Writing for the Love

My first live story, "Little Angel Helper," is complete. Phew (wipes brow). What an experience. For 17 days in a row, I wrote between 600 and 3,000 words. Thank you, Dunesteef hosts (Big and Rish), for the writing prompt and the inspiration to put a story out there for all to see (scary!) as I was writing it. They both finished their stories as well, and I believe the fourth participant, Katherine, is still going on hers. When they first presented the prompt ("Despite being warned about them, someone plays a claw vending machine game . . . and wins big"), and suggested the event begin the following Monday, I spent the weekend coming up with a detailed outline of the story I wanted to tell. I think that helped me a lot in terms of not writing myself into a corner, which happens to me frequently as a pantser (one who writes by the seat of their pants, not an outliner). The idea had been floating around in my head, and the prompt solidified what I wanted the sto...

Have you ever been convinced that an idea you came up with wasn’t actually yours? In my case, I believe that God provided the idea for a novel that I intend to complete. As I said in my very first blog, I have been writing on the fantasy novel I entitled Livinity for eight years. In the meantime, other story ideas have to come to mind, but beyond writing brief descriptions, I virtually ignored those ideas. I felt that if I didn’t focus on Livinity alone, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish my goal of publication. Although determination and discipline are factors that can aid my goal, there are other factors as well. For example, marketability. While at the FWA conference, I learned that in this difficult economic time, fantasy and other genre novels by new authors are not necessarily in a good position to be published. Not impossible, but also not likely. After the conference, I was encouraged to do something I had planned not to do: work on another story while simultaneously...

Writing is a gift God gave me. I am certain of that. I credit him for a great deal of my completed novel. Sometimes I reread sentences with no memory of writing them. And it's usually the best lines, leaving me to wonder if it was really me. So I thank Jesus and ask for continued inspiration. Today, he graciously answered one specific question. My ever-helpful critique group (John again) pointed out some things in my dreadful synopsis last week. Many things, in fact. I struggle with synopses like most authors do. And it hasn't gotten much easier even with feedback. However, the breakthrough! I must credit my Lord for the thought thrust into my head with gentle, but firm hands. My main character, Chloe, needed more than what I gave her in the synopsis. But that meant changing the story. How daunting, and NOT what I wanted to do. Yet Christ was with me, and as I fretted over how to strengthen her, he sent what appeared to be the obvious answer. An idea I should...