Baring My Soul

“Oh, you’re a writer. Are you writing a book? What’s it about?”

I get asked these questions a lot. They are often followed by “Can I read it?” and “Am I in your book?”. People are curious about my experience as a writer. While I do appreciate their interest, let me just say: 

I hate these questions. So much. 

I suppose that’s because a) I’m an introvert and b) I invest a lot of myself in my writing, so sharing it with others often feels like I’m revealing a deep part of me. In the past, I’ve hedged with answers like “Well, I’m still trying to figure that out”, “It’s really too long and complicated to explain right now”, or “I’ve got a few ideas floating around”. While I was at a writer’s conference earlier this month, I had to explain my story to editors and agents. It was hard, but it made me realize that I need to get comfortable talking about my writing with other people. So I decided to start here, with my blog and faithful readers. 

I’ve got a few projects in my mind, but the one I’m focusing on is a fantasy novel, hopefully one of a series of 5. Each one of the books is based on a fairy tale. The first one is Cinderella. The main character is Lady Lucinda Westerfield, or Lucy. She is 19 years old and about to inherit her deceased mother’s estate and wealth. Her father, who has been managing the money, desperately wants to keep control of it and Lucy is shocked to find how far he will go. If she can stay free from his control until her 20th birthday, she will be free to live her life as she chooses. But in a world where everyone has a magical gift, Lucy fears that if anyone knew what gift she possesses, people will seek to control her. She has to learn who to trust with herself, and even her heart. 

That’s the basic premise. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hide in a corner and pretend I didn’t just share that with the internet.

Make Everyone Happy

It’s summer and for a lot of us, that means Vacation Bible School. For the past few days, I’ve been corralling about a dozen preschoolers for two and a half hours. Because of that, I’ve been privy to the little gems that are constantly falling out of the mouths of those bundles of energy. As you might expect, among the hilarious and nonsensical are small treasures of wisdom and insight.
We were having snacks yesterday and one little boy indignantly declared that we had forgotten to pray before we ate. He volunteered to do so and began right away. I couldn’t understand everything he was saying, but I caught one thing that stuck.
“Please make everyone happy.”
It’s a simple request, but it got me thinking. When was the last time I prayed for someone else’s happiness? I don’t know about you, but I tend to be rather selfish in my prayers. Sure, if someone asks me to pray for them or someone they know, I’ll do it, but even then it’s more for healing or peace then happiness.
I challenge you, and myself, to make an effort to pray the simple prayer of a child: “Make everyone happy.” Then go out and try to be the one that makes others happy.
What’s the wisest, or funniest, thing you’ve heard a kid say? Comment below and share their words.

Plot Vs. Character

This post is aimed more towards my fellow writers. I have been absolutely riveted the past few days by the most helpful book in the world (and that’s only a slight exaggeration). Friends, if you haven’t read this book, go buy it. If you’ve read it but don’t own it, go buy it. I’m serious.

The book is called Plot vs. Character and is written by Jeff Gerke. I picked it up at a recent writer’s conference after an editor recommended it to me. Let me just say. Wow. I swear that book could read my mind. It centers on the idea that all writers naturally come up with stories one of two ways; they either dream up compelling characters or exciting plots. You probably know which one you are. And chances are, you’re not so good with the other. I’ll admit, I’m awesome at character development. Plot, not so much.

Gerke literally walks you through the process of developing both. It’s a wonderful exercise in writing and you finish the book (if you do it correctly) with a wealth of information for your story. It’s not just a book of theories or ideas. He has you writing character monologues and drawing plot maps. If you take the time and put in the effort, you will have intriguing characters and intricate plots. 

The funniest part of the book (besides the dry humor it’s written with) is that in actuality, plot and character are very closely tied. More so than you would think. After all, a book is just the story of the main character’s inner journey. And the external events are the stage upon which that journey is set. 

I won’t often promote writing books here because there are so many. Also, there’s no right way to write; you just do it. But this book was so helpful, I had to give it a post. Just ask my family. My nose has been deeply planted in this book for the past three days. And now that I’ve finished reading it, I’m going through it again with a specific story to work on. I highly encourage all you writers to at least look through it if you get the chance.

Even though I won’t promote writing books here often, I’m always on the lookout for more! Comment below and let me know what the most helpful, or entertaining, writing book has been for you!

Plotters and Pantsers

One of the questions I get most often as a writer is “Are you a plotter or a pantser?” I was actually thinking about answering this in my recent Q&A, but I realized that this question begs an explanation. So for those of you who haven’t heard of these terms, here’s a quick explanation.

Plotters: Plotters are, as the name implies, writers who extensively plot out their stories. They plan nearly every detail before they begin writing and stick to it. They can change their plan, but try their best to get it right the first time so they don’t have to rework the plot later.

Pantsers: The word pantsers comes from way some writers have been described as writing by the seat of their pants. They don’t plan extensively; in fact, some don’t even know how the story will end, or even what is going to happen. They just start writing and let their characters dictate the story.

Most writers aren’t either extreme. They tend to write with a mix of plotting and pantsing. I personally tend to lean a little more toward plotting, but I try to keep it to the major events. I like to leave the smaller details to develop on their own. That way, I’m able discover new things while writing, but I also have a goal to push toward when I get stuck somewhere.

Some Fatherly Advice

For as long as I can remember, my dad would send my sisters and I off to school with the same words.

“Have a good day. I love you. Shine.”

This ritual began after Dad overheard a rather heated argument about what should be the last thing you tell your kids before they go to school. The thought stuck with him and he decided that he wanted my sisters and I to know three things everyday.

1. Have a good day. The choice to have a good day is ours. In my dad’s words, “if you’re a grumpus-shlumpus, you’re going to have a bad day.” 

2. I love you. This is pretty obvious. Dad wanted each of us to understand that regardless of what was happening, he loved us. 

3. Shine. This comes from Matthew 5: 14-16. Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount and he instructs his followers to let their light shine. My dad wanted to encourage us to let the light of Christ shine in us and through us. 

So, what’s the best advice your dad has given you? Comment below and share the wisdom.

My First Q&A!

Hi everyone!

So today I’m attempting something new. I asked people on Facebook and Twitter to ask me questions to answer here. They didn’t have to pertain to writing (though most of them did). Depending on how well you like this, I’ll try to do these regularly. You don’t have to wait for one to happen though. Any time you have a question, post it! I’ll keep a running list of questions to use. So here goes!

1. What was the first thing you wrote? Well, I can’t say what the very first thing I wrote was, but I can tell you about the first story I wrote that really got me interested in being a writer. In seventh grade, I had to write a short story as an assignment, I think for an English class, though I’m not sure. I was really excited and wrote a story about a little girl who got lost in the woods, only to be found by an elf girl and her dragon friend. In the end, it was too long and I had to cut out a lot of stuff. But I liked the story so much, I decided to turn it into a book. It’s changed a lot since then, and I haven’t worked on it a lot recently, but it’s still in the back of my mind.

2. What is your favorite style/genre to write in? Is it also your favorite genre to read?  I write fantasy. I love the ability to create a whole world and control what happens and how. And yes, though I love many types of books, fantasy is my favorite.

3. What is your approach to writing dialogue? Ah, you’ve discovered my weakness. Dialogue and I have always had a rocky relationship. First I should explain how I write in general. When I work on a story for long enough, it takes on a life of it’s own. I see it as a movie in my head; I don’t really have any control over what happens, I just write what I see. So ideally, if I’m in the right mindset, the dialogue will flow. However, that is often not the case. The thing I find hardest is making each of the characters sound different. I’m working on it, though.

4. What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned at Taylor? I’ve learned to prioritize. There are always so many things going on at Taylor that it can be hard to decide what to invest in. I’ve been a Theatre minor for the past year and a half, so I spend a lot of time there. I also want to spend time having fun with my friends. Balancing all of that can be hard, so I had to learn what was most important, and maybe give up other things that I enjoy.

So, that’s all from me for today. I’ll leave you with a question from me. I feel like I should address you, my readers, in some way other than just ‘readers’. What do you think I should call you?

An Important Lesson (or two or three)

It may come as no surprise, but narrowing down my experience at the writer’s conference to one major lesson, or even a few, has proved to be rather challenging. So I’ve put together a list of the most important things I learned. 

1. How to deal with rejection. This can actually apply to more than just writing, as can a lot of the things I learned. One of the many speakers, Tim Burns, said something that really stuck with me. “Failure is not a person, it’s an event.” Many of the speakers talked about the importance of realizing that rejection does not reflect on you personally. It can be hard to separate yourself from your work, but often rejection simply happens because the work does not fit the place it was submitted to. 

2. Dealing with writer’s block. This can be a touchy subject as there is a camp of writer’s who don’t believe that writer’s block exist.The general consensus of most writers I’ve heard talk about this is to take a break, take a walk, and work somewhere else. All those things can get your creative juices flowing. It’s also a good idea to have a friend to talk things out with or bounce ideas off of.

3. Find a group of writers to join. There is nothing more encouraging than a group of people who can understand exactly what you are dealing with. They can provide valuable insight, constructive criticism, and a safe place to vent. After all, who else would understand the argument an author is having with a character except another author?

4. Never be afraid to write. A story that is badly written can be improved upon, but a story that goes untold is simply a missed opportunity. It can be tempting to wait until the story is ‘perfect’ in your mind before writing it, but that unfortunately happens only rarely. Writing is hard work; writing, editing, revising, rewriting, and repeating. 

5. When all else fails, remember who’s really writing the story.  Every writer faces discouragement. When you think your story isn’t good enough, or that you aren’t doing it justice, or when the rejection slips pile up, remember that this is God’s work. He has a plan for your writing and if the story needs to be told, He will provide a way to do so. 

So yeah! I learned a lot in the last week. Feel free to ask me questions about my experience!

The Promised Update

Hello all!

I don’t plan on posting back to back days, but this is my only free day during the week. As I promised last week, here is an update on me!

I just finished my sophomore year at Taylor, where I continue to study Professional Writing, with a minor in Theatre. I was involved in three productions during the year, which kept me busy. I didn’t get to write as much as I would have liked, but as of today, I have been paid for two pieces I’ve written. 

The biggest piece of news I have to share is that I will be going to a writing conference, Write to Publish, later this week. It’s a Christian writing conference and I’ll not only get to learn more about writing and the publishing industry, I’ll be able to meet with an editor to discuss my own writing. I am so excited about this opportunity!

Other than that, I’ll be home the rest of the summer, working if I can find a job. I’ll keep writing like a maniac.

Well, I think that’s all for today! Let me know if you have any questions about my recent doings.

“May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night,
and the road downhill all the way to your door.”