Using a Magnifying Glass!

 by Anusha Atukorala

Recently, I had the joy of having a new friend over for afternoon tea. Beautiful Susie (not her real name), came bearing a warm apple and sultana cake she’d just whisked out of the oven. How Susie managed to bake a cake while caring for her three small children beats me! Amazing! Her cute treasures aged 4, 2 and 6 months were a delight. The cake was delicious. We enjoyed a happy time together, even if it lacked as much adult conversation as Susie and I would have liked.

 

I brought out some of my son’s old toys for her little girls to play with. Amidst cars and hand puppets, plastic animals and an assortment of paraphernalia, was a tiny magnifying glass. The two older kids were fascinated by it. They used it for a long time, gazing intently at everything around them. I was a little surprised at first how something so small and seemingly insignificant could have given the children so much pleasure, until I realised that I too still enjoy using one. Nowadays though, they are useful mainly to read the tiny print on medicine bottles or on items off the supermarket shelves!

 

As a disciple of Jesus, I could do with a magnifying glass, well … a figurative one! Don’t you think? And … whom can I magnify today? How about … Christian Writers Downunder? It’s the best place to start, isn’t it? Christian Writers Downunder began in 2011 with a handful of writers but grew very quickly and now boasts of 1350 members (when I last checked). CWD’s help and support to us Christian writers has been immense and far reaching and I am so grateful.

 

I was new on the writing scene when I joined CWD, having just published my first book. I remember the thrill of attending my first interstate Writing Conference in Queensland in 2012. It was lovely to be able to recognise many who came that year, the moment I saw them, because we’d already connected through CWD. A big shout out and THANK YOU to CWD’s current dynamic Admin duo – Jeanette O Hagen and Kirsten Hart. You do a fabulous job! And thank you too to Mazzy Adams (whose currently having a well deserved break)  God bless you three richly for all you do. We are very grateful!

 

I’d also like to magnify a few of the books I’ve drunk deeply of over the years, that have brought me closer to Jesus. 

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster,  

7 Lessons from Heaven by Mary C Neal, 

Imagine Heaven by John Burke, 

Life without Lack by Dallas Willard, 

Satisfy my Thirsty Soul by Linda Dillow, 

Sanctuary of the Soul by Richard Foster, 

A Call to the Secret Place by Michel Ann Goll, 

Reclaiming Love by Ajith Fernando, 

Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich, 

The Way of Blessing by Roy Godwin, 

Prayer by Richard Foster. 

Appointments with Heaven by Dr Reggie Anderson. 

And these are but a small snapshot of a myriad assortment of books that have wooed me to our Saviour. I am so grateful for numerous great men and women of God over the ages and their writings that have grown my soul.

When times are tough, it’s easy to focus on what’s wrong rather than what’s right. We human beings are good at moaning about the bad rather than extolling the good. But God’s blessings abound. Daily, hourly, moment by moment. The jewel studded night sky that fills me with awe, the gentle sound of waves lapping on a sandy shore, a bright silvery moon on a dark cold night, the perfect yellow rose which displays my Creator’s magnificence, a colour splashed rainbow that thrills my soul, sunshine and cool breezes which that bring warmth and refreshment to my being. These are but a few of them.

 

And of course we are blessed, not only through material gifts. Paul informs us in the book of Ephesians that we have every spiritual blessing in Christ. Every spiritual blessing? Wow! Isn’t that something? Our lives are made richer through family and friends. We are blessed by circumstances both good and bad – even the tough times can be stepping stones to becoming more like Jesus. Thank You God. I magnify all the rich blessings You bring my way. Every. Single. Day!

 

I also seek to magnify the family of God – and as Paul urges us to do, consider their needs as more important than mine, their accomplishments as deserving higher recognition than mine. As a Christian writer, I magnify and showcase other writers. All of you on CWD! Thank you writers – your writing blesses our world. I won’t mention you by name in case I leave some of you out. But be assured … you do make a difference. And  … there needs to be a word for the good kind of gossip - talking behind another’s back of admirable traits we discover in others? I magnify the unique and wonderful people in my world – who make it a better place. 

Yes, you too dear Reader! You too!

Over the last few years, I’ve been struggling with an issue that often diminishes the joy in my life, like a mosquito that keeps buzzing in my ears. I realised recently that when I had turned 60, I desired one thing for my new decade. 

