Wild Words . . . Photos & Fine Art

Not Taking The Easy Way Out, Part I

2009-06-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

I recently gave a challenge to one of my students and myself…”Let’s write a book that will sell,” I said.

You may think, “Well, duh,” but the truth is most of us first-time book writers don’t stop to think whether our book will sell or not, we simply write the book that’s burning inside us. We attend writers conferences and read blogs by editors that tell us to “write the book of our passion,” so we think we are doing just that by writing that burning book.

After writing a few books of my passion that might sell AFTER I’m published but will be a hard FIRST sell, I took a new look at what I was doing and why I was doing it.

1. Why do we write the books of our passion? Is it because we are passionate about the subject? Is it because we are passionate about the meaning behind the story? Is it because we are passionate about our characters? Is it because we’ve been told that’s what we need to do?

Now, ask yourself if there are other subjects, meanings, characters that you might ALSO be passionate about. I suspect there are.

What I have discovered is that I can take a good subject and characters and the deeper meaning will come through naturally. It’s not so much because of the subject matter, it’s because of who I am as a writer. My passions and beliefs will always come through in some way in any story I write. There is no need for me to hammer it in.

2. What kind of books do you like to read? What genre? Are you writing in that genre?

If you are not writing the kind of books you like to read, ask yourself why. I like to read supernatural suspense, but that wasn’t what I was writing. When I asked myself why, I discovered it was mainly because I was chicken. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. So, I was trying to take the easy way out by writing something that was more up my alley. Also, since I mainly write in the Christian market I was trying to avoid a genre that isn’t as well accepted in that market.

I read an average of four books a week (some of them are books on tape), and a lot of them are supernatural suspense, so why on earth didn’t I think I could write that genre?

As far as not selling well in the Christian market…I have long suspected that any great book will make it through the channels. And isn’t it easier to write the GREAT book if you are writing the genre you most love?

Good question.

So, in trying to take the easy way out, I found myself having to work harder and do a lot of fixing and not getting very much return for all my hard work. Doesn’t sound like such an easy way after all, does it? But I don’t regret all that hard work, because it grew me as a writer and I may yet do something with all those first efforts.

So, now I’ve chosen the genre I like to read…supernatural suspense. And I’ve chosen some characters and a setting that I think will be interesting to others (keeping that secret for now). The plus is that I’m quite familiar with the culture and setting of my characters, so that cuts out a bit of research and also gives me an edge as someone with some kind of authority to write about these characters and setting. That will look nice in my proposal.

Now, I’ve placed myself way ahead of the game in writing a book that will sell:

1. I’ve chosen a genre that works and that I’m familiar with.
2. I’ve chosen an interesting setting and culture.
3. I’ve chosen interesting characters.

This is just the beginning of getting ready to write a book that will sell, but I think it’s enough to think about today. My next post will cover the next step.

1. In looking at the three things above, don’t worry if you’ve chosen an interesting setting and/or culture that you know little about. You can cover that with good research and interviews.

2. If you are concerned whether you have the skills to write your favorite genre, then head to some of your favorite author’s blogs, pick up some good reference books, and take some classes. This is a skill you can learn. And, of course, one of the best things is to read a lot of books in your chosen genre. See what works and what doesn’t.

3. Choosing interesting characters is a bit more difficult. I’ve discovered that writers choose their characters in many different ways. I see my characters in my mind long before I write them down. I don’t make character charts first, instead, I learn about my character and fill out the chart as I go, referencing it as needed. This is an “intuitive” way of working and is how I’ve discovered most character-driven novels are written…at least, that’s how my favorite authors write.

I’ve also discovered that some of my students who fill out long character charts, give their characters jobs and backgrounds that don’t work with the character after the story moves along. I end up being the one to tell them that they have their character doing something they would never do. Ha!

If you have trouble with choosing characters at this point, don’t worry too much about it. My next post will give you more insight on how to SEE your characters more clearly.

Until then, have fun thinking of a genre, setting and culture that would be a fun write that others would like to read about.

Most of you seldom leave comments, but I would love to hear from you regarding how this process goes for you or if you have a different way of developing characters. We’re all in this together. Different methods work for different writers and sometimes a combination of several suddenly clicks.

Regarding the photos…

As usual my photos have nothing to do with what I’m writing about. They are simply a slice of my forest life. Today’s grouping shows the saga of a poor rose. My squirrel had some nerve to eat that thing right in front of me!

The Noticer, book review

2009-04-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

I loved this little book!

The Noticer tells the story of broken people in the small town of Orange Beach, Alabama and of their meeting with a man named Jones who teaches each of them how to view life from a new perspective.

He explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. "Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely," he says. "Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever."

The mystery of Jones kept me turning pages but I also kept a highlighter handy to mark the many treasures of wisdom scattered throughout the book. Here are just a few:

“…a person could lose everything, chasing nothing.” Pg 49

“It’s time to stop letting your history control your destiny.” Pg 51

“Worry is focus! But it is focus on the wrong things.” Pg 56

“Many of life’s treasures remain hidden from us simply because we never search for them.” Pg 83

Through this delightful story I learned how to better love some of my friends; how to change a small area of my life to make things easier for others and myself, and gained hope that my life still has value.

There’s a wonderful reader’s guide in the back of the book. I rarely use these, but this one is awesome. It left me with a new regard for the life I yet have to live and for the people who cross my path.

The Noticer is a great book, and I will recommend it to many, but I will also give a bit of caution. For many people, it could be quite frustrating to live out this kind of life without the power of the Holy Spirit. And for those who are able to do it on their own, they face the danger of thinking they may have earned something from God.

While reading this book, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it. None of us deserve it. But for those who accept it, taking on the perspectives found in The Noticer is a good way of showing their thanks and gratitude to God.

Art Conference Coming Soon!

2009-04-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's almost time for the best art conference ever!

If you are anywhere near or can take a plane, train, or any kind of transportation to get here, you really don't want to miss this.

Check it out at

Masterpiece Christian Artist Conference.

Hope to see you there!

Weathering The Impossible Storm

2008-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

Photos this morning are what it looks like at my house right now. The house is mine. One of the mailboxes is mine. The grandkids and snowman are mine. The red barn and horse belong to the neighbors. Photos have nothing at all to do with what I’m talking about, but thought you would enjoy them.

Things look really bad in the publishing industry right now, but instead of feeling discouraged, I’m actually encouraged. The reason? Because it’s when things look impossible that God usually does a major work in my life.

Here are a few cases in point:

1. I traveled to China while the bloody demonstrations were happening in 1989. All of my family tried to talk me out of it, because of the perceived danger. It turned out to be an amazingly fruitful trip and I returned home safe.

2. Just days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I boarded a plane and flew into LAX. My car wouldn’t run and I had no other way to make the ACT I Writing For Hollywood seminar. Didn’t want to miss it because of the awesome opportunity of being accepted. I was the only one out of ten that braved the air travel to get there. I’m still applying the lessons I learned through that Malibu Conference and I returned home safe.

3. I traveled to Israel days after a major bombing took place in the area I was going to work in missions. Again, my family tried to talk me out of it, and again, amazing things took place and I returned home safe.

4. This year, a devastating fire took out 2200 acres of wilderness where my husband and I work for a local outfitter. Within a week of the trails being opened, we loaded up our camping equipment and rode our mules through miles of blackened and smoldering destruction. We were told it would be a worthless trip, but we discovered an oasis that had been completely untouched. We camped there and enjoyed one of our best trips and we returned home safe.

These are just four instances…the number of grace…I could relate many more.

We are all facing an incredibly hard economic future, but I have good news! I’m a little ahead of most of you on this. At the beginning of 2008 we received news that our house payment was going up $250 a month! We didn’t even know we had a flexible loan. It was fixed for only a certain number of years. Rats. And we were already living at the edge of our income. Okay, already, we can handle this. We’ll just be more careful.

Then a new company took over my husband’s business and wouldn’t allow overtime. Okay, that hurt. That took away $250 a month. Now we were down $500 a month.

Next, the gas prices went up and we live a long way from my husband’s work. He drives a diesel, because it used to be cheaper to do so. Not any more. The cost for gas rose to a soaring $500 a month.

Nearly a thousand bucks more a month going out than coming in. Yikes! And we live in a small manufactured house, so if we lost our house, I figured it would mean living in our wall tent, but at least we had that.

First I panicked and cried a lot. Didn’t call creditors, because I didn’t know what I would say to them. Finally a friend told me to call. I did, and the mortgage person told me that they were planning to foreclose on us in two days. Two Days! Goodness!

A year has now passed and we are still in our home. Why? Because of several steps.

I will be sharing those steps with you over the next few weeks. Today, I want to begin by simply giving you a bit of hope to carry you through the Impossible Storm.

This year has been the very best for me in my writing and art business! And that, when others were doing worse. I even had a brand new magazine get hold of me to write for them. Wow! And I’m looking at the new year as one of great possibilities. Sure. Things are bad, but it’s a good time for us creative people to put our creative talents to work. For instance, is there a way to self-publish a book that you can get out to a niche market that will help you to make a bit of money and will help others at the same time? Or how about an E-book?

This is a good time to stretch our imaginations! What knowledge do you have that will help others? Can you portray that in your writing or art?

Think about that, and I’ll talk with you again in a couple of days about how important hope is in this process of weathering the Impossible Storm.

Thankful for Life!

2008-11-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving only two days away, I could think of all kinds of things to be thankful for, but tonight something happened that made me realize what a precious and wonderful gift is life itself!

I just returned home traveling from Chiloquin across the backroads that run through Crater Lake National Park. Snow lined the road, but the pavement was clear and I forgot to slow down. Nobody travels that road this late and at this time of year. A fact I had forgotten when I decided to take that route in the first place.

Without any warning whatsoever, my Ford Explorer started spinning like crazy. Don't know how many times I went full circle, but my steering wheel kept pace. Then the car started that crazy rock thing . . . up on two wheels . . . then up on the other two . . . all while it continued to spin.

I was returning from an Old Testament Survey class, so thoughts of God were quickly on my mind. "Oh Lord," I cried. "Oh Lord. Help me. Help me."

And I knew it was over. My tires simply couldn't grab hold on the solid sheet of ice covering the pavement. I barely missed the ditch on the mountain side, trees passed way too close, then the car turned and I started sliding backward over the edge of the cliff bordering Annie Springs. If you've ever visited Crater Lake, you know just how steep that cliff is! It's pure pumice with nothing to break a fall.

"Oh Lord," I cried one more time. And the strangest thing happened. The engine died, the steering wheel locked and the brake worked simultaneously. I'm not even sure if that is possible. Everything is power on my car. Usually nothing works when the engine dies. But the brake found no purchase. "God?" It was more a question than a plea. And suddenly the car stopped. As if a giant hand just held it there. I sat there with the car turned 180 degrees from the direction I had started. My head hurt, my foot was banged up, but I was alive! And no air bag to deal with either.

I slowly eased the car back toward Chiloquin until I could turn around, thinking all the time that if I had gone over or even in the ditch, no one would have found me until the next morning . . . and maybe not even then. I passed no other cars coming or going. Freezing temperatures, ice and snow. I've taken enough wilderness survival classes to know a lot of people don't survive a night under those conditions.

I'm so grateful for God's hand on my life. My times are in His hands. At the very least I could have been in the hospital this Thanksgiving, but He was gracious in spite of my certainly not deserving it. How could I have forgotten to slow down?

I had plenty of time to think about the incident on my thirty-miles-an-hour rest of the trip home. If I had gone over. If I had ended up in the hospital . . . or even with the Lord. That too would have been in His hands and part of His faithfulness. Yet I would have found it harder to accept.

I don't know the why of it. Why God allows some things and not others. But I'm grateful to be alive. And I plan to seek God for what He wants me to do with my time . . . how He wants me to redeem it.

And I won't be traveling that road again on my winter Chiloquin trips!

So, what are you thankful for?

A Quick Word

2008-03-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I've let so much time pass once again. Where does it go? Good things happening though and I plan to let you know about them soon. For now, I'm getting ready to teach at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May. Check it out here. This is one of my favorite conferences. The scenery is one that stops me in my tracks every time I step outside; the atmosphere is caring and spiritual; the classes are supberb; and there are more opportunities for networking than just about anywhere else. Hope you can join us there. I'll post some photos in future blog entries. Be looking for them!

For those of you trying to purchase Totally Honest Tax Tips For Writers, I've redone the button, so it should work, if not, e-mail me

here

and I'll be happy to take a check by mail.

Enjoy the Son!

Ready to take flight?

2008-01-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Goodness! We're already well into 2008.

Did it sneak up on you? Did it pass without fanfare?

Not for me. January first hit like a slap in the face. Was it really possible an entire year passed without me accomplishing my major goals?

Not only was it possible, it was absolutely true. I was planning to rework Skookum, but never did. I was planning to finish a proposal that never came about. What about the articles I planned? Hmmmmmm.

So, I took a step back, went before the Lord, asked for and received His forgiveness, then I asked for new direction.

New direction?

Simple.

Finish what I started.

Simple? Did I really say that?

Sounds simple, but without God’s direction, I’ll never take flight.

A friend sent me a verse from The Message version of the Bible. It’s found in 2 Corinthians 8:10-20

So here is what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, go to it. Once the commitment is clean, you do what you can and not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.

Wow!

I’m beginning to feel like I might actually get to a lift off.

But feeling is not the same as doing. So, I went back to prayer and the Lord gave me a silly dream that helped me with some tools to get going.

The dream was about two guys who were starting out on a round-the-world trip. They had invented a new machine that looked a bit like a torpedo. It could fly some and float some, so they began by being shot out of a canon-type contraption and their first goal was to try to grab a flag hanging from a crane on their way by. They grabbed the flag and stopped to celebrate.

I couldn’t believe it! They were only minutes into a round-the-world trip that would take them months or years and they stopped to celebrate.

That’s when I woke up.

Sandy, you need to make attainable goals.

With those words resounding in my mind, I knew my silly dream was from the Lord. It’s okay to have big goals, but I need smaller goals along the way--things that will give me a sense of accomplishment on my way to the Big One. And I need to take time to celebrate the fulfillment of each of those goals.

So here’s what I’m doing to dive deeper into 2008:

(1) I’m making the prayer thing a daily habit. Oh, I pray to God all the time, but I now see a need to begin each day with a prayer for direction instead of hitting the floor running.

(2) I’m making a list of things I hope to accomplish in a day. I’m not a major list maker, so mine is pretty simple. I just write the date down at the top of a sheet of paper, then I mark things off as I go. The next day, I look at what I didn’t finish and move those things to another sheet of paper OR I simply put the new date at the top along with yesterday’s date and start marking things off again. I’ve actually accomplished a few things by doing this. Hooray! And yes, I take time to celebrate and thank God for the joy of accomplishment.

With these simple changes I’m already well into my revisions on Skookum, have completed a couple of unfinished goals from last year, and am finally back up on my blog.
Ahhhhhhh, It feels soooooo good.

On January first I looked at 2007 as a year of unfinished projects, but now I see 2008 as a year of new beginnings.

How do you see it? Perhaps you, too, need to make a few changes in your approach, or maybe you had a good year and you simply need to keep doing what you’ve been doing. Either way, I’m praying for a good year for all of us . . . a year when we will enjoy the process God has given us no matter what happens along the way.

Fiction Writing Seminar

2007-11-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

In four days (Saturday, December 1) we are having a writing seminar focusing on writing fiction at Pacific Bible College in Medford, Oregon. If you’re in the area be sure to check out the information found by clicking here.

Hope to see you there!

Also, if you would like to be on my list to notify of upcoming seminars and retreats, be sure to e-mail me and let me know.

What would your character never do?

2007-11-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

James Scott Bell in his book,

Plot & Structure

asks what is one thing your character would NEVER do?

Then he goes on to tell us to make our character do that very thing!

I have been totally unable to do that . . . because . . . my character would never do that!

Today, I have learned why . . .

Today, I learned something about myself, something that is bound to change my life, something that I don't yet know what to do about, something that leaves me reeling. Perhaps, that's what my characters should go through?

Arrrrgh! My poor characters. I so hate to inflict on them what I'm going though.

The Cat Man is away, out muzzleloader hunting with his best bud, Dave Johnson. They are determined to fill our freezer with elk meat. I will write about their adventure as I have been doing for the past twelve years. I have also written about my own adventures in the wild hunting for the big one. But . . . and this is major . . . I've never written about me GETTING the big one, or the small one for that matter.

Truth is, I've been hunting for 12 years and I have NEVER shot a thing! Nothing! Unless you count targets. Those I'm really good at. And this year is the first year I didn't even get an elk tag. I still can't believe it. I love to get out there and look for elk. Okay, maybe I don't really want to find them during hunting season, but I sure do like looking.

And that is the problem!

I have discovered one of the things I can never do . . . or at least I suspect I can never do.

It all started this morning . . . well, that's not even true. It really started two years ago when I let a friend use my rifle while The Cat Man and I joined him in a short hunt. I was lagging a bit behind when I noticed a beautiful buck not far ahead.

Boom! My friend shot that deer.

I was so stunned that I fell to the ground in tears. He didn't notice. Neither did The Cat Man. I finally got myself together and was very pleased to discover he had missed! I took my rifle back and kept it.

Then in another incident, a bear was coming toward me in the wilderness and I was scrambling to take a photo. The bear was too close for my big lens so I was reaching in my pocket for my little lens when I realized he was coming right at me! Then I realized I was supposed to be hunting. Cat (my husband) was to the right of me and hadn't seen the bear. I pointed and he finally shot and I was sooooo very glad he missed. That bear has been marauding our wilderness camp for years and I've come to think of him as needing to be there. He's kind of a friend. Cat saw him twice more but didn't shoot because he now knows how I feel.

I'm a hypocrite though because I love elk meat, and I'm very glad my husband is a good hunter and treats animals well. He doesn't take a shot unless it's clean and drops the animal fast. Ohhhh, that makes me hurt to think about it.

There's a cougar on our wall . . . it's like a rug but it has the head on it and the feet and everything. Cat shot it when it was coming after him last year. Every time I look at it, I think it could be my husband up there! Of course, it couldn't. We don't do that with humans . . . but if Cat had missed . . . I'm so glad God protected him. But it's kind of eerie having that cougar on my wall.

Cat is very proud of it. Such a manly thing.

Would I be proud if it were mine?

So, today was the final incident . . . we no longer have a cat and we have quite a few mice so I had him set traps before he left. Wouldn't you know, I get up and find one of the traps is missing!

Missing!

Now, I'm thinking how could that be . . . and I know . . . it must have got its tail trapped. And I finally find him in my office . . . quite a long ways from where he was first trapped. He's very much alive. I know I'm supposed to kill him, but I just can't. I think about putting him outside, but how? And he'll probably come back in. And then he'll know what the trap is for. I don't want him back in.

So I find a three-foot pair of tongs and pick him up, trap and all, and put him in a shopping bag. Then what to do? Maybe I could drop a rock on it. But that just seems so totally unfair. He has no way of protecting himself.

Ohhhhhh I'm going to have nightmares. I just cannot do this.

Maybe I could just put him outside, trap and all, and let something eat him. Ohhhhhh, more nightmares. So, I drive him, still in the bag, down by the lake to a permanent outhouse. He can get warm beneath the concrete (okay, no snide remarks here).

I take him out of the bag and discover it's not his tail that's caught, but his foot. Ohhhhh, I'm so sorry for him. He's running around on three legs with the trap and I'm chasing him with my pair of tongs because he won't live long that way. Then I put him back in the bag and rifle through my fanny pack until I find my hunting knife.

Yep. My hunting knife . . . I’m supposed to be a hunter, you know . . . but I don't use the knife to kill the troubled critter; I use it to get the trap off the mouse’s little foot. Then I let him go.

He sits there and looks and me with big teary eyes. Then he tries out his foot and finds it's okay and he scurries beneath the concrete.

Big mighty hunter, I am.

Do I confess to all these hunting magazines I write for? Oh, dear me.

So, that’s why I can’t get my characters to do things they would never do. Because I can’t even get myself to do that.

Okay . . . I know what Jim would say. He would say I haven’t placed my character in a bad enough situation. And I have to admit he’s right. Things could have been different for that little mouse given different circumstances . . . I’m just not sure what those circumstances are yet.

And that’s the crux, right? We have to gather all these circumstances that drive our characters crazy.

By the way the cat pictures are of Paws, my Siamese. She’s already gone to cat Heaven, leaving me alone to fight this battle. She was the world’s greatest mouser.

And yes, I know, she should not be sitting on my pastels while I’m painting, but do you want to try to move her. She was a wild one! And for those of you who will be inclined to tell me I should be painting with pastels on my kitchen table . . . hey! I know . . . but it was raining outside.

The Cat in a hat (pun intended) is The Cat Man who was not here to save me.

And yes, I have mouse pictures somewhere (a similar incident happened once before), but I couldn't find them. Yes, I know, I should be more organized. And no, I didn't take photos of this little mouse. I just couldn't stand to subject him to such trauma.

Oh woe is me . . . how the mighty hunter has fallen!

Something fun and revealing

2007-07-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Ooops!

Been away waaaaay too long. Sorry about that.

Let's try something fun and revealing.

Take out a sheet of paper. Number one through ten leaving a blank line between each number (room to write).

Time yourself for two minutes and answer the following question. Write as fast as you can. Use a sentence for each number, or a word, or a paragraph . . . but write fast! When you feel yourself getting stuck, force yourself to write something, even if it's something silly like, "I don't know what to write."

You can answer the question as a writer, an artist, photographer, musician, or whatever you spend a lot of time doing.

Ready? Set the timer for two minutes. Don't take any longer. Try to fill in every number.

Here's the question:

How do you feel about your writing (or art, or whatever?) right now?

When you have completed this assignment. Look at your answers. Did you fill in all ten questions? If so, good for you! You are in the creative mode. If you didn't, then you are still stuck in the edit mode, and that may (will) hamper your creativity and probably your sense of well-being. Try the assignment several times if you want.

Are your answers what you hoped they would be by now? Are they surprising?

Set this assignment aside. Keep it in a safe place for the next two weeks. Then do it again. Try it periodically, perhaps once a month.

In a couple of days, I'll give you a similar assignment and I'll share some of my student's answers. I think you'll be surprised at how much we can learn from this simple exercise.

Happy writing! or arting! or music-making! or whatever!

Coming Out in Style!

2007-06-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Dean Koontz uses adverbs?

That’s right. Seems he believes they are a valid form of speech.

David Baldacci also uses them. In one of my all-time favorite books, the christmas train, Baldacci starts out with an adverb in the first sentence and keeps the rhythm going thereafter.

And guess what else? Koontz and Baldacci use “ing” words to start sentences.

“No way!” you say.

“Yes way.”

And not only that . . . people LOVE their books.

By now, some of you may be asking what is the big deal.

The big deal is if you have attended any writing classes at all, one of the first things you will learn is that you shouldn’t use adverbs. And while I don’t know the view of the general market classes on this one, I do know that every writing teacher I’ve had at a Christian writers conference has harped on not using any adverbs at all.

Okay. I understand that under most normal circumstances adverbs denote the weak use of verbs, but there comes a time (rarely of course!) that an adverb simply makes the sentence roll off the tongue better than without. See how that worked?

Now, there’s something I don’t hear much about at writer’s conferences—rhythm!

I was a songwriter long before I started writing prose, so rhythm is a big deal to me. Varying sentence structure; using beats; making sure sentences don’t all start with the same word (pronouns are big killers here . . . how many sentences do you start with the word “he” or “she”?); varying lengths of paragraphs and sentences; using choppy sentences to denote action, longer sentences to slow it down; and yes, using an adverb now and then to get a certain roll going. All of the above brings a certain flow and rhythm into your writing that becomes your style.

Style! That illusive word. Many writers torture themselves trying to figure out if they have style.

Perhaps style is easier to see in the visual arts. I’m posting two of my paintings here to show a certain style that I have as an artist. When people in my region see my work, they immediately know it is mine. I suspect style is evident in the written word as well, for those who have eyes to see it.

Of course, all writers have style, but some of us find it difficult to discover our own unique style compared to someone else’s, and sometimes we are so busy following rules and trying to sound good that our style gets buried. One sure way to have style is to write the way you speak.

Now, there’s a fresh idea. What would happen if you actually wrote like you speak?

Such an idea frightens most beginning writers. They’re afraid they won’t be deep enough, or their words will be too juvenile. Truth is, profound is best understood through the simple.

Okay, that’s a Sandy quote, but one worth remembering. The greatest speakers in the world use simple language to convey great truths. That’s why we often choose to speak in story, but the way I tell a story should be much different from the way you tell a story. That is what style is all about. And although I think it is important to learn and implement good writing rules, style is often about breaking those rules, not because you don’t know how to follow the rules, but because you’ve discovered a rhythm that works better.

For the next couple of months I plan to talk about when and how to break rules in order to discover your unique style. You won’t always agree with me. That’s okay. But I think this discourse will help you think in a broader way. Instead of focusing on rules, you will be focusing on story . . . and that’s always a good thing.

I apologize for being away from this blog for so long. I’m back now, and plan to post two or three times a week. Your comments would be great, but I understand a lot of you prefer to lurk and e-mail me in private. That’s okay too. But if you have questions, please be sure to let me know and I’ll do my best to answer.

Happy writing!

Thanks Mom!

2007-05-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

My love of reading and writing came from my mother. She reads everything from cereal labels to giant tomes of fiction.

Nearly every one of my Christmas and birthday gifts included a book. Before I even started school I remember a favorite book about a cat who wore boots and fancy clothes. Soon after, I had a giant book of Grimm's Fairy Tales that traveled with me through two states, several towns and numerous backyard adventures. One tale that stands out to me above all others is about a trio of dogs with enormous eyes. I've often wondered what happened to that book. What a delight if it would somehow turn up after all these years.

My mother always wanted to be a writer . . . and I always thought she could . . . but she didn't believe it herself.

