December 15, 2012

What do we do in times like these?
What did we do yesterday and the day before?
We sat and talked of hope and lived in comfort,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

Today tragedy woke us in gunfire.
We stare broken and confused,
And tomorrow, again, children will be swallowed in death,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

We sit behind closed doors and chafe,
Or walk along the street and feebly cry hope.
We ask each other how all this could happen,
Waiting for the Christ Child to be born.

What do we do in times like these?
Nothing. Just like yesterday when we were free.
Hope has turned to talk and flight.
When will our Christ Child come?

Open our doors and hearts,
Bring us to our knees and tears.
Send us out to a foreign world,
Fill us with warrior love.

Comfort, comfort your people, Lord,
But only with the comfort that fights.
Give us hope reborn that lives
Declaring the Christ Child is born.

Give us faith that carries sickness, loneliness, and death.
Make us hear the singing host
And ring the bell of peace.
Joy will conquer every ill.

Our Christ Child is among us still.

Underlining - Word Love

The next chapter was my mountainous internal struggle with underlining. I am a purist and I also believe authors are frequently treated like dirt. Reading the end of the book is judging without a hearing. Singing music while you read is yelling while someone is trying to talk to you. And underlining is making something stand out the writer chose not to put in all caps, bold, or italic. Marring the pages with your own notes is distracting and doesn't allow you to hear the author's whole thought. You know, these sorts of convictions. So my reading system for several years was reading a book straight through then going back a second time to write out quotes and notes. If a book was worth reading once, it was worth reading twice.

My first leap of conscious occurred in desperation. I'm a painfully slow reader and had about seven books lined up for notes and several shelves full of books that hadn't been cracked yet. I started a book I needed to complete, start to finish, in a week. I should have, but I didn't have any respect for the particular author and so I closed my eyes and made the first incision. I began to underline with a big, bold pen. I realized it made me pay attention to word arrangement and train of thought in new ways. Taking notes became entirely different somehow and suddenly I was aware of the author's word choice and order, both in areas that were aggravating and thrilling.

There are still some books that should be committed to memory and untouched, others where post-it tabs are vital, but many books are best served and used with respectful, careful underlining. Sometimes I even write questions and notes in the margins.

I wonder how much more I would have learned if I'd given in sooner... Most of the time being a purest and perfectionist is an excuse not to learn or use something for its proper purpose.

Saturday night meditation...

Take me and remake me

do something new

in this darkness.

Give me love that is daring,

willing to be scorched

and open to nails.

Make my roots deep and grounded,

unsatisfied with this,

always thirsting for you.

Teach me to long for something bigger,

give me desire that will hurt,

a passion that will burn hot.

Thrust me in the refiner's fire,

only watch and shape me gently,

always beside me and with me.

Use me in this scene you are always weaving,

feed my lines and my cues patiently,

show me a glimpse of the story.

Just don't leave me to flat comfort or happiness,

never let me outlive my love for you,

forever fill me up and pour me out.

Watching

how selfish you are

holding it all to yourself

give me some

you've left me alone

while I cannot penetrate

rusted doors

who am I, fainting?

with yearning to carry what

I cannot

my pain is empty

how black it is around you

homeless ache

what is this anger?

when all I do is expound

empty things

unreachable fire

its one consuming demands

aloneness

I can only lift

faint shadows when we address

Someone else.

The Blotter for You

There was a NaNoWriMo flop in 2010. The aftermath was a long-winded short story and after a year and a half of marinating and sporadic, brutal edits, In the Mourning is now seeing the light of day. This gangly short story has now been published in The Blotter along with two wonderful poems by fellow writers.

The Blotter is the quarterly publication of the Inkblot Society, an aspiring hodgepodge of writers bent on glorifying God through all sorts of shapes and sizes of writing.

There are many glaring errors encased in In the Mourning, but I am grateful to be forced to declare something  "finished" and have other people reading it. The two poems by other Inkblotters are quite good. You will enjoy. :-)

If you would like a copy of this publication of The Blotter, email or comment to let me know. I would be thrilled to send you one.

Following issues will be donation based to keep the Inkblot Society on top of printing costs, but this one is free to you from me. :-)

Various Notions about 2012

A whole new year. While...at least most of one. Can it possibly be February?

