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Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Writing Techniques ~~ "Planting & Harvesting"
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Writing Techniques ~~ "The Writing Bug Bites"
I wrote my first book report on “Blaze and the Forest Fire,”
telling how the boy and his horse saved the day by riding fast to report the
fire. My teacher liked the book report, and my enthusiasm about it.
I was disappointed to learn that “Blaze and the Forest
Fire,” was the only one of the series available at our school library. For the
rest of the year, whenever I needed a book report, I wrote one about a Billy
and Blaze adventure that existed only in my imagination and on my notepaper. I
recall there were three of them, one about a race Blaze won at the county fair. I always received a good grade on my book reports, and later
I wondered if I fooled the teacher, or if she was rewarding creativity.
As I sat down to write this blog, I became curious as to
whether Billy and Blaze had survived all these decades. I went to Amazon.com
and found there were several books in that series still available for purchase.
The next time I visit the Twin Falls, Idaho Library I intend to search for Billy and
Blaze.
References about writing are everywhere. I Googled Bible
references to writing and on one site I found 63 citations. The first reference to catch my interest was
when the Lord got into the writing business, writing the ten commandments with
his finger on the tablets of stone for Moses (Exodus 31:18). In Joshua 30:2,
the Lord commands Joshua to “write in a book all the words I have spoken to
you.”
In Proverbs 3:3 we are encouraged to “let love and
faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck and write them on the
tablet of your heart.” Good advice then,
good advice now. The Psalmist, in Psalm
102:18 looks to those who will follow him when he writes “let this be written
for a future generation that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.”
For those of you who are considering picking up a
pen/pencil or turning on your computer to write and not sure where you’ll get your ideas, one of the
suggestions I offer is that you think about writing a continuation of a story
you’ve recently read or a TV series you’ve enjoyed. What is happening next to
the characters? With this thought, I
find the Greatest Book Ever Written a source for someone looking for something
to write. The Bible, as we know, is
filled with stories and story possibilities. This source of story ideas offers
you an opportunity to not only consider “what happened then?” but may even
inspire you to study more of the Bible and related sources. For instance, what
happened to the donkey on which Jesus rode on Palm Sunday? Was the innkeeper’s
life changed after the birth of Jesus in his stable?
Some individuals I know were bitten by the writing bug as
they listened to stories told by older family members and realized those
stories should be saved for other family members and future generations. Write
them down. Since I am not really “electronically literate”, I carry a small
notebook and pen in my purse to catch possible story prompts.
I find that cell phones with cameras offer another way to
get started writing. So many photos of people, events, scenery, etc. almost cry
out for something to be written about them. Perhaps choosing one photo a week
or a month to write something about will trigger your writing desire.
Reminiscing about the lives of your parents or older
relatives may also bring stories to mind. I remember working in the fields as a
young girl, beside my mother and sister. Potato harvesting has changed
drastically through the decades. Workers would pick potatoes from the field and
place them in wire baskets and sacks for transport to the cellars for
processing. I remember my mother
shedding her clothes in the middle of a potato field when a mouse ran up her
pant leg. My mother was a shy woman, but she didn’t hesitate to separate
herself from the mouse. It could have been a funny story.
Another prompt for deciding to start writing can be an
urgent desire on your part to express your opinion about what you read in a
newspaper or heard on TV. Letters to the editorial staff of newspapers and
magazines are opportunities to write and share your thoughts. I am always
thrilled to see my name in print, wherever it is. I remember one time my letter
to the editor was published in a local paper and a member of our church read it
to friends gathered around him after the service. He had read the letter
several times and didn’t connect that I was the person who had written it until
his wife carefully pointed out that the “Ruth” was a woman he knew.
Pets can inspire you to write. I’ve enjoyed the company
of dogs for most of my life; however, in recent years a stray cat and her
kitten have joined my household, and storytelling about their antics fills many
of my conversations. I should write these experiences, at least in a journal.
