I Just Want To Write - or do I?

Okay, so today it’s eleven days to Christmas.

Do I have our Christmas tree up yet? No.

Do I have any decorations up yet? No

Do I have our annual Christmas greetings sent yet? No.

Do I have our gifts bought. YES!

Why?

I just want to write! With about three-quarters of Her Outback Cowboy (working title) written I’m now at the stage where the hero and heroine have to get busy resolving their differences. Jennifer has to come to grips with what has happened to her the last few years.

David and her father need to know the truth of her years in Texas with her mother and why, when she became an adult, she never returned even for a visit to see them and the home in the Australian outback her sixteen year old self fought so hard not to leave.

Her Outback Cowboy manuscript has been waiting for years now while I wrote the Baragula series. Now I am impatient and longing to finish it!

 So, today I simply have to get moving. Right now, Jennifer isn’t sure just where her future lies.

I know where mine is – at least the next couple of days.

Jennifer – and blog and Facebook readers – just have to wait!

Past time for me to get busy on preparations. These next days are more important than Jennifer and Dave’s story.

IT’S CHRIST’S BIRTHDAY TO CELEBRATE!

When Trying To Finish A Manuscript

 I am writing this very early to schedule to be published – and early on Thursday too for a change. I am going to try and go completely off-line for the week in the hopes it will give me more time to write.

The control of my life was handed over many, many years ago to the God I know beyond a shadow of doubt is the God of love and faithfulness to His word. The problem is I am the one who too often tries to take that control away from Him. I am so glad that in His love and mercy He still does over-rule.

The time has come when I cannot deny the fact I have been procrastinating, allowing too many things into my life that takes me away from finishing the current manuscript. This is the nineteenth manuscript I have written and am so thankful that only one of them to this point is still lying unpublished in the cupboard – and hopefully still saved on this computer – somewhere.

My biggest problem is I enjoy doing so many other things besides writing. Reading other writer’s books of course does head that list. The most recent one was a book by one of my very favourite writers, Linda Windsor. Unfortunately her “Healer” was VERY hard to put down. And it is only book One in her Brides of Alba series and now I have to find the other two!

I am not sure if reading comes before spending time with our precious, delightful grandchildren, except that we only have them for a very few hours each week. Then again, perhaps spending time on responding to emails, reading and writing blogs, trying not to spend too much time on places like Facebook and Goodreads takes too much time I could be reading – or spending time with our wonderful family. Er... did I just write reading – should have been WRITING!

Whatever the reasons, this week is it! How many words will I be able to write? 30,000 might finish “Her Outback Cowboy”.

I’ll let you know.

Knowing and Understanding - Two different things?

After knowing Ray for over 49 years now and married to him for well over 47 of those years, I believe I do know him very well.  But then, knowing his little habits and the way he thinks about myriads of things, do I still fully understand why he thinks like he does, why he may  respond the way he does?

As a writer over many years now, there is so much I have heard about, thought about, tried to put into practice of the craft of writing novels. I may claim to know certain of these  because I have heard, pondered on and even tried to put them into practice many times now, but are there any aspects of what I’ve been told, read, taught and tried to put into practice that I do not fully understand?

I am afraid there indeed may be, but after all these years I certainly hope and pray there are not too many!

In recent blog posts I have written about more and more “rules” that fiction writers seem to keep having to know about these days. I have to ask the question, “Does knowing the rules also mean understanding those rules well enough so they can be used correctly?”

We certainly live in a world very different from those writers of hundreds of years ago, perhaps even only decades ago. Many much loved novels published back then may not be acceptable to first of all some editors today because many modern day readers would not buy them. Certainly, there are still basics like the use of words correctly, grammar, spelling, a beginning, a middle and a conclusion to novels. I mentioned once in an email that some aspects of writing novels have changed since I first started writing back in the 1970s and was asked to give some illustrations.

One that sprang to mind was the way dialogue is often written today. It seems that most readers in our “instant, throw-a-way, entertain-me” society prefer fast-paced stories. This can affect several thing, including our description of settings and also dialogue. We are told to use action to show which character is speaking more often than those dialogue tags like he said, she replied. The use of punctuation has also changed. And we must realise there are new words created each year and the meaning of some older ones which have changed. There may be many reasons which I cannot go into here but it all highlights the fact writers need to keep on learning but above all keep on understanding how to use the changes.

