Must Go Faster! Must Go Faster! (A Seriously Write Blog)

This iconic phrase comes from a movie wherein three people in a Jeep are about to be eaten alive. Can you picture the scene? Can you see the dinosaur’s head in the side mirror, with the little message on the bottom: OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR”?

Do you ever feel like that sometimes as a writer? If you don’t go faster, the world of writing and consumerism will eat you alive? While you’re writing your second or third book for the year, another author just published his or her eighth?

In a world with things like binge watching, fast passes, and freaky-fast food deliveries, it seems everything has to happen yesterday. Procrastinate a day, and you’re a week behind. So, we combat those assaults with personal and group-oriented binge-writing events. Pay good money for formulas on how to write a novel in thirty days. Some authors even go so far as to have someone else write the novel for them (with their input, of course). That’s how some famous authors can publish 13-14 novels a year.

But I have a question? If you could write a great novel or a good novel, which one would you choose? Do you like wearing mass-produced shoes, or hand-crafted ones? Would you rather eat frozen, store-bought pizza or freshly hand-made pizza from a local pizzeria? Do you like adorning your house with hand-made wooden furniture, or the kind made out of particle board with the plastic veneer? I think you see where I’m going with this.

Little in this life worth having and cherishing was made quickly. That’s not to say a good novel cannot be written in a mere few weeks. A Christmas Carol was written in about six weeks. And that’s not to say good writing cannot come from the computer of a person who types 40,000 words in a cloistered weekend. But those works are the exception, not the rule.

In most cases, however, good writing comes from careful word choices. Meticulous research. Edit upon edit. But it also comes from a story not quite told that way before. A tale that is a little different from the rest in its telling. Not a formula wherein the names and places are interchangeable, and the story is just like the previous one. Not a cookie-cutter pattern of rising action, climax, and happily ever-after. Good writing stretches the mind of a reader. It pokes them when they expect a slap. It needles them when they thought you were about to unload whodunit. It screams at them when they puckered up for a kiss.

If you can do all of that and more and still accomplish 40,000 words in a weekend, then you have my applause. But for most people, it’s not about the number of words thrown at the pages, it’s about the words placed on the pages themselves. It’s about how they are arranged. How they emote. How they live.

In a world drowning in books, it’s usually the dead ones that rise to the top. Those that have weight and merit and depth and life are the ones that withstand the tides of time, surviving even the harshest of droughts, to become the water upon which thirsty souls may find respite. If you don’t believe me, get a group of people together and see if they can name ten New York Times Bestsellers from 1990-2000 that are still recommended reading today and will probably be on recommendation lists for decades to come…like the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, or Earnest Hemingway are recommended. (Good luck.)

Do you see my point? “Faster” isn’t always better. Neither is “Popular.” For faster and popular often look like a flare in the night sky. Easily seen and easily forgotten.

So, write well, my friend, so that your writing may become a well readers will want to come back to time and time again.

To see this article on the Seriously Write website, click HERE!

My Eyes Are Dry (A Seriously Write Blog Post)

We Sometimes, as writers, we come to the blank page blank ourselves. We want to be fresh. We want to be original. We wish for others to read our every word. However, we sit and stare at the screen. And it stares back. It’s all been said. It’s all been done. It’s all been written. The words of Ecclesiastes haunt us: “There is nothing new under the sun.”

And it seems, in these moments, our writing has no meaning. “Meaningless, meaningless, all is meaningless.”

In our Christian walk, we run to God when our lives become stale. We ask for forgiveness. We plead for mercy. We request insight and direction. In times like these, we sing songs to help and encourage us toward righteous living, like Keith Green’s “My Eyes are Dry,” for example (you can click on the link and sing along, if you so choose).

So, for those of you who struggle in your writing, when the blank “page” stares back…when the enemy tells you you’re not worthy…remember…it’s about a relationship with the Creator…not a story…not a character…not even an inspiring word that may help someone else get through a dark time. As good and wonderful as those things may be…

It’s about righteousness.

