It’s time to give a cheer for these awesome FaithWriters’ members and their writing accomplishments!

CHRISTINE RAMEY has an article coming out in the April issue of Woman’s World Magazine, in the “Guardian Angels” section. WOW!

ANN KNOWLES had the Missionary Focus article in the February Issue of Missions Mosaic magazine, “Martha Meyers: Living the Dash,” and will have the cover story for the April Missions Mosaic, “Oksana:  How A Small Gift Changed Her Life.” CONGRATULATIONS!

ANNIE KEYS’ devotional, “A Fiery Hot Surprise”, will be published in Shabbach Magazine in April. Shabbach is a well read family oriented Christian magazine published by Lady Tawanda Fisher. She is an author, teacher, motivational speaker and a publisher. EXCITING!

LAURIE GLASS was quoted (and her  book , Freedom from Eating Disorders, was cited) in an article in the April issue of Women’s Health Magazine. SUPER!

I so love hearing about your accomplishments. Would LOVE for you to share them with me so I can post them here. Either drop me an email at joannesher@faithwriters.net, or post it in the cheering section on the FaithWriters boards – otherwise, I may not find out!

We at FaithWriters are immensely privileged and blessed to get some first-hand insight from multi-published, bestselling Christian author Philip Yancey.

Read on to learn about Mr. Yancey’s writing process, his advice for new writers, and more.

JOANNE SHER: Where do you get ideas for your books and articles?

PHILIP YANCEY: Most start with a question that I have, one to which I don’t know the answer. If I knew the answer, of course, I’d be bored within a few weeks. As a result, many of my books have titles that pose a question (What Good Is God?, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?). And often I’ll hear from readers who point out something I’d never thought of or suggest another line of inquiry—that comment will spark my interest and soon I’ll be off on another project. Reading also enters in. I’ll find myself reading in a certain field and then thinking, “I should write about that…”

JOANNE: How did you get your first book published?

YANCEY: I had the advantage of working for a magazine, Campus Life, and as a result I knew some of the people involved in book publishing. I had written hundreds of articles, yet the idea of writing a whole book was intimidating. My very first book, long out of print, was called After the Wedding and told the stories of twelve couples and the problems they faced in the first five years of marriage. I approached it as a collection of articles, unable to carry around the burden of anything longer than an article. The next book, Where Is God When It Hurts, came out of my interviews with people who felt confused by fellow Christians’ mixed advice on the issue of suffering. Getting that first book published is a huge hurdle; surmount that and you’re on your way.

JOANNE: How do you improve your writing?

YANCEY: Two ways: 1) I read voraciously, and try to read writers who have something to teach me about style as well as content. 2) I have a few, very few, trusted friends who will edit me with a scowl. Most people want you to feel good so they give you compliments about your writing, and these don’t help at all (except emotionally). Really, you need some grouches to edit your work.

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CHARISMA!

by Linda Yezak

charisma or charism  (kəˈrɪzmə, ˈkærɪzəm)

–n
1. a special personal quality or power of an individual making him capable of influencing or inspiring large numbers of people
2. a quality inherent in a thing which inspires great enthusiasm and devotion

Even the World English Dictionary can’t provide a concrete definition of charisma–it’s a “quality” or “power.” It’s that thing that makes someone magnetic, alluring, “star-quality.” Finding an illustration for it was difficult this morning, because “charismatic” seems to be synonymous with “boisterous” in some sites. Doesn’t quite fit what I’m looking for.

I do, however, see it in this young man’s eyes.

The person who can fill a room with his presence doesn’t have to come across as Carrot Top. He doesn’t have to be the life of the party, doesn’t demand attention–yet still receives it. Pizzazz can be part, I suppose, but confidence is a must. Shoulders back, head up, eyes alert . . . smile optional. Hitler was considered charismatic, but, believe me, his example isn’t what I’m going for here. Work with me.