I recently retired (again) as a substitute teacher and
found that having students keep a journal is an amazing way to encourage them
to think, speak and write. Parents who read their children’s journals may find
a rich source of ideas in their kids’ homework.
I’ve retired for the umpteenth time, and I find that I’ve
actually “refired”, spending much of my time writing and loving it (most of the
time). I’ve self-published two books through
Create Space during the past two years, “My Border Collie World”, and “Civilian
Women’s Quarters”, and hope to publish “We Gather Together” in the next month.
May the writing bug also bite you and cause you to itch
to put your words on paper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to extend a BIG "Thank You" to my guest blogger, Ruth Simerly, for her encouraging, instructive, and sage words. I met Ruth years ago in a small writing group in the valley. Her smile radiates kindness and her eyes twinkle like Christmas tree lights. I love the happy smile on her border collie's face featured in the above book cover.
Please share this guest blog post to those who desire to write or need ideas to jump start or complete their current project.
Happy Reading, & Write on!
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Poetry & Prose ~~ "Thank You, Lord"
"Thank You"
(A Prayer)
Lord,
Your grace so freely given
Your fruit so generously shared
The best wine poured daily
Your living water forever pure—
Suitable only for the purest—
You, your heavenly hosts—
But not for me.
Still
YOU struck the Rock
That I might drink freely.
Some days sipping
Some days thirstily, greedily.
Never offended
You are always eager to share and to
bless.
Tonight
In this wee morning hour
My lips moistened with Your sweetness
I thank You.
You love me
And I love You.
YOU love me, MORE
And I love you more.
Thank You.
For this guest blog, Terry shares a prayer in the form of a poem that he wrote late one night or early
morning almost two years ago. He hopes God likes it, and that you do, too!
Terry lives with his wife of 37 years, Terri Anne. He's journaled for years with the intention of sharing thoughts with their two sons and daughter-in-law, surviving siblings, and friends. Much of what he's written lately has been conversations with God from devotional periods of Bible study and other inspirational reading, prayer walks, and photography sessions. Writing helps to deepen his awareness of his life and his relationship with Jesus Christ. Pens and pencils -- Michelangelo's chisels that reveal the Davids (or Davidas) that God has created all of us to be.
Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Answers in Faith ~~ "A Grandmother's Double Delight"
To my delight and unspeakable joy, I became a grandmother several years ago. When the first was born, the miracle of birth, of two people becoming three, amazed me even more than when it happened to me. As I held that tiny boy, my heart swelled with so much love that tears leaked out of my eyes. It happened again when the second boy was born.
We live in another state from our grandsons, so our trips to
see them are far between. I send cards, but preschool kids don’t appreciate
them like they will when they learn to read. When we visit, I always take gifts
for both boys so now they expect it. I usually take them books, but from the
looks of their two full bookcases, it may be time to expand my selection of
gifts.
Watching these boys grow up and learn new things is
rejuvenating for me. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child makes me feel
young, although it’s exhausting to keep up with them. They can play and run for
hours, but I cannot. I do the best I can before resting and telling them to
continue their play.
We spent two weeks helping our son with our two grandsons
while our daughter-in-law was on an overseas business trip. During those two
weeks, we played on the floor, read books, drew pictures, ran races, played
outside, went to the park, went to stores, went to McDonalds, and in general,
did everything they wanted to do. We even did a few things they didn’t want to
do, like picking up toys and being quiet while their dad worked in his office.
We ate together, watched TV together, played games together, and lived together
for two weeks.
At the end of our time there, I was packing my bag when the
oldest grandson came in to watch. “I’m going home tomorrow,” I told him.
He gave me a very puzzled look and said, “But I was just
beginning to like you.”
I hope someday my grandsons will appreciate the time I spent
with them. I hope they never forget me. I hope they pass on my songs and
lessons I’ve tried to teach them. I hope they grow up into responsible, caring,
Christian men. It’s my prayer.
II Timothy 1:5 “…when I call to remembrance the genuine
faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your
mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is also in you.” I hope I’m like the
grandmother Lois, and I will establish the faith of Christ in my grandsons so
that they know it from childhood (II Tim. 3:15).
