Aim for Perfection Editing

This Sums It Up

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

I saw this on Facebook last week and literally laughed out loud! Yes, yes, yes! These rules are so simple, yet so frequently broken that it’s really not a laughing matter. I’m very active in the world of blogging, and honestly, when I see poorly written material, I can’t get off that site fast enough. How unprofessional! If you’re going to write for publication—any type of publication—you should present not only your most thought-out material, but also your most correctly written work. A lack of grammatical correctness shows a lack of respect for the reader.

The peeves mentioned certainly are not the comprehensive guidelines of writing in the English (US) language, but I beg of you, please take note of those 10 rules. Learn them. Memorize them. Above all, put them into practice! To do otherwise renders communication ineffectual.

…Aim for perfection… 2 Corinthians 13:11

Of Noble Character

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

I read a very good book the other day. The characters were so well developed that after I finished the book, I wondered what they were doing now. That’s quality writing!

My old college professor once reduced fiction to this: something happens to someone. He emphasized that the someone is the key to the story. It’s the someone about whom your reader cares. It’s the someone to whom your reader relates. It’s the someone feeling, affecting, becoming that your reader watches, feels for, worries about…and loves, or loves to hate.

Developing fictional characters requires dedication, especially if you write Christian fiction. You want not only to entertain, but also to make the reading worth the reader’s time. Have you created someone the reader would recognize if he bumped into him in real life? Have you made your hero someone your reader would be proud to know, or your villain someone the reader would be terrified to meet on the street?

Discipleship Tools tells us, “Character is a spiritual Fruit that is built from our real, godly relationship and commitment to Christ as LORD. It is the fiber of our moral center that stretches throughout our being, embracing and holding together our relationships when it is sealed as a choice and commitment, and not just a feeling or a personality.” Many character traits are discussed in Galatians 5:22-23, and dozens of others are found throughout the Bible. So when you’re creating someones for your readers to love (or loathe), keep these traits in mind:

Love will enable us to appreciate our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and, of course, our family, and others around us.
Joy will allow us to enjoy His creation, others, and our circumstances with an expression of delight and real, authentic happiness from and with harmony with God and others.
Peace is surrendering and yielding to the Lord’s control, for He is our ultimate peace!
Patience is showing tolerance and fortitude to others, and even accepting difficult situations from them and God without making demands and conditions.
Kindness is practicing benevolence and a loving attitude towards others.
Goodness displays integrity, honesty, and compassion to others, and allows us to do the right thing.
Faithfulness is the “gluing” fruit that will preserve our faith and the other characters of the Spirit as well as identify God's Will so we can be dependable and trusting to God and others.
Gentleness is the character that will show calmness, personal care, and tenderness in meeting the needs of others.
Self-Control will allow us to have discipline, and restraint with obedience to God and others. (via Discipleship Tools; more can be found here)

Believe it or not, villains often start out as noble characters and at a critical point in the plot either choose ignoble desires or have their true, evil intentions revealed. While the fruits of the Spirit and other biblical character qualities may not seem to apply to all someones, they are still useful for developing characters fully, even if it means looking to them to develop completely opposite traits. And remember, it’s not the something that’s so important in a story, as much as it is the someone to whom it happens.

The M.O.M. Initiative

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have joined with some wonderful ladies in a great new ministry called The M.O.M. Initiative. I am really quite honored, and to be honest, humbled, to be included in such an amazing group of women who love the Lord so dearly and give of themselves so freely.

We are officially launching the new website today and invite you to check it out. You will find many encouraging articles and helpful resources online, and a supplemental workbook is forthcoming. Learn more about The M.O.M. Initiative below, and let us know how we can serve you!

What’s The M.O.M. Initiative?

While many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, we all know it’s not always easy being a mom. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come packaged with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.

The M.O.M. Initiative is an acrostic for Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers. It exists as a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable and support women as they experience Titus 2 in real life. We want to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.

The Website:

The M.O.M. Initiative website offers virtual encouragement for real life moms. The website exists as safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.

Along with practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom and informative insight on current issues, The M.O.M. Initaitive website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect with a ‘virtual’ mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for the mentor as well as the mentee.

The articles on The M.O.M. Initiative website are provided by a wonderful group of moms who are passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers. Some are writers, speakers, counselors, nurses or experts in their fields, yet they all devote much time and effort to serving other mothers in whatever season of life they find themselves.

The Workbook:

The M.O.M. Initiative workbook is being developed to serve as a tool in the hands of Christian moms to help foster mentoring relationships beyond the four walls of the church and take Titus 2 to the streets. It will be an eight week study containing five lessons per week. Each day the mentee will be presented with biblical truths as well as mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and developmental needs of a child. She will also gain insight through thought provoking questions encouraging her to implement proactive mothering techniques.

The workbook will also provide a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide in the back of the book.

Summed up, The M.O.M. Initiative is a missional mentoring package of resources that will give Christian mothers an easy, hands on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ.

How Did The M.O.M. Initiative Get Started?

The M.O.M. Initiative was birthed from founder, Stephanie Shott’s own story. At the age of nineteen, she was a single mom. Without Christ and without a mentor, she made a series of serious choices that affected her precious young son. After becoming a Christian five years later she learned being a mom is much more than a three letter word and a handful of sacrifices. She also realize the significance of Titus 2:4-5.

What’s the Vision for The M.O.M. Initiative?

We believe that if the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, then the church that mentors those hands will win it.

The primary vision for The M.O.M. Initiative is that it not only be limited to those who enter the four walls of the church, but that it also be used to facilitate mentor relationships in homes for unwed mothers, in low income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and anywhere young mothers can be found. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)

We are mothers on a mission to mentor other mothers and we really want to change the world one mom at a time! Won’t you join us?!

The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!

To join the revolution and become a M.O.M. Mentor, please click the link: http://www.themominitiative.com/contact-form-to-join-the-revolution/

To learn more about The M.O.M. Initiative, you can visit our website at: http://www.themominitiative.com

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Does That Make Sense?

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

In any language, whether spoken or written, there exists a structured syntax, a set of grammar rules to regulate sentence construction. Without such organization, language would be ineffectual, right? Random words gestured haphazardly make no sense.

Even made-up languages maintain structure. Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky of Through the Looking Glass is sheer nonsense. Or is it?

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

The poem’s theme may not be immediately evident, but it has rhythm and rhyme and structure and some sort of imagery of which main character Alice herself says, “Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don’t know exactly what they are!”

What about languages long since outdated and archaic? Take this piece of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, for example:

But ye that holden this tale a folye,
As of a fox, or of a cok and hen,
Taketh the moralitee, goode men.
For Seint Paul seith that al that written is,
To our doctrine it is y-write, y-wis.
Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stille.

Indeed a message can be discerned without the benefit of a translator. Well-written material with proper structure—grammar, syntax, punctuation, formatting—can leave quite an impact on the reader. It is effective communication that can leave quite an impression, even when the words are not completely understood.

So learn the language in which you write. Know its rules and know how to break them correctly. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV), because “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33) and neither should you be.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it’s 2012? It’s common custom to assess life at the turn of a new year. We look back on where we’ve been and speculate what is to come. We plan, strategize, budget and organize. Of course, to certain degrees that is necessary. We need to have some direction, some goal for which to strive.

Writing is no exception. I have relinquished some responsibilities in order to take on some new assignments. I am hopeful in anticipation of the potential growth those new prospects will bring. To be honest, I’m filled with excitement about the things I’ve penciled onto my calendar.

But…

Soothsayers predict the world will end this year. Are you gearing up for that? According to NASA, “The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012. Then these two fables were linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012—hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.” (By the way, the Mayan calendar does not end. It merely rolls over to a new long-period cycle, just as our own calendar rolls over from December to January each year.) By scientific measures, it is highly unlikely any catastrophe is due Earth in 2012.

But…

The Bible tells us we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Let me ask you again, are you gearing up for that? Of course, I am not advising you “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die!” But I’d like you to consider James 4:13-15: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

If it is the Lord’s will…

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath” (Psalm 39:5). A breath. A mist. A vapor. The very next verse describes man as a phantom in his finite brevity. Make your resolutions. Set those goals. But remember it is “not my will but thine,” and make this ever your constant plea: Lord, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” (Psalm 90:12).

May 2012 bring you rich blessings as you live according to His will.

A Homeless Man in Holy Socks

2011-12-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

I drove my usual route to work one gloomy January Tuesday. It was 42 degrees and misty in Dallas. Along the sidewalk near my office strode a slender man about forty, in need of a shave and carrying a small duffle bag. Nothing intimidating about him; he did not appear threatening. He just walked. But it was 42 degrees and he wore only a flannel shirt, jeans and flip-flops with socks. If you can call them socks. They were more like holes held together with string.

I was young, petite, alone in my car and afraid to offer a ride. I had maybe 50 cents in my wallet. I wondered what I could give him. I considered making a u-turn and running in to the convenience store to purchase something, anything, to warm him but feared he’d be gone before I returned. Just days before, I’d had a packing blanket in the trunk of my car. If only I hadn’t stored it away. All I had to offer was a prayer for his safety and comfort.

When I arrived at my office, I asked if anyone else had seen him. Though most had entered from the same direction at about the same time, they had not. I peered down to the street from my sixth floor window. I could see quite a distance, but the only people around were other workers scurrying in from the cold. Where had he gone? When I went out at lunch, I searched street corners. Surely, a homeless man in holey socks would be panhandling as there were no shelters in the area. He was gone!

A Colin Raye song played in my mind. “What if Jesus came back like that?” the song asks. “Where would He find our hearts are at? Would we let Him in or turn our backs? What if Jesus came back like that?” I had turned my back! The stranger was in need, and I had not assisted him in any way. I was unprepared.

At home that evening I packed the blanket back in my trunk. Then I took a brand new pair of my husband’s socks from his drawer and tucked them under the front passenger seat of my car. There those socks remained for five years.

I drove that same route to work every day, and each morning I hoped to see the man along the sidewalk. I prayed for him, that his circumstances had improved, and if I saw him again, I’d be prepared to clothe the King (Matthew 25:34-40 NIV).

Although the man did not physically get into my car, he has journeyed with me through the past 10 years. I’ve often thought of the homeless man in holy socks and wondered what became of him, or if he was even real. Perhaps the man was an angel sent to remind me, “There will always be poor people in the land,” and to instruct me, “Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11, NIV).

At this season of giving, let’s remember those around us who may are struggling to make ends meet. Let’s edit our finances and help another in need so no one else walks the thread right out of their socks.

An earlier version of this post originally appeared in 2009. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let's remember to BE Jesus to the world.

How Do You Edit Pain?

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

Good Monday morning, friends! As many of you know, I am blessed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Yes, blessed. Sometimes I say that sarcastically, but I mean it sincerely. Really! Here’s the way I see it: God only gives assignments He knows we can handle with His help. He has graced me with a chronic illness that has no cure, that will progressively worsen, and whose treatments can potentially cause more harm than help. That can be a real downer! However, I choose to view my ailment as an instrument of God to draw me close to Him and to direct others to Him. It reminds me of my daily need for His compassion and His grace, and it alerts me to His unending mercy.

Not too long ago, I told you about some ways RA has edited my life. I’m on a similar task today. Let me explain that sometimes having a chronic illness requires me not only to receive mercy, but also to offer it, especially to the medical community. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a challenge to live with and a challenge to treat, because it affects every patient differently. Yes, there are common identifiers, but those are not always apparent in all patients. For this reason, rheumatologists have developed assessments to help them know how to best treat each individual.

Every time I visit my doctor, I have to fill out a survey that ranks my pain in a variety of situations on a scale of one to 10. For example, am I able to turn on and off faucets with no pain, some pain, or a lot of pain? Can I walk on flat ground with no pain, some pain, or a lot of pain? Can I get in and out of a car with no pain, some pain, or a lot of pain? Can I get out of bed with no pain, some pain, or a lot of pain? You get the picture. Seems simple enough, right? The problem is that people living with chronic pain—severe, intense, prolonged, unending pain—sort of get used to it. They—we—develop a high tolerance to pain, because we live with it daily. My friend Kelly of RA Warrior explains it well in her article, “4 Funny Things about Pain Scale Charts”:
Another difficulty with measuring pain is that people who live with
severe pain such as Rheumatoid Arthritis tend to adapt to it. They
increase their tolerance to pain out of necessity. This is the reason
that people living with RA often complain that pain scales “don’t
work because they don’t go high enough.” RA pain often starts out
as the most severe pain a person has ever experienced, so they
might rate it with a high number. But then, if pain worsens or
occurs in numerous joints at a time, they wish for a bigger number.
Consequently, they adapt their personal pain threshold and now
rate the pain which was previously a “9” as a “7” in order to be
sure to fit all of their pain onto the scale. RA patients tend to
continually increase their pain tolerance in this way.

A funny but accurate way to look at it!

Kelly has challenged us to edit the pain scale. (You can view some real samples at the NIH Pain Consortium.) So I need your help! Knowing the conundrum described above of 1) how RA is unique to each individual and 2) RA patients adjust their pain tolerance out of necessity, what would be a more effective way for patients to communicate their level of pain to their physicians?

Personally, I detest the pain scale. In the realm of writing, sometimes a piece just must be scrapped. Even after innumerable edits, certain elements just do not work. The only thing to do is hit DELETE. In my opinion, it’s time to delete the entire pain scale concept!

I think the physician should treat each patient with real compassion and concern. Instead of having us fill out a chart of meaningless numbers, sit down and talk to us. Ask me what I do each day. Ask me how my pain hinders those activities. Ask me my specific concerns. Ask me how I manage. Ask me things that relate to my ability to live my daily life, and listen to what I have to say. Understand that every day is different. Understand that medication may keep symptoms at bay, but that doesn’t mean the disease is gone. Get to know me and my disease. Do not dismiss me. Believe my tears. Care.

I am grateful that my RA is manageable and that my current pain level is low, relatively speaking, of course. I am grateful to have a doctor who looks out for my best interest instead of marking me a statistic, and I wish my fellow sufferers the same for their Christmas wish!

If you have comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

*This article is part of a blog carnival hosted by RA Warrior. Read what others have to say about their experience here.

Patience Really IS a Virtue

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

In publishing, patience is definitely a virtue. Ironically, though, it takes time to develop patience. I have a friend who is new to the blogging world. She reminds me of myself a few years ago. She wants the exposure now. She wants the big fan base now. She wants the success now. And who doesn’t, right?

My friend is anxious for her site to take off, and though the waiting is hard, she’s doing a lot of things right.

She’s pitching herself to owners of similar sites, and she’s careful not to spam them. Her introductory letter simply lets the recipient know about what she offers, and she doesn’t ask for anything in return except that they keep her in mind and if her site interests them, that they consider becoming a fan or a follower. Why is this good? She may have the best material available on her topic, but if no one knows it’s there, her efforts are going to waste.
She’s asking lots of questions. She’s researching the market. She’s getting advice from those more experienced. Why is this good? She’s learning what not to do at the same time she’s learning what to do.
She’s putting that advice to practice. She’s a good student. She’s taking notes and applying that information. Why is this good? The people advising her have experience and success in this field. If she can learn from their mistakes, she can avoid making the same ones herself. It puts her ahead of the game.
She’s building her platform. (I know, the dreaded “P” word!). She’s acquiring columnist positions on established online publications as well as writing for her own site, and she’s developing her own publications. Why is this good? She is getting her name out there and establishing herself as a trusted and talented resource in her field. It’s the beginning of that fan base she’s so
desperate to gain.
She’s writing, writing, writing! You know the old cliché: Practice makes perfect. It is very true! Why is this good? The more she writes, the better she will get. The better she gets, the more writing opportunities will be offered her. The more opportunities available, the more exposure she will get. The more exposure she gets, the more fans and followers she will gain. You get the picture here, right?

