Saturday, January 30, 2016

One, Weekly Writing Piece

by: Donna Germany

Becoming a writer is just about writing one, weekly piece. Of course that piece can be a poem, a short story, or a chapter in a book. Make a poster of the Nike slogan: Just Do IT! Put it where you can see it while you work. With the new computer programs, anyone can write. I have been re-reading and reading for the first time, books about writing. I did receive my interlibrary loan for Dean Koontz’s book How To Write Best-Selling Fiction. Even though it was published in 1981, he still has great ideas to challenge you to write. He even talks about getting his new word processor to make his writing easier. He has a chapter about the changing publishing field, not about the eBooks entering the market but the publishing houses becoming big conglomerates. But the market is always changing. I recommend you reading his book, if you can find it.

Some of the other older books on writing tell you to start a notebook with pockets inside to keep the idea for each chapter idea organized.

You learn to control your creativity. To keep this challenge from becoming a drudgery, try to work on your narrative hooks. You know those first lines that “hook” the reader into wanting to read on. Or, you can come up with titles. Choose one word. Mine is always: Writing (because that is what this blog is about.) Add word in front of or behind until you have a title.

You get into the habit of making a deadline when you challenge yourself to write one piece a week. This will be the hardest of all for many full-time employees. It is for me.

And finally, you can publish your work to a blog site, if you have created one. There are many places on the internet that have writing challenges. Fanstory.com, writing.com, fastpencil.com, legendfire.com that offer feedback. These type groups are helpful to any writing process. But like all internet creation, they may or may not stand the test of time. If you are interested in the internet writing groups, do a word search on “writing” in any search engine. ITunes has several productivity sights as well.

All of these ideas should help you become a writer, one piece at a time.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Authors of UPCI

The published works by Mississippi authors from the UPCI amaze me. There are so many titles that I haven’t read and so many I want to read. Sadly, there are some no longer available. I am glad I have them on by bookshelves already. But to be able to go to one place and browse through the books available is wonderful.

If your goal is to publish a book, then consider attending the Writer’s Conference coming in October. Hopefully, you will be able to talk with published writers. Bring your own unfinished stories. It is my opinion, before you can be a published author you have to send your story out into the world. So many times, as writers we want to keep our written words as our own property. Writers can be so shy sometime. Maybe, because of past rejections you don’t want to be exposed anymore. Have you seen the tag, “Writing can be somewhere between torture and fun.” Writers are their own worst critic. So start with a group of like-minded people. Let this forum be the feedback that will not be harsh rejection but critical opinions that can improve your writing.

If you just have a desire to write but haven’t put anything onto paper yet, start by finding a book by your favorite author, turning to page 51, go to the last paragraph on that page, and write that paragraph and the rest of the story with your own words. Don’t have a favorite author. Then find a book with your favorite color on the cover, or one you were supposed to read in school but didn’t. It’s a good writing practice. Allow yourself imperfections, which is part of the process.

I have said in past post that God is not the God of chaos. When I was taking a math class in college, we had a reading assignment about the chaos theory. (One of those books I have but didn’t finish.) But in the chapters I did read it was proven that even chaos has its order. And that only lead me to believe that God has His hand in even the chaos in our live. Maybe I will find that book and take my own advice and bring that paper with me to the writer conference in October. I hope to see lots of faces there.

The Art of Writing

Books should not intimidate. Books are essentially paper – sheets of paper printed and bound together. Books convey information. But let start simple. Book lovers love words. You can spot them by the books in their reference libraries. Look at their electronic devices you may find dictionary, thesaurus, and writing apps.

I love to read. Some bibliophiles have a few favorite books others have hundreds. As a reader, favorite books are reread. Readers become involved in book clubs. Book clubs teach how everyone reads differently. Some read just out of obligation. While others read critically for function, information and emotional attachment. Many readers find the theme, plot, and characters important. Then, there are those who read with a passion for the written word. They find the cadence of the word, the sentence, and even the paragraph like a song to be sung. These readers find the subdual way the author foreshadows events, leading the reader into the hidden meanings of the life’s of the characters. The author wants the reader to seek the heartbeat of their story. Sometimes there is one true passionate sentence that grips the reader with an epiphany.

Writers almost always love to read. Writers, whether they are published or non-published, read. Most read a variety of books. Not as a requirement, but for the love of the written word. As a writer, start simple. Become a diligent learner. Don’t hesitate with the words that you put to paper. Writing can be a dialogue with one’s self, others or God. Develop a love for writing. Doing something repetitively helps develop your decision making capabilities. Writing daily helps build confidence in your judgments. Writing daily sharpens the intuitive sense of what brings joy to our heart. Keep a journal handy for those moments of inspiration that come upon you suddenly. Sleep with a pen and journal beside your bed. Let your writing develop into a ministry that can only be quenched with a desire to put it to paper.

