Slave ship or Freedom ship?

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16
No doubt you've heard the horrors of the slave ships which transported slaves from Africa to the Americas in droves during the slave trade years. In order to save costs and make a bigger profit, these poor men and women were crammed together in the hold, some in tiny boxes, others chained to planks, so the owners could bring over as many as possible in one trip. Often times they were shoved so tightly together that they couldn't move or even lie down. Heat and sickness and uncleanliness normally killed at least a third of them before they reached shore.  The owners were vicious, cruel taskmasters who cared not a whit when one of them died.

This is a good picture of our lives before Christ. Satan is the ship captain, we were his slaves, and he was transporting us to hell. And I dare say, he enjoyed seeing us suffer!  The Bible says that we become slaves of whoever we choose to obey.  We may not have wittingly obeyed the devil, but whenever we chose to do wrong, to satisfy our flesh, to disobey God, the chains around us tightened even more.

In Romans 6, Paul gives a great discourse on sin, slavery and freedom in Christ.  Before we knew God, we were all on the slave ship. We had no choice but to sin. It was our nature. Just think of a tiny child. The baby is innocent when he is born, but how long does he last in that state before his human nature takes over? Before he cries to selfishly demand that his needs be met? Before he hits his brother or steals a toy?  We are all born on the slave ship.

But God didn't leave us there! He sent another ship to rescue us! The ship, Salvation, captained by Jesus Himself. He delivered a mighty broadside to Satan's ship, crippling it, and then He boarded with swords blazing. He opened the hatch and called for any who wanted to come with Him, to come.

We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  Romans 6:7

He set us free! He took us aboard His ship and now we serve Him.
Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.  Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Romans 6:17-18

Slaves to righteousness? So we are slaves again? Hmm.. that doesn't sound good. I don't want to be a slave at at!  But in truth, we will be a slave to either Satan or God. The choice is yours. 

Here's the difference

• Satan's ship is going to Hell. God's ship, Salvation, is going to Heaven
• On Satan's ship you have no choice but to sin and do wrong
• On God's ship, you have the choice to NOT sin.
• On Satan's ship your character becomes worse and worse
• On God's ship, your character gets better and better

If I'm a slave to righteousness and to God, then why do I still sin? We all still sin because God is a gentleman and on His ship, we have a choice. We can still sin or we can choose not to. If we sin, we still get to remain  on God's ship, but our character will never improve and we will never get out of the bilge and the stink in the hold. We will never get promoted to work on the deck above in the fresh air. So, how do we get better?  It's a process called Santification. It doesn't happen automatically as some Christians believe. God doesn't just change us instantaneously.

The level of our santification is a direct measure of our obedience and yielding to God

Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. Romans 6:19

You must offer yourself, you must obey, you must yield. The choice is up to you.
So don't be a slave to sin anymore. Yield to God in ALL things, whether it be suffering or hardship or trials or temptations. Get out of the stinky hold and become a slave to righteousness! 

Read More

Tis a Writer's life for me -- Emotions!

I finished the final galleys for Veil of Pearls! I won't see that book again until it arrives on my doorstep a few weeks before it's release.  I also received another endorsement!

One can expect two things when they pick up a MaryLu Tyndall novel--endearing characters and a plot that sweeps you away. Hidden within the entertainment is a spiritual message that whispers to the corners of your soul. Give yourself a treat by losing yourself in one of her enchanting stories.
Kim Vogel Sawyer--Bestselling author of My Heart Remembers

Many authors will tell you that the entire purpose of good writing is to make the reader "feel" something. Anything!  Although I  am also an advocate of incorporating a moral lesson within a story and using it to bring the reader closer to God, I agree whole heartedly that invoking emotions is an important goal. Why else would someone pick up a book or go to a movie? We want to be moved. We want to feel something that may be missing in our normal, humdrum lives.. We want to fall in love, to feel the pain of loss, to cheer when good triumphs over evil. We want to ride the horse of victory across the battlefield, sail the Caribbean with pirates, soar in a WWII airplane, cry when death steals a character from our arms.  We want to experience life through our character's eyes, ears, and heart.