Success is rarely an overnight occurrence. It takes persistence, perseverance and most of all, patience. So I suggest you "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:14 ).

Life, Edited

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

I will not mourn the passing of 2011. This has been a year I’m ready to put behind me. Good riddance! Adios! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! You know, one of those years.

From its very beginning, 2011 has had it in for me. It has torn my heart to shreds, danced a little jig on it, then slowly started stitching it back together. Problem is, the pieces have all been rearranged—edited, so it seems.I guess it’s not really a problem per se, as the changes have brought improvement. However, the revision has required some major adjustments. Old ways of thinking have been radically transformed. Faulty mindsets have been corrected. “The old has gone; the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I believe life, like a masterful piece of literature, requires periodic tweaking. I know when I write, it is very hard for me to declare a work finished. Personally, I could edit to infinity! Even in my printed pieces I often see room for improvement. A time or two, I’ve been embarrassed to think I set a certain article before the public eye. Even here on my blog I’ve been known to go back and modify a post that had already published. You could call it obsession, but I prefer to think I’m striving to present the most effective message I can write.

When it comes to life’s edits, I believe the demolition and reconstruction occurs so “…that our God may count [us] worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of [ours] and every act prompted by [our] faith” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). So as painful and challenging as the tear down/build up process is, I welcome the stroke of the Master’s red pen.

Following God through the Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

2011-11-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

The latest in AMG Publishers' Following God through the Bible series, Ecclesiastes: Understanding What Matters Most, is a six-week workbook study that takes an in-depth look at Ecclesiastes. This debut offering from author Stephanie Shott provides a Christian woman’s unique perspective into an oft misunderstood book of the Bible.

To place events in context, the study begins with an historical overview of how Solomon became king. As the son of King David, Solomon’s life had been mapped out for him, and he embraced it fully.

When time came for Solomon to take his father’s throne, God spoke to him, offering Solomon whatever he should ask. Solomon chose wisdom. God was so pleased with this humble request, he also granted Solomon great success and favor. However, Solomon made many mistakes throughout his reign. Despite doing much to honor the Lord, Solomon also made many unwise choices. And he recorded all he learned in the process in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Stephanie Shott’s honest and sincere approach immediately dissolves any trepidation readers may have about looking at their own lives and the choices they’ve made along the way. In this study, she graciously points out the heart of every man is written in the pages of Scripture. Readers in all walks of life are sure to identify with and be encouraged by Solomon’s wisdom. As they turn this pages of this workbook, they will be challenged to live lives of purpose and will come to know “what really matters most in this life we live under the sun.”

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review and promotion.

Blog Under Reconstruction

2011-10-07T22:09:00.002-05:00

New & improved blog coming soon. Thank you for your patience!

Taking a Break

2011-06-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

This blog is on temporary hiatus. I hope to resume regular posts in September. Thank you!

How Well Do You Hear?

2011-03-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

I explained in my last post that I am learning new ways to listen. I am a bit discouraged to report my hearing has not been restored, but I have hope. Like I said in that article, I am being more diligent to listen and not just hear.

Well, the writing process mimics life to the extent that we must be attentive to the story that's longing to be told. Be it fiction or non, our job as writers is to communicate. If we are not tuned into that message, the pieces we write will be ineffectual.

I don't like to waste words, so I make sure I do not interfere with what needs to be heard. Here's how I get ME out of the way:

"Remove the ME"

by Jodi Whisenhunt

just fail.

am in the way.

Lord, take

away, remove

Me.

Speak through

Me.

Live through

Me.

Flow from

Me.

cease to exist.

Don't make

Your instrument.

am Yours already, just

remove the ME.

May the Lord fill you with Himself so you may be receptive to His word and effective in His ministry.

Learning New Ways to Listen

2011-02-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

I guess I got too good at tuning things out, so God turned off my left ear. I’m hoping it’s temporary, and I go to the doctor on Wednesday to check things out, but for the last three weeks my hearing has been lopsided.

What happened?

Well, to be completely honest, I lived life my way. I made some decisions I thought were alright with God, despite the fact I never truly had peace about them. I marched forward anyway thinking it was an opportunity of a lifetime. I thought surely since the door had been opened I was meant to walk through it.

But not all open doors are held by the hand of God.

I’m not saying God physically punished me for disobedience, although He is capable of such thing. He did, however, allow certain consequences to occur in response to my lack of faithfulness.

So I am learning new ways to listen:

1) I am attentive to God’s voice. I make conscious effort to hear Him speak. And He almost never shouts.

2) I request discernment. I want to hear His voice and none other. The voice of truth, not of deceit.

3) I get Satan behind me. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, NIV). Satan is “a stumbling block to me,” so with Jesus’ help I send him away (Matthew 16:23, NIV).

4) I get myself behind me. Personal pride just trips me up. “…not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42, NIV).

5) I obey. I repent and ask forgiveness and then I DO. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, NKJV).

My ear will heal, be it now or when I get home to heaven. In the meantime, I will listen intently.

Edited by RA

2011-01-10T04:31:00.000-06:00

Writing can sometimes be a pain. For me, literally. I am blessed with an autoimmune disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). That is a bit of a misnomer, as RA is neither rheumatic nor arthritic. It is a confused human body that wages war against its own healthy tissue, destroying joints, connective tissue, and internal organs, and causing a plethora of other potential debilities. It disfigures. It hinders. It hurts. A lot. It progressively worsens and it never goes away.

RA has edited my life.

But I know a real-life warrior! She battles this disease herself, but she doesn’t fight alone. Her name is Kelly Young, and she advocates for patients with autoimmune diseases, such as the one she and I share. This post today is part of a blog carnival to increase awareness of these illnesses and bring better understanding and better treatment and care to those afflicted. Thank you for indulging me a bit today, as this Aim for Perfection Editing post ventures from the realm of writing!

One thing Kelly has discovered by interacting with thousands of folks via her RAWarrior website is that RA and other similar ailments are often misdiagnosed and misunderstood, and therefore mistreated or not treated at all. I suppose I am fortunate to have received an accurate diagnosis immediately upon onset. Many are not so lucky and spend years suffering needlessly. Some are told repeatedly that they are not sick, because autoimmune diseases can be invisible. Oftentimes, symptoms do not show outwardly; there are no physical signs. Sometimes, the markers, or lab numbers, do not register in blood work. Other times, an uncompassionate physician simply dismisses the patient’s complaints.

What could be done to reduce the time it takes to receive a diagnosis in such cases? I think doctors need to educate themselves—not by reading textbooks but by listening to their patients—and stop looking at numbers and statistics to define debility. Every patient is unique. Certain symptoms can be present across the board, but sometimes they are missing from the equation. If our condition has brought us to the point of seeking help, we need you to help us.

We do not need to be doubted. We do not need to be judged. We do not need you to minimize what we say we feel. We do not need to be drugged and dismissed. We do need to be heard. We need compassion. We need relief. We need your support, because we need hope.

I have a wonderful rheumatologist now who listens to my concerns, who cares about reducing the limitations RA imposes on my life, who works with me to relieve flares and prevent further damage. She asks me questions, and she pays attention to my reply. I appreciate her very much!

People have asked me why I say I am blessed with RA when it seems a curse. My answer is simple. God has chosen me for this task. He deems me worthy to do His work. A difficult chore, yes, but I am honored to have been selected and I am blessed to receive this assignment.

Read others’ experiences and find my onset story at RAWarrior. See more blog carnival articles here.

A Social Network Christmas

2010-12-17T19:52:00.000-06:00

This is one of the most creative pieces I've seen in a while! Enjoy! Merry Christmas, everyone!

What's in Your Wallet?

2010-12-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

What’s in your wallet? If you’re a fiction writer, that’s what you need to ask your main character. Look! He just dropped it on the ground. Let’s go take a peek!

Of course, he has the usual driver’s license, insurance information and at least one credit card. Wait! What’s that? Interesting, it’s a Visa that expired three years ago. Let’s keep looking. Aw, there’s a nice picture of his family. It’s a bit faded, soft and worn around the edges. One corner’s actually stuck to the plastic holder. Must have been there awhile. Looks like something’s tucked in behind it. Weird! There’s a pink string off his wife’s favorite blouse and a crumpled gum wrapper with “I love you” written on it. I think we know enough. Let’s return the wallet to its owner now.

What you find in your main character’s wallet are the things that matter most to him. The things that matter most to him are the things that define his character. His character is what drives the story, what makes the reader care. In fiction, something happens to someone. If the reader doesn’t care about the someone, he won’t care about the something either, and he will close the book.

So what about the wallet’s contents? I think what’s in there explains the fight he has taken to City Hall. If he can illegalize dump trucks and get them off city roads, maybe, just maybe he can prevent the death of another innocent mother and her children. If only that one hadn’t barreled through the traffic light on Main Street three years ago…

What’s in your main character’s wallet is what makes your reader laugh—or cry—it’s what makes them feel the character’s angst. Help us get to know your characters as well as you know them. Take another look in that wallet!

Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth, by Susan K. Marlow

2010-11-23T18:09:00.001-06:00

Trouble has no problem finding thirteen-year-old Andrea (Andi) Carter. Despite best intentions, her plans almost always get thwarted. In this sixth and final book of the Circle C Adventures series, Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth, Andi secretly plans to earn money herself so she can give her mother a very special birthday gift. But keeping those plans a secret from her family is easier said than done.

One of Andi’s ideas seems to be working out. That is, until she identifies an upstanding citizen, and her brother’s best friend, at the scene of a back-alley murder. When the town bully holds her beloved horse hostage, pressuring Andi to recant, the young girl must decide if the price of telling the truth is worth the cost of losing Taffy. Her thoughts express her frustration, “All I did was tell the truth, and now everything’s in a muddle.”

While this book brings the series to a close, Price of Truth is quite enjoyable on its own and can stand alone. I do recommend reading books one through five, though, to get to know Andi, her friends, and her family, and to catch a glimpse of the Old West and 1880s America.

A FREE, downloadable, 24-page enrichment guide comes with each book in the Circle C Adventures series and includes:
• Vocabulary
• Discussion Questions
• Geography
• A "Closer Look" at history that ties in with the book
• "Just for fun" hands-on activities, crafts, cooking, or games
Lapbooks are available by separate purchase for grades 3-6. Find it all at Circle C Adventures!

Now younger children can get to know Andi too! The first two books of Susan’s Circle C Beginnings, a new series of early reader chapter books that introduce a six-year-old Andi to the elementary audience, have just been released. Each Circle C Beginnings book has color covers and illustrated pictures, with FREE supplemental activities available online. Visit Andi’s blog for an adorable treat to hear little Andi herself tell all about it.

The Circle C Adventures and Circle C Beginnings series are wholesome reading for the entire family. Read more about Susan in this Aim for Perfection Editing interview or by visiting her website.

Compensation Disclosure: I received one complimentary copy of this book from Kregel in exchange for reviewing it on my blog.

Sharing Recipes

2010-11-19T09:59:00.000-06:00

In light of the holiday season, I'm sharing a couple of my favorite recipes with you! Hope you enjoy them! And do feel free to share with friends and family.

"Your Best Writing Ever!"

Ingredients:

YOU
A dash of creativity
Sprinkle of inspiration
1 Comfy chair
1 Computer word processor (may substitute pen and paper)
Peace and quiet to taste
Optional ingredients: dictionary, thesaurus

Prepare YOU ahead of time by spending time alone in prayer and the study of God's Word. Here you will receive the creativity and inspiration to spice things up. Once YOU are prepared, situate YOUrself in your favorite workspace, complete with comfy chair and preferred writing utensil. The necessary simmer time varies per project and may require anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. I have found the optional ingredients tend to improve flavor.

Serve fresh to anyone who requests!

OK, here's one you can eat!

"Pumpkin Soup"

Ingredients:
1/4 C onion, finely chopped
1/4 C celery, finely chopped
1 small clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 C olive oil
1 C chicken broth (reserve remainder of can)
1 15-oz can Libby's pumpkin (I've tried other brands & it turns out yucky! Use Libby's!)
Half & Half
salt
pepper
Ritz or Club crackers

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are transparent. Lightly salt and pepper them and stir. Add 1 C of chicken broth (reserving remainder) and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 can pumpkin. Add 1 C Half & Half and stir out lumps. Add remainder of pumpkin and another C Half & Half and stir til smooth. (Add additional cream or reserved chicken broth if needed for desired consistency.) Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with Ritz or Club crackers. (Serves 4.)

Red Ink, by Kathi Macias

2010-11-04T17:06:00.002-05:00

Zhen-Li, a young Chinese woman raised in a prominent family, marries a Christian peasant and adopts his faith. Her parents, obedient to the Chinese government, are appalled and ostracize Zhen-Li and her husband. When Zhen-Li becomes pregnant for the second time and refuses to have an abortion, her family pays to have her kidnapped and the baby aborted.

Zhen-Li stands firm in her faith and boldly teaches children about Zhu Yesu ("Lord Jesus"), distributing Christian literature every chance she gets until she is imprisoned and accused of adopting a foreign religion “who regularly surrendered state secrets to foreign devils.” Her faith does not falter during torturous “re-education” sessions, and Zhen-Li continues to minister to her cellmate, fellow prisoners, even the brutal prison guard, Tai Tong.

Kathi Macias’ Red Ink is based loosely on the life of Christian magazine editor Li Ying, who is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in China for printing and distributing Christian materials, particularly to children, and for whom the author prays daily. As a reminder for Christians to “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3 NIV), a secondary story line follows two ladies in a nursing home in California who see to it they accomplish one thing if nothing else each day, to pray for those afflicted, especially someone in China.

Though I have enjoyed other works by Kathi Macias, this is the first of her novels I’ve read. So far, there’s been nothing she’s written I would not recommend. Kathi is a very talented, multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 30 books and ghostwritten several others. She has taught writing courses, been a guest on many radio and television programs, is a popular speaker, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, California, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley. You can learn more about Kathi at her website or blog.

NOTE: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by New Hope Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes

2010-10-23T15:28:00.005-05:00

I relieved the nursery caregiver during the children’s naptime. For a few minutes, I rocked beside a little girl asleep on her mat. I glanced down to see one little eye peeking up at me. The other opened and together they blinked away dazed confusion.

I smiled and kept rocking. The little girl’s eyelids heavied. She pulled her blanket up over her eyes, and returned to peaceful slumber.

I’ve done that before. I’ve believed, “If I can’t see the monster, it’s not really there!” And I have closed my mind to scary possibilities, believing if I shut my eyes and squeeze them tight, the danger disappears.

If I can’t see the monster, it’s not really there!

Obviously, in real danger, that way of thinking doesn’t work, but when it comes to writing for publication, it’s a downright good idea. Many times I’ve been on a roll, writing pages and pages and pages, when into my subconscience creeps a great big, ugly monster: Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of acceptance. Fear of insignificance. Fear of importance. A dichotomy of desire and doubt that halts my progress and tempts me to hit DELETE.

So I close my eyes to the monster. Because, you know what? It’s not really there! Fear is a perception. It’s an emotion. It’s a deceiver. It’s Satan’s trick to prevent me from accomplishing God’s goals. If I let it scare me into quitting, I will make no impact on the world at all. I will not “go into all the world and make disciples” with my writing. I will not be a “good and faithful servant.” I will be serving the wrong master.

Next time that big, ugly Fear monster creeps up on you, do what I do. Go ahead and pull the wool up over your eyes!

