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Category: Kat’s Writing Tales

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
 Savannah and I have found a treasure house, well actually, a Goodwill Warehouse where all the goodies are in bins. You need to dig to find something. Find things I did.
Baskets, stuffed animals, a shelf—exactly what I wanted for outside—and books.
“Grandma, you really want that book about James Michener?” she asked. She wrinkled her nose at the torn book jacket.
“Wait till you see inside,” I said. “It’s the story of how James A. Michener wrote Centennial.” That didn’t mean anything to Savannah, but I remember the book and the NBC 25 hour mini-series well.
Born in 1907, Michener grew up during the depression. About 1937 he started thinking about a western saga; it was 1972 before he put his thoughts on paper. He hired John Kings to help with the western history and Tessa Dalton for photography. For a full year, the trio with Michener’s wife traveled gathering data.
Kings wrote In Search of the Centennial, my suburb find, in response to requests from Michener readers for an insight into the man. My interest isn’t in Michener the man, but Michener the author. The years he spent writing one book, the many people he met along the way, and the laborious editing. The labor he poured into everything he wrote, the precise preparation, and the sixty books he read before he put pen to paper about the west.
Prayer: Father, may we dedicate ourselves to whatever our task might be, whether we write a history book like Michener, our true life experiences, or a novel. May we be committed to make every word be pleasing unto you. Amen
“I will say of the Lord,
“He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:2 (NIV)
The fireworks nearby sounded like many bombs going off. One after another, they exploded. The noise frightened Paddy dog. When I saw his fear I thought of the countries at war where people live with gunfire day and night. Children who grow up under terrorizing threats against their families or maybe they have lost their parents to enemy fire.
What about our US troops fighting for our freedom? Not everyone is in a war zone, but they live for months and sometimes years in another country, deployed away from their family and friends.
And what about our wounded military who have returned from Iraq, Afghanistan or maybe even a peaceful country, their bodies mangled or their family in crisis? My heart is both sad and glad. I hurt for those who don’t know our American freedom. I am glad for those of our country who willingly serve that we might celebrate our freedom.
Prayer: Father, may we continually remember those serving our country at home and abroad. Lift them in prayer often. May we remember you are our refuge in times of trouble, our fortress, our God in who we can trust. Amen.
“Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”
 Proverbs 19:27 (NIV)
It is a struggle for me, but I’m learning to garden. Last year I asked my friend Cindy, “How do I know what tomato plant to buy?”
She told me to find one on sale. I did—bought a regular tomato plant—didn’t even know the name, and a cherry tomato plant. They both produced mega amounts of beautiful red fruit.
This year I walked to Cindy’s desk, “I have these big dead patches in my yard—I’ve tried everything….”
Cindy suggested I have grubs, told me how to treat them and when to rake up the dead grass and sprinkle lawn seed. I don’t have the results yet—this week I’ll rake and spread grass seed.
Cindy is now my yard and garden go-to person.
Audrey Hebbert, a retired English teacher became my go-to person when I struggled with my grammar.
The group that meets monthly in my home is my critique go-to people.
There is several other go-to family and friends I lean on, I’ve learned its okay to ask for help.
Sometimes my go-to people aren’t available. That’s when I’m reminded the one that often provides me wisdom and instruction before I ask is the Lord.
God is available 24/7. I need to always remember, He is my #1 Go-to friend.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the teachers of workshops and other writers that help us strengthen our prose that we might share you around the world. Amen
Patience
“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way.”
Proverbs 19:2(NIV)
During the great depression Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia named the lion mascots for the New York Public Library, “Patience” and “Fortitude.” He said the New Yorkers possessed these qualities.
“Patience” is what every grammar coach needs.
My first coach Thelma sent every submission back to me red-inked. A few years later, seven-well-known authors invited me into their critique group. They marked up my manuscripts in many colors. From the beginning of Wordsowers, Audrey became my critique partner. She persistently drove to my work place weekly to edit my materials. I think I wore her patience very thin.
I felt passionate about writing, but many times I left a critique session discouraged. Sometimes I cried in frustration.
Fortitude
 “Fortitude” and my desire to please the Lord helped me go back to the keyboard and submit corrected copies. Sometimes an article went through a dozen or more crits before my patient coach said, “It’s ready. Send it.” Even then, several manuscripts rejected because of length or style.
The year I made a writing goal to have double the rejections from the year before, I accomplished the goal—my sale volume doubled also.
Prayer: Lord, give us an awareness of where we need to polish our materials. Help us slow down, study, study, study and listen to others that our words may glorify you. Amen
Techniques best-selling western novelist Stephen Bly uses when his stories are dragging:
  1. Shoot someone.
  2. Introduce an obnoxious character.  Choose the person who would annoy your character the most?
  3. Go to the quirk (a quirk in a character).
  4. Lose something. Your adrenaline flows when you lose something.
  5. Embarrass your protagonist. What’s the most embarrassing thing that could happen?
  6. Have protagonist kiss the wrong person.
  7. Put your protagonist in a hopeless situation. Then get him out of it.
  8. Have someone crucial to the plot disappear.
  9. Start a rumor about your protagonist. Go to the attic.
  10. Uncover something mysterious about the past.
Check out Stephen’s books and ministry at at Bly books. He also has a fun book for writers. Check it out.
Still Lionhearted, Kat
While visiting my daughter in Medford, Oregon, I called a writer friend in Eugene. She said, “Call Sandy. She’s the director of Oregon Christian Writers Conference this year.”
After talking with Sandy about my great novel in process, she said, “You need to buy the book Story.” I returned to Omaha and bought the book. I read it once and have browsed through it many times.
“Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting” by Robert McKee, is one of those books I recommend for every author. It’s a thick book full of practical tidbits for fiction, non-fiction or screenwriting.
At Word Sowers May meeting, Matt Meyer will present materials he has gleaned from the book, “Story.” If you don’t have a copy yet, you might want to buy one.
Kat, Still Lionhearted
What if your characters aren’t characters at all—after all, we all know “Veggie Tales,” where vegetables talk. The next time you open a closet listen to what your shoes are saying to you. Or maybe it’s the coat you haven’t worn since last season. Possibly something speaks from the far reaches of your closet. Does your item have a name? Can the dialogue show age, race or gender?
And I’m still writing non-fiction, but the exercise reminds me of the puppet scripts I wrote for years ago. Everything from a tennis racket to a mop carried on vivid conversations and taught scripture, too.

