Inspiring Places: Paris

Last week and this week the Writer's Alley group has chosen the theme: Inspiring Places for our posts. We hope you've been enjoying them. Scroll back to see the others. Be sure to come back Thursday and Friday for the last two in this series.

When the topic came up, I thought of at least five million incredible places in the whole world guaranteed to inspire phenomenal stories ranging from my backyard to Moscow. Which to choose for today's discussion. Which to choose???


After a lot of thinking, I chose to share how Paris inspires. 

Sigh. Paris is a beautiful place. 

Who wouldn't be inspired there? (You'll want to put Paris on your bucket list.)

Allow me to divert your day, for just a moment, with this little mind exercise. 




First, imagine yourself walking the city streets of Paris. Pause after each line to answer this question: what emotional juices spark inside you with each phrase?

*Connecting with Prince Charming 
*Dreamy cruises down the Seine with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in      
      the night sky (see the top photo) 
*Shopping couture
*Walking hand in hand with your lover on the Seine
*Standing on top of the Arc of Triomphe, where so many soldiers
       returned in victory
*Majestic Notre Dame

*Touring the glamor and decadence in Versailles, the royal home of kings 
*The breathtaking art in the Louvre
*Viewing the words of street vendors and musicians 
*Adventures riding a subway where signs are in a language you don't understand (and 
       getting lost)
*Gospel storytelling floor to ceiling stained glassed windows of Sainte Chappelle
*The Opera House, where the auditorium chandelier and water under the facility inspired 
      the Phantom of the Opera

Each one had such an emotional explosion inside me. 

Today, I am going to choose only one to discuss. The winner is: Notre Dame--a special place for inspiration.

I only had to walk through the mammoth doors to experience inspiration in so many ways. 
If I could convey to you only a small portion of this experience, I will have expressed volumes. Of all the places to visit in Paris, make time to sit in this cathedral. You will come away inspired, too. Here is how:



1. Vast ceilings remind me to never limit my stories or think lowly of the gift God has given.

2.Candlelight illuminates the darkness. This reminds me to always start with prayer then God will show me the way. 

3. Silence, even while thousands tour, remind me to be still, ever listening to inspiration.

4. Intricate carvings in every inch of the building both inside and out remind me of the absolute need to consider the tiny details of story writing.














5. Crystal and bombastic pipe organ melodies swirling in the air remind me to write memorable scenes that touch the heart both in sadness and utter bliss.

6.. Dark wood and somber colors remind me of the seriousness required for quality stories.

7. While Nortre Dame towers over me, I can climb to the roof and see the whole. This reminds me that although there are times my story seems more than I can write, if I endure I can see the whole.






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What place have you visited that remain an inspiration for you? Take us there in your comment, please.

I can't wait to read your comment(s)

 All photos taken by Mary Vee in beautiful Paris :)
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If you found any typos in today's post...sorry about that. 

Mary writes young adult mystery/suspense Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids. She has finaled in several writing contests.

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

All subscribers to Mary's newsletter will receive a Christmas gift - her new short story 14 Mornings ’Till Christmas, an intriguing Christmas suspense/mystery. Based on real events in Denmark, Brice recognizes he has a memory issue and has to work around this problem while solving the mystery: who broke into his home and stole Christmas. Sign up at Mary's website.  Come enjoy a good story.

The Writer's Catch 22-An Epic Situation

Writer's face many moments of not knowing what to do. 

One is deciding if the book is ready for 

an agent, editor, or publisher.

Pushing "send" to an editor/publisher/agent is like walking into a room so dark it feels like a wall is in the way. No light seeping into the narrow space whatsoever. If you take a step forward you'll bang your foot. Who knows what all is in the room? 

Was my story really at its best? Or best enough to get noticed?

Sigh.

Ten months ago I met with an agent at a conference. Ten of my fifteen minutes revolved around the pitch I'd prepared. I looked at the agent and wondered what to say in the remaining five minutes. Inside my folder was a sheet of paper with one story idea--only a paragraph long. That's it. The idea literally popped in my head the Sunday before. In all the hurry to get ready, I printed out the paragraph and stuffed it in the folder.

