The Little Writer

Long ago, in a faraway land a little writer lived on the mountain of the Lord. She wrote her little stories and blog posts that came from her heart. And she was happy.

 



Over the years, life pressed in to her little valley and dropped hard boulders into her life. Slowly, her little home became hemmed in on all sides, casting darkness over everything, and she grew overwhelmed. Life dulled and dimmed, but she tried to keep going.

Then the rules and guidelines and suggestions rained down into her world. Good intentions pelted her, wounding that spirit within that made her want to write. She patched up the rough spots and plugged away.

Eventually though she grew weary and thought about giving up. But her Father wasn't ready for her to quit. He sent words of comfort and encouragement to bind up her heart. Because of His faith in her, the little writer began to fight for her little dream.

Listening to her heart, she was able to slowly move the boulders enough to allow the light back in. The shining light revealed how the rules, guidelines, and suggestions were not helping, but were instead hurting her. The faith of her Father in her dream gave her the strength to let go of all the was holding her back.

It's been a long road, but she is ready to put her words back out into the world. This time it will be on her own terms. She hopes that the words to come will encourage, entertain, or enlighten others.

 

Readers, I am that little writer and it's been a long time since I have ventured here to the mountain. I've been trying to do all the right things and be all the right things. I have felt stifled and frustrated. In the process, I lost sight of myself and my dream for my writing.

I am back though. I will be writing again on this little blog of mine. I don't know what the schedule will be yet, but I will be here on a regular basis. I can't tell you what I will be writing about, because it will be the things that are speaking to my heart at the time I'm writing. I hope you will come back and have a cup of coffee with me sometimes. If something I write resonates with you, please consider leaving a comment or sharing my blog with the people in your life that might appreciate it. Thank you for visiting here on my mountain!

NaNo What!?!

It's November which means it's time for NaNoWriMo.

What exactly is NaNoWriMo, you ask!?!

National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo, happens every November. All over the world writers set an ambitious goal of writing 50,000 words on a novel from November 1 through November 30.

Last year NaNoWriMos wrote over 2 trillion words during the month of November! I managed to finish with just over 50,000.

The purpose of NaNoWriMo is to get people writing; to get those novels out of our heads and onto a computer or paper or whatever your medium of choice.

I'm participating once again in this year. I don't know if I'm crazy or what, but I'm going to do it. Last year I was a rebel. To be official you have to start a brand new novel, page 1, word 1. I had a novel in process that I wanted to finish a first draft so I rebelled.

This year I'm going to be official and play by the rules. I'm writing a historical fiction that has been in my heart and mind for many years, but I've put off writing it because it needs lots of details so that match actual fiction. I've done some preliminary research, enough to be able to write the story.

My main character has been wandering through my mind whispering to me this weekend. She has a story to tell. I know some of it, the rest I will discover throughout the month of November.

So, that's what I'll be doing this next month. What about you? If you're a writer with a novel banging around inside you, won't you join the craziness? You can find out more information at www.nanowrimo.org

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Image:

m_bartosch /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today a couple friends and I went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. My main reason for wanting to go is that Tom Hanks stars in the movie. Do you all know how I feel about Tom Hanks? You can read about my feelings for him in this post.

I wasn’t sure what to think about the movie and I haven’t read the book. The story it tells is one that we can all relate to in some way. Oskar Schell is 9 and his father died in the World Trade Center on 09/11. He and his dad always went on expeditions to find information or lost things. So when Oskar finds a key in his dad’s closet he believes this is an expedition his dad has sent him on one last time. So he sets out to find the lock the key will open.

I tried to read the book before seeing the movie but the first chapter turned me off. It rambled and the dialogue jumbled together. After seeing the movie I understand what the author was trying to do, but I found the first chapter so disjointed I couldn’t read anymore.

Anyway, that’s just me. But one thing my friends and I talked about after movie ended was whether it is okay to make a fictional story out of a real event. One friend said it just didn’t feel right to her. Honestly, I hadn’t even considered it because as a fiction writer that’s what I do; make stories out of real life. However, I could see her point.

