Writers and editors, rejoice in the power of words! God has given us the ability to create words that produce gladness in another’s heart. Devotionals, curricula, novels, short stories, plays, all of these (and more!) can touch a life.
We can also support one another with praise and constructive criticism. Our words can encourage others to push forward in this tough-nut-to-crack writing world. How awesome is that?!
Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)—Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
With God’s call to write and edit comes the powerful tool of words. Words that touch lives. Words that spark interest in God. Words that build up. For sure, we are blessed that the Spirit fills our words with the “hidden wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7). Our call, then, becomes interpreting spiritual truths for others.
I pray you embrace this calling with all your heart!
1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV)—And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
I love writing devotionals, but the words don’t always flow like snowmelt down a mountain slope. Whenever I feel stuck, I close the document and push that writing aside for another time.
This year I’d like to pull the writing closer. I’d like to pray over the writing more and read the Bible passage a bit more closely, including those superscript letters that denote connecting verses. I want to do so because I trust the the Rock eternal with my writing and know he’ll strengthen the words for his purpose.
In this new year, and for years to come, remind yourself the Rock eternal holds your words in his hands.
Isaiah 26:4 (NIV)—Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)—So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Nowadays, anyone can create their own website. Issues of design include branding, usability, and search engine optimization. Often, though, those creating websites overlook editorial style. When editing, copyeditors create a style sheet. This defines the editorial specifications for the manuscript. Such a tool is also useful for the creation of a professional-looking website. Consider these questions for stylistic choices:
What heading style do you want to use? Sentence case or title case (or even capitalization of every word)?
In title case, do you capitalize the second word in a hyphenated compound?
In a heading or after a sentence, do you capitalize the first word after a colon?
Do you want to use the serial comma?
Do you want to hyphenate prefixes and suffixes?
Do you want a space before and after an em dash?
Ultimately, the choice of style belongs to the website’s creator. A style sheet is a valuable guide that allows for consistent usage of style throughout a website.
An example of word breaks in a popular design program. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong.
Hyphenation matters in a manuscript. Word processing and design software automatically insert end-of-line word breaks. Sometimes, though, the breaks are wrong, and writers must proofread for incorrect hyphenation in their manuscripts.
Heteronyms, words with the same spellings but different pronunciations and meanings, present a challenge when they break in different spots. The wrong break can result in ambiguity and amusing moments.
Present (Pre-sent/Pres-ent)
The bridal party wanted to play games before the shower presents. The verb form raises the question, what is the animated shower presenting?
Moped (Moped/Mo-ped)
Before the moose moped, a mouse meandered onto the dirt road. In the verb form, a mouse meanders onto the dirt road before the moose decides to feel sorry for itself. In the noun form, a mouse meanders in front of a moped designed for a moose.
If you meet this guy on a moped, run!
Crooked (Crooked/Crook-ed)
On the mountain road that crooked trees grew from the rocks. If the verb becomes an adjective, the mountain road no longer bends and the trees become gnarly and twisted.
Minute (Mi-nute/Min-ute)
Ralph rambled a rhythm at Minute Mic Night. If the break comes after the I, the microphone becomes tiny. If the break comes after the N, the performers have one minute to perform.
Resume (Re-sume/Re-su-me)
After writing resumes, Renee planned to write a riveting report. Renee is either a writer of resumes or she’s waiting for writing time to begin again.
Sake (Sake/Sa-ke)
For Sally’s sake, use fresh fruit such as pineapple. The break or lack of break tells whether Sally has a special recipe for sake or she dislikes or has allergies to other types of fruit.
We love our characters. We give them flaws to make them relatable. We paint word pictures to show their strengths. We make them human.
Characterization roots our characters in our readers’ minds. The good news is the Bible provides us with a list of traits for our characters, the fruit of the Spirit.
Love
A character with an independent streak might accept help from others only when necessary (and sometimes not even then). Helping others becomes more of a chore than an act of love.
That same character might do chores for someone who has been injured. They raise money for a family in need. They love with their whole heart.
Joy
A character whose father dies and leaves the family in debt might keep the debt a secret. They push away offers of help from friends and family, and they work overtime to pay off the debt. They view life through a dark, gloomy tunnel without light at the end.
That same character might write down every good memory they had with their father. They pull their family together and plan a fundraiser to pay off the debt.
Peace
A character who lives on the streets because their one and only parent abandoned them might commit crimes such as stealing food while feeling guilty for such acts. They become wary of other people, especially those who offer help.
That same character might accept their lot in life and find ways to help others in the same situation. They finish their education and find full-time employment. They know God is on their side, no matter their circumstances.
Patience
A character with a sense of adventure might be impulsive, often doing things on a whim. They feel trapped when they’re in one place for too long. When trouble strikes, they run in the opposite direction rather than trying to work out the problem.
That same character might carefully plan out each adventure. They camp under the stars for a week with nothing but a book for company. When trouble strikes, they methodically think through their options.
Kindness
A character who was abused as a child might yell at people who try to help them. Their all-about-me attitude prevents them not only from asking for help but also from giving help.
That same character might befriend a child in the same situation. They become a mentor to the child and encourage the child to focus on their schoolwork.
Goodness
A character who likes to gossip might start rumors about other people to bring attention to themself. They spread secondhand information as if it’s true. They don’t admit when they’re wrong and instead blame others.
That same character might apologize for passing on information about another. They readily admit their wrongs while trying to become a better person.
Faithfulness
A character who has had their heart broken might throw themself into their work or another project. They refuse to see their friends. They feel anger toward the one who broke their heart.
