Song of the Synopsis

Daily, I am completing tasks that will prepare me for conference. Several of the tasks involve writing those dreaded synopses, because I have several books I'm in the midst of writing and hope to pitch at conference. Previously, I've been a SOTP writer (seat-of-the-pants writer) but after today, the synopsis is my friend.

I've had the character, setting and idea for this one particular book (temporarily called "Colleen" because I can't figure out a good name for it) for ten years. Yes, 10 whole years. I got the idea, and then my writing stayed on the back burner until this summer. Now, I've picked up the pieces, dusted them off and am going to finish the book sooner, rather than later.

Tonight, I was working on the synopsis for it. As I neared the end, I wrote a sentence that gives the book completion. I didn't realize I had solved the problem, until the sentence was written. Then I looked back at the sentence, and it was like the culmination of a 10 year waiting period. I felt such relief and such gratitude. I also knew the idea had not come from me, it had come from Above. It was a God-thing.

What more encouragement do I need to write, when He is guiding my every word?

Thank you, Lord!

Hurricane Katrina

This morning, while praying for the residents of LA, MS, AL, FL and TX who will be affected by hurricane Katrina, I was impressed to pray to the source of the hurricane. God controls all of the weather so I prayed that He would diminish its strength. He can make it disappear in the blink of an eye.

I asked one of my prayer groups to join me in praying that God would diminish the hurricane. I received comments that we should be praying for the people in its path and got the impression I was wacky to pray otherwise.

My comments in no way meant to quit praying for people's safety. I just felt we needed to go one step further and pray that God tweak that hurricane enough to cause the least damage to people and to property. Several times, I started writing a letter of apology to the group, explaining my intentions, but each time I was completely stumped for words. Then I visited Mary DeMuth's relevant blog and was encouraged by Scripture she posted today. I felt she wrote that entry just for me! Thanks Mary!

Sometimes it's difficult to share what God lays upon your heart. The lesson I learned today: do it anyway!

Please join me in prayer that God will diminish the hurricane, and lay His hand of protection on all in its path. Also pray that in all of this may God be glorified.

Do Not Fear

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 2:10

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of
power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Today, like many days, I took a nap. (Okay, no heckling. I know I'm aging! But in my own defense, I wake very early and go to bed very late, so a nap in the middle is my breather!)

During the nap I had a dream I felt was a direct message from God. I'd like to share the dream with you and if any of you have comments, please feel free to share them. Tonight, I was seeking a Bible verse for one of my WIPs and came across the two verses, one in Revelation, the other in 2 Timothy, I've typed above. Do not fear what you are about to suffer and Fear is not from Me are the messages I got from my dream.

In my dream, I was in a large boat with several other people I knew in the dream, but not when I woke. From what I remember, they weren't family or friends I currently know. It was a dark wooden boat, and had masts, so I knew it was a sailboat. There were wooden benches along the rails and people were sitting on them, fore and aft. We were not too far from shore when a sudden storm erupted. We pulled in closer to shore and could see clouds like a wide tornado coming over the hill. We were all horrified. We saw people running down the hill towards us. I wrestled with myself on taking cover or going to help. At first I kneeled down to hide under a bench, but realized I didn't want to be a coward, and I could clearly hear God saying, "I will protect you." I stood up in the boat, in the pouring cold, wet rain and pointed to the storm and prayed as loud as I could, "God, protect them. Please, take the storm away." I was crying, but suddenly very brave. I jumped into the water (it was about waist high) and trudged to shore as fast as I could. When I got out of the water, my arms were covered with seaweed and I had small tree limbs in my hands. The people running down the grassy hill towards us held seaweed in their hands. I got the impression that a tornado had twirled the tree limbs from land into my hands and the seaweed from the water into their hands. But we never saw it. We watched as the storm evaporated. We were spared. As we watched the storm clouds go back up into the sky, it was like watching the coattails of God moving away.

We were all in awe that the storm had vanished so quickly, and as I woke, I realized how sad God was that we did not believe He would answer our prayers.

