Edie Melson's Blog, page 158

How to Create Characters Your Reader Cares About

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells
You know your idea. You locked in your audience, and the take-home value you will provide in your work in progress. Your manuscript format is set. The next step is to understand the essentials found in every compelling story.First, have an interesting character the audience cares about. Next, give the character the audience cares about a great need.Third, place an insurmountable obstacle between the character we care about and the great need the character must achieve.What is the difference between a character and a character we care about? Consider your favorite books and films. Most likely, that story lingers in your memory because you became emotionally invested. 
Recall a book you set aside before finishing. Or a film that you won’t waste time or money watching again. Typically, these characters were two-dimensional rather than three-dimensional. We may stay with the story to see what happens but not because the ending matters personally.
Connecting with a story is subjective. My daughter liked The Croods film, but I didn’t see the charm. I saw the first (now the fourth) Star Wars movie eleven times in the theater, while she can’t understand why. A book becomes a New York Times bestseller, and a film becomes a blockbuster when a lot of people cared about a character and what happened to that character.
Part of what makes an audience interested is the character’s great need. While needing to pass a school spelling test is not compelling, needing to traverse impossible terrain in the worst weather to bring home medicine that will save the lives of those you love is gripping. Will the character succeed? If I were in that setting, would I have the courage to try?When the character is terrified, will he continue on the journey?When the character has the opportunity to quit, will she? How will the character respond to life-threatening danger? What if the character fails?In January 1925, the Alaskan city of Nome experienced a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Thousands would die without the antitoxin serum. Twenty dog mushers banded together to bring the life-saving medicine hundreds of miles across frozen terrain from Anchorage in just 127 hours to save the people of the city. These brave people are remembered in the yearly Iditarod challenge.
Consider the main characters and the sidekicks in these highest grossing films. 
#1 Gone With the Wind 1939 (Adjusted for inflation)#2 Avengers Endgame 2019#3 Avatar 2009#4 Titanic 1977#5 Star Wars, The Force Awakens 2015Why do audiences care about what happens to these characters? What characteristics are endearing?In what ways does the character’s challenges seem relevant to your own experience?Is the character perfect?How does the obstacle between the character and the character’s great need bring out the best in the character?How does the obstacle bring out the character’s worst?How does the character change?How is the character’s actions similar to what you would do in a similar situation?How is the character’s reactions completely different from how you would respond?What do you learn about yourself by observing the character?How do you identify with the character’s heroic journey?Use these questions to explore how to create your own character that your audience cares about. Initially, the audience doesn’t have to like a character. No one likes Scrooge in the opening of A Christmas Carol. Yet, as an audience we are willing to go along on the journey with the old curmudgeon. 
Though completely fictional, Scrooge is so iconic that people who have not read the book by Charles Dickens still know what is meant when someone is described as being a Scrooge.
Charles Dickens created a classic character that audiences have cared about for generations. A character the audience cares about is the first essential ingredient for your memorable story.
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Tropical island votary and history buff, PeggySue Wells parasails, skydives, snorkels, scuba dives, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. Writing from the 100-Acre wood in Indiana, Wells is the bestselling author of twenty-eight books including The Slave Across the Street, Slavery in the Land of the Free, Bonding With Your Child Through Boundaries, Homeless for the Holidays, and Chasing Sunrise. Optimistic dream-driver, PeggySue is named for the Buddy Holly song with the great drumbeat. At school author visits, she teaches students the secrets to writing, and speaks at events and conferences. Connect with her at www.PeggySueWells.com, on Facebook at PeggySue Wells, and Twitter @PeggySueWells.

Let Our Words Fall Like Rain

By Kristen Hogrefe Parnell @khogrefeparnell

My husband James and I live on a lake, so every time storm clouds darken the sky, we have a front row seat to the rain event. The lake water reveals the faintest sprinkles as well as the force of pelting rain.

Most of the time, though, the droplets are somewhere in the middle: not hesitant or angry, but constant. One night after dinner, as I stared through our glass French doors toward the water, the thought struck me: Our words should be like rain.

What does rain have in common with writing? These parallel qualities are something each of us needs.

Refreshment
During the summer, our grass grows so quickly that James jokes I fertilize the yard while he’s asleep. The real culprit is the summer weather pattern in Florida that involves rainy mornings or afternoons ad nauseum.

A byproduct is that our grass has never been greener or grown faster! As a result, James needs to mow it once a week.

