I'm back! The vacation was just what I needed.
My husband wants to go back to see the observatories, more beaches, more of Kauai, and more beaches. He promised to take me and the kids with him. How nice!
We saw so many beautiful places - too hard to pick out a favorite. We saw lava spewing into the water, Moloka'i by helicopter, and the wettest spot on Earth. I was also thrilled to see a black sand beach, a taro field, and a grove of Macadamia trees. I ate fresh papaya right after our tour guide knocked it off the tree.
And we also saw chickens. A lot of chickens. Roaming free throughout the islands. Woke up at 4 am because of a rooster who apparently had an early appointment.
My research went well. I went on a few tours. The tour guides were very informative and helped me with spelling. Other tourists asked why I was taking notes - it's a vacation, right? I had to pull off my tourist mask and bare my writer's soul. When I admitted I was getting my facts straight for a novel, one older gentleman kept after me the whole trip. "Did you write that down?" "Yes." "Are we taking a test at the end of the tour?" "No."
I guess my favorite moment was when we arrived at my mom's to pick up my kids. My son's face was awesome when he saw we were back. I love getting kids' kisses.
Hawaiian Excursion
Happy Anniversary to me! And my honey, of course. We've been together a long time, so we thought we'd celebrate by letting me do a little writing research. hee hee
I have a few scenes in Hawaii in one of my stories. I've been all over the internet trying to make my setting right, but I don't think I quite have it yet. Can you imagine trying to describe the taste of ice cream without ever tasting it yourself?
So the hubby is going to experience with me all the romance that Hawaii is so famous for.
I can't wait!
Anyone who has read this blog on a consistant basis knows that I only post one day each week. I'll be gone next week, so this is the post that is supposed to be read next week.
Enjoy your week.
I know I will.
I have a few scenes in Hawaii in one of my stories. I've been all over the internet trying to make my setting right, but I don't think I quite have it yet. Can you imagine trying to describe the taste of ice cream without ever tasting it yourself?
So the hubby is going to experience with me all the romance that Hawaii is so famous for.
I can't wait!
Anyone who has read this blog on a consistant basis knows that I only post one day each week. I'll be gone next week, so this is the post that is supposed to be read next week.
Enjoy your week.
I know I will.
STORY, Part 2
Robert McKee's STORY has given me a creative boost. A push to strive for uniqueness and excellence.
If I read through my story and find a boring part, it might be because I let the reader know what's ahead. If I give clues to lead the reader into one area, and then storm through with the action taking the reader into a different area, I give the reader a happy surprise. Readers love happy surprises. They want to be thrilled by twists and turns.
Let's see what I can do with a practice scene. I'll start with Mary in an ice cream store so Bob can surprise her outside the store. My job in this scene is to hold back some information and redirect the reader's attention so I don't spill the beans.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Jeff held open the door of the Icy Delight ice cream shop while Mary entered, shuffling in her flip flops. She looked up at the bundle of bells jingling at the top of the door when it closed behind him. Gracious! The guy's tall. She turned her gaze to the long counter displaying many of her favorite ice cream flavors. "What kind do you like?"
"I always get a vanilla cone. What are you having?" Jeff moved closer to her on his way to the counter, avoiding the little boy in the booth kicking a nearby empty chair.
"I don't know. I'll look around." She shuffled beside him until he stopped at the vanilla, and then she inched around a family of four. "Thanks for the ride down the block, by the way. I sure didn't know about the fire at the frozen yogurt stand. It must've happened last night." She walked to the end of the counter and back to Jeff.
"I didn't mind stopping to pick you up." He ordered his cone and stepped back from the counter.
"Too many choices. Oh, I'll just get a chocolate cone." Mary hesitated. "With sprinkles."
He took his vanilla cone, paid, and licked the edge of the cone where the ice cream had begun its descent.
Mary took her cone, paid, and swiveled her body toward the door. When she looked down, she saw the foot of a small girl who was standing right where her own foot was about to land. Mary moved her foot away in mid-step, but her ice cream tumbled to the floor in her effort to miss the child. When she shifted her weight, she lost her balance and hurt her ankle in the fall. She landed in the ice cream mess, but the child was fine.
Jeff held out his hand to her. "Can you get up?"
"Yes. I'm okay." Mary tried to stand, but her ankle hurt too bad to walk on it.