One of the reasons I became a writer was to prove to her that it could be done. I silently hoped that she would fall into my footsteps, but it has never happened. She's content with reading the stories others have written.

These days my mother keeps bugging me to get my novel published while she's still alive. I'm getting very close, my requested manuscript is nearing completion. Perhaps her dream of me getting a book published is soon to come true. That would be good news for both of us! But it won't happen unless I make those final edits . . . unless I believe in myself as a writer.

So, Mom, here you are . . . at least I'm getting some words down and out to the world . . . and you're included in them.

Happy Mother's Day!

And thanks for giving me a dream worthy of pursuing.

Another Cover Photo!

2007-05-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

Oregon Fish & Wildlife Journal is currently using another of my photos for their cover. If you’re interested in getting a copy of the magazine or a subscription, check them out here.

Also!

I experienced the most amazing resolution to one of my stories in Wild Women this past weeked.

Cat and I traveled to Chiloquin for a celebration of the first completed semester at the First Nations Institute (branch of Pacific Bible College where I teach).

While there we met Cobby who is a big part of my story. I've added that excerpt from Wild women here.

Cobby is a believer in Christ now the same as me and Cat! Awesome!

(He's the one in the black hat below.)

Cobby's mother, who is one of the tribal elders, was very instrumental in getting the school going and she just completed two college courses! She is an amazing woman. She made every single part of the costume she is wearing in the accompanying photo plus a lot you can't see. She beaded her headdress, her purse, her moccasins . . . all with tiny seadbeads. She beaded a beautiful picture of her mother into her purse after scanning the picture on her computer. That's right! This amazing lady is computer savvy.

Cat and I are planning to attend the Native American Holy Ghost Conference in Medford, Oregon tomorrow evening and perhaps on Sunday evening to photograph Cobby and others as they worship God through Native American dance and music. Join us! See a schedule of events here.

Cobby's family delighted us with awesome Native American worship music during the college celebration. The conference will offer even more! There's nothing cooler!

Sorry Sandy

2007-04-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Sandy--it didn't make the cut yesterday.

Whoa . . . not the words I wanted to hear . . . and yes, I did stop and cry for a while. It was definitely a let down. But on the other hand, it wasn’t really a surprise, that’s why I e-mailed a lot of you and asked for prayer. I truly wanted the Lord’s will on this, because I’ve learned over the years that his way is the very best way, and I felt that the interested publisher (as much as I love them) wasn’t really the one to publish this manuscript.

Did I tell you that my agent was adamant that they were not the house to publish it? He was afraid the book would die there, because they didn’t have the means to market it properly. “But,” I said, “I didn’t initiate this, they did. Isn’t it possible this might be a God thing.”

My agent reluctantly said that it was possible.

So . . . it appears he was right.

But let’s not stop there. “Sorry, Sandy,” was only the beginning of the letter. And let me tell you, if any of you are fortunate enough to get a personal letter instead of a form letter rejection, listen up. There’s a lot to be learned from it. And it means something when editors take the time to give you more details. They don’t always do that.

The next words were music to my soul.

Many of us loved it--the publisher and I among them lovers--but our sales manager in particular didn't know how he would be able to market and sell the book . . . It's simply a very strong project that doesn't quite fit us.

Wow! Lovers! Don’t we all need lovers in our lives? Especially lovers of our WIPs?

And there was more. He went on to say that he and the publisher talked about it and believe that I need to go ABA with a bigger house. He even named the places that would be a perfect fit. What great encouragement. Problem is, I would need an agent to approach these bigger houses.

Okay, already, I have an agent . . . BUT . . . we haven’t been communicating well for several months . . . so, back to the tears . . . but only for a while.

Then I read the editor review. Now, let me tell you, it is super special when they like your work enough to send you the editor’s review. She loves the book and gave me some wonderful suggestions. She was very much in my camp at the committee meeting. Here’s some of what she said in her review to the committee:

This lady can write and I mean write.

Oh, hey, that doesn’t sound like a rejection. (sniff)

Then she summed up with a thought and a comparison:

Even the rocks cry out the glory of the Lord. Luke 19:40
.......................The Psalmist meets Annie Dillard.

Ahhhhhhh. She can’t possibly know how much that means to me. I was a worship leader long before I was anything else. And before I was a worship leader, I was a worshipper, like the Psalmist, singing my own songs to God on the mountaintop. And David, the Psalmist, is one of my favorite people out of the Sacred Writings (bible). I sooooo relate to him.

That alone would have been marvelous, but she went even further. This, too, she couldn’t have known. In my mind, in the pinnacle of writerdom, Annie Dillard is very very close to the top.

Ahhhhhhhh

I had one rough day. Not only did it start with those words, “Sorry, Sandy,” but several phone calls brought other bad news regarding people I love. I wanted very much to let go and sink into depression. Normally, I would have for several days and would have had to fight it for weeks. But not so this time.

The next day I woke with those wonderful words in my mind, “The Psalmist meets Annie Dillard.” I chose to think on that all day. What a difference it made.

I e-mailed a few agent possibilities and made contact with this wonderful reviewer. She has agreed to work for me. I am soooo jazzed. With her coaching, I believe this book can be the very best it can be.

Then I started thinking about my agent, so I stopped and prayed and told God this was the last time. If my agent didn’t answer my e-mail, that was it.

He not only answered, he called me the next day, and the timing is absolutely perfect. I am so very glad, because I really love this man (in an agenterly way). He is a man of God, but very good at so many things. He is the one who told me to head out into the wilderness and seek God for the “real” Wild Women story because he believed it was a different story than what I first wrote. And my husband, The Cat Man, has believed all along that this man is the agent for me and I simply need to wait. Ugh.

He was so very right. The story, as told now, is completely different than in the beginning. In fact, I only saved one chapter out of the first rendering. And I KNOW it is on the right path. So, I told my agent that God directed even his slowness, as much as I hate to admit that.

So, instead of being depressed over the fact that my WIP is still a work in progress, I am jazzed. God has a bigger plan for me than I ever had for myself. I was content with the little publishers. Now, I have to aim for the big ones. Ah well, just like on my mission trips, I’ll keep moving forward until it is impossible to go any further.

Thanks so much for your prayers. I was afraid to ask for prayer in the beginning, because it seemed so egotistical, but I was truly afraid I wouldn’t keep on writing if this project was turned down. And I knew God wanted me to write. I truly believe it is because of your prayers that I not only have the strength to continue . . . but I am actually more energized than ever.

Please, if you think of me, continue to pray, because the next couple of months will be difficult as I attempt to achieve a higher standard than ever before. It would be so easy to end up contrived at this point.

It’s kind of like I tell my students . . . you push your writing to the very top . . . but you don’t want to go overboard. There is a fine line there that must not be crossed.

Thanks again, I appreciate you all very much!

Note: All the photos with today's blog are from last year's Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I always have such an amazing time there. The scenery is outrageous! Marlene Bagnull is one of the most encouraging directors I know; tons of editors and authors give us their very best; Marty Goetz treats us with a wonderful night of worship; Andy Scheer calls square dancing for us; and we get to choose from an incredible array of wonderful clinics and workshops. It's not too late! You can join us this year. Just visit Colorado Christian Writers Conference. and sign up. Hope to see you there!

The photo below is of my Colorado friends. Nope. I'm not in it. I'm always on the other side of the camera. Whew!

PBC Assignment

2007-04-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

For my students--Read chapters 13 and 16 in Write Away by Elizabeth George.

These are important chapters, so if you can't finish them this week, be sure and take time with them next week.

A Time for Honesty

2007-03-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: All photos with this post are from my forest floor yard.)

Okay, Why haven’t I been writing already?

Depression, that’s why.

And where did the depression come from?

Ugh! From a finished project.

Can you believe that? It was just the most amazing thing to finally complete the book I had been working on for so long, but the joy lasted about two minutes. After printing off nearly a ream of paper and sticking the entire work in a box and mailing it to the publisher, I suddenly felt like a mother who had given birth to a baby that she barely glimpsed before someone snatched it away.

Talk about post-partum depression. Goodness!

So………

I’m trying to get myself going again, while I’m waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting . . .

But don’t we all know that a good deal of the writing life is about waiting? And of course, it doesn’t help that I visited a fellow writer’s blog to discover that she quit her corporate career two years ago and has published six books since that time. Six books!

While I wait . . . and wait . . . and wait . . .

And while I wait, I begin to think it was a silly thing to think I could do anything meaningful with words.

Okay, I’ve written some articles and sent them in, but I just can’t seem to muster the courage to tackle my WIP. It sits untouched on my desk, like a bad omen waiting to reveal itself. Do I have what it takes to turn that WIP into something good?

So, I hedge. I paint instead. Switching from pastels to oils, I find freedom in splashing enormous gobs of color across the canvas. And I remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some will not find beauty in my splashes, but some will. Those who mock, can glimpse and pass with or without comment, while those who find beauty can stop and enjoy.

It’s the same with my writing. There is an audience out there waiting to read my words…an audience who will understand wonder and discovery, who want to look deep beneath the surface and examine the past before hurling into the future, an audience who still cling to hope and the belief that each person has purpose.

So, while I wait, I will write. And perhaps these words will help others who are waiting as well. Whether the waiting will produce a contract or a decline, we need to encourage one another to stir up the gifts God has given us.

Be encouraged friend!

If you’ve sent something out, go celebrate! That is a big accomplishment. Simply getting something in the mail is worth a reward.

And now it’s time to plan and begin a new project so the waiting won’t be so difficult. God is faithful. He will accomplish His work at just the right time.

Talk About Wild (Part 2)

2007-02-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Remember Charlie, the Native American street person I talked about in my last post? I hadn’t prayed for or thought about him in a very long while until I saw the street person in the black cape. Thinking of Charlie, I started praying for him. It was a short mile between the time I started praying and the time I arrived at Pacific Bible College to teach my writing class.

Lynn Ludwick is my co-teacher. She started the class with a grammar lesson while I stood on the other side of the rolling blackboard getting ready for my presentation. Twenty minutes later, I stepped from behind the blackboard and was shocked to see a street person sitting in the midst of our twenty students on the other side of the room.

Lynn was still talking, so I quietly made my way to the street person’s side, expecting to ask him to leave.

Goodness! As I got closer, it looked an awful lot like Charlie . . . but not like the Charlie I used to know. This was a shell of the clean, good-looking Native American I last saw dancing in the middle of the highway at midnight. This Charlie was hunched over with skin toughened and blackened more from living in the elements than from genetics.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you Charlie?”

He looked up and smiled. What teeth he had left were nearly as black as his skin. “Yeah.”

As soon as he smiled and I heard his voice, I knew . . . it was Charlie. “I used to know you,” I said.

He looked a little closer and smiled even broader. “Yeah. I remember you.”

I gave him a hug and straightened. How could I ask him to leave when I had just prayed for him and now here he was? Stepping away I noticed his trademark black felt hat with an eagle feather sitting on the counter. He had taken the time and effort to come in as much of a gentleman as possible.

Every student in the room followed me with their eyes while I returned to the front of the room. “I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine,” I said.

Every eye raised in a question mark as they turned to Charlie. I knew they were thinking I had some mighty strange friends. Well, so be it. One student tried to hide a fit of giggles. Another scooted her chair closer to the wall and away from Charlie. Yet another took on a fit of coughing.

Ignoring them all, I turned to Dan. “Charlie is the one I told you about last week,” I said, hoping he would catch my hint without me saying more. He didn’t. Last week, Dan had shared his idea for a knockout story involving a street person, and I told him that I used to know one. Now, the street person was here! What better moment of research could present itself? Dan’s eyes were wide as he looked from me to Charlie. No way was he going to interview this street person.

I excuse Dan for that, because he’s just starting out as a writer and everything can be a bit overwhelming at the start, but he missed a fabulous opportunity to get into a street person’s head and learn firsthand about life lived beneath a bridge. What better way to learn a street person’s motives than to actually talk with them?

I suspect lots of opportunities present themselves to us that we miss because we’re either too busy in our own world or fear holds us back.

I read an article a while back about some pretty amazing things that writers did to get their stories. One woman posed as a man for nearly a year. She was so traumatized at the end of that year, that she signed up for counseling. Another took a menial job and forced herself to live on her meager income. Both authors paid a heavy price, but they knew their subjects firsthand.

I’m not saying all of us writers need to get that deep, but I am saying that we need to get deeper than what most of us do when it comes to understanding what motivates characters. Characters are fictional people. People are characters. I’ve met a lot of characters by taking advantage of some rare circumstances and making an effort to be friendly. Most people open up pretty well when they know someone cares about them.

So, here’s the challenge. What character will you find this week? They’re all around you. Pick one.

Talk about Wild! (Part I)

2007-02-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

On my way to teach class at Pacific Bible College this week, I passed a street person who totally intrigued me. He was sitting on a stone bench, dressed in a long black cape that he held open around him as if making a small room for himself. I slowed my Explorer while traffic whipped by me.

The man’s head was bent, his long black hair stringing behind him. I wanted to stop and ask him what had bent his head like that—what weight had left him on the street.

My camera bag sat in the seat next to me. I could take a photo and paint that man and let the world know there’s danger out there . . . but not danger from the man . . . from whatever had placed him on the street in the first place.

I didn’t stop, because it would have given my husband, Cat, a heart attack. I used to stop. I used to talk with people like that. I still do, but only when someone is with me or I’m in a safer place than a storm-blackened night in the worst part of town.

It made me think of Charlie.

For twelve years, my friend, Julie, and I volunteered in the county jail. Neither of us had any kind of counseling degree, but both of us had a heart for people who were down and out. Mine came from having someone very close to me ending up suicidal in jail during the middle of the week. Policy kept me from being able to visit him until the weekend. I prayed my heart out and contacted the jail and pleaded, but they were relentless. Finally, I grabbed a police friend who had the clearance to visit the jail and give my loved one direction and hope.

Soon after, I applied for and received the same clearance.

During those years, Julie and I reached out to a lot of women and a few men, but Charlie is one neither of us will ever forget.

Julie found Charlie on the street, dying of an abscessed tooth. She hauled him to the hospital where they saved his life, but then he needed a place to heal following his hospital stay. Julie took him home. He cleaned up, got off booze, gave his life to God, and went to work at our church doing landscape. He was a handsome, intelligent, and charming Native American, looking as if he stepped out of the pages of the magazine, Cowboys and Indians.

After staying clean, inside and out, for a couple of years, he ended up back on the street.

I’ll never forget the night I saw him in the middle of the road, staggering aimlessly. I begged God to help him, to please release him from the terrible weight that threatened to obliterate him entirely.

I’ll tell you more of the story in a couple of days. It has a surprising end. At least, it was a surprise to me.

For now, I’d like to talk with you writers and artists on a personal level.

(1) Do you really “see” people? Not just the ones you know . . . but all kinds of people? Or do you dismiss the ones who look or dress differently from yourself?

(2) Do you have a heart for people? Do you care about what happened in their lives? What joys and sorrows brought them to their present circumstances?

Looking deeper, below the surface, whether through interview or imagination, will bring life to both your writing and your painting. Instead of cardboard characters or copies of photos, you’ll have characters that appeal to the deepest senses of your readers, and your paintings will draw emotion from your viewers.

One of the greatest gifts I’ve received as a writer and painter, is being able to view the world from a little less selfish perspective. I’m always asking the questions, “Why?” and “What if?”

Try it. See what new characters or subjects you’ll come up with this week.

Check this out!

2007-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

My photo of a cougar at Wildlife Images made the cover of Oregon Fish and Wildlife Journal

Wildlife Images is a wonderful organization helping misplaced and injured wildlife.

My column, "Our Neck of the Woods," has been running in Oregon Fish and Wildlife Journal for the past 12 years.

The cover photo is from my article, "Cat Man Gets His Cat." I plan to post a link to the article here sometime this week. You won't want to miss the story of how The Cat Man (my husband) shot a mountain lion (with a pistol, no less) just before it lunged at him. Though both of us would rather leave these majestic cats alive in the wilderness, I'm very glad The Cat Man got this one before it got him.

I'm Finally Back!

2007-01-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

My nonficton manuscript, Wild Women--A Real Walk in the Woods is in the mail to the publisher who requested it!

It was an amazing thing to write the last sentence and know that it was just right:

"Wild is more than a physical untamed place . . . it's an unrestrained soul soaring on the wings of the wind."

I wrote it and lifted my fingers off the keyboard and knew that seven years of work had come to an end. The strangest feelings washed over me, but the greatest is knowing that after several false starts and misdirections, it ended up better and deeper than I could have dreamed . . . and at just the right time. I couldn't have written this book a month, or even a week, sooner. It cried out for many elements that just recently came together.

Some of you have wondered where I've disappeared to.

A while back I read the book, The Creative Call by Janice Elsheimer. She mentioned taking a year off. Can you imagine? A year off everything. I've often wondered what that would be like. Well . . . I didn't take a year, but I pretty much took three months off. I didn't take time off from my family or the things that draw me close to The Creator, but I set everything else aside in order to focus on finishing Wild Women. It simply was time.

What about you? Are you like me--starting a lot of projects but not finishing much of anything? Perhaps you need that time off to focus. My first time off was spread over two separate ten-week wilderness vacations where I sought God for direction. That's always a good place to start. I also ended the writing of the book at a cabin at Box R Ranch.

Goodness! But it feels good to have completed such an enormous project.

Now, for my fiction story. Only this time,I plan to work it into my daily schedule. One thing I learned on my last trip into the wilderness was to set reasonable goals. I was so out of shape I had to set small goals from tree to tree, but in doing so I covered the entire trail. So, I'm setting smaller goals and cutting out the things that hinder or aren't as important.

One thing you don't want to cut out, though, is time for the unepected. God so often calls us in the unexpected places and in unexpected ways.

I'm looking forward to catching you up on some of the awesome things I've been doing for the past few months.

BTW, all the photos on today's post are from the last part of our trip to Alta Lake this fall. We started out with warm sunshine and ended with a snowy wonderland. Perfect!

Getting Ready for the Tax Man

2006-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Totally Honest Tax Tips For Writers is a wonderful tool for writers of all levels. I wrote it in conjunction with my son, who is a currently licensed Tax Consultant. It contains the following:

Should you claim your writing activity as a hobby or business?

Good planning for claiming your writing activity as a business.

Forms for good record keeping.

Surprising deductions you can claim in your writing business.

The answers to your questions regarding travel expenses.

When and how to claim the home office deduction.

Writing a good business plan.

When and how to claim the purchase of office equipment.

How to claim long-distance phone calls.

And much much more!

You can purchase the book for the low price of $10.00 (US), which includes shipping! Simply click on the "Buy Now" button on the right beneath my profile.

Here's Lookin at ya!

2006-10-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the MountainTop, but I just had to share this photo of a very special wolf with you before I leave.

I plan to post again in two days. See ya then!

Alta Lake - Part I

2006-10-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

I’m Back!

Sorry for the long delay in posting.

I decided to take a bit longer in the wilderness and also in application time. For you writers out there, I think you will find the following post interesting and/or helpful to your own writing.

This trip was about Cat and me getting out in the wilderness for some connection and down time, but it was also about reconnecting with my in-process book, Wild Women. Even while I was still climbing the mountain heading into camp, I found the missing pieces of my story. It’s amazing what a difference it can make to get out into the place you are writing about. It brings back all the passion. The story started coming together as I placed one foot in front of another to conquer the steep grade.

After our wrangler set up camp in a disappointing spot barely 20 feet off the trail in a pile of shale, Cat found the most amazing campsite overlooking three lakes on one side of the bluff and Alta Lake on the close side. We moved camp the next morning. Check out the photo. Wow! (I apologize for the poorer quality of photos. My camera was in the shop during this trip.)

Cat and I spent the first five days hanging around camp enjoying the view. Cat and I watched a herd of elk playing in one of the lakes below us while pika chattered at us from a nearby boulder. I also spent a lot of time floating on my air mattress across the clear water of Alta Lake. The water is so clear, in fact, that it felt as if I was walking into the sky every time we approached the shore to fill a bucket with water.

Using my little Handspring machine and a portable keyboard (both fit easily into a coat pocket), I used the mornings to capture the sights, sounds, smells and essence of the wilderness for my book.

Our friend Jim Anderson (fellow wilderness lover and awesome carving artist) joined us for a few hours on Sunday.

I spent one special night sleeping beneath the stars, watching them come on one at a time until a full moon turned the entire scene into a wonderland. I couldn’t resist getting up and taking a moonlight hike around Alta. Reflected moonlight made some of the trees on the other side of the lake look as if little lanterns were swinging from their branches. Bats hummed back and forth across the water and a coyote howled in the distance. Ahhhhhhhhhh

On Wednesday, I finally left camp and took a 12-mile hike down to Boston Bluff and back, babying my injured knee. Several trees have tumbled across Camp Ivern making it look as wild as when I first set eyes on it. I drank from the waterfall and filled my reserve bottles, then I set off toward the Bluff.

So much has changed at Camp Ivern that I was afraid the Bluff had suffered the same fate. But not so. The Bluff is still as awe inspiring as ever. I sat on the far edge, enjoying the view, painting and writing, until I realized the sun was getting low over Devil’s Peak. I hightailed it out of there, stopping once at Buckley Springs for more water, once at Middle Lake for a granola bar, and lastly at Cliff Lake where I teetered between the decision to camp for the night or head on to camp. I opted for the latter, but the last two miles of uphill trail was pure torture as I tried to beat the sunset back to camp.

Cat was waiting with arms crossed over his chest when I returned well after dark. Darn. He hates it when I worry him like that. But he got over it soon enough and while we ate dinner he shared the story of his day on top of Devil’s Peak enjoying a view of Mount McLoughlin, Mount Shasta and the Crater Lake Rim.

Next post, I’ll tell you about the surprising rest of our trip, but for now, I’d like to share what I learned that was helpful to my writing.

1. I learned to set reasonable goals.

This may sound like a no brainer. But I honestly didn’t realize what impossible goals I’ve been setting for myself until I faced climbing that steep grade to camp. It’s uphill the entire three miles. Three miles used to be a short hike for me, but I blew out my knee while running trail a few days before last Easter. I’m still having a lot of trouble and pain with it. The accident itself was a reality check. I should have been happy walking, but no, I had decided I could force my body into submission the same as I used to do in my younger days. My body rebelled and down I went.

So, I set short goals on this hike. I would pick out a tree up ahead and tell myself to get to it and stop for three breaths. Then I’d pick out another tree. I did this all the way up the hill and made it to camp in the same time as the horses. On Wednesday I did a grueling 12-mile hike with the same standard.

The second day of the trip, I accomplished all three of my goals: (1) move camp, (2) blow up my air mattress, and (3) find the deepest part of Alta Lake. It was the first time in four years I accomplished all my daily goals.

Now, that I’ve returned home, I’m learning to say “no” to some things and setting more reasonable goals. I’m hoping to complete Wild Women by the end of the month. That’s why I haven’t been posting as regularly. I’m slowly working my internet posts back into my goals. It feels so good to accomplish things instead of always being behind.

2. Writing honestly is hard work.

I’m being more truthful in this book than I’ve been in a long time. Instead of painting myself as a fearless, energetic, outdoor woman, I’m letting you see the truth of the fear I must daily overcome, and I’m allowing my readers to see a deeper part of me than just the surface.

With that said, I’ve discovered that I’m constantly closing that door of honesty, so I’m doing quite a bit of back tracking in order to keep the story honest.

If you’re still not sure what I mean, it’s like when you’ve written something and bared your soul and then you think, “Okay, that’s enough. I don’t want anyone to see deeper into me than that,” and you switch gears and the story suddenly loses its passion. That’s because it’s lost its honesty.

3. Formulas and rules sometimes need to be broken.

Formula books may work for a lot of things, but they are disaster if you want to write a book with power. In writing Wild Women, I’ve gotten away from the formulas. I’ve even purposely broken some rules. But…I’ve broken the rules on purpose, not because I don’t know how to keep them. That’s one thing I always point out to my students. Know the rules before you break them.

4. Getting away from the computer is a must.

I’ve discovered that it’s important for me to get away from the computer and out into the world I’m writing about. This last week, I spent three days talking with a different wild woman each day, then I had to take time to process all that talking and thinking before weaving it back into my story.

After printing out a hard copy, this last week, I took a yellow highlighter and went over the chapters, writing a rough outline and marking anything that stood out to me. In doing so, I discovered questions that will need addressed in the second half of the book.

This coming week, I’m taking a couple of days to look over the questions and pray and consider which ones I actually have answers for and which ones I don’t. In keeping with the honesty of the book, I plan to only answer the questions I truly have answers for. Sometimes it’s enough to raise a question, to have a person think on something they might not have otherwise.

*******
That’s it for today. My goal is to post another portion of this trip before the end of the week. I have a lot of good things to share with you over the next couple of months. One good way to stay tuned without having to check in, is to subscribe by using the Notify List on the left. That way, you’ll get an e-mail notice each time I post.

Enjoy the Son!

Thanks for your patience!

2006-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in posting. I'm off to the wilderness!

Check back on September 20 to see what awesome things have transpired during my trip!

Enjoy the Son!

Need Inspiration?

2006-08-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

I spent the entire day yesterday on the edge of the Rogue/Umpqua Wilderness picking the biggest, plumpest huckleberries ever! I never saw another human, and heard the engine of only one car the whole day. Instead, a gentle breeze caressed my face and sang through the tops of the tall timber, and blue Jays and chipmunks chattered at me from time to time. It was glorious!

And it was inspiring!

Good news I haven’t shared with you yet . . . an editor looked at my Wild Women chapter and was very interested. She, in turn, told her managing editor who asked for the rest of the book. Well . . . there is no rest of the book, because I’m not finished yet. So I sent him eight chapters.

He, read it, liked it, and gave it to his publisher, who read it, liked it, and asked for the rest.

Hooray!

But . . . I’m not finished . . . and . . . now the pressure is on to finish it as well as I’ve started. Can I do it? The pressure brought everything to a grinding halt.

