The Power of One Thing (Randy Carlson), A Review by Susan Barclay

 

Carlson, Randy. The Power of One Thing: How to Intentionally Change Your Life. Tyndale House Publishers, 2009.

In The Power of One Thing, author Randy Carlson’s goal is to help readers intentionally change their lives. With the academic credentials to go with over 25 years of counselling experience, Dr. Carlson is well-equipped to help people improve in the five essential areas of life: faith, family, health, finances, and work.  As President of Family Life Communications Incorporated, he oversees the ministries of Intentional Living and Family Life Radio, where he fields numerous calls from listeners dealing with problems in one or more of these spheres. 

Divided into two parts, the book’s primary arguments are that you’re only “one thing” away from a better life and that changing one thing at a time is the most sensible approach. Most of us have tried to ameliorate our lives by biting off more than we can chew in one mouthful (I know I have!). Carlson encourages us to see the power in doing just one thing differently. If, for example, the idea of writing a full-length novel has struck you with writers’ paralysis, why not keep your sights on the next 1,000 words and produce them daily?  If you’re spending too much time on social media and failing to accomplish more important work, why not limit social media time to an hour each night? Can you think of other ways to use this principle to improve your writing life?

Overall, Carlson covers nine things to consider changing, and you can start wherever you need to most. Do you need to change your thinking or attitude, how you deal with emotions, or the words that come into your mind and out of your mouth? There are chapters on each of these. Do you need to change your use of time, the state of your house, the friends you choose? How about the questions you ask yourself and the way you make decisions?

        Change is possible. Look to the power of one thing. 

_________________________ 

You can find out more about Susan Barclay's writing at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com.

Book Review - Sally Meadows' Amazing Animal Fact Books!

It's book review day here on the IWO blog! I want to feature a couple of books by Sally Meadows. This set of books are amazing and interesting for all ages. I was so impressed, I have given them as gifts to my students. Here are the reviews about the books that I posted online:

WHEN SLEEPING BIRDS FLY: 365 Amazing Facts About the Animal Kingdom

What a wonderful collection of true facts about the animal kingdom. It is an interesting little book, full of amazing oddities - perfect for children, but adults will love it, too. I can imagine a curious child, for example, sitting down and devouring it in one sitting, and I can also see readers picking through it at random, enjoying their “fun fact for the day,” as it were. It is a great book for kids who don’t like to read – they can just focus on the glorious curiosities presented. It will be a favourite for kids who do like to read – and they’ll want more. It’s for reluctant students and those with a keen scientific mind. It is for families to enjoy together. It should be on every homeschooling shelf and in every public school library. I have a suspicion that it will become a favourite in every household that owns it. I bought several copies and am giving them away as gifts. Commendations to author Sally Meadows for such a unique and engaging book!

WHEN CROCODILES CRY: 365 More Amazing Facts About the Animal Kingdom

Like the first book in this series, When Sleeping Birds Fly: 365 Amazing Facts About The Animal Kingdom, this volume is chock full of delightful and surprising information and should be in every home and school library – anywhere curious minds can be found!

If you have read these books, I encourage you to post an online review!

Thank you, Sally, for such entertaining information. Of course, Sally also has music and many other books that you can enjoy. Visit her website for more. 

If you have read a good book on writing craft, marketing, or faith, why not post a review here? You can contact the blog moderator tracy[dot]krauss[at]gmail[dot]com We also accept reviews of books written by InScribe authors, so if you know an InScribe author whom you would like to feature, let me know!

Easter Stories and More!

It's book review day on the blog and today we are featuring the soon-to-be-released latest InScribe Anthology - EASTER STORIES & MORE!

This anthology comes on the heels of Christmas Stories & More which came out in 2017. Once again, it is full of heartwarming true stories, some fiction, poetry, devotionals, photographs and even some recipes! 

