Lessons Learned from Michael Hauge

Lessons Learned from Michael Hauge

In his lecture recorded at the Screenwriting Expo, Michael Hauge points out the writer’s need to make certain the reader gains empathy with the main character right away. Although there are numerous ways to gain reader empathy, Hauge contends that a writer should use at least three methods to hook the reader into relating to the main character. For example;

1. We tend to care about characters who suffer from an undeserved treatment.
If the character is a victim of injustice, prejudice, humiliation, embarrassment, falsely accused, or abandoned, we tend to care about their predicament.

2. We tend to care about characters who have human virtues.
The character who helps others in misfortune, helps children or animal, risks his or her life for others, shows ethical or moral responsibility, displays humanity in private moments, have our favor from the get-go. We like virtuous people.

3. We like characters with desirable qualities and skills.
Power, charisma, leadership, courage, passion, skill or expertise, wit, sense of humor,
athleticism, and persistence are something each of us want in our own lives.

I’m sure you get the idea. First, we must like the character in order to live vicariously through them and to get our minds inside the story. To like the character we need to see desirable traits. These traits need to be shown as early in the story as possible—preferably in the first scene.

Using last month’s example, The Pacifier, the story opens with the hero in jeopardy as he is faced with saving his comrades on the ship. The ship is far out in sea and away from any possible help. The hero single-handedly (with the use of grenades, guns and other conveniently available weapons), destroys helicopters, snipers, and an entire team of bad guys.

He’s outnumbered, outmatched, and at the end, he’s able to smile, maintain humbleness (note; he doesn’t have a wound on his magazine-cover body). We admire him for his fighting skills, his patriotism, and his willingness to accept any hardship or mission his superiors place on him.

In his new mission to protect the children, he faces his fish-out-of water situation like a good trooper. How can we not like a perfect human being like that?

Lessons I learned from Michael Hauge PART ONE

I first learned of Michael Hauge when I did a Google research for writing help, which ultimately ended in a visit to writersstore.com. Once I purchased and listened to Hauge’s lectures , which were recorded live at the Screenwriting Expo, I felt as if I’d found a hidden treasure. My favorite Hauge lectures are Grabbing the Reader in the First Ten Pages, and Writing Powerful Movie Scenes.

Michael Hauge is an author, lecturer, and script consultant who has coached such stars as; Will smith, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. Not only has he worked for every major studio and network in the industry, but he’s also given lectures to over 40,000 participants.

One of the lessons I took away from Michael’s lecture is the idea of story-structure plot placement. In short, this is the movie industries’ tightly woven plot structure measured in movie minutes (a movie minutes is usually equal to one page in screenwriting). For example, most good movies consist of a four-act structure divided into equal segments. The four acts are: Act one (the beginning), act IIa (first half of the middle), act IIb (second half of the middle) and act III. Not a shout-it-from-the-street epiphany, but definitely a help in story pacing.

I decided if this concept helps make a better story, then I wanted to understand and use this device in my novel writing. That’s when I took my laptop to the library and gathered a stack of Disney movies. I chose Disney because I knew they were usually successful movies. Below is an example of the acts/plot divisions I found in the Pacifier.
The Pacifier (movie length 90 minutes)

FIRST 25-percent; Act one leads up to the inciting incident (22 minutes into the movie) where Act II begins the SECOND 25% with the main character receiving a phone call and learning he is stuck taking care of the children "a few more days." This begins the story problem where the main character enters a new world which is completely out of his comfort zone.

THIRD 25-percent; Act IIb begins at 45 minutes (the HALF WAY MARK) where, until now, the children don’t like the main character and want him to leave their house. But when the Ninja's attack, they change their minds and want his protection. Here the story line went from passive to progressive; he was there to baby sit and watch over them, but now it is clear they are in danger and he is their protector.

FOURTH 25-percent; Act III (the last act) begins at 68 minutes(75% into the story) when the mother guesses the password and opens the safe (a major accomplishment for her storyline). The main character receives the phone call that Mom is coming home and he is no longer needed. He’s faced with leaving the "new" odd world where he’s been like a fish out of water and return to the Navy Seal world he knows best. At 71 minutes the main character discovers the secret passage (which contains the secret they've been trying to find), Mom arrives home, the main character prepares to leave, but the Ninjas arrive with guns and after a lot of action the story finds a happy ever after.

After pursuing several stories, I discovered that most successful stories follow this same timeline of having major plot points at 25-percent intervals. Apparently, the public is attracted to this evenly-paced structure, which is evidenced by the movie’s success. This gives the writer a guideline (not a rule) to critique his or her story. Of course, there are always exceptions. This structure is only a guide—not a hard and fast rule.

Opinions and comments?

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

If I had to choose one book for a student just entering the writing field, I would unreservedly recommend Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. The author is a Hollywood development executive who has worked for Disney, Warner Brothers, and Fox 2000. Although The Writer’s Journey is more popular among screenwriters than novelist, I’m often surprised at the number of writers who’ve never heard of this resource.

No single book has given me as much valuable information as this three-hundred page text. Based on the psychological writings of Carl Jung along with the mythmaking philosophy of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, this book simplifies the basic structure of storytelling.

Some claim The Writer’s Journey is a formula, and applying this formula to your writing will make your stories all appear to have the same structure, which will leave your stories boring. I say all good stories have the same basic elements, which make them interesting. This book teaches those elements. For example, all good stories include at least a rough structure of beginning, middle, and end. Yet we don’t consider that formulaic. Also, good stories usually begin with the main character facing a change in his or her world (inciting incident), and that change prevents the character from continuing life as they always have in the past. As readers, we’re attracted to that upsetting of the normal world and even though we read it over and over in books and see it in movies, we don’t consider it formulaic.

Other stages explored in The Writer’s Journey include the mentor (the wise old man or woman), approaching the enemies cave (often near the story’s midpoint), the ordeal (where it seems the main character cannot survive and this must surely be the end), and seizing the sword, and returning home with the elixir. Each of these stages is an important part in a story, and we like to read about them because they help us make sense of our own disrupted world.

Some suggest a writer should read The Hero’s Journey before reading The Writer’s Journey, but I found The Hero’s Journey difficult to digest. In contrast, The Writer’s Journey was not only an easy read, but also extremely educational.

There is a reason this book is an international best seller and a true classic. The Writer's Journey lays out the relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear easy to understand manner. It is not only a classic writing book. It’s a way of looking at life.

The Moral Premise by Stanley Williams

The Moral Premise addresses only one small niche of writing, but it covers that niche well.