Somewhat easy to do in a movie where you have so many visuals at your fingertips. Not so much in a book. So, how do we do it? How do we infuse emotion into a scene so vividly, so realistically, that the reader feels what the character feels?

First of all, you must create deep, interesting, relatable characters that your reader will love and root for! (That's a whole other topic we don't have time for here)

Secondly, you must use the tools of setting, dialogue, sentence structure, and description to take the reader on a journey deep within the character, down into their soul, so the reader can experience what the character is experiencing.

Here's a sample from the book I'm currently writing. In the first samples, I've taken out all the emotion. The second samples are what I've written.
To set the scene, the characters are all Southerners on a ship headed for Brazil. They hate anyone and anything to do with the North. And they have just discovered that one of them, a lady named Eliza was married to a Yankee. We are in Eliza's point of view

Sample 1: Eliza was in shock as everyone's eyes snapped in her direction. Some of them registering surprise. Others already sparking with disdain.

Sample 2: Eliza’s blood abandoned her heart. It sped away in a mad dash that left her cold and empty. She couldn’t move. Could barely breathe as everyone’s eyes snapped in her direction. Some of them registering shock. Others already sparking with disdain.

Note the 'showing' of what it feels like to be in shock, rather than just telling the reader. That way, the reader can experience it right along with the character

Sample 1: Thunder sounded as rain poured down. Grant released Magnolia. His forehead creased. "Is this true?"
Sample 2: Thunder cracked a fierce whip across the sky as the sprinkles grew weightier, tap tap tapping Eliza’s doom on the wooden planks of the deck. Grant released Magnolia. Three lines as deep as trenches split his forehead. “Is this true?”

Notice the use of setting to invoke the image of punishment and doom so the reader "feels" the guilt of the character.

Sample 1: Eliza stared at the faces of the people. The seas grew rough. Rain poured down. Must she answer the question?

Sample 2: Wiping rain from her face, Eliza scanned the faces locked upon her like cannons upon an enemy. The seas grew rough. Lantern light shifted over them in bands of silver and black—black like the bands on their arms, honoring lost loved ones. The blame for their deaths now cast at Eliza’s feet. Rain pounded the deck. It slid down Eliza’s cheeks and pooled in her lashes until everything grew blurry. She wished they would all disappear. She wished she would melt into the deck. Anything but answer the question toiling on Grant’s face.

Notice the use of simile, comparing the gazes to cannons pointed at her. Then the use of the description of the lantern light to highlight the black bands which symbolized loved ones lost in the war, enhancing the character's guilt. Even the rain pounding the deck invokes anger. The blurry vision creatres a sense of the hopelessness the character feels.

Emotions! Emotions!! Use all the tools available to you to create a "mood", to invoke a certain feeling in your reader.. and they'll keep coming back for more! 

Read More

Wordless Wednesday!

Rough Seas Ahead!

Read More

Is Christianity a pleasure trip?

Ease, comfort, and pleasure!  Isn't that what our culture values the most? Just look at every advertisement, commercial, magazine, or self-help book. It's all about making our lives better, easier, more fun! From the car we drive to the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, we are a people who seek the good life!

Even our Christian culture has bought into the idea that as followers of Jesus, our lives should be blessed, comfortable and happy, right?  I mean the Bible is full of such promises:
Jesus himself said in John 10:10   "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
And the Psalms are full of verses about blessing and prosperity!

But in truth, I don't believe the blessings in these promises are the kind of blessings we think about today. They are soul and spirit blessings: peace, joy, love, hope. Things this world cannot understand. Does God bless you with money and success? Absolutely, He can and often does, if it fits in with His plan. But that's not His focus.

In fact I believe that Christians should expect to have an even harder life than those who don't believe. Whoa, that's a controversial statement!  When I say harder, I don't mean a bad life or a life of defeat.  I just mean harder.