“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to
everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s
children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments
to do them” (Psalms 103:17-18 NKJV).
I want to thank my guest blogger and fellow author, Carol Kjar, for this uplifting and instructive writing. My favorite line from the blog is when her grandson looked at her and said, "But I was just beginning to like you." I'm confident that's a precious memory that will stay in the Kjar family for quite some time.
As Carol mentioned in her blog, long-distance grandparenting can be a challenge. The Lord will give us wisdom how to accomplish this in a memorable way as our legacies continue.
For those of you who are already grandparents or about to become ones, celebrate and enjoy your gifts from God as your legacies live on!
Happy grandparenting!
I want to thank my guest blogger and fellow author, Carol Kjar, for this uplifting and instructive writing. My favorite line from the blog is when her grandson looked at her and said, "But I was just beginning to like you." I'm confident that's a precious memory that will stay in the Kjar family for quite some time.
As Carol mentioned in her blog, long-distance grandparenting can be a challenge. The Lord will give us wisdom how to accomplish this in a memorable way as our legacies continue.
Carol C.S. Kjar, (pronounced "care") lives with her long-time first husband in their empty nest in Boise. She spent her life doing many different things. She’s been a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a secretary, a statistician, a literacy tutor, a newsletter editor, a timber sale accountant, an archeological technician, and best and longest of all, a technical writer/editor.
After retiring, Carol focused on writing fiction. Her novels are sweet and wholesome, suspenseful with a touch of romance. She has also written children's, middle age books, and one non-fiction book about quilting. When not writing or traveling with her husband, she loves to quilt, sew, read, draw, paint, and read to her grandsons.
Here's Carol's contact information where you can read her blogs, take a look at the books she's published, etc.
Here's Carol's contact information where you can read her blogs, take a look at the books she's published, etc.
My blog is found at www.cskjar.com/blog
I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cskjar/
I’m on Twitter at @cskjar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those of you who are already grandparents or about to become ones, celebrate and enjoy your gifts from God as your legacies live on!
Happy grandparenting!
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Writing Techniques ~~ Writing a Successful Book Series
According to a poll conducted by Goodreads in 2015, more
readers liked reading books that were part of a series than stand-alone books, although
it was close. Knowing this, many writers embark on the road to writing a
series.
The key to writing a successful book series is creating a
believable world and lovable characters. Book series are popular IF readers
fall in love with the characters. If readers love the characters, they will
want to know more about them and their journeys in life.
Preplanning for a series is imperative. Before writing a
series, a writer needs to do a lot of prework and answer a series of questions:
(1) Will the series be about the world where the characters live
or about the characters and what happens to them? A writer should determine what
the focus of the series will be. Consider the novels of James Michener that
were long and could have been broken individual series. He wrote about places
and the people who lived there. The characters came, changed the place, then
died or moved on. The next characters in time came and picked up the story of
the place. His focus was the world of his novels. The most successful series ever
written was about the characters of Harry Potter and his friends. The wizarding
world was an important element of the series, but the characters were the focus
of the series.
(2) What is at the core of the series? An overarching antagonist
or evil to be overcome should weave its way through the whole series. Harry
Potter didn’t kill Voldemort in the first book; it took the whole series to
bring him down. Smaller enemies and problems (subplots to the whole story) were
resolved by the end of each book in the quest to take out Voldemort. The same
can be said of the original Star Wars movies. The characters resolved battles
by the end of each movie, but the overarching nemesis of the Empire wasn’t
destroyed until the final movie.
(3) How does each book end? Don’t end the first or second book
with a cliffhanger or end a book mid-scene. Each book should have its problems
or issues (subplots) that are resolved by the final page, but leave the reader
wondering if the final victory will be won. That’s what draws them into the
next book.
(4) Where does the story take place? The writer must create the
world where the characters live; not only create it but describe it in great
detail.
(a) Draw a map on paper. Find pictures of what the imagined world looks
like and keep them close.