One of the things that is truly exciting is that the inspiration for this anthology started right here on this blog! It's true. Here is an excerpt from the introduction:

"It all started with some blog posts. Thanks to Sandi Somers’ inspiring themes each month, contributors to our InScribe Writers’ Online blog wrote pieces during Easter of 2019 from the point of view of those who may have been there during that first Easter. Contributions were so creative and from such a variety of viewpoints that it was one of our most successful and talked about online series. Alan Anderson, a long-time member of InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship and a regular contributor to our blog, suggested that these posts be collected and published. This was exactly the catalyst needed to spur the next InScribe Anthology to life. You can find most of these original stories in the ‘Creative Non-Fiction’ section. "  From introduction by Tracy Krauss

You can pre-order your copies at various online vendors. https://inscribe.org/press/publications/

Amazon 

Kobo

Or search for it at your favourite vendor.

Join us online for the launch on March 26!

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Writers also tend to be readers, so I know the answer to the question, "Have you read any good books lately?" must be, "YES!!" 

Why not tell us about a good book you've read? Here on the IWO blog, the 5th of each month is set aside for book reviews. Usually, we like to feature books related to the writing process or some aspect of Christian growth, but it would also be wonderful to feature a fellow InScribe member's books if you've read and enjoyed them. We have so many talented authors right here in our midst!

For instance, our own Marcia Laycock is an amazing and well-respected author. Did you know Marcia has been on the executive multiple times including a couple of stints as president? She is a best-selling author, too, and no wonder. Her work is phenomenal. I've read and been encouraged by more than one of her devotional books, including Celebrate This Day, A Traveler's Advisory, and Spur of the Moment, but my favorite books are ONE SMOOTH STONE and A TUMBLED STONE, both fiction.

Perhaps the settings have me biased. The first book has many scenes set in the Yukon and the second is in Saskatchewan - both places near and dear to me. So when she describes the wind in the prairie grass or the frozen and stunted boreal forest, I know exactly what she is describing. Beyond the descriptions, though, Marcia is an amazing storyteller. She draws you in and doesn't let go until you've read the last word. 

If you've never read either of these books, I HIGHLY recommend you put them on your TBR list! You can read more about both books at Marcia's website: https://marcialeelaycock.com/my-books/

There you will also find her many fantasy novels, devotionals, and more! Let's support one another. 

If you would like to write a book review or give a shout out to a favourite InScribe author, please email the moderator at: tracy[dot]krauss[at]gmail[dot]com

Review of Productivity for Authors by Joanna Penn

I found Productivity for Authors to very practical and readable. Joanna Penn, well known for her sound advice for authors, does a wonderful job of addressing most of the issues facing authors which may be hampering their ability to write productively. At the end of each chapter she includes a list of questions to help authors examine their own practices and start using her suggestions to improve their results. This is not a formulaic recipe for productivity. She is quite blunt in putting the onus right where it should be – on the shoulders of each individual. Basically, she says up front that being a writer is hard work and it is up to writers to quit making excuses and getting in their own way. Achieving the dream of full-time authorship does not equal an easy life, but it can be a very rewarding one. I was impressed with the realistic treatment of the topic in general. It was refreshing in that it didn’t promise ‘success’, offer a magic formula, or list a bunch of ‘hacks’. Instead, she offers very practical advice, based on her own considerable experience and expertise which includes actionable items throughout each chapter. I highly recommend this book for writers both new and seasoned. Joanna Penn’s voice in the current marketplace is sensible, realistic, and one that can be trusted.

Review by Tracy Krauss

Book Girl (Sarah Clarkson), A Review by Brenda Leyland

TITLE: Book Girl, A Journey through the Treasures & Transforming Power of a Reading Life
AUTHOR: Sarah Clarkson
PUBLISHER: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2018

PAPERBACK: 288 pages; $17.56 CAN  on Amazon.ca

KINDLE: 276 pages; $12.59 CAN on Amazon.ca

"...the loving wish of two young mothers who hoped to give their coming daughters the beauty of the world and the strength to bear its sorrow, and knew that one of the best ways to do that was through the gift of the reading life." SARAH CLARKSON

In Book Girl Sarah Clarkson explores how reading enriched, broadened, and delighted her life. Instilled with a love for books from her earliest childhood days, eventually Sarah came to recognize just how much reading had impacted her life and realized she wanted to share the gift of the reading life with others. She began writing Book Girl while studying at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, as a student of theology.