“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” 

Psalm 27:4-5. 

Perhaps I need to make an exchange? Each time I am triggered by the one thing that trips me up … I can exchange it for the ONE THING I surely need. 

To behold the beauty of God!

Yes. There’s One we can’t help but magnify daily for all He is and He has done for us. Our Awesome Great Triune God. The Alpha and the Omega. Who is like Him in the heavens or the earth? No one. He stands apart. High! Holy! Creator! Saviour! Lord! King! Redeemer! Friend! Majestic! Infinite! One who forgives! Transcendent! Mighty! Faithful! Teacher! Wisdom!

                          Light of the World. Jesus.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good; 

for His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

               “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, 

              slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalm 103:8

                      "O magnify the Lord with me. 

               And let us exalt His Name together.” Psalm 34:3

 

Would you like a peek through my magnifying glass?

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

 

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2^nd book ‘Dancing in the Rain’ brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, ‘Sharing the Journey’ is a sequel to 'Enjoying the Journey' and was released in March 2020.

 

Do drop in on her two websites to say G’day! She’d love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain 

Light in the Darkness

 

Thanks for reading!

God bless you!

Back to Beginnings

 This past weekend I spent much of my time in the pages of my debut novel. It’s been ten years since it was fresh off the press and, in advance of a new novel release later this year, my first book baby is getting a facelift for a revised edition to mark this anniversary.

For those who have navigated the book-release path, have any of you re-read something you published early in your writing journey? Did you want to put a pen through some of the passages your “older self” (in a writing context) would have never worded that way? Did the structure and pace still work for you? Did you find yourself falling in love with your characters and story all over again? Did you have a little cringe when you noticed things that could have done with a little extra context and background research? None of the above? All of the above?

For me, it was an “all” experience. But it also revealed to me how much I’ve grown as a writer since those early publication days (and reminded me how much I’m STILL learning—that never stops!). Several times I’ve heard authors apologise for their early work, yet I have gone on to thoroughly enjoy those stories. Yes, there may have been little pieces here and there that could have been reworked, but the heart and soul of the story was still solid and the characters captivating.

In those “sorry, it was my early work” moments, I’ve always had mixed feelings. As a writer, I sure do get it. Some of my manuscripts never saw the light of day—well, not yet—and I am SO grateful for that. However, those beginning works are also an essential part of our writing growth, and there cannot be any future “more developed” works without that first publication.

It can be a challenging thing to share your writing drafts when you’re in those early days, especially with someone outside your safe circle. To send all your blood, sweat and tears off to a professional for critiquing or editing can be enough to make one nauseous. Do you know how many writers never get published because they found the path to publication too hard? Many more writers give up than the ones that see their stories in print.

So if you are a published author, I encourage you to celebrate that achievement, including your first “book baby” and all the “firsts” it brought you.

If you are yet to be published, I encourage you to keep writing and learning and if you’re feeling discouraged and a bit bumped and bruised, it might be time to pick yourself up again, set some goals, and get back on that writing horse. It’ll probably buck you off a few more (multi-dozen!!!) times, but each hard landing and consequential bruises are valuable learning, so long as you allow them to be and don’t succumb to offense or discouragement.

And as CWD members, what a joy to celebrate each person’s writing journey! I love that about this group. (Not to mention as a reader I’ve discovered a wealth of awesome books along the way.) If you take nothing else away from this post, why not invest a few minutes to do something encouraging for a writer whose work has marked your world for the better? That might be a review, a recommendation, an email, or even a shout out in the comments below. Whatever it might be, do something. I know you will make some writer’s day. 😊

Queensland author Adele Jones writes young adult fringe and near-science fiction exploring the underbelly of bioethics and confronting teen issues that include disability, self-worth, loss, domestic conflict, and more. She also writes historical fiction, poetry, inspirational non-fiction and short fictional works, with themes of social justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey. Adele’s first YA novel Integrate (book one of the Blaine Colton Trilogy) was awarded the 2013 CALEB Prize for unpublished manuscript. As a speaker she seeks to present a practical and encouraging message by drawing on themes from her writing. For more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com or contact[at]adelejonesauthor.com

Highlighting Book Reviews

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

As Jane Austen might have said, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an up-and-coming author in possession of a new release must be in want of book reviews.”

