Essays Assistance » christian writing

Writing Success: What Does It Mean To You?

Essays — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:35:55 +0000

Like most creative professions the question of a qualified success in writing is not easy to concentrate into one definitive answer.

Just as there are a multitude of writing styles, so too are there many examples of writing success.

Examples

1. “If I can just finish my first story, I will have success.”

2. “If I can just work up the courage to submit this to a publisher, I will have success.”

3. “If I can actually receive a check in the mail for a magazine article, I will have success.”

4. “If I can just publish my first book, I will have success.”

5. “If I can just have my book published by a major publisher, I will have success.”

6. “If I can just get my book in the bestseller list, I will have success.”

7. “If I can just keep up with all the writing work I have been commissioned to do, I will have success.”

8. “If I can only be thought of in the same way as other literary giants, I will have success.”

“The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.” Lin Yu-t’ang

There is a difference between contentment and complacency. In the first case, we learn to be happy in the circumstances we find ourselves in. In the second case, you simply settle for where you are without an interest in doing something more.

“A man will never be content with what he wants until he is content with what he has.” – Bill Gothard

As writers we should always reach for our best. It is a good idea to set a small attainable goal for the short term with perhaps a one and six year plan in place for where we would like to be. This goal can be readjusted annually.

The problem many writers have is they set their goals so high they may not be able to reach them, or they make the goal sacrosanct they miss out on life in pursuit of the goal. Should they actually reach the goal, the effect of reaching the pinnacle often serves as a pin to pop an inflated balloon. For some, the ultimate goal they have chosen leaves them feeling hollow because they never understood the need for contentment. Once the ‘ultimate goal’ is realized the author has nothing more to look forward to and they struggle through issues related to their overall motivation.

By learning the fine art of contentment while refusing to be complacent will serve you well as you wrestle with issues of personal writing success.

A Writer

Essays — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:39:38 +0000

It may be the hope of all who have ever put pen to paper that they might be able to write on a full-time basis. The romantic notion of a writer’s life is compelling enough to many to find them seeking ways to make a living by crafting the written word.

David Boles is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Go Inside Magazine. Boles indicates his day starts at 8:00 a.m. and he rarely finishes writing until midnight. Boles has additional words of wisdom for new writers.

1. You will not get rich overnight

Some of Boles’ advice runs counter to the idealistic notion of what a writer’s life is supposed to be, “The best thing you can do to prepare yourself for the life of a writer is to make certain you have a steady form of income that will cover your monthly nut.”

2. Creativity may be overrated

Boles also indicates creativity is less about devising something altogether new and more about a willingness to find new ingredients for an old recipe, “There’s nothing new in the world and good writing is simply reinventing what has come before you in a new and delightful way.”

3. Muse cooperation is not optional

While many writers feel that creative inspiration is required if you are to write anything of meaning, Boles has a more pragmatic approach to writing, “Making yourself sit down and create is more important than the desire to write.”

4. An understanding spouse is worth their weight in gold

When you sit in front of your word processor for hours on end it may be difficult for others to see how what you are doing has much meaning, but Boles indicates if you are called to write you should, “Find someone who understands your need to write — for writing is a lonesome life and sharing that isolation with someone who unconditionally accepts your Calling is paramount to protecting your sanity and career.”

5. Writer’s Block

Boles has some very straightforward advice for those who may feel they are experiencing a season of writer’s block, “Write. Just write. There is nothing else.”

It should be clear that the life of a writer is not a pristine existence where creative thoughts are ever-present and publishers are always willing to publish your material. A writer’s life is hard work and rarely filled with instant gratification. However, for those who have experienced the call to write it is difficult to imagine a life lived any other way.

Time Management For Writers

Essays — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:55:30 +0000

Most established writers have deadlines to follow. They are either pressed to complete an article by a certain time or they have a novel or non-fiction book that must be handed in by a deadline. In each case they have either a mandatory of self-imposed daily word count they need to complete in order to finish on time.

The primary components to time management for writers should encompass several things.

1. Writing – By actually identifying what your purpose is you take the first step in making sure it is included in your thinking.

2. Research – Take the time to conduct research on your subject matter, if you don’t factor time for this you have to borrow from other categories and you will likely fall behind in your writing.

3. Market Research – When you research the intended audience for your work it can help you more closely guide the work in the right direction.

4. Rest and Recreation – If you don’t factor time for these two things they will get lost. At the root of recreation is re-create. Our creative juices are revitalized in down time. If we spend all our time writing we will likely lose perspective and our work will suffer.