Jesus' own words: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33


Listen to what Paul told the new converts spread throughout Asia . . .strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”  Acts 4:21-22
 
I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound very strengthening to me! Here's a another lovely description of the Christian life
 

But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,  partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one  Hebrews 10:32-34

Endured a great conflict of sufferings?  Accepted joyfully the seizure of your property? Are you kidding me?
I could list Scripture after Scripture telling Christians they will suffer in this life. Why Christian more than others? I don't believe it's simply because of persecution. (which none of us here in America have had to endure. . .yet). I believe it's also because we have committed our lives to a higher standard. We have committed to following a God who is about the business of making us more like His Son.

In other words, we've signed up for the voyage. We've put our signature on the articles and are now on the ship, but the Captain, Jesus, the One who will steer us across the sea to Heaven, He has to now take us bunch of whiny, lazy, spoiled, selfish kids and make strong, courageous, disciplined seamen out of us!  What a task!

How does He do it? By making our voyage smooth and easy? By giving us lavish meals and comfy hammocks to nap in on deck? NO!  Any good captain knows he must be hard on his crew. He must give them tasks that are difficult and taxing, tasks that stretch the limits of their strength and endurance. He must make them stand watch for hours on end with little sleep. He  must command they climb the shrouds into the tops to stand on the highest yard until they are no longer afraid of heights. He must order them to scrub the decks and polish the brass until their hands are red and raw. He must drill them on guns, and sails, and navigation until they can do it in their sleep.

Wait a minute, I signed up for the Caribbean cruise... what's going on?  Where's my umbrella drink?


And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. Romans 5:2-5

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance  James 1:2

Jesus wants you to be able to weather the storms of life. He wants you to survive and in your strength and wisdom, to help train others. He wouldn't be a good Captain, otherwise.

Now, you can opt out. You can disobey His orders and lolly gag around the ship, complaining about the food and the work and the arduous tasks  But watch out, there are rough seas up ahead. And you just might fall overboard!

Read More

Tis a Writer's Life for me! Character Quirks!

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, I received my galleys for Veil of Pearls this week, so I was forced to drop my writing on Forsaken Dreams and switch into edit mode once again. This is my LAST CHANCE to make any minor changes to the manuscript. And they mean minor! I can't change anything bigger than a comma or a word or small phrase.  Wanaaaaa!  I can't tell you how hard that is!

Anyhow, I wanted those of you who are dieting with me in the new year to know that I've lost a whopping 3 pounds! Yes, you heard it here first. LOL.  But hey, it's better than gaining, right?  Besides it's hard for my petite 5'1" frame to lose weight.. My body fears it will soon be starving and fights the loss with everything it's got!







But I digress. Today I want to talk with you about character quirks.  Yes I said quirks. Let's face it, in a book, it's much harder to define and separate characters than it is in a movie. On the screen, it's obvious who is who because you can SEE THEM!   Yet often times, in a book, no matter how much description of the person the author has given, I have trouble separating them from others. We authors much work must harder than Screenplay writers to define our characters. So, aside from phyiscal description which is often forgetable, how do we do it?

One way is by assigning unique and interesting quirks to each character.
What is a quirk?  The dictionary defines it as a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; a mannerism.
It's anything that the character does, says, or behaves like, that is unique to him or her and that sets him apart from the other characters.

Examples of quirks:  Plays with hair, huffs, scratches face, lifts chin, sweats profusely, always wears a scowl, always negative, quotes from famous books, interrupts, sniffs alot, clumsy, fearless, rude, limps, extremely organized, stretches neck, paces.

Well, you get the point.  Just look around you at family and friends and see if you can pick out at least one quirk each one has. I bet if you really observe them, you'll have no trouble in finding at least one. For example, I have a girlfriend who is always brushing her bangs aside and her favorite expression is "Don't get me wrong but..."  My husband is notorious for shaking his had whenever he gets frustrated or is contradicted. My daughter laughs nervously when she doesn't know what to say. 

So, if you want to make your characters real to your reader, you're going to have to give them quirks. However, it's important to choose our quirks well. Don't assign a sniffing quirk with a character who is strong and in command. Don't assign the "he never bathes" quirk to the hero you want women to swoon over!

