Reflections on Reading and Writing by Lorilee Guenter

 I am a voracious reader. I crack open a book and step through the door to another place, another time. Each book offers a chance to peak through the window into another person's life. I begin each year with a plan to keep a record of the books I read. I envision ending the year with a list of titles I've read, and authors I spent time with. I expect this list to remind me of the characters who entertained me, and the thinkers who made me consider a variety of ideas. Like many good resolutions, this one falls.

I read to be informed and to learn. I am actively reading at least one non-fiction book, maybe more at any given time. My e-reader currently has half a dozen titles in various stages of completion. Sometimes the books all relate to a topic I am researching. Other times biographies and autobiographies are found in my reading pile. This month none of the books I'm reading (physical or electronic) are biographical, which is unusual. I especially enjoy reading the published journals, letters, or biographies of authors and creators.

I read to be entertained. Some of the earliest books I read, remain favourites. I suspect it is because they opened up new worlds of imagination. The first book I signed out of the school library was "Charlotte's Web." Other early favourites include "Winnie the Pooh" and "Anne of Green Gables." Over the years many other characters and books have joined these three as favourites. There are now too many to list.

Sometimes I pick up a book by a new to me author and enjoy it so much that I hunt down everything I can find by them. Other times I pick up a book and set it aside after a few pages. (Confession: This rarely happens since even writing I don't enjoy is useful if I can determine what I dislike. My writing becomes stronger because of what I learn from other styles.) 

A few years ago I would say "I read anything except romance and horror." Then Dad challenged me to write a romantic suspense. Since I don't think it is possible to write a good book in a genre you don't read, I went to the library and signed out a stack of romance books. Some I enjoyed. Some I thought, "yeah right, like that's realistic." As someone who reads fantasy and science fiction, it might seem contradictory to critique a book as unrealistic. However, each genre has its own expectations and in my opinion there should be enough realism in romantic suspense that the reader is willing to enter the story. I have taken Dad's challenge and written a draft of a romantic suspense. It will take much revision and editing before I'm convinced it meets the realism test. I think I can still safely say I don't read horror, although that might be because no one has issued a challenge regarding horror and offered recommendations.

While I always have at least one book I am reading, I write in fits and starts. Sometimes the words spill from my pen. It is as if I am compelled to sit and think through the tip of my pen. Other times I seem to find any and every excuse to leave the pen undisturbed on the desk. I don't know why. I get agitated during these times because I should be writing. I should be creating not just consuming. The 'shoulds' throw up one block and then another until the tower of bricks topples for lack of a strong foundation. Excuses that began as good reasons are washed away. Then one idea leads to another. The time of contemplation and silent processing comes to an end. 

I begin to pick up my pen. I pause. I am learning to embrace the pause and trust the Holy Spirit will guide my words when I am ready for them. Until then, I read, I visit with friends and family, I garden and I wait. I try not to let agitation invade this time of waiting. I am learning, but I am not there yet. Too often I still run on ahead, only to crash into the tower of excuses. Perhaps one day I will recognise the healthy rhythm God is trying to teach me.

Lorilee Guenter is a Saskatoon based artist and writer. Her writing stems from the many questions she finds herself pondering and from the things she observes on her wanderings. One such question is how did events she lived through become the subject of history.

Finding the song of my heart ~ Lorilee Guenter

I have a handmade rough drawn 8 1/2 by 11 inch sized reminder on my wall. It reads: " The worst thing that will happen if you fail, is you will learn something." Some would argue that failures can lead to many nasty things and even death. However, most of our failures are small because the risks taken are small. Even so, when we walk with the Lord and follow his leading even dramatic failure is an opportunity for God's instruction and his refining of our lives. 

I have often questioned if there is a thread that runs through my writing and my interests. As this months prompt asks, what projects, what writing makes my heart sing? I like to learn, which means research and experimentation. It means taking risks. As a result, I have drawn connections between seemingly unrelated objects, events or activities. Some inspire me or others. Some leave a "huh, what are you talking about," response as my attempt to explain falls flat. In either case I have a choice. I can stop or I can keep going. I can keep following my love of research and learning or I can let fear stop me from using the interests God has given me.

