Embracing Our Story

God writes the best stories if we choose to accept His path. That's what this post boils down to. I hope as this crazy year draws to a close that you value your role more than ever.

During 2020, I went from knowing that God was worthy of my trust to experiencing that again. 

I got a great job (during a pandemic).

I got diagnosed with epilepsy (and wasn't panicky about it).

I had a ton of car repairs (but funds and helpful relatives).

I cried a lot (and learned that's okay).

I got a boyfriend (after some emotional turmoil).

I joined a new church (and watched it mostly online).

I re-engaged a new project on a whim (and am self-publishing it in 2021). 

I tried a lot of new things (and won't revisit half of them).

In short, this year was hard, but I spent each moment more determined than ever to live. I know it was hard for all of us. But at the end of the day, 2020 doesn't go down as a bad year in my book. I know who writes my story, and after seeing this chapter, I'm more confident now than ever that God is the best Storyteller. Not just for me, but for all of us.

It's part of me being made in His image that I got the storytelling gene, and I may never get over how cool that is. But let me tell you, His story for you is better than any you could ever write for yourself. Whether that feels like a reality or a dream, I pray you can embrace that truth as we step into yet another chapter of His story.

I kid you not when I say that this online community God blessed me with is a huge part of what kept me sane during 2020. Welcome to 2021, my dear friends. 

~~~~~

What's something you're thankful for from 2020? Any word for the year or resolution for 2021?

The Importance of Timing

Partly thanks to the new year, I thought I knew what I wanted to (and could) get done in 2019. Yet almost any time I tell you all what I'm planning, the road takes a sharp turn ... and the plans change. I think timing is so important when it comes to writing, but I also think it's not entirely in our hands.

As a writer, timing really is everything. It's both a good and a bad thing that the timing really isn't up to the writer. Though it might sound odd to a non-writer ... there's only so much we can do! If you've ever written an essay, I'm sure you know the feeling. Sometimes writing works. And sometimes it doesn't. Timing is everything.

Case in point: I wanted the sequel to Martin Hospitality published in spring of 2018. As in ... 9 or 10 months ago. As it turned out, I didn't even finish the first draft until December 31, 2018. You see where I'm going here?

The timing was not right when I began the first draft. So I took a break and restarted. Even though that was frustrating (as I really did want the series finished), I've had a lot of insights and breakthroughs that wouldn't have been possible if I'd written the first draft sooner than I did.

God knew what timing I needed.

It's important to note that the sooner I learned to be all right with that, the happier I was. Contentment is always a tricky balancing act, and letting go of a vision and plan can be hard. Especially when that plan is your career's timeline. :)

So I really encourage you all to be willing to figure out what works for you. There are times to press on and times to step back. What that looks like for you will depend. But trusting that God is handling the timing is a huge step.

Your readers will understand, truly. At least mine (that would be you) have really blessed me by being patient and still encouraging. Let's be honest ... having people anticipate your next work is both a tremendous blessing and an odd pressure.

And yet, what's meant to happen will happen ... when it's supposed to happen. I'm not saying you shouldn't make deadlines or goals. But remain flexible and open to what God has for your writing. I think we all know that His plans are infinitely better. It's a little harder to realize that He might be behind a case of writer's block.

Write with all of this in mind, and I hope you'll find a little bit of peace and joy in writing again like I have!

Do you work well under pressure? Have you ever had something work out but on a completely different timetable than you planned?

The Roots of My Writing

I've been thinking a lot about what things are at the root of my writing. The things that have to be nurtured and tended so that my writing can flourish. Recently, I narrowed it down to two roots.

I think for me, the two roots of my writing (or really any of my passions) are my faith and my health. While that may sound broad, it covers both the spiritual and the physical.

So lately I've been giving more thought to how I can deepen my faith in Jesus and how I can better address my health.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still an active Christian and I don't have bad health per se. But I want to get better at intentionality in both of these areas this year.

As far as my faith goes, I'm reading more nonfiction books that are instructional in the faith. Elisabeth Elliot and C.S. Lewis, anyone? ;)

As I mentioned in my goals post last week, I'm also trying to read through the Bible chronologically and focus in on a morning routine.

While those may sound like little things, they've been casually on my to-do list for years and simply haven't happened. 2019's the year. And today's the day.

For my health, I don't have anything major on a diagnosable scale. But I think we all want to function at full capacity, and there are plenty of little things I'd like to conquer that will help me in that regard.

So in order to work on things like better digestion, less wrist pain, and fewer respiratory problems, I am paying for my own supplements.

While my family uses essential oils, eats fairly well, and is generally health-conscious and naturally-minded, paying for my own supplements instantly makes me 1000x more likely to take them daily.

And just since trying a new brand of natural products focused on gut health, I've seen improvement!

So even though none of these changes are huge, theure important and require consostency. I want to encourage you all to look at what root things fuel what you do every day. I think beliefs and health are big ones for everyone, but you may have another area you want to shore up.

Maybe give it some thought and see what you come up with.

My mom's always reminding me that now is the time to establish routines and good habits. Before I live on my own or have a family. Not tomorrow--today.

In that vein of things, I've started a second Instagram account for the faith and health aspects of my life. So I'd love to chat with you over there if you have any interest in getting more intentional with me!

