Edie Melson's Blog, page 125

How Are We Stewarding the Gifts God Has Given Us for Writing?

by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
“When GAWD blesses you, He don’t even have you in mind.” 
Thus declared Dr. E.V. Hill, pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in Los Angeles, California. A man with a big voice and an even bigger faith, Dr. Hill encouraged his congregation to look beyond themselves as they stewarded their time, talent, and treasure. “God will give it to you,” he said, “if He knows He can give it through you.”
God brought Dr. Hill’s words to mind when I received the advance on my first book. Our family has always set aside the first portion our income to give to our local church, so I knew we’d give part of it to God’s work. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops,” Proverbs 3:9 reminds us.
As I thought back over God’s faithfulness on the long journey to publication, I remembered how He had led a dear friend, Sister Freda, from Kenya, to commit to pray for the success of Refresh Your Faith. “What if we donated a portion of the revenue from this book to Sister Freda’s ministry in Kenya?” I asked my husband, David. He wholeheartedly agreed.
My second book, Refresh Your Prayers, launched at the beginning of the war between Ukraine and Russia. I felt troubled and committed to pray for the believers in Eastern Europe impacted by the war. Again, I felt the Spirit nudging me to do more than pray—to earmark a tithe of the book’s proceeds to help the Ukrainians and those ministering to them.
When David and I prayed about which ministry to come alongside with Refresh Your Hope (releasing January 2023), our thoughts kept returning to a local ministry we’ve supported for years. Coincidentally called A Moment of Hope , this non-profit ministers to women and babies in crisis pregnancies. 
I hesitated to touch on this topic as I prayed about what to share with you on this month’s The Write Conversation blog. Verses about giving in secret, not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing, and never giving for others to see echoed in my mind. But at the same time, I wanted to share how the Lord has led us in the hope that He might choose to similarly inspire you. As God blesses you, I encourage you to prayerfully consider how He might have you use your resources to help others.
Don’t wait until you have a book advance from which to give. Many other ways exist to invest in God’s kingdom from the overflow of our writing. Has your local writers group blessed you? Give a tithe of your time to help the leadership. Do you believe in a local ministry? Use your writing talent to help them with communication. Are you part of a local church? Help with your church’s newsletter. Has God blessed you financially? Ask Him how to use those resources to help others.
When we remember that God owns it all—time, talent, and treasure—we can freely share what He’s entrusted to us with others. What a privilege. What a joy.
Now it’s your turn. How have you given back out of the overflow of your writing? Leave a comment and share your story.
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?1 Corinthians 4:7
TWEETABLEHow Are We Stewarding the Gifts God Has Given Us for Writing? Insight from @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Lori Hatcher is an author, blogger, writing instructor, women’s ministry speaker, and career dental hygienist. She writes for Our Daily Bread, Guideposts, Revive Our Hearts, and Crosswalk.com. Lori’s latest devotional, Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise, released March 1 with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com or on Facebook, Twitter(@lorihatcher2) or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

Common Writing Obstacles (part 5 ): Taking Risks

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas
Write the Story
Writing is risky. And not just in the sense of facing physical danger. Although I’m sure many writers did face physical danger at one time that stimulated or inspired them to write their story.
There are other risks every writer faces. More mundane than climbing Mt. Everest, but just as real. The underlying source of these risks is fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of embarrassment. Fear of failing.
First, there is the risk of writing the book. Am I capable of writing a book? Can I even write? We risk ridicule from family and friends who think they know us better than we know ourselves. 
As we sit to write, maybe the words of our high school English teacher come to mind: “I gave this essay an F because the school won’t let me grade any lower. I suggest looking into a career as an auto mechanic. You’ll never make it as a writer of anything beyond grocery lists.” Or words to that effect. The sound you heard was the crashing of a dream to dust, or a tornado ripping the house of your confidence from its foundation and scattering it beyond recovery.
As your fingers hover over the keyboard, maybe a memory resurrects of being cut from the baseball team and the coach made it clear it was because you don’t have what it takes.
Let me say this right here: if you want to write, you have what it takes. It probably needs to be developed and refined. As I wrote in an earlier post, we can learn the craft of writing. What we need is the discipline to write and the courage to seek help to learn so we can make our story better.
The Critique Group
For many of us, the next huge risk is taking our work to a critique group. Maybe our story is finished. Maybe we’ve reached the point where we want feedback on how we’re doing and where we need to go from here. So, we join a critique group. 
Here we face the risk of rejection from other writers. We’re rookies moving into the realm of professionals. Some may be published. Others are probably much further down the road than we are. Unfortunately, a few others may be prima donnas who think they know all there is to know about writing and you simply need to write like they do. 
I think this is a risk we must take to grow as writers even though we face the risk of rejection, of embarrassment, of failing in front of a community we desperately want to be a part of. 
The critique group is where we learn to assess more than our writing. We also learn to discern valuable feedback from not so valuable feedback. Biblically, we learn to separate the wheat of feedback that helps from the chaff of feedback that doesn’t. And this takes a while to learn. 
We may not click with our first critique group. Personalities and styles rub the wrong way. We may test several groups before finding the best one for us. And it’s not the one that always praises our writing. We need a group that challenges us to grow and take chances. 
How to Edit
We’ve finished our manuscript. By this I mean we’ve written the equivalent of two drafts. Our first draft and then revised it with feedback from our critique group. Now what?
We have options. We can edit it ourselves. It is possible and feasible to edit ourselves. Our approach needs to be as an editor, not an author. We need to shift from right brain to left brain. There are resources available. Two I recommend are Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King. The other is Revision and Self-Editing for Publication by James Scott Bell. I also wrote a series of blogs on self-editing. The links are at the end of this blog. 
Another risk here is doing it on our own or paying a freelance editor to do it for us. I recommend doing it yourself and then hiring an editor to do it. We’re too close to our work to give the honest appraisal it needs. If we’re diligent when we self-edit, it frequently makes the job of the hired editor easier. And it helps us prepare a polished product for when we take the risk of pitching to agents and publishers.
We can hire an outside editor. Or we can rely on the publisher to edit. The problem is at this point, we most likely do not have a publisher. Why? Because our manuscript is not the best it could be. It needs an edit and probably more drafts. My first published novel had eight drafts before it won its contest. Then we had one more edit with the publisher before it was released.
Or maybe we decide to self-publish. That’s great. But then we definitely need a professional editor. And a cover designer along with other professionals to help make a quality product. This is a subject for another blog. Because this one is already long enough.
What are some of the risks you’ve taken in your writing? What lessons did you learn? Would you do it again?
TWEETABLECommon Writing Obstacles (Part 5): Taking Risks - from Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Don't Miss the Rest of the Posts in This Series!
COMMON WRITING OBSTACLES (PART 1): TIME
COMMON WRITING OBSTACLES (PART 2): TALENT VS LEARNING
COMMON WRITING OBSTACLES (PART 3): PERFECTIONISM
COMMON WRITING OBSTACLES (PART 4): WORLD BUILDINGCOMMON WRITING OBSTACLES (PART 5): TAKING RISKS

