You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2008.
I find that one of the mistakes I make in my writing involves the use of prepositions. Not the overuse of them but the incorrect use of them. I choose the wrong preposition quite often. When someone points the problems out, they seem obvious.
Take the below verse into consideration:
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (New International Version)
17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I’ve always thought it would be difficult to give thanks in all circumstances. But the verse doesn’t say give thanks “for” the circumstance, but it says “in” the circumstance. So, during the trial you are going through, still give thanks to God.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
We sing the above song in my church every time we serve communion. My experience at the Christian writer’s conference is very much like that song. We saw a little piece of what it could be like in Heaven.
It is a wonderful experience to spend 5 days with like minded people. People who share your love for God and a desire to spread the word about his love for all. I shared meals with people who understood how a story and its characters can overtake your thoughts until you must write it down.
Unfortunately, I love it so much that I don’t want to go back to the real world. The world of struggles. Where I have to make my own bed, cook my own food and have to go to work at a job that is not exactly up there on my list of favorite things to do.
Yet…
We must, as Christians, go back to the real world. Because if we didn’t, if we stayed in our own little world, then the rest of the world would not hear. They would not hear about a man name Jesus, who can make us like brand new. He wipes away the ugliness from our lives like an eraser on a white board. And it is all because of Him. But we must tell the world. We can’t stay and fellowship with other believers all the time as tempting as that is. Because Jesus gave us the instruction to go tell the world. We can’t keep it to ourselves.
Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I attended my first writer’s conference in April of 2005 and I forgot to pack deodorant. Fortunately, I had a small container of perfumed body powder. My aunt uses powder because she is allergic to most deodorants, so I thought I could use it too. And I did. And it worked.
But…
it turns out I’m allergic to that particular body powder. I had a rash almost to my elbow. Fortunately, it was a short conference.
See this video for the location of the conference I just attended:
I’ve just returned from a mountaintop experience, both literally and spiritually. This was my third time at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. The theme for the week was A Writers Journey.
Here are some of my notes from the conference:
A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn – Al Gansky
Click here for a great poem.
Click here for a great research resource.
When writing scenes, try to avoid eating a meal and discussions in cars.
Don’t have experts explain to other experts.
Stop being so literary.
Do not try to be clever.
The heart of a good story is tension and the heart of tension is unmet desire.
I’m writing from the Blue Ridge Mountains at a place call Ridgecrest where I’m attending a writer’s conference.
I love it here.
Last evening there was a question and answer session with editors, authors and agents. The last question was how long was it from the time you decided to write to the time you were published?
Some published almost immediately. One of the authors waited over 20 years. That same author had polled 60 authors and found that on average they had not published until age 48. (I have eight years to go–I hope I publish before that time.)
Before this question and answer session, I was questioning whether there would be a next year for me. It gets discouraging. This year the discouraging thing is that my novel doesn’t have the word count needed for most of the major publishers.
One liked my hook. One liked my voice. Those were women. I pitch to men today. It’s a romance, so I don’t know how that will go.
I have tons of revision to do on my first chapters.
My prayer this week has been, “How long O Lord?”
In 1996 I thought I might like to write, so I bought a box of paper. Yes, my first act of writing was to buy a box of paper. For years that box of paper sat in storage.
In 2000 I took some online writing classes, because I didn’t even know how to start a story. I had the setting but no character or plot. The first writing class helped me find the story. Now stories are everywhere for me. In fact, I have so many it is almost paralyzing, because I don’t know which one to write. I like them all.
Psalm 13:1-3 (New International Version)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
I had to include Glory Hallelujah in my blog today, because my son has been playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic on the trumpet all day long(at least since he woke up). He has been in the “man cave” so it hasn’t been too hard to write. He has found his passion and I am happy for him.
My passion is my writing and I can say that the main plot to my story, Absalom’s Beauty, is complete. I have a lot of work left to do, but now that I have the plot, all else will be easy. My page count is 252 and I would like to add another 50 if possible.
My big writers conference begins tomorrow. I hope to at least get the attention of an agent. I did get the attention of an editor last year, but the story wasn’t complete. It is now!
I’ve been thinking about the best place for evangelizing.
There are people who evangelize on street corners with megaphones. Some go door to door.
I believe the entrance to this amusement park ride would be the best venue for evangelizing.
“Do you know for certain if you were to die on this ride you’d go to Heaven?”
or
hand out gospel tracts. “Read this before getting on this ride.”
The people wearing the yellow T-shirts are a part of my son’s school band. And no, my son wouldn’t ride it.
1 John 5:13 (New International Version)
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
This is now my chosen form of exercise.
I found an English country dance group in Durham. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.
And it is great research!
Visit this site to read one of Jane Austen’s Prayers.
Courting Emma
I’m afraid I didn’t make my April goal for reading, but I did read an enjoyable story called Courting Emma.
Emma runs a boardinghouse with an eclectic bunch of tenants. The town’s new pastor becomes her most challenging one because he threatens the guard she has put up around her heart to protect against the memory of an unhappy childhood.
Letters from a mystery person in Illinois encourages her to read the book of John and has her seeking answers to questions about her life.
When a new tenant moves in the boardinghouse Emma faces the new challenge of caring for her dying father who caused her unhappy childhood.
Courting Emma is a sweet romance with a story of redemption.
Put A Ruffle On It 
Recent Comments