Shouldn’t our words be like that—providing refreshment to the soil of souls where they fall? When our readers sit down with our books, blogs, or podcasts, do they leave feeling refreshed? If they do, our words have been like rain, bringing new life and hope.

Before we can provide refreshment through our words, we must first be refreshed. We writers need to set aside our own pens to read and grow from other people’s writing—and more importantly, from time in God’s Word. There, we gain fresh inspiration and encouragement so that we have something to pour out for others.

Consistency
Sprinkles and summer storms aside, the rain here is mostly consistent. It’s borderline hypnotic if I stare out the window too long, because the rain’s rhythm repeats with few breaks in between.

As writers, discipline is sometimes a struggle. We have bursts of inspiration and then bouts of writer’s block. We feel suddenly inspired and then get bogged down with the messy work of writing.

Yet that consistency—that discipline—is something each of us needs if we are to get anywhere with our works-in-progress.

Perhaps you’re on a deadline, and that date is providing your drive. Maybe you’re in between deadlines, and finding the motivation to write consistently is a bit harder. Either way, you are in good company. As writers, we experience seasons, and whether it’s a deadline-driven time or somewhere in-between, being faithful to our calling is an important responsibility we shouldn’t neglect.

Company
Have you ever felt just one rain drop? Not likely. One is followed by another, then another, until you’re scrambling for shelter.

As writers, we need good company to be effective, and critique groups and conferences are some places we find it. Just as raindrops combine to form a powerful shower, we writers are stronger together. We need community, other writers who are right there with us on this journey. Together, we:
Feel the highs, lows, and sudden drops of the writing rollercoaster ride.Cheer each other on and cry with one another on the road to publication.Provide constructive feedback to help each other improve and praise when we finally get it right.Become friends, mentors, and confidants.More than ever, our world needs God’s truth to fall like rain on parched soil. But we can’t make that difference if we haven’t first been refreshed ourselves, been consistent in our calling, and grown stronger through community.

Which of these qualities do you need most in your writing life right now?

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Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes novels, learns something new every day, and runs for pizza. An educator and mentor, she teaches English online and is an inspirational speaker for schools, churches, and podcasts. Her young adult dystopian novels, The Revisionary and The Reactionary, both won the Selah for speculative fiction, and she signed with Mountain Brook Ink for a new romantic suspense series, coming December 2022. Kristen and her husband live in Florida and enjoy sharing their lake home with family and friends. She blogs at KristenHogrefeParnell.com where she challenges readers to find faith in life’s everyday adventures.

Eyes On Me, In Writing & In Life!

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank
For you shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).
Quivering like jello on a cafeteria plate, the boy with the shocking red hair shot me a look of terror.
I can’t!
He dropped his head and stared at the rocky ground at least forty feet below. 
Yes, you can! I’m with you! We’ll jump together!
I was serving as camp Bible teacher for the summer and had wandered down to the ropes course to see what Cabin 5 was up to. I knew this young man. After the first night’s message, he came to the front and asked Jesus to be his Savior. I had prayed with him as he stepped from old to new. I snuck a peek at his face, glowing and sincere as he lifted it to heaven. 
At the moment, however, he wasn’t exactly glowing. He looked more like he was short-circuiting and about to combust with fear. His face scrunched up with question marks as he looked to me for help. The prayer he had prayed a few nights before was taking on flesh and blood. We stood side by side in our harnesses, toes touching the yellow boundary together. The zipline stretched out before us impatiently.
Eyes on me! The decision you made to follow Jesus was braver than jumping off this platform. And you did it. You can do this too. You are brave. Eyes on me and we’ll jump on three!
The nod was almost imperceptible as his eyes locked on mine.
One, two, three!
Zzzzzzzzzzippp!
I diiiiid iiiiiiiittttttt! 
His shout of joy caused the trees to clap their hands. Or at least that’s what I noticed as we slowed to the end and padded our way to a stop on the other side.
Trusting God is so much easier when we lock eyes on Him.
Eyes on Me!
We commit our hearts to write. We make the brave step from the old life as One who Dreams of Writing to One Who Does. We ask the Lord to lead us. Then comes the day we stand on the platform, harness latched, ready to press the send button to that editor, that reader, that publisher.
Paralyzed with fear, we cry.
I can’t!
Courage becomes cowardice; certainty becomes doubt.
Yes, you can! Eyes on Me! We will jump together.
And we leap, the sound of our trust making the trees clap their hands.
Lord, I will fix my eyes on You. Thank You for never asking me to jump alone. Amen.
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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.
Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: BARNES & NOBLE , BOOKS A MILLION, AMAZON.