(b) What does this world physically look like?
(c) What kinds of people are in it, and how do they dress?
(d) What are the ethics and beliefs of
society?
(e) What issues are facing the population?
(f) Do they have enemies and
allies?
(g) Who are the characters? All the characters must be defined
before writing. What do they look like and how to they act? Who are their
immediate family members, and how were they brought up? What notable physical
traits and what special powers or skills do they have? What morals do they hold,
and what would it take to push them outside of their beliefs?
(5) Whose point of view (POV) will be used? Most series are
written in third-person limited to one or two characters’ POV unless the focus
is on the place.
(6) When will the story end? Through the course of the series,
the characters should move from their faulty beginnings to their new and
improved selves. The best series have happily-ever-after endings. The reader can
hope for the same.
Readers who like series generally waited until all the books
in the series were out before starting the first one. Writing, then releasing
two, three, or more books at once may seem intimidating. Releasing them one at
a time may result in more sales after the last one comes out.
Please check out these helpful resources:
I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cskjar/
I’m on Twitter at @cskjar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thank you, Carol, for this well-crafted guest blog to assist writers who desire to author a series of books.
My friend and fellow author, C.S. Kjar, (pronounced "care") lives with her
long-time first husband in their empty nest in Boise. She spent her life doing
many different things. She’s been a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a secretary, a
statistician, a literacy tutor, a newsletter editor, a timber sale accountant,
an archeological technician, and best and longest of all, a technical
writer/editor.
After retiring, Carol focused on writing fiction. Her novels
are sweet and wholesome, suspenseful with a touch of romance. She has also
written children's, middle age books, and one non-fiction book about quilting. When not writing or traveling with her husband, she loves to
quilt, sew, read, draw, paint, and read to her grandsons.
For those of you so inclined, pick up your pen or sit down at your computer, and write on. Get that book series published!
Monday, December 4, 2017
Poetry & Prose ~~ 'Tis The Reason For The Season
In
the hustle and bustle of the season,
have you stopped to consider the
reason?
Why
do we toil so everything will be first rate,
waiting until December 25th
just to celebrate?
Is
your heart stirred by the good food,
tree or gifts,
The
music, cards, and parties,
or the opening of ski-lifts?
Do
you long to meet with family and friends
that you all love so dearly,
To
reminisce of times long ago
that you still remember clearly?
Perhaps
the passing of loved ones
makes you feel lonely and sad,
It’s
hard to get through this time
because you’re just not very glad.
Millenniums
ago, the prophet Isaiah foretold,
that the virgin would bear a son,
Born
in Bethlehem, and called Immanuel,
His advent was a most humble one.
This
baby boy, better known as Jesus,
came to die on the cross for our
sin.
Until
we repent and accept Him as Savior,
there’s no way we will ever win.
Is
Jesus knocking on the door of your heart,
or have you already let Him in?
Are
you wearing your robe of righteousness,
or are you still living in your sin?
So
take a moment, amidst your frantic pace
to commune with the King of Kings.
For
no one else can deliver joy and peace;
none other gives the life He brings!
This poem is featured along with twenty-nine others in Volume One of Poetry Time which is available on Amazon or in my Etsy shop, BooksbySheilaEismann.
Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence, & Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Poetry & Prose ~~ "Give Thanks"
Think about God’s
wonderful gift of love,
Having sent Jesus,
His only begotten Son.
Always rejoice
with thanksgiving in your heart.
Never give up for
He holds you safe in His arms.
Keep your eyes
upon Jesus in the midst of the storm.
Stand strong in
faith and give praise to our saving Lord.
Grant mercy and
grace to others in their time of need.
Inspire others to
reach out and be filled with His peace.
Value and
treasure His gift of eternal life He freely gives.
Invite others to
open their hearts to believe and receive.
Now and forever
give God all the glory for all He has done.
Give thanks forevermore
for His wonderful gift of love.
Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.
Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. All of us have so much for which to be thankful.
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.
Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. All of us have so much for which to be thankful.
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
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