Writer's Block (part one)

Tap. Tap. "Is this thing on?" oh, ok, it is.

"Ugh." I have writer's block.

To be perfectly honest, its been a while since I've been visited my this unwelcome guest. And as much as I'd like him to pack up his little suitcase and obnoxious voice, which reminds me each time I sit at my computer and pull up my current manuscript, "You have no idea what you are going to write about." And, "Haha, you've written yourself into a corner."

Grrr. I feel helpless.

So since my 1200 word quota for my mon-fri 2 hour writing session (aka, kids nap time) has pretty much dissipated into digital chicken scratch, I am down to making short notes that look like this:

Such and such character should do this. And this other character should do this. And they should get mad at each other and then it will snow and maybe a stray dog can wander into the story and we can name him Pierre, but this is Appalachia so I should name him Jimmy Hotsocks or something really cool and is it too late to add aliens? Maybe Vampires? How 'bout an Amish girl. No that's been done and I still have no idea what I am going to do in this chapter so why am I still typing and when is my brain going to get back from vacation?

Have I already said Grr? Oh I have? That's right, I'm also repeating myself. Lovely, this keeps getting better.

So now that I've used up the allotted amount of word count to rant, I've decided its time to seek a solution. There are several. 1) continue on because I am a professional and this is my job. 2) seek an alternate career choice. 3) go on a three month vacation to Reykjavik and read all the books I can while snowed in for the winter.

Option 3 would be great, but our vacation fund just ain't up to par for that one.

Option 2 is tempting, I could always become a baker, or a butcher or a candlestick maker, but then again, I have this half-written novel that's just begging to be finished.

Which brings me back to option 1. Sigh. I will be professional about this. It CAN be done.

So where do I begin? The first thing to do is step back and take a deep breath (resisting-the-urge-to-turn-on-a-Yanni-CD) and accept that it is now time to plow through my true options--and figure how on earth I can kick this thing called writer's block.

Brace yourself--this is not a writing course and my methods are probably not perfect or even correct, but I'm a little desperate, so I might as well start small and build from there.

Here's what I've got so far:

I've realized that I need to sort out my objective for the next chapter(or 2 or 3). What do I want to accomplish? What mood am I trying to evoke? What MUST happen to drive the story forward? Who do I want the reader to sympathize with, the hero? Heroine? Villain? Hmmm. Lots to think on.

This weekend, I've spent many moments in my "cocoon" which includes shutting out the world for about three minutes while I listen to music and try to play the story out in my mind. This has been incredibly helpful, yet not quite getting me over this hump. I even tried different scenes with different moods. Sometimes I'd imagine a scene with a love song, other times a tense song or even an upbeat song. Each time, the scene changed in my mind, different words were spoken, different actions and in the end--a different result. Scenes got deleted or added in.

So as I'm wading around in the swamp called writer's block, I've realized that the process is starting to feel a lot like making a soup--a little garlic, a little salt, maybe a sprinkle of pepper. As I tweaked things here and there, making subtle changes to dialogue, etc., the scenes started to become closer to what I wanted them to be. But its not there yet. My pages are still covered in chicken scratch with no quality writing, so my goal this week is to break through these next three chapters and hopefully come out on the other side with a few great scenes that are just what this story needs.

Which is why this is called Writer's Block, part one. I'll let you know what happens on the other end! (And I would love any advice or suggestions on how you deal with writer's block, so please, share away!)

If you're ready for part two...check it out here!

2010 Favorites

Ok. I just lied to you. I know I said this was going to be a list of my favorite things from 2010 but since this is my first year blogging, I might back list just a tad. (Don't worry, I promise not to go as far back as The Chipmunk Adventure movie, that was third grade. Ok, maybe sixth, and now I'm totally embarrassed. Moving on.)

This a list of books and movies that I would not only recommend, but bring a smile to my face on a cold blustery day when one just wants to curl up with a throw, a good book or the remote control.

Books:

Anything by Liz Curtis Higgs. (LOVE her Scottish Series: Thorn in my Heart, Fair is the Rose and Whence Came a Prince. Buy it now. And a box of Kleenex.) Her newest book, Here Burns my Candle, also set in Scotland, is fabulous.


Anything by Susan Meissner. (I read The Shape of Mercy and just finished Lady in Waiting. I'm currently in the middle of A Seahorse in the Thames and its really great. I was hooked by page two and that's hard to do. Susan is so good at what she does. Required: no social life for about two days. And I wish I had thought of this one: Pizza + paper plates= more time to read.) The woman has a gift. I've never read a title by her that I haven't loved.

Under the Tuscan Sun. (It was so much better than the movie. Sorry, Diane Lane. I still really like you. But the book was completely different and oh so good. And considering I got the paperback at a yard sale, it was a very inexpensive vacation. Pick up some Italian takeout or your rumbling tummy will have you clamoring for plane tickets to Italy, ASAP.)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Yes I had to check the spelling on that one. It was such a great read. Clever. Heartwarming. Truly captivating and entertaining. Checked it out from the library and upon completion, bought a copy of my own.)

Ok...onto Movies:

Persuasion ( Note the picture above. The version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is soooo lovely. The first time I watched it, I wasn't sure if I liked it--it's a rather slow movie--but, something about that story made me start it over. And after the second time through, I was hooked. The. Best. Love Story. (The book is Lovely.)

Sense and Sensibility (I don't mean to be on a Jane Austen trip, but the girl was good. Really good. I love the version with Emma Thomson, but recently discovered the newest BBC version made for television. Such a beautiful film. (I really want to list Emma and Pride and Prejudice as well, but I will restrain myself. Just know that they are brilliant.)


Lord of The Rings (I could have mentioned this with the books, but I was part of the second generation of Ring fans when the movies came out. I devoured the books during my days of eating lunch in my high school art class with all my nerdy Tolkien friends. You know who you are :) But we had fun. And its still a great flick.)

Robin Hood (The one with Russel Crowe. My husband and I went on a date and being an archer himself, he really liked it. I loved the message of faith and conviction behind Robin Hood's character. )

Ok, I'm sure you're sensing a theme. I'm just the Les Mis and King Arthur kind of girl. Give me a bowl of popcorn, a bubbly drink, and a knight in shining armor any day :)

And I'm excited to see what good reads and flicks the new year will hold!

Simply Christmas

Its that time of year where I can't believe there are only a few days until Christmas.

It feels like I was just making turkey and cranberry sandwiches and now, my decorations will be so last week in well...a week!

There are a few more presents to buy, a stack of mail at the post office to pick up, desserts to bake, festivities to plan, a tree to water and there would even be snow to shovel but its decided to rain for the last four days and I hear its not even over!

I just want to slam my foot on the break petal of December. Come to think of it, why not.

I hope you have your seat belt on.

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Just Breathe. Ahhhh. That feels better already.

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So why are we even here? In the midst of this holiday called Christmas, feeling like the world is whirling by in a swirl of snow globes and twinkle lights.

Wasn't there a purpose to all this? You know, the "Reason for the Season." I always see it posted on gigantic signs in church lawns but has it really sunk in this year? Or have I been more focused on the fact that only half the things on my gift-giving list are crossed out and I'm officially one cookie exchange over the cuckoo's nest?

Its time to turn my attention back to the fact that all those years ago, Mary and Joseph were searching for a place to stay. A place where Mary could give birth to her baby boy. I don't think she had aspirations of a stable with animals and a manger. I'm sure she envisioned a snug little bed in an inn with candles, blankets and warm water. All the things she would need.

Or so she thought she needed.

God had a plan and even as they let go of those things, Mary and Joseph brought their child into this world in the most perfect of settings--a humble beginning for the grandest of kings. Can I humble my aspirations enough to truly enjoy this season? Can we take time away from curling ribbon and fluffing garland to remember that this holiday began in humbleness and love.

Because that is where the true joy is found.

Loving friends, loving family and holding on to the true meaning of Christmas; the story of the child who was born into this world, the child they named Immanuel--God with us.

Many blessings and happy Christmas!

Tell me, how do you slow down during Christmas?


Photo credit: The Nativity Story, 2006

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the little lamb to the Shepard boy.
Do you hear what I hear?

That song is full of the most beautiful words.

I'm a Christmas song geek. But I admit it with pride. I just love them. Since the day after Thanksgiving, my computer has been eternally fixed on my favorite Itunes Christmas station, Heavenly Christmas. There is something about the songs of the season that help me remember the reason we are celebrating. And my love of this music, as for many of us, goes back to childhood.

My dad is a mailman, and for anyone who has ever been in the delivery service, knows that the fun only gets better as Christmas approaches (just kidding). My dad would come home late every Christmas Eve, exhausted from his duties of making certain that every package and card was safely delivered before quittin' time. Once home, he'd kick off his black boots, jump in a hot bath and my sister and I would be giddy with excitement (In my family, we opened half of our presents on the night before Christmas).

