Empty by Sharon Heagy

 

Empty. That’s the way my head feels at the moment. Void of thought like my brain has packed its bag and moved to a better climate. One where ideas flow like waterfalls tumbling over rocks. They come so fast that they are nothing but a turbulent mess, but oh what a frenzy in which to be enfolded. What a glorious problem to have - too many ideas.  I visualize my brain lounging in a deck chair, cold drink and a long straw, maybe one of those little bamboo umbrellas and a slice of pineapple. “Ahhh” it sighs, basking in the glow of ideas. (Secretly I hope it gets brain freeze from the icy beverage. Desert me will ya.) 

 

But right now, I am staring at the screen and even the cursor has quit flashing, bored from lack of activity. In the silence every sound seems magnified. The wind sounds like it wants to reach through the crack of the window and tousle my hair and play with the papers on my desk, throwing them up in a whirlwind like the dry leaves of fall. It would exit the way it came in, laughing like a child full of joy, leaving me rumpled, glasses and hair askew but with a slight grin as its joy infects me too. 

 

I hear the planes from the training base in Moose Jaw flying overhead. Many times, I run outside and wave like crazy and often they respond in their next pass, tipping their wings as they go by. Probably having a laugh at the crazy old lady on her front lawn flailing her arms around. I call them ‘my boys’. “My boys are out today!” I yell to my husband as I vanish out the front door, hoping not to miss them. 

 

There is a cat padding by and a huff from our horse of a dog as he changes position in the middle of his afternoon nap. Two clocks compete for the loudest ticking sound. They are in time with each other, albeit on opposite beats musically. 

 

Not every day of writing flows. Sometimes it’s a bit jerky, a word here, a thought there. Oft times they are random and disjointed, but it’s important to keep going, to do the work. Like Watty Piper’s train in “The Little Engine That Could” – ‘I think I can, I think I can.’ And you can, and you will, if you just persevere. That’s what I tell myself and believe it. Or at least try to believe it. Oh, Lord, squash my unbelief.

 

But I think I need to go now and ask the Lord to help me find my brain so that the echo in my head ceases. And I know He will because He is faithful and has helped me find so many lost things. He excels with the lost. If I am honest with myself, it is He who has given me these words so that I wouldn’t have to submit a blank screen. And if I wait patiently and keep writing, words will flow once again as He provides them.

 

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.”

Micah 7:7

Education, Entertainment, and Encouragement by Steph Beth Nickel

 

There may not be as many reasons to write as there are writers, but there are several.

We may write to educate our readers, entertain them, or encourage them.

At times we may write to do all three.

Some of us may be writing about serious academic or personal issues. These topics often lend themselves to an educational approach.

However...

Many readers retain valuable information much longer if it is presented in an entertaining and/or encouraging way.

A combination of two or all three of these reasons to write is seen across virtually all nonfiction and fiction works.

Among them...

MEMOIR

The best memoirs entertain and educate readers. And, hopefully, they provide encouragement as well, especially to readers who have experienced something similar to the author.

DEVOTIONALS

Most, if not all, devotional writers want to encourage readers to draw closer to the Lord and educate them about biblical principles. It is common to include a personal anecdote, which, at times, may be entertaining as well as encouraging.

JOURNALISTIC ARTICLES

Primarily journalistic pieces are for educational purposes. However, in this day and age, there has been a plethora of responses to the outcry for uplifting news items. More than ever before, there is the opportunity to encourage and entertain as well as educate with this type of writing.

HISTORICAL FICTION

It's obvious with this genre that although the writer's main purpose is not likely to educate, readers are bound to learn something about the era in which the story is set (as long as the writer has done their research). As with virtually all genre fiction, the writer is likely seeking to entertain their readers. Encouragement may come, but it is often not in the forefront of the writer's mind.

SPECULATIVE FICTION

Perhaps surprisingly, education may weave its way through the speculative fiction story. They often serve as cautionary tales of how things could go horribly wrong if we continue on our current course. Many stories that would fall under the speculative fiction category may seem purely entertaining, which is not a bad thing. However, each reader brings his or her perspective to whatever they read. So, a writer's spec fiction may end up educating and encouraging as well as entertaining.

Have you given much thought to your number one reason for writing? Is it to educate, entertain, or encourage? Or is it something else. Bonus points if it begins with this month's letter, E.

Steph Beth Nickel writes speculative YA fiction to entertain and encourage. She writes devotionals to encourage and educate. She co-writes memoir to educate and encourage. She writes a wide variety of things because she is eclectically interested. (Note: "Eclectic" is yet another E word.)

Focus on Endurance and Encouragement - Guest Post by Kathleen Friesen

I’ve been reading Paul’s letter to the Romans and have loved Romans 15:13 for a long time, even using it as my tagline when signing books. But before reaching that familiar blessing, verse five leapt off the page.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. (Romans 15:5 NIV)

That resonated clearly, even though I misunderstood part of the meaning. More about that in a moment. First, the source of endurance and encouragement? God Almighty. 