I get rather tongue-tied when speaking to individuals with the power to say yay or nay. A regular Rain Man. This time, I pulled out the paper and set it on the desk facing the agent. "I have this other idea." I didn't give her a chance to read the paper. Words, ideas, excitement burst out my mouth. I gestured with my hands and no doubt with my face.

The agent listened intently. Her face matched the expressions I projected. When I stopped she paused for a second and said, "Write the book."

"Okay, I will," I said.

And I did.

*The story tumbled onto the page like a snowball soaring down a mountainside. At the end of 75,000 words I reread the first pages and thought, "Nope, needs to be in first person."

*I rewrote the manuscript in first person and loved the clarity it brought to the story. Hint  When we change our minds like that, switching third person to first person and vice versa, it involves much more than switching she to I and her to me. Every word needs to be reread to conform the story accurately.

*I submitted each chapter to my ACFW small crit group. Their eagle eyes detected content issues, grammar issues, spacing problems, etc. I addressed every single one, 
  *sometimes deleting the suggested words, 
  *sometimes changing the words to a synonym, and 
  *sometimes choosing to leave the words.

*While waiting for chapters to be crit, I wrote a full-page synopsis and several other short versions, including a twenty-word pitch size, edited them then set those aside.

*I entered this work in two writing contests. The story was a finalist in one!

*Next I submitted each chapter to a college English student. Her age was a special perk because she fit in the upper range of my target reader. I met with her many times discussing issues. What a godsend!

*While she worked on chapters, I edited the synopsis and the short versions again and worked on marketing.

*With the manuscript in pretty good shape, I sent copies to beta readers who were in the range of my target reader. I received corrections and positive feedback.  

*While waiting for more responses, I sent my manuscript to my kindle. This enabled me to see the story in book form. This fresh look helped me see corrections missed by others. 


I realize this seems like a lot. I confess, I am like a newbie with an energy drink in my system.

To me the work was worth it. I really wanted to invest my time into this story because it seemed to be THE ONE that might succeed.

I wrote an email to the agent from the conference and explained all I had done to prove my sincerity. I included chapter one and the synopsis. 

...But I didn't press send. I stared at the screen. 

Suddenly a sense of doubt and fear overwhelmed me. But--I'm a risk taker. 

This didn't make sense. I did chores around the house while the email sat open on my laptop. I only get one chance with this story and this agent. I reread my message and made a few corrections then walked away again. I can't send it yet. There must be more I can do before I let it go!

I talked with my husband, barely sitting on the edge of the sofa, and asked him to pray with me. When he finished with "Amen", he said, "Send it. You've worked on it all this time. It's ready."

I walked back to my laptop and stared at the black screen for several minutes then clicked the space bar to brighten the image. 

I inhaled and wondered what on earth I was doing. Satan pushed his ugly foot in the way and tried to hold me back. But my husband had prayed for me. 

I dragged the cursor over the word send...then pushed.

One of these times I'm going to have the rest of the story for you. Pepper had her first book published. Amy will later this year. Krista and Cara led the pack. Who knows? Maybe...


What questions do you have?
How can we help you?

I can't wait to read your comment(s)!

Photo Courtesy: http://www.deviantart.com - modifications made for this purpose
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If you found any typos in today's post...sorry about that. 

Mary writes young adult mystery/suspense Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids. She has finaled in several writing contests.

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

Beauty and Brokenness

I write romance. Whether as the main binding of my novel or a smaller thread, romantic elements are a staple in almost everything I write. I love…love. Why? Oh, there are so many reasons. The emotional high, the subdued gentleness, the tender service, the transforming power.

Love makes a difference - 

Especially when we add the element of God’s love into our fiction.

But what makes these ‘love stories’ so meaningful? What changes our stories from a simple, two-dimensional fairytale-like story to a tale that brings our hearts to life or inspires us?

Well, I’ll venture an answer.

Brokenness.

Every major character we bring onto the page has been broken in some way. Even the highly adored Mr. Darcy was broken!  Yet, he is a most loved character BECAUSE he was broken, and then we got to watch love turn him around :-)  (However, Mr. Knightley might very well be perfect. Just sayin’ J)

In a world of broken things, we have little use for perfect people. Perfect people, if you've ever read them, fail to grasp our hearts and emotions as well as the broken ones do. Why? We can relate with broken people because we’ve all experienced some element of brokenness. Big or small, we know the sting.

In fact, I’m pretty sure we struggle with some form of brokenness on a daily basis.

Think about some of your favorite book characters? What made you fall in love with them? Perfection?

If you’re like me, these characters captured your heart because of their growth through brokenness.

Whether in romance or other fiction, brokenness is a key element in character development.

Brokenness provides the wound which only love can heal.

Now, I’m not quite singing along with the Beatles’ All You Need Is Love, but I am saying, as we create powerful characters, we are taking them from a place of brokenness to a place of healing by the end of the story.

Isn’t this what usually happens in most stories? It’s one way conflict and the character arc work together.

Can brokenness be beautiful?

Why do we love happy endings?

Because on the other side of brokenness, love brings a deeper joy.

How different the story of Cinderella would be if she traveled to the Ball with her stepmother and sisters, caught the prince's eye, and was swept away to marry him. Sweet story, but depth? Beauty of the ending?

Not quite as poignant, right?

What about if Rapunzel crawled down from the tower and went straight to the castle to find her parents?

What if Angel in Redeeming Love tossed away her old life as soon as Michael Hosea walked into the brothel?

Sweet endings, sure, but we get something EVEN BETTER.

We get the 'conflict', struggle....the brokenness to make that ending all the more beautiful.

This idea is fresh in my mind as I finished edits for my December release and am currently working on edits for my February release. Both of my heroines were significantly broken in the beginning of the books. One was aware of it. One wasn’t. What makes each of their journeys more powerful is the way their brokenness shapes them in the beginning of the books and the way love transforms them by the end. It’s a constant battle between living in brokenness and learning to live in love.

What a beautiful experience. Both realized the sweetness of love in a deeper way than they would have without the brokenness to frame their vision.

Love changes things.

Especially God’s love.

In our writing, in our lives, the power of God’s love transforms broken pieces of a life and places them back together to make a masterpiece…more beautiful than before. At the heart.

So tell me – what are some great ‘broken’ characters you’ve read? Written?

Are you like me? Do you think broken characters are more beautiful?

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As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pepper Basham enjoys sprinkling her Appalachian culture into her fiction whenever she can. She’s an award-winning author of both contemporary and historical romances, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015. Her first contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, released in December. You can connect with Pepper on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com, Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-D-Basham or Twitter at https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

The Writer's Mind

Are you working on a story? Which "person" do you find most difficult to "be" as you write? 

Have a great Sunday!

Angie

Found on The Writer's Circle

Writing your Soul Out

When I saw this, I had to post it. There are so many times when I look back at my manuscripts and see my soul painted on the pages. Have you experienced the same? 

Have a great Sunday! --Angie

Seen on 'The Writer's Circle"

From The Valley, The Writer Speaks

Last week, I had the chance to sit in a room full of women and listen to the best selling author, Glennon Doyle Melton of Momastery share a bit of her testimony, and a whole lot of wisdom.  Coming from a past of addiction and heartache, she not only found God, but His greater purpose for her--to write. Glennon doesn't just speak as a writer, she speaks (and writes) as a "valley" girl...a woman who has found her calling to write in the very bottom of one of life's valley.

freedigitalphotos.net by Boaz Yiftach

Glennon said two things that resonated most with me (and if you've talked with me these past few days...I have probably told you this because it's something I am constantly processing!):

First thing, is when she spoke of walking in a valley, she said: "Life-changing work begins at the broken heart."

And second-- Glennon realized she needed "to be still--to sit in the pain (of life)" and let it change her.

 The two above points meet me on a personal level,  reaching to the very core of me, my very valley-treading soul that sits in the pit and waits to let the pain change me.

BUT.... what God calls me to do, as I sit--in the waiting for change-- is to WRITE.

freedigitalphotos.net by anankkml

In that writing, I am changed. And the pain pours out, and my heart is healed...BY my calling, IN the valley. 

The writing does not save me from the valley, but it changes me, and it explores the pain to reveal God's healing. And even in a fiction plot, and the made-up characters, His Truth begins to minister to the wound of my very real heart, and  life-changing work begins.

So...I would like to reiterate that, especially for me, "life-changing work begins at the broken heart". And, to sit in the pain, and "be still", and allow the pain to change me, perhaps it's not just a time for waiting, but for writing?

Have you poured your heart out on paper and found healing through it?

(To understand more of Glennon's story, click here:  http://momastery.com/blog/about-glennon/ )

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

Letting Your Baby Go...Then What?

Last week, I let my baby go. After spending more time on this project than I have ever spent on a book, I

freedigitalphotos.net by Michelle Mieklejohn

finished up my current novel and sent it in for a critique.

It reminds me of when I dropped off my first child to preschool. After years of spending every waking second with him, I suddenly had hours alone. And I just didn't know what to do with myself.

I would sit at home knowing a million things could get done, but feeling a little stunned emotionally that I didn't have the little guy next to me. Of course, mommy-guilt entered (it's something I have gotten better at flinging off quickly), but really it was mostly unfamiliarity with the open time, shock at the quiet, and anxiety in the anticipation of holding him in my arms again.

It kinda feels that way now. Not with the kids leaving me for a few hours at a time--I have soooo gotten used to that (ignore the very-guilt-free mommy joy in that, please)...but I miss my newest baby, the one I lost sleep on and carved time out diligently to nurture...my manuscript. 

I miss those made-up friends that I so delicately shaped. I find myself tempted to open up Word again, just to spend some more time--maybe reading a scene or two. I pass by Starbucks and reminisce about the many hours I spent "having coffee" with my characters...ahem...slaving away on my manuscript under that little square shop roof.

And I sit here, on this bed, wondering what in the world am I going to do with myself now--unfamiliar with the open time (well, whatever that is with four kids and life in the way), shock at the quiet (in my writer's head), and anxiety in the anticipation of finding the manuscript in my inbox...all marked up.

But, I know there isn't much I should do except enjoy the peace right now. 

freedigitalphotos.net by BrianHolm

After years of critiques, contest comments, and edits, I know that I will soon be wrapped up in the world of my characters, chiseling away after that feedback arrives. No, it won't be long when my baby comes back needing nurturing and growing and discipline. It will be as hard on this mama-writer as it will be on the book-baby. And that baby will blossom into a beauty and this mama will finally sleep well after a job well done.

Some might say to write away and fill the void. Instead, I am taking this much needed time of rest. Just like I did those first days of preschool when I suddenly had the couch to myself and the t.v. was not stuck on Disney Junior. I am choosing to  breathe deep instead of scribble away on a new book, or fret and worry over what I could change in my last one. This is a time for quiet after the mad rush of a deadline, because I know that I'll need all the energy I can get when my baby gets home and needs me again!

freedigitalphotos.net by photostock

So, what do you do when you've typed "The End" and hit send to a critique partner or an editor? Do you take the time to recoup for the next round...or are you ready to dive into your next project?

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

Writing Your Art Out

If you've hung around the alley at all, you might know that I am a sucker for suggesting this writing craft of ours is an art. But, it is super easy to lose focus that it is artistic when we have many many factors influencing our perspective on books in general. We have the different publishing trends, the yays and nays of writing for today's reader, the incredible competition of talent out there, and the thick skin that must be grown to handle someone ripping your story to shreds and telling you your art just ain't good enough.

Bravo to all who've stuck it out and are here, with hope, passion, and a clear vision of their dream! Phew, what a journey.

I have six books written and edited. And through that, with all the factors above, I admit that I have had my share of failed attempts to write a story for a certain "trend". This is an art no-no. It wasn't from my heart but from my desire to get published. And let's just say, that kinda writing is pretty transparent and thin in the eyes of a reader. Art is at its best when it's about the heart of the artist. No matter how private a person you are, or how business-oriented you might be, you may as well just read between the lines in this Lichtenstein quote:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/roylichten115381.html?src=t_art

Another way to say it:  In order for your writing to be art, you have to put your heart in it.