I guess there are many unknowns to every year...well, every moment. So this post is simple ideas from someone who has no idea what song will pop up next on Pandora, let alone what her 2012 is going to be written like.

Last year I would not have dreamed of crawling into nine different airplanes and spending one weekend at home all summer. I'm not sure I would have ever planned such a thing, but I'm glad for every day of travel and busyness that made up 2011.

Once upon a time I believed I'd rather die than tutor...this year I started teaching and shocked myself for enjoying that too.

You get the idea... Life is strange.

This year should be tamer in one respect. You can't afford to traverse the earth every year. :-)

Anyways... This post has been in the works for weeks. The real point point is to talk about writing. Here are my writing goals for the year-

1. Finish my nonfiction book for our business. Like FINISH. And PUBLISH.

2. Complete the rough draft of Where Loyalties Lie.

3. Write a 100 page screenplay.

4. Submit at least 12 articles or pieces of poetry. Get published once.. :-)

5. Attend another multiple day writers' conference.

6. Write 24 poems.

7. Read a book a week.

8. Write letters.

9. Post on this here blog once a week.

10. Clean up a novel or short story enough to submit somewhere.

And all that, combined with the rest of this life, should keep me busy!
And, my #1 goal this year... Be willing to change my plans for the better ones God shows me through His faithfulness. Not clutch my ideas when He's got better ones. Learning this... learning this...

Now... on to regular posts again.

Thanks for reading,
Bethany

Dear Last Year, I'll Miss You.

Life, you are so busy, wonderful, and complicated
and
my God is good. Always.
So ends 2011.

To give this year a full review would be beyond human capabilities. It was, after all, just another year, but a full, blessed, previously unimaginable one. I want to write it all out and keep it forever...but that isn't feasible or probably helpful, so here are merely a few mildly random snapshots-

-Roadtrips with people I adore...windows down, music blaring, insane laughter until we howled in pain.

-Sitting on a dead redwood writing anything and everything on anything and everything.

-Scribbling clumsy poetry while knee deep in ocean waves.

-Powell's. Portland. I have no more words.

-Writting my main character's last words in St. James cemetery.

-Starting the thirteenth beginning of Where Loyalties Lie, aided by the epicness of Joe Hisaishi.

-Falling head over-heels in love with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Not in a creepy way, I assure you.

-Climbing hundreds of steps to see Gdansk from St. Mary's tower.

-Huddling in a circle on the floor while plenty of couches sat abandoned, staring at a candle while everything around us was dark in the rain and wind, laughing and talking with my sisters until.... an undisclosed hour.

-Walking down the beach with both of my sisters and realizing that we did, in fact, grow up.
At least so it appears.

-Watching dear friends fall in love, get engaged, get married, show the world that love isn't what it thinks it is... it's something bigger, more terrifying, more wonderful, harder, more rewarding.

-Singing Psalm 34 with my two year old niece. One of the cutest most beautiful things ever.

-Staring at the stars from an Idaho golf course. Perfect moment chiastically flanked by sprinkler attacks.

-Being wildly proud of my little sister who graduated with flying colors. Then sniffing (aka sobbing) over Chipotle guacamole all the way home for no apparent reason. My poor mother.

-Sitting on the hard floor in our dark room clad in a sweater big enough for you, your laptop, and your pillow pet and writing pathetic prose until you think you can finally sleep...or the sunlight creeps through the blinds and tells you the moment you'd been madly chasing is gone.

-Singing everywhere possible in Poland.
Spending two weeks with an fantastic group of people. Learning to talk and walk outside my comfort zone. Gaudete will never be the same, you most wonderful, lovable, memorable, beautiful hymn!

Most goose-bumpy vivid moment of the year (possibly ever)- singing We all Believe in Malbrock Castle. No way to explain it.

-Walking through silent Gdanks trying to remember all of Hamlet and wishing it could last forever. Then staying up all night with Rachel the magnificent...trying to make it last forever.

-Seeing Les Miserables live. Burst into tears after the first chords. Screamed until I was hoarse at the end.

-Driving the car with leather gloves. Yes, this was on my bucket list.

