Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tips For Teen Writers



If you’re a teen who loves to write, there’s no point in waiting to begin crafting your talent. In fact, establishing early in your life what you are interested in pursuing is a huge benefit—as long as you know what to do and how to do it. Just be careful that you’re using this time of honing your writing skills the right way. So if you’re an aspiring author, here are a few tips I suggest to steer yourself in the right direction:
  • Read. Have you ever heard of a recording artist who doesn’t listen to any music except her own? The best way to learn to write is to read other’s work. Read more than just one author and read more than just one genre.
  • Write. Whether it’s short stories, poems, writing prompts, lyrics, journaling… even if you feel that your writing is horrible. Keep doing it.
  • Research. If writing is something you know you’re going to want to eventually make a career out of, you need to research how to write the right way. Buy writing how-to books. Learn the techniques of whatever it is you’re most interested in (fiction, nonfiction, short stories, etc.) Follow blogs that post writing tips. There are even some websites that are solely for the purpose of encouraging and teaching young writers, such as Go Teen Writers, Teenage Author, and Today’s Teen Writer.
  • Write a “practice” novel. Know that this most likely will not be the one you will end up getting published. No matter how good you think it is, after learning more about this craft, your writing and story-telling skills will improve. Eventually you’ll look back and laugh at your first book. You have to start somewhere. Establish the genre that you’re writing on and read books in that genre. Write your first book for fun, as a way to learn—not with the intention of getting it published.

Now ask yourself this question: Am I writing just as a hobby, so that when I do decide to pursue this career after school I’ll already be prepared? Or am I writing because I want to go ahead and get a head-start and pursue this early in life? Know that not everyone will go the same route in their writing career. Being published as a teen may sound appealing to you right now—but it may not to God. Pray. Move according to His timing, not yours. But most importantly, make sure that you’re not forcing a path in your life where God didn’t intend for there to be.

If you feel as if you’d at least like to try to get published early, don’t jump in without getting your feet wet first. This will take time, no matter how bad you want it now. Desperation in this industry, especially if you’re a “newbie”, isn’t good. If you really want to be a good writer, you must take time and know that this isn’t a “snap your fingers” kind of thing. You were not born with the know-how to write. You may have been born with the God-given talent of writing, but that doesn’t give you the freedom to skip the learning process of writing techniques, researching the industry, and studying the craft. Never be so desperate that you do this, confident that you’re writing is “good enough”.

When you are ready to begin taking your writing seriously—meaning you’ve already been through the long process of research, you’ve written a couple of practice books, and of course prayed about this—here’s what I recommend:
  1. Start a blog.
But before making one, research how to do this. You can’t just jump in, thinking that you’ll magically gain an audience. Know what your posts are going to be about, establish your posting schedule, and the overall purpose and target audience of your blog.
  • Attend a writer’s conference. This is the best way to get your feet wet, make connections in the industry, get your manuscript critiqued and present your story idea to agents and editors. However, just as everything else, you must research before going to one. Know which conference you should attend, everything that you should bring, and who will be teaching which classes. I wrote a post last year about things I learned from attending my first conference if you'd like to take a look.
  • Make a list of agents to query. You must first know how to write a query letter, a proposal, what the agency is looking for, etc, etc, etc… Remember: rejection is only redirection. Don't be disappointed when you receive one. Instead, be thankful you know that it’s not who God wanted you to go with. And most likely, you will receive a rejection. Don't mention your age. Make sure to come across as professional, not prideful or as an amateur.
  • Don’t listen to advice from adult writers/authors who suggest that you wait to pursue writing later in your life. I realize that they mean well, but everyone's situation is different. Most of the time, when people tell you this, it’s because it took them forever to finally get published and they don’t think teens have reached their full potential yet. I think teens have advantages—and disadvantages, of course—but if this is your passion, then you should never allow for the disadvantages to outweigh the advantages.
  • Lastly, spend your waiting time wisely.
  • Pray. Read. Write. Research. Make sure that God is directing you and not the other way around. The best thing to do during a waiting season is to grow—in God and in your passions, trusting that He has placed the desire in your heart for a purpose. And when you do receive an offer, don’t get so excited that you immediately accept it without carefully reading and understanding the details. I held onto my contract for months before making the final decision to sign it. I needed time to educate myself about contracts and the publishing industry before I made a commitment. Now I'm more prepared so that next time I won't need to wait.Also, don't think that you have to go with the first offer. I've always heard that good writer's will get discovered. Pray about it. Research the agency/company to make sure that they and their contract is legit. During your waiting season, continue honing your writing skills, improving your manuscript, and researching the craft. Remember, it’s not a race.