Links to The Art of Self-Editing Blogs:The Art of Self Editing Part 1The Art of Self-Editing, Part 2The Art of Self-Editing, Part 3The Art of Self-Editing, Part 4The Art of Self-Editing, Part 5
Henry’s debut novel, Journey to Riverbend, won the 2009 Operation First Novel contest.
Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers.
Connect with Henry on his BLOG, TWITTER and FACEBOOK.

How the Sounds of Words Affect Emotion

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Our ancestors struggled to develop language and communication skills. I imagine the beginnings of those grunts were emotionally motivated. Ugh! A dinosaur is coming.Ah. The scent of a spring morning.Mmm. The food smells good.Ohhhh. I hurtOver time, words grew out of necessity and a need to communicate effectively. Sounds and meanings were emotionally connected then and are today. The sound of a word doesn’t necessarily tell us what it means, but we can project to the listener what it means by the way it affects us emotionally. For example, a mother tells her baby who doesn’t have a grasp of language “No.” The emotion the mother uses shows her baby the negative connotation of the word.
We communicate through verbal and nonverbal means. Body language has been estimated at 70 - 90% of our communication. However blind people have an emotional reaction to words, and that indicates our body language may or may not influence how a phrase or word is interpreted emotionally 
Writers enhance the reader’s adventure through the word’s spelling, context, and rhythm. The sounds of our words evoke emotion, mood, setting, and genre due to the way they flow from our mouths. The study of word sounds can be a euphony—pleasing to the ear. Those sweet sounds and words make us smile. Or sounds can be a cacophony—harsh to the ear. Those sounds can disturb, frighten, or just annoying.
So how does a writer use euphony and cacophony to affect a character and influence reader?s
To ease the heart and mind of a character, use words with long vowels and soft consonants. Words with long vowels sounds can calm the reader and relax them. Those with soft consonants are easier to say and soothing to the ear.Oh, honey. You have my love.You can join our fun.To create an element of disturbance, use hard consonants, especially with words containing lots of T, K, and P. The emotional stress will rise in the character and the reader.Keep out. Jerk. I’ll kill you with this pitchfork.Many words ending with “y” are light, even fun. PrettyDaintyLovelyCheeryIn writing romance, create phrases of beauty, love, and longing. The words alone speak of the character’s feelings. The rhythm of our sentences often causes emotive responses. Short sentences tend to speed up the action and pacing. Long sentences slow the pace and can relax the reader. 
The use of symbols, tangible items that psychologically mean something else can establish emotional levels. For example: a cruel father who uses a belt to discipline a child may grow into an adult and still experience fear at the sight of a belt. Another example: a mother who makes hot chocolate for a child who’s had a rough day often means the adult will long for hot chocolate after experiencing a difficult day.
For the writer who is looking to develop a unique character, consider Misophonia. This is a condition in which a person can become furious at the sound of certain words. To cope, these people may need counseling or ear-cancelling earphones to balance their emotional reactions. Misophonia triggers might include the sound of someone chewing food or gum, ticking of a clock, loud music, and etc.
Writer, read your passages aloud or use text-to-voice. Are the emotions evident and engage the reader to continue turning pages?
TWEETABLEHow the Sounds of Words Affect Emotion, tips from @DiAnnMills on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. 
She is the former director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson. Connect here: DiAnnMills.com

