What Keeps Us Writing - Part 2

Whether we've just started out or are multi-prize-winning published authors - the writing journey can have ups and downs, twists and turns and often what seem insurmountable obstacles. So, what keeps us writing?

Over a two-part series, each of the CWD admin team will share their insights.

Kirsten Hart

I’m going to be honest with you. I had plans to write a blogpost every week for my website, finish some major edits on my manuscript, complete the first draft of my second novel and a few other non-writing related things this year.

This was all before the global pandemic. To use this as an excuse as to why I haven’t written any blogs on my website since April or why none my major edits have made it into my manuscript yet or why that second novel is still only at 8000 words is pretty sad. I mean, hello! Lockdown! Though, my workplace never closed (yes, it’s a good thing, but opportunity lost on all that reading time) and life just seems way more hectic than usual.

So, not much writing has happened this year for me. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been active in the writing community. I entered the CALEB Award this year, I meet up with the Quirky Quills and we encourage each other in our writing and life’s speed bumps and I have six new story ideas bouncing through my head.

Even though I haven’t actively been writing, I’ve still connected with that passion on some level. While this maybe a year for me to reset and refocus, the writers I surround myself with keep me present. They encourage, they inspire, they teach and they listen. Words are scarce through my fingers this year. Maybe that’s true for some of you too, but the community of writers we have here, is the power God is using to keep us going, keep us on the writing journey.

Stay present.

Jeanette O'Hagan

Since enrolling in post-grad studies in writing in 2011 and my first published short story at the end of 2014, writing has been a major focus. Last year, I wrote at least 50 words, usually more, each and every day. The more I wrote, the easier it was to write --- until this year. This year has been a big black hole of writing for a few reasons.

Up until March, the Omega Writers Book Fair took up much of my writing time, then, Covid. While many writers found the forced isolation a boon, I found the opposite. I think I was still processing emotionally and found it hard to pick up a pen or bash the keyboard for much of April. Then in May, an long-awaited opening for Aged Care placement opened up for my Mum - moving her in the middle of lockdowns, taking over more responsibilities, and then seven months of decluttering and putting her property on the market while still caring for my children and husband took up most of my time and all of my energy. But the inertia went deeper. I've ten unpublished novels in various stages of drafting. I need to edit. But editing, rather than new virgin writing isn't quite as thrilling. Besides, not having new releases - apart from a two part boxed set of my already published five novella series - and not having time to write newsletters, blog posts, social media (because I didn't have the time) meant a dip in sales. Not writing, looking at a long stretch of editing, and only sporadic sales and little positive feedback discouraged me. I doubted my calling to write.

One Sunday morning after church at the end of October, two friends I hadn't seen for a while, asked how my writing going, had I published anything lately. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. It was a wake-up call, a time to focus on why I write. Yes, it would be fantastic to have more people reading and loving my books. Yes, it would be wonderful to be able have more (or any) time to focus on writing. Yes, it would be great to get more of my books published. But at the core of why I write is because of the stories inside and of God's call to write. I might have my plans of how to get there, but God often has different plans than me even when He has the same goals (goals he lodged in my heart).

That Sunday, I decided to trust God's paths and timing. And part of that, was - after a fallow season - to make time to write (well, actually to edit) even when life is insane.





Thanks Kirsten. (In Part 1 Mazzy and Sue shared their inspiration to 'keep on writing). We'd love to hear your stories too - in the comments here or on CWD facebook page.

What Keeps Us Writing - Part 1

 

Whether we've just started out or are multi-prize-winning published authors - the writing journey can have ups and downs, twists and turns and often what seem insurmountable obstacles. So what keeps us writing?

Over a two-part series, each of the CWD admin team will share their insights.

Mazzy Adams

 

This photo shows my planning notes for last Thursday’s CWD blog post. Tentatively titled, ‘Are we there yet?’, I pondered the twists and turns of the writing journey and questioned why we persevere. However, the topic overwhelmed me and, fearing I’d descend into a ‘woe is me’ sob story, I opted to write ‘A Good Yarn’ instead. Then, when Jeanette O’Hagan asked me for a couple of paragraphs on what keeps us going as writers, it confirmed just how desperately we all need encouragement to persevere.

Over the last three years I’ve encountered interruptions and setbacks ad infinitum. I’ve left new stories simmering on the back burner while stirring the Indie Publishing upskill pot, and doused raging spot fires of personal ill health, family crises, and the COVID-19 invasion. Nevertheless, I bless and thank God for a pleasant detour beyond the fetid swamp of frustration as we celebrated our daughter’s ‘pandemic safe’ wedding in July. When life throws a tantrum, it’s tough finding the head and heart space to pursue this passion and calling to which we’re committed. 

But therein lies a significant clue—we keep going because, as Christian believers, our call to write exceeds ourselves and our circumstances. Like all skilled artisans appointed by God (Exodus 31:1-6) our writing comes from and belongs to God just as we belong to him. It is our responsive act of love, devotion, honour, and service to our precious Lord and Saviour, a pleasing sacrifice, a pleasant aroma rising to him because, whether our writing is overtly or covertly Christian, God is the centre of our earthly existence, the central word in our personal story, the heart and soul of every phrase we write, and the Spirit that draws each and every reader to him.