5. Family and friends – This is a close cousin to the last time management component, but your work should never trump your family. If you borrow too much from this category the damaging effects can be long-term.

The old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is true. Most of the zeal you have for writing is to express the very things that life has brought your way. If you have no life because of your writing you may well lose the zeal you have for writing. It is a cycle that many writers have encountered when they placed so much emphasis on the writing that the other categories of time management went bankrupt.

Balance

Finding a balance between life and writing is a hard task. However once you understand writing should be a component of your life instead of the dictator you can assimilate your writing into a schedule that has more than one category.

Writing Goals

It is important to set writing goals, but they should be done with the understanding that even writers need a life. Know your limits and always try to work within those limits.

Of necessity, deadlines are important component in the process of publication. A smart writer will learn to gain a clear perspective on their abilities and refuse to put something together at the last minute. They will also make room for life in the midst of their writing.

“Every man dies &ndash not every man really lives.” &ndash William Ross Wallace

That

Essays — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:17:34 +0000

There are at least sixty different types of rhetorical devices in English literature. The English language is an odd mixture of truth and symbolism and most often exhibits this propensity in the form of various figures of speech. Of all the types of symbolic or rhetorical devices used, hyperbole is the most common. The use of hyperbole may remind you of William Shatner and his propensity to overact.

Worsley Online School asked visitors to come up with examples of hyperbole. Here are a few of the best examples from school-aged children. (Source: .worsleyschool.net)

“My sister uses so much makeup when she smiles her cheeks fall off.” Ed

“My Teacher’s so old she’s mentioned in the Old Testament.” Kaysie

“My dog is so ugly the fire hydrants disguise themselves!” Cara

“My city is so isolated it takes three days just to get to the grocery store!” Ashley

“Your sister is so dumb, she walked by the YMCA and thought they spelled MACY’S wrong” Alicia

“My history teacher’s so old, he lived through everything we’ve learned about ancient Greece” Ryan

“Saskatchewan is so flat, you can see your dog run away for 4 days!” Jenna

“It was so cold, even the polar bears were wearing jackets.” Elizabeth

The opposite demonstration of this rhetorical device is called ‘Understatement’.

This method draws the reader in by providing a statement that does not seem to fully appreciate the impact of event or situation.

Situation: The temperature outside is 10 below zero.

Hyperbole: It is so cold outside your words freeze. No one can hear you until the spring thaw..

Understatement: It might get a little cool today.

Situation: A chef prepares a wonderful dinner.

Hyperbole: The food was so good it got time off for behavior.

Understatement: The food was tolerable.

Situation: Viewing a NASCAR race.

Hyperbole: The car was so fast I heard a sonic boom.

Understatement: The cars drove at a fair clip.

Authors use hyperbole and understatement in both fiction and non-fiction writing, however it is safe to say that the use of hyperbole is much more widely used. Hyperbole is often used excessively and may not be as clever for the reader as we imagined when we devised the hyperbolic line.

As with almost everything in life the use of hyperbole and understatement are best used in moderation. The use of hyperbole may help define a character in a storyline but there is a significant amount of hyperbole that has been relegated to colloquialism and often becomes clich

A Work In Context – The Paradigm

Essays — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:37:26 +0000

A paradigm has been described as “A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them.”

Each writer comes at their work with a certain paradigm at work. Each writer will write with a set of assumptions about the world around them, they will subconsciously include concepts and values they find imperative. In the broadest perspective possible each writer will express their worldview in some form or fashion through what they write. This may not happen in every piece, however when the entire body of work is evaluated carefully it becomes clear what the author truly believes to be true, noble and right.

In the realm of writing this concept is known as Context. This means that the author of any work lodges certain absolutes in virtually all areas of story construction. The story may include the writer’s philosophy of politics or their view of religion.

A strong example of this was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. While the story is fictional, Mr. Brown confirms that he believes much of what he wrote to be true. Many have appreciated the storytelling ability of Dan Brown, but have a hard time accepting the context and assumptions of his work.

As a writer of faith it is quite likely the core values you possess will show up in ways both intentional and unplanned. J.R.R. Tolkien made a point of saying that his faith was not the intended context of his storytelling. Yet, the pages of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filled with Judeo Christian values and attributions to the power and sacrifice of God which are consistent with his personal faith. I would argue that this fiction writer could not write something that denied his internal paradigm.

Most fiction writers are not trying to proselytize, they simply present a story and in the process their belief system leaks onto the pages. It’s to be expected.

From an historical perspective a look at world event at the time a classic literary work was published can assist us in learning the context of the work and the paradigm of the author.