-Watching my brother marry the woman of his dreams. Miss my brother, glad he has the rest of him now. :-)

-Rereading Chesterton's Orthodoxy...three times. Rocked my world, smacked me on the head, and then had me running around the back yard with my best banshee impressions, picking roses with bare hands, and jumping on the trampoline with a retarded grin.

-Many, many late night conversations when the only options are honesty and insanity.

-Seeing people and doing things I didn't think were possible.
So thankful for friends and for family and for family that are friends and friends that are truly family.

Lessons learned and learning...

-You go places. You meet people. You leave. You miss people.
It hurts.

-Relationships take work. Hard work. Sweat, tears, and lots of laughter.

-Never take myself too seriously and never take what I'm about too lightly.

-Faith isn't a band-aid.
It's more like an intensifier.
Sorrow hurts like hell.
Joy can turn you into a wild lunatic...or make you want to sit completely still in a corner and wonder until your head explodes.
It can also make you sick. And want to be sick forever.

-Real, tangible Hope that you can touch, feel, and taste gives you the highest high of all.

-Light shines whether we have the sense to look for it or not.

Welcome 2012.
What adventures and craziness can you possibly hold that will outshine last year? I'm pretty sure I'm unprepared, but I'm ready. :-)

Praise to a God beyond our imagination for the plans He has had for us since the beginning of this wonderful, swirling, terrifying, exhilarating world.

Win!

I suggest avoiding procrastination. 10,000 words in one day, especially when you left your reading glasses in the Las Vegas airport, is painful.

NaNoWriMo is over. My novel is not. But it December and I feel like I have a life again, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! :-)

NaNoWriMo Update

NaNoWriMo is suffering against awesome things like my brother's wedding and gadding about the country.
I'm currently at 18,426. And I've been doing crazy stuff like writing 6,000 in one sitting and dorky things like that. If it weren't for word wars, I might just be dead. I still haven't given up yet. Foolish...and hopeful.

That puts me at 40,814 total for this version of my novel.
When the document opens I don't stare sickly at it for a half hour before I start typing something like, "And then a volcano exploded, burying them all in its ash" or "Ramirez tactical genius was no match for the alien invasion. The world would not remember that night"...like previous versions. I think we're getting somewhere.

Ramirez is getting on my nerves and Lilly is so confused she confuses me...and I spent one cold night of guilt imagining Judvor's blood on the snow...but other than that, things are going all right.

According to NaNoWriMo.org's terrifying statistics I need to write 3,158 each day. Think I can make it?

Perhaps rambling thoughts on PA, poetry, and my bro's wedding to come.... Most likely silence while I write in other places.

The Joys of Writing...

20,000 words into the 13th draft of my story and all my characters are having identity crisis! Good times... :-P

Magical Word Counts...

Been doing a lot of planning, scheduling, and goal setting these days.

I've told myself I can monologue about my WIP as soon as I'm back to 25,000 words (yes, I started over). Right now I've set a daily 1,000 word quota. Some days are more torturous than others, but it's all been worth it. Back up to 12,000.

Teaching and tutoring again for the fall. Always helps keep me with a fresh perspective.

Been writing scraps of sad looking poetry...which makes me immensely happy.

Did you see the rainbow today? Too bad something so majestic makes me think of something trivial...like little green men. Sort of like the word "magical". Hmm...

Useless ramble from Starbucks...

I look through red, sheer curtains,

That flutter in thunderstorms.

Sharp lightening shows the dancers.

A world that can love and hate.

I can not feel the downpour.

Only thunder rocks my bed.

I ignore the white coat say

“Tomorrow is a new day.”

He’s a dancer. He can’t know.

Tomorrow is my today.

I can only watch my window.

A lens weak or maybe strong.

Where’s the electricity?

Please let me be burned and bruised

You don’t have to understand.

Just wheel me into the rain.

Give your hand and let me stand.

It’s a thought I need to heal.

I am estranged by a fog.

There is no fog with thunder.

The dancers forget their music.

Mine is clear and strong. Let go.

I will dance away the fog.

Perhaps dancers stumble too.

Editing and readjusting my Mind

...with the mall, my sister, and 50 cent elephants

Earlier this week we spent three beautiful days in Lincoln City writing. I know many of you are probably hideously jealous... But the actual writing part wasn't all that dandy.

