Scribe

2010-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Alright, it's been a while (do you get the feeling every post starts that way?) so I'll go through the basics of what's been going on with me lately.

I finished my first year of college.

I've been working.

I tried training for the cross country team at ASU, but the shin splits are too much with work....I REALLY hate that because I know I could make the team. oh well. Maybe in the near future.

I've helped out with a sportscamp at House of Faith. Pretty fun.

I'm considering getting a degree in kinesiology so I can become a coach. Sports, exercise and health have always interested me, so I'm praying and seeing if God is leading me in that direction.

I'm hoping to help coach a homeschool basketball league next semester....don't know how I feel about that to be honest lol Homeschoolers are notorios for thinking their way is better and I've heard of some attitude from this team before. It won't be fun for anyone who tries to mess with this coach! ;)

I wrote a script version of the Leper King. I showed the snynopsis to my theatre prof at ASU and he said he wanted to see the script when I wrote it. Just working on editing it now.

Other than that, just living, trying to rest a bit, and praying and listening to God.

Theatre, Sheep, School

2010-03-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Not too much out of the ordinary. I'm still plugging away at college and work, taking opportunities to get ahead when I can.

Which brings me to my next topic; theatre and sheep.

I worked as an usher at a performance for extra credit for my theatre class. Not bad. I knew one of the girls who was acting.

I also went out and helped a friend feed some sheep on Saturday. Maybe I'll get pictures uploaded sometime

Life Update

2010-02-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

Well as you can guess I'm back from Japan. The semester started up a couple days after we (my older brother and I) got back. It was hard saying bye to the family, but we're military so we're tough right?

As soon as I got back, my car (91' Honda Civic) started acting up. I hoped to make it last for years to come so I could save for a really nice pickup, but that car couldn't be persuaded that that was in its best interest. I've been on the hunt for a pickup for a while now, but this sped up my efforts. I found a 96' Toyota Tacoma...one of the best small trucks on the market (call it a hickup). Feeling good about that.

Obviously, I can't wait to get it on some dirt roads. (My new set of wheels)

School has been going pretty well. I made a 3.3 GPA last semester. Not bad, but I want to do better. On my last 3 tests, I believe I've scored 94-104%, 107%, and 117%. Not bad for a start. Also, rodeo came to town this week! Yeeha!

Someone got bucked off his bull and nearly gored twice.

(They had this mechanical bull outside the arena when I got out of the performances...monkey see monkey do)

I went to the stockshow/fairgrounds 4 times and saw the show twice. I also watched a judging event with horses and got to talk to a trainer for about an hour. I was supposed to meet one my professors out there, but I got a lot of my questions answered anyway.

Japan!

2010-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

My brother and I are in Japan for the holidays.

It was an interesting trip to get here, starting from when San Angelo's small, one-horse airport made us stand out in 25-30 degree weather to when my laptop's battery ran low on the 13 hour flight from Dallas to Tokyo. Do you know what happens when it does that?

It goes:

"Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!"

Also, btw, Japanese pilots are a little slow on takeoffs and abrupt on their landings.

Anyhow, my older bro and I made it.

Our family was all together for New Years, which was cool since we weren't for Christmas.

We've enjoyed seeing a big Bhudda, getting pictures in Japanese garb, and a bunch of other stuff around here on top of board games and just chilling with the family.

Speaking of chilling, the wheather has been something else around here. It snows about everyday, but it doesn't stick.

A lot of the fun is being able to see another culture upclose. I've been making efforts to learn Japanese, so I bumble my way through a shallow conversation with someone now.

One thing that strikes me is how they are so much more consciunces of other people than Americans. For instance, when Cy and I got on a shuttle from the Tokyo airport to our hotel, the speaker asked that we silence our cell phones because they would disturb the neighborhoods we were going through.

They are a civilized culture, but less than 1% of this country is Christian. Let that sink in. It might explain why they have such a high suicide rate.

On a lighter topic, I've decided to do more writing this year than I did in the last one. My goal is to publish as much as I can and finish adding a bunch of stuff to my second book. The characters need more depth, depth I believe I didn't know how to develop till this past year.

My goal is to have a book published by the time I'm 25. It doesn't have to be fiction. As a matter of fact, I have my eyes on a non fiction book I'd really like to write.

I'm still considering an animal science degree, but we will see. My thinking with wanting to pursue some type of degree besides just Intercultural Ministry is that I want to be able to have some way of supporting myself besides ministry.

Also, I just feel better about the idea of having some job in the "real world" so I know what it's like, so people don't look at my background and think, "This guy has never had a job outside of ministry. How is he supposed to know what I'm going through?"

Even Apostle Paul was a tent maker, Peter was a fisherman and the list goes on and on.

I'm not saying being able to do ministry plus something is the only way and all the rest are bad. I'm saying that right now it looks like the best way to me.

Anyhow, I'll try to keep yall more posted about my adventures in Japan!

Let's See

2009-12-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

There's been a bunch of stuff going on around me lately so I'll give some highlights.

I finished my first semester! (scored a 3.3, which I'm a little disappointed about. I could have scored better, but it was HARD to take Sociology seriously)

Been writing for the newspaper (Got to interview a Col. again this year. Cool)

Did a HOF Christmas party

Been working like a maniac at my job. Like, I've put in about 45+ or so hours this week. That's alright. I always will take extra time on the clock because it means more $$$.

Went to the lake yesterday. It's great to go there because it's a good place to go and think. It's quiet and the scenery is pretty good for TX. I took my guitar along, which made it better. :)

Been thinking about maybe getting a minor in some ag degree. Maybe. I'm still set on being a missionary, but I want something I can do in the "real world" too. Besides, I might be able to use that degree depending on where I go. Considering a job in ag for the summer so I can try it out a bit.

Been using a huge arctic sleeping bag for the past couple nights when I go to sleep...the thing's so heavy that rolling over is a chore. I actually feel exhausted when I wake up jk

That's about all I can of.

How 'bout yourself?

Oh yeah, as you probably noticed, I got a new background. It's been about 2-3 years, so I figured it was about time.

Hunting, Edit Miscommunication, and College

2009-11-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Alright, it's about 11 PM so I'll see if I can make this short.

I went deer hunting a little while ago. I had to get up at 5:20 (actually I was supposed to be at my friend's house at 5 AM...if you're interested, I didn't go slower than 75 on the way out lol) but it was well worth it....I kinda think my friends were a littl disapointed when I didn't freak out during the gutting part.

Now I just have to figure out some good ways to cook deer. Any ideas anyone?

I went out to cover a newspaper story at a cemeterary. The people the event was about had already been there. My edit failed to tell me that detail, so I was walking around when I bumped into this lady with a camera.

"You just taking pictures for the sake of it?" I asked

"No. Actually I'm a photographer with the newspaper and I'm supposed to be covering an event, but the people aren't here."

I laughed. "I'm the reporter."

The funny thing about this whole thing was that a friend of mine proposed that day and a family I'm friends with had a child that day...why did I end up walking around in a cemetary on a day like that? God trying to tell me something deep philosophical? I'll figure it out later. lol

Sat down to start writing my research paper that's due on the 28th. Got about 2 pages in about 45 minutes. Feeling good about that paper.

I only have 3 more weeks till this semester is over! Wooohooo!

Considering looking into getting a motorcycle. Let's go through pros and cons. On one hand, it's really cool and really cheap. On the other, you die if someone hits you....this might be a short argument with myself. maybe ;)

Getting There...

2009-10-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

Let's see, since I last posted, here are a few of my highlights:

I'm starting on my 10th week of school, which means I'm about 2/3 through with the school year.

I bought a guitar and have been learning how to play with an online program.

I experienced some chest pains and had the college clinic check it out. Turns out I started a workout too fast, which sounded good when I was thinking about the possibility of an impending heart attack or something.

I walked into an office to apply for an assistant marketing position (hearing from someone who applied for the job, it's a bunch of writing so I figured I could handle it). I new the position had been filled, but I wanted the lady to remember me for the next time it opens up...so I ended up talking to the lady right in front of the guy who's job I was talking about! Talk about feeling a spot getting burned in the back of my head! lol

Making some break throughs with kids at House of Faith. One kid actually listened to me the other day when I gave him advice.

I bought a gun (10-.22 Ruger)

I went spot lighting the other night and shot a cotton tail rabbit (does that make me a meany? haha) That was a lot of fun. Spot lighting is where you drive around with a truck and a stand in the bed of the truck and some of the people you're wit have spot lights they shine everywhere.

When you see a pair of animal eyes staring back at you, you shoot between them.

Here are some pics of the week.

Been doing some thinking about the trip to Africa this summer. I believe God is calling me to be a missionary, but I want to make sure this missions trip is what he has in mind for me. I have a couple friends who might go along with me, but I'm fine going alone as well.

Whatever I decide, as usual, I want my motivations to be right and to be able to walk straight into it without an ounce of doubt so I can put energy behind it.

That's about all that's been happening to me, on top of work, writing for the newspaper (been doing a bunch of assignments from them) and getting to know people.

Normal...Kinda (I'll come up with better titles some day)

2009-10-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Alright, the week went pretty well. I'm just about half way through this semester, and I still have energy. Wait till Rodeo hits, I keep telling myself.

Speaking of rodeo, there's a small rodeo coming into town and I'm going to see if I can cover it for the newspaper. I might get to go interview a bunch of bull riders or something.

I put in about 38-39 hours at work.

I bought a camera, so pictures will be coming in future updates :)

First real picture

I also went to a church to cover that for the newspaper....that's the first time I ever dropped an article volentarily.

The reason I write articles about churches in my area is because I felt God tell me one day in church, "be a voice for my people."

I already put a significant amount of time and energy into putting it together, but once I went to the church to interview the people in the church that had split, I just didn't feel right about it. There are too many hurt people there right now. I would be causing a lot more damage if I did write it. So, that's over.

On to cherier news, I had a funny thing happen to me today. I've been meaning to talk to a man at my church named Jim Farmer at my church (CCSA) about going on a missions trip to Africa next summer.

I went to the paintball course today to interview people there about another article (seeing a trend in my updates? lol) and did my work, was about to leave, when I felt God telling me to stick around a bit. I did.

When I turned around after a few minutes, I saw Jim Farmer, of all people, sitting at a table and getting ready to play soft air! I talked to him about the trip, and learned a few things.

I went to a friend's house in the afternoon to target practise. I also did some welding (or cutting, was exactly what I was doing)

This is him when I walked up.

I wanted to know how it worked

Me shooting (notice the scope FAR from my face. Also, Jared, I got an Alaskan belt buckle just to upset the natives in Texas ;)

Both of us shooting (don't worry. there's not a single bullet between all 4 guns :)

Some sunset/moon shots I took on the way back from Ballinger.

Week of...I'm not sure. Normal life I guess

2009-09-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Let me give you a few highlights of my week.

I started it off right by going paintballing with a bunch of friends. Went pretty good, though I found out later that I had 4 guys gunning for me the whole time on the other team! And I stuck my hand in a pile of ants and didn't notice till I had them all over my hand. lol

I did classes on Tuesday and Thursday. I am REALLY lucky my math teacher decided to give a group quiz (everyone gets the same grade) instead of a normal quiz. I would have gotten like 10% because I worked extra time on Wednsday and didn't have the drive to study passed 11 pm that night.

I went to House of Faith (a ministry I volunteer for) and had a blast as the only guy at the school I help out at. I got the privilege of keeping 10-20 boys entertained in a game of street football. That's actually a blast!

I feel like I'm getting to know a lot of these kids faster than I ever have in past years....maybe that has something to do with my fam moving away and I'm more interested in getting to know them now? Don't know. :)

Celebrated a friend's 18th birthday!

Worked all day Friday...worked all day Saturday.

I got into a boxing round on Saturday night. My brother told this other guy at work that I had been sparing with one of my friends and had taken him out, so my coworker wanted to give it a shot.

He and I had fun, but then this other guy wanted to go a round. Good grieve! In retrospect it might have been a good idea to explain the difference between sparing and hitting the other dude as hard as you can. haha had fun anyway.

That's about my life for the week. At this point, I can say I am working full time at college, overtime at work, volunteering at some ministry stuff, and writing the newspaper. The time it took to write this post might be the most time I get to goof around all week! lol jk

Anyhow, good night!

What's New

2009-09-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's been a while since I've posted. I'll give you a few of the highlights of what's been happening to me.

I went on a hike in CO with a group of friends. I really enjoyed getting out and hiking around the mountains for a whole week! We couldn't get a cell phone reception, which made it better in my opinion. We usually hiked about 5 miles a day or so with large packs and then we went for smaller hikes after setting up camp.

Myself and some other guys jumped into a lake up in the mountains....Glad we had a fire going when we got out! Most refreshing though, if I do say so myself.

On the last night I put some yellow dye in one of my fellow camper's canteen, and he actually believed I'd used his water bottle instead of a tree!

Here are a few pictures of the trip.

After I got home, I only had a couple weeks till college started, but I started and am doing pretty well. That's my competely unbiased opinion. :)

I'm going to try to update every Sunday or so, just to make sure I'm staying fairly current. BTW, I have skype now. I am Jamin.Goecker on skype! People tried getting me to do it before, but having family in Japan has really motivated me to get now. LOL

The Media, Trip Home, Plasma

2009-07-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I said this in my last post, but we got the van back. And among the things the thieves took was a camera with a picture of me riding a pig in Seattle with my cowboy hat and everything. That guy who took the van just made it personal :)

Cy and I made it back to Texas alright after we said bye to the family...wait. Let me talk about the media in Seattle real quick.