 

That’s why we stop glaring at the obstacles, stop trembling at the giants that threaten and oppose us, and keep our eyes on the One who said, ‘Is anything too difficult or too wonderful for me?’ (Gen 18:14 AMP). Believe me, once we see his eyes smiling at us and his face nodding approval and encouragement, our strength to carry on is renewed and renewed and renewed again. Today, will you look to him, see him and write on? Will you seek out his personal word to you? Maybe he’ll expand upon my scribbled notes. If so, I’d love you to share what the Lord reveals to you in the comments.

Susan Bruce (aka Sue Jeffrey)

What keeps me going as an author? It’s obviously the money, right? Lol, if only. There are many reasons I keep writing but during a recent ghostwriting project (non fiction) I realised afresh that I had a deep inner drive to express the voice God had given me.


It was the first time I’d ghostwritten and I found it much harder than expected. The book was complex with lots of research and there was a great deal of too-and-fro with the author. Overall the project took more than four times the hours allocated and I felt pretty burned out at the end. During that time I had little energy to write my own work. However from about halfway through the project I could feel this nagging voice inside me, like a small child tugging on her mother’s skirt. ‘What about me?’ I realised my own inner voice yearned to be heard. This was why I’d taken on this writing gig. God had given me things to say, and words to uplift and entertain, that needed to be expressed. It was one thing to write someone else’s words but I wouldn’t be happy unless I could express my own voice. 

I’m still pretty exhausted and my back is in a bad way from long hours sitting, but I’m thankful for this gift of fresh focus. When I pray, I feel a deep peace surrounding my desire to write fiction and I believe that’s where I’m to focus my energy for the next few months. I have to write my own book. After that? Who knows. But I press on in the light that I have, pushing the doubts aside and whacking my steroid-enhanced inner critic on the head several times each day. I know if I do this, and persevere, whatever happens success wise I’ll have been true to myself and to God.

That’s what keeps me going as an author.

Thanks Mazzy and Sue.  In Part 2 Kirsten and Jeanette will share their inspiration to 'keep on writing.'

Waiting

by Jeanette O'Hagan

In my latest release, Stone of the Sea, one of the characters thinks, "Waiting was all they seemed to do these days. Wait for food. Wait for to learn their fate. Wait for Baba to return and take back the realm.'

Sometimes being a writer can feel like that - waiting to finish a novel,  waiting for feedback, waiting to hear back from agents and publishers, waiting to be published, waiting for sales, waiting for reviews, waiting for traction in the market, waiting for... it doesn't seem to end.

When I launched back into writing about six years ago, I thought getting published was the ultimate goal. After a while, it seemed like that goal would never happen. Others achieved it, but I didn't.

So I was over the moon with when a few of my poems and a short story was accepted for publication in 2014. Holding a published book with my story in it was a thrilling experience. Yet, I soon discovered that with each goal achieved, there are others that loom ahead and the waiting begins again - and with it the uncertainty and the feeling that the new horizon remains beyond reach and the voices of doubt and discouragement multiply. It can be frustrating and demoralising.

What I've learned along the way is that waiting is part of the journey. It's part of the way of things. But it doesn't last for ever.

Things Happen While We Wait 

When I was seven, I decided to grow a pawpaw tree. Armed with a little knowledge and a great deal of enthusiasm, I separated out a single seed, found a gardening spade and marched out to the back garden. I dug a hole—probably about 30 cms deep—placed the seed at the bottom of the pit, flooded it with water from the hose, piled in the dirt, patted and shaped the resulting slurry until it was a hard  concrete dome (drawing on my uber-mudcake making skills, but that's another story).

I congratulated myself and sat back and waited for the tree to sprout and grow.

Next day, I checked my tree-in-the making. The mound looked just as I left it. Maybe, little drier under the baking Mt Isa sun. I added some more water. The next day—nothing, just bare dirt. The following day—well, you guessed it, nothing.

Frustrated and worried, I grabbed the spade and dug up the seed to see if it was growing yet. Nope. I buried it again. Dug it up the following day. 

Mum said, ‘Be patient, Jenny. Seeds take time to grow.’

My first venture into horticulture was, I confess, a huge failure, but it taught me something. That good things take time to grow. That patience is an important asset. And digging up seeds is not a great strategy.


Growing plants requires knowledge—what does the plant like in terms of soil, water, position, depth to plant the seed etc—and experience.

It also requires, active waiting. Passive or idle waiting is doing nothing and expecting something to grow. In active waiting, we plant, care for and tend the plant, but we don’t keep digging it up each day to see if it’s growing.

Looking back now, I'm glad my novel wasn't published immediately. It gave me time to hone my craft, become aware of current styles, grow a nework. I'm still not very good at waiting, but I can appreciate it's necessity.

