Daydreaming on Paper

THE COLOR PURPLE

2012-01-15T14:59:00.002-06:00

I am in the throes of a major rewrite. What started as tweaking has turned into an entirely different story. Didn't intend for it to turn out that way, but it has. While writing and reviewing I've noticed something. I have an affinity for certain phrases and they pop up on every few pages. I call them Purple Phrases.

Purple phrases even happen to the best known authors. Authors who have a bazillion books in print. I recently read a book by a well-known writer and she used a phrase that repeatedly glared at me and spit out an annoying repetition in reference to the heroine's eyes. The phrase was "cornflower blue eyes."
Her eyes were a cornflower blue. Tears welled up in her cornflower blue eyes. She glared at him with cornflower blue eyes.

All right! All right! I get it! Her eyes were cornflower blue! Sheeze.

But then, I find I'm just as guilty. The phrases that keep finding their way in my novel are:
A sigh escaped her. A sly grin stole over his face. His puppy-dog eyes. And another thing. I have found that my characters are constantly drinking coffee. Hmmmm, maybe because I am drinking coffee while writing?

I knew I had to do something in order to keep from aggravating my reader, so I made a "Purple Phrase" list and taped it to my computer screen. This helps to remind me to keep escaping sighs and sly grins in check. And when I discover a new PP, I add it to the list.

What about you? Do you have any purple phrases? What are they? And what do you do to avoid them while writing?

NEW BOOK A MUST READ!!!!

2011-11-16T09:54:00.001-06:00

My friend, Linda Glaz's debut book will be available 12/5/1211! Read all about it here!

Striving to put meaningback into her life after her husband’s death, Aleni Callan immerses herself inhospital work. Angry with God, she finds herself even angrier, when hero, BriceTaylor, author of The Human Shield,arrives in the Emergency Room with a concussion and hypothermia afterparticipating in the Polar Bear Plunge. Aleni wants nothing to do with a manwho willingly takes chances with his life.

Brice doesn’t understoodhow God could bring him through being a captive in Iraq, when he failed histroops so miserably. Writing about his escape brings fame he would ratheravoid. And by meeting widow, Aleni Callan, his feelings of failure onlyincrease.

Megan Callan, with thehelp of her three-year-old grandson, Ty, scheme to bring Aleni and Bricetogether. And while the best laid plans often go awry, Megan isn’t one toaccept no.

About Linda:

I’m a wife and motherof three. I balance being a child of God while also being older than God. Hmmm,scary, but almost true. I’ve been blessed to have had an amazing life so far:Air Force meteorologist during Vietnam era, teaching karate and self-defensealong with soccer for 25+ years. I sing and direct in church and communitytheatre musicals where this little old lady sounds more like the guys than thegals. Also scary, but true. I work in a physical therapy clinic three days a weekto earn money to keep my writing afloat. My writing life is a 24/7 proposition.When not writing my own stories, I am an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. Iwear so many different hats I’m surprised I wasn’t invited to the Royalwedding. Blessings to everyone, may your writing dreams all come true.

Purchasing Information:

Polar Bear Plunge, White Rose Publishing will be sold for $1.00 during the month of December! You can also purchase it from Amazon.com for $2.99. A sweet deal either way!

http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/polar-bear-plunge

HEAD, HEART, HAND

2011-09-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

“There are two ways of spreadinglight: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton

The words stir in my head. They are matter-of-fact.Logical. Informative. Sterile. But they need to be written. I don’t like them, theybore me and if they bore me, they will bore my reader.

No connection.

Still they swirl and build, demanding to be written. Whatcan I do? I send them into my heart. There those matter-of-fact, logical,sterile words are bathed in compassion, warmed by mercy, polished byexperience—good and bad—and made shiny with hope. They return to my head readyto connect.

That is when I send them to my hand.

An inspirational writer isn’t one who is unrealistic,sappy, or overtly religious. It is a person who writes with the end result inmind. And the end result is leaving our readers with information they can applyto make their lives better, to encourage them, affirm them, or make them smile.

We have plenty of “Head & Hand” writers. We need more “Head,Heart, and Hand writers.

How about you? Ready to take the plunge into your heart?Are you ready to write with the end result in mind?

Are you ready to inspire?

NOW WHAT DO I DO?

2011-08-23T09:44:00.001-05:00

“Writingis an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”~ E.L. Doctorow

Thirteen years ago Idecided to be a writer. Little did I know what this decision would cost me.Little did I know how this decision would enrich my life.

I entered this world ofwords ignorant, hopeful, expectant, and maybe just a little bit cocky. Itdidn’t take long for me to be humbled. To my great astonishment, the worldwasn’t waiting to hear what I had to say! I kept writing trying to find theright recipe, but most of my efforts failed.

Thank goodness for mywriter friends who encouraged me to keep at it. However, I’ve found that wordsget into the writers veins and really, I couldn’t have stopped for long.

I’ve heard about writerswho say they have to write because the stories in their heads demand to betold. I didn’t have such stories or demands. But what I did have was the desireto connect with people and encourage them. It took several years of writing tofinally discover this was my niche, my voice.

The reason I’m writingthis blog is for those of you who are just starting out. It is so easy tocompare your writing experience, style, success—or lack thereof— with others.Let me assure you that there will always besomeone more successful and always besomeone less successful than you. That is the journey. As you write you willdiscover yourself, your style and voice, and just where you fit in.

Don’t get confused byother writers. At conferences you will hear a broad spectrum of advice, whichis often contradictory. Treat this abundance of information like a buffet. Takewhat resonates with you and leave the rest. Take small steps until you feelready to run. The burst out and sprint. If you fall, that’s okay. This may be asign to try a different path. Above all, be patient with yourself.

Explore, Learn, Write!

Thoughts From a Contest Judge

2011-05-16T16:27:00.001-05:00

My friend and writing colleague, Jen Nipps, is my guest blogger today. She is the author of Devoted to Creating, a devotional guide that illustrates the creativity surrounding us and shows how we can use this creativity in God’s service in unexpected ways, as well as, sparking creativity in the reader. In addition to being a writer, Jenn is also a “promotion guru” on social networks. She is a wealth of knowledge on using various sites including Facebook and Twitter. Please visit her website: www.jenifernipps.com

In February and March, I was honored to serve as a judge for the OWFI writing contest. Specifically, I judged the Nostalgic Prose category. I overheard a few comments that I would like to address. I figured this would be the best way to do it.

Why didn’t I get any comments?If you entered Nostalgic Prose, you did get some comments. In addition to individual comments, I included a letter detailing common mistakes. I understand why some judges would not give comments, though.

It’s time-consuming. We’re volunteering to do the judging. (Personally, I like it because I get to see some of what people I consider to be my colleagues are doing. The contest is blind, so I have no idea who wrote what, though I guess at some of them.) Some judges feel like it takes enough time to read and rate the entires and don’t have time to give additional comments.

How can a manuscript score 99 points out of 100 and not place?
Ideally judging is an objective process. The guidelines that are provided aim to keep it objective. However, in my experience, doing this could result in a 12-way tie for first place and an 8-way tie for second place.

The judging guidelines mainly focus on mechanics and readability. Going on those criteria alone, scores were in the high 90s. I had to get subjective then.

Which one did I like the best? Which ones resonated with me the most? That’s the one that got first place. I went down the line this way until I had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places and several honorable mentions.

That’s how I had honestly more than one that scored 99 points out of 100 and didn’t place.

I just want to quit writing after that judge’s comments.(This was not said about me, as far as I know.)

I only have one thing to say about this:

DON’T QUIT!!!!!!!

At the end of the general letter I sent to those who entered the Nostalgic Prose category, I put, “Regardless what I or anyone else says, keep writing.”

That’s pretty much what it boils down to regardless if you write for publication, write to enter contests, or write for yourself. All are valid reasons for writing. I’ve done them all. A writer writes. If you are a writer, if your heart says you are and your midset proves you are, YOU ARE A WRITER!

I’ve heard people say that you’re not a writer until you have x# of rejections, until you’ve published a book, until you have 3 articles in print, or until this, that or the other. Do you know what I say to that?

BALONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you think you’re a writer, then You. Are. A. Writer. regardless of what anyone else says.

If the rejection or judge’s comments bother you, do what I’ve started doing. Either rip it up or put it through a shredder. It’s surprisingly cathartic and lets you physically move it out of the way so you can start again, whether on revising the submitted manuscript or writing something completely new.

There you have it. These aren’t all what I thought of, but it’s a start. I might use more of them as future blog posts.

Remember, above all, keep writing.

DIGGING THROUGH GARBAGE TO FIND THE GOLD FOR WRITERS

2011-05-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

DIGGING THROUGH GARBAGE TO FIND THE GOLD

“Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; if unfair, keep from irritation; if it is ignorant, smile; if it is justified it is not criticism, learn from it.” ~ Anonymous

I’ve been writing professionally for thirteen years. Criticism and rejection are the weights that strengthen the writer’s muscle. In order to survive, we must develop a thick skin. New York Times best-selling author, Steve Berry, addressed this while speaking to the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. conference. He advised us to be teachable and listen to the critiques on our prose. Seventy percent may be garbage but thirty percent will be pure gold.

This is a good word for when we enter contests. I sponsor a contest for the Ozark Creative Writers Conference. I've had 24 entries, all of which were first place quality pieces. However, I could only give one first place award. It bothered me that those who won 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mentions would think their writing wasn't good enough. Even more so, those who won no mention at all probably thought their work wasn't good at all!