As a reporter, I'm not used to being the one interviewed. THAT was kinda different. It annoyed me to no end when I heard one of the reporters walked into a room where Jared and the younger ones were and said the equivalent of, "Alright, now that your parents aren't here, what would you like to say?"

BIG red flag on the play! A reporter never sidesteps the parents of minors, or jokes about doing it. Some kids don't talk as well when parents are around, true, but it's better to avoid that whole issue and a bad reputation than...oh well. I didn't really like that TV station anyway. lol

Also, and this is just funny, a lady from a radio station interviewed us. I could tell she was from the school of thought that says when you're interviewing someone, you make eye contact and NEVER break it. THAT was scary! Her eyes grew, her cheeks sucked in, and she jabbed the microphone into my face whenever I said a word. Has a salmon interviewed you before? Because she looked like one a few times.

The trip home was pretty cool. For the sake of brevity, I'll say cops are aggresive about establishing their turf when they've been gone, and sticking your head out the window for a picture isn't the best way to put the driver at ease.

More recently, I gave plasma yesterday. It wasn't real scary or anything, and the process was relatively painless. Albeit, it was kinda weird having a needle in my arm for an hour and a half.

Let me tell you a quick story of when I was getting my physical, and then I'd better run. Let me state here and now that I have pretty good reflexes...

You know how doctors check your reflexes by hitting your knee with a mallet? She hit me in the left knee. My leg kicked without my permission (am I the only one who tries to be a rebel in the doc's office by trying to stay awake under drugs or refusing to kick when they test your reflexes?)

She moved over to the right knee. She drew back and tapped the right knee and...my left knee kicked again while the right one stayed home! I just try to give the docs something they don't expect every now and then to liven up their routine, honest. :)

Congratulations if you've read all the way to this point. You made it! lol

Vanishing Van!

2009-07-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Right now my family should be in Japan. After all, that's why my brother and I drove 1900 miles in 2 days. We wanted to see them before they boarded a plane and flew away.

They haven't left yet.

Reason why:

Someone stole the van. SERIOUSLY, who thinks it's a good idea to steal a red, 15-passenger van with Alaskan licence plates? But I guess we're in the northwest.

Here are some things we lost:

My older sister lost her credit card and the person has charged several things already.

Stacia's (youngest sister) little teddy bear :(

Jared's and I's portfolios for school, proofing we'd done a year the past year of work. We're working that out pretty well with the charter school.

And last and most important, the passports and birth certificates for those of us leaving for Japan.

Those last items are the most crippling. Without mentioning identity theft, it will give the family a lot of headaches because it takes about 3-12 weeks to get new birth certificates, which are required for passports.

It's looking like my dad will leave for Japan (he is required to report at his new station by a certain date) and my mom and younger siblings will be stuck state-side waiting for certificates and passports.

MEAN WHILE, my older brother and I will have to go back to Texas. There's no way in the world we can stay with them, nor could we do anything if we did...except form a posse and go after the dude who stole the van.

So right now we're pretty much Sleepless in Seattle.

We've gotten a lot of attention from the media in Seattle, but I'll talk about that in my next post.

Traveling Part II

2009-07-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

A bit later in the day I was driving throw an Indian reservation...and padding the speed limit a bit. Like any law-abiding Texan, I slowed down as soon as I saw a cop on the side of the road.

I groaned inwardly as the guy started following me, wondering if my older brother and I were going to pay half for speeding tickets since we split the cost of gas money.

Finally, after a few tense miles, the guy passed me and I saw the side of his car: Police of the Nation of Navajo.

Yikes! So a Navajo had been trailing me for a couple miles? Glad he didn't give me a ticket...he would probably step out of the car completely painted with war paint and a feather. Then he'd dance around my vehicle and dent up the exterior with a tomahawk.

We arrived in Eugene, OR, the next day after driving over 1000 miles (talk about being delusional. we nearly fit in among northerners). By the way, the speed limit in Oregon is 55 mph. And if anyone asks, no, I did not go 30 over the limit down a circuitous road...29, 29.5, 29.51, etc., but NEVER 30.

I'll load pictures later.

Those aren't the highlights of this trip, though. TBC!

Cows, Mormons, and Najaho Cops

2009-07-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

My brother and I left San Angelo to reach our destination pretty early on Sunday...maybe we should've spent time at a church or something. Bad luck skipping church to do something. Last time someone threw me out of a plane when I didn't show at a church.

Anyway, the day started bright and early and my brother let me drive his car till noon. That was...interesting. The clutch on his car springs up like a catapult whenever I took my foot off it. My brother probably uses it as a weapon against other drivers.

With my hands on the steering wheel and as America slid past me in a blur, I spotted a herd of cows in a green field. I'm sure there are lots of people who would do what I did next.

I rolled down my window, leaned out the window, and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Hey cow!"

The idea of the game is to see how many cows look up when you yell. I think a lot of them looked up because I nearly swerved off the road on accident and rammed them.

My brother relieved me of the steering wheel after a while, and we stopped at a nice little town called Moab in Idaho...Moab, the place with the FDZ's. Everywhere we go we seem to run into those people!

The next day we were driving through a reservation when...I'll finish writing this later. To be continued :)

Sportscamp, Mufflers, and Stripping Wax from Tile

2009-06-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Whew!

Here are a few things I've done in the last couple of days. They're really not linked in anyway.

Sports camp is done and there will definitely be some kids I'm going to miss, while there are a few faces I'd rather not remember.

Some of you know my younger brother, Jared, played basketball last year. It turns out one of the kids I instructed played against Jared's team, and yes, he had attitude.

"Are you as good as your brother?" he asked.

"Nah. Football's more of my thing." I said.

"Well you must be really bad because he wasn't good."

Alright, buddy, you can talk smack when you're taller than my hip!

While driving home with some friends, my muffler fell off my car. Oh well. I own the most valuable car in the parking lot because my Honda gets 35-40 mpg, in my opinion.

I drove out of town yesterday morning to help strip wax from tile in a church before going to work. There are a few tricks to that job! First off, be careful with that buffer machine; one wrong move, and it'll speed across the room with you clutching onto it and sliding across the slick floor behind it.

Fun job anyway, as long as you stay away from stairs.

Tomorrow my older brother and I, with whom I'm sharing an apartment, are starting a road trip to Oregon. The point of the trip is to see the family a few days before they fly off for Japan. I'll probably have pictures in the future!

Quick Update

2009-06-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

This summer's been pretty fun so far and I haven't even gone on vacation yet!

I turned in a scholarship essay the other day about The Wizard of Oz, Toto, and money management, I registered for college classes, played paintball on some friends' property, and experienced my first day of something called Sports camp at a ministry I volunteer at.

How it works is we bring van-loads of kids to certain locations and we have coaches who instruct them in the sport they're interested in. The people in charge picked me to play basketball...which means I'm pretty much learning right along with the kids :)

One thing that got my attention this morning was listening to two boys talking this morning about butting heads. I didn't think anything of it, till one actually head-butted the other. The injured party didn't like that and punched the other kid.

Only in a group of pre-Jr. high guys....

I discovered the kids are a lot easier to control when you learn their names, btw. fyi, if you ever do anything with a lot of kids!

Time Crunch

2009-06-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post some stuff this morning, but I've got to be somewhere in an hour! I'll post tonight.

How to Work out and Lose $500

2009-06-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

There's a station I listen to that's been having something of a scavenger hunt around San Angelo, where if you find a slip of paper you get $500.

I've been wanting to go and get involved in it a bit, but haven't really been serious about it. THEN I found out the hidden slip of paper was at a spot I'd walked past just that morning on my way to a spot where I do a bunch of calistenics!

Ouch. Who wants $500 anyway?

Locked Cars, Tired Runners, and Slim Jims

2009-06-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

I rolled out of bed this morning and thought I'd treat myself to something I hadn't tried before; a run on the trails out at a lake nearby.

After I arrived, I locked my door and went for a good 4.5-5 mile run around trails I'll never be able knewledgably navigate.

THEN I got back to the car, stretched, and reached for the car door handle. It was locked, and I'd thrown the keys inside the car without thinking about it because my running shorts didn't have pockets.

So there I was...out by a Texan lake (at least 5 miles to get into town), with a locked door and my legs already tired out.

Let me say here I REALLY considered busting my windshield. I'm getting it replaced anyway, right? Crazy things like that come into your head when you're in the middle of nowhere.

I stopped a guy and asked if he had a cell phone.

"You want to use my Slim Jim?" he said.

I laughed as well as I could while thinking, Do I look so stressed that he thinks I want food?

Turns out a Slim Jim isn't also a stick of jerkey, which is good because I didn't want anyone to see me trying to pick a lock with jerkey. It's a kit to unlock doors. I didn't ask why the guy thought he needed a kit like that, but we popped the door open without me breaking anything!

Gone...

2009-06-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a scary post.

DON'T PROCEED UNLESS YOU'VE CONSULTED A DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR HEART'S HEALTH.

Anyway, my family left town the other day. Now it's just me and my older brother who live in San Angelo.

The goodbyes were hard. I think the one's that hurt the most was my youngest sister, but they all smarted.

I'm thankful God put me in such a large family (there are 9 kids in my family) but I imagine it makes saying bye harder.

On to lighter topics: I dropped my cell a few days ago and it stopped working. Let me put that another way; I can talk to people I call, but I can't hear them or text. Sounds like a great way to communicate with some people!

"If you're talking, I can't hear you. By the way...."

My mom and dad gave me a wireless printer in addition to skydiving and a mattress (great parents) and I went about setting up the printer today. The thing I was afraid of was that anyone, including obnoxious neighbors, could use it when they found out. I'd hate to wake up every morning with a pile of copies saying, "You're a freak!"

I also went shopping today and made a major break through discovery for male bachelors who are interested in saving money. BUY EVERYTHING AT WAL-MART EXCEPT FOOD!!!

Seriously.

I paid about $8 for 100 envelopes at Office Depot, and then discovered Wal Mart sells them at $0.98 for 40. Hold on now...even the college freshman thinks these numbers are looking like I didn't quite get the best deal out there.

I also spent $40 at one place for shorts that cost about $20 at, you guessed it, Wal-Mart :)

I also bought a fishing pole and went fishing tonight, but that's another post.

Push the Graduates out of the Plane!

2009-06-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to free-fall for an entire minute, dropping at about 120 mph?

Let me tell you, it's an experience! For graduation, my family and the Zesch's went skydiving. Actually, it was my older brother, me, my sister, Annie, and Mr. Zesch who jumped. We started driving to the jump site, San Marcos, early in the morning and got home at about midnight. Every minute was a blast!

Here are some pictures.

The jumpers. Kinda looks like a movie poster for Matrix...though the middle guy looks like Kermit the Frog. I can see Kermit as a Matrix character, can't you? :)

That's about how high we jumped

Great poker face

Passing through a cloud

Touch Down!

Across the Aisle

2009-05-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

I done "gaduated"! In other words, I've graduated!

I'm glad that's finally done. It wasn't too stressful (mom and sisters are great people to have when it comes to decorating and invitations) but it's still one more thing off the list of things I need to complete. I did the opening prayer and set a new record for myself on how many people I've spoken in front of (there being about 350 people in the sanctuary I think).

The graduation ceremony would likely have blown you away if you've never attended a homeschool graduation. For instance, Logan walked down the aisle with his diploma with a saber to the music of The Pirates of the Caribbean.

As a homeschooler, my parents gave me my diploma and at that point they get to say something about me. I nearly cracked up on stage!

I'll post some photos when I get them. Here are some pictures of me moving out of the house last week for now (I know, I'm bad about keeping things updated :))

(Combining my Alaskan and Texan backgrounds)

Photobucket src="http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/not2many/02009%20family%20photos/05%20May/movingstuff002.jpg" border=0>

Paint Ball!

2009-05-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

I took some time on Sunday to go and roll in the dirt with paint splattering around me. This activity is better known as paintball, and I had a blast!

The place where we played, some friends and my two brothers, has a bunch of courses you can decide to play on.

My favorite has got to be the one called "The Alamo." This course lives up to the name.

It's located in a heavily wooded area, which makes for a lot of cat and mouse games through the brush. I was the last one standing for a few of the rounds in the woods, which I enjoyed because you get to sprint around a lot.

A thing I really put to good use in those games is sprinting, which makes it hard for the balls to burst on me.

As a sidenote, the guys working at the course missed a lawsuit by an inch. Literally. Those who were under 18 had to sign a paper supposedly from their parents, and they kind of forged a few signatures.

Nothing wrong, unless someone gets hurt. That's where I come into play.

I always check the safety on the rental guns when they give them to me. This time I got a gun, checked it, and then they gave me another one and for some reason I thought I'd checked that one already. I was doing a bit of work to get it ready for the round when "POP!"

One of the rounds from my gun splattered right by my friend's head.

WHOOPS....

Whew!

2009-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

One big event just hit me one after yesterday! Let me start with the morning and I'll give a rating to how much each event had an effect on me on a scale from 1 to.