"Okay, huh?" He steadied her with his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, I can hop." She grinned with fierce determination.
"Stubborn woman." He threw the rest of his cone into the nearby trash can and picked her up.
"Put your arms around my neck."
"Jeff, put me down." She grabbed onto his burly shoulders and felt a little awkward. What would people think?
He looked pretty happy to have her arms encircling his neck. "No. I'm going to drive you home." He carried her to the sidewalk by his car.
A brand new red Lexus slowed and pulled into a parking space just past Jeff's car. It was Bob! He got out, slammed his door, and walked around the back of his car. "I knew it! I knew you were dating someone behind my back. Put her down, Jeff. She and I have to talk."
Jeff set her down on one foot beside his car. She leaned against it while he opened the door.
She hurried to get inside and shut the door, yelling through the open window, "Bob, calm down. I'm not dating anyone but you. Really. This is all very innocent."
Jeff forced Bob away from his car. Bob shoved him. Jeff shoved him back and pushed too hard. Bob entered the street. He came running at Jeff and swung his fist so hard he fell onto the back of Jeff's car when he missed.
Mary leaned through the open window. "Stop fighting! Bob, you don't understand." After the car stopped it's tiny rocking from Bob's fall, Mary sat back in her seat and twisted to keep watch.
Bob ran at Jeff again and crammed a solid punch into Jeff's abdomen. Jeff backed up between two parked cars and threw a left across Bob's jaw and a right into his chest. Bob staggered backward into the street too far, too fast and was hit by a truck that screeched to a stop just past Bob's car.
Jeff ran to his car, started it, backed up, and wheeled away with Mary as speechless as the wind.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Do you like the scene?
Even though I let you know that Bob was going to surprise Mary, I didn't tell the important part. The truck that hit Bob was the irreversible, unexpected gap between the reader's expectation and the result.
I realize the scene needs more fixing before it is a bearable part of a story. But hey, isn't this what learning is all about?
If I read through my story and find a boring part, it might be because I let the reader know what's ahead. If I give clues to lead the reader into one area, and then storm through with the action taking the reader into a different area, I give the reader a happy surprise. Readers love happy surprises. They want to be thrilled by twists and turns.
Let's see what I can do with a practice scene. I'll start with Mary in an ice cream store so Bob can surprise her outside the store. My job in this scene is to hold back some information and redirect the reader's attention so I don't spill the beans.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Jeff held open the door of the Icy Delight ice cream shop while Mary entered, shuffling in her flip flops. She looked up at the bundle of bells jingling at the top of the door when it closed behind him. Gracious! The guy's tall. She turned her gaze to the long counter displaying many of her favorite ice cream flavors. "What kind do you like?"
"I always get a vanilla cone. What are you having?" Jeff moved closer to her on his way to the counter, avoiding the little boy in the booth kicking a nearby empty chair.
"I don't know. I'll look around." She shuffled beside him until he stopped at the vanilla, and then she inched around a family of four. "Thanks for the ride down the block, by the way. I sure didn't know about the fire at the frozen yogurt stand. It must've happened last night." She walked to the end of the counter and back to Jeff.
"I didn't mind stopping to pick you up." He ordered his cone and stepped back from the counter.
"Too many choices. Oh, I'll just get a chocolate cone." Mary hesitated. "With sprinkles."
He took his vanilla cone, paid, and licked the edge of the cone where the ice cream had begun its descent.
Mary took her cone, paid, and swiveled her body toward the door. When she looked down, she saw the foot of a small girl who was standing right where her own foot was about to land. Mary moved her foot away in mid-step, but her ice cream tumbled to the floor in her effort to miss the child. When she shifted her weight, she lost her balance and hurt her ankle in the fall. She landed in the ice cream mess, but the child was fine.
Jeff held out his hand to her. "Can you get up?"
"Yes. I'm okay." Mary tried to stand, but her ankle hurt too bad to walk on it.
"Okay, huh?" He steadied her with his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, I can hop." She grinned with fierce determination.
"Stubborn woman." He threw the rest of his cone into the nearby trash can and picked her up.
"Put your arms around my neck."
"Jeff, put me down." She grabbed onto his burly shoulders and felt a little awkward. What would people think?
He looked pretty happy to have her arms encircling his neck. "No. I'm going to drive you home." He carried her to the sidewalk by his car.