Dipping the Quill Deeper—Words and Writings

by Eva Marie Everson
If you follow me at all, if you know only a little about me, you may know that my favorite devotional book is A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants , compiled and edited by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck. Reading from it, and underlining those words that resonate best within me, is a part of my early morning routine. I also read from this book often as a part of my Word Weavers International private Facebook group monthly devotion. 
Just today I came across an entry that, while I may have read it before, the words spoke louder to me on this reading than other readings.
I want to share it with you . . . in bits and pieces . . . because I hope you will take the time necessary to allow it to wash over you as it has me.
From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay O God, we thank you for all those in whose words and in whose writings your truth has come to us.
Think about this for a moment. Whose writings do you read? Whose writings with God’s truth do you devour? Do you have your go-to books that are a part of your daily time with the Lord? Why do you love and appreciate these books, or these works, so much? As a writer, what is it about these particular books that resonate within you? When you pray over your own work, do you ask God to use your words in these same ways—to bless the hearts and lives and souls of your readers?
For the historians, the psalmists and the prophetswho wrote the Old Testament;For those who wrote the Gospels and the Lettersof the New Testament . . .
When those Hebrew writers of the Old Testament and those Jewish writers of the New Testament sat to write their histories and their songs and poems and their warnings and predictions and their memories and their letters of encouragement and their visions. . . do you think they ever once imagined that one day, collectively, their words would be a part of the greatest, the most bestselling book of all time? Or that nearly every Christian home (and, for those of what we refer to as the OT, nearly every Jewish home) would have at least one copy on their shelves. Would they imagine that the pages are tearstained and fingerprinted and underlined or that, sadly, some of their covers have gathered dust from lack of use? Could they have imagined how God would use their words long after their deaths? 
Can you begin to imagine how God may use yours?
For all who in every generationhave taught and explained and expounded andpreachedthe word of Scripture; We thank you, O God.
Perhaps your shelves are lined and stacked with books such as these—works by Calvin and Henry and Spurgeon, Lucado and Wiersbe and Arthur—and perhaps you write in this way, to explain the Scriptures and expound and preach. Or perhaps you explain and teach by writing fiction. Just today I listened to a podcast in which the speaker, a priest, discussed how the sin of one of our biblical greats—King David—had wreaked havoc on the lives of those who were innocent of his sin. In that listening, I reflected on some of my own works of fiction and how I have attempted to show the devastation of chosen sin, not only on the sinner but on those who get caught in the crossfire. This is why—whether fiction or nonfiction, whether for adults or for children, whether blogposts or full-length books—we write, as the apostle John said, “to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:4).
Grant, O God, that no false teaching may ever have any power to deceive us or to seduce us from the truth.
Are you careful with what you read? Are you careful with what you watch? With what you allow your ears to hear? Have you ever picked up a book that you thought was godly, only to discover that it was not? This happened to me a few years ago. Everywhere I turned, I read rave reviews on a book that appeared Christian in context. But within a few pages, I recognized that it did not line up with the Word of God (and I knew this because I have spent the majority of my life reading and learning the Word of God). I immediately tossed the book. I didn’t give it away and I didn’t burn it. I simply threw it away and “ate” the money I’d spent on it. These works have no place on our bookshelves and their words have no place in our hearts. We pray, yes, that God will keep us from them, but we must also be brave enough that when we come across them we say, “Not for me.” How can we ever hope to write truth if we read lies?
(To be continued. . .)
TWEETABLEDipping the Quill Deeper—Words and Writings from Eva Marie Everson on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Eva Marie Everson is the president of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is the multiple award-winning author of 40 books and countless articles and blogposts. She is also an award-winning speaker and a Bible teacher. Eva Marie is often seen at writers conferences across the States. She served as a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and taught as a guest professor at Taylor University in 2011. She and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they enjoy their grandchildren. They are owned by one persnickety cat.