That same character might throw themself into bettering their friendships. They invite their friends to their house. They make soup for a sick friend. They trust their life is not over even though a relationship has ended.
Gentleness
A character who is socially awkward might blurt out words without thinking, unintentionally hurting others. They do not seek forgiveness, simply because they feel awkward doing so.
That same character might give gifts to another person in secret. They write encouraging letters without signing them. They help out where and when needed without saying much but giving one hundred percent effort.
Self-Control
A character with a gambling problem might lie to their family and friends, keeping their problem a secret. They also lie to themself, promising they’ll quit or “one last time.” Gambling becomes their idol, and they act offended when anyone dares suggest they have a problem.
That same character might admit defeat to their family. They enroll in a rehab program and put their focus on volunteering at a homeless shelter.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…
Every scene has five parts: an inciting incident, progressive complications, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution. The inciting incident disrupts the main character’s world. Progressive complications make the character’s life more difficult. The crisis asks the question, do I or don’t I? The climax is when the character takes action in regard to the crisis question. The resolution shifts the value of the story and moves the plot forward.
Consider Chapter 3 of Genesis. The serpent asks Eve questions and offers more insight about the tree (inciting incident). This changes the status quo world. Next, Eve eats of the tree and shares the fruit with her husband (complications). They then realize their nakedness, and hearing God walking in the Garden, they feel a desire to hide (more complications). The turning point complication comes when God addresses them directly. They have to choose whether or not to admit to having eaten the fruit (crisis). They admit it through the blame game (climax). God then tells them the consequences of their actions (resolution). In this case, the value shifts in a negative direction from life toward death.
Inciting Incident
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (verse 1)
Progressive Complications
The serpent tells Eve she will not die but will have more knowledge.
Eve shares the fruit with her husband, Adam, and he too partakes.
They realize their nakedness.
They hear God walking in the Garden and hide.
God asks, “Where are you?” (verse 9)
Gods asks Adam, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (verse 11)
God asks Eve, “What is this you have done?” (verse 13)
Crisis
Do I admit to eating from the tree or not?
Climax
Adam blames Eve.
Eve blames the serpent.
Resolution
God curses the serpent.
God brings about pain in childbearing.
God curses the ground.
God brings about death.
God makes Adam and Eve clothing.
God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
Publication—it’s a dream for every writer, whether a magazine article, a novel, a poem, or a short story. It says I have succeeded as a writer. It says I have accomplished a lifelong dream. It says someone wants to read my writing.
As Christian writers, we know God has set forth a plan for us.
Sometimes, though, the mirage-like goal becomes like the tree in the Garden of Eden—a sparkling temptation. We want to know the future of our writing, so we submit when a piece is not ready. We put in more hours at the expense of family time. We forget to pray about our writing.
When I pray for my writing, I find more focus. While I cannot know the outcome of my writing, I write with joy because God designed me with a passion to write. The destination for my writing, I leave in God’s hands.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
—Jeremiah 29:11
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
Like every writer, I have suffered from writer’s block. I have stared at the screen, willing words to come. I have grabbed a pen and a notebook, hoping a change of format might spark a new idea. I have switched projects in hopes of settling my mind. Yet when I return to the project, the words still don’t flow.
What story magic am I missing? Is the story simply not viable? Would the story be better in the Trash folder, never to be touched again?
Thankfully, I have found a writing road map in Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. This book breaks down the story into three acts, then further into the parts of each act.
In my most recent writing project, I put my main character through many ups and downs. Act 1 morphed into Act 2 through a wonderful catalyst. (I think it’s wonderful, anyway!) Act 2 brought even more action…and then my writing stalled. Something was missing, I knew deep down.
So I cracked open Save the Cat! and realized I simply forgot that after all this turmoil, my character needed time to breathe, time to think, time to make a decision, before she went from Act 1 to Act 2. She had to react to the events.
I read on and also realized I haven’t added any B Story characters to help my character find her way. Without a B Story character, the theme has been murky and difficult to write about and my character doesn’t quite seem believable. She can’t figure everything out on her own. She needs help—and I do too.
As a writer, I need to read books about the craft of writing. I have read several and grown as a writer each time. Some I like more than others. And some, such as Save the Cat!, occupy prime space on the top of my desk, ready to be thumbed through in an instant.
In November, I took part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time. Fifty thousand words in one month—a daunting challenge. It seemed impossible.
Yet I succeeded! For the first time ever, I finished the first draft of a novel.
NaNoWriMo gave me a new perspective on writing. I noticed that my usual mode of writing involves editing as I go. I constantly change sentences, add and delete punctuation, and erase scenes that I don’t believe worthwhile.
It’s exhausting…and has never led to a finished novel.
NaNoWriMo taught me the importance of getting words on the page. Even if they’re not good words. Even if the sentence is really, really bad. (I still cringe whenever I don’t like the sentence, but now I try to move on and fix it later.) Words lead to more scenes—better scenes! Words not only help my characters to grow but also help me to grow as a writer. Words spark ideas for a new novel.
NaNoWriMo also allowed me to experience goal-setting. Every day, I logged on to the NaNoWriMo website and updated my 50,000-word goal. The website also offers badges for milestones reached, such as updating your goal three days in a row and making 40,000 words. I watched as the progress bar inched closer and closer to finished. I triumphed with one day to spare. Setting this goal gave me a responsibility to myself.
Although I haven’t quite broken my old habit of revising as I go, I am writing more words every day and recording my progress as I go.
