Gold, Skins and Gems

A funny thing happened on the way to Deuteronomy. Halfway there, “All the skilled women spun with their hands…all the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair” (Exodus 35:25, 26) caught my eye. I was impressed. I read on.

Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land, gathers the people to give them God’s command: “Take from among you a contribution of precious materials to the LORD, whoever is willing.”

Why? What is God doing? He is commissioning His people to build and supply the tabernacle, a tent for His dwelling among them and the place for His people to meet Him.

Everyone went home to search their souls and their tents. Then, “everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments” (v. 21). They returned with gold jewelry, exotic fabrics and skins, rare oils and spices, and precious stones.

But giving was only the beginning. These precious materials were distributed to skilled men and women. Here, “skilled” literally means wise of heart and “heart stirred with a skill” literally means lifted them up in wisdom.

Doesn’t their example beckon you? Out of a stirred spirit and a moved heart you, too, may bring a precious gift to the same LORD, for His service. But bringing Him this gift is only the beginning. You are also invited to develop it by a wise heart. And not only you: just as Israelites worked together on projects, so you gather with like minded writers; and just as the Israelites were taught by Bezalel and Oholiab in the arts, so you may teach and be taught your craft. As your heart is “stirred with a skill” you will also find you are lifted in wisdom. Not for your glory but for the glory of your God, who brought you out of slavery and set you free.

What skill has the Lord entrusted to you?

What would it look like to bring it to him?

How could you take it in hand and develop it?

Whom could you teach and whom could you learn from?

Does the cost kindle fear?

If yes, that original destination in Deuteronomy—Moses’ last counsel to all Israel—can quench it: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at [the nations], for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you…the LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (31:6,8).

Life in the Affirmative

We may tell ourselves that we don't care about encouragement or affirmation. We may even think that Christian humility requires us to remain indifferent to the appraisal of others.

But we do care, don't we?

As a teenage boy living in the foothills of East Tennessee, I aspired to be a writer. My first tentative attempt was to submit a handful of poems to the weekly poetry column in our Johnson City Press Chronicle. (Remember newspaper poetry columns?) And dear Dorothy Hamill, editor of the column, published every one of them.

I sent more poems and she published them, too. A teacher or doting aunt occasionally mentioned seeing them, but I had a growing suspicion that publication did not necessarily mean my work was any good.

Then it happened: By accident, I sent Miss Hamill the partial draft of a poem that I'd intended to throw away. (I threw away the final draft and sent her the fragmentary, pencil-annotated first draft. It happens.) And she published it.

So it was true. Publication didn't mean my work had any value, except perhaps to fill the space left when the corner grocer decided to reduce the size of his ad.

Despair. I stopped submitting my poems to the paper. Stopped writing them, too.

Months later, I received a typewritten letter with a return address that I didn't recognize. The writer introduced himself as an elderly self-published poet who lived alone on top of Buffalo Mountain. He apologized for intruding on my privacy, but he missed seeing my poems in the Thursday paper. Then followed several pages of quotations from my poems, with his comments and praise. They reminded him of his own work, so he encouraged me to keep on writing.

"If you'll send me your poems, I'll send you mine," he said. And there was a sheaf of his poetry.

We exchanged a couple of letters before I went off to college. I never met him personally, but I can still visualize that letter and how much his affirmation meant.

Affirmation. Let that be your legacy to some aspiring writer.

Joe Allison and his wife, Judy, live in Anderson IN, where Joe serves as Coordinator of Publishing for Church of God Ministries, Inc. Joe has several nonfiction books in print, including Swords and Whetstones: A Guide to Christian Bible Study Resources. He's currently writing a trilogy of Christian historical novels set in the Great Depression.

Visit Joe's blog at http://hoosierwriter.wordpress.com

Possess the Territory God Gives You

When the Children of Israel looked out to see the land the LORD was giving them, they were amazed, and maybe still a little fearful of what that possession might mean. But they had to understand that it would not be gained in their power. They had to be strong and courageous in God's strength, not their own, and this message had to come from their new leader, Joshua. God took time to encourage Joshua so the group would possess their land. 

And this is also applicable to writers. We do not obtain success in our own strength or by our own wonderful writing.But we also need to take the steps to gain that possession of our success. Listening to what God has told ancient leaders can also be applied to our own journey. 

In Joshua 1: 3 God tells them: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."

God is encouraging Joshua to possess this Promise, this tangible land, that was originally promised to Abraham. He's being warm and tender as He tells him where this land He wants them to possess is, laying out the boundaries. God also can lay out the borders of our writing territory if we are listening to Him. Does it concern genre? Yes, it could. Topics? Theme? Where you spend your time in your writing career? Of course.

Further on in Joshua 1: 5 He encourages, "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you."

And He doesn't stop there.

Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people [us] to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7: "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go."

Being "strong and courageous" is repeated three times and we know that when God does this, it is extremely important. (vs. 6,7, 9) 

Applying this to your writing, note these things:

1. You do not do your writing or achieve success (God's success might look different than the world's version of success!) in your own power. It's by God's strength alone. 

