Tipful Tuesday: Emily Dickinson

The spoken word is more powerful than we might ever hope for at times, and it is a tool for change and healing in the most powerful of ways. To consider it dead as it hits the listener, is definitely something I cannot align with, just like Miss Dickinson.  Our words can destroy, lift up, empower, motivate...the list goes on. Words are the life between us and around us.

But...how might this relate to our written words? Is it so for those FIRST words of a first draft? Do we write them as if they are dead and will be slashed in the end? Or do we write them as if they are the very cells of an organism of grand potential?

Sometimes we forget that our words are the first sign of life in our characters, in our stories, in our purpose. I see authors struggle with writing that perfect first line, or that satisfying last line. But what if we looked at each word as a living thing, a breathing thing that is the root for the next one and the next one and we just keep writing until we have poured life onto the pages? What if we don't look at our words as something as dead and boring as count (sorry...I am all right-brained...numbers=boring to me), but as new life for that next growth?

Just a thought.

But. Hmmmm. I went back and read and reread my 92,000 words in my last story before sending it off. And, while I deleted bunches, as if they were just boring numbers needing to be wiped off the blackboard, the ones that stuck--ESPECIALLY the ones that I figured would die with the first draft--those that still made it on the page--can I just say...WHOA...? Those words took on life and purpose in my story like I never imagined them to do.

Consider your words bringing life about. See how much of your life you can breathe into their first day of existence. Write that first draft without too much weight on it all sticking, but write that first draft as if you are CRAFTING. There's power in that, there's art in that.

Happy Birthday, all you words!

Heart Art: Writing with Purpose

There are times, when my very right-sided brain tiptoes to that great divide and suddenly plunges its colorful toes into the waters of word count and spreadsheets and structure. I'll admit, the chill hits almost immediately, my pulsing creative juices freeze, and I wonder if I've committed to a business I'll never master completely.

My brain just wants to play with the colors of words, the textures of scenes, and the weaving of character journey. My fingers itch to get the words out, the essence out, the glorious swirling in my heart out.
But...
If I focus on the word count, the hours, the deadlines--THE NUMBERS--then I may as well turn off the writing light in my heavily one-sided brain and walk away from my story.

Of course, there is a delicate web of all these things coexisting. And I've yet to lack in word count, miss a deadline, or not gain something from "roughly" plotting out my chapters. However, if I am not careful, I get so tangled up in the overwhelming spin of numbers, my love for the craft is suffocated.

Maybe it's because I've tasted the reward of allowing my heart to overflow in my writing without inhibition? It's during those moments when I trust God, and write whatever comes through my fingertips, when I keep my heart bowed down and my eyes up to the One who guides me, that art of writing bursts upon the page.

Over this past year, I've written, rewritten, and edited three different stories of mine. They have different characters, different themes, different settings--even different time periods--but the journey I've taken through each of them, is the same.

The gift I've received as I allowed my heart to flow in the depths of the plot, has been a glowing purpose, deeper than anything I
could have come up with in an outline or a chart.

This past year I have found that my greatest joy isn't in the completion of the story, but in the realization that those bursts of creativity somehow thread together and when it's all flipped over, they reveal a very purposeful journey within my story's bounds.

Perhaps, the purpose is the very center of a creative session, the very essence of what makes art beautiful. Purpose is what keeps a patron staring and wondering at a piece of art for hours on end--without worrying about the hours spent, isn't it? Analyzing, deciphering, wondering about the artist's intent--about the whisper of the human condition--about the intricacy of a brushstroke with so much power bulging in its meaning.

When I write from the heart, casting aside any thought or concern for the numbers, I am an artist creating. And somehow, when I've poured out my words in complete obedience to the One who fills my heart, my story elements fit like a puzzle with this surprise purpose, and this thing we call story...

Or what I'd like to call, Heart Art.

********************************************************************************

Angie Dicken is a mom of four children and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she writes historical, historical romance, and dabbles in contemporary romance. Her debut, The Outlaw's Second Chance from Harlequin Love Inspired Historical releases in September of 2017, and her novel, My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah from Barbour, releases in November 2017. Angie is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. 

Sign up for my news at www.angiedicken.com

Social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dicken.angie, 

Twitter: @angiedicken
Pinterest: pinterest.com/agdicken

Letters, Words, Hearts

Nomade by Jaume Plensa

When a writer walks through a sculpture garden, her heart frenzies at the meanings behind the art. From one artist to another, we get it. Don't we? Read this description of Nomade:

"The sculpture exemplifies Plensa's ongoing interest in ideas presented in written text, as wel las the human body and how it perceives the world around it. He has described individual letters or symbols as components that have little or no meaning on their own, but blossom into words thoughts, and language when combined with others. Plensa's screens of letters offer a metaphor for human culture, in which a person alone has limited potential, but when formed into groups or societies, becomes stronger."--from the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park Visitor Guide


At first glance, this piece of art is a simplistic sculpture with letters that I've recognized from the time I could speak. I even snapped a shot of my new kindergartner in front of it, thinking, a perfect backdrop for her school beginning.

But, it's not just that.

Not when you stand beneath the towering nomad at night, with the lighting just so--hinting that there is something more. And there is so much more after reading the artist's intent, isn't there?

Writer, have you ever considered that while your letters and words might not be unique, but the connectivity of them in a unique order, with unique meaning, translate into a story of great potential? One that describes the human heart in a special display of humanity?

In the art above, I have found a beautiful example of the existence God has invited me into, not just as a human (hehe), but as a writer.

Writers are part of this special metaphor of culture. We are individuals that cleave to a whole society of artists and become stronger in our relationship. Not only on a personal level, but in our art. A book is never only one person's doing, is it? I am learning that after receiving my first revision letter (all you experienced authors snicker, I know). But, after years of critiques and chipping away of my pride, I receive the voices of editors without anger. Fright, well, yes. Uncertainty? A smidge. But, after learning to value of others' voices spoken over my work, I cannot help but accept and revise. I know that this book will only make it to a shelf by the hands of many. It's potential is limited in my hands alone, it must be given over to others.

Writers, we are not islands, even if we choose to be as we write in our caves. We are connected to this fantastic whole which make our potential burst forth into the flowering of creativity refined especially for the human heart.

In a matter of days, I will join in with the whole. I'll be among the people who share my vision to weave Christ's love in the crafting of letters and words and stories. And the writer people to which I belong, as individual as each of us may be, will find that we are so connected by passion and art, that our potential rises to heights beyond ourselves.

The ACFW conference is a mirror image of this art above. As many individuals unite for a cluster of days to form this beautiful whole.

I daresay that whole actually takes on a different body.

Not a nomad.

Possibly a Savior. One on a cross.

We are all parts of the body of Christ, individuals working together to strengthen this goal--

God's love displayed by letters and words.

********************************************************************************

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 seven historical novels and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check her personal blog at www.angiedicken.com and connect at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dicken.angie, 

Twitter: @angiedicken
Pinterest: pinterest.com/agdicken

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?

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!

###

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”?
********************************************************************************

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 

Finding Your Voice The Artisan Way

Photo by imagerymajestic
freedigitalphotos.net

In my post two weeks ago, I wrote about The Artisan Soul by Erwin McManus. This book is full of meaning and profound truths pertaining to the creative beings we are. In the second chapter, the focus is on finding your voice as an artist.

When you begin a new artistic pursuit, as in writing, sometimes you tend to imitate your favorite authors. You know what kind of books you like, so your words take on the flavor of those books. It's how we learn anything really, but at some point you must find your own voice. You must tell your own story your own way.

It can be difficult in finding our own voice because so many other voices crowd it out. We hear those voices that tell us we aren't good enough, we have no talent, we will never make it, etc. McManus says that, "what others think of us, what others have said about us matters, has power, only when it becomes what we think of ourselves and what we say to ourselves about who we are." Those words only have power if we let them.

McManus goes on to say..."The great battles I fought had little to do with the world of others and everything to do with the universe inside me. It was all about disarming the voices that made me less and taking responsibility for my internal narrative. A critical part of this process is listening to the voice that calls me to more."

Those voices that crowd our minds can keep us in bondage which hinders our creativity. "There is a direct relationship between those who live most free and those who dream most. Captivity not only steals our freedom but cripples our imagination." (Edwin McManus) So what is the guiding voice within us?

As believers the inner voice that shapes us is the voice of God. It is the voice that guides, shapes, and frees us to be who He created us to be. McManus says it beautifully..."We find our voice when we find his voice. It's here that we experience our most authentic selves and find our true voice. In the end every artist creates only art that reflects that inner voice."

The Creator of the universe created us in his image...as creative beings. But without his voice deep within us whispering his essence into our very soul, the words we put on the page are just that...only words. Our true voice shines forth when we listen to God's voice and live the story He guides us through.

"Our story is what we have to offer the world. So much more important than being heard is having something to say. Without a voice our words are just sounds." -Edwin McManus

So what is God's voice doing within you? Are you allowing Him to free you up to live the best story you can? Are you allowing His voice to crowd out the voices that stifle your imagination?

You can purchase The Artisan Soul by Edwin McManus HERE.

The Artisan Soul

I have to say that The Artisan Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus is one of the best books I've read in a long time....and I'm not even halfway through the book! From the very first chapter, the words I read made my soul burn with yearning, agreement, and connection. I've highlighted most of the book so far, wanting the words to be imprinted on my heart, for they encourage and motivate me to be creative, to be brave, to risk, and to truly be an artist.

McManus is not just an artist. He is a creative who uses his gifts to further the work of God. He started a church in LA, CA called Mosaic where the people of his congregation use their creative talents for the Kingdom. And what he calls us to in The Artisan Soul is a life of creativity...every day...no matter the medium or vehicle through which we create. What he teaches is that every soul is a creative soul, whether they think so or not.

"...the great divide is not between those who are artists and those who are not, but between those who understand that they are creative and those who have become convinced that they are not."

We are all creative. We are created by a creative God who made us into His image.

"Yet what humanity needs most is for us  to set creativity free from this singular category of the extraordinary and release it into the hands of the ordinary. Creativity should be an everyday experience. Creativity should be as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create."

A person might say that not all people are creative and that saying everyone is just sets a person up for failure. But as people who have the Spirit of God living within them, we are creative beings. We want to create whether it is through decorating a room, cooking a fabulous dish, writing a short story, blogging, painting, making a yard look good, or crocheting a blanket.

Being creative doesn't mean there won't be failure. There will be.

"...we live in the fear that if we aspire to be more we will discover ourselves to be less. We live in fear of failure, convinced that failure will prove us to be frauds. We have bought into the lie that creative people never fail and hence failure is proof that we are not creative."

"Fear is the shadow of creativity....The creative act is inherently an act of courage....To make our lives a creative act is to marry ourselves to risk and failure...creativity is born of risk and refined from failure. If we are at the core both spiritual beings and creative beings, then the artisan soul is where we live when we have the courage to be our truest selves."

It's so hard to step out and risk it all to share our creative selves. When we hit send on the manuscript we have written, we feel we are sending a part of very essence out for the world to judge. We fear we will judged as inferior, which reflects on who we are at our core. But those rejections are the building stones of creativity. They are what grounds us and molds us. We are indeed "refined by failure".

I just can say enough about this book, The Artisan Soul. I am reading it slowly to imprint the words on my heart, and I hope to share more of it with you as I glean from it's wisdom.

Do you consider yourself creative? Do you embrace your artistic soul? Or is it hard for you to say you are an artistic person...whether it is with word, paint, landscape, or food? 

****************************************************************************

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.

The Beauty of Words

I've always loved words. I have loved books since I was a teeny little girl. I love to read and am always amazed when writers string ordinary words together in a way that sings to my soul. There is beauty in the structure and flow of words.

But I love the beauty of the artistic written word.

My father is an artist and author. While I was growing up, his main source of income was from art. He designed book covers, entered art fairs, and did calligraphy for huge companies like IBM (This was before computers could do calligraphy for award certificates!). I loved to watch his pen glide across the paper, forming a letter so fantastic it fair took my breath away.

So I begged my dad to teach me. And teach me he did. I learned the basics and then I had to practice. And practice. And practice.

Then I started using my skills to make gifts for friends. Handmade cards. Canvases. Fun stuff. I branched out into more freestyle lettering; trying different fonts, sometimes making up my own. And you know what? It became more and more fun! Experimenting with different mediums, trying different tools...it has made the journey exciting in ways I never dreamed.

I think writing for publication is a similar journey. We learn the rules of writing. We learn the structure of a story. We write and write. We practice and practice. We write book after book, learning new things with each and every one. And then we loosen up and begin to break the rules. We allow the passion...our very soul to emerge within our stories. They begin to breathe life and become a part of who we are.


Writing is an exciting journey. Spinning tales, weaving stories... it's the beauty of words for the world to see.

If you are a writer, what is it about writing that nurtures your soul? Are you creative in other areas? 

****************************************************************************

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.

Your Voice Released

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”?
***************************************************************************

Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering 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.

The Confession of a Blank Canvas to a Toolbox Guru

On Flickr by Zen

 You've set up your file with the grid in place. Your layers are labeled in a long list on the right side  your screen...their order intelligently determined. The Opacity is set at 84% on Layer Back Story, and 20% on Layer Character Motive. Each color is balanced to perfectly portray your image...ahem... your setting. And you've plugged in coordinates after coordinates to get it just right.

You open the Text tool and find your font, and place it in the corner at the top of your "canvas" and title it:

Novel 1: Outline Complete

Then click on the menu, scroll down to "Sharpen", and witness your story shine EXACTLY how you expected it to...with your coordinates and layers cheering you on as you type,

"Complete Manuscript" on page 353, just as you had plugged into your outline.

You are probably chuckling at my exaggeration of a Plotter...or a Toolbox Guru to fit the above Photo editing software illustration...but, oh you Plotter-- is it true?? Does it make you tingly to think about outlining each chapter, every plot twist, and thoroughly knowing your character (after all you've interviewed her, her grandma, sister, mom, and coworker) before she's even entered Chapter One, Scene One? If you do just a little bit...do you know how much you are envied? By me?

Let me give you insight into what I refer to as A Blank Canvas...thanks to my dear Alley Cat, Pepper, who helped me realize this post after an amusing conversation about our "different", non-plotter way of tackling a book.

We take a blank page. A canvas, if you will,

     and...

G    A    S   P...

      we...

  t-y-p-e. 

Oooooh, does that scare all you plotters out there? Sometimes, I feel like I should hang my head in shame. How can I not fill out page upon page with each plot point, each chapter, each twist, each drama, each whatever-you-call-it, and build that foundation before I start on my first bedazzling sentence (well...in this fashion of mine (and Pep's, because I must have a partner in crime in this confession...) our first bedazzling sentence is just that, our first...because we might go through twenty different first sentences before we come up with the one that is just right).

On Flickr by Diamond Farah

Do not fear. Or don't think that us Blank Canvas'rs, (I really don't like the implications of being considered blank or a canvas...but for lack of a better term since I am a procrastinator and it is very late...hm...that may have something to do with being a Blank Canvas'r....) please don't think we will never complete a novel successfully...ha! The thing with the Canvas'r  is, we take each brush stroke and begin to "sketch" what we've daydreamed in our mind, or roughly mapped out on an old Hershey's bar wrapper. And if our paintbrush decides to flick a new splatter over here and deepen a motive over there, then we begin to add a new color and take our story in the direction of the paint. We allow the art of writing to create the story on the page...right then and there.

I firmly believe that it really comes down to the way we are wired. There is no right or wrong in this...actually, for the Canvas'r, we might have to go through a little more touch up before adding our signature in the bottom corner...because, after all, the journey's been long and our paintbrush has a mind, or two, of its own!

"To thine own self be true." -William Shakespeare

God is so great. He allows each of us to do His work in a way unique to our gift and our style. Whether you resonate more with the Toolbox Guru, developing a solid outline, a plotted story that takes you from point A to point B just as you had decided in Phase 1,
or
you breathe a sigh of relief that there are actually nuts like me (ahem, and Pepper...and Amy, so I have heard ;)), just like you, who really don't mind crafting the story like a lump of clay--slowly forming the piece without really knowing what fabulous curve or interesting texture you'll create until you're just at that part....

No matter which of these you are...or if you fall somewhere in the middle... trust that the journey is yours, and if you stay true to who you are, equip yourself with the knowledge of the craft, prepare yourself with either the grid or the paintbrush, and listen to your heart and the story, then your confession as a Blank Canvas OR a Toolbox Guru will become a proud proclamation that you are using your gift exactly the way in which He designed for YOU!

So...which one are you???

***************************************************************************

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.

Blogging and Copyright Issues

Photo by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you are a blogger who uses photographs in your posts, you need to be aware that the photos you use may be copyrighted. Let me tell you...if you aren't careful, you can face legal action.

I was one of those stupid ones who would google my blog topic, then choose a photo from Google Images. Yeah, that's not a good idea. I had used a photo that belonged to an artist who did not appreciate me using it. I was told to remove it or face legal action in three days. I removed it from the blog post, but it kept showing up in Google Image searches. I was told it was my responsibility to have it removed...or else. It took hours of research to figure out how to remove an image from searches, but I did it, and haven't heard any more from the artist. 

I promptly deleted ALL photos from my posts that were not my own; so if you are going back through my backlist of posts to learn from all my "wisdom", you will find lots of those white squares with the little red X's in them. I want to be legal. I want to respect the artist. I want to do what's right. 

During my scary "experience", I emailed back and forth with my Alley Cats, and Mary sent us her list of  links to sites that have copyright-free photos to use. So with her permission, I am sharing her list, along with some other sites that readers from my personal blog sent me. 

Free Stock Photos:  FreeStockPhotos.com 
Stock Xchng: http://sxc.hu/
Wikimedia Commons:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Flikr Pingnews Commons:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingnews/collections/72157600007938726/
Morgue File:  http://www.morguefile.com./
Free Digital Photos:  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Visual Bible Alive:  www.visualbiblealive.com/
Christian Image Source:  http://christianimagesource.com
Dreamstime:  http://www.dreamstime.com/free-photos

Here are a couple of sites that have a great list of photo sites:

http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2007/11/there-are-many.html
http://www.authormedia.com/2009/07/11/where-to-find-free-legal-photos-online/

Please note that even though these sites have photographs that you can use, some may require an attribution. That means you may have to either link back to the site, or put the name of the author/artist with the photo.

So you bloggers out there, go out and be not afraid. Just be careful.

Do you have a favorite site for gathering photos for your blog posts? Please share!

The Patient Artist

“Life is Short, Art is Long”

This saying was displayed in the green room of my high school theatre. As young thespians, we were held to an expectation to create art upon the stage, art to be remembered. We would practice until it hurt, study our characters in depth, train our voices to be heard, as well as convey the type of person we were portraying.

All in the name of “Art”.

Creating art in our writing is just as worthy as the many hours an actor develops his character to produce live art on stage. And in Christian writing, we not only hope our art will be forever remembered—like a Shakespeare tragedy or the massive painting of the Sistine Chapel—we hope our art will point to the eternal God Who will never be forgotten.

An actor can memorize his lines and give them clearly on the stage. Or he can embrace them, create new ways to portray them, design the character's facial expressions, tones, reactions. A writer can write a good story. Or he can paint pictures with words, create vivid places, stir the soul of the reader with brilliant twists and turns. Create a masterpiece.

As an aspiring writer, it helps me to remember the above saying. It puts up speed bumps in my mind so I practice patience in my craft. To miss the opportunity to pour art on the page of a novel, is as sad as an actor whose performance is forgotten by the time the curtain closes.

Life is short...it runs away from us, and we are spun around in circles, breathless and unsure how we could ever get anything done in such limited time...

but...

Art is long...it will engrave itself in the heart of the beholder, and press its message into their very Spirit.

Writing with Leonardo

Monet's Poppies near Argenteuil

When was the last time you visited an art museum? 

"What the poet sees in art and puts into words can transform an image . . . extending what is often an immediate response into something more lasting and reflective." (Jan Greenberg in Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth Century American Art, 4).

John Keats, Henry James,  Chaim Potok… all used art as inspiration for one or more of their works. 

Most art galleries have partial online collections so you can observe these great works in your home. 

Write whatever you see.  Look at a favorite piece of art and tell its story.  Ignore the notes beside each painting that tell you how the artist was inspired and just write. 

Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

Setting.  Maxfield Parrish and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” come to mind.  Parrish’s work would be excellent fodder for fantasy writers.  What type of character would live in or visit this setting?  What might happen here?

Character sketches.   Gericault believed that a person’s character was written on their face.  Who is the “Insane Woman?”  What do you learn about her by looking at her face?  What are her passions?  What are her deepest fears?  What motivates her?

Add description and color.  Monet’s “Irises” or “Poppies near Argenteuil” are beautiful nature paintings and also wonderful studies of color.  Writing about art can be a great way to practice creating the type of descriptive language that will make your novel rich in sensory detail.  Further, place yourself in the middle of the painting.  Allow your hands to touch the irises, to feel the soft dew on the grass.  Allow the rich, pungent smell of the flowers to intoxicate you.

Gericault's "Insane Woman"

Writing style.  Look at different styles of art.  Use these styles to inspire your writing.  Is your style colorful and angular like the works of Pablo Picasso?  Soft and descriptive like Claude Monet?  Gritty and realistic, like Millet? 

If you’re so inclined, try creating a painting yourself, then write about the experience.  You’ll be using both sides of your brain to unleash a new creativity that might surprise you.  Personally, I am not talented in creating the visual arts but I love using them to inspire my writing.

Have you ever used art to inspire your writing?  If your novel were a painting, how would you describe it?