The Power of Words
“The faintest pencil is stronger than the strongest memory.”
Poppy Smith, international speaker and writer, spoke these words at the Fall Oregon Christian Writer’s Conference on Saturday, October 16th. Her message was on the power of words and our duty as writers to answer God’s calling to write those words that matter.
Poppy was an incredible speaker and the entire conference was full of inspiration and advice. Writing is no easy job, despite the common misconception of the writer lazily drinking coffee at a cafe and typing away with ease. For some, this may be the case, but for the other 99 percent of writers, it is tireless hours at the computer. Writing, rewriting, editing and polishing a manuscript only to go through it all again.
Writing tests the character, Poppy says. In self-discipline, in patience, in faithfulness, in kindness… and so many other ways. But every struggle in our lives is another way for God to mold our character and transform us – whether that is writing, family troubles, job changes, etc.
As writers, we’re able to reach potentially thousands to hundreds of thousands with our words. That’s why we must push through the struggle to get those words out there – words that have the power to change lives.
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Some fun snapshots from the conference with my writing buddies!
Hillary Manton Lodge, author of "Plain Jayne" and "Simply Sara."
Christina Berry, author of "The Familiar Stranger," a Christy Finalist and winner of a Carol (Book of the Year) Award and Jessica Johnson, one of the "Diamond Girls."
OCW 2010 – Day One
The first day of the OCW Conference kicked off with a bang…literally. Vehicle issues nearly kept me from getting over to the Conference center but my husband came to the rescue.
So, once at the conference, it was all old faces and new. Lots of laughter, smiles and wisdom!
The incredibly talented Christina Berry taught a class on how to hook your reader, and by golly she sure is a great teacher! I walked away from that class very inspired and ready to re-tweak my manuscript’s intro a bit.
The magazine editor and agent panels were both awesome, but there are some certain agents who sure caused a bit of a riot! You know who you are.
Dining and mingling with other OCWers was as awesome as always. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly you can connect with a fellow writer, even if he or she writes a totally different genre!
Finally – the big news – I do have an agent and editor who requested to see more of my manuscript and I’ll be meeting with them tomorrow. BIG happy dance! I’ve come into this conference hoping for some good feedback on this new manuscript, so that is what I’m hoping to get. And meeting with these amazing editors and agents is a great opportunity!
Signing out for the night – but for a certain someone who suggested I do an OCW Fashion Blog, I’ll say this: Conference attendees came ready for the weather in capris, flip flops and tank tops after last year’s stifling 100 + degree weather. That is the extent of my fashion blogging capabilities.
Until tomorrow!
Read MoreOCW Fall One-Day Conference
This past Saturday, the Oregon Christian Writer’s Fall One-Day Conference featured keynote speaker, author Eva Marie Everson. I always look forward to these one-day conferences, and this one was no disappointment!
Everson is a fiction and nonfiction published author who has won many awards. She has traveled to Israel several times, out of which came one of her most recent books, “Reflections of God’s Holy Land,” which tells of a moment that she truly “fell” into the Bible. What do I mean exactly? You should buy the book and see!
She spoke about how God’s timing is His own, and He knows the perfect setup for us writers and our novels. One of her book ideas served as a launching point for a different book, “Reflections of God’s Holy Land,” which earned her a prestigious award nomination and much acclaim.
Of course, this is what God clearly wanted me to hear, as I’ve been dragging more and more with my current work in progress. There are those valleys in the writing process where you wonder if all of this is even worth it. The answer? Yes – it is always worth it, even if that novel never sees the light of day. Every writing experience teaches you and develops voice, skill and so much more.
Everson taught several classes that I also took during the conference, one about turning articles into books (fiction or nonfiction). This resonated with me, since I have many years as a journalist.
The most fascinating class of the day was her class on writing suspense. Using the movie, “Speed,” as a classic example of high suspense, she gave us the how to for suspense based on the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock. Since I love suspense scenes, this was very helpful – tips like writing from a reader’s perspective, varying the pace, showing the audience danger the character doesn’t know about to build anticipation, and more. Now, as I watched a movie the next day, I analyzed every scene to notice where the tension and suspense came in. Even in a chick flick, there is subtle suspense – it is what keeps the reader reading.
Now, it’s time to go back and look through my novel and make sure I have enough suspense to keep the reader turning each page, unable to stop. And, when it comes down to it, I know that my writing is part of my journey and God will use this project as He sees fit.
