• Story Element: Desire

    18Aug
    Categories: Writing Well Comments: 0

    Many factors go into writing a powerful, successful story. Strong and interesting characters. A compelling plot. Conflict, obstacles and a strong, believable resolution.

    What is the most important factor? There are as many answers to that question as there are authors and writers. I can sum up the most important thing to my stories  in one word. Desire.

    In other words, what is your story about?

    Do you think you can figure that out as you write? I used to think that, too. It is possible, but it’s also possible to write an entire story without a clear idea of what the lead character is trying to accomplish. I have three or four finished manuscripts to prove it!

    Another way to think about the main desire of your story is to look for the ‘quest’ confronting your characters.

    To illustrate how important it is for your story to have a strong desire or quest, let’s look at a few examples. First, we’ll look at a couple of movies.

    The Fellowship of the Rings

    From the beginning of the first story, Fellowship of the Ring, readers and viewers are told what the quest is. The One Ring must be returned to Mordor, where it can be destroyed in the fire from which it was forged. Failure will allow evil to rule Middle Earth.

    Clearly defining the quest identifies the main desire for the lead characters – get to Mordor and destroy the One Ring. It also immediately sets up conflicts with the characters who want to capture and use the ring.

    Down Periscope

    Again, the quest is identified immediately. The main character is ordered to act the part of a terrorist trying to sneak an outdated, diesel powered sub into a naval harbor and blow up a target. His opponent will be the best and brightest the US Navy has to offer and the stakes on both sides are high: A sub command for the main character and a third star for his primary opponent, who just happens to be a Two Star General with quite a chip on his shoulder.

    Defining the main desire clearly is important for all types of stories, not just action or suspense. Let’s look at some stories from other genres.

    At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon

    Father Tim’s main desire in the first book of the Mitford series is to overcome his fears of his neighbor and an equally large fear of change to ask her to marry him.

    The Black Stallion Challenged, by Walter Farley

    The main desire in this horse story is getting enough money to rebuild a barn destroyed by fire after it was learned the insurance policy lapsed. It is established in the early chapters of the book and immediately sets up the obstacles of the Black Stallion’s age, his need to return to the race track after retiring and the level of younger competition he has to race.

    The first book is women’s fiction, the second is an children’s book from decades ago. You can see the value and importance of a clearly defined main desire that motivates the characters and keeps the story moving forward in both genres. It is, in fact, important for all genres.

    Still don’t believe it?

    The next time you’re at the movies, see if you can identify the main objective of the plot. What premise did all of the other parts of the plot hang on?

    Could you easily identify that premise or was it only a vague suggestion?

    How engaged in the movie were you? Did it keep you on the edge of your seat or were you more interested in your bucket of popcorn?

    How do you identify your story’s main desire?

    That can be as simple or complex a process as you like.

    If you don’t currently have a story in the works….

    The first place to look is your own life. What things motivate you? Politics? A new job? Reaching the top in your company? A successful marriage? If it motivates you, chances are you can write a compelling story about a character with the same motivation.

    Depending on the type of story you’re writing, you can also look at current events and develop ideas from the stories you see every day.

    There’s always the epic ideas. Saving the planet from invading aliens, uncovering political corruption, revealing a massive, global hoax before it’s too late to thwart its perpetrators. You name it.

    The best place to begin is to simply sit down and write a list of things that get your blood pumping. This is a brainstorming thing, so no editing is allowed. Once something is written down, don’t cross it off or make changes. Just write the next thing. Write as many as you can. If it helps to give yourself a time limit, set a time limit. I sometimes try fifteen or thirty minutes for an exercise like this and actually set a timer.

    Afterward, give the list time to cool off and your mind time to digest what you’ve written. Then look at that list and see what looks good. This is the time to edit. I advise you not to cross anything off that list. You never know when something might work for another story. But look at the most interesting ideas and begin to play with them. See what you might be able to do with them, where they might lead.

