First things first, if you glance down, today’s lesson will look very long. But feel free to read the opening segment then skip to the genre that applies to you once you reach the bold headings.
Today as we talk about form and structure in writing, I want to begin by talking about the importance of story in our contemporary culture. For the past five hundred years or so, the Western world went through a time known as the “Modern” period. Modernism was marked by rational thinking, a belief that we could know everything through science via the five senses, and clear authority structures. With the scientific and technological advances of the last 40 years or so, we have suddenly undergone a radical cultural shift into the Postmodern period. Philosophically speaking, Postmodernism poses many problems, particularly in its marginalization of truth. Okay, this topic deserves its own graduate level class, but suffice to say that like it or not, we are now living in the midst of a Postmodern culture.
The generation which has grown up in this culture, primarily those under age 35, show significant psychological shifts from the previous generation. Whereas logic and reason reigned supreme for hundreds of years, these individuals show a marked increase in their awareness of and need for spiritual realities. This can be used to lead them to Christ. However, we need to rediscover Biblical truths in light of the areas that hold sway with this generation: image, experience, relationship, and intuition.
Story is the most powerful way to communicate to this. Story employs images. It allows us to intuitively experience a situation through our relationship with the characters. In fact, there is a move these days away from systematic (logical) theology and towards narrative (story) theology. In narrative theology we imagine ourselves living out Biblical stories. We begin to see how our personal narratives fit into the grand meta-narrative of God’s story upon the earth. For more on this subject I highly recommend the book Story: Recapture the Mystery by Steven James.
Stories show us characters facing conflicts. Most stories end happily with the character overcoming the conflict. Through the story, we learn something about life. If there is no conflict, there is no story. The same basic story or plot structure is employed in everything from fairy tales to epic sagas. You have a beginning where we meet the characters and are introduced to the problem they face, a middle where the conflict escalates, a climax where the characters face their greatest struggle leading to a turning point, and the end or resolution where the story is wrapped up. For more on understanding story and story structure, I recommend A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.
Now that I’ve given you my rant on the importance of story, I will look at form and structure in several genres of writing. What I will be presenting is merely the tip of the iceberg on each of these subjects. Please use what you’ve learned today as an impetus to continue studying and learning the writing craft in your chosen genre.
Plot Structure
In the novel or full length script we take the basic story structure mentioned above and turn it into a more elaborate plot. There are many different models available to help you plot your story. Personally, I like the “Plot Skeleton” by Angela Hunt. You can find a full article about the “Plot Skeleton” in a collection called A Novel Idea.
In the beginning of the book or script you want to introduce us to the characters, setting, and problem, but you also want to get the story going right away. Show us your main character or primary protagonist in action. This main character needs a goal, and the struggles they will face in achieving their goal will provide the needed conflict to propel the story forward. In order to get the story going, it is helpful to have this main character dealing with some sort of obvious external problem as we get to know and care about them.
Next we enter the body of the story where the character is thrust into the story world and the real problems they face. Ideally, they should face both internal and an external conflicts which interrelate. Throughout this section of the book they will face a series of conflicts or complications, each with its own miniature climax and resolution. And, as you go along the conflict and tension should continue to mount.
Finally, the character should face their darkest moment. This will propel us into the main climax for the story as a whole. If the author has done their job well, the internal and external problems should both resolve as the character faces this major turning point. They will learn something that will allow them to face their challenge. In most cases they will overcome the external problem in a way that will also resolve their internal dilemma. This leads to the ending or resolution where the author wraps everything up.
Keep in mind that in order to meet today’s current trends in novel writing, all of this should be constructed in scenes with each scene occurring in a specific time and place from a clear character point of view.
Biography or Autobiography Structure
A good biography will use a plot structure and story arc similar to the description given above for a novel or film script. The job of the writer is to find the main story arc within the person’s life and focus on that as they write the biography. Another related option would be to write the biography as a series of short stories and link them together with introduction, transitions and conclusions, moving along in a basic chronological fashion. The final option for a biography will be discussed below in the narrative nonfiction section. It is basically taking random stories and weaving them into thematic chapters.
Essay or Nonfiction Structure
The classic essay structure is introduction, body, and conclusion. In other words: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them. Most nonfiction books follow this same basic pattern. The introduction should start with something exciting to pique the readers interest in the subject. It should state the thesis or theme, and it should give a brief hint at the main points that will be covered in the essay or book. The body includes main points and details to support the main points linked by transitional sections. The conclusion restates the thesis/theme, shows how the author has proven their thesis or illustrated their theme, and sums everything up. In a nonfiction book, this essay structure should be apparent in the book as a whole. In addition, each chapter should repeat this structure on a smaller scale.
These days publishers and readers are looking for story and quality fictional elements in their nonfiction as well. A great way to supply this is to use short stories to support your individual points within the chapters. These stories could be autobiographical, biographical, or even fictional. The more artistic elements you can include, like description, character, dialogue, etc…, the more these stories will come to life. In addition to using story within your nonfiction as examples, publishers also like to see a story arc of beginning, conflict, climax, resolution in nonfiction if at all possible.
Narrative Nonfiction
Narrative or creative nonfiction is a term given to a genre which has become very popular in recent years. The autobiographical version is also referred to as memoir. This is an eclectic mix of story, nonfiction, and poetic elements. Usually these collections include random stories woven together around a central theme. Like a nonfiction book, this is generally true for the book as a whole, but also on a chapter by chapter basis. The most famous Christian example of this style is Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Other great Christian authors in this genre are Steven James and Anne Lamott.