But what is a book review and why do authors crave them so much? 

A book review gives a reader's evaluation or reaction of their reading experience of a particular book. Most often written on a review site, it can also be blogged, podcasted, on you-tube, Instagram or Tik Tok. 

Finding and connecting with new readers can be one of hardest challenges of being an author. Anything that can help us do that adds value. In an era of online book stores, a substantial number of good reviews gives a book 'social proof' and can help readers decide whether or not to buy and read the book.

But getting book reviews is not easy. Just as acquiring a suitable spouse in Jane Austen's England entailed challenges, frustrations and pitfalls, acquiring book reviews can have pitfalls for the unwary as well as rewards. 

Review of Jewel of the Stars

Some tips.

1. Remember, book reviews are primarily for readers not authors. 

As authors, the temptation is to see book reviews as a tool to be utilised, to even think that readers somehow owe us a review. However, the main purpose of a review is for readers to express their opinions about the book for the benefit of other readers. This is especially true of reader review sites, like Goodreads or Bookbub. 

In particular, we as authors cannot expect that every single reader will enjoy our books. Even all-time classic books attract  a small collection of negative and even scathing reviews.

In practice, this means being gracious when someone doesn't like our book. Never castigate a reader for a negative review - or to attempt to show them why they are wrong - or lambast them on your social media. Other readers are watching. In fact, on sties such as Goodreads or Amazon, the best policy is not to comment on readers reviews (even if to say thank you). 

Either develop a thick skin or don't read the reviews if it upsets you so much. 

And remember, for many readers, a book with only five and four star reviews might be seen as fake or only supported by friends and family.  Having some low-star reviews adds to the creditability of your book. And sometimes, the very things that are mentioned as negatives by one reader may in fact be seen as positives by other readers.

Review of Scattered by Nola Lorraine

2. As authors, it's okay to ask for reviews.

If you sell or give away enough book, eventually some readers will review them.  I'm not sure of a precise ration - but maybe one in every one hundred readers might review the book (less if the book is free). However, if having more reviews makes your book more attractive to readers, having no reviews may deter them.  Of course, there are other ways of connecting with readers, but how do we get more book reviews?

Giving out free review copies either before or around the launch can help.  Also, asking readers to leave a fair and honest review - at the end of the book, in your newsletter, on your social media or website can also help. You can also make requests for reviews - maybe from friends and family, other authors, perhaps influencers in your field. 

Though, think about who your ask to review your books. With Amazon, relevance is key. It's better to have fewer reviews by people who normally read in your genre than a whole slew of reviews from people who would normally read in different genres to your book, as this may confuse the Amazon bots.

Review of Unnoticed 

3. Be careful not to overdo your requests, or be too demanding. 

Readers do you a favour by taking the time to review your book.  And the best reviews are honest reviews. Don't put people off by spamming requests or only making the requests about what you want (buy my book, review my book) which can quickly drive away your potential readers.

As a general rule, do not pay for reviews - especially with Amazon reviews. (Exceptions might be sites like NetGallery or perhaps Kirkus Reviews). If  you sell your books on Amazon, be aware of their strict rules about who can and cannot review & never give anything in exchange for a review (you can give a free book with a request to review, thought not in exchange for a review.)  For Amazon, review swaps between authors can also cause trouble. 

Also, be patient and don't stress too much about reviews. While popular memes suggest 50 or 100 reviews on Amazon might be a magical threshold, other book marketing gurus suggest that 10-15 reviews may be enough to give your book social proof especially when combined with other methods of promoting your book. 

Review of Midnight Sun to Southern Cross

4. Give as well as receive

Sometimes as authors, we can make it all about us - our book, our need to promote, our need to get reviews etc.  Yet one of the strengths of the author community is mutual support. If you want other authors to support you, then be prepared to support them too. 

I know this can be tricky. As I said, a straight out review swap on Amazon can get your banned from the site, especially if reviews are put up close to each other.  However, other sites - such as Goodreads and Bookbub are not so restrictive. Also, you can use your newsletter, website or blogs on other sites to post reviews of other authors, or maybe do a blog tour.

Reviews don't have to be long. They are usually a personal reflection of your reading of the book, so there is no right or wrong way to write one. Though remember to be kind, be honest and never, never summarise the whole plot or give away spoilers (without a spoiler warning).

Some authors prefer not to review other authors at all - or will only review positively - because they do not want to hurt their fellow-author's feelings and/or are afraid of retribution if they give a negative review.  

Personally, I review almost all the books I read on Goodreads - and I strive to give honest and fair reviews. This means that I will talk about the things I didn't like in a book, but I always strive to find some positives as well. I enjoy supporting other authors by reviewing their books and get a thrill when someone reviews my books. 

Review of Under the Mountain - Box Set book 1-3

What about you?

Do you find getting book reviews hard?

Do you support other authors through reviewing their books?

What sites do you use to write or look for reviews?

Do you have any tips about giving or receiving reviews?

 

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series.

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.

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram

Sign up to the Jeanette O'Hagan Writes for news of her writing adventures

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A Tree of Life

 by Anusha Atukorala

Have you seen my tongue tricks? 

When I was growing up, my family was often entertained by them—I could even touch my nose with my tongue! In fact, I still can! I stopped writing now to take a few pictures to prove its truth to you, but ... the photos didn't look decent enough to be aired before your little eyes, so I shall wait a bit longer to satisfy your curiosity.

 

Recently, a verse in Proverbs spoke to me.

"A soothing tongue is a tree of life." 

Proverbs 15:4

 

As I read these words, I pictured a sweet young Mum rocking her baby boy on her knee. He's fallen and grazed his knee and his loud wails fill the air. Gently, she wipes his tear-stained cheeks and washes the scrape on his knee.

“Shh… it’s all right. It’s going to be fine, Sweetie!” 

Soon … his sobs die down. One last gulp and then, the flash of an angelic little-boy smile! He has calmed down. Made whole  ... through a soothing tongue.

 

When I have been badly in need of them, gentle words uttered by family and friends have been like cool breezes fanning a sad heart, a soft shawl around my shoulders on a cold day or a gift that never stops giving. They’ve also been a tree of life. I am able to sit content under the shade of its leafy branches.

 

A soothing tongue blesses. And we writers have power—the power to wield our pen and our tongues for good, power to bring encouragement and hope to sorrow-filled hearts, power to entertain and bring smiles to faces (and even a tear or two), power to instil courage and joy into lives that are hurting, power to bequeath a renewed perspective of God and His world to enhance a reader’s life.

In Genesis and Revelation we see references to The Tree of Life. Now that is something worth waiting for, isn’t it? Meanwhile, as we wait, in Proverbs we find four comparisons to the tree of life, all life-giving commodities—

Wisdom, 

Fruit, 

A longing fulfilled & 

A soothing tongue. 

 

We Christian writers need wisdom. Lots of it. Wisdom about life, wisdom about how to best use the language, wisdom about our readers and how they will engage with us, wisdom about how to write well. 

Wisdom is everything. 

Or is it?

 

" The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life." 

Proverbs 11:30

This verse implies that in order to bear fruit in our writing, we need also to be righteous - holy - God breathed disciples. Jesus said that what is on the inside of us is what comes out of us. How can we share His words with the world if we are not walking in His ways and pleasing Him in our thoughts, words and deeds, seeking to become more and more like Jesus?

What then does a tree comprise of? Roots, a trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. Can we writers be trees of life? We can grow roots that go deep into God and His word, a trunk that stands tall against the enemy’s punches, branches that spread far and wide to share our good news with the world, flowers that bring pleasure to life-seeking hearts, leaves that bring healing to the nations and fruit that provides succour, strength, hope and nourishment to those who hunger for it.

 

The last reference to a tree of life in the Proverbs is about our dreams. Now, dreams are what we writers have plenty of—some obvious, like a lolly bulging in little girl’s cheek as she unsuccessfully tries to hide it from her Mum's watchful eye. Others nestling in our hearts as they are slowly birthed to life through our Master’s gentle touch.

"A longing fulfilled is a Tree of Life." Proverbs 13:12

What kind of longings are in your heart today, dear writerly friend? To publish a book? To sell your books? To be a good speaker? To write good stories? To create a blog? Or maybe you have many other dreams tucked in your beautiful heart that are waiting to be realised. 

May every longing in your heart see the light of day. 

May you be a tree of life, roots going deep into God, standing tall, providing rest and shelter to all who come under the branches of your life-giving words!

