Quotes and Tips for Writers

Writing is a process in which we discover what lives in us. The writing itself reveals to us what is alive in us. The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know. Thus, writing requires a real act of trust. We have to say to ourselves: “I do not yet know what I carry in my heart, but I trust that it will emerge as I write.” Writing is like giving away the few loaves and fishes one has, trusting that they will multiply in the giving. Once we dare to “give away” on paper the few thoughts that come to us, we start discovering how much is hidden underneath these thoughts and gradually come in touch with our own riches.” – Henri Nouwen

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

“Productivity comes from commitment, not from authority.” W.L. Gore

“A book is simply the container of an idea – like a bottle; what is inside the book is what matters.” Angela Carter

“Make writing your priority or it will only be perceived as a hobby.” Renee Vajko Srch

“Finish the day with the first line of your next paragraph or chapter – it will make it easier to jump back in the next day.” Renee Vajko Srch

“Read obsessively. Write furiously. Edit carefully.” Sissy Gavrilaki

“No matter what others think or say, believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.” Renee Vajko Srch

“Beautiful writing isn’t about the words we use. It’s about the emotions we evoke.” Katie Ganshert

“Don’t allow the editor in your mind to bully the writer in your heart.” Kellen

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” Anais Nin

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Van Gogh

“When one door of happiness closes another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

“Nothing is ever achieved without enthusiasm!” – Emerson

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams – live the life you have imagined.” – H. D. Thoreau

“You won’t notice the open window until you stop staring at the closed door.” Renee Vajko Srch

Technique #1: Create mental images for the reader

E.g.: It rained last Tuesday. Few people showed up to the baseball game – this sounds like a report or newspaper column, doesn’t it?

Instead, create a mental image:  The baseball stadium was sparsely filled last Tuesday. The handful that showed up huddled under their umbrellas.

Technique #2: Share the camera lens with the reader

E.g.: Instead of telling the reader “The sun had set,”allow them to look through your lens; A tangerine moon had risen, spinning a golden web across the dark blue waters of Silver Lake.

Technique #3: Include sensory detail

E.g.:Instead of telling the reader, “He was a big man,”include sensory details (in this case, visual and olfactory); He looks like the kind of guy who tips tractor tires for fun. Dark smudges stain his large hands and his T-shirt is streaked with black splotches. He smells of engine oil.

Technique #4: Personify inanimate objects

Instead of saying, “The rooster sits on Dad’s old tractor,” give that tractor some life;

The rooster watches from his perch atop the carcass of Dad’s rusty red tractor. I remember watching Dad as a child, astride the metal beast, sitting tall and straight as he headed out to the fields each morning, a thin ribbon of crimson barely visible on the eastern horizon. Like a fierce bull, the mechanical brute snorted and bucked, kicking up clouds of dust as my hero in denim overalls coaxed it onward once more.

Technique #5: Evoke emotions in your readers

I can tell my reader, “She was happy” or I can evoke emotion within my readers through actions that clue them in on those emotions; She ran to the gate and threw her arms around her daughter; she hadn’t seen her in three years.

          Tip: This is especially important if you are writing in first person, limited view. As the protagonist, you cannot know what other characters are thinking or feeling, you can only interpret their feelings through their actions.

Technique #6: Make readers participants rather than spectators

I can tell you “The disciples were in a boat when the storm hit. They were scared.” Or, I can take you from the shore into the boat with them and show the fear in their eyes, show their white knuckles as they grip the sides of the boat, help you feel the swell of the waves; The rain lashed at their faces and backs like a stinging whip brandished by some evil force. The wind, brutal and fierce, tossed the little fishing boat back and forth, rendering all their efforts futile. As the fishermen clutched the sides of the boat, giant waves snatched them up to heights they’d never been before, only to let go at the peak of their fear and send them crashing back into the churning waves below. Peter’s stomach clenched as another giant wave hurled the boat sideways.

          Tip: Many non-fiction writers falsely think that show, don’t tell applies to fiction. Yet even devotionals, Sunday School lessons, non-fiction books, can benefit from this technique.

Technique #7: Show when introducing the reader to a new setting (whether at the beginning or during the course of the story:

• Telling: They went to visit a castle
• Showing: They drove to the Loire Valley, the ancient playground of those blessed by noble birth. Crumbling walls and hollow turrets, once the substance of storybooks, suggested a fairytale gone wrong.