Dipping the Quill Deeper—Word and Writings

by Eva Marie Everson
If you follow me at all, if you know only a little about me, you may know that my favorite devotional book is A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants , compiled and edited by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck. Reading from it, and underlining those words that resonate best within me, is a part of my early morning routine. I also read from this book often as a part of my Word Weavers International private Facebook group monthly devotion. 
Just today I came across an entry that, while I may have read it before, the words spoke louder to me on this reading than other readings.
I want to share it with you . . . in bits and pieces . . . because I hope you will take the time necessary to allow it to wash over you as it has me.
From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay O God, we thank you for all those in whose words and in whose writings your truth has come to us.
Think about this for a moment. Whose writings do you read? Whose writings with God’s truth do you devour? Do you have your go-to books that are a part of your daily time with the Lord? Why do you love and appreciate these books, or these works, so much? As a writer, what is it about these particular books that resonate within you? When you pray over your own work, do you ask God to use your words in these same ways—to bless the hearts and lives and souls of your readers?
For the historians, the psalmists and the prophetswho wrote the Old Testament;For those who wrote the Gospels and the Lettersof the New Testament . . .
When those Hebrew writers of the Old Testament and those Jewish writers of the New Testament sat to write their histories and their songs and poems and their warnings and predictions and their memories and their letters of encouragement and their visions. . . do you think they ever once imagined that one day, collectively, their words would be a part of the greatest, the most bestselling book of all time? Or that nearly every Christian home (and, for those of what we refer to as the OT, nearly every Jewish home) would have at least one copy on their shelves. Would they imagine that the pages are tearstained and fingerprinted and underlined or that, sadly, some of their covers have gathered dust from lack of use? Could they have imagined how God would use their words long after their deaths? 
Can you begin to imagine how God may use yours?
For all who in every generationhave taught and explained and expounded andpreachedthe word of Scripture; We thank you, O God.
Perhaps your shelves are lined and stacked with books such as these—works by Calvin and Henry and Spurgeon, Lucado and Wiersbe and Arthur—and perhaps you write in this way, to explain the Scriptures and expound and preach. Or perhaps you explain and teach by writing fiction. Just today I listened to a podcast in which the speaker, a priest, discussed how the sin of one of our biblical greats—King David—had wreaked havoc on the lives of those who were innocent of his sin. In that listening, I reflected on some of my own works of fiction and how I have attempted to show the devastation of chosen sin, not only on the sinner but on those who get caught in the crossfire. This is why—whether fiction or nonfiction, whether for adults or for children, whether blogposts or full-length books—we write, as the apostle John said, “to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:4).
Grant, O God, that no false teaching may ever have any power to deceive us or to seduce us from the truth.
Are you careful with what you read? Are you careful with what you watch? With what you allow your ears to hear? Have you ever picked up a book that you thought was godly, only to discover that it was not? This happened to me a few years ago. Everywhere I turned, I read rave reviews on a book that appeared Christian in context. But within a few pages, I recognized that it did not line up with the Word of God (and I knew this because I have spent the majority of my life reading and learning the Word of God). I immediately tossed the book. I didn’t give it away and I didn’t burn it. I simply threw it away and “ate” the money I’d spent on it. These works have no place on our bookshelves and their words have no place in our hearts. We pray, yes, that God will keep us from them, but we must also be brave enough that when we come across them we say, “Not for me.” How can we ever hope to write truth if we read lies?
(To be continued. . .)
TWEETABLEDipping the Quill Deeper—Word and Writings from Eva Marie Everson on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Eva Marie Everson is the president of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is the multiple award-winning author of 40 books and countless articles and blogposts. She is also an award-winning speaker and a Bible teacher. Eva Marie is often seen at writers conferences across the States. She served as a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and taught as a guest professor at Taylor University in 2011. She and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they enjoy their grandchildren. They are owned by one persnickety cat.

Tips for Writing a Tag Line for Your Book

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan
The hardest thing you'll ever write is the tag line for a novel. How does one reduce 90K word novel to under fifteen? It's a hair-puller to be sure. 
The Difference Between aTag line & logline
There is a difference. A logline tells what the book is about—the main conflict, the main character, and the stakes. The tag line is a catch phrase—a hook. It doesn’t tell you anything specific about the story, but it does give you a feel for it in a way that a logline can’t. A tag line is what you see on movie posters or book covers. 
For starters, it needs to be short. A tag line is usually just one line. While you don't usually mention the genre in your tag line, readers should get an idea of whether it's i.e., romance or suspense. If your book is funny, your tagline should have a hint of humor in it. 
For the book that would become my first published novel, Chapel Springs Revival, I didn't try to write a tagline until the manuscript was completed. Then a writer buddy, who had read the manuscript, commented, "With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel." BINGO! I had a tag line, and you can see there is humor in this book. Fifteen words give you a sneak peek. 
Here are two examples of loglines vs. their tag lines:
Jaws Tag line: Don't go in the water.Logline: A sheriff must find and kill a man-eating and frighteningly intelligent shark before it murders again and scares away all the tourists who support his beach-front community. 
Lord of the RingsTag line: One ring to rule them all.Logline: A young hobbit needs to destroy an ancient, powerful ring before the evil overlord consumes the world in everlasting darkness.
Here are three favorites from other authors' books:
From Dust , by Eva Marie Everson: "Can an ordinary life leave an extraordinary legacy?" 
From With Love, Libby , by Roxanne Henke: "What happens when dreams come true?"
From Becoming Mrs. Lewis , by Patti Callahan: "In a most improbable friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice." This one is a little longer—still under 20 words. 
These are favorites from my books: 
From When the Bough Breaks : "Her dream job has a Catch 22 and time is running out." This hints at the suspense within this book.
From In High Cotton : "Southern women may look as delicate as flowers, but there's iron in their veins." Do you see what I was aiming for in this one? 
From On Sugar Hill : "She traded Sugar Hill for Vaudeville. Now she’s back." This doesn't say much about the story, yet it gives the feel of women's fiction. And it makes you wonder 
From By the Sweet Gum : "She's bound by duty. He's tethered to a dream." 
The toughest part of writing a tag line is cutting out what we as authors think should be there. Most of the time, it isn't needed at all. 
Join the conversation: What are some of your tag lines? Were they hard or easy for you to develop? 
TWEETABLETips for Writing a Tag Line for Your Book from @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw Mary Martin in PETER PAN, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. Years later, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, and The Write Conversation.
Featured Image: Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