And a relationship.

So, in this upcoming year, with New Year resolutions swirling about like evil taunts and the frequency of writer’s conferences picking up steam, appearing like trains in a tunnel barreling your way, do not hesitate to pause and ask God to bathe you in His spirit of love and the wine of His blood…to keep your heart from becoming hard…to keep your faith from getting old…and to keep your eyes wet with compassion.

My Eyes are Dry by Keith Green

My eyes are dry

My faith is old

My heart is hard

My prayers are cold.

And I know how

I ought to be

Alive to You

And dead to me.

Oh, what can be done

For an old heart like mine?

Soften it up

With oil and wine.

The oil is You

Your spirit of love

Please wash me anew

In the wine of Your blood.

To see this article on the Seriously Write website, click on the following link:  Click HERE 

The Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Kathi Macias

Greetings from the frigid south! (Don't laugh. We had some nights below freezing...and the panhandle got snow.) I hope all of you had a wonderful, restful, peaceful, and God-blessed Christmas and New Year! I know we did, and we are looking forward to what God has in store for 2018. I sense some big things are coming...in my writing world...and in the world at-large. What about you?

One of the neat things about doing this series is getting to know new people. One of those people is a guest this month on my Author Behind the Story series. Please welcome, all the way from sunny California, Kathi Macias!

Welcome, Kathi! For those out there who may not be familiar with Kathi Macias and her writing, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Kathi Macias?

I’m a 5 foot 2 inch great-grandma who was once introduced as Rosey Grier’s bodyguard, and I’ve spent an entire day on death row at San Quentin. I have six kids, an army of grandkids and great-grandkids, and if you asked them to describe me, they’d say things like, “meanest mom in the world,” “craziest lady in town,” and “greatest cook on the planet.” Take your pick; they’re probably right on all counts.

San Quentin, huh? Just one day? Did you know I used to be in prison, too? Spent over four years of my life in the mental health unit of a state correctional facility...as a correctional officer. Somehow, that job and writing have some eerie correlations, sometimes. 

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be?

C.S. Lewis or Brennan Manning, as I so admire their thinking/writing.

I have to admit, I am not familiar with Brennan Manning, but see, now I want to go see who that person is.

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?

The woman at the well. I believe she has been smeared as a prostitute, when that may not be the case. Yes, she went through several divorces, but it wasn’t women who could instigate a divorce in those days. Since no children are mentioned, I think it’s possible she was divorced, over and over again, because she was childless. That would have made her shame even greater. That she finally ended up living with a man she wasn’t married to may be because no one else would have her or provide a roof over her head. I think she may have been one of the most brokenhearted women who ever lived.

Why do you live where you live?

I suppose we live in Southern California because we grew up here. (My husband and I grew up a few blocks from one another in Ventura, California, and met when we were six years old.) Three of our six children and their families live in California, as well as our grown grandchildren. We live in a lovely retirement community because at our age, we don’t want a “high maintenance” home and yard. Also, my husband loves golf, and we have our own course here.

Ever heard of a place called The Villages in Florida? Largest retirement community in the world, as I understand it. So, we are very familiar with the lifestyle you portray. So, when you look for a new car, what are the things that are important to you?

I think practical, reliable, and affordable. Although those factors impact my husband’s decision too, he is also enamored of a car’s looks. (Hence, his 2005 Sunburst Orange Corvette and my 2011 gray Toyota Camry.)

Orange Corvette? The police would love him down here...

Well, we know you're married and have children and grandchildren. Do you wish to tell us a little more?

I am married to my junior/senior high sweetheart. We have six children, and countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I have recently come to understand something an elderly friend used to say to me years ago: “My two favorite times in life are when my grandchildren come to visit and when they go home.” Lots of truth in that! My husband and I usually recover with a nice long nap.