    If you currently have a story in the works….

    What is compelling your characters through the story? What does your character want or need to do?

    If you don’t already know that or can’t put it into a concise, easy to remember sentence, this might be a good time to sit down with the story so far and see what’s already there. Ask yourself the following questions.

    What made me want to write this story?

    What makes the main character care about this story?

    What makes the other characters care?

    Why should anyone care about this story?

    Ask yourself any other questions that come to mind, too. Until you can answer this question convincingly, your story will suffer.

    It will also be a lot more difficult to stay on track if you don’t know what your character’s main Desire is, why he or she has to have it, what is waiting to keep them from getting it and how they eventually succeed or fail.

    It really is that important.

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  • Story Element: Message

    01Aug
    Categories: Writing Well Comments: 0

    With this article, I begin discussing something it took me a long time to get a firm grasp of. Sometimes, I still despair of ever fully understanding the process of finding the message for a new novel.

    Let me begin by saying one of my favorite authors is the Scottish writer, George MacDonald. I first encountered George MacDonald’s writings in the late 1980s, when author Michael Phillips began editing them for the modern reader and republishing them through Bethany House.

    I was struggling with my own writing at the time, wondering whether it was an entertaining but useless hobby or something I could really sink my teeth into.

    MacDonald’s historical, Christ-based novels about the men and women of 1800s Scotland were exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it. In those novels, I found the inspiration and enjoyment inherent in the kinds of stories I hope one day to write. Many of them are still available through Michael Phillips’ web site.

    Many years passed between my first discovery of these wonderful tales and my next encounter with them in 2009. Reading them that summer was like getting re-acquainted with old friends. I devoured them and looked for others at the local library. As happened the first time, I found new insight into the craft of writing in reading MacDonald’s work. As a result, I began looking at my writing in a different way.

    George MacDonald always centered his novels around one or two central Christian themes and often-times, the characters present very challenging questions to each other and, subsequently, to the reader. For example, in The Curate’s Awakening, the question asked of the curate and which gets the story going is “do you really believe everything you preach?”

    The idea that my writing (and my art) are tools God has given me to use in the expansion of His kingdom is something that had been slowly dawning in my awareness for some time. I’ve always treated my painting that way, but writing? That’s always been more for my own entertainment than anything else, though there is that latent hope that something profitable comes of it eventually.

    As a result of all this reading and pondering and some excellent sermons at church, I began seeking messages around which to build my own stories. Something more meaningful than whodunit or will the boy get the girl. Some very thought-provoking ideas were presented and, in some cases, I knew the characters who asked the questions.

    All stories present a message of some type. No writer ever writes without hoping to convey his or her point of view, regardless of protests to the contrary. Whether deliberately woven into the story or merely the result of it, there will be a message.

    Writers who are Christians first are even more aware of this imperative which is also an opportunity. What is the message woven into your story? Forgiveness? Grace? Mercy? Redemption? Is it the main plot or does it run through the subplots of the story? Do you have to know what the message is before you start writing?

    Ah! There is the real question.

    Unfortunately, there isn’t a carved-in-stone answer for that. Every writer strikes upon the message of their story differently. All I can do is share what has worked for me and for others who have struggled with the same issue.

    Many writers do not start a story without first identifying the guiding scripture. Personally, there are several passages in the Old and New Testaments that beg me to be turned into a novel. If a particular scripture speaks to you, explore ways to illustrate that scripture through fiction.

    Do you struggle with something in your own life? Is there some besetting sin you are forced to confront over and over, sometimes on a daily basis? I know of at least one author who whose first Christian book dealt with an issue she was dealing with herself. Through the voice and actions of her main character, she explored her own weaknesses and God’s great love and abounding mercy. That became the message for that book and that book became the first of a four-book series.

    For many stories, though, the message is something that is more the responsibility of the reader than the writer. After you’ve told the best story you can tell, your reader will take from it whatever is closest to their personal needs at the time.

    Since I’ve recently seen The Fellowship of the Rings again, let’s consider it as an example of message.

    The first time I saw the movie, I was aware of the main goals and main desires in the story. The main desire is so clearly stated (more on desire next time) that it’s next to impossible to miss.

    But the message?

    I don’t remember that I came away with a message the first time I saw the movie other than the basic message to never give up. That message was still there this time, but I clearly heard another message, as well.

    In one scene, after a violent confrontation, Frodo told Gandolf he wished he’d never been given the One Ring and that he would give anything to make things go back to the way they’d been before.

    Gandolf told him he had the ring because he was supposed to have it. He was in the time and place he was supposed to be in. The only question he had to answer was what he did with that time.

    I don’t remember that the first time I saw the movie. It was such a major impact this time around that I can still see the scene and I can still feel my own tears in response in watching the movie this time. Why? Because I’ve wondered why I’m living these days and why I seem to have been given work I’d really rather not have. I am in Frodo’s shoes in some respects, so I heard Tolkien’s message just as clearly as Frodo heard Gandolf’s.

    In another day and time, that message might mean little or nothing and another one will be important.

    I don’t know if J.R.R. Tolkien planned his story that way or if he was just writing. I do know God used his work to convey a wide range of messages. I believe He uses the writing of every Christian and, yes, every non-Christian writer in the same way. What impacts one reader will be irrelevant to another.

    So what’s the conclusion? Just this. If God has given you a clear and concise message for your book, go with God in developing it and writing it. If not, don’t despair. Of all the things that readers find in stories, the message is the most varied and, sometimes, ethereal. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clear idea of your message to begin with. There are things you will need to be concerned with more than that.

    We will begin discussing those by talking about Desire (with a capital “d”) next time. Until then,

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  • How a Story is Born

    15Jul
    Categories: Miscellaneous, Writing Well Comments: 0

    Once, a very long time ago, I heard a writer say that if their stories were children, they would have all been born breach. I wasn’t writing much at the time and laughed out loud at that comment.

    Now I have to agree whole-heartedly because most of my stories seem to be born breach, too.

    As already discussed, ideas come from all directions. I have been standing on a street corner waiting for the light to change and wondered “What would happen if…?”

    I’ve awakened in the middle of the night with an idea that just had to be written down.

    Personal experiences can also be the match that lights a spark.

    With the diversity of journals I keep, it’s very easy to jot down quick notes or detailed ideas. The more I write down, the more there is to write down.

    Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to get a story idea started. I recently heard some news from a friend that ignited a sequence of scenes that led to nearly 4,000 words.

    For the last few weeks, I have been writing less and recording ideas more. Some of them come with scene ideas, which are also written down. When I can’t write because we’re traveling, I jot some notes on new ideas, new characters, and sometimes settings.

    Some of those ideas will stew and percolate for years or decades before anything happens with them. Some of them will never develop past note taking.

    But, like my paintings, every now and again, one comes along that seems almost too good to be true and it takes off. That’s when the note taking is fun!

    Get into the habit of keeping and organizing your notes. I whole-heartedly recommend the practice of journal keeping (more on this in a later article). I’ve been keeping a personal journal since December 1989 and don’t regret a moment of the time put into those daily writings.

    Keep a writing journal specifically. If you don’t have a lot of time to write, try just a paragraph or two at the beginning or end of each day or at a time that best suits you. Write every day at that time and it won’t be long before you begin feeling like something’s missing if you get through the day without writing something.

    Don’t know what to write? Try this. If you write in the same place every day, describe that place. What’s it like? Who else is around? What are they doing? Look, observe, then write. Do the same thing every day. If you are faithful in the habit and honest in your observations, it won’t take many days before you notice your writing changing. You will not only be teaching yourself to observe; you’ll be teaching yourself to record your observations. Don’t worry about anything but putting words on paper. If your natural voice is purple prose, go for it! If you’re more of a techie, go for it!

