Kindred Heart Writers

Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home

2011-11-07T06:00:00.005-05:00

Just in time for Veteran's Day!

Here's the link if you can't see all the picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNOa0v6eGxc&feature=player_detailpage

Back Cover Copy

Saying goodbye to a loved one leaving for war is a gut-wrenching proposition. But for those left behind, their deployment marks the beginning of our battle. And yet, it is possible to find God’s peace in the midst of fear and conquer the terror that lurks in the darkness of doubt. In Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home, parents, spouses and siblings recount their personal journey as God goes before His people during times of spiritual, physical and military warfare. Learn the secret to living a peace-filled life when a loved one leaves for battle. Fight fear; win the war at home.

This book is a compilation of stories, of which two of mine were chosen!

It's for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Ya'll don't forget the thank a veteran this week. They sacrifice much for our freedoms.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free." Galatians 5:1

Thank you to all who serve and their families who stand beside them.

karen

No Shave November, National Novel Writing Month, & Thanksgiving!

2011-11-04T01:09:00.001-04:00

Ah, November! Thou art such a merry month!

For example, have you ever heard of No-Shave November? I hadn't until my son headed west of the Mississippi to attend Oklahoma Christian University. That's him on the left. As you can see, Nate already has a good start on his not-shaving quest.

And then there's the popular writing marathon known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month).

I'm a big fan of this crazy competition where you're a winner if you write 50,000 unedited words in thirty days. My winning years were in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009.

The only other year I participated, 2010, my two daughters were hospitalized and my dog died. Writing close to 1700 words a day proved impossible and I gave up.

This year, I've promised to be an encouraging cheerleader to family and friends who are participating in the creative frenzy. But I won't be joining them in the word-count race. Here's why:

A revised version of my 2009 NaNo project won the historical fiction category of this year's Genesis contest. For the past two months, I've been diligently rewriting the manuscript -- and it's been a massive rewriting project. I'm almost done and guess what -- I'm tired!

So while those near and dear to me create characters, plot plots, and count words, I plan to recharge by playing with my grandkids, walking along the lakefront, and cleaning house. : )

Finally, there's the big November celebration -- Thanksgiving! Turkey and the trimmings, eating in the dining room, parades and football.

Ah, yes, November is a merry month, indeed!

Johnnie

Writer’s Digest

2011-11-03T06:00:00.017-04:00

Image by avrdreamer via Flickr

Writer’s Digest is one of the best resources for writers.You may read it occasionally or subscribe to it monthly, but its website isalso full of wonderful information. Check out Writer’s Digest here.

Here are five reasons I like their website:

Freedownloads, such as its yearly 101 Best Websites for Writers guide. You do needto give your email for anything you sign up for here, but can easily go in andmanage what they send you.

DailyWriters Prompts

Resourcesand Articles. Recent articles were on topics such as rights, agents, andrevisions.

Greatwebinars and workshops. I have taken one of their webinars a few months ago. Itwas reasonably priced ($79) and had a personal follow up by the editor on asubmission. The advice was priceless and really helped. There are also a fewfree webinars.

TerrificBlogs. I especially like the Guide to Literary Agents and Questions andQuandaries.

Just a note in case you are curious, I am not getting anythingfor promoting this magazine/website – just wanted to share what I consider agreat resource. Enjoy!

Winners for the National Book Month Giveaway

2011-10-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

Congrats to the randomly chosen winners for this month!

Thank you to all who shared comments, we appreciate you.

Amy Sullivan won The Black Madonna by Davis Bunn.

Marti Pieper won Just Walking by Clella Camp.

Susan at Fruitful Words wins I'm Outnumbered by Laura Groves.

Brenda at A Beautiful Life wins Book Lover's Devotional a compilation of stories.

And Pam won Characters, Emotions & Viewpoint by Nancy Kress.

We hope you enjoy these books.

Please email me your address to karenrevansdotcom.

Happy reading,
karen

Our Favorite Children's Books

2011-10-29T01:38:00.007-04:00

On Monday, Karen introduced us to Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner.

On Tuesday, Laura shared memories of Nancy Drew and reading books to her four boys.

On Wednesday, Clella reminisced about a special gift she received, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

On Thursday, Jeanie had a hard time choosing a favorite, but finally found inspiration with The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.

On Friday, Johnnie returned again to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Take a few moments strolling down memory lane and share your favorite children's books -- even if you discovered them as an adult!

And don't forget to leave a comment for the book giveaway before the deadline, Sunday, October 30th, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

Favorite Children's Book: The Secret Garden

2011-10-28T01:20:00.007-04:00

Where you tend a rose, my lad,
A thistle cannot grow.

As a little girl, I dreamed of a mysterious secret garden, a hidden place of beauty known only to me and the mystical boy Dicken who talked to the animals.

I knew such a place existed. The Secret Garden, the 1949 movie starring Margaret O’Brien as Mary Lennox, is the first movie I remember watching on television – fifteen or so years after its theatrical debut.

Sometime later, I learned that my favorite movie was first a book (published in 1911). I've read it several times. On my bookshelf are two different editions, a 2002 calendar, and a lovely, illustrated daybook.

The Secret Garden is still one of my favorite children’s classics. I’ve gone with my daughters and with friends to several theatrical adaptations and wore out my cassette of the Broadway musical after seeing it performed in Orlando. (You can tell how long ago that was since I had a cassette and not a CD.)

Since most of this post is a repeat, I'm going to share one other book, one that sits on top of one of my bookshelves. I received The Doll and the Kitten by Dare Wright for Christmas 1964. As a little girl, I loved the illustrations.of a real doll who loved a real kitten. The binding on my copy is a little torn -- after all, it was a much-loved story -- but some editions on Amazon are selling for $100 and more.

I could name lots of others, but now it's your turn. What's your favorite children's book?

Johnnie

My Favorite Children’s Book – Jeanie Travels on the Little Engine that Could

2011-10-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

Children’s books make my heart leap.

They say you should write in the genre of the area of thebookstore that draws you in each time you visit.

You will always find me in the non-fiction Christian living,prayer, and devotional sections – those are my meat and potatoes.

But for dessert – Ihead right for the picture books.

Just the right story – told for the young child and for thechild buried deep within the adult heart – brings sweetness, delight, andlightness to my step.

I love the creativity of Dr Seuss – a great example of awriter who speaks to all ages. Many people give “Oh, the Places You will Go” to 17-18 year olds as a graduationgift. I even know a few who havewrapped that book up as a retirement gift!

Growing up I read, along with Laura, all the Nancy Drew mysteries. But I alsodevoured the Black Stallion series –dreaming of finding just the right horse on a desert island.

My favorite read aloud right now is “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” So clever, funny and creative.

Ok, Ok, I hear Johnnie shrieking that I am not following therules and listing too many books. Socan I do this? Can I name onlyone?

“I think I can—I thinkI can—I think I can—I think I can.”

Here is my favorite all time-children’s book:

The Little Enginethat Could.

This book’s message is universal and one that inspires andsticks with you. A book of hope, yet with the reality that life takes hard worktoo. I really believe in the powerof positive thoughts, the bottomless riches of optimism, and how little words -“I think I can—I think I can—I think Ican—I think I can” can make all the difference.

“I thought I could…I thought I could…Ithought I could…” – I did! I did! I did narrow my choice down to one book! I thought I could…

FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK: ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE,HORRIBLE,NO GOOD,VERY BAD DAY

2011-10-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

Judith Viorst's writing always appeals to me. Alexander and his terrible day was a part of life for my children and my grandchildren. I hope to read it to my great-granddaughter soon. Alexander experiences many setbacks during his day(none seem to be his fault.) After each misadventure his comment is"I think I'll go to Australia." One of my fondest memories of this book is an adult memory. During a particular bad period in my teaching career, my fellow English teacher gave me this book with a note on the flyleaf "Remember,there is always Australia." It became an answer to many situations and always a reminder that everybody has bad days "even in Australia." (thelast line of the book.)

If you have not yet experienced Alexander, I recommend for children and adults.

Off to Australia
Clella

My Favorite Children's Book: Laura meets Nancy Drew

2011-10-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

My favorite children’s book…

Oh, my.

Last week I posted about ONE book on my nightstand, so I think this week I’ll indulge and have several favorites.

As a child, I was a voracious reader. (Some things never change.) My mom says I went through little Golden books like candy. I remember my biography phase (where I read only biographies, and lots of them). Then came Nancy Drew. She quickly became my obsession. I read all the books in the series that I could get my hands on.

But when I think of children’s books, I have to think, too, of my boys, for I did a lot of reading with them. And I can remember some distinct favorites in the bunch.

The Richard Scarry books enthralled them at an early age. I loved the creativity in those books.

I have a distinct memory of finishing Where the Red Fern Grows with my oldest, tears running down his cheeks as he said, “It’s sad, Mom, but it’s so good.”

My second oldest son loved Sigmund Brouwer. He came to speak at our school and I have pictures of the boys with him. He has a great Sports Mystery series and another awesome series about hockey. (He’s also a great guy – he helped me by endorsing I’m Outnumbered.)

My third son loved Johnny Tremain, which was recommended by his oldest brother. And I remember reading Holes by Louis Sachar with my youngest. We both loved it!

I read Love You Forever with all of the boys, and I could barely get through it without shedding tears! Such a sweet, sweet story.

I have great memories that revolve around books I loved as a child and as a mom.

What about you? Do you have a childhood memory connected to a favorite book?

Remember to leave a comment to be entered for our book giveaway!

Laura

Favorite Childrens Book: Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

2011-10-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

My favorite children's book(s) "at the present" is any by Judy Schachner with Skippyjon Jones. If you haven't met Skippyjon Jones, you've missed a treat.

This Siamese kitty imagines he is a great sword fighter named El Skippito. El Skippito with his mask and cape creates wonderful rhyming, sometimes singing and clapping adventures.

This book is best read with any kind of Spanish accent.

Example:
"Then all the doggies burst into song:

'Yip, Yippee, Yippito! (clap-clap)

Our hero is El Skippito! (clap-clap)

He's the dog of our dreams

Who delivered the beans,

And now we can make our burritos!'(clap-clap)"

Oh, did I mention, in his daydreams he's no longer a cat? You must check out Judy's delightful books and website to experience this darling imagination.

Happy reading out loud!

karen

Nightstand Recap and Book Giveaway

2011-10-22T00:17:00.007-04:00

Nightstand Recap

What's on our nightstands? Please click on the names to read the original posts and see photos of the books.

Karen: Digitalis by Ronie Kendig (plus others)

Laura: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Clella: The Message (plus others)

Jeanie: Just My Type by Simon Garfield

Johnnie: The Daily Book of Art (plus others)

Book Giveaway

We're celebrating National Book Month by giving away five books!

Leave a comment on any October post and you'll be entered in the book giveaway. Each comment counts as a separate entry.

Five books will be given away, including The Black Madonna, a novel by T. Davis Bunn, and Book Lover's Devotional, a compilation that includes devotions written by Laura and Jeanie.

Or perhaps you'll win Just Walking, a daily devotional by Clella Camp.

We're also giving away I'm Outnumbered: One Mom's Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys by Laura Lee Groves.

And Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress.

The deadline for leaving comments is Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. (Florida time). The winners will be announced on Monday, October 31, 2011. (Books will be mailed to U.S. addresses only.)

What's On My Nightstand? The Daily Book of Art

2011-10-21T01:16:00.006-04:00

The Daily Book of Art: 365 Readings that Teach, Inspire, & Entertain has been on my nightstand practically all year (though not literally -- it has also been on the living room coffee table, the family room trunk, and my desk).

The protagonist in my current work-in-progress is an artist, but I'm not. So when I found this book, I immediately grabbed it. Through its pages, I'm gaining a smattering of art education that I can "breathe" into my artistic protagonist.