Having two ten-year-old grandchildren living with me for the summer brought a lot of writing to a halt as well.

So, I did the thing any good writer would do. I took advantage of a free day to myself by heading to the hills. After all, huckleberries don’t wait.

The trick in this kind of inspiring activity is to go it alone. I was an hour from the nearest civilization . . . the thought both exhilarated and sometimes frightened me. But, boy, howdy, did I ever get ideas.

The outline I couldn’t quite pull together came into full view, or at least nearly full view. I’m aware of how the book will end now, and of most of the pieces getting there. I keep a small writing tablet and pen in my fanny pack and I pull it out whenever an idea hits.

Some of the ideas came while driving to my secret berry-picking spot. No need to pull off the road. There weren’t any other cars, but it was a good idea to come to a full stop in order not to plunge over the 300-foot drop into the canyon.

Other ideas came while I was picking. I had to make sure to look up every once in a while to make sure a bear wasn’t headed in my direction. I’ve seen lots of bear out here in the past. That’s one of the reasons not to bring anyone with you. They will either tempt you to talk, distract you right in the middle of your best idea, or (like my granddaughters) sing every camp song they know ten times at the top of their lungs to ward off bears. I wish you could have heard their voices drop from soprano to bass the day they picked huckleberries with me and I pointed out that they sounded exactly like my predator call. Ha!

All ideas and thoughts came to a halt about mid afternoon when my brain froze and I suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

I resisted the temptation to return home and took a break instead. Eating some cheese and crackers and taking a leisurely walk while enjoying the scenery and quiet. Then it was back to picking and the ideas started flooding my mind once again. I got a great title for an article I’m planning to write. I got other ideas for other projects . . . all written down on my little tablet.

I stayed till nightfall, then began the long trek home. A glorious sunset painted the back slope of Rabbit Ears an amazing pink glow. I had to pull over to the side of the road several more times to write down even more ideas.

So, this morning I’m writing some of those ideas down and I’m off to pick blackberries close to my home, then it’s back to the computer to put it all together. This time I won’t be stuck staring at a blank screen with a blank mind. I have direction and purpose . . . and best of all . . . passion to get it all down.

So, need inspiration? Then, head to the hills . . .

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part XII

2006-08-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today we end Steve’s message with a reminder to “Be Faithful.”

If you want to read the messages from beginning to end, scroll down on the right hand side of this page and go back to the beginning in the June archives.

*******

(That's Steve on the right and Chris on the left)

Remember that artistic excellence is no substitute for a vital, living walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. What will it profit us if we gain the artistic world and lose our own soul? If our creative skills are more advanced than our godliness, then all our talent stands to condemn us because its source is the God whose grace we are spurning. If we have no real heart-love for Christ, everything we do is vanity.

If our craft is to have a welcome place in the church, we must cultivate godliness in ourselves and in those around us.

We have been given a tremendous responsibility and privilege with our callings. We need to never forget that all we do should be an offering, by faith, to the “Giver of all good and perfect gifts,” for His glory alone.

*******

Wow! Now that’s a great word. Short, but very impacting.

You know how you get a song stuck in your head and it plays over and over in your mind? This weekend I’ve been thinking of the song, “I Am A Friend of God,” by Michael Gungor and Israel Houghton. “He calls me friend.”

Isn’t that the most amazing thing? That God calls us friend? Of course, this is only if we come through His Son, Jesus Christ. But when we do, then He truly calls us friend.

I listened to a pastor on the radio this weekend. His name is Damian Kyle and he was speaking from Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. His message absolutely wrenched my heart. He spoke of how loyal and faithful God is to us . . . the most loyal and faithful friend we could ever have.

He also spoke of how God is a great king and a great Lord and He has a right to loyal friends. God has given us a window of time that is quickly disappearing when we can demonstrate our loyalty and friendship to Him.

Wow!

Isn’t that what our art and writing and any other creativity should be about? Serving Him faithfully. What an amazing thing that He treasures the gifts we give back to Him.

And as a friend of God, I have been given a certain number of years to show my loyalty back to Him. But as Steve said, our gifts and everything we do is vanity if we have no real heart-love for Christ.

Madeline L’Engle once said that the artist’s works will stand up and speak for them, but the real truth is that Christ is the One who stands up and speaks for us. Our gifts may speak in the sense that they can show our loyalty to Christ, but if that loyalty isn’t there first, our gifts are nothing but clanging symbols making a lot of useless noise.

So, the first calling of any writer or artist or musician or human is to know God and love Him forever.

I don’t know about you, but these messages have made me want to draw nearer to the heart of God. I’ve been spending more time in the Word and coming before the Lord with all my joys and sorrows, and I have been finding Him to be completely faithful. Now, my real challenge is to demonstrate my loyalty and faithfulness to Him in the few years He has given me.

As Steve said, “we have been given a tremendous responsibility and privilege with our callings. We need to never forget that all we do should be an offering, by faith, to the ‘Giver of all good and perfect gifts,’ for His glory alone.”

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part XI

2006-08-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

Continuing the second half of Steve’s two messages given at the recent Artists Retreat at Box R Ranch in Southern Oregon.

Point One of Steve Hopkins message to artists and writers cautioned us to be patient but persistent with our pastors. A lot of folks have given me suggestions and I will be sharing those at the end of the entire series.

Point Two explained the need to be persistent but patient with our pastors, Point Three told us to think local, Point Four cautioned us to be a servant, and Point Five reminded us to be creative.

Today we learn how to be a mentor and what that means for a writer or artist.

*******

Be a Mentor

Christian mentoring is more than teaching, it is discipleship. Whereas a relationship between teacher ad student may not go beyond the specific subject matter which identifies their relationship, the mentoring relationship involves much more personal contact where not only skills are taught, but also a worldview.

The relationship is more one-on-one. This is how Christian artists and writers propagate their craft in a full-orbed way.

What is so valuable about this approach is that first we have the privilege of investing ourselves in the lives of others.

Remember the movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus? It clearly showed the value of mentoring. Here was a musician who, for most of his adult life, chased after the “brass ring,” thinking he would be successful in his field only by composing his “great work.” But, he had to put off his dream and answer the more immediate needs of his family and his job. He felt cheated…until he found at the end of his career that his great work was in the lives of the people he had impacted over the years.

Another advantage of mentoring is that younger artists, being mentored within the context of a local congregation, by local artists, learn their craft within the context of service and ministry, as opposed to the accolades of the stage or the art gallery.

Their art serves their church and their communities. It brings joy to the nursing home, hope and comfort to the suffering, gladness and wonder to the younger faces, beauty and glory to the worship service, and glory to God.

*******

Wow! That was a good word.

Mentoring is something Chris Hopkins (Steve’s awesome artist brother) modeled for us very well at the art conference. He gave away all his “secrets,” and helped everyone as much as possible. He especially helped one young woman who was very eager to learn. You can see the result in the photos posted with this article.

Mentoring is something I’ve done for a long time.

My first real experience was in mentoring a younger woman as a worship leader. I had mixed feelings in doing so. It seemed I was training someone to replace me. And I wasn’t wanting to be replaced! It also irked me a little to give her all “my secrets.” But at the same time I found real joy in her eagerness to be all that God wanted her to be in the area of worship.

I struggled with these contrasting feelings until the day I realized that every time she stood up to lead others in worshiping God, I had a part in it. What a wonderful thought! I could be tired or sick in bed and still be honoring God through someone else’s gifts.

That simple realization made mentoring a joy to me.

I give away “my secrets” to fellow writers and artists and know that as they use them to glorify God I have a part and it blesses His heart and mine!

It takes away all the competiveness that sullies the art and writing world as well as the arena of music.

It transforms me from being a tortured soul into a thankful child of God.

It helps me to see my “gifts” in the right context.

Some of the people I’ve mentored have gotten their books published before mine. Ooops! There go those contrasting feelings again.

And how many times have I wondered whether I’m truly happy if God’s ONLY purpose is for me to mentor others while my own books remain unpublished. What does it really matter? Perhaps I’m reaching more people through mentoring than by the actual doing myself.

Another thing I’ve realized only recently is that I cannot finish all the things I hoped to complete in my lifetime. So, it’s a good thing to mentor others, because it will take all of us to complete the task! Ha!

The best thing about mentoring others is the awesome joy I feel when doing so. And the realization of God’s pleasure. I feel God’s pleasure when I write. But I also feel God’s pleasure when I’m mentoring. And it’s given me a wealth of new friends.

Steve’s concept of mentoring younger artists and writers in the context of a local congregation is a new thought to me, but it rings true in my heart.

I recently entered an art contest and didn’t place at all. Ugh! It made me feel like I wasn’t really of any worth as a painter. What foolishness! Art galleries, press releases, and accolades of stage are often the feelings of a certain crowd at a certain time.

Many artists weren’t recognized for their worth until after they died. I can choose to look at my art as a gift God can use instead of wondering if I measure up to someone else’s standards.

As a result, I now write for local papers that don’t pay much and I place some of my writing here and elsewhere on the web. Sure. I still have to pay bills, and I keep a certain amount of writing for that venue, but I also keep some as a gift and it feels really good to do so.

It also feels good to know that one of my paintings hangs in the hallway of my church where one of the pastors likes to see it because it makes him feel happy. A neighbor has one of my greetings cards featuring a bull elk hanging above their entryway. My granddaughter has a picture of Aslan hanging on her wall. I didn’t get paid anything for any of these things, but the treasure will last longer than money.

Now, I’m thinking of new ways I can bring glory to the worship service and to God. And while I’m thinking, I’ll also look for ways I can mentor others along the same path. Is there some way I can help them experience this same freedom of joy in service? Because that’s really what it amounts to—freedom. And it’s something that can easily be lost if we don’t guard it with all our hearts.

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part X

2006-08-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Continuing the second half of Steve’s two messages given at the recent Artists Retreat at Box R Ranch in Southern Oregon.

Point One cautioned us to be patient but persistent with our pastors. A lot of folks have given me suggestions and I will be sharing those at the end of the entire series.

Point Two explained the need to be persistent but patient with our pastors, and Point Three told us to think local.

Today we learn how to be a servant and it applies very well to both artists and writers, or anyone involved in creating:

*******

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to do our work heartily as unto the Lord.
Jesus Himself gave us the example of a servant when He washed His disciples’ feet.

Much of the bad perception of artists and their callings has been brought on by the artists themselves. Too many are struggling, tormented in soul, crying to be heard, living a bohemian life, consumed by their craft.

This is not a picture of a Christian artist.

Your craft is handiwork, an offering of worship to the God whose image you bear.

You create because you were first created as Imago Dei and you bear His creative mark within you.

The motive behind your work should be the glory of God through serving, not assaulting your audience’s sensibilities, nor impressing them with your prowess.

Now that’s not to say that your work should not be fun or entertaining, stimulating or challenging. But remember, Christian artists during the Reformation had the greatest impact on the culture by making their art accessible to the common people.

These artists, out of a servant’s heart, came down from their “ivory towers” and connected with the populace, and as a result, Christian art flourished.

We do not hear much about the modern, avant-garde Christian artists mainly because many have succumbed to the anti-Christian view of the “bohemian” artist instead of approaching their craft as a “servant-artist.”

Again, I am not saying that a Christian Artist should not explore new horizons of creativity or produce art that makes us think or challenges us, but you must not lose sight of the fact that your gifts are given by God to serve His people.

When artists continually create “over the heads” of people, they may as well be speaking in an unknown tongue.

So be a servant—and be a teacher with your craft.

Exercise your creativity by finding ways to make your handiwork easily accessible and understandable to your community without compromising your dedication to excellence.

Be Creative.

Discover ways to integrate your craft into life.

*******

Wow!

Now, those were some pretty heavy words, a bit of stuff there I hadn’t thought about before, but I like the overall idea of being creative in our lives as well as in our craft.

A fellow artist recently started a new cartoon and is beginning a cartoon club at his church. Now, that’s creative. Way to go, Dave!

Part of my problem is not setting enough time aside to be creative. When I find myself with any time at all I often simply start painting without putting a whole lot of thought into what I’m going to paint. I just let it happen.

That’s okay part of the time, but I suspect I’m missing out on the bigger picture by not taking time to seek God for direction. Oh, I pray and ask for direction, but I don’t take much time to be still and listen for the answer. I opt instead to kind of let God ooze through my fingers. Sometimes that works. Sometimes, God really wants me to listen up. And sometimes it’s a matter of me either being lazy or afraid to dream the big dreams God has for me.

So here is the challenge just as Steve gave it:

Exercise your creativity by finding ways to make your handiwork easily accessible and understandable to your community without compromising your dedication to excellence.

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part IX

2006-08-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today, Steve is continuing on the idea of using our gifts.

Point One cautioned us to be patient but persistent with our pastors. A lot of folks have given me suggestions and I will be sharing those at the end of the entire series.

Point Two explained the need to be persistent but patient with our pastors.

Today he tells us to think local:

********

Your first focus should be upon the local community.

Too many artists eye the artistic Mecca’s of this world as the goal of their careers.

Too many Christian artists are no longer oriented to the local Christian community. Instead, they have their eyes set on Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Nashville, or wherever the elite of their particular discipline congregate.

Chico Holiday was a Las Vegas singer turned gospel singer. He played big venues and small venues like Half Way, Oregon. One day, he did a concert where there were 15 or 20 people. A young man approached him saying, “Yeah, I’m a musician. I like…,” and he listed off a bunch of names. “And I don’t play this little funky town. I’m waiting until I get to Nashville.”

Chico’s response was great. He said, “You know something son? You say you’re too good for this town, but let me tell you something, it took me 20 years to get to play this town.”

Because artists, especially the younger ones, have big aspirations they are left without mentors and teachers. God may have a niche for you at the top, but don’t forget to minister along the way to getting there.

Look at the great artists of the past like J.S. Bach and Rembrandt. These men did not go about seeking stardom. They pursued their craft patiently and quietly, blooming where God had planted them. They did not really attain their fame until years after their deaths. These were Christian artists in the true sense of the term—not merely because of the excellence of their work, but because of the way they approached their craft and carried themselves.

So, the first course of action for the Christian artist who wishes to find a place in his church is: Focus your artistic energies on your local church and community.

*******

Wow! Now, that’s not the word I expected to hear. In fact, it may take a good deal of imagination to figure out a way to focus our art on our local church and community. But isn’t that what being an artist is all about? Using our imagination?

I’m part of an artist forum made up mostly of Christian cartoonists. I think that’s great! A visual way of portraying the gospel. I also know Jeff, a musician (one of the members of the Daryl Mansfield band), who started making tee-shirts with Christian messages on them. Basically he turned his lyrics into a visual message!

I just returned from the Oregon Christian Writers Conference where I took a class on illustrating picture books. I learned that it is pretty hard for a new artist to break into the illustrating world. What if I did a large format picture book to be used with the children in my church? And who knows? Perhaps I would have something marketable in the end, but even if I didn’t, it would be satisfying to know that my project had an impact on someone’s life.

I met Pat, a young woman, at the conference who has been making the most awesome greeting cards…so imaginative and personal and uplifting and encouraging…I wanted to buy every one of them. She started out local and is now pursuing greater challenges. She didn’t wait for the big time to get her work out there.

I’ve done the same with my photo cards. Starting out small and seeing where it goes. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that kind of ministry. For instance, on the way home from the conference, driving by myself, I began nodding asleep at the wheel. A motel room seemed out of the question because of my meager finances, so I prayed for an affordable place. I pulled off the freeway and began looking, but every motel parking lot in the town was full of party revelers. So, I started praying for an affordable, safe place.

No more than ten miles down the freeway, I discovered a tiny motel out in the boonies. I pulled into the parking lot and stopped and prayed. Was this really a safe place?

Turned out to be safe and affordable. 28 bucks! Run by an Hispanic husband and wife team. Clean, comfy, and I slept on a bed as soft as a pillow. Ummmmm.

So, I left them one of my most popular small, framed photos as a thank you the next morning.

Who at your church would be blessed with one of your paintings/drawings?

And if you’re a writer, there are ways to use your writing without waiting for the big time as well. I wrote a little book called, Songs in The Night, years ago before I knew a thing about writing. I typed it on stencils, ran off 200 copies on a mimeograph (most of you probably don’t even know what that is), hand folded it, then took it down to be stapled and trimmed.

I gave that little book to anyone I thought might like it.

It was embarrassing at first, because the book was a story about my life, how my husband and I raised our five children in a home with no electricity or running water and where we had to park a half mile from our house, how we met each other when I was a bartender, and how God grabbed our lives and turned us around. So it was like, “Here. Read a book about myself.”

Yeah right.

But people did take the book. And finally I had given out all 200 copies. Then someone else decided they would like to make 300 books for me. They gave me the 300 books along with the typeset pages. I gave all those out, and some folks gave me a couple of dollars for the book, so I turned that around and made 200 more copies. Over the years I gave out 700 copies of that little book. Then a few years ago a woman’s group wanted copies after having me come as a guest speaker, so they took one of my books and made copies and gave them out.

I’ve never made the big time with that book! I’ve never even made any money other than turning it into more books.

BUT I’ve received letters from all over the world from people saying how much that little book impacted their lives. A letter from a missionary in Africa. A letter from a teenager in Texas who said something in the book touched her life and made her decide to return home. Letters from men in the county jail. Letters from firefighters, mill workers, and teachers. A recent phone call from a woman who said she found it in a used book store and just had to tell me how much it meant to her!

Goodness! None of my “published” articles or stories ever had that much impact.

I started out local and small, but God took it all over the world.

Where can you start? Pray about it. Be imaginative. Try some things.

Off to Conference!

2006-07-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Oregon Christian Writers Coaching Conference in Canby where I will be teaching, "The Power to Crossover."

If I don't see you there, I'll plan to be back here next weekend with lots of new info.

Have a great week and enjoy the Son!

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part VIII

2006-07-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today, Steve is continuing on the idea of using our gifts. Point One cautioned us to be patient but persistent with our pastors. A lot of folks have given me suggestions and I will be sharing those at the end of the entire series.

********

I like impressionism but what I can really use in a worship setting is something that holds, or translates a theological truth or illustrates creatively a scene in the life of Jesus.

I don’t know if you’ve seen any of the Masterpeace collection by Ron Dicianni, Michael Dudash, Thomas Blackshear, and my brother, Chris Hopkins. They each depict a scene of an historical Jesus in some biblical context, but there is also a current day person in the picture. I think that’s great.

As a pastor concerned with a worship service, I am careful to make sure everything is directed around the person and the presence of Christ.

I am more concerned that people come in contact with Him than I am at giving useful but sterile principles on how to live. I think of Adam and Eve—their experience with God was relational—and that’s my focus. And I am looking for tools that will help me accomplish that goal.

I will sometimes call upon an artist to paint the section of scripture I am teaching from. I taught Nehemiah 8, and a woman in the congregation painted a wonderful picture. She started it at home and finished it during the service. Now, it’s hanging in our coffeeshop and every time we see it we are reminded of the message of Nehemiah 8. That’s great!

In the near future I plan to have a huge canvass behind me, about ten feet or so. And I am going to have three or four artists painting at the same time.

Now, I as a pastor need to know in advance what the theme of a message is going to be, and then work with the artists and give them some time to come up with an idea…and sometimes pastors don’t have their theme before 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning (sometimes me too!). But when I know what I am going to teach, I will sometimes draw upon an artist to help me communicate some truth of my message, especially if it’s a difficult concept.

********

Wow! What a fascinating concept of using art to bring home a biblical concept. At the recent artists retreat at Box R Ranch, Jeanne Randall challenged us to come up with a biblical painting around the theme of, “Let There Be Light.” Then we can bring our paintings to be juried into next years show.

I’ve only done this once when I was asked to do a painting of the triumphal entry for a passion show. What agony! What joy! I had to do research. Find out what kind of crowd would have showed up to welcome Jesus. I also had to search through my photos taken in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, coming up with a landscape and people in various styles of dress and adoration.

The completed painting depicts much joy, which is exactly what I think the original day was full of—pure, unadulterated joy at welcoming The King.

I admit that it’s easier to pick my own subjects and paint whatever I feel like, but accepting and accomplishing that challenge made me feel very fulfilled.

Chris Hopkins actually uses people he knows to pose for subjects in his paintings. One painting he did of Christ calming the angry seas shows a boat full of Chris’ family and friends. His brother, Steve, likes to point out that his very own hand is what Chris used for the hand of Christ. Ha!

So, now I’m thinking…what pictures could I paint that would bring home a message more clearly? And I’m surprised at how many ideas I’ve come up with. The first I plan to do is for a show called, “Reflections,” where we depict some way that God’s love is reflected in our world.

What ideas can you come up with? Why not give yourself a challenge and start on one today?

Enjoy the Son!

Steve Hopkins Message to Artists and Writers - Part VII

2006-07-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today, we start the second in the messages given by Pastor Steve Hopkins at the awesome art retreat at Box R Ranch in May. Now, we are entering the using of our gifts.

The photos are images I took at the Tall Trees Rendezvous earlier this month.

*******

A pastor notices a new family visiting his church. After the service, he introduces himself and strikes up a conversation with the visitors. The husband says that they have just moved to the area and they are looking for a church where they can be actively involved in ministry.

Unable to contain his excitement, the pastor asks, “Where would you like to be involved?”

The husband responds, “My wife and daughter dance, my son is a painter, and I am a playwright.”

There is a deathly silence for what seems like a week.

Then the pastor says, “Well, the choir is always looking for more singers and maybe your wife and daughter can act out a skit you write for our children’s ministry, but dancing may take a review and decision by the Board.”

This is a true story, because the pastor in this story is me, before I felt the freedom and desire to use more artistic means to communicate biblical truths.

I have since learned that art and dance can come closer than systematic theology at capturing and allowing us to experience the mystery of God.

Mel Gibson proved that drama can more adequately demonstrate the agony of Christ.

And a picture can illustrate better than words abstract theological truths like the trinity or the Incarnation…Or the Humanity of Christ over and against His deity.

The arts exercises the mind to understand the many levels of meaning in Scripture.

Augustine and Aquinas both felt that God purposely made the Bible difficult so that we would have to wrestle with it (Bible is not stream-lined, not all slick packaging).

But most ministries and pastors are reluctant to use the arts in worship, mostly because they don’t know how to use it or are afraid of being connected with the Emergent Church, which they haven’t decided yet if it’s good or bad. But the fact is we have moved from a telegraphic society to a televisual society.

So, the question I want to explore is…How can artists find their niche within the Covenant community? And how can leadership provide a nurturing environment for artists?

First off, I think the pendulum is swinging back toward art in the church. In the early days of Christianity, and even after the Bible was mass produced, the masses were illiterate and much of our theology was communicated and preserved in art.

I have a very gifted artist and historian in our church, and as part of the worship service, she will present a piece on screen and will tell us a little about the author, when it was painted, and the subject matter. She then will make a present-day connection to the theological truth or scene we see on the canvas.

A few weeks ago, she had a piece by Cavaggio that was dynamic. She presented the piece picturing Mary and Martha and talked in three minutes of her struggle of always being a Martha. It was very affective.

I was at the Hermitage this last summer and saw a piece by 17th Century Spanish artist Murrillo called, “The Prodigal.”

We don’t use icons in my church, but we flash the words to our worship songs on the screen and behind them is a Masterpiece painting or a classical piece. We call it visual praise.

So, things are changing.

The high churches are incorporating art in their worship services, but more of the staunch churches like Calvary Chapel are being freed up to use more art and videos in worship services. It’s funny, cause they call me and I feel like they are like little kids who just found the key to their parent’s liquor cabinet.

So how can you as an artist help assist us pastor types in using art in ministry?

Speaking as a pastor, here are some things that may help you integrate art in your church.

1. Be patient, but persistent.

One of the problems the Church and we pastors have with the arts is one of perception. We tend to look upon the arts in a different way from other vocations. How many times have you heard, “Oh, you’re the artist. So, what do you do for a living?”

The idea that an artist can make a living with his craft is foreign to many. Which I find ironic, because many see us pastor types as working only a few hours one day a week and they wonder how we support ourselves. Ha!

And honestly, this attitude has hurt the arts in the church. Vincent Van Gogh trained for the Dutch Reformed pastorate. He found early on that he just was not “pastor material.” He wanted to serve Christ with his gifts, but the church had no place for him and would not accept him with his artistic idiosyncrasies. Instead of accepting, discipling, and nurturing him, they just branded him as strange and cast him aside.

This was a sad thing, because the Church lost a great opportunity by her own callousness.

But again, I think the pendulum swing is shifting, and as it is shifting you can help us pastor types by being patient and dialoguing and teaching us how art can be used in a worship service, or in the church. Be patient, but persistent with your pastor.

*******

Okay, we’ll stop there today.

At the art conference, we spent some time thinking of ways we can use our art in our local churches. And I’m very interested in ways other artists are using their art in their churches. So, please leave a comment or send and e-mail. Perhaps we can help one another come up with some new ways of ministry!

Recently, one of my fellow artists came up with the idea for us artists to be painting abstract visuals at a Friday night jazz concert at our church. Now, that’s a fresh idea. And another church in town is holding a Christian artist’s contest at their annual women’s luncheon. I’m even planning to take part in that.

There’s a world of opportunities out there. What ideas do you have?

Putting Down the Giants—Part VI

2006-07-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the conclusion of the first message given by Steve Hopkins at the recent art conference at Box R Ranch. In a couple of days we will begin the second message.

Are you a writer?

Were you put on this earth to be a painter? A poet? A songwriter? A musician?

Only you can answer that question.

But if you are, consider this:
In the movie, “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner goes back in time to the seventies to find an old doctor played by Bert Lancaster named Dr. Graham who played one inning in the minor leagues. But Dr. Graham gave up his dream of being a professional baseball player to become a physician in the small ordinary town of Chisholm. Minnesota. He fantasized what it would have been like to hit a single and stare down a sky so blue that you had to squint to see the ball.

Kostner said, “What a tragedy you never got to fulfill your dream.”