The simple, awkwardly written reminder draws on years of learning to walk in faith. We are told faith through God's spirit drives out fear. It allows us to take those desires that God gave us, those things that make our heart sing and let him use them to his glory. Even our failures can be used by him. This sentiment winds its way through much of my writing from essay to novel. It is a reminder that God  is part of the story no matter what our circumstances are. We don't lose him when we fail. He knows we will fail but he never fails us.

In Mark 9, the disciples wonder why they can not drive out a demon. They tried to use what they learned to help others but it did not work. Jesus used that as a teaching moment. He used it to build the faith of all involved and he helped the boy who suffered at the hands of a demon. "LORD, I believe, help me in my unbelief." A simple statement. LORD I trust you, help me take this step. Teach me.

As I study, observe, read and write a recurring theme is to keep trusting, keep trying because God is walking with us even in our failures. He is teaching us and refining us. He gives us the reasons to let our hearts sing. Then he joins with our song.

Reading Enjoyment by Carol Harrison

 

I made new friends when I started school, some closer than others. One friendship has remained and grown stronger with each passing year, if that is even possible. I can hold this friend in my hands, hear the crinkle of the pages as I flip them, and lose myself in the words within. Books, from the first Dick and Jane primer onward, opened new worlds for me. I no longer had to rely on my mom or grandfather to read to me or tell me stories. I could do it myself, although I often curled up by grandpa and listened as he read serialized stories from the Western Producer or Mennonite Brethren Herald magazine.

It took a few more years until I could venture to the library closest to our home because of crossing busy streets but it instantly became a favourite spot to connect with these new friends I held so dear. Shelf after shelf of books beckoned me to explore. Reading levels grew more difficult and begged me to attain these heights of enjoyment. Choosing the ones to take home at each visit took much time. I wanted them all. By grade four I even enjoyed the reference books so I could learn about far away places that were not imaginary. It sparked a desire to continue learning that hasn’t diminished with the passing years and varied circumstances of life.

Were you ever excited by encyclopedias? I remember the day my mom and dad splurged to buy a set of World Book encyclopedias, the two-volume dictionary, and the set of Childcraft books as well. Looking back, I’m sure this expenditure must have proved a stretch for my parents’ budget but I loved those cream and forest green covers all lined up on the shelf with their gold embossed titles. Many hours of reading them, researching for school papers, or just checking something out occupied the remaining years of schooling and inspired my love of researching things even today. Google offers expansive research opportunities without needing shelves and shelves of reference material, but a part of me misses those well-loved and used stately old friends.

Reading has remained an enjoyment and at times an obsession. As a young girl, I hated to quit in the middle of a good book just because the clock announced bedtime and Mom enforced it. I remember trying to read by the light of the street lamp outside my window. It didn’t work as well in the summer when the tree canopy on our street filled with leaves and blocked some of the light. I learned to distinguish every footstep coming up the staircase so I could have the bedside lamp off before Mom would see it's tell-tale glow under the door. Now I tell myself when it’s bedtime and yet like those long-ago days, I often read way too late because I need to find out what happens next in the current book. It's worth the consequence of sleepiness the next morning.

Yet I also remember times when lessons popped out from the least expected piece of writing. One time, my asthma flared so badly that concentrating on anything proved almost impossible. I longed to read my Bible but a verse or two was all I could manage. Not enough breath meant no focus or ability to think. My daughter brought home a series of books from the church library – light, Christian fiction. Nothing that required intense concentration nor did I expect to learn much. They would keep me company as I wheezed my way through days of imposed rest. Yet, God had other plans. Nuggets of truth and encouragement dropped into my mind and heart as I read. The title and author are long forgotten and yet the lessons etched themselves into my life and were followed up by Bible study when the ability to do so returned. It has happened at other times since then. Gems to teach and encourage come in the least expected form and time from these old friends of mine.

When life gets busy and I don’t take time to pick up a book, a bereft feeling appears and lingers. At times, I attribute it to the hectic pace, the deadlines set by others or myself to complete projects, or life events. Yet deep down I know it is missing time with books, reading for enjoyment and educating myself. But once I begin reading, chores get put on hold or relegated to others. The pleasure of a good book in hand outweighs the mundane necessities.