As an example, in The Redemption, Charlisse, my heroine, came from an abusive childhood. She was insecure, frightened, unsure, yet also very brave and bold. I gave her the quirk of always playing with her hair when she got nervous.

In my recent release, Surrender the Dawn, the hero Luke is always rubbing his earlobe when he feels guilty. Why? Because he injured it while trying to rescue his parents from a burning building. An attempt at which he failed.

So, choose your quirks wisely. They can be something physical or they can be some unique phrase the character says or they can just be a certain behaviour that sets them apart, as in the heroine I'm writing now. Whenever anyone orders her to do something, she does the opposite!! (I modeled her after myself!)  Or, it could be a combination of all those things. 

The important point is to make them match the character's personality, and also equally important, Don't OVERUSE them to the point of making your reader toss your book across the room. The goal is to have the reader know who the character is, before you even tell them, just by what he or she says or does.  

Clear as the bilge?

Read More

And last but not least, this is how I pictured Cassandra Channing from Surrender the Dawn!

Whoops, now I'm out of characters until the release of Veil of Pearls!!  But I'm planning on putting all of these character's pictures on the pages of my blog real soon, so if you need to peek while you're reading the book, you can.

Read More

Wordless Wednesday!

FIRE!

Read More

Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

In the time of tall ships and long before, people didn't have lick and stick envelops or pull tab sticky envelops to use when they mailed their letters.  Well into the 19th century, people everywhere would close their letters and envelops with hot wax and a seal.  Normally the seal bore the crescent or symbol of the family or person from whom the letter originated in addition to his or her family name. It was a way of not only "sealing" the letter for privacy but for ensuring it's security and showing it's ownership.

There are many mentions of seals in the Bible. They were often associated with covenants or what we would call today, contracts.

Because of all this, we make a firm and sure written covenant, and our princes, Levites, and priests set their seal to it. Nehemiah 9:38

By putting your seal on a document, you were essentially saying, "I agree to what is written here and I will abide by its terms"  very similar to our own signature today.

A king's signet ring would often double as his royal seal. It not only was used as his signature, but it represented his authority.

Write also concerning the Jews as it pleases you in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring--for writing which is in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring no man can reverse. Esther 8:8

And who can forget the story of Daniel in the Lion's den?
And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that there might be no change of purpose concerning Daniel. Daniel 6:17

Sealing something, as we said above, was a way to ensure it's privacy.
But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end.  Daniel 12:4

Did you know God has a seal??  That blew me away! God actually has a seal. I wonder if it's on His Kingly ring? Or is it on the tip of His golden rod that He holds in His mighty hand?

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:22

But the firm foundation of  God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names himself by the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. 2 Timothy 2:18


So, if you belong to God, you are already sealed with God's inscription!!  Astounding!  A Seal, as we have seen represents Security and Ownership. But there is a third quality to any seal. Destination.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by Whom you were sealed, marked, branded as God's own, secured for the day of redemption  Ephesians 4:30

Secured for the day of redemption!! That's our destination. Eternity with God. Heaven. Glory!

Then I saw a second angel coming up from the east  and carrying the seal of the living God. And with a loud voice he called out to the four angels who had been given authority and power to injure earth and sea Saying, Harm neither the earth nor the sea nor the trees, until we have sealed the bond servants of our God upon their foreheads. Revelation 7:2-3

You are signed, sealed, and delivered. Secure, marked as belonging to God, and on your way to heaven.

May that thought bring you some comfort and joy today!

Read More

Clash of the Titles - win a free book!

Hi everyone! Guess what? An excerpt from my book, The Redemption, was on Clash of the Titles last week, entered in the Clash of the death scenes!! People got to vote on which excerpt they liked best. Although the voting is over, if you stop by anytime between now and next Friday, and leave a comment, you'll be entered to win either my book or the other contender which was The Vengeance Squad by Sid Frost.
Check it out!
http://www.clashofthetitles.com/

Read More

Tis a Writer's Life for Me! Action Scenes!

Progress on Escape to Paradise:  I finished Chapter 8 of my second draft this week!  That's out of 35 chapters so I have a ways to go, but at least I'm making progress.