    Do you think every sketch an artist does is a masterpiece? I’m here to say it’s not! Most of them are little more than a gesture or a few lines. But every gesture and line contributes to the next painting.

    These writing studies are the same way. Every observation you make and every word you write will make you a better writer and will exercise the muscles you need to write your novel when the time comes.

    To make the most of these writing studies, find a way to have paper and pen with you all the time. I like a steno pad and pen, which I carry in my handbag and which is easily accessible. A day planner with blank pages, a laptop or index cards all word just as well. The writing is more important than the tools. Find the method that works best for you.

    At times, you will feel as though your writing time has been taken over by these studies and journal entries, but never fear. It is all important and it will benefit you greatly as you pursue your craft and hone your skills. Now go write something and have fun!

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  • Idea Hunting

    01Jul
    Categories: Ideas, Writing Well Comments: 0

    The first thing I want to tackle is reflected by a question most writers hear at some time and some hear quite frequently. Where do your ideas come from?

    The answer is as varied as writers are. Personally, I could list such things as deep meditations, in depth and regular searches of newspapers, listening to people and just keeping my eyes open. But that wouldn’t be the whole truth.

    The truth is that ideas come from everywhere and, usually, without much effort from me. A few examples.

    • Two days ago, I was working on the design for one story and an idea popped into my head that would involve the same characters in a sequel. The idea came with a sequence of chapters (which I subsequently recorded).
    • Early in the process of designing the same story, an idea appeared for another sequel. Third in a series? Could be. I recorded those notes.
    • On quite a few Sundays, something said in the sermon, a scripture reading or something else produces a random thought so intriguing I have to jot it down.
    • Reading Bible. There are two or three current ideas and potential ideas based on events recorded in scripture.
    • Current events contribute to ideas. For example, how might the collapse of the man-made climate change theology be used for a story? What other current events would make a good jumping off point for a story?
    • I have a list of things I most fear. Any one one of them would be a good basis for a story. They can also be combined randomly to set up a crisis for a potential character. Telling how that character deals with this things can describe an idea for a story.
    • Evaluating current stories often leads to pondering plot alternatives. Some of those alternatives end up as standalone story ideas.
    • Working on a painting sometimes stimulates a story idea. Several existing and recorded story ideas involve artists as main characters.
    • I sometimes wake up from a sound night’s sleep with a new and intriguing idea. Sometimes, those new and intriguing ideas come while I’m falling to sleep, as my mind begins to go into ‘idle’ for the night.
    • Sometimes, a turn of phrase suggests a title and that leads to an idea.
    • Sometimes, other people suggest ideas. Mom is a good idea hunter. Neal has been known to come up with interesting ideas, too.

    The list could go on for pages, but I think you get the point. The bottom line is that ideas can come from everywhere and nowhere. I make note of every idea regardless of its source either by listing it in a one-line sentence, a paragraph or, sometimes, chapter or scene descriptions.

    The real challenge for me is not with coming up with ideas. No. The real challenge is accurately and thoroughly documenting all the bits and pieces of dialogue, character thoughts, plots and locations so that those things can be put to good use in the future without distracting myself from whatever I happen to be currently working on.

    Don’t think you have to be ‘in the right mood’ to come up with ideas. Ideas can happen anywhere, in any circumstances. Be prepared to jot them down and practice making notes that are quick enough to get the job done but thorough enough to be understandable later. You don’t want to look at a phrase that made perfect sense when you wrote it and wonder what you were thinking when you find the note again days or weeks later.

    Don’t rule anything out, either. Keep a list of ideas, no matter how trite, silly or insignificant they may seem.

    Don’t cross ideas off that list ever. Not even if a story results from that idea. You never know how the same basic idea could lead to another story at a different point in your life.

    Remember, God is the idea giver. He uses a multitude of delivery methods, but He is the ultimate source. Your job and my job, as I see it, is to catch the ideas that are delivered and to make the most of them. That keeps things interesting, challenging and – sometimes – scary.

