Villains, Victims and Victories by Mary Folkerts

 

Every good story needs a villain—the bad guy who creates havoc or the problem that causes misery. Can you imagine a story where everything is always perfect? At first, it might be a great escape from reality, but after a while, one simply gets bored of perfection. There must be a struggle or tension to create a dynamic in the story.

If you have a villain, you will undoubtedly have victims, people in danger or struggling with an issue they can’t resolve. It’s the age-old story of good versus evil where we most often identify with and cheer for the victim to overcome and the villain to be taken down.

The reader needs the author to give hope that they can prevail against struggle and pain and that victory is possible!

Even when we are not writing fictitious stories, these still seem to be necessary components of writing that capture the reader's attention. Who wants to read that Susie woke up to a glorious morning, went through her day without a care or angry word, fell into a deep, restful sleep at night and did the same thing again come morning? It’s not a compelling story without a struggle because it's unrealistic. We want to read about the problem Susie encountered during her day, something she had difficulty coming to terms with. Then, we want to know how she handled it and, hopefully, the steps she took to resolve it. 

We know real life is full of villains and problems, and the reader needs the author to give hope that they can prevail against struggle and pain and that victory is possible! So, what struggle is the villain of your story, who are the victims, and how are they affected? And what are the ways to victory? Let’s tell compelling, vulnerable stories that lead others to hope for their own story.

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member and is involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s personal blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the small things https://maryfolkerts.com/  or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/ 

 

V is for Valma: The Call to Name as Christian Writers ~ by Michelle Strutzenberger

 

She couldn’t pronounce the letter “v.” And, yet, stunningly, her name began with a “v.” Valma. A student in my beginner English class, she could read and write fairly well. But her lips couldn’t seem to form into the required shape for certain sounds of the English alphabet. The letter “v” especially bewildered her.

I remember exaggerating my own mouth movements, setting my upper teeth firmly on my lower lip to help her see what her mouth needed to do. She would glance at me and laugh at my contorted lower face, then half-try, and finally fail as her lips met in a very distinct “b” sound. Balma.

She couldn’t pronounce her own name properly.

But I could. So could several of her fellow students, themselves learners of the English language. We could name her.

In her book, Walking on Water, Madeleine L’Engle writes on the power of naming. Of course, in her case, she is not referring simply to the act of verbalizing one another’s names. I especially love how L’Engle writes about the power of stories to “help us become whole, to become Named.”

My student’s challenge with pronouncing her own name could be a kind of picture for any one of us who struggles with feeling less than whole. We may be so broken we can’t even name ourselves. We need someone else to speak over us.  

It’s interesting to me that labels and names stand so close in meaning, and yet they carry completely different connotations.

We slap labels on pickles and Amazon packages. Our minds pin invisible labels on our neighbours, church acquaintances, and in-laws. Left-wing. Right-wing. Charismatic. Selfish.

Many of us may need to peel off labels we or others have pasted on ourselves over the years. Inadequate. Failure. Stupid. Sloppy.

Labels suit pickle jars perfectly.

But they can harm humans terribly. Labels should come with a warning: Not for use on people.

However, the act of naming is a completely different story.

He has been named athlete of the year.
We named her after my sister.
They have been named in our will.
We just named our chickens.

Naming in our regular vernacular carries the idea of bestowing – bestowing recognition, honour, possessions, even personality.

L’Engle also adds this notion of naming as a way to become whole, to become more fully who we were meant to be.

“When we name each other, we are sharing in the joy and privilege of incarnation,” L’Engle writes.

My question is, how can we contribute to the wholeness of one another as Christian writers? How can we name each other?

Again, L’Engle offers a clue. We name one another – that is, we contribute to one another becoming more whole -- as we create and enjoy art that “leads us to living more deeply with Christ in God.”

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, may we all as Christian writers continue to fulfill this calling on our lives until He returns.

Reference: L'Engle, Madeleine. Walking on Water : Reflections on Faith & Art. Wheaton, Ill. :H. Shaw, 1980.

Michelle and her family enjoy hiking mountains and trails together. She is currently writing a series  called, What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival. To receive the bi-weekly tips, visit this link and subscribe.