Twitter Tutorial

2010-08-20T15:50:00.005-05:00

A good friend of mine who is relatively new to the Twitterverse asked me for a tutorial. She wasn’t sure how to make the most of social media. I’m sure this is not comprehensive, but here's what I know. If you have any helpful advice to add, please let us know in the comments. Thanks!

OK, so the obvious first step is to set up an account and sign into Twitter. You should choose a user name that accurately reflects what you represent. I suggest using either your own name or your business name so it’s easy for others to find you. Likewise, your profile picture should be either a quality, professional-looking photo of yourself or one of something that identifies your business.

Most of the initial setup depends on your personal preferences, like backgrounds, mobile settings, etc. You can use Twitter’s assortment of backgrounds, upload your own, or download one from a third-party site like twitrounds or twitterbackgrounds. Tweets will not be sent as messages to your cell phone unless you select that option. When you write your brief bio, be succinct. You have one sentence to communicate to the world who you are and what your tweets will be about.

Ready to tweet? You have 140 characters or less to express yourself! If you’re not a minimalist, this may seem daunting, but with practice and abbreviations, you’ll do fine. Here are some things you’ll need to know:
• Start following people! You need to follow to get followed. Be sure to create lists so that as the number of people you follow increases, you'll be able to keep them organized for more manageable viewing.
• Please follow more than 50 people. Most people who follow me and don't follow many other people call me a Twitter queen, because I do tweet frequently. To be effective, you need to build a following with whom you converse & build relationships, and you should post a minimum of 8-10 tweets a day.
• Direct messages are private conversations between you and a friend. You can only direct message (DM) someone who is following you. Even if you are following that person, it will not go through unless they follow you back.
• To mention someone without direct messaging, use @name (ex: @JodiWhisenhunt). This will show up on their sidebar mentions section. Check this often so you know when people are conversing with you!
• Fridays are "Follow Friday," when people recommend their favorite tweeps to follow. You'll see the hashtags #FF, #follow, or #FollowFriday. I think some people do this for every weekday, but Friday is the main one.
• Hashtags are used to help people search for topics of interest. They’re Twitter’s version of keywords. For instance, if you tweet a lot about Disney, you’ll want use #Disney to help people find your tweets.
• Twitter people are very courteous. We thank others when they mention us (aside from just conversing - like when they #FF us) and we thank them when they RT us.
• RT means retweet. That's when someone re-posts something someone else said. Like, if you tweet about a great book you reviewed and I want to let my followers know about it too, I will post: RT @yournamehere Just read great book! http://www.whateverthelinkis.com #bookreview (or whatever you've said) You will see this in your mentions and reply to thank me for the RT :) [By the way, I have seen statistics that tweets posted between 3:00-4:00PM on Friday afternoons are most likely to be RT’d.]
• You ought to use URL shorteners like bit.ly to create an abbreviated link so you have more room to say what you want to say.

Several third-party social media managers exist for those who multitask. HootSuite, TweetDeck, TweetLater, and Ping.fm are some that allow you to manage several accounts in one location. You can pull feed from and post to multiple social media sites simultaneously, schedule tweets to post at a specific date/time, or pull RSS from blogs or websites. You can also view your mentions and direct messages all on one convenient page. I am not really an expert in any of those, although I do use TweetDeck occasionally.

Pulling your blog feed to Twitter can be done different ways. Twitter itself does not offer that option; it has to be through a third party like the social media managers mentioned above or through sites like Twitterfeed. Twitterfeed requires three simple steps: 1) sign up, 2) identify your RSS, and 3) create the feed. If this method does not work for you, see if your webmaster can add necessary adjustments. I believe blog hosts like Wordpress and Blogger offer the option to post updates to Twitter (correct me in the comments if I’m mistaken!). Personally, I prefer to tweet my blog updates myself. I do this so I can customize what the tweet says. Automatic ones usually just put the title and a link or a generic statement. I usually want to add a hashtag and additional information.

You can also pull your Twitter feed to display on your blog. Most blog hosts have widgets to assist you, or you can simply click the RSS feed option at the bottom of your Twitter page’s right-hand sidebar. Be sure to add a “Follow Me on Twitter” button to your blog or website.

Mainly, be relevant and stay current. You will lose followers and/or stop gaining them if you do not maintain your presence. Click here to see an earlier post of a video I made about the benefits of social media networking. Happy tweeting!

Deceit, by Brandilyn Collins

2010-08-16T09:39:00.001-05:00

During my time away from Aim, I was pleased to receive and read Brandilyn Collins' Deceit. Her trademark is "Seatbelt Suspense," and this latest work fits right into that category.

Main character Joanne Weeks is a skip tracer, a bounty hunter. Seven years ago, her best friend, Linda Jackson, mysteriously disappeared. Joanne always suspected Linda's husband, Baxter Jackson, was responsible for the crime, but as a church elder and beloved member of the town, he walks the streets a free man.

Now Baxter's second wife has died in susupicious circumstances. Joanne is certain Baxter's to blame, and she sets out to prove his guilt in both crimes. As Joanne drives home on a cold, rainy night, a hooded, masked man darts in front of her car. As she squeals to a stop, she clips the man's leg. She gets out to check on him, and he tells her the Baxters' former foster daughter, Melissa Harkoff, had witnessed Linda's murder. If Joanne could find her, she could put Baxter behind bars. Joanne finds Melissa and puts both of their lives in danger. Just who was that man in the road?

Well-incorporated twists, turns, and flashbacks reveal Linda's killer-or killers-while keeping the reader's seatbelt tightly fastened!

I was not disappointed in my first Collins read. You won't be disappointed by Deceit either.

Find Brandilyn at www.brandilyncollins.com or www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com.

Compensation Disclosure: I received a complimenary ARC of Deceit, released by Zondervan July 2010, in exchange for reviewing and publicizing the book.

I'm Back!

2010-08-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your patience! My blog background disappeared for a while and some other issues were plaguing the site, but we're back up & running! Boy, am I long overdue for an update. It's coming Monday morning, I promise! I've been waiting a month to tell you all about Brandilyn Collins' Deceit. Stop by around 10AM, OK?

My Apologies!

2010-08-09T08:40:00.002-05:00

Apparently, some changes have been made to my blog without my knowledge or permission. Please excuse me for a bit til I can get things fixed back up! Sorry!

What's on Your Bookshelf?

2010-07-07T07:43:00.002-05:00

Warning! Audience participation is required!

My friend Jennifer McCarty asked these questions of her readers, and her friend (and my new friend) Jodie Bailey borrowed it from her, so I naturally had to snag the list myself. (My answers are in blue.) I'd love to hear what you've been reading too! Please chat with me in the comments below.

1) How many books have you read so far in 2010?
I have read at least 10 that I can think of right now: Thin Places and Life in Defiance (DeMuth), Rise and Shine (Higgs), Crazy Love and Forgotten God (Chan), Lost Mission (Dickson), Songbird Under a German Moon (Goyer), Love Finds You in North Pole Alaska (Lough), Power of a Praying Wife (Omartian), Deceit (Collins).

This excludes another 14 or 15 books I've read and researched for Magical Mouse Schoolhouse Disney details.

2) What percentage is fiction/ non-fiction?
Looks like 60% fiction / 40% non-fiction.

3) What’s your favorite 2010 read so far?
Athol Dickson's Lost Mission. It just won a very well-deserved Christy Award for Suspense!

4) What are you currently reading?
I am reading an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Brandilyn Collins' Deceit. Tune in next week for the review!

5) What’s at the top of you to-be-read pile?
Tricia Goyer's Arms of Deliverance is next in line.

Your turn! What's on your bookshelf?

Are You Passionate?

2010-06-22T08:09:00.003-05:00

Three teen girls giggled late into the eve of Youth Camp. They talked of hairstyles and makeup, fashion trends and boys. Ah, yes, boys! Carly already had a boyfriend and Cyndi was too shy, so the question hanging in the air alighted upon Me.

“So who do you like?”

Without hesitation, “Richard Whisenhunt,” escaped my lips. We didn’t know each other well. In fact, he was more a friend of my brother’s than of mine, but an overwhelming peace sifted through my entire being that assured me he was It. I knew in that moment Richard would be my life mate, and the spark of passion ignited.

Twenty-five years have passed since that night, and as you can guess from my last name, I married Richard Whisenhunt. When my husband is passionate about something, he becomes almost obsessive. Take for instance, cycling.

Photo courtesy Kevin McDade Photography

Inspired by Lance Armstrong’s seventh Tour de France victory, Richard began road bicycling. Let me tell you that’s a world of its own, and Richard dove right in. Through trial and error, he learned proper riding techniques, assembled top performance components, and learned necessary maintenance workings. He rode with experienced riders, studied online and print tips, and asked lots of questions. Oh, yeah, and he rode (and still rides) an average of two hours a day, trekking thirty to forty miles or more each ride. Occasionally, he participates in pay or charity rides, and recently he took up racing. Riding is Richard’s passion. Through dedication to the sport, he has become confident and masterful.

My husband’s devotion to his passion has taught me quite a bit about my devotion to my own passion. To develop confidence and mastery of writing, I too must prove dedication. I have to dive right in, try and err, learn techniques, assemble components, know how to fix problems, and implement improvements. I need to study seasoned professionals, research online and print tips, and ask lots of questions. Oh, yeah, and I need to write a set amount of time or a determined number of words each day. I need to get my work out to the readers, and I need to kick it up a notch from time to time.

For nearly seventeen years, without hesitation, I’ve been honored to say, “I’m Richard Whisenhunt’s wife.” An overwhelming peace still permeates my soul in knowing he is It. I’m awed by my husband’s commitment and I’m inspired by his passion.

Revisiting the Top 10

2010-06-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

After reading some articles that recently crossed my desk, I feel compelled to re-publish a bit of slapstick sarcasm, Top 10 Ways NOT to Improve Your Writing. While I jest, the advice is spoken in love and sincerity. I do want to enable my clients and blog readers to present the best quality material they possibly can. It's important to write with correct structure, formatting, grammar, and word usage so that errors don't detract from your message. It's never a good thing when your reader laughs at a mistake and misses the point you're trying to make.

10) Don't use a thesaurus. Go ahead and say "season" twenty times on one page.

9) Overuse the semicolon; it's such a cute little punctuation mark; and gets so little respect.

8) "Always put the period outside the quotation marks".

7) Use cute little "catch phrases" and be sure to place quotation marks around them so the reader "gets" it.

6) Devote your first five chapters to your main character's history. Don't get to the action til the reader has completely lost interest.

5) Write like you text, using hip abbreviations like omg and lol, and be sure to end each sentence with lots of exclamation points!!!!!

4) Writing long and drawn-out sentences will surely entice the reader and lead him into the story by preventing him from lifting his eyes from the page, something that would divert his attention from the intense scene being played out before him and would thus alert him to the fact that he hasn't eaten in several hours or had a drop to drink since he awoke that morning; hence, such weakness may incite hallucinations that cause him to wonder if the characters about whom he is reading are truly fictional or if they are indeed living, breathing people stalking him, hovering over his shoulder, about to throw him from the train.

3) Reciting lofty words and abstract thoughts will educate your reader and require him to utilize a nearby dictionary and encyclopedia.

2) Give your characters unique names that are impossible to pronounce.

AND

1) Be sure to take excessive pride in every word you write, knowing each first draft is a certain masterpiece in need of no editing.

Follow these 10 simple guidelines, and you will definitely NOT improve your writing. May God grant you discernment to avoid these fatal flaws, and may you receive lots of acceptance letters!

Mary DeMuth's Life in Defiance

2010-06-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

As Ouisie Pepper’s mysterious new friend, Elijah, observes of her, Ouisie has “prisons aplenty.” To Hap’s abuse, to the knowledge of Daisy’s killer, and to alcohol addiction Ouisie remains captive. But what grieves her most is her disobedience to the Lord. The Voice beckons her to baptism, for only by dying to herself will she be set free from her burdens. But she consistently resists.

Ouisie confesses, “All I know is that someone seems to be watching me out behind the woods, Sheba’s bent on fixing me, and Hap’s not going to be thrilled with the state of the house when he gets home. It’s all too much, really. Too much for a woman to bear.” All the secrets she holds inside drag her down and hold her under. They stifle her, suffocate her hope. She fears releasing her secrets will unleash a torrent and “send [her] drowning on a river [she] never knew was there.” Ousie’s longing to make God smile outweighs her fears, though.

Justice. Finally.

Readers of Life in Defiance, Mary DeMuth’s third book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy, anguish in Ouisie Pepper’s hesitance to expose Daisy’s killer, reel from the blows of Hap’s fists, and, sighing relief, revel at her release from burdensome secrecy. Read all three in the series and find it is better to reveal truth than to live with the consequences of burying it forever.

Compensation Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for reviewing it on my blog.

Benefits of Social Media Networking

2010-05-21T21:53:00.009-05:00

Below is an abbreviated version of a presentation I gave at a recent Homemaker CEO meeting. Many people miss out on the benefits of social media networking because they hold fast to stereotypes and misconceptions. I am active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and The Homeschool Lounge, and I produce three blogs. Social media networking has brought me editing clients, industry advice, genuine friends, and a wealth of information. It's not just about who ate what for dinner or how many loads of laundry need washed! Watch the video. If you'd like to hear more, ask me in the comments section. Thanks!

Jodi Whisenhunt on the benefits of social media networking:

How Do You Respond to Critics?

2010-05-17T07:45:00.002-05:00

If you write for publication, you will encounter criticism. Let’s put it this way, if you write your thoughts down, if you release them from your mind and record them in any medium, you will be criticized. You may hear, “That’s nice, but…” from a variety of friends. Your mother will likely say, “But that didn’t happen like that.” Your siblings are apt to blast you for painting them in an ill light. Then will come rejection letters from editors, and after some success, judgment from professional critics. (How bitter does one have to be to call himself a professional critic?)

How will you respond? Will you weep? Will you cower? Quit writing? Will you dispute? Will you defend? Retaliate with a sharp tongue (or sharpened pencil)?

A few years ago, I was blasted by some people close to me. I was called evil, accused of criminal behavior, judged, condemned, and threatened to be sued. There was much more, but I'll spare you the details. Needless to say, there was a major riff between us for a number of years.

During the time I was, well, assaulted, I held my tongue. I knew my innocence. I knew the slander did not apply to who I was. Sure, I was insulted, but I turned the other cheek. I let the critics talk (and they did a lot of that behind my back!). I remained who I was. While I may have been tempted, I did not strike out in anger or retaliation, because the Lord says, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (Deuteronomy 32:35).

I prayed to God often Psalm 119:154, "Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise." I claimed that! I also trusted in Psalm 37:5-6, which says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn." I committed my way to Him, to carrying on in His work and doing what I felt honored Him. I depended on God to defend me while my offenders continued their abuse in my silence.

This incident taught me to take the negative with a grain of salt, to accept it but to maintain a degree of skepticism. As salt flavors food and makes it more palatable, assess words spoken against you but swallow only truth. And while it may be tempting to lash out at those who attack you, practice self-control. Remember the Lord will defend you. Trust in him and commit to honoring Him in all you do. In doing so, you will maintain a favorable reputation.

The Dreaded "P" Word: Platform

2010-05-03T07:30:00.010-05:00

The word platform connotes a certain mental image in my mind. And it’s not a pretty picture. I see a sweaty, burly carpenter covered in sawdust. He’s unshaven, rugged. His clothes are tattered and smelly and plaid and denim, and he’s intent to measure twice, cut once. He saws, hammers, builds. He toils many months in the blazing sun, pouring rain, heat, and cold. In the end, he inspects his work, makes adjustments, and gives final approval, then hands the masterpiece off to its new owner.