It was, believe me, it was!

Conversely, I've judged contest where not one single entry merited any mention at all, but I had to give a first place. It bothered me to give the impression that the piece was publishable.

It wasn't, believe me, it wasn't!

When you do not place in a contest, take an honest look at your piece. Invite critique. Be teachable. That said, be selective like you are at a buffet. Most of us do not load everything offered on our plates. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.

As Steve Berry advises, dig through the garbage and find the gold!

TO ENTER CONTESTS? OR NOT ENTER CONTESTS?

2011-04-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dusty Richards giving Velda Brotherton her award at 2010 OWFI Conference

As the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI) conference looms, there is a certain excitement and dread among those who have entered the contests. They have visions of hearing their name called for the first place award, and maybe, just maybe—oooohhh they hope so much— for the crème de la crème award.

I remember refusing to read my entries after I sent them off because I just knew I’d find mistakes. Even so, I’d mentally go over what I’d submitted and anguish over imagined spelling and grammar errors.

Contests are emotionally draining.

That said, they are also a good thing, if for no other reason than they inspire us to write. Not only that, they motivate us to try different genres. Nearly everything I’ve entered in contests, whether they won or not, have been sold and published.

I rarely enter contests now, simply because I’m too busy writing. But as a beginning writer, contests were excellent writing exercises. They helped me find my niche and by constant writing I also found my unique voice. Winning money sweetened the experience, but I actually learned more by losing.

Over the next few posts I want to explore the contest experience with some helpful advice and encouragement.

What is your experience with contests? What are your feelings about contests? Do you have a contest story? I invite your comments!

MUSIC FEEDS CREATIVITY

2011-03-21T12:57:00.000-05:00

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent” ~ Victor Hugo

My husband has a condition known as “extreme left-brain.” When he is working he needs absolute silence!

I, on the other hand, am an extremely right-brained person. Silence sucks all the oxygen out of my creative flame. I must have music. But my music needs vary with what I’m writing.

If I am researching I need upbeat music like what I’m listening to right now, “Hey Soul Sister” by Train. A real toe-tapper. I really like Jason Maraz too!

If I’m writing a first draft, nothing will do put classical music, preferably strings. Words interfere with my thought process.

If I’m editing my first draft I listen to music that fits the mood. For dark or intense scenes I’m back to classical—Pachelbel, Bach, Mozart. Instrumental works beautifully if you are not into classical. John Michael Talbot or Phil Keaggy are wonderful! If it is a romantic scene, Sinatra and Michael Buble set a great mood. If it is high emotion I like David Cook, Daughtery, or Kris Allen.

You may think that I spend my time changing CD’s or scanning my iPod for every scene. I don’t. I have something much better. It is called Pandora. It is free Internet radio. However there are a limited number of hours of free play. I subscribed for unlimited hours and I love it. I can build my own stations, so when I need a change of scene, I just click over one screen and click on the station that suits my mood.

Why not try it? www.pandora.com

How about you? Do you listen to music while writing?

WRITING ACTUALLY

2011-02-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

"If the desire to write is not accompanied by actual writing, then the desire must be not to write." ~ Hugh Prather

Are you a writer, or are you someone who talks writing? Do you attend conferences to rub shoulders with writers and talk the game or are you there to network in hopes of promoting and selling something you have already written?

It's so easy to talk the lingo and play the game. But what does that accomplish?

Nothing!

I know some writers who experienced rejection in the beginning of their efforts, so they picked up their pencils and went home. Then there are those who refuse to accept constructive critiques. They argue defensively and eventually, when no one wants their work, they start talking the talk instead of writing the words.

Rejection and critique are not the writer's enemies. Quite the opposite, they are the gym where the writer grows stronger. Avoiding the computer or pen and paper is the writer's true enemy.

Gene Fowler is attributed to saying, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit, staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."

It feels that hard sometimes, but it doesn't have to be that way. Get in the writing habit. Write a paragraph every day. Perhaps an observation about that day or something you heard on the news. Start writing for contests. Even if you don't win, you have written. AND the entries that do not win are the bones for ones that WILL win, if you don't quit!

My agent, Terry Burns, makes this promise: "There is only one guarantee in writing. If you don't write, you won't be published.

So don't be a talker, be a writer!

Don't give up! Keep it up!

Write!

PLAN FOR A CONFERENCE

2010-12-06T06:38:00.000-06:00

Jan Morrill, me, Ruth Weeks, Patty Stith (thanks for the pic Jan!)

I'm in Oklahoma City, OK waiting for the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. (OWFI) board meeting to start. We are planning the 2011 conference which is always held the first weekend of May. A lot of work goes into a conference. In fact, the day our conference is over we begin working on the next year's. I will be serving as conference president in 2012 and I'm already working on it!

Everyone should go to at least one writing conference, even those who consider themselves advanced and think they've heard it all.

None of us have heard it all.

Besides, the networking opportunities are invaluable. Pitching to agents and editors in this setting gives the writer a great advantage over those who query via snail mail or email. Meeting industry professionals face-to-face offers an opportunity for rapport. They can get a feel for you and what you have written. They can also ask questions and give feedback!

Think about it, would you rather have your manuscript stuck in an electronic slush pile or discuss it with the editor or agent in person.

Conferences can be costly, so do your research, choose one, and start saving money. If you are thinking, but Linda, there is no room in the budget to save money, take a look at what you may spend on a daily basis. Can you "trade" it for "saving" money? The cost of lattes, gum, soft drinks, eating out for lunch, movies really add up. Have a garage sale. Sell stuff on e-bay. Put all that money in a bank account precisely for conference expenses. Be sure to save up enough to buy books! It is also good to find a roommate to go with you and share with the cost.

Go to www.writersconf.org for a great list of conferences according to genre. BUT, while you are looking at that list, DON'T forget the greatest conference of all, the 2011 OWFI Writers Conference May 5-7th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in OKC, OK!

Ruthie’s Rookie Writing Tips

2010-11-09T06:11:00.006-06:00

This month, I've asked my friend, Ruth Weeks, to guest blog. She is part of our critique group family and she gave this presentation at a writer's conference last March. I thought it was excellent advice for those who are just beginning the writer's journey and wanted to share it with you.

Ruth is a gifted writer (far beyond the title she gives herself as "advanced beginner") who has won many awards. She is also a delightful communicator. Currently she is working on her second novel. Please visit her site:

http://www.truthsbyruth.blogspot.com

When I began to write, I struggled with everything. Thank God I had friends and an excellent critique group to help. Now that I have stepped up to an advanced beginner, I would like to share some of the tips that benefited me during the first hundred miles on my journey to becoming a successful writer.

When I was ten years old, I told Mama that one day I would write a book. Then life happened and that dream got put on the backburner.

In 2007, the Powers That Be decided it was time to start cooking. Inspiration struck and within three months I had written the next New York Times Best Seller. True, New York doesn’t know that yet. But, if you’re going to dream, dream big.

This leads to the first tip: When Inspiration and Creativity strike, just write.

I like to think of creativity and inspiration as mischievous gremlins that wander around in my subconscious just waiting for the perfect opportunity to hit me over the head with a great idea. Gremlins don’t conform to rules, regulations, deadlines, or bedtime. Time is a four-letter word to them. They are also sensitive creatures. When they come out to play, give them free rein. Let the story flow. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Just write. Never try to control the inspiration and creativity gremlins because they will pout and refuse to talk. Remember: Write First, Edit Second.

So, there I was with a fantastic manuscript. My little voice said, “Great! Now what?” I’m going to get it published,” I told my voice. The voice replied, “Really? How ya going to do that?” Good question. I thought for a moment then said, “I’ll Google it!” Sounded like a brilliant idea however, the more I read the more confused and overwhelmed I became. It finally dawn on me I needed help.

Which conveniently leads into the second tip and the most important: Get your poop in a group.

Make sure you find a good critique group. What comprises a good critique group?

· The group should have a sprinkling of seasoned, experienced, published writers that know the ins and outs of the writing game. These blessed individuals are valuable assets because you can trust their advice. They’ve been there. Experience is priceless.

· The group should also have people gifted in the art of editing. These people not only help with grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but they have the unique ability to arrange sentences and paragraphs around in order to make the story flow smoother. Contrary to popular belief, a good editor is your best friend. They do your writing good.

· To do yourself proud, always read your work out loud. A good critique group insists that you read your work out loud to the class. By doing so, mistakes the eye missed, the ear will catch.

A good critique group does not: meet each week just to get out of the house and away from the kids, stomp you or your work into the ground, mess with the writer’s voice, or tip-toe around critiquing. Suck it up and take their suggestions in the vein in which it is given; to improve your work and to make you a better writer.

At my first writing conference I sat on the edge of my chair eager for information. The speaker threw out words and terms such as, point-of-view, sense of place, and internalization.

Gee. Writers have a secret language all their own, I realized if I was going to join their ranks, I needed to learn it and learn if fast. In a nut shell, here are the big three:

I. If you wish to write something new, you must first learn point-of-view.

Point-of-view (POV) is THE most important thing a writer must learn. Period. It’s a rule that can’t be broken or bent too far of shape. POV is a double-edged sword in that it is the easiest yet the hardest thing a beginning writer struggles with.