But Doc Graham said something very profound. He said, “If I had not become a doctor, that would have been a tragedy.”

If you were put on this earth with the ability to cure cancer, or write a book, or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, that will be a tragedy.

You not only hurt yourself, but you hurt and deprive everyone of your gift. And worst of all, you shame our Lord who gave you that gift.

Artists and writers are a gift to the world.

Don’t cheat us of your contribution.

Beat the giant (resistance, procrastination, and fear) and give us what you’ve got.

*****

Are you ready for Steve’s challenge?

Or does fear and procrastination stop you. If you need to, go back over the other posts of Steve’s message and begin taking steps to defeat that ugly ole giant. We’re not on our own in doing this. God has given us the power through His Spirit to overcome the giants of the land if we are willing to take advantage of it.

I’m making steps in doing just that. I’m beating down procrastination by actually putting words on computer one word at a time. Sometimes it like pulling them out one at a time, but if I stick at it, before long I have something of significance. And you can too, one word after another….

Enjoy the Son!

I'm Back!

2006-07-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! It was a long couple of weeks. The Rendezvous was absolutely wonderful. It’s awesome to take time to slow down and live life in a more creative way.

Trapper John is the leader of the Tall Trees Rendezvous at Smith River, California. He seems to fit better there than anywhere else. He sleeps in a primitive tent and fires up a forge to make pot hookers the old-fashioned way. He can make a fire with flint and steel in less than thirty seconds.

“Used to be anyone could do it,” Trapper says. “That’s one of the reasons it’s good to have the rendezvous. It’s a learning experience. We’ve lost things in history that will never be found until we try to recreate it, hoping to find a piece of history that was lost.”

I agree with Trapper John. There is a lot of history that was lost that we would do well to find again. It’s easy to see at a rendezvous where families enjoy spending time together instead of hiding away behind walls that keep out every semblance of wild or community. Sometimes living for a week the old way is uncomfortable or messy, but it’s nice to know that if you had to do it the hard way, you could.

Speaking of the hard way. The Cat Man and I lived for seven years in a home that had no electricity or running water. We had to hike a half mile up hill to reach it. Now, that’s messy! But, oh, was it wonderful. What adventures we had.

Another thing about the rendezvous is that we spend a lot of time making things to use and wear while we’re there. It’s satisfying to make something from the ground up, because nowadays everything is done for you. It’s also satisfying to spend time working on something and being able to show it off to someone else who understands what went into the making of it.

That’s one thing the internet is good for as well. We can share our creations with others who understand the creating process. It means a lot to me when someone leaves a comment or sends an e-mail in response to specific piece of writing, photo, or art.

The Rendezvous also makes me aware of being a part of history, of taking a place inside a story that began a long time ago. It started with the first settlers and continues through the stories I place on paper or computer one word at a time so the next generation won’t forget what’s gone before and will be thankful for coyote song and tall timber.

Thanks for your patience as I’ve taken a break from the internet in order to recapture beauty and simplicity. I’ll be sharing photos of the rendezvous along with the rest of Pastor Steve Hopkins’ message to artists and writers over the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy the Son!

Putting Down the Giants—Part V

2006-06-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Today we continue with Steve Hopkins message that he gave at the recent artist’s conference. This is nearing the end of the first section, but don’t worry! There’s a second section coming. These words are great encouragement for any type of artist—writer, musician, illustrator….

********

Lastly, Celebrate your victories.

I Samuel 17:51 tells us that after David killed Goliath, he cut off his head. It as a way of making sure Goliath was dead. But he also paraded Goliath’s head around like a trophy, for all to see that the giant was dead.

Then, David took all of goliath’s weapons and stood them up in his own tent. Every morning when David woke, he looked at them and was reminded of how God delivered him in that battle.

I am not suggesting you parade your work around, but I am suggesting that every morning you thank God for the creative gift He has given you.

One of my closest friends is the singer/songwriter, Bob Bennett.

Bob has experienced a lot of pain in his life—rejection, divorce, depression. But he has an ability to take that pain and transfer it into words and music that minister to thousands.

After his divorce, he lived alone in a small apartment away from his three children. During that time he wrote the following lyrics to the tune of “Bright Avenue.”

I hear sounds above the shuffling of my feet
As I make my way down a strange familiar street.
The Holy sound of family, their dinner’s on the way.
Will I ever be able to sit at that table again?
I did not want to be here where the future is in store,
But my name is on the mailbox and my key fits in the door.
Living in this present tense is the best that I can do.
It’s clear that I am supposed to be here…here on Bright Avenue.

If those who sow in tears will reap in joy somehow,
Then surely I am watering my fields of future now.
My feet will walk a golden street and when all is said and done,
I will be found on holy ground as a good and faithful son.
Walking toward a promise that frees this convict heart,
The Lord will never lose me and He can finish what He starts.
And when I least expect it, I believe these things are true.
It’s as if to say I am on my way from here…here on Bright Avenue.

Now, if you’ve experienced the pain of divorce, this song will minister deeply to you.

Bob was able to use his words and music to paint a very healing picture.
I am in awe of his gift.
I wish I could speak healing as clearly as he can.

Roby Duke is also a good friend of both Chris and I. Roby struggles with his flesh like all of us do. He wrote this song that has become a favorite o mine.

A soldier on the right side
Your armor suited me perfectly
And all and all I’ve done my best
To quench my imperfection
But I’ve fallen from your glory once again
So I come to you O Lord
I come just as I am
I come for love
I come for life
So take my hand
I come to you, O Lord,
I come with empty hands….

Whether writer, artist, poet, songwriter, appreciate and celebrate your unique gift.

Don’t abuse it.
Don’t quench it.
Don’t despise it.
And Don’t listen to those nut cases that call us flakey.
We need to be reliable, yes, but that’s a discipline issue not a personality issue.
Celebrate the unique skill God has given you.

*******

Wow! I am blessed once again. Celebrate my gift? I remember that when I first starting doing art, I was delighted to get anything on paper. It was like…Wow! I did that? How fun!

But lately, I’m more like, “ugh, I can’t get what I want down on paper.”

It’s the same with my writing.
Some days I love it.
Some days I hate it.

Chris Hopkins told me that I probably won’t get down on paper what I see in my mind…but he also went on to say that I COULD get something of significance down on paper.

The thing is, we each have a unique gift and it’s a good thing to share it. And it’s a good thing to celebrate it!

I will be away the rest of the week at Wilderness Trails Camp…working with at-risk kids and doing art and taking photos. I plan to continue with Steve’s message when I return next Saturday. Until then…celebrate! Put some paint or words down on paper and choose to find delight in them. Then share them with someone who will understand what went into the making of them.

Putting Down the Giants—Part IV

2006-06-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Awwwwww…talk about putting down the giants! I just e-mailed the first nine chapters of Wild Women to my agent. It feels so incredibly good to be accomplishing something.

Today’s word from Steve Hopkins (a message he gave at a recent artist retreat) is truly an exciting one. We’ll pick up with his fourth point—Are you a hacker? Or a professional?

**************

Fourthly, Never assume that what worked for somebody else will work for you.

Saul gave David his armor, but it didn’t fit. It worked for Saul, but it didn’t work for David.

The point is, David did it the way God asked HIM to do it, and it’s the same for us. God created you in a unique way, and that means that God has given you a talent unique from everyone else. You will always be defeated if you approach your craft trying to duplicate what works for someone else.

I love the story my artist brother, Chris Hopkins, tells of when he was a student at Art Center. A teacher gave a very simple assignment to go home and paint a map of California.

Art Center was a very competitive school. When given a new technique, the students would work hard to master it. So, when the students returned the following week, they handed the teacher their assignments. The students obviously labored to make the perfect map. Some had drawn it to perfect scale. Others used color to highlight mountains from the valleys. They were beautiful, but the teacher looked at them and said, “Crap…crap.”

He came to one that Rand McNally would have loved to publish and asked, “Who did this?”

One girl in the back said, “I did.”

He wadded it up into a ball and threw it out the window!

Students were weeping.

The teacher then stopped and came to the piece my brother did, which was looking at LA from a tempestuous ocean after an earthquake. In the ocean were some of the symbols of LA—the Capital Records building, the Hollywood sign. And where Hollywood Boulevard ran, it was renamed Hollywood Fiord, Mulholland Beach. And there were portions of the highway in the ocean.

The teacher asked, “Who did this?”

Chris said, “I did.”

And the instructor said, “This is genius. This is what I was looking for.”

Do you know the difference between a hack and a professional?

A hack is one who sits down to work and doesn’t ask what’s in his heart to paint or write, but what the market is looking for.

The hack condescends to his audience and he thinks himself superior to them when the truth is he is scared to death of being authentic in front of them, of writing or painting, or composing what he really feels or believes. He’s afraid it won’t sell, so he anticipates what the market wants and then gives it to them.

Now, there is nothing wrong with taking money or making a living by your craft. Chris is like a subcontractor on a construction job. Where a contractor will hire framers and plumbers to complete a house, art directors hire Chris because he is a journeyman artist.

But Chris reserves a piece of himself that is just his. It is sacred and in the creative world no one has access to it but him. It is there that he does what God has gifted and instructed him to do, to paint and create what the Spirit tells him.

**************

Wow! See what I mean? And there’s still more of Steve’s message to come in next week.

Are you a hacker or a professional?

Are you fighting your battles suited in clothes and with weapons that fit? Or are you trying to use someone else’s armor that’s more a cumbrance than a help?

Boy! That was a timely word for me.

I recently returned from the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. It was a wonderful conference, but I came home with mixed feelings about what I learned. One class talked entirely about marketing and how to sell ourselves as writers, even getting down to how we should dress and style our hair for TV appearances.

Goodness!

That totally depressed me. I’ve never been about the big hair thing. Or the style thing for that matter. I simply want people to read my words. And if I’m going to be on Oprah, I want her to accept me and my wild women for who we are. Perhaps, I’m naïve, but I think she will love us just the way we are! And none of us wild women have big hair. Well…I take that back…if secrets must be told, we do have one wild woman who carried a makeup kit seven miles into camp and used it every day! Ha! My outfitter boss didn’t even roll his eyes when he tied it to the pack mule.

Again, I’m reminded of Ted Dekker's words at the same conference. He told us to be true first of all to what God has called us to write, and second of all to our readers.

I think that’s enough marketing for me.

Did you know that Francine Rivers doesn’t even enter any contests? She told me that herself! I found that very interesting. You may be thinking that I’m wrong about this because her book, The Last Sin Eater, won an award. And you are right, but she didn’t enter it into the contest, her publisher did. And she said that it’s her least selling book! Imagine that! So what good is a contest except perhaps to bolster our ego?

I really have to think about this one. I thought it would make people want to read my books and view my art if I was a contest winner. But not so with Francine. And I’ve even seen big tough guys reading her books at Rendezvous—one of the last places I would expect such a thing.

Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to enter contests, or even wrong to do some marketing. Most of us will have to do some kind of marketing for readers or viewers to even know we’re out there. But I do think it’s wrong to ONLY write or do art that is marketable. Sometimes, we MUST write or paint our passion…the thing that we can’t get off our minds.

And I also think it is dangerous for a Christian to rely more on marketing than on the Holy Spirit. Sure, the Holy Spirit is capable of working through our marketing techniques, but if we leave Him out of the picture when we’re writing, painting, or marketing, then we will probably end up with something that will have about as much worth as peanut butter on…….uh…..a cactus leaf.

And I like what Steve said about us always being defeated if we try to duplicate someone else's work. It's okay to copy in order to learn, but when we're doing the real thing, it should be just that...real, genuine, completely ours.

Francine is true to her calling. Ted Dekker is true to his calling. Lisa Samson is true to her calling. Each one of them wears their own armor and each one of them are selling books and doing very well.

Wow! A lot to chew on.

The Meaning of Life—Courage Revisited

2006-06-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today I’m taking a brief break to revisit the subject of courage and the meaning of life in terms of being a Christian writer and/or artist.

My novel Skookum is now on the desks of the editors who requested it. I’ve also asked my agent to mail it to the one editor who requested it by e-mail from him. It’s out of my hands now. I must wait on the Lord.

But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing!

“He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope (wait) in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wing like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

Boy! Did I ever need those words.

I will wait on the Lord, through prayer, through praise, and by spending time with Him.

But that’s not all! There’s more:

”I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners, I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you
And have not rejected you.
So do not fear,
For I am with you;
Do not be dismayed,
For I am your God;
I will strengthen you
And help you;
I will uphold you
with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:9-10 (NIV)

What a wonderful promise! I have 1-9-04 (OCW) written in the margin beside it. And I remember the promise back then when I felt I had gotten in over my head with leading the Oregon Christian Writers Conference and choosing a new campus and planning a huge event with Francine Rivers . . . but God was true to His promise . . . even though I was afraid back then; I was dismayed.

Am I afraid now?
Am I dismayed?

**Fear: Loss of courage; intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety (dread).

**(Dismay: To cause to lose courage or resolution; implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something; sudden loss of courage or resolution from alarm or fear; sudden disappointment.

Yet God says, “Do not fear . . . do not be dismayed.”

According to Webster, courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty. Synonyms: mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity.

**Mettle: Suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

**Spirit: Also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one’s own or keep up one’s moral when opposed or threatened.

**Resolution: Stresses firm determination to achieve one’s ends (like the pioneer women).

**Tenacity: Adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

We all know people like that, and sometimes we’ve had these qualities ourselves, but what if we don’t right now! How do we get them?

The cool thing about being a follower of Christ is that I don’t have to rely on my own courage, my own mettle, spirit, or tenacity. God has it all. I simply need to rely on Him.

I do that by making a choice—determining.

Using the Word of God and strong universal witness as my authority, I settle and decide by choice of alternatives or possibilities to fix the form, position and character beforehand…that is, I set boundaries and scope…and through careful investigation, reasoning, and calculation, I come to the decision—making my choice to place my trust in God.

That is true faith…not based on some willy nilly out of my imagination, but based on evidence of things hoped for.

Yet, I am not left alone in coming to this conclusion—making this choice.

The Holy Spirit who lives in me, empowers me each step of the way. And He will do the same for each of us who place our faith in Christ.

Given all the facts, it takes more work to fear than it does to trust.

So why do I fear?

Because I allow other voices to drown out the truth. Instead of careful investigation, rumors and lies hit me from every side. If I don’t take the time needed for restoration, dismay is the first to take control. It comes suddenly, without warning, and leaves me disconcerted and confused.

Courage soon flees, leaving me with no firmness of mind, in the midst of a great battle with no fixed boundaries or plan.

Even then, while running screaming from the enemy, I can choose to run straight into the Father’s arms, allowing His strength, His courage, His Spirit to lift me high above the maddening horde and set my feet on Solid Rock once again.

King David took time to write. He was a wonderful writer! He also took time to praise God and to wait. He never simply rushed into a battle. Even when the battle was similar to the last one, he took time to ask God for direction.

If a king in charge of nation can do that, then surely I can too! After all, it is the same Spirit of God who lives in us both.

And what about you? Who are you waiting on today? An agent? An editor? The next big sale? Or the Creator of all things good?

Putting Down The Giant — Part III

2006-06-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hey! It’s working. I set some goals and I’m actually keeping them. I hope some of you are experiencing the same delight. If not, then keep rearranging your goals until you get something you can work with. It feels sooooooo good to actually accomplish something.

So, here we go, with some more of Steve Hopkin’s words from the Art Conference. Excellent help for writers and authors. If you missed the first two posting, go back and catch them. Today we’re starting with his second point.

*************

Secondly, no one is gong to defeat procrastination except you.

Many will not embark upon an endeavor because they are afraid of being alone.

I’ve never been in the military, but I have many friends who were Marines and I am always intrigued with their stories of boot camp. I think boot camp teaches guys something very useful to artists and writers. It teaches them how to be miserable.

Marines love to be miserable.

They love the fact that they can eat food colder and crappier than anyone else, that they can work more efficiently than others with lousy equipment and in lousier conditions, and they brag that they have a higher casualty rate than dog faces, swab jockeys, or fly boys.

In the same way, an artist committed to his or her calling must learn to love misery.

They must learn to thrive on rejection, self-doubt, ridicule, and most of all…isolation. No one was going to defeat Goliath except David. And no one was going to help him do it. And the only one who is going to defeat your giant of Resistance (The Flesh) or Procrastination is you.

*************
Thirdly, David had to overcome his fear.

Fear is another ally of resistance, and many are paralyzed by it, but fear can be a good thing.

Fear is an indicator.

Fear tells us what we have to do.

You see, the more fear you feel about a specific project, the more certain you can be that the project is important to you.

Many have the impression when they read I Samuel 17, that David wasn’t afraid. Baloney! David was afraid, but I suggest that David’s fear told him that what he was doing was important.

Have you ever listened to an actor being interviewed by a TV talk show host? When asked, “What made you decide to take on a particular role?” The actor usually answers, “Because I am afraid of it.” He takes on the role because it will stretch him. He takes on the project because, “…he will venture into uncharted waters that compel him to explore unconscious parts of himself.”

Now, let me say this about fear…many a creative person feels he or she must first overcome the giant of fear before they can do their work. But, folks, fear will NEVER be overcome. There is no such thing as a fearless writer or artist. We move forward in faith. Faith is NOT the absence of fear…it is what we do in the face of it.

Perhaps you say you aren’t afraid, you just don’t know how or where to start?

Here’s something that helped me…when I have a sermon to write or a script or a book I want to write, I often have no idea of how to begin or where I want to take a story or a scripture text. So I simply start writing!

I take an idea, even if it’s borrowed, even if it’s simple or bad, and begin to write. And as I do…other ideas—original ideas—come to me.

I usually start every writing endeavor with a #5 mechanical pencil, because for me, thoughts disentangle themselves over the lips (talking) or through the fingertips (writing).

Now, this kind of thing takes discipline, because it is here I meet the most resistance. But as I discipline myself to this task, the spirit begins to move, ideas start to come, and suddenly thoughts and ideas come to me faster than I can write.

I think when we do this we give room for the Holy Spirit to move.

I wrestle with issues. I jot down thoughts…sometimes they don’t even connect. And my thoughts become like puzzle pieces. I flip them over and the Lord begins to speak to my heart and mind, and connect them together, and suddenly I see the picture.

*************

Okay! That’s some great advice. Except perhaps for loving to be miserable. Goodness! I’m not sure I’m ready for the Marine-type mentality. But I do like the idea of writing something, anything, until I come up with something worth writing. Now, that’s something I can do (as all my students can attest to the many free writes I put them through).

There’s still more to come! We’re only nearing the half way point in Steve’s messages.

See ya tomorrow!

Putting Down the Giant — Part II

2006-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wow!

I have really been putting down that giant of procrastination! My manuscript has been mailed. Hooray! I just finished an article (although it was overdue). And I’ve outlined the sequel to the manuscript that’s been mailed. That’s pretty good for a person who has been procrastinating her life away.

And that all came from simply identifying the giant.

I had no idea procrastination was such a big nuisance in my life until I read Steve Hopkins’ words.

Today, I have more of Steve’s words for you. It’s short, but impacting.

*****

How will I ever beat the giant of Resistance (the Flesh) and break his stalemate—how will we?

I think we can learn some things from David and his battle with his giant.

First:

We must realize first that Goliath is not going to go away—he must be fought and defeated if we are ever going to be successful in our craft.

The greatest Resistance (the Flesh) is procrastination. The reason is that procrastination is the easiest to rationalize. Procrastination never says, “I’m never going to write my book,” it says, “I’ll write it…but I’ll write it tomorrow.”

And the problem of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don’t just put off our lives today; we’ll put them off till the day we die!

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the great artists and thinkers of his time. People loved his work and learned from it and wanted more. Over and over, he told them he had many other great works in his head, but nearly 300 years later, only one piece has really been preserved—The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

What stopped him?

It wasn’t opium. He was addicted to procrastination. He never got around to putting them on paper. Procrastination must be fought every day and won. But what about inspiration?

Someone asked Sommerset Maugham if he writes by a schedule or only whenever inspiration strikes.

He said, “I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, inspiration strikes every morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp.”

*****

Okay, already. Maybe you aren’t a person who can write at the same time every day, but certainly you could write at some time every day?

Here’s an idea:

What if you decide to write first thing every day?

Okay, so you mess up and it’s noon and you realize you didn’t write yet. Go ahead. Write at noon. Or perhaps it’s bedtime and you see that you never did get around to it. So, pull out the journal and write a sentence, or two, or three. That’s a start.

On the second day, go through the same process. Keep it up until you actually find yourself writing every day.

Okay, perhaps you can give yourself weekends or Sundays off, but you get the drift.

After that, you can work on writing something of substance. Perhaps give yourself a word limit, or a time limit, or?

Chip MacGregor, editor with Faith Warner, once told me that he determines to write a chapter or article or story every day. That’s his goal. If he finishes at noon, he gets the rest of the day off to play with his family. If he isn't done by six p.m., then he keeps working and doesn’t go to bed until his goal is met.

Gloria Chisholm (another editor/author friend of mine) used to be a single mom with small children and a full time job outside the home. Her goal was to write one double-spaced page every day. By the end of a year, she had finished an entire book!

Setting goals is important.

Keeping them is important.

Otherwise, that giant of Procrastination (the Flesh) will hold us down and keep us from ever realizing our dreams and will also keep others from being able to enjoy the gifts we’ve been given.

This week has been better for me. Now, let’s head into the next with more gusto than the last!

Facing the Giant - Part I

2006-06-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

I'm finally home for a while. Just returned from a mad dash to Southern California where I enjoyed my grandkids and bawled my eyes out seeing Hana Desiree Cathcart graduate from High School. Is the world ready for this spunky gal?

By popular request, I’m posting the following, which is a message given by Steve Hopkins at the recent Artist Conference at Box R Ranch in Southern Oregon. His words are extremely encouraging for both artists and writers or musicians—anyone endeavoring to work in the arts.

(That's Steve on the right and Chris on the left)

Steve is the author of Tale of a Donkey and Tale of a Champion, two books and recordings that are no longer available but are loved by many. Perhaps if enough of us make noise, the powers that be will bring them back out again. Steve is also the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Christian Fellowship in Salem, Oregon. If that isn’t enough, he’s also one of the best musicians I’ve known and sing pretty decent too.

Steve’s brother, Chris Hopkins, is a well-known artist who encouraged every one of us who attended the conference. I will post this message in several parts until you have the entire thing. It’s something I will keep coming back to often for my own encouragement.

Enjoy!

*****

Do you remember the times when you struggled with something or you had been fighting a battle and it left you feeling like you had been run over by a Mac truck?

Perhaps it was an idea. Or a fear of failure. Or worse yet, a fear of success.

Most fears of failure are really masks for fear of success. Or it could be something imbedded in your psyche by a careless mentor or parent that pops up and intimidates you. Or a thought that you’ve wrestled with for years that says, “Who do you think you are . . . a real artist (or writer) or something?”

I think all of us have a giant to overcome. In David’s case it was Goliath.

In I Samuel, chapter 17, Israel’s archenemy was the Philistines. But the war had come to a stalemate. The Philistines were camped on one side of the valley of Elah and the Israelites on the other. And for 40 days Israel made no movement to cross over. Every morning and every evening a Philistine named Goliath would step out of the ranks and walk back and forth through the valley and trash talk Israel.

Verses four through seven give us a physical description of Goliath. He stood about nine-and-a-half-feet tall and wore bronze armor that weighed 5,000 shekels or 200 pounds. He wore bronze greaves around his legs and had a javelin the size of a telephone pole with a spear point that weighed 600 shekels or over 15 pounds—that’s the weight of a shot put! I’m telling you, the guy was MASSIVE!

“Choose a man from your ranks to fight me one-on-one.” He’d roar. “If I defeat him, you agree to become our servants. But if he defeats me, then we will become your servants. What do you say? Deal or no deal?”

Among the Hebrews there were no takers. Not even Saul who was the tallest of them all would fight Goliath. But along comes David, and in an irony that only God could create, a little pipsqueak defeats the great and mighty Goliath.

*****

I’m an artist of sorts. My field of creating is in the area of sermon writing. My congregation is my canvass, words are my brushes, and the Holy Spirit and my imagination is the paint I use to create a sermon.

I teach no less than four times a week. Every Wednesday and Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., and Friday morning at 6:00, and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., I have to climb into the pulpit armed with a sermon that is inspired, instructional and interesting. If you want to know what that is like, just imagine what it was like in college writing a term paper. And I do that four times a week, almost every week, and have for over ten years now.

And every Monday morning, I face a giant. He appears without fail and challenges and taunts me.

And my giant has a name. His name is RESISTANCE. And if my guess is right, my giant is your giant too.

Steven Pressfield, (author of, The Legend of Bagger Vance) in his book, The War of Art , says, “There is a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t and the secret is this: it’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.

“What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.”

Pressfield explains that resistance for the artist is more powerful to kick than cocaine, “Look in your own heart,” he says. “Unless I'm crazy, right now a still small voice is piping up, telling you as it has ten thousand times, the calling that is yours and yours alone. You know it. No one has to tell you. And unless I'm crazy, you're no closer to taking action on it than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow.

“You think Resistance isn't real? Resistance will bury you.

“You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study. He applied to the Academy of Fine Arts and later to the School of Architecture. Ever see one of his paintings?

“Neither have I.

“Resistance beat him.

“Call it overstatement but I'll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.”

…Or a computer screen, or an empty white writing pad.

Pressfield calls this force Resistance, but the bible calls it by another name: “the Flesh.”

Resistance, or the Flesh, is a powerful force field that keeps us from starting or finishing our creative endeavors and potential masterpieces. And the Flesh/Resistance will distract us from our work using any means possible. It will resort to perjury, fabrication, lies, and seduction. It will bully; it will cajole or assume any form necessary to keep you from your work. As Pressfield says, “It will reason with you like a lawyer or jam a nine-millimeter in your face like a stick-up man. It will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned.”