Dear God, give us the faith to believe and the courage not to fear. I love you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Education

I graduated from high school a year early by attending summer school two years. I couldn't wait to get to college and get out of the small town I'd lived in all my life. I knew from 9th grade I wanted to be a social worker, so I chose my college accordingly. I was accepted at my top two choices and chose one farthest from home.

I was so young. I graduated at 16, went to college the week after I turned 17. My first class, on my first day was Social Work 101. The professor came into the room. She was a very masculine feminist. (No, that's not a typo.) She climbed onto a long table, stretched herself out, lit a cigarette and drawled her first lecture. "This is Social Work 101. If you are in this class because you think you can change the world, you can't. If you are in this class to go out and help the needy, you won't. If you want to save a woman from abuse, she'll go back. If you want to spare a home, the children will be taken. You will be sitting behind a desk, with paperwork piled to the ceiling, handing out food stamps to people you know don't need them, while a woman sits in the corner with no place else to go and begs for your help but your hands are tied. If this is the kind of life you want to lead, then you're in the right room. If not, you probably want to drop this class."

That negativity dogged me the rest of my college life - two years worth. I didn't drop the class, but I did change my major. A few times, even. After a year there, I moved to Atlanta and went to another college for one year. There, I decided I'd study business and was quite good at it. I made the dean's list each quarter. But then I dropped out because living life took over. Looking back it was a life I wasn't yet prepared to live, but hey, hindsight's 20/20, right?

The whole point of this diatribe is to share some of my actions this week. I've been thinking of going back to school. Because we are fulltime RVers, and because I prefer this method, I want to take online courses. After looking at some traditional universities, and online schools, I've decided to take online writing courses. Writing is my passion right now, and a degree from a traditional school will be more expensive than it will pay off in the long run, so a wise use of my time and my dollars will be the alternate route. Now I just have to start saving!

Every few years I think of continuing my education, but I've always postponed it. I've never been settled enough to know what I wanted to study. So many things interest me; if I went through a regular course of study for all my interests I'd be in school the rest of my life. I am a lifetime student of learning; for now I can pick and choose the courses I need the most. I have a desire, and the time and lifestyle, to be the best writer I can possibly be.

I received some critical remarks (and rolling eyes) from an author this week on a paragraph I had written. For a day or so, it made me doubt myself, my purpose, my abilities. I prayed about it, and asked God for some kind of encouragement that He wanted me to continue. In my mind, that encouragement would come in the form of an acceptance letter for one of the dozen or so proposals/queries I have submitted at the moment.

Instead, when I awoke this morning, I was renewed and refreshed. I sat at the computer and typed out 10 pages on my current WIP without even thinking one negative thought. I just wrote and enjoyed every word I put on that page. Yes, it is a first draft, but the story is moving forward.

God knew the encouragement I needed and answered my prayer. Thank you God for always providing my needs. Amen.

Write, write, write

The only way to get any writing done is to write. Simple, huh? Well, I can sit at the computer and think of hundreds, or possibly millions, of things to do other than write, and I sometimes lose my focus.

Tonight, I wrote ten full pages of a new novel in about two hours. The RV was quiet, the campground was quiet and I felt compelled to write. So I wrote. I even managed not to edit too much. I did find a couple of passive sentences, and I highlighted those until I finished writing for the night, but no major editing at this point. At this rate, I might get a whole book written before long.

We went on a train ride today. Check out my travel blog to read about it!

Our synopsis class began today, "How to Make Your Synopsis Sing" being taught by Gail Sattler. Our first assignment was tough - condense your book into one paragraph. I've given a couple of attempts and Gail has made some suggestions, so I'm still working on it. This is a great exercise for me - as is all of my writing lately. With a newspaper background, I write very tight and concise, without a lot of detail. As I write my books and articles, when I rewrite, I am opposite of most writers - I have to add words, rather than delete. But condensing is an entirely new ballgame. We'll see if I strike out.

