A
Step in the Write
Direction
March
16, 2015
Update:
It’s been a long week—with the viewing, the beautiful honor ceremony at the
Veterans Cemetery, and then the memorial service yesterday. People talk about
the “new normal,” although I’m not sure anything will be “normal” anymore. But I
have so much to be thankful for: 54 wonderful years of memories, a great support
group of family and friends, and so many emails, Facebook comments, cards,
flowers, and gifts. I thank God for all of you….Now to get caught up on everyday
things: three income taxes for customers, a proofreading job coming tomorrow,
and an editing job later this week.
Thought
for Today:
“Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But
rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, 'I can clean
that if you want.' And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of
mercy and washes our sin” (Max Lucado, do not know the
book).
Song
for Today:
When
grief seems more than you can bear,
Your
soul weighed down with anxious care,
And
you are almost tempted to despair,
Jesus
whispers ‘Peace.’
Della McChain Warren, “Jesus
Whispers Peace”
Ten
Signs You Are In For A Long Sermon
1.
There's a case of bottled water beside the pulpit in a cooler.
2.
The pews have camper hookups.
3.
You overhear the pastor telling the sound man to have a few (dozen!) extra CDs
on hand to record today's sermon.
4.
The preacher has brought a snack to the pulpit.
5.
The preacher breaks for an intermission.
6.
The bulletins have pizza delivery menus.
7.
When the preacher asks the deacon to bring in his notes, he rolls in a filing
cabinet.
8.
The choir loft is furnished with La-Z-Boys.
9.
Instead of taking off his watch and laying it on the pulpit, the preacher turns
up a four-foot hour-glass.
10.
The minister says, "You'll be out in time to watch the Super Bowl." But it's
only September! (Gospel Greats
newsletter, 2/17/15).
Writer’s
Tips: More “Show, Don’t
Tell”
Don't overuse "he said," "she said."
Don’t always have to say “he said” or “she
said.” Three ways to avoid it:
1) Change paragraph with each speaker;
2) Follow dialogue with action line that
mentions the character, i.e., "Like my mother before me, I inherited my magic,"
Gwen said.
She picked up the tattered
parchment.
"Like my mother before me, I inherited my
magic."
Gwen picked up the tattered
parchment.
3) Call the other person by name. "Just be patient, Gwen."
Writer’s Digest article:
“Most beginning authors have trouble with the
use of the word ‘said.’ There is no reason to shy away from ‘said’ in dialogue.
After all, words are spoken, not flung,
ejaculated, whipped out, proclaimed, exhaled, blatted, hissed or cried. People ‘say’ things to other.
“To show you how bizarre this can become, Dick
Perry in his book One Way to Write Your Novel
(Writers Digest Books) shows how riotous and
ridiculous dialogue becomes when the author strains at something other than
‘said’.”
“Hilda,” he murmured, “I love you.”
“Do you, Herbert?” she breathed.
“Yes!” he thundered.
“Are you certain you love me?” she whined.
“Why?” he gasped. “Don’t you love me?”
“I love you,” she yelled.
“You do?” he hissed.
“I’ll always love you,” he alleged.
“I’m so happy,” she whimpered.
“Me, too,” he panted.”
Sometimes just “said” is enough!
Have a good week spreading
the
gospel
through the printed page.
Donna
Clark Goodrich
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