I majored in Dramatics at the University of Arkansas. Drama and writing are kissing cousins. To become a good actor, you literally take of your shoes and step into the shoes of your character. The same is true in writing. You write only from the view point of your character. What he sees, thinks, and feels. This is all point-of-view is. Simple. Right?

Before you begin a chapter, decide which character it belongs to. (It doesn’t have to be the leading actor all the time. Give the supporting actors a chance.) However, whichever character you choose, stick with him/her through out the whole chapter.

· To help clear up the POV fog, use dialogue:

An excellent way to tell what a non-point-of-view character is thinking is just have him say what’s on his mind.

· If you are not certain, write in first person:

If you still have a problem staying in your character’s head, write the story in first person, I. The ego is a powerful. It won’t let you jump out of your own head. After the scene is finished, go back and put it third person, he said/she said.

2. To prevent your reader from getting lost, provide a sense of place at all cost.

One of the major rules in writing is not to lose your reader. You want their nose stuck in book and not to be jerked out of the story because they are confused and wondering what is going on? Where is the action taking place? What time of day is it? What is the weather like, etc, etc,. To keep the reader grounded, every so often through out the scene, throw in a sense of place.

· To set the scene in motion, use the five senses plus emotion.

Our five senses are powerful and can conjure pictures to our mind in an instant. Use them for description. Throw in a dash of emotion and the reader is hooked.

It isn’t necessary when setting the scene (drama talk for sense of place), to write paragraph after paragraph of description. One or two sentences do the trick and are all that is necessary.

3. To keep your writing from stinking, tell what your character is thinking.

Internalization is the personal, private thoughts of your character. It makes him/her human and creates a bond between him and the reader. Internalization gives your character depth and rounds him out. I like to think of internalization as the difference between a regular movie and one in 3D. The 3D movie adds another dimension.

To sum things up, I want you to remember four things: Write everyday. Dream Big. Believe in yourself. Never give up!

Good luck and successful writing to all.

RUN AWAY WRITER

2010-10-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had the whole day to write. THE WHOLE DAY!

But . . .

I made the mistake of going into my closet—think cave—and the urge to finally clean it overwhelmed me. So, the ENTIRE day I sorted clothes into piles to go to different causes, you see, I’ve lost 35 pounds and most everything I own is too large. Another thing about my closet is that it is the holding place for everything else in my house that I don’t know what to do with. So yesterday, I had to make those decisions as well. The sad thing is that it isn’t finished even after spending the entire day.

The sad thing is even if I hadn’t gone into my closet and gotten dominated by its demands, the walk-in pantry and my walk-in office closet are screaming for attention. I was doomed anyway. It’s like my brain turns into spaghetti.

Sometimes, I just need to run away to a neutral place in order for my focus to be undivided. I’m not always so weak, but oftentimes when I’m insecure in my writerly world I will succumb to everything else but writing.

This can be a real problem for writers because unless we are “under contract” or making a lot of money, our family and friends think of our work as a “hobby” and have no problem demanding their piece of our time. And apparently some of us agree because we leave our writing to give it to them. It never occurs to us to say “no.”

If you find this is true, perhaps you need to run away. I like to go to coffee shops (but run into the danger of seeing someone I know) or go to the library. Next week I’m going to a writer’s conference in Eureka Springs, AR. I’m leaving super early in order to have quiet writing time before everyone else arrives.

If you have the “spaghetti-brain” syndrome, try running away for a while. Eventually, you will be able to return home. For a little while anyway!

WRITING FRIENDS ~ WE NEED THEM!!!!

2010-09-15T16:59:00.002-05:00

We writers are supposed to avoid cliché's but nothing says it better than this one: TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE.

All writers need friends with the same mental illness. Someone who understands the way we think and process. And it is even better when one writer friend is further down the road to success. Someone who has survived the writerly condition and can take us by the hand and lead us through the dark times. Velda Brotherton (above) is that to me. She is multi-published in most genre's and I'm so thankful God gave me this precious friend.

When I get stuck I go to my trusted writing friends and we brainstorm. Last week Jan Morrill (above) and I drove to Oklahoma City for an OWFI board meeting. I told her about some problems with my novel rewrites. She started the "what if" game (where she'd suggest a "twist" in a scene). It is like a dam of ideas broke and flooded my mind. Jan brought a freshness that my stagnant brain couldn't stir.

There is value in getting a few, and I mean a few, writing friends together for an evening of brainstorming. Simply taking turns with projects and helping each other tear down the one dimensional, predictable, parts of our stories creates a new excitement about our projects.

Friends J.R.R.Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Hugo Dyson found value meeting in the Eagle and Child pub every Thursday. I think they are an excellent example of the results when creative minds spark in a group.

Are you stuck, stagnate, discouraged? Call three writerly friends and invite them over. Fix a few snacks and get to work! You'll be glad you did!

WHEN THE COMPUTER STARES BACK AT YOU

2010-08-10T08:22:00.001-05:00

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler

Having a hard time writing? Are your fingers frozen on the keys because your mind is paralyzed? Usually the problem is the evil editor who's propped on your shoulder like a vulture ready to kill every idea and every word.

If this is your problem try Free Writing. This is simply writing whatever is on your mind whether or not it has anything to do with what you're writing. Just empty your mind and write whatever comes to it. Don't worry about your prose being incriminating. Remember, you can always hit the delete button!

Don't look at the screen while you type. This shuts down the evil editor completely! Turn the screen away and start typing your mind for about three minutes. Don't worry about mistakes just type. If after three minutes you want to continue, keep at it.

This is very cathartic and you will find in all your ramblings that you have some really great ideas. Do this over and over until that old buzzard gets bored and flies away in search of someone else's shoulder.

Give it a try and let me know how it worked for you!

WRITING HISTORY

2010-03-28T15:11:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine, Mary Larmoyeux, wrote in her blog, The Grand Connection, about hearing a holocaust survivor speak about her experiences in a concentration camp. This presentation challenged Mary to write about events that she personally experienced, events that her grandchildren would only read about.

She quoted John W. Gardner who said, "History never looks like history when you are living through it," then asked how we, her readers, are capturing the stories of historical events that we've lived through. To read the full article, go to this link:
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com/2010/03/remembering-so-they-will-never-forget.html

Mary's question challenged me and I made a list of historical events of which I've had a personal connection, such as:

Kennedy assassination
John Glen walks on the moon
Vietnam
Fall of Berlin Wall
Space shuttle Challenger disaster
The beginning of the Internet
Oklahoma City bombing
911
The fall of Sadaam Hussein
Hurricane Katrina
The election of our first bi-racial president

I'm writing my memories of these events and how they have affected my life. In my creative nonfiction workshops, I always stress, "You tell your stories. Don't let the 'talking heads' do it!"

Sometime soon, make a list of the historical events you've experienced—even though they don't seem like history—and write about them from a personal point of view.

Your grandchildren, and future generations will thank you!

GETTING A LATE START?

2010-03-10T11:43:00.001-06:00

I began writing in high school in a creative writing elective coarse. A spark ignited in me, but life quickly extinguished it when I married in the first year of college. After a divorce, remarriage, five children who grew into five teenagers (yikes!), our house burning down, and the near death of our youngest son and his health issues after that, who had time to write?

Then a dear friend, Lois Spoon, introduced me to the Northwest Arkansas Writers critique group. My writer spark reignited into a flame. I wrote and wrote until I finally found my voice. There was only one problem that I grappled with to the point that it held me back—regret.

I regretted all the time lost when I could have been writing. It seemed that every writer I met and every successful author I listened to at conferences exited the womb with a silver pen in their hand. They all wrote as little children. Who was I, an old woman of forty something, to think she could start writing and have any success or impact at all?

Now at the age of fifty four, I'll tell you who. I'm a woman with stories to tell, experiences to share, and hope to give. My second book, Connect! A Simple Guide to Public Speaking for Writers, will be available soon and I just sold my eleventh story to Chicken Soup for the Soul. I'm also enjoying another unexpected benefit, speaking to writers' groups and conferences.

If you are struggling with regret for starting late—don't! Just think of the past years as research, and get on with the business of writing!

You have stories begging to be told!

FINDING A TOPIC

2010-01-19T13:34:00.000-06:00

One of the first responses I get when I suggest to authors that they should try public speaking is, "But, what would I talk about?"

To find topics you must think outside the book or article that you are promoting. I listened to a presentation given by William P Young, author of the mega-bestseller, The Shack. He told about the process of writing his book and the incredible events that caused it to soar to be a best seller. Below is the description on the back of the book:

Mackenzie Allen Phillips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?"

The story of The Shack lends itself to a lot of topics to many different groups. Let's explore a few possible topics:

Protecting our children against abduction. This talk can be given to parent groups like the PTA, clubs, churches. In it the story of Mackenzie and his grief can be woven into all throughout.
Dealing with Depression and Guilt. Mr. Young did a beautiful job sharing his journey through his great sadness and how he overcame it.
The stereotypes of God. Mr. Young shares who God is to him.

I am currently working on a novel about a young girl going to the gold fields to find her father. Some topics I can speak on are:

Women in the Gold Rush
Medicines used by the pioneers
What's on the menu for campfire dinners
The strange and rushed relationships

All the above could be given to any writer, women's group, historical societies, or school. And all the while I will refer back to my book. This same thing can be done with articles.

Take a look at your work and make a list of all the different topics you find and groups who would be interested in your subject. I think you will be surprised at all you have to talk about!

CLIMB THAT LADDER!

