A Time To Write

Interview with Author Ashlyn Briscoe

Ashlyn Briscoe is a close friend to writing coaches, Jana and Abigail. She recently finished her first novel, The Silver Locket.  It is now available on amazon.

Q:  How long have you worked on The Silver Locket?

A: I have been working on The Silver Locket for four years…

A: I got my hands on whatever I could–Creative Writing by Ruth E. McDaniel was a good start. Elements of Style, a small little gray pocket book by William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White, really gave me some tips.  The 3 main things that helped me were:

1) Get a writing coach!

2) Read books with a similar style to yours–don't read books that don't reflect what you need…and beware of movies! They are not books. I have watched a few where a character just jumped off the screen at me and I was like "that's him! that's just how I want him to act!" But beware;-)

3) Also get writing friends who will read your work ALOUD to you and give you ideas in person. It's amazing how that will help–even if it's a bit embarrassing;-) Thanks, Abi and Jana! 

A: My favorite scenes are pretty much any with Paul in them. If I had Paul in a scene I rarely had to even edit it;-) He just sort of wrote himself, and was a good compliment to Isa. The hardest scene was where Isa goes for Parnell's help at the hotel–I lost count how many times I rewrote that scene. I think I could still rewrite it;-)   

A: If I had stuck with the original plot outline and then compared it to the book now–I would have two completely different stories. It changed DRAMATICALLY. The key is to ask yourself  "do I like this the way it is? Am I REALLY happy with it?" If the answer is "I guess"–write it again. Even change the plot to create what you're wanting. Write and rewrite and rewrite.  My writing coach, Jonathan Friesen, was quite shocked a few times when I would completely reorganize the whole story with new characters, different plot, different heart cry….until I was happy with it–even outside of what I was asked to do in an assignment. I remember him saying once "Wow–Okay, this works too. Whatever you think." If I began to get too many characters I would double some up and use them for two things–always keep your core group of characters small. Work your story over. Make it what you want it to be. I was originally going to use the southern 1800's theme without going into slavery at all…but i just couldn't do it…next thing I knew it was almost the main theme. Jess's original name was Lilah. It didn't fit. Levi was added later when I needed some "men" for the slave scenes. Paul jumped in to help free the slaves. Originally he didn't know a thing about it.  

A: I graduated from highschool in 2009. I considered college, and even sent in two applications to different ones. God holds us in His hand and He is Sovereign. He had other plans for me. I still dream that I went to college, but I am so excited about where God has me right now. I am involved with ministry at my church and enjoy serving my family–helping teach homeschool to my 4 yr. old brother Jeremiah and all the other things that need doing–cooking, cleaning house and being available. On November 8th, 2009, Brandon Busenitz asked to court me. Someday and Lord willing, I will be his wife and help him take over the farm that he was raised on. For now he is off to Bible college for this year, but he has promised to come back for me. While he is away my goals are to finish writing Charlotte's Hope, finish reading through the Bible, teach Sunday School, help other homeschool families, and many other things! Every now and then I slip outside to ride my mare, Wendy, barefoot and bareback down Kansas country roads…just to let the breeze catch my hair.   

Too Good to Be True

You could be published in the next hour!

I was one of those writers who wrote incessantly.  I had an entire world in my imagination.  I loved my characters, and my plots.  Someday I would write something so amazing that no one could put it down.  Someday I would be a famous author.  Someday I would submit a manuscript to a publisher.  Someday I would be published.

After all, writing is a game and not everyone wins, I thought.  Only the lucky ones get to present their “baby” to the world in book form.  I imagined the editors sifting through wannabe writers’ manuscripts, and then tossing them into cold bins with the words "reject" across the front cover.  It’s tough out there for faceless names.  There are countless story drafts.  They have to pass through the editors, and even then you must re-construct your story to fit in their marketing box.

I visited Harvest House Publishing Company two years ago.  The tour was fascinating.  A huge team was ready to edit, re-read and rework the chosen manuscript, a trendy cover designed, and then marketed hot of the press.  But all of this took time.  Months, years even.