Why Long Lines Are Good for Writers & Everyone Else

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth
My dad never met a stranger. He loved running into and meeting new people. When we would go on vacations, or take a day trip to the mountains, he always ended up talking to people he’d just met.
As a child, I was so embarrassed. I wasn’t like that at all. Meeting new people paralyzed me. My brain turned to mush and gaga was the extent of my vocabulary.
I was twenty-three.
An hour-long wait at the seafood buffet in Myrtle Beach? Sometimes, it wasn’t long enough for him. He would probably be somewhere talking to someone or a family who had just driven up with out-of-state license plates.
When I got older, and my parents went on trips without me, I would ask what they did when they got back. (This was in the dark ages before cell phones. What a horrid thought now.) Instead of telling us what they did, he would talk about who they met and where they were from. And all the different states and countries they were from.
But when I began paying more attention to Dad, I learned a few tricks on how to make meeting people less terrifying.
How to make meeting a stranger less . . . well, strange.
1. Remember, it’s not all about you.
I used to feel, when I first met someone, like I had to perform. Like being a contestant on American Idol, I was expected to entertain them, and they would then judge me.
And I would be sure to fail again.
Haven’t we all failed or come up short? Whether it was in sports, class, or a social clique, there is always that time when we didn’t get picked or cheered for like we wanted.
To me, meeting someone was just another opportunity to come up short.
But Daddy showed me that this wasn’t true. He didn’t see meeting someone as a contest. He didn’t have to pass or make a certain score. Instead, he got the chance to know who they were and what they did. And that was enough for him.
2. People like to have others take an interest in them.
If you want to strike up a conversation with someone, ask them a question about themselves. We all like to talk about ourselves, especially to someone who will listen.
And that is usually the problem we have when we meet someone else, isn’t it?
We don’t want to take the time to listen to them talk about themselves. We want to talk about us.
That was definitely me when I was younger. And often, now, if I want to be honest. (I don’t.) But it is hard to be friendly when you put yourself before everybody else. When, instead of listening, you’re thinking about what you want to say. (Ouch. Writing this is no longer fun.)
3. We all are looking for a friendly face.
Whether Daddy was sitting on the bench in the mall or at a diner, he didn’t care who he spoke to. (Again, terrifying his young kids.) No matter your race, class, or where you were from, he wanted to talk. And listen.
All of us are looking for acceptance, for someone who we can talk to and not feel judged. We share many of the same hurts and issues. My situation may not be the exact same as yours, but I can still appreciate the pain or joy you’re going through.
And we all need the affirmation that we’re okay, not normal but still lovable. Even with our unique hang-ups and situations
Most of us seem very capable while we are wearing our masks. We don’t want anyone else to see the effort we are having to expend to give others the impression that we have it all together. And to have someone who we can lower the mask, even a little bit, let’s us feel better about ourselves and life in general. 
Writers have the reputation of leaning more toward being introverts than most. As scary as the blank page is to us, we often prefer that than going to a party or getting up on a stage.
But, if we don’t sit on the bench, or strike up a conversation while waiting in line, we can miss so much. God made us as sheep who need the rest of the flock. And it is by meeting others, and listening, that we can learn so much about ourselves, life, and even our Heavenly Daddy.
Isn’t that worth putting off dinner for a few minutes?
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Tim Suddeth is a stay-at-home dad and butler for his wonderful, adult son with autism. He has written numerous blogs posts, short stories, and three novels waiting for publication. He is a frequent attendee at writers’ conferences, including the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and a member of Word Weavers and ACFW. He lives near Greenville, SC where he shares a house with a bossy Shorky and three too-curious Persians. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, or at timingreenville.com.

Can Your Writing Change The World?