Then I checked Strong’s Concordance and got a surprise. The Greek word translated endurance in the NIV is huomone, meaning patience, endurance, or cheerful, hopeful waiting. 

Rats. I’d thought that if I could tap into this verse and get God’s endurance, I’d have unlimited stamina. Power to do what I wanted? Wondrous! My house would always be clean, I could run marathons, and writing a book would be a snap. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? But I was wrong.

Instead of power to accomplish my own goals, Father God grants me patience to endure my weakness. To-do lists are beneficial but can easily replace attentive listening to the Holy Spirit. And He does provide the strength to complete the tasks He wants me to do. I’m still learning that when I listen closely and do what’s important to Him, the rest doesn’t matter. God doesn’t run His finger along the coffee table to check for dust. He doesn’t expect me to lace up my runners and break the tape at the finish line. And writing? That’s where I really need His endurance and encouragement. 

Discouragement sets in too easily when a story stalls or refuses to begin. The last few years have been difficult, and the words I need to create scenes flit away like butterflies. When that happens, I desperately need to lean into God’s cheerful, hopeful waiting. Perseverance is important, but beating myself up for failing to make progress doesn’t work either. God knows my heart, and He will give me the words in His time.

Encouragement comes from God through His word and through His children. The Greek word here is paraklesis, which may sound familiar. When Jesus promised his disciples He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16 KJV), the word for Comforter is parakletos, one who comes alongside. 

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”

Other translations render parakletos as Advocate, Helper or Counselor, which also fit with the word encouragement. 

There have been times when I’ve struggled physically and emotionally, and our Father prompted someone to send a message of hope. One time a note from a fellow Inscribe member came in the mail with exactly the loving thoughts I needed that day. Other times I received a text or phone call, each one a precious encouragement. And God’s word speaks to my heart, reassuring me that He loves me and is in control not only of my life but the whole world. What a blessing!

God extends endurance and encouragement to me, making it possible for me to turn and offer encouragement to others. When I see others struggling or even sense they may be, He gives me the courage to reach out. 

This is an ongoing lesson, because although I know better, my tendency is to “turtle” and hide away from everyone. The Holy Spirit draws me out of my shell, encouraging me to take small steps of love. Send a text. Offer to pray. Give a hug. Write a positive review. And guess what? When I give the blessing of encouragement, it comes back multiplied, every single time – God’s amazing economy at work.

Kathleen Friesen loves writing stories of faith that overcomes. Through her characters, she invites readers to risk faith, dare to love, and trust God with the consequences. After several years in the Okanagan valley, she and her husband have re-settled in Martensville, Saskatchewan with their rescue dog Lacy.

Writing Engineers by Joylene M Bailey

 

Image by Hulki Okan Tabak from Pixabay

~~~~~

I have three brothers. One is a civil engineer, one graduated in engineering physics, and one is a high school math and physics teacher. They are structure and architecture, calculation and precision. Is it any wonder they look at me in bewilderment when I start gabbing on about artistry and intuition?

I'm an intuitive writer (what some people call a pantser - never been a fan of that censorious term). Yet, there is an aspect of engineering involved in writing, even for intuitives like me. There is structure in story, architecture in character arc, precision in plot. And I don't have to use math to get there, thank the heavens above!!

When I look at the architecture of Westminster Abbey, gloriously on show this past weekend for the coronation of King Charles III, I'm dumbfounded by the precision and skill it took several architects, over hundreds of years, to complete. That's Engineering with a capital E.

I don't know of a book, other than the Bible, that took hundreds of years to complete, but I am aware that it took Pulitzer Prize winning author Anthony Doerr 10 years to finish his novel, All the Light We Cannot See. And it's a pretty magnificent read. Imagine the attention to detail it took to erect such an edifice.

~~~~~

Image by Lars Nissen from Pixabay

I'm not really going for the Westminster Abbey version of engineering in my writing. I'd be happy with a carefully crafted little structure that stands the test of time; somewhere readers can come to be encouraged and seen. The intuitive writer in me wants to get it all down, let the story tell itself, which is great. But I need to remind myself that a good story - the best story - also has a solid foundation, a framework and design that won't cave in. It needs good engineering.

~~~~~

A book that inspired this intuitive writer to consider becoming an engineer is Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. My copy is completely marked up and corner-folded, which tells you something because I seldom mark up a book. I also have his companion book, Story Physics, which I haven't yet finished.

*****

Joy is thankful to be (almost) recovered from the dreaded virus, which stole the entire month of April. How wonderful to be writing again, and enjoying her country home, where she lives with The Cowboy, Chara the dog, and Rhubarb the cat. Find more of her Joy-infused writing at Scraps of Joy.