Seems like a lot of work for something the builder cannot keep.

As an aspiring author, I’ve been advised to build my platform. No, I don’t think agents and editors want me to build a deck. Although, that would provide a nice writing retreat on clear days, but no. The platform to which they refer consists of everything I’m doing right now to establish an audience who would someday read my book. Those might include the following:
• Regularly post blog entries.
• Guest post on other people’s blogs or participate in blog carnivals.
• Actively participate on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Do public speaking.
• Teach workshops or courses.
• Do radio and/or TV interviews.
• Network with others in the field.
• Attend writers’ conferences.
• Publish articles.
• Do whatever I can to establish readership and a fan base.

And, oh yeah, write that book while I’m at it.

It’s not a pretty picture. The efforts wear on me. I’m covered in Post-it notes, my glasses askew. My hair’s disheveled. I wear plaid. I am intent to measure twice, cut once, so my words are sharp and accurate. I write, I cut, I build, toiling months in my element. In the end, I will inspect my work, make adjustments, give approval, and hand it off to its new owner—the Reader.

See, my work is not something I can keep. The written word must go out. The stronger the platform, the more masterpieces get passed on.

2009 Amy Writing Awards

2010-04-29T15:33:00.004-05:00

Celebrate with me, friends! I was awarded a 2009 Amy Writing Award for "thought provoking, skillful presentation of biblical truth, reinforced with scripture in a mainstream, non-religious publication." My article, "Ready for the Storm," which appeared in the April/May 2009 issue of McKinney Kids Magazine, received 5th Prize and publication in the Amy Foundation’s booklet. The winning article is posted on my website, and can be accessed directly here. It will be available online at The Amy Foundation Monday, May 3, 2010.

I tell you this because yes, I am excited to be honored with this prestigious recognition, but also because I want to encourage you as writers. You see, “Ready for the Storm” was the first article I ever published! It first appeared in a Christian magazine, Living with Loss. I retained the rights and submitted it to McKinney Kids. When it goes live on the Amy Foundation website and is printed in their booklet, it will continue to take God’s message out into the world to places I may never go.

Keep writing, friends. Keep submitting your work. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23). Keep writing for Him!

Click here for more information about The Amy Foundation.

Have You Done Your Research?

2010-04-12T09:44:00.003-05:00

We covered the query letter in the last post, but let's back up a step. Let’s say you have an idea for a magazine article. You might even have a draft written. Before you query, you need to research. I don’t mean the research involved in sufficiently covering your topic. Of course, you need to do that, but I’m talking about researching publications that produce your type of material.

I recommended this book for the query letter clinic, but the current year’s Writer’s Market is invaluable for this type of research! These books sell for about $30-$35 new, but you can find a used copy at Half Price Bookstore for $10-$15 or peruse the library's copy for free. I wouldn’t buy anything more than 2 years old, because editors change often, as do requirements and contact information. If you have an older version, it is still useful for providing websites to look up to get the current information. Plus, a lot of the other information in here is timeless, like the query letter clinic, agent query advice, and numerous helpful articles. They also offer an online subscription service.

Sally Stuart’s current year Christian Writers’ Market Guide is another essential tool. She lists publishers and agents who either work primarily in the Christian market or are mainly secular but also print for or represent the Christian market. She provides a lot of helpful resources for writers, like Bible research, songwriting resources, instruction courses, etc.

So, let’s say your idea is an allegory on fishing for sport versus fishing for Jesus. What is your target market? Who might read this article? Men? Fishers? Outdoorsmen? Christian? Non-Christian? Pastors? Pick one & open up your Writer’s Market.

Look for the proper outlet for your subject matter, whether they accept freelancers, whether they accept new/unpublished authors (if that’s you). Note their response time, whether they accept simultaneous submissions, and what rights they buy. A page near the front provides rights definitions. Typically, you want to look for those who purchase first rights, or first North American rights, or one-time rights. AVOID ones that buy all rights, or you forfeit ownership and the ability to market your material elsewhere in the future.

Narrow your search to a few specific targets, research their requirements, and review a copy. You can view some magazines online. You can request a sample copy of others. Or, you could always go to the library and/or bookstore to find a recent copy. You want to make sure your material is a good fit. Otherwise, you’ll waste the editor’s time and your own.

Once you know the desired outlet, submit. But, check the publisher’s guidelines first! I can’t stress that enough. Very few accept unsolicited manuscripts. Most want a query letter first. Some want a query with previous published writing samples called clips or tearsheets. Guidelines are posted online or you can request a copy by mail. Also, those who want queries are specific about how they receive them. Some accept them by email (even that is picky – some want it in the body of the email; others as an attachment), some by fax, some by snail mail only. Very few accept telephone submissions.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. A friend in my writers' group has had great success with calling editors and publishers directly. BUT she researches her market and her target publisher BEFORE calling. She is prepared with information in front of her before she picks up the phone. Based on my experience and what editors and publishers state in their guidelines, their articles, their books, and their blogs on the subject, most prefer the query letter.

Alright, get to work!

Query Components

2010-03-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

Obviously, the first step to getting published is to write…then rewrite…then rewrite again, and again, and again. You want to put forth your best effort. First, or even early drafts are NEVER best effort. I've talked about that a couple times on this blog, here and here, and probably in a few other posts as well. But what do you do once you've reached "ready"?

Query.

Now, with magazine articles or other periodicals or nonfiction books, you don’t always have to have the entire piece written beforehand. This is good news! If you have an idea for an article but haven’t written it yet, you can submit a query letter and hope the editor then asks you to write it. Keep in mind, though, first drafts of query letters are NEVER best effort, either. So, it’s very important to take time to edit yourself and look for ways to improve the piece. Have others read it and give their suggestions. Participating in a writers’ group is very beneficial. I would not have gotten my first article published if not for the gentle wisdom of my writers’ group peers.

So what is a query letter? It is a one-page letter used to get an editor or agent interested in your idea. When you query magazines, you’re trying to get the editor to buy your article or idea. When you query book publishers and agents, you’re trying to get the editor or agent interested enough to request a full proposal or the entire manuscript. It’s basically a sales pitch, and it needs to be very well-written.

Writer’s Market, put out annually by Writer's Digest Books, contains a query letter clinic which gives examples of good and bad queries and details what made each good or bad. According to their experts, a successful query letter consists of four key components: Be as sharp and concise as possible.

1) Author’s authority/qualifications: The author's authority is simply your expertise. The editor might like your idea, but why should he trust you to write it? What makes you the person to write this article?

2) The need for this book/article: Why do readers need this information? In this information age, it's relatively easy to get answers to pretty much any question, so why should this editor print this story?

3) Specifics about the book/article/story/idea: Ok, here is where you tell the editor what your article is about. Here is your hook. In ONE sentence, in a very interesting and appealing way, summarize your idea. This takes practice. In fact, I've had writers bring one-sentence summaries to critique meetings and work on that one little sentence the entire time.

4) Suggested word count: This is self-explanatory. Tell how long you anticipate the finished article to be. Please be sure to check the publication's writer's guidelines before you query! You want to make sure your topic is a good fit, but you also need to know what they expect, their word count limits, formatting, etc.

As I mentioned in a previous post, always be formal and professional. Address the editor by name (Mr. or Ms.), and make sure your name and contact information are complete. If mailing by snail mail, be sure to sign your letter. Editors and agents receive several hundred submissions each week. You want your letter to stand out because it is well-written and your idea is well-presented. Fancy fonts and pretty stationery are unprofessional and will usually land your submission in the garbage. Small details, like misspelling the agent’s name or mixing up your words (i.e. I’ve written a nonfiction novel… huh?) make a poor impression and can quickly lead to rejection.

Are you ready? Get set. Query!

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure, by Susan K. Marlow

2010-03-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

I finished reading Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure today. It's a nail-biter! Lots of suspense, lots of action, lots of trouble. This fifth book in Susan K. Marlow’s Circle C Adventures series for ‘tweens continues to showcase the author’s readability and appeal to the younger audience.

Main character Andi Carter has recently turned thirteen and is struggling with the idea of growing up. After innocent horseplay lands Andi and her friends in jail, they venture into the Sierra Nevada mountains to pan for gold and leave their troubles behind. But trouble finds them. A shootout with bank robbers leaves her brother seriously injured and sheltered in a remote cabin. Andi must nurse him to health and fend off some serious dangers while keeping hope alive.

Andi is able to count on her friends to get through the tough times and comes to find out that treasure is more than just a handful of shiny gold.

Once back home on the Circle C Ranch near Fresno, California, with her brother on the mend, Andi realizes growing up might not be such a bad idea after all. She recalls her brother’s words to her from their first night on the trail, “I’d rather have a sensible young woman around—one who can think clearly and do what’s got to be done,” and rather likes the idea of being considered sensible.

While this book is the fifth in the series, Trouble with Treasure is quite enjoyable on its own and can stand alone. I do recommend reading books one through four, though, to get to know Andi, her friends, and her family, and to catch a glimpse of the Old West and 1880s America.

For further study, a FREE enrichment study guide is available for Trouble with Treasure and includes a geography study, a vocabulary list, and a recipe for Andi’s Beef [Jerky] Broth, as well as web links of period photos, an Annie Oakley word puzzle, and a creative rattlesnake craft. Click the PDF graphic at the bottom of Susan’s website to download. Lapbooks are available by separate purchase for grades 3-6. You can sample Susan’s panning for gold activity at this Magical Mouse Schoolhouse feature.

Read more about Susan in this Aim for Perfection Editing interview or by visiting her website. Be on the lookout this fall for Susan’s sixth and final Circle C Adventures installment, Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth. Andi's adventures are not concluding, however. Soon younger children can learn to read with Circle C Beginnings, an upcoming series of early reader chapter books that introduce a six-year-old Andi to the elementary audience. Each Circle C Beginnings book will have color covers and illustrated pictures. Look for Pony Trouble next winter. Visit Andi’s blog for an adorable treat to hear little Andi herself tell all about it.

The Circle C Adventures series is wholesome reading for the entire family.

Compensation Disclosure: I received one complimentary copy of this book from Kregel in exchange for reviewing it on my blog.

When the Picture Fades

2010-03-08T18:39:00.000-06:00

Has this ever happened to you? You start a project with great energy. Your fingers fly across the keyboard. You write a page or two or fifteen. You down a pot of coffee to stay alert and try to keep up with the action. Your characters speak—and you hear them. You watch them dance. You fear for their lives. You cry their tears.

Then the picture fades.

What do you do? What happens when the spark goes out? Do you quit? Give up? Take a nap?

Here’s what you do. You clean the toilet, scrub the shower, and mop the floor. When you’re done, you wash your hands, of course, then you sit back down and stare blankly at your computer screen. You read your piece out loud very slowly, noting strong areas and highlighting weak spots. You listen to your own inflections and mark the sentences you tripped over. And you ask yourself the following questions:

Who cares? Is your story worth a reader’s time?
How did this happen? Did I exploit nouns and verbs?
Does it matter? Is every aspect significant?

You want to write something that people will read. Reading a book, short story, or article is a time investment. Offer something of value to your audience.

Eliminate as many gerunds and participles as possible. Minimize adverbs and adjectives. Reduce clauses. Show, don’t tell. Appeal to the senses.

Give your reader credit. Trust that he/she knows things like tears are salty and oceans are sandy, but do authenticate your characters with unique details. If your characters came to life, you’d want your readers to recognize them.

Now take another look. Has the vibrance returned? If not, go eat a snack, start a load of laundry, and give the dog a bath. And try again tomorrow.

Aim for Perfection

2010-02-22T06:00:00.007-06:00

Don’t settle for good enough. Aim for perfection.

The three words that title my business may seem to imply that I have “a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable”[1]. I don’t.

I do, of course, attempt to present my best effort every time I publish an article or a blog post, but I really strive for the katartizo Paul urged of the church at Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 13:9, he prayed for their perfection, and in verse 11, he advised them to make perfection their goal. Did he want them to be flawless? No. He knew they’d make mistakes. Rather, he desired them to be complete in their faith, or to be completed by their faith in Jesus Christ.

The Greek katartizo, means to restore, put in order, mend; to make complete, equip, train, prepare, ordain; to complete thoroughly. Only by faith in Christ can I achieve these things in my life. Only by obedience to His plan can I achieve these things in my work.

I may never write a best seller. My words may affect only a few. But I believe the Lord has placed within me the desire and the abilities to accomplish His work by aiming for katartizo.

When clients seek editing assistance, I don’t expect them to produce error-free material. I do, however, expect them to work diligently to put each piece in order, to prepare each message for its task, to complete their writing thoroughly to the best of their abilities. In this way, their work will be perfected.

Today I will part with Paul’s adieu, “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

[1] “Perfectionism,” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, Springfield, MA, 2008.

Remember Whom You Serve

2010-02-15T05:45:00.003-06:00

Sometimes the people who should be our number one fans crush our spirits and fill us with self doubt. A friend of mine, Christy, is a newly published freelance writer. In the business of freelancing, not all pieces receive monetary reward. Simply put, you don’t get paid. When Christy received her first freelance paycheck, she phoned her mom to celebrate. She also told her about a weekly, unpaid writing opportunity. Upon hearing this new column would be written pro bono, my friend’s mother offered these words, “Well, Honey, it’s not like you’re a real writer.” Ouch!

Those few words left my friend wondering, “Am I a writer? Why am I writing? Can I say I’m a writer if I don’t receive payment? Should I stop writing?” When Christy called her mom she was excited and confident; when she hung up the phone she was dejected and insecure.

My friend’s experience reminded me of when Jesus returned to his hometown. The people discounted him, saying he was just the carpenter’s son and asked each other where he got his powers. “But Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor’” (Matthew 13:57). In Luke 4:24-30, Jesus explains it further, giving comparisons to Elijah and Elisha. The people responded to Jesus’ reprimand by driving him to the edge of a cliff and threatening to throw him off. While it didn’t come to that extreme with my friend’s family, her mother’s words left her feeling as if she were thrown off the cliff of success.

Even Jesus wasn’t supported by those who should have been his number one fans. Author Teresa G. Lusk discusses a similar matter in the “Dream Patrol” chapter of her book, Good Enough to be a Homemaker and CEO. She points out that some people appoint themselves to manage others’ success. They encourage and inspire until time comes to step out in faith and progress toward goals. At which point their true opinions are revealed and they spew forth insults. Teresa advises, “Don't take it personally...Receive it as a combination of useful circumstances. One, they offer an opportunity to remind you who called you to your purpose. And two, personal and spiritual growth comes about” (Lusk 62-63).

I’m sure my friend’s mother loves her very much and is proud of her achievement. However, Christy and we fellow writers need to remember whom we serve. I know we want our parents to be proud of us, but, “If [we] were still trying to please men, [we] would not be servant[s] of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). Paychecks don’t define us. Others’ opinions don’t define us. Our Creator does, and it is He whom we should honor.

My Own Thin Place

2010-02-10T20:55:00.003-06:00

On November 27, 2002, the veil between my world and God’s thinned and I glimpsed His glory.

Rachel Faith was born just after midnight. Blue and still, she gasped twice and was gone. We held visitation Thanksgiving evening, her funeral the day after. My heart was shattered and crushed into fine dust, blown and scattered to all parts of the earth… irreparable.

First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Be joyful Rachel died? Pray—in vain? Give thanks for what? This was God’s will?

I blamed myself. However, in John 9, Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Oh! This happened for God's glory.

“Be joyful always.” Yes, I could rejoice. Through my heartbreak, God brought healing to others. A friend held Rachel and said good-bye to a baby she had lost. A young woman chose not to abort her child. Rejoice? Yes!