Another friend pointed out that we do that with pretty much all of history and by way of example cited the movie Titanic. The movie is being re-released in honor of the 100^th anniversary in April 2012.

First friend agreed and pondered the possibility that maybe Extremely Loud didn’t feel comfortable because we lived through it. The event is one of the major historical events of our life time. I could see her point there also.

In some respects, as an artist, I know I use my words and stories to process things in my life. I wonder if that is why Jonathan Safran Foer wrote his story. Possibly he needed to process and try to make sense out of the tragedy.

What do you all think? Is it okay to use something like 09/11 and make a fictional account surrounding it?

This Year I Resolve...

Welcome to 2012! A new year holds such promise. It’s not like anything really changed from yesterday to today other than the 1 changed to a 2, but so many people view the new year as a fresh start. I’m one of those people.


Even though nothing fundamental has changed, the year end seems like a logical time to re-evaluate my life and my goals. I’m not a fan of resolutions. I prefer to work with goals. It just feels like goals are more doable and concrete than resolutions.

Here’s the thing. This year, as with the last few years, I’ve wanted to finish my novel. If I had resolved to write everyday or something along those lines I would have failed in the month of January and might have thrown in the towel.

Photo Source: Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Instead, I chose to set a goal of finishing my novel by the end of the year. (I’ve since come to realize that finishing the novel is a rather nebulous goal. Does that mean just write it regardless of what the outcome is? Does it mean shopping it to agents and publishers? Or does it mean seeing it on the bookstore shelves?) When half the year had gone by and the novel wasn’t done and I had studied the craft more I made a concrete goal…

I am going to finish the first draft by the end of 2011

Oh and by the way, I managed to accomplish that goal on December 30! So for 2012 I’ve set a number of writing goals related to my novel. One is to submit the first chapter to the ACFW Genesis contest. The second is to revise the first draft to fix problems and polish it. The third is to write a proposal and have it ready to shop around by about May.

I guess I could say I resolve to do these things, but instead I say they are goals. Maybe it’s just semantics but it works for me.

What about you? Do you make resolutions?

The Week in Which I Thought There Was a Dead Body

Seriously, this week I wondered if there might be a dead body in one of the bathroom stalls at work. I realize it’s a gruesome thought and people think I have a warped mind when I think of stuff like this. I don’t know, it might be the novelist-in-residence that lives in my brain and is always turning normal, everyday things into plots and scenes. Or, maybe it’s because I read too much Steven King!


Anyway, here’s what went down. One day I was in the lady’s room and saw a pair of shoes in the back corner stall and for some reason I thought they had been there the day before. I know, I know, that’s weird also, but I refer you back to the above paragraph for explanation. That’s when the thought first came to me, but because I was embarrassed to reveal my weirdness I hesitated knocking on the stall door and asking if the occupant was okay.

I mean, can you imagine!?! There you are doing your business and someone pounds on the door, “Are you okay in there?”

So, I went back to work and forgot about it until the next day in the same stall I saw the same shoes! What a dilemma. I didn’t want to knock, but I was curious.

Then my logical side kicked in and realized that if an employee had left their desk and not come back to work for three days the gossip vine would have been ringing with the story. The next visit to the lady’s room revealed an empty stall and the whole sordid tale was done.

It would have remained quietly ensconced in my brain, but for some ridiculous reason I thought I should tell you about it.

Anyhoo, are you done with your Christmas shopping? I’m almost done finally. I made a couple trips later in the evening last night and got the out of town stuff so that I can mail it. And I found this while I was at Dad’s last night. I couldn’t resist. I had to shake them! It’s a lifelong habit!

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories? (Is this a weird question considering the beginning of the post!?!)

NaNo What!?!

Very sorry for my unexplained absence last week. I was deep in the throes of NaNoWriMo and the week flew by before I realized it and then I found I hadn’t posted anything on this little blog o’ mine.


So are you scratching your head and thinking…NaNo What!?!

Every November people around the globe participate in NaNoWriMo which stands for National Novel Writing Month. It’s a 30 day challenge to get people working on the books they want to write.

