This Sentence Has Five Words

It is always embarrassing when you realize that those pages on your blog ("The Bookery", "What's Brewing", etc.) are terribly outdated. Happily for my readers, I managed the pages today, so everything on them ought to be correct including where you can buy my books, what projects I currently have in the works, and more. You ought to check it out, if for no other reason than that it no longer looks antiquated. Don't you love the strength of that motivation?

Since releasing the cover for Anon, Sir, Anon, I have this amazingly strong urge to release it early. I will not. I promise I will not. But I cannot wait to order my proof copy and get it in my hands. November 5th might seem a long way off, but till then, why don't you order a copy of Fly Away Home? It is only $12.50 at Amazon and will be a fairly cheap trip back to 1950's NYC. Though I know my writing has grown since publishing Fly Away Home, it is still a book of which I am proud and there is nothing to blush at.

People have commented that ASA is written in a different style than Fly Away Home and even The Windy Side of Care. I am glad they see it because it was done with a conscious effort for cadence and rhythm. You see, in real life (and on this blog), I tend to be breathless, breezy, and verbose. You can hear me rush a dozen words out where three would do. I laughed over a text to a friend recently. He asked a simple, one-line question. I answered with a text three or four or five sentences long, answering his question as I would in real-time conversation. But when you're always jabbering on and on and on, much is lost in the noise. People stop listening. The ear is so assaulted that the brain takes a vacation and runs off elsewhere while you continue with words words WORDS. This happens not only in conversation, but in writing. If one is always chattering, too much slips through the cracks.

In writing Anon, Sir, Anon, I was purposefully aware of varying sentence length, patterns, and reading the sentences out loud to see how they sounded in the mouth. It's a different way of writing, but it pays off. I am surprised and pleased with the...gentility of my prose when I am more economical. But rather than run my mouth over how I did such and such, I found a pin on Pinterest that perfectly represents the case:

Isn't that fascinating? I learned, somewhere between Fly Away Home and Anon, Sir, Anon about cadence and rhythm and I'll keep learning. It's pleasant to be able to see that my writing has improved from one book to the next. What is a "lesson" you've recently learned?

Stylin' ;)

I have come to terms with two things recently:

1. Just because I love a certain writing style does not mean that I was cut out to write that style, and 2. that I don't have to stick to one book and one style.

As far as the first point goes, I love reading writers like Jenny who have a full, blood-red style. But that style isn't mine and I can't make it mine. I can get inspiration from reading literature like that, but that does not necessarily mean I was born to write that way. :) (doesn't stop me from trying sometimes, though. ahem. ;)
For the second point, take my current projects for instance. Keeping Tryst is the working title of a new book. (It may or may not go anywhere, but that's beside the point.) Its style is much richer, more dramatic, more regal. This book satisfies me when I'm in a dramatic, elegant mood. The Traveler is that strange little piece of nothing that I work on when I am feeling satirical. :) When I'm in a comical mood I work on Third Time's the Charm. Fly Away Home is the other book that I write when I'm in an off-mood. ;)

Of course I can't work on all these books at once and I know some of them may not make it to fully fleshed novels, but rather than losing my humor, satire, drama, and other flavors in one big mash of them all, I thought I'd try to keep things separate. I have worked with all of them at once, (i.e. The Scarlet-Gypsy Song) and though it worked very well for that book--because of two different worlds and vastly different characters--I think on a whole it is best to pick a predominate strain of style and work the others into specific scenes.

It can be hard for me to do that--to pick one--because I love writing in each style so much. That's how I get a dozen stories clamoring for attention. That's how I exasperate my sisters who are much more practical than I. ;) What are your thoughts on style and working different styles together?

We sought an author, we found a man.

In moments of "unspiration" (un-inspiration, you know) one of my chief delights is reading other writers' work. There is something satisfying at surveying a world of diverse styles and knowing that each author, in their own way, is serving the literary world equally well. Sometimes a certain style will reach out, snatch your heart and squeeze it unbearably between fingers of joyous pain. Jenny did that to me the first time I read her blog. (and continues to do so on a shockingly regular basis) I was effectively pen-slain.