I'm on the fourth round of edits for my current nonfiction writing project and it's complete torture. For some reason this book has been extremely painful to write. And you can tell. I'm pretty sure the whole things sounds like someone typing while being hung by their toes.

My deadline is June 10th. I just know I'm not ready to write this book.

Thank God for other people! I have gotten so much input on this project. I am so thankful.

Many people have met with me, emailed me, talked with me, and advised me. And if it all turns rotten, I'm just going to blame it on them. ;-)

As in most things, my sistah friend (a.k.a. Polka Dot/Susannah) has been a huge help. (And yes, I did pirate the above picture directly off her blog.)

We went through the entire manuscript word by word. It was abstract, she made it personal. It was drab, she made it shiny. It was dull as tombs, she made it bouncy and lively. She can think of just the right word or phrase without even pausing. Why is it that writing comes so easy to those who don't even want to pursue it?

After sending the poor book back out for feedback, we packed our suitcases and hit the outlet malls. Susannah found one of those elephants you put quarters in so kids can ride...and yes, she did it. Only it wasn't meant for someone as tall as 5'9". An elderly man walked past and kept looking around and hollering, "That's too funny." So much for being discrete...

We came home and had internet again and Blogger was shut down for over 24hrs. Nice.

I tutor writing on Thursdays. I love writing with kids. They don't bang their head against the table and moan (generally), they just write. And it comes so easy and beautiful and imaginative! I can't begin to explain how teaching writing refreshes, encourages, and readjust my head about the whole thing.

You don't want to hear about our Clackamas Town Center adventure...that's a completely different story. ;-)

Let's just say it's been an interesting, wild, productive, and learning week. In the midst of a beautiful insane weekend, I am going to think about this--

Why is writing so hard for writers?

I think my mind needs some editing.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

My Favorite Keyboard Feature

I am in the midst of a three day writing retreat. My nonfiction rough draft is not shaping up...

Various things that have been occupying my brain and time...

Life is busy...

Here's a list of items I want to get to on this poor blog but I'm not. Sometime... When life slows down. ;-)

Book Reviews

-Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

-The Cross Centered Life by C. J. Maheney
-Prayerbook of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

-Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

-Reformed is Not Enough by Douglas Wilson

-Her Hand in Marriage by Douglas Wilson

-Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

Movie Reviews

-Red Cliff 2008

-Agent of Grace 2000

-Megamind 2010

-Numerous others, but that's all I've watched recently.

Art

-My sister is seriously getting good on portraits and other artwork. For my birthday she pen and inked and watercolored a beautiful picture from Howl's Moving Castle and Les Miz. She's now in the middle of a portrait of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. :-)

-Mumsie drew me an awesome portrait of Claus von Stauffenberg (not Tom Cruise...the real guy).

-My art is still in the cartoon stage. ;-) But I do want to work on another "picture book".

Music

-An unhealthy addiction to the Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack.

-Some awesome hymns and Psalms we've been singing recently. Most notably, Mark Regan's arrangement of Rock of Ages. Love.

-My current interest in music from India.

-Ten minutes when I can write something songish in the midst of unquenchable inspiration.

Various other things.

-I have listened to some seriously good sermons recently. I would love to think through some of my notes!

-I am leaving for Poland in two months for a two week long missions trip! I can't believe it is this close.

-I am traveling a lot this year. Happy, sad, and excited. Get back to you on that...

-I have a looming and insane deadline on my nonfiction book that is totally stressing me out.

-I am a bad nonfiction writer.

-Romeo and Juliet meets Hamlet needs some work... And I'd love to ramble on about it.

-I have not opened Where Loyalties Lie in all of 2011.

-Les Miserables week seriously needs some planning! At least a blog button.

-I have four giveaways ready and planned... Now for posting and pictures.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

My Fail

The last week I have been sick, writing, neglecting this blog, and very uncreative feeling.

I got 14,000 words down on a non-fiction project. This project has a big deadline at the end of this week, and so the pressure and insanity are escalating. I will not go into my feelings on the manuscript because they would not be edifying. Instead we'll move on...