God's timing matters

Six years on, and I have many short stories and poems published. I've published three novellas in my Under the Mountain series, a collection of short stories and my first novel, Akrad's Children.  I've seen sales and reviews, yet I'm still very much a small fish in this big pond.

I write because I love writing and I have so many stories waiting to be written. It's such a joy when others enjoy my stories as much as I do :)

I also write because I feel called to it and believe that God can speak through my writing, even though it is aimed at the general market.

I would love my writing to be sustainable - so I can continue to write and to publish. Sometimes that seems an impossible dream. This year I've been under some pressure to 'show results' and as the putative deadline looms, I've felt pressured and overwhelmed, trying to do everything with all the other roles, responsibilities and expectations. At the same time, sales took a dip, finding reviewers for my latest book met mostly deaf ears, and my campaign chest emptied. It seem an impossible task. Growth was slow or invisible.

In the midst of my frenzy- God has blessed me through the kindness of friends, through small encouragements (another great review, a fan asking about a sequel, an unexpected job, great sales and interactions at Supernova last weekend).

Most of all, He reminds me that He gives life, He gives the growth, He builds the house. I realised I was holding on too tight, that I needed to release my death grip on my dream, to give back to him the dream he ignited in me out of the ashes.

Once again, I'm learning to wait on Him and to trust him with the desires of my heart.

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know whose hand I'm holding as walk toward it. And that is all I need.



*****

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing.

Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users.

She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children and Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Her latest release, Stone of the Sea (the third novella) is now available. .


Subscribe (here) to Jeanette's monthly email newsletter for the latest on cover reveals, new releases, giveways, and receive the short story Ruhanna's Flight for free.

You can also find her on:

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Like Waiting for Rain in a Drought

In our culture, I think it's easy to get the idea that fame and fortune is the ultimate measure of success. Especially for writers, artists, musicians and others in creative professions and hobbies. If you're not getting accolades, and if your target audience don't recognise your name, some might suggest you're not doing the 'platform' thing properly. The juicy carrot is always dangling a few inches beyond your reach. Yet you assume the goal of fame must be achievable, because you see others in your same field taking great, crunchy bites of their own magnificent carrots. Sometimes that encourages you to never give up, and other times, if you're honest, it makes you envious because the quality of their offerings seems to be no better (or maybe even worse) than yours.

Many of us are probably familiar with the author Julia Cameron, who helped several creative people break out of their non-productive ruts with her book, 'The Artist's Way.' She suggests that longing for fame feels a bit like waiting for rain in a drought. 'We keep squinting toward the horizon, jealous of our luckier neighbours and dissatisfied with our own condition,' she says. Her words gave me funny images of Elijah asking his servant, 'Can you see anything yet?'

Can you imagine this? After several fruitless looks, the young man replies, 'Yes, there are a couple of new reviews on Goodreads and a slight increase in your Amazon sales ranking.'

Well, we know what happened in the Bible. Elijah and his servant rushed out in order to beat the soaking deluge they'd already predicted to King Ahab. So in our analogy, we grasp these measly signs and push on, trying to prepare ourselves for the downpour of sales, ads, notoriety and money we hope will follow. But maybe in our case, the small cloud will just waft away. 'Hey,' we complain. 'That's not what happened with Elijah!'

Julia Cameron goes on to muse that our culture has taught us to think of fame as a necessary by-product, but she also suggests that it's full of empty calories with no nutritional value. We are taught even by some Christian media moguls to keep seeking the amazing breakthrough, after which our lives will be abundantly blessed. But we need only look at the sad revelations, not to mention several premature deaths, of many celebrities who seemed to have it all to see that fame is not all it's cracked up to be.

'Not all artists will lead public lives,' Cameron goes on to say. 'Many of us as talented as those who fame strikes may toil out our own days in relative anonymity.' And that's okay, because it may not even be healthy for us. I'm reminded of another article, this time written by Ann Voskamp, in which she argues convincingly that the human soul isn't really even designed for fame.

So this sort of message encourages us to make sure we're listening to our Creator rather than our culture. Keeping in mind how easy it is to get the two mixed up may be a key to help. I appreciate anything that may clear my mind in this confusing world where we're brought up not to be attention seekers as children, and then later, chastised for not seeking attention in the adult world of self-promotion. Let's enjoy any praise and accolades that come our way, but not at the cost of forgetting to stay focused on the main thing. If our love for God, others, and the joy of our work is what drives us, then our lives are full of what matters most regardless of the fame and attention we're receiving from other people.

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review.

 

Why I'm a plate spinner ...

There was one vaudeville act that always fascinated me.  It wasn’t the clowns, the guy juggling the swords or the lion tamer who managed to stick his head somewhere near his pet.

The act that always fascinated me was the plate spinner. 

This was the guy who kept thirteen plates spinning on the end of thirteen poles … and none of them fell. He ran back-and-forth from pole to pole, giving the plate the slightest wobble, steadying it and giving it enough momentum to keep spinning.

