Tell It Slant, A Review by Brenda Leyland

TELL IT SLANT

Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction

Authors: Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola
Second Edition, 2012 (textbook version initially published in 2003)
Publisher: McGraw Hill Education, USA
ISBN-10: 0071781773; ISBN-13: 978-0071781770
Paperback, 272 pages. $24.95 CAD; Kindle $9.99 CAD; Kobo  $19.99 CAD


Over recent months, this new-to-me book has come home from the library on more than one occasion. I was first drawn to the book’s title—it's a nod to Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Tell all the Truth but tell it Slant”. The authors chose the poem for both title and epigraph because "it so aptly describes the task of the creative nonfiction writer: to tell the truth, yes, but to become more than a mere transcriber of life's factual experiences.” Desirous of deepening my creative nonfiction writing skills, I delved into the book and was not disappointed.

Tell It Slant is used as a textbook, and though many of us might remember dragging through old, dry texts, this book is not one of them. Instructive and comprehensive, yes, but it is far from dull. It's an engaging, pleasing read. Soon I had all sorts of ideas sprouting up, and I had to restrain myself from wanting to mark up my library book.

It is written in three sections: Unearthing Your Material, The Many Forms of Creative Nonfiction, and Honing Your Craft. With rich writing examples and practical prompts to use as triggers, the reader-cum-writer begins to see how to frame the stories in a wider context using, for example, the lens of history, science, sport, nature, art, or spiritual autobiography to engage the reader. “The more particular you make your own experience—with sensory details, compelling metaphors, and luscious rhythms—the more fully a reader will feel the personal story along with you.”

First published in 2003, this book became the go-to text for many instructors and new writers studying creative nonfiction writing. A decade and a half later, it remains a favourite for those who rely on its examination of the many forms creative nonfiction can take. Just ask my college-student niece, who recently read it for her creative nonfiction writing class. What fun to discover we were reading the same book at the same time and both finding it helpful.

If you are looking for help to deepen your own journey in creative nonfiction writing, I'm happy to recommend this great resource to you. If you haven't got a copy, you might want to wait until the new updated/revised version comes out. According to their Facebook page, a new version is in the works—sorry, there is no indication when it will be completed. Postscript: The third edition was released August 9, 2019. You can find more information HERE.

Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola are both Professors of English at Western Washington University. Miller has written, among other works, three essay collections: Season of the Body, Blessing of the Animals, and Listening Against the Stone. Paola’s books include Body Toxic and A Mind Apart. Both are award winning authors.

A long-time InScribe member, Brenda Leyland writes from her home in Alberta, Canada. She shares life moments on her blog It's A Beautiful Life and on Facebook. 

My Reading Life (Pat Conroy), A Review by Brenda Leyland

MY READING LIFE

by Pat Conroy (1945 - 2016)

2010. Published by Nan A. Talese / Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc., New York and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Toronto.

In his memoir, American novelist Pat Conroy shares the story of his lifelong love for reading. He writes about the books that changed his life, and he introduces readers to the people who made the greatest impact on him as a budding author, including his southern-bred mother who ignited his great love for words and his passion for books. She started reading aloud to him when he was a boy—volumes of the world's great stories, including her personal favourite novel, the timeless Gone with the Wind.

Mr. Conroy's essays, rich with description and emotion are, in fact, wildly wordy. Many an editor has been frantic for him to edit his overabundance of words and exchange them for simple, leaner ones. But Conroy seemed to be in his element, and more to the point, he knew how to make all those words work for him. His grand use of words makes me think of the Baroque era, a time when artists, musicians, and architects embellished their creative work with flourishes, swirls, and ornamentation. Perhaps he was influenced by that era in some way. Or, perhaps it was all the Russian books he loved to read—War and Peace by Tolstoy, to name just one—for we all know how thick with description that book is.

Wordy or not, the memoir is compelling to read. I love it because:

• It’s personal and intimate. It's sometimes poignant—when he gives hints of his childhood with his violent military father; and sometimes humorous—when he describes himself shooting through river rapids in a canoe with his favourite poet. Although I haven't read anything else by Mr. Conroy, I felt a strong connection to him—he'd be an author I'd want to meet in person. Saddened, therefore, was I to learn that the man passed away a couple of years ago. 
• The language is rich with imagery and salty with honesty. I am lured time and again to favourite lines just to experience their beauty, savouring them on my tongue like dessert. I copied these lines into my quotations notebook:

“I grew up a word-haunted boy. I felt words inside me and stored them wondrous as pearls. I mouthed them and fingered them and rolled them around my tongue … The precise naming of things served as my entryway into art. The whole world could be sounded out. I could arrange each day into a tear sheet of music composed of words as pretty as flutes or the tail feathers of peacocks.” p. 84

• The author named dropped quite a few titles and authors, both familiar and unfamiliar to me. If someone likes to glean from the reading lists of other writers, this book is sure to make eyes light up with the numerous reading possibilities.
• It's a nice fit, size-wise. I know this isn’t why a person should recommend a book, but this lovely hardcover copy slips nicely into a carry all bag or a large coat pocket to take along for coffee shop reading.

Pat Conroy has written several bestselling novels as well as other memoirs and non-fiction, including A Lowcountry Heart, Reflections on a Writing Life (2016).

A long-time InScribe member, Brenda Leyland writes from her home in Sherwood Park, Alberta. She also blogs at It's A Beautiful Life. 

Finishing School. Book Review by Brenda Leyland

Finishing School
The Happy Ending to That Writing Project
You Can't Seem to Get Done

by Cary Tennis and Danelle Morton

TarcherPerigee 2017

An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

“Not finishing a piece of writing can feel like the death of a dream. . . . Many writers start strong, with big ambitions, but eventually reach a crisis of completion.” CARY TENNIS 

Sound familiar? Has your beloved writing project reached a crisis of completion? Maybe you don’t know how to finish it or something keeps getting in the way of finishing it. Maybe you don't even want to finish at this point, though you know deep down you do. And, when you think about working on it, often feelings of shame, failure, and guilt show up, which certainly don't help. If that's the case, dear reader, take courage -- I might have just the book you need. Hot off the press, Finishing School promises to help writers out of their slumps and get back on track.

“Finishing School restores order to your work. It helps you set aside a realistic number of hours each week and define a task that can be completed in whatever time you have. Every week you finish something and, week by week, you get the project done.”

Finishing School is a breath of fresh air. Bestselling author Anne Lamott is quoted as saying, "I love Cary Tennis's mind, and heart, and work." I agree. It's about Tennis and Morton offering a simple method, without fuss or too many rules, to help you complete the project. All without judgment.

The book is filled with great self-discovery anecdotal material by both established authors. Divided into two parts, they first identify their own struggles with six emotional pitfalls that cause many writers to falter, even give up. Perhaps you recognize them: Doubt, Shame, Yearning, Fear, Judgment, and Arrogance. In the book's second half, the authors talk about the Finishing School method and how it works.

Cary Tennis convened the first class of Finishing School and Danelle Morton was his first pupil. Both had long-dormant projects they were desperate to complete. Their journey of discovery in this school  eventually became the basis for this book. Tennis encouraged his students to give their project the status of 'most important work in your life'—setting it in a ‘sacred’ place in your mind and reminding you to honour your commitment to it.

Although the book was written for writers, the method used is easily transferable for anyone who has a large task they want to finish. As Tennis says, “If finishing this project is something you really want to do, you have to go after it with everything you have within you.” Finishing School is the book that could help you do it.

---------- 

Sensitive Reader Discretion: A small amount of cuss words are scattered throughout the book.

Brenda Leyland is working on her Project 60: gathering the memories of a lifetime lived thus far. She invites you to visit her blog at It's A Beautiful Life and connect with her on Facebook.

InScribers Review: 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers

7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers

Review by Tracy Krauss

Even though I read this entire collection from cover to cover in one sitting, I plan to go back and savour many of the individual pieces again. The glowing endorsements from well known authors in the 'about this book' section are not exaggerated. This truly is a treasure trove of encouragement and inspiration, with a fair bit of practical advice and lots of writing tips to boot! Each contributor's voice comes across so uniquely and I love the variety, from short stories, to poetry, to devotionals, to very practical articles.

Yes, I am a contributor, but my two short pieces are among a host of others that are worth every reading moment. I have to say that among my favourites, I love what Ruth Snyder shared about 'rocks and sand' (you'll have to read it for yourself), and Sharon Cavers amazing growing Christmas tree. Alvin Ens poem 'Why Do I Love Shakespeare' struck a chord with me (I love Shakespeare too and as an English teacher he and I have a lot in common, I think.) And what can I say about Violet Nesdoly? Every one of her poems are exquisite. (As always.) I've taken away some very practical things as well. Elaine Ingalls Hogg blew my mind with her step by step guide to holding a physical book launch (not the online variety, folks, but with real, live, people!) I could go on and on!

The point is, this is a great book. It is currently available in ebook format only, but the paperback version is set to launch at this year's fall conference. You'll want a copy - trust me. (Maybe even two.)

Purchase on amazon

Endorsements: (used with permission) 

“I love seven things about this book: It is practical. It is affordable. It is encouraging. It is worth highlighting, underlining and dog-earing. Plus it made me forget about my toothache. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran writer, you’ll discover 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers to be jammed with instantly actionable advice that will make you a better writer. Dig in.” 
—Phil Callaway (www.philcallaway.com) is the best-selling author of more than 25 books, a popular speaker, the host of Laugh Again Radio, and a grandpa. 

“7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers is an absolute gem! I love that it covers all the basics a writer needs to know, making them simple and practical. I also love that the book has many authors, giving us ideas and suggestions from their own writing journey. I highly recommend this book to anyone seriously considering writing as a vocation or even an avocation, particularly those writers who see their work as a ministry—which it certainly is!” 
—Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com) is an award-winning author of more than 50 books. A wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Kathi lives in Southern California with her husband, Al. 

“7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers is loaded with actionable advice that will make you a better writer. Whether you are a multi-published author or a beginning writer, this book will benefit you.” 
—Shelley Hitz, author coach and best-selling author 
www.ShelleyHitz.com 

“This book is a beautiful blend of faithfulness and craft. It will help you answer the practical questions of what it means to be a writer while honoring what you believe. I wish I’d read this when I got started.” 
—Jeff Goins, Best-selling author, The Art of Work 

“There are hundreds of how-to-write books on the market, but none that I know of touches BOTH of the vital aspects of writing as a Christian better than this anthology from InScribe. The practical AND the spiritual are woven into a whole by a remarkably creative group of writers who are in the trenches as we speak. I intend to snack on this fare again and again.” 
—Nancy Rue, best-selling Christian author and creator of Shadow to Shelf, a mentoring program for writers. 

Shimmering Images, A Review by Brenda Leyland

 Reviewed by Brenda Leyland

Shimmering Images
A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir
by Lisa Dale Norton
© 2008 St. Martin's Press, New York, NY

I first came across Shimmering Images a few years ago when I was at the library looking for books about memoir writing. I soon needed my own copy, as it was through this handy little guide by Lisa Dale Norton that I began to unravel the mystery of how to write a memoir.

Ms. Norton wrote this book because she kept meeting people who wanted to write personal stories but they didn't know how to begin. Shimmering Images tells you how -- how to turn your personal memories into memoir, one small step at a time, by using simple tools, including her secret tool, shimmering images.

A shimmering image is one of those memory pictures that just show up. It's a memory that remains vivid and 'pulsing with meaning' no matter how much time passes. Ms. Norton is convinced that "these images flitting into consciousness are stories waiting to happen". 

Norton believes the most successful memoir is written about periods of our lives that are further away in the 'mists of memory', allowing us the distance of time to make sense of events and experiences. She says, "in the world of written stories, the truths we present to readers ring most believable when they are fashioned to include new insights we couldn't see when events transpired."

Just for the record, the author also clarifies what memoir is and what it is not. For example, if you want to write a chronological overview of your entire life from "I was born" to the "here I am now" stage, that is autobiography. If, on the other hand, you want to write about personal experience -- one slim slice of your life story -- and explore its meaning and truth, that is memoir.

Ms. Norton writes in a stimulating, conversational style. The book is easily read, has just over 100 pages in length, with 20 short chapters. It's divided into three sections: The Ideas Behind the Process, The Process, and The Tools To Craft the Process. Lisa gives inspiration to the aspiring memoirist to sit down and begin typing, because now you know what to do with all those Shimmering Images that bubble up.

If your heart is calling you to write your personal stories, this is an excellent resource that will help you take your memories and turn them into rich, readable memoir.

In case you're not convinced yet that you need to read the book, check out these links:

Lisa reads excerpts from Shimmering Images.
Read the first three chapters of the book.
Check out Lisa's website for other info.

Brenda C Leyland, long-time InScribe member, enjoys writing on her blog It's A Beautiful Life. She is currently working on her first memoir with some personal tutoring from Lisa Dale Norton.

A Writer's Book of Days, A Review by Brenda Leyland

A Writer's Book of Days
A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life

By Judy Reeves
New World Library, CA © 1999, 2010

Who among us has not had a season or two (perhaps even three) in our writing lives when we've needed to rely on a Writing Prompt to help us get our pens or keyboards started as we faced that blank page... or a blank mind?

Such a tool is invaluable, also, when starting out as a novice writer, for the regular use of prompts can help to establish the habit of writing. And, what a treasure when a writing prompt of a single word, a short phrase, or a picture becomes the delightful catalyst for hammering out new ideas or producing worthwhile material that can be used for a current or future work in progress.

That's why I recommend A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves. The author has compiled a valuable source of interesting prompts (one for every day of the year), inspiring exercises, and practical suggestions, not to mention good advice, literary anecdotes, and ideas gleaned from the author's own writing experiences -- both personally and as a long-time workshop leader.

Divided into monthly chapters, each month focuses on a specific guideline. For instance, September's guideline is Write Specific Details, October's is Write What Matters, and November's is Read Your Writing Aloud.

Even though the material is broken into monthly segments, you can jump in anywhere as each section can stand alone. You can use the current day's prompt to kick start your writing session for the day, use it to practice your writing skills (as a musician would practice her scales), or use the book to establish a regular habit of writing by following it for a year or even a single month.

First written in 1999, the book was revised in 2010 and has been named one of the five hottest writing books by Writer's Digest. 

You can check out the author's website for more information. Do take a minute to watch the inspirational trailer for A Writer's Book of Days. After you watch it, you might even feel 'prompted' to go find the book for yourself. It's available in paperback or e-book.

Brenda Leyland, long-time InScribe member, happily blogs at It's A Beautiful Life and is currently working on her first non-fiction book, a memoir.

InScribers Review: Wounded by God's People

 

 

Book Review by Ruth Sakstad

Wounded by God's People
By Anne Graham Lotz
Zondervan Trade Books, 2013


Imagine you are sitting in church and it is announced from the pulpit that three-quarters of the congregation no longer wants you to be involved in any leadership positions anymore. You are not the pastor, just a layperson. You have not been involved in anything illegal or immoral. Your crime: believing, living by and teaching the Bible as the inerrant, inspired, authoritative Word of God.

This is not some fictional exercise. It actually happened to Anne Graham Lotz and her husband Danny. Needless to say they left the church as hurt and wounded people. Fortunately, because of God’s love and healing they would eventually come to a point where they were able to move on and forgive.

In her book Wounded by God’s People, Lotz uses the Biblical story of Hagar, Abraham and Sarah to discuss how often we Christians knowingly or unknowingly hurt, wound or neglect others by our words, actions or inactions. This is not just a story about hurt, it is also a story about healing and God’s love.

Hagar was one wounded lady. Twice thrown out of the camp like the garbage by Abraham and Sarah, God had a plan for Hagar and He loved her. God not only showed Hagar His plan, He also showed her His love.

If you been wounded by God’s people, and who hasn’t, then this book can help you find the healing only God’s love can provide. Think about the hurt you have felt when that rejection letter arrives or you never hear back about that manuscript you submitted. God can heal you. Have you questioned your faith or your writing abilities because of that rejection? God knows and cares. Go to Him today, cry out to Him. He sees and understands. He wants to come along side and comfort you. He wants to whisper in your ear that He loves you and He wants to heal you.

I hope you will find Lotz’s book helpful and healing whether you are the one wounded or the one who has done the wounding. I certainly did.

InScribers Review: One Smooth Stone (Marcia Lee Laycock)

 

 

Book Review by Bonnie Way

One Smooth Stone
by Marcia Lee Laycock


One Smooth Stone (Castle Quay Books, 2007) is the story of Alex Donnelly, a young man who has spent the last five years hiding out the Yukon Territory in northern Canada, trying to escape his past, the police, and God. But with the passing of his twenty-first birthday comes an inheritance from his parents… money they left in trust for him before they died when he was a child… money that came from the lawyer’s settlement in a court case against a doctor for failing to abort Alex.

When the lawyer shows up at Alex's cabin in the Yukon, he isn't happy at being found. But his questions about his past cause him to return to Seattle to find out more. He isn't prepared to meet the lawyer's daughter, Kenni, who both intrigues and confuses him. Just as they start getting to know each other, Alex discovers that his mother wanted to abort him and runs back to the Yukon.

Marcia Laycock writes a grimly realistic tale of one man’s struggle with his past and with God. Alex was raised in foster homes, abused and mistreated, and the memories of those days still haunt him. He is angry at God for letting those things happen, angry at those who abused him, and just wants to forget about them. But God is after him, and uses even a blizzard and a grizzly bear to get Alex’s attention.

About the Author

Marcia Lee Laycock grew up on an island in Lake Huron. She attended Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, before "running away" to Alaska and the Yukon. She became a Christian in 1982 and with her husband went to Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan in 1985. Since 1988, she has lived in central Alberta. She and her husband have three daughters.

Marcia began writing as a child. Her devotional column was published for over a decade in various Alberta newspapers. She is the author of three devotional books, The Spur of the Moment, Focused Reflections (devotions for specific occasions), and Abundant Rain (a writer's devotional book). Her short stories have appeared in various anthologies, including A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider, and several are available for free at Smashwords. She is a member of Inscribe Christian Writer's Fellowship, The Word Guild, and American Christian Fiction Writers.

About the Novel

One Smooth Stone (ISBN 978-1-894860-34-5) won the 2006 Best New Canadian Christian Author Award from Castle Quay Books. It was also nominated by the Ontario Association of Christian Librarians for their "One Read" Award in 2009 (the award went to the Hot Apple Cider anthology, which included two pieces by Marcia Laycock).

Best-selling Alberta author Sigmund Brouwer says of One Smooth Stone, "Laycock delivers an engaging and imaginative story so effectively that it's difficult to believe the novel is her debut. I'm looking forward to more!" Most of Laycock's readers are also looking for the sequel; A Tumbled Stone tells the story of Alex's hunt for his sister and was published in 2012.

To read the first chapter of One Smooth Stone and more reviews, and to view the book trailer and discussion questions on the novel, visit Marcia's website at http://marcialeelaycock.com/.

InScribers Review: Heaven's Prey (Janet Sketchley)

 

 Book Review by Bonnie Way

 

Heaven's Prey
Author: Janet Sketchley
Publisher: Choose Now Publishing, 2013

One of the topics of my recent fiction class was the "occasion" or "destination" of a novel and how to keep the reader reading if they know what's going to happen. As I read Janet Sketchley’s novel Heaven’s Prey, I thought she illustrated this perfectly. We know the novel is about redemptions—presumably Ruth’s physical redemption and Harry’s spiritual redemption—but we read to find out how that happens. How does Ruth survive being kidnapped by a serial rapist? How does a guy as dark as Harry move toward redemption?

Ruth is an ordinary middle-aged woman living in Nova Scotia who has been praying for Harry Silver since he kidnapped, raped and murdered her niece. Prayer has helped her find healing, but it has also caused a rift with those around her—including her husband—who don’t understand how she can pray for a murderer. She’s on her way home from her weekly prayer meeting when she runs into Silver himself. Now, all her faith is put to the test as Harry kidnaps her and plans to make her his last victim…

I appreciated the fact that, even when Janet was writing about Harry’s crimes, she never made it graphic. We are given enough detail to know what happened but not so much that the crime is sensationalized. Yet these scenes never felt like the author was intruding by withholding information. Ruth talks about reading crime reports, about the horror she experienced in learning about Harry’s crimes, and her fear and disgust towards him gives the reader a bigger picture of Harry. At the same time, Ruth’s faith allows her to see Harry in another light.

Janet’s novel reminds us that even those we hate and despise are still human—and still loved by God. Harry is truly dark and despicable at the beginning of the novel, but Janet slowly takes us into his past, into the pain of his childhood, his pornography addiction, and his racing career, and we see the path that led him into darkness. It doesn’t excuse his crimes, but it helps us to understand him. I think it takes a truly skilled writer to make Harry neither so evil that he’s past redemption, nor so redeemable that we don’t believe he could have raped and murdered nine women.

To get a taste of the story, you can check out the Heaven’s Prey Blog Chase. At each stop in the chase, you’ll get a short “prequel” of the novel, some insight into what happened before Ruth encounters Harry. You can also drop by Janet’s website to read interviews with the characters and with Janet.

Janet Sketchley is a long-time member of Inscribe Christian Writer’s Fellowship; she served as acquisitions editor of FellowScript and wrote the fiction column for many years. She is passionate about fiction, but also has a nonfiction story in the award-winning anthology A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. She calls herself “a Christian growing in faith, trying to balance relationships and responsibilities.” She is currently working on the second book in her Redemption’s Edge series.

InScribers Review: An Amish Family Christmas (Murray Pura)

 

 

Book Review by Vivia Oliver

An Amish Family Christmas

Author: Murry Pura
Publisher: Harvest House, 2013

Murry writes very good Christian fiction, true in detail and Biblical truth. The Amish belief that people should not participate in war time efforts can be very troublesome for some church leaders. Micah has felt a pull of God's spirit and done a good deed by going to the battlefield to save the injured as a medic. Would you follow a pull of the spirit that was against your minister's advice?

This explanation of the controversy in the rules of churches could lead a reader into the story. Many have interest in subjects of this kind.

But the church is tied to rules, so they shun him for his good deed. When he is gone to war his wife of a short time, Naomi, suffers the loss of her sister and parents in an accident at home. Her brother survives the wreck but can’t talk afterwards.

When Micah returns after his year of service, he is not allowed to talk to anyone because of his involvement in a war effort. He can live at the same house as his wife and sister but cannot communicate unless it is an emergency.

This shun continues until the ministers son has a serious accident near the home of Micah and Naomi. Micah rushes to the scene and saves the boy by his medical knowledge. The minister gets the message that this medic involvement in the war was a good thing, and finally removes the shun from Micah and allows the married couple to enjoy their marriage after all.

Removing the shun could cause division in the church, but all ends well, the Lord blesses Micah in the end.

Does your local congregation hold fast to rules that could discourage people from attending your church?

InScribers Review: Behind The Stories (Diane Eble)

Book Review by Bryan Norford
 

Behind the Stories: Christian Novelists Reveal the Heart in the Art of Their Writing
 
Author:  Diane Eble
Publisher: Bethany house, 2002

Diane Eble uses short biographies to review over forty successful fiction authors and their journey to success. She groups the authors in categories that illustrate various formative events that shaped their writing: “Say Yes to God,” “Uniquely Gifted,” “Everybody Needs Somebody,” and so on.

However, two common threads pervade the stories. None received recognition without recurring disappointment and perseverance. Jack Cavanaugh recounts his thirteen years of rejection letters. Jerry Jenkins teamed with Tim LaHaye. Tim waited ten years for his LEFT BEHIND series to become a hit, while Jerry spent twenty five years honing his craft.

Several others recounted a crisis of faith, when a superficial faith resulted in writing that compromised the Christian faith. Terri Blackstock wrote many romance novels that required explicit sex in order to sell. She told herself they were just harmless entertainment; she had the fine art of self-deception mastered.

Francine Rivers eventually saw her writing itself as an idol, leading her to accept that her writing no longer mattered to her; all that mattered was following the Lord. That ended a period of drought. Janette Oke says; “I told God I would write this book, and if I had any talent I would give it all to Him. Then God showed me I had it backwards. He wanted everything right then.”

Other biographies discuss overcoming obstacles: dyslexia, violent childhood, fear of failure and sickness. It often provided inspiration for their writing. Others were unaware of their gift because it was too central to who they were; they were not aware of it. Teachers and mentors saw the gift and encouraged its development.

Many explored why they wrote fiction. Robin Jones Gunn quoted from a poem of Emily Dickinson’s: “Tell all the truth, but tell it slant.” Both Robin and Catherine Palmer quoted C. S. Lewis: “Any amount of theology can be smuggled into people’s minds under cover of romance without their knowing it.” The writers were in universal agreement that their purpose was to draw people to Christ.

There is no problem that we writers face, that is not common to man. Whatever we may go through, others’ experiences in this book will provide encouragement to persist in God’s call upon us.

InScriber's Review: "Happy, Happy, Happy" - Reviewed by Lynn Dove

Seldom do I read a book cover to cover without stopping, but that's what I did with Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robertson; once I started reading I just could not put it down.

I will admit that I am a HUGE fan of the Duck Dynasty T.V. show, having followed the Robertson family since the show was first televised. Quirky (or quacky as the case may be :), the family antics are humourous and entertaining, but also filled with pathos and laced with family values and Godly wisdom.

Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Robertson clan, writes a book that does not detour from the message and ministry of the T.V. show. God is glorified throughout the book. In fact he admits wholeheartedly that the prime reason for the book and their popular T.V. show is to draw people closer to God.

The book is the powerful testimony of a man who struggled with alcohol and anger until, as Phil says, he "repented" and God powerfully changed his life. It was after his conversion that he sought to invent the best duck call and with God's direction able to see his dream realized.

This is a book that is filled with redneck wit, hard-working know-how, and family devotion. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish!

A New Technique - Linda Aleta Tame

I'm a third-year university student in a Creative Arts program.  Last term I completed a course called, the Multi-genre, Multimedia, Disjunctive Poetic Narrative Dream Text.

My professor, Di Brandt, an accomplished Canadian poet, stated that the genre that includes so much variety has been around for awhile, but has never had a permanent title.  It has been referenced as the Long Poem or Experimental Writing and probably many other non-specific identifiers, but none that took hold as the official title.  In an effort to include all that the genre entails, and to inform students, Professor Brandt created the Multi-genre, Multimedia, Disjunctive Poetic Narrative Dream Text title and course.

We studied several texts, reading through them all at the same time.  This provided the small group of inspired students with a multi-genre-multimedia-disjunctive-poetic-narrative-dream text reading experience.  (Okay, I'll spare you further repetition of the lengthy title, but in class we had a lot of fun with it!)

All the texts were by Canadian authors:

• Blue Marrow by Louise Bernice Halfe
• I Knew Two Metis Women by Gregory Scofield
• Seed Catalogue by Robert Kroetsch
• Questions i asked my mother by Di Brandt and four others

All of these are noteworthy and inspiring, but my favourite one, and one that has most influenced my approach to writing is NOX by Anne Carson.  I haven't space to describe its many unique and unconventional characteristics, but if you'd like to investigate it further, Google and Youtube have many articles about it.

One liberating factor is that the pages of NOX are not just filled with printed text.  They include photocopies of poetry, prose, word definitions, single-line-on-a-page statements, images, bits and scraps of letters and envelopes, smudges and even some long-hand writing.  Carson's technique inspires endless possibilities, and this freedom seems to alleviate writer's block for me.  I may not use all the ideas, maybe not even more than one, but knowing I can seems to open the creative gate.

I think it was the author's random-but-ordered style that intrigued me most.  Here's what I learned:  You don't have to start at the beginning.  I can't express how this opened the way for me to explore other options in my own writing process.  Start anywhere, organize and compile later.  What a refreshing discovery! If I have a thought, I don't have to write it down to save for a later chapter or paragraph.  I can write it now, expand on it in the moment when the inspiration is fresh and powerful.  It'll all come together when it's time.

I'm grateful for the Multi-genre, Multimedia . . . I think you know where I'm going with this.  It broadened my vision to get a head start on a writing project I've wanted to do for a long time.  Why not give this genre a try?

NOX by Anne Carson

InScribers Review: Do I Love Writing? - Lorrie Orr

While visiting my daughter in Vancouver last summer (2012), I noticed a book on her shelf and asked if I could borrow it. She'd found it in a used bookstore. By Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing, is a collection of essays first published in 1990 in which he "shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of writing."

I read most of it on the 90-minute ferry ride home. Bradbury's enthusiasm for writing so fired me up that I began a short story that very day, triggered by something I saw at the ferry terminal. Although not a "how-to-write" book, Bradbury shares what works for his writing life, and much can be extrapolated to anyone's schedule.

Bradbury advocates writing a lot - every day. But rather than a "stick-to-the-chair-no-matter-what" approach, he confesses to getting out of bed each morning filled with words. And so, he plays. He practices word association and from these associations come stories. His exuberant approach to writing is illustrated in the following excerpt:

"The history of each story, then, should read almost like a weather report: Hot today, cool tomorrow. This afternoon, burn down the house. Tomorrow, pour cold critical water upon the simmering coals. Time enough to think and cut and rewrite tomorrow. But today - explode - fly apart - disintegrate! The other six or seven drafts are going to be pure torture. So why not enjoy the first draft, in the hope that your joy will seek and find others in the world who, reading your story, will catch fire, too?"

Read widely. Bradbury's favourite authors are a motley crew, ranging from Shakespeare and Molière to Shaw and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Poetry, essays, novels, songs, music, and art all act as influences upon ideas. The more we take in, the richer our writing is.

When I did a search for the book while writing this post, I discovered that it's available on-line as a pdf. Free.


Read it. Fall in love with writing again.

Oh, and Ashley, I'll return your book someday. Maybe.

by Lorrie Orr

InScribers Review: It's Always Darkest Before The Fridge Door Opens

Review by Vivia Oliver

It's Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens
Finding Joy in the Cold Places of Life

Authors: Martha Bolton and Phil Callaway
Publisher: Bethany House, 2006


These two writers have worked with many comedians to create clean humour in the world. Any of their work is worth the time to read it.

This book is a compilation of anecdotes of humorous and realistic ways to look at life.

They open the 'fridge door' to view some great ways to laugh at life in general. This book contains lots of neat ways to take worry off your mind. These writers of humour have turned food and kitchens into fun centers. Like moldy cheese turning into chia pets.

The fun tales they tell seek humour in family life, ways to laugh about hard times and disappointments in home life. If you don’t have sore ribs from laughter after reading this book, you will at least come away with a smile and peace of mind.

They describe many fun ways for looking at life’s troubles from a new view. There is a funny side of life and we are blessed to take a funny look at trouble. As Phil Callaway reminds us, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”

InScribers Review: Little Copper Pennies

LITTLE COPPER PENNIES

Author: Susan Harris

Publisher: FriesenPress, 2012

Review by Vivia Oliver

Susan Harris has done a great job of outlining the history of the Canadian penny. By giving it the appropriate name of “Copper”, she personalized this little piece of money that has been present in our country for one hundred and fifty five years.

The little copper penny was first made in 1858, in England. Then in 1908 it was made in Canada for the first time and continued until 2012.

Many people have heard the tales of 'a penny for your thoughts' or 'your two cents worth'. How many of you have dropped pennies in wishing wells, or fountains, or put them on the railroad tracks to see if the train could flatten them?

Susan tells many tales in her book of the fun things and the interesting things that pennies were used for and how it will live on in our history for many years to come.

She pieced the facts of production into the stories to keep us aware of reality. A good read for all generations of Canadians.

 

 

InScribers Review: The Art of the Personal Essay - Bonnie Way

My first published works were personal essays or creative nonfiction, although I didn't know either of those terms at the time.  I simply wrote short stories about my sheep, but many other writers have used personal experiences as a jumping off point for sharing their message with the world.

One of the best books I've encountered as a student of writing is Philip Lopate's anthology The Art of the Personal Essay.  This was a textbook for my creative nonfiction course in university, but I've since returned to it to review Philip's advice as I write.  In this neat collection, personal essayist Phillip Lopate explores the history of the genre and presents work by great writers from Seneca to the modern day.

The Personal Essays

The essays appear in the anthology in chronological order, from the “forerunners” such as Seneca and Plutarch to modern writers such as Annie Dillard and Richard Selzer.  There is a second table of contents that organizes the essays by theme (e.g., city life, country living, food, death) and by form (e.g., humour, lecture, memoir).

Lopate provides a brief introduction for each author whose work is included in the anthology.  These introductions provide some biographical information about the author as well as a brief analysis of their writing style.  For example, Lopate mentions that the two essays included by Virginia Woolf “show her characteristic movement toward reverie as well as her penchant for shifting angles of vision.”

What is the Personal Essay?

Lopate’s lengthy introduction to the anthology is a thorough examination of the form of the personal essay.  He says that the personal essay is “one of the most approachable and diverting types of literature we possess.”  He then lists several qualities of the personal essay, using examples from the essays chosen.

“Personal essay” is a relatively new term in the writing world.  Many of the earliest writers in this anthology certainly wouldn’t have referred to their works as “personal essays.”  Lopate provides an explanation for why certain essays met the criteria of his anthology while others (often by the same writers) didn’t.  For example, Seneca’s essays were originally written as letters, but Lopate includes them because they were intended for a wider audience and have a very personal tone.

Writing Personal Essays

The writer interested in how to write a personal essay could use this anthology as a textbook for the genre.  Lopate’s introduction is a thorough lesson in the form.  The selected essays offer an excellent picture of the genre and an idea of what other personal essayists have done.

A writer should study both the introduction and the essays.  Consider how each of the selected essays apply the principles Lopate discusses in the introduction.  Examine each essayists’ style—what makes Natalia Ginzburg’s writing vastly different from Edward Hoagland’s?  Try to imitate an essayist’s style.  Consider the subject matter tackled by each essayist.  Look at the form and structure of the essays.

About Phillip Lopate

Phillip Lopate has written three personal essay collections himself, as well as novels, poetry, and a memoir.  He has edited several anthologies and his essays have appeared in numerous magazines.  He is also the recipient of many writing awards.  For twelve years, he taught writing to children in schools.  He is now a creative writing instructor at the university level.

If you are a writer of personal essays or creative nonfiction, I highly recommend The Art of the Personal Essay.  Philip's advice will help writers of any experience to hone their words and share their message with their audience.  As a bonus, most of the essays are extremely enjoyable to read, so have fun while you are learning!

~ © Bonnie Way

InScribers Review: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

Review by Sharon Espeseth

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life 

by Joanna Weaver

In the spring of 2003, I was headed to my sister Joan's place for a retreat. The busyness of life and the nemesis of clinical depression was catching up with me for a second time, even though I hadn't fully realized it. It seemed everybody else and everything in my life was tilted like a cap askew on my head. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I wanted things to get back in order.

On the way to Joan's I stopped at a Christian bookstore to use a gift certificate getting dogeared in my purse. The book I wanted wasn't available, but a red sale sign for this Mary and Martha book almost poked me in the eye. The sign and title piqued my attention. Reading a few clips, I chuckled to myself.

How's this for openers? "Have you ever tried to do it all? I have, I do, and I probably always will. It's not only in my nature; it's also in my job description--and yours too. Being a woman requires more stamina, more creativity, and more wisdom than I ever dreamed as a young girl." The author sounded like my best friend having a chat with me.

Everyone is aware of the Mary/Martha dichotomy and sometimes we even take sides. Weaver points out that, although we may giggle about being a Mary or Martha, most of us would like to worship like Mary, to read our Bibles and pray, but it seems like just another item on our list. Instead we listen to the Martha who keeps bossing us around, telling us we need to do the laundry, clean the toilets, cook supper, help the kids with homework, bring sandwiches to the funeral. As they say, "A woman's work is never done."

Throughout the book, Joanna (We're on first name basis now!) shares her foibles, which seem amazingly like my own. Although I have been a perfectionist for most of my life, I am far from perfect. I want to learn from someone who has struggles similar to mine.

Joanna explains how Satan gets at us through distraction (i.e. busyness), discouragement, and doubt. In the tenth chapter of Luke, the doctor records that Martha was distracted "by all the preparations that had to be made." Then as now, the Martha in us thinks so many things "have to" be done, and done well. Joanna talks about weariness overpowering us. Then discouragement "breaks down our perspective and defenses." We say and do the wrong things. We feel "useless, hopeless, and abandoned." This was certainly where I was at that day in June ten years ago.

You will get a kick out of Ms. Weaver's description of Martha making the perfect meal. This wasn't any hash thrown together. Then Martha asked Jesus, "Don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?" We can't help feel that Jesus may have been hard on Martha and that Mary should have been helping.

The writer points out that neither of these women was perfect, but Jesus loved them both as they were. Still he loved them too much to leave them that way. Joanna talks about worry, fear, control issues, perfectionism, taking on too many jobs, all of the things we so innocently do. Through her personal stories, humour, scripture passages, and page-turning writing, we discover that the kingdom of God is a paradox. "While the world applauds achievement, God desires companionship," she says. "The world clamors, 'Do more! Be all that you can be!'" But our Father whispers, "Be still and know that I am God."

By following two other short clips about Mary and Martha later in the gospels, Weaver shows that these two completely different woman underwent a holy makeover. As she says, "It is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed." I believe that God spoke to me through this book and gave me grace to change. Although I still fall back on my old ways, I believe it is hard to read this book without making changes in your life.

Sharon E. Espeseth lives in Barrhead with her husband Hank. She is a mother of three adult children and two sons-in-law and Nana to six grandchildren. Sharon currently serves as the Liaison for InScribe Satellite Groups.

InScribers Review: On Writing Well

Review by Bryan Norford

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

by William Zinsser

If one ever feels that writing non-fiction might be boring, Zinsser’s book On Writing Well will soon destroy that idea. He opens his book with a humorous anecdote describing the often contentious difference between inspiration and craft.

Inspiration: write when the “spirit moves you,” let it all hang out, writing as a soothing de-stressor, is compared to Craft: hard, meticulous work of the nine to five variety. Zinsser is of the latter conviction; his edgy humour and unusual descriptive metaphors accentuate his confidence in that choice.

Chapters on Simplicity and Clutter are amply illustrated by his clear, concise, and readable text. He will severely cut words that serve no purpose, even in common phrases like “free up,” “fall down,” and the like, where the words “up” and “down” are unnecessary or obvious.

Zinsser provides two pages of his freehand editing, apparently the third or fourth edit, to illustrate his persistent reductions for clarity. Whether most of us have the time, or even inclination, for this thoroughness, he shows, not just tells, its benefit.

I particularly like a chapter called Bits and Pieces; what he calls an umbrella chapter as a catch all for ideas he can’t include elsewhere. For me, it’s like an attic chest, full of some obvious pieces, but including many unusual gems that brighten the textual imagination. Consider this simple fix:

Surprisingly often a difficult problem in a sentence can be solved by simply getting rid of it. Unfortunately, this solution is usually the last one that occurs to writers in a jam.

Mind you, this also illustrates Zinsser sometimes falls short. He doesn’t like adverbs, but uses two in this passage, plus usually and simply. I dislike the words get or got, and “that” in the second sentence could be omitted by a simple rearrangement!

Zinsser laces his book with examples illustrating his fatigue with dreary script, and his joy with startling and engaging writing. In a chapter on The Lead and the Ending, he quotes the opening of the Bible with approval:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

He also quotes Churchill’s beginning of his History of the English Speaking Peoples:

"In the summer of the Roman year 699, now described as the year 55 before the birth of Christ, the Proconsul of Gaul, Gaius Julius Caesar, turned his gaze upon Britain."

And he loves the surprise at the ending of a piece by Woody Allen:

“I’m obsessed by the fact that my mother genuinely resembles Groucho Marx."

Zinsser concludes with a chapter encouraging us to Write as Well as you Can. He points out that all writers are part entertainers, however distasteful that may sound. And the ways in which we intrigue and retain our readers is what makes our style.

But he suggests style—how we use humour, anecdote, paradox, and similar tools—is really a reflection of one’s personality. If readers like our personality, they will probably like our writing. After all, a book is a travelling companion, one we hope will brighten our journey.

Although Zinsser’s book has 320 pages, probably the first ninety and the last eighty are of general interest—not only for non-fiction, but also for fiction writers. The remainder deals with specific subjects: interviews, travel, memoirs, technology and the like, which are better used as reference texts.

I refer to this book about as much as I look up Strunk and White. Not only is it full of useful information, it’s as readable as any mystery novel, and for my purposes, far more useful.


Bryan Norford

Night Stories, A Review by Brenda Leyland

Night Stories, A Collection of Devotional Writing
Author:  Kimberley Payne
E-book:  3,372 words
Published:  SmashWords, 2012
ISBN: 9781476482309


I enjoyed reading Night Stories because I have experienced my own 'God' dreams. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about Kimberley's personal dream stories and what she felt God told her through them.

Night Stories is a collection of eight devotionals. These dreams, shared so simply they can be read in a sitting, are actually gems packed with hopeful messages of instruction, insight and encouragement. Since first getting the book some months ago, I've read it several times, and in truth, there is more to each dream's message than first supposed.

I am glad that Kimberley sensed their worth and published this small collection, not only to show that God still speaks to his people through dreams today, but to bless many others as they glean inspiration for their own lives.

I'm thinking this book would make good bedtime reading, as it could set the stage for slipping off into your own God-directed dreams.