    ~~~

    Are you a teenager who is seeking publication,
    and if so, what stage are you in right now?
    What would you recommend to a teenager who loves to write and
    may be considering it as an early career?
    Do you think it’s best for a teen to spend their youth
    focusing on writing
    only as a hobby for now,
    or going ahead and getting an early start,
    if that’s where they feel that God is calling them?

    Friday, March 25, 2011

    The Key To Your Heart



    A heart is more than just an organ that keeps us alive - it's the center of who we are and what we are. The dictionary refers to it as "the vital source of one's being, emotions, and sensibilities." The heart is fragile, and should always be treated that way.

    Unfortunately, many people act as if our hearts are worth nothing. You may blame the guy who broke up with you for breaking your heart, when really you're the one that should be blamed for giving it to him in the first place. And hearts, especially if you're a teen, should never be thrown around like that.

    As young Christian girls, we're constantly searching for "the one". But while doing so, we're giving bits and pieces of our hearts away. When we finally do meet the Prince Charming of our dreams, we'll only have a few pieces left to offer. And it'll be no one's fault except ours.

    Our youth culture has brainwashed us into thinking we’re a loser if we aren't in a relationship. And teens especially do not like being left out of anything, so we’re going to always be searching until we find someone who will allow us to change our relationship status on Facebook from “single” to “in a relationship”. Someone we can go places with, say “I love you” to, cuddle up and share our secrets with, and someone we constantly think about and give our hearts to.

    We're worth way more than this! Our hearts are worth way more than to be bounced from one guy to the next.

    1 Corinthians 7:17 says:

    And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life.

    Our purpose as a teenager should be to focus on our relationship with God rather than a relationship with a guy/girl. By playing the high school dating game, you’re telling God that you don’t feel like waiting for Him to send you “the one”, that you would rather just date in your timing and trust your own instincts instead of His.

    “During my entire romance with Eric, I was so aware of the fact that it was God who was leading each step, guiding each conversation, painting each sunset, and standing over us with a smile. The cheap, imitation romance I’d known before simply could not be compared to this new kind of love I had discovered… I had discovered a kind of divine love that can’t even be found in fairy tales, simply by giving God the pen of my life’s story and allowing him to write each chapter.

    ~Leslie Ludy



    Doesn’t that kind of relationship sound much better than dating someone you know will most likely be with another person in a year—or even a few months or weeks from now? Your heart is saved through grace. So keep the lock on it. Your future spouse is the only one who has the key. And the key is a cross. They key is Christ.

    Wednesday, March 23, 2011

    Interview With Teen Sisters, Author Jennifer Freitag & Abigail Hartman

    First of all, can you each give something about yourselves? What's something interesting you'd like to share about each other?

    Jenny: Obviously, we’re both Christians. I assume that is evident from both our blogs and our writing. Our faith doesn’t just massively impact our writing, it is the essential undercurrent of it. Also, we both have a great love of history, something that our father, an avid reader, and our mother, who taught us at home, instilled in us from an early age. More particularly, ever since my mother read The Eagle of the Ninth to us, I have been greatly intrigued by Roman culture, especially as it has been brought back to life in Rosemary Sutcliff’s works, and my interest has expanded from there.

    Abigail: History plays a significant role in my novels, either by setting up the background of a world (in a fantasy), or by playing a major role in the whole plot (in a historical fiction). I also love classic literature—a passion which began about the time I first read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—and it has influenced my writing by setting up magnificent writers to learn from.

    What's it like being a teenage author, which is very unlikely, but also having a teen sister doing the same thing?

    Jenny: Frankly, it feels kind of surreal. I have to stop and tell myself “You are a published author,” and even then, I feel as if I am talking about someone else, not myself. Having Abigail published along with me is a comfort because it’s a whole new, strange world, and it makes it easier to learn by trial and error with someone else in the comedy of errors with me.