2. Be strong and courageous. Write the tough things and possess that territory that God is giving you! Don't be afraid of it.

3. Accept God's encouragement and rest in it. How many times have we been discouraged in this writing journey? It happens. Go back and read Joshua 1 as many times as you need to.

4. God never leaves you. You can try to shut Him out or push Him back but He doesn't leave you. Sometimes you aren't even aware of how much He is carrying you! So be comforted by that, embrace Him in your life when you can't see Him. Embrace Him in your writing. 

5. Do the work. Take the steps you need to in order to possess the Promised Land.   

Are you tripping yourself up on any of this as you seek to possess the territory that God has given you in writing? You don't have to share your specific flaws, but if you can give encouragement to writers here, please let us know what helps you to move on in God's grace and mercy. 

      

About That Daily Quota

Following the advice of James Scott Bell and innumerable other writers' coaches, I've set myself a daily quota of words to be written. A modest goal, I grant you--just 350 words--but I'm amazed at how long I may agonize over that double-spaced page. And I don't write at all on more days than I'd care to admit.

At this rate, my novel of 70,000 words will take forever to complete!

So I did a crazy-gutsy thing last month. I accepted Guru.com assignment to write a 50-page nonfiction e-book in ten days. Simple arithmetic reveals that's 5 pages a day, or 5 times my normal quota. And I completed the assignment on time.

This insane marathon taught me several things:

• I waste a lot of time self-editing my first draft. Better to forge ahead and write that crummy draft (apologies to Anne Lamott) and deal with self-editing later.
• I waste a lot of time with distractions. Checking my e-mail, checking my voice mail, checking my carrier-pigeon roost. (OK, I'm exaggerating, but not by much.)
• I waste a lot of time with superfluous research--in the middle of a sentence! What year was it that my subject went to Argentina, etc.? I find that nagging detail, but uncover another curious fact in the process, which sends me down a rabbit trail of other trivia.
• The long and short of it is, I waste too much time!

Perhaps my real problem is performance anxiety. October's forced march of 1,750 words a day certainly gave me no time to worry about how well I was doing. (I suspect this is one of the greatest benefits of participating in NaNoWriMo as well.)

The rest of the story: My client liked the first draft so much that he's asked me to double the length of the book (at more than twice the fee). He calls the first 50 pages "compelling." Go figure.

Joe Allison and his wife, Judy, live in Anderson IN, where Joe serves as Coordinator of Publishing for Church of God Ministries, Inc. Joe has several nonfiction books in print, including Swords and Whetstones: A Guide to Christian Bible Study Resources. He's currently writing a trilogy of Christian historical novels set in the Great Depression.

Visit Joe's blog at http://hoosierwriter.wordpress.com

Writers are weird.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Recently I drove a friend of mine to a downtown Indianapolis hotel because her son had an early appointment at Riley Children’s Hospital the next day. On our way there, on downtown Meridian Street, a police car zoomed out in front of our car and stopped. The officer jumped out, drew his gun and shouted at a suspect to get down on the ground.

My passengers (my friend and her mother) screamed and ducked.

I grinned ear to ear and took in everything. “Oh this is awesome. Check out that gun!”

I memorized every detail – the size of the gun, the stance of the officer, the way he held his weapon, his tone of voice, how neatly pressed his shirt was, and his tall, skinny frame. I studied everything carefully, thrilled to be witnessing a real-time live crime drama.

My friends, frightened and shaking, stayed on the floor.

It reminds me of the time in Kansas many years ago (okay, over 30 if you must know) when my boyfriend and I had a gun held to our heads for being parked in a farmer’s field looking at stars through my boyfriend’s zoom lens camera. (We really were looking at the moon and the stars. Honest. Really. Why don’t you believe me?)

The owner of the field pulled his muscle truck up behind us and put on his fog lights. Minutes later his son pulled up and did the same.  They got out of their trucks and walked up to our car.

They were drunk.

They had rifles.

They cocked them, held them to our heads and yelled at us for being in their field

I prayed while my boyfriend cried.

Somehow we negotiated our way out of the drunkard's line of fire.  As soon as we escaped unharmed I turned to my boyfriend and said, “I can’t wait to write this down!”

He left me because of that.

Writers are weird. They can’t go through anything without filing it away as “research.”

Some writers scream when they see a stick up and then there are those of us who just can’t wait to write it all down.

Are you as weird as I am? What experiences do you remember hurrying to write down?

 Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, grandma to five beautiful little girls and author of O Canada! Her Story.  Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, she lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, mother-in-law with Alzheimer's and three rambunctious dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is book-hoarding, and favorite food group is cupcakes. When she's not writing she dreams of riding her motorcycle through the Smoky Mountains.