At some point in our writing journey we each learn that every good story has a psychological subtext--which reveals what the story is really about. Usually, this is the main character's psychological journey and is characterized approximately midway through the story where the main character has his or her "moment of grace", or "ah ha" moment. For example, the moral premise for Bruce Almighty is;
Expecting a miracle leads to frustration,
but being a miracle leads to peace.

The premise is restated throughout the story, and this is what the story is "really" about.

The moral premise sentence sums up what the main character had to learn through the course of the story. The first half of the story showed in numerous ways how his frustration was derived from expecting a miracle. In the second half of the movie, the main character learned through trial and error and at a slow arc that life was great once he chose to be the miracle himself.

The book clears up the difference between Premise and Theme and explains why it is important to know the moral premise when you begin writing. Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world, and at times the writer doesn’t know the moral premise until a later draft.

This book is on my keeper shelf along with what I consider the top ten MVPs of book writing. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it as part of your top ten "how to" books. Better yet, buy the book—study it, and attend this year’s ACFW early- bird session where Doctor Williams will be giving his seminar. I'll see you there.

Writing the Romantic Comedy

Many of us have no choice but to grow our writing skills from How-to-write books. Seminars and college classes are great, but tight schedules and financial budgets too often prevent us from taking that road toward publication. Of course, some detest the idea of learning to write from a how-to book. I heard Nora Roberts say she has never read a how-to book. But the rest of us struggle to develop our skills and thus the how-to book fills that niche.

I read every how-to book I can afford, which looks even remotely interesting. Currently, the book on my nightstand is Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit. From the input I’m getting, it is a classic source for writers and screenwriters, as well.

What I like about the book is it covers areas of writing that many how-to books miss. For example, the Bellamy also known as Mr. Wrong, which occurs in many romance stories (think Bill Pullman in Sleepless in Seattle)

What I dislike about this book is the detail in which the author describes each movie example. Most of the examples he chooses are from popular movies to which most readers will relate, but if you haven’t seen the movie you’ll still understand the plot given Mernit’s details.

According to many reviewers, this book is a condensed version of the class Mernit teaches at UCLA. I like that he explains five ways to give life to you characters and his fundamental chapter topics such as;
Storytelling Fundamentals
The Romantic Comedy Concept
A Brief History of Romantic Comedy
The Art of funny
Being Sexy
Character Chemistry
Designing Dialogue
Imagery
Deepening Your Craft
Romantic Comedy—Today and Tomorrow

Because the book includes numerous movie examples for every topic Mernit covers, the book is quite lengthy (256 pages). Therefore, I wouldn’t push this off to new writers as the first how-to book for their library. Even so, I think it does have a place on the bookshelf along with the writer’s first must-have books. My choice for those first three books are; Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, and Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain.

Has anyone out there read a good how-to-write book, which you could recommend? Outside the Bible, what first book would you recommend for the new writer?

The Find and Replace Command for Writers

The FIND command in Microsoft Word is always a significant time-saver for me. Following are four helpful ways I use the FIND command on my WIP.

1. Name changes.
Have you ever completed the first rough draft and decided your character’s name or the spelling of his or her name needs changing? Maybe everyone isn’t aware that a writer doesn’t have to go through the entire manuscript and retype the new name for the character.

Instead, hold down the CONTROL key and press F. This brings up the FIND and REPLACE window. Click on the REPLACE tab, and depending on which version of Microsoft Word is on your computer, you may have to click on the MORE button near the bottom of the new window.

First type the character’s original name in the FIND window, and next type the new name in the REPLACE window. Click on the REPLACE ALL tab and instantly all 2,000 entries of your character’s old name is now replaced with the new name.

Keep in mind, this program recognizes spaces also. If you type a space after your first entry in the FIND window, and you do not type in a space after the name in the REPLACE window, you’ll end up with words running together—so use accordingly. Remember if you mess up, you can always use the UNDO command to return to your prvious setting(CONTROL Z). Even so, my suggestion is to save a backup copy of your work before you begin experimenting.

2. Overuse of my favorite words.
"Just" and "because" are two of the most overused words in my WIP. (I'm from the South). I use the FIND command to locate all uses of the offending word in my WIP, (for example just). I like to check the HIGHLIGHT ALL option before I click the FIND ALL. (This HIGHLIGHT ALL command highlights every use of the word for which I’m searching.)

As soon as I click FIND ALL the computer finds all entries of just and highlights them. At this time, before I click the mouse or type a letter, I press CONTROL B to bold all of the words I just highlighted. After doing this, I can review and evaluate each time the offending word is used and decide whether to keep it or not.

Another option is to hold down the CONTROL key and press PAGE DOWN. Doing this will take you to the next highlighted word in your FIND search.

Sometimes I’m looking for a certain scene or situation in my WIP and if I can’t find it, I might type in a word or phrase I know was used in that scene; such as handgun, boat, etc. Using the FIND command, and then holding CONTROL and pressing PAGE DOWN allows me to scroll through the WIP and find the exact paragraph for which I’m searching.

3. Expunge those nasty extra spaces at the end of a paragraph.
Sometimes at the end of the paragraph I press the spacebar after the period before I press enter (it’s a habit). I know it isn’t important, but we all want to send in a tidy MS. When I’m finished with the MS and I’m ready to polish it, I use the FIND and REPLACE command to find all periods, spaces, and paragraph marks, and I change them to eliminate the unwanted space after the period.

This is where that SPECIAL tab at the bottom of the screen comes in handy. When you open this tab it gives you a list of formatting characters you can use in your search, such as PARAGRAPH MARK.

4. Character speech tags.
The find command is great for improving a character’s consistency in speech patterns. For example, some of us say “all right”, while others use “okay”. Some say “perhaps” and others “maybe”. Using the find command, I can tighten up the speech patterns of my characters by searching these words and making sure my characters talk different.

Of course, we all need to occasionally check how many times we have a character; nod, shrug, eyes roll, etc. Somtimes I discover characters imitate bobble-headed dolls the way they nod and shake their heads all the time. The FIND command is a great help for this.

Perhaps you have other uses for the FIND command which you’d like to share. If any of this is interesting to you, but you're still confused, let me know and I'll break it down in layperson's terms.

Happy finding!

The Print Screen Command for Writers

A trick that has been valuable to me as a writer has been the PRINT SCREEN command. Many users aren’t aware this key is on their computer, but usually it is located at the top right of the keypad and has the letters PrtSc on the button. This button does only one job; it takes a picture of your computer screen. It functions like the COPY command, except it copies only the computer screen.