    Abigail: My experience is much the same as Jenny’s. We’ve both been writing for so long that being published was just the next step of that—something that we are very thankful for, but that hasn’t really changed much for us. It has been a blessing that both of us were published at the same time, not just in that we’re both venturing out together, but because neither one of us was first in this. There’s no room for any rivalry.

    How did the road to publication come about for each of you, and how long did the process take?

    Abigail: Jenny and I both began to seek out publishers in earnest between 2009 and 2010. I had finished my novel The Soldier’s Cross after National Novel Writing Month (November of 2009), and Jenny was touching up The Shadow Things to get it sent out. We spent a lot of time culling through the Writer’s Market Guide and looking up countless publishing houses, writing and sending out query letters, etc. In the early summer of 2010, Ambassador Emerald accepted my submission, and hard on the heels of it, took and accepted Jenny’s as well. At the time they didn’t know that she and I are sisters, nor were they aware of our young age. It was as much a pleasant surprise for them as it was for us when they found out.

    That's crazy! I'm sure your parents are very proud of each of your successes. What was their reaction when they found out that both of you had been offered to be published at such a young age?

    Jenny: Both Mom and Dad have always supported our writing and had been encouraging us throughout the process of submitting our manuscripts, so they were prepared; but they were also very glad and proud. Their help and support has really been a blessing all our lives, in all areas.

    What sort of challenges have you faced from dealing with your career as an author and being a student as well?

    Abigail: Being homeschooled has been a very helpful in affording time for me to write during the day, and my mother is very flexible; I am able to arrange my schedule and do both schoolwork and writing with relative ease, although during some parts of the semester I have to focus more on reports and exams. Also, now that I am published, my writing counts toward Grammar as a school subject.

    Jenny: I completely ignored my schoolwork and drove Mom crazy. Honestly, as soon as I was reasonably done with a subject, I would scamper back to my computer and bang out some more on a story. Or, even worse, I would procrastinate like nobody’s business on my schoolwork in favor of writing on a story. I did, however, manage to graduate with decent grades, and now that I am married I do a manageable job juggling writing and tending the home.

    I'd like to know how this dream came about in the first place. Did each of you plan to write a novel at the same time and try publishing them through the same publishing company, or did it just sort of "happen" that way?

    Abigail: Jenny began writing years before I did, and my longing to write came as much from reading her stories and watching her as it did from my love of books and story-making. She actually wrote The Shadow Things some time before I wrote The Soldier’s Cross, but, Providentially, was only ready to send it out at the same time I had completed my novel. Because they are both historical fiction and Christian, we submitted to a lot of the same publishing houses, but that was more because of genre than our trying to be published at the same time. So, I suppose you could say that it just “happened”.

    What's it like having a sister going along the same writing journey as you are? Do y'all set aside a certain time to write together, bounce ideas off each other, and exchange manuscripts once in a while to give each other some advice and suggestions?

    Jenny: We will occasionally show each other bits of our writing in our little “Inklings” group, and we will commiserate on the difficulty of writing, but largely we write alone without reference to the other’s work. Both of us usually have a good idea of what is going on in the other’s novel at any specific time, though.

    Abigail: Having someone else in the family who is a writer is a great blessing; it’s like having your own personal writer’s group, without having to venture outside of the family. But though we do have a good time talking (or complaining!) about edits, plot ideas, characters, and all the rest, we don’t set aside a certain time to do so. Writing simply factors in as part of our lives.

    What inspired you each to write a Christian historical novel?

    Abigail: The Soldier’s Cross is one of those stories whose inspiration is very difficult for me to pinpoint and analyze. The plot itself is particularly difficult for me to say, “Thus-and-such inspired me here,” and “So-and-so gave me this idea.” The theme, however, is easier. It grew first out of a desire to show that Christianity didn’t just begin at the Reformation (as many Protestants seem to think), but that there were true believers before; and secondly, it came from the disturbing similarities between the ignorance of the Middle Ages and the attitude of the Church today. Then there was a prevalent belief that it was the Church that saved a person, and that if you were part of Christendom, your soul was safe. And today there is a mindset that believes the same thing: If I live a “good” life, my eternal destiny is safe. This is not true Christianity, and so came the theme of The Soldier’s Cross.