“Pray continually.” I did, though I struggled. God knew my desires and the Holy Spirit interceded when I could manage only a moan.

“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will.” Had Rachel survived, she would have faced surgeries, paralysis, cognitive compromise. She was graciously spared such struggle.

Rachel’s birthday is near Thanksgiving and I have many reasons to give thanks. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful” (I Timothy 1:12).

*Revised excerpt from "Ready for the Storm" article published in Winter 2008 Living With Loss and May 2008 McKinney Kids.This version was inspired by Mary DeMuth's memoir, Thin Places.

Judging Books by the Table of Contents

2010-02-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

I read a blog post last week that was written by someone I respect, someone very highly regarded in the publishing industry, someone who is in charge of what books get published. I normally enjoy reading this person's articles, because they're very informative. I even follow him on Twitter and am a fan of his on Facebook. One thing he said in this particular post, though, struck a raw nerve.

Regarding how to read a nonfiction book, this writer gave a list of ten tips. Item #1 recommended NOT reading a book all the way through. He basically said not every word is worth reading. I was shocked to see this coming from someone in his position, especially when he went on to advise "reading" the book by skimming through the author's bio, studying the table of contents, and scanning the text (taking note of bold headers and block quotes). In his opinion, following these suggestions would give the reader enough information to review said book.

Now let me ask you, is it possible to form an accurate opinion of a book without reading it in its entirety? If you read the beginning and the end but skip the middle, are you getting the whole message? Can you grasp the complete concept by skimming the table of contents? Would your answers depend on whether the book is fiction or nonfiction?

My simple answer to all of four questions is NO.

Now, I understand there are some books that don't hold the reader's interest all the way through. I've read plenty of books that tempted me to put them down halfway through and never open them again. But I persevered. Yes, some disappointed, but others picked up the pace and revived my interest. I would not have known the outcomes if I had not continued to read.

The tips offered in that article may help generate a book review, but picking and choosing only certain pieces of a book to represent the whole will not produce a very reliable assessment of the material. It is not alright to judge a book by its cover or by its table of contents.

Mary DeMuth's Thin Places

2010-02-04T08:48:00.002-06:00

If thin places are those moments in which we are allowed to peer through the veil and glimpse God’s grace, then Mary DeMuth’s Thin Places is itself such an experience.

With this moving memoir, author Mary DeMuth struggles to make sense of her life, to find answers to all the whys. Why was she molested? Why did her father die? Why did her stepdads leave? Why didn’t her mother love her more? The weight of personal violation burdens her shoulders. The grief of fatherly loss shatters her heart. The glare of the victim target illuminates her shame. Mary frets about incompetence until she reaches that thin place of acceptance and realizes that despite many deep and lasting emotional injuries, God is more than capable of restoring and making her whole. For He is all she needs.

God repairs wounds. He pacifies sorrow. He fills voids.

I share Mary’s brokenness. I too am flawed, helplessly selfish, needy, and clay-footed, as Mary describes herself on page 100. Though, thankfully, I have not been physically assaulted, I certainly have experienced ample portions of pain. And what I realize, the blessing I receive from Mary’s message, is that I need to stop attempting to fix those broken areas myself. I know that God is all I need, but I don’t always allow Him to BE all I need.

I have been a Christian most of my life. Although I am no longer an infant Christian, sometimes I still crave pure spiritual milk so I may taste that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2). Thin places remind me that I am ever in a state of maturing. Thin Places quenches my thirst.

A line from an old movie states, “I gave her my heart; she gave me a pen.” Mary DeMuth gave Jesus her heart and He gave her a pen. However, unlike the breakup scene of that film, Jesus’ gift to Mary was not meant to cover up a wound. His pen—or computer—enables Mary to expose human frailty and to reveal God’s grace to the world. Of the effects of her writing, Mary says, “I could say my writing is all for me, and it’d be a hint of truth…He shows me that my paltry words touch others…All I can say is: let the healing begin” (DeMuth, p. 70). For this reader it has.

Thank you, Mary, for allowing God to work through you in this mighty way. Thank you for reliving these memories, for recording the challenges of your life, and for offering your transparency as a thin place.

Compensation Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for reviewing it on my blog.

Win a Rosetta Stone Language Product

2010-01-24T09:21:00.014-06:00

For my home educating friends, Rosetta Stone, Heart of the Matter, and Fusefly have partnered to offer an incredible foreign language/foreign land opportunity for homeschoolers:

Surround your family with language. By taking them there!

Travel to Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona with homeschoolers from all over the United States. Join Rosetta Stone Homeschool, Heart of the Matter and Fusefly on the inaugural Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip August 2-11, 2010. Become immersed in new lands, explore history, culture, art and community. And truly speak to the world. For more details visit www.RosettaStone.com/Homeschool/LanguageLearningTrip.

Hurry, registration for the trip ends February 15, 2010.

For your chance to win a Rosetta Stone language product, please visit Heart of the Matter. Entries are being accepted until February 1st.

The Little Things Matter

2010-01-11T06:00:00.014-06:00

Comma, colon, semicolon, space, parenthesis, period.

Quotation mark, apostrophe, em dash, question mark.

Writers love to loathe the little things; editors loathe to leave them out. Proper punctuation clarifies communication. If writers want their readers to comprehend their messages, it is imperative to proof drafts.

Which of the following sentences is easier to read?

Johnny Mr. Home Improvement tripped over the warped floorboard the bargain plank he got at the salvage yard and tumbled headlong down the rickety winding staircase.

-OR-

Johnny—Mr. Home Improvement—tripped over the warped floorboard, the bargain plank he got at the salvage yard, and tumbled headlong down the rickety, winding staircase.

The first sentence is exhausting. It took me two tries to read it through aloud without tripping over one or more words. The second sentence contains em dashes and commas to break the flow and guide the reader through the text. When I read it aloud, I paused at the em dashes before continuing, with a brief hesitation at each comma. We utilize these techniques subconsciously when speaking but in writing they must be shown by utilizing punctuation marks.

I read post after post after post from literary agents, editors, and others in the industry who all agree on one thing: quality writing gets published. Why, just two days ago, agent Chip MacGregor blogged about that very topic. He said, “So the single best thing you can do in order to improve your chance of getting published is to become a great writer.” He also said in his January 3, 2010, blog post, “I'm usually looking for great writing with a strong voice,” and said an author can get his attention “by showing me a big idea, expressed through great writing, supported by a strong platform.” I have to agree with him, “Do anything you can to improve your writing...and you'll find you stand a much better chance of getting published.” (Emphasis mine.)

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner often gives similar advice. In a January 2008 blog post, she said, “One of the most common reasons for agent rejections is that the writer simply isn't ready: they haven't spent quite enough time mastering the craft of writing.” In August 2009, she suggests that writers who have more than one completed manuscript send “the one in which your writing shines the brightest.” This entire post from May 19, 2009, is dedicated to learning the craft of writing.

When it comes to producing quality writing, the little things do matter. Read instructional books. Read books in your genre to learn from those who’ve already been published. Join a critique group. Attend writers’ conferences. Sharpen those skills and apply proper techniques and your novel idea may just become a best-selling novel.

In accordance with FTC Rule 16 CFR, Part 255, I am disclosing that I received no compensation for writing this post. What is this? See Michael Hyatt’s blog (for whose mention I received no compensation).

Confessions

2010-01-05T06:00:00.002-06:00

I don't make New Year's resolutions. It wouldn't do any good because...
I'm terribly unorganized. I have good intentions but...
I keep stacks of work in strategic locations around my desk and around my house. This is why...
I work from a laptop not a desktop. To maintain structure...
I pray Psalm 90:12, "Teach [me] to number [my] days aright, that [I] may gain a heart of wisdom." It helps that...
I'm a slow writer. That seems to contradict how...
I sometimes rush through a piece and end too abruptly. I think it's because...
I worry I'll forget my point if I don't hurry up and write it down. Let me explain that...
I usually write late at night when the kids are asleep and the house is quiet. But I believe Psalm 37:5-6, which tells me...
If I commit my way to the Lord and trust in Him, He will do this: He will make my righteousness shine like the dawn. And that enlightens me so...
I enjoy researching terms in my concordances. It's fodder for good dreams that make me say...
"It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep" ("Fireflies" by Owl City). Sometimes when I awaken from sleep...
I record my dreams in a journal. Recently...
I dreamed about giant stalks of celery growing up from a shallow river, all guarded by crocodiles that jumped and played like dogs. Perhaps it's preparation as...
I hope "...that our God may count [me] worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of [mine] and every act prompted by [my] faith" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Because...
I believe my writing and editing passions are gifts given by the Lord. And...
I desire to bring glory to His name with the work that I do. So...
I don't make lists of things I'm incapable of achieving. Because...
I know I am not the keeper of my schedule. After all...
"If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).

Compensation Disclosure

2010-01-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

Effective January 1, 2010, unless otherwise specified per blog post, in accordance with FTC Rule 16 CFR, Part 255, I am disclosing that I received no compensation for writing these entries. What is this? See Michael Hyatt’s blog (for whose mention I received no compensation).

Top 10 Ways NOT to Improve Your Writing

2009-12-27T19:27:00.003-06:00

10) Don't use a thesaurus. Go ahead and say "season" twenty times on one page.

9) Overuse the semicolon; it's such a cute little punctuation mark; and gets so little respect.

8) Always put the period outside the quotation marks.

7) Use cute little "catch phrases" and be sure to place quotation marks around them so the reader "gets" it.

6) Devote your first five chapters to your main character's history. Don't get to the action til the reader has completely lost interest.

5) Write like you text, using hip abbreviations like omg and lol, and be sure to end each sentence with lots of exclamation points!!!!!

4) Writing long and drawn-out sentences will surely entice the reader and lead him into the story by preventing him from lifting his eyes from the page, something that would divert his attention from the intense scene being played out before him and would thus alert him to the fact that he hasn't eaten in several hours or had a drop to drink since he awoke that morning; hence, such weakness may incite hallucinations that cause him to wonder if the characters about whom he is reading are truly fictional or if they are indeed living, breathing people stalking him, hovering over his shoulder, about to throw him from the train.

3) Reciting lofty words and abstract thoughts will educate your reader and require him to utilize a nearby dictionary and encyclopedia.

2) Give your characters unique names that are impossible to pronounce.

AND

1) Be sure to take excessive pride in every word you write, knowing each first draft is a certain masterpiece in need of no editing.

Follow these 10 simple guidelines, and you will definitely NOT improve your writing. In 2010, may God grant you discernment to avoid these fatal flaws, and may you receive lots of acceptance letters!

Once Upon a Midnight Clear

2009-12-21T00:00:00.006-06:00

Once upon a midnight clear, Village Jester came out to cheer. “Hip hip hooray!” was his chant and all who heard came to join in the rant. He whooped and he called and he jumped about ‘til his hat it flew off and then went kersplat. A puddle as big as Superior be. He dove right in with giggles and glee. Townsmen frowned; their wives harrumphed. Their kids snicker doodled, their bedtimes trumped. Above flew a fowl who dropped “gifts” aloft. Village Jester smirked, thanked it, and took off.

For who should observe but a Round Little Elf with ears slightly pointed and chin like a shelf. He rolled down the street, bellowed, “Hullaboo,” rubbed his nose with a kerchief and sneezed, “A-a-choo!” A fright to the townsmen, Round Elf he did give. They shuffled their wives and their children inside. One imp turned around and to him gave a wink. Round Elf he did certain not know what to think. He stood, made a wish, then flashed a big grin, kicked up his heels and twirled shenanigans.

Be it Christmas Eve, the people all clamored. “Let’s get us some shuteye not dance,” they demanded. But children aroused from their beds Christmas Eve do not quickly return to dream happily. Visions of sugarplums dashed by disruption. No rest will suffice. “We want gifts!” sprang eruption. So out to the tree in the square they did go. Village Jester and Round Elf trounced through the snow. Glistening boughs sprinkled twinkles and sleigh bells did jingle while laughter and merriment funny bones tingled.

What fun had they all! ‘Twas a grand frolic squall. Each bid a farewell, heeded reverie’s call. Afar in the night, one lone star pierced the sky, bidding dreamers, “Tata!” and a sweet lullaby.

This is what happened when, after years of being stifled, my fiction muse was let loose! I sat at the keyboard one evening to get creative gears cranking. After an hour, I’d written one paragraph. Giving up, I closed out that document and was about to shut down the computer when line 1 above popped into my head. I thought, “That’s cute. Wonder where it will go.” So I started typing and this “Dr. Seuss Meets ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” poem appeared. Sometimes I just never know where my writing will go, but it sure is fun to follow!

I hope each and every one of you has a blessed Christmas, rejoicing in celebration of our Savior’s birth. And to my Jewish friends, Happy Hanukah!

A Homeless Man in Holy Socks

2009-12-14T21:14:00.015-06:00

I drove my usual route to work that gloomy Tuesday morning in January. It was 42 degrees, misty, and foggy in Dallas. I was nearing my office, a mile or so away. I drove under the overpass and approached a red light. Along the sidewalk strode a man about forty, in need of a shave, slender, carrying a small duffel bag. Nothing intimidating about him. He did not appear threatening. He just walked. But it was 42 degrees and he wore only a flannel shirt, jeans, and flip-flops with socks. If you can call them socks. They were more like holes held together with string.

I, a young, petite female, was alone in my car and afraid to offer a ride. I had maybe fifty cents in my wallet. I wondered what I could give him. I considered making a u-turn and running in to the convenience store to purchase something, anything to warm him, but feared he’d be gone before I returned. Just days before, I’d had a packing blanket in the trunk of my car. If only I hadn’t stored it away. All I had to offer was a prayer for his safety and comfort.

When I arrived at my office, I asked if anyone else had seen him. Though most had entered from the same direction at about the same time, they had not. I peered down to the street from my sixth floor window. I could see quite a distance, but the only people around were other workers scurrying in from the cold. Where had he gone? When I went out at lunch, I searched street corners. Surely, a homeless man in holey socks would be panhandling. There were no shelters in the area. He was gone!

A Colin Raye song played in my mind. “What if Jesus came back like that?” the song asks. “Where would He find our hearts are at? Would we let Him in or turn our backs? What if Jesus came back like that?” I had turned my back! The stranger was in need, and I had not assisted him in any way. I was unprepared.

When I returned home that evening, I packed the blanket back in my trunk. Then I took a brand new pair of my husband’s socks from his drawer and tucked them under the front passenger seat of my car. There those socks remained for five years.

I drove that same route to work every day, and each morning I hoped to see the man along the sidewalk. I prayed for him, that his circumstances had improved, and if I saw him again, I’d be prepared to clothe the King (Matthew 25:34-40, NIV).

The man didn’t ask for help. He appeared en route somewhere. He didn’t stop and glare at me and guilt me into rendering aid. I doubt he noticed me pass him by for his glance was directed at his steps. Though he did not physically get into my car, he has journeyed with me through the past ten years. I’ve often thought of the homeless man in holy socks and wondered what became of him, or if he was even real.

This angel appeared to me to remind me, “There will always be poor people in the land,” and to instruct me, “Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11, NIV).

I’ve seen other homeless people on street corners, under bridges. One woman approached me in a parking lot some time after this incident. She held a bird in a cage and wanted bus fare to get home. I’d just come out of a fast-food eatery. I gave her all my change, close to $20. We were beside a liquor store. Who knows if I helped or hindered her. I did my part. I gave when I perceived a need. What she did with it was her responsibility. I just didn’t want her to walk the thread right out of her socks.

This post originally appeared at Godz Anglz. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let's remember to BE Jesus to the world.

Help!