World events and our personal response are a unique combination that affects the context of our writing. If we are struggling with certain local, region, national or even global issues we will likely find the context of our circumstances coupled with out beliefs will alter our writing and the assumptions we include.

For a serious student of literature an understanding of context can help decode a sense of the angst or joy the author was experiencing when writing their classic.

There

Essays — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:19:52 +0000

Have you ever had anyone criticize your writing? Maybe they were just having a bad day. After all some people just can’t seem to say anything nice.

Not everyone is comfortable with criticism, but there may be times when it provides just what you need to move forward in your writing.

There is a man that’s been called the “Simon Cowell of Christian Publishing”. A few quotes from Chip MacGregor might allow you to see that he’s far from being the touchy-feely type. The following quotes were part of a July 2006 interview with Chip MacGregor who is the Associate Publisher with Hachette Book Group USA. The quotes are part of a lengthy interview conducted by the staff at Novel Journey.

“The reason most wannabe authors remain unpublished is because they just aren’t willing to put in the time, to do the hard work and become better at the craft of writing. In other words, laziness will keep you from being a great writer.” &ndash Chip MacGregor

“Some people (many people) seem to be fans, and send me nice notes on occasion, like when they’ve gone off their meds or had too much to drink. Others clearly do NOT like me. Especially nice church ladies who can’t understand why I’d say that a book is bad or a writer has done a terrible job.” &ndash Chip MacGregor

“The only way I could finish the stupid thing was to tear out the pages I’d read and light them on fire, in hopes that occasionally sticking my hand into the flames would keep me awake. Mourn the trees that died so this tome could see print.” &ndash Chip MacGregor

“I’d suggest that many of the Old Testament prophets helped the culture make strides not by being nice, but being honest &ndash even blunt. Ditto Paul. Ditto Jesus, for that matter (take a peek at his criticisms of the upstanding church leadership of His day).” &ndash Chip MacGregor

“So what’s the harm in being honest? Even brutally honest? Can’t we all admit we’ve got stuff to learn?” &ndash Chip MacGregor.

“90% of the stuff I reject is rejected for one reason: it isn’t good enough.” &ndash Chip MacGregor

MacGregor does have advice for writers that may make them cringe a bit less, “I think writer’s conferences are a great way for newbies to get educated in the process of writing. Hanging around a bunch of experienced people in your chosen field is ALWAYS an excellent idea… It’s nice to find somebody a bit further down the path.”

It is safe to say that the thrust of MacGregors ‘honesty’ it to try to challenge writers to be the absolute best they can be. This often means forcing ourselves to work harder at our craft and refusing to use a specific genre as a crutch for mediocre writing.

Who’s Telling The Story?

Essays — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:06:15 +0000

The point of view in any story is important because it provides a guide to manage the execution of your story. Most works of fiction use one point of view although a second perspective can be brought into the story for a short period of time.

Third Person Perspective is the most common method of conveying a work of fiction. This method allows the narrator to have at least limited omniscience. The narrator has limited access to the knowledge and feelings of the characters in the story and can take the reader from one character setting to another easily. There is no questioning of how the narrator knows so much about each individual; it is a premise that is simply accepted by most readers.

Unlike first person perspective that conveys the story from the perspective of a cast member, third person perspective narration does not allow the narrator to actually participate in the action. They are simply the mechanism that operates outside the story to bring the various story threads together.

If a writer were to give the narrator full access to all feelings and thoughts of the cast of characters the story would be a little flat because nothing would be left to the imagination.

Third person narratives can be spotted by the predominate us of words such as they, he, she and it. The narrator talks about others – never about himself.

The least common perspective is Second Person Perspective. Very few novels can utilize this approach throughout an entire work.

This type of fiction relies on words like you and you’re. The use of this type of perspective either assumes you will connect with the story as if it is written to you or that you will understand you are reading a private story written to and about someone else. It is rare to find a full manuscript that uses this perspective although an Epistolary Novel such the C.S. Lewis masterpiece “Screwtape Letters” may likely be considered second person perspective in its entirety.

The trouble many writers get into is an unintentional shift in perspective. This can be used effectively under certain circumstances, however the shift in perspective needs a breaking point to allow the reader to gain some understanding that a shift has taken place. Without a break to qualify the shift in point of view the story becomes confusing because the reader has to work hard at discovering who is actually telling the story.

The Banned Narrator-Are You An Epistolary Novelist?

Essays — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:47:36 +0000

Do you like to write letters to those who have meant something to you? Do people like receiving your letters? Have others said they always look forward to your letters?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions you could be an Epistolary Novelist.

