Know Your Calling

One of the advantages to living in Phoenix, if you’re a sports’ fan, is the variety of teams we have. For the NBA lover, we have the Phoenix Suns. NFL? The Arizona Cardinals. Hockey? The Phoenix Coyotes. Baseball? The Arizona Diamondbacks. WNBA. The Mercury. Then we have teams like the Rattlers.

 

A few nights ago I stayed awake to watch the Diamondbacks play 18 innings (7 hours, 6 minutes – the longest game in D’Backs history). Score was tied 7-7. The Philadelphia Phillies eventually let a fielder be the pitcher. He wasn’t trained to pitch, but he did okay. Except – our batters got five hits off him in the 18^th inning to win the game.

 

A wise person knows their calling, their gifts and skills. Just because a person loves to sing, wants to be a singer, doesn’t necessarily mean they can sing. I’ve heard a few who set my teeth on edge, but their whole stage persona says they think they are the cat’s meow. The Phillies fielder wasn’t skilled at pitching, but he gave it his best effort.

 

Some people just can’t write. It’s not their gifting, yet I’ve read some things on websites, usually sponsored writing contests, that were quite horrid. The grammar and craft is awful, there really isn’t a flow of a story line whatsoever. Often a person can have a gift for storytelling, but just need to develop their skills or take classes to hone their craft. Those aren’t the people I’m talking about.

 

When I started writing, I hadn’t a clue regarding the proper crafting of a story. I’ve learned as time progressed. I’m still learning. It amazes me when people approach me with, “Can you read this and tell me what you think?”

 

I’m not an expert and I know it. I’m not even well-educated in the art of writing. Yet I’ve had a few people who send me thing to “read.” I’ve even had someone pester me to write their life story AFTER keeping me on the phone for an hour sharing events in her life. I’m thinking of two people in particular, and both are disconnectedly related to me.

 

Don’t misunderstand – I have friends who write and I love to read their work and tell them what I think. But to the other two – one keeps sending me “stuff” in a private message on facebook and wants me to critique it – please be considerate. I am not an authority on writing at all, I am very busy, and we are not close at all for you to expect such favors from me. And it is rude! My advice – join a writing group.

Like the Phillies pitcher, I can tell you what I think, but I may lose the game for you.

Mum's The Word

I just finished a book, the third in a series, by a successful author. She’s not well-known like James Patterson, Debbie Macomber, Stephen King and others, but she is successful – at least in Christian circles. I noticed an error in the book when it said though and it should have been thought. I’m always a little tickled to find errors in other books because there are errors in my book Like A Cedar In Lebanon. Misery loves company, I suppose.

 

The though/thought error reminded me of an old I Love Lucy episode where Ricky was complaining about how confusing the English language – which wasn’t his native language – is to learn. He used the example of bough, rough, though, and cough. They all end in ough, but sound entirely different. Add to that the words thought and drought which also sound differently. Then we have the words their, they’re, there, and your and you’re, and its and it’s, and other language nightmares. Accept vs except, principle vs principal, complement vs compliment, affect vs effect, capitol vs capital! There are too many to name.

 

To most writers and those with an adequate grasp on the English language and grammar, these nuances don’t give any problems, or at least not too many problems. But the average person struggles to use the correct word, and it’s especially difficult for those attempting to learn the English language.

 

I belong to several writers’ groups. One is an international group, so submissions of any kind can come from other countries. Although the English language is used, some words are different. In the USA, it’s mother, mama, mom, mommy and not Mum, and we spell things to end in er and not re, such as center, theater, etc. But those are easy things to learn and understand.

 

So, for the pure pleasure of reading, ignore those little mistakes in novels. Life is too short to concentrate on the negatives!

The Poor Writer

I know a lot of people, A LOT, and have many friends. It’s from my years in church, and in ministry. When the word first got out that I was writing – had written a book – I began getting messages or being contacted by people that I hadn’t seen or talked to in awhile.

 

All are good people, dear people, and those I admire and love. But the underlying reason for them contacting me was they assumed I was riding a crest of wealth now – you know, being an author and all. It was a subtle way to remind me of the good work they’re involved with.

 

I am a giver by nature. I don’t need to be coaxed or strong-armed into giving. The truth is, though, I’ve never had a lot of available resources for giving. And, are you ready for this….writing usually costs more to do than I’ll ever see returned in royalties, etc.

 

That is true for most writers, at least those I hang out with. Unless you become a Debbie Macomber, Stephen King, James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, or any number of famous, prolific writers, there’s just not a lot of money to be made for the beginning or struggling writer.

 

This truth hit home with me almost immediately. My income/expense spreadsheet is always in the red. BUT, I keep writing. I write for the love of writing. I love words. Not just words, but the ability to string words together to tell a story.

 

Maybe someday I’ll get rich and famous. Maybe!

Writing While On Vacation

We’re on vacation this week – visiting our youngest son, Jason, his wife, Danielle, and baby Kate – in the great state of Texas. The first thing everyone asks is, “How’s the writing going?” I did bring some writing projects with me, and have squeezed in a little bit. But that was on the plane.

 

Well! Sometimes it’s going and sometimes it’s not. When I used to hear or read something about writer’s block, I’d think hmmmm, I would love to have time to just write and write and write. I don’t need motivation or drive to do it. I did bring some writing projects with me, and have squeezed in a little bit. But that was on the plane.