True Character in the Characters You Write

by Craig von Buseck @CraigVonBuseck
Some of greatest literary characters in history are so beloved or reviled that they have become a part of our cultural consciousness. Just uttering their names transports us into their wonderful worlds—Ebenezer Scrooge, Scarlet O’Hara, Huckleberry Finn, Elizabeth Bennet, Captain Bligh—these characters and so many more have entertained us and taught us lessons that we have carried throughout our lives.
And it is not only fictional characters that have an impact. I can include in the list such notable real life characters as Elie Wiesel, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Golda Meir, Martin Luther King, Jr., Anne Frank—these inspiring true life characters have gone from stories to legends and have become engrained in our culture.
Character is the key to capturing the attention and the hearts of our readers. 
“At its most basic, as story begins with a character who wants something,” writes Jack Hart, “struggles to overcome barriers that stand in the way of achieving it, and moves through a series of actions—the actual story structure—to overcome them.”[1]
“The important thing is to remember that a story tends to rise and fall on the portrayal of the characters,” William Noble declares, “and character portrayal is simply an extension of drama and dramatic effect. Characters need to come alive on the page, and we do this by fleshing them out and allowing readers to blink, think and link … I understand that person … I’ve met him/her before … I really like that character…”[2]
“Character is the most important element of the story,” says Jon Franklin, “and the one on which all else depends. ‘Character’ has a literary definition. He or she is the human being whose life the complication complicates. It is he who acts, and is acted upon. It is he who reaches equilibrium when the resolution finally occurs.”
Well Rounded Characters
The way we get to know a character is by observing them as they live their life, as they confront and overcome obstacles, and as they interact with others—family, friends, associates, and even strangers. The character reveals himself or herself by being who they are.
“What does character do in a text?” Stepen Pyne asks. “At the simplest level, readers can identify with them—characters literally personify the story or theme. Most readers want to read about people; a book that can introduce characters even if its primary topic is a place, a social institution, or a scientific concept will elicit more reader interest; and of course character may be the object of inquiry, not simply a narrative device. Introducing character, or anchoring the text through characters, helps to crystallize the drama.”
Inner vs. External Struggle
The obstacles faced by a character can be either internal or external. But the struggle leading to character growth and change is primarily internal.
“It is my conviction that 75 percent of your story is your main character’s inner journey, or character arc,” writes Jeff Gerke. 
As an editor, Jeff has seen the lack of a satisfying inner journey in the characters of newer writers. “The protagonist may go through many trials and make a significant decision or take a big risk, but there’s something lacking.” Gerkes observes that this is something organic that, if it had been there, would have made the story truly special. He says the best story involves a main character who has a problem, an unresolved inner conflict.”[3]
“People don’t change,” Gerke explains, “until the cost of staying the same gets too high.”[4]
While the struggle happens internally, in narrative nonfiction we can only judge the change or the inner thoughts based on what the real person actually did, said, or wrote. Since our stories are true, we must maintain this journalistic integrity.
“There’s always danger in trying to get ‘inside’ a character with nonfiction because truth and reality may be elusive and incomplete,” William Noble cautions. “What a writer ‘thinks’ a character felt or didn’t feel can only be as accurate as the source the writer uses for the information. An attempt to ‘fictionalize’ in the interest of adding drama can only lead the writer into trouble.”[5]
The Protagonist
Your story revolves around the protagonist—the main character in any story. If the piece is written properly, the protagonist will be the person the audience cares most about.
Merriam-Webster defines a 'protagonist' as : the principal character in a literary work (such as a drama or story); the leading actor or principal character in a television show, movie, book, etc.; a leader, proponent, or supporter of a cause; a champion.[6]
“The protagonist of a story is the character most changed by the dramatic action,” Martha Alderson explains. “All other characters and the setting(s), too, influence the protagonist’s journey toward her goal directly, indirectly, or thematically. The growth and transformation of the protagonist is the line that runs through the entire plot.”[7]
The protagonist must be introduced to the reader quickly—in his or her best light—at the beginning of the book. 
“In the first quarter of your story, you are inviting the reader to develop a relationship with your protagonist,” Alderson explains. “Just as when you meet someone for the first time, begin by showing the character on her best behavior. Show off her strengths. Hint at her weaknesses and flaws, but keep them in the background. This gives the reader time to get to know and like the protagonist. As the reader becomes comfortable with the character, she is more apt to endure the protagonist’s flaws, fears, and prejudices, and to forgive her when she reveals the darker side of herself.”[8]
The Antagonist
According to the Britannica dictionary, an antagonist is the principal opponent or foil of the main character in a drama or narrative. The word is from the Greek antagnistḗs, “opponent or rival.”[9]
We see the key word “agon” in the center of both the words “protagonist” and “antagonist.” 
“In the ancient world, where abstract qualities such as luck, love, war, and victory were personified, humanized, and worshipped as gods, the potent force of polarity was recognized in the person of the Greek god Agon, the force of struggle and conflict,” writes Christopher Vogler.[10]
“Every protagonist needs to be opposed by someone to provide dramatic conflict,” writes script consultant Linda Seger. “This figure is the antagonist. Usually the antagonist is the person who stands against the hero. Mozart was the antagonist for Salieri; Darth Vader stood against Luke Skywalker… Sometimes the antagonist is a combination of people. It might be the ghosts in Ghostbusters or the townspeople in Jaws. In these cases, the antagonist might be a group of supporting characters whose function it is to keep the protagonist from achieving the goal.”[11]
“An engaging character with a long-term and worthy goal is not enough,” writes Martha Alderson. “To create excitement, something must impede the main character from moving forward. Antagonists—whether human or non-human, concrete or abstract—prevent the protagonist from achieving his goal and create conflict, tension, suspense, and curiosity.”
In every true life story—as in every person’s life—there are antagonistic forces keeping one from fulfilling their destiny. It is the forces of God arrayed against the forces of Lucifer in a cosmic battle—and we are all a part of it. It is the Jedi vs. the Sith. It is the Avengers vs. Thanos. It is light vs. darkness.
“The archetype known as the Shadow represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized, or rejected aspects of something,” Christopher Vogler explains. “The negative face of the Shadow in stories is projected onto characters called villains, antagonists, or enemies. Villains and enemies are usually dedicated to the death, destruction, or defeat of the hero. Antagonists may not be quite so hostile—they may be Allies who are after the same goal but who disagree with the hero’s tactics. Antagonists and heroes in conflict are like horses in a team pulling in different directions, while villains and heroes in conflict are like trains on a head-on collision course.”[12]
The Bible gives us several examples of this struggle, which is both natural and spiritual. It is quite a dramatic tale which all begins with God’s promise of a Savior who will fight against the spiritual enemy of mankind. Speaking to the deceptive serpent in the Garden of Eden – the one the Bible calls Satan or the devil – God declares:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”—Genesis 3:15, ESV.
This spiritual battle between the forces of God and the forces of the fallen angel, Lucifer, continue through the entire battle. There are some poignant passages that clearly identify the protagonist and the antagonist in Scripture.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.—1 John 3:8, ESV
When Satan is finally defeated at the end of days, the Bible gives this moving picture of God’s final victory over evil:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”—Revelation 21:3-5, ESV
Change is absolutely necessary in the telling of a rich story. If your character doesn’t significantly evolve over the course of the story, you may want to choose another true tale to tell. 
Adapted from Craig’s new book, Telling the Truth: How to Write Narrative Nonfiction, Biography and Memoir—coming later this year from Bold Vision Books. 
TWEETABLETrue Character in the Characters You Write, tips and insight from author @CraigvonBuseck on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Dr. Craig von Buseck is an award-winning author, popular speaker, and the Digital Content Manager for the Parenting section of Focusonthefamily.org. More from Craig at vonbuseck.com