2009-12-22T07:39:00.002-06:00

For the next several posts we are going to look one of the most effect ways to build a platform.

What is a platform?

It is something that you must have to sell your book, or your work to major periodicals—that is unless your last name is Roberts, Grissham, or King.

For instance, if you were in a crowded mall, so crowded that no one could move. A person thirty yards in front of you wouldn’t be able to see you. But if you got a ladder and climbed up to the top rung, shouted, and waved your hands above your head, everyone could see you.

That is a platform. It is your visibility to the people who might purchase your work. And these days that is the first question out of editors and agents mouths, “What’s their platform.”

Why do they ask that?

Because they expect you to not only write, but market your work as well. Gone are the days of creating, getting accepted for publication, and then creating again. Now we must create, get accepted, create buzz for our project, sell our project, then create again. And the best way to do that is public speaking.

I hear you groaning.

It really isn’t that bad. In fact, I’m writing a how-to book on public speaking for writers and in this blog I will highlight some of those ideas.

So get ready to start on that platform.

NEXT UP: What kind of Speaker are you?

BLOGS

2009-11-28T07:50:00.002-06:00

During one of my speaking engagements where I encouraged my audience to start blogging. A lady raised her hand and asked, "Does anyone really read them?"

I do.

One has to be discerning, realizing that just because it is written doesn't mean it is necessarily true or 100% accurate. However, a lot of information can be gleaned from other people's experiences. Travel blogs, gardening blogs, cooking blogs, writing blogs, and many other how-to blogs are great tools. Devotion blogs and humor blogs are good for the soul. Then there are the ranting, political, blogs. I avoid them like the plague. But there are those who get energy from them.

This morning I read an email from a person named Shelia. She found this blog via a search engine and featured it in hers. Her blog is about gardening and since I use nature to describe different writing techniques, Daydreaming on Paper came up.

As a courtesy I would like my readers to check out her site: http://garden-planters.com/
They have some really great stuff.

Now, my question is this, do you read blogs? Do you have a blog? Looking forward to hearing from you.

THE GLOWWRITER

2009-11-03T15:33:00.001-06:00

Remember a time when the lights went out during a stormy night? The glow from a candle flame is a welcomed sight. It illuminates the room and helps you find your way. A fire in the hearth chases away the chill. Watching the colorful, dancing blaze is mesmerizing and gives the audience a cozy feel. The first thing we notice when walking into a room is the captivating blaze in a fireplace, consuming wood and oxygen. The glow from a fire is welcomed as long as it warms and doesn't burn out of control.

THE GLOWWRITER STYLE

You write in a blaze of inspiration. There isn’t a genre’ or a subject that you consider off-limits. You are bold and brave. Controversial subjects do not intimidate you, rather, you get energy by going where others fear to tread. You often expose lies and illuminate truth by your passionate prose. There are times that your writing settles into a warm, endearing, piece that comforts your reader. All of it depends on what is fueling you.

GLOWWRITER STRENGTHS

Glowwriters inform and challenge their readers. You are not afraid to try different styles. You are also prolific, but only when in a season of inspiration. When you enter a room, it isn’t long until your presence is greater than anyone else there. You challenge those around you to reach higher with their writing and often push them through doors they were afraid to enter. People are fuel to you. You surround yourself with them because they give you oxygen to write by discussing ideas, story-lines, and current events.

GLOWWRITER WEAKNESSES

Although you write in a passionate blaze of inspiration, you also burn out quickly. You depend on others to feed your fire, but your need for fuel often burns and consumes those around you. Your edgy writing may become caustic and your glow is lost in a damaging wildfire, burning everything and everyone in its path. Once your flame is snuffed out, it is hard to rekindle.

Remember to glow, to illuminate without burning. Consider those around you and remember to give to them as much as they give to you.

NEXT UP:

WRITER ELEMENT BLENDS

THE WRITERTERRA

2009-10-20T11:27:00.001-05:00

Terra firma ~ solid earth. Think about the earth – stable, productive, resourceful, and multilayered. Treasures are hidden in those layers and people have to dig to find them. When you walk in the garden or the woods, notice the details that come from the earth– the colors, the aromas. Earth treats all of our senses. It gives us soft moss to lie on, sweet fruit to taste, purple asters to gather, the rustle of leaves in the wind, and fragrant honeysuckle on warm evenings. Earth is rich in itself and supports all life.

THE WRITERTERRA STYLE

You bury yourself in your work. Once you sit at the computer and begin writing, you become lost in your prose. Hours may pass before you look up. Even when you take a break, words and ideas swirl in your mind compelling you to return to the keyboard and lose yourself once more to the depths of creativity.

WRITERTERRA STRENGTHS

Writerterras produce. The reason you are so prolific is that you prepare. You are an exquisite researcher because accuracy and details are important to you. You aren’t a big group type person, preferring one-on-one type encounters. People have to earn your respect in order to be in your inner-circle. However, you are nurturing and willing to help other writers from the depths of your writing wealth.

WRITERTERRA WEAKNESSES

Your strength can also be your weakness. Sometimes your writing is paralyzed by your over-preparing and fastidious attention to details. This may make your writing tedious to your reader who is forced to wade through page after page of details, history, and description. Because of your tendency to stick with the rules, you are unwilling to take risks which may cause your writing to become stilted.

Take breaks! Even if you have to set a timer. Get up from your desk or laptop, take a short walk, breathe. Be kind to your body and mind. When you return to your work, you will see it with fresh eyes and identify any redundancy in your work.

NEXT UP:

THE GLOWWRITER

THE WRITERBROOK

2009-09-19T13:24:00.006-05:00

Have you ever sat by a brook and watched the water flow lazily along? It sparkles and reflects as it seeks the lowest level, the path of least resistance. If there is an object in its way, it flows around. A brook is sometimes shallow, sometimes deep. When there is too much rain it overflows and floods with fury, but eventually settles back into an easy meandering around the rocks and along the banks. This is inside the writerbrook.

THE WRITERBROOK STYLE

Writerbrooks are usually deep thinkers. The may sit for long periods of time and reflect before writing. They can easily get into the flow and write for hours. Sometimes moments of inspiration flood them and they burn the key board up with their fingers. When something blocks the flow of inspiration they may dry up for a short time. However, most likely they will write all over the place until they find a way around the obstruction and clean up the mess later.

THE WRITERBROOK STRENGTHS

You are able to gracefully tackle the harder subjects. Your style is conversational, easy, and deep and you always write forward, in other words, you write continually. Your readers are motivated to reflect when reading your work. When you come to a writer's block you write around it. Some of what you write you may never use, but it kept you moving.

THE WRITERBROOK WEAKNESSES

Because you are so deep you tend to get lost in your research. You gather too many details and facts, then feel compelled to put them ALL in your piece. I suggest you use a highlighter and mark only the facts that are necessary to your story and keep your story moving forward.

You conform easily. Be sure that you stay true to yourself and not allow your "voice" (a writer's unique style) to be changed by those around you.

Don't be a "seasonal" brook that dries up for long periods of time. Write everyday, even if it is a trickle. We need to be refreshed by your words!

NEXT UP:

WRITERTERRA

THE WRITERFLY

2009-09-10T09:32:00.014-05:00

Hi Everyone!

My book is published and doing good. Now there is time to get back to blogging. I have a new series idea that I’m going to start today about our “writing personality.”

What is your writing element? Are you like the breeze that blows about, moving, changing, having fun, forgetting where you are going? Are you a sparkling stream flowing, reflecting, going deeper and deeper, taking the path of least resistance? Maybe you are terra-firma, a pathway, grounded, complex, with many layers. Are you a flame, lighting the way, glowing, purifying, enlightening, blazing a path?

Each element has it’s own writing style, strengths, and weaknesses. First we will examine the “Writerfly” because that is what I am.

THE WRITERFLY

Picture a butterfly flitting from one flower to the next. Why doesn’t it stay on one flower? Because it has tasted it already and is ready to move on to the next. Each flower is an inspiration, a new adventure, fresh nectar.

THE WRITERFLY STYLE

Writerflies cannot sit too long in one spot. We get bored and need new nectar. I will work on one project but not in the same place. Each time I move, I get new inspiration. Even the walk from my office to the front porch fills my mind with fresh oxygen that sparks new ideas. From my front porch I move to the back. From there I go to the chair in my bedroom, then it is back to the office. When changing writing spots in the house no longer inspires, I go to Barnes and Nobel.

If, after a long day of flitting from one flower to another no longer works, I do something else. I may read – remember, good writers write but great writers read – take a walk, clean house, or cook my husband dinner. All the while keeping a paper and pen close by to write down all the great thoughts that fill my mind. That gives me a great jump start the next day.

WRITERFLY STRENGTHS

Don’t berate yourself because you cannot bury yourself in a project. Your writing will always be fresh, uplifting, touching, and clear. With the starting and stopping help you with clarity because you think about what you just wrote and if it will work or not. All that exercise as you move from one spot to the other infuses your creativity with oxygen.

WRITERFLY WEAKNESSES

We writerflies are easily distracted and sometimes forget to land in a “writing spot.” Rather we land in front of a television, talking to a friend on the phone, working on a project in the garage, playing solitaire on our computer, surfing the net, or shopping. Knowing this about yourself, give yourself boundaries – no flitting away from your writing garden!