The book follows a ten-day cycle:

Art 101 with Elizabeth T. Gilbert
Philosophy of Art with Colin Gilbert
Art Through the Ages with Amy Runyen
Profiles in Art with Rebecca J. Razo
A Picture's Worth ~~1000~~ 200 Words with Dylan Gilbert
Art from the Inside Out with Sharon Robinson
Art Around the World also with Sharon Robinson
Unexpected Art Forms with David J. Schmidt
Artistic Oddities with Gabriel Guzman
Step-by-Step Exercises

I wrote about this book once before, when I highlighted the reading titled "Creating the Perfect Studio: Maximizing Your Workspace," by Elizabeth T. Gilbert (Day 151).

I tend to read several pages at a time instead of one-a-day. But however I read it, I find it does exactly what the subtitle promises: it teaches, inspires, and entertains.

Also On My Nightstand
Postcards from World War II: Sights and Sentiments from the Second World War compiled by Robyn Clairday and Matt Clairday

The Girl from Rotterdam: Memories of the War in Holland by Elisabeth de Graaff

Belgium Rendez-Vous 127 Revisited by Yvonne Daley-Brusselmans

Go Fish Card Game (to give my grandboys)

Sudoku Puzzle Book

Two spiral journals

Now you know what's on our nightstands. Tell us what you have on yours.

Johnnie

What's On My Nightstand? Just My Type

2011-10-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Many of you have probably seen during these past few weeks,the well-known graduation speech given by the late Steve Jobs at Stanford in2005. In his presentation he tells about dropping out of college, then droppinginto a few classes just for the love of learning.

Jobs says, “ReedCollege at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in thecountry. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, wasbeautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have totake the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how todo this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying theamount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes greattypography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a waythat science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had evena hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when wewere designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And wedesigned it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautifultypography.”

Steve Jobs loved fonts.

The Kindred Hearts like to argueabout fonts. Laura writes, “I LOVE Arial. The name is poetic, it'sclassic-looking but easy to read. It's a tiny bit rounded, so it looks friendlyto me. Times New Roman is so plain and boring and uninviting next to Arial.”

Johnnie counters, ”She(Laura) INSISTS (wrongly) that I'm in love with"boring" Times New Roman. That's not true, but I do KNOW thatTNR is the preferred font by publishing professionals. They're used to it,it's a serif font, and easy on the eyes.This email, like all my emails, isGaramond, another serif font. I like it more than TNR, but would never use itfor a manuscript. As you can see, I have STRONG feelings on this subject!”

I knew these two would get the sparks flying, so didn’t askClella and Karen who I am sure will leave a comment either about fonts orasking why I fanned the flames between Laura and Johnnie again. LOL

I have a rather strange book on my nightstand right now.Maybe not so odd for a writer, though.

I just finished reading JustMy Type by Simon Garfield. No, not a book about personality types but abook about fonts.

Yes, fonts.

This entertaining book explores the history and the rise andfall of favorites among fonts. There are now more than 100,000 fonts in theworld.

I learned that one of Johnnies’ favorites - Garamond – was named after a 16^thcentury type designer Claude Garamond, whose highly legible roman type wasunusual in a time of fancy styles. This type was later adopted by William Cason in England and would be theletters for the American Declaration of Independence.

But Laura’s favorite – Arial– is considered a cheat among type designers – stealing many of its featuresfrom Helvetica. Microsoft designed Arial in the early 1980s as an alternative to Helvetica, which was owned by a differentsystem. Sorry Laura.

Did you know after that calligraphy class when Jobs created thefirst computer, he added a something unprecedented - a wide choice of fonts! He included the familiar ones –Times New Roman and Helvetica, but also introduced new ones. He named themafter cities he knew and loved: Chicago, Toronto, Venice, London, New York,and Los Angeles.

Type designers are now creating the best fonts to be read onscreen. The current winner is Calibri, which became Microsoft’s font of choice in 2007replacing Times New Roman as the default in Word, Outlook, and Power Point andreplaced Arial in Excel.

Just My Type is afun book to borrow from your library to read. Once you have finished it, youwill see different fonts all over and may even discover a new favorite!

WHAT'S ON MY NIGHTSTAND? THE MESSAGE

2011-10-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

First , I need to clarify the situation. I have no books by my nightstand. I have never read in bed or lying down. Since the advent of recliners I do most of my reading in that position. I use the adverb since because I can remember when no such chair was available, and in that period of my life I probably did read lying down. In fact, I can remember reading under the covers of my bed with a flashlight because my father insisted that we all go to bed at a certain time and all lights were to be turned off. But I am digressing. My point is that these are on the table in a neat stack by my chair. I find that almost all of my writing and reading is done in that chair. As another aside, I just purchased a lovely,new recliner with soft, suede feeling of microfiber. So, in checking that table last night, here is what I found.

For my daily reading I have found I enjoy THE MESSAGE. I use New Revised Standard translation for my study and for my teaching, but for my personal daily reading I enjoy this and it is sometimes on the bottom of the stack but I usually try to get to it and some time during the day.

Because my Bible Study group is just now finishing this Lucado book, I have this on the top of the stack. Any book by Max Lucado can find its way to my "nightstand." We have found FACING YOUR GIANTS relevant to our women's Bible study. When I chose it as our book for the summer, I was not sure it would fit our needs, but as we have progressed through it we have discovered that David's story is our story as well.

I found these two magazines at the bottom of the stack and when I have time, I do browse both of them

And of course my Kindle is always there some place. So, this is my today's stack.

It changes daily, but today this is my reading material.

What magazines do you read?

Clella

What's On My Nightstand: One Thousand Gifts

2011-10-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

I thought I had to choose just one of the many books on my nightstand, so I chose the one that is impacting me the most -- Ann Voskamp's new classic, One Thousand Gifts.

Don’t Ann's words sound familiar? “I gasp for more time, frantic for more time. But I have to wonder: more time for more what?”

I've only finished chapters 2 and 3 of Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts, and you can see how it speaks to my heart. It’s like a bud that gradually unfolds, the way Ann shares her journey and I see its necessity.

She stumbles on the Greek word eucharisteo, meaning thanksgiving and she writes, “…how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives.”

Whatever He gives—the big and the small. I refuse to rush through this book, so it will likely be on my nightstand for weeks to come. I want to relish it, savor it, so I read it when I'm ready to take time, to ponder. The shame is that I don't make more pondering time.

For when I do, I'm treated to words and thoughts like these: “Why would the world need more anger, more outrage?…Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering doesn’t rescue the suffering. The converse does. The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring the fullest Light to all the world.”

See what I mean? Her words make me think. And I love it.

Laura

What's on My Nightstand: Digitalis, Why God Won't Go Away, Daily Splashes of Joy, My Utmost for His Highest

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is easy, in that I don't have to choose just one. On my "nightstand" are:

The second in Kendig's Discarded Heroes series. It's very good. I loved the first one, "Nightshade." Great for you who like action/thrillers.

This one I have just started. (sent to me by a friend.)

"A robust defense for the God of the Bible.... This is a book for serious thinkers who wish to make God real in a world that has forgotten its Creator and Maker." Joni Eareckson Tada

I don't know how "serious" a thinker I am, but I'll give it a whirl.

This is a book I read almost every year. "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers never gets old. The wisdom by this man of God encourages and teaches me.

And lastly this beauty. I love Barbara Johnson and her humor amidst the trials of her life. Each day's devotion-they are real quick-bring a wonderful smile and joy to my mind and heart.

To quote one of her quips from this past week, "Something to laugh about: I have found at my age that going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of my face."

Now isn't she a gem?

Well, that's all the books on my nightstand. I won't tell you all the ones beside me in baskets and on my coffee table waiting to be read.

Hey, what's on your nightstand?

karen

Our Favorite Writing Books

2011-10-15T08:09:00.014-04:00

Celebrating National Book Months:
Favorite Books We Read This Summer

Karen selected Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King.

Laura's favorite is Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss.

How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen is Clella's choice since she used it to write (and sell) her first book proposal.

Jeanie flipped over Flip Dictionary: For When You Know What You Want to Say but Can't Think of the Word by Barbara Ann Kipfer.

The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing, Strategies, Tactics and Exercises by James Scott Bell is Johnnie's choice.

Book Giveaway! Leave a comment and you'll be entered in the October 30th drawing. More details at this post.

Johnnie: The Art of War for Writers

2011-10-14T00:44:00.003-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month

Favorite Writing Book

The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell is my choice for favorite writing book because it's the one I'm currently reading -- for the second time.

This tremendous little book has 77 incredibly short chapters packed with worthwhile writing advice under the main headings of "Reconnaissance," "Tactics," and "Strategy."

Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, wrote the The Art of War about 2400 years ago. His principles, as Bell writes in his introduction, "enabled generals to finally achieve clarity in planning for battle."

What Sun Tzu did for battling generals, Bell does for writers who are facing obstacles to publication.

A chapter I read just the other day is titled: "The writer who understands redemption is on the border of enduring fiction."

I love this insight from that chapter: "Redemption is bound up in choice. The right choice brings about redemption because the wrong choice will leave the character in a worse moral condition" (p. 105). He lists such examples as Robert the Bruce in the movie Braveheart; Rick, an anti-hero, in the movie Casablanca; and Michael in The Godfather.

Though I don't think of my writing life as a war with publishers, I value Bell's advice and insights in this book that's worth reading a second time. (And a third and a fourth and . . . )

I have two honorable mentions: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King and Writing for the Soul: Instruction and Advice from an Extraordinary Writing Life by Jerry B. Jenkins.

Drop by tomorrow for a recap of our favorite writing books and remember to leave a comment so that you'll be entered in our drawing for free books.

Enjoy your weekend,

Johnnie

Favorite Writing Book - Jeanie

2011-10-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

Favorite Writing Book

Have you heard of the FlipDictionary? That is my favorite writing book. I have read many great bookson writing but my Flip Dictionary is the one I pull off the shelves more oftenthan any of the others.

The pages are getting turned up and the insides are marked withhighlighters. The spine splits on the “M” pages, describing money and its related terms on the left and moralcode on the right. (mmmm, strange combo isn’t that?)

A Flip Dictionary is like a thesaurus but more. It helps you find just the right word, butalso leads the writer to adjectives, similar terms, and tables listingdescriptions of words such as types of dances, minerals, and music.

I use the Flip Dictionary when I know what I want to say butcan’t remember what it is called. I know I want to use the word to describe crescent-shaped bread. I look up bread, crescent-shaped and TA-DA – there isthe word I am seeking: croissant.

Look up horse and you will find more than two pages ofhorse-related terms.

A Flip Dictionary is a powerful tool for writers and one ofmy favorites! One of the best investments I have ever made as a writer. This isa perfect blend of a thesaurus and a dictionary and a reference guide.

MY FAVORITE WRITING BOOK -Clella

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

This is the book that guided me every step of the way as I wrote my first proposal.Michael Larsen's HOW TO WRITE A BOOK PROPOSAL was my source for "how-to" do it all.

I knew absolutely nothing (I mean nothing) about book proposals. Even though I had taught secondary Composition and Literature for twenty-five years, the term book proposal was unfamiliar to me. So when I attended my first Florida Christian Writers' Conference and Dan Penwell told me to "go home and write a book proposal," I had no idea what he was telling me to do. I bought Larsen's book and began the process - one step at a time according to the instructions. I do need to add that it was not the edition that is pictured; it was probably his first edition as that has been several years ago-almost ten years as a matter of fact.

We were to write about our favorite writing book, and even though other books are more interesting to me this is my favorite book because just like an old friend "when I needed instruction this book came through for me." As Laura wrote in her previous post Strunk and White THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is one of the best for actual instruction.

What writing book has been an old friend to you?

Clella

Laura: Eats, Shoots & Leaves

2011-10-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month

Favorite Writing Book

My favorite writing book? Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss.

It’s both witty and wise; it makes sense. Punctuation brings order to the chaos of our words and thoughts, and Eats, Shoots & Leaves helps the reader understand that clearly—with a smirk.

The title alone makes me smile. The back cover explains as it tells the story of a panda who orders a sandwich at a café, eats it, and then fires two shots into the air. When asked why, the panda tosses a badly punctuated wildlife manual at the waiter and says, “I’m a panda. Look it up.” The waiter reads the entry and immediately understands. It says: Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

See? Punctuation really DOES matter!

