Keep on

I’ll admit, I loved the first day of school as a kid. All those new school supplies, a new classroom, new teacher, new things to learn. For the first couple of days, it was all pretty exciting.

And then the first week turned into the second and third week. Homework was assigned. Classes fell into a routine. The newness wore off. When the real work started, I struggled.

It can be the same with writing. At first, the idea is so exciting. New characters! A new plot! So many possibilities ahead!

But after the initial rush wears off and those first few chapters are written, the real work begins. Writing the middle chapters can feel like slogging through mud. The characters cause problems and the plot sags. The words won’t come, or they do come but they’re clearly terrible.

Honestly? I’m tempted to quit at that point every time and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. If, like me, you wonder how you can keep going to the end, here’s some encouragement.

First, remember that what you’re writing isn’t permanent. It can always be changed so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect in one try. The important part is to get it on the page and it can always be fixed later. That’s gotten me through a lot of rough chapters. I’ve even written notes about what I think a section needs instead of writing it, giving myself some space to come back to it later. Take some of the pressure off yourself and it might go easier.

Also, remember that all writers struggle with something. I completely expect that I’ll still be trudging through the middle of books even if I write 100. That’s just a hard part for me. Maybe for you, it’s the beginning. Maybe it’s character development, grammar, writing a synopsis. There will always be something hard. But God calls us to put our full effort into what we do (Colossians 3:23) and that includes writing. He will be faithful to help us through, no matter how hard it is.

It’s definitely not easy to put together thousands of words along with characters and plots to get to the end of a manuscript. But it is worth the effort. Breathing life into a story God planted in your heart is an incredible blessing. So, keep at it! Refresh yourself as needed and continue pushing through. I believe in you!

Abbey Downey never expected her love for writing to turn into a career, but she’s thankful for the chance to write inspirational romance as Mollie Campbell. A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in Central Indiana, where her family has roots back to the 1840s. She couldn’t be happier spending her days putting words on paper and hanging out with her husband, two kids, and a rather enthusiastic beagle.

You can check out Abbey’s books at www.abbeydowney.com

Sent to the Prose Fat Farm

by Rachael Phillips

Perhaps you are one of the Ernest Hemingways of the writing world—an author whose lean, perfect prose moves over a page like a dancer in a sleek black dress. Your writing rarely has to go on a diet—it works beautifully as you’ve written it. No more. No less. Agents love it. Editors love it. The reading public loves it, because you have supplied spare, artistically written stories that satisfy, yet don’t leave them feeling stuffy and overfed. 

  

Then there are the Charles Dickens writers who love words, love them all and use them all any way they can. Dickens, for example, wrote four paragraphs at the beginning of A Christmas Carol simply to establish that Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge’s partner, was deceased. He included a 79-word side discussion as to whether a door nail is deader than a coffin nail.

I have always savored reading such paragraphs. And I love writing them. I love feeling overfed! However, the last time I attempted to slip something like that past my crit partner, she sent me to a literary fat farm, where they took away all the heavy tangents that marble my writing.

“What are you thinking! The fat is what makes it taste good,” I protested. “It gives my voice its unique flavor.”

“It kills your readers,” said my cruel trainer. “Nobody these days can digest all that.”

But that’s not all. They also denied me my favorite fluffy adjectives, claiming they smothered my nouns. The sugary ly adverbs also stole the impact of my action.

“What action?” my trainer said. “Your verbs are so flabby, they can’t stand on their own. Get them moving! Make your characters sprint, cling, shriek, crawl, fling, leap, and plop. Stop adding pounds and pounds of other words to prop them up. Is it really necessary to use ‘suddenly,’ ‘actually,’ and ‘literally’ 453 times in one manuscript?”

“I kind of like them.”

“You also used ‘kind of’ 177 times.” She glared at me, then at my manuscript again. “Once we get rid of all those, we’ll start cleaning out these extra ‘thats’—”

“Nooooh! Not my thats!” I shrieked (see, I can use an action verb when I want to).

“Too many uses of ‘the.’ You don’t need all those possessive pronouns, either.”

She says she’s trying to keep me from killing my readers. She’s killing my manuscript—not to mention, me. My poor book and I will starve to death.

But when my trimmed-down words move across the page, they now fit in their jeans and move without huffing and puffing. Perhaps even a slim little black dress is in the future. …

How about you? Have you ever been sent to a prose fat farm?