Of course, you have to use the PASTE command to see the new photo. Most often I use this command when I am researching the Internet and the Web site will not allow me to use the normal COPY and PASTE command.

At the Web site, I first press the PRINT SCREEN which takes a photograph of everything on my computer screen. Next I open a blank page in Microsoft Word, then I hold down CONTROL and press V to paste the photo--or I navigate to the EDIT menu and choose PASTE.

The new image should now appear as a photo on your Word document, which will allow you to resize. I have also discovered this tool is valuable when viewing a movie and I need a snapshot of a character, etc.

Once, I even used PRINT SCREEN to copy error messages that kept popping up on my computer screen (the phone tech didn't want to believe me). I then e-mailed the photo to the support site I was working with.

Need the names of cast of a movie as they fly by on the screen? Take a snapshot with PRINT SCREEN and paste it in Word.

Other uses for PRINT SCREEN;
When I’m in Windows Explorer (some of us call it "My Computer") and I need a copy of the names of my files, PRINT SCREEN is quick and easy.

PRINT SCREEN also works great to make a quick copy of the tracks on a music CD or playlist to insert in your CD album cover. No typing involved.

Sometimes I have a large file of photos I need to edit and PRINT SCREEN is an easy way to print a checklist so I can cross off the ones I’ve edited.

You get the idea.

Keyboard Shortcuts for the Busy Writer

Even though I’ve taught computer for ten years, I’m still surprised at the increasing skill level of students each semester. Every year I have to raise the bar and increase the workload for students because they continue to complete the projects before the semester is over. One of the most valuable strategies I use, which always seems valuable is the use of keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Office programs.

Most of us know a few keyboard shortcuts; While you hold down the CONTROL key, press P and it brings up the PRINT window. Hold down the CONTROL key and press S and it saves your work. Hold down the CONTROL key and press O and the computer opens the open file location window.

But there are dozens of other useful shortcuts, which can be used as time-savers for writers. Below are a few favorites. Many of these also work in programs other than Microsoft Word. I hope you can find something you can use. Keep in mind that text must first be highlighted before applying the shortcut. (To highlight all text in the document; hold down the CONTROL key and press A )

CTRL+A Selects all words in document.
CTRL+B Make the highlighted text bold
CTRL+I Make highlighted text italic
CTRL+U Make highlighted text underline
CTRL+SHIFT+< Decrease the font size of the highlighted text
CTRL+SHIFT+> Increase the font size of the highlighted text
CTRL+C Copy the selected text or object
CTRL+X Cut the selected text or object
CTRL+V Paste text or an object
CTRL+Z Undo the last action (up to 40 moves backwards)
CTRL+Y Redo the last action (the opposite of above)
CTRL+N Create a new blank document
CTRL+W Close a document
CTRL+SHIFT+W Underline words but not spaces
CTRL+SHIFT+D Double-underline text
CTRL+SHIFT+K Format letters as small capitals
CTRL+1 Single-space lines
CTRL+2 Double-space lines
CTRL+5 Set 1.5-line spacing
CTRL+E Center a paragraph
CTRL+L Left align a paragraph
CTRL+R Right align a paragraph
LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW Move one character to the left or right
SHIFT+LEFT ARROW Select or unselect one character to the left
SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW Select or unselect one character to the right
CTRL+BACKSPACE Delete one word to the left
CTRL+ENTER A page break
ALT+CTRL+C The copyright symbol
ALT+CTRL+R The registered trademark symbol
ALT+CTRL+T The trademark symbol
SHIFT+F3 Change the case of letters
F7 Choose the Spelling command (Tools menu)
F12 Choose the Save As command (File menu)
Shift + F7 Opens the thesaurus
ALT+F4 Quit Microsoft Word
F12 Opens the save as window
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move one word to the left
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move one word to the right
CTRL+DELETE Delete one word to the right
CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW Select or unselect one word to the left
CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW Select or unselect one word to the right
CTRL+END To the end of a document
CTRL+HOME To the beginning of a document

The Best Backup System for Writers

The students in my computer class think it’s cute when I tell them “Jesus saves, and so should you”. I don’t mean to be sacrilegious or denigrate the Savior, but I feel responsible to pound into their thick young skulls the importance of saving and backing up their files. But I’m not totally successful, because every semester at least one student loses a project—which they failed to back up. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

In truth, it is possible retrieve lost and deleted files as long as the user doesn’t add new data to the hard drive. But beyond the recycle bin, retrieving files is usually above the skill level of most of us. Yet, with a little foresight and discipline it shouldn’t be a problem to lose data.

Like most writers, I back up my WIP via a flash drive (memory stick). Actually, I use three flash drives, which I keep in three different locations; one in my briefcase, one at my writing chair, and one in my desk at work. I rarely need the backups, but when the magic fairies in my laptop get contrary, it’s a relief to know I’m safe. Maintaining current backups won’t solve all computer problems since computers by nature quit working on occasion—usually at the most inconvenient times.

Such was my case two weeks ago when I visited an Internet site about exercise for men over fifty. Within sixty seconds my virus protector flashed a warning and by the time I exited the site, a virus shut down my operating system. I restarted my laptop, but before the virus protector could find and quarantine the invader the system locked up again and shut down.

Fortunately, I had a current backup, but my computer was useless since it kept shutting down. My only solution was to erase my hard drive and do a new install, which would take several hours and require reactivating all software.

As you may know, software activation can be troublesome if you haven’t deactivated it first. The only alternative to call the software company and hope you can eventually talk to a real person who’s kind enough to help you. All of this takes a lot of time and if you’ve been there you know it gets frustrating.

The solution? Acronis True Image software ($49.00) http://www.acronis.com/ When I purchased my new computer fifteen months ago, I splurged the extra expense of Acronis True Image, along with a second matching hard drive, and a hard-drive tray that replaces my DVD drive when needed. In short, these three items allowed me to make a clone (mirror image) of my working hard drive.

When the virus hit, it took less than five minutes to remove my virus infested hard drive and insert the cloned hard drive. No need to reinstall operating systems or applications, no problems with the computer registry, no need to reactivate software.

The computer fairies were never aware I had switched the hard drive at shutdown. Everything worked fine. All I had to do was to install my most recent WIP update from a flash drive and I was one-hundred percent like I was before the virus hit. Of course, I haven’t always been this prepared, but through the years I have learned from failures.