Let's put all those above outside factors aside when we set out to write a story.

 I don't want the static of the world to interfere with the rhythm of my heart. Can a painter pour his heart on the canvas with the gallery owner tapping him on the shoulder and directing his every brushstroke?

Shut the doors to the outside world, and let your heart do the writing.

When I step back and look at my heart-directed stories it is then that I sense art has sprouted from my ...er...keyboard. Sometimes, after months of putting a book aside, I'll pick it up again and be surprised that my heart's timeline and my character's arc are aligned.

I'd like to believe that God's breath has something to do with it, as well as a little bit of paint:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrywardb100771.html

And it's even better when I am in the middle of a story and I suddenly realize that. I might be writing about a situation I've never been in (like a beheading in the 16th century...YIKES), but I have shaped and molded my characters to become an illustration of my own heart journey-without even purposing it! What follows is an awesome ride of discovering greater significance at every twist and turn. And it mustn't be extinguished by quickly fleshing it out, writing only for the market, or worrying about the naysayers. 

If I want my writing to be my art, I must be sure to not only listen to craft podcasts, but my heart:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/aristotle104151.html

We can't touch our readers, change hearts, and share God with others if we are not writing art onto the pages. And by that I mean:

http://www.brainyquotecom/quotes/quotes/l/leotolstoy109611.html?src=t_art

So, when have you written your art out lately?

A Not-So-Quiet Adventure in Writing

by photostock

Saturday, I took my three younger children to the public library. It was quite an adventure. The definition of "quiet at the library" has changed for me now that I am a mom. Really, any public library that has an interactive children's section can't expect the same kind of "quiet" like the musty university library of my younger years where a talk above a whisper was a no-no.

No.

"Library quiet" is more of a "not-roaring (sometimes, depending on the puppet show), non-shouting-

by photostock

at-your-sibling" kinda hush.

Let's fast-forward to later that day when I gave myself permission to write in the chaos of my own home. A feat I had long since thrown off as typical in my writing life.

For some reason this past year I told myself a lie: That I could only write with peace and quiet, no interruptions, and preferably with the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop just beyond my laptop. With four kids, two dogs, and a husband, you can imagine how much writing I have accomplished this past year with this type of expectation. Throw in a little life drama....okay...let's say heavy on the side of spice with no sweetener about... and I have myself a few hundred blank pages.

Back to the chaos of my own home this past Saturday...I plopped myself on the couch with my daughter singing and dancing to Max and Ruby, my sons battling it out on Minecraft and inviting the neighborhood in for a peek at their "worlds", and I made myself WRITE. Even just a sentence every five minutes, or between snacks, or after breaking up a fist fight (no joke)...I actually got in a groove.

by arztsamui
(What I hope my boys are aspiring for when they fight in my living room.)

Crazy.

But in a library with the children's section not so secluded and the volume level unexpectedly high, there were still stories in books waiting to be read and stories being read by readers (even if they were slightly annoyed with the noise). And in the crazy life I live, there is still a story to be told amidst the chaos, and even if the story being written by a writer who is slightly (or more so) annoyed with the little beasts running about, it is at least being written. Let's just say, when the book is finally finished, it will all be quite the adventure worth having!

What is your biggest distraction to settle into a writing groove?

by imagerymajesty

**all photos found on www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

Writing For Him...or With Him?

It's been a long journey through a valley. At least, long to me. I know that we have a whole Biblical heritage of those before us who journeyed days, months, and years in deep valleys and over rocky terrain. But when one is in the thick of it, with the agony heightened and the pain overwhelming, it's hard to not beg for it to end. It is hard to not hope for a sudden stairway to appear that will take you up and out...or better yet, a giant hand to appear that you can climb up into as it lifts you away from the rocky path. Sometimes, I catch myself waiting for something better, wanting the end to come quickly, and in the mean time I make myself miserable in the here and now.

