April 15, 2015
Wednesday — the week is half over and you’ve written less than half your weekly goal. See if this prompt helps get you started then take off on your own work.
The sweat rolled down John’s back. The August sun was impossible in Mississippi. The fence was almost torn down. Lifting the ax at the last section his eye caught the heart-shape that 50 years earlier had been crafted and assembled for Sarah. Did it matter now? She was gone and the fence was no longer needed.
April 13, 2015
April 10, 2015
Call me old, but when I was first learning to write it was all about the hand written draft, the rewrites, multiple sheets of paper wadded up and flung on the floor and then typing the manuscript when you had your final. Ok, so I’m not ancient, my first writing class was in the mid- 1980’s. With technology I have moved forward to a desktop computer with Microsoft Word, a then onto a laptop with the same and now even with Dropbox and a keyboard I can use my ipad.
To create my piece, I use my computer. When I’m working on my book, I have a notebook I keep handy that keeps my notes, scene lists and reminders. Yes, I still have pen and paper in my writing process. I’m considering taking the next giant step forward and purchasing Scriverner software. My goal is to have my book ready by next winter for a contest.
My concerns for changing my methods are:
1. I’m not sure I want to go through the learning curve right now?
2. Will I get hung up with all the bells and whistles and not get my writing done?
3. Will it be the system that’s right for me?
4. Paper, pen and typing a manuscript or article out has worked for so many successful authors, why should I make this change?
Help a writer out here. Give me your thoughts on the matter. What do you us?
Thanks,
Karen
P.S. — While I’m shamelessly asking for a favor, please like my author facebook page, Karen H. Richardson. Thanks.
April 8, 2015
Wednesday — the week is half over and you’ve written less than half your weekly goal. See if this prompt helps get you started then take off on your own work.
Martha bent down to pick up the figurine. Carefully handling the largest piece, the head she admired the detail just as she did every time she looked at it on the desk. She wanted to cry but no tears came.
April 6, 2015
February 10, 2015
A repost of a blog post I had published on the ACFW blog in January 2015.
It started with an email that thousands of other writers received. It was an invitation to participate in the ACFW First Impressions contest. Of the ten or eleven criteria for entry, the most distinctive was that you had to be an unpublished author. That’s me. I have a manuscript that is very rough. It is a full story but needs some serious re-writes. I’ve played with the characters. I’ve even started to write the second book in the series. As a member of ACFW and a participant in our local chapter in which the members are actual published authors with contracts for more books, I knew it was time to step up my writing game and the First Impressions contest was the way. This was my first contest.
Telling others in my writer’s group meant I couldn’t chicken out. The entry had to be five double-spaced pages from the first chapter. The contest judges would be looking for all the elements of a good first few pages of a book. Was there a hook? Were the characters compelling? Was the writing engaging? Does this passage lead you to want to read more of the story or book?
I began by pulling out the first chapter of my well-aged (and a little dusty) manuscript. I must have looked like “Edward Scissorhands” editing, re-writing, cutting, showing and not telling (how many times have we all heard that). Having scheduled plenty of time before the deadline, I enjoyed the process; to continually work the words and sentences creating a solid story and a smooth cadence. After multiple versions it was ready.
The entry was complete. Admittedly, I opened it a few more times to review before pressing send. I was sending the first five pages of my first novel off to strangers who are going to JUDGE them. Needless to say it was a little intimidated. Will they love it? Will they hate it? Will they tell me to do readers a favor and quit writing?
The results came. I wasn’t a finalist; but I wasn’t a loser. The feedback from the three judges was encouraging and very constructive. I learned a lot from their comments. All of the judges liked the story and said it was compelling enough to want to read more. It just needed some clean-up.
As a non-published author being a part of ACFW can feel like being at the children’s table for the holiday. The first time you’re invited to the grown up table can be a little scary, but you go. You listen and learn.
The First Impression contest was a great way for me to start learning more about improving my craft. If you are reading this and you are at the table with me, let me encourage you to be open to letting someone more experienced give you feedback. When my book is published, I will be available and willing to cheer you on.
Enjoy the journey.
February 3, 2015
A repost from a blog I had published on the ACFW blog in December 2014.
Recently, I spent some time reviewing the 123 posts from KK’s Candor, www.kkscandor.com, my personal blog. In this review I noticed that several topics or themes were repeated. The change of seasons and holiday theme seemed to run with the calendar. These calendar-cycle themes come too easy. It takes little effort to find emotions or symbols to write about at Christmas. The change of seasons is a given and birthdays scream “something’s changing again write about it!” As writers who are professionals or working toward that status, we need to set the standard a little higher.
It’s December, for the believer our hearts turn to the Immaculate Conception and birth of our savior. It’s a writer’s slam dunk to talk about the stable, the star, and the three wise men. Is there another way to address Christmas? Probably, but we are going to have to do some work to open our imaginations. I’m not suggesting changing Luke 2. My challenge to you is to take these borderline stereotypical topics, like Christmas, and turn them upside down or maybe we need to literally hang upside down and see what changes about our perspective.
What if Christmas was written from the gentile staying at the inn point of view? He wonders what all the commotion is with Joseph and his wife. Would the gentile ever know the prophecy of this man and his betrothed actually having to be in Bethlehem when their child was born? Perhaps a seasonal change written from the viewpoint of the tree losing its leaves not ready to spend the winter naked? Or what about an emotional crisis written from the outsider’s point of view; the empathic friend. What if the Easter story was written from the point of view of the Easter bunny who found resurrection eggs in the child’s basket?
Keeping blog content fresh can be a challenge. Below are a few suggestions for keeping your content fresh:
For what it’s worth, I’m preaching to myself in this piece. Looking forward to 2015, how will my writing continue to improve and the content on my blogs stay fresh?
January 27, 2015
A repost of a blog I had on the ACFW site in November 2014
It happens to the experienced and the inexperienced among us. It happens when we least expect it or have time for it. We desire to put words on a page to tell a story, share an emotion, or express some great truth. We have a list of topics and an outline. We want each syllable to be in rhythm and each word to be in the absolute perfect spot. We can hear the tone. But the words don’t come.
Writer’s block is as old an excuse for not writing as the written word itself. Picture the caveman with a chisel and stone ready to go and nothing. The oral stories told round the camp fire are all colliding in his mind, but no words are coming to be set in stone.
Writing prompts are available at our fingertips either through a favorite search engine (I’m a Google gal) or even through subscription. Personally, I like the writing prompts that cross my path in everyday life. Yesterday I was driving in an eclectic part of town and on the side of the road was a man wearing a panda head holding a sign that said “art for sale.” Next to him were a variety of paintings of cartoon characters. The whole scene screamed, “This is a story that needs to be told!” There are plenty of other characters who cross our paths. I challenge you to go to a public place, a mall, a grocery, a park, a church and pick a person. Then just write their story.
With all of these platforms and potential characters available, why are we not bubbling over with manuscripts? Because before we can query, click submit or add to the post, we want it to be perfect. If it can’t be perfect then we don’t want to bother. We forget the magic word – draft. Our standards are high. As Christians wanting to use our God-given talent, we should strive for excellence. Allowing our fear of imperfection to paralyze our writing leaves no room for our great God to work through our words.
Even my attempt at drafting this post took me weeks to finally sit down to do because my audience completely intimidates me. So many of you are more accomplished in our craft. Many more of you have been published. In a very bold moment I replied to the email invitation to submit a post. I had to remember that we all have to start somewhere. We are building our craft. At any point in the writer’s journey, writer’s block can be a problem.
I don’t have a magic potion to cure your paralysis other than to encourage you to just sit down and start writing. Pick something and start writing. In your quest for perfection you’ll find your message. Better yet, you’ll find the message laid on your heart by the One who gave you talent.
January 19, 2015
Needless to say the start of the new year hasn’t done much to jump start my writing for 2015. Not exactly sure what is going on. I have great ideas; just not sure why they aren’t coming out my fingertips. This weekend we watched the moving Finding Forrester. For those of use who know that the writing life isn’t all glitz and glamor, there are several messages and layers of messages to be gained from viewing.
There is a scene where the character William Forrester (played by Sean Connery), is sitting across from Jamal Wallace (played by Rob Brown). They are sitting at their manual typewriters and William is coaching Jamal on how to get started. William starts with this line that has stuck with me all weekend.
Forrester: “No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is… to write, not to think!”
LOVE IT. Just write and don’t think. The words will start awkward, but then then themes will come.
Please share your thoughts.
Karen
Karen H. Richardson, PMP 