by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author
When I was young, I wanted to change the world. I dreamed about revolutionizing the entertainment industry. I wanted to write a novel that would turn the culture inside out. Everyone would read it and come their senses about life, the universe, and everything. 
Isn’t youthful idealism nauseating? 
No, of course, it’s not. It’s cute. But I do roll my eyes at myself when I think back to my big, innocent childhood dreams.
I won’t lie. There is still some part of me that wants to change the world, but as I’ve gotten older and gained more experience, I’ve learned a valuable lesson that only many years of hurt and disappointment and loss can teach. Changing the world isn’t up to me.
Gracious, I can’t even change myself, let alone the world. I sure can’t change the people around me. I can write until my fingers fall off. I can shout until I’m blue in the face. I can work myself to the end of my strength, and nothing I do will be enough to change someone else’s mind.
But isn’t that why we tell meaningful stories? To challenge the status quo? To make people think? Surely our words can change the hearts and minds of our readers! 
Sorry to disappoint you, my fellow storytellers, but the power to change hearts and minds is not given to us. And if the point of our stories is to change people, we’ll miss the mark in a big way. Our stories will turn into sermons, and, more often than not, we’ll only further alienate the people we’re trying to help. 
We’ll also drive ourselves into discouragement and depression, by the way. If we write with the expectations that our words will change how people live, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. 
I’m not saying that our words are inconsequential. Quite the opposite. Words have power. They can build up or tear down. They can strengthen others or weaken them. But the only words that will effectively change someone’s heart belong to God.
God is the only Person with the power to change anyone. He changed me. I’ve seen Him do miracles in other peoples’ lives as well. I’ve watched Him turn the coldest, hardest hearts into warm, compassionate servants. 
Maybe a story you wrote opened the door, but God is the One who walks in and changes the heart. Not us.
So why do we put that pressure on ourselves? Maybe it’s pride (speaking for myself). Maybe it’s misunderstanding the responsibility that God has given us. I don’t know. It’s probably different for everyone. 
The truth is that before I can sit at another person’s table, I have to earn the right to be there. Nobody owes me their ear. Nobody is required to listen to anything I say simply because I’m the one saying it. If I enter that conversation with the well-meaning intention of changing the other person, all I’m going to accomplish is telling them that I’m right and they’re wrong. That’s a recipe for disaster and miscommunication, my friends.
When we try to change people, we point fingers. We make laundry lists of their flaws. Yes, maybe we do it in love, but whenever you make a list of what’s wrong with someone else, all you end up doing is making them feel guilt and shame. And, friends, guilt and shame has never drawn anyone to God. Guilt and shame make me want to hide from God. What draws me to Him is knowing that He will forgive me, that He loves me in spite of my brokenness.
If I want to see the world changed, I have to get out of the way. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t write about the subjects or topics that are on my heart, but maybe it should change the way I approach those subjects and topics. I have to accept that I don’t have the power to change other people, and the more I try, the more damage I do.
Storytellers have an amazing gift. We can use our imaginations to create characters and scenarios that resonate with readers in a way that challenges what they think and believe. But we have a choice in how we use this gift. We can use our words to accuse and shame and preach at our readers, or we can show them that no one is beyond redemption, that God’s love extends even to the outcasts, and that reconciliation is possible through Christ.
I’m a storyteller, and I can’t change your mind. But I can speak from experience that finger-pointing never made me want to be closer to God. But when I saw one of God’s children in a real relationship with Him? When a Christ-follower showed me love and grace that I didn’t deserve? I wanted a piece of that. And I believe our readers will too.
TWEETABLECan Your #Writing Change the World? - A.C. Williams, @ACW_Author, on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if isn’t, her socks will never match. She likes her road trips with rock music, her superheroes with snark, and her blankets extra fuzzy, but her first love is stories and the authors who are passionate about telling them. Learn more about her book coaching services and follow her adventures on social media @ACW_Author.

In Writing & Publishing We Must Remember God is Greater

by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

Several years ago, I participated in a Whole30. During a Whole30 you avoid a host of foods including alcohol, gluten, sugar, dairy, etc. One of the big rules is that there is to be zero cheating. There are no excuses, no exceptions. But as I studied the FAQ, one question stopped me in my tracks. “What about communion?”
I’m not an expert in the sacramental practices of all denominations, but I know that in general we’re talking about some form of wafer or bread, and some type of juice or wine. None of that is allowed on a Whole30.

The response was simple, to the point, and a lesson I’ve never forgotten.

God > Whole30.

My math loving brain (yes, there are writers who love math) loves the visual representation of this. Because in mathematical terms, this isn’t an equation. It’s an inequality. No matter what goes on the right side, God is always going to be greater.

My writer brain loves the concise representation of powerful truth. Because the bottom line is that God isn’t just greater than a Whole30. God is greater than everything. Many of us would acknowledge that as fact. But it is so, so easy to forget.

We dream big, God-given dreams. We study the craft. We sign up for conferences. We query agents and editors. We write, and write, and write.

And then, we worry.

What if we’ve missed something? What if we mess up? What if the agent we think we want turns out to be a mistake? What if we can only go to one conference this year and we choose the wrong one? What if, despite all our research, the editor we pitch to isn’t the best choice? What if the publisher we’ve had our heart set on isn’t acquiring? What if the genre God has called us to isn’t popular and no one wants it?