It was more than skill. It was more than hand-eye co-ordination. It was a commitment to the plates, and never letting them fall. It was knowing that each plate needed to be watched and needed to have attention paid to it. It was knowing that the whole act depended on everything being kept moving.

You know, that vaudeville act is so much like writing.

If you’re a writer, you will more than likely identify with the plate spinner – keeping everything moving and not wanting to (or feeling like you can’t) let any of them fall. If any of them develop speed wobbles, we drop everything and head over to it to give it a bit more of a push, all the while hoping the other plates have enough momentum to keep going.

I was looking at my project list for my writing and all I saw was thirteen plates on the end of slowly speed-reducing poles:

1. A new blog post, which feels like it is way overdue, even though my calendar says it isn’t
2. Writing some more content to feed the hungry beast that is social media
3. Adding another 1,000 words to my current work-in-progress, because the deadline I set three months ago is getting closer, not further away
4. Editing that character in my completed manuscript to fully flesh him out because I’m starting to wonder if he’s a cardboard character with no soul
5. Writing up that idea for a new novel that broke into my head at 4am yesterday and could be the best thing I’ll ever write, but won’t be if I lose the idea
6. Following up that agent who I queried five weeks ago and hasn't troubled my inbox, even though I’ve been refreshing it every two minutes
7. Preparing a proposal for another agent who I am absolutely convinced will be ‘the one’
8. Reading two books at once to inspire me to improve my craft and because I can’t put either of them down
9. Researching other authors to see how they are marketing themselves to see what I could learn
10. Connecting with other authors on social media to check that my delusions of grandeur and massive insecurities – in equal measure – are normal
11. Dreaming about the cover of my first novel and what it might look like sitting on bookshop shelves
12. Exploring the professional development opportunities I would love to undertake if I had some money from this writing gig
13. Reading those five web articles about writing that will help my writing process improve by at least 10%

But the main skill I have to keep up is the ability to keep everything moving. Maybe this is one this you face as a writer yourself – the constant movement, the constant checking and the feeling like momentum needs to be propelling you forward.

But the one big lesson for writers actually came from a plate spinner I once saw. One of his plates dropped.  The audience gasped and sighed in collective sympathy as they saw a failed act.

I looked at those remaining twelve poles and saw a guy who had managed to keep twelve plates going at once.  That was amazing.

And it’s a lesson I continually remind myself when I comes to keeping my own writing plates spinning.

Tuesday Spotlight - Jeanette O'Hagan

Each Monday and Thursday, Christian Writers Downunder's faithful and talented blog team contribute blogposts to inspire and inform aspiring and established writers. In 2017 we will be adding Tuesday Spotlights - posts that spotlight both writers and organisations that contribute to the writing scene Downunder. Our first on December 27 was on Nola Passmore, writer, editor, academic and the previous coordinator of Christian Writers Downunder. The Second on 14 February was of Anusha Atukorala, encourager, prayer warrior, and inspirational writer and an invaluable member of the Admin team. Today's and the next one will continue highlight the CWD Administration team: Anusha Atukorala, Paula Vince and Jeanette O’Hagan.

Today's spotlight is on Jeanette O'Hagan with questions from Nola Passmore.

Nola Passmore and Jeanette O'Hagan

Nola: You’ve had a number of interesting jobs, including doctor and Bible college lecturer.  What inspired you to become a writer?

Jeanette: I’ve had a passion for creating stories since I was eight or nine and wrote a novel in my late teens, early twenties. It didn’t occur to me that I could be a writer, so I studied medicine, practiced as a General Practitioner, studied a Bachelor of Theology and began post-graduate studies in theology and was thrilled to lecture in ethics, world religions in a bible college. I loved it and had no time for creative writing. It was only when family commitments meant the door slammed shut on my lecturing that God reminded me of my passion for writing.

Nola: You’ve done a lot of courses and workshops on writing (e.g., a Masters degree in creative writing, a Margie Lawson immersion class, Year of the Edit with the Queensland Writers’ Centre, and more).  How have these classes/workshops helped you in your writing journey?

Jeanette: The different courses as well as networking through writers’ groups, conferences and workshops, have been invaluable in learning writing craft, and in understanding the writing journey and markets, and also, in learning how to research, learn and solve creative challenges. 

On a purely technical level, writing has been a hard craft to perfect. It’s been important to understand current stylistic trends and story requirements. It has been just as important to realize the ‘why’ behind the rules, to know when to bend them, and to know, not only the don’ts (don’t use adverbs, don’t use creative dialogue tags etc), but also to know what to do (how to show, how to add emotion and subtext) – which is what I appreciated about the Margie Lawson Immersion experience.

Nola: Your novella Heart of the Mountain was published last year and it’s been getting great reviews.  How did the idea for the story come about?