My reading list is never set in stone or even written down. I have a pile of to-be-read books waiting their turn. This summer, I’ve been challenged to read a book outside my preferred genre, one written like letters or diary entries, and one that uses math or numbers within the story. A friend lent me several true stories and a book of short stories. Then there is the excitement of being a Beta reader or reading to review for friends who have books coming out soon. What a joy to be able to get a sneak peak and help another writer at the same time.

So many books to read. So many hours to hang out with these old friends in newer, updated versions of themselves. So many writers to learn about and read their offerings. Some will entertain me. Others will encourage. Some will educate as I research a topic, a Bible study, or even check out more about the author. Hidden gems will continue to sparkle their way into my life. But one thing stays the same – my love of reading.

 

Carol Harrison is a speaker and writer as well as an avid reader who makes her home in Saskatoon. She has a passion to help others of all ages and abilities find their voice, reach their fullest potential and be encouraged to find a glimmer of hope no matter what the circumstances.  

Becoming a Writer by Michelle M. Brown

It took until after I had written the first draft for me to research the different methods that are used by various authors, in writing a book. I know I put the cart before the horse, but I had been explicitly encouraged by God to write my story. The thought of there being a process, more than just sitting down and writing, was unknown to me. I was amazed at the undertaking that is implemented in the planning stage of writing a book by some writers. The meticulous effort that is utilized in defining the topic, writing a proposal, creating an outline and setting up a work schedule so deadlines can be met.

My process for writing a book consisted of much less time and task management and more “go with the flow”. I sat down every morning with my bible, my devotional for the day and spent time with God. I then started writing. My time with God was my planning stage. Not for the book, but for me being in the right frame of mind to tackle the task God had assigned me. I wasn’t sure what direction the story would take or even what my message was. It was God’s story of my life, and I allowed Him to tell it through me. I didn’t need a plan because God had one.

It took me three months to write seventy thousand words. Some days I wrote for twenty minutes and other days I wrote for two hours. It was an emotional process that I allowed to ebb and flow as dictated by my ability to deal with the content. There was no schedule or order that I can pinpoint. Just God and I detailing a life shaped by adversity and circumstance. It was a journey of healing old wounds and discovering forgotten strengths.

The research for process came after I completed that first draft because it was time to edit what I had hammered out on my keyboard and make sense of it for other people to read. This step is slow and painful. Not because of the content, this time, but because my writing skills leave a lot to be desired. It is where I fall short and where I have decided to learn, 45 years after I entered the school system, so I can continue on this journey to be God’s writer.

I have recently been reading 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith by Michelle DeRusha. Fifty, courageous, Godly women who stepped out in faith between the years 1038-2013. Most were writers, all were called, few felt they had the ability, but all were willing to listen to God’s calling on their life and face opposition, ridicule, imprisonment and death. They genuinely are heroines in God’s army of women.

God called me to write, but he never said it would be easy and I wouldn’t have to work for it. Putting myself out there in this position of vulnerability has been challenging to my pride and often my self-esteem. In the end, though, I realize that God never calls us to do what is easy. He calls us to do what He needs, and with that comes its own blessing of being an obedient child that is pleasing to her Father.

"...for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." ~Romans 11:2

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Michelle M. Brown was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She has a background in Marketing & Design. An avid hiker and adventure junkie she has embarked on a journey to conquer 50 adventurous activities in her 50th year.

The Schoolroom of Life by Susan Barclay

This month’s prompt reminds me of the phrase “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” How apt when September is back to school month! 

The Schoolroom of Life

As I sit at my desk in God’s classroom

It feels like the first day again

I’m nervous and excited

About what I might learn this year

The Teacher is good, all the time

He knows the gaps in my education

What methods work best

I prepare myself for what He has in store

The Teacher holds the future

He knows just what I need

My hands are open, ready to receive

From the Author and perfecter of my faith

I’ll avail my student's heart and mind

To the One who made me

The One who knows all about me

Behold, He is doing a new thing

Because His love never fails

And His ways are higher than mine

I will trust Jehovah-jireh

As I sit at my desk in God’s classroom

© Susan Barclay, 2017

 ___________________________
 Susan maintains a website at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

One Step At A Time - by Tracy Krauss

This month's prompt has caused me quite a bit of reflection. "What 'small step' in your writing life turned out to be a giant leap?" I suppose I could tell about the time I sent my very first query. Or I could talk about the time, years later, when I sent out 120 queries, determined to get some kind of result. Or I could go even farther back to the very first time I actually let someone read something I'd written. That was a huge breakthrough for me.