Eats, Shoots & Leaves is an enlightening, fun read. (I love Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, but this one is a bit more fun. Eats and Elements are next to each other on my bookshelf. I noticed above that we're honoring great American books... Although Truss is a Brit, there is a British version and an American one.)

Have you read Lynne Truss’s little tome? Check out a copy—you’ll want to own it!

Remember: Leave a comment on any October post and you'll be entered in the book giveaway. Each comment counts as a separate entry. Giveaway details are here.

Laura

Karen: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

2011-10-10T06:00:00.005-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month

Favorite Writing Book

This was hard to narrow down to one. But I like the book by Renni Browne and Dave King, which can be used for non-fiction editing also.

The writing is clear and easy for anyone to understand. At the end of each chapter they include checklists and exercises to apply to your WIP.

These chapters helped me the most:

*Show and Tell
*Point of View
*Interior Monologue
*Once is Usually Enough
*Voice
*Dialogue Mechanics

This is one book that makes you work as you read it. Hey, and I need all the "push" I can get.

Hope you check it out.

karen

Book Giveaway

2011-10-08T20:33:00.005-04:00

We're celebrating National Book Month by giving away books!

Leave a comment on any October post and you'll be entered in the book giveaway. Each comment counts as a separate entry.

Five books will be given away, including The Black Madonna, a novel by T. Davis Bunn, and Book Lover's Devotional, a compilation that includes devotions written by Laura and Jeanie.

Or perhaps you'll win Just Walking, a daily devotional by Clella Camp.

Or I'm Outnumbered: One Mom's Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys by Laura Lee Groves.

And then there's Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress.

The deadline for leaving comments is Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. (Florida time). The winners will be announced on Monday, October 31, 2011. (Books will be mailed to U.S. addresses only.)

Our Favorite Summer Books

2011-10-08T09:21:00.011-04:00

Celebrating National Book Months:
Favorite Books We Read This Summer

Karen's favorite: Nightshade by Ronie Kendig.

Laura's favorite: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Clella's favorite: The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson.

Jeanie's favorite: The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

Johnnie's favorite: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Johnnie: The Forgotten Garden

2011-10-07T01:53:00.002-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month:
Favorite Book I Read This Summer

All this month, we'll be celebrating our favorite books

and giving away books.

I wrote about my favorite summer books a few weeks ago when I listed several books in seven different categories. One of those was Laura's favorite, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which she wrote about this past Tuesday.

But I have as much trouble as the other Kindred Hearts choosing just one. Since I must, I choose The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. As I wrote in the previous post, her novel's "complex themes and motifs are inspired by one of my favorite childhood classics, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett."

The three primary protagonists are an older woman who was left alone on an Australian dock when she was very young, the Authoress who left her there, and the woman's granddaughter. The woman, and later her granddaughter, seek to solve the mystery of the Authoress's identity. A book of fairy tales, a few of which are beautifully told in the novel, contain clues to an intricate secret.

Please let us know your favorite summer book. And don't forget that each time you leave a comment, you'll be entered in our end-of-the-month book giveaway.

Enjoy your weekend!

Johnnie

.

Jeanie: Harry Potter

2011-10-06T06:00:00.005-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month:
Favorite Book I Read This Summer

Best Book(s) I read this summer

When we decided to run this series of our favorites in honorof National Book Month, I warned the rest of the Kindred Hearts that I may beprone to cheat and not stick to one book each time. Ha, I couldn’t follow therules, even on the first week. So here I go:

What were the bestbooks I read this summer? Me – an adult who loves non-fiction, who rarelytouches, let alone reads fiction, - me, the grown-up, mature, and never knownto leap down wild imaginative rabbit trails – discovered Harry Potter.

I read the entire series this summer and these seven books, written for children, andof course fiction – won my heart.

Why did I like theseries so well?

I love how Rowling created a world full of imaginative,quirky characters surrounded by sometimes goofy but always ingenious settings. Wherehats talk, pictures move, and snakes hold conversations. Readers fall in lovewith her characters, many who are far from perfect. Even Harry gets angry,fearful, and frustrated. She writes, “Iwrote about characters I was deeply interested in.”

As a writer I also appreciate her writing style. Everychapter and many of the paragraphs end with enough of a hook to make me stay uppast my bedtime even when I knew the story from the movies.

Rowling is daring enough as a writer to compose complicatedplots and themes. The universal theme of good vs. evil with a touch of theright thing to do isn't always clear. Good people do bad things, and not alwaysfor good reasons, and sometimes with serious consequences. Bad people turn outto have surprisingly decent and sympathetic sides to them. And perhaps moreimportantly, there's a continuum of good and bad. There are people who arejerks but aren't actually evil. But always wonderful examples of compassion,loyalty, courage, friendship, and even self-sacrifice.

I loved how bits of wisdom were scattered throughout thebooks by the characters. Perhaps the wisest one of all was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Here are some of myfavorites from him:

"To the well organized mind, death isbut the next great adventure.”

“It takes a great dealof bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to ourfriends.”

“Youth cannot know howage thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to beyoung.”

“The truth is a beautifuland terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution.”

“It is ourchoices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

“The best of us mustsometimes eat our words.”

“Indifference andneglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.”

What fun this summer to escape for awhile for adventure inthe Hogswart School and meet somany new friends!

THE DREAM GIVER by BRUCE WILKINSON

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month:

Favorite Book I Read This Summer

All this month, we will be sharing our favorite books.

CLELLA

Ok, so I am cheating a bit. I will just confess and then get on with it. I, too, am like Laura with too many choices; however, I just recently re-read Wilkinson's THE DREAM GIVER and again I found it so intriguing. So, when Karen chose my most favorite summer book, I chose to share THE DREAM GIVER. Perhaps I read it the second time because I needed to be reminded that our dreams are from God and nothing is too big if it is in His plan.

THE DREAM GIVER

by Bruce Wilkinson (with David & Heather Kopp)

Are you a dreamer? Are you different than those around you? Do you want to step out and live your dream, but are afraid? This book is for you.

In the first section, (which is my very favorite part) Wilkinson writes a "modern day" parable with such wonderful characters. Ordinary is a Nobody who leaves the Land of Familiar to chase his Big Dream. And it is here that many of us can relate with the characters that Ordinary meets and the environments he finds himself visiting. The Border Bullies are his first obstacle and then he must find his way through the Wasteland and face the Giants in the Land. But the Dream Giver is always there encouraging him.

In the second section, Wilkinson becomes the Dream coach as he coaches his readers through their own special dream. Wilkinson writes "Your Big Dream is what God has laid hold of you to do. And fortunately, it's never too late to act on you Dream! Ask Moses."
Whether you think you have a Big Dream or not, I would encourage to read THE DREAM GIVER. Perhaps you will find you do have dream.

Clella

Laura: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2011-10-04T06:00:00.002-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month:
Favorite Book I Read This Summer

All this month, we will be sharing our favorite books.

Favorite book I read this summer?

Oh…this is SO hard. To me, it’s akin to choosing a favorite child. I just don’t know if I can do it.

So, here’s ONE of my favorite books from this summer.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

The title intrigued me, to begin with. A story of small-town (or, in this case, small island) life is something I love to get lost in. (Shades of Jan Karon, in a way.) I love historical fiction, and you can always entice me with the British connection.

But when I began reading, I thought, “How long is it going to go on like this? You can’t write an entire book in letter form!”

Captured by the sweet story and quirky, interesting characters, I kept reading. I soon forgot everything about the form of the story and simply got lost in it.

Guernsey is chock-full of fascinating characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and sweet, poignant moments. What a combination.

I just loved it! Would have loved to have written it…

Why not take a little trip down memory land and get lost in Guernsey land? You won’t regret it.

Laura

Karen: Nightshade

2011-10-03T06:00:00.005-04:00

Celebrating National Book Month:
Favorite Book I Read This Summer

All this month, we will be sharing our Favorite books.

Sooo to start it off, the best book I read this summer was Nightshade by Ronie Kendig. This action-packed thriller kept not only my attention, but my heart in suspense.

Ronie wrote three books in this series of Discarded Heroes and this is the first one. Max Jacobs, a former Navy Seal, cannot adjust to civilian life, love, or career. Even his life hangs in the balance if he cannot adapt. Action packed and heart-throbbing.

Check out the opening lines in the first Chapter.
"Cracking open the throttle ignited a wild explosion of power and speed. ... His bike screamed as it ate up the road. The thrill burst through him. He needed the rush. Craved it. Stop running, Max. Her words stabbed his conscience. Made him mad."

Ronie, who grew up as an Army child and married an Army veteran, knows exactly what's going on with veterans. She also has a BS in Psychology and understands their emotions.

Nightshade touched me because my son was in the Iraq war on 2003. This book was hard for me at times when she would touch on things that described my son. But the reasoning behind it all made sense.

This is one book I will remember. I also have the second in the series, soon to be read!

If you like action, this book's for you.

karen

October: National Book Month

2011-09-30T00:28:00.002-04:00

Join us as we celebrate National Book Month by talking about books and giving away books.

Book Talk

Each week, for the next four weeks, we'll share with you some of our favorites under these themes:

Week One: The best book I read this summer
Week Two: My favorite writing book.
Week Three: My favorite children's book
Week Four: The books on my nightstand

Book Giveaway

Leave a comment on any October post and you'll be entered in the book giveaway. Each comment counts as a separate entry.

Five books will be given away, including The Black Madonna, a novel by T. Davis Bunn, and Book Lover's Devotional, a compilation that includes devotions written by Laura and Jeanie. The other three books will be announced in a later post.

The deadline for leaving comments is Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. (Florida time). The winners will be announced on Monday, October 31, 2011. (Books will be mailed to U.S. addresses only.)

Book Pile

What book is at the top of your reading pile?

Enjoy your weekend!

Johnnie

Writing Rituals

2011-09-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I am a procrastinator.

It takes me forever to get going on my writing. I dawdlewith the Internet, get that second cup of coffee, and decide to dust my desk. IDO want to write but that first ~~sentence~~letter is my biggest huddle.

I like routines and rituals. Perhaps I need to formulatesome formal procedure to trigger my muse and jumpstart my writing.

Of course instead of finding my own ritual, I postponedwriting once again by discovering other writers’ customs.

C. S. Lewis had avery clear schedule of his day, with activities such as work, walking, meals,tea, and socializing down to the very hour they should be done. He evendescribes when beer should be enjoyed.

American writer JohnCheever wore his only suit of clothing each morning as he rode the elevatordown to a basement room where he worked. Upon arriving there, he would undressto his underwear, hang up his suit, and get to work. He would dress to go backupstairs for lunch and again at the end of his day when he would ride theelevator back home.

Hemingway startedwriting with the sunrise and quit writing as soon as he had nothing left to saythat day.

H. G. Wellsalways carried two fountain pens. “The big one is for the long words, thelittle one for the short ones.”

William Wordsworthwould recite his poetry to his dog as he walked. If his dog barked or was upsetby the sound of the words, Wordsworth would rewrite the poem.

Stephen Kingstarts the morning with a cup of tea or water and his vitamin. Then he sitsdown to work between 8:00 and 8:30 in the same seat with his papers arranged onhis desk in the same way. He claims that starting off with such consistencyprovides a signal to his mind in preparation for his work.

Whether or not he had heard the adage about keeping thedoctor away, Alexander Dumas, thewriter of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, Dumas startedeach day eating an apple under the Arc de Triomphe.

Why have a writing ritual? I even found this good article to explain this phenomenon.

But enough is enough. I must begin writing my post for theKindred Heart Wrtiers Blog. Butwait a minute, I just did…

I am curious. What is your writing ritual?

REVISIT AND REVISE

2011-09-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

This week I have been browsing through articles and posts I have saved in “my documents.” Actually I am trying to organize and review what I have already written. It is a slow process. I find I want to edit or rewrite words and phrase that I wrote several years ago. Sometimes six or seven years have passed. And I have found some things that I really can’t believe I wrote. Actually they are rather good. (Read that with a smile-I wrote it with one.)

