The Beauty of (True) Words

I was challenged a few days ago to read an article by Marilyn McEntyre entitled "Letting Words Do Their Work." Because I respected the fellow editor who made the recommendation, I hopped right on over the the link.

Oh. My. Golly.

So much powerful truth contained in this article. If you're a writer, speaker, reader, or simply one who loves--truly loves--words, you've got to read this article.

Here are a few salient points that resonated:

"It is hard to tell the truth these days, because the varieties of untruth are so many, so pervasive, and so well disguised."

"Imprecision had become acceptable in the interests of generalized good feeling—and perhaps in the interests of forestalling some critical scrutiny."

"The practice of precision requires not only attentiveness and effort: it may also require the courage to afflict the comfortable and, consequently, tolerate their resentment."

"The discourse of the church, the subtleties of biblical language and the nuances of translation, the ear for poetry and care for theological distinctions may be eroded when the language of popular media is allowed to overtake the dialect of worship and conversation among believers."

"We can practice noticing how words are used and considering how they may be heard; we can pick them up from the dusty corners where most of the good ones have been consigned to disuse and reintroduce them, hoping to ambush the careless listener contented with cliché."

Check out the article and let me know what you think.

Karen

Got News?

I found an interesting report that shows the public today thinks the media is more wrong than right. You can review the report yourself, or listen to an interview about the report.

I remember the days when media reported news. When they dug in and found the facts, then disseminated it to us without bias. Walter Cronkite is still, to my mind, the quintessential reporter. He gave us the facts. Plain, simple, and powerfully true. And as a result, he was named in a poll as the "most trusted man in America." I can't think of anyone in the media today that I trust that much.

So what do you think? Where do you get your news and do you trust what you hear? How do we find journalists who report news rather than twist and turn it with commentary until you're not sure what's real and what's clearly bias? Is that even possible in today's abundantly opinionated world?

Let me know what you think.

Karen

A Magical Friendship

I've always considered friendship--true friendship--a gift. Something heaven sprinkles into our lives here on earth to enrich and encourage. You can't manufacture or fake true friendship. It's almost a little bit of magic that comes into your life, usually when you least expect it.

Well, here is an example of exactly that! My brother, Kevin, directed me to this video, and I'm still smiling.

Enjoy!

Karen

Princess Bride--Perfectly Paced Pt. 2

I could wax eloquent on this, but there's no need. The marvelous writer, Vicki Hinze, has done so already. (Check it out here.)

But I can give you a couple of tools to try. Or, as Inigo put it so well, "Let me 'splain. No, there ees too much. Let me sum up":

• Have your computer read your scene to you. I find that listening to my story reveals a great deal, especially where the pacing is too laborious or too frenetic.
• If you don't have a good voice program on your computer, read it out loud and record it. Or have a friend do so. Then listen to it.
  
• Keep an eye out for scenes that lose your interest as the writer. If you're in the middle of a scene and suddenly realize you haven't a clue why you're there, or what you're hoping that scene does, take a look at pacing. It could be you've been, to follow Vicki's comparison, yelling or whispering too long. Too much of either can lose readers.
• Finally, pull out one of your own favorite movies. Watch it once, all the way through, so you can remember why you love it. Then watch it again and evaluate the pacing. Notice what they use to speed up the pace and to slow it down. See what you can learn from it.
  

Hope that helps!

Karen

Princess Bride--Perfectly Paced

You know, one of the most common mistakes we writers make is the dreaded sagging middle. No, I'm not talking about what happens after years of sitting at a computer, but about what happens when your story seems to run out of steam halfway through. We do pretty well at beginning and ends--heck, we work on those like crazy. But that darned middle can be so deadly.

Therein lies yet another reason I love The Princess Bride. The pacing is brilliant. We ease into the story, and then it's off to the races. But moments of humor and romance are all brought at just the right time to give us a rest. Consider the fire swamp scene.

