I'm Not Here Today

I have a very good reason, though.

It's the first Tuesday of the month - my official tech-free day for the month. It's actually spring break for my kids, so it will NOT be a quiet day. Hopefully, if the weather cooperates, we'll do some outside stuff. We're already planning breakfast out. And perhaps I'll write a bit with my new SmartPen. (no - I'm NOT counting it as "tech." Just the laptop and cell phone.)

Have a great day - see you on Wednesday.


Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

Don't Just Learn It

Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive

 yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 NIV

I've learned a lot about writing over the last few months. But at the moment, it isn't doing me a bit of good.

Those of you who follow my blog know that I've dedicated 2012 to learning more about the craft of writing. To that end, in just the first three months of the year, I've taken four online classes and read one and a half writing craft books. I've also read writing craft blogs, two monthly writing magazines, a quarterly writing magazine, and likely other things I'm not recalling.

I know more about character arc, novice mistakes, ways to make a character's emotional expressions more powerful, and rhetorical devices than I did at the end of 2011. A LOT more. And all this knowledge could help me greatly in making my current (or future) work in process a better, more compelling read.

But just because I have the knowledge doesn't mean I'll actually use it.

I remember vividly learning at least some of these things before. But did I apply them to my writing? Not necessarily. Having the knowledge is not enough - I must actually apply it to what I am working on (in this case, Handmaiden to a Princess)

This isn't only true in writing. James speaks of people who do the very same thing with God's Word.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:23-35 NIV

Do you not only read your Bible, but do what it says? Do you listen to, AND put into practice, the message your pastor preaches? Do you listen for God, then act on what you hear? If not, you may not be any better off than if you hadn't heard at all.

I'm planning to spend April going through my current manuscript, finding places to apply the lessons I've learned from Mary O'Gara, Kathy Ide, Margie Lawson and others during the first quarter of 2012. I will purposefully use what I have learned to improve my story.

I'll do the same with what I read in my Bible, learn in Sunday School, and hear in our pastor's messages. For acting on those truths will do more than bring me closer to a publishing contract: it will draw me closer to my Savior.

**
 How often do you "go through the motions" with your Bible reading? Do you take the lessons you learn from the Lord and apply them to your life, or is the Bible just another book to you? What stops you from doing what the Word says?

Comment below, and/ or stop by Living by Grace and we can chat a bit!

Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength

SOO Much "Smarter" - a Goals/Progress Update

Spring has sprung!

April. Really?

Can you believe we're 1/4 of the way through the year? I know I can't. My kids are in the fourth quarter of the school year (and on spring break, but that's beside the point!). The year is simply flying by. And I've been striving to take advantage of every minute of it.

How have I been doing, you ask? Well, since we're done with the first quarter of 2012, I think I'll look over my goals for the month AND the year - just to see how I'm doing.

First - my 2012 goals, from my post in late December:

1. Learn as much as I can about writing from various places, applying what I've learned to Handmaiden To A Princess and any other writing I do.
2.  Restructure my non-fiction book Ailing Body, Nourished Soul into more of a "help" book, and get the new version out to publishers/agents.
3. Work with Jennifer Slattery to put together the second Story of Faith devotional book (New Testament biblical fiction devotionals for tweens).
4. Continue to build my name recognition/platform.

 Lessee - I'm definitely making progress on #1 with the classes I'm taking - though not as much with the applying (but that will change in April - stay tuned!). As for #2, that's still in the thinking/pondering stage - have done a bit, but not a ton. As for the Jen book, we have it outlined, and for now, that's where we're leaving it. As far as building name recognition and platform, I'd say I AM making progress there, though I'm not sure I can quantify it at the moment. Overall, I'd say I'm on track for my goals for the year.

But how about March in particular? Well, let's see. Here are my March goals, from my last goals/progress post:

• Keep up on the Margie Lawson class - Deep Editing: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices, and more - I'm signed up for in March. This one should build on ALL I learned in February, and add to it! Join me if you can. It looks to be AMAZING.
• Work to implement what I'm learning in Handmaiden to a Princess, and possibly Ailing Body, Nourished Soul. A new short story would be great too :)
• Write at least one short story (probably for the FaithWriters Writing Challenge) applying what I've learned thusfar this year.

The Margie class was wonderful (and keeping up is relative - there were times I was behind, but I DID finish - as much as I could, anyway, by the time the class was over yesterday, other than the wrap-up, which I'll read in the next day or two), though probably geared more toward someone who was further along in their fiction WIP than I am. It is DEFINITELY information I can, and will, use. SUPER class. (watch for my post this coming Thursday on what I learned from it, and the other writing craft opportunities I had in March)

As I mentioned above, I did do SOME implementation of what I've learned into HtP, but not as much as I need to (if I had, I NEVER would have gotten the reading and assignments done for my Margie class!). But that's okay. I am SEEING places that need to be fixed - and I know - generally anyway - what to do.

And I DID write a short story - for the FW challenge even - incorporating what I learned. And I ECed with it! Read it here if you want. It was fun to write, and a great encouragement to me to see I was "getting" and could apply what I've been learning.

So - a good month! Full of information I can use. And April, I have decided, is a month where I will USE it. How? Check out my goals below:

Busy on my WIP this month!

• Review the classes I've taken since the beginning of 2012 (Mistakes that Scream Novice, Six Stages of Change - The Character Arc, Empowering Characters' Emotions, and Deep Editing) and work on applying what I've learned to Handmaiden to a Princess, starting with page one and working through til the month,or what I've written so far, is done - whichever comes first..
• Finish reading and learning from Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress (I'm about 1/3 of the way through currently. Learning tons here too!).
• Write another short story, likely for the FaithWriters Writing Challenge, applying what I've learned thusfar.

So, that's the plan. Thanks for reading along (and this is NO April Fool's joke, by the way).
 
Traveling Rough Roads With God's Strength