Please enjoy this repost today, due to my gimpy arm. :-) Drawing winner announced Friday.
Alrighty folks, here it is. The simple (yeah, right) steps to writing a captivating spirit-filled story.
How to write a Christ-centered novel:
1) Pray. Ask the Lord to give you a story to tell. Ask Him what message He would have you convey through your writing. Always keep your time with Him a priority. Remember: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." When we try to skirt around spending time communing with God, often with the excuse of spending that time instead writing something to convey His message, we shoot ourselves in the foot. For the Christian novelists, it's HIS story we want to tell. So how can we know what that is if we don't meet with Him and spend time where we just shut up and listen? When it's time to write a new story, first spend time being a Mary. Sit at His feet and listen to His words of Life. When He speaks to you through your quiet times and Bible reading, or jolts you through a sermon, song, or online devotion- hold onto that message! If some spiritual lightbulb goes off and gives you goosebumps, that just may be the thread that He wants you to weave into your story.
2) How can that message which He impressed on your heart be illustrated in real life? Your pastor does this in his sermons when he shares a brief personal story to underscore a bit of truth he is presenting. Jesus did this in His parables. You get the privilege of doing the same thing and taking it deeper, farther. But just start by considering what situation- from your real life experiences or from hypothetical ones- would demonstrate the message God has been whispering to you? Heartache or addiction or betrayal perhaps? Got the basic idea? Now it's time for fun. We get to go 'Further Up and Further In'...
3) Time to play the 'what-if' game! Take your basic concept and really wade through it. I mean, what if it really happened? See those purple ribbons on all those trees in the summer? What if you really lost your child by leaving them in the car? Depressing idea right? We're not done yet. Really immerse yourself in it... you walk up to your car and see your daughter through the window- what happens first? How do you feel?
You're going to do that with your own 'what-if' scenario:
What if.... you lost everything, like Job did? What if... your spouse was diagnosed with cancer, your husband cheated on you, your father was caught embezzeling, your daughter was abducted, your son rejected Christ, or your best friend died? (There are lots of what-ifs!) This is where your novel will find its conception. One or more of these ideas will take root and capture your imagination. It may sound morbid, but allow yourself to really think about the nitty gritty of what it would be like. Some questions to get you started:
How would you feel in that moment of discovery? What would you say to God? [By the way, this is where your story begins- not with the years, months, or weeks leading up to the 'event']. What might God and/or your pastor say to you? How would you receive it at first? What might be a catalyst to finally get through to you?[This is your Middle] How would those closest to you feel? [secondary characters/subplots] How would you get through that? If you allowed God to have His way with you, what beautiful truth would shine forth at the end of such a dark time? [And this of course is your Ending] Hey- is it the same message God has been putting on your heart through devotions lately? BINGO! You've found His novel!
Congratulations. Now what? Why, Snowflake of course!
Showing posts with label how to articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to articles. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Going Up?
The Elevator Pitch. Maybe you've heard it talked about but didn't know what it was. Or maybe you know but have placed it at the bottom of your priority list.
Nuh-uh. That changes today.
What's an elevator pitch, you ask? Let me throw you in the deep end. You're in an office building heading up to the 8th floor. Suddenly, Karen Kingsbury steps in with you and hits the button for the 7th floor. Your palms start sweating, your mouth goes dry and you blurt out some embarrassing remark about being a writer. She smiles and asks, "So what's your story about?" You've just passed floor 2.
Quick! What do you say? It better not start with "Uhhh" or "My story is full of romance, action, adventure, lost innocence, redemption, relationships..." (There goes floor 5). "Um, the main character is a guy in his 40's-- well, later we find out he's really 82, but anyway... " ding, ding, ding! "Oh, here's my floor" she says, "Good luck with your book" and off she goes. Yeah, you've got to do better than that. Give it a hearty try right now. You have 60 seconds.
....
.........
.............
How'd you do? I know how I did the first time I tried.
Your elevator pitch is like your query letter, squeezed and shaved and peeled down to its core. And it's very hard to squeeze only the most important things out of your marvelous masterpiece. After all, your novel is a complex tapestry of emotions you've spent months or even years weaving together. How can you find which thread to pull without the whole thing unraveling into an undiscernable mess? Trial and error, critique partners, and a few tips to get started.
Step #1: Which character is MOST IMPORTANT. If your life depended on you choosing only one, who would that be? Forget everyone else for now. For me, that's John.
Step #2: What's the BIG EMERGENCY that character faces-- the one that sets everything in motion? This shouldn't be too difficult but depending on your story it might not be as obvious as it sounds.
Put these together in simple terms. Here's mine: John's wife and daughter are killed.
Step #3: What does your MC do that makes EVERYTHING WORSE? Chances are there will be a series of bad decisions or events that will set your MC up for a fall. Pick the biggest one. Mine: John sleeps with a prostitute.
Step #4: What TEST does your MC then face? For John, it's how he'll handle the resulting pregnancy.
Step #5: This is really more of a tip. You don't have to (and shouldn't) resolve the story in your elevator pitch. You want the person to feel they have to read the book to find out.