Or sent somebody else? 

      

         

   

My Word Count and Stephen King

by Rachael Phillips

 

Today my word count will multiply like dandelions.

Like the amorous rabbits who devour my newly sprouted green beans.
Like the number of unanswered e-mails in my exponential account.
Well, all right, I’ll answer the important ones.
Ninety minutes later, I’ve subtracted twenty-five from eleven thousand and two.
And I’ve liked all the people who already finished their books.

Today’s word count stands at zero.

Well, actually at negative two.
I deleted an adjective from yesterday’s writing.
I wrote “The” to start today’s chapter,
Then decided that if the previous seventeen began with “The,”
I should start the eighteenth some other way.
Not that I’ve completed three-fourths of my book—
I’ve rewritten chapter one seventeen times.

Today my word count will multiply like the screamers

Who inhabit the neighboring school playground
Like the phone calls from telemarketers who can’t speak English
Like the lawnmowers in my neighborhood with arrhythmia
Parked outside my window.
Along with four dozen cars suffering from spastic car alarms and
Three off-key ice cream trucks.

I usually don't read Stephen King because his stories

Make me want to hide under the sofa.
However, he once said something to the effect that
Writers are like oysters. Oysters do not create pearls
By going to pearl-making conferences,
They make pearls by turning life’s irritations into something beautiful.

True, and quite poetic. At the rate

Irritations are multiplying today,
My word count should grow enough to
String necklaces for the entire population of Indiana,
Plus one,
Which I will send to Stephen King.

However, the pearl-making miracle hasn’t happened today,

At least, not to me.
How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

      

 

"Hey! Stop that!! I'm exclaiming here!!!"

Don't make this your brand.

Exclamation marks. They serve a vital function. But just as a child can overdose when spooning sugar onto his breakfast cereal, authors can insert too many !!!'s.

Of course, no professional writer uses more than one exclamation point at the end of a statement. In Facebook posts or text messages, there's no shame in writing, "A truck just rammed my car!!!" or "Jonny, don't forget to feed the dog!!" But in writing for publication, two or more is overkill and is a time-honored way of announcing, "I'm an amateur."

"Sure, I know that," you think. So you're tempted to stop reading this post. Don't. Let me share a personal experience that may prove helpful.

When I considered my latest YA manuscript ready for a critique, I contacted a fellow author who has proven herself to be a sharp-eyed critique partner. Tucked among her suggestions for improving my story was this observation: "There are way too many exclamation points--this is something that ha been driven home to me time and time again."

I thought, "Oh? All right then. I'll change a few exclamation marks to periods." I opened my doc, clicked the "Replace" feature and set to work tracking down nothing but exclamation marks. What I discovered shocked me. Her note had been an understatement. I truly did find far too many exclamation marks. Many of them changed to periods without losing any punch at all. In fact, in a quick-paced, action-packed chapter, exclamations must be used more sparingly than you're tempted to do. Otherwise, you simply knock the reader down with too shouts.

For instance, consider the scene after a battle. A soldier bends over a falled commander and feels his wrist. When the soldier finds a pulse, sure, you could make him blurt, "He's alive!" to those huddled around them. On the other hand, if you've already written lots of shouting and orders during the battle, you might want him to say the same words as a statement of relief--"He's alive.--before staunching the blood flow and beginning First Aid.

Another way to trim down the number of exclamation marks is to combine sentences or phrases. Instead of writing, "Bill! Don't shoot him!" simply change the first ! to a comma: "Bill, don't shoot him!"

You don't even need exclamation marks to make a powerful statement. Consider this cliffhanger line at that concludes one of my chapters: “Tell me, impudent little fool, if I give you a choice, is there any particular way you would like to die?” Whoa. Unusual question, right? I could have made the lady speaking these words yell them in anger. However, the low-key, subtle approach really is more effective.

So here's my suggestion as part of your self-editing process. Place your cursor on page one, start the"Find" feature, and scrutinize every exclamation mark. Is it truly necessary? Or are you weakening their effectiveness by overusing them?

Question: Maybe your !'s are under control, but do you OD on other punctuation? A love affair with question marks? Cancer of the semicolon? Do you dash all over your pages? Or maybe abundant ellipses make it look like G.I. Joe targeted your story with a machine gun? Spotting such problems is the first step to eliminating them.

