Into The Silence

Photo by Dan
freedigitalphotos.net

Angie's post yesterday spoke to my heart and affirmed what God has been whispering to my soul. God is able. He is able to take my messy life and make something of it for His purpose and glory. While my life may not look like what I thought it would...or should...it is a life lived for the One and Only, and there lies it's value.

As writers, we eye the prize of publication at the end of the goal line. But what if we never obtain the prize? What if the prize is really in the journey of writing, using the gifts and desires God has given us to put words on paper that only we shall see? Or maybe the prize is the blessing your crit partners gains from reading your words. Or maybe the prize is the hope you instill into your mother while reading your prolific prose? We don't know His will for our writing, but we do know He is good and His love endures forever.

When I confided to a friend of mine that I was struggling with anxiety and depression, she suggested I read Into The Silent Land by Martin Laird.  Published in 2006, this book is a guide into the Christian practice of contemplation. After reading the introduction, my heart ached to discover the close communion with God that this book described.

So often we chase after God, feeling like He is far. We go through processes and steps to find that closeness, to bring Him near, when in fact He is already near. He is in us.

In the introduction of Into the Silent Land, Laird states "...union with God is not something we are trying to acquire; God is already the ground of our being."

In our busy world it is easy to forget this. Our chaotic mind clutters the reality of God in us.

Laird states, "This ignorance is pervasive and renders us like the proverbial deep-sea fisherman, who spends his life fishing for minnows while standing on a whale."

We need still the clutter of our hearts and mind and center our being on God. It is there that we find peace. It is there where we find our purpose. It is there where we find meaning for life.

Where are you focusing your attention? On writing? On social media? On publication?

Focus on The One and Only. He will bring your life into sharp focus and you will find your heart's desire in Him.

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Successful Writers Can Focus No Matter What

A Christian speaker walked up the steps to the platform and across the carpeted flooring to a lectern. He bowed his head and prayed.

1. He prayed. 

The speaker then looked up at the audience, scanning the entire room to acknowledge everyone present.

2. He took notice of and demonstrated his consideration of each person in the audience.

A few men and women in the audience sipped from coffee cups, others fumbled for paper or pen, a few more checked their cell phones. Of course some pulled out their candy and unwrapped the cellophane while others whispered continuing the conversation with their neighbor which started before the speaker stepped to the platform. 

All the while, the speaker smiled and shared one of those: "There once was a..." stories. Instantly, chatting stopped, rustling for pens, papers, and candy ceased, and whispered conversations ended mid sentence. The speaker had hooked their interest with his anecdote. What a sharp contrast.

3. To lasso the attention of potential listeners/readers, he started with a stimulating hook.

The speaker moved on from his opening to the presentation. Most of the people sat on the edge of their seats fully engaged. But there was a baby in the back of the room. She obviously didn't care about the words and expressed her opinion openly. The caregiver must have done something for the baby to bring comfort because the crying stopped--for a short time 

Some of the listeners in the audience looked back at the baby. It couldn't be helped, they were curious. Others held a staunch stance, keeping their heads forward. Chances were good their attention had slipped to the baby, too. The little one expressed her discomfort several times during the presentation, and even though a nursery lay a few feet from the room, the mother continued to try different ways to comfort the child. 

The one person who did not waver, who kept steadfast and focused on the presentation--was the speaker. 

He didn't pause or stutter, fumble or loose concentration. He used arm motions to produce emphasis and threaded appropriate jokes as he had in previous presentations. If someone asked him after the presentation if he'd heard the baby, he'd probably look surprised and say, "What baby?"

Focused.

Let's place the writer in the role of this speaker and consider a few things.

1. A successful writer is focused on their story and ignores exterior sounds. This does not mean ignore your family or other important tasks. Remember we are in the shoes of this speaker; the baby was not his child. The presentation was his and he had a job to give the ideas to the audience.

What distractions do we have that are likened to this scenario?

*Easy ones you already know are social media, and any other "something shiny" things that pull us away from a deep relationship with our story's presentation. 

*Doubt - my story can't possibly work this way, I need to change it. Be careful, changing a story is not like cleaning a house. It may not improve the work. It may take away your voice. On the other hand, if you do make a major change, doubt could creep in and cause you to return to the lesser product. Stand confident in your decision and move forward.

*Comments - crit partners, friends, and judges have the best intent. At times their recommendations will altar a portion of the story so much the foundation crumbles. The only one who can really know if a major change should be made is you, the writer. What is the premise of your story? Write that short sentence on a sticky note and affix it to your computer. Stay true to the premise.

2. A successful writer's focus is proven with a passion communicated with all senses. The speaker used his arms, moved about the platform, and changed the inflection of his voice to match the points, never wavering even during all the distractors.

How can we communicate a passion for the premise and story?

*Edit!:   A well-crafted story is like a finely tuned orchestra. No one hears (read) problems that aren't there. The writer's words melt like cotton candy and leave a savory taste in the readers mind and heart. 