 

"A Soothing Tongue is a Tree of Life" 

Proverbs 15:4

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

Her first book 'Enjoying the Journey' contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her second book 'Dancing in the Rain' brings you hope and comfort for life's soggy seasons. Her third book 'Sharing the Journey' is a sequal to Enjoying the Journey also containing little stories that warm the heart. 

Thank you for sharing her journey by reading this blog today!

Do stop by at her two websites to say G’day! 

She'd love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain

Light in the Darkness

 

Dancing in the Rain: To purchase Book

Sharing the Journey: To purchase Book

 

 

Wrapped in Wise, Warm, Wonderful, Winning, Winsome Words!

by Anusha Atukorala

For over two decades now, I’ve used a small white kitchen bin. A friend who left Australia soon after we arrived, gifted me some of her possessions when she left the country and this little bin was one of them. I transferred my own little bin into our guest room and began to use hers ... until a few months ago, when I knew it was time to buy another. For one thing I hadn’t washed it often enough in the last few years, so it looked grubby even when I cleaned it. For another, I knew I’d have less frequent trips to transfer the bin bag to my wheelie bin if I had a larger kitchen bin.

 

And so I bought myself an inexpensive tall stainless steel bin. It still gives me pleasure when I look at it. And yes, my trips to the wheelie bin have lessened. The other day, I’d stuffed the bin too well, so when I pulled the bag out of its home to transfer it to the yard, a large tear ripped one side of the bag. I placed a fresh bag around it at once, but this too, being of flimsy material, gave way. Oops! I soon found just the right kind of bag that would cover them both, made of a tougher material.

 

That new plastic bag covered the torn bags with ease. And in spite of the heaviness of the load, it managed to keep all the rubbish inside. It was a picture to me as a writer of the special covering that wise words offer. Wholesome words are warm and affirming, covering the bad with good. Unfortunately words can also tear down, just as those fragile bags did. Yes, words are powerful. 

The Words of Jesus are like a firm covering over us, shielding us from the world’s vicissitudes. His Words soothe and comfort, teach and instruct. We, as believers and writers have a special appreciation of the Word of God - it’s what we lean on since it forms the base of our writing. And of course the Living Word is the One to whom we turn to daily; the One who makes our writing possible.

 

As I tossed the now firm bag (housing two weaker ones) inside my wheelie bin, I pondered on the fact that we writers have the power to do what that strong bag did. We can wrap a world gone mad with the love of the Saviour. We can do it through our blogs and our books, our speaking ministries and through every platform we use words to reach others. In addition, we can also impact our world each day as we bring encouragement and hope to each other and to those in our spheres of influence, using carefully chosen words to touch lives and bring healing to those who need it.

 

Covid seems to have splattered a battered world with new troubles, wobbles and squabbles. At the start of last year, it seemed like the world was banding together to fight the virus. Sadly, eighteen months later, the picture is vastly different. It seems like world has exploded in madness, in ways that only tear down. The Christian worldview may be viewed by sceptics with disdain, but Christian attitudes of grace and forgiveness, love that counters hate, words that build rather than tear down might be just what a sad old world needs right now.

I remember a time I was struggling through a tough season. To make matters worse, a lady I thought was reaching out to me, instead spoke harsh words of condemnation. I was badly hurt. Thankfully, that was not the end of the story. A few days later, three ladies I barely knew, spoke life-giving words over me, calling me beautiful. How did they know how badly I needed to hear their words? How grateful I was that the words of criticism which hurt me were overwritten by powerful words of affirmation spoken over me, three times over. I was healed. Completely. 

That, my friends … is the power of words.

 

Shall we too then wrap warm encouraging words around this troubled old world of ours? Shall we envelope it with language that affirms, words that bandage torn tendons and splintered bones? Words that bring smiles to faces, words that are gentle reponses to harsh criticism, hope to counter despair, peace to transform anger, joy to overcome apathy and pain? We can do it in big ways through our books and in smaller ways through our connections on social media or in person, when we listen to another, when we reach out with a smile and the love of the Saviour.

 

Let’s wrap our world in ...

wise, warm, wonderful, 

winning, winsome words! 

 

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 ESV

 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things through His powerful word.” Heb. 1:3

 A gentle tongue is a tree of life. Proverbs 15:4 ESV

 A soft answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1ESV

 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11-12 ESV

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 ESV

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2^nd book Dancing in the Rain brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, Sharing the Journey is a sequel to Enjoying the Journey and was released in March 2020.