Another important tip (this is huge) is remembering that this is going to be a CONVERSATION. It will not be read on a sheet of paper or computer screen, it will be heard coming from YOUR LIPS. So make it sounds CONVERSATIONAL. You probably don't have a voice like Movie-Preview-Guy, so don't try and insert dramatic pauses or anything that requires an embarrassing tone of voice to get the impact of the statement. Example: You aren't going to say: He'll finally find love... a love like none he's ever known before... the love... of GOD. You'd say something more like: He'll finally realize the love of God is unlike any other. That's not probably the best example but my point is- say it aloud and make sure it sounds natural. Record yourself even, if you have to. Just don't sound like a weirdo.
So here's a couple of tries for mine, and I hope to get some real-life practice with them on friends over the next week so I'm prepared before conference:
1) My story is about a man whose wife and daughter are killed in a fire. He blames God, ditches his faith, and tries to deal with his grief on his own. He finally reaches his breaking point and repents when he wakes up next to a prostitute. He's forgiven, but he finds that newfound faith— and even falling in love again— is not all sunshine and roses when the now-pregnant hooker knocks on his door.
2) My story is about a man in rebellion, angry at God after the death of his wife and daughter-- until he wakes up next to a prostitute, comes to his senses, and repents. He starts putting his life back together, even falls in love, and everything is looking up. But then the prostitute shows up on his doorstep, 6 months pregnant with his child, and John has to decide whether to try and keep his secret buried or risk everything by bringing it to light. Between John, his fiancé, and the pregnant prostitute, it's a very different kind of love triangle.
Let me know what you think. I hope you've gained something from this post- motivation to get moving if nothing else. I am providing a couple of excellent links for further reading. Happy Hunting! (For agents that is)
http://www.businessknowhow.com/money/elevator.htm
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/01/elevator-pitch-part-1.html
Nuh-uh. That changes today.
What's an elevator pitch, you ask? Let me throw you in the deep end. You're in an office building heading up to the 8th floor. Suddenly, Karen Kingsbury steps in with you and hits the button for the 7th floor. Your palms start sweating, your mouth goes dry and you blurt out some embarrassing remark about being a writer. She smiles and asks, "So what's your story about?" You've just passed floor 2.
Quick! What do you say? It better not start with "Uhhh" or "My story is full of romance, action, adventure, lost innocence, redemption, relationships..." (There goes floor 5). "Um, the main character is a guy in his 40's-- well, later we find out he's really 82, but anyway... " ding, ding, ding! "Oh, here's my floor" she says, "Good luck with your book" and off she goes. Yeah, you've got to do better than that. Give it a hearty try right now. You have 60 seconds.
....
.........
.............
How'd you do? I know how I did the first time I tried.
Your elevator pitch is like your query letter, squeezed and shaved and peeled down to its core. And it's very hard to squeeze only the most important things out of your marvelous masterpiece. After all, your novel is a complex tapestry of emotions you've spent months or even years weaving together. How can you find which thread to pull without the whole thing unraveling into an undiscernable mess? Trial and error, critique partners, and a few tips to get started.
Step #1: Which character is MOST IMPORTANT. If your life depended on you choosing only one, who would that be? Forget everyone else for now. For me, that's John.
Step #2: What's the BIG EMERGENCY that character faces-- the one that sets everything in motion? This shouldn't be too difficult but depending on your story it might not be as obvious as it sounds.
Put these together in simple terms. Here's mine: John's wife and daughter are killed.
Step #3: What does your MC do that makes EVERYTHING WORSE? Chances are there will be a series of bad decisions or events that will set your MC up for a fall. Pick the biggest one. Mine: John sleeps with a prostitute.
Step #4: What TEST does your MC then face? For John, it's how he'll handle the resulting pregnancy.
Step #5: This is really more of a tip. You don't have to (and shouldn't) resolve the story in your elevator pitch. You want the person to feel they have to read the book to find out.
Another important tip (this is huge) is remembering that this is going to be a CONVERSATION. It will not be read on a sheet of paper or computer screen, it will be heard coming from YOUR LIPS. So make it sounds CONVERSATIONAL. You probably don't have a voice like Movie-Preview-Guy, so don't try and insert dramatic pauses or anything that requires an embarrassing tone of voice to get the impact of the statement. Example: You aren't going to say: He'll finally find love... a love like none he's ever known before... the love... of GOD. You'd say something more like: He'll finally realize the love of God is unlike any other. That's not probably the best example but my point is- say it aloud and make sure it sounds natural. Record yourself even, if you have to. Just don't sound like a weirdo.
So here's a couple of tries for mine, and I hope to get some real-life practice with them on friends over the next week so I'm prepared before conference:
1) My story is about a man whose wife and daughter are killed in a fire. He blames God, ditches his faith, and tries to deal with his grief on his own. He finally reaches his breaking point and repents when he wakes up next to a prostitute. He's forgiven, but he finds that newfound faith— and even falling in love again— is not all sunshine and roses when the now-pregnant hooker knocks on his door.
2) My story is about a man in rebellion, angry at God after the death of his wife and daughter-- until he wakes up next to a prostitute, comes to his senses, and repents. He starts putting his life back together, even falls in love, and everything is looking up. But then the prostitute shows up on his doorstep, 6 months pregnant with his child, and John has to decide whether to try and keep his secret buried or risk everything by bringing it to light. Between John, his fiancé, and the pregnant prostitute, it's a very different kind of love triangle.
Let me know what you think. I hope you've gained something from this post- motivation to get moving if nothing else. I am providing a couple of excellent links for further reading. Happy Hunting! (For agents that is)
http://www.businessknowhow.com/money/elevator.htm
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/01/elevator-pitch-part-1.html
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