*Complete:  A fantastic book is like a Rembrandt painting where every centimeter of paint is specifically designated to portray a vivid portion of the overall canvass, using color to stimulate the mind. A fantastic book is like a masterpiece symphony containing contrasting movements, featured instrumental sections, rises and falls, cymbal crashes and serene flute solos, using sound to create an experience to change a soul. A well-crafted story weaves subplots and layers, knitting words into a fabric so strong the emotional impact can not be forgotten.

*Emotion:  A well crafted story will contain words, phrases, scenes that elicit a response from the reader. I've laughed out loud, grabbed a tissue, and shouted at characters in books I've read. You too? What component in that book caused you to respond that way? If a reader will outwardly respond to a book, they are more likely to remember and recommend the book. Be sure to include sparks of humor, tear jerking scenes, victorious moments, and etc. Get the reader off the couch and inside the pages. 

3. A successful writer's focus is proven by casting aside fears.  The speaker freely presented complicated information to deepen the listener's understanding. Despite the distractions in the audience, he forged ahead and gave the information then explained the concept with such clarity that everyone in the room could understand. 

How can writers set aside their fears?

*Tackle the difficult.  If your story requires addressing a difficult topic: 

  First, research authors who have successfully done so to be sure you want to include the scene you are considering. (Francine Rivers, Terry Blackstock, Mary DeMuth are a few Christian authors who have successfully addressed difficult topics)

  Second, pray, 

  Third, research current information on the topic, 

  Fourth, write the section, 

  Fifth, have an expert in the field check your portrayal for accuracy.

*Tackle the complicated. Go ahead and use appropriate foreign language phrases you know. Be sure to include context clues or dialogue with characters explaining the meaning. Go ahead and include a complicated concept. We all like to learn. Teach us through the story. Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley in their book, The Dance, masterfully wove counseling steps into a dance lesson. As fiction writers we need to teach in creative ways. 

*Tackle the unusual. Go ahead and use the setting you have in mind. Take the reader to a new place or refurbish an old place. Let your characters walk into places that challenge them. Jim Rubart successfully did this in his book Rooms. As long as the story flows, and the reader is convinced there is a plausibility, move forward.


At the end of the speaker's presentation I felt awestruck. Unknowingly I wrote pages of notes during the talk about the topic  and about the speaker's ability to remain focus on the presentation from the first word to the last.

What else can we do to help ourselves remain focused on our WIP?
What author/book is a good example of staying true to their premise?

Tweetables: 

How do successful writers focus on their work? Join us at the the Writer's Alley for tips! Click to tweet

Distractions keeping you from your work? Sharing tips on the Writer's Alley. Click  to tweet.


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photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

What Are You Hungering For?

There are seven "I AM" statements of Jesus in the book of John. These statements are reminiscent of God's proclamation of Himself in Exodus 3:13-15, when he declares to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM". These seven statements reveal the very nature of God, embodied in His Son, Jesus.

Today I want to focus on the first of these statements.

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  John 6:35

I don't know about you, but I love bread. Soft yeasty bread. Crusty bread. Wheat. White. Rye. I just love it all. So when Jesus says he is the bread of life, my mouth goes to watering.

So what's so important about bread? Well, it has nutrients the body needs. It provides fiber. It fills the stomach and satisfies. And we will die without food. Our body needs some kind of sustenance for life. The same is true for water. A human body can only go about 3 days without water, then the kidneys begin to shut down. We must have water.

Now Jesus is not claiming to give us living bread and water. He claims he IS the bread of life. He IS the living water. He is the way of salvation. Jesus is the path to real living and to living real.

While Jesus tells us we will never go hungry if we come to him, he means we will never starve to death...we will never die in our sin. Once we believe in Jesus and follow Him...taste Him...we will hunger for the real bread that gives life. That hunger is a GOOD thing, because we will always run to Him for the sustenance that only He gives.

But sometimes we let life get in the way. Times get tough. Life gets hard. Our focus slips and we lose our way. Our spirit begins to atrophy without the bread of life, Jesus. We hunger for relief from our pain instead of the presence of Jesus. So let me ask you...

What are you hungry for?

A Note to Writers:  So often writers who are seeking publication tend to focus on that one thing: Publication...that elusive goal of getting your work on bookshelves across the nation. You hunger for it, don't you? 

Well, let me tell you. If your focus is not on God and His mission in this world, then you are missing the mark. It could be that writing that book really is His mission for you in this world, but if you are solely focused on finding the right agent, finding the right editor, finding the right publishing house, you are hungry for the wrong things.

Hunger for God. Hunger for Jesus' words of life. All else will come into play in His time.

What are you hungry for?

Clean up, Clean up...Edits, Edits EVERYWHERE!

My son just a couple years younger...but still a pouter!

“I can't clean up all of this by myself!”

Pout.

“It's too hard.”

STOMP!

And my six year old throws himself to the ground. I pick him up gently, with a smile on my face, and calmly say (through gritted teeth), “just one piece at a time.” And I sing the clean up song while he rolls his eyes and attempts to pick up a lego like it matches his body weight.

Although I am talking about a kindergartner (yes, he STILL hasn't grown out of this!) unfortunately, I can relate—as a writer (and a mom with mounds of laundry, piles of dishes, and legos in every nook and cranny).

