More - Faster and Better - a Review

 

I’m going to be honest here. When I first saw the title, I was skeptical. The book was suggested by Amazon in one of their regular recommendations (which I normally just ignore) but something made me stop when I saw the title. Like I said, I was skeptical, but I bought it anyway. I am so glad I did! It might be the most revolutionary book on the writing process I've ever read. 

It boils down to three things: Knowledge, Time, Enthusiasm.  These three form the triad that is the key to writing faster and better without sacrificing passion. Pretty simple, but also revolutionary. Let me elaborate.

Step 1: Knowledge: Know what you’re writing. In other words, plot out each scene before you sit down to write it. Do not describe, or use dialogue etc. but do work out the finer details of exactly what happens next… and next…and next… It’s a shorthand ‘telling’ version, if you will. Then when you sit down to write, you don’t have to invent the story at the same time. You can just write it. I’ve done this before on occasion and it really does work. You’ve already worked out how the action will play out so now it’s just a matter of putting life to it. According to Aaron, this is the single biggest step in boosting your word count.

Step 2: Time: She suggests keeping records of your writing habits. Word count per hour is obvious, but also record things like time of day and location.  After awhile you can see what patterns emerge. You can then optimize your writing by choosing the best time of day and location.

Step 3: Enthusiasm: If you’re bored or experiencing writer’s block, perhaps the scene itself needs to be cut. Only write about what excites you. ‘Red flag’ any scenes that you feel resistance to when writing. They can probably be slashed. As she says, if you don’t want to write them, readers probably don’t want to read them either. Smart. It’ll keep your writing fresh and keep you happy.

This is the short and simple version of what Rachel Aaron has to say in her book. Try these simple tricks and see if your writing improves.

(AND GET THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF. It’s worth it.)

review by Tracy Krauss

Go for the Gold with God by Steph Beth Nickel

This lady right here—gold medal-winning, world record-setting Paralympian Deb Willows—taught me so much about perseverance and overcoming one's circumstances. She also taught me what it looks like to go for the gold with God. 

When I saw the theme for this month, “A Metaphor from the Olympics,” I was thrilled. Having co-authored Deb’s memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, I knew I had a storehouse of information and inspiration. 

As writers and as Christians, how can we, too, go for the gold?

Dream big!

When Deb was a girl, she sat watching the Olympics with her dad. When she saw the swimming events, she said, "I want to do that."

Now, because Deb has cerebral palsy, her limbs don't always do what she wants them to. Many parents would have encouraged their child to set the bar a little lower, but not the Willows. They provided her with every opportunity to achieve her dreams—and she did.

What can we learn from this? 

If there's something seemingly impossible that we want to achieve, let's prayerfully ask God for wisdom and direction and do all we can to achieve our dreams (unless, of course, the Lord directs us on another path). It may just pay off in ways we'd never imagined.

Commit to Practice, Practice, and More Practice

Deb didn't just show up at an event and say, "Well, I'm here. Let's do this!" Of course not.

She spent countless hours in the pool strengthening her limbs and learning how to propel herself down the lane ... as well as learning to propel her wheelchair through a slalom course, play wheelchair soccer and bocci ball. 

When she felt like it, she practiced. When she didn't feel like it, she practiced. When a migraine hit, if at all possible, she practiced.

This woman's determination has taught me that anything worth achieving is worth hours of planning, preparation, and practice—even when we don't feel like it. This is true whether we're on our way to becoming a record-setting athlete or the best freelance columnist our local newspaper has ever hired.

Press Through the Hard Times

I already mentioned Deb's migraines, but one thing especially impressed me. As she said, the organizers of a Paralympic event won't reschedule simply because an athlete has a headache. Deb has competed when her body wanted nothing more than to stay in bed. 

Deb also tells of another Paralympian with whom she played wheelchair soccer. During the match, there was a loud crunch. This man's foot had gotten squashed between his footplate and that of another athlete's. The truly amazing thing is this: he refused to let the doctor put on a cast until after his swimming events. Talk about dedication.

Do I have this kind of dedication when I face hard times in my own life? Too often I'd have to say no. In fact, I can't even imagine persevering in these scenarios. What about you?

Don't Give Up When You Don't Achieve Gold

Deb was away from home competing in the Games. Normally, she would get in touch with her family after she had won a medal (or several medals). On this particular occasion, she hadn't won any medals or set any world records, but she did want to talk to her family. So she called home and who should answer but her brother.

He asked, "Did you win?"

When Deb said she hadn't, he asked why she was calling.

Brothers!

It is important to do the best we can—to do everything in the name of Jesus as it says in Colossians 3:17—but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll win a gold medal or hit the best seller list. However, one thing's for sure, if we give up, we never will.

By the way, Deb and all the members of her family are extremely close and have great fun together.

Give God the Glory

Here's Deb's perspective on what's truly important:

"In a very real sense, the medals I won are worthless. But when I share my faith with others, now that is pure gold. If back on that June day I did not swim my race, how many opportunities to share God's love would I have missed?" (from Living Beyond My Circumstances)

It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, which says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (ESV).

Will you go for the gold this day? And will you give God all the glory whether you achieve your dreams or not?

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance writer and editor (among other things). She seeks to go for the gold from her home in southwestern Ontario. Deb and Steph are currently working on a follow-up book that will cover the years after Deb’s active involvement in sports. They’ve given it the working title Still Living Beyond My Circumstances.

Going For the Gold By Marcia Lee Laycock

Olympic Medals

A cross-country runner lengthens her stride and qualifies. Another throws himself over the finish line, even though he has fallen. A long jumper forgets about past injuries and puts every ounce of courage into competing. Athletes. We’re going to be seeing a lot of them in the days ahead, as our televisions broadcast the hour by hour and even minute by minute reports from the Rio Olympics. Millions will be watching because the stories of victory and defeat, top dogs and underdogs, are riveting. There are those who just can’t seem to lose and those who just can’t seem to win. There are those who are there as veterans, having competed many times, and there are those who are there for the first time, looking at future dates when they might ascend to the podium of medal winners. Whatever their status, whatever their level of skill, there is one thing that seems to characterize them all: focus. They are all focused on going for the gold.

Being singleminded is a quality that is referred to in the Bible many times. Throughout the history of the Hebrew people, detailed in the Old Testament, we hear God saying, “don’t be double-minded.” It was understandable they would need to be warned. People who worshipped many gods surrounded them. By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, they were under the dominion of a culture that encouraged multiplicity. Walking through the streets of Rome and most of her conquered territory was like walking through a museum of idols made from every imaginable substance. The temptation to ‘hedge their bets’ was intense.

By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, God was also warning His people about the idols in their hearts. He was specific about some them, telling them point-blank, “You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Luke 16:13) Even in that far-away corner of the world, the Roman Empire had brought a measure of prosperity. Goods and services were readily available. Commerce was thriving. Many had made it their god.

Sound familiar? In our culture, where ‘going for the gold’ has more than an athletic ring to it, the distractions are many and mighty. Material success is lifted up to the highest place on the podium, with production and efficiency running right behind. We depend on them to keep us safe, to keep us fed and clothed, to keep us happy. They are our gods.

The scriptures teach another way. The apostle Paul put it well, in the book of Hebrews: “...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12: 1-2) As with the athletes competing in Rio, it’s a matter of focus. Like Paul, we must “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) The goal, the prize, the only gold worth winning, is Christ Himself. Go for the Gold. 
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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was short listed in The Word Awards. Marcia also has two devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan.

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded on Smashwords or on Amazon. It is also now available in Journal format on Amazon. 

Her most recent release is a devotional book for travelers: A Traveler's Advisory

Visit Marcia’s Website

Sign up to receive her devotional column, The Spur

Notes from the Olympics by Sandi Somers

This month much of the world’s attention will be focused on the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (August 5-21).

Our blog question asks: How can an athlete’s story or a metaphor from the Olympics inspire your writing and faith?

In Pursuit of Gold

My most memorable Olympics came in 1988 when Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics.

The atmosphere in our city was energized, euphoric even, as for two weeks we were the showcase for the world.

Everyone, it seemed, wanted to volunteer—from singers and dancers at the opening ceremonies, to hosts at venues, to drivers for VIPs.

The Olympics were a culmination of years and months of preparation: for the venues, volunteers, and athletes.

But especially for the athletes.

* * *

As I compose this blog, I can’t help drawing a comparison. While the athletes focus on pursuing Gold, we as followers of Jesus focus on pursuing God.

I’m reminded of how the Apostle Paul used imagery from sports and the Greek Olympics to emphasize how we should live as Christ-followers.  

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Just as athletes practice and train for years, so it takes time to cultivate our life and gifts—training our bodies, minds and spirits to become like Christ.

Each day is a chance to develop that relationship with Christ. To be renewed. To become mature believers.

And we can only to become mature believers with the power of our “Coach”, the Holy Spirit.

 “Let us throw off everything that so easily hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).”

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on...to win the prize for which God has called me” (Philippians 3:13-14).

In the 1988 Olympics, Gold was elusive for our Canadian athletes. 

Our hopes were pinned on Brian Orser, the World Champion in Men’s Figure Skating. However, he made small mistakes in his performances and won only Silver; Elizabeth Manley, our best Women’s Figure skater, didn’t perform well in her compulsory figures. But she came up from behind with a stellar free program. She, too, won Silver.

Elizabeth Manley Wins Silver

One of my best takeaways from athletes is handling accidents, injuries or mistakes. They’re often devastated at the moment. But then they determine to learn from their mistakes, continue training and achieve higher excellence and skill.

I can be tempted to regret my mistakes. 

And yet, and yet…God is in the business of redeeming errors.

“No mistake is so serious but that God can start anew and make something worthwhile from your life,” wrote Wesley Duewel. “God can take any surrendered life and even weave our mistakes into something useful and beautiful.”[i]

Sometimes God has overturned errors of the past; He’s given me hidden valuable lessons that have furthered my ministry to others, both in my life and writing.

 “Forget your past, wrote David Wilkerson. “Lay it down before the Lord in His mercy. Now press on in Jesus!”[ii]

 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?...They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

I wonder if Paul watched an award ceremony, as officials placed a wreath of laurel leaves (a.k.a. bay leaves!) on the winner’s head. How different, he wrote, will be a believer’s reward. An eternal crown.

“So run that you may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

My prayer for each of us is that we will live so that each day we can say: “I have fought a good fight…I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

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[i] Wesley Duewel. Let God Guide You Daily. Grand Rapids, MI: Francis Asbury Press. 1988, p. 17.

[ii] David Wilkerson. God is Faithful. Minneapolis, MN: Chosen Books. 2012, p. 229.