For at least the last two years I have had the goal of finishing my novel. And, for at least the last two years I have failed at that goal. Sure, I fiddled around with it and wrote a little bit, but I never could get it done.

This year I made the same goal and was coming up with the same results. However, I have surrounded myself this year with people who are in varying stages of their writing careers and I have been so inspired and encouraged by these people. Being inspired I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo and set out to complete 50,000 words on this novel of mine.

I’m proud to announce that at 11:54pm on November 30 I hit 50,076 words! Having done that I am convinced that I can plug through another 40-50 thousand more to complete the first draft before the end of the year. After years of thinking and dreaming about it I am finally moving the dream forward.

Today I thought I’d share with you some of the things I’ve learned during the past month.

1. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to get the story on paper.



2. The more I write, the easier it comes. A friend told me that he had learned this when he set a word count goal for himself and as I went through November I found it to be true. On Wednesday, Nov 30 I pounded out over 8,000 words from 5pm to 11:54pm.



3. Once I was immersed in the story it began to unfurl like a flower in the early morning light. Things began to happen that fit the story, but I hadn’t planned ahead of time. It is much like real life where our best laid plans sometimes take twists and turns.



4. Failure comes only from not trying.



Overall, the month flew by but was a great month. There were moments when I wasn’t sure I could do it and there were moments when I didn’t want to. I persevered and am so glad I did!

Can You Tell a Story in 78 Words?

Flash fiction is a form of fiction where you tell a story with a very small amount of words. The word count can vary depending on the circumstances.

I recently saw a call for entries for flash fiction stories of exactly 78 words. It was a challenge and I decided to give it a try. I wrote my tiny little story and submitted it to the contest. I have not been chosen as one of the 10 finalists. I did make a very rookie mistake on the submission. The entry was online and required that the story be submitted in a Word file. Silly me forgot to put my name and contact info on my Word file. Oh well, live and learn.

Anyway, today I want to share with you Harley's Story told in 78 words.

There once was a pig named Harley who lived in a house with a family. He had his own bed and a basket full of toys. Harley thrilled the family with oinks and wagging his curly little tail.


Harley especially loved his human mom and wanted to be near her all the day long. So much so he one day ate the drywall to get into her office.

Now Harley is on his way to the slaughter house.

There you have it folks. Based on a true story although I took liberties with the ending...Harley found a nice home on a farm and not at the slaughterhouse.


Any of my readers game enough to try writing a very short story? I would love to see your stories, please feel free to post them in the comments.

I am not a Homeschooling, Mormon, Mommy Blogger

So, a few weeks I started a post that I've been thinking about for quite some time. I had it all set to post and then at the last minute felt it wasn't quite right and took it down. That very same day my blogging buddy, Lisa over at That's What She Said posted this post about being a Mormon mommy blogger.

When I saw the post I about fell out of my chair because the post I pulled down for that day started out very similar to hers. It was if we were on the same wave length. Now, just for the record, Lisa and I only know each other through our blogs so the fact that we were having kindred feelings is pretty amazing.

Make sure to visit Lisa's blog and read her post. She and I are both just bloggers talking about our little corner of the world. This is the post I wrote that day...


Confession time. I’m not a homeschooling, Mormon, mommy blogger. I like a good craft every so often, but I don’t think up amazing crafts that people will pay for. I’m a writer, but not an expert who can teach you how to publish a book in 10 easy steps. I’m not a single mom making a difference in the lives of children in foreign countries and I’m not adopting sweet Ethiopian children.

I’m just a common girl making my way in life while learning to see God’s grace in the nooks and crannies of my world. It’s been said that life is a journey and for the last 14 years I have walked in the shadow of an amazing creator who loves me unconditionally and shelters me through the storms. He fills my life with an abundance that is immeasurable by the world’s standards.

Years ago I read the book Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. This allegorical story follows the crippled Much-Afraid as she leaves her village to journey to the mountaintops to live with her Shepherd. As she starts out she is joined by two traveling companions. Suffering and Sorrow are definitely not the ones she would have picked to travel with her, but they are the ones the Shepherd has appointed.

