Reading Is Great!

    Reading is fantastic! This is an absolute fact. Undeniable. Unarguable. Un-debatable. :) And for many of us who take up the pen or keyboard to write, reading was what got us interested in writing in the first place. And there are so many ways reading helps us grow as writers and improve our craft!
    Reading makes the brain work. Not only do we register words and action as we read, but we use our imagination to get creative and picture things. We recreate scenes second by second, almost like a movie playing in our heads. In a fun and interesting way, reading exercises the right side of the brain.
    It's great for the left side too. A person can learn a lot about a particular subject in a novel. A historical novel provides lots of information about the time period it portrays, and some characters in novels evaluate a lot about specific skills they have. Novels with certain themes can show differing viewpoints on a matter, which can help a person understand (even if they don't agree with) the other side. Reading increases knowledge, which can be useful not only in real life, but perhaps a factoid gained from another novel can be put into use in one's own work in progress.
    Sometimes when I read, I experience a sort of "rinsing" affect. When I've spent some time reading a great novel, I find my own writing coming out better and more clear. Maybe my mind is picking up writing tips and strategies subconsciously as I read, or maybe reading conditions my brain to think more like a novel character. Who knows? But it's great!
    I know there's like a million posts out there about how awesome reading is (particularly for writers) but it's a nice topic to think about, right? Do you often think about ways to grow as a writer as you read, or do you just focus on the awesome experience of reading a story?

1 John 4:10

 

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be propitiation for our sins."

1 John 4:10 (NKJ)

Lessons from the Squirrel

The Bible talks about things to be learned from animals a couple times, particularly in Proverbs 30. Ants are personified as industrious, grasshoppers are organized, and all over the Bible, people are likened to sheep. These comparisons and lessons to be learned are very helpful to apply to life. So maybe there's at least one lesson to be learned from all animals.

The majestic squirrel

    Including . . . the squirrel. 
    Like the ant, squirrels are industrious. They go out and make meticulous searches for food, extract the food diligently and carefully, and then they go and store up their finds so that they can eat when they can't scavenge anymore. All the things they do have a purpose, something that they gain from. It's a nice work strategy to adopt, and a good way to think when serving the Lord for His Kingdom.

    Squirrels also take risks to get something done. There are sunflowers in my backyard that squirrels come to harvest seeds from, and I've watched those little creatures hang from them upside down by their feet in order to reach the seeds. Seeing how the flower sways beneath their weight with every move they make, one can't help but admire how gutsy they are. It's kind of like having courage to go do the right thing. It can be frightening . . . but there's a harvest.

    Another thing about squirrels that can be applied to life: they're dangerous, but they aren't fierce. It's not safe to try to pick up a squirrel. They have teeth and claws and they will use them when they have to . . . but only when they have to. Squirrels would be pretty intimidating and far less loveable if they always hissed, bristled their tails, and bared their teeth. They would probably ward off a lot more nuisances and predators by doing so, but they don't. Titus 3:2 tells believers "to be peaceable, gentle, showing humility to all men," (NKJ), and 1 Peter 3:4 says that a "gentle and quiet spirit" is "very precious in the sight of God" (NKJ). Gentleness is good. Being gentle and peaceful makes a far better witness for the Lord than being fierce does.
     Have I crossed a line in blogging about squirrels? Or are these observations useful?

 

Pablo Picasso on Inspiration

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."

~Pablo Picasso

    Inspiration. Wouldn't everyone like to always have it as they start writing? I would. But unfortunately, it isn't always that way. Sad are the days when one has a lot of time to write, but seemingly nothing to write about, and little desire to keep writing a passage that seems bland.
    I think writing is like running. One can start slowly or quickly, but it always takes effort to move from stillness. And if writing is like running, short passages of practice writing are like a warm up lap. Something to get the gears going and the creative juices flowing. Even if it's dry writing, it's still writing, an effort to create, the kind of work that Picasso might be referring to here.
    Does anyone regularly do some practice writing before working on a project?

Exodus 15:2

 

"'The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him."

