Devotion: Another Love Dare

I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that God is our God.

Of course he is.

Even Satan knows that.

But knowing that God is God, attending church services, and praying when something goes wrong isn’t what being a Christian is all about. Let’s say you have a best friend – a true friend – that goes everywhere with you. This friend loves you more than you know, and constantly tells you this but you just keep on ignoring him because you are too busy to talk to him. What if he wrote a long letter to you that explained how much he loves and cares for you and how he will always be there for you even when you don't notice. Not only that, but this letter contains all the answers that you’ll ever need to know in life. It contains promises for your future.

This letter is not your normal love letter, but a letter that has life breathed into it.

Why would you ever want to keep this letter crumpled and scratched up in the corner of your bookshelf, never opening it to read it's contents? Is this what you would do with a love letter written specifically to you?

I don’t think so. And why would you ignore this friendship and love for you?

This is exactly how it is with God.

We push Him aside in our busy schedules and let our selfishness run our lives. We’re only hurting ourselves. We need to stop making excuses to God. Sure, He’ll always love us even if we do ignore Him. But why on earth would you want to do that? God has an amazing future planned for you, so why would you want to let Him become only a small part of your life? We need to alllow Him to become our everything.

We can’t fit our awesome God into just a few hours, a couple of days a week. He's too big for that.

I dare you to get to know the friend that is always with you and loves you no matter how awful you treat him. I dare you to read the love letter that is scratched and dusty, hidden and ignored in the back of your bookshelf that He wrote to you thousands of years before you were born.

Turn your Sunday religion into a true, eternal relationship. Experience everlasting love with the creator of the universe and get to know Him better.

He wants you to invite Him into your heart.

Will you open the door?

~~

Posted by Tessa on 2/22/10 at www.sweetersong.wordpress.com.

Creating Heart-Grabbing Dialogue

“Dialogue is my forte. Whether that is because I am an actor or merely talented in that regard I have no idea. Nor do I care. When I write, I always feel like I am just taking dictation-following the characters around and writing down what they say.”

~Dirk Benedict

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where a certain scene between two people completely moved you to tears? Maybe the conversation made you laugh yourself silly, put you on the edge of your seat, or even made you stop and think. That's heart-grabbing dialogue. That kind of dialogue is what makes stories so real and touching.

It's not just what the author writes that touches the reader, it's what the characters say. It's how you have them express the way they feel. Many authors will tell you that to be a good writer you must read, read, read. I believe that is true, but I think it's also very helpful to watch movies. One thing that has really helped me with writing dialogue has been taking notes during the movies that I watch. What makes a powerful dialogue scene in movies so strong? How does the diversity of characters contribute to the uniqueness of the story? Watch the character's facial expressions, their gestures, body language, etc. Make sure to take good notes and include what you have learned by watching movies into your dialogue.

Each scene should contribute to the plot of the story, not weigh it down. While you're editing, try to delete as many pointless dialogue lines as you can. Make sure your dialogue is realistic, but don't make it so real that the readers get bored and put the book down.

How can you tell if the dialogue is slowing the story down or moving it forward? Ask yourself these questions:

Is my dialogue...

• helping to develop my characters? The best way to have your characters developed are through dialogue, since you are showing the reader their personality without having to tell them about it. If the character is funny, then prove it by what they say. If they're bossy, then don't just tell that to the reader, let them experience it for themselves. Also, make sure that the way you have your characters talk match their personality as well. If your protagonist is uneducated then he/she may use slang in their speech, and their vocabulary probably won't be as sharp as an intelligent character's would. Here are some great tips to keep in mind while choosing the diction for your characters: http://www.ehow.com/how_4543069_construct-diction-character-writing.html
• creating conflict? Without dialogue, it's almost impossible for a conflict to take place in your story. Remember there can be minor conflicts, such as the protagonist being late for school. Then there is the big conflict which takes place during the climax of the story. This should create the biggest turning point in your story for your protagonist, so make sure to especially avoid short-talk dialogue during this part.
• too dragged out? Make sure that pointless dialogue, such as short-talk, is cut out from your story. Keep the readers interested in what is happening. Make sure to include enough action as well. You do not want you readers to become bored or confused.
• showing instead of telling? Some people may think it's almost impossible to “tell” in dialogue when you use quotation marks, but this is not true. Speech tags should be only used when necessary. Instead of saying “she gasped”, you could say “her jaw dropped as she slowly backed away from him”. Don't forget to use the notes you take during movies to help you choose which body gestures to add throughout your dialogue.
• including background information? Dialogue is a great tool to provide the reader with necessary background information. Instead of telling the reader during the first chapter that the protagonist is a detective, you could have one of the characters let the reader know this by bringing it up in dialogue. For example: “Ever since you were hired to investigate the murder, you've been prying into every detail of my personal life.” Remember to be sure that the background information contributes to the story. Don't have a character talk about the protagonist's dead Grandma if that's not part of the plot or character development.
• helping my protagonist to grow? Characters learn from each other through dialogue. Think of Landon from “A Walk To Remember”. The conversations he had with Jamie eventually turned him into a completely different person. By creating this kind of dialogue you can help your readers grow as well. Just be sure not to make your characters too preachy or the only thing that will grow is the reader's annoyance.

~~

Of course there can be endless questions someone could ask themselves when editing or writing dialogue, but what are some things you try to keep in mind? Which book or movie included your favorite heart-grabbing conversation? Why do you think it touched you?

“To me, all writing is like music. And especially dialogue.”

-Dirk Benedict

Keeping the Passion Alive

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What drives you to write? Is it because, as the quote says, you want to reveal truth that reality has obscured? Or maybe it's because you've always loved to tell stories and entertain people. But have you ever sat down to really think about where this crazy passion to create fiction came from?

I've been reading many author interviews and biographies recently. One thing I have noticed is each author has a story of their own. Some people have said they were born with a "pen in hand" and have been writing since they could read, but others have said that their interest in writing didn't spark until later in life. Whatever the reason may be, if you have the desire to write and you honestly can't explain it or make it disappear, then it's probably there for a reason. It's your God-given passion, which cannot be explained or vanished.

I have many moments when I just have to write. It seems like everywhere I go I come up with story or character ideas, which explains why some authors say to carry a notebook around. But the other day as I was in the car traveling during spring break, I was seriously thinking why everyone doesn't like to write. I mean, it doesn't make sense why some people can't stand writing or even reading! This gift God has given us is so exciting. We can not only make up stories and transport people into different locations and periods of life, but we can lead people to Christ through a few simple sentences. I think that's so amazing.

But then I had a thought. What if the fire inside does die, and writing no longer is a hobby, but instead becomes just work instead? I was also reading an interview with a popular young adult author. She said her passion to write returned as she was writing her latest book and it seemed like a hobby again instead of a job.

So I have a question for you authors and freelance writers. Have you ever felt like writing has now became your job instead of something you enjoy doing?

I think writing is an amazing treasure God has given us. As we pursue this industry, we should keep letting God stir up the passion inside of us. I can understand how writing can eventually turn into a job rather than work, especially when deadlines are involved. Not to mention some authors have mentioned how writing can become very lonely at times. What things do you do for that passion to be stirred up each time you sit down to write?

Here are a few ways that might help to get your creative writing juices flowing again.

• Go to Barnes&Noble and buy yourself a Starbucks drink while you're at it. The smell of books and coffee always gets me inspired to write!
• Go to the beach and listen to the waves crash and kids laugh as you write.
• Go to the park and find a nearby tree to write under. I've never done this, but I'm sure it's better than writing at your desk!
• Draw pictures of your characters, or even your setting. If you're like me, though, and art isn't exactly a talent of yours, then choose what actors/actresses should star for each character in your story if it was made into a film.
• Watch movies, read books, and think about how powerful storytelling is
• Drink coffee, eat chocolate... those don't have to be explained. ;)

I think writing can be as exciting or as dreadful as you make it.

We need to remember, though, that the most important reason we write is to show Christ's love to others. He has given us this desire, so let's use it to be a light for others!

What are some ways you keep the burning fire inside of you alive? Why do you write in the first place?