www.freedigitalphotos.net by Evgini Dinev

If you are anything like me, you may have taken this perspective on your calling to write stories. You may have decided that God gave you a story and sent you out to write it down, and once you've fleshed it out, you try to hurry up and present Him with a job well done. That's when you hope for the blessing, right? To be published, to be noticed, to climb out of the valley of learning and critiques, and into the world of awards and reviews. The tricky road of story-crafting is your part in the deal, and God acts as the agent/publisher role of getting your story to where it must be read. 

www.freedigitalphotos.net by Evgini Dinev

For several years I thought this way--that I was writing for God and would see His fruit at the end of it. But just like when I am going through a valley in life, the writing becomes taxing and strenuous when I try and do that part in my own effort. I can only look to the end of it and beg for God to come. Why do I forget that, actually, He is with me all along?

Does God want me to write FOR Him, or WITH Him? We are so blessed to be in this part of God's plan history-wise, where He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge that He is truly with us everywhere we go...even in the writing, the creating, the telling. 

I am still in a valley in life. And just now, I am finally giving myself permission to enjoy life regardless of the circumstance. I thought I would just hold my breath and survive until it was all over. But since I don't see a way up anywhere along these cliffs that surround me, I am about sick of holding all that air within me. I need to breathe in the Holy Spirit who is with me all this time, and I need to know there is everything good beside me in the valley. God's not waiting at the end of the trial. He's walking it with me.

When I sit down to write, I am not doing anything FOR God... But even better, I am privileged with the chance to write WITH God. To allow His Holy Spirit to direct my words and imagination and heart is just as rewarding as reaching the destination. I learn to abide that way, and take pleasure in the God who created me for His pleasure. I get to "do life" with the God of the Universe, instead of meeting Him down the road.

www.freedigitalphotos.net by tirverylucky

What journey is not worth that? Even in the valleys, even in the hidden corners of your writing cave, meet God in each moment, and He will walk with you to the higher ground.

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

Your Voice Released!

I have been polishing my proposal this past week and decided to dig up one of my favorite posts...it's about art and writing...things I LOVE! Happy Monday!

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A block of stone. 

A blank canvas.

A clean sheet of paper.

What life is filled in such empty spaces! 

As writers—or artists—life brims from such untouched media. And once we dare to place our chisel on the stone, the brush to the canvas, the typed word to the paper, we begin to create the vision first developed in our hearts.

If you've ever walked the hall to the famous statue of David by Michelangelo, you first pass by his "Prisoners"--blocks of stone unleashing  human form in a dramatic, raw fashion.

Michelangelo once said, "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to find it."

Photo of Michelangelo's Prisoner by Avital Pinnick on Flickr

 As if the bodies are emerging from the block, Michelangelo's imitation of man is whispered on the surface. Not completely finished, not refined nor perfected...but the art becomes a foreshadow of the greatness in what lies ahead—the near-perfect statue of David.

As writers, we often hear judges or editors mention the word, “voice”, and sometimes it seems like a tricky thing to attain in our efforts to craft a story well. If we look at voice in three stages, we might begin to discover the releasing of our own voices:

FIRST CUT: It's messy to cut into stone. Imagine the ugly divots and the shards of marble splayed upon the floor. But Michelangelo knew his direction--to set the statue free. He continued to chip away. Remember, in those beginning stages of a first draft the words might not come easy, but you must continue to write and rewrite, chip away at the blank stone, and release your voice through your unique story.

Photo at Wikimedia Commons

RE-CREATE: Most stories have something in common with other stories, life in general, or universal themes. If we are going to connect with our reader at all, we must have “familiar” in our stories. But don't let “familiar” trump “unique”. Michelangelo didn't create a new form, but used the God-given human form to create art. He sculpted the ordinary human body in a unique way.

Our voice is sculpting the human condition in a unique way.

LIFE: The voice of the writer breathes life into the blank page. It gives the story its pulse. When a writer has grasped their voice, their story becomes one to marvel at, just like Michelangelo's statues.

When your voice continues to grow, your story will fill with life.

Just as the statue of David is a vision the viewer will never forget, your finished manuscript will boldly declare its voice in the heart of your readers.

Have you discovered your “voice”?
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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com