If I were to pick a third important root, it's community. So thank you all very much for the community we have here together. :)

Do any roots you need to tend to immediately spring to mind? What passions do you want to be able to pursue more fully?

Nine Goals for 2019

Last week we looked at how I did on my 2018 goals. This week I'm sharing the goals I want to accomplish in this new year. And I'm probably going to need your help staying accountable! (Plus, there's a giveaway stuffed in here.)

Read the Bible differently

Is that vague enough for you? I'm bad about reading bits of the Bible and only out of my favorite NKJV copy I got when I was five. This year I want to shake it up. So I'm using a Bible Gateway plan on my phone to read through the ESV Bible chronologically in a year. It's been a while since I read through the Bible in a year, and I'm hoping that by approaching it differently, I'll have new takeaways.

Develop a morning routine

Starting with my Bible reading will be part of my morning routine. But I'm also hoping to get into the habit of reading a little of my current non-fiction read, making a to-do list for the day ... things like that. We'll see what works! (I already know that journaling doesn't work.) But it's been a while since I've had a true morning regimen that helped me get ready for my day. I work enough that this should get me out of bed earlier out of necessity.

Prioritize my editing

I've talked about this before. This year I want my editing business to be more than just a side job. (Let's face it--it will still be a side job.) But I want to prioritize it more instead of always fitting it in after 8 pm. I already have 16 manuscripts booked for the year and I tweaked my pricing some, so I think it will be inevitable that I prioritize this more. I've also joined Reveries Co. which you can find out more about at the end of this post. Maybe by next year I can phase out babysitting and go full time?? :D

Develop a street team

Work has already begun on this front! I'm calling the members of my street team Resonators, thanks to . I've already got a Facebook group going (where the real fun happens) and a Resonators-only newsletter underway that will be going out monthly. Be sure to sign up if you're interested!! It'll mostly be fangirling and you learning about what I'm doing first. In return, you get to be my go-to peeps for release hype.

Find an agent

Obviously, this one is a little optimistic since Behind the Act still needs a little editing before I query it more. BUT. I do intend to query it this year. And pitch it at the OCW conference in August. So wish me luck with all of that! Getting an agent (or better yet a contract!) is up there on my dream list! I'm really at peace whatever happens, though, because I really do think I'll get there eventually.

Publish Martin Crossroads

I will cry if this doesn't happen this year. This will happen! Probably not until fall. But I just finished the first draft on New Year's Eve, so I'm feeling much more optimistic about the progress ... even though it still needs a lot of rewrites. ;) It will be so nice to have this over with.

Get published elsewhere

Other than self-publication, I'd love to get published in a magazine or something ... Havok is somewhere I'll continue to submit to. (I got my first rejection--yay!) It'd just be nice to gather a few more accolades like this, especially as I try to get an agent. :)

Read 24 books for me

I have so many editing projects on the horizon, it's hard to even think about reading books besides those. But I'm determined to! While I'd ultimately like to read 30 books just for myself ... I think I'd better go for 24. Two a month should be doable and keep me reading. I've got a TBR a mile long this year so I honestly have no idea what I'll even end up getting to!

Pinpoint my health

One of the initiatives I've finally taken this year is to figure out what works for me, not just in my writing and morning routine, but also in my health. My wrist has bothered me for a while, but it's getting better thanks to supplements. So I've actually started a second Instagram account to chronicle my trying to figure out what can better help me overall as I try to pursue my writing and editing more this year!

More on that next week. ;)

Remember how I said I'd give you more Reveries Co info? Kellyn is hosting the blog tour right now on her blog. And we’re giving away 30+ books—a combination of ebooks and paperbacks, genres and subgenres—to one lucky winner! You can enter HERE.

What are some of your goals for 2019? Maybe we can help each other keep up. ;) Which one of my goals excites you the most??

What No One Told Me About Writing

While I can never think of anything profound when people ask for writing advice, I often find little things that I wish I'd known sooner. Sometimes we learn best through our own experience. But there are some simple writing realities that no one told me about. Today I'm going to share the love and tell you in advance.

No matter where you are on your writing journey, I believe there's always something to learn. Of course, you can't learn everything in advance (although that might be nice??). Maybe my list has things you had handled, but here are some things that surprised me when I became a serious writer.

Sometimes you'll be unable to write. Um ... wut? This is a biggie! Writing is kinda in the name of what you do. Yet, I can't tell you how many times I open up a document and sit there. The cursor and I have a staring contest. Maybe I get a few words, lines, paragraphs ... tweak some things? But very rarely do I get the "sit down and write a chapter" experience. Everyone writes differently, but I think we all have these moments. They're not fun.

Prayer is a gigantic ingredient. This sounds simple, but I really wish I'd found this out sooner when writing Martin Hospitality. I'd never prayed before when writing (?). But when it came to writing a full novel with spiritual themes that I said was my ministry ... yeah, prayer comes in handy! duh And it wasn't just "helpful." It was completely essential. As in, I cannot even take credit for a lot of the book as a result, especially the themes.

Yes, God helped me a lot even before I asked Him, but it wasn't until I got stuck and desperate that I thought it might be worth asking Him for a leg up and BOOM. His presence throughout the book is what I noticed when I reread it. It's amazing to read my own words and know I cannot take credit. There is nothing I want more as a writer.