To restate the process; I purchased and installed Acronis software on my hard drive while it was working correctly, next I removed my DVD drive and inserted a special hard-drive tray, which I purchased from the computer manufacture (sometimes you can find them on Ebay). This tray holds a second hard drive, which is typically used for additional storage. I purchased a hard drive exactly like the main hard drive in my laptop, but according to Acronis instructions, the backup drive can be any memory size, speed, or brand.

Once installed, the software offers the option to clone your main hard drive onto this added hard drive. It takes a about four mouse clicks and two hours for the operation to complete. Once it’s finished, I stored the copied hard drive in a safe place until it’s needed.

When I do need it, I simply remove one screw from the bottom of my laptop, pull out the main hard drive and replace it with the clone. I put the screw back in place and restart the computer. That’s all there is to it.

Later, after I verify everything is working correctly, I remove the DVD player, put the corrupt hard drive in the special tray and once again use Acronis to clone a new mirror image of my working hard drive onto the previously corrupt drive—so I’ll be prepared if this happens again. (Oops, did I say if it happens? I mean when it happens again.) It’s simple, it’s easy, and it actually works.

Be warned that it’s possible for a virus to jump from one hard drive to another, so in my case I actually reformatted my virus infested hard drive before I removed it from the computer just to be safe.

Of course, there are other ways to backup, and I’ve used them all. I’ve tried Norton Ghost and other software that promises cloning ability, but Acronis is the only software that has been successful for me. Downtime is minimal, and the total cost for the software, extra hard drive, and adapter to replace my DVD tray was under two-hundred dollars—expensive, but worth it. I should mention Acronis has numerous other features, also.

I have friends and students who’ve experienced these same problems and they usually spend one-hundred dollars to get a tech to fix their computer while their computer is in the shop for two days or longer. I feel like the time saving and security is worth the extra expense. In addition, I can use this system for years.

Maybe there’s a better virus protector, but I’ve tried most of them and no virus protector is perfect. But as I said, viruses aren’t the only computer problems a writer faces. Computers sometimes die without warning. I’ve had hard drives suddenly lock up and never work again. I’ve had computers suddenly show the blue screen of death without warning, and require a complete new install. Once I opened the passenger door of my vehicle and the computer slid out and dropped onto the concrete. The End.

Nonverbal Cues and Deception

The latest issue of The Forensic Examiner has a seven-page article which I find interesting as an author; Interpreting Nonverbal Communication for use in Detecting Deception. We all know that writing body language correctly is necessary in order to create believable characters. What better source than an agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit? Following is the abstract. A free copy of the complete article, minus the illustrations is available at the following link;
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1613/is_3_19/ai_n56199665/?tag=content;col1

The ability to accurately detect deception is a skill that many law enforcement professionals think they possess, but often, they do not; at least, not at a rate much greater than that of chance. Of course, having this skill would be incredibly valuable in police work, as well as in life in general. In the following article, the author presents an overview of the subtle, subconscious, nonverbal cues that deceptive people reveal as they try to relieve their own discomfort caused by their lies. The author explains briefly, the physiological basis of some nonverbal dements such as kinesics, paralanguage, microexpressions (Ekinan, 2009), et al. And, she concludes with some tips to help law enforcement professionals more accurately and reliably detect deception.

"How do you know when someone is lying to you?" This is a question to which many law enforcement professionals might answer "I just know, that's all." By saying this, they are presumably not suggesting that they are psychic, but rather that their career-long experience in dealing with all types of ties, made by a variety of people across many different situations, has led them to believe that they have effectively become human lie detectors. Unfortunately, however, these dedicated officers and agents may not be as good at separating fact from fiction as they might think they are, especially if they do not use all of the tools at their disposal. In the following article, the author will examine the typical physiological responses to stress that are at the root of the most common nonverbal indicators of deception. In doing so, she will show investigators and others how to significantly improve their odds of correctly identifying deception in any investigative interview. Through this overview of nonverbal communication, the reader will learn how to more accurately and reliably read people by observing how people's bodies can betray their innermost thoughts

Keeper of the Bag

If you’re like me, you have days in the writing process when you tell yourself you wouldn’t do this for any amount of money or fame—at times it’s just too difficult. We all know money should never motivate the ministry of writing lest it taint the entire project.

Of course, the laborer is worthy of his reward (1 Tim 5:18) and by necessity money usually becomes a byproduct of hard work. Not that there is anything wrong with outlandish (but healthy) dreams about bestsellers and book contracts. Yet, as a writer for Jesus we must periodically remind ourselves of the real reason we labor lest we fall into the same downward spiral as Apostle Judas.

Contrary to the way most artist depict Judas, he was likely the most charismatic and dedicated man in the group. When looking for a financial secretary to keep the bag, we wouldn’t choose the dark, sullen man with the pointed eyebrows like artists have illustrated. We’d choose the most reliable person in the group, the one who exhibited sterling qualities and trustworthiness. I feel confident Judas was the most liked member of the group and had all the potential to be the super apostle of his day. After all, it was Apostle Paul who replaced Judas.

The name Judas implies he was from the tribe of Judah. This tribe had the responsibility of leading praise and worship for the nation of Israel. Most of Israel’s musicians came from the tribe of Judah. It makes sense then, that the English word translated bag was the Greek word for container for reeds (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

I picture Judas digging deep inside his knapsack looking for something to hold the money and finding the little bag where he stored the reeds for his instrument. It must have been the perfect place to store a few coins at first, but as the offerings grew the money must have crowded out the reeds until it became only the money bag.

Sadly, this was symbolic of Judas life and downfall. His ministry began with the right motive, his vessel filled with worship and praise, but the love for monetary gain crowded out his worship. In that condition, his end was inevitable. Unable to forgive himself for betrayal, his last known act before suicide was to throw the money on the temple floor.

As Christian writers, we can learn from the pattern of Judas’ decline. Our ministry must first glorify and honor Him who created all things—money, by nature will follow.

Brainstorming; Part Two

One of my most productive brainstorming activities is working my way through George Polti’s thirty six dramatic situations. I usually find numerous ways each situation can be used in my work in progress, even though I may toss it out later.

For example; Using the first dramatic situation; Supplication, I explore every character in my story and consider if there is a fugitive who needs the help of some greater power to help him or her against the enemy.

Next, I consider each character and ask myself if this character needs assistance for some duty which she is not allowed to do—and so on and so forth. You get the idea.

Here are the first seven. I think these are great.

