Don't Be A Stagnant Writer: 5 Helpful Tips

Write with purpose and be flexible. It's important to have a game plan in mind. There's much to be said for well thought out character outlines and scene summaries. I have plenty of them on hand. But sometimes its just plain OK to hit the keyboard with reckless abandon, with no destination in sight. Crank up the radio and channel the inspiration that fell in your lap earlier in the day. Have fun with it. Be crazy. Don't edit. I've written some of my best scenes this way and talk about an adrenaline rush. In a nerdy, writer, sort of way ;)

Play with different genres. I know writers hear all the time to "pick a genre and stick to it." Wise advice, to be certain when building a platform and readership, but when it comes to just you, your writing space and imagination, feel free--better yet--take the liberty to play around with different story ideas, time periods and locations. I mostly write historical fiction. Petticoats, wagons and butter churns pretty much make up my world, so to keep from losing my mind, I allow myself to play with crazy plots as they hit me. Recently I put down two chapters of a contemporary suspense-kidnapping-romance. Might not jive with the whole Appalachian brand thing, but it sure was fun and it helped stretch my writing muscles and was a ton of fun to hash out. And one never knows...wait do I smell a future Christy Award? Kidding!

Get critiqued. And I don't mean by anybody. Your mom, aunt or grandma do not count. Because one of those ladies just might think that Daisy Lou Starlight is a great name for your heroine. *hand to forehead*

Get critiqued by someone (better yet several someones) who knows the ins, outs, ups and downs of good writing. Yep, it'll sting. I sort of think it's supposed to. Kind of like a really tough workout. You might not feel so great while your in the middle of that seventh treadmill mile, but your body will thank you for it later. So will your book...and your agent and your editor. And mind you, not all critique groups (or critique partners) are created equal. I've had my moments of tears. But those moments were few and far between. Equipped with a little discernment and a learners heart (read that last part five times), you will find your writing and storytelling grow in ways you never thought possible.

Learn from what you read. Didn't like that last beach flick? Thought that mystery was some of the greatest writing ever? Don't just put the book aside with a satisfied sigh (or fling it at the wall). Let it marinate. Shoot, take notes if you want to. I typically analyze everything I read and when a line stands out at me as being totally amazing, I take a moment to figure out why and how. What makes it so special? What's the writer doing here. It's not just luck...it's a craft. And if a story line isn't doing it for you, study the characters--is something about them bugging you? Is the plot just going nowhere? Too many pet phrases? Take note for your own writing on what to avoid and what to embrace.

To take things one step further, if a book has a strong impact on me--whether good or bad--I sometimes look it up on amazon and read some reviews. This helps me gain a little outside perspective. Maybe readers agree with me, maybe not. But it's helpful to know what others think. What makes them tick. Could very well be the same readers that rate your novel one day. So their opinions carry a good bit of weight.

Learn from the pros. Last but definitely not least. I've chatted recently with other writers about my journey toward publication (which might I add is getting REALLY close! But that's a whole 'nother post) Anywho, the best advice I can usually give is to READ BLOGS. Yes, read blogs by the pros. Agents. Editors. Authors. You name it, if its good, read it, study it and see how you can apply it to your own writing and career. Think of it as a free creative writing and marketing education. I can't tell you how many times in the past I read blog posts or articles on how to write the perfect pitch. Then how to write the perfect query. Proposal. And so on and so on. There is a wealth of information on the web (and in many fabulous books). Take advantage of it. Learn. Learn. Learn.

I'd love to hear what advice and tips you all have to keep from being a stagnant writer!

First Home School Days

Well we have officially begun home schooling. Yet isn't home schooling something so many moms do? Whether they send their kids to school or teach them at home? I think so. Playing blocks, coloring, learning numbers and letters and so many other activities are really teaching our children, so the transition into official schooling can be a smooth one.

We've casually done preschool up until now. Levi, who will be five in November has had trouble with numbers. Right now he has just mastered counting up to the number twelve. Some kids that I know of can count much higher by this age and at first I was worried because Levi really struggle in this area (sometimes making me want to bang my head against the table) but once I realized it was OK to slow down, it took the pressure off of both of us. And trying to work with a stressed out mommy is no fun for any child. It was time for a change.

We made a game by cutting out small pieces of cardboard and I spread them out in the center of the living room. Levi had so much fun jumping from one number to the next (whichever number I called out) like a frog on lilly pads. Other times I'd do a scavenger hunt by placing the cards in a special spot and after telling Levi what number I needed, he'd race off and find it. There was lots of laughing, high fives and woohooing as we played these games. And for a squiggly, wiggly, four-year-old, counting and numbers became a pleasant time again.