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  • What You Need to Get Started Writing

    15Jun
    Categories: Tools & Gadgets, Writing Well Comments: 0

    “Let’s start at the beginning. This is a football. These are the yard markers. I’m the coach. You are the players.” Vince Lombardi, Coach, Green Bay Packers

    Football fans and non-fans alike are familiar with that famous phrase, spoken by Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi at the beginning of his long and storied career with the Packers. I chose that quote to begin this post because I have no idea whether you want to write but just haven’t started, whether you’re published or somewhere in between. Consequently, there is only one logical place to begin. The beginning.

    The beginning of this discussion is a pair of definitions.

    Definitions

    Write. 1. To form (letters, symbols, or characters) on a surface with a pen, pencil or other tool; inscribe. 2. To form (words, sentences or the like) by inscribing the correct letters or symbols on paper or other material: write one’s name. 3. To compose, especially as an author or musician. 4. To draw up in legal form: to draft: write a will. 5. To fill in with the required information: write a check. 6. To cover with writing: write a page. 7. To set down; to record: write one’s thoughts. 8. To relate or communicate by writing: write the news from home. 9. Informal. To send a letter or note to: write your aunt. 10. To underwrite, as an insurance policy. 11. To depict clearly: to make: “Utter dejection was written on every face.” (Winston Churchill). 12. To ordain by fate or prophecy.

    Writer. 1. A person who has written (something specified): the writer of the note. 2. A person who writes as an occupation: an author.

    New College Edition of the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1981.

    We’re specifically interested in definitions 3 and 7 in the definition of the word ‘write’. “To compose, as an author or musician, and to relate or communicate clearly.” That is the objective of every writer regardless of the genre or style in which they write. So what do you need to get started?

    The Absolute Minimum Requirement

    What is the absolute minimum requirement for getting started as a writer? Determination and discipline.

    Writing is easy. Writing well is not. If your intention is to write well enough to engage the interest of a publisher and the reading public, it’s going to take a significant amount of time and a significant amount of effort. Your first draft might come easy, but unless you’re a prodigy, it will only be the first of many. There’s a much better chance your first draft will resist your well-intentioned efforts to finish it and that you’ll be forced to totally rewrite parts of it in the process.

    You’ll have a lot of fun when things are going smoothly, but you’ll have lots of frustration when they don’t go so smoothly.

    Does that seem discouraging? It’s not meant to be. Rather, think of it as a caution. Writing a novel is like running a marathon. You don’t get up one morning, decide to head to Boston for the marathon and finish well. You probably won’t finish at all.

    Likewise, you don’t get up one morning, decide to write a novel and it just happens. To successfully complete the novel writing process, you will need the determination to work regularly (frequently if possible) on your novel. You will also need the discipline to keep working on your novel when it’s not going so well, when you’d rather watch something on TV, go to a ball game or just relax.

    With determination and discipline, you stand an excellent chance of finishing your novel at least one time through. Without determination and discipline, your novel is almost guaranteed to remain almost started or never completed for all of its days.

    Do you have what it takes in this most important of categories? Excellent! Welcome aboard.

    What do you need now? There are tools available that will make writing a lot easier and some tools that are absolutely necessary, as well as some nice things that are fun to have but that most of us can do without. I’ll list as many as possible in each category, but no matter how extensive my list, some things will be omitted either because I don’t use them or don’t know about them. Feel free to submit your own ideas in any of the following categories if your favorite tool or gadget is left off my list!

    Required Tools

    Something to write with.These days, much is made of modern technology, but all you really need to get started is a pen or pencil and a pad of paper. Obviously, a computer is going to make it easier to get the words recorded and will make you more productive, but you can write a novel in longhand on regular paper. It is possible!