Though I’m undoubtedly not doing a good job describing charisma, you know what I’m talking about. You can probably picture someone right now who you consider to have “it”–charisma.

Why is it important to a writer?

Charisma comes out in your voice on the page. It provides a boldness to whatever you’re writing and draws the reader in like a magnetic. No matter what your genre, tone, plot, your charisma is apparent in your voice. And as I said, your “voice” is the magic “it” that keeps a reader flipping pages.

According to Adair Lara, in her Writer’s Digest article, “Make Your Tone Pitch-Perfect” (July/August, 2011), “it will be your voice, not the content, that draws them in. So you must sound like somebody.”

Resist the urge to come off as uncomplicated, reasonable or polite. If you’re expressing opinions, express them! . . . Look for opportunities to bring a human voice into your work. There’s more sense of someone behind the words “I had a breast cut off” (Molly Ivins) than “I had a mastectomy.”

Not all writers would consider themselves charismatic. They’re quiet, reserved, often shy. But leave them alone with the keyboard, and they’re Masters of the Universe. They allow themselves to stride into an entirely different world where they alone rule, they alone determine the fate of the populace they created. This personalty change is evident in their works.

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New words are entering the English language all the time – have been since the language began.

I don’t know about you, but, until I started getting interested in writing historical fiction, I didn’t think a whole lot about word origins and writing. That sort of thing interested me (my husband got me the “Compact Oxford English Dictionary” for Valentine’s Day 2000, and I was THRILLED!), but I never saw the benefit of knowing that information (0ther than answering trivia questions).

But now, if I want to be authentic in my writing, I need to be sure the words my characters are using actually existed during the time period they are speaking. My Civil War hero shouldn’t be talking about “finagling” a situation, as that word didn’t show up in the English language until 1926 (according to my writing friend Roseanna White’s blog post last month). And we can’t have Benjamin Franklin writing that everything is O.K., because that abbreviation didn’t first appear in print until March 23, 1839 (yes, 173 years ago today) in the Boston Globe (History.com has an article about it on This Day In History, if you’re interested).

But where, you may ask, can you get this information? Well, there’s always the Oxford English Dictionary (either online by clicking on that link – or if you wanna stop by my house, I’ll let you borrow mine – along with the magnifying glass that will  allow you to actually READ it!).

Another great site for this is the Online Etymology Dictionary. It’s amazing what you might learn about words you are SURE have been around forever. And if it’s just a matter of curiosity and/or fun, Roseanna White has a weekly post on her blog about the origin of a word she’s been researching. I love to read her Word of the Week post.

I’m sure there are other sources of this kind of information. If you know any, please share them in the comments!

Do you find word origins interesting? Do you have any other sources for them?

Have you been by the FaithWriters Message Boards lately?

You’d likely be surprised and delighted with what you could find.

Firstly, for you Writing Challenge addicts, there’s a little something to keep you busy during the challenge break (which runs for another two weeks). Join us in the Off-Season Mini-Challenge area – the lovely Deb Porter has started a mini-challenge (available to ALL members – silver, platinum, or gold) to keep your imagination going as you wait for the next topic. Check out the If Only Mini-Challenge today.

There are tons of other treats on the boards as well. Need prayer? Post something in the Prayer forum. There are several topics under Writing Discussion and Information, including a place to learn about writing-related Kindle freebies. Check out Best Books, Tips, and Software for Writers for the latest.

You can learn more about Platinum and Gold Membership, connect with people in different areas of the country or world in our Neighbor to Neighbor forum, or stop by and chat with friends at the Water Cooler. Whether you want to talk theology, share your latest writing success, get an answer to a question, or even find a new way to procrastinate, you’ll find it on the boards.

And if you’re new? Don’t forget to drop by the Newbie Nook. Folks will be happy to welcome you!

What’s your favorite part of the message boards? If you’ve never been, what sounds intriguing?