    Jenny: As Abigail said, it’s very hard, at the end of the road, to remember what one’s first steps on it were like. I don’t remember what first drove me to write The Shadow Things, other than a simple love of writing Roman Britain, and a desire to show what life could have been like for a young Christian living all alone in the face of a pagan society. The Shadow Things gave me a chance to write an emotionally charged story with a familiar setting, and, hopefully, I will have been able to make a setting that is familiar to me seem familiar to the reader, while at the same time expounding situations which, until Christ returns, will remain familiar to us throughout time.

    Would you mind both sharing a little bit of what each of your novels are about?

    Jenny’s The Shadow Things:

    The Legions have left the province of Britain and the Western Roman Empire has dissolved into chaos. With the world plunged into darkness, paganism and superstition are as rampant as ever. In the Down country of southern Britain, young Indi has grown up knowing nothing more than his gods of horses and thunder; so when a man from across the sea comes preaching a single God slain on a cross, Indi must choose between his gods or the one God—and face the consequences of his decision.

    Abigail’s The Soldier’s Cross:

    1415 A.D. Fiona’s world is a carefully built castle in the air, made up of the fancies, wishes, and memories of her childhood. It begins to crumble as she watches her brother march away to join in the English invasion of France. It falls to pieces when he is brought home dead.

    Robbed of the one dearest to her and alone in the world, Fiona turns to her brother’s silver cross in search of the peace he said it would bring. But when she finds it missing, she swears she will have it and sets out on a journey across the Channel and war-ravaged France to regain it and find the peace it carries.

    What projects are you working on at the moment?

    Abigail: I recently “finished” (it’s not really finished until it’s published) my fantasy novel Wordcrafter, the tale of a man as he comes to grips with the fact that all things come with a price, and that the price of true friendship is your life. It is in the querying stage. I am currently writing my next historical fiction, The White Sail’s Shaking, which is set in the early 1800s and deals with the young American Navy during the First Barbary War. There is more information about both novels on my blog.

    Jenny: At the moment I’m working on editing the first draft of a fantasy centered around the story of Beowulf. Hundreds of years after the epic end of the hero's life, a young Victorian lady, Adamant Firethorne, is given a vision of the old warrior and an enormous diamond, a diamond encasing the key to every world ever made. Charged with finding the diamond and the heir of Beowulf, Wiglaf, Adamant finds herself flung into the world of Faerie, fighting against time and her enemies to find Wiglaf and put the worlds to right at last. With each step her faith is tried and refined, at each turn the love of her God revealed more reckless and wild than her snug Victorian life had ever allowed for. And her faith is rewarded beyond all that she could have thought to ask for.

    Thanks for interviewing with us, girls! Just one last question. What advice would you like to give aspiring teenage authors?

    Jenny: Read dead people. Time will tell if a book is any good, and chances are, if a book has survived the death of its author, it may be worth your while to read. So read dead people.

    Read prolifically. Authors are some of your best mentors, and the more you read, the more you will learn about styles, about places and people you could never otherwise have met, and the more your understanding of good literature will expand. If you don’t read, your work isn’t worth reading itself.

    Abigail: Along with what Jenny said, anyone who truly wants to write and to write skillfully must have perseverance. It can be a very discouraging path to follow, especially when you look at the literary greats and compare them to your own writing, and it can be a lot of work; but it is also rewarding if you keep at it. Your writing will only improve with practice, not with giving up. (And if you want proof, go and read Jane Austen’s Juvenilia and compare it to Pride and Prejudice. Progress doesn’t get much more obvious than that.)


    ~~~
    Connect with Jenny by following her blog. You may order her novel, The Shadow Things, by clicking here.
    Connect with Abigail by following her blog and becoming a fan on Facebook. You may order her novel, The Soldier's Cross, by clicking here.

    Friday, March 18, 2011

    The Similarities Between Writing & Acting



    Since I was a little girl, writing and acting have been my two very favorite passions. It hasn’t been until I carefully studied each craft that I have I realized the similarities between the two.

    Writing involves acting. Writing is acting. And when you write, if there is no passion involved, the story won’t come across as believable. The same goes with acting. You have to pour your heart and soul into both of these crafts. Even though it’s just “pretend”, it’s self-expression. You’re pulling emotions from past experiences into the pages or into your performance.

