Paul Willis's Blog, page 4
February 27, 2017
Randomly Interviewing My Sister
My sister Kate and I are generally writing buddies. We’re both authors with blogs and have been wanting to do something fun together, so we decided to take turns asking each other random interview questions. It was a lot of fun. (She cracks me up.)
In case you don’t know who I’m talking about, Kate is the author of The Treasure Hunt and her blog Once Upon an Ordinary.
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“Kate Willis has never fallen down the rabbit hole, her wardrobe only holds clothes, and tickets to Neverland are too expensive; but she is on an adventure. She lives with her artistic family and writes about the love of God and ordinary adventures. She would love to grow up someday and have a family of her own, but for now you’ll find her writing more books with chai tea in hand.”
Yep, that’s my sister. 
February 11, 2017
Christian Fiction Part 2: Self-Confidence
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How many times have you heard a fictional character given a peptalk (or song) to boost their self-confidence? “Believe in yourself” and “follow your heart” are oft repeated phrases on film and paper. In a character’s darkest hour, where do they turn for help? How do they rise above defeat and conquer the unconquerable?
[image error]Couldn’t resist this inspirational Lego Movie reference!
The answer time and time again is themselves. Self-confidence = self-sufficiency, and heroes win the day alone. A one man fighting force, a one woman activist, these are the people awarded and applauded. I do not judge them, nor do I judge their motives. The question is, “how can they win?” The answer secular media presents? “Ambition, independence, and most of all self-confidence.”
(Side note: No wonder Maria sings songs like “I Have Confidence”. Later you hear her Mother Superior sing “follow every rainbow, till you find your dream”.)
Here we see an inconsistency with our Christian beliefs. We know what the Bible says about us as humans.
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Leave it to our discernment and efforts to do right and save the world, and… kabluey! THAT IS NOT HOW WE OPERATE!
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This is something Christian authors must acknowledge in their writing. When their broken character comes to the realization that they must do something and asks the question “what should I do?” the first step is for them to seek counsel outside of themselves. Here are just a few ways this could play out.
Your character prays ( Flywheel ).
Your character studies the word of God for direction ( Facing the Giants ).
Your character goes for pastoral counseling ( Courageous ).
Granted, this may not work if you’re writing, say, fantasy without a God character. Your character might not look for divine direction. Some Christian authors say that they try to “write stories that aren’t preachy, but reflect the morality and values of a Christian worldview”. If this is the case with your writing, I beg of you, at the very least, reconcile it with your worldview in this area. If you want to change your reader and point them in the right direction, show them that humanity is needy. Have your character call for help, ask for counsel, maybe even fail, and finally conquer through a strength not found in humanism. And most of all, your mentor/source of wisdom should never say, “Believe in yourself.”
A broken, incapable person who operates out of self-confidence is arrogant. The source of strength and the source of wisdom should never be one’s own heart. Because that leads us astray.
February 4, 2017
Christian Fiction Part 1: The Power of Story
Words are powerful but only united. Bonded words form stories, and stories form perceptions. Stories have the power to change people, and as Christians we want that change to be in the right direction.
Some may say that when they watch a movie or read a book it doesn’t affect them. They can pass it off as fiction and not buy into the worldview portrayed. While this is sometimes true when dealing with a blatant agenda, I would ask you to consider if this is really the case.
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Many objections you may have had to a book are laid to rest because the author is Christian or the content is “moral”. I have consumed stories where I recognized the godless worldview and called it for what it was, but still walked away affected, changed. It comes not by characters preaching their beliefs but much more subtly.
I am convinced that one of the main reasons today for the YA categorization is that those tales are designed specifically to build off a typical young person’s appetites and grow them. A good author also writes good characters, and a good character is relate-able. I have often found myself relating to or connecting with the protagonist because of his cause and mistreatment, while overlooking his character.
William Wallace for example. While watching Braveheart, I inwardly cheered at his victory over the English. I mentally fought alongside him in the battles and was angry at tyranny. But (thanks to the wisdom of my father and our authorly minds) my family always does a detailed informal analysis of movies we watch together and I noticed three things.
William Wallace is one despicable violent dude, but I identified with him to the point of confusing his revenge with justice.