Right then I didn’t care about fame or money.  All I wanted was a book on my shelf that I had written, and that would encourage other people.  The title “a published author” was so coveted, and yet so far away in my future. 

That’s why I couldn’t believe my uncle Arlen when he said that there was a ridiculously easy way to get published.  

He introduced me to createspace.com where he has recently published his own books.  

I didn’t buy it.  It was too good to be true. 

I mean come on, you can’t just sit down in front of the laptop, click the screen a few times and then call yourself a published author.  No way.  What a joke.

Always a little impulsive, I decided to try it anyways.  I typed up the website, he helped me go through the steps . . . and ta-da!  Just a few days later I was holding the shiny cover of my very first book.  I was ecstatic!

You could be published by tonight. 

I only had to pay about ten dollars, shipping included, to have Ruth’s Challenge – my first novel — sitting on my bookshelf.  The best part was I got to choose the page color and size, and even put my own picture on the cover.   

After you order your proof, you simply have to click a button and your story will be available on Amazon.  Createspace lets you focus on the inside of your book and marketing, and they do the manufacturing and shipping.  Your book will be in-stock, and printed on demand when someone buys it.  If you don’t want to sell your work, no problem!  Just order how ever many copies you want, and don’t worry about taking the last step.   

I walked into my grandma’s house on Easter Sunday 2009 just an average, common writer.  I walked out with my own proof book in the mail to my house.

If you have had a similar experience, or would like to try self-publishing, we'd love to hear about it!  Drop us a note in the contact form below.   

Thank you createspace for making a girl’s writing dream come true!   

No Paperdolls Allowed

My sisters and I loved paperdolls.  Cutting them, dressing them and giving them dramatic lives.  The only problem is that playing paperdolls is just about as exciting as moving a picture around.  I mean, if you drop your heroine and she lands face down, Georgia Lee dancing at the ball suddenly becomes just a white outline.

They have limitations.   

Your book is not supposed to be about paperdoll characters that disappear when you turn them over.  Your characters should be like sculptures — so we can see them from every angle.  

The key to multi-dimensional characters is to study them.  Get to know them in every situation.  It is especially important to know your protagonist (main character) in your novel.  But let's take a moment to zoom in on your secondary characters.

You might think, "oh but they aren't important!  I already know my protagonist inside out, isn’t that enough?"

Not if you want a story that has true depth!

Ok, so maybe some of your secondary characters have super tiny roles.  Perhaps they have only one line in the story.  Should we still study them?

Yes because sometimes seeing the entire picture for yourself is the best way to describe even a tiny part of it to someone else. 

Even though the roles they have are often small, secondary characters have a whole story too, and we should see glimpses of it  as they interact with your protagonist.   

                Kate dumped her merchandise on the counter.

                “Hey hon!" The young cashier picked up the items and bleeped through them.

                “Can you tell me what time it is?” Kate fumbled in her purse for her money.

                “It’s exactly 3:00, hon. Will this be all for you today?"  The cashier twisted the diamond ring on her finger and gazed dreamily at it.  “At this time tomorrow I’ll be married . . ." she whispered, and smiled.  “It’s only 3:00!  Shoot.  Two more hours till I get off."

                “3:00!  I got to go. Mom’s going to kill me."  Kate zipped her cart to the door marked Exit.  And that will not help Mom understand what I have to tell her!

                “Have a glorious day!” the cashier called.

                Kate whisked a tear away.  Well at least she was happy.

Kate is the protagonist.  It's her story.  She's the one with the main conflict — the heroine, and the one we're cheering for.  But as Kate goes along on her adventure, she brushes up against other people that are just as real as she is—like the cashier.  Even though we will never read about the cashier again, we picked up on some simple details.  She’s engaged, can’t wait until tomorrow, and very eager to get off work.  This gives your whole novel a sense of depth.  YOU know what you're talking about, and you have a purpose for each of your characters, even if that only purpose is to breathe some life into a scene.  