On the other hand, when it came to letters, I hardly had to try. He just naturally picked it up. Now we're working on sight words and he's picking those up just as quick. Once I realized that he knew about 20 words, I made him his own little book out of construction paper. I printed off sentences that included the words he knew, simple things like "Levi and Mabry run." or "I said truck." (I taught him a couple extra words like truck, dog, his name and sister's name, and a few others to make the storybook a little more possible.) He loves that he can read what the little book says and has such fun reading it with his grandma or dad and showing them what he's learned.

In all this, I'm learning just as much as he is. A joy of home schooling is that I can pace Levi differently in the various subjects so he's learning at a comfortable rate with enough of a challenge to find his successes thrilling. And his two-year-old sister insists on learning along with us. She hates being left out. So even though she's just a tiny tot, she wants me to show her the flash cards and I'll help her say them back. She thinks it's so fun to be doing what brother is doing and it makes it so much easier to have her close and participating so I don't have to worry about what trouble she might be getting into somewhere else in the house. Most of the time, though, she keeps busy scribbling on scratch paper. And her brother has the most generous heart. He admires her wild scrawling and points out what he sees. "Look, May. You made a boat." And my favorite was when he said..."You made a beaver tail, good job!"

Oh, and I almost forgot about the picture above! I grew up reading the Little House books and have been waiting for the right time to read them to the kids. I wasn't sure how well they'd get into a story with so few pictures, but they love sitting down each day and reading several pages and it gives Levi and I a special time to simply chat about what we're reading. He can ask questions and it's a great opportunity to explain history and pioneer life. And my time of having my children at home with me is only going to be a season. I'm so thankful to have them with me, learning, laughing and being together as a family.

Summer Garden Goodness

Just for fun, I thought I'd share some pictures from this years garden.

 


Hollyhocks growing along the deck.

Our wedding arbor over the garden gate adds cheer and a snug place for flowers to grow.

Rhubarb needing plenty of elbow room. One of my favorite things to grow. Diced rhubarb, cooked down with sugar. It makes a fabulous pie and cobbler filling or topper for pankaces!

 

First tomatos of the season :) We've already made salsa from a huge batch of tomatos that were given to us. I like mine with one jalapeno per batch. My mama likes three. I made sure to remember which container was hers :D

Sunflowers right after the rain.
















Yarrow and mint
drying in the kitchen

Adventures in Country Living: Butter

I know that's a picture of pie, but my jar of butter didn't turn out to be so photogenic so the pie took center stage. But there will be pie in this post. Buttermilk pie...allow me to elaborate.

There is a handy blog out there by the "West Ladies" that I enjoy perusing for homesteading ideas and tips. They've also put together a wonderful collection of DVD's for everything from The Art of Soapmaking to The Art of Canning and I've been wanting to make their recipe for "Grandma's Buttermilk Pie" which not only calls for a cup of buttermilk, but also offers a super simple method for making butter. Yum! So here we go....

Butter Recipe
3 cups heavy cream at room temp
1 quart Jar
Willing shakers

Pour cream into jar. Shake.
Easy as (buttermilk) pie!

I used a quart size canning jar but you could use any large jar that has a tightly sealing lid. The kids were eager to help and when my husband (aka the worlds best cream shaker) saw what we were doing, he jumped in to try it. But the jar got really full, making it difficult to shake. We realized that the cream was just thickening and expanding into a runny version of coolwhip Something wasn't right. It was then that I remembered the one important rule--the cream needs to be at room temp. Oops. The recipe has ONE ingredient and I still managed to screw it up! Our jar was cool to the touch but after running it under some warm water for a few seconds, the fat instantly separated from the liquid and we suddenly had a large mound of butter!

I think the heavens might have parted at that moment, but maybe that was just me overly excited.

But then my husband (let's just call him Noah from here on out) got a call. Our neighbor down the street needed help beheading a turkey. Talk about random--and a little gruesome--my apologies. It was actually pretty ironic. I wondered how many wives and husbands didn't have that conversation this week. "As much fun as I'm having churning butter little lady, duty calls."

So turkey-killer and I parted ways and I set to work draining off the buttermilk. After reading that too much liquid left in the butter can ruin it, I was nervous about not being able to get it all out and probably only got a B+ so next time I will strain it really well through cheesecloth. But for now, we were thrilled. Especially my husband. We stood in our kitchen after the kids went to bed, spreading homemade butter on last nights biscuits, dolloped with spoonfulls of some pie filling I had made the week before--rhubarb, strawberries and butter never tasted so good! We leaned against the kitchen sink, devouring our late night snack as he filled me in on the details of his--er--own adventure across the street. When he finished, I told him I was going to do some canning with Mrs. Turkey-killer after church (hi Robyn :])

He started laughing and said, "We're such rednecks."

I think something about me being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen rounded out the moment :D
Happy Homesteading.