 

Do stop by at her two websites to say G’day. 

She'd love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain 

Light in theDarkness

Anusha's Facebook Author Page

Anusha on Goodreads

Is writing art? Or is it a skill? by Jo Wanmer

In my last year I’ve taken time to be, to sit, to dream to read and yes, play on my phone. One of my apps is ‘Happy colour - Colour by number’. I enjoy watching the colour emerge under my fingers. It displays where the highlights are, how the shadows bring the painting to life. Some of these pictures are pretty ordinary and would never fall under the category of art, but others fascinate me.

This week I did a painting, by Angelica Kauffman, called Four children with a Basket of Fruit. (Public domain) As I looked at the paint palette, I wondered about even starting. The colours were so dark. Even when I was nearly finished, there seemed very little light. But the end product amazed me. All that darkness focused my eyes on one girl, the same one that the other girls were looking at. She held the fruit, but it was incidental, made that way by the artists skilled use of colour.

The other art I’ve been exploring is ‘acrylic pour’ art.

The artist pours thin paint on a canvas and mixes or moves the colours by various random methods; for example blowing, tipping, spinning. The methods seem endless and the results can be astonishingly beautiful. But is this really art? We have many skilled artists in our midst whose minute attention to detail is incredible. Pour art can’t even be compared to ‘real’ paintings. But they have found a niche. (On the right is one of  myattempts. It is coaster size.)

Maybe the key word is Skill.

"What then is art? An art is an exceptional piece of expression. A story. A poem. A sculpture. A movie. Some of these may transcend to become works of art. But you need skill to get there."

( Abhideep. https://www.quora.com/Is-writing-a-skill-or-an-art)

Skill moves art to a ‘work of art’. But skill without concept and talent is nothing.

Some artists outline their picture before they begin. Others just pour paint but, as they narrate, it becomes clear they too have a result in mind. They both possess a deep understnding of colour.

Some writers meticulously outline their stories. Others throw words on paper. Both methods are valid but what is common is the need for skill in the editing room. My best stories emerge under the time pressure of NaNoWriMo - writing 50,000 words in a month. It is just like pouring paint. Let the words flow and see what happens. I have two wonderful stories written this way. But they are a long way from works of art, a long way from appearing in a form the reader would enjoy, or even grasp the story I want to protray.

Skill is needed to polish those manuscripts. Justin Fenech puts it this way.

'Its is easy to write. But immpossibly hard to write damn well. Many people think they can write. But writing is perhaps more nuamced than any other art form available to man,"

https://justinfenech.wordpress.com/2018/09/02/7-reasons-why-writing-is-art/

Most artists instruct their students that mistakes don't matter. Thay can be repainted. I've watched pour-artists scrape large protions off the canvas onto the table because they know it can be better. Likewise we've all heard of whole scenes from a book falling to the editing room floor. Not because it wasn't good, but because it didn't serve the whole.

As do artists, we writers have to ask ourselves the hard questions. Does this scene develop the story or the character? Is it really necessary or does it muddy the picture? Is there enough light and dark? Does the story ebb and flow? Are there spots that 'pop'?

A writer I know laments the difficulty of seeing her work as a whole. She envies the artist who can stand back and view the whole canvas. As writers, we don't have the same luxury. Our editing is long, time consuming and demanding. Bata readers can be a great help. They can see the glaring mistakes. And then we go back to the editing room...again.

And like any artist we have to work out when the task is done and the book is finished. Even after that there is line editing, word searches, cover preparation and more. These elements polish the final product as matting and framing display a work of art.

So is writng an art or a skill? Let me quote from Quora again.

"If its an art, well there is not much we can do about it. If its a skill however, it loses its romantic sheen. To master it then you have to spend long, at least appreciable amount of time with it." https://www.quora.com/Is-writing-a-skill-or-an-art

Infortunately, I agree with him. What do you think?

Jo Wanmer lives in Sunny Queensland with her Husband of fifty years and a toy poodle with attitude. Her first book, 'Though the Bud be Bruised', won the Caleb unpublished manuscript award and was published in 2012. Several other short stories and articles have also been published. At the moment her editing floor is littered with rejected bits and pieces. It is so messy it takes courage to even enter there!