Make a list of your secondary characters.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

I'm sure that these characters have faces in your imagination.  Maybe they remind you of people you know.  However, when I read your book, they are only names to me.  They can blur together and get confusing.  You know, paperdoll characters!

How can we make our secondary characters add to the story, compliment the protagonist, and bring a scene to life?

If you want to get a good feel for your secondary characters, write a paragraph full of information about them.  They need specific contrasts between them.

Below are several examples.   Karla is the main character.  Everyone else is a secondary character.

Samuel Jones – Karla’s dad, likes to play his guitar, read the newspaper, discus politics with his older children.  He is slightly balding, has crisp facial features.  Strong Christian, and holds dynamic views on almost every subject. Occupation–dentist

Purpose: mentor character

Melanie – Karla’s older sister, age17, a social butterfly; but likes her time alone, talented in writing, music and cooking, drives Ryan to his softball games every now and then, thick brown hair, big light green eyes, winning laugh. Not emotional, bosses siblings, a little lazy, and independent – she has trouble submitting to her dad

Purpose: antagonist

Suggested Assignment:

Summarize ten of your secondary characters.  Give brief info about appearance/personality.  What is his conflict?  How does he relate to the main character?  How does he come across to others?  What are his strengths and weaknesses?   What is his purpose in the story? 

Here are two tips for your character paragraphs: 

1. Mention the relationship they have with your protagonist and underline it

2. Include the purpose of the character at the end

Feel free to send your Secondary Character Paragraphs to us using the contact form!  We'd love to see your work. With a little practice, your secondary characters will give your novel a 3-d feel!  Have fun!

Pajama School Book Review

Have you ever felt like you’re the only kid who has ever heard the question, “So, do you do school in your pajamas?”

Have you ever felt like you’re the only homeschool graduate out there blazing the “life after homeschooling” trail?

Have you ever felt like the only Mom who ever has to try to figure out how to answer the age-old question, “What about socialization?”

Even if you know in your head you’re not the only one out there, sometimes it sure can feel like it. If you’re looking for some encouragement, laughter, inspiration in your homeschooling journey, look no farther than the book Pajama School!

Homeschool graduate Natalie Wickham shares stories from her life as she made the transition into homeschooling in 4^th grade and continued through college. Natalie tells about her early years in Germany, how she learned to get along with her siblings, how she dealt with a mentally ill Grandma living with her family, about her involvement in grassroots politics, and more.

Natalie also answers questions like what curriculum her family used, how she started a successful music teaching business, why and how she continued homeschooling through college, and much more!

The best part of all, though, is that Natalie is deeply committed to growing in her walk with the Lord and encouraging others to do the same. This passion to glorify God in all she does shines through every paragraph and is an inspiration to readers of all ages and educational backgrounds. Natalie is poignantly honest on many topics, like grappling with and discovering a biblical understanding of the role of women, being a servant-leader, and more.

Pajama School can be ordered at Sibro Publishing, http://sibropublishing.com, or on Amazon. To read the first chapter of the book, find out more about Pajama School, enter exciting contests, read interviews with homeschooling graduates, and find other fun stuff, check out Natalie’s blog at http://pajamaschool.com.

20 Homeschool Graduates Say Thank You!

It’s graduation time! Although once a rare breed, homeschool graduates are now beginning to take their place in every sphere of society. This month at A Time 2 Write we’d like to highlight several of these homeschool graduates.

The article below was written for an e-book compiled by homeschool graduate Amy Puetz. In this e-book, 20 graduates share how thankful they are for the opportunity they had to be homeschooled, and they want to pass on their gratitude to homeschool parents. Each chapter is full of motivational stories that will encourage homeschool parents to continue with the journey of home education.

Download your free copy of Amy’s e-book here.

A Time to Cherish

By Jana Kornfeld

I have an old home movie of when I learned to tell time. It poignantly captures my fond memories of a typical day of homeschooling.