Jeanette: Well, Nola – remember when we had the brilliant idea to create and edit an anthology for the International Year of Light – Glimpses of Light? I thought about the theme - not just of light, but a glimpse. Which got me thinking about an underground realm where the lights were failing. I wanted to place it in my imaginary world – Nardva – which gave me a few other ideas about plot and characters. Trouble was, as hard as tried, I couldn’t keep the story to the 7000 word limit. So, I wrote another piece for the anthology – Ruhanna’s Flight – and then, revised and expanded Heart of the Mountain story into a short novella.

Nola: You’re the Queen of Multitasking.  As well as your novella, you’ve had a number of short stories and poems published in various anthologies.  You were the driving force behind the Glimpses of Light anthology, you organised the Omega Writers Book Fair in Brisbane, you coordinate Christian Writers Downunder, you’re working on a series of novels and a poetry anthology, you blog, you paint … Phew!  How do you keep all of those balls in the air and maintain a healthy work-life balance?  I’d love to know your secret.

Jeanette: Oh wow, now I’m blushing.  I’m not sure I do keep all the balls in the air – or maybe I catch them just before they hit the ground. I work well to deadlines. I like to-do lists. I’ve got bull-dog Curtis genes – once I commit to a task, I don’t like not finishing it (my sister-in-law suggests it’s ‘sticking to the rut’ genes). I pray a lot. I prioritise. I focus on my writing. I don’t watch T.V. Writing (and reading) is my hobby as well as my passion. I keep my family clean, clothed, fed and where they need to be (school, interviews) but I am not the best housekeeper. I probably should exercise more (though grocery shopping and gardening are exercise, right?). I pray a lot. I said that, but really, God’s grace and underpinning is everything.

Nola: Tell us about your current work in progress.

Jeanette: I’m currently working on another YA fantasy novella, Blood Crystal, a sequel to Heart of the Mountain – which continues the story of Retza, Delvina and Zadeki about twenty days after HOM finishes with new challenges for the people under the mountain.  I finished a first draft last year but am now revising it and adding some scenes with view of publishing it in a few months’ time. 

I’m also want to get the first few books of my Akrad’s legacy series ready for publication this year. I have put a lot of work (several revisions) into Akrad’s Children and need to get the first drafts of Rasel’s Song and Mannok’s Betrayal into shape. The books follow the fortunes of four young people following a devastating civil war and an uneasy peace —the orphans Dinnis and Ista, the young Tamrin prince Mannok, and Rasel, a mysterious young woman of the forest folk.

I have a few other short story ideas and anthologies I wouldn’t mind working up. We’ll see.

Nola: You’ve done a fantastic job of coordinating CWD in the last year.  What are your hopes and dreams for CWD in 2017 and beyond?

Jeanette: Thank you. If I have, it’s because of the work of previous coordinators like yourself and Lee, and also the wonderful admin team, Anusha and Paula. I love how responsive and helpful the CWD members are to each other's questions and triumphs, and also the faithfulness and creativity of our blog team on the blogsite Christian Writers Downunder. 

Omega Writers 2016 Book Fair

My hopes and dreams are that we continue to be a supportive, accepting and interactive group that honours Christ in our words and deeds. I have ideas of revamping the look and some of the features of the blogsite – some of which I’ve done (adding an about page, some rearrangements in format) and of introducing Tuesday Spotlights.  I like idea of spontaneous interactions – like the Friday Fun  posts — on the CWD Facebook page. I’m glad we have an ongoing cooperation between other groups, as affiliate of Omega Writers (OW), and the Cross-Posts (on Genres in 2017) with our sister group Australasian Christian Writers (ACW) as well as connections with Faith Writers.  I have some ideas brewing on additional pages to the blogsite and maybe events in which we could support each other as writers.  

Thanks Nola for some challenging and interesting questions.  Next Tuesday Spotlight, we’ll be asking another member of the Admin teams, Paula Vince, some curly ... er interesting and intelligent questions.

 Jeanette O’Hagan first started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of nine.

She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardva stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and fantasy.

Recent publications include Heart of the Mountain: a short novella, The Herbalist's Daughter: a short story and Lakwi's Lament: a short story. Jeanette is also writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements.

Her other short stories and poems are published in a number of anthologies including Glimpses of Light, Another Time Another Place and Like a Girl.

 Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Links

Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/JeanetteOHaganAuthorAndSpeaker/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9833645.Jeanette_O_Hagan/

Amazon Central  https://www.amazon.com/Jeanette-OHagan/e/B00RBSE85C/

Twitter  https://twitter.com/JeanetteOHagan/

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/bythelightof2moons/

Jenny's Thread http://jennysthread.com/tag/jeanette-ohagan/

Jeanette O'Hagan Writes http://jeanetteohagan.com/

Email sign-up:  http://eepurl.com/bbLJKT/

His Hand or His Face?

Photo courtesy of David Castillo/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the things I pray a lot about is seeking direction; or for confirmation that I’m doing the right thing. Do you do that?

My work life tends to be lumpy. The life of a consultant tends to be like that, however, in recent times there have been less lumps, meaning less projects and less income. I’m continually seeking God for clarity regarding my career.

As most of us writers know there are very few of us who are earning significant enough monies from our efforts that we’re able to go without other employment.

And what about all the clarity we seek with our writing? Do I keep pursuing publication, but isn’t this my calling, do I go the indie route, why won’t this story come out the way it should, well that $7 royalty cheque sure makes it all worthwhile, and on on we can go.

Clarity 

A while back I read this story about Mother Teresa that provides some great perspective. Many of you may be familiar with it. It goes something like this:

John Kavanagh went to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa. While there, he asked her to pray for him. “What should I pray for?” she asked.

“Pray that I may have clarity,” he replied.

Mother Teresa responded, “No, I will not pray for that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Clarity is the last thing you cling to,” she said. Kavanagh then remarked that she always seemed to have clarity.

She said, “I have never had clarity. What I always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Too often I’m got caught seeking His Hand, rather than His face.

If God always gave us the answers, we wouldn’t need Him. Yes, clarity is wonderful but sometimes when we have it we head off and start running the race by ourselves rather than leaning on the Lord. We can find too much comfort and security while trusting in God requires us to continually come to the Cross seeking Him.

He’s interested in the journey, teaching us more about Himself and helping us to better understand ourselves. We’re all probably familiar with the line or one of its many variants:

“God is more interested in who we are becoming than what we actually achieve.”

Many of us love the story of Abraham. God told him to up and leave his homeland without giving any instructions as to where to go. Yes, God gave him a wonderful blessing at the same time but he still had no clarity as to where he was supposed to take his little family.

As that great Proverb says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov 3:5-6)

If you’re going through an unsettling season of change or indecision, may I encourage you to seek Jesus, seek to be in His Presence, not for what He can do for us.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

You have to be there

I was giggling at my computer this afternoon. Real throat chuckles with a couple of good snorts thrown in.

My husband, sitting out of sight, could hear me.

“What is it?” he asked.

I tried, between breathless guffaws to describe the video clip I’d just watched.

“…And then he kind of let go of the ball and the whole thing went into the ceiling… ha ha ha!” Tears of laughter ran down my face, but my husband seemed unmoved.

“Huh,” he said. “Guess you had to be there.”

I didn’t answer him. Actually, I couldn’t. By this time I had slid off my chair and was writhing on the floor. (Yes, I’m committed to my humour. When something’s really funny and I’m with other people I have to leave the room or risk embarrassing myself by being unable to control my giggle reactions.)

Finally, my husband walked over. I scrolled back up to the top of the list of ’37 Fails’ so that he could see the whole collection of clips. By number two he was laughing. By 15 he was snorting. When the guy finally threw the bowling ball into the ceiling he yelled with delight.

It turned out he was right. You definitely had to be there.

* * *

At the close of the day I’m usually in the kitchen with my mind on pasta or chicken or whatever-the-heck-I’m-going-to-feed-the-kids-today. One night last week my eight year old son came running through the back door, beaming with excitement.

“Mum, mum!” he said. “Come and look at this! You have to!”

“What is it?” I said, half-heartedly, checking the boil of the pot on the stove.

“It’s a sunset!” he said. “It’s amazing.”

“Lovely!” I said. My enthusiasm was minimal. I mean, I’ve seen lots of sunsets. “That sounds great.”

“No! You have to come and see it!”

He dragged me outside, reluctant, apron-clad and busy. But as soon as my eyes saw the palette of colour and light spread across the sky, I was uplifted, enriched and overjoyed. There were no words for the enveloping beauty my son had taken me to be part of that evening.

* * *

Here’s the point. You’ve got to be there.

To be overtaken by the joke and laugh until you’ve nearly wet your pants, you’ve got to see the clip, sit in the audience, be in the room. It’s not the same to try to picture what someone’s relaying to you. It doesn’t allow you to wince or cringe at the really bad bits or read that double-meaning typo again and again, giggling more each time.

To be moved and transformed by a sunset, you have to put your apron aside, walk out the door and lift up your eyes. It’s not the same to imagine a sunset in your head. It doesn’t bring with it the sparkle of the light or the gentle fatigue of the evening breeze.

You have to be there.

But what happens when you flip this around?

I’ll be honest. I don’t like hard things. If I could organise my own life, I wouldn’t choose a year of being bullied at boarding school as an eleven year old. I wouldn’t choose 30 years of constant grief and goodbyes. I wouldn’t choose to parent a child with a disability who for 6 years only communicated via impressive meltdowns.

I’d prefer an easy existence. Most of us would, I’m sure.

However, I’m also pretty convinced that most of us would prefer books that include some challenges. Where’s the learning, the suspense, the thrill or the adventure in a story where the main character has no issues, and an idyllic childhood, perfect friends, a snug, middle-class home and a lucrative career to boot? Yeah. Boring.

To be a good, even a great writer, you’ve got to create challenges for your characters.