1 Hart, Jack, Story Craft, 7.

 Noble, William, Writing Dramatic Nonfiction, 52.

 Gerke, Jeff, The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, 74.

 Gerke, Jeff, The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, 80.

 Noble, William, Writing Dramatic Nonfiction, 61-62.

 Merriam-Webster, 'Protagonist.' https://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti.... Accessed May, 2022.

 Alderson, Marth, The Plot Whisperer, 75.

 Alderson, Marth, The Plot Whisperer, 26-27.

 Britannica, 'Antagonist.' https://www.britannica.com/art/antago.... Accessed May, 2022.

 Vogler, Christopher, The Writer’s Journey, 332.

 Seger, Linda, Making a Good Script Great, 201.

 Vogler, Christopher, The Writer’s Journey, 65. 

Writing That Inspires

by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme
I wonder what it would be like to escape from the daily boring routine of my life to a lovely seaside castle where one would awaken to the scent of wisteria and the soft lapping of the sea upon the rocks below? 
Such were the thoughts of Lotty Wilkins in Elizabeth von Arnim’s delightful 1922 novel, The Enchanted April and subsequent 1991 film. Set in England just after World War I, we enter the lives of two unhappy and unfulfilled young women whose husbands were too absorbed in their careers to pay them any attention. Lotty and Rose were longsuffering in their roles until they read an advertisement in The London Times for a castle in Italy for rent for the month of April. 
To Those Who Appreciate Wisteria and Sunshine: Small mediaeval Italian Castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be let furnished for the month of April. Necessary servants remain. Z, Box 1000, The Times.
Lotty was the first to imagine, to see herself there. The ad gave rise to a respite from her situation. Just the thought of it ripped at the protective wall in her soul uncovering a glimpse of the woman hiding inside. Determined to hold on to the vision, she convinced her friend Rose to join her in taking their nest egg to embark on this month-long adventure. Surely their husbands would barely miss them, they concluded. 
When the plan had been agreed upon, they added to the ease of their finances by placing an ad for two more ladies to join them. The two that applied were an unlikely duo. Mrs. Fisher was an elderly widow who lived in past memories surrounded by photographs of the dead. Lady Caroline was a young and beautiful unmarried socialite who needed to get away from all the attention paid her.
Once ensconced in the beautiful castle aptly named San Salvatore, meaning Holy Savior, the women bent to the beauty and serenity of life in a paradise, where servants saw to their every need. Sunny days and the scent of acacias, roses, and jessamine acted as a healing balm, untangling their thoughts and erasing their hopeless image of themselves and their future. Lotty and Rose were so changed that they wanted to share this beauty with their husbands. They each sent letters inviting them to join them on their holiday.
Both men did come, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being hurt and once again ensnared with disappointment and despair, Lotty and Rose were able to move on emotionally and leave their husbands to experience the transformation of San Salvatore on their own. Once there, however, their husbands too became enchanted with the restorative beauty and spirit of San Salvatore.
Lotty, Rose, and Lady Caroline had judged themselves as to how the people in their world perceived them. They had lived in a wounded state because this limited vision painted a picture of them as victim—a person of limited or no worth. Mrs. Fisher had believed her life was over. She had been content to close any possibility of future happiness and condensed her world to ghosts of the past. 
There are times we don’t have the stamina to dream big. Like Lotty and Rose, we’re stuck in today. We’ve lost the energy to look beyond the image we have of ourselves and our writing. We muddle through, while our dreams struggle to burst free. We dutifully perform our tasks, which often become habits instead of passion. We congratulate ourselves on being able to cross off our lists, not realizing the dedication and worship of our habit has taken preeminence over the vision we once had.
For Lotty and Rose, the advertisement gave them the courage to have hope for tomorrow, even if they couldn’t yet define it. They were willing to break away from the tidy world they had created to protect themselves from rejection and go into the unknown to escape from their dreary image of themselves. They found themselves at San Salvatore.
Bottom Line
Our San Salvatore can be any safe place where we can yield our fears and inhibitions—a place where the dark messages that have pushed us into complacency are uprooted to reveal our true purpose. Each of us have stories hiding behind a dreary situation or poor self-talk. The adventure to new beginnings is often scary but the revelation of that deeper dimension of who we are is worth the leap. It’s never too late to begin again. Our place of healing starts with a yielded heart. It is there God takes away what was and fills us with His image of us. There we find spiritual sunshine and, just maybe, even the scent of wisteria and acacias as our true self emerges.
TWEETABLEWriting that Inspires - thoughts from @GannonEmme on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Emme Gannon is a wife, mother, and grandmother who loves to write stories that stir the heart. Her award-winning writing has appeared in Focus on the Family magazine, several anthologies, and numerous newsletters. She just completed her first novel.