I worked the earliest I ever have at my job. 2

I saw a homeless guy with a sign from my work! 3

I watched a play performed that I wrote. Actually, that was pretty morbid once I saw it. 4

I moved out of my house. WHAT you're probably thinking. Yeah. I moved out of my parents' house. I have mixed emotions about that, but it's definitely something new. 8

Attended a meeting where I volunteered to pray in front of 350+ people. 4

I'll probably post some more in-depth stuff on these events, but that's the best I can do for now! Movers go to my family's house tommorow, so I'll be busy again and trying to get details and such ironed out on everything. I'm a little scattered right now, but I'm looking forward mostly to what's in the future!

Taming the mouth

2009-05-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

I've realized lately that I have a tendency to bash people in my conversations when I have no intentions of doing so. It's easy for me to get caught up in a conversation and just say the first thing that comes to mind, but the first thing isn't always real edifying for anyone.

I felt a little convicted about things I said lately, so I've decided to get aggressive about keeping my mouth shut if I can't say something that will build someone else up.

So, for those of you who hear me in conversations, I'm asking you to hold me accountable. :)

Do any of you guys struggle with controlling what comes out of your mouth?

Sorry, I Don't Lean that Way

2009-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

At work we've got flowers on most the tables, which means they need to be replaced on a pretty regular basis.

I watched from my bent over position over a sink as the guy switching the flowers took a bouquet of the old flowers and asked if anyone wanted them. He'd throw them away if no one did. He's a great guy to work with because he says things every now and then that makes you go, "WHAT?"

For instance, he said that he didn't think carpets had been around before the 70's. Hmmmm. One sentence: Aladdin and his magic ______

He walked up to me as greasy water dripped off my arm and I straightened as he extended the collection of white and purple flowers towards me.

"You want these?" he asked.

I was glad no one was watching! "Dude, we just established you were straight!"

His face dropped a little and he said something close to, "No! I didn't mean it like that!"

"You KNOW I'm not going to let you forget about this."

Insurance for the Missionary?

2009-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working through a course by Dave Ramsey lately about financial issues. It's been a lot of great information that I'm glad I'm learning now instead of discovering later when I'm broke.

The topic of insurance came up in the lessons, and the one that particularly caught my eye was dissability insurance. Dissability is where the company will support you a little while you're injured doing your job and you can't return to your work.

The companies decide how much you pay not based on your age or health, but on your occupation. The riskier the job, the more it will cost.

So, how much do you think it would cost a missionary going to a country that is 99% Muslim? I'm thinking life insurance is what I should be checking out!

The Lumber Jack

2009-05-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

I can say with complete confidence now that you can use a sawsull to cut through just about anything.

Today my younger brother and I undertook the job of trimming back a tree that's been growing over the neighbor's fense. That was kinda fun, actually!

There's just something about the camadredarie involved with dropping pieces of a tree onto your brother's head. To read a different angle of the story, read my brother's blog http://jared.schichowr.blogspot.com

"I wish you didn't have a home!"

2009-05-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

I tried returning a mircowave at Wal-Mart yesterday. That's not a big deal. The part that got me was when a guy walked up to me who was about my height, shaved head, looked like he hadn't taken a bath in forever, and who's stomach hung out of his shirt.

He walked straight up to me as I waited in line and said something like, "I wish you didn't have a home! I wish you didn't live in a home!"

At first I laughed because I thought I might know him, but I looked into those dark eyes and nope, he was serious. I think he brought up guns or something of that nature in his rant. I stopped listening.

I turned around, but turned again after a few seconds.

"So, how's your day going?" I asked.

"It was going fine till you started talking."

I laughed a little. "Guess I'll stop talking."

"Hahahaha." I've never heard a laugh that sounded so much like a sneer.

This little episode showed me just how hate-filled some people are (or drunk, I'll give the benefit of a doubt). All I did was stand in line and this guy came out of nowhere and wished I was living on the streets?

Some people. Oh well.

I'm Not Going Anywhere!

2009-04-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

As you all know, I've planned to move to Eugene Oregon for a while so I could attend college.

The move would have been tough. I like the people here in West Texas, and I have to admit they've been converting me a little to the Texan side.

The possibility of me staying at first didn't seem plausible, till I started looking at the logistics:

The college here in town is X3 cheaper than the one in Oregon
I can take general classes and transfer them
I have a steady job here...a nice change in outlook since Oregon has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation
I get to "bacht" it with my older brother for about 2 years!

Another benefit is I didn't know if I could say bye to the people here! My family will still be moving, being military, but I'm not going anywhere...except an apartment somewhere. I guess I still get to visit them once a year.

The future's looking up! Glad that decision is out of the way. I'd better tell my boss before he hires someone to replace me.

Article

2009-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is an article I wrote for a college class I'm taking. Thought some of you guys might like it...

My first writing conference left me scarred for life. I’m a homeschooler, used to a small world in which things happen in a very controlled, predictable manner. I had to be prepared for anything.

I remember walking along with the crowd, I have idea where we were going and I doubt they knew, brooding a little over the day’s outcome.

(Me talking to an editor)

I’d come to the conference with a proposal for my first book and samples of my second I planned to write. None of the editors I’d been interviewed by seemed interested beyond the usual, “Send your manuscript to me and I’ll have a look.”

Suddenly one of the teachers of a workshop I’d attended, Lissa Halls Johnson, stood in front of me and said “Jamin, I want to have a look at your manuscript.”

My hands trembled as I fumbled to open my notebook and I pulled out the neat envelope I’d brought samples of my book in. We sat down on a couch; I opened the envelope, thrust my hand in, and gripped empty space.

Mrs. Johnson laughed as I searched the dark corners of the envelope. “Well, you’re a concise writer!”

I ran to my rental car and managed to have her look at my writing for a few minutes, but I lost time in that meeting by not being prepared. I didn’t take full advantage of that occasion.

Mrs. Johnson was a good sport, and she gave excellent feedback, but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been prepared in a different setting.

Suppose a gang member walked up to me and asked why I believe in Jesus. Would I be ready with an answer?

I Peter 3:15a says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Even though I’ve never been cornered with that question by a gang member, the Bible commands me to be ready. I’ll prepare for someone asking me a question like that by staying in contact with God by praying, reading the Bible, and hanging out with friends who draw me closer to Christ.

I can’t say I’ll have all the answers or I’ll be able to spark a revival with an eloquent speech, but I will be prepared to tell the person why I believe in Jesus. At the very least I won’t reach into an envelope and touch empty space.

Garage Sale

2009-04-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

My family is moving, as I've probably mentioned a million times by now, and that means we got to have a garage sale.

It went off pretty good, and the family made a lot of $$$.

I sold all my weights. Didn't really see myself hauling 500-600 pounds anywhere I go.

A guy came by a day early and bought a bunch of the good things, things which I wished had been left for some who didn't act like a ------------. He bought our canoes, came back later, said he bought it for his cousin, and his cousin didn't want them. He gave us his card and told us to tell anyone who came asking about the canoes to go to him. Oh, he also told us not to mention how much he paid for them.

The time he came a day early he tried convincing me to sell my weight set for cheap, and then on the day of the sale he showed. He still thought I was asking for too much.

"You going to make me a deal?"

I told him I'd throw in a weight belt and a couple of pairs of gloves and that would be it. I was NOT coming down on my price. THAT wasn't good enough for him.

I'm happy to say he didn't get one pound of my weights, and I sold all of them.

Here's a picture of my bro and I standing guard over our stuff the night before the garage sale (that was the night I discovered yelling at drunks does absolutely no good for keeping them quiet, but that's another story :)

Have you ever haggled with people at garage sales?

Taxes!

2009-04-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ouch.

Apparently I did pretty good this year by the government's standards. First, let me say I've been working the whole time and made pretty good. I was hoping to get all my federally withheld money since I'm single and a bunch of other stuff that should have been in my favor.

So much for that.

I was getting about $800 back.

Oh, you HAVE to file as a dependant.

You get about $300.

You received the Alaska PFD? That's considered income so you're taxed for that.

You're down to receiving $6.

Your dad makes how much? Wow, not bad.

You may know pay the government $358 in addition to the $800 they've withheld.

Here's a picture of me sending the check away. Yes, I'm smiling. I figure this ought to make someone happy, somewhere. :)

Tea Party!

2009-04-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

You probably saw me on Fox the other night with a sign in my hands...OK maybe not.

But I did attend a tea party in my small West Texas town, and I loved seeing the spirit out there.

My boss is really up to date on everything that happens in the news and is a staunch conservative. In support of the tea parties across America, he decided to make all the sweet tea sold at our restaurant free of charge. They were TAX FREE.

My boss tried to get me to write a newspaper article on his offer. I wanted to, just because of the unique slant, but I couldn't because of the conflict of interests that would pose. Oh well....

I talked my boss into letting me take about 80 coupons telling about our offer to the tea party...they lasted about 10 minutes! It was funny seeing the Obama supporters on the other side of the courthouse lawn. We outnumbered them 100 to 1.

A picture of the event

One of my younger sisters

I'm Going to Submit Something without Doing a Thing!

2009-04-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a student in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild as you all probably know.

My mentor (or instructor, I suppose would be a more accurate word) has been telling me my work is great. I wasn't going to argue with that (I mean that in the humblest way ;) but I don't really have time for the research and submitting to magazines right now.

So, my mentor gave me the option to rework an article I sent her and she would submit it to Encounter, a magazine that accepts no freelance writers.

You bet I took her up on that! Getting a line that says I've published in a place like that looks great when I submit somewhere else.

Now she wants to submit another one of my articles.

I just might not get published once, but twice in a no-freelance publication!

Have any of you ever read Encounter? I've heard of it before, but I thought it was something of a curriculum.

Graduation Bloopers

2009-04-12T18:56:00.001-07:00

Because I'm graduating shortly from high school, I was told to make a sideshow of my life. Here are a bunch of rejects that I liked but just didn't have time for in the presentation.

Me and my bro.

There are a bunch of others, but I can't get them to load in an easy fashion. In a way I dread graduating just because I don't won't to have to move...oh well. Eyes forward, don't look back too much. There's got to be a difference between looking back and just wanting to keep up with people, though. What's y'all's opinion?

Passover

2009-04-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

I went to some friends house for passover last night and had a great time.

After we got through the meal, we went outside and tried tipping cows in the dark. For the record, that's not as easy as it sounds!

If I Only Had a Brain...

2009-04-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

As a lot of people can testify, I have a bad memory. I forget to do things, I forget dates, I forget people's names, and apparently I forget things people tell me.

I had a manager call me on the phone yesterday at work to tell the other manager to do something. Well, I forgot to tell him. Worst yet, I forget to return the manager's key when I used it and I forgot...I can't remeber what the other thing I forgot was.

Anyway, the second I realized I'd forgotten again, I finally caved in and bought a book about improving my memory. Who knows? It might help.

How good's your memory?

"You get to pick cotton!"

2009-04-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

It's always a treat when my boss isn't busy and has time to think. He comes up with some of the funniest stuff!

He decided today that America is starting to resemble Soviet Russia. Each one of us will be assigned a job in which we will "volunteer" our services for a certain amount of time.

He called me over from whatever I was doing as he and one of my coworkers were talking.

"Comrade Goecker!" He said as he leaned back in his chair, "You've been volunteered to pick cotton!"

I grinned. "I hear they make pretty good money during harvest time."

"Would you just play along?"

The short and sweet is that he believes he and I will be assigned to harvest cotton because we're so loud. Me? Loud? I hadn't thought so.

Y'all see me pickin' cotton? :)

"No Trespassing"

2009-04-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

I like my runs on Saturday, basically because I let myself wander into an area of unpaved roads. I get off the pavement and enjoy myself in this area of Texas hills, gulleys and dirt paths, while ignoring the "No Trespassing" sign.

As my brother knows, I have an interesting collection I added to today. While I'm out running, I keep my eyes open for stuff I find along the road. I've collected a stuffed guerilla, sunglasses, and I even picked up a hammer once, but gave it back to the construction crew nearby.

So while I followed a dirt path I came across a pile of stuff. I stopped my watch and looked the material over and then I saw it: a cowboy hat.

I'm sure I got some good stares running out of the woods with this thing, but I figure it's a good souveniour. :)

Whooops

2009-04-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

I swore at a kid today.

It wasn't a big word, or anything that would nail granny to the backwall or anything, but I felt bad for saying it in front of a kid I was trying to be a role model to.

The kid (about an eight-to-ten-year-old guy) tackled a girl during a weekly outreach ministry and I said, "I'm not going to put up with that crap."

I know that kid probably knows more words than me, but I still didn't want him to hear it from me. Oh well...

On a lighter note, I played a game with some people when I got back! Have you ever heard of Silent Football? I hadn't. Pretty much, you do a bunch of motions (you can't talk the whole time) and someone has complete authority over who get's points or not. If you get 3 points, you have to do something everyone decides on, i.e., barking at cars or singing while standing on a table.

In all reality, I don't think I would have lost if I didn't have such a smart mouth. So they decided I'd drink a milkshake with:

Milk
A Stale Biscuit
Grape Jelly
Cheetoes
BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Pickles
Julios Hot sauce

Probably threw in more stuff too, actually. I didn't watch.

Here are some pictures!

Meet the Feds

2009-03-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Had an interesting morning today.

I was engrossed in a Spanish test at my desk with earphones rammed into my ears when my younger sister walked in and said, "Mom says there's someone who wants to talk to you."