One thing that slowed me down this week was an action scene. You may think those are easy to write becaue there's a lot going on, but they are hard to write precisely because there's a lot going on!  So, how do you write a good action scene?  By action I'm talking about something major is happening.. and earthquake, a war, a tidal wave, a fire, gunshots, an assault!  In this case, my rebel ship was being chased and fired upon by a Union frigate.

Oh NO!!  What are they going to do? Will they survive? And How? What's going to happen? Those are all the questions you want your reader to be thinking during the scene. But not only thinking.. you want them to be FEELING the stress, the tension. You want your reader to be scared!  Muaaahhhh.

The keys to writing a great action scene that will grip your reader are, in my opinion:

1. Get into the head of your point of view character (the one who's experiencing the scene), close your eyes, and ask yourself after you write each paragraph the following things.

What is she seeing?
What is she smelling?
What are her thoughts?
What are her biggest fears?
What is she feeling?
How does she react?

The point here is to incorporate all your character's senses. Put yourself on that ship being chased by a frigate. When they fire their cannons at you, what do you do? What are your thoughts? What is your body doing? your heart? your blood? Are you numb? Can't breathe? If you die, what are your regrets? Who do you leave behind? Do you fear death? Can you smell the smoke? Do you hear screams? Did the shot hit the ship? Can you hear the wood snap? The captain yell? 

Repeat these questions often during the scene to make sure you're staying in character and you haven't drifted into describing the action rather than being right in it!

2. Use the setting to enhance the stressful mood. 

No matter if you're on land or sea, or in a house, setting is a great tool to enhance any scene. If you are outside, you can change the mood instantly by having a storm rush in.. the wind pick up, a chill overcome your character. In a house, the power can go off, a window break, a dog howl... And of course on a ship, the spray stinging your face, the wind clawing your skin, the mighty swells rising and falling..  Use your setting!



3. Use other character's expressions and reactions to convey stress.

Have a character wailing in terror. Perhaps another one praying! Have another one tell your character they are doomed. Have your character try to help someone but they die. How other characters around you are reacting can up the stress level significantly. .

4. Use short, choppy, sentences to convey stress and action.

This is a great trick of the trade. Long, drawn out sentences give a feeling of comfort and ease and a sense that you have all the time in the world.  Short, choppy ones give a sense of urgency, as in the passage below (taken from Escape to Paradise)


Perspiration slid down Eliza’s back. Her palms grew moist. The ship pitched over a wave. Her feet skipped over the deck. Above her, sails caught the wind in a boom nearly as loud as a cannon. She’d heard more than her share of the monstrous beasts on the battlefield. She'd seen the devastation they could wreak, but she had never been in the middle of a battle. Especially at sea.
The brig swung to port. Her timbers creaked and groaned and heaved as the ship tacked away from their enemy. The port railing swept up toward the sky. Eliza clutched it lest she tumble across the deck. Her mouth went dry. Why didn’t the blasted Union leave them alone? Hadn’t they done enough damage?

The ship righted again. Wind tore Eliza’s bonnet from her head, tossing it into the agitated sea. Strands of hair whipped her face. She brushed them aside just in time to see a yellow flame spear from the union ship.

“Hands down!” the captain yelled.
 
Lights, Camera, Action!
 

Read More

This is how I pictured Luke Heaton from Surrender the Dawn!

Is it hot in here?

Read More

Wordless Wednesday!

Parley?

Read More

Broadsides and Swords can break your bones but names can never hurt you!

Do you remember that old saying when you were a kid? Well, maybe the one you heard didn't say Broadsides and Swords, but sticks and stones. Regardless, I always thought it was pretty lame. I mean who were they kidding? I'd much rather be physically hurt than be called a name.  I guess I was just sensitive to it because I was one of those kids everybody picked on.  I was the pimple-faced nerd who was so shy, I could hardly speak in public. Yes, I know, I've come a long way since then. Now, you can't shut me up! 