Here Westley & Buttercup are, heading into the dreaded fire swamp. We know something bad is coming...just listen to the music! (You know, I've often said if life only came with a soundtrack, we'd know when to watch out for things!) Sure enough, the fire spurt erupts, as does Buttercup's dress. But Westley's calm as he puts the fire out, and his confident smile as he says, "There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" brings the tension down. Next, the lightning sand swallows Buttercup, and the tension soars. Westley cuts a vine loose and dives in after her. Following are seconds that seem like lifetimes (and that allow the ROUS to come snuffing about), but then, music swells as Westley pulls them both free. We lie on the ground, gasping along with them, grateful for the few moments to recover. Finally they walk along, calm, in good humor, talking about how they've overcome the hazards even as Westley gracefully lifts Buttercup over said hazard. It's a lovely walk in the forest now. Until (ominous music, please), the ROUS attacks! Tension sky rockets as the beast sinks his overbite into Westley's shoulder! We're on the edge of the seat until that final jab of the sword and the end of the hideous ROUS. Westley and Buttercup hang on to each other, then rise and walk from the fire swamp, a bit bloodied but alive. Ahh...time to relax.

Oh, wait. Here comes Humperdink!

And on it goes, ebbing and flowing, just enough to keep us both engrossed and relieved. Of course, one of the greatest pacing tools is the scenes between the grandpa and grand son. (Remember, "Hold it! Hold it! Is this a kissing book?")

So how do we, as writers, ensure the right pacing in our books? Well, I have a few ideas. But first, let's hear from you.

ACFW--Checking In!

We'll get back to Princess bride in a few days. Thought I'd fill you in on the ACFW conference here in Denver.

I'm sitting in my hotel room in the Denver Marriott Tech Center, looking out over the city. What a beautiful view. The weather's lovely--80s. MUCH nicer than the triple-digit weather I left back in Southern Oregon. The hotel is hoppin' with ACFW activity. It's so neat to walk into the lobby and hear the chatter and laughter, and to see all the hugs going round. A number of folks are in an early bird seminar with Donald Maas--which I'd planned to attend but can't because of work I need to get done. Waaahh! Oh well, I'm sure "the Don," as he's called, will be marvelous!

Got here late last night--plane was delayed in Portland, and then my trusted "Lucy," my name for Hertz's NeverLost, led me wrong! Couldn't believe it. Kept saying, "You have arrived," but the place I'd arrived at was a big office building. I told Lucy, "No, I HAVEN'T arrived," but she was no help. Finally texted Robin Caroll Miller: "HELP!!" Happily, hotel staff helped her lead me in. Turns out the driveway I wanted was the one just before where I'd turned. Sigh...

No sooner reached the hotel than I was met by the wonderful Robin Caroll Miller. Walked in the lobby door and there familiar faces everywhere. What fun! Didn't get dinner until 9 pm, but the company, as you can see, was a delight. Started out with just me and Robin Caroll Miller, then we were joined by Mary DeMuth, Randy Ingermanson, Tosca Lee, and Meredith Efken. The conversation was decidedly lively!


Mary, Randy, & Meredith



Robin, Mary, Randy, Meredith, Tosca


Anyway, will try to keep you posted as the conference goes on. Allen Arnold of Thomas Nelson and I are co-teaching the continuing education class for published writers: The University of Fiction. Can't wait!

Peace, all.

Karen

Princess Bride--Favorite Lines!

I love doing this! Just thinking of these lines makes me smile. You guys already listed some of my all-time faves, but here, in the order they show up in the movie, are the rest of my favs:

Inigo (to the man in black): "You seem like a decent fellow, I hate to kill you."
Man in Black/Westley: "You seem like a decent fellow, I hate to die."

Westley (to Fessik, whom he's just knocked out): Rest well, and dream of large women.

Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?
Buttercup: Well... you were dead.

Westley (to Buttercup when they enter the fire swamp): "It's not that bad." Buttercup gives him an "HUH?" look. "I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely."