Another problem area is that while we are extremely creative, we are not good with editing. We love details as far as painting a picture with words, but we can't be bothered with boring things like using the correct tense consistently, or spelling the word correctly. And we've also been known to use there when we should have used their. So, make sure a writerterra checks your manuscript. (I'll tell you why a writerterra is the best to edit your work)

Writerflies tell such good stories that even writerterras get involved in our stories and miss our mistakes. I've found that out the hard way after TWO revisions of my book, Inspire! Even my editor missed them. So here is an editing tip: take a pen and touch each word and read it outloud. It keeps you focused, albiet boring. But this is better than the embarrassment of having a book full of mistakes. And you will save money on bookdoctors! That leaves more money for coffee at your local Barnes and Nobel the next time you fly there to create.

NEXT UP: THE WRITERBROOK

2008-12-31T14:19:00.002-06:00

Well, it is that time of year again where I encourage writers to make GOALS instead of Resolutions.

In May of 2001, I listened to Henriette Anne Klauser speak about her book, Write It Down, Make It Happen, at the "Oklahoma Writer's Federation" conference. She told of her experience with writing down goals and how that was her first step toward achieving them.

She encouraged us to write down 10 goals. Somethings on my list were to be published in Woman's World, to be a public speaker, to go to the United Kingdom and to finish a book and get an agent. I've done it all.

I also wrote that I wanted to weigh 140 lbs. Oh well, like I said, most have happened.

January 1st is a great time to write down goals instead of resolutions. Dream big. Write your goals down, and be faithful to do your part. Rarely are things handed to us on a silver platter.
The reason I've been published is because I wrote something and submitted it.

My list last year were:

1. Finish and sell my nonfiction parenting book, "Now What Do I Do?" Almost finished and will be going to the publisher early summer.

2. Get a good start on my second novel, "Shifting Shadows." Sidetracked by a request to write a "how-to" on inspirational writing, due out early summer.

3. Make enough money from my writing and speaking to support my craft. Getting there.

4. Sell my novel, "In The Elephant's Shadow" and have a contract for "Shifting Shadows." Didn't make this one. However, I am rewriting Elephant's Shadow and turning it into a historical romance--a more marketable product.

5. Write a travel column for a newspaper. Mercifully, this didn't happen. Who has the time!

My goals for 2009 are:

1. Finish my rewrite and get it into the hands of my agent before the year is out.

2. To triple my speaking engagements.

3. Earn enough money from writing and speaking to pay for my travel.

4. To help 25 people get published.

5. For INSPIRE! to go into multiple printings.

How about you? What are some of your goals for 2009? Let me know in the comment portion of this blog.

ALSO, I mentioned above the writer's conference in Oklahoma. This is seriously a great conference. This year the Conference is, "WORD BY WORD," will be held April 30- May 2, 2009 at the Norman Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center, Norman, Oklahoma. The conference features approximately 25 authors, editors, and agents offering 40 informative programs to help writers learn to write better and get published.

For more information go to www.owfi.org

Now, start listing your GOALS!

OOPS!

2008-12-14T08:35:00.004-06:00

That is what I said when I retyped my story from Chicken Soup for the Nurses' Soul to use in my book, INSPIRE! Writing From the Soul, due out this spring. My purpose for retyping it was to use it as an example of sense of place. But what I saw were glaring errors. You see, I wrote that story nine years ago and since then I've continued to study and learn the craft of writing.

What did I see?

Passive verbs, too many adverbs, repeated words and phrases. For example:

Passive Verb

Then: The room was dark except for the soft morning light peeping through the semi-drawn curtains.

Now: Soft morning light peeped through semi-drawn curtains, illuminating the darkness.

Then: His eyes began to mist.

Now: His eyes misted.

See how that is more immediate and gives a stronger sense of place?

Adverb

Then: Gently picking up his delicate hand, she held it in hers.

Now: She slipped his delicate hand in hers.

Again, more immediate and succinct.

Repeated words and phrases

Then: When Freddie came to check his lunch tray, she found him thoughtfully stroking the pin. He turned to her and said, “I kept my promise, look.” He had eaten a few bites off his tray. They were making progress.

Now: When Freddie came to check his lunch tray, she found him thoughtfully stroking the pin. He turned to her and said, "I kept my promise, look." He had eaten a few bites. They were making progress.

What you don't see is that I had written "lunch tray" two times in the paragraph preceding this one. Too many repeated words fatigues the reader.

What I've learned since the year 2000?

Avoid passive words, too many adverbs, and repeated words.

FEATURING THE AMAZING JODI THOMAS

2008-11-03T06:52:00.017-06:00

I'm honored to feature this New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author, and my friend, Jodi Thomas!

Jodi is a fifth generation Texan. She sets the majority of her novels in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon.

With a degree in Family Studies, she is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A & M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer In Residence

Her newest book, TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN, is just out. It is the story of Teagen McMurray who would ride to hell and back to protect his land. He’d certainly never felt that way about a woman. Not, at least, until Jessie Barton showed up with her three little girls, desperate for a place to stay. Suddenly he found himself proposing marriage, telling himself it was only to protect her and her children.

Take a look at this video:

I asked Jodi to share a word of wisdom and encouragement for beginning and struggling writers. Here is what she had to say:

This spring will mark my 27th book. Twenty-two of them have been national best sellers and six have hit the NYTimes list. In interviews I’m often asked what one thing would I tell writers. Of couse: Study your markets? Read everything? Learn your craft? Write everyday? All came up as possibilities but one secret I’ve learned kept whispering in the back of my mind. Maybe it’s not the most important tool a writer needs but it can be vital to your success.

Learn to Fall.
There will be times, thousands of them if you stay in the game as I have for 20 years, when this business doesn’t go your way. You have to learn to stop holding on to the safety strap and jump out into the unknown.
The first time I remember taking a tumble was before I sold. I was frantically writing, sending off to every contest, agent, or editor I could find. One day I opened the mailbox to discover three rejections. I felt like I’d faced a firing squad and all twelve bullets hit at heart level. I walked back to the house, sat down and started crying. My four-year-old son, Matt, came up to me, leaned on the arm of the chair and asked what was wrong. Through tears I told him about my total failure. He smiled and said simply, “Mom, like you say when I play t-ball, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get rained-out.”
I stopped crying and realized it wasn’t me. I was a good writer doing the best I could. I just kept getting rained-out by editors who didn’t read the slush pile and agents who already had full client lists.

From that day on I developed a plan for falling. Whenever I stumbled and fell flat on my face, I let go of the corpse I was trying to drag, celebrated and moved on with my career. There for a while quite a few bodies of old manuscripts lay around the house.

The plan for falling:

1. Burying the corpse. I know writers who wrote a book back in the 90’s and are determined not to go on to another until they sell their first one. They keep painting a new face on the body and shoving it into a new casket. Beginning writers probably don’t want to hear that you may write your first book, or even your second or third, for practice. We need to believe that first book will make millions or we’d never go through the work of learning to write. But sometimes you have to kiss the well-traveled manuscript good-bye and bury it under the bed.

2. Celebrating. I hope all beginning writers party at each success: a contest win or even an honorable mention. A letter asking for more or a book deal. All are worth a party. But, maybe more important is the party you have when you let go of one dream and open up to another. Celebrate when you send something off or when you enter a contest. That’s when you’re being brave. Find a writing friend or a group and push one another to try.

3. Moving on. If what you’re doing in this game isn’t getting you where you want to go, maybe you are on the wrong road. Take the tools and knowledge you have learned and start carving out a different work of art. You might surprise yourself, you might just find a place where you and your work belong. I knew a writer who tried to write romance for five years, turned to children's writing on a bet and sold in five months and is still selling.
When I turned loose and thought of myself sky diving and not falling, my world began to change. Phil Price, an accomplished playwright, once said, “I’ve often wonder why sky divers yell for joy and people who fall off cliffs scream. After all, they’re both seeing the same view. It’s only the last foot that changes.” So, I decided, whether I’m falling or sky diving through life, I might as well decide to enjoy the view.

Mark Twain said once that compared to writing, horse racing is a stable occupation. Maybe he was right, but the gamble is worth the try. When we’re all done and setting around the home which would you rather say, ‘I played as hard and fast as I could,’ or ‘I never ran into the game because I was afraid of falling.’

The winners are not the ones who grab the prize. The winners are the ones who play the game, rainy days and all.

I don't know about you, but this sure encourages me! Be sure to be watching for her new book coming out in April, 2009, REWRITING MONDAY.

To read more about Jodi Thomas and her books, please visit her website:

www.jodithomas.com

SERVER PROBLEMS

2008-10-14T15:53:00.001-05:00

I apologize for not posting in a while. I've had the worst time with Hughesnet satellite services. I DO NOT recommend them at all! We live in the middle of nowhere, and this was my only choice, or so I thought. I have found other outlets and so after my last disastrous altercation with Hughesnet, I fired them. Just to let you know how slow and frustrating this server is, I gladly paid the several hundred dollar penalty for breaking our contract, just to get rid of them.

Hughesnet is 1 step above dial-up. That's all. They do not have the bandwidth to support the customers they have and yet they still keep taking new ones on. Pure greed. If you should happen to view too many youtube videos, you are relegated to dial up speed for 36 hours for punishment. I found that out while trying to find a video to use in one of my presentations. After about 30 minutes of searching videos my computer stopped to a crawl. I'd crossed what they considered fair use. I felt like a child being sent to the corner for using my computer!