1. SUPPLICATION
(The dynamic elements technically necessary are: a Persecutor; a
Suppliant; and a Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful)
● A.
● (1) Fugitives imploring the powerful for help against their
enemies.
● (2) Assistance implored for the performance of a pious duty
which has been forbidden.
● (3) Appeals for a refuge in which to die.
● B.
● (1) Hospitality besought by the shipwrecked.
● (2) Charity entreated by those cast off by their own people,
whom they have disgraced.
● (3) Expiation: The seeking of pardon, healing or
deliverance.
● (4) The surrender of a corpse, or of a relic, solicited.
● C.
● (1) Supplication of the powerful for those dear to the
suppliant.
● (2) Supplication to a relative in behalf of another relative.
● (3) Supplication to a mother's lover, in her behalf.

2. DELIVERANCE
(Elements: an Unfortunate, a Threatener, a Rescuer)
● A.
● (1) Appearance of a rescuer to the condemned.
● B.
● (1) A parent replaced upon a throne by his children.
● (2) Rescue by friends, or by strangers grateful for benefits
or hospitality.

3. CRIME PURSUED BY VENGEANCE
(Elements: an Avenger and a Criminal)
● A.
● (1) The avenging of a slain parent or ancestor.
● (2) The avenging of a slain child or descendant.
● (3) Vengeance for a child dishonored.
● (4) The avenging of a slain wife or husband.
● (5) Vengeance for the dishonor, or attempted dishonoring,
of a wife.
● (6) Vengeance for a mistress slain.
● (7) Vengeance for a slain or injured friend.
● (8) Vengeance for a sister seduced.
● B.
● (1) Vengeance for intentional injury or spoliation.
● (2) Vengeance for having been despoiled during absence.
● (3) Revenge for an attempted slaying.
● (4) Revenge for a false accusation.
● (5) Vengeance for violation.
● (6) Vengeance for having been robbed of one's own.
● (7) Revenge upon a whole sex for a deception by one.
● C.
● (1) Professional pursuit of criminals.

4. VENGEANCE TAKEN FOR KINDRED UPON KINDRED
(Elements: Avenging Kinsman; Guilty Kinsman; Remembrance of the
Victim, a Relative of Both)
● A.
● (1) A father's death avenged upon a mother.
● (2) A mother's death avenged upon a father.
● B.
● (1) A brother's death avenged upon a son.
● C.
● (1) A father's death avenged upon a husband.
● D.
● (1) A husband's death avenged upon a father.
5. PURSUIT
(Elements: Punishment and Fugitive)
● A.
● (1) Fugitives from justice pursued for brigandage, political
offenses, etc.
● B.
● (1) Pursued for a fault of love.
● C.
● (1) A hero struggling against a power.
● D.
● (1) A pseudo-madman struggling against an Iago-like
alienist.

6. DISASTER
(Elements: a Vanquished Power; a Victorious Enemy or a Messenger)
● A.
● (1) Defeat suffered.
● (2) A fatherland destroyed.
● (3) The fall of humanity.
● (4) A natural catastrophe.
● B.
● (1) A monarch overthrown.
● C.
● (1) Ingratitude suffered.
● (2) The suffering of unjust punishment or enmity.
● (3) An outrage suffered.
● D.
● (1) Abandonment by a lover or a husband.
● (2) Children lost by their parents.

7. FALLING PREY TO CRUELTY OR MISFORTUNE
(Elements: an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune)
● A.
● (1) The innocent made the victim of ambitious intrigue.
● B.
● (1) The innocent despoiled by those who should protect.
● C.
● (1) The powerful dispossessed and wretched.
● (2) A favorite or an intimate finds himself forgotten.
● D.
● (1) The unfortunate robbed of their only hope.

If you don’t want to buy the book, The 36 Dramatic Situations can be found at this link;
http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/pdf/36DramaticSituationsGeorgesPoltiExpanded.pdf A DVD is also available on this subject using the movie Training Day http://www.writersstore.com/brainstorming-with-the-36-dramatic-situation-jeff-kitchen

Brainstorming; Part One

All writers must discover their own process for developing the stories, and naturally the process varies from writer to writer. The idea of having a process seems to add credibility to the idea that an author can do it again; otherwise, the writer may flounder hopelessly in a sea of trail and error—thus, the need for the term one-book wonders?

I’m a big fan of the bubble map (vein map) in the early stages of brainstorming, and I’m guessing most writers use the Donald Maass Breakout Novel Questions. Knowing each writer has to find the process that works for him or her, I offer two of my brainstorming tools in hope others will find a tidbit they can tailor to fit their personal style. I’m guessing the idea of following a process may even cause some pantsers to hyperventilate, but here goes.

One step in my brainstorming process is the “The Playmaker Strategies” which I gleaned from “The Elements of Influence” by Alan Kelly. This book was written primarily for managers, business leaders and campaigners, but it has given me some great strategies for my characters to use and move the plot along. The book is out of print, but you can still get an inexpensive used copy from www.amazon.com. Below is a brief summary of a few of the playmaker strategies.

The Pause Strategy
The playmaker (character) remains silent and allows the competition (other character) to talk until they talk themselves into a corner (or reveal too much information).
The author cites the example of an important meeting when Winston Churchill and his political counterpart were both called to a meeting with the current prime minister. During the meeting Churchill remained silent and let the competition (who was more qualified) talk himself out of the job. I’ve used this strategy to have my female character to talk endlessly and thus reveal more information than she intended while the brooding male listens quietly.

The Ping Strategy
The playmaker (character) drops a hint or dribbles out important information to evaluate the response from the opposing team. It’s a low-impact way to check on the competition’s pulse on a given situation. This is often used at poker tables where the players lightly rib their opponents to watch for their reactions. Story characters can use this strategy to test the response of bad news or some secret a character fears will get out.

The Filter Strategy
The player (character) allows some information to get out and holds back other info in order to control which facts might be used to his or her advantage. For example, a soldier is killed during battle, and the army paints him as a hero as it draws on the patriotism of family and friends, not revealing the full truth—his death was the result of friendly fire. A story character might make a serious mistake and knowing he or she is about to get caught, but uses the situation as if it was planned, while at the same time hiding bits of the truth.

The Deflect Strategy
An attempt to divert a rival’s attack, either to avoid or minimize its impact. Also known as dodging, and passing the buck. Example; A famous baseball player on trial was asked about his use of steroids, and his response was; “I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family, and myself.” Instead of answering the question, he cleverly diverted it.

The Pass Strategy
Typically used by a player as a means of bailing out of a marketplace to preserve resources or focus elsewhere. The book uses the example of IBM selling its PC business to China’s Lenovo group—in order to focus profits elsewhere. Likewise, a story character might withdraw from his previous agenda under the cover of “the good of others” while in reality he has to focus his energy on a more pressing or more important issue.