P.S. Buttermilk Pie...two thumbs up! Please don't make fun of my crust, I worked very hard, haha. And I used an AMAZING recipe by Ina Garten from the food network.
Also, visit Homestead-blessings.com for the recipes and much more.

Yea Though I Walk Through The Valley

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever. (Psalms 23)

The 23rd Psalm has never had much impact on me before. Aside from memorizing it as a child with my parents help, I just thought it had something to do with a Shepherd his staff and something about lying beside still waters. I just never quite got it. Until now.

The valley of the shadow of death is a very real place. For those who find themselves in the valley, away from the mountain tops and sunlight, take comfort that it is something we walk through--not around in aimlessly, not back and forth...but through. There is a beginning to it which can feel the darkest, but there is also an end. And though it may feel that way at times, we are never alone.

It is not a place of abandonment--God is there to be our comfort. And though it is so hard to see, we will not be the same as we were in the beginning. With each step, God does a work to transform us. To strengthen us. To bring us closer to him.

To God be the glory.

Fantasy Fiction: A Driving Passion

 Guest post by writer and editor
Dona L. Watson

Behind God and family, fantasy fiction is one of my driving passions--one of the key factors that makes up who I am. Why fantasy? It might be for the brief escape from life gained from a few minutes of reading. It might be the way vast cultures and races designed by talented authors intrigue me. Regardless, I love the way fantasy fiction captures my imagination, poking me, prodding my thoughts toward something I’ve never before considered. To me, that is pure brain candy.

I know that to some Christians, fantasy fiction is frowned upon as a venture too far from reality to be healthy. In fact, not all see fiction itself as being wholesome in any way, but instead consider it to be simply a lie--as evidenced by scathing essays and posts that can be easily found on the internet. To those people, I would say, “Consider Christ’s parables.” Jesus Christ himself understood, in all of his wisdom, the explosive power a story can have on the human soul. Sometimes a story can capture our interest in ways that true life--or dryly recited principles--never can.

This is particularly true with our younger generation. Young people are so easily entranced by a good story. And this is where children of God can make a real difference in someone else’s life. Fantasy stories in particular capture young minds in ways no other types of stories can. I’m not talking about gritty, sensual fiction, but stories filled with action, intrigue, and light. What an opportunity we have to point others to Christ--the ultimate source of light in this increasingly darkening world. As examples, I point to such fantasy authors as Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson, Sharon Hinck and others who have successfully captured our emotions and minds and then redirected us toward God and his precepts. Oh, that someday I might add my humble work toward achieving the same goal. Hence springs my love, my passion for fantasy fiction.


I think the same arguments apply to fiction of all types, particularly inspirational fiction. I would say to those of you who are writers, we all have the opportunity to embrace the passion and let our lights shine! Are you with me?

http://fantasyandfaith.com/

Five Must-Have Writer’s Tools

Guest blog post by author Beverly Nault

I took a poll of authors I know, and asked them “What resources do you keep at your fingertips?” Here are the top five.


1. Chicago Manual of Style, Fifteenth Edition – considered the go-to twelve-pounder on all things punctuation, this is the editing tool that will make you look and feel like a pro. Excellent for building upper body strength and solving every question about commas, split infinitives and when to use a semicolon. All right, it’s only three pounds, but worth its weight in royalties. Wait, did I punc that right? Lift and curl.

2. Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell. Alongside his Plot & Structure, these twins from the Writer’s Digest Write Great Fiction series are not only fun and easy to read of themselves, their advice and techniques have transformed many a dull, hard-to-follow manuscript into blockbusters.

3. Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer. Subtitled, “For when you know what you want to say but can’t think of the word,” this gem is a cross between a thesaurus and an antonym/synonym dictionary. The Flip suggests alternates for boring words or clichés. The author also includes terrific lists like, “Horse Related Terms” and “Currencies of the World.”

4. Better than Great by Arthur Plotnik. I just got my copy, but I’d heard so much about this new guide from the great Plotnik I pre-ordered, and now I’m studying it from cover to cover. He’s not only compiled superlatives that are fun to read, he teaches how to combine phrases and expressions in new ways to go beyond merely awesome. Jaw-breakingly amazing (p 57).

5. www.thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ Angela Ackerman and Becky Puglisi’s site discusses topics such as “how to describe a tornado” and “character and emotional traits” in their fantastic thesaural lists. You can click through for inspiration and creative ways to describe colors, weather, nature, people. I’m hoping they’ll compile it into book format soon.

Bonus Material! Before you go, here’s a site I’m learning to use myself:

6. www.behindthename.com, a clever site to find the perfect character name.

What are you dog-earing or clicking on to support your writing? We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to the authors and editors of Lamp Post Publications www.lamppostpubs.com for the assist! @lamppostpubs and @bevnault