The path is not easy and sometimes dangerous but Much-Afraid soldiers on toward the mountaintop home of her Shepherd. She finds that the Shepherd is only a call away. Through the high points that seem to be the summit and the valleys that threaten to overwhelm Much-Afraid, Suffering and Sorrow have to push her to keep going. However, at the end of the journey Much-Afraid finds that she and her companions have been changed by their trek. They reach their destination and find themselves renewed. It is the journey that has marked them and shaped them.

I like this story because it echoes my own. Once I thought that someday I would arrive at my destination and life would be perfect. I suffered the journey simply to make it to my mountaintop which I mistakenly thought existed this side of heaven. I kept waiting, hoping, dreaming. But I was missing out on life because of my waiting. I’ve figured out that life happens in the valleys as well as the summits. Over these last years I have been trying to make the most of my trip through this place called earth. It isn’t always easy, but my Shepherd is always near. He has filled my life with grace in the most uncommon places. I miss those uncommon places if I’m not careful.

The women in the first paragraph are all incredible women. They are living out their own path and finding grace in their uncommon places while on their own journeys. They blog about their lives and I am blessed, inspired, encouraged by their words. This is what I want for my readers, I want them to be blessed, encouraged, inspired in some little way when they visit my little mountain.

As a blogger I sometimes find myself wanting to be something that I’m not. It’s easy to look at other blogs and try to emulate them. In doing so I’m doing a disservice to you, my reader, and to myself. God hasn’t called me to be any of the things He’s called others to be.

He’s called me to be me. He’s given me a life that at times has seemed to me to be common and boring. But He’s nudging me to see the grace and glory right here amidst my own journey through the valleys and the summits.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this blog and what I am trying to do with it; what the take-away value is for you, my reader, who comes to visit. I chose the name Rocky Mountain Writer because of my love for the mountains and my love for writing. In the last months as I have prayed through my life and my writing career I’ve come to see Rocky Mountain Writer as something more.

Micah 4:2 says. “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” My goal in life is to continue going up to the mountain of the Lord and letting him teach me His ways. My goal for this blog is to share that journey and the lessons I’ve learned right here in my common life that is filled with uncommon grace. I pray that you are blessed by your visit and that you feel comfortable to share bits of your journey with me.

Social Media Marketing for Writers: How to Blog, Tweet, and Peep your Way onto Amazon’s Best Seller’s List

Good things come in small packages and Edie Melson’s Social Media Marketing for Writers: How to Blog, Tweet, and Peep your Way onto Amazon’s Best Seller’s List is no exception. This book is a mere 19 pages long but is packed with nuggets of information.


The image of the solitary, recluse writer is no longer accurate. While we labor in solitude to bring the words to paper and computer screen these days it takes more than just a good work to get published. Writers need to be able to build relationships.

Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media are an important part of the relationship aspect of being a writer. In her book, Edie doesn’t just talk about the technical aspects of these tools. She encourages the reader to delve into their passions and what they want to succeed.

Social Media Marketing is quick to read and is full of step-by-step directions on how to get started. This little gem is definitely worth a little bit of cash and time.

About the Author (from the author's web site)
http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Edie Melson is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for life’s stories. She loves to share her 16+ years experience in the field of writing through mentoring and teaching others. Her first foray into professional writing was as a technical writer in the 80’s. From there she quickly moved into freelance writing and editing, a perfect fit for someone who loves new challenges. Hundreds of articles and devotions, including those for Focus on the Family, CBN.com, Crosswalk.com and Christiandevotions.us, have flowed from her pen to her audience.

A savvy business owner, Edie has numerous copywriting clients who rely on her expertise in SEO and keyword formatting. She also consults on web content and social networking.

Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is Edie’s latest project. This devotional book for those with family members in the military has just been contracted with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

A frequent faculty member at writers conferences, Edie shares her insights with other writers around the country. She's also a contributing editor with The Book Doctor Blog.

She’s a member of several professional writing organizations, including The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer’s View I and ACFW, where she serves as the Editor for the Southeast Zone Newsletter and staff reviewer for Afictionado Magazine. She’s also an assistant proofer/editor for the Voices E-zine, a publication of My Book Therapy.