Differences

This week has been a week to notice differences between Pennsylvania (our location for the summer) and the South (our home). Some of those differences are:

Seasons. It's just now mid-August and the sunlight is already reflecting a change in season. Trees are shedding yellow leaves (not from lack of water - we've had an abundance of rain) like fall has already arrived. It has really caught my system off-guard. Seems like it was just a few weeks ago that it started getting warm. Actually, it was just a few weeks ago. The temperatures didn't get hot until 4th of July. I thought winter would never end, then Spring didn't have time to develop properly before summer was upon us and now that's about over too. I'm very thankful we won't be here for the winter - I'm sure it lasts forever.

Words. Co-workers were discussing word usage this week. In the south, we say "We'll carry you to the doctor" or "Carry that wood over yonder." Up here, we get blank stares when we use words like carry, yonder, fixin' to do something.

One of the funny words we've heard used repeatedly up here is "putzes," as in "He just putzes around all the time." I understood it to mean he just lolls around or putters around. It does mean that. But I decided to look up the meaning in the dictionary and its slang term is not one we'll discuss. Suffice it to say, I'll not be using that word!

BBQ. Some of our co-workers are from the south too. We all tend to crave good barbecue. We've found one place that comes close to satisfying all of us just across the state line in Emmitsburg MD called Chubby's. But my brother owns a restaurant in Guntersville, AL called "Squig's." We've been discussing having them ship us some of his AWESOME brisket, pulled pork, ribs and pork chops (are you hungry yet?) so we can enjoy a feast.

We were discussing this with another co-worker, a local, who said she didn't like barbecue because it was too spicy for her. After questioning, we determined it was the sauce that was too spicy and that she had never had barbecue without it being smothered in sauce. This was another reason we really feel the need to get some Squig's food up here - we've got to educate these folks.

Traits. This bends the subject a bit, but it gets us back to the subject of writing. To give my characters more depth as I write, I've been studying characteristics of people I meet. Today, I met a character who made me nervous just because of his movements. His hands never stopped moving, and when he paid cash he moved the bill with a flourish. Another man had to have been a used car salesman. He was unaware of personal space and seemed to invade everyone's space as he came in contact with them. He was friendly and nice, but right in my face. The third character was the shy type. He spoke in a hush and when I couldn't hear him, instead of speaking louder, he leaned forward a tad and stuck out his chin. Didn't help me hear him, but I did get a good description for a future character.

Do you do this too? Do you study people? I've found the more immersed I become in my writing, the more notes I take, and the more ideas flow. I just have to be careful not to obsess.

Hope your weekend is tremendous!

Whaddya think of my RV?

God is awesome!

This will be a short post just to share some of God's goodness and wonder.

For weeks, while working on my books, I've been searching and praying for the right verse of Scripture to match the theme for one of them. I knew what the theme was supposed to be, but undecided about which verse to use.

Yesterday, I picked up one of my Bibles, a translation that I had not read in awhile, and a piece of paper fell out with a verse written on it. I looked up the verse and it was the theme running throughout the book! So, I typed it on one of my note pages for this book, prayed a BIG "thank you" and moved on. Late last night (or in the wee hours of the morning) I received a daily devotional to my Inbox. The devotional was the same verse I had found earlier in the day!

What an affirmation that I'm on the right track.

Rejoice with me that God is truly amazing!

Dog walk

This must be a week for trying new things. I am one who seeks new adventures anyway, but the last few days I seem to have gone overboard.

Last night I got bit by a dog here in the campground. It was the owner's dog. I just reached down to pet him, like I do all the dogs who come here, and he let me pet him for about 20 seconds before snarling and snapping. It didn't break the skin, but he did leave teeth marks. Today, I have a welt and a bruise.

Then tonight, after sitting at the computer for two days, and listening to the rain pound on our RV for about 24 hours, I was beginning to get cabin fever. Around dusk, I decided to take Abby for a walk. David usually does that, but tonight I decided I needed the fresh air.

I've always loved the feel of outdoors after a heavy rain. The water was still dripping from the trees, but the rain had ended. The temperature was a very pleasant 65, and the air was fresh.