To make things worse, the only time you will speak to an English speaking person is in sales. After that you will speak to someone in India who has a poor command of the English language and you will spend your time saying, "repeat that please?" When they put you on hold you will listen to the most irritating song possible.

So, until I get hooked up with a local company, I am without service unless I come to town at the local coffee shop.I will be leaving for Red River New Mexico on Friday. They will have Internet services there and I will catch up. Thank you all for your patience! Linda

DON'T GIVE UP!

2008-09-04T09:09:00.003-05:00

I just returned from the White County Writer's Conference in Searcy, AR where my friend Velda Brotherton and I were speakers. It was a good conference, well attended. I met a lot of great writers who had creative ideas and messages to share.

It bothered me to think that their writing may never be picked up by a major publisher because of the "bottom line" of the big house publishing world--the almighty dollar.

It is frustrating because we read pathetic writing in books that are printed only because of the big name behind the manuscript. Big names sell books. Big names can confuse POVs, write boring first lines, sag in the middle, and produce low quality work.

But, the tide is turning. There are a lot of outlets for our writing. Small presses, University Presses, and PODs. Thank goodness the disparaging view of self-publishing is changing.

I'm glad because the bottom line for me isn't the dollar. I know my readers, I have a message for them, I want to impact their lives for the better. That's my bottom line, not the money.

Big publishing houses no longer have that luxury, sad to say. They cannot take a chance on a new name with fresh ideas as long as the tired old name who regurgitates the same old stuff still sells.

Writers today have many options to publishing, however writing isn't enough anymore. We have to learn the business of publishing and selling our books. We have to hustle and promote ourselves. Those who are willing to take the whole package will go far.

I hope my new friends in White County and all writers will take the opportunities that are before them and run with it! I know I am.

CREATIVE NONFICTION'S SECRET INGREDIENT

2008-07-26T21:15:00.007-05:00

(photo by dhm.de)
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

~John F. Kennedy

Did the above quote send a little tingle across your skin. Did it make you take in a breath? If so, you were inspired.

Often times when some see the word "inspirational" they think the piece is religious. But as you can see by this example this isn't the case.

Creative nonfiction should always be written with the reader in mind with the goal to make that reader better for having read it. A great creative nonfiction piece should always inspire, have a simple, non-preachy lesson, moral of the story, or epiphany (ah-ha moment) at the end.

This can be accomplished in many ways. It can be reflective, serious, or humorous.
My creative nonfiction story, "My Culinary Epiphany" that is published in Chicken Soup for the Soul Recipes for Busy Moms has a humorous ah-ha that gently reminds the reader to show gratitude for whoever cooks their Thanksgiving meal. The follow is an excerpt from that piece:

The kids were piled on their daddy watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while I feverishly worked in the kitchen wearing that blasted rosy glow.
Finally, dinner was served. My husband said grace and then we proceeded to turn into Hoover-mouths. In less than twenty minutes we consumed one hundred dollars worth of food that took two days to prepare.
After dinner, Neal reclined in his chair and the kids ran outside. I was left in a kitchen that looked like Bourbon Street the morning after Mardi Gras.
So this is what my mother did every year? My hands were chapped. My fingers were cut and burned. Every muscle in my body begged for a glass of wine and a hot bubble bath.
As far as I was concerned, my Mom deserved sainthood.
Glancing out the window, I watched the children jump into a pile of leaves, just like I used to do when I was a child. My husband snored in his easy chair, just like Dad. And I began the arduous task of cleaning, just like Mom.
Indulging in a little self pity, I grumbled under my breath.
Sure, eat all you want and leave the rest to me. Just throw a thank-you over your shoulder before taking a nap. Nobody had a clue how hard it was cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
Come to think of it, neither did I till now.
Getting off my self-righteous perch, I practiced the true meaning of Thanksgiving. I called my mother and said,

“Thank you for all your hard work. We are not worthy of you!”

A humorous, simple lesson on gratitude.

Look at your piece. What can your story give your reader? What is its "take away?"

This concludes the steps to great CNF. Now all your piece needs is some polish, and if you attend a critique group, a good read there. If you would like to send your piece to me, I'd be happy to read it and offer suggestions if any are needed.

My email is: lindacapple@gmail.com.

SAY WHAT?

2008-07-09T13:41:00.005-05:00

Dialogue

This is left out of most nonficiton accounts because the writer can't remember EXACTLY what was said and fears that if he adds dialogue it will make the article untrue. Not so!

As I've said before, no one remembers word for word what has been said even an hour ago. Think about the ride home after an evening with friends and you are reviewing all that was said and the person you are with turns to you and says, "that's not what I heard."

Dialogue is what gives your piece dimension and the sense of reality. It makes it real. The important thing is that the dialogue doesn't change the integrity or truth of the piece. For instance, say you are writing about a picnic and Uncle Claude says, "This is a mighty fine picnic. Pass the mustard."

Uncle Claude may not have said the picnic was mighty fine. He may have said it was real nice, or fun. He may have asked for relish or ketchup. But the above dialogue doesn't change the integrity of the piece. It is better to add dialogue than to fret over mustard, relish, or ketchup.

TIP:

After adding dialogue, read it out loud. Does it sound like a real person speaking or stilted? Is it age appropriate?

For example:

Little five-year-old Elizabeth ran to me and said, "Mother, may I have glass of cold water to drink?"

What is wrong with the above sentence? Stilted? Yes. Age appropriate? No. What would a five-year-old say?

"Mommy, I wanna drink of water. I'm thirsty."

A great exercise in writing is to take a pad and pen with you the next time you sip lattes in your local bookstore and listen to the conversations around you. Write them down. Learn how different people talk and express themselves.

NEXT UP: THE EPIPHANY- What makes your piece inspirational!

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

2008-06-20T09:17:00.003-05:00

We've covered the six keys that unlock your reader's memory, allowing them to personalize your story and fill in more details than you have space to write. Now let's explore another tool that will connect you with your reader- internalization. Essentially it's dialogue with yourself.

With internalization you allow the reader inside your head, inside your heart. This is the intimate part of your writing whether it is sharing a funny experience that only best friends share or letting them witness your vulnerability.

As an example, the following is an excerpt from my story, Down and Out, in Chicken Soup for the Mothers of Preschoolers Soul:

As I picked up the (baby) carrier and herded everyone down the hallway, I tossed a rueful glance at my reflection in a large mirror. Who was that woman? Dressed in a baggy sweatsuit, hair pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, no lipstick, no earrings. Before preschoolers I wouldn't have considered going out in public looking like that. I shrugged and wiped grape jelly off my cheek.

See how you got into my head? I let you into my thoughts, we connected on a more private, intimate level. Internalization gives depth to your nonfiction piece.

Next time: Dialogue.

THE SIXTH KEY: EMOTION

2008-06-01T20:39:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I’m on the road again! This time I’m taking my mom on her bi-annual trip to see her sister in Mississippi. Even though I can’t seem to stay home a full week at a time lately, I still try to keep this series going, however sporadic.

Emotion. This key is what really connects you with your reader on a very personal, vulnerable, level. Think about it. How many emotions do you feel in one day? How do you express them? On the written page this can be tricky. One thing to avoid is telling us the emotions. For example:

“I saw the spider and I was frightened.” That is telling.

“The spider scurried from behind the broom toward me. My heart pounded and I gripped the handle, my only defense from the hideous creature.”

In the example above the reader discern my emotion from my internalization (my thoughts) and the reactions of my body, (heart pounding, gripping the handle.) Think about it. With every emotion our bodies react. With ever emotion our minds react.

What does your body do when you are sad? What thoughts run through your mind?
When you are happy?
When you are angry?
When you are frightened?
When you are excited?
When you are lonely?
When you are disappointed?

Use these descriptions in your writing. You reader will remember similar feelings and connect with your piece in a much deeper way.

Now look at the piece you are writing and find places to use the key of emotion. Remember too much emotion will weigh your story down, use it like salt. Just enough to connect. Let your reader do the rest.

Next post will focus on internalization.

THE SIX KEYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR READER

2008-05-18T21:54:00.007-05:00

Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina! I'm here attending a writers' conference and loving every minute. Speaking of writing, let's get started.

DESCRIPTION. This is the secret to excellent CNF. Here is where we go into our mental attic and blow the dust off our memory chest and open it. Inside are six keys to unlocking your reader’s minds making it easy for you to connect with them. Today we are going to look at five keys - the senses.

I’ll never forget the time I walked into an acquaintance’s home and its smell immediately took me mentally back to my long deceased grandmother’s home. My throat constricted and tears filled my eyes. I struggled to stay composed.

That’s the power of the senses. Have you ever had that experience?

The beauty of using the senses is that it takes very few words to tap into your reader’s memory and from that point the reader will do all the work for you. They will expand the scene in their minds without you having to write another word. The readers do the work for you!

For example:

Sundays at Gramma Kate’s meant southern fried chicken. A crispy crust enveloped the hot, tender meat. I couldn’t wait to bite into a drumstick and taste the savory juice that always managed to escape down my chin.

Did that open up a memory for you? I wrote about taste, but did you smell aroma in the kitchen? Did you hear the sizzle of the chicken in the iron skillet? Did you see your grandmother, mother, someone, cooking in the kitchen?

Look at the scene you wrote last week. Are there places where you can put in some of the senses? Keep it succinct. Don’t use a lot of adjectives. Unlock your memory and write. Remember the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and how things felt on your skin, then make a list.