I’m about eight years old. There’s a cardboard clock propped against the microwave. I’m draped over a kitchen chair in front of it, across the kitchen from my Mom. Half-eaten burritos, our daily lunch staple, are scattered on the table. Dirty dishes are piled in the sink. Every few minutes my brothers come into the kitchen to tattle on each other. The baby fusses at my Mom’s feet. The toddler is suspiciously absent and quiet.

And all the while I whine, moan, groan, and cry over that cardboard clock as if the time of my departure was at hand.

Looking back now, I can see I knew exactly where the minute hand needed to go. But at the time, I just felt more like punishing my Mom for making me learn such stupid, useless things as telling time. And then to video my misery rather than help me – even though I didn’t really want to be helped!

Much time has passed since then. As depressing as this video may seem, it remains one of my family’s favorites for a good laugh. We’re all so glad Mom just gave up trying so hard to be the perfect homeschooling Mom and just captured life as it was. Even at a time when it was at its worst.

There were a lot of days life was at its worst. In fact, my Mom would say there were probably more horrible homeschooling days than there were idyllic ones. But my memories of those bad days are few and far between, and we laugh about them now. Looking back as a homeschool graduate, what I remember most are the good days.

I remember laughing and drawing goofy pictures with my siblings while we did art . . . I mean, math . . . on the couch in front of the fireplace.

I remember impromptu arguments . . . I mean, debates . . . that taught me to think about what I believed and to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in me. 

I remember playing outside all morning . . . I mean, afternoon . . . soaking up the sunshine, jumping on the trampoline for hours at a time, riding bikes, climbing trees, building rafts to float down the creek, and leading my siblings on adventures.

I remember spending hours sitting at the kitchen table after lunch, telling stories and discussing politics and Biblical mysteries.

I remember laughter and fun with my siblings, who were always my best and truest friends, even when we were fighting.

I remember helping my Dad turn a muddy field into a homestead and building the house we live in together.

I remember helping teach my little brother to read while I typed up a term paper for an online college class.

I have these memories and so many more because school wasn’t my life. It didn’t dictate my every agenda for every moment. It never dominated my days. Instead, it was a seamless part of my life. My parents gave me an incredible gift when they gave me time.

They gave me time to play. Time to talk and to laugh. Time to learn – not just things in books but things in and about life. Time to just live life in the moment.

I’m ashamed to say I didn’t always recognize this gift of time while it was being given to me, day in and day out. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to observe what life could have been like that I really and truly began to understand how great this gift of time really was.

A year after I graduated, I became a para for a special-needs child. For the first time in my life, I set foot in a traditional classroom. If I ever had any doubts about homeschooling, that year in the school setting cured me forever. It was an excellent school, and I enjoyed my time there. But I never want to go back.

I came to realize during that time that homeschooling is not perfect. But I became convinced it is about as close as you can get. I wouldn’t trade all my years of homeschooling for anything. Here are a few reasons why, when compared to a year’s experience observing a traditional school:

First, it was never disputed that the children’s absolute authority was their parents. But at school, where the children spent the vast majority of the day, the teacher was also obviously the absolute authority. So, who was the real boss? I never could figure it out. The kids never seemed to be able to figure it out either, and they acted out in accordance.

I had the same problem on a smaller scale when it came to the little girl I tutored. She had no lack for a support group, in parents, teachers, outside evaluators, assistants, consultants, and me. In fact, there were so many people pulling for this little girl’s success I felt like she almost got lost in the shuffle sometimes. I wanted to respect all these authorities in her life, but I knew I couldn’t please the whole village. Nor could I ignore my own instincts – after all, I was the one that spent more time with her than anyone else. I never could find a way to explain to the parents of this little girl that I was essentially homeschooling her at school. And that they were footing a gigantic, unnecessary bill.

Second, for the families that attended this school, life revolved around school, homework, and school events. School was life and life was school. To me it seemed to dominate life more than the family, the church, or anything else.

