Those Special Songs . . .

    Have you ever had one of those days when you want to crawl into somewhere hidden and stay there? Or maybe just one of those long, dry times when you don't feel upset, but you don't feel joyful either. A difficult time in life, a "valley" day, a long spiritual winter season. And then you sit down in a car or in your room and turn on the radio . . . and this beautiful song that completely applies to what you're going through comes on. A song that echoes what you're feeling, that empowers and comforts you, giving relief from all the problems, filling your heart with joy and a desire to praise the Lord. Moments like this are amazing, and definitely a "God thing."
    The Lord is so good to bless the world with songs like this; music that touches the heart and beautiful words that speak His truth. They remind us of His character, His grace, His love, His promises, and those are what we need to feel whole. And it can be a great reminder that He knows what we're going through and what we need; that He understands everything and can lead us through whatever situation we're in. That gives immeasurable hope.
    A song that does these things is a great blessing--and kind of like a special treasure we can share with the Lord. And when you know the lyrics and the tune by heart, you carry it with you all the time, able to remember and sing (or hum or whistle) it anywhere you go.
    Do you have a special song like this? Isn't it wonderful?

When Writing Advice Conflicts

Just like flowers, no writer is exactly the same. Each signature
writing style has its own special beauty.

    Have you ever read a quote about writing that recommends one technique (for example: "You should never use the word 'said' when writing dialogue.") but later read a different quote that tells you that you should do the exact opposite?    There's a lot of things like that out there; debates over different techniques. Showing vs. telling, flashbacks vs. no flashbacks, stories that focus on plot vs. stories that focus on character, etc.. With so much advice that contradict each other, how can a writer know which way is best?
    Well, according to many, many, many professional writers: there is no "best way" to write! Storytelling is an art, not a specific equation. Every writer has their own style. Some might use action-based descriptions to tell the story, while others aren't afraid to spell out in sentences what the character is feeling; and both techniques result in fantastic pieces of work.
    It can really be a fascinating experience, learning what one's writing style is. Since writing's an art, one can take lots of time to try out multiple different kinds of techniques, following each piece of advice one at a time to see which suits the story (and the writer). When one technique seems to work better than the other for the individual writer, then they can add it to their accumulation of writing strategies, and eventually develop a signature style.
    At least, that's what I think. Do you feel the same way? What's your favorite sort of writing style? One with lots of descriptions, action-oriented narration, short chapters, long chapters?

Luke 12:32

 

"'Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'"

Luke 12:32 (NKJ)

Sunny Days!

    Summertime! It has descended upon us. A time of vacation, relaxation, fun . . . and hotter weather.
    But even with sunburns and sweat, sunny days like those of summer are wonderful blessings. :) There are so many fantastic things about them.
    -Plants benefit, for example, from the bright sunlight. And so do people. It's the gift of Vitamin D. Doesn't everyone like to bask in the warmth of the sunlight every now and then?
    -And speaking of basking in the sunlight; it gives an opportunity to work on a natural tan. And what better place is there to take the time to do that than . . .
    -The beach! Sunny days are said to be the very best time to go there; it's definitely one of the most popular. Walking on the sea shore, getting wet in the waves, defending your chips from flocks of seagulls, and of course admiring the beauty of the glimmering ocean are a few of the fun things that one can do.
    -Sunny days are also great days to hang out in a swimming pool and/or play water sports. Spending time with family and/or friends, maybe enjoying a barbeque, keeping cool, and playing pool games. It's a great way to spend an afternoon.
    -Also great: ice cream, lemonade, cold sodas, and other cool refreshments. And days where the sun is hot seem to make those taste even better!
    Summer is such a nice, bright season, don't you think? :)

