorify the Father.

You know typing away on your laptop merging creativity and craft places you in the center of God’s perfect Will.

Therefore you have pushed through. You have been obedient to write. You are obedient in continuing to write. You know you are doing what the Lord wants you to do.

But…

The project is overwhelming and you feel like it will never end.

The critique was brutal — you have so much to learn.

After receiving your work back from the editor there is so much left to be done.

You are on your eight rejection letter.

It has been three months since the agent’s last email, but he seemed so interested.

You have been writing for six years and nothing has been published.

So did you hear God right? Is writing really what He wants you to do? I believe so. And I know that if you are doing what God has called you to do and are following the Spirit’s guidance that God will come through. I completely trust that God provides and equips us to fulfill whatever he has called us to do.

I believe it because that is what Scripture teaches:

From Hebrews 13:20–21:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Don’t give up. God will come through. That impossible project will get done. You will grow and develop into the writer He needs you to be. He is going to open that door. [bctt tweet=”God will answer your prayers. He is going to accomplish through you what He purposes.”]

One day it will come together.

Being an 80’s kid I have had my share of Rubik’s Cubes. None of them have ever been completed. I also never followed through with my idea to bypass the work and repaint the squares.

I’m sure you are familiar with one of these devices of torture. It is a cube so there are six sides. Within this cube there are nine squares on each side. Those squares can be one of six colors. The goal is to maneuver them in such a way that one whole side of the cube becomes a solid color.

A Rubik’s Cube being conquered is a pipe dream for me. Its completion is in the realm of capturing a unicorn or finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to me, but it has been done.

Interestingly in his book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, author and pastor Mark Batterson wrote that God working in our lives can be like a Rubik’s Cube. Like someone beginning to be victorious with the cube it can appear the task God has placed on our hearts will never come to pass. But eventually those random pieces begin to line up and finally a complete picture comes into view.

Again I have never accomplished this task, but I have seen it done. It’s amazing to see. For a while it looks as if the one working the cube has no clue what they are doing. Everything is a mess — nothing lines up. Then eventually — boom — the colors begin to line up. The cube begins to take shape. It appears that the task may actually be accomplished. Then it happens — the cube is done.

Once it’s done one wonders why it was so hard to do in the first place.

This is how God will work in your writing.

Right now, in your current situation you may feel your writing is going nowhere. You may feel like all the little pieces will never line up, but don’t give up. Over the horizon the puzzle of your calling will come together, and you will wonder why it ever seemed so hard.

It is then you will know with certainty that God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together.

Tags Christian writer, Christian writing, encouragement for Christian writers, encouragement for writers, hope in writings, Journeying Through the Writer's Life

Craft Writing with Humor

Five Tips For How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date December 19, 2015
No Comments on Five Tips For How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics

In my last post, How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics, I explained how working humor into the background of your article or story allows your message of hope to take center stage.

Today, we’ll look at just how to use humor effectively.

Follow these five simple tips to help lift the spirits of your readers.

1. Open with Light Humor.

Hint at hope from the start by opening with a little humor.

Revealing your acquaintance with pain, but also your ability to smile through it helps your reader trust your message.

This isn’t the time or place to tell a joke, though.

Instead, use a humorous anecdote or observation that strikes a familiar chord with your audience.

The level of humor you use will depend on your topic. The heavier your topic, the lighter your touch of humor should be.

2. Use Sarcasm Sparingly, if at all.

When dealing with sensitive topics, sarcasm can be risky.

In fact, at all times, sarcasm is risky.

I’m a great fan of this type of humor, but I’ve left an unfortunate wave of wounded by my misuse of it.

Consider leaving it to the professionals, or at least reserving it for light-hearted articles about kittens.

If not done well, it’s too likely to come out snarky or bitter.

3. Poke Fun at Yourself, Not Others

Laugh about your own pain, not other’s.

When your reader sees that you can laugh about your pain now — even just a little bit — it gives them hope that they’ll laugh again one day.

If you laugh at other’s pain, you’ll appear cruel and lose their trust.

Please note, I said to laugh at yourself, not tear yourself down.

Don’t make your audience uncomfortable by forcing them to watch you wallow in self-pity.

They won’t watch. They’ll walk away.

4. Know Your Audience

Your audience will determine how much humor is appropriate. What may offend one audience might make another laugh hysterically.