I always remember my parents turning on the festive sounds of Nat King Cole. Hearing that smooth voice fill our little house as we enjoyed sparkling cider in my mom's holiday glasses is a memory I will never forget. And dressed in his jammies, my dad would emerge, refreshed and ready to share some Christmas joy with his girls.

Although I have a love for Christmas music, I'm not real big on the hits you hear on the radio (ok, that was an understatement). In truth, I have an embarrassingly large stack of Celtic Christmas Cd's and a few Bluegrass ones that are pretty fun.

But my husband is not a huge fan of Christmas music. Not because he lacks holiday cheer. I mean, the guy is certainly festive. He hung a nice display of Christmas lights on our house (granted he got to use his staple gun which is practically a power tool) and he always sets up my village for me. But he grew up on a Christmas tree lot and the day after Thanksgiving meant getting his hands dirty, strapping trees to minivans and enduring six weeks of Santa Baby. So I can't blame the guy. Although to his credit, whenever he hears the stations shift into Christmas mode he calls me up from work and tells me the stations. (Definite brownie points.) Then again, the other day he told me he liked a Christmas song. Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I nearly fainted with shock.

I have a lot of favorite songs--Oh Holy Night and The Holly and the Ivy, pretty much take the cake. But recently, while enjoying my new found radio station, I kept hearing music by an artist that plays the most beautiful songs on the piano. His name is Tim Neumark and after hearing several of his arrangements, I immediately went to the ITunes store to download the entire CD. But I only had $1.04 in my account, and after fighting the urge to throw a minor tantrum, chose my favorite one, its a variation on "Do You Hear What I hear?"


It's hands down, one of the most beautiful Christmas songs I've ever heard. I highly recommend giving it a listen as it reminds us that the true meaning of Christmas, is what was lying beneath the bright and shining star all those years in Bethlehem; the child who has brought us goodness and light.

I'd love to hear what your favorites songs and carols are...

(Directions to my favorite station: Itunes Radio-Ambient-Got Radio, Heavenly Christmas)

For more on Tim Neumark and his music, visit Tim's Website

Sinterklass ~ A Timeless Tradition

Have you ever noticed that my last name is Bischof? My husbands family is a happy blend of German and Italian. I've never seen my mother-in-law use red sauce from a jar and when it comes to pizza and pasta to die for...well I've married into the right family. But back to the German side of things. There is a little holiday the Bischof children always celebrated when they were growing up. Aside from spending every Christmas Eve devouring plate loads of Waffles and Brats for dinner, they celebrated Sinterklass on the eve of December 5th.

If you are Dutch, prepare yourself for our American attempt at your holiday ;)

Even in America, some Dutch communities still celebrate this holiday town-wide with a parade where kids wait and watch for Sinterklass on his gray horse.

The way my husband grew up celebrating Sinterklass (More properly known in the Netherlands as Sint Nikolaas or Goedheiligman) was to put a pair of shoes out the night before and in the morning, Sinterklass, a man with a red hat and snowy white beard (sound familiar?) has filled them with treats. I hear my hubby and his brothers and sister would search for the largest, deepest pair of shoes they owned and they would often times put out hay for Sinterklass' horse, sometimes even putting it up on the roof. Boys will be boys. And what kid doesn't like to wake up on December 6th--three solid weeks before Christmas--to chocolates and goodies stuffed in their shoes?

When I first met my husband, as the shoes-out-the-night-before thing faded, my mother-in-law would hand each of us a mug stuffed with yummies and a Christmas ornament or pair of socks on the 6th--so its fun for kids of all ages. And now that there are plenty of grandchildren to spread the magic with, the shoes can return!

This will be the first year we celebrate Sinterklass with our kids and I am excited to tell them about it and watch them put their shoes out and when they go to bed, help Sinterklass fill the toddler size treads with dutch cookies and treats. Of course, only if they have been good ;)

Just plain Christmas fun!

The Writer's Torch: Bruce Judisch

Guest Blogger, Author Bruce Judisch shares about his novel: Katia

CS Lewis once opined that we don’t need more books on theology, we need more books on science and other topics that have a Christian worldview embedded. While his comment focused explicitly on nonfiction, I think the same holds true with fiction, to an extent.

More than one writers’ forum has debated the value of storylines carrying an overt Christian theme—e.g., spiritual rags-to-riches with at least one profound conversion scene—as compared to stories with the Christian theme, or worldview, more subtly interwoven through its fabric. And, as is true with most debatable topics, each side has both strengths and weaknesses.