One change I have mentioned in previous blog posts has been what the publishing industry calls “Point Of View”. This topic regularly appears in discussions on writing association email loops and at seminars and workshops for writers. We want to know about Omniscient POV, Single POV, Dual POV, Multiple POV, and one of the latest ones I’ve been noticing is called Deep POV. We need to know what each is and more importantly understand how each one can be used, which one is best suited to my own particular story and style of writing to give the reader the greatest Emotional Experience as my unfolds. Perhaps the most important fact about POV is if the reader’s enjoyment of a book is diminished by that lack of understanding just how to choose which character – or characters’– “head” to tell the story from and when and how to change POV so it is not such head-hopping the reader becomes confused and pulled out of the story instead of deeper into it.

So, I believe understanding how to adapt and use the knowledge I have about aspects of writing is so very, very important.

And we must remember that while some things do change over the years, the most important thing to remember is that “Story Rules.” No matter how perfect our “technique” as a writer may be, if the story and characters are weak and do not grip the reader so they have to keep turning the page to see what happens next, we had better go back to learning AND simply understanding “story”.

I read an email during a POV discussion recently from multi-published historical romance author, Anne Gracie - http://www.annegracie.com. She put this next important point so well I asked her permission to share it off the email loop

“Nora Roberts, the most popular and prolific romance writer in the
world, breaks POV conventions all the time, swapping POV frequently
(head hopping) and doing all the kinds of things that contest judges
in RWA would pull contestants up for. She's a smart cookie and I'm
sure over the years (before she became famous) there were heaps of
people telling her she was "wrong". She could have easily learned how
not to change POV so often, and to stop doing the things that everyone
points out that's "wrong" in her writing, so why hasn't she?

Because she wants the effect that she creates on the page when she
does it the way she does it.”

Let me say this again. STORY RULES.

Some things may never change but people do. Ray and I are basically the same and yet both different now after all these years. Sure, I may think I know him. I may think I understand him. Then he does something unexpected, responds differently that might amuse and even annoy me! One thing is sure, life with Ray will continue to never be boring!

A question for readers:

Can you remember anything in a book (especially like head-hopping) that the writer has done – or not done – which has dragged you out of the story too much? What kind of thing makes you stop reading?

A question for us writers who are always on a learning curve:

Is there anything you may know about techniques of writing a good book but which you find very difficult to understand and put into practice correctly?

Purging fires of a Manuscript

Every time an author is sent the cover of a new book there is great excitement. That long sweated over manuscript is actually going to be a book! 

Not long ago Ray had this happen for the fourth book in his 31 Day Devotional Meditation series. He has been very busy with emails going to and fro from his wonderful publisher, Rochelle Manners at Even Before Publishing. 

Today he shares a little of what he is feeling today as BETHLEHEM'S WARRIOR BABY goes to print.

And yes, while Ray is rather reluctant to add having his own blog to his busy programme, it will happen - when time permits. Until then he continues to share his thoughts here with us on my/our blog and I trust you are blessed and challenged as much as I am. 

Ray writes:

Oh, if only I was inspired in my writing!

To sit at the computer and type away confident that every word falls into place, every illustration is apt, every quote is accurate. Oh, what bliss I imagine that would be.

Alas, I’m not inspired. I’m just a writer with conviction and a desire to see my thoughts in print so I write. However what I write has to be put through various ‘fires’ before the manuscript emerges complete. Only then can the invisible imprint be scorched into the book. What are the ‘imprints’? ABH (approved by heaven) and ATP (acceptable to publisher)!

May I share with you some of those purging fires through which I have to travel with my manuscript?

There are the flames which consume the concepts of the themes I have in mind. So many ideas are burnt as being unnecessary or repetitive. That which emerges now needs hammering into chapters.

Here is the next furnace. Facts and quotes, illustrations and verses are subjected to their appropriateness for specific chapters as well as the necessary format. In essence these initial ‘fires’ are cool compared to what is ahead.

Oh, the burning sensations I endure as my manuscript is tested by various rewrites, preliminary drafts and quality control inspections!  How many times am I expected to endure such heat? Guess that depends on how much dross remains after each application of the searching flame.

As if that wasn’t enough I have to hand my hard, scorched work over to an editor and proof reader. Their oven seems to be seven times hotter than mine. Their boiler room reveals misplaced commas, inconsistent settings, unnecessary jargon and irrelevant verbosity. These people have sharp eyes, quick minds geared to language usage and the ability to see the impact such words will have on the readers. This is really the most purifying part of the process through which my manuscript must emerge.