A brand new red Lexus slowed and pulled into a parking space just past Jeff's car. It was Bob! He got out, slammed his door, and walked around the back of his car. "I knew it! I knew you were dating someone behind my back. Put her down, Jeff. She and I have to talk."
Jeff set her down on one foot beside his car. She leaned against it while he opened the door.
She hurried to get inside and shut the door, yelling through the open window, "Bob, calm down. I'm not dating anyone but you. Really. This is all very innocent."
Jeff forced Bob away from his car. Bob shoved him. Jeff shoved him back and pushed too hard. Bob entered the street. He came running at Jeff and swung his fist so hard he fell onto the back of Jeff's car when he missed.
Mary leaned through the open window. "Stop fighting! Bob, you don't understand." After the car stopped it's tiny rocking from Bob's fall, Mary sat back in her seat and twisted to keep watch.
Bob ran at Jeff again and crammed a solid punch into Jeff's abdomen. Jeff backed up between two parked cars and threw a left across Bob's jaw and a right into his chest. Bob staggered backward into the street too far, too fast and was hit by a truck that screeched to a stop just past Bob's car.
Jeff ran to his car, started it, backed up, and wheeled away with Mary as speechless as the wind.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Do you like the scene?
Even though I let you know that Bob was going to surprise Mary, I didn't tell the important part. The truck that hit Bob was the irreversible, unexpected gap between the reader's expectation and the result.
I realize the scene needs more fixing before it is a bearable part of a story. But hey, isn't this what learning is all about?
STORY, Part 1
I've been reading Robert McKee's STORY. Though it's geared toward screenwriters, novelists can learn much about creating an engaging story. It gives example after example (from many different movies) about how to keep your audience riveted.
I'm not finished with the book yet, but when I do, I'll re-read all the penciled-in underlines, circles, and stars on the dog-eared pages.
Reading STORY has made me aware of many ways to make my stories better. I liked studying how to analyze a scene. I learned about the gap between expectation and result. I also like what he wrote about subtexting.
One thing I'll work on in my story is developing more clearly the gap between audience expectation and the on-screen (or on-page) result.
Next week, I'll post a practice scene to show what I learned.
I'm not finished with the book yet, but when I do, I'll re-read all the penciled-in underlines, circles, and stars on the dog-eared pages.
Reading STORY has made me aware of many ways to make my stories better. I liked studying how to analyze a scene. I learned about the gap between expectation and result. I also like what he wrote about subtexting.
One thing I'll work on in my story is developing more clearly the gap between audience expectation and the on-screen (or on-page) result.
Next week, I'll post a practice scene to show what I learned.
Did I do something right?
There is a nearby Chinese restaurant that we frequent to pick up a bag of food and bring it home. In the big bag of food, they always include a small bag of fortune cookies. We've done this often enough for our kids to understand that you get to read your "fortune" when you break open a cookie.
This weekend, my husband and I brought home Chinese food again, and I left the paper from the cookie on the table. When the kids got home from school, they read it just out of curiosity. I looked at the paper a few hours later and there were words penciled on the back side of it.
The new fortune? "You will say No to your children."
My husband and I both laughed. Maybe we're doing something right.
Kids like to have boundaries, whether they realize it or not. They act better when they know the limits. Saying No is a loving teaching tool for little minds. When you do it well and relatively often, they learn to have appropriate behavior.
When I relate this to writing (you knew I would, didn't you), I look at the boundaries of the different genres. If I write a romance, it will not look like a psychological thriller. If my story wants to flee down a path that's not right, I'll have to pull the reigns and focus on the right path. I'm in charge of my story, although sometimes it doesn't feel like it. I need to let the story have the freedom it needs while staying within the genre boundaries.
Apparently I say No a lot. One of my children recognized that it was a word that would be said in my near future. She was right.
If I wait for the right moment, it's effective. If I say it too much, that weakens its power. I think that's true for most good answers.
I've already mentioned in a previous post about my rejection from an editor. Sometimes No is disappointing. Sometimes it proves that God is our Protector. No helps my children feel loved. No helps my story keep its focus.
There are times when parenting (and writing) feels really hard to do. And the other times - when I see the benefits of my efforts - give me the energy to press on.
This weekend, my husband and I brought home Chinese food again, and I left the paper from the cookie on the table. When the kids got home from school, they read it just out of curiosity. I looked at the paper a few hours later and there were words penciled on the back side of it.