Allow me to give you an example of how this might work from my own narrative nonfiction, Secrets of the Teddy Bear Indian Dance: Mysteries Unveiled While Spinning Between Earth and Sacred Praise. I start with an introduction about the book, why I wrote it, and a brief overview of the types of topics I will cover. My first chapter is called “Trapped in Time.” It begins with a short poem by that same title. I then introduce the topic of being trapped and give a few brief examples from my life. Scene break. I tell part one of a dramatic story where my family is stuck in a war. Scene break. I have a scripture passage about being trapped. Scene break. I offer some reflection and transition. Scene Break. I tell a different story about being trapped. Scene Break. Part two of the story in Lebanon. Scene Break. I conclude the chapter by reflecting back on how the stories and the poem link to the trapped theme and tie them together with a strong conclusion. I continue that basic pattern for sixteen more chapters. In some cases I include essays, devotionals, and even short stories. My last chapter has its own stories and theme, but also serves to wrap up the book and all the themes within the book.
The key idea of narrative nonfiction is weaving or braiding and then tying it up tight as you come to your conclusions. I like to pull ideas, images, and refrains from previous chapters to keep a sense of continuity throughout the book. Notice that in addition to including actual poetry, I am using poetic techniques of image and refrain to structure the book. I also like to have a sense of rhythm to my writing.
Note on Personal Experience Stories
Creative nonfiction books are usually based on personal stories. Anytime you use personal experience stories in your writing, be careful not to make yourself out to be the hero or the victim. You should be the mistake maker. The lesson learner. In fact, as much as possible, write yourself out of the story so that we are focusing on the theme rather than on your own amazing life. When choosing personal experience stories, try to think of moments that changed you in some significant way. Focus on what went wrong, in other words the conflict of the story. For more on this genre I recommend a collection of essays titled Writing Creative Nonfiction.
Poetic Structure
Poetry is the art of language. Poets should pay attention to four major elements as they write. 1) The look on the page. Poetry is typically written in verse, meaning that the author controls the length of the line. Spaces between segments of the poem create stanzas or strophes. Poems can be written in closed form, meaning a preset pattern or in free verse where the writer makes their own decisions about line lengths, stanzas, etc… 2) Images. All poems should offer clear images that spark the imagination through the five senses. Often through the use of simile and metaphor these images become symbols for deeper issues in life. 3) Sound. All poems should give special attention to the sound of the words. Older closed form poems use meter, a set rhythmic pattern. However all poets should pay attention to the sounds and rhythms of their words. Rhyme, or use of matching sounds, is also employed by many poets to varying degrees. 4) Meaning. Poems should mean something. They should say something about life through the interplay of image, sound, and word choice. Even choices about the structure on the page can add to the meaning of the poem. If you think a literary poem is a bunch of random, meaningless nonsense, chances are the poet was making a statement about the randomness and futility of life.
Homework: Your homework is to continue studying to form and structure of your current genre. Begin applying what you are learning to your theme or premise. If possible, create an outline or summary based on what you are learning. If you haven’t chosen a genre yet, try writing a personal experience story with a theme.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Crafting Your Inspiration - Writing Series Week 3
Last week we discussed a variety of ways we can receive inspiration, including inspiration directly from the Holy Spirit. When I first began writing, I figured if God sent me inspiration, I should just record it, et viola, it would be perfect. It took a very wise teacher to convince me of the error of my ways. He pointed out that the Biblical writers themselves did much crafting and revising to turn their writing into the finest poetry of their day. I had always gotten the impression that they went into some sort of trance or God just moved their hand or something. In fact, the opposite is true. As I continued studying prophetic traditions, such a trance would be typical of Eastern or pagan religious traditions, but not Judaism or Christianity. The God of the Bible never moves without a person's willing consent.
So let’s take a look at how Biblical writers received inspiration from God. The writers of the prophetic books are especially helpful in explaining how they received their words from God. Many simply say that they heard the word of the Lord, or that the word of the Lord came to them. I assume these authors including Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Zephaniah, and Haggai most likely heard some sort of audible voice. Others like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Zechariah, and John saw visions. Daniel had dreams. Moses actually met with God face to face. Writers of the historical, gospel, and poetic books do not mention any direct intervention by God, although we know from other verses that all Biblical writing is inspired by God. It would be reasonable to assume that they recorded the moves of God they witnessed around them and the poems God placed in their hearts in a simpler manner.
Even in the case of the prophets, many including Isaiah and Jeremiah, crafted the words and visions the Lord gave them into some of the finest poetry of the ancient world. In fact, these poets are still read in secular universities across the nation because of the high caliber of their craftsmanship. Hebrew poetry uses devices such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, synechdoche, and merism just to mention a few. That’s a lot of work to add to a vision. I’m sure it took many long hours of writing and revising.
Throughout the Bible we can see that God uses skilled laborers who have trained and studied in their arts. In Exodus 26 and 28 he appoints skilled craftsmen to build the tabernacle. In I Chronicles 25 we see skilled musicians being assigned to the temple. God honors and appreciates hard work and training, whether it be through formal schooling, mentorship, or the direct tutelage of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, as with every rule, there are exceptions. For example, Habakkuk was not a well educated man, and in his case, God commanded him to record the message given to him word for word. "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” ~ Habakkuk 2:1-2.
And I must confess, that as much as I advocate crafting and hard work, I have seen exceptions in my own life as well. One was a poem I wrote after receiving a hard bump on the head. It was a sestina, which is a highly structured form poem in iambic pentameter. Generally people consider these nearly impossible to write. But that day after smacking myself in the noggin, I jotted down a nearly perfect sestina in under an hour. It’s been published in its original state. Click here to see the poem and a detailed version of this story.