Don't rely just on yourself. That's a huge part of what I learned from finally praying about my book. Book writing requires a miracle more or less (see the point above), and a lot of hard work. Hard work is exhausting. So the more help you can get, the better. As the writer, it's still your name on the front. All help means is you have a whole host of people to thank in your acknowledgments because they saved your sanity. Books aren't meant to be written by just one person. In fact, I don't think such a book exists.

Writing is super personal. Ew. I'm a huge internalizer and not a fan of emotions or ... anything. I'm willing to tell you facts about myself, but I'm not one to share my problems. So perhaps it's better I didn't know this one in advance. Because my books, which felt like such distant, fun little stories as I wrote, ended up somehow telling parts of my own struggles and giving me a clearer picture of myself. I've never written "my story," but as an author, I inevitably share a soul with my books. That's part of how they give such glory to God. And part of why publishing is so scary.

Distractions are everywhere. Yikes. I think we all learn this one. But it's crazy how often I don't write when that's what I've sat down to do. This is different than "can't write" mentioned above because this time it's on me. Find some habits for focus that work for you and use that writing time wisely!

Writing the book is actually the easy but still very hard part. Not gonna lie. I thought writing would be easier than it was. I definitely thought self-publication would be easier than it was. I think I set out with a mindset geared more for traditional publication in that I was very writing-focused. That was my field, and I was going to do well in order to impress everyone and have a great story.

The technical side of self-publishing?? *shrug* I wanted to self-publish for the control, but I had no idea how much research "having control" was going to take. Endless decisions!!! ISBNs? Literally figured that out one month before publishing. Formatting and cover design?? Hired out, and even that was a process. Scheduling? Biggest pain in the entire world.

All in all, it's a learning process. Don't let me intimidate you; it's all worth it. As in very, very worth it. But writing, at least for publication, is one big learning curve. That's part of what makes it fun. And that's part of what makes it intense and subject to change. (Still working on that sequel, you guys.)

It all comes down to you've got this. Just don't be surprised when things are bigger and better and more vast than you could have imagined. Get your hands dirty writing and publishing a book!

Writing is crazy and personal and subjective. What did you have to learn the hard way? Where are you in your writing journey? Talk to me, peeps!

How I Remain Productive Amidst Chaos

Me, productive in July?? At first blush, not really. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I accomplished. It was a productive blur of craziness. I don't know about you, but I really want to know how I managed that.

OK, so first off I was not as productive as I wanted to be in certain things. However, some of the other things that ate my time were equally productive. (Hello, work?) So I think it's important to remember that every kind of productivity is productive.

If you're like me this means you get really good at productive procrastination. I think that basically sums up my July.

The aerial view of my life in July was being out of town the first two weeks and at work the last two weeks. Sounds like a recipe for productivity, right? Well ... yes, actually.

While out of town, I expected to:

• finish reading Thief of Corinth
• have ample quiet time to write toward my goal of 30k
• start reading The Blue Castle
• work for my aunt
• see fireworks once
• do some work on the train ride home

What I actually did:

• finished reading Thief of Corinth
• wrote half a chapter and then got a pedicure
• wrote the other half a chapter and ate ice cream
• enjoyed multiple Starbucks
• binge-read The Blue Castle
• attended my first major league baseball game and saw fireworks three times
• binge-read Where the Woods Grow Wild
• binge-watched Lord of the Rings with my cousins
• worked for my aunt AKA created flowers for two beautiful metroplex weddings
• had a movie night/sleepover with my other cousins
• googled things to do in NYC and visit with the girl next to me on the train ride home

Are you seeing a pattern here? Some things didn't happen so my inclination is to call it all unproductive. But actually a ton happened. No, it wasn't all productive, but it was all worth it. I'm not going to apologize for my goals; goals are a good thing. But I'm not going to kick myself (too much) for not hitting them all either. Sometimes I think we need to adjust our expectations and look at what we accomplished instead.

While back home and working, I expected to:

• babysit
• do secretary work
• go to church
• house sit
• celebrate my brother's birthday
• hit my Camp NaNo goal (now reduced to 10k)
• plan something for the Andora's Folly birthday
• edit for Kellyn

What I actually did:

• babysit, getting reading time, writing time, and treated to lunch
• joined a youth club to support local candidates
• did secretary work and handed out our info at a back-to-school event
• heard some of the best sermons ever and visited with friends
• binge-watched a TV show with my sister
• got down time at someone else's empty house and watched a movie
• decorated for an Incredibles 2 birthday party
• taught Sunday School
• had family in town
• attended a friend's violin recital
• did two sales, a giveaway, a painting, and more for Andora's Folly's birthday
• got over 200 downloads of Andora's Folly for its birthday (!!!!)
• hit my Camp NaNo goal of 10k
• almost finished editing for Kellyn
• wrote at a coffee shop
• researched NYC again at a coffee shop

Again, didn't technically do that all quite how I planned ... Being a goal-setter and general list-maker, that can initially be a little traumatizing. But I'm learning that things outside of plans aren't always bad. Being flexible is often a good thing.

Of course, deadlines must still be met and we can't shirk our responsibilities. That's not what I'm suggesting. But I think the only reason I was able to be as productive as I was in what was a very out-of-the-norm month was because I let myself branch out. Yes, that's right. Deviating from the plan can help be productive.

Everyone needs breaks, so make them worthwhile. All the non-negotiables and random things that popped up were nice breaks from all my to-do list items. Conversely, all my to-do list items were sometimes relaxing and different from how I earn money. In other words, I have "work-work" and "passion-work." One's always a nice break from the other.