Thanks, OCW, for the inspiring and rewarding One-Day Conference!!
Read MoreStumbling upon the ACFW
After I graduated college, I had a sudden pang of regret. I really enjoy learning more and pushing myself. I even loved homework.
So I enrolled in an online class about how to get published. The class was interesting enough, but in my own research into proposals and my experience being published in magazines and newspapers, it was all very elementary for me.
However, there was one lesson I took to heart. And it would change the course of my writing career.
The instructor encouraged us to find contests and submit our work. In researching different writing contests, I found the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and their contest for unpublished writers, Genesis.
At that point, my writing was raw and my story lacked a lot of meat. In fact, my whole manuscript was written more like a journalism piece than a novel, because I’d spent the last four years getting my journalism degree. So when I entered the Genesis contest and received embarrassingly low scores, I realized it was time to relearn everything I thought about writing.
ACFW turned into a resource I couldnt explore fast enough. I studied past course archives and drank in all I could. I joined a critique group and my writing has taken a total turn for the better. Even my story is richer, far more developed than I had ever imagined.
I’d been involved with other professional organizations such as the American Horse Publications and the Society of Professional Journalists. I’d experienced first-hand the value of networking and continuing education. Now, I’d discovered the gold mine for my fiction writing.
Interactions with the ACFW and local chapter, Portland Christian Writers, led me to discover the Oregon Christian Writers…And so the story goes.
For those not a member of an organization in their chosen field, I strongly recommend you look into it. Branch out. Join the group. Go to an organization’s meeting. Go to a regional or national conference. You’ll find more knowlege and resources than any book or website.
Another perk of the ACFW and OCW is connecting with successful authors and learning from their journey. For Monday’s post, I will have author Cara Putnam here to share her story and advice. She is the award-winning author of both contemporary suspense and historical fiction, including Canteen Dreams, Sandhill Dreams and Captive Dreams (Heartsong Presents). Please stop by!
Read MoreThe value of non-fiction, for a fiction writer
At the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, an agent I spoke with commented journalism is a great place for novelists – fiction writers – to start. I agree in many ways.
In journalism, you learn to write concisely, use vivid, moving quotes, hook your reader from the very start, and follow the stylebook to the letter. One problem, however, is the differences in writing style. For instance, journalists use the AP Stylebook while CBA publishers use the Chicago Manual of Style. There are many key differences that after four or five years as a journalist, I find difficult to switch to. Spelling out all numbers, among other things, are habits I’m learning to change.
Knowing how to write a good article goes beyond basic mechanics. Like with a novel, you build characters through dialogue, description and detail. One of the main changes is the use of tools such as deep POV and descriptive dialogue tags. After three solid years of only using “he said” or “she said,” it was strange to realize those weren’t as desirable throughout my 70,000-word manuscript.
My first real “article” was in my introduction to journalism class at college. In high school I had helped start the high school newspaper and done a few other articles, but they were so raw and elementary, I hardly consider them anything worth remembering. In college the mechanics of a newspaper article came to light and I took hold. For my feature article, the final assignment for the course, I wrote about a young girl named Katie at a therapeutic riding center and her connection to her horse, Kurt.
“Astride a golden horse whose black, round eyes reflect his gentle nature and docile temperament, 14-year-old Katie sits tall, clutching the soft, worn out leather of the reins while gently pulling the horse to a stop. Her head, covered with a white helmet dips slightly as she looks down at her steed and unleashes a radiant smile.
“Katie leans forward carefully, able to smell the dust and leather scent emanating from the horse, and patting the thick, rich fur of her faithful companion, a 14-year-old horse named Kurt.
“Katie has been riding for five years. She is autistic.” Published – Northwest Horse Source July 2006
Read the full article about Katie and Kurt.
This story sealed my fate. I was further hooked on journalism, on writing. I was no longer telling stories I pulled from my imagination. This was a real, gripping tale of a young girl overcoming the odds. You can’t fake a story that powerful.
Reading and writing feature articles further enhanced my appreciation of fiction. Despite technical differences, the writing is the same, the emotion is the same, the result is the same.
The Northwest Therapeutic Riding Center: http://www.nwtrc.org/index.php?section=home
A second article I wrote on the NWTRC: http://www.nwtrc.org/pdf/KlipsunMagazineArticleNov2007.pdf
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