Next, incorporate the strongest words (the ones that make the most vivid images in your mind) into your piece. I think you will like the effect.

Next week: The Seventh Key

SETTING THE SCENE

2008-05-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

First off, please accept my apologies for not posting this on Thursday. For some reason I couldn't sign into my blogsite. Thanks!

In fiction the writer will always place his character in a scene. Scenes establish the setting, time, whose point of view we are reading about, and the mood. Think about the opening of a movie. What we see clues us in on what is happening.

After the scene, which will always involve either action, drama, or emotional reaction, there will follow a sequel. The sequel is the “rest” after the scene. The character regroups, reflects, or processes what happened in the previous scene. Then the next scene begins.

Mike Klaassen writes, “If plot were an engine, scene and sequel would be the pistons powering the drive shaft.” I think that’s a pretty good word picture.

This also applies to creative nonfiction books or extensive essays. In her book, Fly with the Mourning Dove, my friend, Velda Brotherton, wrote about the struggles of Cassie Smith and her daughter, Edna, to civilize their portions of New Mexico.

When Velda writes of Cassie’s journey to New Mexico, Velda could simply record the fact that Cassie boarded a train and went to New Mexico. Instead, Velda sets the scene that Cassie is in:

The train car swayed and clacked, wheels screeching against the narrow gauge rails that curved from Alamosa to Santa Fe. Chilled by the brisk November air, Cassie gathered her coat close and peered through her glasses at her husband.

See what a difference that makes? The reader is swaying with Cassie in that train. From the scene on the train, comes a sequel, then another scene all through the book.

In short works of creative nonfiction there should be one scene, no more than two. Think “snapshot” instead of movie. Lose all peripheral vision and write the scene as if you are watching it through a paper towel tube.

My son has a feisty Jack Russell terrier named Kricket. She has the most expressive, chocolate-drop eyes. Another funny thing about her is if she is in the front yard and I yell, “Run, Kricket, Run” she will scoot from one side of the yard to the other in a great big figure 8 over and over and over.

To illustrate the importance of holding a scene in place rather than letting it run all over the page, let’s suppose I say to a friend, “You’ve got to see Kricket’s eyes.” But when I call her I say, “Run, Kricket, run!” Will my friend be able to get a good look at her eyes? No. I need to pick Kricket up and hold her still.

That’s what you do with your scene. Focus on what you want your reader to see and write only what is important to your focal point. This anchors your story.

I wrote about an angel pin my mother wore in Chicken Soup for the Nurses’ Soul. A patient who had given up on life was fascinated by its beauty and Mom used it as a way to remind her patient of how important his life was.

The pin served as an anchor that kept me from going into a lot of history, back-story, and unnecessary detail.

One of my favorite pieces of creative nonfiction is Rick Bragg’s “This isn’t the Last Dance.”

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/01/AR2005090101813.html

His anchor is New Orleans and he doesn’t stray from what he sees in the Quarter. There is a paragraph of back-story, but it doesn’t distract from the scene. It enhances it because it is succinct and relevant to the entire piece.

Last week I asked you to choose a subject for a short piece of work suitable for an anthology. Did you do that? If so, decide on your scene and possible anchors to hold your scene in place. Anchors can be but not limited to:

• An object – for instance, grandma’s quilt, dad’s tools, the old dogwood tree, a garden
• A conversation
• A special occasion or experience – like your brother’s bar mitzvah, your granddaughter’s dedication day
• An epiphany
• A person

Just remember when writing the scene that you do not have the luxury of a lot of words. Focus and write tight!

Next week: The Six Keys that connect your reader to your story.

WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION

2008-05-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

Creative nonfiction is telling the truth using fiction techniques instead of simply reporting the facts. For example:

Just the facts:

When I was young my grandmother took me to the zoo. I remember seeing segregated water fountains, one for whites and one for coloreds.

Creative:

Summers spent with my grandmother always meant a trip to the zoo. The aroma of hot buttered popcorn swirled in the air with the scents of roasting peanuts and warm sugar from the cotton candy stand. In the distance spider monkeys hooted and a lion occasionally bellowed. I loved that place. There was one thing that always bothered me, however. The water fountains. On one was stenciled,“whites,” the other, “coloreds.”

I always stared at them and wondered—why?

In the above paragraph no facts were changed. However, the creative example puts the reader at the zoo by setting the scene, using the senses, and internalization.

Over the next few weeks we will take an in depth look at the elements of creative nonfiction. We will begin with setting a scene, followed by description, internalization, dialogue, emotion, and the “ah-ha,” aka the simple lesson or epiphany.

To make this series more beneficial, I recommend you participate by choosing a writing project from one of the many anthologies available with the goal of submission in mind.

I recommend Chicken Soup for the Soul (naturally) ;)

After you have chosen the anthology, think about a personal experience you want to write about. When you finish this series, your creative nonfiction story will be ready to submit.

Next Thursday we will begin with “Setting the Scene.”

WHY WRITE?

2008-04-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Many of you think you are not writers. But we all are really. If we can speak, we can write. Writing is more than weaving a tale into a novel. It is reporting history, your personal history. This may not seem important but it is to future generations who will need to know what happened in the early 2000's in order to weave their tales into novels.

Weird huh? Just as I wanted to know what happened in the mid 1800's to write a historical novel, someone will be wanting to write a historical about 2008.

I feel old all ready.

Back to the subject. Almost every scene in my historical came from letters, journals, and diaries of men and women in the gold rush. One of the journals was from my great-grandfather. He recorded daily events like the weather, cost of food, his work, conversations, all that gave me the feel for the late 1800's.

I read the raw emotions of women forced to leave the civilized world of the east coast and being forced to journey across the country, give birth in a wagon, lose children in tall prairie grasses or watch them die of cholera and leave them in a shallow grave on the trail. Some gave up and died in their soul, other rose above their pain and worked hard cooking, and doing laundry for exorbitant prices and made more than the miners.

You see, to them this was life. Their life. They didn't expect me to read their journals over 100 years later. And they didn't' expect their pain to help me. While reading I was reminded of what is important and what isn't. I was encouraged to be a stronger woman like my foremothers.

And that is why we write. It is a gift we leave future generations. Whether it is a daily notation of the price of eggs, the weather, happenings in our family, and our verbal expressions, all will be eagerly devoured by future historians. I read a book that was put together by a gal who recorded her grandmother's calendar. The grandmother made daily notations and saved the calendars.

What a great idea! That wouldn't be too hard.

In this day of email, long newsy letters are becoming a thing of the past. Please, when you write a newsy email or receive one, make a hard copy. The novelist of 2108 will thank you!

Up next: A series on WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION

DIRECTION

2008-03-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog it was to showcase a friend. The following blogs were to encourage writers, and, of course, the last two were self-therapy. ;)

The question is, where do I go from here? What do writers need? There is plenty of instruction in cyperspace. How about encouragement? That's what I do best. Or ideas, I can come up with some good ones.

What I need is for you to tell me what you need. Are you a beginning writer? A writer who has been slapped down one too many times? Do you need to have a cup of cold water thrown in your face, but then handed a warm towel?

Write me at lindacapple@gmail.com and let me know. I want to take this blog in a direction that will best help you.

Until then, grab a pencil and paper, find a comfy spot, fix your favorite beverage. and give yourself time to daydream.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM SIMON COWELL

2008-02-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

I've been watching the American Idol rewinds. Yes, I'm a hopeless fanatical fan of this show! The rewinds show previous seasons. We see a former contestant perform, hear the judges comments, and see their reaction. Then they conduct a current interview with that contestant. To my surprise most who were harshly critized by Simon and heartly disagreed with him at the time, now see that he was right.

You know Simon. The fellow who rarely has anything nice to say. He can get so nasty that I think it has to be scripted or for the ratings. But while watching him, I see his genuine frustration with the mediocre. And while he is brutal in his comments, he is passionate about music and musicians.

Now that my bruised writer's feelings have healed, I feel this is the case, to some degree, with the PW review of my manuscript. Looking back objectively, I understand what this reviewer was seeing. It is wise to listen to criticism from someone who isn't connected to you in any way.
Take the criticism much as you would at a buffet line. What is good, use it. What is wrong, leave it. There are still points that I feel PW totally missed, however, there are also some points where the reviewer was right on.

I've moved on to two other projects, but, when I've finished with them I may give that manuscript a major overhaul. I like the story, but, it could be much better. I see that now.

When I watch the AI rewinds I find that Simon got it right more than he missed. Those who took his advice profited from it.

Hopefully, my being able to accept criticism and learn from it is a step toward growing more mature as a writer.

Publishers Weekly Slap

2008-01-25T07:49:00.000-06:00

Writing is a journey of scaling mountains and sliding into deep valleys. Climbing the mountain to publication is an arduous task. Then when the writer almost makes it there it never fails. A big bully is waiting there to slap you back down.

It is the nature of the writing beast.

I had that happen to me this week. I made it to the semi-finals in the Amazon Novel Breakout Award. I was amazed, astounded, thrilled! To be one of the top 900 out of 5000 was such a mountain top experience. I sent the word out through my writing list serves and got great reviews from friends and people I don't know. And then came the Publishers Weekly review.