The new fortune? "You will say No to your children."
My husband and I both laughed. Maybe we're doing something right.
Kids like to have boundaries, whether they realize it or not. They act better when they know the limits. Saying No is a loving teaching tool for little minds. When you do it well and relatively often, they learn to have appropriate behavior.
When I relate this to writing (you knew I would, didn't you), I look at the boundaries of the different genres. If I write a romance, it will not look like a psychological thriller. If my story wants to flee down a path that's not right, I'll have to pull the reigns and focus on the right path. I'm in charge of my story, although sometimes it doesn't feel like it. I need to let the story have the freedom it needs while staying within the genre boundaries.
Apparently I say No a lot. One of my children recognized that it was a word that would be said in my near future. She was right.
If I wait for the right moment, it's effective. If I say it too much, that weakens its power. I think that's true for most good answers.
I've already mentioned in a previous post about my rejection from an editor. Sometimes No is disappointing. Sometimes it proves that God is our Protector. No helps my children feel loved. No helps my story keep its focus.
There are times when parenting (and writing) feels really hard to do. And the other times - when I see the benefits of my efforts - give me the energy to press on.
The Tapestry of the Human Community
God heals, but not with only one method.
God reaches one person through the hands of another.
I have noticed that God weaves us into each others’ lives for a larger purpose than we can see. We connect with those around us, and whether we realize it or not, that connection is necessary to the connection of others.
The big picture is seen when the little pieces come together. No one lives his life untouched. Someone is always around to lead you or to see and follow you. God is the one supplying you with blessings. He is the one that created you to live in this day and time. Within your sphere of influence, where you go to be a blessing is up to you. Your obedience to God and enjoyment of the task He leads you to is up to you.
Focus on the people God has given you. How will you touch them, influence them, help them?
Should you blend in like a simple leaf on a tree or stand out like a red ball in green grass? The answer is not found in a whim or a list of likes and dislikes but in personal purpose.
If each of us does the job we were created for, our obedience will give pleasure to others while fulfilling our own purpose. The one who stands out like the ball was created to be noticed. The one who blends in like the leaf was created to give aid and comfort without being noticed. A boy runs into the back yard, sees the ball, and plays with it. When he’s tired and hot, he looks to the shade created by the leaves on the trees. Each purpose fulfilled. Each job appreciated.
If you are to stand out, remember no one stands alone. There are those who, like blades of grass, raise your feet onto their shoulders, enhancing your view. They support you in rest and catch you when you fall. If you are to blend in, there are those who will share with you their blanket of color. They add to your success, knowing one leaf cannot do it alone.
Do what’s in you. Do it with all you have. Do it knowing God is weaving you where He wills.
God reaches one person through the hands of another.
I have noticed that God weaves us into each others’ lives for a larger purpose than we can see. We connect with those around us, and whether we realize it or not, that connection is necessary to the connection of others.
The big picture is seen when the little pieces come together. No one lives his life untouched. Someone is always around to lead you or to see and follow you. God is the one supplying you with blessings. He is the one that created you to live in this day and time. Within your sphere of influence, where you go to be a blessing is up to you. Your obedience to God and enjoyment of the task He leads you to is up to you.
Focus on the people God has given you. How will you touch them, influence them, help them?
Should you blend in like a simple leaf on a tree or stand out like a red ball in green grass? The answer is not found in a whim or a list of likes and dislikes but in personal purpose.
If each of us does the job we were created for, our obedience will give pleasure to others while fulfilling our own purpose. The one who stands out like the ball was created to be noticed. The one who blends in like the leaf was created to give aid and comfort without being noticed. A boy runs into the back yard, sees the ball, and plays with it. When he’s tired and hot, he looks to the shade created by the leaves on the trees. Each purpose fulfilled. Each job appreciated.
If you are to stand out, remember no one stands alone. There are those who, like blades of grass, raise your feet onto their shoulders, enhancing your view. They support you in rest and catch you when you fall. If you are to blend in, there are those who will share with you their blanket of color. They add to your success, knowing one leaf cannot do it alone.
Do what’s in you. Do it with all you have. Do it knowing God is weaving you where He wills.
The Blue Ink Checkmark
What you can learn from a blue ink checkmark?
My only rejection letter was sent to me years ago in response to the only proposal I’ve ever sent to a publishing house.