A longer example of an exception would be my narrative nonfiction book. I wrote that manuscript very much under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit in six days, barely stopping to eat or sleep. Because of that, I was able to stay in the flow of the anointing. Now, it did still need proofreading and editing, however, the form and structure of the book were surprisingly strong after only one draft, even though I wrote it with no outline.
But here’s the thing. Before writing that sestina, I had been reading iambic pentameter for months. I had been writing poetry all year. Before writing that book, I had been studying and practicing writing for three and a half years straight. I also studied writing in college and earned a master’s degree in the subject. So you could say I wrote that sestina in an hour, or in twenty-eight years. Likewise, you could say I wrote that book in six days, or thirty-nine years. As we apply ourselves exercising the gifts that God has given us, we become better and better conduits through which he can flow.
We will spend the next few weeks learning about the hard work and crafting we will need to apply to our books in the following areas: strategic planning, form and structure, artistic elements, and technical elements.
But before I close, I want to share some thoughts on the strategic planning stage of writing. If God has given you a simple poem, devotional, essay, etc…it does not require much time to write it down and polish it up. However, before you start an entire book, I highly recommend that you take the idea God has given you and do some strategic planning. The main goal is to figure out what God wants you to say, and who he wants you to say it to.
What God wants you to say could be called your theme—your main point. For example, the theme of my narrative nonfiction book mentioned above is intimacy with Christ. In fiction we sometimes focus more on the premise—a one sentence summary of the plot. For my contemporary novel, I began with a premise: A blonde ballerina, veiled Muslim woman, and New Age hippie chick meet over a group project on diversity. Or perhaps, especially if your idea is more research oriented, you may start with a question. As I mentioned last week, my historical novel began with a question: What is the true nature of love? Before you sit down to write a book, you should have a fairly clear idea of what the purpose of the book is. You should also know the genre. Will it be a biography, narrative nonfiction, novel? If a novel, what kind, historical, romance, sci-fi, ect…? Maybe some combination or genres? If so, which ones?
Who God wants you to give your message to could be called your audience. Who is your audience? Children, teens, young adults, middle-aged women? Christians or non Christians? Average readers or a literary audience? Authors like to think that everyone would enjoy their book, but that’s rarely the case, and publishers want you to target a specific audience. Going back to our Biblical examples, the gospels and epistles clearly demonstrate how the same message can be written with differing audiences in mind. Also note how the giftings and strengths of each writer comes through in their unique presentations of the gospel message.
Once you know your target audience and the general idea of your book, you can begin studying the rules and conventions of that genre. For instance, there are certain word lengths required for different genres. Publishers expect manuscripts in specific fonts and formats. Children’s picture books require a certain numbers of double page spreads. Theatre scripts are typed differently than film scripts. Honestly, I don’t know them all. There are too many. But you can begin learning the genres you desire to write in on your own.
Next week I’ll talk about how to take your theme or premise and begin to turn the idea into a more complex outline or plot structure. Hope you’ll come back for more. Also, later this week I’m going to put up a list of the twenty things I wish I knew before I started writing my first novel for those of you writing in that genre. In the meantime…
Homework: Do some self study into the proper format for your genre and any current rules. Think about the message God has laid on your heart. Run it through the strategic planning stage. What is your purpose, your audience, your story question, your premise, your theme? In other words, what will this accomplish for the kingdom of God?
So let’s take a look at how Biblical writers received inspiration from God. The writers of the prophetic books are especially helpful in explaining how they received their words from God. Many simply say that they heard the word of the Lord, or that the word of the Lord came to them. I assume these authors including Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Zephaniah, and Haggai most likely heard some sort of audible voice. Others like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Zechariah, and John saw visions. Daniel had dreams. Moses actually met with God face to face. Writers of the historical, gospel, and poetic books do not mention any direct intervention by God, although we know from other verses that all Biblical writing is inspired by God. It would be reasonable to assume that they recorded the moves of God they witnessed around them and the poems God placed in their hearts in a simpler manner.
Even in the case of the prophets, many including Isaiah and Jeremiah, crafted the words and visions the Lord gave them into some of the finest poetry of the ancient world. In fact, these poets are still read in secular universities across the nation because of the high caliber of their craftsmanship. Hebrew poetry uses devices such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, synechdoche, and merism just to mention a few. That’s a lot of work to add to a vision. I’m sure it took many long hours of writing and revising.
Throughout the Bible we can see that God uses skilled laborers who have trained and studied in their arts. In Exodus 26 and 28 he appoints skilled craftsmen to build the tabernacle. In I Chronicles 25 we see skilled musicians being assigned to the temple. God honors and appreciates hard work and training, whether it be through formal schooling, mentorship, or the direct tutelage of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, as with every rule, there are exceptions. For example, Habakkuk was not a well educated man, and in his case, God commanded him to record the message given to him word for word. "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” ~ Habakkuk 2:1-2.
And I must confess, that as much as I advocate crafting and hard work, I have seen exceptions in my own life as well. One was a poem I wrote after receiving a hard bump on the head. It was a sestina, which is a highly structured form poem in iambic pentameter. Generally people consider these nearly impossible to write. But that day after smacking myself in the noggin, I jotted down a nearly perfect sestina in under an hour. It’s been published in its original state. Click here to see the poem and a detailed version of this story.
A longer example of an exception would be my narrative nonfiction book. I wrote that manuscript very much under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit in six days, barely stopping to eat or sleep. Because of that, I was able to stay in the flow of the anointing. Now, it did still need proofreading and editing, however, the form and structure of the book were surprisingly strong after only one draft, even though I wrote it with no outline.
But here’s the thing. Before writing that sestina, I had been reading iambic pentameter for months. I had been writing poetry all year. Before writing that book, I had been studying and practicing writing for three and a half years straight. I also studied writing in college and earned a master’s degree in the subject. So you could say I wrote that sestina in an hour, or in twenty-eight years. Likewise, you could say I wrote that book in six days, or thirty-nine years. As we apply ourselves exercising the gifts that God has given us, we become better and better conduits through which he can flow.
We will spend the next few weeks learning about the hard work and crafting we will need to apply to our books in the following areas: strategic planning, form and structure, artistic elements, and technical elements.
But before I close, I want to share some thoughts on the strategic planning stage of writing. If God has given you a simple poem, devotional, essay, etc…it does not require much time to write it down and polish it up. However, before you start an entire book, I highly recommend that you take the idea God has given you and do some strategic planning. The main goal is to figure out what God wants you to say, and who he wants you to say it to.
What God wants you to say could be called your theme—your main point. For example, the theme of my narrative nonfiction book mentioned above is intimacy with Christ. In fiction we sometimes focus more on the premise—a one sentence summary of the plot. For my contemporary novel, I began with a premise: A blonde ballerina, veiled Muslim woman, and New Age hippie chick meet over a group project on diversity. Or perhaps, especially if your idea is more research oriented, you may start with a question. As I mentioned last week, my historical novel began with a question: What is the true nature of love? Before you sit down to write a book, you should have a fairly clear idea of what the purpose of the book is. You should also know the genre. Will it be a biography, narrative nonfiction, novel? If a novel, what kind, historical, romance, sci-fi, ect…? Maybe some combination or genres? If so, which ones?
Who God wants you to give your message to could be called your audience. Who is your audience? Children, teens, young adults, middle-aged women? Christians or non Christians? Average readers or a literary audience? Authors like to think that everyone would enjoy their book, but that’s rarely the case, and publishers want you to target a specific audience. Going back to our Biblical examples, the gospels and epistles clearly demonstrate how the same message can be written with differing audiences in mind. Also note how the giftings and strengths of each writer comes through in their unique presentations of the gospel message.
Once you know your target audience and the general idea of your book, you can begin studying the rules and conventions of that genre. For instance, there are certain word lengths required for different genres. Publishers expect manuscripts in specific fonts and formats. Children’s picture books require a certain numbers of double page spreads. Theatre scripts are typed differently than film scripts. Honestly, I don’t know them all. There are too many. But you can begin learning the genres you desire to write in on your own.
Next week I’ll talk about how to take your theme or premise and begin to turn the idea into a more complex outline or plot structure. Hope you’ll come back for more. Also, later this week I’m going to put up a list of the twenty things I wish I knew before I started writing my first novel for those of you writing in that genre. In the meantime…
Homework: Do some self study into the proper format for your genre and any current rules. Think about the message God has laid on your heart. Run it through the strategic planning stage. What is your purpose, your audience, your story question, your premise, your theme? In other words, what will this accomplish for the kingdom of God?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
How to Receive Inspiration - Writing Class Series Week 2
Last week in our “Inspiration and Perspiration” series, we discussed Christian writing and decided that it is any writing inspired by the Holy Spirit with the goal of advancing God’s kingdom on earth. Since no one disagreed with the definition, I will allow it to lead naturally into our next topic. How do we receive inspiration?
All writers need inspiration. Usually they refer to the source of inspiration as “the muse.” As Christians, our primary muse has a more specific name, the Holy Spirit. However, I don’t think we need to be overly spiritual about how we expect our muse to strike. Inspiration can come at the oddest moments.
Life events and people we meet in the course of the day offer inspiration and writing ideas. Other books and movies are great sources of inspiration. Sometimes inspiration seems to come “out of the blue.” This probably means our subconscious has been working on it for a while and spits it out when our mind is relaxed and wandering. And finally, I do believe inspiration can come directly from the Holy Spirit through seeking God in prayer. If inspiration comes in a more natural way, I would simply suggest taking the idea to God to see if it indeed came from him, and to ask for further direction.
Last week we also discussed that God is not likely to give us a fully developed book on a silver platter. He gives us a lump of clay idea that needs to be formed and crafted through hard work. So what sort of ideas should we be looking for? If you are writing a poem or short devotional, it is conceivable that the whole thing might come to you in one sitting. However, if you are working on a book, it is unlikely that the original inspiration will come to you in the form of the beginning of the manuscript.
Here are some ways your ideas are more likely to come to you. First, would be a theme, premise, or story question. For example, with my first novel, I started with a question. “What is true love?” I wasn’t sure of the answer at the time. The theme of the book later became, “True love is found in and flows from God.” Or, I could have started with the premise, which has more to do with the details of the story. “Haunting memories hinder a medieval peasant girl’s quest for true love.”
From there, I went on to an outline, which was inspired by a Eugene O’Neil play I read in high school where a woman goes through a series of relationships with various men in search of true love. I believe this plot outline was indeed a gift from God, because as I’ve continued in my writing career, plots don’t come naturally to me. A plot or outline could be the first idea to come to you.
Some people may begin with the idea for a character or setting. Write them down. Do a character sketch or a descriptive writing. A passage of dialogue, otherwise known as a conversation, is another great place to start. You might begin with a full blown chapter or scene, but it might come from a random place in the book. Again, don’t expect to start in the beginning.
In the fiction world, we talk about the difference between pantsters and plotters. Pansters just start writing and see where the story and characters will organically take them. Some great writers are professed pantsters, but they also admit they need to do a lot of work on the outline in later revisions. Plotters plan beforehand. I’m sure the same is true of nonfiction. Some authors plan, some fly by the seat of their pants. I consider myself a combination. Usually, I start with an idea. Write a few chapters to meet the characters and familiarize myself with the story. Then I stop and outline so I can work more strategically and not waste time.
The bane of the writing profession is something called writer’s block. Personally, I don’t do writer’s block. Writer’s block occurs when you try to write without having inspiration, which I won’t even attempt. This scripture perfectly embodies how I write, and how I strive to live. It's from Matthew 11:28-30 in the Message translation. "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
So the ideal goal is to allow our lives and our writing to flow freely and lightly from the spirit of God within us. But in case you do struggle with writer's block, here are some great tips for overcoming it. 1) Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, research, etc… Any of those will switch you out of your right brained creativity and into your left brained logic. Deal with them later. 2) Don’t start at the beginning. 3) Just pick up a pencil and write any crazy thing in your head without filtering it. 4) Brainstorm. 5) Do a physical activity or mundane chore that will leave your mind free to wander. 6) Exercise. The extra oxygen intake is good for your mind. 7) Spend time in nature. 8) Listen to music. 9) Pray. 10) Take a nap and allow your subconcious to work.
Again, remember that the Holy Spirit is our primary muse. We as writers need to “court the muse,” meaning actively invite it and seek to interact with it. Here are ideas for receiving writing inspiration directly from the Holy Spirit in prayer. Notice that they incorporate many of the tips above. Also, I should mention that these are great methods for communicating with God and hearing his voice concerning any issue in your life.
First, you must “be still” as Psalm 46:10 teaches. It is important to pause from the madness of your busy day, to quiet your spinning mind, and to give God your full attention. Take some slow deep breaths, perhaps listen to worship music, read or quote some encouraging scriptures, spend a few moments out in nature. Once you feel calm, focus your thoughts upon God, praise and thank Him, tell Him how much you love Him, meditate upon Him. Remember that the kingdom of God is within you. The spirit of God resides in your heart. So you must put aside outward distractions and turn inward to find him. God is always speaking, but our job is to be quiet enough to listen.
I realize the word “meditate” has taken a bad rap in some Christian circles, and not without good reason, but repeatedly throughout scripture we are instructed to meditate upon God and upon His word. Christian meditation should not focus upon self, and it should not be an emptying of self in order to invite some unknown entity into our beings. The point of meditating is to ponder God, to seek His face, to mull over His attributes, His wonder and beauty.
Keep in mind the Hebrew word for “meditate,” which is “hagah,” can also be translated as “imagine.” Writers have great imaginations, so engage yours in your relationship with God. Picture yourself meeting with Jesus in a favorite place. Walk together hand in hand with your Savior. Cuddle up in the lap of your Heavenly Daddy. Look deep into His loving eyes.
Next, take time to listen. God most often speaks to us in a still small voice that comes to our hearts through a spontaneous flow of thoughts, visions, and impressions. John 7:38 refers to streams of living water flowing out of us. As you meet with God allow Him to speak to you, ask Him questions, wait and listen for His answers. Don’t be afraid. Let it flow.
Now comes the important part, especially for writers. Write it down! Record what God is speaking to you on paper. Stay in that flow. At this point, don’t judge what you’re writing for scriptural accuracy. Don’t worry about grammar, syntax or spelling. Don't try to figure out if the idea has the marketing potential to become the next bestseller. Just get it onto the paper. That way, it's yours. You can always go back to it later. You can also test it against God’s word or even show it to your spiritual advisors if you feel uncertain about anything you've written.
Next week we will talk more about how the Biblical authors received inspiration and how they crafted that inspiration into writing which is still revered as some of the finest literature of its time.
I will finish with mentioning that after I did some lump of clay writing on my first novel, I stuck the notebook in a drawer for five years. During that time I taught school, researched the medieval time period, and had another baby. But when I was ready to write, everything was still there and waiting for me. So I repeat, whatever God is speaking to you, be it an idea, scene, or outline, write it down!
For more information about communicating with God, I highly recommend How to Hear God’s Voice by Mark Virkler and other related resources available on his website at http://cwgministries.org/
Homework: Spend time actively listening to God this week. It’s possible that if you’ve been out of touch with him for a while, you may end up talking about more important things than your writing career. If so, that’s fine. But write down whatever he is speaking to you. And if possible, begin some lump of clay writing on the idea you wish to work on during the eight week class.
All writers need inspiration. Usually they refer to the source of inspiration as “the muse.” As Christians, our primary muse has a more specific name, the Holy Spirit. However, I don’t think we need to be overly spiritual about how we expect our muse to strike. Inspiration can come at the oddest moments.
Life events and people we meet in the course of the day offer inspiration and writing ideas. Other books and movies are great sources of inspiration. Sometimes inspiration seems to come “out of the blue.” This probably means our subconscious has been working on it for a while and spits it out when our mind is relaxed and wandering. And finally, I do believe inspiration can come directly from the Holy Spirit through seeking God in prayer. If inspiration comes in a more natural way, I would simply suggest taking the idea to God to see if it indeed came from him, and to ask for further direction.
Last week we also discussed that God is not likely to give us a fully developed book on a silver platter. He gives us a lump of clay idea that needs to be formed and crafted through hard work. So what sort of ideas should we be looking for? If you are writing a poem or short devotional, it is conceivable that the whole thing might come to you in one sitting. However, if you are working on a book, it is unlikely that the original inspiration will come to you in the form of the beginning of the manuscript.
Here are some ways your ideas are more likely to come to you. First, would be a theme, premise, or story question. For example, with my first novel, I started with a question. “What is true love?” I wasn’t sure of the answer at the time. The theme of the book later became, “True love is found in and flows from God.” Or, I could have started with the premise, which has more to do with the details of the story. “Haunting memories hinder a medieval peasant girl’s quest for true love.”
From there, I went on to an outline, which was inspired by a Eugene O’Neil play I read in high school where a woman goes through a series of relationships with various men in search of true love. I believe this plot outline was indeed a gift from God, because as I’ve continued in my writing career, plots don’t come naturally to me. A plot or outline could be the first idea to come to you.
Some people may begin with the idea for a character or setting. Write them down. Do a character sketch or a descriptive writing. A passage of dialogue, otherwise known as a conversation, is another great place to start. You might begin with a full blown chapter or scene, but it might come from a random place in the book. Again, don’t expect to start in the beginning.
In the fiction world, we talk about the difference between pantsters and plotters. Pansters just start writing and see where the story and characters will organically take them. Some great writers are professed pantsters, but they also admit they need to do a lot of work on the outline in later revisions. Plotters plan beforehand. I’m sure the same is true of nonfiction. Some authors plan, some fly by the seat of their pants. I consider myself a combination. Usually, I start with an idea. Write a few chapters to meet the characters and familiarize myself with the story. Then I stop and outline so I can work more strategically and not waste time.
The bane of the writing profession is something called writer’s block. Personally, I don’t do writer’s block. Writer’s block occurs when you try to write without having inspiration, which I won’t even attempt. This scripture perfectly embodies how I write, and how I strive to live. It's from Matthew 11:28-30 in the Message translation. "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
So the ideal goal is to allow our lives and our writing to flow freely and lightly from the spirit of God within us. But in case you do struggle with writer's block, here are some great tips for overcoming it. 1) Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, research, etc… Any of those will switch you out of your right brained creativity and into your left brained logic. Deal with them later. 2) Don’t start at the beginning. 3) Just pick up a pencil and write any crazy thing in your head without filtering it. 4) Brainstorm. 5) Do a physical activity or mundane chore that will leave your mind free to wander. 6) Exercise. The extra oxygen intake is good for your mind. 7) Spend time in nature. 8) Listen to music. 9) Pray. 10) Take a nap and allow your subconcious to work.
Again, remember that the Holy Spirit is our primary muse. We as writers need to “court the muse,” meaning actively invite it and seek to interact with it. Here are ideas for receiving writing inspiration directly from the Holy Spirit in prayer. Notice that they incorporate many of the tips above. Also, I should mention that these are great methods for communicating with God and hearing his voice concerning any issue in your life.
First, you must “be still” as Psalm 46:10 teaches. It is important to pause from the madness of your busy day, to quiet your spinning mind, and to give God your full attention. Take some slow deep breaths, perhaps listen to worship music, read or quote some encouraging scriptures, spend a few moments out in nature. Once you feel calm, focus your thoughts upon God, praise and thank Him, tell Him how much you love Him, meditate upon Him. Remember that the kingdom of God is within you. The spirit of God resides in your heart. So you must put aside outward distractions and turn inward to find him. God is always speaking, but our job is to be quiet enough to listen.
I realize the word “meditate” has taken a bad rap in some Christian circles, and not without good reason, but repeatedly throughout scripture we are instructed to meditate upon God and upon His word. Christian meditation should not focus upon self, and it should not be an emptying of self in order to invite some unknown entity into our beings. The point of meditating is to ponder God, to seek His face, to mull over His attributes, His wonder and beauty.
Keep in mind the Hebrew word for “meditate,” which is “hagah,” can also be translated as “imagine.” Writers have great imaginations, so engage yours in your relationship with God. Picture yourself meeting with Jesus in a favorite place. Walk together hand in hand with your Savior. Cuddle up in the lap of your Heavenly Daddy. Look deep into His loving eyes.
Next, take time to listen. God most often speaks to us in a still small voice that comes to our hearts through a spontaneous flow of thoughts, visions, and impressions. John 7:38 refers to streams of living water flowing out of us. As you meet with God allow Him to speak to you, ask Him questions, wait and listen for His answers. Don’t be afraid. Let it flow.
Now comes the important part, especially for writers. Write it down! Record what God is speaking to you on paper. Stay in that flow. At this point, don’t judge what you’re writing for scriptural accuracy. Don’t worry about grammar, syntax or spelling. Don't try to figure out if the idea has the marketing potential to become the next bestseller. Just get it onto the paper. That way, it's yours. You can always go back to it later. You can also test it against God’s word or even show it to your spiritual advisors if you feel uncertain about anything you've written.
Next week we will talk more about how the Biblical authors received inspiration and how they crafted that inspiration into writing which is still revered as some of the finest literature of its time.
I will finish with mentioning that after I did some lump of clay writing on my first novel, I stuck the notebook in a drawer for five years. During that time I taught school, researched the medieval time period, and had another baby. But when I was ready to write, everything was still there and waiting for me. So I repeat, whatever God is speaking to you, be it an idea, scene, or outline, write it down!
For more information about communicating with God, I highly recommend How to Hear God’s Voice by Mark Virkler and other related resources available on his website at http://cwgministries.org/
Homework: Spend time actively listening to God this week. It’s possible that if you’ve been out of touch with him for a while, you may end up talking about more important things than your writing career. If so, that’s fine. But write down whatever he is speaking to you. And if possible, begin some lump of clay writing on the idea you wish to work on during the eight week class.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
What is Christian Writing? - Writing Class Series Week 1
Welcome to "The Inspiration and the Perspiration." This online class is designed to help you seek God for creative inspiration and develop that lump of clay through the writing process to a publishable book. Pull up a desk and make yourself at home. Our topic this week is, "What is Christian Writing?"
In order to discuss what "Christian Writing" is, we must first ask a more basic question. "What is Writing?" To be all academic for a moment, writing is a symbolic activity of meaning making. So what in the heck does that mean? First of all, words are symbols. If I hand you the letters d, o, and g, I am not handing you a dog. I am handing you three letters that make a word. We all understand that the letter symbols d, o, and g together make up the word dog, and that the word dog represents a furry four-legged creature of the canine family. Or maybe it represents an ugly female...hmm. Not a very nice meaning, but the word could be taken that way. It could mean a scary doberman baring his fangs, or a cuddly little puppy.
Are you starting to get the picture? Letters are symbols that make larger symbols called words. Words strung together begin to create meaning. Writing is a symbolic activity of meaning making. But what are we symbolizing? As writers, ultimately we are looking to communicate thoughts and ideas to our readers. As Christian writers, I hope we are sharing something from our hearts as well.
So who can be a writer? Basically, everyone has something to communicate, something to say. We are all creative beings made in the image of a creative God, and each of us has a unique voice. While a great imagination and good grammar skills certainly help, in the end I would say that most people with moderate education and intelligence can be taught to write. I think what really matters for a Christian writer is a) is God calling you to write, and b) are you willing to spend the time and hard work to become a good writer.
Now that we know what writing is and who can undertake the challenge of becoming a writer, let's get to the nitty gritty of defining Christian writing. Some people say that anything written by a Christian is therefore Christian writing. Others say that it must be geared toward a Christian audience or that it must contain an inherent Biblical message.
Francine Rivers, arguably the most famous Christian fiction author of our day, said this a few months ago on the Seekerville blog. "A Christian who writes can write anything, and not necessarily something that is glorifying to the Lord. They write for a market. A Christian writer centers their work on Jesus Christ. He is central to their story. The purpose of Christian fiction is to whet the appetite of the reader for the real thing: a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and a passion for His Word. It’s not that one writer is better than the other. Each is called to a different purpose. A Christian who writes can still (and often does) weave their 'world view' into their stories. Their goal is to entertain. A Christian writer is focused on presenting Christ. And, of course, both want to sell books."
I'm not sure if I agree with her use of terms, but she brings up an interesting point about the difference in goals and audiences. Entertainment has to be the goal of the Christian who writes for a secular audience because the secular publisher is primarily concerned with business and making money. Although, in some instances, literary quality is also taken into consideration. Christian publishers still have to operate as a business in order to survive, but often have a heart to minister as well.
Due to the difference in audience, the Christian publisher can afford to offer books with ministry value and make money at the same time. Keep in mind that Christian publishers do expect writers to keep their books clean. This is because much of their audience buys Christian fiction in order to avoid profanity, gratuitous violence, and inappropriate sexual content.
On the other hand, I consider Christians who focus on the secular writing market to be doing a form of missionary work. While they are limited in how they can present the gospel, theirs can be a worthwhile ministry. I have a feeling Francine Rivers would agree that if their heart truly is for ministry, these individuals would qualify as Christian writers as well. So, maybe I do agree with her definition after all.
Christian writing should flow from the heart of a Christian where the spirit of God dwells. And whether overtly or subtely, it should in some way communicate God's message to the world. So now I'm going to take my own stab at defining Christian Writing. Are you ready...drum roll please...
In order to discuss what "Christian Writing" is, we must first ask a more basic question. "What is Writing?" To be all academic for a moment, writing is a symbolic activity of meaning making. So what in the heck does that mean? First of all, words are symbols. If I hand you the letters d, o, and g, I am not handing you a dog. I am handing you three letters that make a word. We all understand that the letter symbols d, o, and g together make up the word dog, and that the word dog represents a furry four-legged creature of the canine family. Or maybe it represents an ugly female...hmm. Not a very nice meaning, but the word could be taken that way. It could mean a scary doberman baring his fangs, or a cuddly little puppy.
Are you starting to get the picture? Letters are symbols that make larger symbols called words. Words strung together begin to create meaning. Writing is a symbolic activity of meaning making. But what are we symbolizing? As writers, ultimately we are looking to communicate thoughts and ideas to our readers. As Christian writers, I hope we are sharing something from our hearts as well.
So who can be a writer? Basically, everyone has something to communicate, something to say. We are all creative beings made in the image of a creative God, and each of us has a unique voice. While a great imagination and good grammar skills certainly help, in the end I would say that most people with moderate education and intelligence can be taught to write. I think what really matters for a Christian writer is a) is God calling you to write, and b) are you willing to spend the time and hard work to become a good writer.
Now that we know what writing is and who can undertake the challenge of becoming a writer, let's get to the nitty gritty of defining Christian writing. Some people say that anything written by a Christian is therefore Christian writing. Others say that it must be geared toward a Christian audience or that it must contain an inherent Biblical message.
Francine Rivers, arguably the most famous Christian fiction author of our day, said this a few months ago on the Seekerville blog. "A Christian who writes can write anything, and not necessarily something that is glorifying to the Lord. They write for a market. A Christian writer centers their work on Jesus Christ. He is central to their story. The purpose of Christian fiction is to whet the appetite of the reader for the real thing: a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and a passion for His Word. It’s not that one writer is better than the other. Each is called to a different purpose. A Christian who writes can still (and often does) weave their 'world view' into their stories. Their goal is to entertain. A Christian writer is focused on presenting Christ. And, of course, both want to sell books."
I'm not sure if I agree with her use of terms, but she brings up an interesting point about the difference in goals and audiences. Entertainment has to be the goal of the Christian who writes for a secular audience because the secular publisher is primarily concerned with business and making money. Although, in some instances, literary quality is also taken into consideration. Christian publishers still have to operate as a business in order to survive, but often have a heart to minister as well.
Due to the difference in audience, the Christian publisher can afford to offer books with ministry value and make money at the same time. Keep in mind that Christian publishers do expect writers to keep their books clean. This is because much of their audience buys Christian fiction in order to avoid profanity, gratuitous violence, and inappropriate sexual content.
On the other hand, I consider Christians who focus on the secular writing market to be doing a form of missionary work. While they are limited in how they can present the gospel, theirs can be a worthwhile ministry. I have a feeling Francine Rivers would agree that if their heart truly is for ministry, these individuals would qualify as Christian writers as well. So, maybe I do agree with her definition after all.
Christian writing should flow from the heart of a Christian where the spirit of God dwells. And whether overtly or subtely, it should in some way communicate God's message to the world. So now I'm going to take my own stab at defining Christian Writing. Are you ready...drum roll please...
Christian writing is any writing inspired by the Holy Spirit with the goal of advancing God's kingdom on earth.
Christian writing is, or rather should be, a writing ministry guided by the Holy Spirit. For some of you this definition may sound simple. A relief even. We have a helper along this journey and a clear purpose for undertaking it. Although we still have a long hard road of writing, revising, editing, publishing, and marketing ahead of us, we are doing this in God and through God. The pressure is off of us. If the work is of him, he will see it through to completion.
Maybe someone out there is thinking, "Great, God's going to hand me my writing on a silver platter." Guess again, buddy! You can't skip through the writing process and expect to create something worthwhile. Even the prophets in the Bible crafted their writing. We will discuss this more in week three.
But I bet for a few others joining us from cyberspace, the definition I offered sounds daunting. You're not quite sure if you know how to be led by the Holy Spirit, how to hear God's voice. Maybe you get vague impressions, but you never feel quite certain they're from God.
Well, don't worry. Next week the subject will be how to receive inspiration from the Holy Spirit. This is an issue close to my heart, which I have been studying and teaching for many years. I hope you'll come back and allow me to share my thoughts with you.
In the meantime, here are some questions for you. Please answer in the comment section below:
Are you called to write? What is your purpose as a writer?
What genre (type of writing as in nonfiction, novels, magazine articles) are you interested in writing?
What books are out there that are similar to what you desire to write?
If you're already a writer, can you hone your purpose and subgenre even more?
Homework: Continue to think and pray about your purpose as a writer throughout the week. Go online and research what is happening in your genre. What is being published today? Who is publishing it? Who is reading it? What books are winning awards? What books are best sellers? Also, please consider reading one popular book in your genre and one writing craft book in your genre over the course of the next eight weeks.
Homework: Continue to think and pray about your purpose as a writer throughout the week. Go online and research what is happening in your genre. What is being published today? Who is publishing it? Who is reading it? What books are winning awards? What books are best sellers? Also, please consider reading one popular book in your genre and one writing craft book in your genre over the course of the next eight weeks.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Free Writing Course
Over the next eight weeks I will be teaching a free writing course at Acts 2 Church in Virginia Beach. The title is "The Inspiration and the Perspiration." Most Christian writers I know are great at one aspect or the other. Some are amazing at hearing from God, receiving deep spiritual insights, and coming up with phenomenal story ideas. Others are great at the technical elements and hard work of the writing craft. However, few make it to publication without learning both. Even then, it's hard to balance the two.
In this course I will be teaching how to seek God for writing inspiration, how to hear his voice, then how to take that lump of clay he has given you and develop it through to a fully publishable book that will find a niche in the market. Concerning the editing process, I will teach how to edit for structure, fictional elements, poetic elements, and technical writing elements. The class is intended to encourage and inspire writers to hone their goals and strengthen their ministries. It is geared toward fiction and narrative nonfiction, but will also cover basic poetry and scriptwriting techniques.
For those of you in town, the class will be on Wednesdays from 7:30 - 8:20 pm at Acts 2 Church. For those of you unable to attend, I will be blogging each week on issues related to the class. So please come back and join the online discussion.
If you would like more information about me and where I currently am in my writing journey, the short story is that I'm published in poetry, songwriting, and scriptwriting. I hold a MA in Professional Writing, and I am currently an agented, albeit unpublished, novelist. I am still working on that final step of hitting the proper niche market. (Update as of March 2011: My debut novel has now been contracted with WhiteFire Publishing and will release this year. Also, since signing my novel, WhiteFire has put me on staff as an acquisitions editor)
In this course I will be teaching how to seek God for writing inspiration, how to hear his voice, then how to take that lump of clay he has given you and develop it through to a fully publishable book that will find a niche in the market. Concerning the editing process, I will teach how to edit for structure, fictional elements, poetic elements, and technical writing elements. The class is intended to encourage and inspire writers to hone their goals and strengthen their ministries. It is geared toward fiction and narrative nonfiction, but will also cover basic poetry and scriptwriting techniques.
For those of you in town, the class will be on Wednesdays from 7:30 - 8:20 pm at Acts 2 Church. For those of you unable to attend, I will be blogging each week on issues related to the class. So please come back and join the online discussion.
If you would like more information about me and where I currently am in my writing journey, the short story is that I'm published in poetry, songwriting, and scriptwriting. I hold a MA in Professional Writing, and I am currently an agented, albeit unpublished, novelist. I am still working on that final step of hitting the proper niche market. (Update as of March 2011: My debut novel has now been contracted with WhiteFire Publishing and will release this year. Also, since signing my novel, WhiteFire has put me on staff as an acquisitions editor)
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