Advice for Writers—Eat Your Writing Peas!

by Crystal Bowman
Like many children, I was a picky eater and I especially hated peas. My mother told me to eat my peas because they were good for me. The only way I could tolerate them was to push them into a roll and eat the roll. 
At a recent writers’ conference I was meeting one-on-one with an aspiring young writer. As I gave her advice based on my years of experience, I realized that many of my words began with the letter P. She noticed it too and we laughed. As we ended our meeting, I said, “Eat your peas!”
Peas for Writers
Prepare: If you believe God has called you to write, then you need to prepare for that calling. Any career, hobby, or calling takes preparation. Would you go scuba diving without taking a few lessons? Would you apply for a teaching job without first getting a degree? Would you go out on the mission field without being trained? The answer is obvious and the same is true for writing.
Proposal: If you want to get the attention of a traditional publisher, then you need to nail your proposal. They are hard to write and time consuming, but your proposal is what will eventually lead to a contract, or not. There are many dos and don’ts when it comes to proposals, so learn how to write one by reading a book or taking a course. Before you submit a proposal, have it professionally edited. 
Persistence/Perseverance: The publishing world is brutal and only the strong survive. Having both persistence and perseverance (like two peas in a pod) is the key to survival. Keep learning and growing. Accept constructive criticism and seek guidance from coaches and mentors. Attend writers conferences where you will learn tons. Giving up is easy. Persistence and perseverance are not. 
Patience: Nothing is fast in the publishing world. It may take months or years before you get a response to a submission. And even if you get a positive response, it may take more months or years to finally get a contract. Patience is needed if you want to be a writer. But while you are waiting, you can keep writing and learning. 
Prayer: The most important P word is prayer. Writing for publication is scary. No matter what you write, you are sharing your words with the world. Ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. Ask Him to give you words that will honor Him. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit so your words will reach hearts and souls for Jesus. Ask God to bless your writing and trust Him with the results. What you write may reach hundreds, thousands, or millions. That part is not up to you, that’s in God hands. 
As you continue to write and seek God’s will, remember to eat your writing peas. They are good for you! 
TWEETABLEAdvice for Writers—Eat Your Writing Peas! - tips from Crystal Bowman on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and four nonfiction books for women. She also writes lyrics for children’s piano music and is a monthly contributor to Clubhouse Jr. Magazine. She loves going to schools to teach kids about poetry. She also speaks at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups and teaches workshops at writers’ conferences. When she is not writing or speaking, she enjoys going for walks, working out at the gym, and eating ice cream. She and her husband live in Michigan and have seven huggable grandkids. 
WWW.CRYSTALBOWMAN.COMWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CRYSTAL.BOWMANWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CRYSTALJBOWMANWWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/CRYSTALBOWMANAUTHOR

Announcing the 2022 Winning Titles of the Christian Indie Awards

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga
The Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) is pleased to announce the winning titles for the 2022 Christian Indie Awards. The Christian Indie Awards honor books produced by small publishers and independent authors each year for outstanding contribution to Christian life. 
Judging is based upon design, content, quality, creativity, and alignment with biblical principles. As more independent authors and small presses publish Christian books, those books need to be recognized,” says Susan Neal, the Director of Christian Indie Publishing Association, the sponsor of the award. The winners in each category are:
2022 Christian Indie Award Winners ChristianAward.com

            

Category

Place

Title

Author/Publisher

Anthology

1st

Coffee and Cookies with God

Lisa Worthey Smith, Becky Alexander, June Foster, Bonita Y McCoy, Suzanne D. Nichols, Ginger Solomon/Kerysso Press

Bible Study

1st

Your True Story: The 50-Day Essential Guide to Your New Life with Jesus

Susan Freese

Bible Study

2nd

Dwelling

Donna E. Lane

Bible Study

3rd

The Journey: Spiritual Growth in Galatians & Philippians

David Fiensy/Crosslink Publishing

Business Finance

1st

Plan of Action

Randy Linville with Nancy Lovell/ClearSight Publishing

Children’s Picture Books

1st

Bax and His Bubbles: All about a Kid and His Thoughts

Sonia Amin

Children’s Picture Books

2nd

The Special Little Sports Car

Sharon Chancey Smith/Deep Waters Books

Children’s Picture Books

3rd

A Little Town Called Hope

Emma Allen

Children’s (8-12) 