On Flickr by BenSpark

I am in the middle of rewrites and came up with a fabulous twist that will give my characters motivation, my scenes raison d'etre, and my overall plot, cohesiveness. But when I think about actually putting my fingers to the keyboard and opening up the manuscript file to begin my reconstruction, I clam up!

Ugh! How can I even manage to do this with two hundred plus pages already filled with words, and colored with characters already active in my story? It's daunting to say the least.

But...just like I told my son, “one piece at a time”...if I focus on one scene at a time--how I am going to redefine the motivation, reconstruct the scene so it pushes the story toward the new twist, and focus on maintaining and deepening the characters WITHIN that scene--it becomes less overwhelming.

It is less of scooping up several bricks at once and losing some in the process,
but more of placing the tiny pieces in the bin one at a time while anticipating the potential of a whole new creation later on.

On Flickr by Oskay

The great thing about legos, is you can construct and reconstruct. You can set aside old creations for later use, or recreate to build something completely new.

My son is mighty proud when his mess is finally clean. And the next day, when he pulls out the lego bin and builds something from the pieces of an old aircraft or township, he holds his perfected creation up with pride and says, “Look what I made!”

One at a time. Clean up those manuscripts one edit at a time. Don't look at the giant mess on the floor, but look at the building blocks you have created and continue to edit with patience and focus.

Soon...you might just have a tidy draft of great potential!
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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Free Self-Control: Download Here!

Top Apps to block internet distractions for writers

How many times do your mornings go like this?

You sit down to write just KNOWING it’s going to be a productive session. You crack your knuckles, stare at the screen, and think to yourself, I’ll just check my email first. After all, everyone needs a bit of a mental warm-up before diving in to the real work, and it’ll only take a minute.

So you check your email, tap out some overdue replies, watch the YouTube clip someone forwarded you, read the cool article on writing that’s landed in your RSS feed, follow the link at the bottom that leads you to another pertinent article, browse the comments section, and compose a quick tweet to share your findings. While you’re there you notice you have some new Twitter followers you need to follow-back. You work your way through the list, reading profiles and retweeting the best quotes you come across. Some of them are really good. Might as well update your Facebook status while you’re at it. The next thing you know you look up from browsing photos of your second-cousin’s friend’s daughter’s wedding on Facebook and realize three hours have passed.

Oops.

 

Haven’t you ever wished you could download some self-control at the click of a button? The good news is… you can. In this age of technology and distraction, many of us struggle with limiting the hold of the internet over our time. But technology itself might just be our saving grace.

Here’s a roundup of the best free apps I’ve found to help writers manage their time online. Click on the links to explore further.

1. Self Control (Mac only)

This is one I’ve been using for a while. Its genius is in its simplicity. If you’re sitting down to write for a 2-hour block and wish to remain focussed and productive that entire time, simply set your self-control timer for 2 hours. For that length of time, you will not be able to access any sites you’ve blacklisted – Facebook, email, Twitter, or any other time-suckers individual to you. I also blacklist some of my favorite writing blogs. Meanwhile, you can still access the rest of the web for research purposes – brilliant! Once started, the block cannot be undone until the timer runs out, even if you restart your computer.

2. Focus booster

This app is based on the popular “Pomodoro” technique which argues that the greatest productivity occurs by tackling tasks in 25-minute intervals, followed by a 5-minute break.

Focus booster will run a timer at intervals set by you, with a buzzer sounding at the end of a completed session. The color of the bar changes as your time lapses, giving you a constant unobtrusive nudge to stay productive.

3. Rescue Time

Many of us spend the majority of our time on the things that are least important to us. You may think you don’t have time to write, but have you ever wondered how much time you waste on the internet? This free app will track and analyse how you spend your time on the web, including on mobile apps, and rank your productivity accordingly. Knowledge is power! Find out how much spare time you REALLY have.

4. Stay Focused (Requires Google Chrome)

The next step, once you’ve discovered how much time you really are wasting online, is to restrict the time you spend on non-productive tasks. Let’s say you want to spend no more than 15 minutes on Facebook each day. With this app you can set a time limit, and once you’ve used up your allotted time, the sites you’ve selected will be blocked for the rest of the day.

You can also set this app to block time-waster sites at a specific time each day. Say you decide you want to write from 9-11am each morning, or 8-10pm each night. You can preset this app to block sites at those exact times. Genius!

5. Concentrate (Mac only)

Okay, so this one’s not free. I think it’s worth a mention anyway.

Concentrate costs $29, but is more customizable than any other app I’ve encountered in my research, and comes highly recommended. This app allows you to tailor a series of actions to run every time you wish to concentrate on a task. You can set your writing document to open, distracting sites to be blocked, your Skype and iChat status to be set as away, even your desktop picture to change – and much more – all at the click of a button.

So that’s it from me. Have you tried any of these apps? Any others you’d add to the list? If you decide to try one of these for the first time, let us know how you go. Wishing you productive and distraction-free writing!

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalpPhotos.net

Karen Schravemade lives in Australia. When she's not chasing after two small boys or gazing at her brand-new baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website, on Twitter or getting creative over at her mummy blog.