However, even now in adulthood, most of us suffer beneath the onslaught of a few names. Whether it's people at school or work, friends, or family members, we inevitably find ourselves being labeled by other's opinions. Hopefully, most of these "name-callers" will be well intentioned, their only desire to bring to light a behavior they think needs changing. (Thanks, but who asked them?)  But there will be those who, either in a fit of anger, or just because they don't like us, will use some rather derogatory terms. 

Rest assured, you are not alone. Even the great King David suffered from name-callers in the Bible.

When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei son of Gera, came out and cursed continually as he came. And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. Shimei said as he cursed, Get out, get out, you man of blood, you base fellow! The Lord has avenged upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. Behold, the calamity is upon you because you are a bloody man! 2 Samuel 16:5-8

Woa. Now that wasn't nice!  Here David has left his throne and his capital city, Jerusalem, and he's fleeing for his life because his son, Absalom, is trying to kill him. His own son! And here this guy comes out to fling insults (along with stones!).   Remember now, God Himself called David a man after His own heart, so not only are these insults, but they are lies.

I don't know about you but when someone calls me a name or says something about me, it makes me SO MAD! I can't seem to let it go until I prove my innocence and good character.  And here David is the King of Israel. He could do anything he wanted to this man. In fact ,one of his men suggested the following:

Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.

David's response?
If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, Curse David, who then shall ask, Why have you done so?. . . . Behold, my son, who was born to me, seeks my life. With how much more reason now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone; and let him curse, for the Lord has bidden him to do it. It may be that the Lord will look on the iniquity done me and will recompense me with good for his cursing this day. Samuel 16:10-12

Say what? Really? I'm with the other guy.. let's chop his head off! But not David. Yet again, he demonstrates exactly why he was a man after God's heart. His response is one of mercy and grace not revenge. But he even goes further than that. He actually states that it might be possible that God Himself wanted this man to curse David, and if so, who can thwart the plans of God?

Several things stand out to me.
First. Does God Curse people? Absolutely!  There are many Scriptural references, but here's just a few:

The Lord shall send you curses, confusion, and rebuke in every enterprise to which you set your hand, until you are destroyed, perishing quickly because of the evil of your doings by which you have forsaken me  Deuteronomy 28:20

Say to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant or solemn pledge Jeremiah 11:3

Secondly: David's humility. Though he could have easily done so, David didn't have a high and lofty opinion of himself or his own importance.  When someone hurts us and we get angry and want revenge, it's our pride that has been pricked. If you have no pride, if you know anything good within you comes from God, then names won't hurt you.

Thirdly: David's reference and obedience to God. David would prefer to suffer insults and stones if that was God's will than not suffer them outside of God's will. Amazing. Can you say that? If God's plans for you include some suffering and pain and it was within your power to prevent it, would you be obedient to God?

And lastly, David defered to God's justice
It may be that the Lord will look on the iniquity done me and will recompense me with good for his cursing this day.
David knew that if he was being falsely accused and falsely scorned that one day God would make it right, either in this age or in the next. He trusted in God's goodness and justice and he left the incident in God's hands. 

Oh how hard that is!!  But the next time we get ridiculed or taunted, called a name, or even cursed, let us ask God to help us be more like King David!

Read More

Tis a Writer's Life for me!

Happy New Year, everyone!  2012 is ripe with promise! (prophesies of Myan doom, not withstanding!)  My dear friends and blog followers, you have become so special to me over the years. I pray that with hard work and prayer, all your resolutions and dreams will come true this year!

This week I began the task of what I call the polishing phase of writing.  I've completed my first draft of Forsaken Dreams (All 65,000 words of it that needs to be 100,000 words! Yikes!)  and now I start way back in Chapter 1 and go through line by line, adding a little spit here, rubbing off a stain there, until it is almost as shiny as I can get it!

For a writer who's a plotter, this may be a foreign concept. Once they've written their book, aside from a read-over, they are done. Not me! This is where the real fun begins. Where the scenes come to life, where the characters really take on individual personalities, where I actually feel the ups and downs and extremes of every emotion. (Anyone got a hanky?) 