Three Individuals You Need In Your Life

By Jeff Reynolds

I had a coworker who had a sign which read, “Each day, I do the work of three men.” Underneath were pictures of Moe, Larry, and Curly. Sometimes I can relate, though in my case I'd be more likely to have photos of Groucho, Chico, and Harpo.

I once heard that we need three people in our lives. No, this isn't a reference for the Stooges, or the Marx Brothers for that matter.

Maybe the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler? I think not.

How about the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion? Believe it or not, that's a correct step down the yellow brick road. And a guess that I'm referring to Randy, Paula, and Simon (with a case for Ryan being the fourth) will get some favorable comments from the judges.

Seminary professor Howard Hendricks writes in his contribution to Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper that every man needs three individuals in his life: a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy. I guess in a woman's case it would be a Pauline, a Barbara, and a Tina – or in roles, maybe a Naomi, a Deborah, and a Ruth; possibly a Priscilla, a Phoebe, and a Rhoda.

If you're guessing I'm speaking about mentoring, give yourself a pat on the back. And I doubt Groucho and brothers or Moe and his friends would be the type of mentors you'd like – though I consider the Riddler a major influence in my life. (I grew up a couple of miles from Disneyland, and consider my role models to include Goofy, Dopey, and the Cookie Monster.)

Hendricks was dealing with life in general, or is it our Spiritual life? Same difference. Not at all disagreeing with him (and I doubt you would as well), I would like to narrow his concept for the sake of this blog to writing. In other words, we need a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy as authors.

PAUL

A Paul (or Naomi or Priscilla) is the typical mentor role. It's fitting I'm writing this on Father's Day, since fathers and mothers are the prototype for that role. Others who fill that spot include teachers, pastors, and coaches. A writer needs this leadership as well.

I currently do not have any conscious writing mentors – meaning those who fill that role do it without knowing they're doing it. Agatha Christie, Allistair MacLean, Frank Peretti, YA baseball author John R. Cooper, and Randy Singer are those I consider mentors, and I hate to admit Stephen King fits in that role as well (his worldview is 100% the reason why I hate to admit it). Some songwriters also deserve some credit: Steve Taylor, Keith Green, Rich Mullins, and Don Francisco would fit the bill, as would hymnists Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley.

BARNABAS

A Barnabas (or Deborah or Phoebe) is a peer. Hendricks puts this as a person who likes you but isn't impressed by you. For those familiar with Toastmasters, the evaluation program fills that role – a good evaluation points out the strong points but also has a point for the speaker to improve.

My Barnabases – actually, they're more the Deborah/Phoebe types – are my critique partners. Since November, I've been in a small critique group with fellow ACFW members Marguerite Gray, Kristi Ann Hunter, Joanne Meusburger, and Ellen Parker. That has been a great experience working with these ladies, each of which have different styles of critiquing as well as writing. Kristi and Ellen, by the way, were Genesis semi-finalists (Historical Romance and Romantic Suspense, respectively). I find it interesting having critiques from people who aren't quite my genre.

TIMOTHY

A Timothy (Ruth/Rhoda) are people to be mentored. After an elective session at the Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference last November, Keith Drury told me that writers are looking for people to mentor them when they should be concentrating on looking for someone they can mentor. I say a hearty amen to that. As an unpublished author, I'm not sure if I'm at a place of being a valuable mentor, but then you never know.

Do you have a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy? Or are you settling for a Moe, a Larry, and a Curly?

Chapter Meeting - A Snack Between Banquets

Last Saturday I had the privilege of traveling with Ann Shrock, (author of Crossroads in The Quakers of New Garden collection) to gather with other writers, some familiar, some new to hear multi-published Travis Thrasher speak. (If you weren't there, I'm sorry.) Afterward, Ann and I spent another hour and a half discussing what we heard, how writing impacts our lives, and encouraging one another as we returned home. That is a superior and affordable way to spend a Saturday. The kind of day you sit back and say, "Now that was delicious."

There is nothing quite like interaction with others who actually "get" you and who struggle with the same challenges you do. ACFW offers wonderful online help that makes it possible to become a good writer from home. However, I would encourage you to participate in your chapter or regional ACFW group.Our Indiana ACFW president, Rick Barry, and his board work hard to move the meeting site around the state so authors can conveniently attend at least once in a year. I'm sure other officers do the same. This is a gift.

Have you ever visited a team blog such as Girls Write Out? Such sites are fun, supportive, and share the burden of blogging while drawing in others to participate. If you ask such group bloggers, they often say they attended a meeting where the love of writing and a common desire to improve was the fire that forged their friendships.With shorter agendas and less pressure, local meetings present a place to build writing relationships.

It takes effort, but in blogs, interviews, and conversations with writers one theme that has stood out to me repeatedly in the past eight months is that the road to publication involves sacrifice. It's a sacrifice of time, money, family, or leisure to attend a small writers meeting, but there are rewards, too. A local or regional  may not be the big enchilada of meetings, but it is a sustaining and satisfying meal. Think about it.

Have you attended a chapter or regional ACFW meeting in the last year? What was the take-away value?