Pen-slaying--that act of writing something that so speaks to another writer's heart that it renders their own pen ineffectual for a day or so.

In these moments of recovering from being slain by another's pen, the temptation is great to bemoan your own style. "I can never write the way Jenny does!" I might lament. And it may be true. I may never be able to write in the way Jenny does because that style belongs to her. It was a gift from God to her. Does that make my style any less worthy? No. You may not be able to write like me (you may, in fact, be much better) but that does not mean that my writing is any superior than yours.

What am I saying then? It is best summed up in this quote:

When we see a natural style we are quite amazed and delighted, because we expected to see an author and find a man.  ~Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1670

I speak of natural style. When it is missing, we have a book. When it is present, we have a world. I could, perhaps, build my words until my writing looked precisely like another writer's and yet it would not have the same effect on people as Jenny's has. Why? Because those words would be missing soul. They would not have been written from my heart. They would appear as they were: fabricated and stilted. To quote Theodore Laurence of Little Women:

"Mediocre copies of another man's genius."

How does one find their natural style? Write the first things that come to mind. Write quickly and without stopping to think. Do not worry about rules and regulations at the first. Just write. Later there will be time for rewriting and editing and such but for now, just write. You will need to add polish. You might have to get on your hands and knees and scrub the tiles of your words until they reach their full marble-shine. But by writing without a thought for what people think of it or what effect it is having, you will find your natural style and in that natural style your reader will find, not soul-less words, but a wealth of heart-lyrics that will capture the mind and heart.

It's worth it, really. :)

If You Wrote Like I Write.... ;)

Do you want to know some of my writing secrets? Not like writing tips, but secrets of the way I write? They'll make you laugh, and make me blush. Ready? Okay.

1.) I use a superfluous number of exclamation marks. This quote from "Cranford" could be said about any of my writing:
"She wrote in such distress--there were exclamation marks!" ;)

2.) I hate writing with pencils. If I am forced to use one, I sharpen it every couple of minutes. I absolutely *cannot* use a blunt tipped writing instrument. :P You want a quote to go with this? Okay. Here's one from Puddleby Lane:
"Of course she knew that writing with a pencil would be far more practical—she would be able to erase mistakes. But there was something stimulating in the scratching of the pen’s nib. It liberated her fancy and the words flowed freer. A pencil humped along like a bored snail but an ink-pen skimmed the surface of the paper like a gull winging above the ocean waves"

3.) I am guilty of plugging in synonyms of "said" at the end of my dialog to make the writing sound more prestigious, and ending up sounded the direct opposite. Believe it or not, "said" is invisible, and therefore doesn't ruin the flow of your writing like other, longer words might.

4.) I vow that a glass of homemade (or Chik-fil-A) lemonade is the best companion for inspiration. Hot tea makes me sleepy, you need hands to eat anything and there's something about the zing of lemonade that wakes you up... ;)

5.) My brain freezes up when there is a sister looking over my shoulder at the progress of my story. I can't think quite so well. Especially when I know they are casting silent darts of disapproval over the fate of certain characters...ahem.

6.) I scribble poems and story ideas down on random scraps of paper and stick them in random books, and come across them later on long after I had forgotten about them.

7.) I apparently make faces and generally act out my book on my face while writing. (Or at least, my sisters tell me so.)

Was that at all interesting? I hope so. What are some weird things you all do when you write? Any strange habits? Have a great Memorial Day weekend! I'm entering a pie-contest. :) Even authoresses are not above dabbling in pastry-making. ;) -Rachel

What is Your Purpose In Writing?

" Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly at fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest."~Jane Austen

The above quote basically encapsulates my style of writing. All my favorite books are ones that inspired me, encouraged me, and made me forget my own problems and my own trials in a beautifully woven story. I am a cheerful, merry-hearted person most of the time. I read for enjoyment. And I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy reading books about dark, scary, depressing, or miserable lives. True, a dangerous scene has amazing potential for turning a dull book into something extraordinary, but I prefer real dangers like historical battles or other such things. I just can't make myself like the books dealing with murder or abuse or guilt or misery. Well, I should correct that statement. Some books, especially ones by people like Charles Dickens, do have dark scenes. They do deal with misery and guilt and things like that. But they don't stay there and wallow in it. The characters move on and their issues are dealt with.
I am not saying that I like "prunes and prisms" books. Far from it. Pollyanna irritates the Dickens out of me! (No pun intended ;) I did not ever connect with Elsie Dinsmore. These books are not bad and it's not as though they are not well-written.
The popular, modern style of writing is to choose a tormented person as the protagonist (main character) and dwell in their disturbed mind and lives for as long as possible, and then dump you at the end of the book with a highly disturbing ending.
Okay. So I am stereotyping, and I haven't personally read anything like that, but I have read snippets of "great novels" in my writing book, and that is the general idea of the modern novel, as far as I've been able to tell.
I gather that the thinking behind this is to give readers a character they can relate to. And I can only scratch my head. Really? Because I wasn't under the impression that prisoners were the main source of avid readers in society. Maybe I'm wrong. They probably have a lot of time on their hands and would appreciate new stories.
But in all seriousness. Is it really worth "relating" to a character to spend hours reading a dark, depressing book? I cannot think that is profitable. Of course, my life has been "easy" compared to many people's. I have been homeschooled, and raised in a distinctly Christ-loving home. I have both my parents, and a passel of brothers and sisters. :) I live out in the countryside, surrounded by my loving family. And so I cannot relate to the popular main characters in modern fiction. I don't understand their depression and tormented minds. It isn't pleasant to read, and it isn't uplifting to read, and there I stand.
In short, guess each author writes for a different purpose. My purpose is to convey my love of literature in a new and wholesome way to my readers. In a way that honors God's standards. In fact, Jane Austen's words fit my style pretty well.
Think all the classic books known and loved by children for generations. Think stories that stick in your mind for decades. That's what I seek to write, because that is what I love. So in closing, I'd just like to encourage each of you as writers to settle on your purpose for writing. Mine was said largely by a beloved author of over a hundred years ago:
" Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly at fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest."~Jane Austen

Tips On Writing Satire. (From My Experience! ;)

I am now going to touch upon the...touchy subject of writing satire. We all have read Mark Twain. His satirical sense of humor has kept readers in stitches for over a century. But what is it that makes his writing funny? There is a fine line between being sarcastic, and being satirical. According to the dictionary, "Sarcastic" means: "Having or marked by a feeling of bitterness and a biting or cutting quality." while "Satirical" means: "Artistic form in which human or individual vices, folly, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods..."
That definition is a little harsh for the kinds of satire I'm talking about....I'm discussing using burlesque or irony, not so much derision and ridicule. Basically, the difference between sarcasm and satire, is that one is used intending to hurt someone, and the other is used to make a point. Some of Twain's writing bordered on sarcasm at times. But satire, when used correctly, can be very effective. A little while ago, I wrote a satirical piece for Daniel, poking fun in a good-humored way at some stereotypes of homeschooling conservative Christendom. It truly amused, and relieved him! Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously, and just need to step back and laugh at ourselves! :) I did not write the piece to be malicious, or hurt any one's feelings, and I made sure it was not a direct slight to anyone, as that was not the intention! :) I can have a bit of license with this sort of thing, since I am poking fun at myself and my family in that same group. (Conservative, homeschooling, Christian satire! :P) Satire can be witty, and hilarious. Or it can be ill-natured, and clumsy. Careful which kind you write! Some people do not understand satirical humor, and may see your composition as an insult, so do be careful who you write for, and what you are writing about! :) Keep it good-humored, and truly funny. Don't be bitter, taunting, or malicious, and if you find yourself too prone to criticize others, than maybe you shouldn't be writing satire! ;) Practice writing satirical pieces for your family or friends. It's an interesting style, and in moderation, can be truly funny and effective. But it's like using cayenne pepper in a recipe, a little goes a long way! :) I love exploring different kinds of writing, and writing my little satirical composition was a fun departure from normalcy! Just my thoughts on the subject! What do you think? -Rachel