Resistance (or the Flesh) does not aim to wound or disable—it aims to kill, and it plays for keeps. It’s target is the epicenter of your genius—your soul.

Here’s how it works for me:

I finish my morning routine and am in the office every day by 9:00 a.m. I turn on my computer and walk to our coffee shop in the church and make myself a double tall breve’ latte with sugar-free vanilla.

Usually, my assistant comes out of his office and we talk about issues in the church or discuss how the Sunday morning or midweek meeting went. I tell him I have a lot of research to do and had better get back to my work, so I return to my computer and stare at the screen and end up reading Fox News. It’s 9:45 or so and the phone begins to ring, or I remember I need to talk to someone. So I make a couple of calls and when I’m done, it’s 11:00. So I go and make another latte…I allow myself two a day, so I head out to the coffee shop again. As I finish making another double tall breve’ with sugar-free vanilla (this time with fern on top) I realize I need to talk to my secretary a minute. By the time we are done, it’s noon and time for lunch.

I almost always meet someone, and when I return it’s 2:30. More calls have come in that I have to return and when I’m done, it’s 4:30 and too late to start anything. So I go home, telling myself I’ll work at my home office.

After dinner and some time with Debbie, my wife, I once again turn on the computer. I decide on my scripture text and Debbie informs me it’s 8:00 and time for American Idol. I’ve got to see if my girl Paris is going to make it to the finals (she didn’t) and then CSI is on after that. I sit down at last to my computer to create, but it’s 11:00 and time for bed. I tell myself I’ll get to it tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes Resistance (or the Flesh) is there again, walking up and down the valley, taunting me, distracting me, wining over me.

How will I ever beat him and break this stalemate? How will we?

*****

Turn in tomorrow for more of the story!

What is your Passion?

2006-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Write your passion! That’s the main word I heard at the Colorado Writers Conference.

Another good word came from Ted Dekker who told us to be true to what we’re about, meaning to write what God has given us to write instead of trying to fit into a certain market need. He also told us to be true to our readers, which means we better have a clue as to who are readers are.

This seems to be the number one problem of beginning writers. In trying to reach everyone we become relevant to none. It’s interesting, though, that when we narrow the field, we most often end up reaching more readers outside of that field.

Of course some writer’s passions reach a very broad audience, as in The Purpose Driven Life. Who doesn’t what to have purpose in their lives? But the author was writing his passion and also writing to the broad spectrum of people he was used to reaching through his sermons.

Ted Dekker says he reaches out to readers between the ages of 14 and 28, but I’m much older than that and I love his books! Yet, if he had tried to include me in his original reader’s audience, he would have probably missed the mark and lost the bulk of his younger audience.

Perhaps this isn’t making sense to you?

The point is that it’s really important to visualize our readers. Okay. We have a passion. But who are we planning to reach with that passion?

In fiction, it’s probably going to be a certain type of reader rather than a certain age group of readers. Fact is, even though I’m older than most of Ted Dekker’s readers, I still like adventure. I still head out into the unknown, expecting great things to happen. So, I like the thriller because it challenges me to think deeper thoughts and move through unknown territories. So, Ted’s field of readers broadens as it reaches those of us who are still young at heart.

Nature and the outdoors are my passions. Even now, as I write this, a chorus of crickets, coyotes and frogs fills the night air. And still, I can hear the sound of a small owl punctuating through the melee. I love it! But some people would either find the noise irritating or even frightening.

My personal writing passion is to bring the perfect beauty of nature into the homes of my readers so they can experience what I experience in comfort. I want them to see the Creator the way I do, as still very much in touch with His creation. That’s not necessarily marketable as far as catching the coattail of a trend, but it becomes very marketable when others catch my passion, as they did at the Colorado Conference.

Several of my soul sisters sat spellbound as I told them stories of close encounters with bears and cougars. They love the stories! But they don’t want to experience it. One sister said she absolutely didn’t want to die in the wilderness, because her body might not be found for weeks!

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it may never be found.

“I want some respect for my body,” she insisted.

On the other hand, I thought I was going to die one time while in the wilderness, then I stopped to consider it and decided that, all things considered, it wasn’t a bad way to go. I was in the place I loved the most and where I feel closest to God. It would be a mere baby step into eternity.

My readers like to read about that, but they don’t want to experience it. It’s good for me to know that, so I don’t insist that they do what I do.

That means the thrust of my books is not necessarily to get people out in the wilderness, but it’s more about getting them to take steps of their own in overcoming fear and realizing their deepest dreams, and seeing the Creator in their everyday lives. It’s also about introducing my readers to a world and people I think they would love if they could just get to know them. So, my passion has been honed down and is now true not only to myself, but to my readers.

What is your passion? Who would you like to reach with that passion? See if you can put it into words.

Short but Impacting!

2006-05-26T12:52:00.001-07:00

Goodness! I’m so busy living life that it’s hard to get back here to share with you about all the amazing things I’m learning. I’m off to the coast for a photo shoot and time with The Cat Man, but I’ll cap a few things to whet your appetite for next week when I return.

First of all, the Art Conference at Box R Ranch was amazing . . . far beyond my wildest dreams. Chris Hopkins is an excellent artist who holds nothing back when teaching others. I quickly became a groupie, spending every minute with him and watching and learning and growing . . . I feel absolutely satiated.

What big lesson did I learn?

To not be afraid . . . to go ahead and take chances and try something new . . . to have fun with my art . . . to know the rules . . . but to break them . . . because without breaking them, there is no innovation. If it doesn’t work out, so what? There’s always another time.

Chris’ brother, Steve Hopkins, shared an amazing message about being ready and prepared because there’s something new on the wind. More about that later.

I also learned some very practical how-to tips that I plan to share with you when I return.

Second, I just returned from Colorado where I taught classes and met with fellow authors in one of the most beautiful settings in the world. The Rockies are breathtaking! From sunshine to tremendous storms . . . we had it all! Even a scare one night when lightning struck very close and the fire doors all slammed shut. Whew! We were very nearly evacuated. What wonderful makings for a novel!

I stepped into Ted Dekker’s class and was totally surprised that he remembered me from his trip to Oregon! What a guy! I will share more about his message when I return as well. But the main thing he kept reiterating was to be true to your art and calling as a writer.

Lisa Samson said the same thing, and I can hardly wait to return to tell you what I learned from her about writing as an art form rather than a marketing tool. Such refreshing news!

There’s a lot happening in the writing and art world; it’s a great time for all of us as we develop and grow. So, have a great weekend and check back next Wednesday for some great stuff!

Off to Colorado!

2006-05-16T01:50:00.000-07:00

Goodness! I just returned from an amazing art conference and now I'm off again to Colorado.

May is my very busiest month. Plan to check back by May 23 for some great updates on some neat happenings! Until then, enjoy some of the archives and links.

See ya,

Setting Focus

2006-05-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Something a little different today . . .

My granddaughter posted a quote by Bob Dylan on her blog today. It goes like this:

"Jesus put his hand upon me. It was a physical thing. I felt my whole body tremble."

I understand that kind of touch. I’ve felt it too! And yeah, I believe there was a time in Bob’s life when he really did know the touch of God. Some of his songs definitely portray that time, and we need to pray that he will return to that. I really believe he will in the end, that he will be sorry for all the wasted years. And it's a good lesson that we need to be less hard on our fellow Christians . . . especially the ones who are out there in celebrity world facing all kinds of hard stuff.

But let’s talk about that touch that makes us tremble.

I think it’s true that a lot of us are looking for that touch on a daily basis, and it doesn’t quite work like that. I mean, I’m a writer, and I would definitely like God’s touch on my writing every day . . . for my words to sing and make a difference and have an impact . . . wow! That would be way cool.

But truth is, sometimes I have to pull the words out one word at a time . . . ugh! And when I reach the end of the page, I wonder why anyone would ever want to read any of it. Then, a week later, it starts looking good to me and I realize that God was in it, even when I didn’t realize he was there.

I was aware of His presence after the fact when I painted my granddaughter, Jocelyn Danielle, over Easter weekend. She was in my prayers the whole time and then she was in that horrible accident that I truly believe would have been much worse if God hadn’t spoken to my heart to pray for her. Yet, I didn’t even realize He was speaking. I didn’t feel his trembling touch.

Here's something to try . . . make three appointments with God this week . . . really! Look at your schedule (or make a schedule . . . and set apart three different times to meet with God for at least one hour. Decide now, where the place will be . . . some place quiet, without interruption (perhaps the beach, the mountains, your room with the door closed and everyone knowing you do not want to be disturbed), the basement of your church. And pick a passage of scripture that you will focus on during these three appointments. Also, very important, have a journal or notebook and pen ready for the words God will speak to you. Part of your time should be in prayer, part in scripture and part in worship . . . any combination of the three, but make sure it's all directed at God. Okay, you're all ready. Now do it.

It's different than your morning devotions in that you are stopping everything to meet with God. It's way cool. And EXPECT to hear from Him! I think you will be amazed later when you go back over your journal entries and read what you wrote. Like Elihu says in the book of Job . . . God does speak . . . we simply need to learn to listen. You get better and better at this as you go. Sometimes I simply copy words out of the bible that jump out at me, then when I look back over those words, I see a very definite message. God's word is powerful if used in the right way. Some of my best songs have come out of these appointment times.

Truth is, most of the time I feel God , (that trembling Bob Dylan talked about) more than I hear God but I do have times when I absolutely know I've heard God and it's so powerful, so very close to being an audible voice, that I've actually answered him out loud. Most of the time, I simply know God is here and directing my paths because the outcome is so amazing. Like when I was painting Jocelyn Danielle's picture and praying for her and then she was in that wreck. God knew all along. God is so incredibly cool.

So, in the midst of our writing and painting and drawing and taking photos and living . . . let’s encourage one another to make connections with the One who gave us the ability to do these things in the first place. If the outpouring is getting old or tedious or boring or? Then, it’s a safe bet we need to refocus.

The Ultimate Conflict

2006-05-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we talked about a series of conflicts escalating to the ultimate conflict in STORY. Today we will talk a bit about that ultimate conflict.

On Easter Sunday, while I was laid up with a blown out knee, I had an epiphany. Or at least that’s how it looked to me at the time. And I think it will have a tremendous affect on my writing.

We talked about this a few weeks ago. Here is a brief summary:

Some of my favorite writers are on the forefront in thinking we must focus on portraying evil in all its raw wickedness in order to reveal the power of God’s light. I won’t dispute their call to do so, but I think we as Christian writers may be making a mistake. I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I have several reasons for coming to this conclusion, all of which come from the Grand Story.

1. The ultimate battle is NOT between good and evil.

The goodness of God has been and always will be greater than any evil. Combining every wicked deed from the holocaust to the atom bomb with the evil of human hearts from the beginning of creation would still not deplete one iota of the goodness of God.

The cross is a perfect example of all evil coming together in one place, yet it did not crush God’s goodness. God’s goodness overcame the last enemy—death—through the power of the resurrection.

2. The true battle is between God’s perfect love and God’s perfect justice.

The antagonist and hero are one in the same. It is the ultimate conflict. The cross is an astounding resolution. God took the penalty for us in answer to His perfect justice, and in doing so He restored the way of perfect love.

Okay, so how does this affect our writing?

1. First of all, the battle between good and evil will still exist in our stories. That is a very real battle. But it is important to remember that it is not the ultimate battle. The ultimate battle will take place in the mind . . . the place where we (and our characters) make the choice between good and evil.

If we choose good, we experience God’s ultimate love. If we choose evil, we will experience God’s ultimate justice.

The mind is the interior part of your character (if writing fiction) or the driving force (if you are writing nonfiction). It adds depth to a story. If a story resorts only to physical battle, then the reader moves along from one conflict to another at break neck speed until they finally come to the end. Then they put the story down and most often forget what it was about in a very short time.

If you add internal conflict, then the reader will relate to the battle of choice and will often remember the character long after finishing the story.

It is this interior conflict that makes Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger work so well. I haven’t read the book in years but I still remember wanting to know if Rube really saw what he thought he saw.

A word of caution here, don’t leave out the exterior while navigating the interior. Readers need a good exterior plot as well, but the interior is where the real battle is fought and won or lost. We don’t care so much if a character or author loses a battle, but we do care about how they turn out in the end. Are they stronger for having lost the battle? Have they learned something in the process that will carry them through the future? Or will he or she become bitter and hard, hating the world for what it did to them (Phantom of the Opera). That’s the interior battle that raises havoc on our ability to choose. We all face it, and we are all fascinated by the outcome of other people’s (or characters) choices.

So, go back and look at your story, whether it’s fiction of nonfiction, short or long. Is that interior battle the strongest force? It should be either driving the story or affecting it in a big way.

Every Story Needs a Hero!

2006-05-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Every story needs a hero. But what does that hero want?

One awesome way to find out is to start with the hero’s real world. What does his or her day-to-day look like? Then introduce a problem—the kind of problem that will shake up their world.

It can be as simple as a 12-year-old boy named Nick kicking rocks on his way home from school. His real world is simply catching air on his skateboard and hanging with friends. Girls are a nuisance. Then, in the middle of kicking his rocks, he notices a girl. Wow!

Suddenly this girl seems like something worth having. She looks pretty awesome and Nick’s thinking he just may like to hang around with her for a while . . . maybe even figure out how to do that kissing thing. In fact, the more he looks at her, the more he thinks his world really is pretty dull without her.

What you’ve done is created a character, given him a setting and placed him in a scene that will give him a goal. In essence you’ve answered the age old question: This is a story about ?? who wants ?? but ?? stands in his or her way.

This is a story about Nick who wants the girl but his own fear stands in the way. And we will soon discover that his best friend also stands in the way, because he likes the same girl. Now we have a major problem.

Problems are conflicts…and conflicts make story. Every good story has a hero (protagonist), and every good story has an antagonist who is of equal strength or stronger. In nonfiction, the author is often the protagonist.

Another very important element is that goal. What does the character want? Sometimes it looks like the character wants one thing, and then it ends up beings something deeper than they first realized.

If any of these elements are missing in any scene, anecdote, chapter, or book . . . we feel cheated.

So, if your story isn’t working. If something seems shallow about it. Or it’s almost okay but not quite. Go back and see if you’ve left out one of these elements. That will help you set up structure, and structure is important BEFORE you start worrying about grammar and description and everything else you want to put in your story.

Give your character a problem that creates a goal. Then have your character take the first step toward that goal.

In this case, Nick takes the first step by kicking a rock toward the girl to get her attention. But instead of the rock simply landing at her feet, it bounces in the air and hits her on the chin. She screeches in pain and looks right at Nicky who simply stands there with a silly grin on his face.

“What did you do that for?” Beauty asks.

“Hi!” Nick says.

Beauty scowls and narrows her eyes. Then she reaches down and picks up the rock and throws it with the most perfect hard right Nick has ever seen. It hits him smack between the eyes, but he could care less. “Wow!” he says. “Where did you learn to throw like that?”

Beauty shakes her head and walks away.

What is the next step Nick will take to get her?

This is the pattern of the story. You introduce conflict, then you have your main character face the conflict and take the first step. Then you have a consequence and another conflict and another step and so on . . . all the way up to the major conflict, which is a make-it-or-break-it moment. These conflicts should escalate as the story progresses, then wham! The big moment. Nick has to have the girl. He will do anything to get her, even at the cost of his best friend.

Does he get her? Does he lose his friend? Will he have regrets? What is his new real world at the end of the story?

This is the pattern and heart of all good stories.

Do you have all the progression in your story? Or is there something missing? For those of you who don’t like to outline beforehand, this is a good way to figure out what’s wrong or missing in your story. For those of you who outline ahead, try mapping out this simple chart first. I use it all the time and it’s one of the best tools I’ve found.

Even when I’m reading someone else’s story, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, I can figure out what’s wrong and where the weak spots are by simply following this simple progression. So, give it a try and have some fun while you’re at it.

Starting a Nonfiction Project

2006-05-01T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hoo boy! Tomorrow ended up being a couple days away. Sorry about that. Things are really cookin’ here.

Today we’ll talk about nonfiction. It’s pretty much a whole different ball game…at least in a lot of ways, but in other ways it’s pretty much the same.

It’s the same in that we still need to use good fiction techniques in creating intrigue and setting up good dialogue and scene.

It’s different in that we usually know the outcome from the get go, and we better know what we’re going to say or we will find ourselves in trouble.

In the early days of my writing I would end up at critique group asking them what they got out of my articles, because I was never quite sure what I was saying. No wonder my articles didn’t sell!

It isn’t enough to just have a good story when it comes to nonfiction. We need a good take-a-way as well.

Don’t know what a take-a-way is? It’s simply something that you want to leave your reader with, something that you want them to think about long after they’ve read the last word of your article or story.

Truth is, I’m not much better at outlining nonfiction than I am fiction. I still end up writing the outline AFTER I’ve written the article.

So, here’s how I start. I look for a good title and/or first paragraph. This is something I usually do in my head before I ever approach a computer or paper.

Let’s take a look at the first paragraph I wrote for my article on Ted Dekker:

He rode into town after sunset, catching the edges of a storm. Nearly a hundred of us lined up and waited at Evangel Bookstore in the Mall. Expecting thunder and lightning, we braced ourselves for a fright. After all, Ted Dekker produces thrillers that keep burley men awake at night while they turn the pages and jump at every sound. Instead, Ted offered the hand of friendship and answered every question as if we were all part of The Circle—that intimate group of friends who draw close and dive deeper into the heart of Elyon. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, pick up your own copy of Black, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and make your heart yearn for Heaven.

The entire paragraph was written in my head on the hour-long drive from the interview back to my home in the mountains. The beginning line was easy because it fit with the opening of House,
Ted’s most recent book.

The title, “Diving Deep With Ted Dekker,” was easy. I simply used Ted’s signature phrase, “Diving Deep.”

It also seemed appropriate to wrap the ending back to the beginning since “circle,” is another of the things Ted is known for. I had the ending early on:

Ted ended the evening by recognizing the circle emblem around the neck of Phil Lemons. “Circle brother,” Ted said. Then he invited all of us to join him on the internet: Teddekker.com. Fittingly, he joined hands with us in a circle and left with the parting words, “Dive deeper…on your journey through life, may you always dive deep.”

The rest was easy to write. It simply flowed from the bits and pieces of interview and research I had done. Once the research and interviews were completed, the rest was easy. BUT I spent hours on research and stuck around the booksigning for a couple of hours.

Let’s look at how to begin a book-length manuscript. Here is the first paragraph I ever had of Wild Women:

To the untrained eye we wild women may first appear to be a lonely, disheveled lot, but a deeper look reveals a soul full of countless treasures and camaraderie tighter than that of siblings. It's the call of the wild running deep in our blood, forming a special unbreakable bond with nature. I feel it whenever I hit the trail and smell the musky scent of game and wet earth; I savor it over open fires and far-seeing places; I dream of it on my bed at night when the rain makes music on the roof; and I treasure the memory of it when it's all over and I begin planning for the next adventure.
Wild is more than a physical untamed place; it's an unrestrained soul soaring on the wings of the wind.

I guess that’s really two paragraphs.

The title came to me long before the paragraphs, but I always knew it needed a subtitle. I went through several changes before I reached what I have now. If you’ve read my sample chapter of Wild Women, you also know that my first paragraph has changed.

Why is that?

The original first paragraph was aimed at outdoor women. I thought they were my target audience, but I have since changed my mind. The book was nearly published just like I had it, but the publishing team (after 30 days in committee) decided they weren’t sure if women were ready for such information in book form.

I wasn’t sure they were either.

So, I did a survey of outdoor women’s groups across America and Canada to see how many outdoor women there actually were. I discovered that there were a lot!

But did they read? It seemed like they were too adventurous to wanna take time to read.

(Photo by my friend, Garret Harrington)

Then I started attending outdoor women’s events and was pleasantly surprised to find that most outdoor women carry a book in their backpacks. It makes sense, if you think about it. These women (including myself) don’t have time for TV, because we don’t usually sit still that long. But a book is perfect, because we can put it down and come back to it, so it never hinders the adventure.

So why did I change the paragraphs?

Because I still felt like I was missing the real point of Wild Women.

The answer didn’t come to me until I took two separate ten-day pack trips into the wilderness. Both times, I focused on Wild Women and asked God for direction. The second time I got it.

Wild Women isn’t just an adventure story…it’s a journey of the American west. It’s a coming-of-age story of an entire generation. Discovering that fact gave me an entirely different thrust. Instead of simply encouraging my readers in outdoor adventure, I am now offering a way to make some sense of their lives in the process of going for their dreams. My audience has now expanded to include city and urban women. My first paragraph says it all:

It’s always like this when I’m in the wilderness—the spiritual and physical meld into one. My vision quest has been filled, I’ve connected with the nighthawk, and I’ve slept under the stars every night. I came out here with questions, yearning to leave the hectic behind and make some sense of my life.

I’ve told the reader that I’m on an adventure, both physical and spiritual. I’ve set up the scene and I’ve hinted that we may find some answers to some questions and make some sense of our lives. And who hasn’t desired to leave the hectic?

Do I have all the answers at the start of the book?

No! I’m letting the book carry me along. I’m finding the answers as I go. So, now the writing of the book as become a journey to me, and if it’s interesting to me, I can count on it being interesting to my readers as well.

The last paragraph of the first chapter wraps up the questions and answers of the chapter:

I envision a laughing Creator, raising his voice to the clouds and covering himself with torrents of rain—a Creator very much in touch with His creation. Tresa and I dance our way out to the upper bluff and stand in full view of Devil’s Peak. A swirling, angry, red sky rises above it, but we are invincible, tucked away as we are in the palm of God’s hand. Our laughter echoes off the bluff, tumbling into the crevice below. The feeling of invincibility stays with us until all light falls from the heavens and we have no choice but to creep through the dark back to camp.

Tresa and I have discovered a way of overcoming fear and have experienced something beyond the ordinary, yet we can’t stay in that high. We have to come down and face the consequences of the storm in the dark of night. That leads me right into the next chapter, and the last paragraph of chapter two leads me into the next. It truly is an adventure of discovery.

Of course, not all writers write like this. And I don’t always either, but I have discovered that it is more my style than any other, and it most often works for me. So, in one sense I’m unearthing the story just as I do in fiction. Even though I know this story inside out, it has surprises for me. It takes me places I never thought I would go. Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself if I really want my readers knowing this much. It goes deeper, explores more territory than I had envisioned.

This kind of book cannot be written in fourteen days. It goes deeper than that.

Unlike my fiction story, I’m not absolutely sure of the ending. I have a vague idea, but I suspect it will change a lot before I actually get there. And that’s okay. I think the ending will be more real to my readers if we discover the answers together.

Right now I’m on chapter eight of my story. I’m thinking chapter nine will wrap up the first section of the book. And I think there will be three sections altogether. I kind of have a sense of timing and place for each section of the book but that may change as well. I’m pretty sure the book will start with a storm and end with a storm. But that may change too.

Goodness! You say. How can you write like that?

Ahhhhhhhh, how can I not? It’s me. It’s my style. And I love it.

I just finished a chapter where my house burned to the ground. Now, I’m looking at how that relates to the disaster of the terrorist attacks on September 11. I put myself in the scene, sitting by the campfire trying to make sense of it all, and I let the scene carry me.

Gotta have an outline you say? That’s okay. We all end up with one sooner or later. Here’s a great quote from an article I found:

Alice Klement said, “can mean any of the forms deeply embedded in readers' heads that say how a story is told, where meaning is carried, where patterns have a familiar ring. Good writers outline stories—beforehand or afterward—to ensure that they have good structure, or to understand their frailties.”

I agree!

Tomorrow we’ll talk more about how to use outline to FIX a story. And while we’re at it we’ll return to my thoughts about good versus evil in story. I think you will be surprised at some of the conclusions I’ve come to.

Question Number One, Part 2

2006-04-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most famous and prolific mystery/crime writers of all time, Georges Simenon, once said that when he started a novel he had no idea how it would end. And western writer Louis L'Amour
once told a story about how he was typing furiously in his study and his daughter came in and said "Daddy, why are you typing so fast?" He replied, without thinking, "I want to see how this turns out."

Trouble is, unearthing bones can certainly make things difficult for a first-time writer. I loved reading an interview with Nancy Means Wright who writes the entire book before making an outline to send her editor.

Boy howdy! That’s me.

On the other hand, one of my agents once gave me some good advice. “Go ahead and write the outline,” he said, “but simply look at it as a map. It’s not something concrete that you have to follow bit by bit. Like I said, it was good advice, but it still didn’t work for me. I just couldn’t get away from the outline after writing it, and it made for some very stiff writing.

In the end, I found my own form of writing, and it is different than just about anything else I’ve read.

1. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, it’s important for me to have a title first. That’s right. First. Once I have a good title, then I know what my story is about. Sometimes, I may end up tweaking the title a bit afterward, but not often.

2. I write my opening paragraph entirely in my head before writing a word on paper or computer. I usually do this when I’m driving down the road, and I often say it outloud, until it’s just right. Just right means it flows easily from the tongue and is engaging, promising better things to come. I have a sense of place and character. If it’s nonfiction, then the character is me or the person I’m talking about.

Here is an example:

Fiction:

Often, the biggest battles a man must face are not on some foreign field—they are within the confines of his own soul—and no matter how many willing hands volunteer help, he must face the battle alone. Lucas Hain mulled over these thoughts as he broke the ice on the watering trough and headed for the creek. His horse, Rusty, followed behind lifting his hooves high and throwing snow in little blizzards beneath his tail. Luke listened to the sound of the gentle plop of hooves and thought of how horses were a constant in his life, as were the towering mountains, the herds of wapiti, and the high prairie where the seasons passed in spectacular wonder.

But they won’t mean a thing if I lose my wife.

The above is the first paragraph of the first chapter of my novel, Skookum.
As soon as I had this paragraph, I knew what my story was about. I knew the kind of person Luke was and the problems he was facing, and it had enough intrigue to make me want to know what was going to happen to him.