This novel approach to fiction writing is unique in that the entire novel is composed with letters written between main characters or a solitary writer.

One of the classic Epistolary Novels in Christian fiction is the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. In this work two demons are conversing by letter to learn ways to frustrate Christians. These letters provided unique insight into the lives of Christians and how we respond to the world around us and the frustration we sometimes feel when dealing with other Christians.

One element that is totally removed from an Epistolary Novel is the narrator. Each chapter is composes specifically of a letter from of the novel’s main characters and presents a perspective unique to that author. There is no tool to lead the reader in any particular direction; they are influenced only by the words of your fictional character.

Another benefit of an Epistolary Novel is that you can present many unique points of view because each letter contains a prospective unique to the fictional author.

It may be difficult to think about how to manage a series of letters, you must learn how to take your plot and direction through the use of one or more voices. You have to work at keeping the characters and voices separated so each letter (chapter) bears the unique stamp of the character you have developed.

It is possible to develop an Epistolary Novel using only one character. In this scenario the novel may read much like a journal with an entire series of events being passed along in a time stamped dateline.

You will find there are several issues in the story that may not be resolved in subsequent letters. It may be several letters before an issue addressed in one letter is finally clarified. The intent is to present a realistic representation of the manner in which letter writing takes place.

A few authors have used the Epistolary Novel approach using email correspondence instead of standard form letters, but the truth is you can set your work of fiction in virtually any time period you choose.

Free For All

Essays — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:25:01 +0000

A debate is taking place on the worldwide web in connection with the use or overuse of content. Everyone seems to agree that the use of quality content is important, but how much is too much and what ways are best for the distribution of your content?

Please note that this issue is not related to write-for-hire or contract content writing.

Close to the Vest

Some writers in this camp indicate they feel there is an integrity issue at stake when a writer makes their work widely available and used on multiple sites.

In this line of thinking the author should only use the article on their own personal site without the ability of other sites to use the work.

Many authors feel that the use of the article in a singular location provides more weight to the article when viewed by online guests.

Free For All

In this camp the mantra is “Everyone can use it!” The motivations for allowing the use might be different for each author, but there are many that use this strategy.

For some writers, the allowance of article use is tied to their interest in making a certain point of view widely available. This may be tied to religious or political thought. For other writers, the use of free-to-use articles has more to do with a wealth of online marketing potential.

In either case, these articles do tend to be widely used.

Which is the right perspective?

I suppose the answer to that question lie in what it is you are most interested in accomplishing with your article. It could be that the tie to the article is so intimate that it would be a violation of conscience to allow it to be used elsewhere. However, it could be a message of such importance that it makes sense to make it available to a wider audience.

There are obvious benefits to making at least some of your work available at no cost through an online article submission service. In many cases the body of free articles represents a voice of authority for those interested in using the articles. It is also safe to say that there are numerous publishers with limited budgets for the purchase of material. These individuals rely heavily on free-to-reprint articles to meet their content goals. In turn, you have another publishing credit to add to your portfolio.

So, check your motivation and career objectives and see which direction best suits your specific writing objectives.

Greeting Cards: For In-Between Freelancing

Essays — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:50:21 +0000

“U.S. consumers purchase approximately 7 billion greeting cards each year, generating nearly $7.5 billion in retail sales.” *

Have you ever wondered who actually writes all of those greeting cards you purchase? Sure there are staff writers who may develop themes and specific greeting cards. However, there are numerous freelance writers who have received checks for the use of one or more of their greeting card ideas.

“There are an estimated 3,000 greeting card publishers in the U.S., ranging from small family-run organizations to major corporations. GCA-member publisher companies account for approximately 95 percent of industry sales.” *

With so many greeting card publishers it is easy to see that this may be a market worth looking at. Many freelance writers who have sold ideas to greeting card companies find the idea a profitable means of using their downtime.

When these writers find themselves without a pressing deadline or if they have a few moments to spare, they will often jot down a few creative ideas. When they accumulate dozen or so ideas, they send them onto a greeting card company for consideration.

“The exchange of greeting cards is one of the most widely accepted customs in the U.S. There are cards for virtually any occasion or relationship, and they are widely available. Approximately 100,000 retail outlets around the country carry greeting cards.” *

Greeting card companies often pay $25-300 for accepted original ideas. One of the best ways to match your idea with a publisher is to conduct some research of your own. For instance some card companies only accept non-rhyming poetry while others only accept humor. Some want inspirational thought while others deal in the clich

Essays Assistance » christian writing

Writing Success: What Does It Mean To You?

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