Rick Barry is the author of over 200 published short stories and articles, plus two novels. Visit his personal blog at http://rickbarry.blogspot.com.

The (True!) Joys of Having ADD with Member Blogger Dawn Crandall

Most people aren't very surprised when they find out I have ADD. 

It probably (and hopefully) answers most of their questions as to why I am the way I am. I'm a tad out-going, think differently than almost everyone else I know, I'm a little unfiltered, and a bit talkative.

And do you know what? I thank God everyday that He made me this way. Because of my having ADD, I get to do what I like to do more than anything else in the world. 

WRITE.

I started taking the medication for ADD when I was seventeen years old and a junior in high school. It's true, I needed it pretty badly. I would never would have made it into college, let alone graduate from college, without it. It's rather unfortunate that I didn't learn much in school (like grammar and punctuation--I apologize now for any mistakes you might find in my comma placements!), as I was just scraping by before my junior year, getting my only good grades in the classes or subjects that had anything to do with Art or Creative Writing. But I suppose God had a specific reason for that too. I was also seventeen when I became a Christian, which was the true reason I ended up going to college and majoring in Christian Education.

I stopped taking the medication about thirteen years later. You'd think the medication prescribed to help me pay attention would help me focus on writing a book, right? But alas, no. It did the very opposite. I hadn't thought much about writing at all during those years because I was so entirely focused on everything else. When I did finally stop taking the medication, I realized that it was what had been blocking so much of what any writer needs most! My ability to think outside of what was going on in front of me was literally shut off for all those years. All along, I'd remembered how I had once LOVED writing from as far back as I could remember. It was after reading books like Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier as a teenager I knew I wanted to create a book someday. 

For the last five and a half years I've been off the medication and spending my time developing my voice and my brand of writing. After figuring out how to hone my "day-dreaming" into actual stories that I wanted to write, it didn't take me very long to figure out that this was what I was made for. I wrote my book and got two agent offers within a week of sending my proposals. I've completed another now, and I am on my third. It's a long waiting game to find out what's going to eventually happen with these books, but I'm happy because I'm writing. And truthfully, I really have never been good at anything else... because drawing doesn't count.  

It's true, I'm a bit scatter-brained. In everyday life, I pretty much need to be told what to do and where to be. But I sure can focus on what interests me... and that is brain-storming plots and writing ultra-complex, involved love stories that teach a multitude of spiritual life-lessons, not only to my main character (which I write in first person point of view), but also the reader.

I'm very much like the kitten (and yes, I love kittens and jump at the chance to use them whenever possible) in this picture, who's, in essence saying, "Who cares what everyone else is looking at or paying attention to? I've already found what I love most... and it's this amazing, green jingle ball!"  

Writing books is my amazing, green jingle ball. There's nothing in the world I would rather be doing than paying attention to the plot of my current Work In Progress.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{About Dawn Crandall}

(Updated since 2012) Dawn Crandall is the author of The Hesitant Heiress (August 2014), The Bound Heart (November 2014) and The Captive Imposter (February 2015), all part of The Everstone Chronicles series from Whitaker House. A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit working in order to focus on writing. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.

God's Forge and Writing

I was reading through Psalms this week and ran across this verse: “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” Psalm 105:19. We all know how Joseph’s story ends (he becomes second in command and reunites with his family), but I had never thought about all those years of his life that pass within the thirty seconds it takes to read in Genesis.

Here is a quick synopsis: Joseph was betrayed by his family and sold into slavery. While in Egypt, he served as a slave. He was tempted. He was lied about and unjustly imprisoned. Then he watched others released from prison while he languished in that dark place for years.

As I thought about Joseph more, I put myself in his place: the heartache brought on by the betrayal of his brothers. The fear he might have had as he was handed over to the merchants for gold. Perhaps discouragement, yet a choice to make the best of things as he took his place as a slave in Potipher’s home. The split second decision to run when Potipher’s wife tried to seduce him. The disbelief when Potipher believed his wife’s lies about him. Then the kicker: thrown into prison for doing nothing wrong.

Joseph sat in that prison for years. He was totally surrounded by darkness, both physically and emotionally (at least I would be). All he has known in his life are lies, betrayal, and hardship. He sits there day in and day out, facing a bleak existence. Perhaps he tries to hold onto the promised visions he’d had that God was going to do something great with his life, but he can’t see how that’s going to happen now as he stares at those dark dungeon walls.