The next step was going to the computer and writing it down and then letting the story carry me along. It carried me through the end of the first chapter, and I was very satisfied with it.

I also had the name of the book by the book by the end of the first chapter. What I didn’t have was the names of the characters. I simply used Cat and myself until I had names for them. When my critique group read it, they all thought I had cancer! Ha! It had a lot of emotional pull.

The next thing I did was edit the first chapter. Then I wrote the final chapter! That’s right. The final chapter told me where my book was headed. Next, I made a list of some of the conflicts Luke would be facing, along with a list of supporting characters.

Now, here’s an interesting thing…After editing, I took that first chapter and offered it to the editor at Cascade Horseman as a stand alone article. He had never published fiction before, but he liked it! Soooooooo, I told him it was the first chapter of a novel, and asked if he would be interested in running it as sequels. He signed me up for 21 sequels on the spot.

Wow!

Trouble is, I hadn’t written any more chapters. In the end, I was very glad of those monthly deadlines. They kept the story moving. One funny thing that happened through this is that one time I left Luke hurt on a mountainside for two months. The edior called me and said that everyone in the office wanted to know what happened to Luke? I played mysterious, but the truth was, I was wanting to know what happened to Luke too! I never let on that I was writing the thing month by month.

21 months later, I had a completed novel of around 45,000 words. Every chapter was written from Luke’s point of view except one.

My next step was to expand the book into 100,000-word mainstream novel. This was the most fun part and the most difficult. I simply wrote scenes from other points of view, letting the reader know what was going on during the original gaps. This gave the story much more depth and interest.

I hit a wall at one point, trying to write a scene several times in several different ways, which alerted me to the fact that something was majorly wrong. I discovered that I had too many characters. So, my next step was combining like characters into one. I did that with two sets of characters. If they had similar personalities or traits, then they became one.

Then, I added a character who turned out to be major…Ghostdancer. He became very crucial to the story, which meant a lot of rewriting. And I added a prologue to help make him as important as he’s going to end up being.

Okay, I know Randy Ingermanson would say I should have used the snowflake design first, and I would have saved myself a lot of trouble. He’s probably right, and I may give that a good try next time, but this worked for me. And it was awesome to unearth the novel, very much like Steven King talked about in On Writing. It was as if the novel was there all along, just waiting for me to pull it out. A word of warning on Steven King, his book has quite a bit of crusty language in it, so if that bothers you, be warned.

When I finished the novel, I wrote my synopsis. May sound backward to you, but hey! It worked.

So the bottom line is, try a lot of different stuff and see what works for you. Skookum is the third novel I’ve written, but the first I believe is worthy of publication. I like the story. That’s important.

If you’re writing fiction, then it’s important that you are writing a story that you can live with for 2 to 4 years, especially if it’s your first. It may take that long to write.

I enjoyed Skookum all along the way and love the characters so much that I’m writing a sequel. I know authors who can’t stand to read their story one more time after a year or two. So, make sure you like the story and the characters and that it has a lot of appeal to you before you tackle such a big project.

In Skookum, I’m talking about a way of life that is important to me. These are the people I know, the land I love, the problems we face on a daily basis. It came after hours of interviews with oldtimers and years of spending time with wranglers and outdoorsmen in the wilderness. A lot of it came from the stories my father told me as I was growing up. Although it’s fiction, almost every scene in it happened to someone. I just made them all happen to Luke!

If it sounds like I’m passionate about this story, it’s because I am. Passion is a huge driving force behind a good novel.

Tomorrow I’ll give you an example of a couple of first paragraphs that got me started on nonfiction projects, then we’ll wrap up Question Number One.

See ya here!

Ariel as Confident Pitti-Sing

2006-04-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see my latest art work. It's a painting of my granddaughter in her role as Pitt-Sing for her school play. I won first place in pastel original at the Upper Rogue Artists Annual Critique Luncheon held at the Red Lion in Medford, Oregon. Woohoo!

You can view more of my fine art at Fine Art by Sandy Cathcart

Question Number One

2006-04-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Okay! It’s time to tackle those questions. Here’s the first:

1. Are you a one-two-three kind of writer? Like all your ducks in a row? Or do you start a project here, and another there and kinda juggle them all in the air? Or do you do something in between? (fiction/nonfiction)

First of all, before we go any further, it’s crucial that you understand that not all writers are the same. If you are frustrated because you’re trying to create in the same way as another writer and it isn’t happening, then check out this great article, Ten myths about learning to write. We are not all cut out of the same mold.

If you are a one-two-three kind of writer who likes all your ducks in a row, then I’m a bit jealous. I’m not like that at all, unless I’m working for someone else. Then the one-two-three thing works just fine. But when I’m creating a big project, it totally hangs me up.

There are plenty of books and web sites dealing with the ducks-in-a-row concept. Most of them offer really good advice. Outlines, backstory, character studies, plotting devices…there’s a ton of stuff. Here are just a few good ones:

Dramatica

is a series of software products for writers and a relatively unique perspective of how stories work. A lot of popular authors swear by this stuff. You may find it helpful too.

Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake design

for writing a novel.

Outlining Techniques.

Plot Versus Character, Part 1,

by Melanie Spiller

Plot Versus Character, Part 2,

by Melanie Spiller

Story,

by Robert McKee.

I’ve tried them all on both my students and myself. Some of my students thrive very well with it. Others, like me, spend so much time filling out all the sheets and working with the devices that we never get to the story, or by the time we get to the story, we’re either totally bored with it or totally confused. Either is pure death.

One of my most exciting days as a writer was reading Steven King’s, , On Writing, and discovering that he doesn’t like to outline. He simply unearth’s the story one bone at a time. I like that!

So, check back tomorrow, and I’ll post some ideas on how to go about unearthing that dinosaur!

Assignment for Writers!

2006-04-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Some of your have already started a fiction book project. Others are part way through, and even others have finished. No matter where you are in the process, answering the following questions will help you in either finishing your current project or starting another.

I’ll talk more in the following days about each question and how your answers will affect the outcome of your project.

A notation follows each question so you can know whether the question applies to fiction or nonfiction or both.

Have fun!

1. Are you a one-two-three kind of writer? Like all your ducks in a row? Or do you start a project here, and another there and kinda juggle them all in the air? Or do you do something in between? (fiction/nonfiction)

2. Do you edit as you go? Or do you write first, then edit later? Or are you like, Edit? What’s that? (fiction/nonfiction)

3. Do you like to make a detailed outline and then follow it? Or do you like to simply start writing and see where it goes? (fiction/nonfiction)

4. Do you think scene first? Or character first? Or story first? What is your usual progression in getting started? (fiction)

5. WHY do you want to write this book? What benefits will it give your readers? List at least three reasons if possible. (nonfiction)

6. Who are your readers? Don’t just say everybody. Who are your readers? Don’t just say everybody. Think about who will most likely want to read this book? What age are they? Do they attend school? Do they go to church? Do they hang out at Starbucks? The beach? Are they street people? Do they wear suits? Do they like to read in bed at night? Or sprawled over a favorite chair? Or in spurts while waiting in traffic. Or do they hardly ever read? Are they women or men? Young? Middle age? Old? Retired? Mothers? Fathers? (fiction/nonfiction)

7. What kind of books do your readers usually read? Or do they rather watch the tube? How long is their attention span? How long a chapter will they read in one sitting? (fiction/nonfiction)

8. Write one page about what your book is about. Then hone this down to one tight paragraph that will give readers a good idea of what your story is about. (fiction/nonfiction)

9. What is your title and subtitle? Is it catchy? Or is it corney? Will readers know what it’s about when they see the title? Will it jump out at them from the shelf? Or will it get lost among all those other books? (fiction/nonfiction)

10. What is the main take-a-way the reader will gain from your book? What is the main thing you want them to remember after they’ve put the book down for the final time? (fiction/nonfiction)

11. Why are YOU the person to write this book? (fiction/nonfiction)

12. What will your book look like? Go to the bookstore and imagine your book there. Where will it sit on the shelf? In what section? Will it be thick? Or thin? (fiction/nonfiction)

Final Prayer Update!

2006-04-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! Your prayers have been heard and answered in a big way. I am absolutely astonished. Even the policeman that was first on the scene said that it was miraculous that no one was killed in this accident, and he can't believe that everyone has come out of it so well. In all his years on the force he has never seen an accident this bad come out this good!

Except for a stiff upper body, Jocelyn Danielle is acting like a normal kid again. It’s amazing. Michael and Katherine are home with their grandparents and Dianna is in a nearby foster home where they can care for her special needs while she is in a wheelchair and until her hip heals. The driver/mother, Shelley, is off the respirator, awake, and home! That’s right! Home! Goodness! For a long while, it looked like she wouldn’t make it.

Thank you very much for your prayers. Please continue to pray as the Lord leads for healing, physically, spiritually, and emotionally of these precious kids and Shelley.

Pray for Shelley (the mother) to accept the help that is being offered her in order to heal from her problem with alcohol.

The entire incident has caused all involved to think more seriously about their relationship with God. It has certainly been a wake-up call, and a lot of people have offered help. My daughter Michelle and her husband Dave are thinking that this may be a good time to follow God more closely!

This will be my last post on this situation unless something urgent comes up. Thanks very much for standing with us. Your encouragement means a lot.

Artists and Prayer (Prayer update two)

2006-04-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting tidbit you might like to know about:

Last Thursday I fell and blew out my knee. Through Sunday evening I was only able to either stand or lie down but not sit or walk much. So, I stood in front of the easel painting my granddaughter, Jocelyn Danielle. I've been painting her for four days and praying for her the whole time.

I don't understand why God allowed this accident to happen, but I KNOW God is good, and I truly believe He had me praying for Jocelyn Danielle all weekend because He knew what was going to happen. It is amazing how he protected these children through this horrible accident. I had no idea at the time that God had me praying for a very important reason. I was simply doing what came natural . . . that's the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s update:

I am so thankful for the visit with my granddaughter, Jocelyn, yesterday. She looks really good and is slowly getting better. She will have a big scar across her forehead, but it’s more to the left and won’t be a bad thing at all. She also can’t move her eyebrows because a nerve may have been severed, but she’s just as cute as ever. I visited with her friend, Dianna, too. It was really hard seeing these little broken bodies trying to be so brave, but I could really see the grace of God. I gave her a copy of my friend, Jeannie St. John Taylor's book, Am I Trusting? It's a very good book for children who are going through difficult things. It's a bit young for Jocelyn, but she plans to read it to her little sis.

Michael is home with his grandparents now. Catherine is still in ICU. Dianna will probably be going home to her grandparents today in a wheelchair, and we’re hoping Jocelyn may be able to go home today as well.

Jocelyn keeps throwing up and they won’t let her go home until she can hold some food down. She was able to get up yesterday and walk twice, but threw up both times.

The mother Shelley is still on a respirator and things don’t look good for her. She used to walk with the Lord, so please continue to lift her up in prayer as well as for the healing of these precious kids and extra strength for the grandparents. The grandparents live in Salem and the kids’ home is in Vancouver, WA, so the kids are sad about being so far from their friends and school.

Jocelyn’s mom and dad (Michelle and Dave) need lots of prayer too, as they have a very full house with a couple of special-needs children and Jocelyn will need a lot of tender care when she returns home.

Thanks very much for your prayers. These kids are doing exceptionally well for what they have been through.

sandy

Prayer update!

2006-04-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers!

Here is an update:

A plastic surgeon did a fine job on Jocelyn’s face. He will have to do a bit more later, but everyone says he did an amazing job. Jocelyn recognizes her mother and has asked about the other kids. She’s still pretty sedated, but is more able to tell the docs where she hurts. She is still covered in blood (lost a lot of blood), and is on a catheter and in a neck brace. She can move her arms and legs but they still fear she may have broken her neck, so they are taking many precautions. They suspect broken bones and still haven’t discovered the internal injury, but she is doing very well.

Shelly (the mother of Jocelyn’s friends) is still on a respirator and in critical condition.

Catherine is off the respirator and breathing on her own.

Both of Dianna’s legs and arms are broken but she is the most coherent of all the kids.

My daughter is visiting Dianna as well, because she’s in a room next to Jocelyn, and Dianna’s grandparents are at the other hospital with Shelly and Catherine.

Michael is still in critical condition but stable and asking about his sisters and Jocelyn.

All the kids have asked about one another.

I don’t understand why God allowed this accident, but I certainly see His hand of grace in it. The driver’s blood alcohol content was so high she should have been passed out. Their car was traveling 60 miles per hour and hit a fire engine that was stopped at a red light. The fire truck is totally mangled, but the firemen were buckled in and not hurt. With none of the kids wearing seat belts and as bad as it is, it could have been much worse. It’s amazing that none of the kids were thrown from the car.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request!

2006-04-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Please pray for my ten-year-old granddaughter, Jocelyn Danielle. She was in a car accident earlier this evening. Her head was split open from the top of her nose to the middle of the top of her head. A plastic surgeon has done a good job of putting her back together, but she is in a neck brace and they don’t know yet whether she is able to move her legs or not, plus she has some internal bleeding that they haven’t been able to find the source of. She will be sedated until morning, so has not been able to communicate.

She is 400 miles away and my heart very much wants to be there for her.

Her mother’s name is Michelle and her father is Dave.

She was in a car with her best friend. Her best friend’s mother was driving while drunk and ran into the back of a fire truck. The entire family is in need of prayer:

Katherine, 8 years old . . . critical but stable, they say nearly every bone of her body is broken.

Shelley, the mother of my granddaughter's friends is in a coma. . . . critical but stable.

Dianna, 9 years old . . . not critical but hurt very bad.

Michael, 5 years old . . . not critical but hurt very bad.

Katherine and Shelley are at a separate hospital because of their critical injuries. The rest are all at a very good children’s hospital.

Thank you for your prayers.

Good versus evil?

2006-04-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Painting of cross is by Wes Hurd who is a featured speaker/teacher at the upcoming Art Conference at Box R Ranch in Southern Oregon on May 10-13.

It’s Easter—Resurrection Day!

I lie here on my couch with a blown out knee, reading a contemporary novel by a fine Christian artist. I had to put the book down because the author just killed off one of the main characters. I’m disheartened. I wanted the good guy to win and for all the pain and suffering to have a good purpose.

Somehow the storyline got all wrapped up with my life and I’m hoping there will be a good purpose in my bummed leg, but the author has planted a seed of doubt and lack of hope.

Was that the author’s intention?

I think not. I think the author was caught up in today’s trend of being on the cutting edge and portraying evil at its vilest. I understand the reasoning behind this trend. Some of my favorite writers are on the forefront.

I won’t dispute their call to do so, but I think we as Christian writers may be making a mistake in thinking we must focus on portraying evil in all its raw wickedness in order to reveal the power of God’s light. I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I have several reasons for coming to this conclusion, all of which come from the Grand Story.

1. The ultimate battle is NOT between good and evil.

The goodness of God has been and always will be greater than any evil. Combining every wicked deed from the holocaust to the atom bomb with the evil of human hearts from the beginning of creation would still not deplete one iota of the goodness of God.

The cross is a perfect example of all evil coming together in one place, yet it did not crush God’s goodness. God’s goodness overcame the last enemy—death—through the power of the resurrection.

2. The true battle is between God’s perfect love and God’s perfect justice.

The antagonist and hero are one in the same. It is the ultimate conflict. The cross is an astounding resolution. God took the penalty for us in answer to His perfect justice, and in doing so He restored the way of perfect love.

3. To think we have discovered something completely new in retelling the Gospel is to throw out the classics that have proven immensely successful.

Frodo’s real battle was with the evil in his own heart. He needed a Savior, as do all of us. Could it be that spiritual battle is more about standing firm than advancing?

4. Focusing on evil glorifies the darkness more than the light.

We all understand evil. We don’t really need a whole lot of description. We were born into it. We live with it every day. But what do we know of light? What can we portray to our readers of a changed life? How does that happen in the real world?

I think we will render our greatest works when we lay down our pride and reveal the true battle of good and evil in our own hearts—the ability to choose. Will that choice lead us to God’s perfect love? Or to His perfect justice?

All road lead to the cross—that place of death. Will we lay down our own lives? Or will we pick up hammer and nail? This is the true climax of any good story. Only one road leads to resurrection—the satisfying end that gives life and hope to the reader.

This is the story I yearn for—one that sings with my soul.

Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger is an awesome contemporary example of this kind of satisfying story. He left the tired clichés behind and painted the power of a changed life. (Read about Leif here.)

If we as Christians choose to write about evil, let’s make sure it’s not because we don’t want to take the time or energy to portray true light. To do that means we must be living in the power of the cross and resurrection on a daily basis. Death and Life. A constant laying down of everything that hinders, not walking in perfection, but standing firm and reaching forward in hope.

If that sounds too sweet or saccharine, perhaps it’s because we’ve opted for less and haven’t yet tasted of true resurrection power. Wouldn’t it be great if this Easter we begin to drink from the Living Water and have it overflow into every word we write and every painting we create?

Enjoy the Son!

Full Moon Tonight!

2006-04-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

The moonlight is dancing across the lake, cascading millions of diamonds on the water. The cicadas and frogs are competing in a cacaphonic chorus for the first time this year. Early this morning a full rainbow circled the moon. Be sure and check it out!

Then do a quick ten-minute write with the following three words (or any form of these words) in the first paragraph:

1. moon
2. dragons
3. weak

I'd love to see the results!

Getting Past Writer's Block

2006-04-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

When I first heard the term, “writer’s block,” I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. I have more ideas than years left to accomplish them. So, I’ve never experienced a real block in the sense of not having any ideas to write.

On the other hand, I have experienced a block when working on a certain project and not knowing what’s going to happen next. I simply hit a wall. One time I wrote a scene three different ways and none of them seemed right. In the end, I left the scene out and went on to the next. It was the perfect answer.

But the biggest block I face, and I suspect most of us do, comes from fear.

I find myself working on anything BUT my WIP (Work in progress). I’ll clean my desk, get my materials together, gather notes, even write an article . . . or two . . . or three . . . without adding any words to my WIP. I recently came to the conclusion that it’s probably because I’m afraid the RIGHT words won’t show up.

Lately, I’ve been moving at overcoming this trend, by forcing myself to put one word at a time down on the computer.

I don’t always know where I’m going. I start with prayer. Sometimes I take a walk and I get the first line, or the first hint of a scene, then I return and start typing.

In my childhood, my father would take a rope and tie a knot every three-feet in order to drop the rope into our well and see how deep it was. Then he would pull the rope out one yard at a time as he counted the knots. That’s how I feel when I’m writing on my WIP . . . I’m pulling the sentences out, one word at a time. I’m pulling the paragraphs out one sentence at a time . . . the chapters, one paragraph at a time . . . until finally I have a completed book.

I finished my novel doing this very thing. Now I’m working on my nonfiction project.

If your problem is even deeper . . . let’s say you can’t even write at all, then James Scott Belloffers some wonderful information I picked up from his blog. He says, the following:

“But if a true, blue dog day bites you, try this. Write one line. About anything. Make something up. Write one line in your writer’s journal or a first line for a potential novel. Or write the first line of a poem or a letter to the editor. Or make it complete nonsense. What will happen is this. You'll want to write another line, just to see what goes with the first one.

“And maybe a line or two after that. Don't overthink this. Just do it. If nothing else happens, forget about it. But on line may be all it takes to get you back to writing on that project you're stuck in. Even if it doesn't, you've written something, and that's part of you writing life now.”

His admonition to not “overthink” is important. Overthinking can take all the life out of your project.

The One

2006-04-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Jacob just sent me the most wonderful devotion. Check it out here.

Vision Statement

2006-04-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

A wise man told me long ago that I needed to make a vision statement for my writing business. What do I want to accomplish through my writing?

He told me to set some guidelines BEFORE making it big in the publishing world, because once I get caught up in the flow, it will be difficult to change directions.

So, I made a simple vision statement and have changed it over the years.

Part of the final for my writing students is to come up with a well-thought out vision statement of their own. Have you done this? It can be as simple or complex as you want it. Start out with whatever you can come up with, then tweak it from time to time as inspiration hits.

Here is mine as an example:

Sandy’s Vision Statement for Writing:

I want my reader to learn something new or to relearn a wonderful truth that they have forgotten. I want my words to “have hands and feet. I want them to climb all over my reader and work their way into my reader’s heart and conscience” (G. K. Chesterton), so that the reader will not be the same after having read my words. I pray for my words to be full of God whether I’m talking about awesome God things or the “stuff” of life. If my readers are children, I want them to hide away under the covers with a flashlight after bedtime to finish the story they’ve started. If my readers are adults, I want them to think about my characters long after they’ve put the story down. I want my words to affirm the good, encourage the needy, give hope to the despondent, and bring the reader closer to God.

A Writer Who Writes

2006-04-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting two-hour discussion in class on Thursday night about whether we are Christians who write or are called to write. Phil had some excellent ideas on the subject that you can read at Deep Thoughts Simply Expressed.And Garret also has some good thoughts on his site at My Own Words. Scroll down to the post entitled: “The Pen in my hand is for?”

Our class came to the conclusion that if you are a Christian who has been called to write, that doesn’t make you more spiritual than the next Christian, but it does mean that you have a responsibility to be obedient to the call. For some, as with David in our class, that means he must take some classes and develop his craft and skill so that he can accomplish the task of writing the book God has called him to write. He’s doing that! And with gusto!

For others that means they need to readjust their schedules and make room for writing.

But wait! In case you think you’re off the hook because you haven’t been called to write, think again.

If you are a Christian who writes and people tell you that you have a gift, then you are just as responsible to be obedient in using that gift as a Christian who has been called to write. So, you pretty much end up in the same space. The main difference I see is that you have more flexibility as to what you write.

So, in the end, we need to encourage one another to stir up the gifts God has given us.

Personally, I believe God gives gifts to everybody, even those who don’t claim Him as Lord. I also believe that artists, writers, musicians . . . all the crafty people . . . tend to be up and down in mood and attitude. So, that’s something we all need to help each other with.

It’s vital to not worship the gift over the Giver.

I think this is something that happens a lot with us crafty people (artists, musicians, and writers). And it drives a lot of us crazy! But when we get our focus back on God, we are more apt to be content with our work and freed up to create instead of comparing ourselves with others.

Ahhhhh, that’s a good place to be.

As far as Christians only writing Christian stuff . . . that’s totally a personal choice.

I write mainly for the outdoor markets and seldom mention God.

Jesus, told lots of stories that had no religious or Bible talk at all. He made up fiction stories (parables) to speak truth into people’s lives . . . stories that people could relate to. Tolkien did that. So did C.S. Lewis. Ted Dekker and Frank Perettiare still doing it. I can picture heaven more clearly because of the Chronicles of Narnia, (Lewis), and I can’t wait to plunge into Elyon’s Lake (Dekker). House (Dekker) shows me just how much I need God’s help in cleaning up my own heart.

So, set aside some time to write. Proverbs says our words hold the power of life and death. Let’s develop our skills and learn our craft and write words that give life to our readers. It’s an excellent way to answer “The Call” or stir up the gifts God has given you.

A Christian who writes or does art or Called to write or do art?

2006-04-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Is there really a difference?

I think so.

For instance, if I am a Christian who writes or does art, then making money will probably be close to the top of my priorities.

On the other hand, if I have been called to write or do art, then money may not even be in the picture.

I have been called to write. I can name the day and place this calling came about as I stated in an earlier blog entry, but I still need to make money in order to be able to keep that calling.

If a Christian making money sounds like an oxymoron to you, think again. The Bible says the workman is worthy of his hire. Another cool thing is that artists, writers, and musicians were often taken care of in the Old Testament so that they could focus on their craft.

Although many of us are supported by our churches in order to do just that, many more of us must make money in order to continue in our craft.

Here’s the deal. I’m called to write. So I write whether I make money or not. Even if my writing business goes downhill, I must continue to write. It also means that certain projects, such as >Wild Women, A Real Walk in the Woods, are more about God’s calling on my life than about my writing business. I will be willing to compromise little on the Wild Women book because it is inspired through God’s call upon my life. (Please note that the above photo is by my friend, Garret Harrington.)

Not so with my articles. I market most of my articles in order to support my writing business. I will often change the theme or tone in order to fit the market. In this respect, I am a Christian who writes, and I most often write for outdoor magazines because I enjoy everything wild.

So, I am both . . . a Christian who writes and one who has been called to write.

The same with my art . . . in order to be able to buy materials and continue in my art, I must sell some of my works. So, on one hand I paint for pleasure, while on the other I consider what might be marketable. It isn’t necessary to sell my soul in order to market. I simply match my expertise and skills with current publishing needs.

In conclusion, I don’t believe every Christian is called to write.

But stay tuned.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about why being called to write doesn’t make one Christian more spiritual than another and why it is important to know where you fit in this equation.

Enjoy the Son!

Appointment with God

2006-04-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Wow!

Twenty-two of us met for three days of glorious retreat time at Wilderness Trails Camp this weekend.

We made three appointments with God. The first was an hour and a half long and the other two were one-hour each. We set a time, a place, a passage of scripture, and talked to no one except God.

When I first set down with an hour and a half, I thought it was an awful long time to be still and quiet and read and pray . . . but the time flew. When it was time to stop, I wanted to go on. And so did everyone else!

By the end of the third hour, we had all felt very much in touch with our Creator.

This is something you can do on your own. Make three hour-long appointments with God in the coming week.

Schedule them.

Be prepared with a passage of scripture, a place, a hot cup of whatever, a cozy, quiet place, and dig in. One of your hours can even be on a walk through the woods, or park, or wherever.

Don’t know where to read? Try Psalms or Corinthians or John or?

Don’t know how to pray? Just talk to God. Tell Him what’s bothering you. Ask Him questions. Thank Him for the good things in your life.

Don’t know how to dig in? Simply read.

Don’t use this time for study. By that, I mean don’t tackle the Bible with several commentaries and a concordance by your side. Simply read. You can study later.