Being productive isn't always fun, but fun can be productive. Breaks are productive simply because they energize me to keep going. TV shows and movies are blatant relaxations, but that doesn't mean I won't learn something or get a new story idea. ;) I guess it helps that I never fully switch my mind off. That means I can do things that keep me from burning out without it being a complete waste of time.

That's how I define productivity: it's less checking everything off the to-do list and more using my time well.

There's not a set formula to being productive of course, but those are some of the things that ended up helping me this month! I can't guarantee I'll be able to read that much or even write that much this month, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Everything's always worth a try!

I mean, let's be honest. As healthy as planning/goal-setting is, it's part of life to have plans change. Embracing all the crazy, fun things amidst my endless to-do list and letting a few things go paid off in the end. I have more memories as a result and didn't sacrifice much in the process.

It all comes down to balance. A thousand sayings sum it up. "All work and no play," imbalance. "Be in the world but not of the world" an easier-said-than-done goal for balance. The good news is we don't have to figure it all out alone, at least not if we think to ask God. In the end, I'm motivated to get things done so I have time to have fun. Meet the deadlines, but live a little.

I have to close with this Max Lucado quote because I feel like it was providential that I stumbled upon it while writing this post.

Guess what? This blog post was productive procrastination. It needed to happen, but I was only motivated to do it because I should have been billing for my dad, editing for a friend, or getting ready for bed instead. It's amazing what happens.

I mentioned all that stuff I did for Andora's Folly? The giveaway ends today, so you can still enter here! Or you can read the full post I did about the book's birthday here.

Have a good week, and prepare for an epic guest post next Saturday!

Biblical Self-Promotion

I feel like this something I've never seen addressed, but at first blush, it is a bit of a conundrum. The Bible clearly tells us over and over again not to parade ourselves or to do good things just for the sake of publicity and praise. It struck me for the first time the other day that self-promotion kind of does those things. So how can we as Christian writers justify it?

While not exactly a no-brainer, I feel like most of us have already come to terms with this, whether we gave it intentional thought or not. But don't we all have those Facebook friends who come across a little full of themselves and their work? Like every chance they get, their books somehow become the topic of conversation? It gets annoying! So not only do we want to make sure we're not angering God in putting ourselves out there, we don't want to be "those people" who are downright pests.

Yes, self-promotion is necessary. And to be real, it starts much earlier than you'd think. Sure, hire someone to do it for you on social media. That works for busy famous people, but even then. It's not the same. People want to hear from you. Or at least I would because, more than it being your job, it's your privilege. You of all people should know how much people need your books, right?

Now that that's out of the way, here are some reasons I don't think we need to feel ashamed to share our book sale, cover reveal, or even just the link.

• As Christian writers, what we're promoting is ultimately for the glory of God. Of course we have to be careful to keep the right mindset and not make it all about us and numbers, but if you approach it as a kingdom enterprise, there is nothing wrong with sharing!
• In that same vein, we're told to go and make disciples of all nations. There are two action words there! While writing might not be directly making disciples, your books being written from a Christian perspective (whether they have God as a character or not) will impact people and show them God. Whether they know it or not! So take action and share that message!
• Writing is my ministry so I'm going to spread the word. See what I did there? I am so not an evangelical person it's not even funny. Spreading the Word kind of scares me. So if I can share my book's link on Facebook and get one new person to read it and bring them closer to God then by doing so, I feel like I've accomplished what I was trying to explain in my second point. Of course it might not be the end-all of ministry, but it's a wonderful start. If you promote.
• It's not about you, it's about the story. This is the little one, but possibly the hardest. Of course it's about you because you're the author, right?! But no. It's about the story and that story points to God. If you can keep that mindset, I think sharing will feel more natural and be less of a potential ego thing.
• Because our stories are from God and for God, we should be proud of our stories. That's right. As if this post couldn't get any more counter-biblical sounding, I just recommended pride. But geez, God was well-pleased with Jesus. So too can we be proud of our little book babies and hopeful for the message they carry, whatever that may be. They're not doing anyone any good sitting on the shelf. So go get those readers and be proud of that too.

I feel like I kind of went in circles there, but do you get my point? This isn't about us becoming rich and famous, though I don't think we'd complain. If we can just remember that much, I think we're already on the road of working actively for God instead of doing things just to look good and be part of the cool author crowd.

What this means, I think, is that we should give thought to our self-promotion. Sure, sometimes it's awkward. (At least for me. Tell me I'm not alone in this please!) But if you don't act like it's awkward, chances are people won't think it is. It's super important to remember that while we're promoting ourselves, we're promoting for other people. God as aforementioned if you're a Chrisitan writer, but also your potential readers. You want them to know things! Honestly, if you're thoughtful about how you promote, then it's their problem if they don't want to be told things.

Obviously, I didn't get into very many ways to actually self-promote. I think the key is really just to get yourself onto some social media platforms (maybe start with one) and be personable. Let that part of your person that's tied up in a passion for sharing stories shine through just like all the other wackier bits. 

I guess in my mind it all comes down to why you're self-promoting more than how. Of course there are strategies to figure out, as manipulative as that may sound. But don't be afraid to ask for help and favors! Make friends first and then you might be surprised at how many are willing to do things for the sake of you and your story.

I hope that made sense because I kind of felt like I rambled. (How many times did I say "of course"?) Is self-promotion a natural thing for you? What mindset do you have as you're sharing things about your books? The numbers, fame, need, or the benefit to the kingdom?

Just as a caveat, nowhere in there did I say this was easy. I struggle with this ... a lot, the more I think about it. You're not alone and I rather doubt I am either. ;)

Christian Checkbox Scenes

I watched the movie The Magic of Ordinary Days on YouTube the other day. It's been one of my favorites forever and is the reason I love slice-of-life stories. Rewatching it, I was pleased to see similarities in theme with Martin Hospitality, but some "obligatory scenes" stood out, too. It struck me for the first time like the director (writer) was just checking boxes. I guess it's been a while since I've watched something older and specifically Christian. ;P I mean, it was a Hallmark.

Here is a list of scenes that strike me as little checkboxes. Why? Because you can find them in almost any older Christian movie (and, yes, even some Christian books). Especially slice-of-life stories. There's absolutely nothing wrong with using them--you can find quite a few in Martin Hospitality. It's just a new discovery to me that they're so overused, almost like they're sitting on a list somewhere of must-use-scenes. ;) Beware of slight sarcasm and exaggeration below.

singing in church

Wow. I think this first stood out to me in the TV series  Little House on the Prairie. They had one hymn they'd sing several times a season while it showed all the horses and wagons outside. For what reason? I guess to show that they went to church and set up some theme or character interaction.

bonus: write out the lyrics

Obviously, this is a book feature. Yes, I've done this, and yes, I will skim this in every book. If it's a well-known hymn, there's no way I'm reading all twelve verses. :P It's almost like brownie points, though. Don't just talk about or show people singing. Provide the words. It makes your chapter longer!

double bonus: sermon snippet

Pollyanna is the movie comes to mind. The longwinded hellfire and brimstone sermons to show the pastor's character arc ... yeah, I'd skip those as a kid. Fast forward on my VHS player. xD These are good opportunities for more natural spiritual bits, so I did do this once or twice in my book.

holiday celebrations

This is one that I love. Think about it, though. Almost every family-centric story has this. Whether it's a kiddo's birthday party or a big family gathering for Christmas ... it's a really basic requirement. I mean, surely you can't have a sweet, fluffy story if there's not hot chocolate, cake, or presents at some point?

family meal

Sometimes this is included in the holiday scene and that's definitely extra points! It's often separate, though, just to draw out the family scenes. In all honesty, though, this is a good tool because it gets all your characters around the same table. If you need everyone to know something or want someone to embarrass themselves in front of everyone, this is the spot to do it. ;)

panoramic scenery shot

This doesn't have to be specifically Christian, I suppose, but it's a guarantee in little slice-of-life stories. Which means you're getting sunrises and wildflowers and cricket noises even though it's ten am. (You know, like the picture I used above.) These can be distracting in books if they take too long or take away from the story, but they're sneaky in movies! Goes to show the importance of setting.

reflection scenes

These get tricky. Modern writing is really picky about these, and I suppose modern movies, too. But older movies? Laden with these. You know, the ones where the movie starts and the character just stares out a window or whispers things to themselves for the first scene. It's not all bad because it sets the tone and gives backstory.

bonus: actual heads and voices appear

Yeah, by this point it's forced. xP Let's add the little cameo-shaped heads of a different scene above the character just so you really get the idea of how things went down. In books, this is where the character starts "thinking" about something and it takes three pages of an entirely different story before they're snapped back to the present. Definitely a pet peeve of mine. This goes to show how important it is to weave in backstory. All at once is always a little cumbersome. ;)

Thoughts on this? xD I promise I'm not actually mad at people who do any of things (because I do) so I hope I didn't step on any toes. There are plus sides to some of these. It's just funny to me how common and overused they are! Do you have any checkbox scenes to add?

Writing about Hardship from Inexperience

I've seen some interesting things lately about young authors, writing what you know, and walking the line of "authenticity" in Christian fiction. So I'm going to break down some of my thoughts on all of that based out of my own convictions and experience as a young Christian author. Prepare yourselves for some strong thoughts ...

Caveats: I am young. I am fairly inexperienced as far as things go on a worldwide, lifelong scale.

Disclaimer: That does not make me any less of a person or any less of a writer.

This post is also fairly subjective; there's not much right or wrong here. (So feel free to politely disagree--that's basically what I'm doing in this post.)

I'm sure we've all heard the "write what you know" writing rule by now, and I already spent some time disagreeing with that in this ask the author post by Savannah Grace.

There also seems to be a trend in the culture (especially the Christian fiction culture) to be "real and authentic." What this means is that a lot of "Christian" fiction now has gratuitous content that I am not OK with. I think part of the issue is that this is a fairly subjective issue as well and each author has to set their own standards. Readers, too, for that matter. How some things can be called Christian I'll never know.

However, on the other end of the spectrum is the mushy, preachy Christian fiction. I dislike that just as much because while I don't view it as harmful, I don't find it helpful or worthwhile either. So what's the point?

That's what I look for in a book: a point. Meaning. It doesn't matter whether I'm writing or reading it.

I am a young, Christian writer who has to find the balance in the Christian market and with my own conscience. I really feel like I've already found that sweet spot, and that enables me to say I'm confident that what I'm writing will touch people and won't be too much for my readers in a harmful way. Otherwise the Holy Spirit would be telling me to do things differently than I am.

And yet I write about hard things. Things I haven't experienced. Things I will probably (hopefully) never experience in my life. I don't think that excludes me from writing about teen pregnancy, blackmail, abuse, married life, and the internal struggles that comes with those any more than that excludes me from writing about WWI because I didn't live then.

I can confidently write about those hard things while being young, Christian, and inexperienced because:

• Young does not mean I haven't gone through something comparable in my own experience. Just because my bad choices haven't left me pregnant doesn't mean I haven't made bad choices or lived with guilt and regret. 
• Christianity by definition is difficult. We are promised persecution and hardship and we live in a broken world. So of course I'm going to include those things in my stories.
• Inexperienced does not mean I can't empathize with a situation. Again, I can envision a situation different than mine based on mine. My experiences give me a starting point from which to relate to my characters. I don't think writers are called to write their precise story, but almost all end up writing a version of it if you look closely at the themes.

I'm writing about difficult things to show God's glory and saving grace through them, not merely because it's juicy and attention-grabbing. I am sure there are people out there who write about hard things for headline's sake. But I am not one of those people and I don't think any of you are either.

To me, writing about hard things is like killing a character. To a certain level, it's my job to manipulate as a writer: I want my reader to cry. I do. And that's because to me that means I've gotten the gravity of the situation across and the moment of glory to God will be that much more glorious.

I'm not going to apologize for writing about hardship from inexperience. I have prayed and prayed over the level of content I include in my stories and ultimately have set the bar as low as I believe I feasibly can and not come off prudish or embarrassed of my own topic. Ultimately I'm not going to stop tackling hard things because that's what I believe I'm called to do. 

So when my friends marvel at my apparently unusual ability to shrug at a negative review, that's why. All of my negative reviews have been because I'm young and inexperienced and writing about hard things too graphically for the Christian genre. I'm truly sorry some of my readers have felt that way, but quite frankly I disagree because that's not what God told me when I asked.

I have been very blessed that my writing from inexperience has, for the most part, reached more people and touched more lives than I ever could have otherwise.

I'm not going to lie, I feel like I've opened a can of worms here! I really do want to hear your honest thoughts. What do you agree and disagree with? Give me your take on this issue! All I ask for is polite discussion which I doubt will be a problem with you amazing people. :)

How I Create Characters

I was asked what the number one source is for my character inspiration ... and I realized it's kind of a cool process for me that I want to share with you guys.

I've never really thought about what inspires character creation in particular until that question came up. That's when I realized that it always starts with a setting. Always! A setting or a "what if" often strikes me first and the main characters always pop into my head after that. Faces, genders, their roles in the story ... a few basics like that. There are just given people that apparently have to accompany my ideas. 

I honestly have no idea how creating characters works for most people? But very rarely do I have to intentionally sit down and create a character because I have a huge hole. (Exception: Hayes Delaney in Behind the Act.)

It's really kind of neat to me that my brain associates the mood of a setting with a potential storyline. I think it's from there that the main character is born because their goals and arc have to fit the mood of the plot for there to be an actual plot ... When a main character's arc is a struggle, that's when I know the story really isn't ready to be written.

If you think about it, that odd spontaneous process is really rather cool. We judge people by their appearances all the time even though we shouldn't. Their mannerisms, attire, voice, smell ... everything points you to picturing them one way (sometimes correctly, sometimes incorrectly). I guess what my brain does is exactly the opposite of that for creating characters.

I take mostly mental notes on people I see around me for reference ... but when a particular idea captures my mind, I generate a character that seems to fit based on my experience. Try as I might (I've found from personal experience), it's almost impossible to tweak the "rough draft" of that character if you will. I develop them, sure, but I get stuck on their hair color, personality, etc. pretty quickly. Changing those details just seems unnatural! At least for the main characters.

Of course, I don't generate thirty characters when I see a castle postcard. All my other little side characters appear once I've planned the story some and begin writing. Sometimes I can envision them beforehand? But not usually. I wouldn't say they all write themselves per se, but some do!

So when people compliment me on my characters, I don't really know what to say. I do work on making sure they're unique (not too cookie cutter), distinct from one another, and important to the story. But other than that? Everything kind of just happens and gets revised ... Not that it isn't hard work; it  just seems like half the work is automatic.

At least that's the way it worked for Martin Hospitality, Andora's Folly, and Behind the Act. I really, really need it to happen that way for Martin Crossroads when I begin writing it again April 1st. I think the lack of new characters in it, since it's a sequel, has been one of my major roadblocks.

I know what I'll be working on until I begin writing it again tomorrow. ;)

And in light of characters and it being Easter weekend and everything ... can we just take a moment to appreciate God's creativity in making people and how amazing it is that He died to save his world of protagonists-turned-antagonists? I mean ... wouldn't you die to save your characters even if they made bad choices? Even your villains?

Am I super crazy? How does your brain generate characters? Have an amazing Easter weekend and I'll see you in April!

How To Spot A Writer

Going hand in hand with my last post (do you have what it takes to be a writer?), this is going to be trying to list the giveaways for "real writers."

I promise you that labeling people isn't really my thing, but because I'm a fairly organized person, I do notice patterns and categorize things. That's just to say that my intention in diving deep into "real" writing versus the frauds of this world is not to point fingers at the phonies or to judge people, but to provide some order to my scattered thoughts and observations.

Why am I doing that here? Often when I share a certain way I look at things, other people find it helpful or even share my observations. And I, for one, find that really neat. xD

So tell me: Have you noticed that there are literally a gazillion and one people who call themselves "writers" or at least say they "write"? This almost always comes up in the context of you having done something hard and amazing like self-publishing. And as this stranger is looking down their nose at your newly published child, they mention offhandedly that they write, too. Like it's no big deal. Or it is a big deal and they're part of the cool crowd. (It's really hard to tell which approach people take sometimes, but they're either downplaying it (and you) or putting it on a pedestal in envy.)

My point is that there is often a big difference between those who write and actually publish quality books and those who casually write for fun.

Here's how I spot a writer (as opposed to someone who plays with words):

• They have questions. Anyone serious about the craft will naturally want to learn from the greats. *cough*
• They're friendly instead of skeptical. As in "someday I'll do that too" instead of "why are you wasting your life?" Anyone who actually writes is intending to go somewhere with their writing and should be excited about that.
• They have a plan. You can't get anywhere without a plan. That's part of what finally set me into motion with Martin Hospitality. I finally had a vision for it which means I took the writing more seriously.
• They're excited. I've talked to a lot of people who claim to be writers, but they have a very nonchalant, meh attitude about it. I mean, I get tired of the writing process, but I don't get tired of the vision's end goal.
• Their mom brings it all up. Okay, so I'm not sure this a requirement xD Yet the fact remains that almost every "real" writer I've spotted hasn't brought it up to me. Their mom or their grandkid or whoever mentions that they like to write, and that's where the conversation begins. :) 

Those are all some things I can pick up on in person from people who are actively pursuing their writing with a purpose and could end up somewhere. There are also some giveaways that won't be obvious without probing an individual, but they're fodder to ask yourself if you're serious:

• Is it a priority? Before I was truly serious about my writing, I liked doing it, but if I wrote very spontaneously and if I hit a rough patch I'd stop. Or worse, skip the rest of the scene and writing something else in my head. *gasp* If you're already prioritizing writing over basically anything (Netflix, lunch, sleep, Instagram), that's a good sign! Although that doesn't mean shoving life to the side is always healthy ;)
• Does it make you happy? To a certain level, you should enjoy writing. You can stink at grammar or easily get writer's block, but the idea of writing and seeing things come together should still be enjoyable to you.
• Does it make you insecure, frustrated, or stressed? Just because you enjoy writing doesn't mean it's always going to be easy or happy. Honestly some "negative" emotions and feelings about it can be just as strong as sign that you're taking it seriously, I would think. If you're insecure, it's because you want it to be good enough. Frustrated because you're pretty sure it's not good enough. Stressed because you're taking it seriously and not getting where you want to. Don't worry! This is normal.
• How determined are you? The real question is how do you respond to the sometimes not-so-glorious part of writing? If you're determined and patient enough, you can get there. It could take months, or it could take years. If you're determined enough to find a way around (or through) your problems, then congratulations. You're a real writer.

My last question is will the real writer become an author? First, please realize that you can be a writer without being an author. Absolutely. But to me there really is no greater tragedy than to be a real writer and not publish.

I cannot stand when people explain their writing and everything tells me they're the dedicated, real deal. And then they say something like "Oh, but I could never show anyone." ... o_o It's the insecurity again, which I totally understand! Don't get me wrong; that's not fun. But why on earth would you put in all that energy and love, only to hoard the finished product? It's one thing if the writing is personal and not something to impact other people, but it's another thing to sit on the power of the Holy Spirit out of fear.

I really hope I'm not coming across judgmental! There's nothing wrong with being reluctant because everyone is to some degree at some point. I just think it's tragic not to ever move past that point. I guess it's important to me because of how sad it is for the world to be robbed of something beautiful that could change lives. Of course it takes hard work to get there, but the eternal significance may never be known this side of heaven. Don't you want to find out how far God can take you? 'Cause I can tell you just how many people your writing going to impact sitting in a forgotten notebook on your shelf.

Thoughts on this post? Based on what I provide here, how serious of a writer do you think you are? There's nothing wrong with being a hobby writer! I'm just curious ;)

All Those Hours (it wasn't for nothing)

This blog post is unique for a few reasons. 1) I 110% forgot to post last week. Completely. That's what having extra responsibilities an adorable new sibling will do to me! 2) Grappling with laziness vs needed breaks has been a huge theme in my life lately. So I've really been thinking about whether all those hours I spent writing stories that were never meant to be was the most colossal waste of time EVER. 3) I've been slowly adding to this post week by week in a note on my phone. 4) As a result, it shows a huge shift in my thinking. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

I don't know about you guys, but I wrote casually for years and years. I have two little stories I finished before the age of ten. And probably around forty others saved on a Word document with character names and sometimes chapters and chapters of writing.

About half of those are garbage and the other half remain my Pinterest-board worthy stories who hope to see the light of publication one day.

So do you ever ask yourself--what was the point of all that? Before I knew the difference between plotting and pantsing. Before I knew what passive voice and action beats were. And yet I for one spent countless hours just ... writing. With little thought of what was right or wrong. Lots of it has rookie mistakes. However, I think I also learned something.

Without all those hours, I wouldn't have known I could get ideas onto a page. I wouldn't have known that writing with chapters helped me generate new ideas. I wouldn't have learned that I get inspiration from movies and "what ifs." I wouldn't have the inquiring mind that files away every name and odd circumstance. And I certainly wouldn't have read as often, learned how to use word processing so young, or squirmed through so many "scary" movies if the power of story had not captured me from an early age.

So even though the actual words I spent those hours on need a lot of refining, I came away with a passel of now second-nature skills that help me build my stories of today. I'm really thankful for that, because it does look like a big waste of time at first glance. I know now that if I'd gotten "serious" about writing sooner, I might have missed the most important part of the slow growing process. Because that only comes through practice.

That's what I consider those thousands of crummy words documents--practice. They're fragments of ideas, but bits of my past imagination. Honestly, I'm a little too impatient to write thousands of useless words just for the sake of practice nowadays.

It's amazing to look back because I always assumed I'd be an author. I knew someday I'd finish something and it would be published. I never questioned what would come in between. It didn't worry me that I had the attention span oif a gnat. I kept at it, never getting anywhere new. And never doubting the importance of what I was doing. I am SO thankful for that. And I'd very much like to bottle that contentment with my slow progress and the hunger to write.

I think God's slowly leading me back around to having to really wait on His timing, because I'm a green light girl. As soon as I feel like what I want to do has gotten the okay from God and parents, I'm off ... often charging into a brick wall and wondering how that happened when the truth is I was never supposed to be the driver in the first place.

With this break I'm taking from writing so my wrist can heal, I feel really lazy. I'm hardly on my computer once or twice a week, let alone hours every day *gasp*. Without my writing, I've lost my motivation to post on social media, reply to emails, read ... Lame, I know. Writing is the lifeblood of all those things, and without it I'm pretty content just to hold my new sister and watch Netflix. So maybe you can tell just how much it meant to find out that I haven't been wasting my time from the very beginning. Even the no-writing stages are learning stages.

And for the first time this month, I think I can finally see what's next, because all of a sudden the next few months are packed with editing work. It's a good thing I'm not god of my own universe or my life would be much much more boring than this.

I have to know: did you write a bunch of fluffy words as a kid, too? Or a teenager, even! Can you see how they shaped you as a writer?

Thank you guys for tagging along on wherever this crazy writing part of my life leads me. It's so much more fun to go offroading and get lost with all of you in the backseat! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families. I'll try not to drop off the face of the earth again. ;)

To-Do-Listing Your Life Away // Guest Post by Kellyn Roth

Today I bring you a guest post that hits pretty close to home for me. I'm not the only writer who makes, to-do lists right? Let's see what Kellyn has to say on the subject!

Today I’m going to be talking about To-Do Lists.

I know you’re either rolling your eyes or hiding your notebooks behind your back. I’ve noticed that a lot of people think to-do lists are dumb or nerdy. Well … that’s okay. Go live in your non-accomplishments and be non-accomplished. ;)

But … many of you do write to-do lists.

It doesn’t make you overly-organized. It doesn’t make you boring and predictable. If it helps you get things done, then why not? Who cares what other people think. Getting things done is important. God didn’t make us to sit around on the couch all day and not accomplish anything! He made us to get up and move!

However … there are some dangers to these beautiful little lists.

I spend a lot of time writing to-do lists. Generally, while my mother’s reading to us in the morning (I’m homeschooled), I’ll start my to-do list for the day (either that or scribble my name over and over again in my notebook; that happens much more often, to be honest).

My average list will contain things like this:

1. School
2. Chores
3. Instrument practice
4. Exercise (P.E.)
5. Write a chapter of Adae

I can definitely do all those things in one day (have to, in the case of everything but writing)! I’ll probably have some time to actually live after that. But ... the thing is … I don’t stop there. I keep going. And going. And going.

Before I know it, I have a solid page of “things I want to do today” … and you know what? It’s not feasible for me to do so. I sometimes end up using every moment of my day worrying about all the things I have to do. And nothing that actually needs to get done gets done. And I’m constantly stressed.

Now, like I said, nothing wrong with to-do lists or planning. And I’m not one to judge if you’ve got a lot of your plate. However, being worried doesn’t solve anything.

I mean, I’m not usually one of those people who likes to go on about how you should stop worrying and just be happy, but … the more I worry about all the things I have to do, the less things actually get done.

So … what’s the answer? To-do lists can be a help … but they can also be a hinder! What’s the healthy balance? How do you even find the healthy balance? Here’s my answer.

Limit yourself.

“Today, I am only doing three things. When I do those three things, I’m done. I will rest. I will read (for fun!). I will concentrate on God, on real life, on whatever I need to relax.”

For me, that’s hard. I mean, I tend to relax too much already (at least in my way of thinking), and I feel like I accomplish so little! But, really. Here are some tips.

Evaluate the things you need to “accomplish.”

• Do you really need to finish that chapter today?
• If you don’t write that blog post, is it the end of the world?
• How much of your time is taken up by mindless social media?
• What really is a priority … and what is something that just doesn’t matter?
• How can you do less (instead of how can you do more)?

Kellyn Roth is a Historical & Christian fiction author from North-Eastern Oregon. She lives in the country with her parents, little brothers, adorkable border collies, and psychotic cat. When not writing, reading, or blogging, she has a life, although it’s become somewhat of a minor hobby.

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I thought Kellyn made some excellent points! How do you find the balance between stressing yourself into inactivity and spending all day on the couch? Are you a to-do list person?