2009-12-13T18:50:00.006-06:00

Can anyone tell me why some of the blogs I follow (on the sidebar) look like they haven't been updated in months when they indeed have been? Is it something I need to fix here, or is it a Google issue?

Thanks!

Don't Turn It Off!

2009-12-07T17:03:00.004-06:00

I’ve read in many publications, “Turn off the internal editor when writing,” but is that really helpful? Is it even possible? Maybe better advice would be not to shut it off completely but to let it nap.

I learned Saturday that squelching my mental critique partner may be hazardous to my health—or to my sleep. That day, I left a personal comment on a friend’s blog. That night, somewhere around 3:00 a.m., my internal editor crashed my dream and nagged my unconscious about wrong word usage. Word usage, the nightmare! I had written “reign” to mean “rein” on a public forum and humiliated myself in front of hundreds of potential readers (or at least of the fifteen other commenters). I obsessed over that error til morning light.

To aim for perfection in my writing I must allow the internal editor to function. That’s what keeps my stories straight, characters coordinated, and words wise. Without that regulator, I end up with a sloppy first draft that needs a lot of cleanup. If I keep my writing in check along the way, I save myself time and effort in revisions.

I think it’s safe to let the copy editor doze off. You know, the one who checks spelling and punctuation. It’s ok to hit its snooze alarm, but keep the content editor awake. I know I rest more peacefully when I do.

Review of Ted Dekker's Green

2009-12-03T07:00:00.005-06:00

Perhaps I chose the wrong book as my first Ted Dekker read. Green, “the beginning and the end” of Dekker’s Circle series, is both a continuation of and an introduction to the good versus evil saga begun in Black. Although Dekker claims Green is a fine place to begin reading the Circle series, I found it difficult to plunge into.

I am not typically a fan of fantasy literature, and maybe that’s what hindered my reading, but I did find Green to be a superb allegory. The events of Green take place in two worlds simultaneously which are linked by one man, Thomas Hunter. In Black, Hunter, raised in the present age, crosses into a parallel dimension, a post-apocalyptic earth 2000 years in the future, where civilization exists much like it did in ancient times, depending on the strength of man and horse in battle and living off God’s provision. In this future world, good and evil are physical. What is unseen and spiritual of the present age is seen and tangible in the future world.

Black, Red, and White cover Hunter’s years in the future world, during which time he marries, raises a family, and fights evil. He leads the Circle, the representation of Christians who follow the ways of Elyon (God) and are literally washed by his blood, against the Hoard, the representation of those who reject salvation and worship evil.

A scabbing disease marks each Hoard member. It is discovered in Green that the disease is more than skin deep. It resides in the brain of its hosts and is a living, destructive reproduction of evil, or the literal and physical effects of sin.

Circle members are referred to as albino because they lack the scabs. They were once affected, but chose to drown in Elyon’s lake, the water turned red by his blood. They literally died to themselves and were born to salvation by accepting Elyon’s cleansing gift.

Over time, doubt has crept into the Circle, and the people can no longer see nor touch the spiritual forces surrounding them. They had been so confident in and reliant on Elyon, “But the realities of life cast doubt on that interpretation” (Dekker 150). The musing of Thomas' son, Samuel, “Absolute good and evil were nothing more than constructs fashioned by humans who needed to understand and order their everyday lives” (Dekker 150), is reflective of the way people question the need for salvation today.

Thomas sums up that need in his conversation with Kara and Monique. He says, “Yes, we die. But it’s life really, because Elyon paid that price so we can escape it.” The women question what the price is for, to which Thomas replies, “The cost of our embracing evil—death. Elyon cannot live with evil; it must die” (Dekker 199).

My one real disappointment was the ending. I understand why it ends as it does, so the Circle will continue. However, it would have been much more satisfying (to me) to end with a final defeat of evil and the redemption of the faithful. You know, a happy ending. As it is, everyone in the Circle but Thomas and Samuel go on to eternity with Elyon, while Thomas goes back in time in hope of saving his son, thus, leading us into Black.

As Thomas tells Mikil after Samuel joins the half-breeds, “There’s much [I] don’t understand.” A second (or third or fourth) reading might fill in the blanks I missed, but I will probably not see the whole picture until I read the complete series. Isn’t that ironic? I won’t see the whole picture of my own life either until its circle is complete. For now, though, I concur with the Roush, “I understand what I’m meant to understand” (Dekker 157).

I recommend reading Green, but only after reading Black, Red, and White. I believe it would be helpful to read the Paradise trilogy and the Lost Books series beforehand also.

Know When to Let Go

2009-11-23T08:46:00.006-06:00

I sat down at my keyboard, closed my eyes, and traveled back in time twelve years. As I recorded my initial symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) for my friend Kelly's RAWarrior blog, little "oh!" moments kept popping up. Now, as I've mentioned here before, I am a minimalist at heart, and I usually struggle to get enough words on the page. This time, however, words gushed forth. My typing couldn't keep up with my memories. My friend had asked for two pages; I ended up with five.

I read and revised and cleaned up my contribution and sent the email flying through cyberspace. I apologized to my friend for the excessive length and told her I'd be happy to cut. She said, "No, no! It's fine as is."

A couple days later, Kelly questioned something I'd said about a particular medication. When I adjusted that section, I corrected a few other things and added an entire statement about a symptom I'd forgotten. I then sent her Version 2.0. A day or so later, I realized I hadn't attached my photo, so off it went. Today it dawned on me I'd forgotten to mention an RA related health issue I experienced in high school, and I hadn't even touched on stressors and triggers.

Writing is intimidating. As a writer, I expose my very soul when I put words on a page. I offer my most personal thoughts and expressions up for the judgment of strangers. I want the best of my best presented to minimize negative response, so I could edit and revise my work to infinity. There must be a point at which I say, "The End," and release it from my grasp, though.

As I have had to come to terms with my ailments and release what control I thought I had over this body, I also, as a writer, must let my words go. I can write and edit and rewrite many times over, but when each piece is ready, I must set my words free to accomplish their own work.

My RA onset story is indeed complete. Though I am tempted to continue revisions, it is out of my hands. I've released it and set it free to do its own good work. It is finished. The End. I pray that my experience, posted here (scroll down to second story), will benefit others who are blessed with chronic illness, and I pray that the lessons I've learned as a writer may benefit those who read this blog.

Commit

2009-11-14T16:31:00.002-06:00

God has chosen and appointed you, you who have been called to write. However, Satan is a master at distraction, deceiving us with false urgencies and hindering our obedience. When we sit down to write, he whispers thoughts in our ears like, "Check out what @soandso just tweeted," or "Shouldn't you be cleaning the toilets?"

God desires us to work for Him. He needs us to work for Him, to go out into the world and represent Him. Whether we write mainstream fiction or daily devotionals, we need to "work at it with all [our hearts], as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). When we commit our ways to Him, He helps us resist the devil. James 4:7 reminds us that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. He will be unable to distract us or prevent us from doing God's will.

Go sit down and write. Produce fruit out of your obedience to the Father's calling. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (Proverbs 16:3).

Consider Others

2009-11-04T07:41:00.002-06:00

Facebook, in its infinite wisdom, recommended I reconnect with a friend I hadn’t heard from in quite some time. It turns out my friend’s family had recently experienced some tough times. When she thanked me for my prayers, her comment caught me off guard. She said, “It’s not often we’re missed.”

My heart broke for my friend, not just because of her difficult circumstances, but because she seemed to be alone in her struggles. I was reminded of Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” We can do that with our writing. Not every word we write is meant for thousands to read. Sometimes our words may be directed to an audience of one.

Last week, four of my friends heeded God’s nudge to minister to me. None of them knew my particular needs, but God did. I hadn’t asked for help. On the surface, I didn’t appear to need help, but the Lord knew what weighed on my heart. Two friends emailed me and two sent messages through Facebook—through written words. God spoke to these ladies and they listened, and they looked to the interests of others, of me.

Remember others. Don’t let anyone slip through the cracks. Be receptive to God’s whispers and hear broken hearts crying out. Let loved ones know when they are missed and reach out to them. A personal note may make all the difference.

Thank you to my dear friends, Suzanne, Pam, Carol Beth, and Lynn. You brought me encouragement, restoration, hope, and healing when I myself didn’t realize I needed it. I am eternally grateful for your compassion and truly blessed by your friendships. Thanks for looking not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others, of me.

Magic Words

2009-10-11T22:13:00.006-05:00

Manners matter. I’m reminded of a Barney® song that instructs, “Please and thank you, they’re the magic words.” Although we learn these things as children, sometimes we forget to practice them as adults.

Email and social media have led us to a certain sense of comfort with strangers. I, for one, have developed several friendships on Twitter and Facebook, and even by email, with people I have never seen face-to-face, and may never meet. While it’s ok to chat with them in those forums in abbreviated text lingo, it is not ok to address agents and editors in like manner in query letters.

Remember that your correspondence with prospective publishers is a business transaction. You wouldn’t send a resume to Microsoft (or a bank, or an engineering firm, or a church office, or wherever) written in IM speak, would you? Don’t be so informal with submissions either. After all, you’re hoping to get a job with your query, right?

DO address the recipient by name (preferably preceded by Mr. or Mrs.). Present a professional request, and be sure to offer gratitude for his or her consideration. Use a standard font and plain white paper. Winking smileys are alright online, but you won’t receive one back if you include it here. Instead, it will transform into a frown as it lands upside down in the agent’s garbage bin. And always, always, always sign your complete name and make sure your contact information is correct. If the agent/editor wants to see more, you want to be sure they can reach you!

Please remember to be professional. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you!

Mary DeMuth's A Slow Burn

2009-09-28T08:02:00.006-05:00

Author Mary DeMuth’s A Slow Burn (Zondervan, 2009) presents quality literature that appeals to the masses. In this second installment of the Defiance Texas Trilogy, the reader assumes Emory Chance’s burdens and becomes the mother of a murdered child, a mother consumed by the guilt of love ungiven, of hope neglected, of shame unyielding.

When Emory was a child, her mama warned her the crossed lifelines on her palms destined her to heartache and misfortune. Drug abuse, adultery, and neglect of her daughter, Daisy, brought that prediction to fruition, engulfing Emory in pain and suffering. Believing God created her to fail, Emory tells Ousie Pepper, “I’m really only good at messing things up.”

With Daisy’s killer stalking Emory, lurking in the shadows, she trusts no one, especially not God. In Emory’s opinion, God is weak. He couldn’t protect her little girl from evil. Why expect Him to deliver her? One man, Hixon Jones, a man “more like Jesus than anyone,” accepted God’s charge to protect Emory. Having wrestled with life’s afflictions, Hixon knows firsthand her need for redemption and persistently reaches out to Emory, despite her resistance.

The reader transforms along with Emory Chance and emerges a bit charred but renewed, together receiving a final prayer, “Dear, dear Jesus, Author of everything beautiful, Thank you for changing her, for making her a woman who loves you again...Oh, how I pray that every single day, Emory would know she’s treasured.” As Emory considers the message, she knows she’ll “spend her life living up to outrageous love like that.”

Mary DeMuth is a master at her craft, and A Slow Burn is a must read! Her books are available on her website or at retailers like Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, or Barnes & Noble.

Stop. Breathe.

2009-09-18T22:24:00.004-05:00

It’s a beautiful September afternoon, cool by Texas standards. A misty drizzle spritzes the window while I relax in the recliner and listen to my children’s laughter. When what to my wandering eye should appear, but a miniature sleigh and…Oops! I guess I got too relaxed for a moment.

It’s a rare occurrence these days to have time to daydream. I’m a freelance writer and editor, but I also homeschool my children. School has resumed, as has all the busy-ness that accompanies the season. We have classes, music lessons, dance rehearsals, ball games, church events, and sleepovers. Not to mention deadlines, doctor appointments, Bible studies, and holidays. Complicate matters with each family member’s unique frustration level and nerves can quickly fry.

My daughter tends to be overly dramatic. Why, just today she threw a fit at Academy Sports & Outdoors because she did not get a soccer ball like the one her brother has. Even with Mom and Dad’s assurance of, “Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday,” she insisted she never gets anything she wants and whined and moaned all the way home.

My husband was tempted to react. He sternly reprimanded her a couple times, but then remembered to stop and breathe. Acknowledging her tantrum rewarded her and encouraged her to continue, whereas stopping to breathe allowed Daddy to maintain self-control and assert his authority more effectively.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) advises, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The enemy prides himself on the inevitable disasters that loom over the most carefully organized schedules and the conflicts that lurk on every page of the calendar.

And so each day, when you sit down to write and havoc threatens peaceful productivity: Stop. Breathe. Such restraint improves discipline, both the discipline of our labor and the discipline of daily structure. It curbs anxiety and allows God to order our days. By practicing self-control, we resist our enemy the devil and he flees from us, freeing us to go about our busy-ness in a civilized manner.

The clouds have given way to the setting sun, weaving hues of lavender and azure amid soft pink billows…A Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night! Sorry! I’m getting ahead of myself.

Practice Being Scared

2009-09-12T19:43:00.003-05:00

Fear. In its grasp, a victim is paralyzed, bound by deception, held captive by miscues. Fear prohibits success, which is probably why it’s a common motivational theme these days. A recent Guideposts article by Phil Keoghan of TV’s “Amazing Race” suggests practicing being scared to overcome angst. He says the more we face fears, the easier it is to handle life’s challenges. Habitually taking on the things that scare us enables us to squelch fears as they flare.

Does writing scare you? A blank computer screen intimidates. What about query letters? Must word them just right. Book proposals drain more energy from an author than writing an actual book! Does the writer’s conference meet-the-editor (or agent) appointment tremble the boots off your feet?

Practice being scared. Open a new journal and record your day. Ask a trusted friend to pose as an editor, then submit an inquiry to him or her. Prepare a detailed outline of a book you’ve read. Use Terry Whalin’s Book Proposals that Sell as a guide. Ask your “editor” friend for a mock interview. Set timers, write without correcting errors, let a peer read a first draft, and practice being scared. Watch yourself escape anxiety’s grip.

Fatal Illusions Book Review

2009-09-07T22:06:00.004-05:00

A disillusioned counselee, Stacey James, shot Pastor Marc Thayer in his Chicago home, leaving him for dead and implying an affair. Media deluge forces the wounded pastor and his family on sabbatical, sending them to a remote, historic lighthouse on the coast of Lake Superior. When Stacey is found strangled on their Michigan property, Marc is the prime suspect.

Several convenient coincidences pull detective Chuck Riley out of retirement. Back on the case, he unravels ties of this murder to a string of deaths in the Cincinnati Magician Murders. Are the events mere happenstance, or are they God’s providence?

Interwoven throughout Adam Blumer’s debut novel, Fatal Illusions (Kregel, 2009), is a story of forgiveness, letting go, and following God’s lead. Marc Thayer unshackles himself from his mega-church ministry and embraces the small community. His wife, Gillian, begins to accept the loss of her newborn twins while liberating herself of unfounded guilt and learning to trust her husband again. Even the antagonist approaches catharsis.

My only disappointment with this otherwise well-written and suspenseful novel is that the “real” story doesn’t begin until about a third of the way through the book. The author devoted a lot of time on setup in the early chapters, and I found it difficult to sort out the numerous characters and viewpoints in the beginning. However, I was duly rewarded for my persistence.

I enjoyed Fatal Illusions, but I don’t recommend reading it while sitting in a dark house alone at night!

The Offense Calls a Timeout

2009-09-06T22:43:00.009-05:00

So I was watching a college football game with my husband tonight, and I realized the sport has something I want: the ability to stop time. Granted, the officials don’t actually prevent seconds from ticking away, but they do halt progress of the game periodically. Someone blows a whistle and the teams retreat to the sidelines to rethink their strategies.