Even darker thoughts may have invaded Joseph’s mind. Should he have given in to Potipher’s wife? He wouldn’t be here now if he had. Or could God be trusted? Why hadn’t God kept his promise? Why had God allowed him to be imprisoned? Maybe jealousy tempted him as he watched Pharoh’s cup-bearer leave prison. The deep, painful depression as he waits for the cup-bearer to keep his word and get Joseph out of prison, only to have days turn into weeks turn into months.

Until the time came…. God tested Joseph’s character.

I feel like I’m in God’s forge right now. When I picture a forge, I see a dark room filled with heat, sweat and pain. I see a hammer slamming down on a heated piece of metal. It takes the heat, sweat, and pain to turn ordinary metal into something extraordinary and useful. But the process can feel dark and painful.

When I read the verse above this week, things clicked for me. I put my name in that verse: “Until the time came to fulfill her dreams, the Lord tested Morgan’s character.” Yikes!

Now unlike Joseph’s dreams (which were prophetic and a promise from God), my dreams are simply aspirations of mine. I am a writer. And like most writers, I would like to be published. But is that God’s plan for my life? Is my “writing in the dark” a time when God is testing my character?

I think so.

I do not know what kind of future God is preparing me for (he certainly has not promised me a book contract). But I do know that he considers my faith “more precious than gold” (1 Peter 1:7). So into the forge I go so God can shape me into the woman I need to be.

Life in the Second Act

On May 19, 2011, I began life’s Second Act.

I turned 50.

A lot of my peers are afraid of turning 50, but I’m excited to make it this far. Some of my other friends, due to illness, accidents or disasters, never knew the privilege of walking the planet for half a century.

Now I’m an official Golden Girl, excited about what lies ahead. I plan to live to 100 because I have much to do, stories to write, places to explore.

I’m not alone in embracing the second act of life. I find myself in good company.

• At age 50 Joy Adamson wrote Born Free.

• When she was 51, Harriet Monroe founded Poetry Magazine.

• At age 52, Ludwig Van Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony, Isak Dinesen published Out of Africa, Pytor Tchaikovsky composed The Nutcracker, and Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged.

• Seuss wrote The Grinch Who Stole Christmas at age 54 and Johanna Spyri wrote Heidi.

• At age 55 Alex Haley published Roots.

• Handel was 56 when he composed the Messiah in 24 days and so was Mary O’Hara when she wrote My Friend Flicka and Nikolay Rmisky-Korsakov when he composed “The Flight of the Bumble Bee."

• At age 57 James Joyce finished Finnegans Wake, Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty and Jonathan Swift published Gulliver’s Travels. 
•  
• Robinson Crusoe was published by Daniel Defoe when he was 59 (one of my favorite classics).

• Agatha Christie wrote The Mousetrap at age 61.

• At age 64 Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the lyrics to The Sound of Music.

• Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t publish her first novel until age 65.

• When he was 69 years old, Noah Webster published An American Dictionary for the English Language. He worked on it for 22 years and it became one of the best-selling books of all time.

• At the beginning of his seventh decade, Nicolaus Copernicus published De revolutionibus obium coelestium (On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres), claiming that the Sun , not the Earth, is at the center of the cosmos; E.B. White wrote The Trumpet of the Swan.

• At age 76, Grandma Moses began to paint.

• Thomas Wilder was 77 when he wrote Theophilus North.

• At the age of 83, Winston Churchill published the last of four volumes of his ambitious A History of the English-Speaking Peoples and Igor Stravinsky composed his Requiem Canticles.

• Sophocles was 87 when he wrote his play Philoctetes.

• Michaelangelo, at age 88, crafted what some deem his most compelling sculpture, the Rondandini Pieta, an old man holding Christ.

• In their 90s, George Bernard Shaw wrote Shakes Versus Shave: A Puppet Play (at age 92), Leopoli Stokowski signed a six-year recording contract (age 94), and Mother Jones, union organizer, wrote her autobiography (she was 95).

• And (do I included this one?) at age 99, Father Abraham circumcised himself.

This list is far from exhaustive. Many other people in their golden years not only wrote books, but started companies (Colonel Sanders was 65 when he began selling KFC franchises), became president (Ronald Reagan was 69), and climbed mountains (Ichijirou was 100 when he climbed Mt. Fuji).