Mary Allen lives in the Midwest with her husband and a German Short Hair Pointer. She loves God's Word which never changes and also enjoys playing with words which can be endlessly changed. She writes about God's Truth, Women's Fiction and was the La Porte County Poet Laureate from 2010-2011.

 

Confession of a Freelance Writer

A cold, blustery wind blew from the west, sneaking its way through the crevices in my hundred year old farmhouse. Earlier that day I’d bustled the children off to school and hubby off to work. A rare day with no call from the school to substitute and no place to go until that evening, I was home alone. With just the dog and a steaming cup of coffee to keep me company and keep me warm, I snuggled on the couch with my laptop and wrote. And wrote some more.

The blowing wind and the hum of my computer masked the crunch of tires on gravel. Suddenly the hair on the dog’s back went up and then came a thundering knock on the back door. My heart hammered with panic and I shushed the dog, remaining completely still. He’ll go away if he thinks no one is home. There was no way I was answering that door. I was still in my pajamas…and it was 2 o’clock. In. The. Afternoon.

There’s a dirty little confession for you. Sometimes when I’m home alone and the day looms gray and drab and my calendar is blessedly empty, I get involved in my writing and just don’t bother to change into something more professional. It appears I’m not the only one.

At the same time that clothing companies are catering to teenagers and adults who like to wear their jammies every day, all day long, some opponents are raising an outcry. Some rail against the public wearing of pajamas calling it everything from slovenly (saying if you’re dressed for bed you won’t be at your best) to a health hazard (because people usually don’t shower before they put on nightclothes and bacterial infections could lead to death—seriously, this is what someone argued!). They wonder what will become of our nation if we permit people to wear their pj's in public. Will underwear be acceptable next? Maybe we’ll become so lazy as to not wear clothing at all? I think not. (And for the record, when my kids were little and we had “Pajama Day”, they always took a bath that night and changed into clean jammers. Take that, Commissioner Williams!)

Michael Williams (see health hazard reference above), a Louisiana parish commissioner ,even went so far as to negate the wearing of nightclothes in public by proposing a law. (At this writing it has been put to bed for the time-being.) How would you like that job added to your list of duties if you were a Louisiana police officer? Upholding the peace, responding to emergencies, risking your life, and barring the wearing of bedclothes.

I won’t be sporting my sleepwear to the grocery, the bank, or my child’s sporting event. But to say that people who don’t change out of their nightshirts into neckties are lazy or unproductive? To this I say, “Hogwash!” If I can get an entire day’s worth of work or writing done, not dirty more laundry, and stay comfy in my flannels that’s a win-win-win. The only thing I can’t do is answer the door to the UPS guy.

Nikki Studebaker Barcus

What inspires you?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

As imaginative writers, many things inspire us: sunsets, mountains, romantic candlelight. Maybe it’s a memory of our childhood, a nightmare, or our latest trip to the mall. We're constantly people watching, thinking up new plot lines, creating “what if” scenarios in our minds.

We go to conferences to learn the logistics of fashioning a book,meeting agents or networking with publishers. We spend valuable time on group emails, building an online platform, and gathering friends on Facebook. There’s nothing wrong with doing these things. It’s part of the job. We need to be the best that we can be and  fellowship with other writers to feel inspired, encouraged or validated.

Sometimes, though, we look too hard for inspiration, when as Christians, we have it inside of us. Sadly, we may forget it’s there, or worse, ignore it.

Job was someone in the Bible who got a lot of advice. He was surrounded by “encouraging” nay sayers who shared their expert opinions: “Quit! Give up! Die!” 

But Job knew where to look for inspiration. He knew Who to listen to:

“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 8 & 9, KJV).

As writers in these last days, we need to work smart, not hard. It’s tempting to take the hard road of going to and fro picking up tidbits here and there. We can wear ourselves out being afraid we might miss some morsel of a publishing secret or writing trend, when all we need to do is get quiet and listen.

To Him.

“What is it you want to say today, Lord? What words do you want on this page?”

I wonder sometimes—do we hurt the Holy Spirit’s tender feelings when we ignore His ideas? His inspiration? How would we feel if we were telling someone the perfect way to succeed but they never took our advice? What makes us think we have better ideas than God?

I am often inspired by thoughtfulness, grief, and the spirit of the overcoming soul. Courageous athletes, cancer survivors, pianists playing Rachmaninoff—these folks receive my awe and attention. But I must remember that my most powerful inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit. He knows better than anyone what needs to be written. He knows better than anyone Who needs a message that God has put me on this planet to write.

He longs to inspire us. He patiently waits for us to listen. All we need do is follow Job’s example, and obey. Obeying His voice is much better than all the sacrifices we make going hither and yon for inspiration. For it is written: “…to obey is better than sacrifice…”(1 Samuel 15:22).

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

Keeping Your Tiggers and Eeyores in Line

Do you ever hear someone get asked a question and wish they asked you?