Please hear my heart, friends. I am 100% in favor of doing your due diligence. You absolutely should prayerfully research the market, the publishers, agents, and conferences. Ask God for wisdom, direction, and favor.

And then when you make your choices? Rest.

Okay - I know it’s hard, but try.

Because…

God > Publishers

God > Editors

God > Agents

God > Conferences

God > Contests

God > Genres

God > Platforms

God > Amazon Rankings

God > Revisions

God > Reviews

Sometimes, I need to fill in the equation with whatever I’m dealing with. I have to remind myself that God is greater than what I’m worried about and remember to trust His plan.

Sometimes, the things that are weighing me down are so big, so confusing, and so overwhelming, that I don’t even know how describe them. When that happens, I remind myself that when I don’t know what to do, God is greater than my confusion and fear.

There’s a great deal of rest to be had when we acknowledge that, hope in that, and trust in that.

I don’t know what you’re dealing with as you head into the last half of 2021. But I do know that whatever it is . . . God is greater.

Grace and peace,




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Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she's a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she's sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas! 
Lynn’s titles have won the Carol Award, the Selah Award, and the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader’s Choice Award. Her newest series kicks off in March 2021 with Unknown Threat, Book 1 in the Defend and Protect series. 
She is a frequent conference speaker and has taught writers all over the country. Lynn lives in South Carolina with her true love and their three children. You can follow her real life happily ever after by signing up for her newsletter at LYNNHBLACKBURN.COM and @LynnHBlackburn on BOOKBUB, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM.

15 Foundational Truths of a Resilient Writer

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

There is only one constant in the publishing industry—constant change. 

As soon as we think we’ve hit on the formula for success, the variables shift and we’re back to square one. It can set us up for a life of frustration if we’re not ready for it. 
That’s what today’s post is about. I want you to have the tools and resources you need to set yourself up for success in an uncertain environment.
15 Foundational Truths1. These sudden shifts are an opportunity, instead of a liability. For example, if the bottom drops out of the genre you’re writing with traditional publishers, look at the opportunities with smaller houses or self publishing.

2. We can use setbacks as a chance to deepen our knowledge of that particular subject. Early on in my career I had a Bible study rejected simply because I had no platform. I took that as an opportunity to learn to grow my online platform.
3. When faced with rejection, turn it upside down. When I first started as a freelance writer, I knew that if I received a certain number of rejections every month, then I would get a certain number of acceptances. So I made my goal each month to reach a specific number of rejections. 

4. Rejoice when others are successful. Sometimes that’s hard to do when things aren’t going our way, but when we can move past being resentful of another’s success, we’re able to cultivate contentment and resiliency.

5. Don't give weight to those negative voices in our heads. We say things to ourselves that we wouldn’t allow someone to say to our worst enemies. All writers have those negative whispers. The successful ones know how to ignore them.

6. Promote others who write the same things as you. It sounds counterintuitive, but I’ve built my platform by promoting others ahead of myself. 

7. Learn that comparison is a deadly trap to be avoided at all costs. There are always going to be people ahead of us, behind us, and right beside us. We all have different gifts and God has a different—special—plan for us all. Comparison isn’t accurate and it can be deadly.

8. There truly is plenty of work to go around. We work for a big God and He has plans for this gift He’s given us.

9. Talent will often provide the push to begin writing, but it won’t fuel the journey. Talent is a wonderful thing, but it’s not a necessary thing. Persistence is what carries you through the tough times.

10. Never stop learning. This publishing thing we’re all doing is a journey. There isn’t an end destination. Every level we achieve just leads to another climb ahead. And those climbs can’t be done without additional knowledge. 

11. We cannot do this alone. We all need friends and colleagues on this writing journey. They give us perspective, encouragement and the occasional kick-in-the-pants we all need.

12. Remember the WHY to get through the HOW. When difficult times come, it’s the why that will carry us through. Write down why you write. Post it above your desk and let it remind you when things get tough.

13. We’re not responsible for the results, only the work. We can’t guarantee ourselves publication at any particular time or with any particular company. What we can do is write with excellence. If we do that, publication will follow.  

14. We live in one of the best times ever to be a writer. It’s easy to look at all the changes and general chaos as nothing but negative. The truth is though, we can reach more people through our words than ever before. And anyone who wants to reach the world through words needs a writer to help them. 

15. Prayer changes things. As  Bob Hostetler  and  Lucinda Secrest McDowell  have reminded us in previous posts, always pray before you write.