I was writing a children’s book and asked a friend to do illustrations so the publisher would have a good idea of my intentions. I also worked on back cover copy and endorsements from real children. I thought I had covered my bases, so I sent it off.
After a while, my proposal came back to me with one sheet added to it. I read it slowly and carefully, hoping to glean as much information as I could from it. I don’t remember what the exact words were, but among them stood two fearsome letters: NO.
I got the message.
The sheet was a poor-quality copy and displayed a single blue ink checkmark hovering over one of the lines in a column of options. No signature. No suggestions. Only a single checkmark.
I was disappointed in my story’s failure to grab an editor’s attention, but I was more disappointed that all my effort was answered with so little ink.
Today, I know much more than I did then about the world of publishing. That checkmark sent me back to my copy of a writers’ magazine to look at the conference listings. I didn’t go to a conference right away, but ordered several conference tapes and listened to them. I took notes and listened again. I learned not only about the creative end of my chosen career, but also about the business end.
I eventually went to Glorietta Writers Conference. There, I got feedback on two other stories. The woman giving the critique told me much more than a checkmark ever could. No checkmark ever gave me a list of how to books to get me started down the right path. No checkmark ever challenged me to make changes and rewrite. All the checkmark told me was, “No.”
Now, as I think about it, I’m glad God gave me the stubborn attitude that urges me onward with, “When I see a NO, I’ll just turn it on its head so it’ll say ON.
I have pushed forward to other stories and other writers' conferences (Mount Hermon and ACFW). My current stories have proven that I'm growing. I only needed one NO to push me ON to the right path. I haven’t given up. I’m still learning. Maybe one day soon, an editor’s response will read, “Yes.”
Thanks, God, that You’re still leading me.
My only rejection letter was sent to me years ago in response to the only proposal I’ve ever sent to a publishing house.
I was writing a children’s book and asked a friend to do illustrations so the publisher would have a good idea of my intentions. I also worked on back cover copy and endorsements from real children. I thought I had covered my bases, so I sent it off.
After a while, my proposal came back to me with one sheet added to it. I read it slowly and carefully, hoping to glean as much information as I could from it. I don’t remember what the exact words were, but among them stood two fearsome letters: NO.
I got the message.
The sheet was a poor-quality copy and displayed a single blue ink checkmark hovering over one of the lines in a column of options. No signature. No suggestions. Only a single checkmark.
I was disappointed in my story’s failure to grab an editor’s attention, but I was more disappointed that all my effort was answered with so little ink.
Today, I know much more than I did then about the world of publishing. That checkmark sent me back to my copy of a writers’ magazine to look at the conference listings. I didn’t go to a conference right away, but ordered several conference tapes and listened to them. I took notes and listened again. I learned not only about the creative end of my chosen career, but also about the business end.
I eventually went to Glorietta Writers Conference. There, I got feedback on two other stories. The woman giving the critique told me much more than a checkmark ever could. No checkmark ever gave me a list of how to books to get me started down the right path. No checkmark ever challenged me to make changes and rewrite. All the checkmark told me was, “No.”
Now, as I think about it, I’m glad God gave me the stubborn attitude that urges me onward with, “When I see a NO, I’ll just turn it on its head so it’ll say ON.
I have pushed forward to other stories and other writers' conferences (Mount Hermon and ACFW). My current stories have proven that I'm growing. I only needed one NO to push me ON to the right path. I haven’t given up. I’m still learning. Maybe one day soon, an editor’s response will read, “Yes.”
Thanks, God, that You’re still leading me.
Four Things
I can't help it. I have to do this. It's too fun to pass up. I read several different Four Things posts on different blogs and decided to accept the challenge.
4 movies I'd see again:
1. Sabrina
2. Dave
3. You've Got Mail
4. The Great Escape
4 places I've lived:
1. mom's house in Texas
2. my college dorm in Texas
3. my first apartment in Texas
4. my first house in Texas
(Hey, I was born here. Why would I want to leave?)
4 TV shows I enjoy
1. EXTREME Makeover - Home Edition
2. PBS documentaries on the awesome beauty of nature
3. any PBS show about Jazz
4. Andy Griffith reruns
4 of my favorite vacation spots
1. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Yosemite, Califorina
4. Athabascan Glacier, Canada (where my brother got muddy up to his knees and had to sit in the back of the station wagon in his underwear while his jeans and socks, which were snuggly tucked in the back window, flapped in the wind to dry as we drove away.)