Every grandparent knows what you mean. That's what makes this stage of life so grand.

I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell

us in one sentence why it is your favorite.

Favorite Song of All-Time: “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me. I listen to/sing that song and think of how glorious it will be to finally be home with our Lord—and to see our many loved ones who have gone on ahead of us.

Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Nearly anything by Brennan Manning or Max Lucado. Their words sing, and their message goes deep to the heart.

Favorite Bible Verse: Philippians 3:13-14. It puts everything in this crazy world into proper perspective.

Favorite Movie: Driving Miss Daisy. It’s my favorite “feel good” movie, and I could watch it over and over.

Favorite Novel (other than your own): Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. It changed my heart/life and inspired me to write No Greater Love, set in South Africa.

Favorite Author (other than you): Brock and Bodie Theone, Their series captivate me!

Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: Definitely writing and English. I always loved anything that had to do with words.

Favorite Teacher in School: Robert Ferries. He was my English and Creative Writing teacher, and he challenged and stretched me to be a better writer.

Favorite Time of the Year: Fall. We live in the desert, and fall means the heat is over for a while!

Favorite Place to Vacation: Lake Arrowhead. I love the peace and quiet of the mountains.

Favorite Drink: Strawberry lemonade. It’s so refreshing!

Favorite Food: Toss-up between pizza and calzones. Must be the Italian in me! (You know a calzone is just a pizza folded over in half, right? I love those, too!)

When the words aren’t flowing, what is your favorite comfort food and why?

And so we return to pizza.

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

I was in love with words before I was old enough to go to school. I read everything in sight (cereal boxes, newspapers, etc.), and when I ran out of things to read, I started making up my own stories. Though I briefly entertained the idea of becoming a teacher, my only real desire from my earliest recollection was to be a writer.

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?

I arrived early to a writers’ dinner, as did Barbara Johnson (Woman of Faith and Spatula Ministries fame). We got to chatting and ended up good friends. I was honored to attend her last birthday celebration before she went home to be with the Lord. What an incredibly special lady she was! I look forward to seeing her again when I too go home.

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?

The biggest impact on my writing came from a young man of about 17 or 18. I was doing a book signing for my newest release, No Greater Love, a novel set in South African in 1989 just before the fall of Apartheid, when this young man entered the bookstore. He looked around until he spotted them, then walked up to my table. “I wanted to meet you,” he said, “because I just finished reading your new book, and I wanted to tell you that it made me want to lead a noble life.” His words ring in my ears each time I craft a new book.

How awesome is that?! Just goes to show how we never know who our writing impacts and how it challenges them. 

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story? 

I have to go back to No Greater Love, set in South Africa in 1989. I first considered doing the book way back in the late ’80s, as I watched the drama unfolding in South Africa, as Apartheid finally fell and Nelson Mandela was released from prison. But it wasn’t until 2009 that I found a publisher willing to consider a novel on the topic. Thank you, Andrea Mullins of New Hope Publishers! In fact, it launched my Extreme Devotion series (four novels about the persecuted Church around the world) and New Hope’s first-ever fiction line, “Fiction with a Mission.”

Before we wrap things up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

My heart, whether I’m writing fiction or nonfiction, is to challenge my readers to think beyond the obvious and to take their commitment to Christ to the next step. Much of my fiction is based on social issues, such as homelessness, human trafficking, PTSD, etc. As Christians, I believe we need to be actively involved in helping with/solving these issues. It’s not enough to feel badly about them—we need to do something, and each of us can do at least one thing.

Well said. I feel the same way about my writing. That's why my website says, "Where Imagination Meets Eternity." 

Thanks, Kathi, for taking the time to be with us here on ABTS! 

Well, folks, if you'd like to follow-up this interview and get to know Kathi more, you can visit her at these locations on the web:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Kathi-Macias-75996188045/

Twitter: @alandkathi

Her Website: www.kathimacias.com

Until next time, may God bless you all, and may you bless God!

Kevin

www.ckevinthompson.com

When visiting Kevin's website, don't forget to subscribe to Kevin's e-mail newsletter to get updates on new book releases, book signing events, and more! The form is located at the bottom of the home page!

The Author Behind the Story Series - Mary L. Hamilton

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santy Claus. He came early to FLA. Weather's crisp and cool. The skies are clear blue. There's been frost on the rooftops. Such a wonderful respite from the hot temps that typically plague us here is the south.

So, as our northern friends shovel their driveways, we are sitting here on the front porch, wrapped in a blanket, sipping Donut Shop coffee, and enjoying an evening without mosquitoes.

In the midst of this pleasantness, can you help me welcome fellow author, Mary L. Hamilton!

Welcome Mary! For those readers who do not know you, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Mary Hamilton?

Introvert with a sense of humor usually revealed only to people I’m comfortable with. Love to laugh, hate to cry even in front of my husband. Terrible leader, but excellent #2 person because I enjoy making it easy for others to do their job. Love dogs. And Jesus.

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

Upon graduating college with a social work degree, I went into VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America). Those old enough to remember might know it was a domestic version of the Peace Corps. I worked for a hunger organization in Houston for a year, acting as a liaison between the churches that kept pantries and my organization which kept records on the people served and provided a clearinghouse for those churches to avoid abuse of the system. After that, I worked a couple years as a state welfare worker and discovered I wasn’t really cut out to be a social worker. The next four years, I worked in a hospital setting as an assistant to the director of volunteers. That was probably my favorite job. I loved the hospital atmosphere, and my skills complemented my director’s so we worked very well together. I left that job to become a stay-at-home mom and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

You just mentioned a social work degree. What other educational background do you have?

Although I was very close to my family, I thought it was important to learn to be independent. For that reason, I chose to attend a residential junior college that was an eight-hour drive from home. It forced me to make my own decisions and learn to manage things on my own. However, the town and the school were about the same size as my hometown and my high school, making the transition a bit easier. I finished my four-year degree in social work at a larger college in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, the culture shock of living in an urban setting and the anonymity of the larger school made for a very difficult two years there. I couldn’t wait to leave, and didn’t even bother to attend graduation.

Isn't Minneapolis a little far from Houston? Hmm. Maybe you'll fill us in sometime on the distance disparity. Are you married? Single? Have kids?

I’ve been married to Prince Charming for 35 years, and we have three grown kids. No grandkids. Yet.

Have you told Cinderella yet? She's going to be upset, you know... :-) 

Okay, on a more serious note, I’m going to give you a shotgun list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one sentence why it is your favorite.

Favorite Food: chocolate--I have a terrible sweet tooth.

Favorite Drink: water—Boring, I know.

Favorite Song: How Great Thou Art—It was my choice for my dad’s funeral and it never fails to choke me up.

Favorite Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower—She gives such an intimate portrait of our presidential families from the Kennedys all the way up to the Obamas.

Favorite Bible Verse: Just one? That’s like asking which child is my favorite. I guess I’d have to say John 3:16 because it says it all.

Favorite Movie: Star Wars (the original)—The triumph of good over evil had the audience give a standing ovation the first time I saw it in a theater.

Favorite Actor or Actress: Gregory Peck—I’m dating myself, but I don’t watch TV and rarely see movies these days. He was a great actor with personal integrity. Handsome, too!

Favorite Novel (other than your own): Water from My Heart—I didn’t like it until halfway

through and then, wow, it was powerful.

Favorite Novelist (other than you): Charles Martin—I love the way he puts words together and would probably read a grocery list if he wrote it!

Favorite Sport: basketball—It’s fast-paced, not dependent on weather, and I understand it.

Favorite Team (Can be any sport, any level): Chicago Cubs—I’ve been a Cubs fan since 4^th grade when Mrs. Babcock let us listen to the games during class.

Favorite Subject in School Growing Up: Reading/composition—I was good at it.

Favorite Subject Now: Same because I enjoy reading and writing.

Favorite Teacher in School: James Wehner—Along with teaching English Lit, he gave advice for successful living and actually made vocabulary fun.

Favorite Time of the Year: Autumn—In Texas, fall is a blessed relief from the heat.

Favorite Place to Vacation: Wisconsin/Minnesota—My siblings and extended family live there.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be?

Abraham Lincoln is the first person that comes to mind. He faced a nation much more divided than we are today, and I’d love to know his thoughts on that. Besides the issue of slavery, what made him so determined to keep the states united and not recognize the South’s secession? He seems to have been a kind and gentle man and I’d love to know him personally.

Interesting choice. It would be an enlightening discussion, I think. If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?

Daniel would be the one person from the Bible I’d want to spend time with. I’d love to know how he felt when he was thrown into the lions’ den. Was he afraid, or had God given him the confidence to know he was safe? And how could he reconcile not only serving a pagan king, but serving him well? What was he faced with in that culture and how did he manage to stay pure?

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author?

When I first started writing, my infant son took wonderful three-hour long naps during which I’d write. I found myself resenting him when he woke up because I didn’t like being interrupted. I wanted to keep writing. But I knew that wasn’t the right attitude, and I thought of the verse in the Bible that talks about how all our works will be burned in the fire and most will be consumed like wood, hay and stubble. I realized that no matter how many books I write, even if some become best-sellers, they have no eternal value. They’ll be wood, hay and stubble in that fire. But my son has an eternal soul. What I do with him will last forever. That’s when I vowed to put my family first before my writing. Even now when the kids are grown, I try to put people ahead of my writing, because they have eternal value.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

Oh, goodness, I don’t think I’ve done anything crazy since I was a teenager. Of course, teenagers have a lot of drama going on, and one time, three friends and I locked ourselves in a bathroom so we could discuss some bit of drama in private. One of those friends was a boy, so we had three girls and one boy together in a bathroom. When we’d finished our discussion and were ready to leave, the doorknob literally came off in someone’s hand, leaving us locked in there. We couldn’t very well call for help, because we’d have to explain what three girls and a boy were all doing in the same bathroom. In a panic, we tried and tried to fit the doorknob back on, but finally resorted to tearing the window screen and sending the boy out since he was the smallest. Then one last try on the doorknob, and the door swung open as easily as if it were new. 

Why do you live where you live?

When my husband retired from an oil company, we wanted to get out of the big city and away from Houston’s humidity. He’d always wanted to work for a university, and I wanted to live near a lake. Waco offered both, with a small town atmosphere. And it was halfway between our daughter in Dallas and our son in Austin. We found a place that’s a little bit country but ten minutes from shopping, so we are very happy.

So, have you had dinner with Chip & Joanna Gaines yet? Don't they live in Waco? Just wondering...

We know “Readers are leaders, and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how did it affect your life?

I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah about the time of the Charlottesville rioting. At the same time, every Sunday for a month, several churches in our community set aside a few moments to speak against racism in any form among Christians. As I read of Nazi atrocities against Jews and others, I realized this was the end result of harboring any form of hatred or racism in my own heart. It clearly showed me the devastation that hatred wreaks between people, and motivated me to get rid of any ill will in my heart. 

When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you?

Well, since I don’t enjoy cooking, I’ve been looking for a house without a kitchen, but so far, no luck. A view would be perfect, especially if it overlooked a lake. I’m not real particular about the house itself, as long as it’s well-built. Victorian style would be nice, but the location is more important to me. I like having some room between my neighbors and me—close enough to talk and get acquainted, but not looking onto each other’s driveway or into someone’s window. 

When you look for a new car, what are the things that are important to you? 

It must have wheels and be dependable enough to get me where I want to go when I want to go there.

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you? 

The blurb is what usually catches my attention. I want to know what the book is about. I love women’s fiction that delves into relationships, but with little or no romance. I want some meat, like The Nightingale, not just fluff. If a book sounds like light reading, I’ll usually pass it up.

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

The story of the Prodigal Son never fails to bring me to tears. I see myself in the young man who insists on doing life the way he wants, only to find out it’s an illusion. When he finally repents and drags himself back to the father, he’s overwhelmed by the father’s forgiveness and grace. But I also identify with the older brother who resents the fuss made over his wayward sibling. It’s such a poignant illustration of God’s love and grace toward us, no matter what state we find ourselves in. That father’s response speaks deep into my heart.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

It’s been a pleasure chatting with you and your readers today. While I started out writing a series for young teens, my dream was always to write for adults. So I’m excited about Pendant, a cozy mystery that is my latest release.

When not writing, I enjoy knitting and a little amateur photography using only my iPhone. And I love hearing from readers, so I’d encourage you to connect with me personally through my social media or email, mary@maryhamiltonbooks.com.

Mary, it's been a pleasure having you here today. And folks, if you wish to find out more, you can visit Mary's links below!

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Until next time, may God bless you, may you bless God, and God bless us all, everyone!

Kevin

www.ckevinthompson.com

When visiting Kevin's website, don't forget to subscribe to Kevin's e-mail newsletter to get updates on new book releases, book signing events, and more! The form is located at the bottom of the home page!

In the Image of God ( A Seriously Write Blog)

As I sat in the waiting room a couple of Wednesdays ago, wondering what news the doctor’s report would bring, God did what He seems He has to do quite often with me.

Refocus.

I’m a gung-ho kind of guy. Give me a task, and I’m on a mission. The more passionate about that task I am, the higher the urgency increases. This can be a good thing, but like so many “good things” in life, you can get too much of it.

Or lose yourself in it.

Amongst all the races I run (to use my Apostle Paul-like voice here), as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as an assistant principal, as a writer, and as a son of God, it was sitting in that waiting room, next to my youngest daughter, waiting to hear how extensive the disease had or had not spread, I realized how much I was branded in the image of God.

I know about the coin. The image Jesus used to help his disciples understand a concept of image and ownership. What is Caesar’s? Hand it over. What is God’s? Hand it over, too. The difference? Caesar asks for a percentage. God asks for it all. Caesar loves conditionally (Just stop paying your percentage, and you’ll see). God loves unconditionally (When we stop giving our all, He loves us anyway).

So, there I was, sitting in the waiting room. Refocusing. Trying to find myself again. Then it hit me.

“You wish to be like your Heavenly Father? Then, for you, it’s quite simple. For God loved sinners. Then, to show them how much He loved them, He wrote it all down so they’d never forget. So, be like your Father.”

Love sinners.

And write about it.

Just make sure you leave them something that points them back to your Father. It won’t be scripture, but it needs to be scriptural. When you do that without losing your focus, then you will be about as close to the image of God as you can get.

This won’t be for everybody, for not everyone is a writer. Some people are mathematicians and scientists, and they will make God wondrous with their computations and discoveries. Some people are philosophers and theologians, and they will cause others to seek Him with their reason and sound minds. Some are plumbers, carpenters, and bookkeepers, and they will glorify God in their work, too, showing His handiwork in everything they build and tend. Some make music and help others’ hearts soar to His throne room.

But, you’re a writer, Kevin. This is your function within the body of Christ. Your gift from God. Your talent.

So, for today…and every day hereafter, help me, Father, live in Your image. The image You crafted for me before time began. The image I so easily get confused with earthly things. When I stray, pull me back to the waiting room of life until I am refocused. And when I am, may my words help others ultimately find Your unconditional love so that You may embrace them for all eternity.

And thank You for the good report from the doctor, Lord. We’re trusting You for even more.

Amen. 

To see this article on the Seriously Write website, click HERE!