My column for the local paper this week is a revision from a devotion I had written earlier about minding our own business, working with our hands and aspiring to live a quiet life taken from 1 Thessalonians.

And early in the week, I read an article that I had written in September of 2008 about taking our dreams out of the box. I decided that with some revision it might be worth posting again. Enjoy the revised version.
REVISED VERSION
“There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, “Yes, I’ve got dreams, of course, I’ve got dreams.” Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they’re still there. These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up, and say, “How good or how bad am I?” That’s where courage comes in.” Erma Bombeck

Every time we sit down to write we put our dreams on the line. I remember the day my daughter called and said, “Mom, there is a writers’ conference down over the bridge in Bradenton and I think you should go.” I took my dreams to Bradenton.

Dan Penwell said to me, “Go home and write a book proposal.”“I have no idea what a book proposal is.” I stammered.“I’ll teach you.”I went home and spent three months writing a book proposal.I sent my dreams to Dan, the acquisitions editor for AMG publishers. (side note-a wonderful man who has since gone home to be with the Lord.)He phoned me with a contract and at sixty-seven years old my dream came out of the box.

I have taken my dreams out of the box several times since then for short articles and blog posts and speeches to the public. Just this past year, I decided that it was time to do more than dream about having an agent. I took my proposal out of the box, and after much prayer, I sent it to an agent I respected.

I prayed; I revised and revised and revised…I chose my examples and believed I had something worthwhile to share. My dream was for an agent to believe in my dream. I was ready to ask again as Erma Bombeck said “how good or how bad am I? That’s where courage comes in.”

What are you dreams? Why not take them out of the box.? Why not share them with us? Sharing your dreams also takes courage. “It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line.”

I now have Les Stobbe of Stobbe Literary Agency as an agent.

Keep on Dreaming
Clella

Seasons of Writing

2011-09-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

It’s fall, the season that so clearly exemplifies change. If you watch carefully, you can see the limbs outside your window go from a green, willowy giant to a blazing, shimmering tree…and then the leaves drop and lay in piles, leaving only an outline of the tree’s previous glory.

Sounds a little depressing, doesn’t it—that last step? Piles of leaves, only a hint of its previous glory.

But in reality, it’s not depressing. Because what do those fallen leaves do? They serve as fodder. They enrich, nourish, and enhance. (I just read that leaves are a valuable natural resource, providing organic matter and nutrients for your landscape.)

What we see as an end of a cycle, nature uses to begin again.

Ever feel like you’re at the end of a cycle in your writing? Or in a dormant season?

Ask Him to use the past—or the present—as mulch.

He will, you know.

If you let go of those piles, He’ll use them to enrich and nourish and enhance your life and others’ lives, too.

Step back. Open your hands. And let Him work.

Laura

Just Rejoicing

2011-09-26T06:00:00.004-04:00

When one rejoices, we all rejoice. (Ha, just in case you missed it, see the post below about Johnnie's award!)

"Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.

Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do-they can't keep it quiet!

Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us-you've been so good to us!

We're walking on air!

All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!"

Psalms 89:15-18

Praising the Lord for His goodness to all of us and our endeavors.

karen
photo:karenrevan

2011-09-24T23:26:00.000-04:00

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN FICTION WRITERS

2011 GENESIS CONTEST

HISTORICAL FICTION

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!

JOHNNIE DONLEY

WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER.

CONGRATULATIONS

American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis

2011-09-23T01:55:00.002-04:00

The American Christian Fiction Writers Conference, the "Voice of Christian Fiction," convened yesterday and runs through Sunday.More than 600 novelists, both aspiring and published, will benefit from agent and publisher appointments, manuscript evaluations, numerous workshops, and continuing education sessions. This year's keynote speaker is award-winning, best-selling author Tracie Peterson.

I couldn't make it to this year's ACFW conference, but I am interested in what goes on. At Sunday night's banquet, the Genesis Award winners will be announced. My manuscript, Where Treasure Hides, is a finalist in the Historical Fiction category.

Last night I received an email from writer and speaker Curt Iles, one of the other finalists in that category. He wrote, "I do not view ourselves as competitors but fellow writers on the journey."

I love that.

Of course, we all want to win. But it's a blessing, and an affirmation, to be a Genesis finalist.

On behalf of the Kindred Heart Writers, I'd like to extend an early

Congratulations!

to each of the winners.

God bless and enjoy your weekend!

Johnnie

Inspirational Writers’ Quotes

2011-09-22T06:00:00.009-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

It has been a tough week. I feel like the image above: lots of dead space between conversations.

Diagnosis: I have a nasty head cold and too much onmy to-do list.

Treatment: Inspiration from others. Take two and callme in the morning!! LOL

"The one important thing I have learned over the yearsis the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's selfseriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous." Margot Fonteyn

“In my view, nineteen pounds of old books are at least nineteen times as delicious as one pound of fresh caviar.” Anne Fadiman

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what'spossible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." – St. Francisof Assisi

You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of otherswhat's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through thesmoke." --Arthur Polotnik

I don't know if the muse is going to show up or not on anygiven day, but by golly, I'm going to be at my desk from 8 to 12 every morningin case she does. - Flannery O'Connor

“If you stuff yourself full of poems, essays, plays,stories, novels, films, comic strips, magazines, music, you automaticallyexplode every morning like old faithful. I have never had a dry spell in mylife, mainly because I feed myself well, to the point of bursting. I wake earlyand hear my morning voices leaping around in my head like jumping beans. I getout of bed to trap them before they escape.”~Ray Bradbury

A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom. -- Robert Frost

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomesa master.”

—Ernest Hemingway

And one of my favorites:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hopethat I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, "I usedeverything you gave me.” ErmaBombeck

MENTOR/MENTOREE??

2011-09-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

After a conversation with a young man inquiring aboutscholarships for the Florida Christian Writers’ conference, I began to thinkabout the role of a mentor. Society today refers to this role in many differentsituations.

The original Mentor is a character in Homer’s epic poemThe Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca went to fight in the Trojan War, heentrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as the teacher andoverseer of Odysseuss’ son, Telemachus.

Webster (the ultimate source ) definesmentor as both a verb:”to advise or train someone” and as a noun: “a trustedcounselor or guide.”

I am personally aware that educators use the mentoringidea for new teachers. Several times I served as a mentor for a beginningteacher in my school system. Sometimes I was appointed by a superior and other times it was myprivilege to be asked to fulfill the role by the new teacher. This was the bestway.

When I googled this term, I discovered an article by F.John Reh, entitled, Mentors and Mentoring: What is a mentor? He writes, “A mentor isan individual, usually older, always more experienced, who helps and guidesanother individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain. Oneof the most valuable assets your career can have is a good mentor.”

In my writing life, I havehad and still have some excellent mentors. (note members of Kindred Hearts) It is my desire to also be able tomentor those who are in our chosen field. Paul writes to the Thessalonians and teaches them to “Therefore, encourage each other and strengthen one another asyou are doing. ...”

1Thessalonians 5:11

A good mentor possesses the following qualities:

1.Willingness to shareskills, knowledge, and expertise.
2. Demonstrates a positiveattitude and acts as a positive role model.
3. Takes a personal interestin the mentoring relationship.
4. Exhibits enthusiasm inthe field.
5. Values ongoing learningand growth.
6. Provides guidance andconstructive feedback.
7. Respected by colleagues
8. Sets and meets ongoingpersonal and professional goals.
9. Values the opinions andinitiatives of others.
10. Motivates others bysetting a good example.

I encourage you to develop these characteristics and portray them to fellow writers.

I am so thankful to those who have encouraged and shared their knowledge about the publishing industry as well as the actual art of writing, and it is my hope that I can encourage others as we walk this path of writing and publishing.

(my thanks to Mr. Reh for the very abbreviated list)

Clella

A Little Fun for Writers and Readers

2011-09-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

Consider this. You’re a writer, hammering out your first novel. You’re visiting Paris, and you’re quick to romanticize the city as the place frequented by the likes of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein.

Then one night you’re walking the streets at midnight and …

Oh, I can’t tell you. Suffice it to say, our modern novelist meets up with some of his greatest heroes, who are played remarkably close to literary history’s characterization of them. And that’s half the fun of this movie.

I suppose this isn’t the place for movie reviews, but I just have to tell you about this one; it’s so perfect for literary aficionados.

Midnight in Paris is directed by Woody Allen. (That means it’s talky and somewhat angst-y in parts, so if you don’t like Allen’s movies, you may not like this one.) Owen Wilson (who I almost always enjoy) plays our novelist. He’s trapped in a relationship that is sucking the creativity out of his life and work. This trip to Paris proves a revelation to him in several ways.

I just loved seeing actors portray Hemingway (with a toreador in tow) and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, so close to what I’ve read. I took a class in Hemingway and Fitzgerald a couple of years ago and read definitive biographies of each. (Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli and Hemingway by Kenneth S. Lynn) And these actors were true to form. Our professor explained how Gertrude Stein was the glue that held a number of these literary expatriates together in Paris, and that was clear in the film, too.

Our novelist experiences epiphanies in Paris, several of which made good sense to this writer. And I thought it was fun seeing the characterizations of literary giants, too. The movie had limited release a couple of months ago and because it did well, they brought it back to theatres. It’s probably about played out now, which would mean it may be available on Redbox or Blockbuster soon.

Might make a good date night at home sometime!
From one writer / booklover to another…

Laura

Focus

2011-09-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

You might can see the big picture. The story is right in front of you. But there are things that need to be adjusted, to make the reader understand.

What methods do you use to bring your WIP into focus and clarity? (Hint, Johnnie gave some below)

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, then face to face." 1 Corinthians 13:12

Won't it be grand to see Him face to face and without this earth-blurred vision?

karen

photos:karenrevans

Novel Notes: Keep Track of Details with a Novel Notebook

2011-09-16T02:05:00.008-04:00

"A writing bible . . . keeps track of what you've named characters," writes Nancy Kress, "how you've spelled those names (Marcia? Marsha? Marcya?), what age the characters are, what streets they live on, what day of the week different scenes occur -- whatever your particular fiction requires. Keeping this in sufficient detail will save you a lot of cursing as you scroll back through a manuscript hunting for your protagonist's brother's wife's first name" (Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint, p. 14).

I sure wish I'd followed this advice before I sent my current novel proposal to my agent and before she sent it to publishers. I am red-faced to say that my protagonist's fashionable crimson outfit magically turned blue in a later chapter.

I discovered this embarrassing faux pas a couple nights ago when I printed out the novel's first seventy-five pages. As I read, I wrote details about each character on a separate sheet of paper in a spiral notebook. I also made notes for each chapter, such as the setting and the major action of each scene. For example, one scene takes place in a Rotterdam art gallery. I wrote down the name of the (made-up) street, Oude Binnenstraat, where the gallery is located.

Since art plays an important part in this story, I also titled a page, "Paintings/Artwork," and listed each piece of art that's mentioned in the story. The painting I imagined for the story has its own page, too, with a written description (because I have no drawing talent whatsoever).

Here's some other things I learned while creating my novel notebook:

my protagonist's aunt's name changes from Marta to Meg;
my hero's hazel eyes are sometimes flecked with gold, other times with green;
cherry scones eaten in chapter two are remembered as strawberry scones in chapter seven;
three minor characters have names that kind of rhyme (Brant, Durand, Bertrand -- what's with me and the ant/and sound?)

Thankfully, none of these other goofs are in my proposal.

And thanks to my novel notebook, they won't be in the final manuscript either.

How do you keep track of all the details in your writing projects?

Blessed weekend,

Johnnie

So Many Books…So Little Time….100 Top Non-Fiction Books

2011-09-15T06:00:00.006-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Time magazine recentlypublished their list of the 100 best non-fiction books written in English since1923. You can check out their list here.

That got me curious. Howmany have I read?

HA! The question should have been: how many had I heard of?

I guess I am NOT the non-fiction reader I tell people I am.

