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?