My first fictional series, “A Prophet’s Tale,” centered on the minor prophet Jonah. Therefore, it necessarily contained a strong overt Biblical message, as I was intent to remain true to the Scriptural account. Although set in a pre-Christian era (8th-century BC), the opportunities to reinforce, and even allude to, Judeo-Christian values were many. It was very enjoyable to write. However, in my latest novel, I took a different tack.

Katia tells the story of vivacious Madeline “Maddy” McAllister, a young American journalism exchange student who is commissioned to write the life story of Katia Mahler, a stoic survivor of post-WWII East Germany. The third major character, Katia’s long-time friend, Oskar Schultmann, facilitates the arrangement.

Raised and homeschooled in a Christian environment, Maddy is a junior at a large state university. She has adapted well—too well, perhaps—to the college and sorority scenes. And, as expected, her faith and her family relationships have eroded as her interests turned inward and her world shrank to herself and a small circle of friends.

Born in a bomb shelter in Karlshorst, Germany, in 1943, the infirm Katia Mahler has survived the deprivation of war and its aftermath, as well as the severe oppression of communist-controlled East Germany. The daughter of a clergyman and herself a staunch Christian, Katia’s faith has sustained her through trials of the worst kind.

Oskar remains in the background until his own secrets draw him into the story in ways he never expected or intended.

When Maddy moves in with Katia, generations and cultures clash, as two personalities shaped by such different worlds and eras struggle to understand each other’s present and past. Katia is formal, reserved and rigid. Maddy is none of those things. As you might expect, such literary ground is fertile for conflict and poignancy—and for much humor. It’s also fertile ground for both the characters and the reader to grow.

As Katia reveals her story, it produces a profound impact on the sheltered Maddy, who comes to recognize a world much larger than she had come to acknowledge and relearns the value of a faith she once cherished. But the lesson does not travel a one-way street. Maddy unwittingly exerts her own influence on Katia, too, who receives so much more than a memoir from the spirited young American.

Finally, Katia is set against a very real backdrop of 20th-century history. Katia’s narrative recounts events through the perspective of how they affected her family: e.g., the Holocaust, the Berlin Airlift, Soviet intervention in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and, foremost, the construction and ultimate fall of the Berlin Wall. Through this, Maddy also learns the value of a freedom that she has always taken for granted.

Katia, then, is a story not so much of redemption, but of restoration. The Christian moral message surfaces through metaphorical nuggets in Katia’s and ultimately Oskar’s stories, as well as through their interactions with Maddy.

So, it appears I side with Mr. Lewis in my approach to Katia. And that’s pretty good company, don’t you think?

As an aside, I wrote Katia based upon a scene I witnessed in Berlin at the fall of the Wall in 1989. A photo of that inspirational moment, plus a gallery of images from Berlin before, during and after that historic event can be viewed on my Web site at www.brucejudisch.com/katia.htm. I hope you’ll take a moment to visit me there.

For those who might be in the San Antonio area the weekend after Thanksgiving, I’ll be signing books and will have a complete display of Berlin Wall paraphernalia at The Twig bookstore in the Pearl Brewery complex on Saturday, November 27th, from 9:00-11:00am. Oh, and there will be apple strudel—of course!

Apple Recipes

As fall has come upon us, I realized that I truly have a pathetic stash of apple recipes. Any applelicious treats that have blown my socks off were always made by other people. Pie. Cobblers. Crisps. Apple cake. Now, to vamp up my stash of tried and trues, it would be easy enough to google a few or buy a cookbook, but there's nothing like those really good recipes--yummy family delicacies or those home tested favorites.

It's just that time of year to bust out the apple peeler, pull out the cinnamon and spices and dress up these tart and tasty fruits. Homemade crusts call my name and although I think melting a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is criminal, it should certainly be on hand for those who disagree. (I know I'm weird. You can throw your apple corer at me. I won't hold it against you)

So jump on in and share your favorite recipe and I'll give you mine (as lonely as it is) and I have to admit that this isn't even my recipe. My sister-in-law gave it to me and I have to also confess that she makes it ten times better than I do. I don't know how she does it. They grow their own apples. They're really small and crisp and the crumble topping is buttery and golden and tender all at the same time. OK, now I'm just plain hungry!

Apple Crisp

4-5 medium apples (or 8 small), peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
*cut apples into pie dish and sprinkle with sugar and spices

Crumble Topping:

3/4 cup Quick Oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
*mash together with a fork until thoroughly mixed and "crumbly" :)
Sprinkle over apples and lightly pat down

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown