1. Stay focused. As writers it's important to stay focused on our writing to make it the best we can. When we don't we end up with a mess and more likely than not have to go back and either do some major edits or to rewrite it all. No fun at all. So staying focused is paramount to making the writing successful. 2. Retain mystery. It's important to keep the story a mystery so the reader will continue to keep the reader engrossed in the story otherwise they would lose interest. 3. Hunt … [Read more...]
Day 95: Five Things Writers Can Learn from Dogs
I love the list from the book as these can be applied to not only writers, but so many things people do in life. 1. Be tenacious and curious about everything. Don't be afraid to try and do new things. See where they take you. Who knows, maybe you'll like it. 2. Abandon yourself to joy on occasion. Don't be afraid to allow yourself to be happy. It's okay to give into the joyous side of life. If your dog suffers from depression they probably need CBD oil to feel better. Get more info here on … [Read more...]
Day 88: From the Desk of God
This one is interesting. When we write we are writing out what is playing in our heads. Read this section from the book: "Writing a novel is like living in a parallel universe. A universe that, unlike reality, you can more or less control. Every day, you find your characters sitting around like polite house-guests waiting to see what you have planned for them. It can be exhilarating on good days, and on other days so difficult and frustrating you think your head might explode. But if you keep … [Read more...]
Day 83: Retyping the Best
This is an interesting concept. Have you ever thought about taking one of your very favorite books and retyping it out? That's right, the entire thing. Nope? Well, I hadn't either until I read about today's phrase. Here is a small excerpt from the book: "When Donald Ray Pollock turned forty-five, he decided he wanted to do something different with his life; he was going to learn how to write. He began by retyping stories by writers he liked —John Cheever, Richard Yates, and Ernest … [Read more...]
The Journey with Joanne Sher
Please welcome this weeks guest Joanne Sher for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? How have I seen God work in my writing journey? For me, this question is huge, in so many ways. Because, you see, it is because of my writing journey that I became a Christian. And it is because I am a Christian, and associate with other Christian writers, that my writing journey is where it is today. So, here I go. :) You see, I was raised Jewish in … [Read more...]
Day 76: Writers Gnashing Teeth
Well, today's topic is interesting. I don't think I've ever ground my teeth. Maybe other writers have. I'm guessing they might do it when they are putting down to paper that next important scene. Or maybe that next blog post. When I think of gnashing teeth I think about what the Bible says of those who are unbelievers once they die and they go to hell. It says there will be gnashing of teeth due to the severity of how bad it will be to go down there. All I can say about myself is that I'm … [Read more...]
Day 65: Why You Don’t Show Your Work to Your Spouse
I have to tell you that as of right now I sit here sitting in my comfy, cozy rocking recliner getting ready to go read today's phrase, I had to laugh as I can only imagine what will be said. I guess we'll find out in a second. Here I go... Well, here it is. I thought it best to quote what she said: "Why You Don’t Show Your Work to Your Spouse. When Norris Church Mailer showed her husband, Norman Mailer, the first one hundred pages of a novel she was working on, he said, 'It’s not as bad as … [Read more...]
Day 63: Feast or Famine: Part 2
Have you ever sat down to your computer or your binder paper and suddenly you have nothing to write. In fact, this goes on for several days. Nothing is coming to you. This is what we writers hate to have happen: Writer's Block. Or the famine. For whatever reason, all of our ideas have dried up like a lake that goes through a severe drought and dries all up. We want to write. We've scheduled our time out and yet here we sit. This has happened with my daughter's dedication website for me. If … [Read more...]
Day 62: Feast or Famine: Part 1
This is a two-day posting. For today's topic it's about the "feast" in writing. Have you ever sat down to write something and story after story is sitting there ready to write. In fact, you have so many of them you're overwhelmed with were to start. This is like the feast. As writers we have to discern what we need to write about. A great place to start would be to pray asking for God's help in knowing what should be written about first. So discernment is the key. We need to listen closely … [Read more...]
Day 59: What Writers Can Learn from Six-Year-Olds
As writers, we love to go into the recesses of our brain and come up with stories out of no where. It's what fuels the fire of our story as we write out each word. I think of Mari as I'm writing this today. Sometimes while Mari would be sitting in her chair, and it looked like she was staring off into space, she would start to giggle incessantly over what appeared to be nothing. You could take your hand and move it back and forth in front of her face and she didn't see it. She'd retreated … [Read more...]