As I reflect on my more than thirty years of writing, I see a definite progression, but most of the time it has been a methodical plodding rather than a giant leap. It has been a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what. 

Not very glamorous, I'll admit. But perhaps the tenacity that kept me writing for more than sixteen years without sharing, served me when it came to the next season of rejection. I won't retell the story, since I've shared it here before, but I put that same philosophy into practice for another seven plus years as I continued to write, submit, and get rejected. 

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other...

In fact, I've had to remind myself of this motto post-publication as well. I had no idea that the demands of marketing and promoting one's own work would be so rigorous. I had no idea how I was going to fit this new dimension into an already busy life. I'll admit there have been times when I've overestimated my own stamina. (a.k.a I've bitten off more than I can chew...) 

But even then, continuing to just move forward, however slowly or awkwardly, has gotten me through each challenge. I know a whole lot more about formatting and social networking and website building and... you name it, than I ever would have dreamt when I started on this journey.

I had to remind myself of this just the other day as I was struggling with some new software. (I am in the process of rebuilding my author website.) I couldn't get it to work properly and I couldn't seem to figure out why and I was getting really frustrated because the whole point is to make my website look PROFESSIONAL... 

And then I stopped and gave myself a little talking to. As I look back over the last five, ten, or even thirty years, I didn't learn everything overnight. Learning and growing takes time. Rather than getting overwhelmed, I need to remember that and just keep moving forward.

One.Step.At.A.Time.  

(By the way, I figured out the glitch. It took me two entire days, but once I did, it was SO SIMPLE! Go figure!)

___________

Tracy Krauss writes from her home in Tumbler Ridge, BC. Visit her brand new, although still under construction, website for more details. tracykrauss.com

Never Stop Learning -- Steph Beth Nickel

How to confound your family in one easy step . . .

Curl up on the couch reading Lynne Truss’s Eats Shoots and Leaves and laugh uproariously while your family is trying to watch television in the same room.

“Only a writer,” you say. And you’d be right. Or an editor, agent, or publisher.

That scenario actually happened, by the way. Truss’s book is still one of my favourites.

And who else would read The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style cover to cover and get excited when he or she came across the wonderful reference tool by Kathy Ide titled Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors?

Would you consider an online subscription to The Chicago Manual of Style one of your best professional investments?

Those of us in the writing industry think differently than others, but you already knew that.

Two years ago, I sat in on literary agent Steve Laube’s continuing class at Write Canada. It was a great class, overflowing with so much insight. After all, he has been in the industry over three decades and has learned a lot over the years. One of the best takeaways was a list of books Steve considers must-reads for authors. I have been building my reference library based on his suggestions.

When I saw Steve at The Word Awards in June, I suggested he add Don McNair’s book Editor-Proof Your Writing to his list. I would encourage all fiction writers to get a copy of McNair’s book. It is well worth reading and referring to often. In it he shares 21 ways to almost instantly make your writing better.

I have quite a backlog of Web posts I would love to read by industry professionals like Jane Friedman, Jeff Goins, and Kristen Lamb. And I know there are countless others, many of which are tucked away in folders connected to my email accounts.

Stacks of books. Piles of back copies of Writer’s Digest. Websites galore. It can all be very overwhelming. But I have to keep learning, and so should you.

Life is all about maintaining tension (some say balance) and we must be careful not to spend so much time learning that we neglect doing. Writers must write. Editors must edit. Publishers must publish. (I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t work for agents.)

Whatever our pursuit in the writing industry – and elsewhere – we must continue to do what we do to the best of our ability while continuing to learn at every opportunity.

Here are six tips on how to expand your knowledge:

1. Each day look up at least one word you come across that you can’t readily define. Keep a list of words and their definitions and review it often.

2. Pull one of your favourite reference books off the shelf and re-read it.

3. Purchase one new reference book and commit to reading it before the end of the year. I would suggest Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors or Editor-Proof Your Writing.

4. Search the Web for webinars or blogs directed at writers. Read at least one post and/or “attend” one webinar per week – or one per month, if that’s more doable for you.

5. Be humble. If you think something is right but aren’t 100 percent sure, look it up in a reference work like The Chicago Manual of Style. (As I mentioned, the online version is extremely handy.)

6. Attend the InScribe conference in the fall.

What is your favourite skills development book or website?


Steph Beth Nickel invites you to contact her by e-mail . . . or visit her website,  blog or  Facebook page.

Take an Online Writing Class - Bonnie Way

Writer's conferences and writing courses are both great ways to improve your skills as a writer—if you are able to make it to the venue offering them.  Online creative writing courses are opening up new opportunities for writers who live in smaller towns or aren't able to travel to big writer's conferences.  When I lived in northern Alberta, I took two online courses (from two different universities) as a way to learn, encourage myself to write, and connect with other writers.  Here's what I learned from that experience.

Choosing an Online Creative Writing Course
Look for a course that is relevant to what you need to learn.  If you are just starting out, choose one or two topics to focus on and take a course or two in that area.  When that concept is mastered, look for more courses.

Look for a course that seems manageable to you.  Consider how much time you can commit to this course at this time and whether you will be able to meet the deadlines (if there are any).  Some courses are offered as work-at-your-own pace; there is no instructor, no deadline, no peer feedback.  Consider working through it with another writer so you can set deadlines for each other; or, if you are self-disciplined enough to work through the course and do all the suggested exercises on your own, go for it.

Peer Feedback is Valuable in Online Writing Courses
Writing is a lonely business and writers are often looking for others who understand the business.  An online writing course can be a great way to find writing buddies and to get critiques.  Pam Mytroen, a freelance writer and concert reviewer, says that “constructive criticism by other writers taking the same course was the very best component of the course. ... It's one thing to show your assignment to your family or friends to read but it's another thing to show it to an unbiased student who you're only dealing with over the internet. You get really honest criticism and encouragement.”

Having a fresh, unbiased eye look at a writer’s work is always valuable.  Other writers in an online course can do this without fear of hurting your feelings.  For Pam, that was “worth every single penny right there.”  She adds, “I discovered exactly what needed work. Their insights were surprising. I would have never gotten this help from people close to me.”

More Pros of Online Writing Classes
Online offers an atmosphere of immediacy.  Rather than waiting weeks for mail to travel in a traditional correspondence course, writers can receive feedback from their peers and instructors within hours or days.  Those enrolled in online courses guided by an instructor benefit from the wealth of the instructor’s experience.  Pam found her instructor “practical and discerning and encouraging.”  The instructor can also set deadlines which can help motivate the writer; as Pam says, “It was like a kick-start to writing. After that course I wrote for an entire year.”

Disadvantages of Online Creative Writing Courses
Many of the disadvantages are similar to the advantages.  Courses that offer instructors cost more than courses that do not; weigh your need for feedback and deadlines with the funds that you have to spend on your learning.

Peer feedback also depends upon the other writers in the group.  As Pam explains, what you gain from an online writing class “depends upon who your fellow students are and how much they're willing to give you.”  Pam had several good experiences with fellow writers in online courses, but then, “in one course I took, one of the students dropped out early and that only left two others to critique me. Of those two, one was defensive about everything I tried to help her with and I discovered in return that when she critiqued my work, it was poorly done.”  I had a similar experience in one of my courses; two students never offered critiques, so instead of getting feedback from four people, I only got two.

Writers who pay for an online writing course, expecting to get great critiques from their fellow students, may be greatly disappointed.  Pam felt that “when you pay several hundred bucks, there should be a more fail-safe system of getting the critiques you need.”  Before starting an online writing class, consider asking the instructor or the institution about critiquing guidelines for participants, what will happen if a participant drops out, and what the policy is if one student fails to participate in the critique process.

~ © Bonnie Way