1st

Virtual to Reality

Monica Bennett-Ryan/In His Name Publishing

Children’s (8-12)

2nd 

Tales of Foreverly

Joanna M. Pendleton/Bless & Guide Publications

Christian Education

1st

The American Covenant: The Untold Story

Marshall Foster/Nordskog Publishing

Christian Living

1st

Seven Words You Never Want to Hear

Denise Wilson/Redemption Press

Christian Living

2nd

Lessons from the Apostles: How God Uses All Types of People to Change the World

Glen A. Blanscet/WestBow Press

Christian Living

3rd

Rest for the Weary: Finding Freedom from Fear in the Heart of the Father

Shay S. Mason/Love Inside Out Press PAID: 

Devotional

1st

Unstuck: Step into the New: A 40-Day Prayer Journal 

Amy Joob

Devotional

2nd 

Living a Parable: Finding Lessons in Unlikely Experiences

Silvia Davis/Xulon Press

General Fiction

1st (tied)

Alaska Calling

Maryann J. Landers

General Fiction

1st (tied)

Alaskan Calibration

 

Maryann J. Landers

General Fiction

2nd

Cold Pizza

David C. Reyes/New Harbor Press

General Fiction

3rd

Save the Date

Ellen L. Fannon/Winged Publications

Gift

1st (tied)

All the Good: Doing Life After the Diploma

Dexterity Books Editorial with illustrators 

Sarah Siegand, Alli Hoffer, and Ezra Siegand

Gift

1st (tied)

Christmas in Idaho

Ray Downing

Historical Fiction

1st

Larimer Street

Timothy Browne

Historical Fiction

2nd

The Hallowed Ground

Donna E. Lane

Memoir / Biography

1st (tied)

Tails and Purrs for the Heart and Soul

Lorilyn Roberts/Rear Guard Publishing

Memoir / Biography

1st (tied)

When Hope Rises

Tammy Dove/Trilogy Publishing

Memoir / Biography

2nd

Divine Reversal

Susan Joy Simkins/Growing the Gifts

Memoir / Biography

3rd 

Boldly into the Darkness: Living with Loss, Growing with Grief & Holding onto Happiness

Autumn Toelle-Jackson

Mystery / Suspense

1st 

Hunt for the Hometown Killer

Mary Dodge Allen/EA Book Publishing

Mystery / Suspense

2nd

Solomon’s Porch

Janet Morris Grimes/Elk Lake Publishing

Novella

1st

Ghostly Vendetta

Michele Israel Harper/Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC

Personal Growth

1st (tied)

Overcoming the Narcissist, Sociopath, Psychopath, and Other Domestic Abusers

Charlene D. Quint/Redemption Press

Personal Growth 

1st (Tied)

Generations Deep: Unmasking Inherited Dysfunctional & Trauma to Rewrite Our Stories 

Gina Birkemeier/Out Loud Publishing

Personal Growth

2nd 

The Satisfied Workbook: A Spiritual Guide to Recovery and Food Freedom

Dr. Rhona Epstein/Dexterity Books

Personal Growth

3rd

Reflections of Me

Dr. Davetta Hammond/Indignor House

Poetry

1st

Vibrant Simplicity

Lisa Lynne Ericson/Book Villages

Relationship / Family

1st

Raising Kids Who Care: Practical conversations for exploring stuff that matters, together

Susy Lee

Relationship / Family

2nd

Healing the Stormy Marriage; Hope and Help for YOU when Your Spouse has Mental Health or Addiction Issues

R. Christian Bohlen and Helen M. Bohlen/Carpenter’s Son Publishing

Romance

1st

A Life Renewed

Olivia Rae/Hope Knight Press

Romance

2nd

The Billionaire’s Secret

Meghann Whistler

Speculative

1st

Hunt for Understanding

Alisa Hope Wagner/Marked Writers

Speculative

2nd

The Dividing 

Devin Downing

Theology

1st 

The Temple Revealed: The True Location of the Jewish Temple Hidden in Plain Sight

Christian Widener/End Times Berean

Young Adult

1st (tied)

The Road to Home

R. A. Douthitt

Young Adult

1st (tied)

The Zealots 

G.K. Johnson/Capture Me Books

Young Adult

2nd

The Three Kingdoms: The Sown Seed

Mark J. Musser 

The winning titles can be viewed at https://christianaward.com/2022-winners-announced/ . The 2023 Christian Indie Awards are open for books published in 2021 and 2022 at ChristianAward.com .
About Christian Indie Publishing Association 
Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) represents, promotes, and strengthens small publishers and independent authors producing Christian books. CIPA represents a membership of 400 publishers and independent authors producing materials for the Christian marketplace. For more information about Christian Indie Publishing Association visit http://www.christianpublishers.net .
TWEETABLEAnnouncing the 2022 Winning Titles of the Christian Indie Awards from @SusanNealYoga on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS: Susan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHwith the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, HEALTHY LIVING JOURNAL, SCRIPTURE YOGAa #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and YOGA FOR BEGINNERSwhich ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIAis a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COMYou can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.