Cold weather calls for a hot drink!

I don't know about where you live, but here in the midwest it is getting cold! Today is the third day in a row of gray skies, icy wind, and rain-that-might-turn-into-snow. Our high yesterday only made it to 39 degrees! Such dreary weather does much to heighten one's appreciation of fireplaces, sweaters, and hot tea. So, I decided that for this installment of "The Starving Artist" I would share some of my favorite hot drink recipes.

Sugar Cookie Tea

Put a plain black teabag in a mug and fill the mug about 2/3 full with boiling water. Let the tea get extra strong, then remove the bag. Fill the mug the rest of the way with milk. Add 2 or 3 drops of vanilla extract. (For those of you making faces, it doesn't taste like sugar cookies, but it does smell like them.)

Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Make a cup of plain (or dark) hot chocolate. Add about a tablespoon of heavy cream to it. Sprinkle the top with pumpkin pie spice and stir it in. This is one of my favorites!

Cinnamon Cider

Put fresh apple cider in a small pan and heat it on the stove (cider that's fresh-pressed at the orchard is best!). Once it's hot, pour it into a mug and add a cinnamon stick. If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor, float the cinnamon stick in the cider while it's heating, or sprinkle some ground cinnamon into it.

What is your favorite hot drink for a cold day? As always, be sure to share it in the comment box!

Christian Fantasy?

The fantasy genre can be a controversial subject among Christians. Some will say that all fantasy is wrong, period, while others hold that only certain fantasy, usually a particular book or books, is wrong. Fantasy is like any other genre – there are bad specimens of everything.

The aspect of fantasy that raises the most fuss has to be the common association of fantasy with magic. Face it: fantasy and magic go together. Magic is part of what makes fantasy what it is. I have, pinned to my bulletin board at home, an article from Writer’s Digest on fantasy, and it states: “fantasy always involves some kind of magic”. That’s just the way it stands.

Which poses an interesting problem for Christian writers, since the Bible makes it clear that Christians should have no involvement with magic, witchcraft, or sorcery. Where does that leave those of us who want to write fantasy?

First, it depends on the kind of magic you’re talking about. There are two basic types of magic.

The first one is simply the manipulation of natural laws. For instance, having a character draw energy from a tree to give them enough strength to survive a wound, or allowing them to deflect light waves, making themselves invisible. I don’t have a problem with this kind of magic. In all honesty, we use it ourselves – it’s just a matter of perspective. For example, technology that we take for granted today (Wi-Fi, GPS, Genetic engineering) would appear spectacularly magical to someone from the sixteenth century.

“Mind-speaking” falls into this category. Real-life people can feel another person staring at them. A person paying close attention can feel the mere presence of another person in an otherwise empty room. When my brothers and I were little, our mom could tell whether or not we were telling the truth before we ever said anything. Close friends can often communicate with only their eyes. So really, “mind-speaking” in fantasy is just an enhancement, an exaggeration of a skill that we as humans already possess.

The second type of magic deals with wizardry, witchcraft, and sorcery. Webster’s dictionary defines a wizard as a man with “possession of supernatural power by compact with evil spirits”. A witch is basically the feminine counterpart of a wizard. Sorcery is defined as the use of “evil supernatural power over people and their affairs”. This is the kind of magic I have a problem with.

Magic consisting of superhuman power granted by an alliance with demons or other evil spirits is what Christians have to be careful with. I’m not going to say that your writing should contain absolutely none of this kind of magic, although if you feel that is should that is certainly up to you. In Reyem, the fantasy world where my novel is set, this kind of black sorcery is used very widely, but only by the pagan Moritarcs, the enemies and “bad guys” of the story. The Protected (Reyem’s equivalent of Christians) are forbidden to use magic or sorcery.

Now, they do from time to time accomplish some superhuman feats, but it is with power given to them by The Shield (Reyem’s name for God), not the power of sorcery or witchcraft, and not whenever they choose – they can use it only when The Shield allows them to. It’s no different than the apostles performing miracles in the New Testament, using power that God gave to them. Which brings us to the issue of “good wizards”.

I’m as much a fan of Gandalf and Fenworth as anybody, but considering the definition of the term “wizard”, can Christian writers really have “good wizards” in their stories? I say yes.