Married 29 years to husband, Kirk, they have raised three sons

It Already has Onions on it Moron

“It already has onions on it moron.” I overheard the cafeteria worker say this to the man at the counter.


“Excuse me?” The man apparently wanted to make sure he heard her right.

“The sandwich comes with onions. Would you like me to put more on it?”

Whew, she always seemed like such a nice lady and I was glad to hear she didn’t really call him a moron. I did have to laugh, though.

I love listening to conversation. I try not to be snoopy and obnoxious but people say the funniest things.

As a writer dialogue is an important part of a novel. It has to be authentic. That’s where my studying the things people say comes in handy. When people read my stories I want my characters to ring true and be something my reader can relate to.

Sometimes when I write dialogue I write too formal. It sounds stilted and people on the whole don’t talk like that. Sometimes you have to break the rules to make it work. So I keep listening to the way people talk to give me insight into good dialogue.

A Great Story, Nothing More!?

“I don’t read fiction. I prefer to learn and grow when I read.” Somebody told me this once, I don’t remember who.


I love to read both fiction and non-fiction and have never wanted to tie myself down to one or the other. There are so many good books out there that I will read anything that is well written and holds my attention.

But, do you see the misnomer in that first paragraph? It implies that fiction is just a good story, entertainment, nothing more.

While a novel is meant to be entertaining it can also be so much more. Recently I read a new novel. It was fun and light and had a sweet story. Some would read and simply enjoy the story.

In the midst of the story there was a scene that kind of thumped me on the head. It spoke to something that was going on in my life. The scene wasn’t preachy and it wasn’t deep. Still it spoke truth and that truth spoke to me. As I read the words of the characters I saw myself. I came away from that book with a new outlook on a situation in my life. I realized that I needed to make some changes. All because of the words of a fictional character.

That’s the great things about books. They have the capability of entertaining us and changing our lives. We don’t need to stick to non-fiction in order to learn something from our reading.

On that note, go forth and read!

Deadlines Can be Fun!?!

Oh the joy of a deadline! For writers it is a fact of life. And, once a deadline is met another one comes up.


Deadlines can be inspirational or downright terror inducing. Depending on the circumstances I have experienced both extremes. Sometimes the stress of a drop dead date for a project just makes my insides quiver. Rumor has that the large majority of writers regularly miss deadlines. I’m striving to be in the minority on this one, but sometimes it’s just hard.

But the good thing about deadlines is that it means I am working and people want to use my writing. It’s a good thing and that makes me happy.

On that note, I am back to the grindstone to work late into the night to meet the current deadline.

Three Things You Can Learn about Writing from a Farmer

My Grandfather has spent much of his life working the land for a living and because it’s in his blood. He worked hard and has much to show for his labors. Over the years I embraced my farming roots and realized there is much I can learn from my Grandpa. I don’t sow seeds for a living, I sow words. Writing is in my blood. I’ve come to realize that there are correlations between farming and writing.


Three things that writers can learn from a farmer are:



* We have to nurture our work

Before a farmer even plants the seed he works the ground. The ground is broken up and fertilized. Without that beginning nurture the seeds have less of a chance to make it. After planting the seeds the farmer must then water and watch for weeds.

In the same vein we writers have to prepare our fields before planting. This may be taking classes or seeking out mentors. We need to spend time learning the craft in order to be successful. Once we begin work on a project we need to continue the nurture by always looking for ways to expand our stories and allow the seeds to grow. If we aren’t careful our work will end up flat and lifeless like a farmer’s field that has been neglected.

* Hard work comes before the harvest

A farmer works from sun up to sun down. He learns to use his time wisely to make sure everything is done on the farm and in the fields. The back-breaking work may have been made some easier by modern technology but it is still hard work. All summer long he labors over his fields to keep the crop growing. The harvest can’t happen unless the work comes first.