Anyway, some of the titles on Time’s list werefamiliar:

I KnowWhy a Cage Bird Sings – Maya Angelou

OnWriting Well – Steven King

Elementsof Style – Strunk and White

Unsafeat any speed – Ralph Nader

What Color isYour Parachute? – Richard Bolles

I counted and to be honest only read 15 out of the 100 onthe list. I have no plans to readmany of them, though I did see a few that I may check out.

Got me thinking about what books were not on the list that Iwould want to add:

SilentSpring – Rachel Carson

Mere Christianity– CS Lewis

Walden – Thoreau

The Seven Habits of Highly EffectivePeople – Steven Covey

I will be thinking of other titles to add to the list.

What non-fiction book would you list on a top 100 list?

WHAT SHALL I WRITE ABOUT TODAY?

2011-09-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

How do you decide what towrite about?

I am finishing the lastchapters of Mike Nappa’s 77 REASONS WHYYOUR BOOK WAS REJECTED and in the marketing section he writes, “Subjectmatter matters.” And even as much as I want to write my own memoirs, or pageafter page about how wonderful my grandchildren are, Nappa says that won’tsell. Of course, if later in life one of my grandchildren becomes President ordiscovers the cure for cancer or becomes an even better quarterback than PeytonManning, then of course I can sell. But until that happens, “Subject mattermatters.”

· WRITE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN OR CAREABOUT. Make a list of the top tenthings you care about. If you careabout these things, so do other people.
· MAKE SURE YOUR TOPIC RELATES TO PEOPLE’S INTERESTS ORBASIC NEEDS. Family, Health, Love, God/Religion, and Work/Career are listed by Nappa as the themes that most people care about.
· CHECK OUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE WRITING ABOUT IN YOURGENRE. What is on the bestseller list right now? What do publishers have in their catalogs for the comingseason. This does not mean you should necessarily imitate someone else, but itwill give you an idea about what people are buying.

Of course, your topic needsto be something you feel strongly about and are so interested in that you justknow everyone else will be interested also. Our task as writers is to presentour topic in such a way that if areader wasn’t interested initially, they become fascinated when they read whatwe have written.
Choose wisely,

Clella

The Six Ugly SIsters

2011-09-13T06:00:00.003-04:00

I’ve been back in the classroom for about four weeks now, and the pet writing peeves are piling up. These six writing errors are so common that they’re committed by high school sophomores and published writers alike. I venture to say that I may even commit one or two before finishing this post (heaven forbid). It happens to the best of us, and that’s why I’ve chosen to write about the Six Ugly Sisters in the Kingdom of Error.

1. “YOUR POINT IS?” THE EDITOR BARKED AT ADVERBIAL ANNIE. The use of empty adverbs is, quite frankly, just rather empty. Take a look at a sentence that uses the word “actually” or “totally.”

Kate was totally enraged when she realized she had been tricked. (Can one be partially enraged?)

After weeks in a wheelchair, Sam was actually walking on his own power. (Is there a chance the reader thinks Sam lives in a virtual world?)

If words like hopefully, incredibly, completely don’t really say anything in your sentence, banish them!

2. IT WORKS FOR WILL, BUT YOU SHOULD AVOID PASSIVE PAM.“To be or not to be” works for Will Shakespeare, but the buck stops there. The use of “being” verbs like is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been can be so unimaginative.

It was a crisp, fall day. (Autumn exploded in a frenzy of color while the leaves crunched under my toasty boots.)

There was a black cat lying on the doorstep. (Shimmering like polished onyx, the black cat slithered over to the doorstep and carefully wound herself in a lazy semicircle.)

Those "being" verbs are used in passive constructions as well, so stay away from sentences like “The watch was stolen by Jim.” To avoid passivity, search and destroy those being verbs and replace them with vivid, active, engaging verbs! Perhaps “The stolen watch, pilfered by sticky-fingers Jim, jangled in his pocket.”

3. REPEATER RHONDA SAID IT THE FIRST TIME, AND THE SECOND, AND… We all have favorite words, but break out that thesaurus! Find another way to say it. Repeating words distracts the reader and makes the author seem derivative. Even repeated sentence structure can blindside you, if you’re not careful.

“It’s a worthy project,” agreed Kirsten.
“Yes, but it’s also a costly project. What do you project in terms of cost?”
Enough said.

4. SENSELESS SUE LOVES TO TELL US WHAT’S HAPPENING. We’ve all heard, “Show, don’t tell.” And we’ve all been guilty at one time or another. The best way to avoid telling? Use the senses! It’s what we English teachers call imagery: the use of sensory detail that evokes a reaction from the reader. Imagery gets a reader involved; he is no longer simply digesting a combination of words and trying to comprehend their meaning, he is relating to the work. We’ve told our reader something without “telling” him.

Ali just loved children.
(Ali, encircled by loving children, reveled in their bubbly laughter as she captured their chubby little hands in hers.)

The sentence in parentheses doesn't bludgeon the reader with a fact; instead, it shares with him. We don’t have to say, blandly “Ali just loved children.” The reader has connected with Ali and senses that she adores children.

5. WHERE’S THE CRASH CART, FLATLINE FLORA? Flat, boring writing may get the plot from the first point to the second, but that’s all it accomplishes. Here’s an example:

After picking up his son at school, Brett stopped to get gas before heading toward home. If a sentence like this appears in the midst of interesting sentences, it’s not so bad. A constant diet of this, however, will require the crash cart!

If you need help on this one, re-read numbers 2 and 4 above. Kill two birds with one stone -- use vivid verbs and imagery while communicating plot details.

6. CAN I GET A COMMA OVER HERE, AMBIGUOUS ANNIE?Commas make sentences understandable to the reader. Without them, you risk confusing your reader. Here’s a simple example.

Mary my sister is coming.(Are you speaking to Mary? If so: Mary, my sister is coming.)
(Is Mary your sister? If so: Mary, my sister, is coming.)

If confusion can reign in such a simplistic sentence, you can imagine how misleading a complex sentence without clarifying commas can be. There are a number of important comma rules. I'm an English teacher by trade and you really don’t want to get me started on the rules. Suffice it to say, if you don’t know the rules, pick up a book and learn them!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate the Six Ugly Sisters of the Kingdom of Error and, posthaste, to banish them. Happy hunting!

Laura

This post was reprinted from Fall 2008. A teacher's job is never done...!

9/11 Ten Years Later

2011-09-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

I attended a church service yesterday for 9/11 at a Minor League ball park. Most of these pictures were shown on the jumbo-tron.

This first one says, "Why We Remember."

"Remembrance Gives Purpose."

"To Honor is to Value."

"Remembrance Reignites Hope."

God Is Faithful

After talks from Congressmen, our pastor, singing by Guy Penrod and others the Freedom Riders took to the field. It is necessary to remember.

Because God is faithful, write for purpose, value, honor and hope. Let us never forget our calling.

"God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:9

karen

Photos:karenrevans

Writers Conferences: Pitching Pointers for Writers and Agents

2011-09-09T01:42:00.002-04:00

The American Christian Fiction Writers Conference is at the end of the month. Perhaps that's why several bloggers are writing about those stomach-wrenching, head-pounding, nerve-tingling agent/editor appointments.

Here are a couple of my favorite posts:

Author Lisa Buffaloe recreates "what NOT to do during your 'Writer’s Conference Appointment.'”
Agent Rachelle Gardner's Secrets for a Great Pitch Meeting: Agents' Version

When we're together at writers conferences, the other Kindred Hearts and I practice our pitches on each other. This helps us smooth out the rough edges. We may still be nervous when we sit across from that agent or editor, but at least we know what we want to say.

Whether you're packing up for the ACFW conference or heading somewhere else, take advantage of the appointments to network with publishing professionals.

My advice? Be prepared. Be polite. Be yourself.

And never, never, never pitch to anyone in the restroom.

Please tell us about your pitching fears, experiences, and advice. We want to hear from you.

Prayers,

Johnnie

Pop Quiz Time

2011-09-08T06:00:00.020-04:00

Okay, Writers, put your books away and take out yourpencils. It is pop quiz time.

Two questions for the week:

Name two extinct letters from our alphabet
What character was removed from the alphabet butis still used every day?

I just love trivia and history and when combined intolearning something new about our use of words – it is just too perfect!

Normally our alphabet has 26 letters. We all can sing thesong, right?

The alphabet is a mixture of Old English and the Latinletters. As modern English evolved, some letters also merged or disappeared.

Could you answer the first question? Name two extinct letters from ouralphabet.

The answer is the letter called “thorn” representing the“th” sound. In the Latin alphabet, the letter “y” closely resemble the thorncharacter so thorn disappeared and “Y” won its place.

The second Old English letter to be vanquished was “wynn”which was replaced by the “uu” when ended up evolving into the modern “w.” Yesit was originally a “double U.”

Just a side note our familiar letters of “u” and “j” as weknow them today didn’t join the rest of the letters until the 16^thcentury.

Second question: What character was removed from the alphabet but isstill used every day?

I will give youa familiar hint: Barnes &Noble.

See it? “&” is also called the ampersand and signifies the word “and.” It was once the 27^th letterof our alphabet. In the early 18^th century when our “ABC’s” wererecited, the last letter was the “&.”

When saying the alphabet back then, they didn’t say “X, Y, Z,and.” Instead they would end with “and per se.” “Per se” means “by itself," so itwas like saying “X, Y, Z, and by itself and.” Over time “and per se and” merged into the word we usetoday: ampersand.

The shape of the character (&) predates the wordampersand by more than 1500 years. In the first century, Roman scribeswrote in cursive, so when they wrote the Latin word et which means “and” theylinked the e and t. Over time the combined letters came to signify the word“and” in English as well.

So pop quiz time isover and you all successfully passed. Congratulations!

NO EXCUSE!!!

2011-09-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

ON VACATION!!

NO INTERNET!!

FORGOT WHAT DAY IT WAS!

We will all get in the groove again and next week will go smoothly. I am the only one who totally messed up, but I am OLD.

Time to Share

2011-09-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

I’m being nice today.

I promise not to hoard—to keep all the goodness I find for myself.

In the past month, I’ve stumbled across three posts that I found really helpful, so I’m passing them on. Each one contains inspiration and practical advice for writers. Hope you enjoy them!

First, check out How to Read a Magazine. I follow Glenda’s charming blog, and I loved this post both from a reader and a writer’s perspective. It’s got some great ideas! If you visit her follow-up post, you’ll learn about a magazine I was unfamiliar with…one I can’t wait to get my hands on now. (If you check out their website, there’s a submission page, so writers, consider it a possible market, too!)

Next, consider Unleashing Your Muse. I’m fascinated by creativity, and this post has some wonderful ideas. I love this place—it speaks to the non-technical side of this writer in a clear, friendly manner.

Now that you’ve been inspired by your favorite magazine and you’ve gathered some creative ideas, check out the nuts and bolts ideas in Blogging Bistro’s post about Writing Blog Headlines. Four succinct lessons will encourage you to look at how you catch your blog audience in a new way. The Kindred Heart Writers met Laura Christianson at the Florida Christian Writers Conference a couple of years ago. She’s so knowledgeable and helpful at all this techie stuff! I subscribe to her Bright Ideas Blogzine and it comes brimming with great ideas.

There you go. Some new places to visit, new people to meet, and great posts to read. Enjoy!
And chime in—don’t keep all the goodness for yourself.

Share your recent favorite link with us in the comments. We’d love to hear!

Laura

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

Photo:karenrevans

Ah, Labor Day. I'm one of the lucky ones to be off today. Thanks to all you manning the stores, restaurants and places that we might visit today.

Labor Day was first celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882. It was a stand against the long work hours for the majority of people. They worked 12-hours seven-days a week. And children worked too. Finally in 1894, Congress approved the first Monday in September to be a holiday.

I hope you all will enjoy this day whether at play, rest, family, or even work. Then go back to work thankful that we have work. :)

Even writers can use a day off now and then. So treat yourself with a time of enjoyment today.