This was my case in June, 2005. I sat in a Toastmaster club as area governor elect. (Okay, technically I was appointed. Details, details.) The theme for the meeting was Winnie the Pooh, a theme well used by the Topics Master.

My question was what I would write if I wrote a children's book. That was a fun question. I told them I'd write about an otter raised by a family of beavers. You can imagine what that's like. The otter wants to play while his adoptive parents are getting him to work on the dam. This otter would meet a wolf taken in by a cougar family. “I want to be part of the pack.” “What pack? We aren't a pack.”

However, when I heard the next question, I wished I had gotten that one instead.

“You are Winnie the Pooh. You've been given a free counseling session. Now, you're well adjusted and don't need it. Will you give it to Tigger to help calm him down? Or to Eeyore to cheer him up?”

I was about nine when Disney's Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day came out, which introduced Tigger. I fell in love with Tigger. I wanted to be as bouncy and fun as he was.

Growing up, though, I found my companion and mentor to be gloomy old Eeyore. “It will fall off again,” he said when his tail was put back on him. “Always does.”

If I wrote this blog yesterday, I would have dealt with a topic that interested me, one that would give food for thought. But this has been an Eeyore week for me. Just this week? Maybe all of this year. (Fortunately, we're only half way through January; hope this isn't a trend.)

My Eeyore side has been given plenty to be gloomy about. My wife's dealing with health problems. The only presidential candidate I could be excited about finished 6^th in Iowa and dropped out. My Amazon review of that candidate's auto-biography has the current line “1 out of 6 find this review helpful.” (My hunch is that the five who found that not helpful did so solely because I gave a five star review to a book they disagreed with, but still it's discouraging.)

Also, I received a rejection letter (okay, e-mail) from an agent who kindly mentions my characters and plot don't resonate with him. Not much to encourage me to write, something I've been struggling to find time to do. To be honest, I'm even wondering if writing is what I'm supposed to be doing.

Did the person who got the counseling question think Eeyore was the one who needed counseling? No, she thought it was Tigger who was too hyper. I can identify. Sometimes, my Tigger tries to compensate for the Eeyore. Time to get bouncy. Find other activities. Keep busy, busy, busy, so I don't have time to be gloomy, gloomy, gloomy.

So how would I have answered the question?

Simple. I would have given the counseling to neither of them. Rather, I'd get them Tigger and Eeyore to counsel each other. Have Eeyore kindly mellow out Tigger, while Tigger gives Eeyore something to be cheerful about.

That's one thing good about the ACFW meetings or critique groups. We can point out areas of improvement but give encouragement at the same time. (This is one of Toastmaster's strengths, by the way.)

And the counseling session? I'd give that to grouchy Rabbit.

Book Review – You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through A Christian Lens" by Scott Nehring

This blog is being posted on Black Friday. Many of you are on the look-out for the ideal Christmas present. Others are content to let your spouses do the shopping (my hand's up here) and may be more interested in seeing a movie. If you are a shopper whose significant other is heading to the theater, I have the ideal gift for you.

But wait a minute. I hear some protests. This blog is not about watching movies, and definitely not about shopping. Objection noted, but allow me to continue and I should prove why this book about movie watching should be on the must-buy list for every Christian writer.

I had the privilege of hearing Christian film critic Scott Nehring on Chris Fabry live (3-5pm on WGNR-FM, 97.9). Nehring's reviews have been syndicated on several websites including Reuter's, USAToday, FoxNews, and The Chicago Sun Times.

Chris mentioned Scott's book You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through A Christian Lens in the course of the interview. I read this book based on my interest in movies and having a cinemaphile for a father. Through the course of reading, I discovered things to think about as a Christian novelist.

The epigraph sets the tone for the book: “We have come from God and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of true light, the eternal truth that is with God.” (J. R. Tolkien)

Nehring's book is divided into three sections. The first establishes the role of movies in our society for better and mostly for worse. He shows that today's films are helping lead our culture to collapse and Christians have the role of setting our society back on solid ground.

The second section captured my attention as a writer. It establishes the fact that a movie is a story and deals with structure and character types. His premise is that in essence every film has the same structure with the same types of characters popping up here and there. He believes this story structure is engrained in us.

I found this part very helpful for having more knowledge on my craft. It points out what readers expect from a story. Of course, there is a part of me wondering where I can bend the rules in a way that will surprise the reader and keep them reading, as opposed to shocking them and having them throw my book across the room.

In the third section, Nehring challenges Christians to take an active role in the culture. This includes a discerning eye in watching movies (and I believe the principles apply to other forms of entertainment, such as reading novels). He also challenges Christian artists to engage the society with high quality product that deals with real-life issues.

This is added: There are two interesting appendices to the book, looking at the structure in Pulp Fiction and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I found the latter to be very interesting.