I want to stop time.

Imagine how handy that would be. I’d never have to do revisions! Ugly first drafts would be a thing of the past, because I could stop the clock and rethink my strategy as I go along. And writer’s block simply wouldn’t exist. I’d just hit pause until play resumes in my head. Every deadline would be met early and stress would melt away. I’d score a lot more points with publishers.

If only I could stop time.

Review of God's Little Princess Devotional Bible

2009-08-31T20:37:00.004-05:00

God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible (Tommy Nelson, 2006), written by Sheila Walsh, is a wonderful story book for young girls. Sheila utilizes the International Children’s Bible (Thomas Nelson, 1999) to communicate God’s Word in easy-to-understand terms. Special features that accompany each Scripture passage are fun and interactive, from mini-plays to songs to what-would-you-do-if thought provoking scenarios. Sheila even offers beauty tips to young ladies, advising her readers to adorn their hearts with the love of God and, “Then ask God to help you grow up to become the special woman he wants you to be” (Walsh, 113).

I would have written this review much sooner, but my daughter insisted we read through the book three times. We initially read God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible at bedtime but quickly discovered it piqued my daughter’s interest, awakened her creativity, and invigorated her inquisition rather than quieting her spirit. My little princess has learned much about the King from this book and is pleading, “Read it again!” as I type. I encourage all parents of little girls to devote time to study this book with their own daughters.

Opportunity for Good Exposure

2009-08-29T08:59:00.011-05:00

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner, of WordServe Literary in Denver, Colorado, has offered an excellent opportunity for unknown writers. Here's what she said about it in yesterday's post:

I am taking auditions for guest posts from YOU, my faithful blog readers. I need about ten guest posts from readers to provide me with one per week for the rest of this year. (I already have some lined up from clients.) So the "prize" for this challenge is getting your post on my blog. Maybe not a huge prize, but hey, I'm getting more than 10,000 page loads per week so it's not bad exposure for you.

So how do you go about auditioning? Put your query writing techniques to practice by posting a 100-word comment on her "A Blog Challenge for You" entry. PITCH your guest post idea. DO NOT write the whole post and do not email her the post. Auditions will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 4th.

IF yours is chosen, you will be asked to write an entry of 500 to 800 words with a 1-2 sentence bio that includes links to your websites/blogs and a photo of yourself. Rachelle, of course, reserves the right to edit your final post.

Good luck!

A Chat with Author Susan K. Marlow

2009-08-24T12:46:00.012-05:00

Susan K. Marlow is the author of the Circle C Adventures, a six-book series of historical fiction for middle-grade readers and up, about “horses, adventure, and the Old West.” Susan never planned to be a writer, though. As a child, she wrote stories to entertain her little sister, but dreamed of being an astronaut. Unfortunately, poor eyesight prohibited her from shooting for the stars, so she turned her sights to the sea as a marine biologist. After one scuba-diving venture, Susan realized she didn’t like that much water between her and the surface. She then decided to follow her parents’ advice to become a teacher. She taught in Christian schools before homeschooling her own children. Susan’s natural enjoyment of writing stories, however, pursued her into adulthood. At the urging of friends, Susan submitted Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home to publishers. The book eventually found a home with Kregel Publications and came out in 2005. Now that her kids are grown, Susan teaches writing workshops for kids, speaks to school children about creative writing, and helps homeschool her grandchildren.

Although we’ve yet to meet face-to-face, I consider Susan a very dear friend. She has mentored me about editing, prompted me to establish Aim for Perfection Editing, and answered my myriad of questions regarding the publishing process. We are both homeschoolers, too, and Susan has blessed me with much encouragement in that area as well. She’s a treasure!

Q: Susan, your website bio says you started writing stories when you were about ten years old. What did you do with those stories?
A: I saved some of them, but most I threw away when I “grew up” and entered high school. I consider that to be one of my more foolish decisions. I wish I’d kept them. I do have one outer space story, The Stars Know the Way, hand-copied into a blank, hardbound book my grandfather found in the town dump and gave me (this was in the days before easy-to-buy journals).

Q: Did your parents or teachers encourage you to pursue creative writing?
A: My parents did not. Neither did my teachers. I believe that in order to be encouraged in your writing you have to SHARE your writing. I did not. I was too shy. My little sister read them and loved them, but I didn’t offer them to my parents for feedback. And…I would have died a thousand deaths before letting a teacher read them.

Q: What kinds of stories did you write about when you were a kid?
A: Outer space stories mostly. My fourth-grade teacher introduced me to astronomy and I was hooked. My first story was Up to Mars. I can’t remember what it was about. Other outer space stories included Stowaway to the Red Planet, Marra’s Promise, The Stars Know the Way, and Once Around the Galaxy (unfinished). I started a mystery story once, but couldn’t think of a good mystery. I also wrote Castaway Island (this one has been typed into my blog “Suzy’s Stories” if you want a good laugh). As a teen, I wrote Star Trek stories (being a diehard, first-generation Trekkie). The difference with my Star Trek stories is that I included kids in the stories. Always. I’m just a kid at heart, myself.

Q: The Andrea Carter (Circle C Adventures) books are set in 1880s California. Do you have a passion for that particular time period?
A: I love the Old West, but the 1880 date was chosen because I wanted my stories set near the Sierra Nevada range. The closest place I could find was Fresno, and it wasn’t founded until 1872. So I chose the date based on the town. I also chose California because it was considered the Old West but it was also sophisticated (San Francisco). This gave me options of ranch settings and city settings.

Q: What inspired the creation of 12-year-old Andrea (“Andi”)?
A: Along with Star Trek and other outer space shows, I loved to watch old western TV shows. As a kid and young teen during the 60s, I felt the shows would be greatly improved if they included a kid or two as a regular (which they never did). So I made up my own “kid” characters. And I of course made Andi in my “own image”—who I would have wanted to be! J

Q: Do any of Andi’s adventures stem from your own experiences?
A: Not usually. But I’ve drawn on real people to get my imagination going. For example, the Mexican immigrant family with whom Andi stays with in Long Ride Home is loosely based on friends I made while teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to the Hispanic community. The surprise of discovering an unknown older sister who returns home with her three little children in Family Secret came about from a story a friend told me. Her son left home at 15 and never came back or contacted them since. Their daughter, 15 years younger, has never met him. I added the twist that Andi had never even been told about her older, runaway sister. I imagined what it must feel like to be betrayed in this manner and how she might learn to forgive and accept new family members. In Trouble with Treasure, the idea of keeping a rattlesnake’s rattle as a souvenir was sparked by an incident when I was on a trail ride. We met up with a rattlesnake. The guide cut off the rattle and I kept it—blood and all—in the pocket of my white jeans (I still have it).

Q: Not only are you an accomplished author, but you are also a veteran homeschooler. Was Andi homeschooled?
A: No. Although homeschooling was the norm during Colonial days, by 1880 most children went to school. I think Andi wishes she were homeschooled. She doesn’t like sitting still in school for so long, sometimes with a mean, strict schoolmaster (Dangerous Decision).

Q: Were your kids school-aged when you wrote the first book?
A: My older kids were teens and not interested in what I was writing. My little kids were preschoolers. My youngest was 13 when the first book finally was published. Although he’s too old to enjoy the books now, he did agree to be “Cory” (Andi’s friend) for a cover possibility. So the boy on the cover of the new book, Trouble with Treasure, is my son Ryan at age 14 (he’s 18 now).

Q: Was it required reading for them?
A: I read Long Ride Home and Dangerous Decision to my little boys when they grew older, before I submitted the stories. And the kids at my homeschool co-op enjoyed them later on, still before publication. I never even thought about publishing them at that time!

Q: You currently teach your grandkids certain subjects. Are the Circle C books on their reading list?
A: I taught my younger grandsons to read last fall, using the ABCs of ACE. The Circle C books are beyond their reading level. My oldest grandson, Nathan (age 10), has not only read (and loved) books 1-4, but has also read the manuscript versions of books 5 and 6. He likes book 5 best. (Rattlesnakes, gold-panning, bank robbers, guns, and mountain lions. What’s not to like?)

Q: Tell me about your writing workbook.
A: Reach for the Stars is a writing workbook geared for homeschoolers. The easiest way to describe it is to give you the blurb:
“This 144-page workbook for budding young authors includes sections on creating characters, how to “show –don’t tell” their feelings, beginnings that “hook” the reader, creating scenes, plotting stories, and much more! Students can work at their own pace and on their own. Reach for the Stars also works great in homeschool co-ops and in classrooms. Includes a parent/teacher guide with hints for expanding the lessons. Grades 3-8.”

Q: Is it part of your grandchildren’s curriculum?
A: Yes! I’m giving a copy of the book to my daughter for Nathan. Writing is so important, but so many homeschoolers don’t feel up to the challenge. I offered to look at his work. The writing workbook is a good way to introduce writing in a fun way, and little or no parent-directed teaching is needed.

Q: Where can the workbook be purchased?
A: Either from the publisher, Media Angels, from The Old Schoolhouse Store, or from my website. Kids can also sign up for a free writing E-zine that offers writing prompts for kids and hints and helps for parents.

Q: So, what’s next for Andrea?
A: With the series nearing completion, I’m not really sure. There’s always the possibility that the publisher will decide to continue the series at a later date.

Q: As this series comes to a close, do you have new characters entertaining your imagination?
What can we hope to see from you in the future?
A: Although the Circle C Adventures for older kids is closing, Kregel has accepted my idea to write a series for younger readers (ages 6-8), based on the characters from the older series. I’ve tentatively called it The Adventures of Andi and Taffy (Taffy is Andi’s horse), and the first and third books are written. These are early chapter books, which usually include a grade 2 reading level and black and white illustrations in each chapter. I’m having a lot of fun coming up with these.

Jodi: Thank you so much for sharing with us, Susan! We look forward to Andi’s next adventure!
Susan: It was great chatting with you. I loved your questions. Thank you!

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is due out in February 2010. The sixth and final installment, Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth is scheduled for release in September 2010. To read more about Susan and her Circle C Adventures books, check out her website. You can also join the Circle C Adventure Fan Club on Facebook.

Wavy Lines

2009-08-18T22:42:00.018-05:00

Hemingway’s endearingly tragic infatuation with the sea was unavoidable given the parallels of its ebbs and flows with those of the writing process. I spent all of last week at the beach and I developed a similar consuming respect.

Every day the water was different. One day, it was calm and soothing. The following day, jellyfish swarmed. The next, clear waves chopped. Our final day, rough storms threatened. I was cut by seashells, burned by the sun’s rays, stung by slimy, floating globs of “jelly”, and chased by tiny translucent crabs. I shared a mom’s panic and prayers for her lost little boy and crumbled in tears of relief when he was found. I watched lightning spark the night sky and stars twinkle from afar. I was lulled to sleep by the steady breakers and laughed at by the gulls.

Every day that I write is different too. One day, everything flows easily and coherently. The following day, nothing makes sense. The next, choppy but fun! And, of course, some days are dark and dreary. Rejections have wounded my spirit. They cut, burn, sting, and pinch. I’ve panicked and prayed over frustrations and wept with joy of discovery. Every now and then, inspiration strikes with great electricity and incites my creative energy. At those moments, my production sparkles. Acceptance letters arrive, relieving my jitters, releasing my tension with a giggle.

After several days of yielding to the surf, my body adjusted to the habit, anticipating the next surge. I’d find myself swaying with the waves of the sea when I was standing on dry land. And so it is with writing, a cohesive oscillation with nature, that in the end leaves me both exhausted and exhilarated.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

2009-08-03T21:01:00.001-05:00

Unable to sleep one night, I randomly opened my Bible to the book of Obadiah. I was startled! The book begins, “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised” (Ob. 1:2). The entire book is devoted to destruction and doom. I thought, “Lord, what are you trying to tell me?”

I read on. The third verse justifies the contention, “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’” (Ob. 1:3) To those whose hearts are so haughty they think they’re immune to opposition, God promises, “Though you soar like the eagles and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down” (Ob. 1:4).

I received the message as a warning. As a writer, I long for recognition. I like to hear, “Nice article! Great post! Touching message today!” Quite frankly, I am thrilled to see my name in print. It tells me someone valued my words enough to share them with others. It validates my efforts.

I must take care, though, to avoid the snare of hubris, of excessive pride. I must always recognize the source of my inspiration and give credit to the One who assigned me this task. I must always humble myself before the Lord, lest I meet destruction. And whatever I do, I must work at it with all my heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (Col. 3:23).

Some Days the Fish, Some the Bait

2009-07-22T20:30:00.002-05:00

“‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19). If He’d told them they’d be the bait, would they so quickly have bitten the hook? It’s easier to tell someone about Jesus with words than it is to live out faith. It’s a lot easier to stand in front of a large crowd and speak than it is to lose an infant daughter, suffer disease, watch your mother die, and proclaim your love for the Lord while maintaining your hope in Him. It’s way harder to smile through pain than to say, “Jesus died for you.” Bait. When you can be the answer to the question of how a loving God allows bad things to happen, you’re the bait.

When men cast lures into the water, they can’t see the fish. They can’t see the fish. When you’re in the midst of a trial, you’re often too submerged in murky misery to see what you’re fishing for. In those times, pray God will remove the cloudy me-ness and make apparent those who are missing His message. Find them in their hiding places, like the bass among the branches. They’re often hard to spot through the fog of, “I’m fine,” but they hunger for healing that only Jesus can provide. Sometimes living out faith is the only way to catch and relieve a desperate soul.

Gently reel if you feel a tug. Offer sincerity, or you’ll break the line. Reveal God’s provision. Be the bait, meet the fish’s need, and you will demonstrate that God works all things for the benefit of those who love Him and allow His control.

May your writing be crystal clear like the Carribbean, and may it not hurt to be the bait.

Don't Tease Me!

2009-07-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

I'm reading a very wordy book right now. It has a compelling message that needs to be expressed and received, but the author is extremely wordy. This particular 300-page book could more effectively be presented in 200 pages. That's not really what bothers me about the book, though. What annoys me is the tease.

At least once per chapter, the author says something to this effect, "I'll cover that topic in a later chapter." Grrr! I can't stand when writers make those statements. It's as if they're afraid the reader is going to put the book down and not pick it back up unless he's informed of what's coming next. Well, that's what the table of contents and back cover summaries are for. They let readers know everything that's discussed between the book's covers.

Don't tell me what's coming next! Write your material well, and it will naturally transition into what's coming next. Trust me, your reader, to keep reading. I will receive your message.

Christian Writer's Conference in Dallas

2009-07-10T16:55:00.002-05:00

If you're in the Dallas/North Texas area, I'd like to let you know about an upcoming Christian Writer's Conference. For only $50 (if registered by July 19, $60 after that), you can attend an all-day conference hosted by Roaring Lambs Ministries. The event will be held at Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House on Beltline Road in Addison, Texas, on Saturday, July 25. Cost includes lunch and materials!

Speakers are Dr. Gene Getz, Mary DeMuth, Karol Ladd, Jody Capehart, Allison Bottke, and more. Don't miss out! Register now at www.roaringlambsministries.org. See you there!

Oh, the Semicolon!

2009-06-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

Strunk and White’s “Elementary Rules of Usage” rule #5 (Do not join independent clauses by a comma) states, “If two or more independent clauses grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon.”

How many of you apply this rule correctly?

I read an entertaining blog post today at The Blood Red Pencil. The author calls the semicolon her new love and encourages its use. Ugh! No, no, no! While the semicolon is a valid piece of grammar, and proper usage of it can produce powerful prose, overuse and misuse of this miniscule mark more often than not result in sloppy structure.

