Jen Cudmore's Blog, page 42

Guest: Agent Les Stobbe – Prophetic Role

Les Stobbe has been a literary agent for 20 years, and has worked in the book business for over 50. Visit his website at http://stobbeliterary.com/

What Prophetic Role Do Christian Writers Have?

In recent years I have been receiving both fiction and non-fiction proposals from writers who are upset about where the church is headed and where the country is going. Many have a lot of criticism and few solutions for the problems they see. They have the Jonah rather than the Pauline message.

We are all aware that the mega-churches tend to have a very positive message, which is reflected in the pastor’s books. Both churches and books get a strong response, with growing attendance and increasing book sales. Is that a valid role for writers, especially during a depressing economic climate?

Eugene H. Peterson writes in his introduction to the Book of Micah in  The Message: “Prophets use words to remake the world. The world—heaven and earth, men and women, animals and birds—was made in the first place by God’s Word. Prophets, arriving on the scene and finding that world in ruins, finding a world of moral rubble and spiritual disorder, take up the work of words again to rebuild what human disobedience and mistrust demolished. These prophets learn their speech from God. Their words are God-grounded, God-energized, God-passionate.”

I had to read this introduction over several times as I tried to comes to terms for how that might occur today. Is it a Christian journalist who fled for his life from Zimbabwe because he wrote articles critical of the dictatorial rule of the government there?  Is it a journalist from Pakistan reporting on the shooting of two Christian leaders as they left a courtroom exonerated of blaspheming the prophet Mohammed—and evaluating the performance of the judicial system? Or is it writers broadcasting the Gospel via shortwave into Afghanistan in four languages? Could it have been Bruce Olsson singing the message of Christ’s life and death and resurrection while swaying in a hammock in a large longhouse in Bari territory on the Colombian/Venezuelan border, until then not penetrated by any white man? Maybe it is blog writers analyzing what they are seeing around them in this country.

The question that keeps coming to me is: Are the words “God-grounded, God-energized, God-passionate?”

Guest: Agent Les Stobbe – Propetic Role

Les Stobbe has been a literary agent for 16 years, and has worked in the book business for over 50. Visit his website at http://stobbeliterary.com/

What Prophetic Role Do Christian Writers Have?

In recent years I have been receiving both fiction and non-fiction proposals from writers who are upset about where the church is headed and where the country is going. Many have a lot of criticism and few solutions for the problems they see. They have the Jonah rather than the Pauline message.

We are all aware that the mega-churches tend to have a very positive message, which is reflected in the pastor’s books. Both churches and books get a strong response, with growing attendance and increasing book sales. Is that a valid role for writers, especially during a depressing economic climate?

Eugene H. Peterson writes in his introduction to the Book of Micah in  The Message: “Prophets use words to remake the world. The world—heaven and earth, men and women, animals and birds—was made in the first place by God’s Word. Prophets, arriving on the scene and finding that world in ruins, finding a world of moral rubble and spiritual disorder, take up the work of words again to rebuild what human disobedience and mistrust demolished. These prophets learn their speech from God. Their words are God-grounded, God-energized, God-passionate.”

I had to read this introduction over several times as I tried to comes to terms for how that might occur today. Is it a Christian journalist who fled for his life from Zimbabwe because he wrote articles critical of the dictatorial rule of the government there?  Is it a journalist from Pakistan reporting on the shooting of two Christian leaders as they left a courtroom exonerated of blaspheming the prophet Mohammed—and evaluating the performance of the judicial system? Or is it writers broadcasting the Gospel via shortwave into Afghanistan in four languages? Could it have been Bruce Olsson singing the message of Christ’s life and death and resurrection while swaying in a hammock in a large longhouse in Bari territory on the Colombian/Venezuelan border, until then not penetrated by any white man? Maybe it is blog writers analyzing what they are seeing around them in this country.

The question that keeps coming to me is: Are the words “God-grounded, God-energized, God-passionate?”