The last fire my manuscript endures is called ‘the final check’. Actually that term is a misnomer for I’ve had to do my ‘final check’ a few times.

All of this takes time and effort. It is perspiring work. It leaves me (and others associated with the various fires) weary. However as I handle the completed manuscript ready to be printed I am thankful and appreciative of those who have stoked the flames to their most effective temperature.

Now I must wait to see how the readers respond to the purging my writing and I have endured.  Whatever their reaction this I know, I’m not inspired but I have a desire to write. It continues to take me through the various fires to produce a manuscript with ‘ABH’ and ‘ATP’ scorched into it!

Raymond (with scorch marks) N. Hawkins

Need a special, different Christmas present for someone? Keep Bethlehem's Warrior Baby in mind. And may the fire purge not only our manuscript's mistakes but our very hearts before our Holy God who sent His Son to be that Warrior Baby.

How Much Have You Forgotten YOU Had To Learn?

My first two novels

During the last few years as time has permitted me, I have been privileged to have opportunities to try and help other writers attempting their first novel. Some of the mistakes in some of the manuscripts really made me blink. After reading the first few chapters of one I even groaned and muttered, “Where do I even start with this one?”

What actually decided me to mention that in today’s blog was the prayer of our delightful grandson last night. His Dad, our own precious son, had just left very early in the morning to catch a flight on the first leg of a long trip overseas. Our grandson is now just over ten years old. He thrilled Ray and I with his maturity and faith as he asked God to keep the traveller safe and watch over himself and the rest of the family. As he prayed, I have to confess having to remind myself he is still only ten years old!

I was dwelling on this again today and my thoughts went back many, many years ago to another ten year old. I suddenly remembered how I used to pray too to the Lord I knew without a doubt loved me. Certainly since then I have been learning more and more about that same Lord, more about how He wants us to pray in intimate fellowship with Himself. Even when the answers are not always what I want, I am even more sure He is listening, is always faithful to His word, and yet have I forgotten just how much I have had to learn over the years about God and His ways?

My first novel I started writing over twenty years ago. There had been a fairly brief course about writing fiction, including setting, plotting, characters and other basic elements of a novel. Even though I did buy “How to Write” books as well over the years, learning the theory and then trying to put it into practice are often two different things. Now I look back and realise just how much I gradually learnt – and not only with that very first attempt. Fortunately for that first novel I had one editor who pointed out what we now call “head-hopping” or my bad use of Point of View. For many years I did not even know the technical term for that problem. I won’t even attempt to mention the grammar I had to learn and still get wrong sometimes!

Today I am very aware that even after having written seventeen stories I am still learning how to improve my writing to try and give my readers an enjoyable “Emotional Experience”.

One problem I have noticed writers need help with I am presenting in a workshop at The Word Writers Getaway in October – “The Structure of the Novel”. It is still not too late to register so do check out the session topics available. There just might be one to help you or a writer friend you know.

There is danger in taking for granted beginners know things we have had to learn ourselves over years and now are very familiar with – even if we still fail sometimes to put them into practice properly. Now I am trying to pass on writing techniques to others, it is important to never forget just what I had to learn – and too many times the hard way from editor requests for revisions.

I would love to have comments about specific things you remember you had to learn about while writing your manuscripts.
Perhaps there are mistakes (besides typos) you see in published books you wish the writer had known about?

Winter Writing – and/or Gardening?

Just walked in after grabbing an hour or so outside before the promised rain and freezing Tasmanian winds descend again. With our heavy programme my flower garden is a mess. I’ve been trying to grab an hour here and there when the weather and other interruptions permit to try and get rid of those out of control weeds trying to choke the few roses and the poor lavender and azalea struggling to survive. The plan is to plant more shrubs and perennials then cover the garden with sheets of paper and bark to try and keep those weeds at bay.



So here I am, trying to catch my breath and think about my writing responsibilities – like this blog. It has taken me days to catch up on reading email, blogs, author’s newsletters, etc, etc that have sat on my computer to be dealt with. Yesterday I did manage to at last tidy this desk – well, most of it – by sorting out the RWA Roadshow files, the Society Women Writers TAS short story things, the Baptist Women’s Ministry registrations for Saturday week and checked if there is anything I’m neglecting to be ready for the RWA annual conference at the Gold Coast. Oh, and realised that the October weekend for the Word Writers Getaway in Queensland is looming closer and I should be preparing that workshop about the structure of novels.