Exodus 15:2 (NKJ)

Waking Up Early in the Morning

    The Bible mentions waking up early in the morning a couple times. It's a thing that someone does when they're eager to do something. It's a sign of diligence.
    I used to wake up at five or six every morning when I was a kid. It was really great. I would watch the sky change from a dark gray to a light pink or blue or white as the sun rose in the sky, I would enjoy the quietness in the house and the peace of a breakfast in solitude, I'd have a ton of energy, a clearer mind, and there was so much time to do things. Waking up early was awesome.
    Yet somehow, at some point, waking up early started becoming difficult. And though I can really use all of that quiet morning time to do things like working, writing, and eating breakfast, I continually neglect to do what needs to be done in order to wake up early. And I'm totally aware of it as I stay up late, snack on sugary food, and watch movies that'll stay in my mind. It's like I know the best thing to do is to be responsible and turn in . . . but I just don't. And when I do wake up early in the morning, maybe half the time I opt to stay in bed and fall back asleep just because it's comfortable. Blargh! Can anyone else relate to this?
    It's a guilt trip, and not without reason. The act of sleeping in late isn't a sin, but sleeping in every morning is a tad lazy. And laziness is not something God approves of. Almost every time I sleep in, I kick myself for it later, saying, "Sluggard!" and thinking about all the little things I could have gotten done if I hadn't stayed in bed for that extra hour or two.
    So what's a person to do? Apply self discipline, I guess. Pray for self discipline. Maybe even set up a reward system for getting out of bed before a specific time. But praying is definitely on the top of the list.
    Everyone can relate to the temptation to sleep in, right? Aside from setting an alarm clock, what do you do to wake up early?

Describing Clothing

    Clothes can really be cool and useful in novels. They develop character description, setting portrayal, and even plot. Plus, both writing and reading the descriptions is fun!
    But haven't you ever found yourself describing characters' clothes in the same way? Articles of clothing, color, jewelry/tool. It's not a bad way to describe, but it might be better to have a wider variety of descriptions for various different outfits.
    So here are a few basic methods of describing clothing. Having a list to pick from and make different combinations with can be nice for experimenting.


The sky and the ocean are both blue,
but they have different shades of blue.


    Color. The world has a grand variety of colors. And each of those colors has its own array of shades and tones. When using a color to describe something, there are two ways to do it: by stating the basic color, or characterizing it by something of the same color. For example, you could write something like, "The jacket she had on was green," or you could write something like, "Her jacket was a dark foliage color." Coming up with a comparison helps picture an exact color, but it's also cool to just use a "basic" color and allow the reader to choose their own imagination.
    Texture. This isn't always easy to describe unless the character and/or the story is very involved with textile work, but describing what is seen and felt and even heard can give clues as to what makes up the uniform. Something soft, shimmery, and flowing can easily be silk, while something that resembles a sack of potatoes might be made of burlap. 

It's easy to imagine how knitted material feels.
Warm, sometimes starchy, and thick.

    Size and shape. This further develops character description. If their clothes fit them right, it shows their figure. Is the person tall, short, skinny, stocky? The suit can show it. Clothing can also show what a character does not look like. For example, a huge sweater would sag from the arms and  shoulders of someone who isn't very big. And when someone who isn't small is wearing small shoes, they would feel like the bloodflow to their toes is being cut off!
    Condition. Life affects clothing. A favorite jacket is going to be a little faded, with one or two stains, and maybe worn out or patched up at the elbows. Something brand new, on the other hand, is going to be brightly colored, stainless, and might still have a sort of department store smell. The form of wear and tear that clothes have can also depend on what the wearers do. A painter's jeans and tops would probably have some paint splatters on them, and a hiker would definitely have some grass and dust stains on their shoes and pants.
    The hem of the clothing. Usually this just serves creativity in imagining the characters. Does the hem of their dress or a cardigan flow? Is it bordered by a different color? It is made up of lace, or of stringy beads?
    The sleeves. More creative fun! Are the sleeves long and baggy? Short and puffy? Is the material tight enough around the arms for flexing muscles to be noticed?
    The collar. This can say something about the weather and culture of a society. Furry collars are good for cold terrains, and V-necks appropriate for summertime. Dresses with a long, stiff collar can be found in a past time period, and a collar made up of multicolored feathers can speak of an acquired taste.
    Buttons. Buttons can be very important--or, at least, interesting. The buttons of uniforms would probably be made of something sturdier and more metallic than plastic, while thin coin-like buttons are best for elegant things like cardigans. Big, chunky, colorful buttons can be stylish, and wooden buttons give off a sort of earthy feeling.
    Embellishments. Not lies, but decorative additions like embroidery, baubles, glitter, or even spray-paint. Sparkles are a popular trend for young girls' clothing, and baubles can be often found in knitted products. Some people spray-paint logos on plain T-shirts to advertise, or just because the silhouette is cool.
    So there are my thoughts. :) Do you like to write descriptions of clothing? Do you know a novel that does it really well?