The Lantern Strategy
The deliberate preemptive disclosure by a player of its own flaw, mistake or some source of potential embarrassment or controversy. Thus, the character volunteers to confess his mistake before someone else can do so. IE—report the bad news on your own terms before someone else can report it on their terms. The book uses the example of the 1952 Richard Nixon Checker’s Speech when he had to fend off accusations that he had accepted illegal campaign contributions. Nixon surprised his detractors by doing the unexpected. Instead of dodging the charges, he confronted them directly, point by point—even to the extent of the gift of their dog Checkers.

Peacock
The unsolicited parading by a player of a novelty to generate attention in a marketplace. Peacocks usually hinge on a novelty or unusual action—to spur market talk. Good peacocks have staying power and are remembered for years. Example; Oprah and the 7-million dollar car giveaway. It shows who has the power. How many times do we see a story where a wealthy character gives so generously, even to the point that it diminishes the sacrifices the main character makes, causing us to dislike the big giver?

The book explores twenty-five of these playmaker strategies, which it breaks down into precise moves and countermoves by which the competitive advantage is won and lost. I go through each strategy and try to come up with a way in which each one might add something to my story. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But it has worked enough to be worth the effort.

Perhaps you have a brainstorming strategy of your own. Care to share? Next month I’ll give an overview of George Polti’s thirty-six dramatic situations.

Street Smarts for the Writer PART TWO

We never go into a room to write alone, we go crowded by our own experiences—Julia Cameron

The essential ingredient for any novelist is driveness.—John Gardner

Over time authors have discovered that routine is a better friend than inspiration.—Ralph Keyes

Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder.—Raymond Chandler

A novelist’s discipline and technique are infinitely more important than inspiration.—David Madden

The correct detail is rarely exactly what happened; the most truthful detail is what could have happened, or what should have.—John Irving

Don’t say the old lady screamed—bring her on and let her scream.—Mark Twain

No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money—Samuel Johnson

No one but a blockhead ever wrote except for love…You must do it for love. If you do it for money, no money will ever be enough, and eventually you will start imitating your first successes, straining hot water through the same old teabag. It doesn’t work with tea, and it doesn’t work with writing.—Erica Jong

Words in prose ought to express the intended meaning; if they attract attention to themselves, it is a fault; …Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Short words are best and the old words when short are best of all. –Winston Churchill

After I had written the Grapes of Wrath and it had been to a large extent read and sometimes burned, the librarians at Salinas Public Library, who had known my folks, remarked that it was lucky my parents were dead so that they did not have to suffer this shame. I tell you this so you may know what to expect. Now get to work—John Steinbeck

Often I am asked if any writer ever helped or advised me. None did. However, I was not asking for help either, and I do not believe one should. If one wishes to write, he or she had better be writing, and there is no real way in which one writer can help another. Each must find his own way. –Louis L’Amour

Books don’t get easier to write. It’s not a formula.—Terry McMillan

…for the most, writing is now just a horrible grim burden. I wouldn’t do it if I were not morally engaged to do it.— Katherine Anne Porter

My schedule is flexible, but I am rather particular about my instruments; lines Bristol cards and well-sharpened, not too hard, pencils capped with erasers.— Vladimir Nabokov

I write my first version in longhand. Then I do a complete revision, all in long hand. Then I type a third draft on yellow paper, a very special certain kind of yellow paper.—Truman Capote

An author must develop a deliberate process used to help facilitate the writing experience, otherwise there is no way to retrace those steps and repeat them.—Stanley D. Williams (The Moral Premise)

KennyNoble@hotmail.com

Street Smarts for the Writer: (PART ONE)

One of the few things I know about writing is this: Spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book, give it, give it all, give it now.—Annie Dillard

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. –Robert Frost

If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that’s read by persons who move their lips when they’re reading to themselves.—Don Marquis

Always assume your reader is at least as smart as you.—Sue Grafton

I have found that a story leaves a deeper impression when it is impossible to tell which side the author is on.—Leo Tolstoy

The shorter and the plainer the better.—Beatrix Potter

You have to throw yourself away when you write.—Maxwell Perkins

There isn’t any secret. You sit down and you start and that’s it.—Elmore Leonard.

Write in a café can work to improve your concentration. The café atmosphere keeps the sensory part of your mind busy so the deeper quieter part of you that creates and concentrates is free to do so—like occupying a baby with tricks while slipping a spoon of apple sauce in its mouth. Mozart had his wife read stories to him while he was composing for the same reason.—Natalie Goldberg

I never begin a work without being terrified I won’t finish it.—Danielle Steel

When I wrote the last line, I remember that I cried; “well, I’ll never beat that,” and threw the inky pen at the opposite wall.— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (on The White Company)

Caress the detail, the divine detail. –Vladimir Nabokov

When you endeavor to be funny in every line you place an intolerable burden not only on yourself but on the reader. You have to allow the reader to breathe.—S.J. Perelman

You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.—Saul Bellow

The best thing you can do about critics is never say a word. In the end you have the last say, and they know it.—Tennessee Williams

Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it. Use its energy to keep yourself going—William Zinsser

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.—Jack London

It would be crazy to begin revising immediately after finishing the first draft, and counter to the way the mind likes to create. You’re exhausted. You deserve a vacation. Go away from the project for at least a week.—Kenneth Atchity

I am convinced as a member of the reading public that bad [author] photographs are bad business. I have been put off reading books, which otherwise looked rather attractive, by the puss of the author printed on the back of the dust cover.—Raymond Chandler

I see the notion of talent as quite irrelevant. I see instead perseverance, application, industry, assiduity, will, will, will, desire, desire, desire. –Gordon Lish

The methods, even the ideas, of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence—an overwhelming determination to succeed.—Sophy Burnham

Do not pay any attention to the rules other people make…They make them for their won protection, ….—William Saroyan

You must once and for all give up being worried about successes and failures. Don’t let that concern you. It’s your duty to go on working steadily day by day, quite steadily, to be prepared for mistakes, which are inevitable, and for failures.—Anton Chekhov

Maybe you have some favorite advice that has been meaningful to you. Please--share it with us.

Toys for the Novelist

One of the perks of being a writer is having the luxury to research anything that sparks an interest—all in the pursuit of developing the story, of course. I can’t help but take advantage of this privilege, since learning is an innate craving inside my brain—thus, the volumes of trivia and interesting facts which line my bookshelves.