 

Oh, foolish me! Sometimes I just can’t muster up the oomph to write. I didn’t see that coming. My friend, Jan, wrote a book Wake Up Your Muse that has 1001 story starters. At the FaithWriters Conference in Portland in June there was even a closing skit about our Muse. Maybe I need to start searching for my Muse or resurrect the one I already have.

 

One thing I’ve noticed in travels is how I view different towns and city with an eye and mind that wonders how this could be used in a novel. Stephenville, TX where we’re at right now is a charming, smaller city. We are staying at a bed and breakfast that is delightful. I’d love to incorporate into a novel or short story sometime.

 

I read somewhere that writers should never have a setting in a real city or town and then put lots of information that doesn’t exist in said place. Readers who KNOW will be quick to point erroneous information. It’s much better to create fictional cities and towns and sites.

 

I kind of like using real places. And in doing so, I fictionalize places and events. Isn’t a work of fiction is suppose to be, well, fiction?

Searching For That Perfect Title

Some writers struggle with coming up with a good title for their novel. We all know that when a reader picks a book the first thing they see is the cover, and then the title. They’ll usually read the blurb on the back, BUT they read the title first. How do you come up with your title?

 

As Christian writers we know our book or books will have a message. If not a blatant Christian message, it will have a theme running through it of morality, integrity, or clean wholesomeness. When I first started to seriously pursue writing, I determined that my novels would incorporate a Bible verse in the title, and that verse would set the theme.

 

Do you know the Bible is full of catchy titles? The first novel I wrote was a fictionalize story of my first marriage – it was more for healing than publication. I titled it As Waters That Pass Away based on Job 11:16.

 

My next novel I worked on is In An Eveningtide based on 2 Samuel 11:1, 2. It’s a modern version of King David when he’s on the roof of his home and sees Bathsheba bathing and lusts for her. I originally titled it The Roof of The King’s House, but felt I needed to shorten it. In An Eveningtide is included in the same scripture reference.

 

Another one is Grasping For The Wind taken from Ecclesiastes 6:9. This phrase is actually repeated several times throughout Ecclesiastes. Another novel I’m working on is A Lily Among Thorns based on Song of Solomon 2:2.

 

I also include the full scripture as an introduction to the novel. Are you struggling for a catchy title? Look in your Bible. I found that Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Psalm, and Ecclesiastes are rich sources. And why not include the scripture as the theme for your novel. The Bible is very poetic and flowery. Give it try!

Life Experiences

Like many writers, I write from my own life experiences, or experiences of others I know. In my book Like a Cedar In Lebanon one of the main characters is Jack. Jack seems a dastardly, unlikeable person in the first part of the book when I’m telling Lebby’s story. The second half of the book is Jack’s story – the horrendous things he suffered that made him the way he was. The story is about redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

 

Lebby’s life was based on many things I experienced. Jack’s life was based on things I learned and understood from working with men at Teen Challenge for nineteen years. There are also characteristics of Jack drawn from my experiences with my ex-husband and my son.

 

It took me many years to forgive my ex-husband. When he passed away recently, I realized there are still many wounded areas in me. Unfortunately there are many things about my son – I have four daughters – that remind me of my ex-husband. Dealing with my son, who has battled alcoholism from his teen years, is like reliving so many experiences from my first marriage.

 

Many years ago I heard a preacher say that the reason some of continue to go around the same mountain is because we didn’t learn the lesson God intended the first time. My son has been staying in my home for the past several days and will be here until the end of the week. He is helping my husband do some construction work on a church. We had to spring him from jail for this.

 

My son is just so much like his dad. I've cried enough tears over him to fill an ocean. God help me, I don’t want to keep going around this mountain! And I don’t need more material to write about, thank you very much! If I live to be a hundred, I won’t run out of things to writing ideas.

 

Life! To quote a line from a movie, “Life’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”   I’m so glad I serve a God who holds it all in his compassionate, capable hands.

Research for Writing: Blah!

I stand at the window and hope for rain that seems will never happen. It is the desert, after all, and that way for a reason. If we had an abundance of rain, it wouldn’t be desert, right?

 

The terrain in my home state finds its way into the things I write. Write what you know, someone told me recently. Perhaps they understood that I hate the research part of writing. Oh, I know some writers love to do research, but I don’t.  So I tend to write about things I know, or within easy grasp.

 

In Like A Cedar in Lebanon, I confess, I had to do some research – on medical conditions regarding a heart transplant, and about the Gulf War. But it was minuscule, not overly deep research, the way I like research to be.

 

I’ve also heard other writers say to make sure you get your facts straight in your writing. Readers will KNOW and point out your errors to you. Maybe I was an ignorant reader, still am, because I seldom care about factual errors. If it’s blatant, maybe, but otherwise I just want a good read, something to keep me turning pages to see what happens next.

 

I’m not talking about grammatical or spelling errors. Those I spot right away. Unfortunately! I say unfortunately because I hate to be distracted when I’m reading.

 

So I write, hoping, praying I don’t have to do research. I’m currently working on several projects. One: going through my manuscript about being a cougar from a Christian perspective. (yes, I AM married to a younger man, 16 years younger – we’ve been married 19 years). Two:

Two different short articles for a testimony contest with FaithWriters. Three: Two different novels. Four: Polishing a synopsis and first chapter of a novel for an entry to the Page Turner contest with FaithWriters.

 

So, I better get busy!