A Sip of Inspiration

Cup of Hope now available in paperback!

I took the plunge last week and decided to self-publish Cup of Hope, Reflections from my heart. It is available in paperback and e-book formats through Lulu. Here's a brief excerpt:

"The word of God is our bread of life. I have learned the times I feel weakest are when I’ve neglected my daily prayer and bible study. Just as we need nourishment for our physical bodies, we also need nourishment for our spirit. Not only does the bible feed our souls, but it is our roadmap, our guidebook that shows us the way to walk. It provides direction when we don’t know if we should turn left or right. It gives us power to..."

Click here to order your copy

P.S. If you enjoy purchase this book and enjoy reading it, please consider taking a few minutes to rate and review Cup of Hope on Lulu.com. Or come back and leave your review in the comments here. Thanks!

Take Inventory

When was the last time you took inventory of your life? Do you ever reflect on the past, to determine if you're getting anywhere? Is your life moving forward, or are you still stuck in the same crevice you were in three years ago?

This morning I pulled out a couple of my older backup discs, in search of a particular file. I ended up spending over an hour digging through old writing files. I am amazed by what I found.

You know, all too often, I don't give myself enough credit. I've always felt less than best, but the truth is, I have a God-given talent. I'm not being boastful, because I have plenty room for improvement. But truthfully, I have not given myself enough credit for my work in the last few years.

During my file-digging excursion this morning, I also uncovered quite a few folders containing stories I started, but never finished. There was always some other freelance opportunity to sidetrack me from my ultimate goal of writing a book. For whatever reason, I always chose to drop my own heart-writing for financial security from writing for others. Not good.

As I sit here this morning, I'm kind of astounded by and ashamed at myself. I'm astounded that God would choose to give me such a blessed gift of writing. Yet, at the same time, I'm ashamed because I'm realizing I haven't always used this talent wisely.

Taking inventory is never an easy thing to do. It's difficult to look at myself and take honest stock in my actions. But I know it's a good thing. When I get real with myself, I can shake away the dirt and dust that's marred my vision and reach out to God for direction and guidance, seeing His vision more clearly.

NANO No-Go

As much as I'd rather not "out" myself here, I have to admit that I've slacked on my NANO novel...again. I haven't written a word since last weekend. I've been working on assignments for my Ethics class, among other things.

I'm not giving up on my book, but I just might not get in the entire 50,000 words by the end of the month. I'll try to make a big push this weekend to add to my word count. We'll see what happens!

Square Pegs Don't Fit In Round Holes

I've had a very long weekend of sickness in my house. Since I completed my assignments earlier in the week, I decided this was the perfect opportunity for me to catch up on some reading.

Lately I've been trying to break out of the box and broaden my horizons. During my last few trips to the public library, I've chosen books I normally would have passed. I still have my personal boundaries of what I will and won't read, but aside from those stipulations, I've been breaking out of the typical genres I read.

Writers can learn a lot from reading other writers. You pick up on things like characterization, showing vs. telling, and POV tactics. It's kind of fun to read something different because I've been learning a lot.

Among my choices this weekend was a novel that is categorized as an inspirational romance. I assumed this meant that the book would have a solid story with a Christian theme intertwined. What I found was a big surprise and a bit of a letdown.

Just a few pages into the first chapter, I immediately began feeling uncomfortable. While the writing itself was good, the language and imagery borderline on seductive and sensual. I'm no prude by any means, but when I pick up a book with the expectation that I'll be reading an inspirational (Christian) romance and feel like I've stepped into an erotic tale, it disturbs me. The further I read, the more sensual the writing became.

I stopped mid-way into the second chapter. Frankly, I can't honestly say if I'll even finish reading the book. I'm puzzled. Did the publisher/editor think more copies would sell if the writing contained more sexual tension? Does the author believe this is inspirational romance? Why doesn't the publisher/editor place this writer in a more appropriate category line? Do Christian writers today think it's acceptable to write and publish "Christian romance" novels that are filled with sexually charged scenes?

I'm well-read a large variety of genres. Some I don't care for, others I enjoy more. The point I'm trying to make here is that when a person buys a book, based on a specific category the book is placed in, that reader should be able to open the book and read with confidence, knowing that s/he won't be blushing and squirming in their seat five pages into the book.

If you read or write inspirational romance for the Christian market, what are your thoughts on this? I personally believe square pegs don't--and shouldn't--fit into round holes.

NANO - Day 1

I've officially made it through the first day of NANO 2008. I wrote a little over 1,200 words today. I wanted to write a little bit more than that on my first day, but this is a decent start. I'm happy with it. I have a pretty good outline so I think I should be able to get through this book this month.

Gearing Up For NaNoWriMo 2008

This post is mostly about how I came up with my idea for this year's NANO. Warning: It could bore you to tears. :)

I've been on break from school for two weeks now. During this brief intermission, I've worked on world and character building for a novel I'll write during NANO this year.

I'm starting with a book idea I actually began writing several years ago. When I found the file folder and opened it up, I realized that I wrote a lot more than I'd remembered back then. (I actually opened it up with intentions of finishing this idea, and using a different idea for my NANO novel.)

I was excited about finishing this book, but after I read through what I'd written, something wasn't quite right. The characters seemed shallow. The story itself lacked oomph. When I dug deeper into my chapter-by-chapter synopsis and read the full chapters already written, I was able to put my finger on the problems fairly quick:

1. No character depth
2. Lack of conflict
3. Characters goals and motivation seriously deficient
4. Weak plot line

These were the major issues I noticed during my initial read-through. I decided this story needs to be told, but it needed some major adjustments. I've learned a lot in the last few years, much of which I didn't know anything about back then, which explains the substandard story premise and flat characters.

Step 1: Give the character(s) something to fight for.

The first thing I did was sit down and rewrite a new Goal, Motivation, and Conflict chart for the heroine. This was a very exciting stage for me because once this step was complete, I could see just how far I've grown. It was especially fun to see this character come to life through deeper conflict and goals. Very exciting!

Step 2: Build their world.

The next step was to create a world around the characters. I have to know their town, the people in it, the businesses. It's important to have a grip on simple things like road structure and complex things like interpersonal dynamics among citizens. Some writers prefer to just build the world in their heads instead of writing about it. But I've had a lot of fun writing about it and sketching out a map by hand.

Step 3: Stock up on lots of coffee.

Now that I have the basics laid out, I'm just waiting for the official buzzer for 2008 NANO to begin. I have a simple outline and a basic idea of where my story will begin. Today I'll let the idea simmer on the back burner. I might even possibly come up with an extra surprise to throw into the story. I have a nice supply of coffee on hand. I have a word count goal of 2,500 per day (figured on a 5-day writing week, instead of 7, to allow some flexibility). I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? If you'd like, leave a comment and share your profile URL with us!