Next month, I'll be having an interview with Scott Nehring about the book and writing. If you want more information on the book, go to http://www.YouAreWhatYouSee.com. You can also access Scott's movie reviews at http://www.GoodNewsFilmReviews.com. And of course it's on Amazon, where you'll see a variation of this review by yours truly (among a few others).

To Everything There is a Season: Autumn

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.            --Stanley Horowitz

To many people, autumn is springtime’s ugly, older sister. While spring is all things beautiful and new, autumn is a fading away, a death. But to this farm wife, autumn is so much more. And, like He is always faithful to do, God teaches me lessons in the fall. Lessons about life and lessons about writing. Here are a few.

Photo credit: Igor Spanholi

Celebration: For a farm family, harvest is evidence of hard work, sweat, and even tears. Proof of weeks spent sowing, tending, and nurturing tiny seeds, tender sprouts, and towers plants. Fall is a time of celebration. And for writers, those oft-solitary creatures, harvest is a time to answer the question, “What do you do all day?” It is proof of the countless hours, days, and sometimes years, spent rear-in-chair checking facts, turning phrases, and tending the stories of our hearts.

Community: Harvest on the farm is a time of communal busyness. The days stretch from early morning’s light to hours past sundown. Extra hands hire on and even the littlest member of the family pitches in and helps out. For writers, that final push to see our work in print involves lots to do. Marketing, negotiations, and social networking keep us immersed in self-promotion from the time our eyes open to the time our head hits the pillow. Our family might need to sacrifice during our harvest time and additional folks like influencers, agents, and editors come alongside to help us  finish strong.

Continuation: Fall isn’t just about endings. Each year as we bring in the harvest, almost immediately, preparations begin for the next growing season. Fertilizer is applied and tractors work the ground, ripping and enriching it in preparation for the next crop. Seed is ordered and plans are made based on predictions and market research. For the writer, our work doesn’t end with submission or publication. New article or story ideas rattle around in our brain and maybe on our storyboard. Plotting begins for the next book or series based on hot topics,  whispers of coming trends, or the passions in our hearts.

If you find yourself in the harvest season of your current project, let us know so we can celebrate with you. If you are in another season, let this be your encouragement that one day you will reap the benefits of all the time, energy, and passion you sow into your writing.

 Read the companion post, To Everything There is a Season: Spring.

Nikki Studebaker Barcus

Writing on the Run

Gone for me are back to back hours to write. These days I’m learning to write on the run. (I’m pursuing another degree.)

Agatha Christie got her start writing that way. During World War I she worked as a nurse and later at a dispensary. She spent every spare moment during her down time and in between patients writing.

I may be getting a degree, but I find that first and foremost, I’m a writer. There are too many stories in my head that I’ve got to get out, so I plot and write during boring lectures. While I’m waiting in lines or doctor’s offices, I pull out my notebook and begin to write where I left off during a dull class. When I’m in the car and Mr. Himself is driving, I pull out the notebook and take up where I left off while in the doctor’s waiting room.

I’ve found some advantages to these writing spurts:

• When I rewrite it on the computer, I do an immediate rewrite.

• It gives me a new perspective when I’m typing it out – I think of new things to add or delete.

• My brain is able to slow down and think deeper when I’m writing long-hand on paper than when I’m typing a story. (Of course, the flip side to this is that I can’t write as fast as I can think.)

• I’m becoming an expert cryptologist as I work to decipher my scrawl.

I do miss having long delicious hours to languish at the keyboard and write. But to be honest, writing for long blocks of time can sometimes be frustrating. Writing in small spurts is really fun. I never have writer’s block. And when I have to stop, my brain is more free to ponder what I’ll write the next time I get to pull out the notebook.

What about you? How do you write on the run?

Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, and grandma to five beautiful little girls. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three crazy dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is shoes, and favorite food group is cupcakes.

Taming the beast

If you're gonna write seriously, there's a monster you're gonna have to tame.

This horrible creature lurks in every writer's space and is itching to get under your skin. He's called Inner Editor. He shows no mercy and has an uncanny gift for spreading fear. In order to get past the barriers Inner Editor creates, you're gonna have to tame him and train him. (Or her. My Inner Editor monster happens to be a guy.)

You can't hire it done. You gotta do it yourself. Only you know his quirks and how ruthless he can be.

It's really not as hard as you think. But it does take courage. Courage is the most important weapon to acquire. Courage sedates Inner Editor and puts him into a light dream sleep. But it takes a bit more than that to tame the beast completely.

I don't know what Inner Editor does to you, but in my writing space, he taunts me even before I

open the page.

With venomous, drooling rage, he stalks around my office, steals space in my head and drowns out my inspiration: "You are stuck. You can't pull this off. You're writing drivel. Give it up. Get over it. Move on. What makes you think anyone wants to read what you have to say? Who do you think you are?"

His words have a paralyzing affect.

But if I pick up Courage and keep writing through the taunts, the doubt, the fear, I find Inner Editor backing off. He's really a lot more bark than bite, and like any bully, he backs down as long as I stand up to him.