4 websites/blogs I frequent
1. Forensics & Faith
2. Camy's Loft
3. Pyromarketing
4. ACFW Forum
4 foods I like (in no particular order)
1. Italian
2. Asian
3. Seafood
4. Bakery Items
4. Greek
4. Mexican
Okay, so I'm easy to please!
4 places I'd rather be
1. on a NYC booksigning tour (I'm currently unpublished, but they have great restaurants.)
2. on a secluded beach with my husband
3. getting my hair and nails done
4. on a daytime talk show promoting my second book (I'm still unpublished.)
Anyone who wants to accept the challenge please consider yourself tagged. Post a comment here to tell me where to go to read yours.
4 movies I'd see again:
1. Sabrina
2. Dave
3. You've Got Mail
4. The Great Escape
4 places I've lived:
1. mom's house in Texas
2. my college dorm in Texas
3. my first apartment in Texas
4. my first house in Texas
(Hey, I was born here. Why would I want to leave?)
4 TV shows I enjoy
1. EXTREME Makeover - Home Edition
2. PBS documentaries on the awesome beauty of nature
3. any PBS show about Jazz
4. Andy Griffith reruns
4 of my favorite vacation spots
1. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Yosemite, Califorina
4. Athabascan Glacier, Canada (where my brother got muddy up to his knees and had to sit in the back of the station wagon in his underwear while his jeans and socks, which were snuggly tucked in the back window, flapped in the wind to dry as we drove away.)
4 websites/blogs I frequent
1. Forensics & Faith
2. Camy's Loft
3. Pyromarketing
4. ACFW Forum
4 foods I like (in no particular order)
1. Italian
2. Asian
3. Seafood
4. Bakery Items
4. Greek
4. Mexican
Okay, so I'm easy to please!
4 places I'd rather be
1. on a NYC booksigning tour (I'm currently unpublished, but they have great restaurants.)
2. on a secluded beach with my husband
3. getting my hair and nails done
4. on a daytime talk show promoting my second book (I'm still unpublished.)
Anyone who wants to accept the challenge please consider yourself tagged. Post a comment here to tell me where to go to read yours.
Terri's Brother
I'm working on my writing. Training. Learning. Improving. And going to concerts.
My sister invited my family to a Wayne Kerr concert at her church. Of course I wanted to go. My husband and I've been on a mission trip with him. He's talented, fun, and has a huge heart for God.
He related funny anecdotes about his recent trip to Indonesia. He thinks teens need to spend time in other countries so they won't take for granted all the freedoms they have here. When we leave home and stay a couple of weeks overseas, we learn a lot about other cultures. Punctuality and personal space take various forms depending on where you go. It sometimes takes a little getting used to.
Wayne is a great singer/song writer, but he's also Terri's brother. I met Terri and her husband Dave before I went on my first mission trip. She has an awesome voice. She and our friend Vickie and I sang in Belize, Jamaica, and Texas at various events before we had kids. Years later, the trio split up. It wasn't geographically convenient to continue since Terri and Dave left Texas for a great job - and I was busy raising my little family. I miss seeing her, but I appreciate the chance to go to Wayne's concerts when I know about them.
Thanks for the wonderful worship music, Wayne. Enjoyed the prayertime-video. Hope your wife had a happy birthday.
My sister invited my family to a Wayne Kerr concert at her church. Of course I wanted to go. My husband and I've been on a mission trip with him. He's talented, fun, and has a huge heart for God.
He related funny anecdotes about his recent trip to Indonesia. He thinks teens need to spend time in other countries so they won't take for granted all the freedoms they have here. When we leave home and stay a couple of weeks overseas, we learn a lot about other cultures. Punctuality and personal space take various forms depending on where you go. It sometimes takes a little getting used to.
Wayne is a great singer/song writer, but he's also Terri's brother. I met Terri and her husband Dave before I went on my first mission trip. She has an awesome voice. She and our friend Vickie and I sang in Belize, Jamaica, and Texas at various events before we had kids. Years later, the trio split up. It wasn't geographically convenient to continue since Terri and Dave left Texas for a great job - and I was busy raising my little family. I miss seeing her, but I appreciate the chance to go to Wayne's concerts when I know about them.
Thanks for the wonderful worship music, Wayne. Enjoyed the prayertime-video. Hope your wife had a happy birthday.