Let me encourage you to take up a pen and write. Use it to leave thoughts for your future generations or to publish publicly. The art of writing is becoming lost with all the new technology that is available. Make it a ministry that will edify God.

We, as writers, are in a unique place for God to be able to use. As writers, we encourage the church into believing and having faith in the promises God has given the church throughout the ages. We help others see their purpose and claim the promises God has already given to them.

I need to remind myself of these things as well. As writers, we sometimes forget God has a purpose for our lives. We get bogged down in the creativity of writing and forget to look up at the things that are trending in this world.

I was talking with someone the other day who mentioned “the stethoscope” incident that is in the news and social media forums. I had to ask what it was all about. Of course, when she explained it I still didn’t “get it.” I guess because I know some really good people who are healthcare providers. But, apparently the trending news has bogged down into the story of someone wanting to show how important healthcare people really are.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone would get bogged down in the story of how great Jesus is and how much of a hero he has been in their lives?

That’s an old story though. Jesus just doesn’t wake people up like he used to. But what if, as writers we started writing things that He has done for us lately.

Recently, my pastor saw that my son needed a vehicle. It would have been a second vehicle for him. But I believe God lead him to make his decision. Because without that second vehicle, when I totaled mine, my son would not have been able to help me to destinations needed to get to. But then, my son’s vehicle stopped working on him. Without that second vehicle, He would not have been able to get to his work and destinations. God saw the need before our pastor, and used him to meet that need.

Are we meeting the needs of those around us? When we see a fellow Christian in trouble are we trying to lend a helping hand? Are we letting God lead our every step? Can you see the blessing on the other side of your trouble? Can you see the hand of the Lord working through the problems you have?

As writers we need to start writing about the goodness of God and how He orders our steps in everything we do. God does have a way of working everything out.

I still believe God has a great sense of humor! Laugh with Him. He is good.

Practice Makes Perfect

Have you ever had your writer’s creativity energy flowing only to get to your keyboard or paper and find the ideas have gone? There are ways to overcome this type of writer’s block, procrastination, laziness, or fear of writing something that is not good enough. Whatever you want to call it, don’t give up. You just need to be disciplined enough to sit in front of that blank page or screen and work with what you have.

Try to mix and match stories as a way to work through the writer’s block. Take David and Goliath and let them met Peter on the road going to tell others about Christ. Or take two of your favorite authors and mix their stories together. How do you think that would turn out? Writing prompts such as this help to give ideas to get that writer’s creativity flowing. Two different stories coming together make for an interesting tell.

How about taking the story of Deborah and turning it into a sci-fi adventure with the battle raging in outer space! What an idea. Do you think that would help get the juices flowing?

Then there is always asking the question “what if.” Suppose that Joseph had been the one to get the message about the birth of Jesus first, instead of Mary. What if the Jewish nation had been faithful all these years, instead of being taken captive by the two different nations? What if Babylon had not been a great nation? What if the Assyrian had never come to power? Where would our world be today? These would make great stories if you could only work out the detail. What if the story of one of your favorite authors ending changed to what you would like to have read, the boy doesn’t get the girl in the end, the problem doesn’t work or the protagonist and antagonist change places.

Practice makes perfect. Let the juices flow with ideas such as this and writer’s block will soon be a thing of the past. Inspiration for a new story idea is just a daydream away. You will have so many stories ideas, writing will not be a problem. You will not be without a story in the works at all time. So put your blinder’s on and stay focus with what you have to say.

Imitation to Authenticity

We are often told we should be original. But copying is the best way to learn something. Unconsciously we have the tendency to imitate others. We mostly imitate others we like. We imitate the things we desire. A desire is triggered by another person desire. If we think something is attractive it is because someone else thought so first. If we see a person reading a book, we want to read that book.

Imitation makes us more empathetic toward people. We are always inspired by example. Remember what touches, moves, stimulates, and inspires you and use those insights in your own life. Input can be from anywhere. A favorite author’s writing style can become your own. Remember it is not where you take things from it is where you take them to.

Everything you do and think you borrowed at some point from people around you.

The crux is trying to turn our imitations into following our own inspiration. When we are inspired we put certain qualities we see in others into practice in our own lives. Select only things to imitate that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable.
copyright (C) 2016 Donna Germany

Did you know there was an “International Day for Failure,” a day meant to encourage people to “celebrate our shortcomings and failures, share our experiences and promote the understanding of failure as a learning experience.” The creators of the “Day for Failure” encourage people to quite literally “share” their stupidities, errors and awkward moments with others.

