Tag Archives: writing

Three strangers walk into a bar…

Okay, two of them know one another, but they’re all strangers to me.

And it’s not really a bar (I think).

And they’re outside of it.

This week I made my annual “birthday” cake for my fictional friends, and it’s got me reminiscing. Some of these folks have been in my head for 19 years now. We have a fair bit of history.

Today, though, I’m thinking of my newest imaginary friends, hence the three strangers outside the local watering hole.

It’s a rough-ish, small building that sells some manner of food and drink. I think it’s wooden. It’s on a backwater-type planet somewhere.

I don’t know their names yet, nor their genders. I think two are female. For now, my notes read:

T = travelling character
D = disappointed character
W= wonder character

T is a stranger to this planet and needs to get to another one. S/he needs D and W to provide transportation. D refuses, and for W to return to that planet could mean death.

It’s possible that D is actually my old friend Sera, in which case I know she’s a former assassin, a crack shot, and the sort of person you want guarding your back. W is an older character and some manner of mentor to D/Sera. I have a special fondness for W and a few inklings into his/her past. W hasn’t had an easy life.

T, main character, isn’t talking to me yet.

I am so looking forward to this! Discovery is the best part.

Updates will be slow and sporadic, because I’m concentrating on fine-tuning the story of Carol, Paul, Joey and Patrick, another crew of my imaginary friends.

March is birthday month here at Tenacity. If you haven’t entered the draw yet for a copy of A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider, follow the link to the blog birthday page. [Edited: draw is closed now.]

Celebration Month

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The earliest notes for my foray into the mad adventure known as fiction writing carry a March date. I’ve chosen March as the “birthday” month of my ~~fictional characters~~ imaginary friends, even those who have told me their “real” birth dates. My family thinks I’m crazy, but they never turn down free cake.

This blog began in March, too, and in 2013 I’m celebrating 5 years. Names have changed (the blog used to be God With Us: Finding Joy, and I used to write under the pen name of Joanna Mallory) but the focus is much the same.

God has given me a devotional every week. For five years. I love the chance to share what He’s showing me, and to see how sometimes He uses it in readers’ lives.

I’ve enjoyed spreading the word about books I’ve read and authors I’ve appreciated. Especially Canadian authors who are Christian…

And the blogging friends I’ve made, a few of whom could be my sisters separated at birth… some of you I won’t meet before Heaven, others I’ve met at Write! Canada, but it’s our online conversations that have rooted the relationships.

In celebration of it all, I’m giving away a free copy of A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. To find out more, visit the Blog Birthday Party page. [Comments left on today’s post won’t be included in the draw… you need to go over to the giveaway page. Edit: The party’s over, and the page is gone now.]

So… join the celebration, and help yourself to a slice of virtual cake!

Tips and Links on Writing Fiction

Masquerade: Am I a Fraud? Guest Post by Deb Elkink

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MASQUERADE: AM I A FRAUD?

Guest Post by Deb Elkink

My character Ebenezer MacAdam owns Incognito Costume Shop and individually recommends rentals based on a client’s personal character. He says,

I’d like to think the purpose of my costumes has been to reveal the real in this masked and disguised generation. But on a grander scale, I myself am being unmasked and my failure laid open to my own view. So many of my years I spent fearing to be discovered for the fraud I really am. Yet here it is the autumn of my life and I stand naked, as it were, before a Judge more kindly than myself. (The Third Grace, p. 74)

Eb’s words issue from a conflicted spot in my own soul. I’d like to think the purpose of my writing is to speak a message of truth to this generation and yet—like him—the very act of my service exposes me to the truth of my own shortcomings. Doesn’t my choice of words (like his choice of costumes) say more about my own heart attitude than that of the reader whose heart I’m judging?

I, too, fear being found out for the fraud I really am.

It started early in my life—this suspicion that I wasn’t all that I wished I were or that I portrayed myself to be. When I memorized my spelling list and won the elementary bee, I was self-satisfied but suspected the triumph was a fluke. When I earned honours in graduate school, I delighted in the accomplishment but credited grade inflation. Innately knowing that proficiency can become the breeding ground of pride, I tend to demur: “Oh no, I’m not that talented. It was luck. I don’t deserve the praise.”