I'm thrilled for the privilege to enjoy this season of my life. How about you? What do you have planned for your second act?

To Everything There is a Season: Spring

To Everything There Is a Season. In my office, right on top of my computer monitor, I have a little sign that sports these words. It is there to remind me that life is an ever-evolving journey and if I don't like the place I find myself in today, never fear, tomorrow the view out my window will be different.

One of the many hats I wear is that of "farmer's wife". Normally springtime on the farm is a flurry of activity, getting the crop in the ground. This year, however, spring apparently didn't get the memo. Cold, wet days with little sunshine are not ideal planting conditions. Now I've added to my job repertoire "farmer's therapist". I can sympathize with my poor, frustrated hubby, because I realize how similar writing and farming can be. Let me explain.

Preparation
Before the seed can go into the ground, my hubby must prepare the soil. Plowing, fertilizing, praying. As writers, we prepare too. Whether you're a "plotter" or a "pantser", at least a little planning is first on the list of every new writing project. Research, plotting, praying. Getting it in our head before we get it down on paper.

Planting
There is more involved in planting than just pushing a little seed into the ground. Sowing, waiting, praying. Watching for those little shoots to burst forth from the ground. Praying that the fertilizer will make them strong. Guarding against weeds or pests that might choke out the tender plants. Keeping an eye out for hail or standing water or scorching heat that might damage the fragile leaves, stems, or roots. Praying that the one tiny seed that goes into the ground will result in tall, healthy plants heavy with bounty. Writing, rewriting, praying. Writers plant the seeds of words and ideas. We rewrite and delete, making our writing strong. We guard against pet words, passive writing, and head-hopping. We keep an eye out for industry changes, trends, and keeping a consistent voice. And, always, we pray that God will take our words and multiply them.

Partnership
My hubby needs other people to help him on his way to harvest. Helping, supporting, praying. I run him between fields, helping him move equipment and seed. He heeds the advice of industry experts regarding pest infestations or weather cycles. I support him with food, running the house in his absence, and in prayers for safety, rest, and yields. Writers may write in solitude, but they aren't alone. Helping, supporting, praying. We network and grow in our craft with the help of those that are a little further down the writing road. Critique groups and writing buddies move us out of our comfort zones, pushing us to higher levels of writing. Industry experts support us with advice on trends and the ever-changing publishing world. And we share in one another's burdens and victories, always lifting up prayers for encouragement, perseverance, and steadfastness to the faith.

Wherever you are on the road to publication, I pray for you today. I pray that you remember there is a season for everything. I pray that you are diligent and persevere. I pray that your hard work is rewarded. And always, I pray for you that you remain steadfast to the faith that is the root of all we do.

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.

A Time to Create...and A Time to Rest

I have a lot on my mind right now (just as I’m sure we all do). I’ll let our other fabulously-talented Hoosier authors be pithy, witty and erudite. Using that last word is about as good as it gets for me right now. I’m in a fog, a haze – part euphoria, part contentment, and – yes, part exhaustion. Aside from the fact that it’s nearly 1:30 a.m. as I’m writing this, I’m tired. Every now and then, we need to pause and reflect and simply rest in the Lord. I mean really rest, taking comfort in His promises and that beautiful peace that truly surpasses all human understanding. Even the Lord rested and understood this business of creating is exhausting business. I need to ponder His word and refresh my engines before continuing on with my current project and starting on the next one.

My first book literally just released, and of course, I’m overjoyed. To be perfectly honest, I held my breath throughout this journey, praying (1) my new, small publisher would stay in business long enough to actually publish my book; (2) they wouldn’t wake up and realize they’d make a horrible mistake; and (3) it would actually happen and I’d someday hold my book in my hands. Only a few minutes ago, I saw those magic two words on Amazon.com, “In Stock.” It’s the realization of a dream come true, the culmination of many hours of writing, reading, editing and praying. But, sometimes you simply have to see the humor. For one thing, under the tags on Amazon for the book, it’s listed as “historical” romance. Since when is 1997 historical? Anyone under the age of 25 need not answer. I shot an e-mail to the publisher to see if we can get that tag removed since we don’t want to deceive or anger anyone.