Third, the students wasted so much time! They were always waiting. Waiting in line. Waiting for the slowest student. Waiting to start. Waiting to leave. They couldn’t take breaks when they needed to, or work when they didn’t need a break. When they got home, there was homework, extra projects, and extracurricular activities. Homework and projects that their busy parents had to help them complete. Extracurricular activities that their parents had to drive them to.

In fact, from what I observed, parents who sent their children to school spent just as much time being involved in their children’s education as my parents did. Not only that, most of these parents had to work during the day so they could afford to send their kids to school. The only time they spent together was school time. Weekends didn’t even offer much quality time. The kids were either doing more homework or getting together with their school friends.

There were other issues. But those three were enough to convince me. Convince me that I was a very privileged young lady. And that I was the world’s most ungrateful privileged young lady.

Every day when I came home I loved home and homeschooling more. All I could think about was how much time I had wasted complaining and fighting against the gift my parents had given me. How I had daily rebelled against having to be under my parents’ authority all the time.

It’s no wonder my parents wanted to give up many times. I know they would have if not for the firm conviction that God had given them the responsibility and privilege to teach and train their own children. This confidence in His leading gave them the courage and endurance to persevere.

This faith and perseverance was the greatest lesson my parents ever taught me. They modeled it daily. And now, looking back, those endless days of perseverance seem so short. My parents can’t believe how fast the time went. They wouldn’t have traded one moment of time with their children. Not even those moments when we were driving each other crazy.

Time on this earth is so short in the grand scheme of things. It’s short. Finite. It’s cardboard-clock time.

Not so with God.

The wisest man on earth wrote, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

God has put eternity in the heart of every person. By my parents’ willingness to invest their time in me, they invested in something that would last much longer than this cardboard-clock life. They invested in eternity.

God will make everything beautiful in its time. He’ll use us, however feeble we feel our efforts may be. In fact, the weaker we are, the stronger He proves Himself. It is He who does the work. He has placed eternity in our children’s hearts. No one can figure out how He changes a person the way He does.

I know He changed mine. And He used two ordinary parents who decided to train and educate me at home.

I wish I could thank them enough. But I know I can’t. No words are enough and I can’t repay them for all they went through to spend all their time with me. I’m just thankful that at the end of time they’ll spend eternity enjoying their well-deserved reward. It’ll be the most blissful recess ever. And I know we’ll all want nothing more than to enjoy it together. Forever.

Stuck in a Rut – what to do when your writing wheels are spinning in the mud

I know what the slough of despair from Pilgrim’s Progress looks like. It’s at the end of my driveway.

My family calls the road that runs by our house “the bog.” The reason is because when it rains, it turns into the slough of despair. And every time it rains, there is almost always at least one person who drives into it that we have to haul out with the tractor.

One time we had three cars stuck down in the bog at once. The last guy that came up to our door with mud up to his knees said he had seen the other cars stuck. He gone on to see if he could “help” and accidentally gotten stuck himself. Oops.

Right now our bog has ruts that are at least two feet deep and filled with water. The only way my brother can get through it with his 4-wheel drive truck is to put snow chains on his tires.

In my writing journey, I often relate to this muddy bog. In fact, right now, I feel like I’m in a writing rut that is two feet deep and full of water. I sit down to write and all I feel like I’m doing is spinning my tires. I’ve bottomed out my 4-wheel drive and I’m not going to move anywhere.

So I’m stuck in a writing rut. Now what? How do I get out? Here are five ideas that might help.

1. Keep trying. Obvious, maybe, but there’s a lot to be said for just plain perseverance. I’ve seen lots of people get themselves unstuck by slowly easing themselves out of a rut. It takes more time and a lot of patience, but it can work and it’s always worth it in the long run.

The trick is to resist stomping on the accelerator and revving our engines in one last ditch attempt to get out of the ditch. That only serves to dig the hole deeper and run us out of gas. Keep writing, even when you don’t feel like it. Keep writing even when you don’t feel like you’re making any progress. You just might ease yourself out of the rut.