These are the things I’ve found that have made me a resilient writer. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie
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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram. 

Mini Memoir Moment: Writing About the Relatives

by Marcia Moston @MarciaMoston

If you shake your family tree, you may be surprised at the nuts that fall out. People—both present and past—in your life are a rich source for your personal stories. Even if you are writing a straight genealogical account, try to find an incident, a particular characteristic, gesture, habit, or saying that captures some essence of a person and contributes to the heart, as well as the fact, of your story.

 

My father gave each of us kids a copy of his research into his family tree. I confess, many of the details were just that to me—long ago names with no meaningful point of contact other than we shared a bit of blood. But then I came upon a news clipping about one of those relatives and suddenly “real” people stepped off the page.

 

Turns out over a hundred years ago, some relatives—a poor, landless family—made their living ferrying firewood and goods in their canal boat around Lake Champlain. When they were caught in a terrible storm, they tried to take shelter at the nearest dock, but the caretaker refused to let them. He untied their boat, which subsequently crashed. They sued the millionaire owner and won. The case Ploof vs. Putnam is still used by law students today. Heartless as the caretaker was, he did have a reason for wanting to protect the owner’s property: the Ploofs were known as “Pirates of Lake Champlain” with a reputation of stealing from summer cottages up and down the lake.

 

Pirate thieves. Now that puts some life into an otherwise static name and face in a book. Although we are natural storytellers, so often when we put pen to pad, we write some dry, fact-filled piece which is about as interesting as an insurance contract. Here are a few suggestions and examples. 

How to enliven the people who populate your stories:

 

1. Follow a general statement with a specific image or action: In describing himself, Bob Goff writes:

“I am always in a hurry. I put my socks on two at a time.”

 

He later re-emphasizes this characteristic with an anecdote about impatiently waiting for a slow moving rental car attendant who Goff had seen “glaciers move faster than.”—Love Does

 

2. Use dialogue to reveal character. Look at how much we glean about Mary Karr’s mother and Mary’s childhood from this passage in The Liars' Club:

 

Not long before my mother died, the tile guy redoing her kitchen pried from the wall a tile with an unlikely round hole in it. He sat back on his knees and held the tile up so the sun through aged yellow curtains seemed to pierce the hole like a laser. He winked at my sister Lecia and me before turning to my gray-haired mother, now bent over her copy of Marcus Aurelius and a bowl of sinus-opening chili, and he quipped, “Now Miss Karr, this looks like a bullet hole.”

 

Lecia didn’t miss a beat, saying, “Mother, isn’t that where you shot at daddy?”

And Mother squinted up, slid her glasses down her patrician-looking nose and said, very blasé, “No, that’s where I shot at Larry.” She wheeled to point at another wall, adding, “Over there’s where I shot at your daddy.”

 

3. Choose descriptive elements that both paint a picture and contribute to character, as Rhoda Janzen does in her memoir The Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.

 

My mother, unlike my father, is not classically handsome. But she does enjoy good health. She is as buoyant as a lark on a summer’s morn. Nothing gets this woman down. She is the kind of mother who, when we were growing up, came singing into our bedrooms at 6:00 a.m., tunefully urging us to rise and shine and give God the glory, glory. And this was on Saturday. Upbeat she is. Glamorous she is not.

 

Besides being born Mennonite, which is usually its own beauty strike, my mother has no neck. When we were growing up, our mother’s head, sprouting directly from her shoulders like a friendly lettuce, became something of a family focus. We’d take every opportunity to thrust hats and baseball caps upon her, which made us all shriek with unconscionable laughter. Mom would laugh good-naturedly, but if we got too out of hand, she’d predict that our Loewen genes would eventually assert themselves.

 

But be careful what you write:

 

On her deathbed, Pat Conroy’s mother reportedly told him she found it hard to relax while dying because she knew he’d write down every word she said. (He did—Beach Music) Our stories naturally involve others—some living, some long gone. So what can or should we say about them?

 

Well, first, if it’s true, not some fabricated slant intended to hurt someone’s reputation, then you may be safe in what you say. Without getting into libel legalities here, I think the more important point is to ask yourself why you are including that particular point. Revenge or discredit doesn’t make good memoir. Then ask yourself if you are willing to live with yourself and accept the consequences of whatever it is you’ve chosen to say. You might show the person involved the part that concerns them, but in the end, it’s your story. Be truthful. Be responsible.