Prepare with Prayer
I will not be at my usual place next week because I'll be on my way back home from a writers' conference. I'm pretty excited about going to the Mount Hermon Writers Conference.
I went to the conference last year and loved it. This year, I'll know my way around a little better, and hopefully, I'll get a little more out of it. I'm hoping to not have that freshman wide-eyed stare this year. Hoping to look a little more like I belong there.
Last year, my roommate used a lot of patience with me at night when I was tired. We were talking about my characters. She was trying to help me. I was really tired - and a teeny bit scatter-brained.
Thank you, God, for experienced writers who love to help out the unpublished and unenergetic conferees.
This year, I'll have a different roommate. Big surprise. Maybe I won't scare this girl off. The good news is that my first roommate and I still love each other. Of course she loves me. She's a godly woman.
I know that God has called me to write. I wouldn't spend money on conferences if I wasn't sure of my calling. I also know that success doesn't show up just because I'm called to write. I must prepare.
The best way to prepare is to ask God what He wants. After all, prayer is talking WITH God.
I've looked through my Bible to find scriptures that mean something to me regarding this particular conference. Psalm 42:6 "...I will remember you from the... heights of Hermon..." I'm going to Mount Hermon. I definitely plan to remember God every day from the heights of Mount Hermon. I'll be asking for safety as I walk up and down the hilly campus to get to various workshop locations. I'll be asking for wisdom so I can carry on intelligent conversations with experienced members of the writing community. I'll be asking for guidance in all areas of my experience there.
Psalm 47:6 encourages us to "sing praises to God" and "sing praises to our King". I will be joining in the crowd of worshippers singing praises to our Living God.
Psalm 57 reminds me that I take refuge in the shadow of God. I cry out to Him and He fulfills His purpose for me.
Psalm 52 speaks of my trust in God. "I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
When I talk to God, I usually try to listen. He may want to speak. I know how it is when my son speaks to me, and then leaves without listening to what I'm saying. I sometimes raise my voice so he can hear me as he's leaving. I pray that God will help me hear Him, that He will raise His voice above my emotions this weekend. I pray that I will hear Him well enough that if He chooses to speak through me to someone else, I won't miss Him.
Thank You, God, that You know my weaknesses. Give me courage to serve where You send me.
"to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." Rev 1:6
I went to the conference last year and loved it. This year, I'll know my way around a little better, and hopefully, I'll get a little more out of it. I'm hoping to not have that freshman wide-eyed stare this year. Hoping to look a little more like I belong there.
Last year, my roommate used a lot of patience with me at night when I was tired. We were talking about my characters. She was trying to help me. I was really tired - and a teeny bit scatter-brained.
Thank you, God, for experienced writers who love to help out the unpublished and unenergetic conferees.
This year, I'll have a different roommate. Big surprise. Maybe I won't scare this girl off. The good news is that my first roommate and I still love each other. Of course she loves me. She's a godly woman.
I know that God has called me to write. I wouldn't spend money on conferences if I wasn't sure of my calling. I also know that success doesn't show up just because I'm called to write. I must prepare.
The best way to prepare is to ask God what He wants. After all, prayer is talking WITH God.
I've looked through my Bible to find scriptures that mean something to me regarding this particular conference. Psalm 42:6 "...I will remember you from the... heights of Hermon..." I'm going to Mount Hermon. I definitely plan to remember God every day from the heights of Mount Hermon. I'll be asking for safety as I walk up and down the hilly campus to get to various workshop locations. I'll be asking for wisdom so I can carry on intelligent conversations with experienced members of the writing community. I'll be asking for guidance in all areas of my experience there.
Psalm 47:6 encourages us to "sing praises to God" and "sing praises to our King". I will be joining in the crowd of worshippers singing praises to our Living God.
Psalm 57 reminds me that I take refuge in the shadow of God. I cry out to Him and He fulfills His purpose for me.
Psalm 52 speaks of my trust in God. "I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
When I talk to God, I usually try to listen. He may want to speak. I know how it is when my son speaks to me, and then leaves without listening to what I'm saying. I sometimes raise my voice so he can hear me as he's leaving. I pray that God will help me hear Him, that He will raise His voice above my emotions this weekend. I pray that I will hear Him well enough that if He chooses to speak through me to someone else, I won't miss Him.
Thank You, God, that You know my weaknesses. Give me courage to serve where You send me.