Miracle Max: "Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT: a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They're so perky, I love that."
(I like this one so much because many years ago when I worked at Multnomah publishers, the leadership team was called...wait for it...the MLT. So these lines from Max always made me giggle.)

Inigo: "Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."

Westley: My brains, his steel, and your strength against sixty men, and you think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy? Hmmm?

Clergyman: Mawwidge. Mawwidge is whut bwings us togevah todaay. Mawwidge, dat bwessed awangement, that dweem wifin a dweem... And wuv, twoo wuv, will fowoh you fowevah... So tweasha your wuv...




Thanks, everyone for playing.

Peace, Karen

It's Our Nature...

I'm heartsick.

A couple of mornings ago as I came to my office I noticed him. He was beautiful. Solid black fur, golden eyes that seemed to contain the knowledge of the ages. I shooed him away because I know what happens if the dogs get to a cat. They killed one last year, and I didn't ever want that to happen again.

Last night I noticed that Dad's shepherd, Kodi,

had scratches on her nose. None of us could figure out where they came from. As I doctored her up, she leaned her chin on my shoulder. I hugged her tight, this gentle, loving dog, and told her to try and stay out of trouble. She gave me a doggie grin and trotted off to follow Dad to bed.

This morning Dad came into the office and called me out to the yard. The look on his face made my heart race. I hurried to follow him, and he pointed to the yard. "Is that a cat?" I turned, and there, lying motionless in the grass, was the black cat.

Suddenly the scratches made terrible sense.

I wanted to hit something. To weep. To rage at the dogs. But even as I turned to Kodi, who was there with the other dogs, Dad stopped me. "It's in their nature, Karen. You can't change that."

He's right, of course. Certain dog breeds are hunters, and any small animal that moves quickly will trigger that instinct. Siberians are notorious cat killers. Shepherds, when not raised with cats, can be as well. But I had such a hard time reconciling that fact with these dogs I know and love. These dogs who are so funny and loving, who like nothing more than to crawl up into my lap (yes, even the 75-lb shepherd) and lean against me, all hugs and cuddles. How could these normally sweet-natured dogs have done this? Yes, I know they're animal, they work on instinct, and dogs are, first and foremost, hunters. Still...

I struggled with these questions as I lifted the cat from the cold, wet grass. I found myself apologizing. Weeping. Overwhelmed with sorrow that such a beautiful creature could be reduced to this... When I stood, I saw Kodi there, watching--and in a flash of anger, I almost did it. I almost kicked her. Hard.

That's when it hit me. It's in our nature, too.

The urge to strike out. To attack. To hurt without thinking. To destroy even something beautiful because, when the baser nature takes over, we don't see things like beauty or innocence. We just react. And in that reaction, heinous acts are committed. Innocence destroyed. Beauty ravaged. Lives shattered. All you have to do is watch the news or read the paper to know that's true.

With dogs, they're operating on instinct. No amount of reasoning can change that. But thank God, for us, it's a different story. The apostle Paul said it better than I ever could:

"I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me [my sinful nature] that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

The Message puts Paul's words this way:

"I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

"I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?... The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different."

How do we overcome that dark nature within us? How do we keep ourselves from giving in to those urges to strike out, to hurt, to embrace revenge and retaliation when we're wounded and heart sick. We don't. But Jesus Christ can and does. His death on the cross brings us forgiveness, redemption. His resurrection restores us as God's very own. We're cleansed. Set free. Given a new way to live. And here's the best news of all: though we will always, always fail in our efforts to do what's right--that, too, is in our human nature--God's grace is there for us. We have but to ask, and that grace will cleanse us anew. Set us free. Make us blameless in His sight. Because He loves us. Unconditionally.

And that, my friends, is His nature.

Karen

Princess Bride--Perfectly Worded

Okay, so part of the reason we love Princess Bride is the characters, and the actors who brought them out on the screen. But there's another reason I love this movie: The Words.