Technique #8: Show when introducing new characters

• Telling: She was a forceful woman
• Showing: Though barely five-foot three, Mrs. Lawson was built like an icebreaker. She had a lean yet strong torso and the biceps of an athlete. She walked with purpose, head and shoulders thrust forward as she navigated the house like a frozen lake.

Technique #9: Show when shifting scenes (whether at the beginning of a chapter or in the course of a chapter)

• Telling: She woke up. It was sunny.
• Showing: She yawned, then stretched in the warm rays of sunshine pouring into the room.
• Telling:     The rain woke her up
• Showing:  She awoke to rain pelting her window

Tip: Unless the narrative flows from one chapter into the next, provide setting at the beginning of a new chapter – this grounds the reader as to time, location, mood, and what is happening in this new scene.

Tip: Weather is often used to foreshadow moods or events, like music in a movie.

Technique #10: Show when the dynamics within a scene change:

• Telling: She walked out of the room, angry
• Showing: She stomped out, slamming the door behind her
• Telling: The butler came in with a letter
• Showing: The butler entered carrying a silver tray containing a black-edged envelope.

Tip: Don’t show everything. Sometimes you need to tell for brevity’s sake. Show where it matters most.

E.g.: If the point of the story is what you bought at Walmart for Father’s Day, then tell your readers, “I drove to Walmart” then show them how you searched and found just the right gift for your precious father.

Updated regularly. Come back for more tips and quotes.

Before you can create conflict, you must determine what your protagonist wants most. What are his or her goals?

1. Basic Survival (Safety, food, water, air, sleep)
2. Emotional (Love, self-esteem, achievement, respect….)
3. Relational (Family, friends, spouse, ….)
4. Spiritual (Salvation, spiritual, growth, spiritual battles, ….)

Clarify the stakes:

• What is at risk?
• What are the rewards?
• How will it impact your character’s life?

Note: The higher the stakes, the more tension a writer generates and keeps his/her audience reading

There are two basic types of conflict:

• Internal (struggles within)
• External (opposition without)

Note: Conflict should cause your protagonist to change. Whatever the cause, be sure your story reflects a development in your protagonist’s personal growth.

Multiple conflicts of varying degrees add depth to a story:

• Most stories have a core conflict, a central struggle which the protagonist has to work through.
• Smaller, secondary conflicts can exacerbate the core conflict and create more suspense

Determine the resolution to your protagonist’s conflicts. How will he resolve his situation in a way that is both believable and satisfying to the reader?

Example from my upcoming novel, The Ditty Box:

Core goal: Nora seeks to begin a new life on Ocracoke Island

Stakes:

1. Transform her aunt’s house – her inheritance – into a successful bed-and-breakfast
2. Acceptance into a tight-knit community

External Conflict: Someone is trying to prevent her. The house and her own life are in jeopardy.

Internal Conflicts: Fear of failure, coping with her grief, trust issues, struggling with the ‘goodness of God’ in the face of personal losses.

1. Setting is your story’s stage – Show your reader what you want them to see, narrow the camera lens from panoramic to single shot

            Her skiff lay in its slip, near the end of the dock. Its hull had faded to a sickly hue of green. A pair of oars hung like mangled limbs from rusty oarlocks. Nearby, a seagull, perched on the metal railing, stretched its neck and let out a cackle. It sounded like he was laughing at me (excerpt from my current work in progress, The Ditty Box)

• Types of setting:
• Historical setting
• Chronological setting
• Topographical setting
• Meteorological setting
• Social setting
• Cultural setting

2. Sprinkle descriptions throughout your story rather than deliver long descriptions (Info dump)

• Use sensory words to show scenes
• Sound
• Sight
• Smell
• Taste
• Touch

The tea was warm and sweet, precisely the way I liked it. Breathing a weary sigh, I wrapped both hands around the cup and closed my eyes. I could still feel the sway of the ferry and the sting of salty droplets on my cheeks (except from my current work in progress, The Ditty Box)

3. Offer specifics rather than generalities

He tossed his briefcase into the back seat, then folded his long, lean frame into the Mini Cooper (excerpt from, The Ditty Box)