"to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." Rev 1:6
Villains
In any good story, there is an opposing force with which the hero must contend. Bad guys.
I've written a few villains and have found that they vary in personality as much as heroes do. I've written a sanity-challenged boyfriend, an ultra rich deceiver, a confused former friend of the hero, a vengeful and scheming former student, and a greedy thief.
Any interesting character has a few good character traits as well as some flaws. The hero's flaws and the villain's good traits make them more real and believable.
When I'm writing about a villain, I'm reminded of the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. The putty tat ran after the tiny bird, but never had enough luck to get what he wanted. Sometimes the bird was incased in claws with sharp teeth bared and ready for the kill, but the bird would always escape.
My guess is readers know before they start the story that they will encounter this same phenomenon over and over. The hero finds trouble, escapes trouble, finds worse trouble, and escapes again.
The fun is seeing what they're escaping from and how they do it. I loved watching the MacGuyver shows and Home Alone. They used whatever they had around them to build a defense against the villain.
My heroes look forward to their ultimate success, and so do the villains. However, I write happy endings. Sorry, villains.
I've written a few villains and have found that they vary in personality as much as heroes do. I've written a sanity-challenged boyfriend, an ultra rich deceiver, a confused former friend of the hero, a vengeful and scheming former student, and a greedy thief.
Any interesting character has a few good character traits as well as some flaws. The hero's flaws and the villain's good traits make them more real and believable.
When I'm writing about a villain, I'm reminded of the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. The putty tat ran after the tiny bird, but never had enough luck to get what he wanted. Sometimes the bird was incased in claws with sharp teeth bared and ready for the kill, but the bird would always escape.
My guess is readers know before they start the story that they will encounter this same phenomenon over and over. The hero finds trouble, escapes trouble, finds worse trouble, and escapes again.
The fun is seeing what they're escaping from and how they do it. I loved watching the MacGuyver shows and Home Alone. They used whatever they had around them to build a defense against the villain.
My heroes look forward to their ultimate success, and so do the villains. However, I write happy endings. Sorry, villains.
Things I love
Things I love: God, family, friends, writing, laughing, eating, peace and quiet, etc... I love a lot of things, but I don't love everything about all things.
Necessary things I don't enjoy: cleaning my kids' knee scrapes and other wounds, cleaning house, cleaning up after a sick kid, and cleaning up my manuscripts (editing). I will take care of necessary duties, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I do it knowing there is something to enjoy when I'm done.
When I'm busy editing my work, I try to see it as a puzzle. I love puzzles. (Oops. I forgot to list it.) If I can challenge myself in a positive way, the stubborn determination in me comes out and the editing gets done. The key to staying positive is making a game out of it. When I've finished a scene that I really like, I look up at a handwritten note over my desk which asks, "Okay. Now it's good, but can it be better?"
The answer is always, "Yes!"
When I re-read a chapter that I've re-written countless times, I remember that someone else besides me will read it someday and smile. That's the goal. I have to keep doing what I do until it's in the hands of those who need to read it.
When a stranger comes to me and thanks me for my hard work, I'll be glad I didn't give up.
No one benefits if I don't share the story. And I don't get to share the story unless it is written well. So for now, my hard work is done with an eye to the future.
The smiles will come. ...I love smiles.
Necessary things I don't enjoy: cleaning my kids' knee scrapes and other wounds, cleaning house, cleaning up after a sick kid, and cleaning up my manuscripts (editing). I will take care of necessary duties, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I do it knowing there is something to enjoy when I'm done.
When I'm busy editing my work, I try to see it as a puzzle. I love puzzles. (Oops. I forgot to list it.) If I can challenge myself in a positive way, the stubborn determination in me comes out and the editing gets done. The key to staying positive is making a game out of it. When I've finished a scene that I really like, I look up at a handwritten note over my desk which asks, "Okay. Now it's good, but can it be better?"
The answer is always, "Yes!"
When I re-read a chapter that I've re-written countless times, I remember that someone else besides me will read it someday and smile. That's the goal. I have to keep doing what I do until it's in the hands of those who need to read it.
When a stranger comes to me and thanks me for my hard work, I'll be glad I didn't give up.
No one benefits if I don't share the story. And I don't get to share the story unless it is written well. So for now, my hard work is done with an eye to the future.
The smiles will come. ...I love smiles.
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