If your reader’s suffering makes your loss look like you simply misplaced your 30% off coupon at Kohl’s, your attempt at humor may appear to display a lack of compassion and poor judgment. Your message will fizzle or fall flat.

If your suffering equals or exceeds theirs, you get a free pass to make them laugh as much as you want — within reason, of course. Every audience, except the most coarse, appreciates tact.

5. Ask Someone To Read Your Article Out Loud

What seems humorous to us as we write it can sound the opposite when read by someone else.

Ask your friend, spouse, or critique partner to give their honest opinion of whether your humor is coming across as compassionate or crass.

If it sounds differently than you intended, you may only need to reword it. But you also might need to toss it.

Humor can help foster healing. Inappropriate humor impedes it.

Even Momentary Relief From Pain Can Be Welcome.

A friend of mine emailed me asking for prayer. Her father is suffering with the onset of dementia and recovering from a broken hip.

My father went through both at the same time as well. I understand the excruciating pain she’s experiencing watching him struggle.

I shared with her some of Dad’s and my more humorous moments from that time. She said, “Thanks for the stories. They made me laugh.”

Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. Even the smallest relief from pain is welcome.

[bctt tweet=”Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. #Writers #Authors #Humor”]

[bctt tweet=”5 Tips For Using Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics. #Writers #Authors #Humor”]

Tags Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, humor, Jean Wilund, Writing tips

The Ministry of Writing

Daddy are There Potties in Heaven? — Where Do You Get Your Truth?

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date November 8, 2015
4 Comments on Daddy are There Potties in Heaven? — Where Do You Get Your Truth?

“Daddy are there potties in Heaven?” My two-year old daughter asked when the subject of Heaven came up. She has been potty-training so potties are on her mind. As a pastor I am asked a lot of theological questions, but I have never been asked that question.

Interesting question, right?

As her theologian-dad I could not let her question go unanswered. I had to provide her with the truth she so desperately needed.

But after Google failed to provide an answer I was stuck. So where do I go from there? How do I find the truth? And while we are on the subject — where do you get your truth?

So as I was replying, “uhhhhhhh” and my daughter was moving on to something else I had a few thoughts:

As a Christian Writer, You are a Dispenser and Framer of Truth

Although Tyndale’s dream has long been succeeded in that even every plow boy has a Bible they can read we still live in one of the most biblical illiterate times in history. Our Christian writings provide truth. If it is nonfiction then it serves as truth while in fictional works entire worldviews and understandings of life are framed.

Your readers are forming their understanding of God and a life with Him from your writings. Therefore it is important that you realize that you play a part in the formation of truth in this post-Christian environment. The Bible warns extensively about the dangers of false teachers, and we write against them. [bctt tweet=”If we are not careful we can be that false teacher.”] So where do you get your truth? Where would you draw your answer about heavenly potties if you were asked?

Truth is What is Needed

My two-year old could have lived with a cliché answer, and my wife thinks I should answer in a way that motivates her to continue using the potty. So yeah this question was not that a big deal, but our writing is important and influential. It may sound odd to talk about “truth” in terms to such a cute but goofy question. I could simply reply with an opinion or a belief. In the more important issues your readers need truth. They do not need an idea or opinion pulled out of thin air. They don’t even need to hear what you believe. Your belief does not make something truth. Rather we and our readers need to believe the truth, but how will they know the truth unless it is told. So when you want to provide the truth where do you get it?

Where Do You Go for the Truth?

The answer is simple, right? The Bible.

If it is so easy then why is it not the place we go first? Why don’t we work hard to make sure that we know what is in the Bible? If you are a Christian writer, but you have not read and studied the entirety of the Bible then your readers are in danger. They need to know the truth and you are a dispenser of that truth. Read it.

But in my case there is no Scripture reference of potties in Heaven. So what do I do? It is important to use the whole of Scripture and work Scriptural to come to the most biblical answer.

In Bible Study turn to trusted commentaries. Follow hermeneutical rules in your biblical interpretation. The Bible is not a free for all. Take the time to not only go to the right spot for truth, but search it correctly and biblical.

So go to the truth and provide the truth.

That’s what I did and I told my daughter, “I don’t know.”

[bctt tweet=”Daddy are there potties in Heaven?”]

For my complete analysis on potties in Heaven check out www.graytotebox.com.

Tags Biblical truth, Christian writer, Christian writing, false teaching, heaven, search for truth, truth