Keep Persevering....

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.

~Gene Fowler

Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators
~Olin Miller

Write without pay until someone offers to pay.

~Mark Twain

Shakespeare Wisdom...

"Brevity is the soul of wit."

~Hamlet

Three Things

Three things:

First, read as much as humanly possible. Read everything—fiction, nonfiction, history, biography, poetry, science, everything possible. You can't read everything that's been written, but you can try.

Second, write as much as you possibly can. Write stories or poems. Keep a journal, keep a diary. Write notes to yourself, or whatever comes into your mind. It doesn't matter what it is. Don't even worry whether it's any good or not. If it's bad, throw it away. Nobody will ever know. It's a matter of practice, writing, the same way that a pianist practices the scales, or a ballet dancer who constantly exercises. Simply do it continually. It really does help. It's a matter of getting fluency, of not being scared of blank paper. It starts a good habit pattern. Writing every day, even if you have to throw out what you've written, is marvelous practice. It builds up the kind of discipline you need to keep on working no matter what else happens.

Third, be as alive as possible. By that I mean be open to all your experiences. Look at things carefully, listen to things, look at the world around you. And be sensitive and responsive to it.

Oh, and there's one more thing. Hardest of all. Be patient. If you're patient, you can finally do everything you want to do. This applies to everything. But that's hardest of all.

Writing is Work

"Writing is physical work. It's sweaty work. You just can't will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it."
~ Will Haygood

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
~Thomas Jefferson

Book Giveaway!

The time has come!

The Book: The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke
Value: $15.29 (based on Amazon)
When: August 21st-September 10th
How to Enter:
1. Comment on this Post
2. Become a follower of The Erratic Muse (or already be one).
3. Post about the giveaway on your blog
4. Post the giveaway in your sidebar on your blog
Then comment and tell me what you did. Thanks!

More about this book:

My Review

Some Quotes from the Book

Amazon Reviews

About Jeff Gerke

Back cover...

"Jeff Gerke is so full of great writing advice that you just want to beat him up."
~Randall Ingermanson, "The Snowflake Guy"

Artist and Craftsman--as a Christian novelist, you're both.

You know the soaring creativity of the Creator and the serious discipline of the artisan. And you feel the impulse to excel in each.

So grab a steaming mug of your favorite hot drink and come learn the art and craft of Christian fiction from one of its master teachers.

You'll learn:

• How to find your story amidst all your ideas
• How to bring your characters onstage the first time
• How to convert your telling to showing
• How to handle profane characters in Christian fiction
• How to use the dumb puppet trick
• How to write for the (approving) Audience of One
• And much more.

The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is the complete school of fiction from Jeff Gerke, popular writer's conference teacher, professional book doctor, and Christian novelist. It includes and expands upon his influential Fiction Writing Tip of the Week column at WhereTheMapEnds.com.


If you have any more questions, feel free to go ahead an contact me. My email is Pickwickian.Forever(at)gmail.com

I am very eager to get this book in the hands of more aspiring authors!

Please tell your friends about this giveaway! Spread the word to the writers for the world.
And thanks for participating,
Miss Pickwickian

The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction - Jeff Gerke

The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction: The Complete Guide to Finding Your Story, Honing Your Skills, & Glorifying God in Your Novel by Jeff Gerke
Marcher Lord Press 2009


Rating: 9
Readability: 9
Impact: 10

Read it Again: I should refer to it every day. ;-)
Recommend it: YES!


What to Expect

The title is pretty self explanatory. :-)

Very applicable, funny, engaging, and practical this is probably the most influential writing book I've read (and I collect them).
Jeff Gerke is organized and direct, tackling difficult topics. This is a book for the twenty-first century! So much of Christian writing is riddled with problems or preachiness. Lets dig it out and have it lead the way, not follow the pack.
(There is some great Christian fiction out there, don't get me wrong!)

There is wisdom for newbie and experienced writers from beginning of the idea to the publication of the novel.

The book is divided into three sections.
Part 1: The Spiritual Heart of Writing Christian Fiction
Part 2: Strategizing Yourself, Strategizing Your Novel
Part 3: Writing Your Novel
Each of these sections is broken up into what he calls "Masteries", basically points, skills, or aspects to get under your belt.

My Squib

Loved this book! Can't recommend it enough.
It had so much I needed and was ready to hear. I'm extremely eager to apply it. He's directness and humor really made it an amazing read.

The only thing that slowed me down at all was the fact that he uses Star Wars for so many examples. Nothing wrong with that. Time for a confession...I've never watched Star Wars. So, yeah, sometimes I was lost.
He also uses "she" most of the time instead of "him". Just throws me off.

Confession number two...I had this book recommended to me before but I didn't buy it. And it was a pretty lame reason. The cover.
First, the capitalization oddities through me off, and then the color (orange is not my fav...but it sure looks nice with my blog, doesn't it?), and then the cup of dark liquid. I have mild allergies to chocolate and coffee, so seeing something so tasty on a book cover I couldn't have made me sad.
Lesson = I was dumb.

Read the book! It is AMAZING!

From the Book

"What you want is a reader who is so into the story that she forgets she's reading words and turning pages. You want her breathlessly moving beyond the sentences and directly onto the front row of the story. Your words cease to be ends in and of themselves and instead become the vehicle that conveys her into the reality you've created."

"Writing fiction is pretty much the coolest job in the world. And writing Christian fiction takes a cool job and turns it into a ministry and privileged. To serve God by imagining wonderful story people and telling amazing tales of adventure, woe, romance, and truth.
It doesn't get any better than that."

Look back for the give away of this awesome book!

A Thousand Miles in a Million Years - Donald Miller

A Thousand Miles in a Million Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller
Thomas Nelson, Inc


Rating: 9
Readability: 9
Impact: 10+


Read it Again: Yes, again and again
Recommend it: Yes! Go buy it here. Right now.



What to Expect

Donald Miller uses the concept story to show us the changes in life and in ourselves, while inspiring us to create an epic.

Even if you didn't like Blue Like Jazz you should give this one a try. Especially if what bothered you about his first book was its rambling, style, or "peace-loving" issues. Of course in my opinion Blue Like Jazz was totally awesome. ;-)

My Squib

This book resonated with me on every level.
What could be more awesome for a wanna-be-author then an amazing word smith directly applying the idea of Story to everyday life?

This is an amazing quick read that really helps you dig down and think.

His style is heart warming and honest. I seriously was teary eyed through the last 100 pages.

My only complaint is his need for a better proof reader...

(His writing is sometimes a little too 'honest' and/or borderline. Because of this I think its more directed towards 14+, but it certainly has principles that apply to everyone.)

Basically, a must read. :-)

Read Polka Dot's thoughts on A Million Miles in a Thousand Years here.

Thank you again, Ellen, for "introducing" me to Donald Miller! You are an awesome friend.

From the Book

I seriously copied so much of this book into my journal! Here is just enough to whet your appetite...

"The thing about trying to remember your life is it makes you wonder what any of it means. You get the feeling life means something, but you're not sure what. Life has a peculiar feel when you look back on it that it doesn't have when you're actually living it."

"Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller."

"I believe there is a Writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness."

"It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was necessary to sacrifice everything."

"It's interesting that in the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, the only practical advice given about living a meaninful life is to find a job you like, enjoy your marriage, and obey God. It's as though God is saying, Write a good story, take somebody with you, and let me help."

"We live in a world where bad stories are told, stories that teach us life doesn't mean anything and that humanity has no great purpose. It's a good calling, then to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to repeat them."

More on Character...

So, if you've been around you know I've been thinking about characters and character development. (See Character vs. Plot.)

I've also been reading Jeff Gerke's amazing book The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction. He's had some excellent chapters on character.
As a self proclaimed plot-first writer he starts and the basics and really gets into the depths of character creation. It has really made me think. I believe I've found some of the weak points in mine and its helping me mend them.

Here are some really cool quotes out of the book...

"Long after we forget the good feelings a work of fiction produces in us, after we forget the great special effects or the magnificent cinematography or the stirring soundtrack, we are left with the resonance of great characters.
Strong, believable, fully realized characters will make your fiction memorable. Even if you have the most brilliant premise and the best craftsmanship and the most wonderful cover design in the world, what will separate your fiction from the pack will be your characters."

"The only thing that will make your fiction endure will be excellent characters."

~The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke


I'm going to do a give-a-way of this book, so check back. :-)
Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Why Do I Want to Write?

Chip MacGregor has an excellent post titled "Why Do I Want to Write?"
Check it out. :-)

Still thinking about perseverance....

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death."
~Albert Einstein

"Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired discouraged men who kept on working."
~Anonymous

"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
~Benjamin Franklin

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul."
~Douglas MacArthur

Thinking about Perseverance....

The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places. ~Author Unknown

Worth

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Benjamin Franklin

Inspired

"I only write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning." – Peter De Vries

Originality

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

~C.S. Lewis~

To Write What You Mean

"The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

William Wallace

If only we could create characters as powerfully inspiring as those in history...

Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing - David Morrell

Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft
By David Morrell (Ph. D)
Writers Digest Book




Rating: 10!!!!

Readability: 9 (But I love reading writing books :-)

Read it Again: Yes! Several more times!
Recommend it: Yes, to anyone who is serious about getting published or would like to understand literature and writing better.

David Morrell is best known for creating Rambo, but the Rambo most people know isn't exactly his creation. Silvester Stallone is the underdog, the Rambo of the book is a hard, killer machine. The movies are a series, if there was a second book for First Blood there wouldn't be many people alive to play the parts.
If you brushed off Rambo and it's author as mainstream bash 'em up characters, then I challenge you to take another look. ;-)

This book is amazing for anyone interested in writing. He covers basics that will affect your writing while helping you cultivate a unique style. He digs deep into what will change your work and what will change your readers. I think he's an excellent balance between literature and mainstream writing. (He used to be a literature professor.)

Morrell also covers the basics of getting published and shares humorous anecdotes of his own experiences. He shows the doubts, road blocks, and miseries of writing and makes you still want to be an author.

A very inspiring book that will make you want to sit down and get to work. I couldn't set it down I enjoyed it so much. (But then I love reading writing books. :-)

From the Book:

"After storytelling skill and technical ability, the next quality you need is determination. I've known many writers with far better imagination and verbal talent than I have. But they never had a career because they didn't want it badly enough. They didn't do what was necessary, which was to sit down on their chairs and do the work.

Writers write.

They don't talk about writing. They don't promise themselves that, one day when inspiration strikes, they'll start putting words on a page.

They do it."


Even if you don't like Rambo, go out and buy or borrow it. :-)
Thanks for reading,
Miss Pickwickian

Acceptable?

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow

Why do you want to be a writer?

I've been reading David Morrell's Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing: A novelist looks at his craft and recommend it, highly.

David Morrell has a very real life, practical, but inspiring approach. A lot of what he says, really resonates with the sort of writer I want to be.

His first chapter is an especially good one for anyone who is serious about getting published.
"Why do you want to be a writer?"

There are so many answers.
I thought of this cool idea, I need money, I have extra time, being a writer is cool, I want to be famous, etc...etc... These aren't going to push you through all the times of discouragement in a writer's life. Writing for money or fame is an especially bad idea. The average income of a writer in America today is $6,500! And how many hours did that take bent over your computer?

So, when I ask myself why I want to be a writer, I have a lot of answers, but only a couple that stand up in an investigation.
When I write, everything feels better. Its a creative side of me that needs to be used. Its a way to talk about deep, challenging, and confusing things. So much of our own lives and emotions come out in writing.
My most influential motivation is that I believe that the books people read greatly effect the way they think and live.
I know I have been shaped by a lot of the books I've read.
If I could influence one person the way I have been influenced by Sigmund Brouwer's Samuel Keaton series or in some way lik A Tale of Two Cities I would be inexplicably happy!

I believe that people can be influenced by characters in books and by there change. I believe writers of books, lyrics, and movie scripts, have some of the greatest power of all. When this is wielded correctly it can be one of the best life changing tools we have.

There is so much work and discouragement to writing though. What gets us through?

Is it because we have to write?
Because a story simply must be told? Do we have to put our creativity down on paper? Is this part of our image bearing? To create? To tell stories? Are writers really different then other people or is it just a cultivated difference? Is it simply a way we can let out feelings and emotions we don't want to talk about?

Do you want to be a writer?

Why?

The Writer and Reading

"Next to an utter lack of ability, the worst flaw I can think of for a would-be writer is ignorance about literary history.

It's absurd to imagine a brain surgeon who doesn't know the history and principles of brain surgery, yet many aspiring writers assume that because words fall out of their mouths every day, they need no other qualification to write fiction.

Obviously, not everyone has the time and money to get a collage degree in literature. But lists of important literary works are readily available."

Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft by David Morrell