Review by Nate: Isle of Swords

Title: The Isle of Swords

Author: Wayne Thomas Batson

Short summary:  A boy with no memory of his past. A pirate with malice in mind. An island of cursed treasure. And a mysterious green crystal. This adventure is going to capture you in a tale of faith and fortune on the high seas.

What I liked about the story: There’s a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter and they don’t spoil the bad guy’s thoughts or plans.

What I liked about the writing: The author uses terms the characters would use in that time period and has problems (plot twists and specific character weaknesses) that make the story more realistic.

Submitted by: Nate, age 12

Summary from Amazon: A young lad awakens on an island, alone and brutally injured, with no memory of his past.

Captain Declan Ross searched for riches that will free him and his headstrong daughter, Anne, from the piracy business forever . . . Bartholomew Thorne, an infamously ruthless pirate, seeks to destroy Ross and any who stand in his way of the legendary treasure hidden by a mysterious order of monks. With these intriguing characters and many more, Wayne Thomas Batson weaves a spell-binding adventure filled with high-seas drama where battles rage, storms brew, a long-dormant volcano awakens, and a sea creature slithers in the deep as pirates race for a cliff-top fortress.

Review by Kayla: Secret Sisters

Title:  Secret Sisters, Volume 1

Author: Sandra Byrd

Short summary: Tess Thomas is without a friend, then on the first day of sixth grade she meets someone nice. They have a series of adventures. In the story Heart to Heart, they meet and become best friends. In Twenty-One Ponies, Erin writes a report for school.

What I liked about the story: People can relate to the problems, like having no friends.

What I liked about the writing: She chose interesting words and was specific.

Submitted by: Kayla, age 10

Summary by Amazon:

Book 1, Heart to Heart: After a lonely time in the fifth grade, Tess Thomas dreads the beginning of the next school year. Then the exclusive Coronado Club invites her to join. She thinks she’ll do anything to belong–until she finds out just what “anything” means. How far is too far to keep a friend? When does belonging cost more than you should pay?

Book 2, Twenty-One Ponies: Tess Thomas is an expert at getting into trouble. First, she secretly “borrows” her mother’s diamond wedding earrings to wear to a party with Erin and Erin’s cute brother, Tom. But when the earrings get lost, Tess has to confess to her mom what she’s done. Determined to make things right, Tess decides to do one nice thing every day to get back on her mom’s good side. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when Tess makes another big mistake! How will she ever get her mom to forgive her now?

Each volume includes: fun, friends, family, gentle Christian faith, and a fast-paced read.

 

Clayton County: Why the Pacific Northwest?

Many of us develop a fondness for the areas where we were raised. I grew up in a little town in Washington State which consisted of a few homes and a post office. We had to travel twenty minutes down the mountain to reach the nearest civilized town. The parking lot of my high school overlooked the Columbia River, which was usually dotted with windsurfers who had traveled from all over the world!

                My first series, The Lawmen of Clayton County takes place in the Oregon and Washington Territories simply because I love the area and its history; Lewis and Clark, The Hudson’s Bay Company, Fort Vancouver, John McLoughlin. The end of the Oregon Trail seemed like the perfect place to set a western series, and at the time I started writing, I wasn’t aware of any historical novels set in this area. Most of the characters in this series either traveled the Oregon Trail during the Great Migration or boarded a ship and sailed around the continent. Those who made it were a tough and courageous group of people.

                Clayton County itself is fictitious. Basically, I wedged it between current day Skamania and Klickitat Counties, north of the Columbia. While all the towns in Clayton County are also fictitious, every other place mentioned did exist (most of them are still there today) and I tried to make all the town references historically accurate. If, like me, you have a fondness for the Pacific Northwest, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy these stories!  

The Five Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman

 

Summary: This book explains that people give and receive love in various ways. Dr.Gary Chapman, renown authority on family relationships, identifies five categories: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, and Acts of Service. He also explains how to understand each child’s needs and show them love in the way they best understand it.

My experience: I don’t recall the exact year I purchased this book, only that my son was still in his toddler years, so making the distinction over which category he fit into eluded me for quite a while. Over time I learned to pay attention, and have found this very helpful in understanding and communicating with my children. I also decided that a good sprinkling of all five categories goes a long way in making a happy family!

What I learned: While I found the information very insightful, it wasn’t until I actually met Dr. Chapman two years ago that I understood the quantity. Identifying my children’s primary and secondary love languages wasn’t that difficult once they started school, but I was never sure if I was giving them enough of what they needed. I discovered the quantity is different for every child, and you just have to study them to see when you’ve met the need. Some will require more (like my daughter), while others will require less (like my son).

Have you read this book? What did you find helpful for your family?

 

What’s on Your Bookshelf?

Early on I realized the importance of gleaning all I could from professionals in the writing arena. After listening to a lecture on dialogue by Renni Browne, I promptly bought her book called Self-Editing for  Fiction Writers. I devoured that book, before I had even completed a manuscript!

I once heard an agent ask a crowd how many editing manuals they had on their bookshelf. I raised my hand at the number five, and was amazed at how few writers joined me. The agent scolded us for not taking advantage of the wealth of information available for new writers. I now have more than five.

Besides Renni’s book,  I found The Way of Story by Catherine Ann Jones particularly helpful, as well as Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon. I’m currently reading Your Creative Writing Masterclass by Jurgen Wolff.

Besides just books, many agents have blogs with writing tips. Writer’s Digest Magazine is also a great resource. Most writers guilds publish some type of newsletter. There are many other good resources out there. Go load your bookshelf!

Guest: Sandra Byrd – Chekhov’s Gun

Sandra Byrd is a best-selling novelist and a mentor with the Christian Writers Guild. Visit her website at www.sandrabyrd.com

Chekov’s Gun

For every stimulus, you must have a response.

For every response, you must have a stimulus.

When we write novels, we don’t include every word spoken, every action taken, every plan proposed. We include only those elements that either characterize or move the plot forward, or  hopefully, both.  Therefore, by introducing an element, especially one which is unusual and flags the reader’s attention, we are indicating that it is significant. By that, you assure the reader that this element is worthy of their mental tracking. You’re promising that there will be a response to that event or item, and that both stimulus and response will be critical to the story.

This is the classic writing rule known as Chekhov’s gun, after Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

He stated, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.” Hanging the rifle is the stimulus. Firing it is the response. Implied, then, is that when it goes off, that will be the stimulus to a following action in the plot. As a corollary, you can’t simply have something happen “out of the blue.” You must have a stimulus before a response or your readers will feel set up, asking themselves, “Where did that come from?”

In one of my recent books, The Secret Keeper, Queen Kateryn Parr responds with anxiety and dread when one of Henry the Eighth’s councilors states publicly that the queen’s religious opinions differ from the king’s approved Six Acts. Because another woman, Anne Askew, was burned at the stake for that very same cause some chapters earlier, we understand, without a word, why Parr is filled with dread. The stimulus – Askew’s “illegal” teaching.  The response – her public martyrdom. Because the charges brought about a death, the next stimulus is an accusation of the same  against the queen. The response – Parr’s anxiety.  This anxiety becomes the next in the chain, a stimulus, and will demand a response from her.

Think of this like a person on overhead monkey bars. Both hands start out at the same place, but then hand over hand, one after another, pass down the overhead bars, with both hands meeting on each bar before reaching for the next. Stimulus leads to a response, that response leads to the next stimulus, leads to response, till the end of the row. Because the events are all connected, your readers will never ask, “Where did that come from?”

Do you make good use of stimulus and response?

 

Sandra Byrd: Chekhov’s Gun

Guest Blog: Sandra Byrd is a best-selling novelist and a mentor with the Christian Writers Guild. Visit her website at www.sandrabyrd.com

For every stimulus, you must have a response.

For every response, you must have a stimulus.

When we write novels, we don’t include every word spoken, every action taken, every plan proposed. We include only those elements that either characterize or move the plot forward, or  hopefully, both.  Therefore, by introducing an element, especially one which is unusual and flags the reader’s attention, we are indicating that it is significant. By that, you assure the reader that this element is worthy of their mental tracking. You’re promising that there will be a response to that event or item, and that both stimulus and response will be critical to the story.

This is the classic writing rule known as Chekhov’s gun, after Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

He stated, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.” Hanging the rifle is the stimulus. Firing it is the response. Implied, then, is that when it goes off, that will be the stimulus to a following action in the plot. As a corollary, you can’t simply have something happen “out of the blue.” You must have a stimulus before a response or your readers will feel set up, asking themselves, “Where did that come from?”

In one of my recent books, The Secret Keeper, Queen Kateryn Parr responds with anxiety and dread when one of Henry the Eighth’s councilors states publicly that the queen’s religious opinions differ from the king’s approved Six Acts. Because another woman, Anne Askew, was burned at the stake for that very same cause some chapters earlier, we understand, without a word, why Parr is filled with dread. The stimulus – Askew’s “illegal” teaching.  The response – her public martyrdom. Because the charges brought about a death, the next stimulus is an accusation of the same  against the queen. The response – Parr’s anxiety.  This anxiety becomes the next in the chain, a stimulus, and will demand a response from her.

Think of this like a person on overhead monkey bars. Both hands start out at the same place, but then hand over hand, one after another, pass down the overhead bars, with both hands meeting on each bar before reaching for the next. Stimulus leads to a response, that response leads to the next stimulus, leads to response, till the end of the row. Because the events are all connected, your readers will never ask, “Where did that come from?”

Do you make good use of stimulus and response?

 

Chekhov’s Gun

Guest Blog: Sandra Byrd is a best-selling novelist and a mentor with the Christian Writers Guild. Visit her website at www.sandrabyrd.com

For every stimulus, you must have a response.

For every response, you must have a stimulus.

When we write novels, we don’t include every word spoken, every action taken, every plan proposed. We include only those elements that either characterize or move the plot forward, or  hopefully, both.  Therefore, by introducing an element, especially one which is unusual and flags the reader’s attention, we are indicating that it is significant. By that, you assure the reader that this element is worthy of their mental tracking. You’re promising that there will be a response to that event or item, and that both stimulus and response will be critical to the story.

This is the classic writing rule known as Chekhov’s gun, after Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

He stated, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.” Hanging the rifle is the stimulus. Firing it is the response. Implied, then, is that when it goes off, that will be the stimulus to a following action in the plot. As a corollary, you can’t simply have something happen “out of the blue.” You must have a stimulus before a response or your readers will feel set up, asking themselves, “Where did that come from?”

In one of my recent books, The Secret Keeper, Queen Kateryn Parr responds with anxiety and dread when one of Henry the Eighth’s councilors states publicly that the queen’s religious opinions differ from the king’s approved Six Acts. Because another woman, Anne Askew, was burned at the stake for that very same cause some chapters earlier, we understand, without a word, why Parr is filled with dread. The stimulus – Askew’s “illegal” teaching.  The response – her public martyrdom. Because the charges brought about a death, the next stimulus is an accusation of the same  against the queen. The response – Parr’s anxiety.  This anxiety becomes the next in the chain, a stimulus, and will demand a response from her.

Think of this like a person on overhead monkey bars. Both hands start out at the same place, but then hand over hand, one after another, pass down the overhead bars, with both hands meeting on each bar before reaching for the next. Stimulus leads to a response, that response leads to the next stimulus, leads to response, till the end of the row. Because the events are all connected, your readers will never ask, “Where did that come from?”

Do you make good use of stimulus and response?