2. Look for a change of scenery. Get out of the stuck truck for awhile. Go for a walk. Spend some time with friends. Serve others. Take a nap. Have fun doing something that will relax and encourage you. Sometimes taking a break from a problem and coming back to it later is the best way to solve it.

Sometimes, you can’t always take a break. It might be raining so hard you can’t physically leave the stuck truck. But your imagination can always roam freely no matter how stuck you are. I’ve written whole stories based off of a place I went to in my imagination.

3. Get somebody or two somebodies to give you a push. “. . . a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. When I’m stuck one of the best things I can do is have my Mom or my writing friends read what I’ve written. A fresh perspective can help me work through the best way to get out of my rut.

It’s not always fun listening to someone telling you how you could have avoided getting stuck or which way to turn your wheels to get out. But every writer should have a parent, friend, or writing coach that they can trust to give them constructive criticism and ideas. And you never know, that extra push might be all you need to get out of the rut. Also, keep in mind that it’s not easy being the pusher behind the tire that is throwing up mud either. Trust me, I know.

4. Put on some snow chains. It’s amazing how God created the human mind to see a problem and eventually develop a way to fix it. That’s how solutions and inventions happened. Somebody saw the problem of driving through snow and invented snow chains to make driving through the snow easier. My brother saw the problem of driving through mud and decided if snow chains worked for snow they ought to work for mud too.

We’ve all been given innovative minds, resources, and tools that can help us when the going gets tough or even just plain impossible to get through. Our job is to take that innovative mind, resource, or tool, and figure out how to make it work in our favor. It doesn’t have to look pretty. Once I’d been slogging down a muddy road for miles. I came to a hill and had no momentum left. I saw grass in a field and swerved into it, hoping the grass would give me enough traction to get up the hill. It was crazy, because the field was muddier than the road. But it worked. In the same way, our writing will grind forward when we’re willing to just try something a bit crazy. Like snow chains in the mud.

5. Find a tractor. Sometimes, our minds will never figure out how to fix the problem of being stuck, no matter how much time we give it. Sometimes we’ll never be able to get out of a rut no matter how many people we have pushing. Sometimes, we’re all out of innovative ideas. Sometimes, it’s just time to break down and get the tractor out.

A tractor is anything that will absolutely, without a doubt, yank us out of the mud. For me, it was having a writing coach that gave me assignments that were due every week. I didn’t always like being yanked out of the mud by my writing coach, but I had to admit having that accountability always worked.

Of course, it’s not smart to go mudding on purpose just because you think that you can always get somebody to pull you out. Just last weekend a car bottomed out in our bog. They called in a tow truck. The tow truck got stuck. So they had to call in an even bigger tow truck to pull them both out. I’m sure that was an embarrassing – and expensive – mistake.

But then, writers are bound to get stuck. We can’t be scared of mud. We’ve got to band together like my brothers and pull each other out when we get stuck. It might take us two hours to go two miles like it does them, but really, it’s all part of the fun! The journey might take us awhile, but when we finally reach our destination the stories we’ll have to tell will make it all worth it.

Mexico!

Last week, Jana and Abi were part of a team that went down to Guadalajara, Mexico, to help with a construction project.

Teaching Kids to be Confident Communicators

My brother used to fuel planes at a local airport. He informed me that he can spot a homeschooler a runway’s length away simply by how they communicate.

Ah-ha! I thought smugly, expecting my brother to tell me that homeschoolers were far superior communicators than the rest of his coworkers. That they used big words and sounded really smart. And that they could actually spell.

I was surprised and dismayed when my brother told me that wasn’t necessarily always true.

But a limited vocabulary and misspelled words weren’t the thing that would clue my brother in to the fact he was talking to a former homeschooler.

Instead, it was the lack of confidence the homeschoolers displayed in their communication. Confidence was the thing homeschoolers seemed to lack the most once they got out into the real world.