According to the dictionary a wizard’s power comes from his alliance with a spirit or spirits. In the case of an alliance with evil spirits, the wizard would be given power in exchange for something. But if the wizard is a follower and servant of the God of your fantasy world, why couldn’t that same God have given him superhuman power to use in His service?

***

Magic will always be a tough and tricky subject for Christian fantasy writers. There will always be questions of where to draw the line. But in essence, it’s not about the power. It’s about what the power is used for, and where it comes from.

The Fact in Fiction

I usually get strange looks when I tell people that I want to spread the truth through my writing, considering the fact that I write primarily fiction. How can you share the truth through made-up stories set in made-up worlds?

For a secular writer, that would be a legitimate question. But for a Christian writer, the answer is simple. True Christians are grounded, firmly anchored in the Truth. In John 14:6 Jesus tells us that He is the Truth. So the Truth is in us; it is part of us; the Truth is what saves us. In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said that our words come from what is in our hearts. So if we fill our hearts with the Truth, it will be reflected in our writing … even if we’re writing fiction.

Jesus used fiction to communicate the truth – just read the parables. The Sower, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and others – all fiction used to make a powerful point.

Look at the Chronicles of Narnia. How many Christians can read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and say that there is no truth in it?

I’m not saying that your writing should all be allegorical. My novel, Son of the Shield is not allegorical, but it is nonetheless a story of rebellion, repentance, redemption and forgiveness – the forgiveness of both God and Man. There is truth in that.

If the truth – the real truth – is embedded and rooted in your heart, it will come out in your writing.

Autumn Trail Mix

I love autumn – bright leaves, busy squirrels, brilliant sunshine, and blustery rainy days. A chilly autumn day calls for long hours of writing, and an appropriate desk-side treat. But if you’re like me, you don’t want to spend your long writing hours making the appropriate desk-side treat. The solution: Trail Mix. Quick, easy, and delicious. This fabulous recipe is one of my favorites:

Autumn Trail Mix

~Candy Corn

~Honey-roasted peanuts

~Raisins

Just three ingredients – but a wonderful combination that’s great to keep around, especially in an attractive little bowl within easy reach of your writing spot…

What is your favorite trail mix combination? Be sure to share it in the comment box!

"The Starving Artist"

We’ve all heard the phrase. I suppose whoever invented it had a point (after all, writing really doesn’t pay that well) but the picture presented is kind of depressing (i.e. you’re unsuccessful, no one appreciates your work, you can’t even make ends meet and afford to buy food, etc.) and the implied self-pity is very annoying.

So, you may ask, why title a blog series “The Starving Artist”? Simple: writing is hard work, and writers need good food to sustain them. And anyway, writing is much more enjoyable when one has a good snack to go with it!

It’s always been a principle of mine, that no one to visit my house leaves hungry. Henceforth, that principle applies to The Lair as well. My ‘Write Like the Pros’ series and other postings will continue as usual, of course, but I’ll be on the lookout for writer-friendly recipes to share with you all from time to time. Feel free to share your own favorite writing treats with the rest of us by posting them in the comment box – the more the merrier!

A Poem for the Last Day of October

October's Bright Blue Weather

O sun and skies and clouds of June,

And flowers of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour

October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumble-bees make haste,

Belated, thriftless vagrant,

And golden-rod is dying fast

And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When Gentians roll their fringes tight

To save them for the morning,

And chestnuts fall from satin burrs

Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie

In piles like jewels shining,

And redder still on old stone walls

Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things

Their white-winged seeds are sowing,

And in the fields, still green and fair,

Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks

In idle golden freighting,

Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush

Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,

By twos and twos together,

And count like misers, hour by hour,

October's bright blue weather.

O suns and skies and flowers of June,

Count all your boasts together,

Love loveth best of all the year

October's bright blue weather!

~Helen Hunt Jackson (1830 - 1885)

My Writing World Today

These days I’m busier than ever with my writing. I started a new undertaking this semester - teaching creative writing! It has been a new and exciting adventure for me – a little scary, but a lot of fun. God has blessed me with wonderful students, and each one of them has challenged me in a unique way.