Life in the Vine ~ Valerie Ronald

                                                                                                               image by Pixabay

The intense aroma of boiling grape juice filled my kitchen as I crushed more grapes to make jelly. The clusters of deep purple grapes were abundant, considering how vigorously my husband pruned the vines growing along the back of our garage in the fall. When he was done, only the main trunk and a few branches were left. It was hard to imagine grapes growing next season after such severe pruning, yet the boxes full of fruit on my kitchen floor were proof of its effectiveness. Proper pruning helped the grape vine branches grow back to bear even more grapes than the previous year.

In John 15, Jesus used the picture of the vine and the branches to illustrate the importance of His disciples staying in close communion with Him in order to bear fruit for His kingdom. The fruit they were to produce is that of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal.5:22-23 NIV). He also made it clear that trials the disciples faced were meant to refine or prune them so they would be more fruitful.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. (John 15:1-4)

He used the metaphor as a picture of His presence and energy still being available to them even after He was gone. His living Spirit would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while they develop their fruit. Their part was to continue to abide, remain, stay connected to˗˗Jesus, their source of life-giving power, so they could bear fruit, or positive spiritual service for His kingdom.

In meditating on this familiar passage as it applies to a writer’s life, I don’t need to think too hard to recall times when my abiding has been weak and my fruit-bearing almost non-existent. As much as I enjoy writing, life has a way of robbing me of writing time and energy. Family situations, health issues, or church obligations can easily take over if I let them. Sometimes I find it challenging to maintain a consistent, intimate connection with Christ so His Spirit can flow through me as I write. Author and pastor, John Piper, says the essential meaning of our active abiding is the act of receiving and trusting all that God gives us in Christ, so it flows like a life-giving sap into our lives.  

When I am not abiding as I should, then I need to open the channels of my spirit so what Jesus offers can flow freely. He is specific in what He provides.   

 “His words ˗ "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) 

In order for me to bear fruit through my writing, I need to feed on the Word. The Bible is not just a book of sacred stories and sayings, it is a living book, the inspired words of God that He provided so I can know Him, His plans and His purposes. By spending time in it, I abide in Him and His words abide in me. In turn, His words nourish my words so what I write reflects who He is. 

His love - “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love.” (John 15:9)  

My ultimate purpose as a writer seeking to abide in Him is to communicate His love to my readers. Out of the many reasons I write ˗˗ to entertain, to teach, to inspire ˗˗ conveying the love of Jesus is the most important. When I abide in Him, then the fruit borne of my writing is supernaturally imbued with His love.                                                                                                                          

His joy - “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

Jesus delights in sharing His joy. This is not just any joy, it is the life-giving joy of Christ flowing through us like sparkling water energizing our creativity so others will be drawn to what we write. When I write, I feel His joy full and free, giving me a sense of His pleasure in His beloved child using her gift.  

Jesus is explicit in His statement that we cannot bear fruit alone. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4) Nothing of lasting value for His kingdom can be accomplished by us unless we are firmly abiding in Him. He is the vine, flowing His lifeblood through us so that we bear fruit which is actually His. We cannot do so without Him. If we are trying to express spiritual truths as a writer, our words will be empty, no matter how well-written, if we have not first received Jesus Christ into our soul as our Savior. He is not only the source of our salvation, He provides what we need for a fruitful life. Once we have received Him, close communion with Him is essential so His life flows to its full extent into ours.

Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. When our writing bears fruit in the lives of our readers, then it can only be as a result of our abiding in Him. 

                                               

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

The Power of Vulnerability by Lorrie Orr

 

At 242 feet in height and a circumference of over 32 feet, 
this is the largest Douglas Fir tree in the world. 

I am a homebody who likes to travel. Does that make any sense at all? Puttering in my house and garden delight my heart. I feel safe and secure here. Comfortable. Yet the lure of adventure lurks beneath the surface. My husband and I talk about places to explore, places near and far. Last week the two of us visited the west coast of Vancouver Island. While there we went looking for some infamous trees. 

As we jounced over potholed logging roads, following our maps, I felt vulnerable. We were in the deep forest with no cell phone coverage and no other people anywhere near. We hiked on rough trails. I thought that if there was an accident, it could be weeks or months before we were found. That was unnerving. I felt vulnerable. Uncertain. Yet when I stood at the base of the largest Douglas Fir Tree in the world, the elation was worth the uncomfortable feelings. 

Brené Brown says, "Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage." To be human is to feel, to have emotions both positive and negative. Admitting to joy, anger, uncertainty, hurt, the vast array of human expression allows us as writers to connect to our readers and to the people in our lives. We connect through our likes and dislikes, our strengths and our weaknesses. When a reader has an aha moment - "You, too? I thought I was the only one" - the writer has succeeded in making a connection. 

The inescapable presence of vulnerability in life must be reflected in our writing for it opens dialogue and expresses authenticity. There is a risk in being open with our feelings for there are those who would use our honesty as weapons to wound us. Denial and suppression of emotion is a coping mechanism that can lead to disappointment, disillusionment, and detachment from God. I am reminded of Paul writing to the Ephesians and praying for them to know "...the incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead..." This amazing power is ours. We do not have to fear vulnerability, but to recognize the power of God to overcome past hurts and traumas in order to demonstrate, with utter humility and thankfulness, God's grace to all of us. 

Vulnerability lends power to our writing when we give the credit to God for all he has done. We trust him with our circumstances. Vulnerability allows our readers to identify with the same emotions they feel, and provides a wonderful way to connect. What might vulnerability look like to you? How does the power of God in Christ allow you to share past experiences with others? 

Lorrie Orr writes from her cozy home on Vancouver Island. Life is not always a bowl of cherries, but there is much sweetness because of God's love and grace. 

Be Vulnerable - Tracy Krauss

Writing is good therapy. I love pouring my heart out in my journal. It helps me process life. I like to pray, reflect, and even rant if I must. I think it helps me in my relationships because I can say things to myself that might be hurtful if I said them out loud. More often than not, I manage to work things out before saying something I might regret. It’s why my journals are private, meant only for me.

But what about my other writing? I know there are a lot of closet writers out there. People who write stories and poems or other pieces, but who hold them close for fear of having to share. Sharing one’s words makes you VULNERABLE, and being VULNERABLE is scary.

I know what I’m talking about. I was a closet writer for more than a decade. (Sixteen years to be exact.) That’s the length of time it took me to write my first novel. I was clacking away for all that time, working on several novels at once, actually, but never, ever did I want to show them to anyone. To allow someone else to read my words felt like standing naked in a crowded room. It’s overwhelming and scary and you feel exposed. 

Then I finally took a tiny first step and let one of my daughters read my finished manuscript. It was safer to let someone I trusted, who I knew loved me for me, not my writing, to look at it first. I guess I felt safe with her, and even though she found lots of things to critique, it made me feel brave because I’d put myself out there, even in a small way. That led to gradual next steps of submitting to editors, and agents and finally, years later, owning my voice as a writer. 

It’s hard to believe that first tiny step was more than twenty years ago, now. (I’ve been writing for close to forty years and had my first book published fifteen years ago. How time flies.) But I can still feel the fear of that first time I exposed myself and let someone else read my words. Sometimes I still feel it, but I remind myself that vulnerability is an integral part of this writing gig so I better get over myself!

Tracy Krauss is still writing and still being vulnerable! Visit her website: fiction on the edge without crossing the line. https://tracykrauss.com

Vulnerability in One’s Writer’s Voice by Alan Anderson

 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”--- Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

 

The online Cambridge Dictionary describes “vulnerability” in the following way:

 

Vulnerability: “the quality of being vulnerable (= able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked), or something that is vulnerable:”

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/vulnerable

 

Vulnerability in a Question

 

This writer is forever thankful to God for the book The Wounded Healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Nouwen poses a thought-provoking question at the beginning of the book and answers it throughout its pages. The question is, “What does it mean to be a minister in contemporary society?” 

(Nouwen, Henri J.M., The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Image Doubleday, New York, 1972), p. 3.

 

A major contributor to the development of my voice as a writer was The Wounded Healer, written in 1972. The question Henri Nouwen asks still encourages a response from ministers and other servant-leaders today.

 

Allow me to offer a few brief points on how I answered and reflected on Nouwen’s question.

 

A question to invite vulnerable answers

 

Nouwen’s question intrigues me to this day, years after I read his book. For the sake of this blog post, I thought I would put a little spin on his question.

 

What does it mean to be a writer who is also a Christian in contemporary society?

 

My friends, free your minds to give thought to your answers. What does your call as a writer mean to you? What do the words eager to jump from your brain on to a page want to say to the world, your readers?

 

Here are a few suggestions I offer for your consideration.

 

Write as a “Wounded Healer.”

 

In his reference to Christian ministers, Henri Nouwen notes a particular image in focus throughout his answers to his original question. The image is that of the minister as “the wounded healer.” This is he or she who is aware of one’s vulnerability, one’s woundedness in coming alongside people who suffer. In short, servant-leaders are to recognize themselves as those who also suffer.

 

Every time I sit down to write, I write as a wounded healer. My own experiences of suffering teach me to bring hope to other people who suffer. The call of a Christian writer in the world we live is that of a wounded healer. We suffer, therefore, for the sake of our readers, we write with vulnerability. Our vulnerability brings authenticity, not weakness, to our words.

 

Vulnerability shows honesty in one’s words.

 

While dictionaries portray vulnerability as weakness, one can also harness this “weakness” as a strength. Vulnerability allows us as writers to be unashamed about emotions and the words we commit to a page. Our words can evoke tears, giggles, and deep thoughts. They represent us as writers.

 

Whatever I write, in all its vulnerability, is based on an honest observation of life. Honesty realizes the value vulnerability brings to the words one sends into the world of readers.

 

Vulnerability in one’s writing brings hope

 

A hope I pray for my writing is readers will use my words to wrap around themselves and know they are not alone. This is reason enough to show vulnerability on the page. Vulnerability makes us aware of our limitations and dependence on God’s mercy and grace.

 

Vulnerability in our writing has a hope to wrap our arms around the souls of our readers. The Lord Jesus promised He gives rest to our souls. This blessed rest allows us as writers to show genuine vulnerability in our words to reach the souls of our readers.

 

 

My friends, to write as a wounded healer is honest, hope laden, and shows vulnerability. May it be so with all of us.

 

 

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home with trees all around, where he finds inspiration for his writing. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan is the new BC/Northern Regional Rep. for InScribe. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.

V is For Vibrant by Lorilee Guenter

 

Edinburgh Harbour

The drive between Calgary and Saskatoon has a portion that is long, straight and dull. There are no twists or turns. The horizon and the road meet at some distant spot beyond view. I commented on the boredom that accompanies such an unchanging landscape. Then I turned my head. The gentle undulating hills and open prairie was interrupted by a coulee, a rugged gash that cut through the land. The effect caused sharp shadows that highlighted the sharp drops of the land. Light and shadow bring the area to life, they catch the eye and add interest. Further down the road, ranch land gives way to crop land. The vista remains large and unconfined. The possibilities seemingly endless or exceptionally boring depending on your point of view. We paused to take a picture of the golden fields as the sun began to set. Two very different views in this vast vibrant land that could have been lost in the mundane monotony of the drive.

This past spring, I commented that I don't want to make a bucket list. From my point of view, it limits the possibilities. A bucket list requires its creator to consider life from their vantage point and choose the things they hope for. It sounds like a good way to dream of possibilities. Each choice has the potential to expand or contract your view. Once the list is complete, you start working your way through it. Each time you do something from the list you remove it. Step by step, the bucket becomes empty. Then what?

I sat on a hilltop overlooking the Edinburgh harbour. As I watched a cruise ship head out to the North Sea, the vista in front of me was awe inspiring. I sat on the grass and caught a glimpse of the vastness of the sea. Behind me lay the city which encircled the base of the hill. Then the sun began to set. Clouds of an offshore storm fought with the colours of the sunset for our attention. I could smell the grass the sea and the storm as the wind cooled my skin.

One the way back to our hotel room, I realised where my resistance to the bucket list idea originates. I would never have thought to put "watch a sunset over Edinburgh harbour" on my bucket list. In looking to accomplish a set list, how many moments like this would I miss. I recognised I would rather fill my empty bucket with moments of gratitude and wonder than empty it as I cross items off a list.  I want to appreciate the many gifts God gives me in the moments of my days. I lack words to describe some of my experiences. Every time I try, I fall back into cliche. I continue to savour them, hoping one day the words will come. If the words never come, it doesn't matter. I've still had the experience.

God gave me many moments of wonder on that trip. Each one is a gift, a glimpse of the complexity of His Creation. Each one a glimpse of His love for me. He knew what I needed in that moment to refresh and restore me after a full day. He fills us until we overflow with Him. Instead of emptying my bucket, I want to fill it with the many unexpected gifts lavished on me as a child of God. Some moments are large and breath taking, others are smaller, close to home and just as important.

I trust God will continue to turn my head so I see the vibrancy of each moment, and each conversation He orchestrates. Life may not always be easy but it is full of God's abundance. I pray your bucket is filled a little more today.

It Takes a Village by Carol Harrison

 

V is for Village

There is a popular saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I have been thinking that as writers which is a solitary endeavour, we also need a village around us. We need that small, tight-knit community of people who are supportive and encouraging.

I’m fortunate and blessed to have family and friends who are part of my village. With my writing and life in general I’ve been blessed with people who encourage me through tough times and the good ones too. I found a writing village when I found Inscribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. I also connected with some of the local Christian writers in the Saskatoon area.

Over the years I have been encouraged during conferences and Wordshops, articles in FellowScript, and blog posts on both the pro blog and the Inscribe writers on line. I find support, help, encouragement, and compassion. Everyone made me feel like I belonged and my writing had value to add encouragement to others.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

1 Thessalonians 5: 11 & 14 says, (11) “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (14) And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

We don’t write in a vacuum. Life events, people we meet and interact with, our past and current circumstanced all impact each of us and therefore our writing. When you have a blank page staring back at you, words and ideas hide, who encourages you? Who is part of your village? I am grateful that as a member of Inscribe, I have amazing people as part of my village. Thank you so much to all of you. 

 

Carol Harrison feels blessed to have so many encouraging people in her life for everyday happenings and writing too.
 

Good or Very Good by Sharon Heagy

 

      The garbage challenge. It happens whenever I travel. We only have two forms of garbage on the farm, burnable and non-burnable. But enter the big city and there is a bin for waste, a bin for recycling, a bin for compost, a bin for cans and bottles and the list goes on! But what goes where? I found myself at Fall Conference standing in the hallway staring at two bins, recycling and waste. As I looked at the depictions of what was to be put in each one, I found the items overlapped and I didn’t know where to put the Kleenex clutched in my palm. The other unknown factor was what I had done with the tissue before it ended up in my palm. Had I cleaned my glasses with it or had I blown my nose or had I used it at all? I couldn’t recall. It was just a waded lump in the pocket of my jeans and it was bugging me. Paper went in the recycle bin, but if I had used it to empty my honker didn’t that make it waste? I didn’t really want to smooth it out and determine whether it had been used or not so I finally decided to toss it into the container labelled waste with feigned nonchalance of knowing what I was doing. It felt a bit naughty, not knowing if I had broken some obscure garbage law, but I was too embarrassed to ask anyone and make a big deal out of where to throw one solitary tissue. Looking around to make sure no one was going to accuse me of a crime, I slid back into the conference room.

            By now many of you have heard or experienced first-hand how God changed the theme of Fall Conference from ‘Finding the Right Words’ to the title of the new InScribe anthology, Creativity and Chaos. Without going into detail about how things seemingly fell apart only to be put back together in a different way, let me say that it was a privilege to watch the InScribe leadership yield to God’s leading as they followed what Colleen McCubbin coined as Plan ‘G’ – God’s plan. 

            Had the conference gone off without a hitch, I am certain it would have been a good conference. The people in charge are people of excellence. But, watching the Spirit lead these wonderful folks, watching them follow after the heart of God, added a dimension that changed a good conference into a very good conference. 

            Genesis 1:31 tells of the completion of creation. “God saw all that He had made and it was very good. (Emphasis mine) Not just good, very good! When the Lord is involved a metamorphosis takes place that changes the ordinary into the extraordinary. Just as God turned Fall Conference from good to very good with the touch of His hand, He can, and will, do the same for our writing. Good writers are gifted. After hearing stories and reading parts of books written by InScribe authors at conference, I dare say they write well. Yet, as you peruse their pieces you will find some have written words that pierce your heart and soul and take your breath away. There is something about those words, a ‘je ne sais quoi,’ an undefined quality that goes above and beyond good words. An undefined quality? No. It is rather an anointing, the touch of God’s hand, that transforms good words into very good words. We notice the difference in these words as they stir the surface of our awareness or plunge to the depths of our being. They are very good words.

            May we all follow the Conference committee’s example and seek after God’s own heart and ask that He, in His grace and mercy, might turn words well written into extraordinary words. Let us not write without God’s hand upon our own.