I have come to a realization that my biggest failure is almost continually in organization. This does not mean I'm a particularly unorganized person. My desk and bookshelves are extremely organized. It's more like a mental organization failure.

First off, I love way to many things...and when I love something I want to learn all about it and improve my own skills in the area. This is all well and good if you only like a few things, but when you have to obsess over everything related to everything, it get's pathetic. You end up being mildly mediocre at an impressive amount of oddities.

For example- I love words.

This means that I have to read inordinate amounts of fiction, history, poetry, letters, song lyrics, literary fiction, classics, screenplays, stage-plays, theology, teaching, etc, etc...

Oh yes, and it means I have to write about all those things too.

No worky.

Especially if you have forty sheep, work in a home business, obsess over music, help clean and organize a house, try to cultivate friendships, have a big family, adore all forms of art, and simply can't remember anything because you love to much stuff!

I can write in a day. But I haven't figured out how to write, clean the house, and get hay delivered in a day. I can spend time with friends in a day, but I haven't figured out how to spend time with friends, read a book, and work at home in a day.

My pathetic mental juggling abilities are most evident when I sit down to write. I have a two page squib on identity and I can't figure out where to start unless it's with a five-hundred page introduction on systematic theology.

I like to know stuff and learn more about it, but I haven't quite mastered getting it in order in my head.

I want think so things make sense.

Instead I try to organize something and I can't figure out how I can mention it without talking about every single thing it relates to.

I'm a big picture person without a good telescope.

This is why I love reading authors who can handle this properly! C.S. Lewis, Elisabeth Elliot, Doug Wilson, and so many other writers give me such a good example of clear thinking. They make clear thinking and arguing so obvious.

So, my new campaign is learning how to think and present ideas that make sense!

And part of that is going to be cutting and hacking at my interests and schedule so I can make the most important things get done and get done well.

Wow...Thanks for reading that unclear ramble.

Tomorrow I'll try to share some of my Script Frenzy idea, if that's any consolation.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Writing Junk, a Poem, and other Rambles

If you are a writer you've probably been told to write junk. I write it continuously.;-) But what this is supposed to mean is "get started on something or anything."

If you don't feel like you're in the right mood yet, just scribble away with whatever comes to mind. This gets you doing something and pretty soon you can get down to the project you want. Writing junk has been the only way I have defeated writer's block besides running and brushing my teeth. This is how my sorry excuse for song lyrics started out.

Many experienced writers suggest starting with poetry or some sort of metered ramble. This helps you get into the flow and rhythm of words. While this can be a little degrading for the cause of poetry, I think it works really well.

The biggest problem I have when I touch the keyboard after a break is stiffness. When I start writing all the words are going to be one syllable in five word long sentences. I have to get myself to loosen up somehow. I haven't got all this figured out yet, and my writing of "junk" is much more extensive than warm ups, but I know it's helped me.

Now I actually want to learn how to write semi-respectable poetry. Why do I have so many interests? I can't possible learn enough about everything I want to! It's so easy to just end up knowing a little bit about everything...and it's not all that helpful.

So, I'm sharing a piece of "junk" with you.

I've have two song ideas that I've been hashing out for several months now. As soon as I get really attached to an idea it's so hard to make it work. If I just start writing to write and something comes out, everything is so much easier. I'm sure you've experienced this before. A very natural phenomenon.

So, these two ideas are still in a jumble, but I did write something rambling to get in the mood.

I didn't have much of an idea of where I was going, but when I could tell I was going somewhere, I started to think of where that might be... (I'm so organized. :-P)

I recently read I Capture the Castle which was certainly an interesting book. I really liked most of it, but a couple issues came up that have been (apparently) simmering away in my mind.

In the book, Cassandra, the heroine, dabbles in Christianity but basically decides it's a sort of opiate for not really living life. She thinks she'd rather have the pain and misery and really feel and experience everything. The "pious" people she knows seem kind of secluded in their corner and rather childish. The book doesn't really come to a conclusion and just abandons the thread.

You hear this idea other places too. I think the way a lot of artists think relates. They just want to live. Don't bother with the other stuff (a.k.a. not doing whatever you feel like).

I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well, but it seems like a pretty sad idea.

I don't think you can truly feel all the wonderful things God intended for us without Him.

Love, joy, suffering, hope, death...they're all meaningless without Christ. What is joy without God? Can we even call that sort of one-dimensional happiness joy? Where is hope? Love is only centered on ourselves. How is that love?

Christians fall flat on their face and feel it. They also feel the exhilaration and forgiveness as they are picked back up by something stronger than themselves.

Yeah...so, anyways. Here's the song/poem/junk thing-

I know no wisdom
I see no truth
I run without looking
I stop without stumbling

There is no beginning
There is no end
There are men circling
There are men spinning

I have no confidence
I have no hope
I live without meaning
I die without leaving

They sing their singing
They shout their praise
They cry while dancing
They sin while praying

I cannot discern
I know no joy
They run while looking
They laugh while stumbling

I feel no future
I have no tears
They praise while dying
They laugh when crying

I always enjoy thoughts and criticism.

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

My Week in Mexico

We just spent an awesome week on a Mexican Riviera Cruise. :-)

This was a "work" cruise, meaning our business paid for it and Mama and I worked for at least 4 hours a day. I managed to get a lot accomplished on my non-fiction book, although it still has some deep issues to work out. And, of course, we had amazing time.

This was my third time aboard my M. S. Oosterdam. I love her... I wonder how much a cruise ship costs? ;-)

Mexico is not my thing--at least not as much as it is my sister's--but we did have a wonderful time. To go from an Oregon January to Mexico is quite the shock. It was hot.

I like Mexico--

-the crazy people.

-the life and noise.

-the margaritas.

-the warm ocean.

-the cute little kids running about.

but I love--

-to walk into a store and buy something for what the price tag says it is.

-to walk down a street and no one tries to sell you anything (including themselves as bodyguards).

-black and white. I love colors too, but Mexico doesn't give you a break.

-cold. Summer is awesome, but I'd rather it be cold and brisk than sweltering.

-waitresses that wash their hands.

-water that is drinkable...and cold.

-moments of solitude.

This was my second trip to Mexico and it confirmed that I was not cut out to live there, but that it is a pretty awesome place. I'd love to go back some day.

As for the cruise ship. I love everything about that. :-) Cruising is the way for me to travel. No stress. All relaxation. A wonderful writing atmosphere. Love it. Seriously.

Holland America is amazing, too. They have the best service imaginable and a wonderful, laid-back feel. I guess if you were going to party you might want to pick a different cruise line, but this is the one for me.

I know I can't do the trip justice and I have several book reviews to catch up on and such, so if you want to here more-- wait for some exuberant posts from my sister here. She took some amazing pictures and I'm sure you'll be amused by her posts.

I am now home and it is perfect outside. Sunny, cold, and windy. And an awesome friend is here from PA. I think we shall go take a walk. (Or a gallop or a session on the trampoline....as the case may be.:-)

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Novel Update...

I mentioned that I had 60,000 words in this one millionth draft of Where Loyalties Lie... While I can't believe it but I'm considering changing the POV again. It's been mulling about for along time.

Remember the NaNoWrMo story? While I did finish that and got some very encouraging and helpful feedback on it. (I can talk about it now because it was a present for my mother and now she finally has it. :-)

I wrote it in first person just how it came out and it was extremely liberating and fun. (Don't worry, I went back and edited before I handed out any copies. ;-)

I feel like when I write in first person POV it is so much easier and it actually has some life. Nearly all the books I really adore are in first person. But my story has some essential plot elements that will be really tricky written this way.

I've read books that switch from one first person POV to another, but I've never liked it. One exception is Frankenstein and which is in letters or stories that the main character hears or reads. Gail Carson Levine's Ever was one example of this that failed for me (although I love her other books).

I have seen some authors pull off writing in first person for one character and third for another. Robert Newton Peck's Bro is like this and it's very powerful.

I don't know...

One huge advantage in first person POV is that your POV character can be relatively unlikeable but it's still easy to be sympathetic with. Reading back through what I've written I feel like Lilly is a very unlikable character, but that she just might pull it off in first person. I've never thought of her as unlikable, but that's certainly the way it comes across.

Of course there are a lot of edits that need to be done and the manuscript might look a little nicer with them, but right now... I'm seriously thinking about changing it.

I can't believe it... Ugh. I've already written most of it in about everybody's perspective under the sun, including multiple first persons.

I think I might be more cut out for just trying to look through one insignificant person's eyes than in trying to master the epic.

We shall see...

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Words in 2011

Happy New Year! :-)

2010 was a wonderful year. So many things happened I can hardly remember them. Pant, pant...

And now there's 2011. How weird that sounds... I have a lot of goals, and I want to focus on my writing/reading ones here. Hopefully this will help me check back to them and see how I'm doing. You all can pester me about them too. :-)

1. Finish non-fiction book. (March 2011)

This is a big one and I'd like to have the rough draft completed by February and the it off to the printer's by March. We'll see... I need some wisdom to pull this off well. The time part should be greatly helped by the Mexican work cruise Mama reserved last minute.

Thank you to the business! I will (hopefully) not disappoint and finally get this poor thing in some sort of intelligible state.

2. Finish fiction book. (August 2011)

It might sound crazy to finish this too but after 5 years I think it's about time. I'm currently on chapter 62, and of course having huge doubts about the POV, plot, style, format...you get the idea. Some self-confidence issues here. I'd like to at least have the 2nd draft done before the OCW conference. We'll see. I know there's going to be some pain involved in this one.

3. Write Articles

I have places to send these and I even have people who have said they would publish them.. What am I doing?
This is really something I need to buckle down and accomplish. I know it will really help me in my writing and it will certainly look better on a proposal to be published somewhere, even if it's only a magazine.

4. Go to the OCW Conference

The dates for this conference conflict with a sheep event, but I'm going to try hard to balance them and make it to both...somehow.

I'd kind of like to explore some other conferences too.

I was ecstatic when I received the info on Three Days in the Wordsmithy: A Writer's Workshop with Doug and N.D. Wilson and Aaron Rench. I'm sure this is going to be amazing!

Unfortunately there are some unmovable scheduling difficulties...as in it's during the only two weeks that I absolutely can not reschedule...because, Lord willing, I am going to be in Poland! Yup! I'm going on a two week mission trip to Poland!!!!!!

5. Read up on and learn how to write Screenplays

LOL...

Sound a little to basic?

While I at least need to dig into them. Everything has to start somewhere even if it's bad at the beginning (as I am sure I shall be).

6. Continue tutoring writing students

I almost wrote "torturing"...

Maybe get a few more, but still make sure it doesn't take away from my writing time.

7. Finish my biblical studies Ligonier Academy Course. (September 2011)

Maybe look into some other online courses there or elsewhere.

8. Read!

There are a lot of books I want to get my hands on and a ton of subjects I want to learn more about.

Most importantly-

a) The Bible. Yeah!

b) Biblical studies/theology/living

c) Fiction and non-fiction writing

d) Screenplays

e) Biographies and history

f) More Shakespeare and older classic sort of things.

g) Fiction!

I'm having to make sure I leave time for just fiction reading recently because I have so many non-fiction books I want to read. If I want to be a fiction writer I think it's important to read it! I'd also like to read some more historical fiction since that's something I haven't really looked into specifically for several years.

9. Enter something in at least 3 writing contests

Something I've said I was going to try for years...

10. Submit short stories

I only have a couple that are remotely presentable, but I want to work on them and to try a few more. I have a very hard time writing a descent short story and it's something I need to work on. It's also something that would be easier to get published... comparatively...

Believe me...I don't have any high hopes of getting published anytime particularly soon, but you have to start trying sometime.

11. And of course, if all these get accomplished and if Where Loyalties Lie doesn't consume my life in rewrites- Start a new novel! Yeah!

So I guess I have a lot of goals... Especially considering I do have a life that isn't only comprised of books and things pertaining there unto.

I'm going to need a good schedule and a serious commitment to keeping myself locked in this chair.

I considered annihilating this blog, but I think for now it's helping me think through things and not take myself to seriously. So...I guess at least it's a tool for me. I'd like to write more intelligent book reviews, too...btw.

Hope you have a wonderful New Years and New Year!

And...

That this is a year we are all spurred on to greater devotion and greater productivity for the Kingdom of Christ!

May all that we do be for the glory of God!

Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian