Lifting the (Writing) Bar by Ruth Bonetti

Confess I’m challenged. After a lifetime writing nonfiction my foray into fiction forces me to explore character arcs and hero journeys. Sure, I’ve long known these concepts, but I’m stretched to action them. To show-not-tell.

 The editor of an anthology has challenged me to lift my game. 

‘Please take onboard this feedback and resubmit.’ 

 

After editing thirty-odd Mosaic of Grace submissions, I hastily resubmitted my rework. It was apparent my brain was fried. But I’m grateful that she sent back my story several times, for objective eyes see what our own misses. 

 

Anne Hamilton had taken the lion share of editing the first two collections, Palette of Grace and Symphony of Grace, even rewriting some stories. As 2-i-c editor, I felt guilty that thus far my easy ride had been to rubber stamp her decisions. Last year Anne returned from an interstate tour exhausted and unwell. So I hesitated to moot a third anthology. 

 

‘Sleep and pray on it first.’ But I couldn’t resist adding, ‘Remember those writers whose confidence blossomed since Palette of Grace publication? Our collections eased them through the pain threshold into print. Isn’t this our goal, to offer such opportunities? Promise, I’ll take the active role to save your time and effort.’ 

 

So many submissions! Thirty contributors, some of whom submitted several pieces. I realised that editing is rewarding but challenging. Sometimes difficult. For some borderline instances, I enlisted second opinions from Rosemary New as beta reader. A few text exchanges directed her to Review>Track Changes, which she embraced. Her insightful responses gave me tactful angles to suggest how writers might improve stories. By the time our tired brains reached final decisions, Rosie had earned her way up to co-editor. Justifiably.

 

‘Sorry, I can’t come to tonight’s service,’ I told a colleague who’d submitted to Mosaic of Grace. ‘I must do another rewrite of a story.’ Did I overwhelm him with a flurry of brainstorming to bring his character to life? ‘What’s the back story? How can you express his culture in senses like taste, smell, clothes? Describe!’ 

 

Subtext: ‘Show don’t tell’. 

Sub-sub-text: ‘It’s not just you—it’s me and all of us! I teach what I needed to learn.’

 

He took a while to respond but his final was far more engaging. 

 

Writers enjoy a wonderful opportunity: expert editing, free publication with no submission charge, an entrée into print with a couple of free copies thrown in. What a great deal! As her ministry, Anne (‘Annie’) shoulders all costs of design and printing. 

 

Each anthology, I buy fifty copies to offer as a fundraiser at church. Birthday, Mother’s and Father’s Day presents are at the ready. Contributors can also support this ministry by purchasing additional copies at 45% off the RRP. This not only defrays the cost of publication, it brings us closer to the goal of being able to release a family of brick-kiln labourers from slave bondage in Pakistan.

 

I’d hesitated to ask friends and colleagues to rewrite, but was encouraged by that anthology editor’s example. She insisted that I cull teenage slang and portray the senses using active verbs—aspects I knew but needed to put into practice. We teach what we need to learn. With the help of my trusted home editor, Rosie. We are blessed to form working relationships with fellow authors!

 

Contributors Rev. Robin Payne, Ruth Bonetti and Terry Hatfield 

By asking similarly of other writers, we encourage fledgling authors to embrace the learning process and lift their game as writers. Together, we can all polish our gifts to greater glory. Working together, we, the fellowship of writers lift each other up. What a blessing!

Mosaic of Grace will launch on May 2, at CASQ Don’t miss it! 

Christian Authors Showcase Qld returns for the fourth year —an inspiring program awaits us! 

ROCHELLE STEPHENS of Rhiza Press is keynote speaker and we look forward to her wealth of experience and insight. As traditional publisher who has gained respect in the mainstream market, she knows the Kids Lit to YA marketplace inside out. 

 

Who could forget Grammar Grinch? His/her cousin Grammar Grouch will return. Speakers will be announced by fanfare but in a tight two-room program, they will be hauled off with the shepherd’s crook. As is the norm in the popular Pop Up ops which means 90 seconds to tout your book(s)—(so start rehearsing NOW) and hope readers look for it on the book table. BOOK NOW!

We look forward to seeing you there! https://www.casq.online/event

RUTH BONETTI 

Ruth’s career in classical music became a passport to the world. Destiny led her to Sweden and Finland where she researched her grandfather's story and those of Finnish relatives, resulting in her award-winning Midnight Sun to Southern Cross trilogy (historical biography/memoir). 

Her passion to chronicle fighters against oppression has opened an exciting new vista, researching Finnish, Estonian and Russian history. Ruth’s vision is to write a series about Musicians Who Changed History, as she resonates with the healing power of music in the lives of those who fought against oppression.

Ruth's many publications (by Oxford University Press and her imprint Words and Music) cover both historical biography, and titles to motivate and inspire confident performance of words and music. 

Imperfect Progress

 There is a beautiful thing called Imperfect Progress

It comes when we take slow steps of progress wrapped in grace

Lysa TerKeurst

 

I don’t know about you, but there are some things I need to be perfect and others I don’t.

So many times, I’ve watched YouTube videos of people folding fitted sheets and ended up bundling mine into a squarish shape and shoving them into the linen cupboard. 

At the end of the day, I don’t lie in bed and worry about those sheets being scrunched instead of beautifully folded. But, there are other things that I obsess about, worry about, and try to make perfect.  

When something keeps you awake at night, when something interrupts your peace during the day, when you keep going over and over something to get it right, then you know you have a perfectionist problem. 

When this happens to me, I get stuck. I’m like a mouse on a running wheel that keeps going in circles, not getting anywhere, but I’m giving it all I’ve got. I’m sweating. I’m putting in a lot of effort. But, I’m not getting anywhere.

Every book I've worked on over the years has the same struggle. I keep editing, adding, second-guessing, getting advice, editing, adding, second-guessing ... 

You get the picture.

I decided to take this problem in hand and forget about perfectionism. Instead, I took up imperfect progress. 

I now build my plans around fewer goals. I have had pages and pages of goals in the past but now I’ve refined them. Maybe it’s a by-product of getting older? 

I  make sure I have milestones along the way. I just have to get the words on the page. I write on planes, trains, and ferries. I write between appointments. I write wherever and whenever I can. 

When I have the first rough draft done, it feels great. Is it perfect? No.

Do I still have work to do on it? Yes.

Sometimes, we need to break down a big goal into steps. Make it manageable.

Sometimes, we need to give ourselves grace. 

Beating ourselves up over something because it’s not perfect and letting that stall us into inaction, is not helpful.

Whether it’s writing, parenting, weight loss, fitness, or climbing a mountain, taking slow steps of progress wrapped in grace is a great way to live. 

Grace means forgiving yourself, allowing yourself to be less than perfect. Allowing yourself to acknowledge that there is a purpose for your life and that, step-by-step, you are walking on that path.

If you get stuck for a while, just do one small thing that will take you one step closer. 

If I don’t take those imperfect steps, my manuscripts would still not be finished. 

If I hadn’t taken many walks and climbs in preparation, I’d never have been able to climb Mt Kilimanjaro a few years ago. 

If I hadn’t given myself some grace, I’d still be stuck. 

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

The Message 2 Corinthians 12:9

Is there something in your life that needs imperfect progress? What small steps of progress wrapped in grace do you need to take?

Elaine Fraser

www.elainefraser.co

But what would you speak about?Jo-Anne Berthelsen

There I was, chatting away to some people who I thought knew me. At least, they already knew I was an author. But when I mentioned something about one of my recent experiences of speaking at a particular venue, they appeared quite puzzled. Eventually, one of them asked a question I have heard several times before.

‘But ... well ... what would you speak about at these places?’

More often than not, this is meant as nothing more than a polite enquiry about the sort of topics I am comfortable speaking on, in which case I am happy to fill them in. Yet sometimes I feel there is more behind such a question. Sometimes these people seem incredulous that I as an author—and particularly a novelist—might have anything to say that could interest or encourage or challenge others.

Now one might well (and perhaps rightly!) put this defensive response of mine down to pride and self-doubt and that slight ‘chip on the shoulder’ attitude some authors seem to display at times. But such a question disturbs me for a different reason as well—and that is that it shows how easily we can pigeonhole people. Fiction writers, these people seem to think, just write novels. Yet most novelists I know have thought long and hard about the themes featured in the fiction they produce and are quite passionate about them. In my own six published novels, I explore such themes as the love and grace of God, forgiveness, becoming the person God created us to be, overcoming rejection, dealing with anger and bitterness, and holding onto our faith in God. I feel deeply about all these and love talking about them when given the opportunity.

Beyond that, however, I believe many people are interested in hearing about how a writer goes about creating a book and about the challenges and rewards of the writing journey and of being a published author. I have spoken about such things in both church and secular settings many times and have learnt to be prepared for all sorts of questions. So we as authors have the opportunity of sharing about both the process and content of our writing and of thus being used by God in a unique way.

Now I know some of you might still cringe at the thought of public speaking. Perhaps you have had bad experiences in the past with this. Or perhaps you have more of a naturally quiet, retiring personality. We are all different. I know too that I am blessed to have had so much experience standing up in front of others and speaking in various capacities. In the past, I have worked as a high school teacher and also as a local church minister. But there is no doubt we all have something to say and a story to share. We would not be writers if we did not.

So I will continue, I suspect, to be disturbed—perhaps even a tad annoyed—when writers are pigeonholed and regarded as having little to talk about. But how about you? Have you encountered such questions in your own writing journey? Do you feel writers have anything to say?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.