    In fact, if you don’t have a computer and can’t afford to run right out and buy one, don’t wait until you can to get started on your novel. A pack of pens and a few legal pads or steno pads will get you started. In some cases, forcing yourself to slow down the thought process long enough to write longhand is beneficial. It’s also very handy if the electricity fails or if you are forced away from your computer for long periods of time.

    Whether or not you write your novel entirely in longhand, get into the habit of carrying pen and paper with you at all times. You’ll be surprised how often an idea will occur to you and demand to be written down.

    Dictionary.This seems like a no-brainer, but with most word processing software now featuring built-in dictionaries and with so many good dictionaries available online, many think they can dispense with the hardcover version of the dictionary.

    I heartily disagree. Nothing will ever replace the solid weight and heft of a hard bound dictionary, both in functionality and in feel. I use my dictionary in tandem with the online and word processing dictionary because the electronic dictionaries don’t always have the information I want. Get the best dictionary you can buy. My dictionary is the New College Edition of the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1981. (I keep this for sentimental reasons as well as practical use; I bought it in college.)

    Thesaurus. The same holds true for this book that holds true for the dictionary. My electronic thesaurus frequently lets me down. My hard cover thesaurus does so less often.

    A Good Writing Organization. This is almost a must. You can survive without the support, encouragement and instruction provided by a good group of fellow writers, but it makes the work a lot more difficult than it has to be. The group can be online or face-to-face and many writers recommend both.

    If you’re serious enough about your writing to put money into it, the American Christian Fiction Writers group is a very good membership, with many accomplished authors, editors and publishers within its ranks, along with a crowd of aspiring authors.

    ChristianWriters.com is another very good online group, but there are others. Look around and find the best fit for you.

    If you’re fortunate enough to live in a community large enough to support a face-to-face group, check that out, too.

    Recommended Tools

    One Good Book on Writing. Always be learning. Whether you’re new to the craft or an experienced writer, you never know it all. Read other writers and see what they have to say about writing. Not every method works for every writer. You’re unlikely to find any writer whose working method fits you perfectly. What’s more likely is that you’ll take a tip or two from one person, pull a theory from someone else, find a few things on your own and blend them all together until you have the best method for you.

    But you won’t know what to try if you’re not looking for those tidbits of information. There are a ton of good books on writing available. What’s the best one to start with? The one on the shelf in front of you the next time you’re at the book store!

    The first two books I recommend are both by James Scott Bell. Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing are both worth the money. Plot & Structure is an excellent first choice because it includes a method of evaluating plot and characterization that will help you with your novel whether it’s yet to be started or has already been finished.

    There are dozens – hundreds! – of good writing books available. Watch the book recommendations list on this blog for preferred selections. Personally, since I write from a Christian worldview, I refer almost exclusively to books by writers who also write from a Christian worldview. But don’t let that be your guideline unless it fits who you are as a person.

    Books by Your Favorite Author(s). I don’t mean reference books, either. I’m talking fiction. In particular, look for novels and works by authors writing the type of stories you most enjoy because the chances are good that’s what you’ll be most likely to write. Read for enjoyment, by all means, but also be aware of how each of those authors craft their stories, how they create problems for their characters and how they resolve those problems. You can learn a lot by reading fiction works, so don’t skimp.

    It you don’t what genre you want to write for, the best way to do genre research is to read a few books by different authors in the same genre.

    Technical Manuals. If you’re writing about something you know a whole lot about (a good place to start), great! You probably already have a collection of specialized manuals, trade magazines and other sources close at hand. Since I’m an artist, I have my favorite art books and some magazines lying around, as well as the practical experience of painting for thirty years.

    If you’re venturing out into an area you don’t much or anything about, look into getting manuals, magazines and other information on that particular field. From rock climbing to origami to nuclear submarines, you can educate yourself well enough to write convincingly about almost any subject you’re interested in if you take the time to do research, read and talk to people.