Still lionhearted, Kat

“Save the drama for your mama,” a four-year-old said. Funny how that bit of dialogue can conjure up all kinds of pictures in our minds.
Think back to a dramatic event in your life—usually drama is the serious stuff. When you focus on that scene, what dialogue comes to your mind? Don’t think too hard and of course, don’t edit—write the words. Powerful, vivid or melodramatic.
Look forward to our discussion on dialogue April 5th. Even if you haven’t written anything about dialogue, come join the fun.
Still lionhearted, Kat

Have you ever used dialogue to reveal a secret—the internal dialogue of one person in a room with several others? How do you keep the reader in tune with the other characters in the room while exposing your hidden past?

Try it. Write. Don’t edit. Structure two or three paragraphs—maybe they’ll even trigger a best seller.

Kat, Still Lionhearted

When you are writing age-related dialogue, how do you show the generational differences? Today someone asked a group, “Do you say come to supper or do you say come to dinner?”

For the next few days listen to those around you. Eavesdrop. What dialogue is distinctly mother, teen or grandmother related?

Bring your ideas to the next WordSowers meeting April 5th.

Still Lionhearted, Kat

Someone said a singer must “paint a word picture with a song.” I believe every author must commit to creating a life changing story in every publication—whether how to, news article, or a novel. Commit your work to the Lord and He will add the power punch to lead others to heaven.

Challenge: When you walk through the grocery store the next time, notice the smells, the noise, the laughter, or the couple arguing. Pay attention to the cell phone chatter beside you. Talk to the clerk. Not just “Hello, I have coupons,” but converse with the one behind the counter.

When you leave the store process the adventure with all five senses.

Still Lionhearted, Kat

Stephen King described his early office—a desk in the laundry room. In 2003 I figured if King could make it work, so could I.

Although compact, our laundry ala office, serves the purpose. I moved into this space when widow-hood threatened. My caregiver role demanded I be where I could hear the needs of my husband in the family room next door—far enough to hear his needs and also process my inner thoughts.

Organization has never been my strong point, but I do try. I blame my messy desk on time constraints and the lack of space, but the truth is, given the ideal cubicle with lateral files and bookshelves, most likely I’d still have a million pieces of paper across my desk.

When my dear sweet husband beat the rare cancer, he helped move my office to a small bedroom upstairs. I’ve ten times the room, 4 drawer files, 2 drawer files, 2 large bookshelves and you still can’t see the top of my desk. Paper is important to me.

What did I learn?

  • I’m an author. I write. Sometimes I use a yellow pad and sit on the porch.
  • Sometimes I pack a steno pad and compose in the car.
  • Once in awhile I write a story during the sermon. (Confession is good, right?)
  • I write on toilet paper, napkins, sticky notes and scraps of envelopes.
  • There are steno pads all over my house, but never one at my fingertips when inspiration hits me.

God has given me a passion to share His message—regardless the office space.

Where is your office space—neat or not so neat?
Still Lionhearted, Kat