There’s actually a psychological label slapped on this condition when it’s pathological: “Imposter Syndrome.” I rush to say that I’ve not been diagnosed; most healthy people to some degree attribute success to luck, reject compliments, or think, “Anyone could have done this.” I suspect it’s a well-intentioned attempt at humility.

What’s the line between humility and hypocrisy?

Jesus denounced as hypocrites those who ostentatiously fulfilled religious responsibility for public applause, describing the sanctimonious Pharisees with hearts full of greed and self-indulgence as whitewashed tombs and dirty cups (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16; 23:25-28). The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek stage, where an actor would hold up a mask indicating one emotion while displaying a juxtaposing facial expression revealing his true feelings. “These people honour me with their lips,” Jesus said, “but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8 NIV). Hypocrites receive their reward in this life; no reward awaits them in Heaven.

The deciding factor between true humility and the falseness of hypocrisy, then, seems to be the heart intention of the worshipper/writer; honouring the Lord with my lips/keyboard for temporal reward isn’t synonymous with bringing my heart close to Him. The very public nature of writing for reader feedback (comment on a blog, payment for an article, placement in a competition) forces me to investigate my motives.

Does my façade match my heart attitude?

The sixteenth-century Reformer John Calvin wrote in his Institutes (1.1.1-2),

Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God . . . Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self.

The only way to know God is through His Word (Living via Written). Humility is seeing myself as I really am, in light of God’s gifting. When I look clearly and honestly at my own heart, I am driven back into the Bible, where I must face my motivation and ask myself truly:

Do I write for recognition by my readers or for reward by my Creator?

The stardust of long-awaited, hard-won, now-realized publication threatens to blind me. The only way I see to avoid hypocrisy—that veneer of false humility—is to face the “shaming nakedness” (as Calvin put it) of my own insufficient human efforts. This readies me for the revelation of the righteousness that exists in God alone, the thrill of embracing His gifts to me. I can see myself in perspective not as I measure up to my idea of authorial success but only as I see God’s flawless provision for my imperfection. On this basis I take joy in unearned grace (of salvation, of course, but also of ongoing achievements) while simultaneously facing my fear of exposure without hiding behind a mask of self-effacement. God is the ground of my humility, the Giver of all gifts for the purpose of His glory.

I find writing to be a humbling and unmasking experience.

Deb Elkink, recipient of the 2012 Grace Irwin Award (sponsored by The Word Guild) for her debut novel, The Third Grace, writes from her cottage on the banks of a creek in southern Alberta. Visit her sometime: www.debelkink.com.

Watch the book trailer for The Third Grace, and read a review of The Third Grace. Check out all the stops on Deb’s blog tour, and maybe win a Kindle Fire HD.

Photo credits: Colourful window of masks: Deb Elkink; Lacy black masks: Lorenda Harder. Photos used by permission.

Writer, Who Are You Really?

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Be yourself (Photo credit: chase_elliott)

In developing as a writer and learning the rules and the craft, it’s easy to wake up with an identity crisis.

The publishers demand this. The readers want that. The critics are looking for something else. Does what’s left look anything like you? Who are you really?

I’ve been finding more and more advice lately on how important it is for a writer to be himself or herself. Not that we can scoff at things like craft and audience, but that developing excellence in our writing won’t happen if we’re stifling or masking who we are.

Be yourself. Be honest. Do your best. Take care of your family. Treat people with respect. Be a good citizen. Follow your dreams. (Photo credit: deeplifequotes)

Beth Vogt challenges us to stand out.

From Bonnie Leon: Be Yourself.

At Novel Rocket, Christa Allen tells us to “Follow Your Weirdness,” which I’ve read Jeff Goins advise as well.

And at Chatting at the Sky, Emily P. Freeman calls us to overcome our fear and be ourselves: “You have something we desperately need. I don’t know what it is, but you do.” (One Way to Live Wildly Free)

Finding–and being honest about–who we are is one of the key topics Cecil Murphey addresses in his book, Unleash the Writer Within. You wouldn’t think it’d be so hard!

Review: You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins

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You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins (Kindle edition, 2012)

This e-book’s full title is You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One), and Jeff Goins packs a lot of coaching and practical information into its digital pages.