4. Use active rather than passive descriptions

The sunporch had two green rockers and looked out over the ocean (passive)

OR

The sunporch was one of Aunt Bea’s favorite hangouts. I often found her curled up in one of the green rockers, reading, sketching, or simply staring out at the vast ocean. She came here to recharge, to commune with nature, to visit with the One who fashioned the wind and the waves (excerpt from, The Ditty Box)

5. Shape your settings to reflect character’s mood

E.g.:    Rain lashed at the window (negative)

            The drumming of the rain soothed her (positive)

6. Use Personification

The rooster perched on Dad’s tractor (telling)

Or: The rooster watched from his perch atop the carcass of Dad’s rusty red tractor. I remembered watching Dad as a child, astride the metal beast, sitting tall and straight as he headed out to the fields each morning, a thin ribbon of crimson barely visible on the eastern horizon. Like a fierce bull, the mechanical brute snorted and bucked, kicking up clouds of dust as my hero in denim overalls coaxed it onward once more (showing – Excerpt from Hope for Joshua).

7. Describe setting according to your character’s point of view

What would your character see based on her past, her interests, her personality, her situation?

E.G.: Church (building, small group, or large sanctuary filled with worshipers)

Example of setting in a devotion:

Matthew 8: 23-27

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

The rain lashed at their faces and backs like a stinging whip brandished by some evil force. The wind, brutal and fierce, tossed their fishing boat, rendering their efforts futile. As the fishermen clutched the boat, giant waves snatched them up to heights they’d never been before, only to let go at the peak of their fear and send them crashing back into the churning waves below.

Peter’s stomach clenched in fear as another giant wave hurled the boat sideways. Surely we will all perish, he thought.  He cast a glance in Jesus’ direction; his master was asleep in the stern. How can this be? Is He not aware of the storm which is about to take our lives?

“If only Peter had kept his focus on Jesus, instead of the storm,” we are so quick to judge.  Hindsight is so wonderful, isn’t it? It’s easy to trust God when we can anticipate the outcome or when life is all roses and glorious sunsets. But what about those times when we, ourselves, are in the midst of the storm and all seems lost? What about those instances when our very lives are in peril? Or the life of someone we love? Platitudes at moments like these are like words in the wind, especially when our trials reach such terrifying heights that we cry out, “Lord, I am perishing!”

It is precisely in times like these we need to remember God is in the storm. It may seem like he’s sleeping while we are weeping. We don’t like His silence and long for Him to reach out His all-powerful hand and still the storm. Yet God is never oblivious, though He sometimes allows us to reach a point when we can no longer rely on our knowledge, our skills, or our resources and are compelled to fall at his feet in complete surrender. Peace is not the absence of storms, but the presence of Jesus in the midst of our storms.

Reasons to show rather than tell what a character is feeling:

• Showing emotions adds depth to a character

          (e.g.: She cried vs. She swiped at the tears. She wouldn’t give in to her grief like she’d done so many times before)

• Showing emotions draws a reader into the story

          (e.g.: I was afraid vs. I shivered. My stalker had found a way in.)

• Showing emotions allows the reader to share in the character’s experience

          (e.g.: She was angry at John vs. Joanne raised her fist to his face. “Never again,” she screamed, her infant daughter clutched against her chest. “Do you hear me, John? Never again will I sit by while you gamble away all our money.”

Technique #1: Body Language

Body language is the most common form of expressed emotion. When we feel, we typically act and react. That’s why body language experts are used by law enforcement, political analysts, criminal investigators, mental health workers, etc.

Body language is most commonly noticed in:

• Entire body (shudder)
• Eyes (movement)
• Mouth (pinched lips, bared teeth)
• Nose (scrunched)
• Brow & eyebrows (furrowed)
• Limbs (hand to chest, legs collapsing), including hands (clasped, gripping), and feet (tapping)
• Torso (pulling in of chest or gut)
• Neck & head (jerking head to the side). Tension often reveals itself in
• Headache (closing of eyes, rubbing brow)
• Stiff neck (rubbing or gently moving head side to side)
• Tense shoulders (rubbing shoulder)

Technique #2: Voice

Voices can reveal so much about a person, not just in their tone but in their sound, resonance and articulation.