    Many of the same techniques you use for writing can also be used for acting, and vice versa – such as listening to music to get “in the mood”, writing character journals to get to know a character more, studying a certain time period, location or occupation, etc.

    Both acting and writing—whether you’re working on a book or a film—involve a lot of time and a whole lot of work. Many nights of staying up late just to get a scene complete along with drinking many cups of coffee to keep yourself awake, rewriting/re-filming a scene until it’s perfect, making sure everything—everything, is just exactly the way you want it to be. And making sure that the characters are seem real. And making sure that the dialogue flows and everything is working together just right to convey a certain message or emotion.

    Both are also an escape from reality, an escape from yourself for the moment. I love the feeling of being in front of the camera, and I also love the feeling of being alone, typing away on my keyboard as music plays through my iPod and a cup of hot coffee is waiting set down next to me. Staying up late, traveling, meeting amazing people in both industries.

    I love putting myself into different characters’ shoes. I love the fact that stories can heal, encourage, and minister. I love characters. I love dialogue. I love thing situations that people can relate to and feel as if they’re not alone. For the writer. The actor. And for the reader/viewer audience.

    ~~~
    Do you love both acting and writing as well?
    What are some other similarities between the two?

    Wednesday, March 16, 2011

    Why A Teen Should Read More Than Just Text Messages, Twitter Updates & Facebook Statuses




    Reading isn’t a very popular “hobby” in our youth culture. In fact, it's considered “uncool” among most teens. Reading doesn't have a very good reputation anymore, unless it involves texting, Facebooking, or some other social media. Why would you want to read, anyway? Here are four common excuses a teen may use for not having the desire to read:

    1. I’m not much of a reader. I’d rather watch the movie instead. Reading doesn’t have to be so much of a task. It really isn’t. Perhaps you should start by watching the movie, then buying the book and comparing the two.
    2. I just don’t have the patience to read. If you’re one of those ADD people who can’t sit in the same spot for longer than five minutes – unless you’re on the computer or watching TV, of course – then maybe you’d like to buy a book on tape and listen to you as you’re working out or cleaning your room.
    3. I just don’t have time between school, sports, chores, my job, etc. This excuse is understandable. However, it’s also ridiculous. You do have time to read. You just have to find it. Carry a book in your purse with you throughout the day. Read chapters (or just a few sentences) here and there, whenever you have any free time on the way home from school or right before you going to bed at night. Maybe replace your evening Facebook time with reading. Or just read on the weekends when your time is more flexible.
    4. I don’t like reading because the books school assigns us to read are so boring. This is an excuse that I can agree with. I used to also be sort of a non-reader in middle school, only because the books that we were forced to read didn't exactly grab my attention because of the flowery writing styles and pace of the story. Therefore, I never had the patience to read, much less actually know what was going on. Realize, though, that these kind of books are from different eras. Those kind of books aren't the only books in the bookstores. Writing styles have changed. Not to mention, young adult fiction is not half as dreadful. YA fiction is just like watching a chick flick in most cases - except it's in print. On paper. In your hands rather than on the television screen. And instead of killing brain cells it actually increases them.

    Now that you don’t have anymore excuses not to read, back to the question. Why should a teen read more than text messages, Twitter updates, and Facebook statuses?