So, where does all the above leave my current manuscript? Sadly, like my poor garden, it is still waiting for attention!

The trouble is I do enjoy being involved in all the above activities and I haven’t even mentioned the delight of spending time with God’s gift of our precious grandchildren. But where does my novel writing fit in all of this? Winter is a great time to stay at this desk away from the cold outside. Are any of my other activities like those weeds that have over-run the flower garden? Are my commitments out of control like them?

Are they simply keeping me too busy to write? 

Time for Mary to again earnestly seek just what God wants her to be doing at this period of her life, what HE wants her involved in.

Writing blog posts for writers – OR readers

The question has to be asked, “Who is my blog readership? What topics are best to include?”

It has been interesting to check out the statistics on my blog posts. It never ceases to amaze me that viewers from so many countries around the world have come to my blog. Many have returned and some of course only been the once.

The most number of  reviews of my posts have been when the word “Writer” is in the title or there is of course a book giveaway offered.  I am wondering if other writers also find this happening. Is this just because writers mainly read other writers’ blogs?

“Ray on Monday” posts are devotional meditations by my husband. A few times when life for me has been too hectic – like the last few weeks helping to coordinate the Romance Writers of Australia Tasmanian Roadshow – Ray has also helped out with my Thursday posts also. His page views have also increased if they are obviously about writing.

I tend to write about what has been happening during the week in my life, whether that be primarily family or about writing and books.  The question remains, what are readers of posts on the blog of Mary Hawkins, Australian Author, interested in the most?

Okay, confession time! Being a writer, I primarily read blogs by other writers, agents and editors. However like all writers, I am an avid reader also but these days there are just so many blogs by other authors to choose from. So how do I decide which ones to follow? How do you choose?

Would love to have some comments from readers whether here or by email to mary@mary-hawkins.com.

Which blog subjects interest you the most and why?

What do you prefer to read on my blog?

What has made you want the most to be a “follower” of any blog?

Do you have any suggestions of topics you would like me to tackle here?

IS WRITING A WASTE OF TIME?

Thanks again to Ray's writing!

I'm busy with the last couple of days preparing for the Romance Writers of Australia Tassie Roadshow and will bring a report to you next week.

Hmm, these thoughts do make me wonder what he has had to put up with from me over the years though. And now we are both writing?

                                 IS WRITING A WASTE OF TIME?

The writer’s immediate response is “No!”

The reader’s considered response is “Depends.”

The non reader’s reaction would be “Yes!”

Let’s consider…

Is writing a waste of time,

Locking us in an office

Shut away from all sunshine?

Household chores in limbo.

Keyboards clatter night, day.

Spouse, children do pray,

“Lord, grant the writer success

Or cure such an illness.

Please relieve our distress

For so much wasted time.”

Is writing a waste of time,

A poor use of artistry?

Waste bins paper filled.

Envelopes full of bills.

Rejects, rewrites, reworks

Decorate the room.

Creating images,

They cast a sense of gloom

As to whether it’s worth

Just so much wasted time.

Is writing a waste of time,

A thief of one’s vitality,

A threat to compatibility?

Changed lives redirected,

Lost people reconnected,

Ignorance corrected

Form a queue for you.

In prosperity or penury,

To affirm the writing cause

Is not a waste of time!

                                    ©Raymond N. Hawkins. May 9^th 2012.

AN AUTHOR AND AUTHORITY

Once again my dear husband has written this Thursday post for me. I seem to be involved in too many things lately and I am humbled by the way he can think of these thoughts to bless and challenge me with. I sure hope they do you also!

I am so privileged to have had his support for my writing ever since he challenged me that I had some talent writing and "what are you going to do about it?"

Writing a previous article I wanted to define ‘authority.’ Of course to the dictionary I did go! It stated that the word came from the Latin ‘autoritas’, from ‘auctor’, meaning author. On the strength of that I perceived that an author has the right to command, take control, and enforce obedience within the realm of his or her domain.

With pen or keyboard we are to rule over our kingdom of words and story line. Unfortunately we know that within any society there are those who flaunt the established authority. They have a cost to pay. We also understand there are some who counterfeit certain roles within authority and fraudulently use their ‘power’ for selfish purposes.