Proverbs 16:24

 

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJ)

    Words are powerful. They can do great things on a grand scale, worldwide and within individual people. Good words are amazingly sweet, some of the most wonderful things in the world.
    And the most beautiful words among words? They're God's words, hands down. The words of the Lord are literally perfect, they are kind, they are beautiful, and they are wise. God's Word, His good news, is a brilliant light that leads and comforts. Hearing them, we can be refreshed.
    Is there a particular Bible verse you find marvelously sweet? One you hold close to your heart and often call to mind?  :)

Motivation

 
    Motivation. Everyone's got to have it in absolutely everything they do. Each and every person has a motivation to get out of bed in the morning--to get prepared for a long day, to go get breakfast, to make the alarm clock shut up. Both small and grand actions require motivation, a reason to do something. A purpose for the work.
    Purpose. What is our purpose? As the designed creations of a Creator? To please Him. To do what He made us for. When someone designs and builds a robot, it's expected to do as it was programmed and equipped for. So it's absolutely appropriate that our divine Creator receives the desired result from His successfully formed creations.
    The fact that serving the Lord is the right thing to do is a very good motivation indeed. But it's not our only one.
    Another factor in our motivation is that God has been so good to us, and we're grateful! He's rescued us and brought us into this fantastic relationship with Him. We've been given an ability to talk with God and to do things not only for but with Him.. These are awesome things! Gratefulness is a natural response that generates a motivation to serve.
    But that's still not all. There's at least one other point from which our motivation to serve God stems.
    Love. God loves us. And thanks to His grace, we can love Him back. Love is the strongest motivation of all, powerful enough to endure pretty much anything. Love was the Lord's motivation when He went to the cross; He saved humanity in His love, going through pain and humiliation for it. In response to this, we give love back to the Lord, give our hearts to Him, and serve with unselfish love. Love for God, and love for all people.
    Respect for God, gratitude for God, and love for God. These all combine for a sole motivation to serve and please the Lord: the Lord Himself! He is our motivation. This motivation gives us strength when we're tired, endurance when life gets difficult, and comfort when we need it most. He keeps us going when the road gets rocky.
    Motivation. Isn't it a wonderful thing?

Writing Games: Rewriting the Day!

Doing this writing challenge, one could say that this beautiful tree is
metallic, its usual sheen waning as the horizon swallows up the sun.

    Do you ever write down a specific moment in life like it's a scene in a book? It's a great way to preserve memories and to remember a different time. And it presents an interesting writing game.
    Try to remember a specific moment in life (special or ordinary) and how it could be written as a short scene. Then write it with one major difference: change the setting from the real world to a fantasy or science fiction one!
    Who hasn't ever wanted to live in a different setting like that for a little while? Enchanting countryside castles, floating cities, towns with local superheroes. Those places sound awesome! Rewriting a moment with this kind of backdrop makes it possible to be there in a way.  With the actions in the scene being things you actually did, it makes it easier to picture. Reading a scene like this can make a person feel like they're actually there, or that they were there.
    In history class, you could be listening to a hologram teacher while scribbling notes onto a tablet. You could be serenely watching the sunset with your friend through the window of a castle tower. On a public bus, you could watch the passenger in front of you, the cyborg adjusting his hand. Sitting in the park, you could be listening to the birds and to the singing flowers. Just about anything is possible in writing.
    Do you like writing prompts like this?

Hebrews 12:1

 

 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin with so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJ)

    With the Olympics happening, this verse easily comes to mind, doesn't it?
    One of the reasons this verse is really awesome is because of the comparison of our living life as Christians to running a long race. The simile is both cool and accurate; life with the Lord is sweet, but it isn't a cakewalk! It takes diligent effort to stay on track. "Run the race" is also a great encouragement to live as fully for Christ as possible, to give things our all, and to keep going until we reach the grand finish line!
    What do you like about this verse?

Libraries!