    Most Current Writer’s Market available. Or, if you’re like me and prefer Christian worldview resources, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writer’s Market. Most people think of these thick, annual resources as places to get information on publishers and what the publishers are looking for and they are wonderful for that.

    But you can also learn a lot about what is and isn’t acceptable in each genre by looking at publisher specifications. If you write for a very specific market, knowing what the publishers in those markets are looking for will aid you in designing your story from the ground up.

    Fun Things to Have
    Slang Dictionary. I have a slang dictionary, but I admit I don’t use it much. It is a useful tool and, upon occasion, has been very amusing, too. Not as important as either a good dictionary or thesaurus, you may still want to consider adding one to you reference library.

    Genre Specific Tools. Every genre has its own unique needs. For example: Historicals require accurate historical information. Look for books that describe life in the specific period of time you’re interested in. Look for dictionaries and other references, catalogs (if available). Visit museums or renaissance festivals.

    Writing a western? Look for reference materials, museums, memoirs and other sources for information about that place and time.

    About the only genre that doesn’t come with a lot of available reference is the science fiction and fantasy genres, but the sky’s literally the limit in those categories. Still, you may find just the idea you need in the latest issue of a science magazine or the latest science paper.

    In Conclusion
    Remember, this list is nowhere near complete. Every author has his or her own list of required tools, recommended tools and fun stuff. Those lists are ever changing. But you can make a good start at writing off these lists and you can have some fun with it, too.

    Next time, we’ll look at hunting for ideas for your novel. In the meantime, it’s not too early to get started!

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  • Welcome to a New Series

    01Jun
    Categories: Writing Well Comments: 0

    Welcome to this series!

    To those who follow this blog, I hope you enjoy this new endeavor just as much. I also hope the ‘how-to’ writing articles you find here are helpful.

    To those who are finding one of my blogs for the first time, come on in, sit down and join us!

    The focus of this series is the nuts and bolts of writing fiction. I will be sharing articles on the lessons I’ve learned about writing by writing, by reading and by observation. Some of the topics I hope to cover include:

    • Finding purpose for your story
    • Setting up conflict
    • Character development
    • Story development
    • Story background (the stuff the reader never sees)

    For the present, articles will focus on the how-to of writing. While publishing and marketing are just as important as writing, and may be included later, that is not the current focus of Writing Well. Check the references side bar for links to very good organizations and blogs dealing with those issues if you are need of that information.

    If there are other issues that are currently front and center on your writing desk, please share them and I’ll help you if I can.

    Before we wrap up this article and move forward to the next, there are a few things you need to know about me that will put the articles I post into proper perspective.

    First and foremost, I am a Christian. Everything I do is done from the worldview that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and man’s only means of eternal salvation.

    My purpose in life is to bring pleasure to my Creator through the work I do. Everything I do should be done as service to God. That, of course, includes story telling and going to church, but it also includes housework, laundry and shopping trips. There is no part of my life that is exempt from service to God.

    Am I always successful? No. I am, after all, human, as we all are. I fail and sometimes I fail miserably. But failing a higher goal doesn’t negate the goal.

    Secondly, I’ve been a painter longer than I’ve been a writer. Painting is as much of my life as writing. You will see references to the world of painting in these writing posts (yes, even in the design), but the focus of this blog is not painting. I will be happy to answer questions about painting, but I also invite you to visit my painting blog for more news from the studio.

    I have been writing periodically since the eighth grade, when I wrote and illustrated a short story about wild horses. I still have that story, which was written entirely in longhand in Number 2 lead pencil. Since then, I’ve completed five or six manuscripts.

    Among my writing accomplishments are several years of doing a Lenten Devotional and/or Advent Devotional for church, writing for the Clare County Review periodically and a short-term monthly column in the Newton Kansan.

    Thank you for checking out this blog. The next post will begin the series with a discussion of finding your story’s desire. If there is a subject you would like me to address, let me know. If I have the answer, I’ll be happy to share it. If I don’t have the answer, I’ll find it for you. Until next time,

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