I couldn’t believe my brother’s observation until I considered my own experience. Growing up as a homeschool student, I was extremely shy. I hated doing anything outside my comfort zone – which was at home with my family. As a result I always felt that I would never measure up to the real world’s standards of communication because I didn’t feel confident enough in myself.

Most homeschoolers are familiar with the accusation that teaching children in a protective bubble-wrap environment does not adequately prepare them for real-life social interaction. In fact, when people ask homeschoolers, “What about socialization?” what they usually really mean is, “How will you ever learn to communicate with confidence in the real world?”

The answer for homeschoolers is the same as for any other student under all other methods of schooling. The answer is simply, don’t accept a label.

A lack-of-confidence-label can’t be blamed on whether a child was homeschooled or not. It can’t be blamed on natural shyness either. Confidence isn’t something we’re born with or without. It’s something that can be learned – and taught. Here are three ways we can become or help someone else become a confident communicator:

1. Encourage.

Encourage. Every person is special and possesses unique gifts, talents, and strengths. It’s amazing how much an encouraging word can boost confidence and even spur someone on to more fully develop their gift, talent, or strength.

2. Exercise.

Exercise the gifts, talents, and strengths that we already have. We should consistently work to be better at what we’re good at. While we should remember that somebody else will probably always be better than we are, it's important to keep the fact in perspective by remembering that other people are not our standard. We are only responsible to be the best that we can be.

3. Exhort.

Exhort ourselves or someone else to leap outside a comfort zone. To take risks. To learn not to be afraid of failure, but instead to be afraid of allowing our weaknesses to remain weaknesses. Whether that weakness is poor spelling, shyness, or fear of new situations, it can be overcome. In the very least, the fear of the weakness itself can be overcome.

Realizing that we don’t have to be perfect to be an awesome person just the way we are is real confidence. And once we understand that, we’ll not only be confident as individuals, but also confident communicators.

Jotting in the Journal

A writer’s confession: I don’t like writing in my journal.  I could think of a dozen excuses not to—I don’t have time, there’s too much to write, my life just isn’t exciting enough to put in word form, etc.

I’ve tried everything from typing my journal to just writing a paragraph about my day (and then there are the weeks and months where I just don’t keep it at all).  If you’re like me, you’re never entertained for long, love trying new things and have a stack of partly filled notebooks.  Experiment until you find your perfect fit!

The book The Diary of Anne Frank always inspires me to start scrawlin!  Anne had the dream to be a writer, and she didn’t live to get the chance.  But her diary is a bestseller!  What did she write about that made it so interesting?  Her life.  Just the everyday details of her life, that were so familiar to her, but so amazing to us. 

Your story is unique.  Maybe you don’t have plans to publish your journal (I definitely don’t) but you will love to look back on it later.  One of my friends at the nursing home encouraged me to write about my life, and that I’d be glad for it later.  She’s right – I laugh, smile and cringe in turn as I turn the pages of a well-worn notebook. 

Whether your mom requires you to journal-write, or you just want to start doing it, it doesn’t have to be another boring school subject.  After all, writers–this is going to give you a great chance to improve your writing skill.

Here are 6 Tips to help you enjoy writing in your journal/diary: 

1. Write in the form of a scene.

Your exciting day doesn’t have to turn into a long, dry narrative on paper.  Some days, just for a change, write in the form of scene.  Pretend you are a character in a book (because in a way, you are!)

For example: 

          “Thank you so much for helping me rake the yard!”  Mrs. Jay stepped over to us.  She held out a tray of cupcakes with gobs of pink frosting.  My stomach growled.  It had been hours since I last ate!

          “These are for you, girls.” Mrs. Jay handed us the cupcakes.  All of my friends reached for one, and then I picked up the last one. 

          “Thanks!” We chorused. 

          I carefully peeled off the paper around the cupcake (I hate sticky fingers.)  

          Then it happened. Just as I lifted it my lips. The cupcake crumbled, and jumped out my hands and landed – frosting side down – on my tennis shoe.  Yes, in front of the whole neighborhood, Mrs. Jay, and all the girls from Sunday School, I dropped a cupcake with two-inch-high-frosting on my shoe! 

