Experiencing Conflict About Conflict

by Rachael Phillips

Will we earthly writers also write in heaven?

 Your current sinking scene and malfunctioning computer may push you toward kicking it out the window and praying for its eternal perdition. But if you are a true writer, you probably fish computer and story out of the yew bushes and try again.

And yes, you hope we will write in heaven.

I know I do.

We will, however, need to rethink our entire approach to storytelling, because in heaven we will experience no conflict. God will have perfected our minds and natures. Our circumstances. Even our computers. Our glorified stories there will dwarf the tiny, ragged tales we patched together while on earth.

But the Rapture has not yet taken place, right? Please tell me I’m right. For my sake and my computer’s.

Thank you! [Wiping sweat off brow.] Where was I? Oh, yes. Until we go to heaven, conflict remains an important element of every story, even God’s. Conflict fuels plots, illuminates themes, fires characters, and ignites passion in readers that keep the pages turning. If you have attended recent classes, you have heard it preached like a catechism: fill your books with conflict. Every chapter. Every page. Every word. Soak your story in conflict; poke, provoke, even choke your reader with conflict.

Hmm. At this point, I experience conflict about conflict.

In real life, I try to avoid it. I may even read a novel to escape conflict. To relax. Yes, relax.

So why would I choose one in which not only the heroine and hero are at odds, but their co-workers, neighbors, weather conditions, pets, cars, appliances, zippers, and plastic wrap are engaged in all-out cosmic war?

A constant diet of conflict will give a reader ulcers—probably not an author’s intent. Unless you want to make him wish fervently for heaven, which is one form of pre-evangelism, I suppose. But real life already does that.

How about you? Do you find yourself pairing a nice evening of novel-reading with extra Zantac? Or Prozac?

Do all genres require similar amounts of conflict? In your genre, where do you draw the line?    

 

       

Last Minute Contest Entry

A day or two ago, I received an email about a writing contest. The deadline is February 15. (OOPS! Realized after I posted this that it's March 15!) Although this is the first time I remember noticing the announcement, I must have already received the information a number of times. I went ahead and did what I usually do with contest info: deleted it.

Then I surprised myself and did a double take. I went to my deleted emails (which I permanently delete about once a week) and retrieved it. I zipped to the contest site, prayed for a second, and decided to enter. My only hurdle was cutting my short story from 1550 words to 1000 (absolutely NO more or entry disqualified).

Yes, I had a short story handy, one I've dangled around for awhile now. A few years ago, I submitted it to a contest and won second place, a $200 prize. But I decided not to accept the prize nor the accompanying publication. Something in me wouldn't release my story.

A year later, a literary journal offered to publish my story. I'd forgotten I'd submitted it to them at a writers conference. They would have paid $150, but again I declined because something in me wouldn't release my story. And that happened a few more times.

What's my story?

It's titled "The River Scroll." And if you've read my novels, you're probably guessing correctly. Yes, it's adapted from my trilogy. The first part of the story (1896) is from Hungry River, the second part (1966) from Dragon Wall, and the third part (2006) from Jade Cross.

How about that? A short story spanning three centuries in 1000 words!

It begins: Beneath the sleeping village of Fengshan rushed the Great Long River, its dark waters glowing like oiled mahogany. Here and there among turbulent swirls, huge foam shapes appeared for a moment, then disappeared. They look like ghostly temple gods, Mei-lee thought, peering down at the River as she staggered along on her painful bound feet, clutching her newborn infant.  

If I'm blessed to be a winner and offered publication, maybe this time something in me will release my story. It's almost time. . . Jade Cross will be ready for release this year, too.

Millie Samuelson
www.milliesbooks.org

PS: I hope someone reads this far and is curious enough to ask me the short story contest's site!
        

Business Cards

Before I share a bit about business cards, I must share I could hardly find this blog composing spot. How "things have changed" during the time I took several months off to move and travel! For me, this has already been a year of too much change. . . anyone else feel that way?!

One of the MANY changes for me is my business card (name card or calling card). Because I changed addresses and phone numbers, hundreds of my pricey color and glossy cards are now extinct. So these days I'm using a temporary cheapy card as I decide the appearance of my next business card. This is what the front side of my temporary card looks like. The back is blank. (Click on it to see it better.)



Since a new business card is on my mind these days (now and then), that's what I'm blogging about, hoping some of you who read this will have some great suggestions for me and others to use from your own experiences. Also, it's an important topic I don't think we've discussed here yet.

From decades of using cards, I have these random observations:

• Glossy fronts are great, but not glossy backs. They're nearly impossible to write on.
• Books covers make great fronts. They stir up interest and discussion with potential readers.
• Some type fonts and sizes are difficult to read, like my current temporary card above.
• Until now, I've had one card per book (so I could show the covers). But now I want to put all my books on one card. So I'm wondering: what's the best way to do that? Maybe like my temporary card? Or maybe a folded card? Or maybe a bookmark card? If anyone has experiences with the last two, I hope you'll comment.
• So I no longer have to ditch heaps of cards when my contact info changes, I think I'll only include my website and website e-mail address on the card. It's easy to change phone numbers and mailing addresses on websites. Not so on cards. I have before crossed out and written over, but I know that's tacky (although economical)!

In a month or two, I should have my new business card ready to post, along with suggestions why having a card is important.

Until then, warm summer and rain blessings,
Millie Samuelson
www.milliesbooks.org
Millie's books are available in paperback and inexpensive Kindle from www.Amazon.com:

• Hungry River: A Yangtze River Novel (Dragon River Trilogy Book One)
• Dragon Wall: A Great Wall Novel (Dragon River Trilogy Book Two)
• Women of the Last Supper: "We Were There Too" (new edition releasing this fall)
• Jade Cross: A Stone Ten Keepers Novel (Dragon River Trilogy Book Three, 2013 or 2014)

Soapy Writing

Wikimedia Commons

The same tricks that hook a soap opera audience are the same ones that can keep your reader turning the pages. What follows are some of the ways writers of soap operas get their audiences tuning in day after day.

• Secrets. Untold ones. Soap operas overflow with secrets. People find them out and tell them to others and the secret gets twisted and people who aren’t supposed to know them find out and then stuff happens. But there are also secrets that the audience doesn’t know yet and they tune in faithfully so they can find it out. Readers love secrets. 

• Open-ended possibilities. A character dies, but soap opera viewers know they could somehow rise again. Maybe it was a twin and not really the character themselves in the coffin. Or someone who had plastic surgery. Or a robot. Or…That type of wondering, leaving the viewer with the “I just gotta know if that guy really died” feeling, works for your novels, too. Create several scenarios for the outcome and leave the reader turning the pages wondering what might happen next. 

• Relationships with the characters. Because the audience loves the character or hates them, they develop an emotional attachment to them and want to know how they are doing, what’s happening to them each day, and whether or not their goals will be fulfilled. They cheer or boo for them and it’s a very real relationship. Forget to record a soap opera addict’s episodes and see what happens.   

• Curiosity. Humans are inquisitive, curious creatures. We want to find things out. The only way to learn what happens next is to watch. Create events in your stories to entice curiosity. Will he or won’t he? Is that rumor really true? What’s on the other side of the door? On the next page?

• Drama. We say we don’t like it but the fact is, we do. Our culture bears this out. We may not like it in our own life, but human nature does enjoy watching it outside our family circle. Our logical side likes think about what we’d do in that situation. Or judge the character for the choices they make. Give the reader an emotional ride with drama.

• Cliffhangers. Who shot JR? (Hey, Dallas is back!)

• Escape. Riches, jewels, designer clothes, mansions, fancy cars, exotic locations—we wonder what it’d be like to have them. Readers open books to escape. Give it to them. Soap Operas are a great escape for people because they last longer, and the viewer can escape every single day from their dull routine and fall into the fictional world of glamorous people. Are your stories providing a great escape?

• Reality. Even though readers want an escape, it has to be realistic. That’s where relate-able characters come in. If characters feel reachable, then viewers will become attached. Create characters readers can relate to as easily as they do their friends and neighbors. Make them touchable, relevant and accessible in their experiences of people they know. Create people they can identify with.

• Cure for loneliness. Some people watch soap operas because they perceive the characters as people they invite into their home each day. Are your protagonists and their friends the sort of people readers would enjoy inviting over for coffee or tea? On the other hand, are they people they'd like to fantasize about meeting? Will they want to open the book when they’ve been away to visit with them again and again?

• Feelings. Soap Operas create dramatic feelings as people grow to love the characters, develop relationships with them, and begin to have visceral reactions to the things they go through. Are you writing in such a way that the reader feels what the characters feel? Does your book leave readers feeling good? Wanting more? Wishing the story wasn’t over?

What are some books that have kept you turning the pages? I’d like to know so I can read them, too!

 Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, grandma to five beautiful little girls and author of O Canada! Her Story and represented by Hartline Literary Agency. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three rambunctious dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is book-hoarding, and favorite food group is cupcakes.

Writing AND Speaking

Thanks, Hoosier Inkers, for your recent blogs! They've been great! I didn't leave any comments for several weeks, but I did send good vibes your way/s. . . hope you sensed them!

Recently, I've been focusing on my speaking for this year. I rarely seek speaking engagements, but fortunately, they find me. As much as I enjoy writing, I enjoy even more sharing with an interested audience the topics God has led me to in my writing. And a plus for me (and I pray for my readers, too), after I speak is when I sell lots of books.

At the beginning of each new year, I pray about my speaking focus for the year. Of course, it's natural for me to speak about the topics of my novels, especially the overseas settings: China or Taiwan or Sweden or the Holy Land. But I don't want my sharing just to inform and entertain. I also want to inspire, especially spiritually. So that's the focus I pray about.

This year my focus is STORY. But not just my story! Using a few examples from my books, this year I'm challenging my audiences to record and share often with their family and others at least ONE important story (memoir) from their own lives. At two speaking events this past week, I was surprised that only two individuals had already done so. On the other hand, everyone liked the idea of doing ONE story. That's so manageable!

I'm not positive, but I think I sold more books than usual this week. Maybe because I involved my audiences to a higher degree? (Or maybe because both audiences were repeats and eager for my Hungry River sequel, Dragon Wall?)

I would appreciate hearing about your speaking focuses, especially those you feel are God-inspired. And I'm sure the readers of this blog would, too. So how about taking a moment to "speak" to us via a comment?

Writing AND speaking blessings,
Millie Samuelson
Yesterday's Stories for Today's Inspiration