For those who don’t appreciate the pure joy derived from writing, we authors are enigmas. I’ve always written for enjoyment, as a creative release and to help me maintain my sanity. But let’s face it, every writer dreams of one day getting their work published. We become so focused on the pursuit, and don’t stop to think about walking through to the other side of the door. Now, I’m crossing over to the “other side” and learning that publication is only the beginning. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But now I’m dealing with the “other end” of the spectrum: marketing and all the details of post-publication. Blogging, guest interviews, book signings and giveaways... I’m reading blogs and articles about how shameless we can/should be in order to market ourselves and our books. It’s all about branding and creating a name for ourselves. My head is spinning. How much is too little? How much is too much? Is there ever a happy medium? Even if there were 50 hours in a day, would I ever be able to get it all done? Lots of decisions need to be made, but I'll let the One who's led me this far continue to open those doors of His choosing. He hasn't steered me wrong yet, and I know He never will.

Writers, especially Christian writers, are some of the most productive people I know. Most of us are involved in some type of ministry, work a full or part-time job, and have many day-to-day responsibilities with families or friends. Yet somehow we find the time to write. Because we love it. Because it’s what we’re called by the Lord to do. Keep at it, my friends. You inspire me. Blessings to you all during this most joyous season of the year. Rest assured, I’ll awake tomorrow, refreshed and renewed, ready to go again. And, uh, check out my book on Amazon.com, but only if you're so inclined. It's called Awakening. But for now, this tired writer is going to bed.

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

Novel Track, NaNoWriMo, etc.

Hey, y'all,

I was so excited about having the day off from work that I forgot my post! Arrrggghhh!

Anyway, this month I am participating in ACFW's Novel Track project, where members post their goals for writing and then update and encourage each other.

It's a similar idea to National Novel Writing Month, which includes many more people with many more varied backgrounds and beliefs.

If I were a techie, I would post links to these sites. But I'm not that skilled yet.

Anyway, the main theme is to write, write, write! My goal was 2,000 words each weekend since I am too "shattered" after work each day to get anything done. Other than meals, laundry and checking homework. But on Saturday morning I can dibs the computer and get 'er done.

Like my creative writing prof urged us back in the day when I was at Purdue, the main idea is to "get black ink on white paper." Once we have the words on paper we can shape them.

It has been very freeing to just sit down and write. I can worry about the rules later and just go. In 2005, after DH was in an accident and I was home with him I participated in NaNoWriMo. Since then I re-wrote that story, met an agent at ACFW's conference in 2008 who liked it and has been sending out proposals.

Just writing is like my husband's approach to field work during spring and fall if the weather has been against us. "Sometimes you just have to mud through it." Picture a big tractor with duals in back, listen to the engine roaring and breathe in the scent of diesel fuel and exhaust combined with damp soil.

My word-count goal is on the way to my next writing goal, finishing the first draft of my current WIP, a historical romance set in southern Indiana with Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's cavalry raid going on in the background. I entered part of this story in RWA of southern Louisiana's "Dixie Kane" memorial contest and received honorable mention, which tickled me. Both the contest results and the writing projects have helped me get rolling again, trying to balance writing with work and the rest of my life.

Anyway, for an encouraging way to get writing, Novel Track and NaNoWriMo have been good options for me.

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.

My Teacher is a Witch

At the ripe old age of 49, I've decided to return to college. It's not that I don't have enough to do. My writing plate is full, as are my pastor's wife and homeschool Mom platters. But God stirred my nest to step out and learn something new, and quite frankly, I love school.

I'm attending classes at a liberal arts community college, and it's been a refreshing wake-up call. Stepping out of my Christian bubble and interacting with the "real world" hasn't shocked me. (I don't live in a cave and kill my meat with a club. I have access to TV and the Internet and grew up in the '60s and '70s.) But stepping outside my comfort zone has reminded me of Whose I am and why I write.

My English teacher is a Witch. She announced to the class that Christians have caused more wars and wielded more hate than any other religion on earth. She holds degrees in philosophy and comparative religions. "I grew up Christian and studied all the religions of the world," she said, "and this is the one that best suits me because I believe there are many paths to God."

My history class has an element in it that believes anyone connected to the Tea Party are members of the Ku Klux Klan, are racist bigots, and ignorant rednecks. I'm not astonished. If highly educated peoples believe we evolved from a blob in a bog, I suppose the same sort of logic can lead them to a warped view of Tea Party folks.

If you know me, you know I can't remain mute when someone voices a fringe opinion. My English class is an arguments class and arguments are encouraged.  Before I fully considered the consequences of my words, I heard myself speak. "I've searched all the religions, too, and I've decided to follow Jesus."

Silence.

I probably kissed an "A" good-bye in that class but that's okay. I don't think God puts us in those positions to sit idly by and remain quiet. I believe it's the same with writing. He doesn't give us the passion to endure this grueling profession for some random willy nilly purpose.

Being  in the daily presence of humanists has solidified my mission as a writer. I write to expose Truth, to help people see the love of God in the midst of the failures of man. People are hungry to know God, whether they realize it or not. I write because God-inspired words contain the power of life and God's Words heal rather than destroy.

I yearn deeply for people to see God's character and this is why I sit at my computer for hours a day weaving stories that will lead seekers to the Promise. I want them to meet God's Son, so they can know that peace and hope are only a prayer away.

The lost write a message, too, and it's the opposite of hope. Only those of us who follow Jesus know True Hope, True Love, and True Eternal Victory. The world is starving for what we write. Would we pass by hungry children and refuse to feed them? When we let our egos get in the way of God's call, that's exactly what we do. It's tempting to give up after rejection by a publisher or agent. Jesus was rejected, too. What hope would there be if Jesus had felt sorry for Himself? His humiliation didn't stop Him from answering His call.

What matters is our obedience, being able to hear the voice of God, and answering the call to write what is true, noble, pure and just. God placed a fire in us to share the One True Path to God. People need our words to light the way because the path they travel is too dark and they are blinded by fallible human knowledge.  Our obedience is paramount so those searching for Truth will hear God's call the loudest.

Too many fall away simply because they didn't have the right information put in front of them at the right time. We would do well to remember that we must write so the lost can find their way.

Put your hands to the plow (i.e., keyboard, pen, et. al.) dear writer, and WRITE, to the glory of God.

Someone is dying and needs to read what God has to say.

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

Writer's Block: Blitzing the Blight

The voices in your head won't leave you alone. Dialogue pulses through your brain at the most inopportune moments; like when your boss is analyzing last quarter's sales figures. Conflict keeps you up at night. And that sweet elderly woman in front of you in the checkout line sparks a plot twist that will keep your reader guessing until the last chapter.

The kids are in bed, your spouse in engrossed in a television program, and you finally grab some time to write.You sit down, anxious to get all your ideas down on the page, yet nothing comes. Umm... Or you suddenly feel like English is your second language. Mary raced through to the ... uhhh...what's the word? Or maybe you can string together a sentence, but suddenly you have the vocabulary of a four year old. The girl ran. The girl fell. She was hurt. Everything you've learned about writing flies out the window--right along with your confidence. You have a raging case of Writer's Blight.

Today is part three of three discussing the variations of the inability to put words to paper. In June, we looked at the problem of too much information but too little planning when we discussed Writer's Bloat. You can read the post here.  In July, we looked at the traditional Writer's Block--the inability to start or continue in a piece of writing. If you'd like to read that, click here. Today, we finish with what I'm calling Writer's Blight.

Dictionary.com defines blight as "any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration". It also says blight is "a curse" and is "something the impairs growth, whithers hopes and ambitions, or impedes progress". Now that sounds familiar! For our purposes, Writer's Blight is any time you know what to write, even know what you want to say, but you can't seem to get the words from your brain down in a form that anyone would ever want to read. When Writer's Blight strikes, you don't need to curl up into the fetal position and hide under your desk. Try one or more of these proven tactics.:

1. Pray/Meditate. 1 Corinthians 14:33, says that "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." Ask God to give you His peace and to bring clarity and order into the disordered thinking of your mind. Ask Him to focus your thoughts and to calm your heart. Ask Him to use you to get across the message He wants to make known. Take a moment, breathe deeply, and let God minister to your soul, heart, and mind. This might be better described as "Take a chill pill."

2. Work it out. Unlike Writer's Bloat or Writer's Block, your problem is not that you don't know what to writer, but rather that you are so geared up that you can't focus in and work. You might benefit from some light exercise--a quick walk around the house or the block, a few minutes of stretching, jumping rope, or beating your chest, if you're in to that kind of thing. This is the equivalent of the boxer warming up in his corner before the fight--focus the energy you have inside toward the outside. (Do you hear the Rocky theme song?)