(Nothing like this has ever happened to me noooo . . .)

See how it makes a little incident, a fun read? J 

2.   Use strong verbs.

Avoid those be-is-are-going words like the plague!  It's fun imagining up words that aren’t in passive tense. 

Weak sentence: Today is a bad day—my school is bad. 

Strong sentence: Today my school gaped open its jaws to swallow me whole. 

(Yes, that is dramatic . . . and yes there is a reason why no one reads my dramatic journal entries!!)

When you use interesting and strong verbs (instead of weak ones) you will transform the BORING to FUN. 

3.   Title your entries!

Sometimes half the fun is coming up with random, crazy title for your entry! 

What do you think of these? (And don’t ask where I got them!)

-Classics and Carpis

-A Non-Special Music Moment

- Cupcakes, Guitars and Alaska

-I’m ~3~ Again

-Super Saturday

-April Aspirations

-In the Shadow

4.   3-D Your Memories

I have a sister who doesn’t just write in her journal.  She makes it come alive—she tapes pictures, stickers, and puts in any keepsakes that will fit.  (It’s fat, and it takes all of my self-control not to go take a peak in it.J) 

Include funny quotes or any paragraphs you come across that show good writing.  Tell about your favorite books.  Record the weather.  Mention prayer requests.  These are all things you’ll want to remember later.

5.   Start with Intriguing Statements

Talk about practice for good writing!  Any story, paragraph or book should start with an eye catcher.  Your journal entry can too!  They’re fun to come up with.  Instead of “Today I got up and ate breakfast” try . . .

-This entry is going to be quick, to the point and back to life!

-Yehawww I passed my test!

-I thought I had problems yesterday . . .

-I don’t understand girls—and I even am one!

-The sunset burns liks a fire tonight.

6.   Share about what God is teaching you.

Your journal will have so much more depth and meaning if you write about what the Lord is doing in your life.  I like to include verses that have meant a lot to me lately, and lessons that He has been teaching me.  Even the pages about my most embarrassing moment, or the funniest quote, or the most exciting day—can not beat the treasure of God’s Word, and remembering how it has been a part of my life.

Writers should write incessantly on every subject—and for the glory of God.  What fun practice!  And no one is going to read it, so why not spice it up!  Surely I’m not the only one with a flair for the dramatic!?  

English . . . Does it Rock or is it on the Rocks?

I received a business memo the other day inviting me to the company’s annual Christmas dinner. The invitation assured that the meat and table service would be provided, but employees were asked to bring a side dish or a . . . desert. Hmm. I have some red sand upstairs in the craft box. Maybe I could mix it with sugar and sprinkle it on top of a yellow cake.

I don’t blame my boss for his mistake. English can be such a ridiculous language sometimes. Many generations of students have cried over all the silly rhymes they must learn to remember all the exceptions to the rules. And spelling? Let’s just not even go in to that.

Sometimes it’s better to laugh instead of cry when not even spell check will catch all the mistakes because it’s technically spelled right even when it’s not the right word. I ran across these “Reasons Why the English Language is Hard to Learn” today. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

We must polish the Polish furniture.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I did not object to the object.

The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

They were too close to the door to close it.

The buck does funny things when the does are present.

A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of injections my jaw got number.

Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

I was proven right that I had the right of way.

It gets even worse. Take these examples for example:

There is no egg in eggplant.

There is no ham in hamburger.

There is neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.

Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

Quicksand can work slowly.

Boxing rings are square.

A guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

Why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?

Or, one goose, 2 geese? So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

How can you ship by truck and send cargo by ship?

Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

You can make amends but not one amend.

Your house can burn up as it burns down.

You fill in a form by filling it out.

An alarm goes off by going on.

English truly reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all).

After all that, I’m more thankful than ever that God promises not even one jot or title (the smallest letter or period!) of His word will ever change or pass away!

“The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”