Do you think I’m strange when I say the same thing happens in the creative realm of authors? There are some plots, characters, ideas which want to assume your authority and take you where your whole purpose of writing has no intention of going. Still they persist and the author needs to exercise his or her authority. We all have met or heard about those claimants to inspiration who insist their words have been dictated or approved by the Lord. Reading even part of the script reveals some other force has taken over. May our Author save us from similar deception or lack of personal authority for our framing of words!

As a Christian writer I consider myself an ‘under-author’ or ‘under-writer.’ It’s a similar concept to the Apostle Peter’s claim that Pastors are under-shepherds to the true Shepherd, Jesus. (1 Peter 5:2-4.) However I sometimes behave similar to the self-willed words which want to do their own thing. Fortunately my Author exercises His authority and disciplines me as He determines. This, it seems to me, is a good guideline to our responsibility within the story we are writing.

Most of us will never be a Jane Austen, William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. Moreover, there seem to be countless books around telling the story close to our heart. Why then should we bother expending our time and energy in dominating our characters and story line, especially when they want to be naughty? Would I be too vain in saying we need to write for our present and future generations the well told drama between Christ and individuals. Old plots need refreshing, modern characters face old challenges in different guises, and devotional meditations require the fruit of modern research.

When you sit before your keyboard or doodle with your pen, may you have the scent of authority as you bring words and characters to ‘life.’ Your characters etc may have some good things to say and offer in their ‘self assertiveness’. However you must be the one in control! Take the worthwhile, abandon the rest and chastise errant words. The end of the story will thank you. So too will the readers.

Ray (learning to be authoritative) Hawkins.

WHEN WRITING IS HARD

I think all writers have “hard” times of writing when the words, ideas, just will not come or flow properly. I certainly do!

It is now many years ago since that day I was whinging to my teenage daughter about needing “something to “happen” in another manuscript. She said, “For goodness sake, Mum, get a gun and shoot someone!” Well, for that story, Burnout, I did get the gun and had a fun scene with some drunken hooligans doing some target shooting enough to traumatise my heroine already traumatised by guerillas in Africa. Then of course there is that old kangaroo shooter and the shoot out with “baddies” in the Baragula books.

I have always admired writers who somehow manage to work on more than one fiction manuscript at a time. It has always seemed that my brain can only deal adequately with the one set of characters and their story.

Depending on how much of the manuscript I have written before an interruption so I have to switch gears, I have even found it difficult to get back into the story when the current manuscript has been interrupted for many hours, days, weeks, by other demands on my “writing brain”. These include such things as requests for a rewrite from an editor on another story, or even having to again read through a manuscript in the proof editing stage. It seems once I have to become immersed again in another story the uncompleted one is so very hard to pick up and continue writing.

And of course, there are more than these two interruptions that disrupt my writing a manuscript but the following will do for today.

After having successfully sold my Harlequin medical romances and Heartsong Present books, I ventured into writing single title manuscripts. When my first one was completed, I started again going through that realm all writers hate - submitting and receiving rejections again. Of course, this meant the same manuscript was rewritten and rewritten and rewritten.

Not wanting to repeat the mistake I made over thirteen years of rejections on my first ever manuscript, I decided to start writing another book rather than wait until I had sold Return to Baragula. An idea had been brewing for awhile and I always toss story ideas into a folder. So, the setting, the story, and characters were chosen and at last I started writing Her Outback Cowboy. Then the major interruption came.

At last I had signed a contract for Return to Baragula. Very exciting. However, during the rewriting and working on that story, as had happened with my Heartsong books minor characters started to demand their own story be told. Now that at last a publisher was going to release Book One , the next two in that Baragula series had to be written. Poor Her Outback Cowboy had to be put aside – until recently after the launch of Justice at Baragula.

Other interruptions have come while trying to get back into the heads of these new main characters, Jenny and Dave. Er... sorry, make that Jennifer and David! Now I have written well over 40,000 words written of what will probably be about 85,000 – 90,000 words of their story but this last week or so just seem to be stuck for “what happens next”.

I didn’t like the prologue I had written a few years ago so am trying to weave the same information into the story elswewhere for the reader. I am beginning to think I have not researched the setting enough, the possible physical and spiritual conflicts enough.

And... Horrors! Not enough has “happened”. Where is the action? Is it boring?

And what am I doing right now?

Well, besides probably too much reading of other writer’s books, I find all kinds of things that just have to be done around the place. And of course, the writing at this section of the story I’m at right now is so hard, I’m procrastinating by writing a blog post about how hard it is to get into Her Outback Cowboy again by writing about how hard it is sometimes to work on an old manuscript again.

On second thoughts...
Perhaps I do need to “get a gun” into this manuscript! But being another inspirational romance, the hero or heroine mustn’t shoot at each other of course.

But what if... ? Nah, that won’t work. Had stolen cattle in Outback From Baragula.

What about a flood? Nah, had that in Return to Baragula.

Maybe the jealous neighbour from the closest homestead hundreds of kilometres away turns up again? Mmm...
It will probably just have to be that gun once more!

Writing Exercises

I know many of us have our thoughts now turned to Easter, especially Good Friday at this time. However, because I’ve been so late publishing my Thursday blog post, I’m typing this after a great morning spent with other writers at the Society Women Writers Tasmania’s monthly meeting.

Our meetings always vary quite a lot. The first section we share anything from the previous month that may have happened about our individual projects. Each month we are give a topic to write as homework to share the next meeting. Today the topic was “Fool”. Do I need to admit I did not do the homework this month? I have been busy with helping with the organising of our Romance Writers Australia Tasmanian Roadshow here in May. Naturally I shared about that during my turn!

Then our president led us in a writing exercise. Now, we’ve done this “slam” writing occasionally before at these meetings and I always find them very difficult. Seems I need to take too long to think about what to write – and may I say that is often my excuse for my late posts here! Also it seems that, since those weeks now over twenty years ago since I first started using a computer, my brain doesn’t usually work as well without those fingers tapping rather than moving a pen.

Today really surprised me and I’d like to share this exercise with you.

Close your eyes for about ten seconds and just think of words. Don’t think of anything else, just let words flow through your mind.

Now write down a favourite colour, then a number, a name and then a word – any word. I inwardly groaned each time Wendy told use what to write down but I played the “game” and wrote:
green    seven    Emily    workshop

Oh boy, then she said we had ten minutes to write something,anything - as long as we used those four words! And no editing!

In a few seconds I was writing furiously. I honestly was amazed how swiftly I knew what to write in that firast sentence, and did not want to stop when those ten minutes were up. The words had just flowed. We are not all novelists but of course for me Emily had immediately become a “character” in a story.

This is the first couple of paragraphs I wrote:

Emily was green with envy. If only she could go to that writer’s workshop. Seven electives to choose from! Surely there would be one that could help her write that novel.

Where would she start writing that story in her head? Characters! She needed characters. Perhaps from old fairy stories she had enjoyed so much all those years ago?

Before I knew it I had a character with a flawed past, a mother enious of her when sitting on her father’s knee as he read a favourite book to her. Parents had lied to her, he was not her biological father, and so on and so on. When the ten minutes were up I just wanted to keep writing Emily’s story!

Our president told us that it has been estimated at least one-third of writers who do this exercise then find they have the basis for a story, especially writers who write many books.

Well, I certainly proved that is what happened to me. I am still surprised, but as I read over this hand-written page again a few moments ago I sighed. Perhaps Emily’s story will be told one day. Right now I have to get back to finishing the story of Jennifer and Dave in Her Outback Cowboy.
Mmm... I wonder if Emily could be a minor character there. I wonder if that would then be possible to have Emily share in her own novel just why her mother was jealous of her father’s attention to her. How could that man she had loved and admired so much ever have kept from her he was not her biological father? And who was her real father? And why... what if...?

Why don’t you try this exercise and let me know what you think!

Writers too busy to write-or just procrastinating?

I envy my husband who seems to be able to write his posts for Ray on Monday so on time and so faithfully. He usually also seems to take a fraction of the time it takes me to share with you each week. Now, is that because he writes non-fiction and I write fiction? I would be so interested to know what other fiction writers think about this.

I wrote articles as well as short stories for years before I even thought about attempting a novel. Those articles were never easy to write and now I find it harder to write a short story than several chapters of my novels! I really love getting "into the head" of characters in my books. However that only happens the way I love when I've spent time getting to know them inside and out as my Creator is the only One who knows me. When I do "know" them there are those wonderful, too few moments, when writing a scene that they say or respond to situations in ways I have not planned. There have even been times when I've re-read sections and scenes written like that and think, "Did I really write that?"