Writing is hard work. The internet and computers have made our job easier in some ways, but the only way to be successful is to put in the hours. Writers must use their hours just as wisely as a farmer in order to be successful. Without the hours in the chair with hands on the keyboards we will never have the harvest of words for which we strive.

* Sometimes the ground needs to rest in order to be replenished

A farmer learns to rotate his crops and let fields lie bare for a season in order to replenish the soil. This step is important to producing good crops. Without the time to renew the land the harvest will not be as abundant as it could be.

We writers need to learn when to stop and rest. We need to allow our work to sit for a while before returning to edit and revise it. Trying to rush the process only succeeds in making our work less than it can be.

Yes, my grandpa and I have very different lives. He worked a very physically demanding job for many years. As a writer my job isn’t physically demanding, but it is mentally demanding. Still, there is much to be learned from my grandfather’s work. The lessons I have learned from him have been applied to my writing. In our differences there is similarity. It is true, I am a farmer’s granddaughter and I am working my writing fields.

Promises Kept

This is the story of Hannah, Elkanah, and Samuel from the first chapter of 1 Samuel. I like to take Bible stories and imagine them from another point of view. This is Hannah's story.


“Oh Lord, do you not hear my prayer?” For what seemed like the millionth time I cried out in desperation to God. I had been praying for a child. Every year Elkanah and I went to the temple to offer a sacrifice at the appointed time. Every year I promised God if He would give me a child I would give him back to His service.


The ache inside me was intense. Elkanah was a good man and provided for me. He was generous. I suspect he gave me double portions for the sacrifice because of my empty womb. But his other wife, Peninnah was vicious. She taunted me to no end. Who was she to think she’s better than me simply because she had given Elkanah children?

Frustrated, I sank to my knees and again poured my heart out to the Lord. “Hannah,” growled the priest. “Why are you drunk in the temple? Have you no shame?”

Eli must have wandered in during my prayer to the Lord and witnessed my distress. I explained to him that I was not drunk with wine but sorrow. “I have prayed for many years for a child and the Lord has not heard me.”

Kneeling beside me, Eli promised, “The Lord has heard and will remember.”

I tucked that promise into my heart and headed back to Ramah with Elkanah. Life went back to normal but months later the tell-tale signs began. I held my tongue and waited to make sure.

Then it was official. Finally, finally, finally I was with child. The Lord had heard and answered my prayer. My beautiful, Samuel was born a short time after.

When the time came for us to go and sacrifice at the temple I declined. “Elkanah, I want to wean the child before taking him to the temple.” And Elkanah understood. I knew when I took Samuel to the temple I would be leaving him there. He would learn and grow under the tutelage of Eli.

In time, the day came for me to release Samuel back to God. Elkanah, Samuel and I traveled to the temple. There before the Lord I praised Him for His faithfulness. I was overjoyed in His love. He had given me the son I asked for and I gladly kept my promise.

Criticism is a Good Thing?

Critique sounds like such a harsh word. Its link to criticism is well known. When I first heard that most writers have critique groups I cringed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t like criticism and the thought of willingly subjecting myself to it was a little hard to fathom.


However, as I’ve grown in my role of writer I’ve come to realize that I really needed to take part in a critique group. It’s an avenue of growth and refinement. It’s a way to edit my work to make it more appealing to editors, publishers, or agents.

After the Writing for the Soul Conference in February I met a group of fellow writers in my area who are interested in forming a critique group. So, last Thursday night we all got together at a local coffee shop and had our first meeting.

I almost chickened out. I tried to find a reason I couldn’t go, but there just wasn’t anything short of making up a story. So, I put on my big girl panties and I went.

There were seven of us at the meeting – two males and five females – ranging in age from twenty-something to about fiftyish. Our work varied from novels to magazine articles to nonfiction books to devotional/coffee table books.

The person to the right read the work of the person to their left and then we each gave our input. We used a “sandwich method” in which we first pointed out good things, then the things we thought should be changed, and finally something good again. The person whose work was being talked about took home copies of the notes we all made. They then have the choice to make changes based on the comments or leave the work as is. No one is forced to make changes since it is their work and they decide what stays and goes.