The Old Testament recognizes the importance of learning from the errors we make and actually records how the foundations of human history are built on failures. Old Testament writers could elaborate on their failures in life. Present day writers should do the same.

The failures of early humanity recorded in the Bible are epic. Following each failure, however, humankind moved forward. Our present day failures can become great stories, maybe not epics, to share with others. To err is human - but to strive to do better is to aim for the Divine.

With our failure comes doubt and fear of rejection. However, that does not mean we should turn your back on someone in need. If you see a fellow church member in need, reach out to them. A helping hand can come in the form of a friendly smile or a simple hello. Let them know you are praying for them and pray with them.

At the same time, express gratitude to God for our lives through prayers. We are so blessed. Everyday has a blessing that we need to express with thanksgiving to God. Offer prayers of thanksgiving for all things. We don’t always understand the actions of God.

Be aware of your spiritual health as well as your physical health. In this time of flu season, so many of us are looking at our physical health but we should be aware of our spiritual health as well. It is a season for being busy. Remember to included God in the things that you do.

Why bother denying your failure. Take responsibility for your actions. We become better Christians because of it. Sometimes we have to learn and relearn.

Resolutions

What New Year’s resolution did you make this year? Popular ones are to lose weight and exercise more. Years ago, I decide mine would be to learn one new thing during the year. That first year it was to eat sushi. Then, learn a new craft. But now, I have goal is to finishing a book. Not just any book, but one that I have knocked around in my head for years. I believe I can do this. There are writing challenges that have you finish a book in a month. But I think I will take a few months.

I read blogs about writing, blogging, and getting published. I read books about writing styles and techniques. Some author say writing has to be a calling on your life. Anything else is self-oriented and can never really satisfy. You have to write or feel out of the will of God.

There are blogs posting about insights to getting your book written in 2016. Here are some ideas from Jerry Jenkins’ new writing class “Finish Your Book in 2016” for getting started.

Set a goal/deadline of pages or word to write per day.
Schedule your daily writing plan.
Expect delays.
Manage your procrastination.
Relax and sleep well anyway, knowing your subconscious is working on your book.
Manage time wisely, adjusting your pages-per-day, but don’t let the days or number of pages get out of hand.
Keep your deadline, if at all possible.

Other blogs and magazines suggest reading about writing. William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style was a book my high school English teacher recommended. William Zinsser, On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction was mentioned in Writer’s Yearbook 2016 magazine as a book that sold more than a million copies. Jerry Jenkins’ blog also suggested Dean Koontz’s How to Write Bestselling Fiction. I didn’t have this book so I did a search on Amazon. It is only in hard back and is out a publication. Imagine my shock when the price was $170.00. WOW. I made out an interlibrary loan in hopes that I can get it just to read. I told the librarian that this book was gold, treat it with care. I will, too.

What do you really want from your writing? Do you know what truly matters to you? Is it fame or glory or just getting words on paper in hopes that it will inspire someone else? Do you know what you stand for? Are you fixed in your belief and have your eyes set on God? Are your priorities God oriented? Without having inspiration or a calling from God your writing may not stand for anything important.

I want to be a writer in the worst way. The passion of writing keeps me up at night. I want to tell my story and really reach to inspire readers. So, if that is what you want from your writing you'd better believe in what you write.

Works Cited

Jenkins, Jerry. "FINISH YOUR BOOK IN 2016Lesson 1: How to Overcome Fear and Procrastination (So You Can Finish What You Start)." Finish Your Book in 2016: Lesson 1-3. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.

Friedman, Jane. "2015 The Year in Review." Writer's Yearbook 2016 Winter.2016 (2016): 5-9. Web. 2016.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Originality, Overrated

Writers who admit to not being original with their ideas.

Edith Wharton, a secular writer, said of her book Ethan Frome, “I make no claim for originality in following a method of which “La Grande Bertêche” and “The Ring and the Book” had set me the magnificent example; my one merit is, perhaps, to have guessed that the proceeding there employed was also applicable to my small tale.” She admitted to having her ideas come from other writers and was a bestselling author of her time.

Many other writers admit the same. They read an article in the local newspaper, magazine or hear a radio broadcast, their story line explodes into their own ideas of “what if.”

Even Einstein was inspired by the likes of mathematician Minkowski, physician Lorentz, the Latin poet Lucretius and Gandhi. Again, someone whose inspiration came from others.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

C. S. Lewis

So if it is your dream to be a writer, professional or hobbyist, just look around. There are plenty of ideas for stories from everywhere. It makes your work no less brilliant, but something unique does not always come from nothing.

Now is the time to get inspired to write a story of the newspaper article you read this morning. That radio journalist your listening to can give you the inspiration you need to be the next great author of our time.

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