He was dishonorable. The girl he loved, loved him back. But when her father stood in the way of their marriage with a single requirement, they eloped. A man who runs away with your daughter is, well… Yeah. But if it hadn’t been for my dad’s enlightening commentary, I would have found the romance charming.
I was duped into cheering on adultery. The french princess was married to a highly effeminate (to say it nicely) guy who didn’t care for her in the slightest. I subconsciously didn’t really consider their marriage a marriage at all, as I was supposed to, and rooted for the chemistry between her and William as I ‘gulp’ was supposed to. Maybe he could have helped her some way, as the damsel in distress, but as a man of honor he would have respected their covenant.
I don’t say this to outline a list of rules on what’s okay or safe to read, but my purpose is to caution and help Christian authors in their own writing. My plan is to post a series (probably slightly controversial?) on common negative story elements that are often overlooked in Christian fiction. Albeit, as Christians we don’t purposely place harmful stuff in our stories, we want to carefully examine our own worldview that underlays our writing. After all, stories change people, and we want ours to change them in the right direction.
February 1, 2017
Novel X-erpt and Announcement
I didn’t post earlier this week, and I’m not waiting till the next posting day, so I’m double bad. Please excuse me, but–Finally! My short story mystery is published!
It is now available in Kindle form on Amazon. Check out its reviews here. So excited!
And now, an excerpt from Novel X, my main WIP. I’m up to 11,800 words on the second draft. It’s coming along.
Chris vaulted out of the enclosure and Jack handed his backpack to him before scrambling back over the fence. It rattled behind him as he trotted after Chris. After a few moments he opened his mouth to speak, but Chris raised his hand to stop him. He froze and his ears perked up at the approaching sound. Sirens. They must have tripped an unknown alarm.
He sped past Chris. He had never considered himself a runner, but maybe he could have gone to the Olympic races with this kind of motivation.
He stumbled as Chris grabbed his coat and jerked him backward. “Get in the ditch.”
They dove into a freshly dug utilities trench and lay in the bottom. The dirt was frozen in a bed of vertical crystals that crunched beneath Jack’s weight. His breath fogged over the cold ground. He shifted to his side and looked at the sky. A blue and red aurora filled the sky above him. Car doors slammed somewhere and he rolled into a tighter ball. It would be just his luck to be caught for something this worthless. That’s what came with rash decisions. Boots struck the pavement above them.
Jack watched Chris. His face displayed concentration and his finger was pressed against his earpiece. He met Jack’s gaze. “They’re not here for us. Go to the truck.”
Jack slowly raised his head on level with the asphalt. Officers churned by, guns raised. His heart was in his throat but he swallowed it back.
“Do your best to avoid attention and suspicion,” Chris advised from behind.
They crawled out of the ditch behind an electric pole. Jack brushed the dirt and ice from his jeans. They walked casually past the police. Jack kept his eye on them as he walked towards a black pickup truck parked at the curbside. The officers had surrounded a nearby warehouse. It’s walls were thick with graffiti and moss. Every window was broken and barred.
“Gang trouble,” Chris whispered in explanation as he got in the driver’s seat.
Jack tossed his backpack in the back seat of the crew cab and got in the front. His first action was to turn on the heat. “That was scary.”
Chris put the truck into gear and his mouth tilted up into a grin.
“Okay then, smile about it. You’ve obviously got thrill issues,” Jack complained.
Chris still smiled.
“How’d you know they weren’t there for us?”
Chris tapped his earpiece, “I seem old, but I still know the police codes.”
That’s all for now folks!
January 20, 2017
7 Tips for Victorian Happiness
Don’t use the stairs. These are built to kill and are especially dangerous if you are given over to fainting spells or have a breakable neck.
Always turn down the gas. If you are going to live your life with an explosion waiting to happen, it’s best to not forget about it.
Wear a carriage crash helmet. Though not legally required, doing this statistically reduces the chance of injury, as does the absence of horses.
Locate the grave of your intended’s previous spouse. This will help to ensure a happy marriage. Also, if you meet a nice gentleman, check his basement to see if he keeps a crazy wife. Just saying.