Don’t use this time for the big questions regarding others. Simply seek God for your own life and how that works into His story.

Don’t answer the phone. You can return calls at the end of the hour.

These hours can be life changing.

It was amazing at the retreat, because sometimes we were totally in the middle of talking and doing and playing, but when the time for the appointment was announced, everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and settled down. Most didn’t want to stop at the end of the hour.

On the second night of the retreat, I gave out seven questions from, The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson, and also added one of my own. They would be great for one of your hours. Take as long as you need to answer each one, and name as many things or people as you want. Here they are:

1. What have I always been good at?
2. What needs do I care about most?
3. Who do I admire most?
4. What makes me feel most fulfilled?
5. What do I love to do most?
6. What have I felt called to do?
7. If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want to be remembered for?
8. If you could do anything in the name of Christ and know you would not fail—What would you do? To say that in another way: If you could do anything in the name of Christ and know you would succeed—What would you do?

Tomorrow, we’ll talk a bit more about whether we are Christians who write or are called to write. Later in the week, we’ll tackle the above questions in more depth.

Fun Writing Exercise

2006-04-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

We came up with a fun character at the writers retreat this weekend. His characteristics are listed below. See if you can write a first chapter involving this character. Give him a problem to overcome. It will be fun to see how different each chapter ends up with the main difference in character being what problem he is facing.

My students will receive 15 extra credit points for doing this exercise and turning it in this Thursday, April 6.

Character:
Name: Emmet Johnson
Age: 94
Spry, handsome, looks 70
Thin, jutting jaw, blue eyes
Lots of white hair
Strong grip (milked cows for 40 years)
Slightly deaf
Slight limp
Prostrate problems
Chews tobacco
Drives a Cadillac with steer horns attached to the front grill
Lemon pie every Sunday afternoon at Beckies
Takes his mule, Dutchess, into town on Saturday afternoons to share the Lord.
Lives in Billings, Montana on what was once a huge piece of land, now dwindled down to 20 acres

Emmet wants to take up hang gliding

He has three living children:
1 daughter, age 74, is his nurse. She burps a lot.
1 daughter is 72 and is a retired teacher like her mother who is now dead.
1 son is 53, the child of his true love after his wife died.
Emmet wears a flower in his hat, given to him by his true love.
One son was killed in Korea
Another child killed in elk stampede.

Emmet shot a man once, then he got saved.
He plays a mandolin and reads a lot.
He quotes all the time, quotes get really annoying to some folks.

Emmet is facing a problem that is consuming his thoughts . . .

If you e-mail me your chapters, I’ll be happy to post them.

I'm Back!

2006-04-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

Just returned from an awesome writers retreat in the snow-filled forest of Southern Oregon following Spring Break with my grandkids.

Be sure to check my devotional site for some encouraging words received during the retreat. I plan to post them several times this week.

Thanks for your patience!

Next event is the WOW (Writers of the Way) one-day conference on April 22, Medford, Oregon, featuring Zondervan fiction editor, Karen Ball.

If you're close, be sure to join us.

Spring Break

2006-03-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of postings this week. It's family time here during spring break, and today we're headed to play in the snow!

So, if you've been missing the discussion, come back Thursday evening when I plan to have a new post about being called to write.

Meanwhile, look back through some past posts and visit my blogger friends.

See ya Thursday!

2006-03-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

The following is an entry my friend, Andrew posted in The Circle on Ted Dekker's site. They are repeated here with Andrew's permission:

I have forgotten how to worship.

I am indicative of an entire generation: we have followed after glib entertainment to the point that we've dichotomized true creativity and godliness. Gone is the passion and excellence of the Psalms—most modern attempts at “worship” music result in little more than generic riffs and lyrics so shallow and insipid I wonder how any of us can sing them and feel honest, let alone clean inside.

What happened to depth and brilliance in Christianity, particularly in regard to the arts? Why we have abandoned the arts to such a large extent eludes me. I am left without answer. And I know at the core of my soul that this abandonment has brutalized me. I am a victim; a bastard child of the Christian artistic ghetto.

Care to see my scars? They are deep, written on my heart. . . . I have forgotten how to worship. I have forgotten majesty and wonder and glory and horror and dread and joy and sorrow and the profound meaning of faith. This amnesia is cultural and corporate, cutting to the very heart of our identity: glad worshipers of the Creator of all things.

We Christians, children of the King and Creator, Christ Himself, should be the most creative of all peoples—we have His Spirit within. Look at what kind of place Christianity has held in the past in the Western Hemisphere. We have been the leaders of all arts—in all areas—to the glory of God. What happened to that? Why do non-Christians dominate the mainstream of music, graphic arts, literature, movies, drama and every other expression of creativity?

-- I was upset, but didn't know how to continue from there---at least, not in terms of literature. I spoke of music, but words are often more important. They tend to last longer. To haunt you long after all melodies have ceased and your ears dulled.

What, then, do we do with these words? How do we respond to this world?

Works of grit and grace.

Darkness.

Depravity.

Redemption.

Ted, you have laid the groundwork; many of us are preparing to follow.

Lately, God has been teaching me about His heart: the poor, the needy, the downtrodden, the broken, and the despised—all those bereft of hope are dear to Him. To know Him, we must serve the “least of these” in His name. (Jeremiah 22:15,16) This is how Christ chose to begin His ministry: by declaring the captives free; the broken whole; the sinners redeemed. I am called to be a broken-hearted comforter—a wounded healer who gently points others toward Him.

The art of worship—of adoration—means no more running or hiding; there is no more room for my wants and desires, but only His. Without surrender, our so-called worship is meaningless lip service, nothing more.

The same is true of our writing. Are we willing to worship Him? On His terms?

The verse I referenced is fascinating: Your own father, did he not eat and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, then it went well with him. He took up the case of the poor and needy, then it went well. Is this not what it means to know Me? [This is] the LORD's declaration. (HCSB)

Here are the commonly taught criteria for knowing God. Righteousness. Justice. Defending the poor. But there is another element. The first one. He ate and drank. He lived life. Naturally. Piety is not somehow separated from daily life. So why do we think that we can be holy people serving a holy God, and not engage in . . . life?

Reflecting His Glory,

~ Lamp

Are you a Christian who writes?

2006-03-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

What in the world does that mean?

First of all, we better define the word “Christian.” That means a lot of things to a lot of different people. In this blog, I’m meaning Christian the same way it was meant when it was first used nearly 2,000 years ago, as a term describing people who loved Christ and desired to live their lives the way He did. They were actually “People of the Way,” People who worshipped The Creator by coming through His Son, Jesus. That’s my desire, too.

When I step out into the wilderness or, goodness! even look out my window and see the deer feeding peacefully in my forest yard—the wild turkeys knowing just when to run through and pick up bits of food; the little chipmunk now awake from his winter nap; the first sign of Osprey recently returned from South America; tiny bits of plant life sticking through the snow; herds of wapiti (elk) keeping their perfect cycle—as I watch the seasons pass in perfect wonder, consistent, fulfilling, and dependable . . . I am absolutely certain that none of this happened by accident, and it’s easy to place my own life into the hands of this magnificent Creator.

Ahhh, but there is a sin problem, and it affects all of creation, not just humans, this I also see. So, I carry a pistol on my hip, because some animals and humans don’t adhere to the law (given to both man and animals) to not take the lifeblood of another human. I see signs of decay and rot, sickness, and death, all things brought on by the fall. But God even knew about that and had a plan all ready—redemption through His Son, even for those who had gone before.

I know some of you are worried about all my recent God talk, but I believe in a holistic view of the writer’s life. The spiritual is very important to what I put down on paper. I can no longer separate myself from the life that is living inside of me. So, sometimes, as now, we will have a discussion on God, especially when faith may make or break our forward progress in writing. It’s all part of the process.

So, are you a Christian who writes? And what on earth does that mean?

A good example is a friend of mine . . . I’m changing her name here and calling her Susie. She provides the main support for her family, which includes her husband and father. Susie is a Christian and she writes. I think if I asked if she was called to writing, she would look at me as if I had fallen off the turnip truck. And I’m suspecting she may be right to do so.

Susie writes, because she is good at it, and it’s turned out to be a good way to make the needed money to support her family. It’s a business and she treats it as such.

I write, because God called me to write. Does that mean I don’t have a writing business? Well, no, I do have a writing business, but I didn’t hear any special call from God to start that business. It was simply a natural outpouring of answering The Call.

Susie, on the other hand, answered The Call through the simple outpouring of creating a business.

Hmmmmm

It’s almost like saying the same thing, isn’t it?

And what about this calling? Does that mean I will never be anything but a writer?

Well . . . no. I’m an artist, a musician, a songwriter, a photographer . . . but I’ve never heard a direct call from God to do any of those things, like I did with my writing, yet I feel His pleasure when I do them.

So, what is the difference?

For me, it’s simply being true to what He has called me to do.

I write, because He has called me to write. And I will continue to write even if my business of writing fails. The call was that clear. Until He releases me from that call, I’m bound to it. I’m also called to be a wife to Cat, and I will do that right on into eternity.

A Christian who writes, on the other hand, but feels no particular call from God, may be able to quit at any given time. But . . . and this is important . . . if God has given you a gift and you neglect it, that can be a very big problem.

Perhaps we have misworded the question. Maybe the question isn’t whether or not God has called you to write, or if you are a Christian who writes. Perhaps, the real question is, “Are you using the gift God has given you?”

Yikes, we’re almost full circle. So, how do you know whether you have a gift or not? And if you have a gift of writing, why do you need to edit? Or go to school? Or learn from others?

Okay, more on that tomorrow.

Meanwhile, be sure to leave any comments you want to share with others. We’re in this journey together—a journey of learning how to co-create.

Let's Write!

2006-03-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

REALLY FUN! Write quickly for five minutes with pen and paper (YES! ONLY FIVE MINUTES and NO COMPUTER)

ASSIGNMENT ONE:

Sixteen puppies have just escaped their backyard. Their backyard borders an alley that kids use as a short cut home from school. Four boys are racing their bikes down the same alley, but they haven't seen the puppies yet. Three girls are walking backward, arm-in-arm from the other end of the alley. What happens next?

ASSIGNMENT TWO:

A man dressed in a suit steps out of a taxi on a rainy night, pays the taxi driver and sends him off. Then he turns and looks at the house, walks slowly up to the door and knocks. The door opens and .... What happens next?

If you come up with something you'd like to share, just e-mail it to me and I'll post it on my blog, or you can post it in the comment section.

Have fun!

Called to Write, Part I

2006-03-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

Are you called to write?

Or are you a Christian who writes?

Those questions have been plaguing me all week! It first came about when a fellow blogger posted a question on the FCW site, and I haven’t been able to let go of it since.

God definitely called me to write. I’m fortunate to know that.

But I haven’t always known that. For ten whole years—yes! ten!—I wrote articles and stories and sent them out to publications and kept getting these little form letter rejections that said, “I’m sorry, but your submission doesn’t fit our current needs.”

Aaaaarrrgh!

I got so many of those that my husband and I celebrated when I received my first personal rejection.

So … after ten years, I figured that was enough already.

I was at the end of a China mission trip, traveling solo on a train during my favorite part of the day, that time when the sun sinks low on the horizon and peasants sling their rakes and hoes over their shoulders and walk their water buffalo home for the evening. Everything looked so peaceful and still in the evening glow and the smell of freshly harvested wheat blew through the train’s windows. And I started to think that God was moving me in new directions—that this would probably be my last trip to China. And I wondered what He would have me do next.

That’s when I thought about my writing.

“I think I’ve had enough of this writing stuff,” I told God in my mind. “After all, I’ve been sending stuff out for ten years, and for ten years I’ve gotten nothing but rejections.”

I was the only English speaking person on the train, and I had no one else to talk with, and I certainly didn’t expect God to answer me. But He did! It was the clearest I’ve ever heard God in my life!

He didn’t speak in an audible voice, but it was definitely a conversation and it was definitely to me. He said, “Sandy, I called you to write—“

There was a pause while I waited in hope…God called me to write! Goodness! Would I be the next big seller!

Then He finished the sentence. “…I didn’t say anything about being published.”

Ugh.

I suddenly visualized myself in a room with piles and piles of papers surrounding me—papers that were full of words that I had written, that nobody would ever read. But I would write!

I would write, because God called me to write.

So, I returned home to Oregon with that conviction. But before I even reached my house, I stopped at our mailbox that is about a quarter of a mile from my house, and there was my very first acceptance, and I’ve been accepted ever since.

So, yes, I know God called me to write, but please note that I didn't know that for the first ten years of my writing life.

But, no, that doesn’t always mean that everything I write will get published. In fact, a whole lot of what I write may never be published … but I write! I write because … you guessed it … God called me to write.

Other writers don’t always understand that calling. They pressure me to get on the ball, be more aggressive, or be more professional. They mean well, but a lot of times it’s really not about the writing. At least not for me, it isn’t. It’s about relationships—a relationship with an agent who needs a bit of mercy, a relationship with an editor who received a blessing through the words I submitted, a relationship with God as He carries me through the difficult process so others can learn from my example of perseverance, a relationship with others along this writing journey.

It’s not always fun, but it’s always rewarding, if given time.

Back to that patience thing again. Doggone it.

It’s not just about being patient in waiting for God, it’s also being patient with well-meaning friends who don’t understand God’s calling on my life. How can I expect them to understand it when I don’t even understand it myself?

More this weekend, when I’ll talk a bit about what it means to be a Christian who writes.

Seeing Beyond the Visible

2006-03-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

Full moon tonight! Did you see that in my current moon box on the bottom right?

I love a full moon! It makes night like daylight in the wilderness and all the animals are out, so there’s a lot to see. And there’s nothing like canoeing a lake under moonlight, especially when the air is warm. The water is so smooth you can hear the shoosh of the canoe and tiny gurgling of dipping paddles.

Last August, my friend Jolene and I canoed Lost Creek Lake under moonlight. Ah, but it was more than a bit scary coming back to shore behind the shadows of a hill and not knowing what was there to greet us. I unknowingly carried a frog home with me in my beach towel. Glad it was only a frog! Bear and cougar often drink from the very spot we put in.

So what’s that got to do with writing?

There’s a full moon tonight. Did I tell ya?

But I won’t be able to see it. The clouds have dropped to the hills and snow has been falling for several days, so I have to trust that the moon is still there, and I have to trust that my little “current moon” box is telling me the truth.

Sometimes it’s like that with my writing.

I’ve got an idea in my mind … a plotline perhaps? … but sometimes it’s so hidden that I simply must trust my instinct and keep on writing.

My instinct is powered by The Creator. I don’t always see Him either. In fact, I’ve never actually SEEN Him. But I have plenty of evidence to believe He’s there. Not only there. But here … inside me … beside me … I live and move and have my being in Him.

I don’t have a little “current God” box, but I do have a book written by many folks who attest to God being there, here, among us. Several hundred folks who even saw Him after He was supposed to be dead. They saw Him taken into Heaven … laughing Creator, very much in touch.

So, today, I write, trusting my instinct to move forward. That doesn’t mean every word I write is from God or is perfect. But it does mean that I’m making progress.

Editor, Chip Macgregor, once told me that his writing process usually consists of writing something like 3,000 words, then tearing that apart and cutting it to 1,500 words, then adding another 750.

That’s about right.

A lot of what I’m writing today will go the way of the MAC trash barrel. Some of it will come back. But I need to write it all in order to get any of it down.

What are you writing today? Can you trust your instinct to carry you forward?

There’s a full moon out tonight. Can you see it? It’s trying very hard to peek through the clouds.

So even though writing is truly more about rewriting, today let’s write! And worry about the rewrite tomorrow. Today has enough writing of its own.

Patience

2006-03-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

The English language is constantly in flux, but one word that never seems to lose its meaning or its dread is “patience.”

My editor called me this morning and told me he coveted my “patience.”

Ugh!

That means more waiting.

And more waiting.

Waiting.

I’ve heard it said often, and I bet you have too, that we should never pray for patience.

???

And it’s almost always followed up with, “Because, you’ll get it.”

???

Really?

Should we be afraid to ask God for patience?

Yet, I sit here afraid to do just that.

Ugh.

Lord, help me here . . .
It’s about much more than patience. Help me to know that you are not a hard task master. Help me to see above the visible and understand that I am part of YOUR story.

God’s vision for me is much bigger than what I see for myself.

Quick isn’t always quality. We all know that.

So, why do we want to rush on? I see a goal that I want NOW! My novel published and being read by eager readers! Yeah!

BUT . . .

If my novel had been published two years ago when I first thought it was ready, I would have missed out on so much, because my novel is much richer and deeper than it was back then. And I suspect the timing of its release will be perfect . . .

. . . Even if I’m not alive . . .

At this rate it may all be post mortem. But so what? Sooooo, I’d kinda like to have a few kudos, maybe? Ugh. I thought I was over that.

I’d like to actually hold the book in my hand. Hmmmmm.

I’d like to have some money to pay the bills. Another big Hmmmmmm.

Patience.

Yes. I need it, and I’m asking for it. And I’m applying it with my agent. It’s not about his timing after all, it’s God’s. And I can trust God to let me know when it’s time to move on. For now, I’ll keep writing and waiting . . . waiting on God . . . not man, because God is faithful, even when I am faithless, and He has promised to provide for my needs and to do far above what I can even imagine.

Patience.

His burden is not heavy, and He is faithful.

Researching a nonfiction or fiction story

2006-03-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Okay! You’ve been told to write what you know, and you’ve done that, but now you would like to branch out a bit, make some new discoveries or try out something different. Or perhaps you’re writing a fiction story and your character is facing something that you know nothing about. What do you do?

Research.

If that is a bad word to you, let me change your mind.

When I was first told as a new writer to write what I know, I immediately coupled that idea with the words author, Lee Roddy, told me years ago. “If you want to be a writer, then go out and live.”

So, if you need to write what you know, then know more.

I’ve had the most wonderful experiences since that time. I’ve traveled many countries, learned to windsurf, downhill and cross country ski, shoot class IV rapids, become a good markswoman with rifles and pistols, hunt, fly fish, ride horses, track game, draw, paint, and much more. Even if I never wrote about these things, my life would have been richer.

Another thing I do is interview people who either know what I need to know or who have experienced something unusual. In doing so, I’ve learned some fascinating things and met incredible people who sky dive, are experts at wrangling, falling trees, herding cows, drawing wildlife, homesteading in Alaska, photographing for National Geographic and much more. In the process I’ve accumulated some amazing friends.

I also read.

Someone once said that a writer must read in order to be a good writer. I totally believe that. Not only because you learn style and technique, but also because you learn, period.

I read everything from children’s books to heavy-duty theology books. It is true that some reading is more enjoyable than others, but I force myself through some of the stuff that isn’t as much fun but holds tons of good information. Keep a couple of highlighters by your side and a dictionary. Mark good passages, look up the words you don’t know. I also use little post-it flags to mark pages. My husband and I have become such avid readers that we haven’t had television reception for over ten years.

I’ll talk more about the individual aspects of research at a later date, but for now, simply consider the benefits.

Today, I’m posting photos of a mountain lion that I took at a recent artist invitation. This lion kept singling me out of the crowd and looking right at me.

Jenny, one of the members of my critique group, is writing a fiction story in which one of her main characters is attacked by a cougar and her hero comes to the rescue.

Jenny doesn’t know much about cougars (mountain lions) or guys who work in the woods, but I do, because I have met several mountain lions in the woods and have interviewed wildlife officials in seven different states. So, she has done some research, some interviews, and then runs the story by me.

Now, she wants to know what a cougar’s eyes look like when they’re staring at you. So Viola! Here are my photos for her to see as she imagines herself alone, in the wilderness, without a weapon, and with the cougar staring straight at her.

Is a picture worth ten thousand words?

See for yourself.

An even better thing is for the two of us to take a trip to a local wildlife rehabilitation clinic and let her experience “the look” first hand.

Ahhhh, the value of research . . . t could even save a life . . . and it may be your own.

Creative Fun Exercise

2006-03-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here’s a wonderful quote by Colin J. Jeffcoat IV, a fellow member of

FCW (Fellowship of Christian Writers):

“Know the law and you will be okay . . . and make sure that God is okay with it too.”

Isn’t that an intriguing thought? It’s not enough to just walk the line . . . it’s important to have a clear destination . . . to draw as close to The Creator as possible through His Son.

Today, I have an assignment for you, one that should get your creative juices moving a bit.

1. Find a photograph or magazine illustration that appeals to you. I’ve posted several choices on this blog as well. Take some time to really observe your photo.

2. Now, using your imagination . . . give a name to the place in the photo. Give it a location. Is it windy? Calm? What time of year is it? What aromas can you smell? What sounds do you hear? What year is it? Is it common? Or exotic?

3. Name the people in the photo. If there aren’t any people, then imagine some and give them names. How old are they? What kind of past have they lived? What is a normal day like for them? What dreams do they have? What goals? Who do they love? What fear clutches their heart?

4. Choose one of the people and pretend you are them. Give them an event or action to take place in the scene. What happens or has happened to start the action? What goal does that create? What problem must they solve?

5. Give yourself an enormous enemy. Is it physical? Emotional? Spiritual? Do battle with it as you head toward your goal. The battles must increase in number and intensity the nearer you get to your goal, finally climaxing at the make-it-or-break-it moment when you will either obtain your goal or die trying.

6. Do you reach your goal? Do you fail? What have you learned in the process? What is your new real world like now?

7. Work on the above project for at least three hours. They can be separate hours if you want, perhaps one hour to think and plan; one or two hours to write, letting your creative juices flow, and at least another hour editing and revising. Hooray for you! You have now written a scene!

Every scene, every chapter, every book pretty much follows this outline.

My students can earn 20 extra points for faithfully completing this exercise and handing it in next week. If you weren’t at class tonight because of the snow, then you will receive the normal class points plus 20 points for a quiz. If you weren’t in class and you want all the above points, then write two scenes over six hours and I’ll give you full credit.

If you aren’t a student, but you love to write, give it a try. It’s fun! And many of my students have used these very exercises in completed versions of their stories and books.

Have fun!

The rest of the answer

2006-03-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

The question below is part of the same question I answered last week, but now I'm tackling it in more detail.

Question:
I have a hard time convincing myself that magazine, newspaper, book publishers would be interested in what I have to write.

Answer:

There are many reasons why a magazine, newspaper, or book publisher might be interested in what you have to write.

What hobbies to you have? What interests? What expertise? Who can you interview? Who do you know? What makes them interesting? What things have you learned?

The person who asked this question is a photographer who travels around the country with his wife who is a midwife. They stay in an area for several months while she works and he photographs the area. Then they move on. He is also a conservationist. There are so many things he could write about. Let me list a few:

1. Photography
2. Conservation
3. Specific animals (birds, cats/lions, deer, etc.)
4. Outdoors
5. Hiking
6. Camping
7. Travel
8. Diary of a modern-day midwife (personal experience).
9. How-to (photography, travel, home health care, etc.)
10. Adjusting to life on the road.
11. Life on the road (personal experience).
12. Where and/or how to find a good place to…

Now, if you take those areas of interest and target either a specific magazine or specific area (newspapers), you will find editors interested in what you have to write, especially if you are a decent writer.

Many writers pass on the regional magazines, but I have found them wonderful to work for. They love to get my articles and stories and I get paid around a hundred bucks for a fairly easy-to-write article with little changes needed. If you write one of those for each of the twelve months most magazines publish, you have a nice income of $1200. That’s just for one magazine. Often the stories overlap with little changes to fit other markets.

Writing for nationals pays more, but you face tougher competition, more back-and-forth editing, and probably a once-a-year article. The pay often ends up being about the same and you often have to live with an edited version of your article that you’re not real thrilled with. Still, it’s nice to try those once in a while.

Another perk in writing for regionals is that you become a big fish in a little pond. People love to see my articles about them and their neighborhoods, and that encourages me to write more.

Then after you write a column or series of articles for several years, you end up with enough fodder for a book. Now, that you’ve been writing regularly, you also have a good place for free advertising of your book and can often publish some of the chapters in the magazines to whet your reader’s appetite for more. Both you and the editors come out winners!

Writing for newspapers can really keep you jumping! You may end up writing weekly or even daily. Whew! I don’t think I could handle the stress! On the other hand, having deadlines really keeps me writing, and I’ve discovered that the more I write the easier it becomes.

Now, if you add some good photos to go along with your articles, you have a sweet deal. If the editor has a similar article to choose from, they will most often choose the one with nice photos over the one that doesn’t have photos. This is more true for regional magazines than national. The other sweet part of the deal is that readers also seem to choose to read the articles with photos over the ones without.

So, this should give you a lot to think about. List your hobbies and interests, then grab a Writer’s Market, visit a local magazine rack, check the internet and see who might be interested in what you have to share. If you are a quilter, check out the quilt shops for specialty mags. If you are a hunter, check out a sports shop…you get the idea.

Have fun! And be sure to leave comments here on what has worked for you. It’s nice to help one another out.

Pray for Andrew!

2006-03-01T00:33:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist showing you a photo of one of my furry friends that's outside my window right now. He comes for a visit nearly every night.

Please remember to pray for my friend, Andrew. He is leaving for a mission trip to Guyana this Thursday and won't return until Wednesday, March 8.

Question

2006-02-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

Here’s another question from my photographer/writer friend that should be of interest to all of us artists and writers:

Question:
I have a hard time convincing myself that magazine, newspaper, book publishers would be interested in what I have to write. I have no training in photography, nor in writing/journalism. While I think this lack of training is one of my biggest strengths, I know it hinders me as well.

Answer:
This is an intriguing question. I hope what you mean by a lack of training being one of your biggest strengths, that you mean that no one has squelched your gut force—that part of you that knows instinctively what to photograph, or paint, or sing, or write. And it is true that we sometimes have to unlearn a lot of what we learn. I think it’s part of the process. You try something and it doesn’t work and you go back to what you were doing.

I also like for my students to stay tuned to their creative side, turning off the editor while doing so. I had to get away from my computer for a year in order to turn off the persistent editor enough to create something worth reading. Now it’s pretty well balanced out.