When I got into the room, I met a guy with a leather binder, a badge, and a bunch of questions about someone I knew a while back. At first I thought, Oh no! I'll fill out that W2 form! I promise! It's not even April 15.

Turns out the person I knew from work is applying for top secret clearance, and the agency came to ask questions about him. I recommended he talk to my older brother for more information, and he surprised me by pulling out my bro's cell number!

Near the end he said he was impressed by how calm I was compared to everyone he usually interviews. I've done my fair share conducting interviews, so it felt good to be the one who just answered questions. :)

By the way, does anyone know the rules about taking photos from Wikipedia and using them for private use on a blog?

What's Your Opinion?

2009-03-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Bible the other day and I found a spot where it mentioned what love was. One of the things Paul said was that, "love protects."

How does this apply to anything?

As a future missionary, perhaps to a dangerous part of the world where my congregation members are at risk, I want to apply this verse.

That's why I'm thinking about becoming a certified bodyguard AND being a missionary.

What's y'all's opinion on that? I know there are a lot of angles to it.

I think I'm going to change the focus of my blog a bit. I don't have much time to write much, so I thought I'd make it more of the place where I talk about what's on my mind. You can't really do that on Facebook. :) So, you might not be interested in what a future missionary working through college and has a tendency to get into dumb circumstances, but that's what's going to be here.

My family is moving

2009-03-07T05:26:00.001-08:00

Alright, I'm moving out of my house from Texas to Oregon in a few months. My family is military, so I knew they'd be going somewhere as well. Not a bad thing.

They'll might be nearby and I'll be able to visit.

That's a big laugh...they're moving to Japan! This is going to be an interesting 3 years. I'll have 2 sisters in Oregon, a brother in Texas, and that's it on this continent.

But I can't wait to visit.

The Rocky Waves

2009-02-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a story I published a little while ago on Real Teen Faith. I wish I could've worked on it a bit more, but here it is anyway.

Enjoy! (I hope :))

Peter lifted his eyes from his oar to see how the boat faired in the lashing wind. The disciples heaved at their oars as the sails overhead creaked and threatened to tear.

Peter couldn’t see John as water washed over him.

“John!” Peter abandoned his oar and leapt across the vessel.

The ship lurched and threw Peter to the deck. His head cracked against the bottom of the boat. His vision blurred, and the wind and groans of the men sounded far away.

“Peter!” John shouted over the gale, “Get control of your oar, for Jehovah’s sake! I thought you said you were a fisherman.”

Peter clenched his jaw and rolled to his feet as the ship swayed. John, water dripping from his beard and veins bulging on his arms, gestured with his head. “Grab that oar before it kills someone!”

Peter turned. His oar, still dipped in the waves, swung towards the back of Thomas’ head, the one who sat in front of Peter. A streak of lightning blinded him, and he staggered back.

John lunged across the boat and placed himself between Thomas and Peter’s oar. He yanked the oar out of the water.

“You fool!” said John as he threw Peter’s oar on the deck. “You said could get us to the other side of the lake.”

John’s eyes flickered at Peter as lightning shot across the heavens. No wonder they call “Son of Thunder.”

“I said going at night was dangerous, and men who ply these waters say it’s haunted.” Peter said. “Do you think it was a mistake to obey the Master?”

“What I think doesn’t matter!”

Thomas, hand trembling, pointed at a figure close to the boat. “A ghost!” Flashes of lightning illuminated a shape that looked like a man.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

That voice is familiar! “Lord,” Peter said, “if it’s you tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come.”

Peter swallowed as he studied the waves, and lightning lit the waters. Jesus stood on the lake, water lapping at his ankles.

“It’s Jesus!” John said as Peter gulped and jumped overboard.

Peter cursed himself for a fool as water splashed on his toes, and then he stood as though on solid ground. He stepped forward.

There’s nothing I can do but get to Jesus.

“Look out!”

John’s shout startled Peter. A wind slapped him in the face and he fell to his knees. Something gave way beneath him, and he imagined invisible arms dragging him beneath the swaying water. “Lord, save me!”

A hand gripped Peter’s shoulder and wrenched him up. He spluttered and shivered as the wind hissed around his ears. No doubt existed in his mind as to who saved him. He lifted his eyes as Jesus spoke.

“You of little faith, why did you fear?”

Peter didn’t know what to say. The waves rose higher, the wind howled, but the Messiah’s eyes and firm grip on his shoulders didn’t waver.

Why’d I doubt?

The Future

2009-02-24T20:40:00.001-08:00

Seems like I need to post something. How long has it been since I've written?

I've been struggling with whether or not to become a missionary or a full time writer. I've decided to go with being a missionary. Where I'm going, I don't know yet. I've thought about maybe Russia or the Middle East. However, I also want to write more books.

Short and sweet: I can write more of what I want by making writing a part time deal. Kinda funny how that works.

Be praying for me these coming months. I'm trying to work up to 80 hours a week to afford the college I want to attend. Seems like a prime time to snap!

Avoiding Convenient Circumstances in a Story

2009-02-14T05:58:00.001-08:00

How many times do you watch or a book where the main character is given or taught random things for seemingly no reason? Worse yet, these things turn out to be big deciders in the final outcome of the story. How convenient for the writer.

Unfortuanetly, many readers aren't fooled.

There's a way to avoid these pitfalls, however. Simply make sure the characters who give/teach the main character those random tidbits have proper motivations for what they.

An old farmer in Oklahomo teaching a tourist how to wrestle might verge on being too convient, but it's more believable when you discover the farmer was a wrestling champion and suffered some brain damage.

I like to avoid these convient consequences as much as possible, but if it can't be helped, make the character's have great motivations.

I'm still deciding on whether or not to be a missionary...Guess I need to decide since classes start in the Fall. I've considered entering the movie industry, but I don't know if I can make enough for a living doing that. Not that I'd be rollin' in it as a missionary. I'm not just looking at money for my carreer, but as a guy I have to think about maybe supporting a family some day. Makes everything a bit more confusing. Be praying please!

Conflict to the Divine level

2009-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered as a fantasy writer how you're going to have conflict within a story if one of your characters represents God? After all, this person has the power to remove all the problems in the story with a wave of the hand.

How do you maintain conflict and make the story realistic?

I struggled with this for years, till I realized something about stories with Jesus; typically, even after he resolved the problem in the scenario, he set up another conflict.

Yes, you heard me right. Think about it.

He told the man posssesed by demons to go and tell people what God had done for him. I can't remember His exact words so call me out if I'm wrong. Time out. These people knew him as the terror of the region. How do you think that character handled people's skepticism, fear, and maybe near hatred for him at times? Was he tempted to go back to his old life?

Even a story with an omnipotent character can be packed with conflict, though it is a tricky balance at times.

I thought about applying for a newspaper route today. I was prepared to get up at about 3-4 a.m., but they said I had to be at the meeting place by 2! I work till 10 or 11 every night, so you can imagine what job I won't be taking. Oh well. I can't wait till I get a job like a fishing charter in Alaska.

Helpful website!

2009-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a website a friend of mine developed for teen writers. I thought I wouldn't be selfish and let you all know about it. http://www.todaysteenwriter.com/

My older brother went skydiving the other day...I am so going in May!

It's been FOREVER since I've posted! Here's why...

2009-01-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

I had to write a research paper over the holiday break. I thought I'd post it, because I cover a lot of novel writing techniques that someone might find useful.

On a sidenote, be praying for me. I'm feeling called to be a missionary, but I don't know if it's final, if you know what I mean. :) Pray I make the right decision for the right reason, and I don't kill myself with overwork this summer! Also, a car would be nice...a Ford Ranger.

Anyway, here it is...

Novel writers use many techniques to evoke emotion, inspire, motivate, and inform readers that many people are not aware of. These techniques, used in the proper doses, make a book more rewarding for readers and increase the beauty of the story.

The best thing any writer can do to further his craft is to write well. Without a high-quality writing style, a novice writer can expect little, if any, response from an audience. Perhaps the best thing a writer can do for his audience to “show, not tell” his story. This phrase has made itself familiar in the writing industry, and essentially it means to use powerful descriptions and characters’ actions to reveal personality.

For example, this is showing: “Joe’s fingers clawed into the cracks in the cliff as sweat coursed down his face and the wind tried ripping him off into dizzying space.”
This is telling: “Joe held onto the cliff as the wind blew him around.”

Noah Lukeman in his book The First Five Pages, page 119, says, “It is the writer’s job to show us what his characters are like, not by what he says about them, but by their actions. A writer can spend a page telling his character is a crook, or he can show it in one sentence, by simply describing him taking a twenty-dollar bill from someone’s pocket, and letting the reader judge [the character] for himself.”

Another characteristic of strong writing entails using powerful verbs. Weak verbs include: is, are, was, were, etc. A weak verb posses in its letters the venom to slow your work and sap the life from your pages. Suppose you write a 300-page book. Assume you place at least one weak verb in every other sentence. By the time your victimized reader closes the manuscript, how many pages of fluff do you think the reader choked on?

A strong verb, on the other hand, takes control of the subject, works it over, and hurls it at the reader with such force that they want to keep reading. Searching for the right verb, the one that rings in a reader’s ears, is guaranteed to pay off.

Fewer adverbs and adjectives will go a long way towards putting life in a story as well. Lukeman says on page 31 of his book, “Most people who come to writing for the first time think they bring their nouns and verbs to life by piling on adjectives and adverbs, that by describing a day as ‘hot, dry, bright and dusty’ they make it more vivid. Almost always the opposite is true.”

Using as few adjectives and adverbs as possible forces the writer to use stronger nouns and verbs. Instead of describing a house as “small, old, and dangerous” a writer can simply say “shack” and show the main character’s reactions as floorboards creak under his feet and he dusts aside cobwebs.

As a writer the importance of varying sentence structure can’t be underestimated. In a workshop given by Bob Hostetler at the Writing for the Soul conference, Hostetler says, “You need a variation in [sentence] length. So stride for variety and length, but also strive for variety (scan it! I don’t know any way to do it other than to scan it.) for structure as well. Sprinkling the simple sentences in among the complex [sentences].”

After hurdling over the writing style aspect of writing, a novice novelist is ready to go deeper into his story, particularly with characterization. Developing a character’s traits often proves the most strenuous, and rewarding. Without a solid grasp on character-building the reader won’t captivate the reader.

Writers need to remember to build the character’s foundation and not become fixated on details. Basic questions of where the person was born, height, weight, what his job is, etc., are all things the writer needs to know.

However, writers should look to inner qualities more than outward appearances. Brandilyn Collins says in Getting into Character, page 14, “Her [the character being created] appearance may attract you, but her inner values are what will make her compelling.”

Understanding what the character really wants above all else will give you a good feel for the person you are creating. Pretend you are interviewing your character and ask questions like why he acts so tough? Is it something that happened in his past? Is he trying to prove something to someone? When he seems mad, is he mad at others or at himself?

Nancy Kress says in Dynamic Characters, page 159, “What constitutes as a conflict should grow out of what your character values, what he struggles for, what matters to him individually. For some characters, leaving home (physically, emotionally) is an immense struggle. Others just pack and go.”

The important thing to remember is to keep delving deeper and deeper until you have an intriguing character. Like a prince who strives to save his father’s kingdom after it was conquered, even though he hates his father.

After developing characters to their maximum depth, it’s time for tryouts. It’s time to choose which character to narrate the story through and will ultimately become what novelists call the “view point character.”

This might be one of the most critical decisions you will make in the whole book. Your character will either carry your story to infinity and beyond, or he’ll drag your work to the ground. From this character will decide the ultimate texture of your work. Can you imagine what the Lord of the Rings would be like if it had been told from Saruman’s perspective instead of Frodo’s?

You have to decide which character brings the most interesting perspective to the story, who the readers will like or at least admire for the duration of the book. As Sol Stein says in Stein on Writing, page 136, “…be sure to choose for each scene the character who is most affected by the events of that scene.”

Different styles of point of view (POV) exist at the writer’s disposal. No matter what form of POV you choose, you must stay in one person’s perspective throughout the chapter or scene. Throughout the duration of a book use only three POV characters or else it becomes hard for the reader to follow the story.

Third person narration makes itself the prominent choice in modern writing. It looks like this, “Bob turned the corner and bumped into Suzan.”

First person, another popular POV, sounds as though the character himself is telling the story. “I turned the corner and bumped into Suzan.”

Second person POV is essentially trying to make the reader think he is the character. “You turned the corner and bumped into Suzan.”

This form of POV doesn’t see much action, and Stein says of it in his book on page 130, “Forget it.”

Finally, there is omniscient POV. This perspective offers a wide view on the scene. This gives the writer the ability to skip from view point to view point in the same scene. New writers need to be wary of choosing this technique just because it seems to involve less discipline than the other methods, as Stein says on page 137 of Stein on Writing, “The omniscient POV lacks discipline. Because the author can stray into anyone’s head, it is hard to gain credibility and even harder to gain close emotional rapport with the readers.”

A good character comes alive in a believable setting. There are different kinds of settings, but the general ones are where, when, and what culture the story takes place in. All these have an effect on the story’s outcome.

Dave Lambert said in a workshop given in the Writing for the Soul conference, “Not only does place and time affect each other, but then together they affect the characters and the development of the story.”

The geographical background is the kind of setting writers think about when they consider setting. Every geographical settings affect the reader in different ways. Can you imagine watching The Black Knight set in Oklahoma? The feeling of the city of Gotham, and the physiological impact a city entails, made a perfect setting for Batman.