Four Dimensional Characterization
By Cate Russell-Cole

Before I discovered what I really enjoyed doing in life, I became a social worker. One of our lecturers gave us a sound piece of counseling advice that is also a brilliant tool in writing about fictional or real characters. ‘People behave in patterns. Look for the patterns, then you can start to understand what drives them.’ It gives you a clue as to their weaknesses, strengths and what makes them tick.

Characters appear not just in works of fiction. If you are writing an autobiographical or family history piece, describing people you know using characterization techniques, will make them jump out of the page, assisting the reader in relating to the person you’re talking about: including you!

People are at least four dimensional. We have our three dimensional physical form, which you can describe in terms of: how people look: hair, eye color, height, preferred clothing; mannerisms such as sitting a certain way, nodding frequently when listening, nervous habits; how they smell: do they regularly use tobacco, grind their own coffee, cook with garlic or use a signature cologne; what their voice, cough, sneeze, singing or laugh sounds like; problematic or distinctive characteristics such as oily hair, dry skin or uneven ears.

The fourth dimension is their positive or negative life experiences that replay in their subconscious mind, motivating their behavior and driving their emotions. This dimension is what produces most patterns. If you look again at the above list of physical attributes, some of them are behavioral patterns.

So what kind of patterns can you build into a character, or use to drive a storyline? If you do a Google search on patterns of behaviour, you will pull up 51,200,000 results, so there is no limit to what you can use! Don’t forget, you have a choice of positive and negative patterns. It is easy to limit your characters by placing the focus on negative behaviors, as the negative has such a strong emotional resonance with the reader. The serial womanizer; the bully; the shy person; the issue avoider; the addict; the co-dependent; the unlucky in love or the self destructive are familiar types. Try and also consider people’s strengths: confidence in their ability in a specific area; kindness towards strangers or animals; a belief one day they will make it no matter what; love of family; strong faith or intuition; determination; emotional stability.

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Getting Help

By Jennifer Slattery

A while back a Facebook friend suggested a story idea. I loved it! But decided to put it off–relegate it to third place on my “must-write” list. God had other plans and sparked a passion and a swirl of plot ideas. Knowing this would be a tough story to write, one that would take intensive research to do well, I prayed for confirmation. I received it, along with help. Extensive help, and on Wednesday I spent almost four hours picking the brain of a medical professional with the same job as my heroine.

While she began to share her story and experiences, I began to see why God wanted me to write this novel. If done well, it will be a powerful tale of grace during extreme suffering, of hope amidst despair, and of good brought out of evil.

If done poorly ….

A bit later, after watching a sitcom on a topic relevant to my story, pen in hand, spiral notebook quickly filling, I got frustrated. The phrase, “Write what you know,” wouldn’t leave me alone. What do I know about medicine and hospital rooms? Why dive into a story that could very well take over a year to research? One that could easily lead to failure if God doesn’t provide continual understanding and aid?

Because I believe God’s in it, and although He promises to lead us, I don’t believe the journey’s always easy.

But He ALWAYS provides people to help us along the way. That’s the part that continues to amaze me. In June I wrote a duel-setting story about a news anchor, an El Salvador orphan, and an El Salvador English teacher/translator. Three subjects I know very little about. Two chapters in, I considered dropping it. Too much research, and what if I got it wrong? But God was faithful. He connected me with a news anchor, with people living in El Salvador who could answer questions, with a critique partner knowledgeable on foreign settings, with another critique partner knowledgeable on medicine. (My hero’s father had a medical issue.) And He carried me through.

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Weak Words

By Suzanne Hartmann

Part of the Top Ten Mistakes New Fiction Writers Make series

Weak Words
Definition = words that weaken your writing or are vague. They often tell something rather than showing it.

Wimpy Verbs
Verbs that describe generic action. Words like walked, talked, took, and looked are weak verbs. They can be replaced by a multitude of more descriptive verbs.

Examples:
1) He walked across the parking lot.
2) He took the keys.
3) She looked at him.