His premise is that writers (and wanna-bes) need to stop waiting for permission or endorsement from someone in the industry. We need to write our passion instead of writing to please the gatekeepers. And we need to do it well.

It begins with showing up. Day after day.

We need to talk ourselves into writing instead of out of it. Writing regularly will train us and develop our voices. If we risk posting that writing on a blog or sharing it with our friends, we’ll discover what works and what doesn’t.

All of this—this business of becoming a writer—starts not with the hands, but with the head. (Kindle location 156)

That’s one of the key messages of You Are A Writer. The other is that it’ll take a lot of work and perseverance. Here again, a large chunk of the battle is mental.

If passion isn’t what drives you, you may not have much tolerance for the pain, rejection, and disappointment of the writer’s life. If, however, you write because you have to—because you can’t imagine not doing it—then there may be hope for you yet. (Kindle location 787)

Once we’ve decided to show up, or to rediscover the joy of writing if we’ve become disillusioned or worn down, You Are A Writer has good advice on things like platform-building, branding and connections.

Jeff Goins’ approach is to “serve your way into relationships” (Kindle location 514). Not in a manipulative way, but as a way of life. Give to others. Meet their needs. It’s the old saying: what goes around, comes around. Or the Golden Rule: treat others the way you wish to be treated.

We all know sometimes this will bite us. But it works. And it makes for a more contented life.

It’s definitely worked for Mr. Goins. He’s served up plenty of free, quality writing advice on his blog, and the gatekeepers are now coming to him with invitations.

My review copy is one of the free Kindle downloads he offered. I’m doing this review, not as repayment or even as a thank-you, but to help spread the word about a valuable resource that could make a difference in your life – if you are a writer.

Visit Jeff Goins, Writer for more about the author and to see what you can learn from his blog. You can also check out the You Are a Writer website for quotes, endorsements etc, or join the conversation on Twitter with the #youareawriter hashtag.

Book Review: You Are a Writer (So Start Acting like One) by Jeff Goins (indiewritingblog.com)
Teaser Tuesday #3: You Are A Writer..by Jeff Goins (readingenvogue.wordpress.com)
You are a Writer: So Start Acting Like One by Jeff Goins (Book Review) Reviewed by Tammy (iwokeupyesterday.com)
Book Review: You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One!) by Jeff Goins (donabumgarner.typepad.com)
Book Review – You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins (duffbert.com)
Book Review – You Are A Writer, So Act Like One – Jeff Goins (moniqueegelhoff.wordpress.com)
E-Book Review: You Are A Writer by Jeff Goins (fantasyfic.wordpress.com)

Called to Write?

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[Photo credit: Wikipedia, public domain]

Some of us know we’re called to write. That gives strength to hang on in the tough times.

I’ve never been sure. It’s just something I do. God has prompted me with a devotional thought to share here each week, so I’m pretty sure that’s part of my current assignment.

But fiction? All I know is it’s fun to write, and something in me comes more alive when I’m discovering a story. If that’s the whole point of it, I’ll embrace the gift and enjoy it. If He wants to bless someone through it, that’s great too and I’m relying on Him to connect the words with the person because it ain’t happenin’ through my own efforts.

Mary DeMuth is a writer who’s encouraged many other writers. Here’s a post she wrote in 2010 that I only just found. If you’re wondering about writing and calling, please click over and read Called to Write? Ten Ways to Know. Note she distinguishes between “called to write” and “called to write, be published and widely read”.

And you know what? “Not called” doesn’t mean “don’t write.” It just means writing is optional. If you’re called, better obey.

Related link: “Why Do You Write?” by Lisa Hall-Wilson.

Writing Anniversaries

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March is anniversary month for me, writing-wise, on two counts:

The earliest notes I have for my first novel draft are from March 1994, although I may have started earlier, and some of those characters lived in my head for a good year before venturing out onto the computer.

While I’ve had short stories published, that novel and its companion are still (again!) in the revision cycle. Somewhere along the line I decided to fight discouragement with humour, and so was born the annual ‘birthday’ celebration for my characters. Since new characters have joined those first few, I think ‘anniversary’ works better: the anniversary of when I started writing fiction (not counting the short stories and abandoned novel openings of my childhood).