Using time properly also can enhance a writer’s material. Different epochs in history have different effects on readers, just as the geographical setting does. A story written about a painter during the Renaissance will have a different effect than a story about the same character during WWII.

Even a writer of modern stories needs to consider time. If he knows what period he will be writing in, it’s time to consider the time of year, the day of the week, and the time of day. Each of these choices will put the reader in a different world.

The cultural setting also plays a large role in the story. A writer in choosing a setting does well when he considers what culture it will be in, or what culture it will mirror. Making this distinction puts the story’s main character in a position where he develops. He must decide if he will stand out, conform, or contribute to the culture.

Scene setting from scene to scene requires some practice, but knowing a few things helps. Using good details, details that say something specifically about a setting, goes a long way in making a setting readers will be sucked into. A baseball bat during a baseball game means something different than someone walking into a gas station with a bat, and it prepares the readers for what they should expect.

Now, after mastering these things, it is time to move onto some more complex techniques novel writers use to make a story more dramatic.

When you walk into a room you can see what is happening. You know what is happening now, but you want to know what happened before you walked onto the scene. That is what novel writers call back story.

A reader enters the world you’ve created and sees your characters acting, but he wants to know what made them that way. Writers can tantalize writers by giving little hints at what happened in the past, till the reader is engrossed not only in the future of the story, but in its past as well.

Flashbacks also enhance a reader’s experience. They are instances in the story where the main character remembers something fairly dramatic about his past. These scenes let the reader know what happened in the past, and also they develop the main character. Many editors don’t like flashbacks, however, because they have the risk of pulling the reader out of the world that’s been created.

Stein says on page 144 of his book, “A good flashback is a scene that is depicted exactly as it would be in the present story except for how it is introduced and how the present story is joined.”

It’s important to resist slipping into a past tense when writing these, and the reader needs a concrete way to know when the flashback starts and when it ends. For instance, the main character at a stoplight may have a flashback about a car hitting his mother at an intersection. The flashback could end when someone behind him hunks for him to go.

Many writers experience a phase in their book when the tension in the story relaxes. This is dangerous and should be avoided.

Stein says on page 97 of Stein on Writing, “Your predecessor, a storyteller of many centuries ago, recited his stories around a fire. If he failed to arouse his listener’s anticipation and droned on, or if his audience guessed what happened next, they either fell asleep or killed him.”

One technique in keeping tension in a story is to adopt more than one viewpoint. Now the writer can end a chapter with a character at gunpoint, spend a chapter showing the actions of another person, end that chapter with a character hanging from a cliff, and start up with another character in another place. Thrill writers utilize this technique most, but it is still effective in other genres.

Writers work hard at their craft. All the aspects of writing a novel make up a story, and a writer who invests the time and effort into mastering them will have a solid chance of enthralling his readers and impacting them with his message.

Works Cited

Collins, Brandilyn. Getting Into Character. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
Hostetler, Bob. In a workshop given during the 2008 Writing for the Soul Conference.
Kress, Nancy. Dynamic Characters. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 1998.
Lambert, Dave. In a workshop given during the 2008 Writing for the Soul Conference.
Lukeman, Noah. The First Five Pages. New York: Fireside, 2000.
Stein, Sol. Stein on Writing. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.

Trends

2008-12-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

Trends can set you ahead of other writers if you pay attention. I'm not talking about copying other writers' work; I'm talking about surveying the public mood to see what people want/expect.

For example, following 9/11, portraying an antagonist with the characteristics of a terrorist would have struck a chord with readers.

Again, think about the Left Behind series. Jerry Jenkins didn't know it, but the public anticipation of the end of the world around 2000 accelerated the sales on the first book.

Now, try applying stuff like that to feel for how you should write to fit the public mood. What do people expect from a hero? How do people perceive the world around them?

As depressing as some of those answers can be, keeping the radar up for changes will help you pitch your work.

I have to go through all 350 pages of my second book to change the sentence length and structure. I need to have it finished before February. This might be a hectic Christmas season!

Hey, by the way, do any of you have Facebook?

Side-Kicks (is that spelled right?)

2008-12-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Secondary characters. Every story needs them.

Unfortunately, the primary character can suck up all the writer's energy and imagination, which leaves the rest of the cast out on a limb.

I often spend about as much time thinking of ways to make secondary characters intrigueing as I do with the main character...sometimes I wish the characters could swap roles!

Secondary characters add A LOT to a story. For instance, can you imagine the Pirates of the Caribean without those two pirates (one of them has a glass eye)? How about Prince Caspian without Repecheep (now I know I've misspelled that)?

Sorry I haven't been able to post a lot lately! What I thought would be an easy Senior year blew up in my face.

Action in dialogue

2008-12-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

Brian threw the football at Tom's head. "Catch a few things, Freshman, and maybe we'd win a few games." Brian spat out the dust from the lot. He scowled at Tom as he scrambled to pick up the football.

Tom's fingers slipped several times as he tried to grab the ball. The team stopped its drills and watched as he kicked the ball. It skipped across the lot and landed in the street. "It's not as easy as it looks!" Tom said around his mouth guard.

Brian stepped forward. "Yes it is!"

Tom glared and marched back to get in line for passing drills. "No, it isn't!"

Whew! OK. You guys can likely already spot many problems with this passage, but let me highlight one specifically; I need to separate dialogue from action a bit more.

Readers have the potential of getting lost if you include too much action (or details) with the dialogue.

Revised, the passage above could look like this:

Brian threw the football at Tom's head.

"Catch a few things, Freshman, and maybe we'd win a few games."

Brian spat out the dust from the lot. He scowled at Tom as he ducked and scrambled to pick up the football.

Tom's fingers slipped several times as he tried to grab the ball. The team stopped its drills and watched as he muttered something and kicked the ball. It skipped across the lot and landed in the street.

"It's not as easy as it looks!" Tom said around his mouth guard.

Brian stepped forward. "Yes it is!"

"No, it isn't!"

I'm trying to think of some prank I can pull on my manager. While heart attacks or flying circuits are off limits, I want it to be something spectacular. Any ideas?

I have a published friend!

2008-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine (a moderator for a writing group I'm in) just published her first book! It's called Devos 2 Go, by Lydia Rule. Here's the link to it.

Did I mention she's the moderator of this group?

You're welcome to join!

The Power of Silence

2008-11-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

Do you think you're dialogue soars above expectations? Well, sad to say, that might be a bad thing.

There are times in fiction when silence between characters packs a better punch than a string of dialogue. Have you ever experience that in life? Where what your feelings couldn't be expressed anymore?

Silence, according to Dave Lambert (an editor who worked at Zondervan for a while), can be way more powerful than dialogue.

Take this scene from Kung Fu Panda:

Po (the panda protagonist)is argueing with a kung fu master, saying the master can't train Po in time for a great fight.

"But I can train you! I can make you the Dragon Warrior," says the master.

"Oh please! How are you going to turn this," points at his bulging stomach, "into the Dragon Warrior?"

The master's pupils shrink, and he avoids eye contact as his mouth drops open. None of the characters say anything for a whole 5 seconds or so.

"How!" Po says.

"I don't know how!"

When no one is sure what to say, that is when the emotion of the situation catches the reader off guard a little. If you can't find the words for a certain scene, maybe that's a good thing.

Be nice to fast food workers on Black Friday. I'll be one of them. I'm the only where I work, who is not a manager, who is working 12 hours that day. This aught to be fun!

The case for non-fiction

2008-11-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, a lot of people hate writing non-fiction. The fact of the matter is it feels like a school report when we have to sit down and write non-fiction instead of a great story. So why do it?

There are a lot of $$$ involved with non-fiction.

It's sad, but fiction doesn't pay well a lot of the time. Also, in times of recession, non-fiction takes less of a hit from consumers than fiction. People want to read fiction, but they need what the how-to book is saying.

Most people will buy what they need and not what they want.

So maybe we should quit fiction. Yeah right! Truth be told, fiction is the only writing a lot of us enjoy 100%. I personally think of non-fiction as a job, and fiction as the fun part of my job.

I hope to hit the jackpot someday so I won't have to write non-fiction, but till then I'll smile and keep writing about events at schools and churches.

My local newspaper published one of my articles on the front page the other day!

Voice

2008-11-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

Voice alludes definition for a lot of writers. It's something we all use, but few of us have a complete grasp on.

Essentially, voice, in relation to a story, is how someone's writing sounds like. Hemingway had a different voice than Dickens, and Falkner had a different voice than Tolkien.

There are a few things that contribute to voice.

Prose
How you describe things. Do you use figurative language, or a cut-and-dry style? What voice do you use to fill in the gap for your reader when the characters aren't talking?

Dialogue
How do the characters talk? This will contribute to the overall voice of the story and individual passages as well.

Monologue
Sometimes, voice can be extended to what is going on in someone's head.

Experiment with voices. Some sound grating on people's senses when they read it, some sound so complicated people are afraid to read it, but others nearly have a poetic ring.

Try using a different voice for every POV character you use. For a book I wrote, I wrote from the protagonist's POV with a voice that was simple, straight forward, and with a limited vocabulary. For the protagonist's father I used a larger vocabulary and artistic elements to make that character "sound" more sophisticated.

For the antagonist, I decided I would try a straight forward approach, but I would try to make a lot of sentences about the same length in places. The idea was to make the reader feel abused by the antagonist every time they read that character's POV.

You can do stuff like that to. Experiment, just like you would with view point characters.

The Black Diamond, Part I (As I said, here is my story from a female POV. I await y'all's rating on authenticity)

2008-11-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

OK, just as a warning there will probably be some mistakes in here. And don't be afraid to point something out to me.

Jessica’s breath formed a fog as she shivered and clunked towards the youth group’s van. She adjusted the purple ear ban around her ears and wished she could feel the cloth’s fuzzy warmth on her hands.

She also wished the ban didn’t fill her hair with static, but it was either that or freeze. Her ski boots were making blisters on her heels.

She rubbed her eyes.

Why can’t ski trips involve not getting up at five in the morning?

Her best friend, Tiffany, leaned against the van as the youth pastor, or Pastor Brian, sat in the driver’s seat and scowled at his cell phone. Tiffany rubbed her arms and glanced up as Jessica walked up. Her nose was red from the cold and she wore a black coat.

She looks so cute when her nose is red.

“So,” Tiffany said, “You got up this morning.”

Jessica shrugged, wishing she had a witty comeback.

“It’s got to be the first time in all of your sixteen years.”

Jessica rolled her eyes and smiled. “Maybe. Have you seen Josh?”

Tiffany’s blue lips lifted into a grin. “Don’t you want to know where Dirk is?”

“Oh stop it. I didn’t invite Dirk.”

“Someone’s a little testy this morning! Are you feeling guilty about Dirk?”

In a way Jessica hated talking with Tiffany; she understood her thoughts too well. She sighed. “I didn’t know Dirk couldn’t snowboard, but I was just talking to a group and said I loved snowboarding. For some random reason,” Tiffany raised an eyebrow but Jessica ignored her, “I asked if he could snowboard.

“He said he’d give it a try, but I remember the first day of snowboarding and all the falls. He’s probably going to hate me after today.”

Tiffany nodded the way she always did. “You know he probably wants you to teach him all day, don’t you?”

“What! I didn’t volunteer for that.”

“But that’s what he’s probably thinking. Say, are you two a pair?”

Jessica blushed. Dirk was cute in a way, but she hadn’t thought of him that way. “Tiffany, sometimes I think you’re a little boy-crazy.”

“Well, are you?”

The youth pastor leaned out of the van and shouted at a group of teens standing around the rental building. “Come on people! We gotta go.”

Jessica loaded the van before Tiffany could pursue her question. The air inside the van was warm and stuffy. A few guys sat in the front seats and laughed at some joke. It was hard moving through the van with her snow boots, but finally she managed to plunk down on the back seat closest to the window.

Tiffany sat beside her and grinned as more people loaded into the van. She gestured with her head towards the window. Jessica glanced up. Josh marched towards the van, car keys in hand.

He was his school’s team captain for the hockey and football team. There also didn’t seem to be anyone who could score better grades than him on just about every subject.

He had a square jaw and black hair that was cut short and neat. He wore a blue coat his mom had gotten him for Christmas. He’d told her that.

Jessica hoped she wasn’t blushing as he poked his head into the van. His eyes, blue around the edges and light green in the middle, shot straight towards her. He waved the hand with his keys and they jingled in his palm.

“You wanna ride in my car?”

Duh! Now if I can only get out of here…

“Sorry, Josh,” the Pastor Brian said as he counted the van’s passengers, “I need everyone under eighteen to ride with me. Would you be alright with driving to the slope in your car? We only have room for one more person, and Dirk hasn’t gotten his gear yet.”

Josh frowned and stopped whirling his keys. Jessica strained to hear what he was saying. “Well, I guess. I’d be happy to save a bit of gas but…”

“Oh whatever man!” Pastor Brian laughed. “That’s your mom’s truck.”

“Alright, alright! I’ll see you guys at the resort.”

Josh strode towards his blue pickup and exited the parking lot with a rumble and a plume of exhaust hanging in the frigid air.

Pastor Brian cuffed his hands and shouted at the rental building. “Hey Dirk! Let’s go.”

The door to the building swung open and Dirk nearly tripped on his face as he tried running in his ski boots. He wore a hat with Looney Tune characters on them. Zits seemed to have attacked his face with a vengeance, and his blue coat looked too big for him.

Jessica rolled her eyes as she studied his snowboard. It’s too small! Didn’t anyone tell him what to get?

A rush of cold air invaded the van as Dirk opened the backdoor. Jessica heard Dirk’s board clatter as he threw it onto everyone else’s gear piled in the back.

He slammed the door and boarded the van in a huff. He climbed over several people to reach the middle seat in the row in front of Jessica. “Sorry for keepin’ everyone.”

Pastor Brian nodded distractedly. “Is that everyone? Let’s go!”

The people within the van chattered as the van rolled out of the parking lot. Jessica turned to Tiffany. “Do you remember Amy last year?”

“Yeah! She brought that wool jacket and it got soaked in a spot of melting snow. Didn’t she have to stay at the lodge after that?”

“She cried all the way home! I think that was her first outing with a youth group.”

Tiffany yawned. “It’s too bad we can’t take jewelry on the slope.”

Jessica’s mouth dropped. “Why not?”

“Because the metal gets so cold that it hurts. Besides, what if you lose it? You didn’t bring anything, did you?”

Jessica frowned and noticed Dirk wasn’t saying anything to the guy talking to him, but his left ear was pointed towards her.

She pulled off her glove and held up her sweaty hand. A slender ring with a red stone in the middle sat on her index finger.

She twisted the ring around her finger as she looked away from Tiffany. “This was my grandma’s ring she gave to me before she died. The stone’s not real, but it still looks good.”

Tiffany studied the ring for a split second. “Looks nice. I’d leave it in the car if I were you.”

“What! My mom would kill me if something happened to it.”

“But, there’s more of a chance of something happening to it if you take it with you on the slope.”

Jessica put her glove back on as though to hide it from Tiffany. “I’ll be careful.”

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“Did you like your grandma?”

Jessica glanced up at Dirk as he turned around in his seat. Sweat beaded down his face and he licked his lips slightly. Jessica had never heard a goose being strangled, but she imagined it would sound like his voice at that moment.

“What?” she said.

Dirk swallowed. “I mean, where did you grandma grow up?”

Jessica studied him for a few seconds and then she scanned the other people in the car. Is anyone going to tell Josh I talked to him? Will Josh want to have anything to do with me if he thinks I have feelings for this guy? I don't want to lead him on, either. Just say a few nice things and let the awkward silence take over.

“She grew up in San Francisco. She did a lot of traveling. Eventually she moved further north.”

He made eye contact with her and she felt the whole weight of his attention shift to her. Not a big deal, but it felt good being the center of attention. “I used to have an aunt who lived up north during the pioneer period,” he said, “and she and her family worked on a farm. She told a story once about how she was so frustrated with a cow that she wrenched its tail. The only problem was that the tail came off because it was so cold.”

Jessica stared as Dirk’s Adam’s apple bobbed up down in his laughter. He must’ve noticed she wasn’t laughing with him because he stopped and swallowed. He rubbed his arm as though it were cold.

“Uh, what was your grandma like?”

Jessica grinned. “She was impossible! Every time she came home for Christmas or something she would bring a huge cauldron. It must’ve weighed five tons. Every morning, at exactly five, she would bang that thing with a ladle till one of us kids staggered out of bed.”

Dirk nodded. “What did you enjoy most about her?”

“Well,” Jessica tapped her leg and stared at the ceiling for a minute, “She always wanted to give something to us kids, and the things she gave were from all around the world. There was one time…”

Dirk nodded, laughed, and continued to make eye contact every now and then. If the conversation lulled, he always had a good question to spark another line of thought.

Maybe he’s not such a nerd after all!

The van came to a halt. Jessica wiped her foggy window and peered out. “We’re here already!”

Dirk stretched his arms and turned around. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll see you on the slope sometime today.”

He stood and joined everyone else as they filed out of the van. Tiffany shook her head at Jessica and leaned forward. “Are you going to spend all day with him now?”

“Are you kidding? This is going to be one of the few chances I get with Josh.”

Jessica scrunched her nose, noticing the stench of sweat in the van for the first time.

Research your topic (P.S. Someone shot at me the other day)

2008-11-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Research is something of a pain for fiction writers. "I'm making it up! No one will notice because I'll make things up."

I used to think that way. Then I read The Runelords (not particularly recommended). It was obvious the author had done his research! I put the book down feeling like I would be prepared to live in the medieval ages if I got warped back in time. He imparted that much info.

I was living the fiction dream every time I picked up that book.

Anything can be researched. If you're writing a scene modeled after a day at the Roman Coliseum, a little research will help. Even if you think you know everything about a subject, go a little further.

I knew I couldn't write from a girl's perspective a little while ago. But after some research (I read a book alright...chill) I think I have a general idea of how the mindset works. But I know there are other areas I could delve into. A reader notices every researched detail.

I love paintball. It was nice on Sunday to get out onto a dirt lot and blast through four hours of adrenaline. The highlights of my day was peering through a short tube that ran through a hill, and THEN seeing a bad guy on the other side. That kinda hurt.

My favorite part was slipping through a wooded area in complete silence. That was new, considering my tactic is usually to charge like a guy on crack. Anyway, my prey came waltzing down the path and didn't see me till it was too late. Oh so, so, late...

Be Praying for the Election

2008-10-30T10:48:00.001-07:00

America faces a choice on November 4th that will shape its destiny forever. Are we going to chose a regime built on thug-tactics (Barack Hussein Obama's policies) or are going to vote for McCain?

I am infuriated at the lack of expertise in the writers in this campaign. They show no indignation at the out and out lies told by Obama, and they work to do all they can to stifle the facts.

I'm tired of being told what I should think.

I'm especially insulted by the assumption that all youth are going to vote for Barack. I am 17 and I want to strive to obtain my goals, not to have someone lower the standards and make successful people regret their efforts! I want no part in Obama's socialistic America.

There's more I can say, but that felt good.

Be praying about this election.

Do you believe there is a spiritual battle being fought over this election?

Can You Killy My Interest Any Faster?

2008-10-28T19:32:00.001-07:00

I hate sitting down reading a book, and realizing the author has told me the same thing twice. This can be a subtle mistake, but it comes back to a cornerstone in writing; don't bore people.

It's easy to stumble into it, however.

"Todd was strong. He ripped a door off its hinges."

Do I need to mention Todd's strong? After hearing he's ripped the door off its hinges, I think anyone can figure out he's strong.

Another thing that's easy to mess up is laying out the future of the plot through the characters' planning. Warrant, every now and then the characters need to come together and have some kind of focus for the plot.

But once I wrote a rescue scene. Instead of having a scene where the characters discuss their complex scheme, I simply had them do it. I think it brought more tension to the story, and I didn't' have to write what they were going to do and then show them doing it. Who wants to read that?

I need to start listening to the radio when it's on at work. I'm usually so focused on the job at hand that I don't hear anything around me. My boss walked up to me and said, "You do know this song is about a cannibalistic serial killer, don't you?"

"What!"

Of imitators and shin-splits

2008-10-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

A lot of people think there is a specific formula for getting published.

"If I write this way I'm sure to hit the jackpot!"

Wrong. It's easy to look at popular writers and try to mimick them, but editors aren't really interested in another Ted Dekker or Jerry Jenkins. That's because they have the best people in the world to write that style and it's Ted Dekker and Jerry Jenkins.

Editors are looking for new voices, new writers with their own style of writing. You have a superpower whether or not you know it. There is no in the world who can tell a story like you.

That uniqueness, at times your greatest asset, can be ruined when you try imitating other writers too much. Should we not learn from the masters?

I think we should take advise and examine succesful techniques, but remember who's doing the writing.

I took the ACT today. THAT was fun. This is the third time I've taken it, and I'm hoping I can score better than I did the other times. I went to work after testing and worked for about seven hours.

I've been fighting shin-splits for a while, but tonight they really kicked in. It hurt to stand, not to mention move around. There's my whine for the day. Anyone else? Who's got the biggest whine?

Use a rifle, not a shotgun

2008-10-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

After completing your manuscript, where do you submit it?

Will any agent or publisher take it?

You know the answer to that. Completing the book was only half the work, and now you have to start the other half.

Narrow down your publishing options. Read books that a house has published. Get their guidelines or mission statement if you can find it.

Believe me, just looking at a list of publishers that accepts your genre/topic of writing and throwing the same proposal at each won't work. Just as you narrowed the target audience of you manuscript, so you have to narrow the publishers down.

In short, to quote someone though I don't know who, "Use a rifle, not a shotgun when you're looking for a publisher."

My younger brother freaks me out sometimes. I was sleeping on a couch when he woke me up by bumping my leg. My eyelids shot open and I nearly decked the figure standing over me till I realized it was my brother.

"Go away!"

He nodded and laid on the floor. The next morning, he didn't remember anything from this incident!

My future's getting aggresive

2008-10-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

My dad's in the military. According to the laws of the military, we will be moving sometime next summer. Where we're going is still a mystery, but move we will. I'll be 18 when we move, which means I'll have the option of not going with the family.

Call me a cutthroat, but I've let be known I will probably stay and attend a local college if the military sends us somewhere bad (like another Texas assignment).

It's kinda scary when I was looking at cars and realized there was no point to buying a vehicle till I know whether or not I'm moving.

In February, I'm attending a writers' conference, turning 18 at the conference, and I'll find out where we're moving in that same time zone.

The mistake you DON'T want to make

2008-10-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought writing was easy, slow-paced, and required no participation with the outside world?

That's not the case when you're writing for a newspaper. You have to know about your community, pick out a suitable writing topic, research, pitch it to the editor, interview people, verify facts, actually write it, and submit the final draft...sometimes that can all take place within a few days.

One thing I learned recently about interviews is this; always, ALWAYS get parental consent before interviewing a minor. Even if you're a minor, the parents must consent to their children being interviewed.

I interviewed an acquaintance about her trip to a court over missing school, and then I remembered that rule. I told her to make sure being interviewed was alright with her parents. She said they'd have no problem with it.

About a week later, when the editor wanted the story and I'd set up an interview with her school's Principal, I gave her an update about what was happening and asked if she had asked for permission from her parents. After a little talking, it was obvious she hadn't even told her parents about the interview. Not only that, but she was acting as though I'd kept her in the dark all along about what was happening.

I called the story off. I didn't get in trouble (the story wasn't published), but the idea of having a furious parent waving my newspaper article in my face and threatening to sue sends chills down my spine.

Short and sweet of this episode is simple; make sure you ask a minor's parents if it's alright for you interview their child, and then go ahead.

A Great Practical Joke for Any Occasion

2008-10-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

For some reason my dad and younger brother were discussing practical jokes when I walked up. One thing led to another, and pretty soon my younger brother and I were talking about ways we could pull a prank on our oldest bro.

Here's the strategy:

Exploit his weakness.

His weakness:

Trust of snacks (i.e. Ding-Dongs)

We'll take one of the Ding-Dongs, take all the whipped cream out of the middle, and stuff diced jalapenos in there. Replace the little hole in the Ding-Dong's exterior, rig up a setting for him to take a bite of this sweat delicacy and voila; a night no one will forget!

Good times...

Creating the Special Scene

2008-10-07T05:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched a movie where you're nearly entranced for a few seconds?

There was a scene the first X-Men where a young woman is riding with a tough guy who she knows has the ability to produce claws from his fists.

She looked at his knuckles and said, "Do they hurt when they come out?"

The man sighed and stared ahead. "Every time."

Those two words epitomized the loneliness of that guy. It had an emotional impact.

Writers can do that too. Give some thought to scenes you plan will leave a mark on the reader's memory. Pay attention to setting, character development, and the condition of the plot.

Be wary about just slapping it down. If it's one of those golden scenes, take some time to think it out.

I trained someone at work on Saturday. I noticed a scar on her wrist, obviously a result of a failed slicing. One of the jobs involved cutting lemons.

"Be careful you don't cut yourself." I said.

You idiot, I thought as soon as I said it.

Here's a hot topic you could cover

2008-10-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Have you been wishing for some idea that would sell easily to places you submit it?

Well here's one!

Write about monetary issues (saving money, spending money, investing, creative ways to earn it, etc.).

With the economy as it is, people are wanting to know everything they can about this topic. It's usually an easy article theme to sell, but it's even easier now. I'd recommend interviewing someone (check out your local college; all you need is a "Professor so and so" to get in the door most the time) and aiming at small magazines.

It's funny, but this economy problem actually puts money in writers pockets.

Is that REALLY necessary?

2008-09-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

How many times have you picked up a book and it felt like the writer was trying to fill you in on all the launching steps for a shuttle?

A lot of people think they need to state a lot of information right off the bat to start their books.

"Sarah lived in the ghetto of San Antonio for six years before moving to Florida. She didn't like dogs or cats and hated eating meat. Her favorite game was..."

That's exagerating, of course, but you get the picture. We think readers HAVE to know all this stuff about our characters, but a lot of the time that information clogs up the story and doesn't move anything.

If your characters are deep enough, people will get to know them without you having to speak directly to them and explain everything. Sometimes, you will but the generally not in the beginning.

As a side note, I drove a manual car for the first time since I was rear-ended. I kept stalling the thing, and my dad and I were both getting frustrated. I finally got moving, and then my dad realized I had been in third gear! That's the gear you use when you're going near thiry-miles-an-hour.