Examples:
Accent – offers clues as to where a person was raised
Characteristic – raspy (smoker), hoarse (sick?), etc
Tone/pitch – raised (anger), gruff (taciturn?), honeyed (manipulation) – e.g. “she recognized the familiar timbre of his voice”
Articulation – typically relates to the level of education & career choice, can also indicate the level of comfort or fear (stuttering, backpedaling, going off on a tangent, etc.)
Speed – Talking fast to cover up or slow as in thoughtful. We tend to speak faster when we’re nervous.

Technique #3: Dialogue

Dialogue reveals many different aspects of a person;

• Where we were brought up
• How we were brought up (e.g.: “Yes, Sir” or “Yes, Ma’am”)
• Our values
• Our opinions
• Our self-image
• The truths and lies we believe
• Our emotions

Examples of dialogue might include:

• Outer dialogue:
• Light banter
• Heated argument
• Interrupting others
• Gossip
• Monologue (someone who monopolizes the conversation)
• Lecture
• Pleading
• Sign language
• Inner dialogue:
• Thoughts
• Self-reprimand (“Stop being such a scaredy-cat”)
• Talking to oneself

1. Filter Words

Filter words tell the reader what a character is thinking, feeling, or perceiving:

• See (He saw a bird fly by – A goose flew past)
• Know (She knew he was mad – He slammed the door on his way out)
• Smell (She smelled the smoke – An acrid smell filled the air)
• Watch (I watched the sun rise – A streak of brilliant crimson appeared on the eastern horizon, promising another beautiful day)
• Feel (He felt tired – His eyes drooped)
• Notice (He noticed the burn on her hand – A red welt showed up on the palm of her hand)
• Wonder (I wonder about her wellbeing – Her wellbeing concerns me).
• Hear (They heard a scream – A scream broke the silence)
• Realize (I realize I was too harsh – My words hurt her)

• Linking Verbs

Linking verbs usually connect with an adjective. Linking verbs are static, not active nor passive. Replace linking verbs with stronger verbs

• All forms of ‘to be’ especially in combination with a verb ending in ‘ing’(They were bored – They twiddled their thumbs)
• All forms of ‘to have’(She had a headache – She rubbed her forehead hoping to relieve the throbbing in her temples).
• All forms of ‘to do’(He did a good job – His hard work paid off)
• Will, would, should, shall, could (He couldn’t forget – The images played over and over in his mind)
• Looked, appeared, seemed (She looked older – Crow’s feet now webbed the corners of her eyes

• Useless Adverbs

Adverbs typically tell rather than show and bog down sentences. When editing, look for adverbs ending in ‘ly.’ If the sentence is clear without the adverb, delete it. If the sentence is unclear, replace verb and adverb with a stronger verb.

• E.g.: She ran quickly down the hall versus She dashed down the hall

DIGGING DEEPER; 7 Steps to Writing Dynamic Devotions, Workshop #1

1. Working Definitions:

Devotion, devotions, and devotional are often used interchangeably. For our purposes, we will use the following definitions:

A devotion is a short meditation or reflection designed to encourage, exhort, and enrich. It often illustrates a spiritual truth through a story, anecdote, or observation.

“Devotions remind readers they are not alone in their pain or passions, and that they can turn to each other and to God to meet their needs or to find solutions to their problems.” – Melanie Chitwood, How to Write a Devotion

“Spiritual reading that draws us into the presence of God, helping us grow in our faith.” – Lucinda Secrest McDowell

Devotions are the portion of time we set apart to commune with God by reading His Word, reading a daily devotion, meditating, and praying.

A devotional is a collection or book of devotions

2. Our goal is three-fold:

For God to connect with us (the writer)
For the writer to connect with readers
For the readers to connect with God

3. The focus or theme is the devotional’s central topic.

You can find your focus or theme through:

• Your quiet times with God. Is there a theme that recurs, verses you’ve underlined or notes in the margins that center around one particular biblical truth?
• Your circle of influence (e.g.: seniors) – Senior Moments with the Bible; Daily lessons for seniors)
• Your personal interests – Mountain meditations; A daily spiritual journey for hikers – In Pursuit; Devotions for the Hunter and Fisherman
• Your conversations – What are people talking about? (avoid controversial topics)
• Personal struggles –
  • The Struggle is real but God’s Grace is life-changing; Bible Study Stories & Prayer devotional about Deliverance and Divine Intervention, by Lynn R. Davis
  • God Help Me; 100 meditations to bring hope and healing, by C.A.Simonson
• People Groups – Autism, Cancer Survivors, Asians in America – A Year in God’s Classroom; Daily Devotional for Autism and Special-Needs Families, by Renée Vajko Srch
• Your Personal Library – What books speak to you the most? What books do you gravitate towards the most? Here’s one for Writers: Writing Days; 52 Devotionals for 52 Writing Weeks
• Seasons of Life – Seasons of the Heart: A year of devotions from one generation of women to another – Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, by Charles R. Swindoll – he breaks it into the four seasons: Winter; A Season of Reverence, Spring; A Season of Renewal, Summer; A Season of Rest, Autumn; A Season of Reflection
• Bible Studies
• Bible Character Studies – Unbeaten; How biblical heroes rose above their pain… and you can too, by Lindsey Bell – Searching for Sanity; 52 Insights from the Parents of the Bible, by Lindsey Bell – Esther, Moses – Charles Swindoll has a whole series of Biblical character studies – Life Lessons by Max Lucado – each one focuses on one or two biblical characters
• Word Study – Joy; 180 Bible Readings to Strengthen Your Faith, by Donna K. Maltese (each of the 180 days contains a specific aspect of joy) – Pray a Word a Day; Connecting with God one word at a time – Each day is a different word, but just one word – Unrivaled, A 60-day devotional by my friend Cassie Downs
• Pictures – Picture the Scripture; 365 Devotionals that Visualize God’s Word, by my friend Jan Kent
• Biblical Themes – But God; Overcoming Life’s Dead Ends, by Cori Kelly
• Books of the Bible – The book of proverbs; A Bible Study Devotional on the Wisdom of God, by J.R. Heimbigner
• Sermon notes – Don’t plagiarize!
• News or current events – Be wary of controversial topics
• Social Media – What are people discussing? What concerns them?
• Seasonal/Holidays – The Light Has Come; A 32 Day Devotional, by Renée Vajko Srch

Exercise for next month:

Find your topic/theme:

1. Scan through your Bible and note verses you’ve underlined or highlighted – Is there a common theme? Topics that recur?
2. Do you have a heart to reach a people group (e.g.: Asian Americans)? If so, invest time to see if similar devotionals exist – How can you find a unique approach?
3. Do you have a passion (sport, hobby, pastime)? A word of caution; be sure you have enough quantity of content (at least 30 days) before jumping in.
4. What is your circle of influence? Is there a possibility for devotions specific to your people-group?

As in all Christian writing, be in prayer before you begin. Ask God to direct you, to lay Scriptures on your heart, and to open your spiritual eyes to discern His message for you as well as your audience.

Next workshop will be on October 8,2022. Go to www.OzarksACW.org for more information about meeting time and location.

DIGGING DEEPER; 7 Steps to Writing Dynamic Devotions, Workshop #2

Devotions should always glorify God

1. Before you begin:
2. Prepare:
3. Gather your materials (Bible, notebook, computer, Bible study resources)
4. Find a quiet place
5. Prepare your mind to understand
6. Prepare your heart to receive

“Don’t go to Scripture looking for your idea, go searching for his (God’s).” Max Lucado

• Pray:
• Ask God to speak to your heart – revelation and inspiration
• Ask God to speak to the reader’s heart – illumination
• Study the verse:
• In its context (don’t take a text out of its context to make a pretext)
• In several translations (biblehub.com or biblegateway.com)
• Read commentaries
• Meditate:
• What does this verse mean for me? How does it help me understand God? How does it affect my daily life?
• Consider your audience – how can this verse help my reader? (a weary mom, a homeless person, the parent of a child with special needs, a person whose job doesn’t offer him a sense of fulfillment)
• A few Bible study methods (printouts for each available online):
• The SOAP method:

Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer

• The Bible Verse Map:

Bible verse
Key words and/or themes
Context (who, what, why, where)
Application
Related verses

• The James Method:

Write out verse
Highlight key words
Write definitions of key words
Context (who, when, to whom, why)
Other translations
Cross references
View of God (what does this verse teach about God)
View of man/sef/what does this verse teach about man)
Reflection and Application
Prayer