"And He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.'" Mark 6:31

The Lord knew we all need a time of rest and relaxation. To those who must work today-make your own "Labor Day" later this week.

karen

photo:karenrevans

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

2011-09-02T00:14:00.002-04:00

School bells are ringing across the land, tolling the end of summertime rest and relaxation. If I counted right, I managed to read 29 books between June 1st and August 31st. This was only possible because I spent a few weeks without internet and television.

Here are my summer books awards!

Favorite New Author

Kate Morton, author of The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden. The latter is probably my favorite of her books because its complex themes and motifs are inspired by one of my favorite childhood classics, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Favorite Devotional

She Did What She Could: Five Words of Jesus That Will Change Your Life by Elisa Morgan. Inspired by Mary of Bethany (Lazarus and Martha's sister) who anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume days before the crucifixion, this book lives up to the promise in the title.

Favorite Laugh-Out-Loud Book

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross. This Southern lady speaks her mind with charm and candor. A fun and delightful story.

Favorite World War II Books

This is a tough one. I've been reading World War II-related fiction and nonfiction for the past few years as research for my manuscripts. Of the books I read this summer, my favorites are:

Fiction: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. A great story told in a creative way.(Thanks, Laura, for the recommendation!)

Nonfiction: East Wind: The Story of Marie Zeitner Linke as written by Ruth Hunt. Marie's life as a prisoner of both the Nazis and the Communists is tragic, but through it all she trusts in God's providence for her life.

Runner-Up Favorite

Susan Fraser King's Lady Macbeth and Queen Hereafter. Impeccably researched and lyrically written, these two books take the reader back a thousand years to medieval Scotland.

What was your favorite summer read?

Johnnie

Discoveries from Exploring the Internet or How I Procrastinate Instead of Writing

2011-09-01T06:00:00.026-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I love to explore and often wade into the sea of procrastination by wandering through my computer. I justify this by telling myself that the Internet contains loads of information and inspiration for writers.

I also rationalize this by sharing my finds with the other Kindred Hearts Writers (they encourage my addiction by saying things like “wow” and “that is so cool.”) So now I am pulling in you, the reader, into my latest encounters. Here are just a few of the odd, interesting and bizarre discoveries I have come across lately.

ODD

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh assistant professor Sue Fondrie has written the worst sentence of 2011, winning the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction contest for the world’s worst opening to an imaginary novel. Here is the sentence:

“Cheryl’s mind turned like the vanes of a wind-powered turbine, chopping her sparrow-like thoughts into bloody pieces that fell onto a growing pile of forgotten memories.”

Don’t know if this is encouraging or discouraging

Though most of us won’t ever see this type of income, some authors are doing quite well with their writing careers. James Patterson was again the world’s top-earning author, with total income of $84 million. Stephanie Meyer earned $21 million in 2011— a major step down from her 2010 earnings of $41 million.

Look Out Self Publishers:

Using I-stock photos for your front cover could lead to some interesting partners. Check out this blog and see the front of three books.

Suffering from Writers Block?

Even if your writing is flowing well, check out 911 Writers Block for a fun web site.

Pet Phrases and Clichés Tool

We all use them – over and over again. Use this handy tool – the Phrase Frequency Locator - to locate those words and improve your writing

And Just Plain Fascinating:

I love Ted Talks and this is one that just caused me to stop and ponder: The Worlds’ Oldest Living Organisms.

Enjoy but do get back to work at some point!

JUST KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON

2011-08-31T06:00:00.006-04:00

Because of vertigo or my doctor says "water in the middle ear" I have not been up to par and this particular post seemed appropriate. It is an old post. (7/24/08) If you remember it, that's exciting, if you don't, it is still good information. :-)

Patient1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; 2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; 3: not hasty or impetuous; 4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

Persevereto persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement

(Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

I often think of patience as a kindly virtue of moms and little old ladies. Reading tonight, I have discovered that patience in the Bible is often translated as perseverance. A new, but welcome thought for me because perseverance sounds much stronger as a word than patience. People who persevere are fighters, not meek, waiting little people with no fight to them. Those who have the endurance to run the race, fight the fight, and finish the course...these are those who persevere. In my gut level feeling, patience is not always a virtue even though I have been taught differently by my “persevering, patient” mother.

In my writing life, this is the part that becomes so difficult. I am frustrated when I can’t get the words to flow. Rather than shut off the computer and walk away, I need to persevere patiently. I am even more than frustrated as I wait for an answer from an editor or a publisher. I need to continue to write, be patient and persevere, but often I become discouraged and convince myself that God didn’t really intend for me to write at this stage in my life.

To help me grow in this area I have developed three “P’s.” (I am “big” on alliteration.)

PRAY …Of course a rather obvious suggestion-but sometimes we who call ourselves Christian writers often leave prayer unsaid until we absolutely have no other alternative. I pray before I write. I pray “God send me the word” as I write. And then, I pray “Thy will be done” when I hit the send button or when I lick the stamp and close the mailbox. I also pray that the message I intend is the one that is received. Now I pray for patience.

PLAY…I am a firm believer in playing! After any long effort, we need to relax, regroup and revitalize our minds and our bodies. Sometimes it is only for a short time and sometimes, as Laura indicated in her last post, a longer period of time is what we need to start a new project or finish an old one.

PERSEVERE ...And then I start again! I try to write each day, even if I only work on something that needs revising and as all writers, I have many short ideas that need revising or rewriting. I make myself write my thoughts, write my friends, write my children (who are also my friends), write my plans, write my grocery list…just write. This is my idea of perseverance.

Describing anyone as a persevering, patient person (which is alliterative) is rather redundant. I would like to be known as a woman who persevered maybe even more than a woman who was patient. Of course it is all just a "play with words" idea, and I do so like to play with words. Patience or perseverance...either way it is a fruit of the spirit that I need to cultivate more each day. Galatians 5:22.

Just keep on keepin' on

Clella

Lessons from a Non-Writer

2011-08-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

I’m a mom and a writer; he’s a college student, and he’s not my “word boy.” He’s not verbose in person or on paper. He’s a technical guy who, like all Media Comm majors of any type, is required to take Writing for Media. (Good idea, I think. Let those guys behind the camera see what it’s like to put the words down. I’m sure it’s valuable to the process, whether you’re designing the lighting or running audio.)

He was calling because his first assignment was to write a personal narrative. It could have fictional characters, but the truth coming out of the story should be one you’ve personally realized. Knowing he’s not confident of his writing (even when he does a GREAT job), I gave him this initial advice.

Write until you feel you can’t think of anything more and step away. Go do something! Something will hit you, remind you, jog an emotion or something. Come back to it later.

Don’t feel like the draft has to be finished all at one sitting.

Look through old pictures of the place or time or some that may inspire you.

Be more verbose than you usually are. Realize you may have to expand on what you’ve said. You may need to describe or explain more than you’re used to.

Use some images, some word pictures to make the story real to your reader.

This one came out of our conversation; it’s really what his professor is suggesting. Figure out a way to connect what you’re writing to a past experience, an emotion you’ve felt, even if you were in a different situation.

Now, forget about the nonwriter involved.

You’re a writer; I’m a writer. In looking back at this advice, I realize it works for all of us.

And the last important element: Encouragement…lots of encouragement. All writers need it, no matter where they are in the process.

P.S. Thanks, Benj.

Laura

Word Play

2011-08-29T06:00:00.003-04:00

Photo:karenrevans

This is my almost three-year-old grandson, playing around while I tried to take his picture. (Big smile)

The other day he ran up to his mom and said, "Mom, I'm seasoning." She asked him to repeat it. So he said again, "I'M SEASONING."

She knew he was aggravated that she didn't understand. His mom said, "Show me."

With that he bent over and put his hand to his mouth and said, "Achoo, achoo."

Now isn't that just darling? I just laughed when my daughter-in-love told me.

I love word play. I wish I could make up words like in the Dr. Suess books.

"So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name." Genesis 2:19 (MS)

Wonder if God laughed at some of Adam's names?

Is there an animal you would change the name of? Hey, in a book you can.

See ya later, toothgater.

karen
Photo:karenrevans

Bookprint: You Are What You Read!

2011-08-26T00:00:00.001-04:00

What five books influenced you the most? That list is your Bookprint.

Scholastic promotes literacy with their You Are What You Read program and Bookprint is a fun way to share influential books with other readers.

I created an account yesterday and listed these five books in my Bookprint:

Bible
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
My Utmost for His Highest, the daily devotional by Oswald Chambers
Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The program provides a space to write your thoughts about each book.

Please feel free to create your own Scholastic account (and "friend" me if you do).

What books make up your Bookprint? Let us know in the comments.

Best wishes for a great weekend!

Johnnie

Learning from JK Rowling

2011-08-25T06:00:00.020-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Ok I know I am rather late. I have told you before I am not much of a fiction fan, but I did get bitten by the Potter bug this summer.

I have seen all the movies, including the latest one – twice.

And now am embarking on reading the books. I just completed the fifth in the seven book series and am have a third of the way through The Half Blood Prince.

I am sure many of you as writers know J K Rowling’s story. If you haven’t watched her give the commencement speech at Harvard in 2008, it is well worth your time. She is funny, humble, and inspirational in this video.

I love how Rowling created a world full on imaginative quirky characters surrounded by sometimes goofy but always ingenious settings. Readers fall in love with her characters, many who are far from perfect. Even Harry gets angry, fearful, and frustrated. She writes, “I wrote about characters I was deeply interested in.”

As a writer I also appreciate her writing style. Every chapter and many of the paragraphs end with enough of a hook to make me stay up past my bedtime even knowing the story from the movies. She is daring enough as a writer to compose complicated plots and themes.

As I read these books I realized as a writer I want to learn more about dialogue. I am very much an amateur when it comes to writing out conversations. I am not an expert to evaluate Rowling’s competence in this area but I really didn’t like her dialogue. I thought she told too much, like conversations were summaries. And her continual use of the slang, “Er…” by several characters drove me crazy.

My Potter fan daughter reminded me kindly that her audience was children (maybe the reason for summaries) and perhaps “Er…” was an accepted British way of speaking. She may be right.

I love books. Reading books relaxes, informs, and gives us worlds where we can escape. Reading books can also model styles and writing skills. Some books identify areas to stretch and grow as writers.

Here are some quotes from J K Rowling about writing:

“I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself. I never in my wildest dreams expected this popularity. There's no formula.”

“Sometimes the ideas just come to me. Other times I have to sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It's a mysterious process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. I like a mystery, as you may have noticed”.

“I write nearly every day. Some days I write for ten or eleven hours. Other days I might only write for three hours. It really depends on how fast the ideas are coming.” 

“I didn't write with a target audience in mind. What excited me was how much I would enjoy writing about Harry. I never thought about writing for children -- children's books chose me. I think if it is a good book anyone will read it.”

“I imagine them very clearly and then attempt to describe what I can see. Sometimes I draw them for my own amusement!” (talking about her characters and scenes)

“You have to resign yourself to the fact that you waste a lot of trees before you write anything you really like, and that's just the way it is. It's like learning an instrument, you've got to be prepared for hitting wrong notes occasionally, or quite a lot, cause I wrote an awful lot before I wrote anything I was really happy with. And read a lot. Reading really helps. Read anything you can get your hands on.”

Back to the Half Blood Prince and onto the Deathly Hallows!

77 REASONS ...

2011-08-24T06:00:00.003-04:00

I recently downloaded 77 REASONS WHY YOUR BOOK WAS REJECTED by Mike Nappa. It had been recommended by Terry Whalin in his blog The Writing Life and I decided perhaps I might find a few answers. And I certainly did.

I am only on Reason #17 and finding reasons as well as actions I can take to remedy some of the problems.

Nappa lists the reason, discusses it in detail and then gives his reader answers in the"What You Can Do About It" section which immediately follows the rejection section.

Sample Reasons( or chapters) include some of the following: "Your Target Audience is Too Big.", "Your Target Audience is Too Small". You Didn't Do Your Homework","You Didn't Give Me Enough Writing Samples", and "You Are Lazy." Only a few of the interesting subjects he discusses in the Editorial Reasons, but I am finding that his theme in several of the ones I have read is "laziness."