I decided we'd tackle the trail that leads around the campground. Even though we've been here a few months, my lazy and overweight self had avoided it until today.

One entrance to the path is just above our campsite, so we didn't have to go far to get started. The mild skunk odor greeting us at the beginning of the trail should have been a clue to turn around and go back home.

But we pushed on. Eventually, the wood shavings ended and we were climbing over slippery rocks and ducking under fallen trees. The further along the trail we got, the more skittish Abby became. She's a true house dog so I wasn't surprised or alarmed at her reaction - until I heard bushes crashing in front of us. I stopped, holding Abby's leash tightly to keep her from running back the way we came.

It was starting to get dark, but I did see movement about 100 feet in front of us. Then it moved again. All I saw was brown fur - almost the color of a deer. But it wasn't a deer. It was bigger and fatter and had more fur. I didn't stick around to find out more.

Abby and I turned and as quickly as possible made our way back home. I was worried the creature would pick up our scent if we stayed too long and I could just see a bear wanting to make Abby her very own "bunny wabbit." Abby turned and looked back several times like she thought it was following us, I only looked a couple, but we never saw or heard anything again.

The moment our feet touched the gravel (which makes up the campground road) Abby immediately relaxed. Her fur settled and she began sniffing rocks and trees like she hadn't just been frightened out of the woods.

I don't know what our forest critter was, but next time, I'll go for a walk a little earlier in the day, if I can talk Abby into it!

Could it have really been a bear? Anyone from Pennsylvania want to chime in?

One down, two to go

I've already finished one of the new projects I was talking about in my last post. Definitely a short term project!

This project was a "memoir" and for the first time in my writing career I made myself cry while writing. The subject is near and dear to me, and the piece was written totally from my heart, so I poured myself out onto the pages. (well, splattered on the screen is more like it...)

Now, on to the second project. It's an essay on a topic that could be classified as one of my many "soap boxes." I just have to stay focused as I write it, and to remember that the majority of people who read it will not share my beliefs, so I need to let Jesus shine through in every word.

For my third project - the 10-minute play - I picked up several books to study today. That will be my bedtime reading for a few days before I attempt to tackle this new venture.

I think I may have discovered a new disease - "fiction overdose." I've been trying to read as many Writer's View and ACFW authors as I can before conference. During the past month, I've read close to a hundred novels and today when I went to the library all I wanted to check out was nonfiction!

And trust me, it's not because of the quality of the writing that I don't want to read; it's because of the quality that I've read so many! These two groups have some of the most prolific and most talented writers of any I've ever read and I'm proud and humbled to be in their number.

I told David this past week that everyone on my Christmas list is getting one or more books for Christmas! I'm just trying to figure out if I'll have enough money at conference to buy them there so I can have them autographed for each recipient.

I've started publicizing my blog, so if you are new to my ramblings please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. Since I'm a traveler, I'd love to know from where you are writing.

Something new

Saturday, over on Terry Whalin's blog (see link at right) he talked about starting something new when waiting to hear on other writing projects. I was getting tired of my zillion current projects so I said, "Hey, it's Saturday. Do something new!"

I looked at the writing opportunities available on several of my writing job boards and found three interesting items and began work on them immediately.

I am trying my hand at a "10-minute play." I've never written a play before so it should prove interesting. I had never even considered writing a play, even though I love watching them, but instantly three completely different ideas popped into my head. I fleshed them out a bit, talked them over with hubby, and decided on the one to pursue. Monday, I'll start looking at formatting books so I will hopefully LOOK like I have a clue.

The second item I found was a call for a variety of different pieces for a fly fishing publication. I've been fly fishing since I was five, and have always wanted to write about it. This publication jumped at me, so I'm already working on a "memoir." I've not written a memoir before, so this will be a learning process.

The third item was an essay contest for a magazine. The topic is one I've been muttering, mumbling, griping, complaining and droning on about for several months, and here's my opportunity to make my opinion official! I've only written a few essays; my most recent is still under consideration at a major magazine publisher, so I'm not sure how I'm doing with essay writing at this point. Again, another learning process.