My turn came second and I gave them the first chapter of my novel to read. For all the worry I did about it, the process was surprisingly easy and gave me some great input. If I hadn’t done this I would still be waffling on my story. The consensus seemed to be that the first chapter was intriguing enough to make them want more. That’s always a good thing in a novel.

They also seemed to agree that one of my main characters seemed a little feminine which is a problem since he’s a teenage boy. I had concerns about this before and it was good to hear that my concerns were valid. It allows me to make changes and I am toying with changing the character back to a girl. (Yes, he was a girl to begin with.) There were a few more comments about my word choices and some things that were a little confusing.

Overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to being a part of this group. The criticisms weren’t devastating and even if they were I know the heart of this group is in the right place. That makes it easier to take the hard stuff. And, the hard stuff is what will make me a better writer in the long run.

So Many Words....

Foxy is a word that you just don’t hear much lately. It had its heyday in the 70s. Recently, though, I read a new book that used the word no less than five times. I wondered if it was making a comeback. A query of my Facebook friends indicated that they didn’t think so, although some folks thought it should.


Do you have words that you use all the time? I think we all do. Lately I noticed I use the word cool a lot.

As writers, one of the things we are taught and that editors seem to catch is the use of words over and over. It can be a little disconcerting and can break up the flow of the manuscript. The reason I noticed the word foxy is because it was used so many times and it was used by characters that were between the ages of 16 and 19. The use broke up the story and pulled me out of the “fictional dream.”

The fictional dream is the goal of each novelist. It’s the sign of a good story that is well written. A writer wants you to slip into their created landscape and relate to the characters. Any little thing that disrupts that dream and causes the reader to lose the trail of the story isn’t a good thing.

Using the same words is something I struggle with in my writing. The tendency is strong. Our language has a robust vocabulary and so it seems I should be able to find new and fresh ways to say what I want to say. It just takes a little time to seek out different ways to get my point across.

After reading the book mentioned above I have a renewed desire to seek out new words.



Use the right word, not its second cousin. ~Mark Twain

The Vessel Project

Are you a reader? Do you appreciate good Christian books?

If you are, then you should check out The Vessel Project. The Vessel Project is a web site run by fellow writer and reader, Keiki Hendrix. She culls book reviews from reviewers around the web and highlights books that are meant to edify as well as educate and entertain. Along with book reviews Keiki has poetry, quotes, devotions, and listings of free books on her site. It's a lot of fun to visit and check out all the stuff she has available.

Go ahead, hop on over and check it out.

Beloved, Let Me Tell You Something

Oh the joy of coming together with several hundred like minded individuals to worship the Lord, learn the craft, and share our work! Writing for the Soul was such a great time. If you’re a Christian writer and haven’t attended, I highly recommend you start saving your pennies.


This year we had the pleasure of Liz Curtis Higgs sharing her love for God not once, but twice during the weekend. If you’ve read any of her books, you know her great love for the Lord. In person, it’s exuberant and all enveloping like a big bear hug. It made me want to shout from the rooftops how great our God is!

Liz started the conference with a bang with her keynote speech on Thursday night. Through sharing her own sometimes painful experiences she spoke the truth of God’s love. That truth is that God loves each of us, just as we are right now. He doesn’t require we change or be someone different to be worthy of this love. He just loves us.

One of the words used to describe this little bundle of enthusiasm named Liz is encourager. It’s a job that she is really good at! I’m going to let you in on a little something I figured out after hearing Liz speak. When she looks at you and says, “Beloved, let me tell you something” she is going to reveal just how much God cares. Liz experienced God’s care and you can tell she just wants everyone to experience that.

You may be wondering how this subject relates to writing. Sure, it’s great that God loves and cares about us, but what does that have to do with the words we put on the paper? Everything! As Christian writers our most important job is to point people to God so that their lives may be changed. We can’t do that if we haven’t gone deep into His character and learned just how much we mean to Him.

Writer’s conferences and the encouragement of other writers are important to our work. Thankfully, we have a great host of Christian writers who want to give us a hand up the ladder.