Here are some other practical weapons I use to fight this merciless monster:

1.I put my butt in the chair and write every single day no matter how I feel, what I'm thinking, and how discouraged I am. I refuse to let Inner Editor win.

2. If I'm stuck, I write anyway. Eventually, without fail, I break through.

3. I remember that untamed, Inner Editor is a liar unless I'm the one controlling him. Once he realizes who's boss, I can bring the gentled monster out of his cage to help me with my second draft (and the third, and the fourth, and the fifth...)

4. I ignore Inner Editor in the first draft and lock him away until I'm sure he can come out and play nice.

5.I refuse to let him win and I refuse to quit. I truly believe it's not the brightest or even the greatest writers that get published. It's the most determined and persistent.

6. I stop my writing session when I'm in a good spot with enough ideas to get started next time. That way I don't freeze and listen to the taunts. Hemmingway used to stop writing when he was excited and didn't want to stop. I think that's a good idea, too.

What do you do to tame the beast? How do you turn off your inner editor?


Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, and grandma to five beautiful little girls. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three crazy dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is shoes, and favorite food group is cupcakes.

Unconditional Love At Its Best

Remember the famous slogan from the movie, Love Story? Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Since the movie’s over forty years old, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell you it’s about two star-crossed college-age students who fall in love, and one is dying from leukemia. I understand love is about being accepted for who and what we are and being forgiven whether or not we ask. Quite simply, it’s unconditional. But what about this never saying you’re sorry business? I don’t know about you, but that’s not how my world operates.

You must understand I’m a person who routinely apologizes for things over which I have no control, and mumbles “I’m sorry” to inanimate objects, doors or walls when I inadvertently bump against them (don’t worry; it doesn’t happen often). My mama taught me good manners, and I count it a blessing that all three of my children said “pease” and “tank you” [intentional misspellings there – they were barely toddlers, after all) before they could say much else. But “sowwy” ranks right up there among their first words, too. Learning to say those two words, “I’m sorry” is important.

Writers are an odd lot. I’m thankful my family and closest friends put up with me. It’s unconditional love at its best. Sure, I sometimes get the eye rolls, the arm taps and that glazed-over look. But these people are also my greatest supporters, source of encouragement, and they spare me from apologizing all the livelong day.

Think about it. Read through the list below and see how many of these sound familiar – perhaps we can call them the hazards of a writer’s life:

*Waking up in the middle of the night to scribble notes about something a character will do, has done or will have done to him/her
*Carrying on conversations with characters and plotting stories while in the car, the office or an elevator (pretty much any small, enclosed space)
*Asking total strangers random questions all in the name of research. I was in line at a convenience store behind an EMT awhile back. Knowing I only had a certain window of time to ask my question, I plunged in. “Excuse me, may I ask you a question?” It was great because the EMT confirmed exactly what I wrote in my story.
*Bursting into laughter because a character says or does something amusing in our imagination. I’m sure there are people who believe my characters of Sam Lewis and Lexa Clarke are living, breathing human beings. They sure are to me!
*Buying things because they’re symbolic of our characters and their stories – my working area is decorated in the “Lone Star” style, an homage to all things Texas. My daughter even found an armadillo purse on Ebay. It was ugly but quite an interesting novelty item (I didn’t buy it).
*Lighting up like a Christmas tree because someone says, “So, tell me about your book.” Aren’t those among the most beautiful words in the English language?
*Crying when events in real life mirror our fiction, sad or happy. I cried like a baby when the space shuttle, Endeavor, finally lifted off on its final journey to the ISS. I have such a healthy respect for our star sailors. Hopefully, you’ll know why in a few short years. It’s down the line in my series, but it’s my personal favorite.
*Sitting at events, meetings or appointments with notepad or electronic device in hand, ready to jot notes when inspiration strikes.
*Scouring the newspaper or the internet in search of stories with intriguing twists or interesting people and/or details.
*Throwing all my spare change into a jar marked, “Conference Bound.”
*Experimenting with recipes or regional dishes indigenous to the region/setting of our book.
*Willing to make a fool of myself all in the name of a good story or finding the answer to some burning question.
*Watching the dust bunnies grow because, “…just 1,000 more words.”

Why do we do it? Because, pure and simple, it's our passion. Sure, we’re a little crazy. We have to be or we wouldn’t be gluttons for punishment. It’s a unique calling, writing. Especially as a Christian writer. What a comfort it is to know I’m forgiven by my heavenly Father without asking when I'm sometimes a bumbling mess. Kind of like never having to say I’m sorry. But I know when I need to confess something, just as I'm sure you do. But, either way, what joy fills my heart knowing my heavenly Father is always there, listening, loving and forgiving.