Yet, there is a downside to having a head full of fun and interesting facts—it requires policing the urge to share this information with others. Although difficult for me to accept, it seems most people aren’t interested in the geeky information I have stored away in my head. (Do you know two rats can become the progenitors of 15,000 rats in less than one year?)

My latest fascination has been researching possibilities which will allow my antagonist to take advantage of the cell-phone boom. Too many stories I’ve read portray a heroine who forgets to charge her cell phone on the worst possible day of her life. And as incredible as it seems, her service provider always favors the antagonist. How is it the main character has cell-phone reception until the moment she’s in danger? Isn’t that considered cliché by now? We’ve all had bad experiences with service providers, but can you imagine AT&T possessing magical powers to know exactly when to cut your signal and leave you in danger?

Of course, as readers we suspend our disbelief for the story and accept characters with bad service providers and faulty batteries. But why not mix it up a bit? My latest research reveals more opportunities for the novelist than what most writers have are using.

For example, a lowly one-hundred-and fifty dollars will purchase the villain his own personal cell-phone jammer[1]. This little gadget looks like a cell phone, but when activated it blocks all cell-phone frequencies within thirty feet. If I had one of these in my classroom, students couldn’t text messages to the person across the room and perhaps learning would actually occur. But alas, they are illegal to use in public places.

Stay with me, because more money buys more evilness. At three-thousand dollars, I can purchase a jammer that will obliterate all cell-phone signals up to five-hundred feet. (Oops. I meant the villain can buy one of these). Can you imagine a quiet dinner at a restaurant without that leather-lunged person across the room sharing his or her phone call with everyone present? This would work great in a funeral parlor or a concert hall. This is what our minister needs when he’s about to make the altar call and somewhere in the congregation the loudest ring tone known to humankind breaks forth like a signal to begin recess.

One of my antagonists has a jammer hidden under the seat of his car, which he activates with a secret switch. His initial reasoning to install this device was to retain the full attention of prospects when they were in the car with him. He didn’t want his sales pitch interrupted by an untimely phone call to his customer. Later, this hidden jammer causes havoc for the heroine as the antagonist holds her hostage in his speeding car. The poor girl can not get a single bar of service as they speed for miles along the interstate around Boston, Massachusetts.

Finally, this one last morsel of evilness, which will make a novelist’ mouth water. According to The Forensic Examiner; The World’s Leading Forensic Magazine,[1] there are inexpensive softwares available, which an ill tempered person can use to remotely turn on your cell phone to listen to live conversations. This brings back childhood memories when we left the phone off the hook of our rotary-dial phone while we went to the other room and eavesdropped on the family conversation. (Sorry. Maybe you’re not old enough to have had the rotary dial phone experience.)

In addition, this software enables the perpetrator to listen from anywhere in the world. These softwares work by different methods, but my favorite is Vervata’s $49.95 FlexiSpy Pro Tap. To secretly install this software, the heroine receives a text message on her cell saying something like; “Call (317) 777-4321 to update your Verizon cell-phone software” or “Download free new ring tones and screen savers.” When the unsuspecting heroine calls to get the fake update, the digital eavesdropping device is installed on her phone. No burglary required. The antagonist can then turn on his victim’s phone any time he wants and eavesdrop on the conversation in the room or automobile—even if she is not using her cell phone. Wow!

Yes, this is real, and yes it is illegal (except for the cell phones which you purchase for your children who are minors). But when has an evil antagonist cared about legal matters? I love it because “this application installs itself without any kind of indication as to what it is…and completely hides itself from the user.” [2] Did I mention it will turn on your cell phone and allow the villain to hear your conversation—even when you haven’t answered your cell? This is almost unbelievable, but you can read it for yourself. The power of science in the hands of evil people is very scary.

So, the next time you need to raise the tension for your character, you don’t have to use the obligatory low battery or no service cliché. Your character is responsible enough to keep her cell phone charged, and she is savvy enough to choose a good service provider. But the antagonist has done his homework too, and he has a jammer in his pocket, or maybe he’s been inside her house and hidden a jammer above a ceiling tile. When things turn sour in the story it won’t be because the heroine has forgotten to charge her cell.

If you're willing to share, we'd all love to hear any other ideas you writers have come up with on how to keep the main character from using her cell phone when she's in danger.

Below is an online source for this information as well as a few other goodies I didn’t mention. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to call the number above to upload a new set of ring tones to your own cell phone—absolutely free. I’ll be listening in. Kenny Noble

The source for this blog is also available online at; http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/articles/news/24/15/Activity-Monitors-AKA-Cell-Phone-and-Computer-Eavesdroppers

[1] THE FORENSIC EXAMINERVolume 18, Number 2, Summer 2009 page 46, Author Louis L. Akin, LPI
[2] Page 48

[1] http://www.thesignaljammer.com/products/Cell-Phone-Blocker-Mini.html

That Haunting Voice in my Head

If you collected a dollar each time you heard an author admit hearing voices in his or her head what would you have? Twenty dollars? A hundred? Certainly enough to keep you in lattes for several days. Yet, even though authors seem proud of this abnormality, our culture still considers it a defect. Let friends and family discover you hear voices and they’ll avoid you worse than if you wanted to borrow rent money.

I have the impression that hearing your story-character voices is a good thing for writers, but I’ve not been so fortunate. My characters tend to be quiet and lethargic, only speaking when prodded. Yet, I do admit to hearing one recurring voice. This little guy never has anything fresh to say, and his dialogue lines are always negative. An obnoxious tenant, his intrusion is more annoying than a yapping Chihuahua on caffeine. “Give up! Give up! Give up!” he says. "You can't write. What makes you think someone will read your story? Yap! Yap! Yap! Yap!”

I know I’m supposed to ignore him, but occasionally I weaken and fall victim to his discouragement. I can’t tell you how many times he’s crushed my writing dreams like a Styrofoam cup underfoot. According to my little voice; I’m too busy to sacrifice time for writing, I’m too untalkative to create good sentences, and I’m too boring to build an interesting plot.

But after years of battling with The Voice, I’ve finally found a sound rebuttal that even The Voice can’t ignore. It was quite a light-bulb moment to realize I am indeed qualified for a writing ministry. Yes, even in spite of my lack of talent. According to Scripture the weak, foolish, and base things are God’s first choice for material to use in His work (I Corinthians 1:26-29). (Wait! Weak, foolish, and base---was that from my Genesis critique?)