A Few More Tips For Note-Taking

    Note taking: a way to learn new writing/plotting techniques, and watch an awesome series marathon-style without feeling guilty about it.
    I've written a post on things to consider while note-taking before, but it was pretty short. Here are some more ideas that I didn't mention in the last one. :)
    Special vocabulary/terms/slang. Every place in the world pretty much has their own vocabulary. Same with fiction. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld has a whole new vocabulary and an honorific system. But it's not just science fiction or fantasy or historical fiction that can have special terms. Most cities/regions have their own nicknames for objects that outsiders have to learn.
    Subplots. Because you can't have just one plot. Things would seem flat, one-dimensional. Life is never as simple as only having issues in one aspect of life. People--real and fictional--have problems and happenings on multiple plains. Family matters, school dilemmas, inner issues (like self-doubt or a feeling of inadequacy), romantic relationships. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins has at least three subplots along with the main issue of the rebellion's war against the Capitol: Katniss's love triangle with Peeta and Gale, her attempts to protect her family, and the fact that she's battling depression, guilt, and a wheelbarrow of other traumatic scars. The main character's juggling chainsaws; there's never a dull moment in the story!
    The main goal of the characters. What is the thing that everyone is working towards? This is a nice thing to take note of because in a novel, the characters' work should build up to one large climax, not multiple small ones. An example of a sentence like this could be: "The characters are working towards stopping the antagonist from receiving and selling plans of mass destruction to other bad guys."
    The main problem that the characters have. Like the main goal, a main issue might be a good thing to identify. There can be lots of problems in a story, but it's particularly awesome when they all comprise one thematic issue. For example: "The protagonists need each other, but they can't get along!"
    Particularly powerful/awesome lines and scenes. The lines that make you laugh out loud in public. Actions that surprised you as a reader. Things the character said that you'll never forget. It's nice to write these down (or write a sentence-long summary of the scene) not only because they'd be cool to tape to a mirror, but because they can be analyzed. What made that statement so funny? What factors made that scene so powerful?
    Special information. I read a great novel where the setting was a cooking competition show, and it definitely could not have been written so well if the information was just Googled. The author clearly had experience. They knew exactly what they were talking about because they'd experienced aspects of what the characters did. Having an idea of what exact sort of information they took from their library of knowledge pertaining to their skill could be used when writing about a skill of your own.
    Writing style. Are things written in a way where every moment is described in detail, or are there a lot of summarizations of character action? Does the writer use a lot of jargon, or do they use description to explain what the character is doing? What sort of words are being used; complicated ones or words that everyone knows?
    Opinions as you read/watch. If you've ever gotten critique and the critiquing person tells you things that they thought as they read for the first time, you know how awesome it is. It gives vital information on which exact words made a person feel something most, how a description/the actions of a character portray them, and how fun it was for the reader while they were reading the story. Reviewing one's own opinions of another story can help in identifying which passages should be analyzed most.
    End thoughts of what aspects were great. At the end of the long adventure of reading/watching, not being caught up in one particular part of the book/show/movie, what are your overall thoughts? What was the best scene? The subplot that was done best? What are the best parts, and how can one use similar techniques in their own story?
    End thoughts of what aspects weren't so great, or were really bad. We learn from mistakes too--maybe even more than from successes. If you despised the story, why? Was there just one aspect that spoiled the rest of a great book? How can one avoid making the same mistake?
    Do you have any of these factors in mind when you take notes on a novel, movie, or TV show? What do you take notes in--a specific notebook, or random pages of paper?

John 10:30

"'I and My Father are one.'"

John 10:30 (NKJ)

    Jesus and God the Father are one. The three-fold Godhead (Father, Spirit, and Son) are one. Which means that whenever we look at the Son, Jesus, we see God's exact character. We see His love, His kindness, His willingness to help and to bless people, His peace, His joy, and His loving protectiveness. All fears that come from the idea that God's angry with us for messing up disintegrate when one looks at Jesus.
    God is the best Father there is, isn't He?

A Few Thoughts On Joseph

    The story of Joseph (the son of Jacob, not the husband of Mary) is a really fascinating one. It's got brotherhood, betrayal, integrity, righteousness, faith in God, an incredible rise to power, forgiveness, and peculiar dreams.
    Said dreams, at first, didn't seem to bring their bearer, Joseph, much good. The first two times he talked about them, he was scolded by his family, his brothers became bitter against him, and they eventually sold him out--literally. Then he ended up in prison interpreting the dreams of prison mates. He had to tell one that he was going to die, and when he asked the other to have someone get him out of prison, he was completely forgotten.
    Then, two years later, he was called up by the country's ruler to interpret his dream. And immediately, Joseph went to do it.
    Which seems incredible considering what had happened to him so far. There were so many things that could've kept Joseph from speaking.
    Fear of something bad happening, for example--this was the ruler of the land; if Joseph did something wrong or even just offensive, he could be executed. Then there was the possibility of bitterness--it's so tempting to be angry when you've been kicked more than once. Joseph also must have been plagued with doubts at some point--his initial dreams about wheat sheaves and the lights in the sky hadn't come to pass yet, after all.
    Fear, bitterness, and doubt. All of these things are powerful motivations to keep quiet. So why did Joseph take the risk? Why did he dare to speak of dreams again?
    In Genesis 41:16 (NKJ), Joseph tells the Pharaoh that: "'It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'" He understood that God was the one who gave him any wisdom in anything--that He was the one who gave him dreams and interpretations of them. Joseph also believed that God had put him there in that situation and that God had given him things to say of dreams.
    He had faith that God had given him the gift and was willing to risk his life on it--and he was not only righteous in doing so, but right. Since Joseph didn't succumb to fear, bitterness, or doubt, God used him to save more than one nation from a severe famine. He used the situation to give Joseph authority and to reunite him with his family in forgiveness.
    So among being a story of integrity, righteousness, coming to power, and faith, the story of Joseph seems to also be a story of using the gifts that God gives, even when it has a cost.
    Genesis has so many awesome stories like this. Isn't it cool? Which story in Genesis is your favorite?