I am currently hard at work on my first novel, Son of the Shield (SOTS). Novels are a world unto themselves, I have learned, and SOTS is no exception! Immensely challenging and occasionally very frustrating, SOTS has nonetheless been an amazing journey and a true blessing (albeit a very well-disguised blessing sometimes). SOTS is a high-fantasy epic, and the first in the series, The Adelfian Prophesies. December 31, 2009 is the goal date to have the first draft finished – very lofty, I know, but I’m shooting for it anyway.

I am also the co-author of another novel-in-progress, Daybreak. My friend Heather and I have joined forces for this urban fantasy adventure, and it has been a barrel of fun! We are both having a blast and eager to work on the rest of the trilogy.

Aside from SOTS and Daybreak, I am always in the middle of several smaller projects, usually poems or short stories. Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a book of poems, all set in the same fictional town of Applestock. And there are always new poem or story ideas to be considered and jotted down.

In addition, I am a monthly writer for Apricot Pie, a website for home schooled writers. I have been a member for a little over a year, and it has been a delight every step of the way. Our founder/chief/editor, Ben, has put a lot of work into making Apricot Pie a wonderful place for us members to share and comment on each other’s work, and his efforts have made the site a true blessing!

One of the things that I am passionate about is the fight for the truth. In an age and culture where the agenda is everything and truth is optional, I am incredibly burdened to proclaim the real story, the way it really happened. As one way of doing that, I manage Chaqar-Aletheuo, a blog where the truth is diligently sought out and presented without shame after careful and thorough on-the-ground-research. If you are interested in becoming an investigator/writer for C-A, leave me a message in the comment block and I will contact you.

And of course, I have The Writer’s Lair to manage and keep up for all of my friends and guests. My goal is to make the Lair a place where Christian writers feel welcome; a place where they can find helpful resources, advice, and godly encouragement. Writing can be a rough journey, my friend. But you’re not alone. God has given me a burden to encourage and serve other writers – even if writing professionally is not God’s plan for your life, we are all obligated to use God’s gift of the written word to our best ability and for His glory – and I hope that The Lair will be a place where we can do just that.

Write well, my friends!

Growing Up Writer

My writing has come a long way since the days of El Nino. It’s been an interesting road, with many interesting steps and stops along the way. There were countless poems and short stories – as L.M. Montgomery would put it, “yards of trash” – and even several works that I had the audacity to call novels. Naturally, I considered all of them to be masterpieces. My poem “Shadow Women” was destined for the Pulitzer Prize, I was sure. I patiently bided my time, waiting for The Long Way Home to be discovered by a director and made into the next blockbuster. Coyote Hill would certainly make the best-seller list as soon as it hit the market.

Then I grew up.

Recently, my friend Heather and I were sharing stories about how we became writers, and how our writing has matured over the years. Heather described how her writing had matured gradually, getting better and better over the years. For me it was a little different: it seemed like one minute I was a kid who liked to write. The next minute, it clicked, and I was a writer. My writing style changed overnight – literally – just as I was ready to begin my first novel … my first real novel.

I lost the ‘to-edit-this-would-be-a-desecration’ attitude (yes, I was one who suffered from that affliction) and buckled down to editing with a vengeance. Within a few months, however, I had discovered that editing-as-you-go is very poorly named, because you don’t actually go anywhere. Editing-as-you-go should actually be called ‘editing-as-you-sit-in-place-and-make-yourself-miserable’. So with that lesson learned, I started a new battle: learning to silence the inner critic.

That, I confess, is a battle that I am still fighting. Just when I think she’s silenced and locked away, I hear her naggy little voice over my shoulder…

In October of 2008 I began a new quest: seeking publication. My novel was still in the first chapters of the first draft, an infant still in need of shelter and nurturing, but I had several poems and short stories filed away in my collection of work. A good bit of the collection consisted of the aforementioned “yards of trash” that, for sentimental reasons, I had not parted with. But there were a few pieces that showed some promise, I was sure of it. So, I selected one and sent it off. Nine days later the rejection came back. I had told myself all along to expect a rejection, but I hadn’t really believed that I would get one. However, after recovering from the three-month-long funk brought on by that first rejection, I sent out another piece. And received another rejection. But this time I fired back the very next day with yet another submission.

And this one was accepted!

The acceptance letter could have been the Pulitzer Prize itself and I would not have been more ecstatic. The $5 check that came in the mail could have been $5 million and I would not have screamed any louder.