It’s pretty hard for me to create a scene where my character is suffering intense embarrassment if I’ve never been embarrassed. It’s difficult to write about bullying if I’ve never been bullied. It’s impossible to write the deep, dark nights of the soul if I’ve never had to claw my way out of depression.

To write well, I’ve got to have been there. Or at least close to there.

* * *

God’s a writer.

And here’s the question. Is it fair for us to expect him, the master author, to create boring stories for our lives?

Yes, I’ve whinged (often and long) about the challenges in my life. I’ve been cranky, bitter and self-pitying about them. I’ve desired other things and looked enviously at other people’s apparently happier lives, thinking that I’ve probably missed out and that (my personal favourite) It’s Not Fair.

Clearly a change of perspective is needed. If you ‘have to be there’ to understand it, and if you have to understand it to write it, I’m a pretty fortunate woman.

Because I’ve been there.

Cecily Paterson is the author of the award-winning memoir Love Tears & Autism. She now writes teen fiction for girls.

(Oh, and if you’d like to see what the giggles were about, go here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/37-people-who-failed-so-spectacularly-they-almost-won)

On Writing Things We Did Not Intend

"There is a mysterious, spiritual component to writing. We may start writing our words but then find that our words are being written for us. We may find we are in the midst of an encounter with God, writing things we did not intend, discovering things we did not see.”

McHugh, A. (2009) Introverts in the Church. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity

This quote resonates with me because so often I have found myself writing things I never intended. I know this is true for many authors. I recall hearing an author talking about writing his novel and how he was upset one day when one of his characters unexpectedly died!

I find this sentiment to be true not just with my creative writing pursuits but even as I’m doing my daily devotions.

I use the SOAP journaling approach in my devotions. This method was original developed by Wayne Cordeiro and discussed in his book, The Divine Mentor. In this approach you write a couple of paragraphs about a Bible verse that has spoken to you during your time of reading.

One of the things Cordeiro suggests is that each day you give your writing a title which summaries the main point. I have discovered that I need to leave writing my title until the end. Since what I thought was going to be my main point at the start, is often not my main point by the time I’ve finished.

It is a surprise to me that God regularly steers my thoughts and leads me to write unexpectedly. Over the years I have used different methods for my daily devotions but the reason I continue with this approach is for this very reason: I never know what God is going to say to me until I have written it down!

*****

Susan Barnes likes to write inspirational articles, book reviews, and reflections on Bible passages and regularly blogs at: http://abooklook.blogspot.com.au

In the writing zone

Sports people talk about being in the "zone". It’s a term meaning they’re performing at their peak where everything flows smoothly and effortlessly. Being in the zone for a tennis player means consistently hitting their shots close to the lines, for a cricket player it means seeing the ball as if it is bigger than it actually is and for a ten pin bowler it’s being on a roll of strikes.

Likewise when we are in the writing zone everything is easy. The words flow onto the page with little effort, new ideas come from nowhere and the whole process becomes smooth and effortlessly. The story practically writes itself like being carried along by a river of revelation. Like John on the island of Patmos being told to write what he saw.

But what about the times when we are not in the zone?

Sports people have many strategies to help them find the zone: deep breathing, visualization, positive self-talk, more training, more relaxation. Yet despite all this they have to continue regardless of whether they are in the zone or not. They will even play through injuries or sickness. They continue, hoping to play themselves into the zone but in the meantime it may not be pretty. However they aim to put forward their best possible performance regardless of how they feel.

I remember reading something similar about Catherine Marshall. In the early days she wrote when she felt inspired and for pleasure. But when her husband Peter died, she had to write for a living which meant there were days when she had to write even though she felt uninspired. Likewise there are times when we may have to write regardless of our feelings.

I have a blog that I am committed to updating regularly but some days I don’t feel like it or can’t think of anything to write. Yet when I sit down in front of my computer and think about what has been happening in my life, surprisingly an idea, a thought appears. Though the article may be slow in coming and not particularly profound, the post gets written. As writers we have the advantage of the re-write so unlike sports people we can go back and revisit, revise and edit what we have done. Sometimes the surprise is that editing can turn our not so perfect writing into something special.

Do you have any strategies, routines or spiritual disciplines that help you find the writing zone?

*****

Susan Barnes likes to write inspirational articles, book reviews, and reflections on Bible passages and regularly blogs at: http://abooklook.blogspot.com.au

When we wish we'd written differently

Recently, members of CWD have been discussing all things Lucy Maud Montgomery related on our Face Book page. Some have been able to visit Prince Edward Island, in Canada's far east, and shared photographs. I mentioned that I paid a virtual visit or two via Google Earth. We talked about what we enjoyed most about her wonderful books. Photos and quotes from the Anne of Green Gables movies were being commented on and shared.

