Forbearing the Wicked Cants & Cabals - (A Seriously Write Blog Post)

Read: Psalm 100

It was a Tuesday. November 4, 2014. Approximately 8:30 PM.

I was watching television, and a commercial for a department store came on, depicting a woman wearing what was intended to be a Santa-like suit. It was red and white. Her surroundings were also red and white. The music playing had a “Carol of the Bells” feel to it.

Other similar ads followed. As they ended, I sat there, staring at the television. All I could think of was, “What happened to Thanksgiving?”

The next day, my wife and I stopped by a home improvement store. We strolled in the front door and were greeted by a display of huge (I mean, six feet in diameter and eight feet high kind of huge) inflatable “rubber duckies” donning Santa hats, a 20-foot high toy soldier, and various scenes from Disney and Charles Schultz surrounded by more innocuous and less definable renditions of Christmas lore.

The next morning, the last straw got tossed onto the proverbial camel’s back. The TV news anchor reported a large department store announcing its intentions to open earlier than ever on Thanksgiving Day.

Noon. They’re going to open at Noon.

As more and more advertisements arrive on the TV screen with single snowflakes, silly snowmen, and shaken snow globes, it actually makes me a little sad. As fall decorations dwindle to make room for more and more candy and costumes at Halloween and more gadgets and gizmos for Christmas, it causes me to pause.

Why? Because I see this push to expand consumerism as a microcosm of a greater, spiritual dilemma.

Thanksgiving overrun by self-absorption. A season of reflection overshadowed by months of days tainted by greed and avarice.

I realize the concept of a “Thanksgiving Day” is an American thing. The First Thanksgiving in 1621, when Edward Winslow spoke of “a bay full of lobsters,” his sentiments, written to Englanders back home, seemed to give us the heart of the pilgrims, despite the newer renditions offered in many elementary classrooms today, “These things I thought good to let you understand, being the truth of things as near as I could experimentally take knowledge of, and that you might on our behalf give God thanks who hath dealt so favorably with us (Bold added).”1

From George Washington’s urging in 1789 for an official day of thanksgiving and prayer (although an official day was never chosen or enacted) to the formal declaration by President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863, expressing gratitude for the victory at Gettysburg and announcing an official federal holiday be celebrated every 4th Thursday of November, it has been in our American bones to give God thanks.

I also realize that greed and avarice attempting to envelope the Christmas season is nothing new. Charles Dickens made that loud and clear in December, 1843, with some of the most powerful words in fiction (in my humble opinion):

“God bless us every one!'' said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

He sat very close to his father's side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.

“Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”

“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”

“No, no,” said Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

“Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!”2

As a writer, do I approach my writing like today’s department stores? Pushing, shoving, forcing my way in front of more and more eyeballs for the simple and sole purpose of selling my wares? And how am I perceived by the buying public, both Christian and non? Should my approach to the (in the words of Ebenezer Scrooge) “much buying and selling” look different, smell different, actually be different?

Or am I thankful? Thankful to be called a writer? Thankful to be published? Thankful to be called God’s child? And if being called God’s child was all I had—with my published books stripped and tossed into the fire (1 Cor. 3:10-15), would I be content and consider it a blessing? If God said, “Don’t write another word,” would I be happy? Would I be obedient?

King David, in Psalm 100, talks about a relationship with God as His people. God’s people entering the temple, ready for worship. God’s people walking into the outer courts full of thanksgiving. And if we remember well, when the “much buying and selling” encroached upon the Holy of Holies, it was the Lord Himself who overturned the tables and declared the guilty parties robbers in a den, possibly turning people away if they couldn’t purchase even a dove (Matt. 21:12-14; cf. Jer. 7:11).

Now that the “House of God” is in the hearts of men (1 Cor. 3:16), how much more poignant are the scenes in Psalm 100 and Matthew 21 for us? Especially as writers? As we lead readers to the throne of God, into the Holy of Holies, do we bring our sacrifices of praise and hearts of thanksgiving? Or do we sit at the gate, behind a table, with our coffers open wide, hands outstretched?

Now that you have passed the town of Thanksgiving, trekking the highway leading upward toward the temple we call Christmas, how much of the former have you packed in your spiritual suitcase for the trip to the latter?

Be truly thankful this holiday season.

And, as a Christian writer, the season never ends (Philippians 4:4-7).

_________________________________________

1Winslow, Edward. “A Letter Sent from New England,” A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Ed: Dwight B. Heath. New York: Corinth Books, 1963. p. 82.

        

2Dickens, Charles. “A Christmas Carol.”

To see this article on the Seriously Write website, click on the link below:

Forbearing the Wicked Cants & Cabals

"How Many Four-Letter Words Do You Need? (A Seriously Write Blog Post)

This blog entry is my first as a Regular Contributor for the Seriously Write blog for writers. I am humbled and consider it a privilege to be a part!

 How Many Four-Letter Words Do You Need?

Facebook. Marketing. Twitter. Platform. Blog. Followers. Brand. Instagram. Website. Goodreads. Constant Contact. Ebooks. Analytics. Hits. Page Views. Likes.

Okay, so they’re not all literally four-letter words. But admit it. You feel like they are sometimes:

“If I hear one more person talk about ‘platform,’ I’m 

 going to jump from one!”

“Twitter is for those who can’t spell and have to do so

 in 140 characters or less.”

You’ve probably read scores of articles and books on those four-letter words. Spend 30 minutes here, 15 minutes there, an hour a week everywhere. Right?

I did the math: 126.4 hours a day would get all their suggestions slated into my daily routine. That includes eight hours for actually writing my novels, and six hours for sleep.

Oh, wait, I forgot to add family time.

So much for sleep.

Of course, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. Yet, the truth of my words rings true. For many authors, the push to be successful motivates them to do it all. They believe what they read and act on what they believe.

But I have a question for you: What are your goals as a writer? What defines success for you?

I’ve wrestled with these questions. When I first started writing, all I wanted to do was “get published.” Ever been there? The problem, I soon found out, was that I had not written down “getting published” as a goal, per se. It was a desire. There’s a difference.

A big difference.

When you set goals, there is a sense of accomplishment when you reach them. You have to reassess at that point. Set new goals based on your present state of affairs. When you chase desires, on the other hand, there’s always “something more” to attain. Old desires give way to new ones. When I got published, we celebrated as a family. But then, another desire arose.

Sales.

Another four-letter word. I wanted to write full-time. I needed sales. Ever been there? In America, sales denote success, or the lack thereof. Capitalism at its finest. But when you couple this desire with naiveté, you get a pushy writer who goes off the Christian rails. The kind of writer publishers and agents talk about at conferences…and not in a good way.

Are those your goals? Getting published and great sales? Is that why you got into writing? If so, good luck. You’re gonna need it.

Can I suggest a better way? Bloom where God has you planted you. As you write, continue to improve on the craft. Remain faithful. God will use you. And don’t be afraid to let Him define what that looks like. Let Him help you set the goals. The last thing we need is more of the same. The Body of Christ would look funny if we were all ears and noses (cf. 1 Cor. 12). Christian publishing is no different. There are many readers out there who may never pick up the Bible or an Amish romance, but may pick up your book. Make sure it’s worthy by allowing God to take those four-letter words, wash them in the Blood of Christ, and produce a beautiful garden with your life’s work.

To see this article at Seriously Write, click on the ling below:
https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-many-four-letter-words-do-you-need.html

Getting in Touch with Your Inner-Psychopath (An ACFW Blog Post)

At the Academy of Achievement,1 Sue Grafton spoke to a group of college-age attendees, encouraging right-brainers in the crowd to consider a life in the Arts. As I listened to this presentation, I was struck by how similar writer’s lives are in so many ways. No matter how fledgling or how established, it seems all writers have a rite of passage they must endure.

Sue began by listing things we already know, like how writers get to work in their “jammies” and don’t have to attend company picnics. She talked about the downside, too. “There’s no path; no course you can take.” Going to an Ivy League school won’t help you, either. Yet, the rite of passage creates some peculiar paths to the publishing world. Sue received a four-year degree in English from the University of Louisville, but spent the middle two years at Western Kentucky State Teachers College, “which is full of Ag majors” and endured classes like “Pork Production” and “Corn.”

Sue informed her audience the Arts probably takes the toughest, most committed people of any job field. Considering a life in the Arts? “Expect rejection,” “learn how to take criticism,” “learn to labor in obscurity,” and “don’t be surprised if you get treated with condescension by people who love you but secretly wish you’d get a day job and get off the family payroll.”

I sympathize, empathize (and every other “-ize” out there) with Sue at this point.

I’m sure you do, too.

Sue started at the age of 18 as a writer of bad poetry and mediocre short stories. At the age of 22, she had an “epiphany.” She realized something important for any writer. If you are to be a writer, “you have to commit.” So, she did. She wrote her first, full-length novel…”which was never published.” And a second, full-length novel…”which was never published.” And a third, full-length novel…(you guessed it) “which was never published.” She accomplished all this at night while working full-time as a medical receptionist and a cashier in a hospital. She was raising a family, too. Bet that doesn’t resonate with anyone, does it?

At 25, Sue entered her fourth, full-length novel into the now defunct “The Anglo-American Book Award Contest.” She didn’t win. However, she received a publishing offer from a British company for £275, and used that deal to land an American agent. The book sold to an American publisher for $1,500.

Sue sold the film rights to her fifth novel, The Lolly-Madonna War, and MGM produced the movie in 1973. Sue wrote the screenplay and “got to work in Hollywood” for 15 years, but that experience didn’t set well. She disliked the movie folk extracting their “fine, gold pencils” and ruining her writing. She learned a very valuable lesson from that experience. “If you don’t like the game, don’t take the money.” “Writers who try to ‘get into Hollywood’ are like people who try to get into prison.” Something to think about from one who knows.

While in Tinseltown, a Hollywood agent informed Sue “she could write characters, but she couldn’t do plot.” That ticked her off. So, she decided to teach herself how to write plot and felt writing a mystery novel would be the best way.

At the same time, Sue went through a terrible divorce. With no money for a “fancy pants attorney” and enduring three custody battles, she thought it was enough just to be a “nice person.” Her naiveté apparently didn’t fare well in the courts. So, at night, she concocted ways to kill her ex-husband. One particular method rose to the fore, and she said, “You know, I bet I could do that.” However, Sue admits being a law-abiding citizen who takes her library books back on time and crosses the street between the lines. So, if she tried to kill her ex, she knew she’d get caught, go to prison, have to wear prison clothing, eat starchy food, watch her derriére widen, and disgrace her children.

Then, it dawned on her. “Why not use this plot in a book and get paid for it?”

And A is for Alibi was born in 1982.

Why did I write a short bio on Sue Grafton? To show three things. One, all writers share the same struggles, and it creates an eerie, eclectic sort of comfort for those of us who aren’t in Sue’s shoes yet. If every author got together in a large room, handed the microphone off and listened, one at a time, they’d hear multiple stories of perseverance and heartbreak. Sue’s story resonated with me because she wrote three unpublished novels before number four became the beginning of something special. I, too, had three unpublished novels written before my fourth caught the attention of a publisher. And it won an award.

Two, you have to be nuts to be a writer. There isn’t a more treacherously rewarding occupation out there, save snowboarding down an uncharted mountain with jagged rocks protruding through the virgin snow. The life of a writer appears glamorous to the Amazon-hawking crowd, scouring the Top 100 lists. For most of us, though, day jobs as medical receptionists and cashiers at local hospitals pay the bills. The novels are crafted at night when normal people sleep.

Three, murder mysteries full of suspense and thrillers which truly thrill are written by novelists who get in touch with their inner psychopath (Another reason why writers have to be a little nuts, perhaps?). Again, I resonated with something Sue said. When I wrote 30 Days Hath Revenge, I asked myself, “If I was a terrorist, what could I do to bring a country to its knees?” Sue envisioned killing off her estranged husband, put it into a novel, and has enjoyed 31years of writing success spent on one series alone. Sue said the smartest thing she did was invent someone who could support her.

I guess being a bit psychopathic can pay dividends after all…so long as it remains fictitious.

1 Ers

hed, Allison. ENG210: Creative Writing: A Master Class. Academy of Achievement. iTunesU. 2012 July 13.

To see this blog on the ACFW website, click the link below:

http://www.acfw.com/blog/getting-in-touch-with-your-inner-psychopath/

"Victor - The Reloaded Edition" by Tony Ross (A Review)

[Preface about my reviews: I do not write reviews that give away the story, telling you the premise of the book and possibly becoming a “spoiler alert.” I figure that if you want to know more about books these days, you can click on the various “Look Inside” features booksellers offer and read enough of it to get a feel for the writing. You can also go to the author’s website and see if they have a “Sneak Peek” section of the work. You can even read other reviews that reveal more. I also rate my books on two different scales. My Star-Rating Scale is posted below. The other is the rating system used in the movie industry (G, PG, PG-13, etc.). I feel this rating too is a much needed element in reviews today and helps the reader know “who” should be reading what when it comes to children and young adults.]

Victor: The Reloaded Edition is a rewrite of the original book by the same title (Victor). I believe the book would fall into the speculative fiction category because of the topics (cloning), and the time in which the story takes place (sometime after the year 2021, reference on page 35). However, there are elements of it being a "thriller" as well throughout the book. It starts out more informative, with the author taking us into the minds of the main players and describing Sunlight City (Think Las Vegas meets Detroit). It's an island in the South Pacific (a thousand miles west of Los Angeles, reference on page 262), with people called "Granters" running the good side of the island--of which Hiragawa is one--and gang members living in the DMZ. The action does pick up, and the book gains momentum to the end. It also has elements of spiritual warfare, too, especially with the Josef Hiragawa character.

The book reminded me some of Kirk Outerbridge's "Eternity Falls" with elements of "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti, but definitely veered into the Spec Fiction realm with the storyline: A woman named Mona Macheski is on the run. She's being hunted by Victor, Sunlight City's most feared assassin, and the hired gun of Hiragawa for her knowledge on cloning. However, Victor starts having issues. Headaches at first, then memory lapses, hindering his ability to track down Mona. So, Hiragawa sends a second assassin, Omega, after her. She's a target for what she knows...and what she possesses. If she gets away, Hiragawa's plans for eternal life and political domination will be destroyed. Enter David Johansen, one of Sunlight City's cops. A gang-member turned Christian turned cop, David gets sucked into the drama because of his relationships and helps protect Mona as best he can.

Overall, there were several twists and turns that kept the story moving, and it has a good ending. On my scale (see below), I rate this 4-stars. I think you’ll like it, regardless of genre. I also rate it PG-13 for violence and subject matter.

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of an honest review.

My Scale:
5 stars – It doesn’t matter what genre you read, this book is a must read! It’s all about “story.” You won’t regret it.
4 stars – This may not be your genre, per se, but I feel confident you’ll enjoy it, nevertheless.
3 stars – This book will be a good read if this genre is one you really like. If it is not “your genre,” then your final thoughts may vary, but I don’t disparage it in any way.
2 stars – This book had potential, but fell short, in my humble opinion. Genre or no, it was all about the writing and the story, or the lack thereof.
1 star – If you buy it, read it, and spend any of your time on it, do not blame me. You were forewarned.

"The Rook" by Steven James (A Review)

[Preface about my reviews: I do not write reviews that give away the story, telling you the premise of the book and possibly becoming a “spoiler alert.” I figure that if you want to know more about books these days, you can click on the various “Look Inside” features booksellers offer and read enough of it to get a feel for the writing. You can also go to the author’s website and see if they have a “Sneak Peek” section of the work. You can even read other reviews that reveal more. I also rate my books on two different scales. My Star-Rating Scale is posted below. The other is the rating system used in the movie industry (G, PG, PG-13, etc.). I feel this rating too is a much needed element in reviews today and helps the reader know “who” should be reading what when it comes to children and young adults.]

The Rook is actually the third book in the Patrick Bowers series (Opening Moves being Book 1 & The Pawn being Book 2), although it was written second. Opening Moves, like Star Wars 1, 2 & 3 came after most of the Patrick Bowers series was written. Only the last book in the series, Checkmate, is yet to be released (although I hear it will be soon as of the time of this review).

I read The Pawn, then went back and read Opening Moves because I wanted the back story of the main protagonist before I went any further. The first two books in my opinion were great. Very “Criminal Minds”-like in many ways. James’ “tradition” is to have two story lines run concurrent (three if you add the daughter into the mix) that weave themselves together at times. It’s an interesting concept to have two “bad guys” who sometimes work together, sometimes one works for the other, sometimes both. And sometimes, it’s hard to tell which bad guy is the real villain, which adds to the suspense.

However, I felt The Rook, as one reviewer put it, tried to force too much into one book. I flew through the first two books. This one, I labored with it. It really didn’t pick up speed for me until around page 130. I thought, “Okay, here we go now,” expecting the story to take on a “pawnish” form. Instead, the story raced ahead, then slowed down to a snail’s pace, then sped up again, then slowed, but not in a roller coaster-type fashion. It was more like drag racing from stop light to stop light at rush hour.

I do intend to read the next installment, The Knight, and understand it to be more on par with the first two books. I sure hope so. James is a great writer, but this one was not up to his lofty standards.

On my scale (see below), I rate this 3.5-stars. I think you’ll like it, regardless of genre, but don’t judge a series by its Book 2 (eh, Book 3). Read the first two first, then you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I also rate it PG-13 for violence and subject matter.

My Scale:

5 stars – It doesn’t matter what genre you read, this book is a must read! It’s all about “story.” You won’t regret it.
4 stars – This may not be your genre, per se, but I feel confident you’ll enjoy it, nevertheless.
3 stars – This book will be a good read if this genre is one you really like. If it is not “your genre,” then your final thoughts may vary, but I don’t disparage it in any way.
2 stars – This book had potential, but fell short, in my humble opinion. Genre or no, it was all about the writing and the story, or the lack thereof.
1 star – If you buy it, read it, and spend any of your time on it, do not blame me. You were forewarned.

Incredible Writing Done Credibly (An ACFW Blog Post)

Have you ever read books that promised suspense, only to find they don’t deliver? Ever read a thriller that didn’t thrill? Ever read a romance between two people who never would get together in the real world? Ever wonder why this happens?

There are many reasons.

One of the most common causes resonated with me one day at a writers’ conference, drawing a line in the sand on what good fiction should look like.

What was it?

The subject of credibility.

What makes a story a good story? Regardless of the genre? It’s the credibility. Forget the character vs. plot argument for a moment. If your writing is so unbelievable it makes the reader laugh when they are supposed to be crying, or causes them to fall asleep when they should be sitting on the edge of their seat, then call Houston because you have a big problem.

This problem comes in two forms:

• Characters that aren’t real

• Hard to believe stories

The credibility of the characters is usually the first deal maker or breaker for a reader. Readers want to cheer for the hero, fall in love with the couple and hope they “get together,” or see the bad guy get his just desserts. However, if the characters aren’t believable, then it really doesn’t matter how great the plot is or how much action occurs. You can have the best story ever, but if the characters aren’t credible, the story falls flat.

I remember reading a manuscript that started with an airliner falling from the sky. Pretty exciting, right? The promise of suspense dripped from the first few pages. What ruined it? The unbelievable actions of the main characters. With the prospects of becoming a fireball imminent, they prayed…but not the kind of prayer you’re imagining. It was the kind of prayer you pray when you’re on your knees beside your bed at night…calm…pious…wordy…and extremely unbelievable for the circumstances at hand. All that was missing was the King James language and Gregorian Monks chanting in the background.

The flip side to this issue is the credibility of the story. The characters can be strong, but what happens when the story gets “out there in left field”? When I was writing The Serpent’s Grasp, I knew the credibility of the story was crucial. Writing about dinosaurs that still exist stretches this concept to the limit. I knew I had a great deal of research to back up my hypothesis, but I had to infuse it into the story to ramp up the credibility meter. When you do this, instead of the reader saying with a smirk, “That’s so bogus,” they say with a raised eyebrow, “Wow, this could actually happen.” That’s always a good thing.

Why is Marvel Comics making money hand-over-fist with all their movies? An alien who changes his clothes in a phone booth? A boy bitten by a spider? A wealthy man with a dark persona? Another rich guy with a flying suit? Incredible stories, right? Yes. And the credibility of the storylines coupled with believable characters keeps us buying popcorn and wishing we’d written it.

To see this blog at the ACFW website, click on the link below:
ACFW Blog Post: "Incredible Writing Done Credibly" by C. Kevin Thompson