Authors are just not willing to do all the little extras that makes the difference between the good and the excellent. Nappa writes "when sending out queries-Double check names. Double check addresses.Make sure you're aiming at the right targets. Do all the mundane detail work that guarantees you get the best result-every time."

I am continuing my reading and re-reading of this book. A closing remark for his "lazy" chapter reads as follows:

"If you want to publish, you've got to be willing to do the work it takes to optimize every opportunity. ...Remember, there's no such thing as a lazy writer...there's only those who get published and those who don't."

Let's all keep working to be one of those who gets published.

Working Hard

Clella

By the way, a section entitled "Marketing Reasons for Rejection" is also included, but I have not made my way to that section. When I do, I will try to share with our readers.

When Are You a Writer?

2011-08-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

I’ve had this discussion a number of times with my writer friends. When can you call yourself a writer?

Actually, you can call yourself a writer anytime you want to, so perhaps the question really is when do you feel you can call yourself a writer—out loud?

I had written several magazine articles and contributed posts to sites online before my book was published, but I wasn’t really comfortable calling myself a writer until I’m Outnumbered hit the shelves. Even after I had a signed contract, I pretty much held my breath for awhile.

The more I wrote and submitted, the easier it was to wear the writer moniker—but only in combination with something else; I was a teacher who wrote. And because I still have a day job, I still feel a bit like I should hyphenate my occupation as Teacher-Writer. For right now, God has called me to be a teacher/writer/editor.

Are you only a writer when you support yourself solely on your writing? No, I don’t think so.

I think you’re a writer when you have a writer’s soul.

...when you see God’s hand at work in the ordinary and you write about it.
...when you feel a deep need for the communication of His heart with yours, and you share that.
...when you can take the everyday spice of life and draw its connection to an everyday life of faith.
...when you see in history stories that tell a tale of redemption, faith, and love, and you share those with others.

Do you have a writer’s soul? Just write. Write for you; write for Him.
And call yourself a writer.

Laura

Which Package Would You Open?

2011-08-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

I know, I know it's not Christmas, but play along. Which one appeals to you? The gigantic one, the one with the shiny paper, or the little things that might be in the stocking? Hmmm, I wonder what that says about us?

Anyway, how do you choose a book to read? By it's cover, a known author, the teaser on the back, or do you open it up and read the first lines?

I'm a combo, but if I don't know the author I will read the first lines. Johnnie's blog gives the first lines of the many books she's read this summer. I love that. To me it's like picking the stocking and pulling out the first gift.

Here's the first line of Davis Bunn's book that I'm reading, The Black Madonna, "From the crest of the Herodium dig, Harry Bennett could look out and see three wars." I know a lot just from that sentence. It lured me into the story.

One of my favorite books in the Bible starts out, "The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God." (MS) "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."(NAS) John 1:1

How do you pick a book? Do you have a favorite book in the Bible?

Karen
photo:karenrevans

The Story Behind the Photo

2011-08-19T00:40:00.001-04:00

This past Monday, August 15th, was my parents' 58th wedding anniversary. Sadly, my dad died several years ago. To honor that anniversary, here's a revision of my June 2, 2008 post.

Beyond the Photo

For the past few weeks (May 2008), I’ve been attending a memoir-writing workshop at our county library led by Judy A. Kahler. One assignment was to write the story behind an old family photo. The words came easily:

The undated photo is faded sepia in grayed yellow tones that blur details. But of some details I am certain. I am a babe in my daddy’s arms, surely no more than a few weeks old. He holds me in one arm and has his other, protective and comforting, around my mom’s tiny waist. . . . This must be a special day for them to pose for what may be our first family picture.

They look so young with their "smile for the camera" expressions as they stand poised on the path that takes them from being a couple to being parents. I can imagine a few of the thoughts that both exhilarate and frighten them because I know what it’s like to hold an infant daughter. To start down that parenting path. So many hopes. So many dreams. So many questions that will only be answered as days turn into years, the present flowing into the past. . . .

My intent was to write a warm-and-fuzzy essay about a special family moment. So the next paragraph, even as I wrote it, surprised me.

I look closely at this captured moment, trying to read my parents’ faces. Mom’s shy smile hides her fears. Dad steadies her even as he cradles me. "My two girls." Is that what he’s thinking? "How can I leave them?"

Dad is headed for foreign places and that detail gives texture to a sweet, faded photo. The flat, posed people memorialized in sepia become an in-love, youthful, emotional family. This is the magic -- and the delightful surprise -- of memoir-writing.

Blessed writing!

Johnnie

Writing is Work

2011-08-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Image by Mark via Flickr

I do not like to write - I like to have written. ~ Gloria Steinem

One of favorite quotes! I always dreamed of being a writer. As an 8 year old, I wrote a local newspaper and delivered it to neighbors. I lived in imaginative worlds where trees morphed into spaceships and animals talked.

I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork. ~Peter De Vries

But somewhere along the line I realize if I wanted to be a writer, I had to write. And that took work. Hard work

There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

I couldn’t find the perfect place to write.

The perfect time.

The perfect words.

A few times words flowed from my fingers on the keyboard, but they transformed into trash in the morning light.

If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do. William Zinsser

Nobody warned me writing wasn’t easy. To create and twist and form words into a melody of meaningful sentences took time, energy, and the bleeding of my soul onto paper.

Writing is the hardest work in the world. I have been a bricklayer and a truck driver, and I tell you – as if you haven't been told a million times already – that writing is harder. Lonelier. And nobler and more enriching.  Harlan Ellison

Report to my desk.

Create a writing routine.

Determine a goal – how many words a day can I write? Submit. Submit again.

Persevere through rejections after rejections after rejections.

Control those menacing distractions nipping at my toes.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the Internet.  Anonymous

Days where Twitter, my laundry, family, and trying a new recipe call me more than my own writing.

Days I let the urgent drain my time instead of the important.

Days where it is easier to read what others have written than to write myself.

Days I am surprised when I crawl deep inside my heart and hear once again “be a writer.”

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die. Isaac Asimov

I can’t deny - writing is my DNA.

To weave words into patterns lies in the core of my being.

When God molded my soul, He breathed into my heart – WRITE.

I must write.

I must work.

I must continue.

I must write.

Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.  P. G. Wodehouse

PAY IT FORWARD

2011-08-17T06:00:00.003-04:00

When I am searching for a topic fo my Wednesday post, I often browse old copies of my writing magazines. I keep at least a year's supply by my chair(you remember the chair I write in.) As I find a few minutes, or want to be inspired, or need to prove a point, I reach for past copies.

One of my favorites is WRITER'S DIGEST. And in the March/April 2011 issue Christina Katz's outstanding article "50"Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day" lists excellent suggestions. All are good, but perhaps my favorite is the section entitled Pay it Forward. Not only does she lists some wonderful ideas, but the concept caused me to stop a moment and investigate the ways I share with other writers.

Christina suggests sharing known resources.Jeanie does this so well. Often we receive e-mails with just a brief link or comment in reference to something she believes we can learn from or may be interested in. She seems to always have us in mind when she is reading.

When Laura was working through the contract and publishing of her first book, she was quick to share the ins and outs of the process with the rest of the group. And thus we all learned.

After the conferences that each of us has attended (we all do the Florida Writers' Conference) we have attempted to share with our readers and with one another. We have also volunteered to do After Hours Workshops that we might share the knowledge we have with those who wish to form on-line critique groups.

Paying it Forward is a rather new term, but the idea is as old as the Scripture. "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." Why not share with our readers methods you use to "pay it forward."

We would be interested in sharing these with our readers.

CLELLA

Reader's Corner

2011-08-16T06:00:00.001-04:00

My reading impacts my writing – no way around it. I’ve realized this summer that the more time I have to read, the more quickly and easily ideas flow.

So I decided to share a few titles and how they’ve “worked on me” this summer.

Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. This book has kept the wheels turning on my nonfiction proposal—an unfinished manuscript that I just may need to get to work on!

Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker. I know so many parents who would benefit from this book! Its subtitle is Slow-down Solutions for Frenzied Families. This book has inspired a few of my upcoming blog posts on Outnumbered Mom.

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. This is a new book I picked up at ICRS, published by Bethany. It’s classified as Fantasy/Allegory and is a fun read. I’m only halfway through and the sequel is waiting by the bed. This book has given me an idea for some fiction that I may dare to try my hand at in good time…

Thorn in My Heart and Grace in Thine Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs. I love this writer! These two are historical fiction set in Scotland. They’ve inspired me, keeping alive my hopes for historical fiction someday. I have the story if I could only find the time…

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This has ministered to my soul and fed my love for poetry. It’s not poetry, but it is; it’s lyrical, poetical and lovely. This book has helped me turn my face to Him and give thanks over and again.

The Story of Charlotte’s Web by Michael Sims. Jeanie recommended this one, and I’m really enjoying it. A fascinating look into the writer’s life from early on. Reminds me to “write what you know.”

Behind all of those are three novels waiting by Jane Kirkpatrick, Ann Tatlock (two of my VERY favorites) and Wendell Berry, who is new to me but highly recommended.

(This fall I’ll also be reading The Prince by Machiavelli, King Lear and The Tempest, along with Paradise Lost. I teach these and will be rereading them—always a joy. And I’m sure I’ll mine something new from them once again.)

And what’s always at my bedside? My Bible. For richness, I love to peruse Isaiah; it’s just lovely and full and abundant, I think. I’m reading through the Bible again right now, but I love to crack open Isaiah for inspiration and beauty.

What about you? How does your reading life affect your writing life?

Laura

Imagination

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

This looks like a made-up creature for a science fiction movie. Well, it is a made-up creature, by God and His imagination. It's a Leafy Dragon. Cousin to the sea horse it lives in the grasses along the coast of Australia.

Now there's an idea for children's books! Don't you love the many varieties of animals, nature and yes, humans that God dreams up?

So our imagination comes from God, some of us He's given more than others. :)

"That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it--what God has arranged for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 (MS)

What excitement we will have when we see heaven with God's imagination unsullied by evil.

karen

photo:karenrevans

Who's Your Hero?

2011-08-12T09:35:00.001-04:00

Who's the hero of your novel?

I warn you, this is a trick question.

Usually we think of the protagonist as being the hero, or heroine, of a novel. The antagonist is the villain.

But we've probably all read novels where the protagonist isn't the good guy. A classic example is C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters where the protagonist, and narrator, is a demon. (For more examples, read Miss Snark's 2005 post and comments.)

We've identified Screwtape as the protagonist as Lewis' book. But who's the antagonist -- Screwtape's nephew Wormwood or the young Christian? My first inclination was to place the Christian, known as the "patient," in that role. But Wormwood's questions and antics drive his uncle to . . . well, I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't read the book. So Wormwood, though also a demon, is actually this story's antagonist.

So who's the hero? The protagonist Screwtape, a demon? The antagonist Wormwood, also a demon? Or the "patient," a young man striving to live a Christian life?

To paraphrase Randy Ingermanson, the Snowflake Guy and co-author of Writing Fiction for Dummies, each character is the hero of his or her own story.

As we create our own stories, Randy suggests that we look through the eyes of each character, bad and good, to learn about their motives and goals. The character may never be given the point-of-view role in the novel, but this preliminary creative work will sharpen the characterization. We'll have flesh-and-blood characters, heroes of their own stories, instead of ones made from cardboard.

Who's the protagonist of your work-in-progress? A good guy? A bad girl?

Who's your hero?

Johnnie

Back to School, Writers!

2011-08-11T06:00:00.009-04:00

Image by Avolore via Flickr

“It’s back to school time” the Sunday newspapers ads screamed.

What does this mean for writers?

1. Bargains for school, I mean office, supplies. I love this time of year – new highlighters, notepads, and one of my favorite purchases each year: a new calendar. Both bookstores and office supplies stores cast their spells upon writers and beckon them in to wonder through their aisles. Seriously, this is a great time to stock up on office supplies.

2. Books – Teachers hand out new books this time of year and college students go broke buying required texts for each class. So writers, what book is next on your pile to read, study and enjoy? I have been rereading some of the writing books I have on my shelf throughout this year. And this non-fiction reader has actually started a few fiction reads. Remember writers are readers.