    • Reading provides a sense of escape from the real world and is an invitation into a fiction world. Of course, this may not always be healthy – but we all need a little escape at times.
    • You can learn a lot of knowledge and wisdom from reading Christian fiction.
    • By reading, you may learn how to deal with a certain situation in your life when those issues are presented in the novels. This is mostly why I love Christian fiction, because you learn how to handle situations in a Christian view.
    • Reading gives you the ability to pause and think. You can pause a movie, of course. But who pauses a movie just to reflect on what just happened?
    • Reading helps you to see from all different point of views. Books have various perspectives – the underdog. The popular cheerleader. The emo kid. Instead of seeing people and judging them based on the surface, books give you the ability to dig deeper into their lives and give you a sense of understanding and sympathy towards them rather than judgment. I love having a window into characters lives - characters with all different personalities who have gone through situations I've never been through.
    • Unlike watching a movie, reading allows you to get inside a character's head. Hear their thoughts and feel what they feel. People become more connected to the characters on pages than they do to characters on screens.
    • Reading helps improve writing, whether or not you're considering pursuing writing as a career. Many schools don't teach writing as much as they should, and it's something that we'll continue having to do throughout our lives. Writing texts to your friends doesn't help improve your writing – if anything it worsens your writing. Read more, so that you can learn the correct way to write.
    • You’ll feel better about reading a book instead of watching a movie. At least I do. Watching a movie is effortless. All you have to do is sit down on the couch, pop in a DVD and bring out the popcorn – only to fall asleep by the end of it. When you're reading, you're not only enjoying a story, but you're also helping your reading comprehension skills which will help you in your school work and on tests.
    • Stories you read stay with you for a long time. You have more time to fall in love with the characters and the setting. You get to stay longer instead of having to be rushed through the story and eventually forget what the whole thing was about.
    • You can bring a book and read anywhere. You can’t exactly do that with a movie, unless you’re planning on carrying around a television with you as well.
    • And the most obvious - reading helps to stretch the imagination, which is always a good thing.
    Yes, reading can be even more enjoyable than watching a movie: cuddling up with a book in hand and hot coffee to sip. In silence. Only you and your imagination, and the words on the page.

    The next time you’re tempted to buy a chick flick, I dare you to go to a bookstore instead. Read a novel rather than watch a movie. Find the type of genre that seems more appealing to you, which will probably be YA fiction if you're a teen. You’ll become so lost in the book that you’ll forget that you’re actually reading instead of watching a movie. You won’t even realize that you’re sitting in your quiet bedroom.

    That’s the magic of reading. It can take you to some other place, all because of words. Not film. Not actors. But words.


    ~~~
    Are you a teen reader, or a teen non-reader? Why or why not?
    What are some other advantages someone could gain from reading a book rather than watching a movie?
    Do you think YA fiction is becoming less and less popular since it seems there aren't many teenagers who read anymore?

    Friday, March 11, 2011

    The "Me, Just Different" by Stephanie Morrill Giveaway Winner!

    Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway!

    The winner of the “Me, Just Different” by Stephanie Morrill giveaway is…


    Congratulations! Make sure to respond to my email so that I can get your mailing address. If you do not respond within three days then I will have to choose another winner.

    Also, there’s only three more months left until DevoFest youth conference! Hurry and sign up before space is filled. Visit www.devofest.com for more info.

    Wednesday, March 9, 2011

    Capturing Moments The “Write” Way



    I love remembering. Maybe a little too much. My family is always picking on the fact that my brain works like a calendar. They’re often asking me in what day, month and year that certain events and occasions took place.

    Yes, I love to remember events by dates, but also by seasons—spiritual and physical seasons, so that I know where I came from and where I’m going. Who I was, who I am now, and allowing God to prepare me for who I’m going to be. And I think the teenage years are filled with many great opportunities to “capture”, especially if you love to write fiction. Very often I think of great ideas that can be used in my stories because of things that I do with my friends, or places I’ve visited. But it’s more of a challenge trying to remember everything, especially specific details, without "capturing" them in some way.There are many ways to do so, but there are five main ways that I recommended to capture moments and seasons in your life:

    1. Have a calendar to keep track of the “big events” in your life. For example: dance recitals, travels, snow days, etc.
    2. Keep a journal. I like to keep more than one – one as a "regular" to write in often, and another to summarize seasons in my life - capturing memories in more detail. Starting this year I’ve decided to keep a journal to write in at the end of each month to summarize what the month consisted of in general, the “big things” that happened each week, and the special memories that was created that month.
    3. Take pictures, but don’t let that distract you from enjoying the experience. The other night I had the opportunity to go to my first Hillsong United concert. During it, I realized how difficult it was for me to enjoy the concert while I was recording it on my camera. Because of that, I only captured snippets every now and then, knowing that would be enough for me to remember the concert. And if I wanted to, I could just search on Youtube to find plenty of concert videos uploaded by users. I don’t take as many pictures as I probably should, although I would love to. Usually it’s because I forget. Yes, I love photography, but I’m not as much of a “photographer” as I know many of you are. However, I love sunsets and such, so I enjoy taking pictures of beautiful scenes, along with a few pictures of myself, my friends and family. But that’s basically the extent of it. However, if there are certain things that I would like to remember visually, I capture it on camera.I can usually fill in the details through my memory or by journaling.
    4. Make scrapbooks or keep photo albums. I love to scrapbook, but because it is so time-consuming, I rarely do, unless it’s a gift. I would love to start, though, because I think it’s a creative and organized way to remember seasons and special occasions.
    5. Try to remember the bigger details—the “big picture”, and the special details that create the big picture will fall into place. For example, which moments in particular stood out to you in the month of February? Did you spend time with your loved ones and create special memories in honor of Valentine’s Day? Big details like those can help create the “big picture” to capture certain seasons of our lives.