Here is what that reviewer wrote:

This uninspired depiction of a pioneer family during the height of the California Gold Rush presents a often unrealistic version of the struggles and triumphs of that era. When her mother dies in childbirth, spoiled 16-year-old Elizabeth thinks things can't possibly get worse. Then, her heartbroken and distant father takes her from their luxurious mansion and servants and drops her off at her grandfather's home on his way to California in search of a new life-and gold. Without any parental guidance, Elizabeth divides her time between flirting with Will, her doctor grandfather's pious and boring intern, and learning how to cook. When her father writes to say he's struck gold, she begrudgingly goes to him, crossing the mountains with her grandfather and attempting to learn what it means to be a woman along the way. The prose does little to inspire interest in the unmemorable characters, whose petty internal struggles overshadow the larger story.

I have to be honest, after reading this I slipped a bit down the mountain. After all, this is a huge slap for more reasons than one. To be fair to the reviewer, that person read a lot of manuscripts and probably skimmed those that did not catch his/her interest. We all have a personal preference for the genre' we like to read.

When I got my footing and stop the slid to the pit of despair, I was able to analyze this review. It became clear the reviewer either skimmed the manuscript, or doesn't have much knowledge of the gold rush era, and that this person doesn't appreciate my writing about the greatest love of all time, Jesus Christ. The following are excerpts that evidence my point.

1. This uninspired depiction of a pioneer family during the height of the California Gold Rush presents a often unrealistic version of the struggles and triumphs of that era.

Uninspired: That is the reviewer's personal opinion. Many found my manuscript extremely inspiring. So I won't worry about that.

Unrealistic: I spent a year reading journals, books, letters, and diaries written in the gold rush era (1849-1859) by people traveling to California seeking gold. My scenes came from that information. I even traveled the "Southern Route" described in Captain Marcy's journal, the man who blazed that path. I went to museums and spoke to historians. From dress to how life was in San Francisco, from life in a wagon to those who actually got on board steam ships in San Diego and sailed to San Fran (did you know people did that?) I used all that "realistic" information.

2. Without any parental guidance, Elizabeth divides her time between flirting with Will, her doctor grandfather's pious and boring intern, and learning how to cook.

Without any parental guidance: Elizabeth was 16. Many girls were married by that age. I suppose the reviewer got that idea when he/she read how Grandpa was worried about her being alone and came up with the idea of her learning to cook at the local restaurant to keep her busy.

Flirting: No flirting with Will was in the manuscript. She enjoyed his company, he taught her to play chess, they discussed history and books. Her grandfather was worried about her growing up and she found that funny. When she had to leave him to go to the gold fields, she wondered "IF" anything could have come from the relationship.

Pious and Boring: If the reviewer found Will boring, that is his/her prerogative. But pious? Will is a Christian. But he doesn't lay down the four spiritual laws and take her down the Roman Road. However, when she sits with him one evening on the steps and forks her cake to crumbs he asks her what is wrong. She explains and he can tell she is bitter. He encourages her to give him the benefit of the doubt and explains how to take the hardships in life and allow them to make her a better person. After she is gone, he does pray for her.

Being pious can mean:

having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations. OR:

practiced or used in the name of real or pretended religious motives, or for some ostensibly good object; falsely earnest or sincere: a pious deception.

If the reviewer was referring to the first definition, then the reviewer is correct. If he/she meant the second one, the reviewer totally missed it.

3. The prose does little to inspire interest in the unmemorable characters, whose petty internal struggles overshadow the larger story.

Unmemorable characters: The reviewer had a right to like or dislike the characters. My characters are from the "States," Scotland and Ireland. I used some history for each and later plan to use information I learned while visiting there last fall.

Petty internal struggles: Elizabeth is struggling from essentially the loss of both her parents, her father from the loss of his wife. Struggles in the secondary characters in three families in the train involve marriage conflict, death, barrenness, running away from life. There are the villains who spread fear, discontent, and stir up trouble. Petty? More like real life when you get 200 strangers from all walks of life together. Many of the "petty struggles" were in the pages of the diaries I read. I guess petty is in the eye of the person struggling with a particular issue.

The Larger Story: Relationships ARE the story. I don't know what this person had in mind when he/she penned these words.

The reviewer got 2 things right. Elizabeth does start out as a 16-year-old spoiled girl, but she doesn't end up that way. She changes to a thankful 17 year-old young woman. And her father does drop her off on his way to find a new life and gold.

What did I learn from this?

1. That review was from one person's opinion. Because this person works for PW doesn't make his/her opinion more valuable than all the others. If anything, that person may be more "jaded" because of his/her work.

2. I wrote a story of faith and freely expressed the love of Jesus Christ and I shouldn't apologize for that. And although my book is being marketed to Christian publishing houses I am careful to refrain from being preachy or creating contrived scenes to present the gospel.

3. A writer must allow for the personal opinions of others. As a good friend once wrote me when I was whining, "Not everybody is gonna like you!" I know I don't care for sci-fi, and I'd be a poor judge of it. But that doesn't make a sci-fi writer a poor writer!

4. My writing destiny isn't in the hands of PW or any other magazine or publishing house. It is in the hands of the one for whom I write.

I know there are many of you who feel like quitting. Don't. As my character, Will, said to Elizabeth, let the hardships in your life make you stronger.

Let the hardships in your writing life make you a better writer!

I want to end this blog with my sincere gratitude to Publishers Weekly for his/her time and opinion. I will use this experience to make me a better writer.

GOALS INSTEAD OF RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008!

2007-12-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

In May of 2001, I listened to Henriette Anne Klauser speak about her book, Write It Down, Make It Happen, at the "Oklahoma Writer's Federation" conference.

In essence, she explained how writing down goals is the first step toward achieving them. I believe that. In fact, most of the things I wrote down have come to pass. One goal on my list was that I wanted to be published in Woman's World, another was that I wanted to be a public speaker. I've done both. I also wrote that I wanted to go to England. I've been in the wonderful land of the UK twice. Once in 2006 and I just returned from my second trip last fall of 2007.
Last year I wrote that I wanted to finish my novel and get an agent. Did that too!
I also wrote that I wanted to weigh 140 lbs.

Oh well, like I said, most have happened.

January 1st is a great time to write down goals instead of resolutions. Dream big. Write your goals down, and be faithful to do your part. Rarely are things handed to us on a silver platter.
The reason I've been published is because I wrote something and submitted it.

List at least 5 things. I'll do the same. In the comment section of this blog, let me know some of your goals for 2006. Mine are:
1. Finish and sell my nonfiction parenting book, "Now What Do I Do?"
2. Get a good start on my second novel, "Shifting Shadows."
3. Make enough money from my writing and speaking to support my craft.
4. Sell my novel, "In The Elephant's Shadow" and have a contract for "Shifting Shadows."
5. Write a travel column for a newspaper.

How about you? What are some of your goals for 2008? Let me know.
(my sneaky way of getting you to write them down!) Seriously, I'd like to know.

ALSO, I mentioned above the writer's conference in Oklahoma. This is seriously a great conference. This year the Conference is, "FANTASTIC FORTY, WRITER'S GLORY!
It is at the Reed Conference Center in Midweast City, Ok May 1-3, 2008

For more info, go to: http://www.owfi.org/

SELAH

2007-12-19T16:01:00.000-06:00

I wrote this poem for all who resist life until they finally understand that it is best to rest in Christ.

Merry Christmas!

SELAH

The blue-white moon calls
The surf answers in thunderous strength
Water reaches for the shore
Resisting sea’s command
To return to the deep

Waves charge straining to escape the ocean
Grabbing at rocks, pawing the sand
Roaring allegiance to the lunar pull
Refusing to submit to the deep
But all is futility

Selah
pause
rest
reflect

The moon gives way to dawn
Weary, submissive, the tide returns to sea
Docile water glides over the beach
To play with seaweed
And tickle children’s toes

Peaceful ripples drift on water’s surface
Reflecting the sun’s brilliant light
Sending millions of diamonds
Dancing in dizzying glory
And so it is with life

Selah
pause
rest
reflect

Dance in the sun

Linda C Apple 2005

ME me

2007-11-28T10:14:00.000-06:00

My great friend, Velda Brotherton, tagged me with an "It's All About Me (me) blog questionaire. So here goes:

1. How long have you been blogging? Since 2004

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors? I wanted to get my thoughts in cyberspace and it also worked well as a pseudo-website. My mentors are Velda Brotherton, an incredible writer of both fiction and nonfiction, Dusty Richards, every writers best friend, and my critique group, the Northwest Writer's Workshop.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun? Actually, neither at the moment. I just have a passion to reach people and help make their lives better.

4. What 3 things do you struggle with online? TIME! It takes a tremendous amount of time to keep blogs current. I have three blogs at the moment.

5. What 3 things do you love about being online? All the information! I also visit my friends blogs and stay in touch with them. Beautiful!

Visit Velda's blog: http://www.vbrotherton.blogspot.com/ "On Being A Writer"

Daydreaming on Paper

2007-11-27T09:58:00.000-06:00

This blog is for writers in all seasons of life. Whether you are a beginner, or a multi-published writer who has royality earning books, we are all consumed by the same passion--writing.

No matter what we write, fiction or nonfiction, it all begins with a thought swirling in our mind. We write it down, add, subtract, edit, rewrite, edit, wad it up and throw it in the trash, retrieve it, take it to critique groups, rewrite, polish, submit, recieve rejections, cry, resubmit, and . . .

quit? NO!

We keep at it. And then it happens. Our swirling thoughts are published and create in the minds of our readers a place to daydream, a haven from harsh reality, an answer, hope.

There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith