Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 73

Staked

One of the challenges a gardener faces every growing season is staking trees and plants so they grow straight and upright. In my own gardening efforts, after having to repeat the staking process when the plants grew too heavy with fruit, it occurred to me that the uprightness of the plant depends solely on the object to which it is staked. On its own, the plant will develop based on several factors--wind, precipitation, other plants, animals, and even its "natural" growth habit.



Unless we remained staked to the sturdiest of stakes, we will face the same problem. Outside forces and our "natural" man will determine our growth pattern. The only way to grow correctly is to stay staked to Christ in faith. Any attempt to gain righteousness based on our own efforts or supposed goodness will fail.



And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.~Philippians 3:9 (AMP)



We must remember that our righteous acts are like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). None of us are "good enough" or "righteous enough" on our own, but must depend on the righteousness of Christ through our faith (Romans 3).



Lord God, break our hearts for what grieves Yours. Everyone of us has missed the mark. Our self-righteousness must surely be a stench in Your nostrils. Thank You, Lord, for what You initiated through Christ--the forgiveness of our sins and the righteousness that comes from knowing Him as Lord and Savior. May we be quick to turn our back on sin and self-righteousness through our own efforts. Amen.

Book Review: "Full Disclosure" by Dee Henderson (& Book Giveaway!)

About The Book :

Ann Silver is a cop’s cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she
is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases,
looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region’s most trusted
investigative positions.



Paul Falcon is the FBI’s top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim
carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul
and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk
and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired
shooter he is tracking. Paul isn’t expecting to meet someone, the kind
that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his
attention.



The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely
scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and
U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the
former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who
they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what
secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case
file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love
with really is . . .



About The Author :

Dee Henderson is the author of 14 best-selling novels, including the
acclaimed O'Malley series and the Uncommon Heroes series. As a leader in
the inspirational romantic suspense category, her books have won or
been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the
RWA's RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt
Medallion, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Dee
is a lifelong resident of Illinois and is active online. Visit her at
www.deehenderson.com.



My Review :

As much as I hate to admit it, Full Disclosure was the first book by Dee Henderson that I completed. It's not my typical literary fare, but after writing a book that included mystery/suspense, I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't disappointed. I found the story to be well thought out and without unexplainable plot holes.  Her characterizations were rich. I connected with her heroine's (Ann Silver) introversion and ability to be happy and content apart from others, yet still able to have satisfying relationships. The hero (Paul Falcon) is not only likable, but worthy of hero status. The ending kept me guessing, though on more than one occasion I thought I had it figured out. I wasn't completely surprised by the ending, but there was enough of a surprise to make me glad I read the book.



All negatives I have are pretty minor. The overuse of pronouns (he, she) bothered me enough to pull me from the story on more than one occasion. Also, the dialogue tended to ramble in places without much clue as to facial expressions, movements and/or dialogue cues, and I found myself having to move back in the story to see who was speaking. There were a few places where the POV switched briefly within a scene, and though I loved the characters, I didn't find them flawed enough to come across as completely realistic. Although the characters were Christians and referenced their relationship to God and His Spirit, I wish there had been more showing of their dependence on God during tough decisions in their life, especially when it came to decisions about such a huge decision as marriage.



Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to others. I give it four out of five stars.



Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. The opinion expressed is my own and not affected by the fact that I received the book free of charge.



Giveaway :

I'm passing on my advance readers' edition to one of you. Please be aware that this edition of the book is not necessarily its final edited version. To be entered in the drawing, please leave your name and e-mail address in the comments section. The drawing will take place on Saturday, November 10, and the winner announced at that time. I will send an e-mail to the winner with instructions on how to claim your prize.



Happy Reading,



 

The First Day of NaNoWriMo! YAY!!!

Today, November 1, 2012, marks the first day of a month-long challenge to write 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month (AKA NaNoWriMo). I'll be joining writers from all around the world as we attempt to reach the 50,000 word mark. My novels are usually around the 80,000-85,000 mark, so I'm hoping to far surpass the NaNoWriMo goal. The daily word count I'm trying to reach is close to 3100 words every day except for Sundays.



As you know if you're a regular reader of this blog, I spent most of October not only launching The Way of Grace  (book three in the Miller's Creek novels), but also doing the pre-writing for book four in the series, Pilgrimage of Promise. Today is when I take the pre-writing and begin to turn it into my lousy first draft. (I call it a lousy first draft because that's exactly what first drafts are. Author Michael Crichton is credited with saying: "Books aren't written; they're rewritten." But I digress...)



Here's an introduction to the main characters and a snippet about Pilgrimage of Promise, though all of it is open to change at this stage in the game:



The heroine for the story is Mona Beth Adams, known to those who've read the Miller's Creek novels as the mother figure for Miller's Creek, Mama Beth. She has the faith of a child, the heart of a mother, and the wisdom that only comes from dependence on God through the hard knocks of life. This story is her journey from youth to adulthood, as she learns to clasp hold of God's promises.





For the young version of Mona Beth I choose Amanda Seyfried, a country girl with a feisty spirit, grit, and determination. For the older version, I choose Dame Judi Dench (minus the British accent, of course).





The hero of our story, though he is certainly not always heroic, is Bo Miller. (If you've kept track of the family lines of Miller's Creek, Bo is Steve Miller's dad.) As a high school heartthrob and young version of Bo, I choose James Marsden. For his older years, another James will play Bo quite well I think--James Garner.





Here's a mock-up cover and a short blurb about the book: A love that stands the test of time... The love between Bo Miller and Mona Beth Adams has survived the worst--family differences, distance, war, betrayal. Now they face the trial of death and painful memories that neither of them want to resurrect. Could a dusty stack of crumbling love letters hold the key to moving past the pain of faulty human promises to discover again the glorious promises of God?



Prayer Request: Please pray as I write this story that I'll be able to adequately contrast the frailty of human promises with the rock-solid promises of God. Pray that God will move me out of the way and let His Spirit take control and write through me. Pray that through the writing of this story lives will be changed for God's glory and His Kingdom. Thank you!

Romance Story Elements

Who doesn't love a love story? Even grown men who might try to hide the fact enjoy romance. Everyone loves a happy ending. There's a reason why the romance genre is one of the most popular, so today we'll talk about romances.



Over the past week or so, we've been discussing the importance of story structure. In addition to the various elements of story structure (the call to adventure, inciting incident, disasters, mid-point, black moment, climax, etc.), each genre brings with it certain elements that must be present. A mystery wouldn't be a mystery without a crime, clues and red herrings. A fantasy novel wouldn't be a fantasy without a fantastic story world and its creatures, usually symbolic in nature. A thriller wouldn't be a thriller without a chain of frightening and heart-stopping events.



All of the Miller's Creek novels are romances. Though they also include some mystery and suspense, at the very heart they are love stories. And each love story must have certain story elements in order be categorized as a romance. Some have probably already come to mind, like Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl Back Again (though it's fun to put a few twists on this age-old scenario, like having the girl lose the boy!). By the way, I'll be referring to the movie, The Wedding Planner for examples, so if you haven't yet seen the movie--spoiler alert!!!



Boy Meets Girl

This is an obvious element of a romance. You can't exactly have a love story without the meeting. Usually this occurs in the very first scene of the story. If it doesn't, you'd better make it happen as soon as possible or you'll lose the reader who's expecting a romance. Sometimes the meeting will be magical, as if pre-destined, but there will be at least one reason why they can't let the other know how they feel. (We'll discuss this further below.) But often, sparks will fly at this first meeting--possibly from a prior relationship or prior knowledge of this person--maybe they're even mortal enemies. Regardless of how this scene plays out, it is a necessary element for a romance.



Intrigue

Even if one or both of your characters are not necessarily looking for romance, in the beginning, there must be something about the other character that intrigues them. It doesn't have to something major. It can be a quirk that captures their attention. In The Wedding Planner, Mary is intrigued that Steve throws out some of his M&Ms.



Open and Available

In addition to the first meeting, there has to be something in your hero/heroine that makes them not only available, but amenable to falling in love. They might fight it at first, but there is still something within them--loneliness, stage of life, friends who all have a significant other--something that makes them long for a romantic relationship. In The Wedding Planner, the opening scene shows Mary (played by Jennifer Lopez) aptly handling all the intricacies of a wedding, but returning home to a meal alone. We see her loneliness.



A Connection

There must be something in the story line that brings the hero and heroine into contact with each other. In The Wedding Planner, just by virtue of the fact that Mary is planning Steve's wedding, they are brought into contact with each other.



A Draw

At first glance you might think this is the same as a connection, but I use the word connection as a circumstances that put them in close proximity with each other. The draw is different in the fact, that after their initial intrigue, they begin to feel closer to each other. Maybe they share the same values and/or beliefs, or perhaps they have a common cause that unites them.



Pros and Cons

In order to bring tension and conflict into your story--yes, you must have it tension and conflict even in a romance to have a story--there must be reasons for the relationship and reasons against it. Returning to The Wedding Planner, she meets him before she knows he's the groom for one of her clients. Not only does she meet him, he saves her life. He's a doctor, good with children, handsome as all get out--what's not to love? In addition he dances with her at an outdoor movie and almost kisses her, not revealing the fact that he's engaged to be married. Many pros and cons are great for creating that conflict that is needed to keep readers turning pages.



In Every Scene

This might go without saying, but I thought I'd include it just in case. The romance is your story, so either the hero, the heroine, or both characters must be in every scene. Without their presence, the romance flavor of your novel is lost.



Falling in Love

Through the course of the story, the writer of a romance novel has to include "date" scenes where the couple gradually fall in love. Don't get me wrong. They don't have to go on a typical "date," but must through their time together have the opportunity to grow emotionally closer to the other. Readers (and us writers, too!) love these scenes, so make them fun--hot air balloon rides, bungee jumping, a romantic picnic--let your imagination run wild. (HINT: This is one of the reasons I like to watch romance movies and The Bachelor/Bachelorette--to get ideas for date scenes!)



Boy Loses Girl

In a romance, this will be your Black Moment (3/4 mark in the story), though you can certainly have another black moment that goes along with your story line. Returning to The Wedding Planner, Steve calls off his own wedding only to learn that Mary has left for City Hall and her own wedding! This moment should make the readers heart stop. They're invested their own hearts by now. They know our hero and heroine belong together!



Sacrifice

Any time you can include an element of sacrifice in any story--romance or not--you will score major points with the reader. Being willing to sacrifice something that means a lot to them reveals oodles about your hero and heroine. Who can forget the classic short story by O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, where he sells his watch to buy her combs for her hair and she cuts and sells her hair to buy him a chain for his watch? Heart-touching...



Together At Last

This will be the Climax in your story structure, the moment when our hero and heroine have resolved their differences and fully pledge their love and commitment to one another.



Happily Ever After

This is a classic element for romance novels, but it should be mentioned that some of the greatest love stories of all time have ended with tragedy--Romeo and Juliet and Love Story to name just a couple. But even in the midst of the tragedy, the reader senses that this is a love that extends beyond death.



I've listed all the elements that I can think of, but you may be able to think of others. If so, please share them in the comments. Also, let me recommend a great resource for those of you who write romance: Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin. (Actually this meaty book is full of useful writing information, regardless of whether you write romance or some other genre.)



Happy Writing,

Pre-Writing Your Story: Scene Synopsis (Free Printable Form)

With the pre-writing process behind me, and NaNoWriMo directly ahead, I decided to share another part of my preparation with you. After I use Randy Ingermanson's awesome snowflake form to brainstorm my novel-in-progress, I use the three-act story structure form I shared with you last week to create a scene-by-scene synopsis. Here's a glimpse into what it looks like for the fourth book in the Miller's Creek novels, Pilgrimage of Promise:







Act/Scene and Chapter :

This helps me keep the story structure in mind as I write. Though I've filled in the chapter number in the example above, most of the chart is still blank. I like to keep my chapters in the 8-12 page range, so some of these scenes may end up being combined. I will fill in the chapter number as I write.



Who? (POV) :

For any fiction-writing newbies reading this post, POV stands for point-of-view, and it's the character whose head we're inside of for the telling of the scene. I hear that the "rule" for fiction writing today is to keep the entire scene in the point of view of one character, but I see this rule broken all the time. In a book I'm reading now, the author doesn't follow the rule, and frankly, I find it highly confusing. It truly does yank me from the story world temporarily, which is the last thing an author wants.



What? (Goal) :

For every scene, the main character has to have a goal (in addition to the goal he/she has for the story). They don't have to always reach the goal, but they should at least have one to keep the story moving forward. Think about it for a second. Each of us knows at least a few seconds ahead of time what our next plan of action is, even if it's just heading to the couch to veg for a while.



Where?:

I worked at a newspaper office during my last years of high school, and one thing I was taught for journalistic articles is to answer the questions--who, what, where, when, why, and how--as soon as possible. The same holds true for writing stories. The only difference would be that you want to answer the questions in a way that's realistic to the story. As I write the chapter, I will throw bits of description into the scene--a steady beep from the left side of the bed, an antiseptic smell, dim lights, footsteps against tile floors, etc.--to clue the reader in. Then I'll probably have the exact location come out in dialogue. Never underestimate the importance of adding this step to a scene. Without it, the reader feels out of place, and can't ground the characters in the scene.



When?:

Same thing holds true for this column. The reader needs to have some idea of the time period. Again, this can be shared via clothing or hairstyle trends, television programs, recent news, and/or dialogue.



Why? (Motivation): 

Debra Dixon's awesome book on GMC (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict) is a must-read for any writer of fiction, because without these three elements you do not have a story. Writers must know and communicate to the reader why the POV character wants what she wants. I can't tell you the number of times I've had readers want to know "why?" even for minor characters. Chalk it up to nosiness, but inquiring minds want to know!



Why Not? (Conflict) :

Without tension and conflict, your story is as viable as a screen door on a submarine. Donald Maass does a great job of explaining the importance of tension in his book and workbook, Writing the Breakout Novel. Stories without conflict are B.O.R.I.N.G. Don't believe me? Pick up a book and start reading. When you come to a section you'd like to skim, look to see if there is any type of conflict in that particular passage. I'd be willing to wager that there's not.



Scene Summary :

This is just what it says, and this is what you'll use the most when you start writing your scene. I would advise you to simply read the summary before you write, then take off without your internal editor. (That part comes later in the process.)



Scene Intensity:

In Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, he talks about keeping the scene intensity varied. Using a 1-10 scale, with 10 being over-the-top, the author wants to save those over-the-top scenes for the turning points of the novel. (If you're not sure what turning points are, see my post on three-act story structure.) If you keep the intensity the same for each scene, the story will either wear the reader out, eventually bore them, or make the story completely unbelievable. You'll notice that on my chart example, the box is left blank. That's because at the time I wrote this post, I had not yet written this chapter. It will most like be a fairly intense scene in order to hook the reader.



Hopefully this will be helpful to you other writers out there. If you'd like a free printable form for the Scene-By-Scene Synopsis, click HERE to download a Google Doc. (You can also create your own using a spreadsheet or a table.)



Happy Writing,

Broken Walls

They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heavens. ~Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NIV)



When we moved to a rural area and built raised beds for our garden, we also surrounded the area with a fence to keep critters away from the fruits of our labor. A neighbor from across the road came by shortly after this and commented on the wisdom of putting up a fence since raccoons had demolished her tomato crop the summer before.



There is much application here for our spiritual lives. Walls were important to cities because they offered protection. No wonder Nehemiah was upset when he heard the news about Jerusalem. Gardens, cities, our lives, all need protection from outside sources of evil that threaten us on a regular basis. This calls for utmost caution and self-control.



Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks no self-control. ~Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)



We would be wise to tend to breaches in the wall as soon as we notice them--that disconnect from God in one area or another, a tiny compromise in what we allow in your life. Weeds and freezing water widen the gap. Satan, a wayward vine, watches for a gap and will rapidly take a mile instead of the inch you offer. One day you'll awaken to find that he has completely breached the wall, and you'll face major repairs.



We should take the same stance as Nehemiah when we recognize the broken walls in our lives--weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying to the God of heaven. He is the only One capable of helping us rebuild the walls.



Father God, help us realize the importance of searching for gaps in the walls of our temple, knowing that Your Spirit indwells us. Turn Your Holy Light upon our lives and reveal to us areas of compromise and sin. Grant us what we need to rebuild the walls so that we might be better vessels for Your use. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Cause of Death

...but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ~James 1:14-15



For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 6:23



I scanned the garden I had neglected for several weeks. My neglect and carelessness resulted in a bumper crop of weeds. I had lots of excuses--I was busy, life was hectic, other projects held more importance--all true, but none a good enough reason for the disarray in front of me. Now weeds towered above the flowers and vegetables, blocking life-giving sun and soaking up precious rain and nutrients from the soil, choking out the good plants and killing them.



It is the same with sin in our lives. We have lots of excuses on why we let sin stay--it's no big deal, I'll take care of it later, it's such a little thing--but none of them are good excuses. Pretty soon our soul's garden is overcome with not only the sin we allowed to stay, but a host of other sins which decided to move in when we weren't looking.



Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. ~1 Corinthians 5:6b-7



That's why Christ gave such a vivid description of what to do when our flesh causes us to sin in Matthew 5:29-30: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (NIV) We wouldn't hesitate to give a physician the okay to amputate a limb because of a malignancy. We should be just as decisive in dealing with sin.



From the beginning of time, in the very first garden, The cost of sin has been death. Though sin doesn't always lead to physical death, it does lead to death of some sort--certainly spiritual death. Death hurts. It's painful. It affects not only us, but those connected to us.



All of the scripture passages mentioned are clear about the pervasiveness of sin. That is why it is so important to keep a check of ourselves, to draw near to the Lord through prayer and reading the scriptures, to allow His Holy Spirit to cast light on our darkness so we can repent, turn away from our sin, and turn to God.



Father, thank You for being the Master Gardener of our souls and lives. You were the one who warned Adam and Eve against the danger of sin, and You were there after the fall with Your plan of redemption to buy us back from sin and death. May we be quick to allow You access to our lives, so Your light can shine into the deep recesses our hearts and weed out our sin. May we then yield a bountiful crop for You and Your Kingdom. Amen.

HWJDI?

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you're familiar
with the WWJD? campaign. For a while WWJD? seemed to be emblazoned on
bumper stickers, t-shirts, jewelry, and even billboards.



As
followers of Christ, we should certainly ask and answer the question
"What would Jesus do?" But perhaps we should also ask ourselves "How
would Jesus do it?" or "How would Jesus have me do it?"



All of us are far too tuned-in to the world and to each other. We
see one church have success with a particular program and we
automatically think it's a format and formula to be copied. The problem
with that type of thinking is that we put our focus on the format and
formula instead of on following. Following involves doing what Christ
would do in the way He would do it.



Even Peter struggled with the tendency to tune-in to others
instead of Jesus. Remember when Jesus appeared after the resurrection
and gave the thrice-denying disciple a three-time chance to proclaim his
love? "Peter, do you love Me? Peter, do you love Me? Peter, do you love
Me?" (John 21)



After a triple profession of his love for Jesus, Peter still didn't get it. Jesus told him how his life would play out, but he looked back at John and asked: "What about him?"



Jesus' response seems pretty harsh: "What is that to you? You follow ME!"



Harsh
or not, I think Jesus would say the same to us. Our job isn't to model
ourselves or our ministries or our church programs after someone else.



Our job is simply to follow Christ.



Jesus,
our hearts' desire is to be effective in our work for Your Kingdom. But
in our humanity, we struggle with how to do the work and often end up
following others instead of You. Forgive us. Help us to stay so in step
with Your Spirit that we know not only what You would do, but how You
want us to do it. In Your precious Name we pray, Amen.

Three-Act Story Structure (& Free Printable Form)

As I finish up plotting the fourth installment in the Miller's Creek novels, Pilgrimage of Promise, in preparation for NaNoWriMo, I thought perhaps a post on story structure might be helpful for any of you writers out there.



Story structure literally saved my writing career. In my younger years I attempted to write several novels, but with each one I would hit this invisible wall and didn't know where to head next. When I finally realized I needed to treat my writing like a college degree, I "discovered" story structure. What an impact it had on my writing.



I can already here the complaints of some of you...formulaic writing, blah, blah, blah... ; )



Not exactly. Consider the human body as an example. Each of us have a skeletal system, but that doesn't mean we're all alike. Another example are houses. Each one has a structure beneath what we see, but the outward appearance of each is different. If I still haven't convinced you, then I challenge to take your favorite books and movies and dissect them. You'll see story structure beneath each. There will be minor differences, but the major structure will be there.



Here are the different components you might find within three-act story structure: (NOTE: There are oodles of books written on story structure, and my list is by no means exhaustive; it's just a starting point.)



ACT I - (approximately the first 25% of the story)


Begins with Ordinary World/Opening Image
Establishes mood, tone, location, theme
Introduce characters

Goals
Motivations
Relationships
Worldviews
Attitudes
Prejudices
Fears
Strengths
Weaknesses/Fatal Flaw
Lies they believe
Wounds

Introduce setting/time period
Introduce story situation
Establish stakes for hero/heroine
Turning Point #1 (within in first 20 pages if possible): Hooking Moment/Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Set up major story question
Foreshadow conflict/antagonist
Possible meeting with mentor/wise one
Introduce allies

ACT II- A - (25% of the story) - Plot Point #1/Turning Point #2: Inciting Incident  (This catapults the main character into the real story which begins at Act II.)


Shows how hero/heroine reacts to change and conflict
Hero/heroine creates new plan
Further reveals the antagonist's plan
Main character explores options, tests the water, fails and regroups, may fight against the antagonist, but lose
Find out who their friends and foes are
Their "lie" or "fatal flaw" appears to be true
The mentor/wise one point to a better way of thinking/acting
Tests and training to expose strengths/weaknesses
Disaster #1 (3/8ths mark) - shows the antagonist in full swing
Gradually reveals backstory as needed

ACT II-B -  (25% of the story) MID-POINT/Turning Point #3: Point of No Return


The battle gets intensely personal
A taste of death
Often mirrors the Black Moment in some way
Main character plans and tries a new mode of attack
Disaster #2 (5/8ths mark) 
Impossible choices
Loss of key allies
A lull in the story (to contrast with the destruction about to follows)

ACT III - (25% of the story) Plot Point #2/ Turning Point #4: Black Moment


 Battle between main character and antagonist
Turning Point #5: Climax
Reveals how character has changed
Removal of lie/flaw
Resolution of story problem/question
Preview of future
Closing Image

Hope this helps you with your own stories. I think you'll be amazed at how easy it makes the pre-writing process. If you'd like to use the story structure form I created to help me with my stories, click HERE to go to my Google Doc where you'll be able to print it out.



And here are some resources that will help you further with story structure:


Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress
Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham
Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K. M. Weiland
Story Engineering by Larry Brooks
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Happy Writing,

Limited Opportunity

Every good gardener knows that each part of the gardening process has a limited window of opportunity. Regardless of whether it's time to till the soil, plant the seed, water, prune, weed, mulch, pick the crops, or prepare the soil for next year's crop, things have to be done on a timetable or not at all.



When Jesus told His followers: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field" (Matthew 9:37), those with an agricultural background immediately knew what He meant. If the harvest was left too long, it would rot on the plant or die and fall to the ground.



Oh, that we would grasp the urgency of Christ's words! All around us are those desperate for a harvester. The seed has been planted, the Spirit has worked, but we rush on our way, oblivious to the golden fields around us. In addition, those who feel called to serve in mission fields are often turned away because of lack of funding.



The Lord of the harvest must surely be angry and disappointed with us. We've pledged our lives to Him and promised to follow Him, but refuse to put our hands to the scythe or give so others might go.



Father, open our eyes to the fields of white. We sometimes neglect to go because we feel like no one will hear us. But Your Word tells us just the opposite when it says that the harvest is plentiful. The only scarcity is in the workers. May we be quick to say, "Here am I, Lord, send me." Amen.