 

And then there’s this advice from writer Phillip Lopate:

 

1. Befriend only people who are too poor to hire lawyers to sue you.

2. If you plan to write about friendship, make lots of friends, because you are bound to lose a few.

3. For the same reason, try to come from a large family. 

 

Your turn:

 

1. Model Rhoda Janzen’s piece about her mother. You could start with “He/she is the kind of person who . . .  and then give an example to illustrate the statement.

 

2. Gestures, expressions, family sayings:

Make a list of sayings you heard growing up: Who said it? How did it reflect their beliefs or values?

 

Think about a particular person. How did/do they register different emotions—worry, joy, disapproval? Do they take their glasses off? Twitch their nose? Twirl a curl? Whistle?

 

3. Sketch a scene, an anecdote that illustrates your relationship with a person. For example, if your grandfather was a quiet, patient man, how did he express love to you? Take you fishing? Patiently teach you how to do something?

 

Blessings,

Marcia

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Mini Memoir Moment: Writing About the Relatives - tips from @MarciaMoston on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Marcia Moston loves to write, teach, and talk about the possibilities of an ordinary life in the hands of an extraordinary God. She has contributed to several magazines, anthologies, and newspapers, and teaches narrative nonfiction with the OLLI at Furman program. She’s the author of Call of a Coward—the God of Moses and the Middle-Class Housewife and Going South –with the God of Jacob’s and My Mistakes.

Baking a Novel

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

When baking a novel, don't forget the important ingredient: experience. To draw your readers into your story, you want to create an experience for them. But that experience is filtered through your POV character. You know that already? Good. 

 

Think layer cake

But are you layering the senses into your fiction, so the reader hears, sees, smells, tastes, and feels it? It's actually a matter of "showing vs. telling" gone wild. 

 

If you're telling them what the character is experiencing, it's like this: Joan heard a siren in the distance. 

 

Showing them is like this: A siren wailed in the distance. 

 

Then you add another layer, taking it one step deeper: A siren wailed in the distance. In her rearview mirror, the blue flashing lights of an emergency vehicle drew closer. Joan’s heartbeat accelerated as she slowed her car and pulled over.

 

In the second one, you experience it with her. We've all heard a siren. I don't know about you, but the first thing I do is check my rearview mirror. I don't want to get in their way. 

 

So avoid the word "heard," which immediately makes it telling. The same with "saw." I could have said: Joan glanced in her rearview mirror and saw a flashing blue light.

 

But by showing you what she saw through her eyes makes for a better read. And readers can relate to it better than saying she saw.

 

Another one that is often forgotten is the sense of smell. I love to incorporate that one into my writing. If your character is taking a walk through the woods, you want your reader to smell the pines. If it's after a rain shower, the forest floor is damp and the woodsy scent of leaf mold rises with each footstep along the path.

 

When Claire enters Dee's 'n' Doughs in any of my Chapel Springs series books, you join her as the aroma of vanilla, yeast, and sugar wafts around her. From Chapel Springs Revival, the introduction to the bakery went like this:

 

Claire paused on the threshold for a moment, closed her eyes, and let the heavenly aroma of yeast, vanilla and almonds entice her. That indulgence alone would probably add another inch to her waistline.

 

Most everyone has stepped inside a bakery and smelled what I just described. Aromas trigger memories and that make your fiction relatable. And relatable makes it memorable.

 

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When is a novel like a layer cake? @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, Instagram, Pinterest and The Write Conversation.

The Vital Tool of Observation for the Writer

by Craig von Buseck @CraigvonBuseck
Since journalism school, I have carried a notebook with me to make observations. In the early days, it was a small, spiral bound paper notebook that fit in my shirt pocket. Today, it’s a series of files in my smart phone. Whatever form it takes, a writer should have a place where she or he is taking notes of what is observed as life goes by.
The writer’s notebook also serves as a repository for creative thought. Every so often, an interesting or charming thought or phrase will cross my mind. Sometimes it is connected to one of my front burner projects. Other times it could be a phrase for a back burner—or even a back, back burner project. Sometimes it may just be a curious or creative phrase looking for a project to enhance. In any case, it’s imperative for the writer to capture these thoughts and add them to their organized notebook.
Organization, of course, is the key to retrieval of these ideas. I have my notes organized into topics like “Article Ideas,” “Book Ideas,” “Screenplay Ideas,” “Story Ideas,” “Possible Phrases,” “Possible Dialogue,” “Observations,” “Theater Script Ideas,” and so forth. The beautiful thing about keeping these captured thoughts on your smart phone is that they are easily searchable. In addition to text, you can also capture photographs, video, or audio notes to keep as idea starters.
When approaching the end of a writing project, I will peruse these different folders in search of an idea or concept that captures my heart and my imagination for my next endeavor. These captured thoughts can either move up to a back, back burner or “starter” project; to a back burner “development” project that I add to from time-to-time; and sometimes, they will jump to the front of the queue, as the British would say.
Most of the projects I actually work on to completion have been simmering on the back burner for years, but they may start with a simple captured thought from my writer’s notebook.
Observing LifeMy early writing mentor, Dr. Bob Slosser, had been a New York Times reporter and editor. He taught me that in order to be a good writer, one had to be an observer of life. Then, the writer needed to “journal” what is observed. 
In addition to ideas, dialogue, and interesting phrases, it’s important for the writer to capture poignant moments in life to be used down the road in various projects. As I did my residency for hospital chaplaincy, one of my teachers reminded me that the hospital is a treasure trove of human interest stories.
“What about the hipaa laws protecting the privacy of the patients?” I asked. She said that over time, I would see similar cases that could be melded together in order to tell the story while still protecting the privacy of the patients. And, of course, the names are always changed.
One sees the best and the worst of humanity in the fascinating laboratory of life known as a hospital. During that time, I recorded in my notes one of the stories that stood out, which I will never forget.
Peace in the Valley“Why has God done this to me?” The question was posed by an angry woman lying in a hospital bed. I had been paged by the nurse and asked to meet with this lady, though I was given no information concerning what she wanted to talk about.
“I’m only in my late 50s,” she continued, “but I’m stuck in a body that’s getting weaker and weaker. While my friends are out having fun and enjoying their lives, I’m trapped in this body and in this bed.”
There are many ways I could have responded. I could have told her to “buck up” and stop complaining. I could have told her that “God works in mysterious ways.” I could have told her that she could get better if she only had enough faith. Or I could have told her that everything was going to be OK.
None of those are good responses. The best response was to listen and allow her to pour out her heart.
When she was done, I simply acknowledged her pain and said I was sorry that she had such a difficult burden to bear. I assured her of God’s love for her, despite the health challenges she was facing.
As we continued to talk, I reminded her that there were many people in the Bible who experienced different kinds of pain—some physical, some emotional—and they also brought their sorrow, grief, and questions to God. I shared how David often cried out to God in the Psalms. I assured her that God didn’t mind her sharing truthfully from her heart.
After nearly an hour, she ended our conversation with, “Thank you, I needed to share that. Despite my pain, I still believe.” We prayed together and I said goodbye.
Two days later, I received an emergency page to come back to this woman’s room. She was actively dying and she had no family or friends with her. When I arrived in her room, she had already fallen into a coma. The nurse was getting ready to give her some morphine to ease her pain.
I took hold of her hand. “It’s Chaplain Craig. I was here a couple days ago. I want you to know you’re not alone. I’m here, the nurse is here, and God is here with us.”
I started to sing hymns that were stirring in my heart. When I began “Amazing Grace” the nurse said, “Oh, that is my favorite. Can I sing along?” “Of course,” I responded and the two of us sang together. 
When we finished singing, I quoted what is probably the best known of David’s writings—the 23rd Psalm. When I spoke the comforting words, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…” this dear woman—who had not moved at all up until that point—suddenly squeezed my hand.
I experienced then what I had had been taught in my chaplain training—people in a coma can often hear and understand what is happening around them.
Though she had questioned God in the midst of her difficult trial, she had held on to her faith. In the end, it was God’s Word and His presence that brought her comfort as she said goodbye to this world.
I was honored to be there for this precious moment in the life of this dear woman. I was blessed to witness the power of God’s Word as it brought peace in the valley of the shadow of death. I have shared this story many times, both in writing and in speaking. I’m able to do so because I wrote the details early in my journal so that I would not forget and could easily find them for future projects.
Turn your smart phone into a notebook and capture the stories and thoughts that pass through your creative mind every day! Your writing will be strengthened and your impact on the hearts of your readers will be enhanced.

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The Vital Tool of Observation for the Writer - @CraigvonBuseck on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Dr. Craig von Buseck is an award-winning author and the Managing Editor for Inspiration.org. His new books are Victor! The Final Battle of Ulysses S. Grant, a biography of the final two years in Grant’s life, and the companion, Forward! The Leadership Principle of Ulysses S. Grant. Learn more at vonbuseck.com.

Dr. Craig von Buseck is an award-winning author and the Managing Editor for Inspiration.org. Learn more at vonbuseck.com.