Until next time, keep writing, keep learning, and bask in the glorious, unconditional love of the Father. But don't ever be afraid to say you're sorry. Matthew 5:16

A Personal Character Study

--a spiritual lesson on the definition of character

Character- (kar'-ikter) 1 collective distinguishing qualities 2. moral strength 3. reputation 4. a person in a play, novel 5. dramatic role 6. eccentric person 7. a written letter or symbol

We don’t all write for the same reasons. Some seek recognition, some self-expression, some a legacy to pass on. Some desire to lighten moods and others to draw attention to social problems. Whatever drives us to pen fiction our characters will carry the story. The same is true of God’s story and the characters he uses.

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2) That puts us on-stage in this real-life play. We are the actors, not in the sense of pretending, but as the ones putting form and expression into the assigned parts.

Unlike a dramatic production, we don’t have a script to memorize. Freewill turns it into improvisation. God directs the circumstances, lays the scenery, positions other characters, and pulls the curtain with us stage center. Our actions and reactions reveal our moral strength, eccentricities, and collective distinguishing qualities. In turn, this becomes our reputation. We are the living letters of God’s Word that others read, the symbol of the Holy Spirit at work.

Our ability to craft events to grow our story-book characters should provide insight into the story God is writing through us. We can’t see, hear, nor completely understand what is happening to us, but we can rest in knowing that God has prepared good things for those that love Him. (I Cor. 2:8-10) What we consider a tribulation may very well be a blessing in disguise. At the very least God never wastes a hurt.

If you are experiencing being closed in, pressed down hard, shaken, or perplexed, consider the trial as more than undeserved evil. (2 Cor. 4:8) Ask God what He’d have you learn.Remember, God weaves subplots through your life and there may be more than one lesson.

Our experiences encourage and instruct others. Some struggling writer could benefit from what you've been through. What hardship have you suffered that provided insight, perspective, or maturity for a later event? For a fictional story-line?

Writing With Boldness

Have you noticed the same thing that Andy Stanley did? Have you noticed that most prayer requests are either for safety (“Bless the Smith's trip”) or healing (“Heal Mrs. Jones' cancer”)? We're in at least one of the safest and healthiest countries on this planet, and our prayers focus on safety and healing!

On a fairly recent In Touch program, Andy Stanley went on to point out the first prayer service mentioned in the New Testament, found in Acts 4. After being arrested and threatened, did Peter and John pray for safety? No, they prayed for boldness.

Getting to this blog's focus on writing, do you think we should pray for boldness in our writing? I do. I'd like to look at three ways boldness applies to Christian fiction writing, one of which will have little argument while the other two are open for debate.

BOLDNESS #1 – WRITING AND MARKETING

It takes boldness to create characters that grab the reader and captivate them for the hours it takes to read the book. It takes boldness to create twists that rob the reader of sleep because they need to keep turning. That boldness cannot be satisfied by the finished product – it needs to accompany you as you deal with agents and editors as you seek publication.

If you disagree with me that writers need the above boldness, please raise your hand right now.

I don't see any hands raised, so I'll assume you agree with me. Let's move to the next point.

BOLDNESS #2 – CONTROVERSIAL AND “EDGY” TOPICS

When I write an Amazon review, I rate the item from one star for terrible to five stars for excellent. I notice most novels and movies tend to have a lot of five star reviews and then a declining number of lower rankings. But when it comes to a controversial topic book or movie (e.g. Anne Coulter, Ben Stein's documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, etc.), one finds a nearly equal number of one star and five star reviews, with three stars being a rare rating. People who agree with the topic of choice love it and those who disagree loathe it (often without reading or viewing that item).

Sometimes, being in the Christian market makes a topic more controversial. Thirty years ago, I heard a musician point out that the music that's popular in England will be the craze in the U.S. in three years and in the Christian market in twelve. In his book The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Christian Fiction, Ron Benrey states that a character can face an awful death and can't say anything stronger than “Oh my.”

What I find interesting is that many of my favorite Christian authors are envelope pushers. A three part series I read have villains who are child murderers, including chapters from the villain's POV. Another recent novel had a main character raised in church who not only had an affair with a married man but have an abortion to cover it up. Still another focuses on a pastor who left his first wife for “the right . The ironic thing is that I enjoy these authors in spite of the envelope pushing.

To be honest, I'm not an envelope pusher. Others are bolder in that area. Still others are more in the middle. This form of boldness is one that can be debated on whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

BOLDNESS #3 – SHARING THE FAITH

This third boldness is no less controversial than the other, though my hunch is that many who advocate the second boldness don't advocate the third and vice versa. I noticed one book I reviewed only had a pair of one star reviews and an equal number of two stars (by the way, the novel mentioned above where a main character had an affair). All four negative reviewers didn't like the book because it comes from a Christian perspective.

This is the boldness that Andy Stanley spoke of. I believe it is a boldness we need in all areas of our lives, and this includes our writing. We are living in a society that wants us to keep quiet about our faith while we are serving a God who commands us to speak up.

We will offend some people just because we love Christ, but can one have a message presented clearly without being obnoxious? Yes. One novel I read contained a clear example of a changed life, yet nobody complained about it in their Amazon reviews.

Does your writing have enough boldness?