Terry has some great ideas on his blog, be sure to check them out. Thanks for making my Saturday a fun one, Terry!

Characters

Continuing a bit from yesterday's discussion.

I realized one of the reasons I can't write such dramatic books is because I like my characters too much! Why would I want to put them through some of the things I'm reading about now?

Ok, you can quit laughing. I know, it means I need to grow as a writer. I'll be working on that.

Sure, my first book, I actually kill off a secondary character. But she's not a "likeable" character to begin with, so there will be cheers upon her demise. I haven't yet reached the point where I can put a main character into a situation that causes such horrendous pain that she feels she can't breathe another breath. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my best friend, so why should I put it on my best character?

Maybe one day, I'll just have to write a book that gets all that... see, I can't even think all those horrid things. Watch me grow.

Moods and Emotional Writing

Do moods contribute to or detract from your writing? Your writing routine?

Affecting my routine the most are the moods around me, rather than my own. I can be in the middle of a productive day when someone's negative attitude or unhelpful spirit will sidetrack me.

On those days, I try not to be too hard on myself and write at another time - usually after everyone has gone to bed. When on deadline, I block out enough of the negativity to push through.

What about my own moods? I tend to be a happy camper, so it's seldom when I'm less than a "perky" nuisance. But those rare days can alter my writing, so I've learned to utilize them. Those are the days when I write my darkest, saddest, meanest scenes. My mood fits, so my writing fits. Then, when the storm blows over, I can write perky again.

I've been reading and studying a variety of books written by numerous Christian authors. Today, I verbalized a major lesson that I've learned the last few weeks and I'd like to share it here.

So far, I've written sweet, happy books/stories. Oh, they have the dramatic and/or tear-jerking scenes but they still are "lightweight" books. As I've read these other books that have gotten me emotional enough I have to put the book down for a period of time I've realized that these writers EXCEL at this type of story, and I enjoy reading them to a point. I can't read many of them in a short time period, and I'm not sure I will ever be able to write those types of books.

Why? The only answer I can come up with (and I'm not even sure it's the right one!) - I have lived through some pretty horrid situations in my life and reading was always an escape from the pain and dysfunction surrounding me. If I were to choose to write a book with such tragedy and sorrow in it, I would be putting myself into the same situations that I've tried to escape all these years.

Does that mean I'm a chicken? No. Or not as talented a writer? That remains to be seen, but for the sake of this column, I'll say "I don't think so." Books are a way to escape and I will write those escapes to the best of my ability and provide my readers with a relief from their daily lives. Hopefully, in my books, they will find something to laugh about, maybe shed a tear or two from happiness, and in the end, walk away with a smile on their face.

Does it mean the other writers are wrong? Absolutely not. It means they are gifted in a way that I am not. It means that they are willing and able to be emotionally drained each time they write a scene. It has to be draining - how else could they pour out such emotion on the page without the words taking some part of the writer down with it?

I can learn tremendous amounts from these authors, and may even someday write like them, but for now, I'll continue being perky.

The Right Questions

This week I submitted a query to a major magazine publisher for an interview article I had been working on a month or so. The article just would not come together until I had most of it written. I realized there were a couple of questions I needed to ask my subjects to complete it.

I interviewed them in person, and had a nice visit and got most of the basics. But I got so wrapped up in the story that it became more of a visit than an interview. The original interview lasted about an hour. The follow-up interview lasted about ten minutes, and I got more information out of it than the original and was able to finally pull the article together. When I did, the focus of the article changed, as did the target market and the magazine I chose for submission.

So what did I learn? 1) Stay focused. Remember the purpose of the interview. 2) Pay attention. Ask questions that cover more than the basics, that possibly take on another direction than you thought it would, based on other answers. 3) Try to get all the information the first time around but 4) Don't be afraid to contact the subject ONE more time for a follow-up but make it brief and to the point. More than once is annoying and unprofessional. 5) Write the darn thing!