    Libraries. Man, are they awesome things!
    Be they public buildings stuffed with books and computers, or a small personal collection of books on a shelf or bookcase, there are so many awesome blessings in having one available.
    Knowledge is a no-brainer. Books are ideal ways to learn a new skill when you can't afford a tutor. Even fiction books can have enough information to learn a lot about a particular topic (or to spark a strong interest in it).
    Adventure is another great thing about having a library to go to. Novels are amazingly potent things that can take you to real or imaginary places to do incredible things and achieve a magnificent goal. A novel can take hours to read; hours of fun, excitement, and healthy thrills. Both moral and practical lessons can also be learned from a great story, and lessons learned in this way can be really easy to remember.
    A library is also a nice place to study. With tables and multiple shelves of resources, sitting down to work is easy and even comfortable. Libraries also tend to have a very quiet environment, which makes it easier to think as opposed to, perhaps, a public park or a bus ride environment.
    Not to mention the fact that a library is a great place to hang out with friends. Some public libraries host community events to bring like people together and have fun. There are book clubs, young adult groups, city-wide holiday events, and a network of volunteers. With places to sit and books to chat about (quietly), it's a fantastic area to improve friendships and have fun.
    Of course, all of these benefits can be found in a household library too, even if it's just one or two shelves of books. If there's a chair or two in the room, a person can sit and chat with a friend or family member. If not, then one can stand and chat. Adventure and information lies in every book, and the little area can be a cozy nook to work or relax in.
    Don't you adore libraries? Do you go to one often? :)

A Few Ways to Research

    Researching. I never really considered how important it is to do this before beginning to write a story. Sure, you've got to know a thing or two and eventually have it all laid out in that final draft. But why put off writing the amazing story idea to study? Couldn't you just skip it at first and figure out the information as you go along? Couldn't you add it while writing the first draft?
    Yes, one can do that. I tried it, but it ended up taking me over a year to finish that manuscript with the proper research, and when I eventually go back to edit it, there'll undoubtedly be a whole lot of inconsistencies.
    Not that something like this will happen to everyone who doesn't take days to research. But still, taking at least a few hours to diligently learn about subjects in the story (like technology or climate or diseases) would probably be a good idea. Here are a few of my own ideas of how to research for a story:
    Books. There's nothing like 'em! Longer than articles and dedicated solely to one subject, it's a valuable resource to read and reread. When one goes to the library in search of books, they can find numerous different books on the subject, a wider variety of useful facts. And if one actually owns a book on the subject, they can annotate it and highlight key portions, which makes finding the information again easier.
    The Internet. The Internet can be such a well of knowledge. Doctors, engineers, scientists, historians, and other experts publish articles and have blogs on which they provide priceless information. Though on the other hand, there are a bunch of things posted on the Internet that aren't true, written by people with serious misconceptions. Articles or statements that don't cite sources or mention anything that authorizes the information might not be accurate. And of course, while the Internet is a well of knowledge, it is also the home of an abundance of ways to get distracted for hours. Self-discipline might need to be exercised in order to stay on track.
    A similar novel or movie. This method of research is fun! Watching and re-watching a cool movie, reading and re-reading an awesome novel, writing and thinking about them while taking notes . . . There is a lot that a person can learn by analyzing a similar work. Dialogue in accordance to genre, sequence of events, character relationships, and lines or moments that were memorable are all useful to have in mind while writing. Of course, in this form of research, a person has to be careful to not copy the other work, or to think more about the published work than their own story. Then the similar work becomes a distraction instead of something to learn from.
    Field trip! Field trips are basically when a person plans a small excursion either to a place  or to focus on an activity. If there's a woodland setting in the story, and there's a forest-like park near where you live, you can take a walk there. It'll be a great opportunity to write a description of the setting, or even to record part of the walk for future reference. As for the other field trip method, it can be done almost anywhere as long as the necessary materials are there. If you have a character who makes or uses a paracord in the story, you can get instructions and a few ropes and learn to make one. The experience can give vital information that one wouldn't have thought about if they'd never done it themselves (like in the paracord example; usually you have to solder the ends of the rope to keep the completed cord from unraveling, and soldering isn't something anyone can do at any time).
   Find an expert and chat. This might not always be doable (particularly when the subject or research is a little out-of-the-ordinary, like daily life in the 1800s), but if you can find someone who knows a thing or two about the subject, their knowledge is pure gold. Taking notes is a must, but since a person usually can't write as fast as one can talk, recording the conversation (with permission) is ideal.
    Taking notes throughout the whole research process is important, and so is keeping them organized. Because what good are twenty pages of notes if you can't find them? It might help to have a folder to hold all of the research information, and a place to put that folder so that it won't get lost.
    So there are my thoughts. What do you think? Have you ever undertaken a period of research before diving into writing an awesome story?