She lived in Oxford, city of my own dreaming spires. When I found that out, not only was I eager to read about her reading journey, I also hoped to catch glimpses of her life in that old city where writers like C.S.Lewis once studied, walked, and wrote stories. I wasn't disappointed. Sarah is a lovely writer and she shares her heart so eloquently. From the first page to the last, this volume is a treasure trove of memories of how she discovered reading was a way to help her see the world in all its wonder and beauty. She quoted lines from favourite authors, including C.S. Lewis, as she described why their books meant so much to her. So often, through her thoughtful writing, I caught glimpses of myself in her stories. In fact, I'll just admit it, this is the book I would have written thirty years ago if I would have known how to write it, if I would have had the skill to bring out what I'd learned on my own book reading journey. But since I didn't write one, I'm so glad Sarah did!

The book boasts more than twenty carefully curated book lists along with Sarah's own insightful reasons for her recommendations. Access to these lists is like having your own personal reading guide; they're worth the price right there. It was especially exciting to encounter titles I'd never read, some never even heard of, so gleefully I tucked away the info, much like a squirrel caches nuts for winter.

Book Girl has ten chapters with headings such as: On the Crafting of Book Lists, Books Can Broaden Your World, Books Can Shape Your Story, Books Can Open Your Eyes to Wonder. Sally Clarkson, Sarah's mom, wrote the foreword. And, if you're a part of a book club, there is a decent set of discussion questions at the end. Part memoir, part reading list, this is one book that every discerning 'book girl' will want as a beautiful reading companion on her bookshelf or bedside table. Written chiefly for women, it's also one you'll want to pass along to the other 'book girls' in your life -- daughters, granddaughters, nieces, friends. It's never too early to start your Christmas shopping.

Sarah Clarkson has authored several books, including the recently published Girls' Club (on cultivating lasting friendship in a lonely world), a joint writing venture with her mom, Sally Clarkson, and her sister, Joy Clarkson. She tells us there's a brand new book under construction, and you can catch her online on Facebook and Instagram. Sarah's website and blog can be found at sarahclarkson.com.  

A long-time InScribe member, Brenda Leyland writes from her home in Alberta, Canada. Inspired by beauty, Brenda takes joy in blogging at It's A Beautiful Life and posting on Facebook. She also sees herself  as a curator of memories and works away at various memoir projects.

  

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.

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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.

Telling Lies - A Review by Tracy Krauss

I first heard about the book Telling Lies for Fun and Profit when it was mentioned by Rik Hall at the past fall conference. He mentioned it more than once, in fact, so I thought I better look into it. I discovered it was originally published 'way back' in the 80s, but has since been republished. I also discovered that it is just as relevant and insightful (and downright hilarious in spots) as it was back then! I can't believe I had never heard of it before! One thing to take note of for our purposes is that it is not a Christian book and the author, Lawrence Block, is not a Christian writer, but I believe the principles are sound and beneficial to all writers. Plus, its good for a few belly laughs. Just sayin'! Here is my review of the book:

What a gem! I literally laughed out loud at some points. The author has a very unique, albeit dry sense of humour that makes this book a pleasure to read. It’s a must for any author: successful, aspiring, or otherwise. In fact, after reading it through once, I wanted to go back and reread some chapters just for the enjoyment of it! Some chapters were more applicable to my current situation than others, but each one had at least one nugget of wisdom, from very practical writing ‘how-to’ kind of stuff, to more philosophical questions about writing as a calling versus a job. He includes plenty of personal anecdotes that serve to also show readers what ‘not to do’. I can’t believe I haven’t come across this book before. It’s timeless - as fresh and relevant now as it was when it was first published – despite the changes in the publishing industry. All I can really advise is, “Read it!”