3. Breaks – Returning to the classroom brings new schedules. As a writer, is it time to reorganize how you break your day into time for writing? Maybe you have just finished a huge project, is it recess time? Or perhaps your writing also enjoyed vacation during the summer months and it is time to arrange a new schedule to reinstate your productivity.

4. Build a team – With the start of school, athletic teams get into shape for the season. Band members line up and march in step. Do you have a team? The five of us, the Kindred Heart Writers, have often said we didn’t know what we would do without each other. Clella a few weeks ago blogged about the importance of having a prayer team behind you as your write. Who is on your team?

5. Broaden your mind – What do you need to learn this year? What writers’ conference will you attend? How do you need to grow as a writer?

Back to school time is a great opportunity to assess where you are as a writer and what you need to do to take the next step.

What about you? How will you go ‘back to school” this month?

IMAGINE THAT

2011-08-10T06:00:00.001-04:00

I had a tea party today! And you ask, "So?" But this tea party was special because the only guest was my great-granddaughter, Pailynne, and we poured tea from a miniature tea pot and sipped from tiny flowered cups. Our napkins had pictures of Santa which made her extremely happy and did not seem strange at all. And I know you think this is an excuse to show you cute pictures and talk about my two year old granddaughter (remember she is a great-granddaughter) and in case any of my readers may wonder, great-grandchildren are even better than grandchildren. So what does this have to do with my writing?
Today, for awhile, I was a child again. My imagination soared. We sang, we farmed, we danced, we baked cookies and then we had a tea party. And when she sat on my lap and we counted with Elmo, I began to think about imagination and how we can lose that childlike wonder that makes everything fun and exciting. She dozed off as we counted to five, and I went on to the mundane task of peeling potatoes and fixing salad for our dinner.
But as I worked I felt refreshed. I realized that my imagination needs to soar, that childlike fun can do more to restore my creative nature than any lesson about writing or prompts from the internet or my day to day living. What causes your imagination to live again? Where do you find that childlike faith and that creative world that brings new life into your words?
Try playing. It works wonders.
I think tomorrow I may build a castle. Perhaps you would like to join me.

Clella :-)

Searching for Scripture? A Great Resource

2011-08-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

Have you ever searched your memory – or a tiny concordance – with just the right scripture in mind?

Or have you wondered what that verse sounds like in the NLT (New Living Translation)?

I’m here to share an easier way with you today – BibleGateway.com. I use it all the time, and I’m learning more everyday!

What it does

BibleGateway.com has a Passage Lookup, a Keyword Search, and a Topical Index. You can look up passages by chapter and verse or by keywords, and you can get a list of verses on a particular topic.

And BibleGateway.com has an amazing number of translations (over 100) as well as the Bible text in fifty languages. Not only that, they provide a Verse of the Day widget, Bible commentaries, audio Bibles, devotions, newsletters, etc. You can visit the sidebar on this page to tell you more about what this amazing site has to offer.

How I use it

I love the Topical Index and Keyword Search. Sometimes they yield a plethora of verses, but I invariably find what I was looking for – and more!

When I edit I use the Passage Lookup, over and over and over again. One of my responsibilities (depending on which edit I’m doing) is to verify the scripture verses and references. That means looking them all up! BibleGateway.com has a feature that allows me to look up multiple passages at once. (If you hit “passage lookup,” you get the lookup page. Below the box for your passage is a link that says “Lookup multiple passages.” When you click that, you get 5 boxes. You plug them all in and hit enter, and all 5 passages appear at once.)

The default version for BibleGateway.com is the New International Version (NIV), but you can change that in Preferences. You can also change it each time you look up a passage. Or look one up and hit another version to see how it sounds there. (One caution: Did you know the NIV and the NIV 1984 are different versions? I didn’t until recently. As I verified the references for a book I was editing, I noticed very slight changes. I wondered why and went back to the search box. I noticed that when I chose NIV 1984, the passage was slightly different. Luckily, I realized this early in the project, so I didn’t have to check all the passages again!)

Another common usage for me is that moment when I say to myself, “Oh, you know that verse…’how great is the love the Father has lavished on us…’ Where is that and how does the rest of it go?" BibleGateway.com is great for that!

Maybe you’re already a faithful user, but I hope you learned something new about this resource today. So, go check it out! Plug in your favorite passage and see how it reads in another version. Or just go exploring. You’ll find plenty to cull through at BibleGateway.com.

Laura

Queen of Encouragement

2011-08-08T06:00:00.002-04:00

photo:karenrevans

Right now, I think we all need a bit of uplifting and laughter, so meet Barbara Johnson. She wrote many books full of encouragement and laughter in the midst of family tragedies. A couple of her humorous book titles are, Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death, Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy.

Below are quotes taken from Daily Splashes of Joy. These 365 short story reads take only a minute, but will last all day long. Check it out here.

Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't think you've done a permanent job.

If at first you don't succeed...see if the loser gets anything.

Ulcers can't grow while you're laughing.

If you can't laugh at yourself...I'll be glad to do it for you.

The brook would lose its song if God removed the rocks.

One of the problems with diets is the first three letters spell "die."

Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to the wall.

I like to think of banana cream pie as a fruit.

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Happy is the woman who can laugh at herself; she will never cease to be amused.

If any of these made you smile, then my mission is complete.

"A cheerful deposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." Proverbs 17:22 (MS)

Happy Monday!

karen

The Art of Research

2011-08-05T01:42:00.004-04:00

"You sure know a lot about art," emailed one of my critique partners. I appreciate the compliment, but the truth is I know very little about art.

However, I do know about the art I'm incorporating into my historical fiction work-in-progress.

Over the past year, I've read several books on the Nazi looting of art during World War II, the painter Johannes Vermeer, and the forger Han van Meegeren. During the writing process, I've looked up information online, including quick fact-checks on Wikipedia.

Just a couple weeks ago, I picked up two Sotheby Auction catalogs at an estate sale and found the perfect painting for a particular scene.

A few days ago, I received a book from Amazon about life in Rotterdam, Holland during the German invasion.

I love the research needed for my novels. Incorporating factual details to a fictional story provides authenticity, transporting the reader to another time and place. Besides, it's just fun to learn something new.

As writers, we're blessed to live in an age with s many accessible resources -- libraries, the internet, a book-laden table in someone's driveway.

Most of us need to do research, whether we write fiction or nonfiction. What are your favorite research resources?

Johnnie

The Story of Charlotte’s Web

2011-08-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

I lovereading about other writers – what in their lives influenced their creativity –their writing process – how they survived the ups and downs of publishing whenmost of us only see their successes.

MichaelSims’ new book, The Story of Charlotte’s Web is a book that gives us a peekinto the life of E. B. White and the background of the wonderful children’sclassic.

Sims approaches White’s story as a biography, but focuses on his lifecircumstances that became the foundation of the Charlotte’s story. Besidesdetails of his history, writers have a wonderful opportunity to peer intoanother writer’s process and journey in the publishing world.

Here are a few tidbits I learned about how White wrote Charlotte’s Web:

· White lived on a farm so wrote from the everydayevents around him. Sims writes “Thedoomed pig, and the relationship between humans and animals on a farm, keptrunning through his mind. Already he envisioned the farm animals’ lives as muchlike his own, half comical and half melancholy. But how might a pig’s life besaved from the dastardly farmer’s plan?”

· White wrote,“In writing of a spider, I did not make the spider adapt her ways to my scheme.I spend a year studying spiders before I ever started writing the book. Inthis, I think I found the key to the story.” White took copious notes to create a great character. Heknew details about spider’s life cycles, the number of eggs they laid, and thattheir hairy legs had seven joints.

· Setting: White drew a layout ofZuckerman’s barn, not only on paper but three dimensional, complete withprecise details. He eventually expanded his work to include the entire barnyardand posted the drawings by his workspace for reference.

· The writing process was my favorite part of thebook. Most of us struggle with the opening line and in this book we get aglimpse into how White created his first sentence. We see many of his ideas –should he first describe Charlotte or create the setting? Sims shares parts ofWhite’s notes showing what he wrote, then deleted. After multiple false startsand endless revisions, he created just the right phrase. I found thisencouraging as a writer. Writing is hard work and even the experts dig deep toperfect their craft. What a wonderful first line: "Where's Papa going with that axe?" said Fern to her motheras they were setting the table for breakfast.”

· And what happens after an author gives birth toa story? Sims shares both the fun side as children wrote to White asking aboutCharlotte and Wilbur and the struggles with the critics who didn’t like hisstyle or the way he spun the story.

FellowWriters: I think youwill really enjoy this book and its glimpses into White’s writing. I borrowedthe book from our local library, but know it is available at bookstores andonline retailers too.

Charlotte andWhite teach us much about writing, so I will end as White did:

“It is not often someone comesalong that's a true friend and good writer. Charlotte was both.”

Wherever We Go;Whatever We Do

2011-08-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

Each of the Kindred Heart Writers has a busy life and we have had

summer-filled days.

Jean & Kyla and new grandsons

Sometimes a picture is all that is needed. Jeanie’sheading for this correspondence is “How I Spent my Summer Vacation.” She calls these her
grandblessings.

Laura & Aiden

Laura has traveled to graduation of one son, the first sermon byanother son, to visit relatives and to play with grandson,Aiden.

Johnnie and youngest grandson

Johnnie's travels

Johnnie is our traveler. As of this writing she isheaded for Texas. We sometimes lose track of her and are not sure if she inOhio at a hidden destination, or in Washington D.C, or Tampa with her grandsons.Her mother has been with her in these travels so she has been doubly blessed.

Karen's son & family

Karen also traveled to see her grandchildren. AndKaren is always busy as she works full time and cares for her parents who havehad some illness this summer

Pailynne,our great-granddaughter

our little car

I just do whatever retired people do, but theKindred Hearts seem to enjoy my stories and they have decided that I live inperpetual summer not only in my environment as I do live summers in IL. and winters in FL., but also in my attitude. For me, at 74+ each day with my husband isa gift to be enjoyed to thefullest.

However, no matter how busy we are (and we are busy) weseem to NEED to write. We find time to use the gift God has given us and it is from the blessings of our everyday life that we find ourmaterial for writing.

Laura lived with four red headed boys. I live inperennial summer, and Jeanie lives in heaven with these adorablegrandblessings.(that is a direct quote.) Karen finds the quirky pictures and God’steaching in the world around her and she shares these through her writing on this blog and her personalblog. And Johnnie finds time in her secluded destinations to do the researchand writing for the novels she is working on. Our lives are reflected in ourwriting.

Do you use your daily life as a basis for yourwriting or do you escape into another world? As Laura wrote yesterday "find wonder in the mundane."
Today is your day to write!

Clella

The Wonder-full Mundane

2011-08-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

Pigs and prodigals sons. Lamps, sweeping dirt floors. Ordinary workers and their wages.

Those are the elements of Christ’s parables. He used the ordinary to teach a lesson. But beneath the ordinary lay beautiful, priceless, timeless truth.

We, as writers, are so honored. We’re gifted with the ability to take the ordinary and transform it; to layer the truth, cloak it in the mundane, make it a real discovery for our readers.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that we should write what we know. Our first impulse is usually, “But that’s so ordinary! Who’d be interested in that?”

But that’s our gift—taking the ordinary and eking out the everyday truth. What’s real and right and needy and true about the human condition.

Need a little practice? A writing exercise in looking past the ordinary? Think about the most mundane, ordinary task you have to do, or the least attractive thing you pass each day. Now, search, examine, scrutinize it for the extraordinary.

Find the wonder in the mundane. Write a poem about it, a devotion, a short story. Then share it. Submit it, send it to a friend, get it ready for critique. Or just treasure it and ask the Lord to show you how to use it.

Frisk the ordinary. Just take a look around. Go on a quest through the mundane, search out the wonder, and use your gift.

Unearth a little truth for your readers today in the simplest of things.

What did you find today that’s ordinary or unappealing? How did you unearth truth through the ordinary? Share with us!

Laura