You say you have no training, but I see that you do. You may have taught yourself, but you took the time and effort to do so…that is valid training! As for your photography, you use your camera well, and I suspect you’ve read some magazines or books about photography. I know you’ve talked with others about both photography and writing, because that’s how you and I got connected in the first place. That’s training!

A lot of creative people who either don’t have the time or money for a formal education; often feel left behind because of a lack of training. That simply isn’t so. Most published writers I know don’t have a degree at all, let alone one in journalism. Most of us, including myself, get our training from a hands-on approach as follows:

1. Read! That is one of the best ways to learn to write. Observe and study the masters! Is one of the best ways to learn to draw or paint. Listen to compelling music! Is one of the best ways to learn to play an instrument or sing.

There are some great sites on my links to do this very thing!

I find myself drawn to the kinds of writing and painting and photography and music that I want to do. It’s very stimulating.

2. Doing the craft is another great way to improve. The more you write, draw, paint, play, sing…the better you become. Try some of the exercises I’ve had in past posts. I’ll also have some fun ones in future posts.

3. Read good references books and magazines on your chosen subject. My shelves are full of awesome books.

If you want to write and you don’t want to spend a lot of time on grammar, “Woe is I,”by Patricia T. O’Conner. It is a wonderful reference book. It’s written with a sense of humor but is packed full of helpful advice that is easy to find when you need it.

If you want to write fiction, I recommend, “Self Editing for Fiction Writers,”by Renni Browne and Dave King, and another must-have book is, “Plot and Structure.”

If you want to draw, I like Nicolaides, “The Natural Way to Draw.”

If you want to paint, I absolutely love “Harley Brown’s eternal truths for every artist.”

How about you bloggers? What are some of your favorite resource books? Let us know in the comment section.

4. Attend a conference! Whether it is a one-day or a week-long, a conference can do wonders to help you develop your craft, connect with other like-minded people, and come away inspired. Most conferences cover many aspects of the creative life including spiritual, life and craft, how-to, marketing, the business end, and other specialties.

Here are two that I will be teaching at this year:

Colorado Christian Writers

Oregon Christian Writers

5. Take a correspondence course! I started out by taking the Nonfiction Article Writing Course through Writers Digest. It was just what I needed to get a jump start on becoming a published writer.

6. Join a club or critique group! Being a member with other like-minded artisans will keep you motivated and help you grow in your craft. Members usually play off one another’s gifts, so each member ends up achieving a higher goal than they would have on their own. Sometimes it takes a while to find a group that works for you. Don’t expect your first meeting to feel as comfortable as your third. If it’s not happening by the fourth, then you should probably look somewhere else.

7. Make a lunch date with someone who is successful at what you want to do. Pick their brain.

8. Read interviews about the people you admire. See how they did it. What obstacles did they overcome? How can you relate? When I read Steven King’s book, “On Writing,” I came away totally jazzed, because finally I found someone who said it was okay to write the way I write. If it works for Steven King, then it must be okay for me!

Infuze Magazine has lots of good interviews. So does Novel Journey.

9. Take a class at a local college. I teach “Writing for Publicaton,” at Pacific Bible College and a majority of our students go on to become published writers. Look for a teacher that works well with you. I try very hard not to change my student’s writing voice and style, while teaching them to become better at what they do. One of my biggest joys is that my students don’t all sound like me.

It’s the same in my art class. I love my teacher! Karen Cain-Smith is wonderful! I’ve taken classes from her for several years, as have many other students, and none of us paint the same. We each have our own styles.

10. Go ahead. Get that degree if you really want. But don’t become so in love with big words that you begin to sound stiff and academic.

My pastor has a doctorate and he’s going for something even higher than that (I didn’t even know there was something higher). He proudly informed me recently that his humongous paper was zero percent passive. Hooray! You don’t have to be stiff to write a good academic paper, and even preachers are better if they stay away from preachy language.

There are good schools and bad schools; good teachers and not so good teachers. The problem is more in the choice of training rather than whether or not to receive training.

Exciting Week!

2006-02-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Wow! What an exciting week. I worked and prayed through hitting the "Wall."

You probably know the place I'm talking about. For me, it was knowing that something different needed to happen with my chapter, but not knowing what. Then I met with my critique group, and together, we worked through it. I've been writing all day today and am very excited about moving forward once again. It feels just right.

Do you have a critique group?

I can't overstress the benefits of belonging to a good critique group. By "good," I mean one where you are not only encouraged to write on a regular basis, but each member actually presents fresh work every meeting. It's important that each member contribute their individual expertise as well. Some members are good at catching grammar errors, others are good at spotting inconsistencies, and still others are gifted at helping with a "fix."

How big should a critique group be?

Mine is limited to five members and we meet twice a month. That really keeps us on the ball and allows plenty of time to review everyone's work. It's amazing how close you grow as a unit when you work like this. When one member rejoices, we all rejoice. When one member hits bottom, we all pitch in to cheer them up.

Don't know of any critique groups?

Why not start your own? That's what I did. The first time was over fifteen years ago when I only knew one other writer. He and I were the only members for several months. Then our group grew to be so big, we had to split in several units. It's easy to get on the phone and start calling your writing friends. But it's a good thing to pray first. A good critique group will be one of your greatest treasures!

Enjoy the Son!

Writing Question from a Photographer Friend

2006-02-22T22:33:00.000-08:00

This question from a photographer friend I’m encouraging to write, because the two go so well together:

My first problem is I don't commit to writing. Everyone tells me that I have to journal, journal, journal, and I am starting to realize I just don't like journaling. Does one have to journal to be a writer? I much prefer to write when the inspiration hits.

No. You do not have to journal, journal, journal.

That works for some writers, but not for all. I always journal when I go on a trip, because I want to remember every detail, but I don’t journal every day. I don’t do much of anything every single day. My journals are a laugh. Sometimes I journal for months at a time, then a year, maybe two goes by and I pick up where I left off. Ha!

With that said, I will say that journaling is good if you can do it. There are so many things I’ve forgotten because I didn’t journal.

So, I do the next best thing. I have a Moleskine book . Have you heard of those? Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway used this awesome little book. Makes me feel so creative just to own one of these things. The more worn it looks, the better. I’m up there with the big guys! Ha!

I use my Moleskine to write down the things that inspire me, just like you already do. The calendar on my wall at home also works for writing down quotes I don’t want to miss, or the opening of the spring flowers or the trill and color of a new bird I see out my window. Scraps of paper are the worst. I’m forever losing those things.

Some artists and writers use tape recorders. That doesn’t work well for me, because I never get the words off the silly tape! Then the tapes pile up and I rarely get them labeled, so I have another mess.

I also have a little Handspring (Palm Pilot type of thing) with a keyboard that fits in my coat pocket or backpack. I take that thing everywhere. It’s no surprise to see me in the middle of the wilderness typing away with a log as a desk.

And yes, when driving, I’m often pulling over to the side of the road because inspiration has struck.

The pulling over part came after my husband caught me driving down the road trying to write and steer at the same time. He called me on the cell phone…now, if that wasn’t a trick…writing, and driving, and answering the cell all at once! “Quit writing and look at the road,” he said.

Busted.

All that to say, it’s okay to only journal as inspiration hits, but one thing to note…inspiration will probably hit more often if you get into more of a habit of writing.

So, if you’re not going to journal, at least have a time and place to write something…even if it’s simply to write something worth remembering about your day, or your feelings, or a question that’s been bugging you, or the color or smell of something you take for granted. You’ll learn to see with new eyes and meet the challenge of putting those new sights into words. Sounds a bit like journaling. Eh?

What's New?

2006-02-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

I about killed myself today by breathing toxic fumes from a burning coffeepot. I can barely see the computer because of running eyes and running nose and sneezing and coughing. Ouch! But I'm alive, and I'll probably survive. So much for courage.

But I was a quick thinker. Hey! I put a towel over my face, grabbed a potholder, got rid of the offending pot, flung open the windows, turned on the fans, and quickly changed my workspace to the deck. Got a little cold . . . but a nice change of scenery.

So, that's enough courage for today, but I promise to get back to the topic soon. I've been thinking about it a lot.

Today, I'm switching a bit to start answering some of the questions that have been coming from artists and writers. You'll find the first one above. From now on, I will be interspersing the week's (or should I say month's?) topic with some down-to-earth help.

So, be sure to place any questions you have in the comments section or e-mail me. The more, the better. If I don't know the answer, I'll try to find someone who does.

Hey! Do you see James Byron Huggins over there on the Infuze Link? He's one of my favorite authors. Check him out.

And the flying boy in the photo below is Ron, the son of my artist friend, Kim Ragsdale.

2006-02-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! This courage stuff is harder than I thought. I'm falling through thin air here.

I’ve spent two days praying about what to share with you about where and how to get courage, and I’ve struggled with getting enough of it for myself to keep on writing.

I’m at a wall in the writing of my book right now. Just smacked it right on! Then panic hits and I wonder if I will ever get through to the other side. I was in such a groove, then life happened. Now, I’m determined to get the groove back.

So, today, I stopped, emptied my schedule, skipped art class, and am seeking God. In doing so, I’ve returned to the following prayer:

God to give me enough financially that I'm not always on the verge of tears about it.
God to give me enough encouragement with my book to keep me writing.
God to give me the strength to carry on in what He has called me to do.
God to give me wisdom to know which way He is leading me.
God to give me good health to be able to keep on keeping on.
God to help me realize joy in spite of circumstances.
God to help me rest in Him.
to focus on the good.
to focus on Him.

So, if you’re stuck like me, this might be a good prayer for you too! And while you’re at it, pray for me to have encouraging words for you tomorrow.

And what about your schedule? When’s the last time you emptied it and made an appointment with your Creator?

What are we afraid of?

2006-02-19T00:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we'll talk about giving courage to others, then we'll talk about why we need courage in the first place. See ya here!

Taking Courage

2006-02-18T23:17:00.000-08:00

I was reading this morning in Ezra and came to 7:28 where Ezra says, “I took courage” (NIV). NAS says, “I was strengthened.” Both versions imply that courage comes from outside our selves.

Isn’t that interesting? I think we are most often told that courage comes from inside us.

In a sense that is true . . . for the follower of Christ, because courage (strength) comes from God and He lives inside the believer.

It’s worth thinking about whether it is actually true for the unbeliever—would make a good research study. I suspect that the unbeliever will run into a wall before the follower of Christ will, because the unbeliever is relying on his own power, which is limited. The believer has unlimited power . . . “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens (gives courage to) me,” that is if the believer is calling upon God for that strength.

Webster Collegiate defines courage as,
“mental or moral strength
to venture
and persevere
or withstand
danger,
fear,
or difficulty.”

The meaning seems to get washed out a bit when you try to use synonyms. But a further meaning to explain the difference between tenacity and courage is also interesting,
“Mettle,
spirit,
resolution,
tenacity
mean mental or moral strength
to resist opposition,
danger,
or hardship.
Courage implies firmness of mind and will
in the face of danger
or extreme difficulty
(the courage to support unpopular causes).

” It goes on to explain the differences even further, but I like that “firmness of mind.”

The Hebrew word for courage (as found in Ezra and many other passages) is “Chazaq,” which means
to strengthen,
prevail,
harden,
be strong,
become strong,
be courageous,
be firm,
grow firm,
be resolute,
be sore

So, looking at all the above, I would say courage is something we reach out and take from God. He hands it to us, and it’s up to us to take it, and it gives us a firmness of mind as well as strength.

This reaching out and taking it implies that courage is something we don’t have until we face danger, fear, difficulty, opposition, or hardship, because we don’t often reach out for it until the need is there.

Tomorrow, I’ll give you and example of this reaching out and taking courage.

Fun and Rewarding Writing Exercise

2006-02-16T23:55:00.000-08:00

Wow! Did we have fun in class tonight. Twenty students with twenty awesome dialogue scenes. I was so totally impressed. Beginning through advanced writers make up the class, and they all came up with wonderful stories. Amazing.

For some of you students and anyone else who would like to give this a try, choose one of the stories below (either Bugs or Bigfoot? or My First Example of Courage. Bugs or Bigfoot is a straight dialogue scene, sometimes a little harder to do than the one we did tonight. My First Example of Courage has some dialogue, some scene, some interior monologue, and a lot of narrative.

Before you begin, do the following:

(1) Choose two characters for yourself. They can be fictional or real. Give them names. Know their gender.(If you choose My First Example of Courage you also need an animal.)
(2) Choose a place. Set up the scene.
(3) Choose an event.

In other words. You have these two characters (who?) who are in a place (where?), doing what (what action?)

In Bugs or Bigfoot, I have myself and a doctor in a doctor's office, talking through an exam. In My First Example of Courage, I have myself and my father and my dog in a truck traveling down the road.

After you've chosen your people, place, and happening. Then copy the structure of your chosen story. Wherever your chosen story uses narrative, you do the same. Wherever there is dialogue, you do the same. Wherever there is a beat, put in a beat. Wherever there is a tag, put in a tag. Wherever there is interior narrative, you have your character think. You get the gist. Oh yeah, don't forget to make the scene from ONE character's viewpoint.

I bet you'll be surprised at what you come up with. You may have to set it aside for a while before you'll really see the worth. And no! This does not change your style or mess with it in any way. Twenty people in our class kept twenty styles by doing this. Each person kept their own flavor, but improved their structure.

This is especially helpful when you already have a project and you use characters you've already created. Several students are using their results in their current works. At least one of my students created an entire novel surrounding this one scene she wrote from this exercise.

Do this exercise several times with some of your favorite scenes written by your favorite authors. And, yes, it's okay to expand.

Have fun! And be sure to post in the comment section if you dare share!

More on courage tomorrow . . . yikes! It's after midnight . . . more on courage later today.

Bugs or Bigfoot?

2006-02-16T23:51:00.000-08:00

Another excerpt from my upcoming book, "Wild Women":

“Tell me again about where you live,” Dr. Dan asked when I was pregnant with my fourth child. He sat on a stool peering over my open medical chart.

“It’s in the mountains,” I answered. “We hike a half mile from the car to the house.”

“Up hill?”

“Certainly.”

“And you have no electricity?”

“None.”

“No running water.”

“A stream runs nine months of the year.”

He shook his head. “How’s the fishing?”

“Great at the lake.”

He shook his head again. “That’s incredible.”

“Not so incredible,” I answered. “I awake to a wonderland every morning, either an awesome stillness pierced with birdsong or the roar of God’s voice upon the wind.”

“So, if you’re so stress free, what’s causing your blood pressure to skyrocket?”

“Oh that,” I said. “Bigfoot.”

Dr. Dan set my chart on his knees and crossed his arms. “Bigfoot?”

“Or bugs. I’m not sure. One’s as bad as the other.”

He settled back, waiting for the rest of the story.

My first example of courage

2006-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

I had my first remembered example of courage when I was nine years old. Here’s a rendering of it from my upcoming book, “Wild Women.”

When I was nine years old, traveling with my father in the dark of night over the backroads of Northern California, I had my first encounter with a mountain lion. The color of its fur was as black as the inside of an abandoned well. Dad called it a panther. But there were no panthers in our area, or so we were told. It was about the size of a full-grown man. It fell off the side of the mountain and landed right in front of our truck. My dog and best friend, Nipper, went wild with barking and lunged at the windshield. Dad barely stopped our old pickup before nearly running into the lion.

“Stay in the truck, Sandra,” he said.

He didn’t have to ask twice.

With Nipper barking frantically in my ear, I watched as Dad squeezed out of the truck, closed the door with a snap, and walked to the crumpled black form made easy to see by our headlights.

Panther. Just the sound of the word on my tongue conjured up horrifying stories of young children being dragged from their beds into the jungle. It didn’t take much imagination to envision the panther grabbing Dad and dragging him into the thick forest, leaving Nipper and me alone. I wasn’t sure which was worse—to see Dad taken off by a crazed panther, or to be left alone to face Bigfoot, because one thing I was sure of was that Bigfoot would come, and Nipper was no match for him.

Dad had just passed the left headlight, making a big shadow spread across the road, when the panther sprang to its feet and took off over the side of the mountain. I never saw Dad move so fast. He was around the truck and back in the driver’s seat before the panther’s tail disappeared. Nipper jumped in my lap, pawing at the window and barking madly.
Dad and I talked of little else for days. Everyone thought we were crazy.

“There are no panthers in our woods!” neighbors kept insisting.

But it was hard for them to argue when Dad pointed me out as an eyewitness. I reveled in my high standing for as long as I could, and I never forgot how brave my father was, getting out of the truck like that on a seldom traveled rural road to check on that mountain lion.

I decided right then and there that I wanted to have that same kind of courage in my life—the courage to have firmness of mind in the face of fear, danger, and difficulty. I suspect there are varying degrees of courage, but we’ll talk more about that tomorrow.

What is the Meaning of Courage?

2006-02-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days we’ve talked about whether courage is an accident or not and about not mistaking foolishness for courage. Perhaps it’s time we put a definition on courage.

Webster Collegiate defines courage as, “mental or moral strength to venture and persevere or withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”

The meaning seems to get washed out a bit when you try to use synonyms. But a further meaning to explain the difference between tenacity and courage is also interesting, “Mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship. Courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty (the courage to support unpopular causes).”

Webster goes on to explain the differences even further, but I like that “firmness of mind.” It’s the kind of courage it takes to stick it out as a writer, or photographer, or painter. It also helps us face opposition. Yet it comes from the same place as the courage to face danger.

Today, here’s an exercise I learned from Lauraine Snelling. I teach it to all my students.

Power of Ten Brainstorming:

Get out a sheet of paper and number one to ten, leaving a blank line between each number. Then set the timer for two minutes and start writing. Write whatever thoughts come to your mind regarding courage. The idea is to fill in all ten lines. You can write a word, a line, or a paragraph, but you MUST fill in all ten lines. Do you think I’m repeating myself? I am.

You will probably get six or seven without much difficulty. Then your mind may go suddenly blank. If that happens, make yourself write whatever comes to mind, even if it’s something silly like, “I don’t know why I’m doing this silly exercise.” You may discover some real gems by the time you get to ten.

This exercise is a way of turning the editor off. I’ve been teaching writing for many years to all ages, including grade school, high school, college, and at writers conferences. Children through middle school are the very most creative; still pretty good at it through high school, then it starts going down hill after that—not for everyone, of course, but generally speaking.

Why is that?

I believe it’s because we’ve learned how to write properly. In other words, we’ve turned on the editor. And boy howdy! Once that editor is on, it’s sooooo hard to turn it off. I had to get off the computer for a year and write by longhand in order to loosen up and let the creative side have a chance.

To prove my point a bit further, I’ve never had to teach anyone to turn the creative side off.

“Fine,” you say, “so forget all the grammar stuff, already. I’ll just write!”

Ah, but there’s the rub. A lack of good grammar skills will limit your creativity. So, go ahead and learn the editor stuff, but keep exercising that creator side as well, and your toes will curl and you'll kiss the sky—see the awesome post on Mike Duran's site called, “Wringing Words.”

So, if you do the Power of Ten Brainstorm, and you fill in all the lines, give yourself a gold star. You are still in touch with the creative side. But if you didn’t fill in all the lines, don’t despair. Just be aware that you need to get back in touch with the creative juices. Repeating this exercise often will help stir up your creativity, especially at the beginning of your writing or art time.

If you artists are thinking there’s nothing here for you, think again. This exercise will get you in touch with the creative side no matter what venue.

After you come up with your ten words or phrases regarding courage, then take a few minutes to look them over and think about what you have. If you need more help, take one of the good words or phrases and do another Power of Ten Brainstorming with it. Then look that list over. When you finally have some ideas, give yourself two minutes to write your own definition of courage. That may be all you need, but go ahead! Take more time if you need, and edit and polish until you have something good.

I would love it if you would share your definition on the comment section of this web site. Or you can always e-mail me if you prefer.

Have fun!

A couple of awesome links for you writers!

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Here is a quote from Mike Duran's blog that is totally awesome!

So listen up. Can you hear it? That shrill peeling in the distance? It's not a bell. Or a siren. Or the whistle that signals the night crew from the dusty quarry. It's the sound of the writer at work. Wringing. Always wringing. Squeezing, stretching, slicing and extracting. Can you hear it? It's a wringing... the wringing of words.

For another great article by Mike Duran, click here.

Enjoy!

Thanks to those of you who leave comments!

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I love your e-mails, too, but it's really fun to comment here on the blog where we can all share. More cool stuff coming up soon!

Let's not mistake foolishness for courage.

2006-02-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

That’s another line from The Cat Man. To be more precise, it usually goes something like, “Let’s not mistake foolishness for a death wish.”

Speaking of which, let’s talk about that wolf photo. If you haven’t seen it, scroll down to January 12 and take a look. On the morning of the photo, Cat left me with the parting words, “Don’t do anything foolish.”

“Who me?”

He rolled his eyes.

I honestly didn’t plan to do anything foolish, it just happened. A friend invited me to help out at a facility (which I will not name) that works with injured wild animals to ready them for return to the wilderness.

My friends don’t call me an animal magnet for nothing. Every animal in the place took a liking to me. The grizzlies kept dancing for my cooing, the mountain lion kept staring into my eyes (was that love or looking for dinner?), and the wolf thought I was absolutely wonderful—and tasty—he kept licking my face. I couldn’t resist him…or her…I didn’t stop to check. I didn’t stop to think either. I simply went on impulse. Impulse and foolishness are kinda like synonyms. But I have a very good angel who understands my unique personality. He’s always a step ahead.

After viewing the photo, I realized that my impulsive act was probably the very thing Cat had meant when he said not to do anything foolish. Oops!

What if that wolf suddenly decided he didn’t like me so much after all? What if I still had jelly on my face? What if he was having a bad day? Would he have licked? Or would he have chomped?

Now, I’ve been honest with you about my “courageous” act of petting a wolf. Honesty is more an act of courage than my act of petting a wolf. Honesty is also something that is sadly missing in a lot of today’s writing and art.

As a nonfiction writer, I must be honest enough to show my failings along with my achievements. I can say I’m fearless, but that would be a lie, even though I do a lot of things that make me appear to be fearless. When I’m writing about others, I need to honestly portray their process of reaching their goals. I don’t need to uncover every dirty secret, but I do need to show some of the warts.

As a fiction writer, my characters need to be able to reveal their true identities. If they’re impulsive like me, then I need to show the results. If they’re courageous like The Cat Man, then I need to show his true inner feelings . . . that he believes his courage is an accident.

As an artist, I can either take the courage to paint the things that thrill me, or I can wimp out and paint what sells. Of course, it’s wonderful when the two go together. It takes a lot of courage for an artist to say when the painting or drawing is finished. I’m often tempted to let someone else be the judge of that. It’s wise to take good counsel, but it’s also wise to not overwork my art.

Courage is there for the taking, right when we need it. Tomorrow we’ll talk more about how to take it.

Don’t forget the fun writing exercise in yesterday’s posting. I’m still looking for some wild stories to be turned in!

Happy Valentines Day!

Courage is an accident.

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So says my husband, Cat, who is also well-known as The Cat Man in my outdoor articles.

Cat is a courageous man. He reacts faster than anyone I’ve ever known. When our house, which was tucked away in the wilderness with no running water or electricity, was burning to the ground, I grabbed our kids and headed for safe ground. Cat arrived an hour later while flames reached high into the sky and kerosene lanterns, rifles, and butane tanks pierced the air with explosions; he started grabbing things, rescuing several prized possessions. He swatted at the fire burning the seat of his motorcycle and moved it to safety, all the while knowing it could blow up at any moment.

That’s courage, and I don’t think it’s an accident.

What do you think?

Courage is certainly not an accident when it comes to having courage to write or create a work of art. It’s more a choice. We can either attack that blank page with a joyful thrill, or we can sit and stare at it until our eyes cross and we decide to go eat chocolates (or follow that herd of wapiti that’s been hanging around my forest yard).

On the other hand, perhaps it is an accident. What about the times we simply start writing words or begin painting, and we don’t quit until we have a finished product? We didn’t even think about mustering up the courage, we just went for it, kinda like an accident.

I love those times when the words just flow, or the painting totally consumes me. I usually love the end product as well . . . at least for a while. Then, when I look at it another time, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever written. Then another day, I’m back to loving it again. Goodness!

Tomorrow we’ll talk more about where and how to get courage. For today, let’s try the accident thing. Take ten minutes (don’t allow yourself more) and write a story using the four nouns and four verbs found below. You have to use them all in one story (no fair editing). This little exercise is to get your creative juices flowing. You can turn on the editor another time.

Nouns: shark, gondolier, mandolin; elephant.

Verbs: flipped; swaggered; galloped, exploded.

Now, write your story and be sure to share if you dare. I’d love to read it. The wilder the better. And don’t forget to give us your comments about courage being an accident.

Yes folks! That really is a wolf!

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It takes courage to be a writer, artist or musician

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It’s not exactly the same kind of courage it takes to venture alone into the wilderness for ten days at a time—there’s not really anything threatening my life such as wild cougars and bears; I don’t have to worry about falling over a cliff and no one ever finding me; I’m safely tucked away from storms—but in another sense there’s a whole lot more at stake.

Fear of rejection threatens my writing and artistic life. What if I do my very best and no one likes it? Or worse yet . . . what if no one cares enough to even look at it? What if I get lost in the slush pile? It’s easy to fall into a pit of depression and stay there. And it takes a lot of strength and resolution to claw my way back up once I hit bottom. Talk about storms. Horrendous black skies full of lightning come out of nowhere and tend to circle back and hit me again when I’ve barely come up for breath—the storms of looming deadlines, a blank page and blank mind, bills needing to be paid, and the hurry up and wait that drives me crazy. Discouragement strikes me down hard.

So where do we get courage?

That’s my theme for this coming week. I plan to weather the storms enough to give us all a bit of courage for each day, Monday through Friday. Be sure to check back for your own special dose.