It doesn’t require a degree in theology to understand this scriptural principle—our inadequacies qualify us for God’s work. All He wants out of the deal is to receive glory. You won’t find this strategy used in mainstream corporate America. It’s totally a God thing--His specialty. In fact, the Bible records numerous examples of God taking something insufficient and making it into something special. The wedding host gave Him water—He made wine. The disciples handed Him a child’s fish dinner—He fed more than five thousand. Of course none of us were there to see it, but He also made the worlds using nothing but His word (Hebrews 11:3).

It’s a humbling thought to think our little offerings are seeds for God's work, but after all He did promise He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). That single promise removes all limits anyone puts on their potential, because most writers can think up some really big things

The dissenting voices may never completely leave our heads, but instead of questioning our ability to write, we can validate our efforts by admitting we are indeed inadequate--but canidates for something great. God chooses us for His work, not because of our talent but because of our lack of talent. He anoints our weak skills and uses them to create something great.

I believe we have a scriptural right to periodically close our eyes and just imagine the possibilities for our future. Scripture entitles you to do so, because in His own words, it will be so great that you will “wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you (Habakkuk 1:5).

The Best of the Trade

The well-known golf trainer, Harvey Penick kept a pocket journal of advice for golfers. After years of accumulated entries, a writer friend suggested Harvey share the information as a book. Harvey agreed, and the two prepared the manuscript and submitted it to a publisher. Later, Harvey’s wife received a phone call from the publisher who explained; they would like to publish the book for ninety-thousand dollars.

Mrs. Penick shared the news with Harvey, and after a few days the excited couple contacted the publisher. “Yes, we want to publish the book,” Mrs. Penick said, “and we plan to take out a second mortgage to help fund the ninety-thousand dollars.” Naturally, the couple was surprised to learn their mistake—they were going to receive ninety-thousand dollars for the rights to print the books.

Like the Penicks who misunderstood the publisher’s offer, Christian writers accept the call to the writing ministry and often think they are making a sacrifice. After all, they must rearrange their lifestyle to make time for their calling. Ironically, they are surprised to learn that working for Christ is more rewarding than first anticipated. While sacrificing the time to nurture their calling, writers grow spiritually, stretch their brains, and become a blessing to others. Truly, the writer gets the best of the trade.

Prayer; Thank you Jesus, for your calling to write, which is more valuable than riches.

Source; The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
ISBN 1-57322-152-x Riverhead Books New York 2000 pp160
KennyNoble@hotmail.com

You Can't Do His Part--He Won't Do Yours

My very first publisher’s rejection was a red-letter day on the calendar of my life. I was ecstatic to learn someone had actually read my work. It didn’t matter that the response was short and negative. Your work does not fit our current needs at this time, it said, but I had a publisher’s letterhead with my name on it, and I was so grateful I taped it to my office wall.

As you might guess, my enthusiasm for rejection letters has dwindled considerably. Currently, I’m more like Pavlov’s dog, where the sight of a publisher’s envelope in my mailbox triggers my chest muscles to tighten and my stomach to clench even before I open it. Yet, rejection letters are an important part of the publishing process, and like them or not, we must deal with them.

The biblical Hezekiah offers an alternate example of dealing with unwanted mail. Hezekiah was already having a bad day when he received the letter from the King of Assyria (Isaiah 37), which was more like hate mail. Yet, Hezekiah didn’t take the letter personally. Instead, he spread the letter on the altar before the Lord as if it was God’s mail and not his own. In response, God sent His angel to battle Hezekiah’s enemies and Hezekiah came out nicely in the end.

I don’t think it is unreasonable for the writer to take Hezekiah’s example and apply the same principle to rejection letters. If God has called you to a writing ministry and you've done your absolute best on the submission, then it’s fair to lay that rejection letter out before God and say "God, this isn't about me. This is a rejection of the ministry you have given me, and I leave the future of this work in your hands."

Remember, if it is truly a ministry of the Lord, then you are not responsible for the results. The writer’s responsibility is to do his or her best work—God will take care of the results. You cannot do His part, and He will not do yours.

KennyNoble@hotmail.com

There's a Dragon in my Car

I finished college with the naïve idea that I would finally find time to write as much as I wanted. But I soon learned finding time was about as easy as finding twenty-dollar bills on the sidewalk—possible, but unlikely. If you’ve written very long, you know writers don’t find time to write, they make time to write.

Like a hungry dog who collects scraps any place and any time, my life is marked with index cards, sticky notes, and whiteboards. But outside of the laptop computer, the writing tool I appreciate the most is the speech-to-text software.

With my headset microphone and laptop computer, I salvage writing time otherwise unavailable in my busy workday. Whether driving to work or walking on the treadmill, the speech-to-text software allows me to brainstorm, make notes, and even create my first rough draft while doing something else—multitasking at its best.

Yet, speech-to-text software wasn’t always worth the effort. My first experience with speech-to-text was so error ridden, I gave up the first day. However, since the release of Dragon Naturally Speaking version 10, I have had great success with speech-to-text and my accuracy is limited only by my lazy speech habits.

Dragon claims ninety-nine percent accuracy, which I believe is a fair assessment. But technology is only as good as the user. When I articulate poorly, I get poor results, but when I focus on good speech habits, I obtain good results. I wouldn’t think sending an e-mail via speech to text, nor would I risk sending an unedited letter created by Dragon.

If you’ve ever played the game Mad Gab you understand the type of errors from poor articulation. For example, open heart surgery gets typed as woe pin arts her jury, and bare love monk ease might show up in your manuscript when you intended to type a barrel of monkeys.

In addition to user error, three other elements are paramount to speech-to-text accuracy. The free headset packaged with the software delivered poor to mediocre results. When I did my research and upgraded to the headset recommended by Dragon my accuracy improved significantly.

Second, I first used Dragon on an economy Gateway laptop and thought I was obtaining good results. But then my computer went on the blink and I upgraded to a new Thinkpad with a faster processor the results were even better.

Finally, should you try Dragon Naturally, I recommend completing the voice training immediately. We each have unique speech patterns, be it a southern drawl, a New York accent, or personal speech rhythms. Dragon tries to cope with speech idiosyncrasies by providing short stories for the user to read so the program can adapt to your personal speech style. Thirty minutes of training made a huge difference for me.

Occasionally, some words confuse the software, such as my fictional character’s first name, Zoe. Fortunately, Dragon allows the user to train specific words, and once the magic fairies inside the computer understand how to relate the particular sound to the typed word, it responds correctly from that point forward.

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 isn’t perfect, but it does help my productivity. If you’re interested, the software is available from www.amazon.com and the microphone headset I use is Andrea NC-185. Total cost for both items is under one-hundred dollars.

Kenny Noble kennynoble@hotmail.com