The writing in this movie is simply outstanding. It's perfect in tone and word choice. And the characters' voices are so unique to them. How often have you read a book or seen a movie and felt as though you couldn't really distinguish one character from another? The writing in Princess Bride delivers on every front. Which is why so many of us can quote so much of this movie! When I worked at Multnomah Books, which is now part of Random House publishers, we book editors used to love to get together and quote PB. Didn't matter what we were doing--meetings, brainstorms, sharing a meal. At some point in a gathering you could count on a PB line popping out. Of course, we had to respond in kind. It was a blast!

As a writer, I can't help but be delighted when the words in a story are so perfectly chosen. And every time I watch this movie or read the book, I'm inspired to higher excellence in my own writing. Many novelists write to meet a daily word count, which is a good plan. But there is a drawback. Sometimes we slip into the habit of writing for the sake of words, rather than words for the sake of writing. We need to be purposeful about the words we put on the page. You can tell the difference between authors who are purposeful and those who aren't. The words of the puposeful come alive, sing off the page, resonate deep within long after the book is read. Words such as:

"In the deceitful calm of the days preceding disaster, while Rhoades still glittered like a white jewel in the Aegean, Tessa of Delos planned to open her wrists. The death of her body was longoverdue. Her soul had died ten years ago." Shadow of Colossus, T.L. Higley

"The unicorn lived in a lilac wood and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea."
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

"It's Nathan's fault that I became God. It is, as I would learn, hell to be God. Nathan, to begin with, is as close to a genius as anyone I ever expect to know. If this story has any moral at all, it is that you should stay away from geniuses." The God Game, Andrew Greeley

"The first time I saw the Sin Eater was the night Granny Forbes was carried to her grave. I was very young, and Granny my dearest companion, and I was greatly troubled in my mind. "Dunna look at the Sin Eater, Cadi," I'd been warned by my pa, "and no be askin' why." Being so grievously forewarned, I tried to obey. Mama said I was acurst with curiosity. Papa said it was pure, cussed nosiness. Only Granny, with her tender spot for me, had understood." The Last Sin Eater, Francine Rivers


These books, and the wonderful Princess Bride, move me to long for excellence in my writing. Because that kind of writing sticks with the reader. For a long time.

So, I have my favorite lines from the movie, but I want to see what lines you recall. Come on, many of you are writers. I KNOW you remember lines from this movie. So share.

As Vizzini was so fond of saying....



Karen

Princess Bride--Perfectly Peopled

My hubby and I were sitting up together last night, flipping through TV channels, trying to find something we'd both enjoy watching. We'd gone through almost 200 channels with no luck, and then...we hit paydirt.

Princess Bride.

Some of you who know me know I love this movie. Big Time. I own it in VCR and 3 DVD versions. As Don and I watched it for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but wonder why men and women both love this book/movie so much. My insightful hubby made a comment that explained part of the movie's lasting appeal: it's perfectly cast. Seriously. Can you imagine anyone else playing

Westley and Buttercup,

Fezzik, Inego, or Vizzini,


or Miracle Max and his wife, Valerie?

How about Grandpa or his grandson?

See what I mean? Perfect choices.

I owe a debt of deep gratitude to whomever did the casting in that movie, because that person gave me, as a write, a valuable lesson: I need to be as purposeful in crafting the characters in my books. I need to build my characters with excellence, to ensure the characters personalities, voice, descriptions fit them to as perfect a "T" as they did in the PB movie.

So how to do that? My first step is to write a few scenes from that character's POV. To let that character speak as freely as possible. The second step is to search magazines and the internet to find my characters. Getty Images is a great place to do this. I've found a lot of my characters there. Faces that, that moment I see them, I know are my characters. And even as I study their features, I find the characters starting to breathe, to come to life, to resonate in my mind. They tell me their stories, and I discover their backgrounds, their family stories, their likes and dislikes. It's pretty cool, actually. And loads of fun.

How about you? When you're writing, how do you bring your characters to life?