1994 to 2012 … “eighteen years, I guess it was all right” — can anyone guess which Newsboys song that’s from? It’s way out of context, but it’s been going through my head this month. Each year I do a cake. Carrot cake, this time, as suggested by one of my longest-standing imaginary friends, Ruth, who’s a cheesecake lover. But she was definite about the carrot cake. And my family certainly appreciated it on her behalf.

2008 to 2012… four years — actually, four years ago to this very date (March 30) my first blog post here at God with Us: Finding Joy went live. I wasn’t thinking about March when I posted, just thinking I’d delayed long enough!

If you’re a writer, do you observe milestones or anniversaries? How and why? Or why not?

Review: The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, by Jeff Gerke

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The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, by Jeff Gerke (Marcher Lord Press, 2009)

This book is subtitled “The complete guide to finding your story, honing your skills, and glorifying God in your novel,” and it lives up to what it promises.

The material is divided into three sections: The Spiritual Heart of Writing Christian Fiction; Strategizing Yourself, Strategizing Your Fiction; and Writing Your Novel. The third section fills half the book and provides a comprehensive overview of the craft.

The writing and strategizing material is mostly aimed at beginners. These two sections cover characters, show and tell, point of view, description and dialogue. As we learn, we’ll want other books on the craft to give advanced teaching, but this is a great place to start, filled with practical instruction.

But this is not just a book for beginners. The first 40 pages offer something I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else in writing-focused books.

Jeff Gerke asks some penetrating questions before getting into the “how” of writing. Whose approval are we writing for, at the deepest level? God’s or man’s? Will publication—or a best-seller—provide what we need for contentment? What’s our calling as Christian novelists?

This part of the book justified the purchase price, and it’s something I’ll come back to again and again. I think it applies to writers of all stages of experience.

For new writers, another key benefit in this opening section is Jeff’s up-front warning that not all writing teachers agree. Instead of trying to reinvent ourselves to match each one’s view, we need to listen, learn, and then discern what works best for our own stories. Knowing this can prevent severe confusion.

Jeff himself recommends taking up to the first half of a novel before moving into the second act of a three-act structure. Traditionally this mark is closer to the one-third mark, which fits better for me. But he likes prologues when many don’t, and I’m happy to agree there!

The book’s spiritual grounding, big-picture strategizing and techniques will benefit Christians no matter what their fiction genre. For those writing for the Christian market, there are genre-specific tips and advice, including options on conveying profanity without being banned from the Christian bookstore.

The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is an essential book for the Christian writer’s library. It’s clear, easy to understand and put into practice, and there’s enough humour to make it a fun read.

[Review copy from my personal library. Review originally appeared in FellowScript, August 2011.]

Friday Friends: Kimberley Payne, author of Fit for Faith

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Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and author of Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health. She’s here today to tell us about the book, which has been available in print for a while and is releasing in ebook format on October 11.

Janet: Welcome, Kimberley. You’re a former personal trainer, and you’ve worked in the designing and counselling fields of weight control, stress management, self esteem improvement and wellness programs. Great background for writing a healthy-living book. What prompted you to add a spiritual health component?

Kimberley: Although I’d been born and raised within the church, it wasn’t until I attended a Christian women’s retreat that I realized how much I had compartmentalized my life: family in one corner, work in another; finances here, health there; faith in its own box. I began to see that my faith shouldn’t be kept partitioned off from the rest of my life. Instead, it needed to be intertwined with all the parts of my life. If I was going to follow Him as my Lord, God wanted me to include Him in everything.

Janet: That’s one of those realizations we each need to come to, and it makes a huge difference. I confess I haven’t really thought through the implications of how God might want to direct my physical fitness. What can readers expect from the workbook? Will there be differences in the electronic format?

Kimberley: Fit for Faith is a well-rounded balanced program that follows the stages of change. It’s also an awareness program. The reader is accountable to record their activities, and this helps them to recognize where their strengths are and what areas they need to improve.

The only difference in e-book format is that the reader will record this information in a separate journal.

Janet: What kind of feedback have you had from readers to date?

Kimberley: One reader wrote: “If there are books you must have at all times, this is sure to be one of them, not as a casual read but as a guide to achieving spiritual and physical well being and a ready reckoner for maintenance at the end of the seven week programme.”

Janet: What a great endorsement! I hear you weren’t born a fitness enthusiast. Care to tell us how you got into it?

Kimberley: It wasn’t until I discovered that I was three weeks pregnant with my first child at age 27 that I began to think about changing my anti-athletic ways. I wanted to set an example for my baby.

Janet: What got you started writing?

Kimberley: I won poetry awards in grade-school and always wrote in a journal. But I started seriously writing in 2003, after attending Write! Canada (then called God Uses Ink) and joining The Word Guild.

Janet: I enjoyed your story in A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider, and I know you’ve written other things besides. Do you have a mission statement or an overall purpose for your writing?

Kimberley: I write to bring others closer to God.

Janet: And you write mostly for women?

Kimberley: Yes. Many times I write with a good friend in mind.

Janet: Tell us a bit about your other writing projects.

Kimberley: I’ve written a novel based on a true story, called Tooth for Tooth. It was my first stab at fiction writing, and although I enjoyed the process, I really am more of a non-fiction writer.

I also write devotionals and have collected them into books, Where Fitness meets Faith and Where Family meets Faith.

Janet: You’ve posted an introduction to Fit for Faith on YouTube. I think that’s a great way to let readers hear and come to trust the writer behind the words. After all, if we’re going to invest time in our personal health, we want a sense of who this coach really is.

Kimberley: I agree. Although it’d be wonderful to travel all over the country to give book readings and meet with readers, it’s not feasible. I thought this would be the next best thing.

Janet: I think it’s a great idea. You seem comfortable using YouTube as a way to connect with your readers (Fit4Faith Channel). The demonstrations of stretching techniques are much easier to follow than printed instructions and diagrams, and you’ve posted a trailer for Tooth for Tooth as well as videos of your readings. YouTube, ebooks, public speaking… clearly the traditionally-printed word is just part of the package for communicating your message. Do you see it as something that will gain importance as more options come along?

Kimberley: I love all the “non-traditional” ways to get a message out. I have plans to post further exercise videos to accompany my book Fit for Faith, offer fitness consultations through Skype, and am open to other options as they come up.

Janet: What do you like to do to get away from it all?

Kimberley: I love to hike in the woods, have a fun game of tennis, or enjoy a bike ride with a good friend.

Janet: What’s the most fun thing you’ve ever done?

Kimberley: I’ve travelled to Holland four times. My parents are from the Netherlands and we have many relatives there. We’re all very close. I’d love nothing more than to bike across Holland with my mom and my daughter. Maybe next summer.

Janet: Lastly, is there a particular song or Scripture verse that’s made a big difference for you?

Kimberley: My life verse is: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

I’ve come to realize that worry is useless. God hears and answers prayer. I rely on this every single day.

Janet: That’s one of those truths all Christians know, but most of us need regular reminders. Thanks so much for taking time to let us get to know you a bit, Kimberley. May the Lord continue to bless you and make you a blessing to others—in every area of your life.

Kimberley: Thanks Janet! I enjoyed giving thought to these questions. It’s been a lot of fun!!

===

Fit for Faith will release in ebook format on October 11. See Kimberley’s launch gift page for special offers valid for release day only.

The workbook is available for Kindle and in most other ebook formats. For those without e-readers, the print version of Fit for Faith is available through Lulu.com.

To learn more about Kimberley Payne, visit her website or her blogs, Fit for Faith and Return Home and Tell.

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense

Tag Archives: writing

Three strangers walk into a bar…

Celebration Month

Tips and Links on Writing Fiction

Masquerade: Am I a Fraud? Guest Post by Deb Elkink

Photo credits: Colourful window of masks: Deb Elkink; Lacy black masks: Lorenda Harder. Photos used by permission.

Writer, Who Are You Really?

Review: You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins

Called to Write?

Writing Anniversaries

Review: The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, by Jeff Gerke

[Review copy from my personal library. Review originally appeared in FellowScript, August 2011.]

Friday Friends: Kimberley Payne, author of Fit for Faith

Photo credits: Colourful window of masks: Deb Elkink; Lacy black masks: Lorenda Harder. Photos used by permission.

Related articles

[Review copy from my personal library. Review originally appeared in FellowScript, August 2011.]