It all reminded me of something sad I'd read once. L.M. Montgomery once told an interviewer that her biggest regret was 'killing off' a favourite character, Matthew Cuthbert, way too early. At the time of writing, she'd thought it would make a dramatic impact and stick in the minds of readers to have the shy old man die when he did. Anne fans would, of course, remember that it happened at the very end of the first book. He'd been alarmed by an article he read in the newspaper about the closure of his bank and suffered a fatal heart-attack (or was it a stroke?) Down the track, LMM thought of other ways she could have dramatised the end of the novel and wished she had, as she could have used Matthew at other points in her series. However, it was too late. She found out firsthand that writers aren't as powerful as we like to think we are. We can't resurrect characters back from the dead. Well, not in a series like Anne anyway.

I was wondering whether any of us have experienced similar regrets about which we could do nothing. I have. In an early novel, Picking up the Pieces, I had a main character, Claire Parker, go through an abortion. I was in my twenties when I wrote the first draft of that book. Swept along with the plot, it didn't occur to me that I could write it any other way. Her overbearing father's attitude was strong in my mind and I just wrote what happened. Later, when I was working on Along for the Ride, its sequel, I wished I'd let Claire keep that baby. I could've figured out some way to do it, and had an interesting extra character, the child who resulted from a date rape. Too late now though.

I like to think that fiction authors really do get to share and partner in God's creative process. Just as we create plots for our characters, He is busy making plots of our own lives. I have treasured memories of words of knowledge I received from people about the birth of my daughter, Emma, before she was even conceived. God knows what's going to happen in our personal stories but unlike LMM, me and several other authors, He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't slap His forehead with the back of His hand and say, "I didn't think it through enough! It would've been better if the opposite thing had happened after all!" And as Romans 28:8 tells us clearly, He's powerful enough to make allowances for our free choices and personal mistakes and still weave them in to the story so it ends perfectly, where He intended. I'm so thankful for that.

When you think about it, maybe He's done that in the lives and plots of authors anyway, in spite of story regrets. Even though LMM's Matthew was beloved by many, his death opened up many other story possibilites from Anne of Avonlea onward, such as his sister, Marilla's, adoption of twins. I'm not sure she would have considered taking on a loud and active boy like Davy Keith if her quiet, reserved brother was still alive. And in Picking up the Pieces, I like to think of feedback I've received from young women who have experienced abortions, and written to tell me that Claire's experience impacted them powerfully and helped them process and forgive themselves for their own actions. If my book can be a tool that helps that to happen, maybe it is good for me to have written it just as I did.

Paula Vince is an award-winning author of Christian contemporary fiction, mostly set in the lovely Adelaide Hills where she lives. She is also a homeschooling mother of three children. She likes to fill her plots with romance, drama and some suspense and mystery. Her most recent book, The Greenfield Legacy, is a collaboration with 3 other Australian fiction authors. 

It only needs to be a small flame

We all know people who aren’t Christians who, at times when their lives are in danger or pain, or when they fear for the health of a loved one, or when they’ve reached the gutter of life, will pray to the God they’ve once heard of or once even known.

It makes me wonder… a person who doesn’t have a personal relationship with God must need more faith to pray that a born-again Christian who walks with God every day. These people pray with no assurance, just blind amazing faith.

It got me thinking that it would be amazing if every Christian writer could write one book for this market; a book that could stand alone on a bookshelf in a regular bookshop; a book that could tell a secular story that is so clever and so attractive to those without faith that it would light a very small candle at the base of the cross and lead the reader to gaze in awe at the rough texture of the wood that’s visible behind the candle then peer up into the charcoal sky to search for the outline of the body of the man who was flesh but was also the Son of God. And if our book could tweak a subconscious desire in them to open a Bible, even if the reader has to go to a library to find one, if our book can cause our reader to seek out our God, what a miracle we have been a part of!

But how to write a book that sparks this interest without preaching at the reader, whether adult or child?

Perhaps you’ve read a regular book that got you fascinated in something new: a novel about a country you’ve never been to that sparked the thought in you ‘I have to go and see that’, or a sci-fi novel that suddenly makes you want to Google how many moons Jupiter actually has.

It only needs to be a paragraph, a sentence or a word that lights the taper. But when it’s lit, and if the writing is done well, the curiosity in the person’s mind and heart won’t be quenched. They will seek God.

Here’s an example of what I’d like to achieve. JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series. I know many Christians are against these stories, but I hope you’ll understand where I’m going with this. Go for a walk along the shop or library shelves near the Harry Potter books. Alongside are copycat, fantasy novels about wizards. But there are books and gimmick packs about wizardry. And this is the point – Rowling wrote a story about an orphaned boy and the story is about the unfair things that happen to him and his fight for survival, with a backdrop of wizardry… and, today, kids everywhere are curious about wizardry. They dress like Harry or one of the other characters, buy the toys and read the spell-books.

We have the power of our creator. We are made in His image and He has given each of us a gift to be used for His glory. We use this gift to edify and entertain the people of God, and, wisely like we are treading on eggshells, we can use it to reach out to the lost. Our writing can lead people to buy into our God, to read His word and to seek truth. Our readers may seek out other books by the author they just read, or they may seek a church or a Christian friend. But we have the gift to light the taper that will lead our readers to begin their search.

www.jackierandall.com