Karen

Edgy Fiction Redux

As we discussed way back in June, a number of publishers and novelists are making "edgy" their focus for fiction. And that's fine, so long as we do it with skill and craft. Without using easy outs. Yes, expletives can be powerful. And yes, people use them all the time. But in our writing, we have to be better than that.

I've been hearing more and more lately about books--yes, Christian fiction--that employ graphic descriptions or language. Not one of those conversations have been about how much the readers enjoyed the story. Rather, it's as though the story was forgotten, pushed aside by language or scenes that so disturbed readers they couldn't receive the intended message of the book. And I'm not talking about readers who are older. I've heard this from twenty-somethings and my generation alike. As I've seen the impact on these readers, it's confirmed my "vote," so to speak, on all of this.

That kind of edgy fiction--the in-your-face, I-can-swear-if-I-want, who-cares-if-this-explict-sex-or-violence-isn't-necessary-to-the-story writing--crosses a line. And it seems (dare I say it?) arrogant. As if the author puts those things in to stick it to those readers who, in their opinion, aren't "facing real life as it is."

If you've ever read Francine Rivers's Redeeming Love, you've seen the perfect example of evocative, edgy writing. The prologue to that book shows innocence destroyed in the depths of depravity, and does so with eloquence and grace. (And, may I point out, not a single obscenity.) And when you hit the last line of the prologue, you know exactly what's happened and are sickened by it. But what sickens you is man's depravity, NOT the writing.

While many don't like to read about how deep human evil is, some stories have to be told. Stories like Redeeming Love. The beauty of that story, and the way it's written, is that when you reach the end of the book, you're encouraged. Inspired. And more aware than ever of our world's need for a Savior. I don't think the book's message would have been as powerful without that dark prologue setting the stage. But I'm bettering if the prologue had crossed the line, that very message--a message that has brought prostitutes to Christ because they saw in Angel's story that God does, indeed, love them no matter what--would have been lost. Short-circuited by language or scenes that were more concerned with being "edgy" than with moving and transforming readers. And those women who were saved from the very darkness the protagonist faced? None of them missed the obscenities or said the book wasn't real life. In fact, they've said the opposite, that Angel's story was their own.

So yes, let's be authentic in what we write. Let's show life and faith and humanity in all its gory, glory, and substance. But let's also be "wise as serpents, and innocent as doves" in how we do it.

That's my vote, anyway.

Karen

A New Publishing Model?

A friend sent me an interesting article from Forbes Magazine. Before you read on, hit the link now and read the article.

Crazy, huh? Who's got an extra $60K stashed away to get a book printed? Even so, I can tell you mainstream publishers are taking note of these kinds of successes. Why? Let's consider a few things:

• Nowdays, many publishers are (as a writer friend put it) "bleeding red ink" financially. No way around it: the tough economy has hit publishers. Hard.
• Advances for authors have already fallen. But then, there are those who say they needed to do so, that advances had gotten out of control and were based more on getting an author than on the belief said author's books would ever earn out. Which could explain some of the bleeding taking place now...
  
• Publishers' willingness to take risks, especially on unknowns, has taken a dive. Some say it's never been harder for a new author to be published--or for a midlist author to get a new contract.
• Readers' discretionary funds are dwindling, and while fiction readers in particular are still spending, book buyers on the whole aren't buying near as much as they did a few years ago.
  

So, with all that in mind--and with the success of Greenleaf's publishing venture--what do you think that means for publishing? Anything? Everything? Nothing? And how do you think publishing will have to change to not only survive, but thrive?

Enquiring minds want to know. :)

Who Let the Dogs Out?

I just read a fascinating--and beautifully stated--blog from LaVonne Neff. I've known LaVonne for years, and know she's as much a dog lover as I, which is saying something! Which makes her thoughts that much more powerful.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Oh, and here's the song she's talking about. Nice voice, sweet sentiment...but, methinks, not quite right.

What say you?