It Is Finished

2008-09-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

I mailed off my second book to a contest today. Winner gets published with a big publishing house, and $20,000. I've really worked hard on my book, and I believe it's been the best writing I've ever done. But there's no guarentee what the judges will think.

I edited this thing to the best of my ability and lost a lot of sleep in the process. I went through it about six times.

(Bad photo, I know. There's only so much you can do with a webcam.)

I sent the first chapter plus some in for a crituqe with these people. They said it was a very good start...and then they said my readers would be predominately woman. What?! (I know, that's not a real puncuation) That's the exact opposite group I was going for.

Well, at least I know how to appeal to the female market, but I'll talk about that some other time.

Be praying that the judges are given wisdom from God to see the best submission. Oh, wait, don't do that. That would probably put me out of the contest. :)

Nod; A potentially harmful word

2008-09-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

I went through a book I wrote a little while ago and one of the words I wanted to cut down on was "nod." It's easy for me to get sucked into using it, but 50% of the time it just gets in the way (in my opinion anyway).

For example:

"Will, did you take out the trash?"

Will nodded. "Yeah."

So, I just said the same thing twice. He nodded indicating he had, and then he said he had.

This made me make up a rule for myself; don't use the word "nod" with dialogue or at least not often. If the nodding character doesn't talk, I'll use the word.

"Are you serious?"

Rebbecca nodded.

What words do you guys overuse the most? I found out that I mentioned lips WAY too much. Someone was always licking, smacking, gnawing, or wiping their lips.

Using Cultural Characteristics to Develop Characters

2008-09-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

As much as the media tries to disprove it, people are different from other cultures. Either you can say, "Oh that's not true!" or you can use it for your advantage in writing.

If you have an African-American male from California and a lady from uptown London, New England, their dialogue, habits, manners, how they perceive the world, and how they view themselves are going to be vastly different.

Develop these differences and readers will adore you!

You can create tension between characters with their cultural differences and draw out aspects of their personality readers haven't seen before.

For example, a guy from New York would like to think he can handle any emergency. Then he moves to the Tacoma desert in South America and finds out he can't do everything. But he's not going to admit it to the local who's heckling him the whole time.

Think about different cultures and bring out the differences. If your writing Sci-fi or fantasy, you're going to have to make it up.:) It will give your writing the ring of truth.

He said/She said

2008-09-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Why do people have a problem with using the word "said" in attributing words to a speaker?

I used to use all sorts of words to get around having to use that boring, dry word we call "said." For a 500 page book, I hardly used the word.

In reality, there are some good reasons for using that word. Number one, people skip right by that word so they don't care how fancy or creative it is. You can use all sorts of words like "mumbled" or "bark" but people won't see it. It's a waste of effort.

Secondly, it calls attention to the writing when all the reader wants to know is who is talking.

Thirdly, you shouldn't need to say someone "snipped" or something like that. The dialogue ought to reveal the speaker's feeling.

Lastly, Jerry Jenkins said something to the effect that people don't, "bark, yawn, cough, or howl. They say things."

The word said is great time saver on top of all that! How many words do you think you've used for the word "said"?

Writers as Actors

2008-09-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

A lot of lessons you learn from acting can be transferred to writing realistically. Just as an actor has to step into a person's perspective, so must a writer. But a writer has a harder job.

An actor has to understand one person's perspective; a writer has to pretend to be as many characters as there are in his/her book.

A few things to keep in mind is that each character brings something new to a scene. Forty-year-old Tom wants to go the baseball game, twenty-year-old Brian wants to play football, and two-year-old Emily wants to play with blocks (or whatever babies play with these days).

The point is that each character stands seperate from the others. They have to have different motivations, speech patterns, manners, views on how they percieve the world, how they percieve themselves all the other things that makes a character unique.

If you can step into each interesting character's mind (but not their POV) in every scene, your story will have momentum and depth.

Using Back Story

2008-09-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Back story is a fancy way of describing a story within the story that causes a bit of an undercurrent.

For example, in a fake book we'll The Torn Ticket, Jeff refuses to go to the movies with Ben. He says he remembers what happened last time.

There's some back story now. Not only are you interested in the outcome of the story, you also want to know what happened in the past. What exactly did Ben do?

The big thing to remember in back story is to leak out the past a little at a time. If you're writing a book, you can't disclose the entire back story till at least page 50 (thus said an editor I spoke with). Let's say about twenty pages later in The Torn Ticket Jeff says, "Alright. But you can't bring any boxes."

What! Boxes? What does that have to do with anything?

It piques the reader's interest.

To use this powerful tool, remember to use the character's actions and dialogue. Dialogue is the easiest way to convey back story, but you actions can work as well. Remember, you can't let yourself get away with giving more info. than what the view-point character would.

The moment you tell all the secrets is critical to the story. What is going to drive the character to talk about his/her past or come to grips with it?

I just finished writing a book where the back story played a large part. My main character's back story played such a large part I knew the placement had to be perfect. I put him in a spot where his only hope of saving himself would be to talk about his past.

It came across as an emotional setting, I thought, but I'd moved that revealing moment at least twice before. Experiment till you get what works for you!

Does back story play a large role in any of the stories you guys have written (or plan to write)?

My First Car Accident

2008-09-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have to learn how to drive a manual transmission before I can have my driving license. I drove for about 40 minutes and felt fairly confident. Then my dad threw me the keys to drive across my town. Intense.

For those of you have experience with a manual, you'll know it takes some getting used to. I lived (with a few tense moments) through the ride, and was less than a half-mile from my destination when I came to a yield sign.

I stopped.

The lady in a Jeep behind me didn't.

The car jolted and threw me forward. My dad's eyes blazed as his gaze darted everywhere. "What happened!"

Fortunately the accident wasn't my fault and no one was hurt. I might have a phobia about driving a manual, but I'll swallow it. My dad and the lady exchanged insurance info. and phone numbers, while I realized I was going to be late for work when it was so close!

I will learn how to drive a manual, even if it kills me (or totals my dad's car).

Writing for the Soul Conference

2008-08-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about the conference again. Usually I don't like posting on a topic more than once, but this is important enough for more posts in my opinion.

At the Writing for the Soul Conference I learned a LOT about the writing craft and not only that. I got to see how writing markets work, what editors are looking for and what happens behind the scenes in publication.

When I look at things I wrote a year ago I often think, "Man, how could I have written something that bad?"

Then I realize it's B.C.; before conference.

At this conference the speakers and workshop teachers are the best in their craft. They even have a workshop just for teens. For example, just one of the speakers in this years conference is Karen Kingsbury. The whole conference is hosted by Jerry Jenkins, writer of the Left Behind series.

You can meet fellow writers and start building relationships.

In addition to all this, you can also speak face-to-face with editors about your book. You can actually pitch your book to editors from the giants of Christian publishing houses.

(Here's me talking to Rick Steele. He's helped edit some of Bryan Davis' books like Eye of the Oracle.)

You think you're too young? I went as a 16-year-old and there were people younger than me.

The conference is held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from 19-22 of February, 2009. I will be there.

(Here's a picture of the inside of the Broadmoor, in which the conference will be held.)

If you have any questions, just drop a comment.

Priorities

2008-08-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

At times I find it easy to get obsessed with writing and forget why I started in the first place. I have to stop and ask myself at times, "Why are you putting so much work in such-and-such a project? Are you just wanting to get noticed, or are you wanting to bring glory to God?"

I do my best to keep my priorities straight by doing my quiet time before I sit down to write.

I also listen to God about what He wants to me to do.

I remember one time when I was in a time-crunch to get something done by the deadline. I felt a nagging feeling as though I was obsessing too much and letting my writing become an idol.

"OK, God," I thought, "If you really think that, I'll stop for a day if you want me to."

I didn't want Him to take me up on that offer, but He did. That experience helped me keep my priorities straight, even when I'm screaming busy.

And yes, by the way, I finished the project on time!

Am I the only one who obsesses over things at times?

Using Strong words

2008-08-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

People have a tendency to use weak nouns. These creeps will lurk in your prose unless you take action to replace them with nouns that glisten. If you pick excellent nouns, it will make the world in your head come to life because it will show your reader things about your character and their surroundings.

What's the difference between a weak noun and a strong one?

"George stepped on a snake."

Well, that's nice. But what kind of snake was it? Was it a cobra? Grass snake? Rattler? By inserting a stronger noun (any kind of snake) it makes the noun active in the person's imagination.

Here are a few more weak nouns to watch out for.

"Tom jumped into his car and drove away."

What kind of car? If he's driving a Mustang, that gives me a different impression of the person than if he's driving a 1970 Beetle.

"Emily was a student."

Freshman? Sophomore? Middle school?

Remember, you don't need more nouns; just stronger ones.

Druggies and Lesbians

2008-08-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad were talking at a park table when I walked up. My younger siblings were swinging in the park.

This guy came up with a scab across his nose, long hair, coarse voice like he smoked a pack of cigarettes everyday, and he looked like he hadn't showered in weeks. He carried a canister.

He walked up to my dad. "Hey, buddie, you wanta see somethin'?"

My dad didn't have the time to say yes or no. The guy slipped out a poster with a band's name on it. He seemed to think it was valuable and grinned as he rolled up back up and shoved it back in the canister.

"Sorry about my nose, man," he said as he pointed as the scab on his nose. "I was out drinkin' last night my bodyguard jacked me up." He gripped the canister. "Bad bodyguard! Next time I see him, I'm going to..."

I can't remember his exact words from there.

He walked off after that, and started wrestling with someone. My dad and were about to break it up when they stopped. After that, a lot of rough-looking people flocked around one table where a guy with a laptop sat.

We walked by that spot while we were leaving. There was a red slipper on a rock; a sign of a drug hot spot.

I thought I was having an interesting time at the park, till I found out what happened to my older brother! He's a manager at a fast-food place.

A little background info first; when a restaurant is getting rushed, some cashiers print out their receipts and write a brief description of the person who ordered the food. That way it's easier to keep track of people. That receipt is thrown away and we print out another for the customer.

A group (about 10) of mostly gay people came in. The cashier, flustered in a big rush, wrote down "lesbos" on their receipt.

Well, when their monster of an order was finally gone, they asked for a receipt. Someone handed them the receipt with the writing on it.

My poor manager bro listened to this guy rant about it for 40 minutes.

I'm Back!

2008-08-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! That was a good vacation! I hiked mountains, I finished editing my book (for the first time anyway), I went to museums, went to the top of Pikes Peak, ran in mountain lion country, and I had a run-in with druggies at a park!

But enough about me.

One thing I've discovered that is essential if you're writing anything is to be organized and focused. Before I try writing a book, I like picturing the back cover. The back cover has to drag people into the material like the gravitational pull of the sun.

When designing the back cover, here's three paragraphs to define it as outlined by Bob Hostetler.

The Hook Paragraph:

This one grabs the readers eye and gives attention to your book's best selling point.

The Nuts and Bolts Paragraph:

After hooking the reader, you have to tell them how you're going to convey your ideas.

This is where you tell the reader how you're going to tell them the story. If it's fiction, is it fast-paced thriller? Is it a mystery? If it's non-fiction, is it a how-to, are there sidebars, vignettes, or quotes in the chapters?

The "Why Me" Paragraph:

This is paragraph gives information about yourself and shows why you're the perfect person to write on your topic. You don't need to graduate from Harvard, have written 1,000,001 articles or short stories, or have a book already published. What is important is you tell them everywhere you've been published. Another thing that will qualify you for your topic might be your passion. If you're writing fiction, you can say you're an avid reader of whatever genre you're writing.

Hope this helps!

What are your writing goals for this school year?

Around the Bloc

2008-08-02T06:55:00.001-07:00

Have you ever tried talking to someone about your writing, and realized they have no idea, or interest, in what you're talking about? Being in a group of writers helps bolster moral. Being in a Christian writers group helps even more.

That's what Around the Bloc is.

I'm in this group, and the members are awesome! The moderator, Lydia Rule, will have her first book published soon.

There's no fee, you get info. on writing opportunties, and people won't look at you like you're some weirdo if you talk about "writing type stuff." I highly recommend it!

Here's a link to our latest newsletter. If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

I will be going on vacation this following week. For 18 days I'm going to enjoy hiking, running, finishing up my book, and reading.

Talk to y'all later.

Show, Don't Tell

2008-07-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

What sucks readers into a story? It's good plotting, characters, pace, etc., but also it has to do with putting the reader into the action.

This is SHOWING the reader the story, not TELLING them.

Let me show you the difference. The following is an example of telling you my story:

Frank was angry.

This is showing:

Frank's eyes bulged and his fist clenched as he stared up at his brother.

Here's another example of telling:

The people in the marketplace got out of the way of the riders.

Showing:

The people pinned themselves against walls or hid in alleyways as the riders thundered passed.

It's easy to slip into TELLING a story instead of SHOWING it, but it's a discipline that's worth learning. I catch myself doing it all the time.:)

Chapters

2008-07-23T20:28:00.001-07:00

OK, I'm trying to edit a 350 page book in about a week. Let me give you this advice when it comes to editing your stuff; write some long chapters if you want to save time.

I used a lot of short chapters, so I have to go through all my editing steps every 3-6 pages. The material will be very focused, though.

I've cut off more than 1000 words I didn't need in sentences.

Gotta go. I'll probably be up till 3 and awake at 5 again...

Look Up the Words You Use

2008-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

While going over my work, I decided to check a few words out just to make sure they fit the context I was using them in.

Yikes.

Apparently there's a difference between "peal" and "peel" and "trotted" and "trod." I'll likely look up a lot more of the words I use now. I also discovered the word sidled means to literally walk up to someone, going sideways.

Am I the only to have this happen?

I'm a Head Hunter

2008-07-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wrote something and felt like something was wrong? One problem might be a POV problem. People have a tendency to jump from one character's point of view to the other with no warning.

I used to tell the reader exactly what all the characters in a room were thinking. That's head-hopping. It's breaking the rules of POV.

Most books are written in third-person these days, so stick with one person's view point.

A few things are easy to trip up on. For instance, if the character has his back turned to someone, the main character can't see the other's face.

You can't get inside a character's thoughts other than the POV character.

Only call your POV character by his name or his appropriate pronoun. A lot of times, new writers will write things like, "The big man walked over to the cab." If the action is from "the big man's" POV, will he call himself that? Do you describe yourself like? You probably just use your name.

Writing credibly with POV takes a lot of discipline on the writer's part. There are a lot of sublties in POV, but mastering the basics will put you ahead of the crowd.

New Profile Picture?

2008-07-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

I getting a credit in school for Photoshop, so I snapped a picture on Sunday and made this.

Do y'all think I should switch it out with the profile picture I have on my blog right now?

Mental Fatigue

2008-07-14T09:02:00.001-07:00

After writing for years on a single book, I just didn't feel the same excitement I used to have for the project. What happened? Did I not believe in the message any more?

The fact is that every writer gets to a point where they are sick of their book. It's natural. To this day I still can't hear the title of my first book without cringing.

If you're done with your book and you can still touch it without getting a headache, then you probably haven't done enough work. Keep at the grindstone and hang in there. The day will come when you read and think, "Wow! I wrote that?"

How long does it take y'all to get sick of writing on one plot line?

I went paintballing yesterday. That's always an adrenaline rush! That's not even mentioning the skunk we found out in the woods.

Rewriting/Editing

2008-07-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Alright, you're done with your book or story. Now what? Do you go straight to editing?

You can do that, but I recommend doing some rewriting. Take a good look at the entire manuscript, and think of ways you can make it better.

"Can I punch up this scene?"

"Can I make this part more subtle?"

"Should I speed up this area or slow it down?"

"Would this part be more dramatic from another character's point of view?"

I also use it to refine all the details. You'd be surprised how many times characters change eye colors or lose their weapons between scenes! Have you noticed how actors in movies heal from their scratches pretty quick? You're checking for the same sort of thing.

Rewriting and editing are completely different. Rewriting is ripping entire sections out of your house, whereas editing is the finer part where you polish and organize the interior.

How many details do you think escape you when you're writing?

Mere Details

2008-07-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read something that sucked the life out of your brain? What did the writer do wrong?

One of the things he/she might've done wrong was adding too many details. Details are great, don't misunderstand me, but it's important to cut the flab and use only the important ones.

Does it really matter what color a guy's socks are when he's about to shoot someone?

Make sure you use solid, powerful details. It's easy to be lazy and just say something like, "He hopped into his car," but the reader wants to hear, "He hopped into his Lexus" or "He hopped into his Hummer."

Give a general overview of the situations and bring the flavor of it out with some well-aimed details, and you'd be surprised how much writing you can cut!

Are you a detail person, or someone who needs to add more detail?

Weak Words

2008-07-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

Eliminating words is an essential part of writing. In a world where the reader is used to flipping through channels on the TV or going through the internet, writers know they can't risk losing the audience's attention with using too many words.

By taking out words, you can say the same things and get it across with precision. Also, an economic side exists. If you write a 300 page book with each page containing just 10 worthless words, than you're using 3000 more words than you need. That's 7.5 pages extra per book the publisher has to produce. If the publisher makes 3000 copies of the book, that's 22,500 pages they could've saved themselves.

Here are some things that will help in eliminating words.

Cut adverbs. Use stronger, not more, verbs instead. Say, "He scarved his food," instead of, "He quickly ate his food."

Look for ways to replace adjectives. Let nouns and verbs do the work of adverbs and adjectives. Sometimes you can't avoid an adverd, but avoid them when you can.

Don't say the same thing twice. I have to train myself not to say the same thing twice in different words. "Train yourself not to add more words." Strike the word "more" out of that sentence. If you're adding something, doesn't that mean there's going to be more?

Remove weak verbs. If the sentence contains, was, were, are, is, etc., find a better verb to replace these.

Sometimes in replacing these words you'll discover you have to add more words. That's not the case for the most part.

Any comments?

Finding Your Voice

2008-07-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of great writers out there. Tolkien, Lewis, Bryan Davis, David Farland, and so on and so forth. They sound like great people to imitate in their writing styles, don't they?

Wrong.

A person's writing style is something that should be completely unique to them. Every time there's a successful author out there, you can bet there's going to be hundreds of imitators saying, "I can write just like so and so."

Of course, learning from these writers is beneficial, but don't imitate their styles. An editor can tell immediately when someone is doing that. What they are looking for is a new voice. YOUR special way of saying things and not a butchered version of someone else's way.

I'm not saying for you to think, "Hey, that means I don't have to listen to feedback. It's my style to write like that."

Some of the worst material is written when the author is in that mindset. I wrote some of my worst writing with that attitude. I'm learning the tools, and I'm using them anyway I like to make a unique style.

I've discovered my writing is generally short and terse. What's y'all's like?

Outline

2008-06-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

I know, most people don't like outlining. Many writers want their story to take form as the characters take action. But it's always a good idea to have some general idea of where you're going with a story.

On the other hand, you outline too much your story turns to cardboard. Where's the line?

Here's what I do; give your character some BAD scenario and let him figure out how to get out from there. Having this general outline will help when it comes time to write a proposal with a 1-2 page synopsis.

Just for curiosity's sake, how many people don't like outlining?

Sorry if I haven't visited some of y'all's blogs in a while! This summer is a bit busier than I anticipated.

Tagged

2008-06-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Escritora. Here are the rules for this tag game.

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

Indescribable, Chris Tomlin
Wish You Well, Thousand Foot Krutch
Awake, Seventh Day Slumber
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Green Day
Carry on My Wayward Son, Kansas
Subway, Tim Hawkins
Cletus Take the Reel, Tim Hawkins

I tag Caleb, Arakan, Debbie, Sapphira, Elliot, Ian, and Desert Marine.

Whew! Between yesterday and today I will have worked 20 hours.

Rated R

2008-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

What's up with R's? I hadn't realized it before, but the fantasy genre is PACKED with them. Just think about all the bad guy names...

SauRon
SaRuman
DiRza
Risto
MoRgan
GalbatoRix
Raj Ahtan
ORcs
URgals

To name a few.

Do we just have to have that "RRRRR" sound to make us thing, "Ooooh. This guy's bad."

Am I just going nuts?

Interviewed

2008-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

I've been interviewed on Novelist's Cafe. It's an online source for teen writers.

Self Publishing

2008-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an essay I wrote a while ago. I gleaned a lot of this information from reading Chip MacGregor's blog, who is an agent. Great stuff!

A whirlwind of opportunities open up the minute you step into the publishing world with a manuscript in hand. There are many roads to publication, one of them being self-publishing (or self-pubbing). Why would someone side step a conventional publisher for self-pubbing?

Let’s define terms real quick; a self-publisher is usually a publisher you pay to print your book, and no more. A royalty publisher pays production and promotion upfront and gives you a percent of the net sales.

Self-pubbing is easier in a specific definition. A self-publisher typically isn’t interested in the quality of your work; they make their living when you pull out your wallet and not when a couple sees a nice cover in the bookstore. You’re not forced to live up to high quality, but it’s still not easy. You’re forced to spend tons of time and/or money doing your own marketing and other things. That time could be used for honing your craft.

A conventional publisher, one that’ll buy your manuscript in confidence it’ll sell, will usually pay production and promotion. In self-publishing your doing good to receive an ISBN…essentially a calling number so stores can order it. Do you have a well-thought plan for selling your book? Are you the son of the Pope? Self-pubbing likely isn’t your path then.

Another reason to opt self-pubbing is the possible reputation you might attain. There’re agents and publishers who won’t even look at your work after finding you’ve self-published. Granted, there are some good self-publishers out there who’ll get you an ISBN and will even promote you. But the ultimate responsibility rests with you.

So why do people self-publish? Some of it’s ego; the publishers don’t know what’s in front of them! There are others who’re allured by making all the profits instead of a percentage. Think of it this way; if you’re paying for this entire operation, you going to need every last penny!

In conclusion, I’d recommend sticking with conventional publishers unless you’re a celebrity, know where to market, or have a shuttle you can sell on ebay to cover the expenses. If no one’s interested in your work concentrate on your plot, characters, where your book is going to sell, and the all-important query letter.

Comments?

Editing Steps

2008-06-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

The day will come when you're finished with your book. You might video tape yourself as you write the last line.

Now what?

This is the hardest part in the writing process; editing.

We all want to produce works of art, but in reality writers are craftsmen, not artists. We're simply willing to work harder than the competition.

Here are ten steps to editing. I learned these from listening to Bob Hostetler from a conference.

1) Ask yourself, and you should've been asking this all along, who cares? Who is going to be changed by reading your work? If you don't have that nailed down already, it's important to do so now.

2) Look for personal flaws. We all have them. Mine personally is using words that are spelled right but not right in context. Like "metal" and "medal."

3) Use the spell check on your computer.

4) Read your work aloud. A lot of people cheat on this, but you'd be surprised what results you get when you do this. I tried it a little while ago and found problems in the first sentence.

5) Wait at least 3 days before editing. When you first write your material, you're very protective of it. It's impossible to edit when you've just written it. You'll read what you wanted to say, not what you wrote.

6) Delete all unnecessary words. For instance, "He fell down." Take out the word "down." Is there any other direction to fall?

7) High all verbs and make them stronger. Make them active by removing all "to-be verbs" like Was, Were, Are, Is and so on.

8) Highlight all the adverbs and adjectives and bend over backwards to eliminate them. In general, we all use these too much. Let nouns and strong verbs do the work.

9) Get rid of cliches in all forms. We've all heard "clean as a whistle," or read the scene where the person gets up in the morning.

10) Finally, scan your work for varrying snytax (sentence length and structure). You don't want all your sentences to be short, or all long. It would sound like someone beating a drum in the person's mind instead of symphany lulling them into the writer's world.

I hope this helsp! Hostetler also had other great stuff. His book, The Bone Box, is coming out soon.

Homicidal Maniac

2008-06-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

It started out like a normal run. Texas doesn't have a good track record of being kind to joggers.

As I usually do on Saturdays, I rolled out of bed and went on my run before going to work. I slipped in my headphones and off I went. Nothing eventful.

About ten minutes out I decided it was time to head back. Then I saw it. How many people see a hammer on the side of the road?

I collect things I see on the side of the road (providing it wasn't alive at sometime or it doesn't look contamidated), but I decided to take it to a construction crew I'd passed.

So I ran over to the construction sight. On the way I had to pass an older guy out for a run. Good thing he didn't turn around.

Imagine a breathless, red-faced, teenager running up on you with a hammer. That could've been interesting. Especially since so many Texans pack guns. :O

Battles

2008-06-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is a topic I know you guys love writing. I imagine writing a battle scene for a guy is what writing a wedding scene would be like for a girl (call me out if I'm wrong on this). In fantasy, if there's no battle you can nearly guarantee your book will sell to your grandma and that's about it. If done right, the reader will forget to breath and pass out. But what separates a battle from a gang fight?

Here are some things I've learned that can add more to your big moment than bright swords and big charges:

1) Pay attention to the terrain and weather. In real life, this plays a BIG part, especially when you're carrying seventy pounds of armor.

2) Be aware of different fighting tactics from history. What separates the Huns methods of fighting from the Carthaginians? What's different between the Greek phalanx and the Roman turtle? These details are what makes the big moment "Ring true."

3) Don't get tempted to switch to omnipresent point of view (POV). This is where you give the entire battle scene from the air. "And the left wing on opposite side of the mountain sprang the trap." Keep in touch with your character. The reader is more interested (hopefully) in your character than the battle. "What are they doing over there? Carl jumped aside and Goofball's ax sunk into where he had been a movement before."

4) Make sure the scene is the culmination for as many conflicts as possible.

5) Add a new battle scenario. We've all heard about the huge horse charge, the fight at the castle, or the defenders rushing out onto the battlefield for the last desperate charge. But how many of us have heard about a battle in a sandstorm? Make your battle stand out by breaking away from the norm.

6) Add details, but don't get bogged down and distract from the conflict. Telling the story the main character's POV will help a lot with this.

7) I know battles are gory, BUT there is a certain amount of graphic material christian publishers won't buy. Also, it will be distasteful after a while. If it requires you to draw back on details for a second, I'd advice it. "He stabbed the Revog" instead of (IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH DON'T READ THIS!) "He thrust the dagger up to its hilt and twisted till he felt the Revog's spine snap. Intestines spilled onto his hand and the creature vomited blood."

The second version is more realistic. The other one is shallow. Select appropriate details and mix and match a little.

8) Read battle stories. Find out how ancient battles were won.

I hope this was helpful! Does anyone have anything to add? I'm interested in things you guys have noticed.