Correction =
Use strong verbs that are as specific and descriptive as possible.
walked = strolled, ambled, hobbled, stomped, flitted, patrolled
took = scooped up, seized, wrenched, grabbed, swiped
looked = glared, ogled, surveyed, glanced, watched, studied
Each of the above replacements creates a very vivid picture of the person’s actions.

Adverbs with Wimpy Verbs
Adverbs are often paired with wimpy verbs. They tell readers something about the action rather than showing it with strong, descriptive words.

Examples:
1) He walked slowly towards the door.
“Slowly” tells how he walked. A more specific verb would paint a picture of how he walked.
2) “You’re mean,” she said angrily.
“Angrily” tells us how she spoke. This could better be shown to the reader by describing action as she spoke, or perhaps by describing the emotions inside her.

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Achievement: we’ve all had them, whether they’re writing related or not. Or we’ve seen others’ achievements – from a child’s first step to  college graduation to reaching octogenarian status. And more.

What great prompt for a writing exercise. So…head on over to the FaithWriters Writing Challenge!

This is the LAST WEEK to enter until the challenge goes on a break until April 5. And the topic is ACHIEVEMENT.

Write a piece – fiction, nonfiction, poetry – with achievement as the topic. Anything original (i.e. nothing you’ve already written) between 150 and 750 words and with a Christian worldview is acceptable. But don’t wait too long: the deadline for this week’s challenge is Thursday, March 15 at 9:59 AM ET. And

Want a bit of feedback before you enter your piece? Join a buddy group: the buddy groups forum is here.

Once you enter (or before!), give some of the past entries a read. Click here to comment on last week’s Challenge entries – the topic was Predicament. (and after Thursday at 10, the Achievement entries will be there as well!)

Stop by the boards to talk about the challenge.

Be sure not to share your title, or entry, with others (except your buddy group) – the challenge is meant to be anonymous so judging will be fair. But once  the judges are done rating the entries,  you can let others know which entry is yours by sharing a link to your entry (we call them bricks) on the Brick throwing post on the boards, which will be  here some time after Thursday. For now, you can stop by there and comment on some of the Predicament entries – or earlier ones, if you’d like!

You need to be a Gold or Platinum member to enter the Writing Challenge. Click here to upgrade from Silver membership. (But anyone can comment – and there are some wonderful reads – I guarantee!)

I’m definitely planning to enter this time (it’s been a while). Hope YOUR entry is there too!

Sanding Down Your Writing: Seven Mistakes to Avoid

By Dorothy Love

I’m lucky to have a wonderful line editor who goes over my revised manuscripts with a fine- toothed comb. No detail, however small, escapes her notice. She calls this process “sanding it down.” That is, getting rid of all the little rough patches that impede the flow of the words and the narrative.  She is worth her weight in gold.

As a former teacher and English major, I’ve always been attuned to mistakes in grammar, spelling, and usage, but in working with Anne over the course of three novels in less than 2 years, I’ve become even more attuned to the misplaced modifier, the  misspelled or misused word, the misplaced apostrophe. Here are a few common errors I’ve noticed recently in published books, in blog posts, in personal emails. Be aware of these as you are sanding down your writing. Your editors and your readers will appreciate your attention to detail.

• Elusive, an adjective  meaning hard to identify or pin down. Hard to capture.  The scientists were tracking an elusive species of butterfly.  It is not spelled “illusive.”

• Hear, hear. In earlier times, this expression was used to indicate agreement with a statement.  When Daniel Webster finished his impassioned speech, the others in the room pounded their canes on the floor and shouted,” Hear, hear!”     Not here, here.

• Affect vs. Effect. Affect is a verb.  The mayor  had little power to affect the outcome of the meeting. Not “effect” which is most often a noun.  The room was decorated to great effect.  But also note  that effect can sometimes act as a verb, as in  The chairman planned to effect the changes immediately.

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