But most importantly, the next time I told someone I was a writer and they responded by asking “Have you published anything?” I could say “YES!”

How I Became a Writer

I can say with total honesty that I have been writing stories since I learned to read and write. I have a scrapbook containing pages of practice-pad paper on which I scrawled with crayons stories, plays, and the illustrations to match. Not all of my stories made it to paper. Some I merely acted out while running wild on my parents’ farm, accompanied by my co-writer/supporting actress, a Yorkie terrier named Esmerelda. Whether they actually made it to paper or not, I was always writing stories.

Strangely enough, however, I was fourteen before I realized that God wanted me to be a writer.

I was standing in a convenient store staring at a rack of greeting cards when one of them – a painting of a Friesian horse galloping through the fog – sparked a story idea. As the day progressed and I went about my business, the story grew in my imagination. The Friesian horse became El Niño, the leader of a wild herd descended from horses that had survived a shipwreck on an uninhabited island many years before. By evening the idea wasn’t just a story idea – it was a book idea!

I started writing it by hand in the back of my journal, but worried that I would run out of pages. I commandeered a blank composition book from the school room and was about to begin copying the beginning of the story into it, until it struck me … I could use the composition book for a different story! I wasn’t limited to just one book.

That was when it dawned on me – I was going to be a writer!

Stephen R. Lawhead - Bring it to Life with Description!

Stephen R. Lawhead

About two and a half years ago, I discovered the work of Stephen R. Lawhead. His book Hood (from the King Raven Trilogy) was the first one I read, followed quickly by the Song of Albion Trilogy and the Dragon King Trilogy (while I was waiting eagerly for Scarlet and Tuck to come out).

Mr. Lawhead is a seasoned veteran of the Christian writing industry, so I decided to make him my next subject in my series, Learn from the Pros.

The main thing I’ve learned about writing from reading Mr. Lawhead’s work is that descriptive detail is okay. Most writing experts will tell you to keep description to a necessary minimum and “let the readers fill in the details”. To a person like me, who loves describing the characters, scenery, and architecture in my stories, that advice is far from uplifting. But if we want to succeed, we just have to grin and bear it, right?

Not according to Stephen R. Lawhead.

Read his work and you’ll find it rich with vivid description – towering cities that leave you speechless, sweeping scenery so real that you feel like you’ve been there, monsters that make your stomach turn, and characters you would recognize on the street. From the breathtaking ramparts of Askelon to the ancient forests of Wales, Stephen Lawhead leaves you feeling like you’ve been there. Lived it. Touched it.

How does he do that? He describes it!

Experts tell us to let the readers use their own imagination to fill in the details. But how does that make you feel like you’re really there? When you step off of a plane in New York City, you see exactly what it looks like. You don’t have to use your imagination to “fill in the details”. The details are already there, waiting for you. And when you leave, you feel like you’ve been there, because you have been there! You craned your neck to see the tops of the skyscrapers. You stood on a sidewalk and heard the noise of rush-hour traffic. You smelled the cafes you walked past. You didn’t just see the city, you experienced the city.

Now, granted: you didn’t read every billboard you passed. You didn’t examine the physical appearance and clothing of every pedestrian you met on the sidewalk. You could not possibly take in every detail there was to take in, nor should descriptions in your writing give the reader every possible detail about the subject being described. Your story should not get lost in your descriptions, and the plot and action should still be clearly visible. (i.e. after six pages of solid description, the readers have probably forgotten what the characters are doing and why they’re doing it in the first place) But don’t get the idea that the plot and action are all you’re allowed to have. Plot is the story’s skeleton. Action is the story’s muscle. Don’t leave her at that! Put skin on her; dress her up; maybe even give her some makeup and jewelry.

Writers – especially those in the fantasy genre – don’t throw a bunch of nondescript characters into a blurry, vague world and expect them to act out some excruciatingly detailed plot. Give the characters character! Make them unique and distinct. Don’t leave your readers to wonder where they are. When a reader picks up your book, they’re accepting your invitation to enter your world. Be a good host – don’t leave them to find their own way around. Take them by the hand and show them around.

Read Stephen R. Lawhead’s work and you’ll see: there’s nothing like entering the world of a story and feeling like you really lived it!