Be wanted so that you can be rich. It is a well known fact that a single woman can be economically benefited by marrying a man in possession of a fortune. To obtain one, you can either be really smart (a.k.a. intellectual) or virtuous.
Last but not least, ensure the death of your parents at an early age. Let’s face it, orphans are the best! This is the way to become rich if you’re a child unlike number 6. Often times a rich philanthropist will pick you up (usually really your grandpa or the king).
January 7, 2017
Diamond: Another WIP
Mysteries are generally one of two kinds.
On one side of the mystery coin, I’ve read and very much enjoyed G. K. Chesterton’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, Father Brown, and The Club of Queer Trades all of which are short story collections. I’m also very familiar with Sherlock having watched several screen renditions. The unifying themes seem to be complexity and murder.
On the other side of the mystery coin, I’ve read many Boxcar Children books and the same story with a different name for the kids. Some may include The Brixton Brothers series in this group, though I believe that series is an awesomely different animal. The unifying theme is simplicity and accidentally stumbling upon robberies and mix-ups.
I enjoy both camps, but I wanted to try my hand at the genre so I decided, to cut down the middle. Tame crime with clever criminals. Written for teens and young adults, my story would have comedic elements, a first person detective, and be above all clean. Of course, since we’re dealing with criminals here there will be danger.
I think the art of writing mysteries is placing all the pieces to the puzzle in plain sight, writing a detective who’s dumb enough to not fit it all together immediately, and making the reader believe he’s smart so they don’t look beyond the thought process. I don’t know if I’ve accomplished that yet; but I sat down and wrote a short story, a series of intertwined events and people. Enter: Diamond!
[image error]To keep it short and keep it moving, I wrote light on description and very little background on the MC. I highly enjoyed creating quirky characters though.
January 2, 2017
Book Review: Counted Worthy by Leah Good
[image error]“Heather Stone lives in fear of repeating the past, yet she continues doing the one thing that could trigger another disaster. When the police trace an illegal Bible to her house, Heather’s world begins to crumble. Her father’s life hangs in the balance. No one with the power to help knows or cares. If she tries to save him, she could lead her friends to their deaths. If she does nothing, her father’s fate is certain. Can she evade a hostile police force and win public sympathy before it’s too late?” (from Amazon.com)
The dystopian genre is generally captivating (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Giver, etc) but the worldviews, causes, and solutions (as well as content) always irk me. Counted Worthy was a refreshing change. It had all the elements of dystopian: over-regulatory government, the lasting effects of an old civil war, and just a little bit of unfamiliar technology. But what made the difference was the cause.
It is a story of Christians, persecuted for their faith, and struggling to survive in a hateful world. The fight to survive isn’t another gun-blazing rebellion, it’s the awakening of people’s consciences. The final thing that stood out to me was the relationship between the male and female main characters. Though it was a little less guarded than I would prefer, it wasn’t a boyfriend/girlfriend situation. Their thoughts and intentions were to protect one another and work together to save someone they mutually loved.
Although sometimes the story was slow (lots of dialogue and thought) the stakes were enough to keep me going. I cared!
The content was good. It had very little violence at all (maybe one mention of blood?). It states that one character curses and another time starts to swear. It was not condoned or written, and I attributed it to his character development. He was the only Christian in a relentlessly atheistic home, and I expected him to be rough around the edges. As a final note, I would have appreciated more male leadership in the Christian underground.
Best quote: “I brushed my fingers over the faded red house number. 73. Perfection and resurrection. A sign of safety for Christians.”
Recommended!
December 20, 2016
The Best Docs
“I can’t believe I forgot to save it again after writing another twenty thousand words!”
“I have an old copy on that computer and three more on that computer. Which version is the one on my phone?”
“Microsoft Word is too expensive. I guess I’ll have to be content with Notepad.”
I have led a similar life. I’ve never used a Mac, only Windows machines and I’m afraid they might be known for crashing. And losing. All. Of. Your. Work.
I haven’t always had my own computer, and even now it’s out of commission. This matters because with a lot of siblings who have many technological projects each, obtaining a computer is crazy and switching computers in the middle of your project time is a likelihood. We used to solve this problem with–guess what–flash drives! Ugh. I’ve had bad experiences with using flash drives (including losing them and file corruption).
If you’re ill–call for the doctors, but if you’re a writer (which is an arguable distinction) call for Docs!
If you already use Google Docs, skip to the end and comment with how boring this was; but otherwise, prepare for your world to be shaken and your writing experience to change forever–or at least until you find something better.
Google Docs is a MUST USE for writers.
The benefits of using Google Docs:
Automatically saves your docs as you work so you never lose any progress. It stores them online much like Dropbox.
Access on any device. Open it in any browser, get the mobile app, or set it up for offline use. It’s cross platform so you can get the mobile app for iOS too.
Work offline and automatically update your document when reconnected to the internet.
Easily share your work with beta readers, collaborators, and editors. You can choose what permissions to give them like editing, commenting only, or viewing only to restrict access to options like downloading or copy/pasting your content.
How to get google docs:
If you have a gmail account, you already have docs. Just open a tab in your browser, sign into your Google account, and enter docs.google.com.
If not, follow these instructions to set up a free Google account. It will give you 15 gigabytes of free online storage with Drive and features like Gmail, Docs, Keep (a note taking application that I highly recommend), and Maps.
I found it extremely easy to migrate to after being familiar with Microsoft Word!
What program do you use to write? Or do you prefer paper and pen?
December 16, 2016
Free eBook Tutorial!
I have made a lot of these for my sisters…
…so I decided to share how in a simple eBook tutorial!
The result was The $5 Dollhouse. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the materials involved in creating the above dollhouse cost as little as $5!
Have you been wondering what to give a certain little girl for Christmas?
Are a you a hobbyist looking for another dollhouse shell to decorate?
Have you ever wanted to make a dollhouse but been stopped by not having special tools or the time to invest? (from thefivedollardollhouse.com)
I am telling you this today, because for a limited time The $5 Dollhouse is FREE!!! Go check it out!!!!
If you have any related questions, please shoot me an email at info@thefivedollardollhouse.com.
December 13, 2016
Introducing Novel X
Remember how I wrote the rough draft of a novel during NaNoWriMo? Well, I’m finally ready to share a little bit about “Novel X”.
Drum-roll please! (Note: all synopses and excerpts are still liable to change.)
Jack grew up being careful about who he shared his faith with; a wrong move could land him in jail. But when his sister is drafted and pleads religious exemption, he finds out worse. Christians are facing death.
CROS is a covert agency dedicated to protecting Christians from lethal persecution. After they extract his family from post-tolerance America, Jack has no choice but to join CROS or leave the country as well. Living a life where execution for treason is imminent, he throws himself into the lifesaving work of an emergency medic. Caring for the injured brings zero challenges to his pacifistic beliefs. But when the leader of CROS is kidnapped, it falls to Jack and a veteran resistance fighter to find and rescue him from the deadly police force before it’s too late. Violence may be the only option. Is it a price Jack can pay?
I spent the month of October plotting and gathering inspiration. I like to draw so I drew these two supporting characters from photographs. I haven’t been able to bring myself to drawing a portrait of the protagonist yet. I need it to be just right.
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“I’ll get it.” Jack looked through the window beside the door. A tall man with dirty brown hair, an evening beard, and his hand resting on the gun at his side, waited rather impatiently. He didn’t look like police, especially the way he glanced around constantly as if he was worried he’d be seen.
Chris stood by while Jack opened the door cautiously. He didn’t get a chance to open his mouth.
“Good evening, my name is Britain. I’m with the agency CROS. I believe we have fugitives here?”
Chris stepped into his field of vision. “Mrs. Bloyd, her daughter, and her son are in need of your services.”
“What’s your name?” Britain was pointing at Jack.
“Um… Jack, sir. I’m a medical student at the university.”
“Oh, you’re the kid who called the draft board?”
“Yes.” Jack felt his neck burning. It had been a silly, desperate move.
“Okay, so you’ve got options. You can stay in the country and help out with the situation, or you can go with the women. Orrr…. my boss would probably be happy for a medical man on the team. It’d keep you busy. You’d get room, board, and criminal status. Your choice.”
Wow, this is getting me excited again about revising it! Back to work on Novel X!
Does this sound like something you would want to read?