    Remember: It’s good to remember. But it’s not always good to look back in a way that causes you to wander off the course you’re on now.

    Realize that God is transforming you and using your past as a way to create new strength within you. Your youth should be the time to explore who you are, mature physically and spiritually, and to grow into who God has called you to be. These years bring special memories and big changes—perfect opportunities to “capture”.

    It’s exciting to look back at old pictures and journal entries from when we were in different seasons ofour lives and see how God has brought us from then to where we are now. It’s funny to remember what we were like, how different we’ve become, but also to see how we’re still the same person with the same God-given passions and personality. For example, I found a journal entry that I wrote when I was eight that says how much I would love to be a writer and an actress. The reason that I gave for wanting to write was because “it just shows really good stories. People like books because it just feels up that tiny whole inside of you that just wants you to read and read some more” and also because “I want to do this just to make people excited, for me to have fun and show my talents. That is the main dreams that I want to have come true.”

    “Capturing the moment” and remembering is a great tool for fiction writer’s especially, so we can look back and come up with plenty of story or character ideas and emotions. Don’t just go with the flow, allowing life to just “happen”. Life is too special - too short to be wasted or to allow those special moments to be taken for granite and forgotten... especially our youth. Capture it. The “write” way.


    “To every thing there is a season,
    and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
    ~Ecclesiastes 3:1


    ~~~
    Why do you think it's important

    that we remember the big picture in a healthy manner?

    Do you have any special or organized ways that you "capture" moments and remember seasons?
    Have you ever wished that you had kept a journal or taken more pictures during a certain time in your life?


    PS: Tomorrow is your last chance to enter the "Me, Just Different" by Stephanie Morrill giveaway! Click here to enter.

    Friday, March 4, 2011

    Teen Devotion: The Dirty Side Of The Fence


    It's comfortable staying on the side of the fence that's clean. All we have to do is pray, spend time with God, follow all of His standards so that we don't end up like the world, and fellowship with our Christian friends. Because if we mix with the crowds that aren't Christian, then we'll get our hands dirty. And we definitely don't want to get our clean hands dirty.

    Unfortunately this is a very common thinking pattern of many Christian teens. But it's not the thinking pattern of a loving God. There's more to being a Christian teen than staying in your comfort zone, not daring to go on the other side of the fence and get your hands dirty by reaching out to the sinful world.

    And this is probably the biggest turn-off to the non-believing teens. They see a group of Christians huddled together on the clean side of the fence with their Bibles in their hands, as if for some reason the fact that they know Christ has given them the power to be "holier" than others and the right to judge them.

    This isn't how to spread the light. This isn't how God has called us to spread love.

    Yes, Christians are supposed to be set apart. But not so much that we create a clique with such high standards that we don't dare communicate with those outside of our circle, in fear that we will have to stoop too low.

    We aren't higher than those who don't know God, so how can we stoop too low?

    The Bible does say that we should not be unequally yoked, but we can communicate God's love and acceptance with the unsaved without having to become their closest friend. And there are some people who aren't Christians who don't exactly live a sinful lifestyle either. So there are ways that you can show love and light without having to become a part of them and their lifestyle.
    The view that the non-Christians see should be the light of God shining in us. This light should attract them and draw them in. If we're all huddled tightly together in your own self-righteous clique, the light is not able to shine for others to see. The only thing showing is your backsides.

    If us Christian teens are all about following God and doing what Jesus did, then why aren't we doing what Jesus did? Why aren't we talking with sinners, showing acceptance to prostitutes, going out into the real world to reach out and spread the gospel like Jesus did? No, that doesn't mean we should befriend all of them. But that also doesn't mean that we should ignore them, gossip and look down on them - hoping that one day they'll magically want to be a Christian just like us. No, this has just the opposite effect and it's what gives Christianity a bad reputation.

    This is a problem I've seen with many Christian teens.

    And it's not right. This is not the type of label that God intended for us to have.

    Love. That's the label that we should have.

    Talk with people outside of your Christian circle in school. This doesn't mean you have to be like them. It's possible to talk with non-Christians and not suddenly have your Christianity dampened. This is simply part of the Christian life: sharing the gospel, spreading love to the broken and to the sinners. Maybe invite them to your youth group. Whatever God is tugging on your heart for you to do.

    And stop judging those who are on the dirty side of the fence, just because they're living in sin. You don't know what they've been through. You don't know the type of home that they've grown up in. Instead of judging, why not love? Instead of turning nonbelievers off from Christianity by the way you stay only on the clean side of the fence, why not go over to the other side and get your hands dirty like Jesus did by coming down to earth?

    Why not create a new label and show the true meaning of having a relationship with Christ?

    Because those who weren't raised in church only know Christianity based off of you and your friends.

    You may be the only Bible they ever read.

    Show them that Christianity isn't a religion that's all about staying within the circle of believers and following rigid rules. Show them that it's not a boring type of lifestyle that forces you to wear clothes that are not in style, or to listen only to music that has the word "Gospel" on it's label and judge others who don't do the same. Because that's "religion". There are many religions out there in the world for them to choose from. But having a relationship with Christ is more than just a religion.

    God has called us to be the light of the world! We can't do that if the only place we're shining our lights are in our little circle of church buddies.

    So take Jesus' example.

    Go out into the sinful world and get your clean hands dirty - Jesus' blood has already been shed to cleanse the dirt.

    Show love to the sinners without judging them.

    Our youth culture needs Christ now, and it's our job to lead them.




    PS: Don't forget to enter my "Me, Just Different" by Stephanie Morrill giveaway!

    Wednesday, March 2, 2011

    Show Vs. Tell Part 3: When Telling Isn't The Bad Guy


    These past two weeks we've discussed the importance of showing instead of telling and how to do this through dialogue. As I've mentioned, there is power in "showing" techniques - however, there can also be power in telling, only if it's used in the right places and in the right way.

    Yes, writers have been told over and over to only show. I used to consider telling as the bad guy before reading "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers". Telling is, in fact, necessary, in specific spots. Sometimes it can even add more of an effect to a scene. Here's an example this book gave on how telling can be useful:

    "There are going to be times when telling will create more engagement than showing. In the Fritzgerald passage, for instance, the line 'A thrill passed over all of us' is clearly telling. And yes this line, coming so close on the rumor that Gatsby may have killed a man, gives a flavor of cheap gossip to the scene that heightens its effect."
    Where, when and how should writers use telling/narrative summary?

    1. When there's lots of repetitive action. Chances are that things are going to sound similar if you include every detail of the repetitive action in your story. "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers" gave the example of a track star who participates in several races. Instead of showing each race as a scene, summarize these through telling - otherwise known as narrative summary.
    2. Where there's too much explanation. In a situation as this, it's best to R.U.E - resist urge to explain. Cut or summarize any over-explanation in your MS, especially if it can be conveyed through showing.
    3. Plot elements that aren't so important to cover every detail, such as driving somewhere or getting ready for an event. With situations such as these, you don't need to show every detail. By just telling your reader that they drove to the grocery store and arrive within ten minutes is enough, simply because it has nothing to do specifically with the plot-line. Unless, of course, there's important dialogue or action involved. Otherwise the author should stick to narrative summary.
    4. When there are long periods of time when nothing urgent takes place. Narrate what happens, but again, avoid showing during large chunks of time when it's unnecessary.
    5. When there needs to be a break between scene after scene so that it's not exhausting for the reader. Yes, showing is good. But it isn't good if you write your entire novel with scene after scene filled with action and showing, instead of slowing down to allow your reader to relax.

    When writing or editing your novel, remember that telling isn't always going to be the bad guy. Showing and telling must work together, especially if you want your book to be intriguing and bring a certain impact to you reader. Just make sure that you know specifically when to tell and when to show.

    ~~~

    Have you always considered telling as "the bad guy"?
    When are some other times that telling can be put to good use?
    Have you ever read a book that had too much showing and not enough telling (or vise-versa)?