3. Write on! This would be the time to engage in a "stream of consciousness" exercise from your own viewpoint or of that of one of your characters, to write a Facebook status update or a Tweet, or to jot some notes that you know you may never use. Just the act of writing can get us back in the groove, get the words flowing, and the ideas coming. I've been known to type things such as I am a moron. I have the writing ability of a Neanderthal. I can't seem to capture the words bouncing around in my head and slam them onto the paper. They fly about like deranged fireflies. It is not important what you write, just that you begin to make coherent sentences flow together in a pattern.

4. Exercise your brain. Each month I've shared with you some brain exercises that originate with Brain Gym, International. The exercises are intentional body movements to aid in creativity, self-expression, and optimal learning. Learn more at the website. Here are just a few to try:

A. Lazy 8s. This movement engages the muscles needed to write with pen or pencil. Even if you are working on a computer, the act of connecting with an instrument will engage your brain and prepare you for writing. This activity helps with creativity, organizing your thoughts, and channeling them to the page. Get a large piece of paper or work on a big whiteboard. Start in the middle of the paper and make a figure 8 which has fallen on its side. From the middle, always go first up and to the left, down, then up and to the right, finishing the number without lifting your pencil. Draw at least three Lazy 8s without stopping or lifting your pencil.

B. Double Doodle. This exercise helps your mind to prepare for activities (like writing) that require you to cross the midline of your body. It is beneficial when you are looking to spark creativity. Again, taking a large piece of paper or using a big whiteboard, grab two different colored markers. Pick a simple shape, and using both hands simultaneously, draw mirror images. Once you've mastered that, try drawing mirrored pictures or alphabet letters.

5. Hit the bottle. The water bottle can be your best friend. This is also a Brain Gym exercise, but also recommended by countless academic and medical professionals. Room temperature water allows your brain and central nervous system to perform the functions necessary for thought process, creativity, and relieving stress. Water your brain, grow your writing.

Don't allow Writer's Blight to whither your hopes or ambitions to write. Armed with these strategies you are well prepared to blitz that blight and get on with your story.

Nikki Studebaker Barcus

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.

We Make Plans--God Laughs.

A beautiful Jewish woman once said: "We make plans--God laughs."

 Take my bookshelves for example.

They reminded me this week that "many are the plans of a [wo]man's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21).

I'm no longer teaching full-time, and am in the process of moving all my materials, books and supplies into my tiny home office. My husband built beautiful shelves on my office wall. Still not room enough

Some inexpensive, short book cases caught my eye at Wal-mart, and I thought it was rather clever of me to buy two of them for stacking on top of one another.

God didn't give me an engineer's or carpenter's mind. I have two things working against me in the logic department: I'm blond and a soprano. (No offense to the smarter blonds and sopranos out there.) It never occurred to me that the little shelves wouldn't sustain the weight of another little shelf on top, burdened with more books than the library at Alexandria.

I was rather pleased with myself as I placed the last book on the top shelves when CRASH, the shelf on the bottom completely collapsed.

My plans seemed reasonable at the time. Now, they were clearly bad ones. I wonder--did God laugh? If I were Him, I would have.

It's been like this for me as I prepare for ACFW Conference. I had X number of days to get X number of pages polished and other preparations done. I was on a roll. I was going to be ready like no one else. I was a writing machine. (Click here to read how obsessed I am about conference: "Excited as a Puppy with Two Tails.")

Then, a friend of mine got sick. And that's when I had to accept an important truth: people are more important than my writing plans and goals and dreams.

I thought I had turned my goals and dreams over to the Lord long ago. But these interruptions taught me a valuable lesson. They taught me that God's plans and purposes will indeed prevail, whether I think so or not. He has a plan for my work in progress, and He knows the exact time when it is to be published or whether or not it will be. Because this journey isn't about me and my dreams. It's about the message He wants to give through me.

There have been other kinks in my journey toward ACFW Conference and my dream of meeting the agent and editor who will love my platform and my ministry. But I think God is sending these little detours to test my ability to roll with His plans. I won't be able to give anyone credit but Him, should any success be mine.

It's all bigger than me, anyway. But it's not bigger than God. He is bigger than any expectation I may have. And He can handle it. If I truly believe He's in control, and do my part to be a workman that needeth not be ashamed, then there will be peace.

And I, with God, will laugh.