Too often writers use a semicolon to “fancy up” their manuscripts. Maybe they get bored with commas, or perhaps they think periods are too finite. The semicolon is delicate. It signals a pause to the reader; it says stop here a bit longer than a comma, but not as permanently as a period. It provides a brief break or a subtle change in thought without taking the reader in a completely new direction. It’s like taking a breath.

Semicolons should be used sparingly. Sometimes adverbs like however, therefore, or besides follow a semicolon to begin the second clause, but never, ever, ever follow a semicolon with a conjunction. My advice? When in doubt, terminate the first clause with a period and begin a new sentence.

Email Funnies

2009-06-08T19:50:00.001-05:00

Creative Puns for Educated Minds (Received in an email - author unknown)

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, "You stay here, I'll go on a head."

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then, it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, "Keep off the Grass."

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, "No change yet."

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In democracy, it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

Do You Need to Edit Your Life?

2009-05-31T21:01:00.003-05:00

Recently a friend of mine asked my advice regarding her 15-year-old daughter and the concept of Christianity. Unfortunately, my friend's daughter thinks like the majority of people in the world. They think that "being a good person" is good enough. It's not. Sure, the 10 commandments are a good starting place, but can anyone truly abide by them? No. Maybe you're not a murderer, but have you thought, "I wish he were dead!" in your mind? You're guilty. Maybe you don't worship Allah (the god of Islam), but have you ever given anything in life a higher priority than God (money, relationship, job, fun, etc.)? You're guilty. And don't even try to tell me you've never lied.

If you've committed one sin, your penalty is death--eternal separation from God--eternity in hell. Hell is a real place. It is cut off from God. It is the absence of love. There is no compassion. There is no relief. There is pain. There is sorrow. There is grief. There is torture. Think of the worst thing you've ever seen or heard of on earth--it's worse and endless. Satan is a real person/creature.

Romans 3:23 tells us that we're all guilty, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 tells us the cost of that sin, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." But here's the relief, Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Are you familiar with John 3:16? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." This is all you have to do, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

Is that so hard? For a lot of people it is. They don't think it's necessary. To them, I pose this question: What if you're wrong? If you're (the unbeliever/doubter) right, then it's all for nothing. None of this matters. But what if you're wrong? What if everything I just said in that last paragraph is right? What if you miss out? What will it hurt you to believe me? If you're right, you've lost nothing. But if I'm right, and if you reject salvation, you lose forever.

Is it time to edit your life? Do your beliefs need revision? Don't delay. Your next breath is not guaranteed. Get your life's rewrite done NOW!

Too Be or Not Too Be

2009-05-28T16:03:00.007-05:00

Too be or not too be? That is the question without a definite answer.

Not long ago, I advised in a post that commas are no longer required to set apart the word "too" in a sentence. Little did I know pointing out this issue would spark much controversy.

Most publishers prefer to follow the style rules established in The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). Well, CMOS does not address this matter directly. It does, however, provide some clarity in the online Q&A at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/Commas/Commas27.html. Their answer simply states that commas are not necessary with the word "too" unless the sentence does not make sense without them. They say "it puts too much pressure on the comma" to give the minute punctuation mark the great responsibility of thought clarity. Hello? Isn't that the purpose of the comma in every instance?

My formal advice would be to check the style guidelines of your target publisher. If they want commas, use them. If they don't, don't. Whatever you do, though, be consistent! I doubt the appearance or absence of a comma will be the deciding factor for a publisher's acceptance or rejection. Present your best work and let the writing speak for itself.

Book Review: The Great Eight, by Scott Hamilton (with Ken Baker)

2009-05-26T23:09:00.003-05:00

I recently signed up to be a book review blogger at Thomas Nelson Publishing, http://www.brb.thomasnelson.com/. Periodically, I will review a selection here on the Aim for Perfection Editing blog. Not every text will apply to the topics of writing or editing, but I hope to help you glean some insight about the writing process from the books I review.

My first choice was The Great Eight, by internationally renowned figure skater Scott Hamilton (with Ken Baker). I ordered this book with my mom in mind. We both enjoyed his skating and his cheerful, upbeat attitude. Mom would call me whenever she noticed a Scott Hamilton television performance in the TV program. Whatever my mood, to see Scott flipping or running across the ice flashing that big grin, would perk me up in no time. His happiness was contagious.

Well, this book arrived in my mailbox the day my mother passed away. Ironically, Scott’s theme is “How to be Happy (even when you have every reason to be miserable)”. Plunged into misery, I set the book aside for a few weeks to finish a Kathi Macias book and to read Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven. I didn’t really feel like reading a book on happiness.

As I read The Great Eight, I wasn’t real impressed with the writing style. It’s a bit redundant, doesn’t flow chronologically, and is all over the place with point-of-view. As much as I love Scott Hamilton’s bubbly personality and vivacious skating, I must admit I was bored by the book. Until, that is, I realized the message is valid and the advice pertinent. The chapter titles sum up Scott’s happiness strategy: Fall, Get Up, and Land Your First Jumps; Trust Your Almighty Coach; Make Your Losses Your Wins; Keep the Ice Clear; Think Positive, Laugh, and Smile Like Kristi Yamaguchi; Win by Going Last; Learn a New Routine; and Stand in the Spotlight.

Scott explains that we will not find true happiness until we accept our God-given flaws and reminds us that how we deal with our experiences defines our character. We can choose to let life smother us, or we can choose to let our experiences enhance our lives and provide opportunity for growth. Despite what I would consider relatively weak writing, The Great Eight effectively inspires readers to follow Scott’s “great eight” principles, to take charge of their circumstances and commit to goals, so they too may find lasting happiness.

Words are Marred

2009-05-16T17:17:00.002-05:00

I am marred. I am flawed. My body is imperfect and ailing, but it is still useful to the Master who created it. God sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house to receive the Lord’s message. He saw the potter working the wheel, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (Jer. 18:4).

I am malleable, pliable. Perhaps I thought I was meant to be a flower pot, but the Lord determined I’d make a better water vessel. “’Can I not do with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand’” (Jer. 18:6). He created me, and He can make of me whatever He wishes. He can build me up and tear me down over and over again until I reach perfection. I am His vision. He knows what He needs me to be. Sometimes I need to be reshaped in order to carry out His plan.

We writers shape words not clay, but sometimes our creations need to be smushed, spun, swirled, and shaped into an entirely new production. Sometimes an article or a chapter that looked like a flower pot might actually work better as a water vessel. Can we not do with our writing as the potter does with the clay?

Sometimes what we write is marred and flawed, but words are malleable and pliable. Don’t be afraid to form your work into a different pot, shaping it as seems best.

Jesus, Get Him

2009-05-10T22:39:00.002-05:00

Ok, friends. I'm bored with these editing posts. Don't panic! It's just that I'm not a very talkative person, so I find it difficult to say very much on a specific editing topic like, say, commas, that hasn't already been covered at length in Chicago Manual of Style or The Elements of Style or any of the numerous grammar books out there. I plan to continue to provide valuable information, like how it is no longer necessary to offset the word "too" with commas. However, I also want to provide you a better grasp of the grand scheme of things and writing's proper placement in our busyness.

The purpose of the comma is to clarify a statement. When placed correctly, the comma brings understanding of a thought. If you want to "quote a phrase", the comma is placed outside the quotation marks. However, if you say, "I already knew that," then the comma belongs inside the quotation marks.

Likewise, the correct placement of Jesus provides clarity to our lives. He should always, ALWAYS be placed inside our hearts! When He's left outside, we find ourselves in confusion. Nothing makes sense. We struggle to complete a thought and our days jumble into frustration. But when Jesus lives within us, oh what a difference! Our days are "numbered aright" (Psalm 90:12), as schedules fall right into place. Our direction is clear, heavenbound. Our purpose is revealed, to bring glory to the Father and to lead others to Him.

While we may not understand everything life hands us, after all, our thoughts are not His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and inviting His Holy Spirit to live within us allows us to "get wisdom, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:5).

Have you misplaced the Savior of your life? Study God's style book, His Word, the Bible, and you'll find out just where He belongs.

Beauty Perseveres

2009-04-23T18:40:00.002-05:00

Driving down a very busy road today, I caught a flash of pale pink along the curb. I expected to see litter, a piece of trash carelessly discarded. But, a second glance revealed something rare. A group of wildflowers in full bloom sprouted from a seam in the pavement. What a wonderful surprise to find beauty in the gutter!

The written word can amaze in a similar manner. I don't know about yours, but my first drafts look more like sewage than botany. Spelling errors, typos, grammar guffaws, and thought hiccups litter many a manuscript in the early stages. Don't be too quick to ditch them, though.

Always take a second glance at your writing. Of course, correct mistakes, but can any apparent blunder transform into splendor? Carefully consider every word when revising. Beauty can persevere!

Temporary Blog Delay

2009-04-13T09:17:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

My mother unexpectedly passed away late Saturday night. I am taking a few days away from the blog, but will have a new post for you as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, I covet your prayers!

Thank you,
Jodi

Minimalist Revival

2009-04-04T22:43:00.004-05:00

In the early part of the 20th century, the Minimalist Movement marked a certain style of art and literature (poetry). I think I'd have been a successful minimalist, because I'm very good at cutting and reducing, being efficient with the written word.

Minimalist style involved not only the use of the fewest words possible, but the most succinct application of imagery imaginable. I love this example:

"Missing" by George Swede

M SS NG

Thiiief!

I think perhaps it is time to revive the Minimalist Movement. At least keep it in mind when you write query letters and pitch agents and editors, because in those moments, you'll need to be able to summarize your entire work in one sentence. You will need to be efficient with words and succinct with presentation. You'll want to produce a poetic image in the mind of your audience that makes them yearn for what you haven't said - the rest of the story.

In an Ezra Pound essay on his "In a Station of the Metro", he says, "A Chinaman said long ago that if a man can’t say what he has to say in twelve lines he had better keep quiet." Choose your words wisely.

Frustrated?

2009-03-25T20:36:00.005-05:00

Ever feel like this guy? I have...many times...recently. Maybe the stormy Texas weather was clouding my brain, but every time I sat down to type today, nothing came to mind. So I ran errands, went to a doctor appointment, did laundry, all those things I normally do when I'm intentionally avoiding rewrites. (You know, when you do things that are much more fun, like cleaning toilets and taking out the garbage.)

I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and changes in the weather can sometimes trigger a flare. Apparently, spikes and plummets in barometric pressure can also aggravate old phobias, especially the fear of facing the blank computer screen. Insecurity and self-abasement sometimes accompany this affliction, but don't worry! These can easily be overcome.

Look up www.writersdigest.com/WritingPrompts/. Choose a topic that ignites your creativity. Set a timer for 15 minutes, sit down at the keyboard, and write till the thunder booms, I mean, till the buzzer dings. Don't take time to correct grammar or perfect punctuation. Just roll with whatever pours from your imagination. When time's up, sit back and take a deep breath.

Hey, what's that? Huh! The sun's piercing through the clouds!

Christian Book Expo 2009

2009-03-21T20:43:00.010-05:00

I had a fabulous time yesterday at the Christian Book Expo! Over 200 authors were present, as well as publishers, agents, and other industry professionals. I attended with a friend of mine, a published author, who so generously introduced me to all of her friends. (Thanks, Brenna!) See me & "Mama T"? Thelma Wells is such a joyful soul!

Brenna and I listened in on a panel discussion on the topic of Heaven and Hell and participated in various workshops. I also met my favorite author, Max Lucado, and got my photo taken with him! I was a bit starstruck, but also honored to meet so many people who are such willing servants of Christ.

If you're in the Dallas area, you've got one more chance to attend this fabulous event, as it ends tomorrow. Check out http://www.christianbookexpo.com/ for details.

Word Harmony

2009-03-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

My husband is American - born and bred – and he loves his country. But, he doesn’t love our language. There are simply too many spelling variations. English, the American version especially, is a montage of many voices, harmonizing Latin, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and many others, in a multicultural symphony of the nationalities that form this nation.

The beauty of this unique language, though, often creates editing cacophony. Let me borrow Terry Whalin’s example from his Book Proposals that Sell. Compare these two syntactically correct sentences:
The read book was red.
The red book was read.

Both sentences make sense, but each has a different meaning. Which does the author intend? Most word processing programs contain a spellchecking device. Don’t rely on it! Sure, it may catch some errors, but it does not know what the author has in mind.

Audio perceptions are more sensitive than visual – the ear hears what the eye overlooks. My fingers sometimes tend to be dyslexic when I type. So, occasionally, I may spell a word correctly, but not the word I meant to type. The spellchecker misses it, because it is technically not an error. Only when I read my piece aloud will I catch the mistake. Always be sure to read your work orally before making final edits and listen for a sweet melody.

Refined Like Silver

2009-03-01T09:46:00.002-06:00

The first draft is the easiest part of the writing process. You have something to say, you set your fingers on the keyboard, and you let them fly. However, unless you are the very rare perfectionist, or if your words come directly from God Himself, that first draft is bound to be a big, sloppy mess. A once-over reveals misplaced thoughts, missing pieces, and grammar errors. Time to edit.

Rewrites and revisions require gruelling work. It's like digging tunnels with a toothpick! You must scour your writing sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. Pick it apart. Try to separate yourself from your story. Read it as if you've never seen it before. Read it aloud and listen for confusing areas. Note sentences that are too wordy or that trip your tongue. Be aware of misplaced modifiers.

The revision process may be hard work, but it is vital to producing quality work. A writer I know is personally acquainted with inspirational author and speaker Thelma Wells and received an email announcement for Mrs. Wells' current seminar tour. One statement read, "Do you want to win those battles against your husband and your children?" Whoa! What editor missed that? Is this a power-mom-family-bashing-smackdown? My friend alerted Mrs. Wells to the misleading phrase, and a rewrite was done immediately!

Another friend despises rewrites. She loathes them so much she even refuses to say the word. She prefers to call the process "refining". That is a very appropriate term. To be most effective, writing needs to be "like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6). Leave the dross behind and present a polished masterpiece.

Today's Quick Tip

2009-02-20T09:03:00.003-06:00

A member of my writers' group asked a great question. Sheila is working on a series of articles and wants them to have a certain tone. She asked, "How do I keep it casual and conversational without sounding uneducated?"

My friend will have to walk a fine line here, because she needs to present her material in a way her readers will readily accept, but she doesn't want to offend anyone by writing at a level that belittles them. She'd also like a little humor thrown into the mix.

Sheila can accomplish her goal by following the advice of an old college professor of mine. He said it's ok to break the rules [of grammar] as long as you know the rules you're breaking. When you break a grammar rule intentionally, and consistently break the same rule throughout the piece, it makes sense. The writing, then, is not full of mistakes. Rather, it flows beautifully and is connected, because you know what you're doing.

Sheila will not appear uneducated by mixing it up a bit. On the contrary, if her writing is cohesive, she will be very effective.

Proofreading is a Dying Art

2009-02-17T17:38:00.004-06:00

What better way to begin a new blog than with a bit of humor!

I received the following in an email. These headlines left me ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing). I hope it brings you some stress relief, too.

Proofreading is a dying art, would you say?

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
It took the editor 2-3 readings before he realized this is impossible! They ran a correction the next day.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No, really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!

Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial.

War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!

Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape? Oklahoma's new construction program!

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken????

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw massacre all over again!

Hospitals are Sue by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is...
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

Welcome to the Aim for Perfection Editing Blog

2009-02-17T08:29:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the companion blog for www.aimforperfectionediting.com.

2009-01-01T22:22:00.000-06:00