Writers Conferences - Networking

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Christian Writers Guild Writing for the Soul Conference. This was my second time attending. The first was in 2009 and I think I was so nervous about the whole thing that I really missed out on the fun and benefits. This time I was much more relaxed and really came away with some great insight and inspiration.


This week I want to highlight some of the insights I came away with. Today I’m going to share some thoughts on networking.

In the weeks before the conference I realized I didn’t have any work at a place that I felt comfortable pitching. At first I was stressed by the thought that I was wasting my money. Then I figured out that I could still network, learn, and gain valuable support which would still be a winning situation for me.

When I first began writing I thought writer’s conferences were just for either those who needed lots of help or the pros who needed to talk about all their accomplishments. Since then I’ve found that conferences are an important part of a writer’s work. They offer networking opportunities, support and encouragement, and a chance to learn from teachers who’ve walked the walk.

Networking is one of the big benefits of attending these functions. Many of the big conferences and even some of the smaller ones have editors, publishers, and agents on hand to meet with attendees. In the tough world of publishing these days meeting one of these folks at a conference can be a great foot in the door.

However, there is also a great opportunity to meet other writers and that is a great thing. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t network well. I lean a little toward the shy side and I don’t make small talk easily so the thought of meeting people and hopefully building meaningful relationships worried me. I prayed about it and decided to just be myself and let the Lord lead. And lead He did. I met some great people and really enjoyed myself.

The meals and general sessions were held in one of the big ballrooms. For lunch and dinner each table was hosted by an agent, editor, or mentor. I loved being able to sit at tables with someone I admire or someone I want to get to know better. It’s a low key way to get to know more about their work and have them get to know your work.

During meals you also get to meet other writers. We talked about our work and our lives away from writing. One morning as I had breakfast I talked with a writer from Denver. At the end of breakfast and the morning keynote session she looked over at me and said, “This was just what I needed. It really helped me organize my work in progress and know where I want to go with it.” Sometimes just talking through what you’re writing is what you need to be able to figure out what needs to happen next.

I loved meeting all the different people over the weekend. It was encouraging and inspiring. Getting to know other writers is a great benefit of attending writers conferences.

Writers in a Vacuum

Writers can’t write in a vacuum. We need real life experience to hold up what we are writing. We need each other to support, critique, and comment on our work. Writers are people who need people. As that old song goes, “people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.”


This is the year that I am focusing on building my writing career so that means this is the year that I am also building my circle of writer friends. One of the things I have written about before is that I fear rejection and that makes it hard for me to let others read what I write. I do believe though, that God gave me this talent for a purpose and keeping my writing to myself really doesn’t fulfill God’s purpose. I began this blog in 2007 as a way to begin putting myself out there and working past the fear. That has helped. Still, I’ve been slow in building a circle of writer friends because of this fear.

To step out of my vacuum I attended a conference sponsored by the local chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers group. The conference was Saturday and the speaker was Karen Ball. Can I just say that I should have joined this group a long time ago? I enjoyed the energy in the group and I loved Karen!

Karen is Senior Acquisitions Editor at B&H Publishing Group and a multi-published novelist. She came in with an energy and spunk that kept the day moving and exciting. She was honest and open not only about her work, but also her own life and her faith. She was amazing! I came away with 2 of her books and am excited to read them.

The topic for the day was “Taming the Fiction Dragons”. It was full of things that any fiction writer who has studied the craft has heard or learned. The thing I loved about this was that she gave real examples. She demonstrated show versus tell in a way that brought new light to it for me. Her latent actor came out when she talked about how to make dialogue ring true. Her presentation wasn’t just lecture. It was a combination of information, demonstration, and interaction. I was enthralled throughout the full 8 hour day.

Having the pleasure of hearing Karen speak would have been worth the time and money spent, but I also got to meet some local writers. I will definitely be checking out the group that meets once a month and look forward to getting to know these folks better. It was fun to meet other writers and hear what they were working on, what their challenges are, and how they integrate -their writing with their day-to-day life.

All in all it was a fabulous day. Can you hear it? The vacuum has been broken and air is beginning to hiss in.