Yes, I do cry sometimes at my own writing. I'm that sappy. Then again, I cry at Hallmark commercials too, so what do I know?

This can be the most fun part of writing a novel and it can be the most difficult.  Spread out on my desk as you can see in this picture, I have many things to help me keep track of all the details.  To the right of my monitor, are my character pictures. I have a picture for nearly everyone in the story. This helps me visualize them while I'm writing.  Also on the right, you'll see my stack of Research books all ready for me should I need to look up something I don't remember. In front of them on the desk are very important index cards!!  There is one for each of the main characters (There are 6 in this book)  On each card I list important info such as:

• Hair and eye color
• Physical description
• Quirks such as, walks with a limp or very antisocial, or grinds teeth together when doesn't get his way
• Favorite expressions or sayings:  Fiddle sticks, Oh Bosh! 
• Personality: Are they a free spirit, independent, insecure, fearful, courageous, humorous, depressing, spooky, devoted
• Struggles and problems: Abandonment issues, bitter, angry, don't trust easily..
• Family and other connections

That way, if I forget a detail (And I always do with so many characters), I can just glance at the card!

On the left side of my desk beside my coffee cup are my in-depth character sheets which go into much greater detail and give background for each character and secondary character. 

Then on my computer I have other documents I bring up while I'm writing

• A Chapter by Chapter summary of the story (I usually have about a paragraph for each chapter)  These I already put together when I wrote the first draft.  They also include the date of each scene so I can keep track of where I am in time.
• A To-Remember document which lists things I need to keep track of. Like how long someone was married. What year did their brother die? What battle they fought in. When did his father abandon him?  (I mean who can keep track of all of this for over 20 characters???) 
• An Add-in Document which lists all the ideas I came up with when I was doing dishes, taking a walk, running errands and taking a bath that I want to add into the main story.

Now, I'm ready to go!! I did five chapters this week, which is a good pace for me!  I'm adding things like:

Character descriptions
Emotions
Dialogue tags
Sounds, Smells
Scene descriptions
Polishing up sentences
Filling in historic details I didn't know at the time

Getting rid of things that don't work or don't sound right. It's hard work but I finally see the story and characters coming to life!

Read More

This is how I see Rose McGuire and Alexander Reed from Surrender the Night!

Read More

Wordless Wednesday!

Transported through time!

Read More

Sail into 2012 with hope!

Psalm 84 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. In fact, I'm making it my New Years Song!   As we all embark on 2012, there is so much uncertainty in the world. 

• In America, we have a vital election that could determine the course of our country.
• Possible European Economic Collapse
• Rampant unemployment
• Riots and Protesters everywhere
• Moral decline
• Nuclear weapons in the hands of radical Iran
• A rise in the persecution of Christians

 Wow, am I a purveyor of doom, or what?  Yet as we embark on this uncertain voyage across uncharted and dangerous waters, let's use Psalm 84 as our guide

My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God (Verse2)   In the midst of the storms, we have hope and joy because we know this is not our home. We are heading for glory!

Blessed  are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long. (Verse 4)  No matter what's going on around you, stay on your Captain's ship and in His presence. Before long, you'll find yourself no longer worrying, but singing!

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of Weeping , they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills the pools with blessings. (Verses 5-6) Wow! Ever feel like there's nothing you can do to change things?  If you stay close to God, all you have to do is pass through the world and just your presence will cause springs of blessings to sprout up everywhere! Don't ever discount your influence on a fallen world!

They go from strength to strength, increasing in victorious power; each of them appears before God in Zion (verse 7)  So, on this journey not only will we have joy and singing, and the ability to change the world for better, but we ourselves will increase in victorious power with each stretch of sea we cross!!!

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows present grace and favor and future glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Verses 10-11)  I need not comment on this!! God will bless our journey and not hold back one good thing!

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You, leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving (Verse 12) 

The journey may be long. The seas may be rough, the clouds heavy and dark, but we can sail forward without an ounce of fear or misgiving!

Despite what comes our way, may the Lord greatly bless you in 2012 as you sail the waters with Him!

 

 

 

Read More