Sigh. Now if only that would happen a lot more!
Sigh. If only I had the ideas to write like this post that seems to be flowing tonight - even if at least twenty-four hours late.

Perhaps my whinging is why it is "flowing"? If that is the case, I think it is long past time I stopped boring you and went to bed instead.

Oh, an excuse why this is late? Why, Ray and I with our daughter visiting from Melbourne went with our son and his four children to see the Lorax movie last night. A great fun time and we enjoyed the movie very much - but I did become rather car-sick on those bends between here and Devonport! 

Another sigh? I'm outa here!

Hoping you are not the same!

Why Do I Read–and Write–Christian Fiction?

Why do I read Christian fiction. The answer is simple—well, to me anyway.

Although I also read many other books, I especially enjoy books of the kind I enjoy writing myself of course. Most important to me though are books published by Christian publishers. I know I can trust them not to contain scenes and language I find so offensive they drag me right out of entertaining stories so much it makes me regret spending my money. I love books and it does take a lot to make me want to throw a book at the wall, or even into the garbage bin.

I’ve been a bookworm as long as I can remember. After being old enough to devour all the books on my parent’s shelves, the first actual Christian novel I remember reading was a gift given out to students of my Sunday School. I was only nine years old when given “The Open Door” written by Eileen Heming in the Gateway Series released by Lutterworth Press (London) way back in the 1940s.

As you can see, I still have that book. Over the years I read it so many times the cover became so tattered I carefully covered the book in brown paper and glued the photo of the poor young girl confined to bed on the front. This book had a profound affect on me. It told me how hard it is for anyone confined to lie flat in a bed for many, many months and how different folk from her own church either helped or upset her Then of course there is the day her spine was healed enough for her to actually be able to sit up for a while at the Easter church service.

The injured girl’s name was “Mary” and perhaps also may have been another reason the ups and downs she had to face made me, at such a young age, think deeply about being a Christian.

On the last page, her father tells Mary, “We can look back, now, and see the blessings hidden in everything that’s happened...” and goes on to sum up the good and bad things which had happened to her and the family.

And then these last words were so important for me at that very beginning of my own journey with Jesus:-

     “I’m sure I’ve learned more in these last few months than in all the years before,” said Mary. “I feel as if I’d been at school with the Lord Jesus.”

     “That’s a very good way of looking at troubles,” said her father. “At school with the Lord Jesus—well, only good can come of that.”

Only six years after being given that book my own father died. Was this perhaps one way God was preparing me to know the truth of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

About that same time I read the first Christian novel by an Australian author, Marjorie Buckingham, called “In All These Things”. It was based on the verse from Roman 8: 37: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

As I look back now over many, many year of the ups and downs of my life, with a full heart I can say I have proven time and time again the truth of these verses.

So, hopefully now the reason why I write Christian fiction is obvious.

As these books and many others have done for me, my hearts desire is that readers may not only be entertained by my books, but that God will use them to show the truths of His Word in their own lives.

Here January 26th is called “Australia Day”. This is a special historical time of looking back down through our years to the European settlement of the Great South Land. However, also today we have many ceremonies across my beloved country to recognise and welcome new naturalised citizens to Australia. With them, we look to the future. My prayer is it will be one that includes devotion to God and His ways.

And so as I look back, I also look forward to reading—and writing—more Christian fiction.

I would love to hear from other readers and writers about any books that have had a significant affect on them over the years.

Ray on Monday - A Dangerous Letter

After reading this meditation by my husband, I thought those of us who write should be extra careful of our words!

Strange how something from long ago drops into the mind. I must have been fifteen or sixteen years old. I’m now over seventy and a sermon by A.B. Clark slipped into my consciousness. Well, it was only snippets of what he said but it must have made an impression way back then.

His emphasis was on a most dangerous letter, the letter S.

It can turn word into sword, will into swill, lush into slush, nob into snob and in into sin.

If you took the time I’m sure you could conjure up more. The point I think he was making was how careful we must be with words and not allow our ‘S’ nature–meaning our sin disposition–corrupt what we present with our mouth.

The Bible tells us that by our words we will be either condemned or justified. We are also accountable for those ill chosen expressions which so glibly flow from our lips, especially when we are angry or resentful. No wonder James called the tongue a ‘fire’ and a ‘world of evil’ (James 3:6).

The old saying, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but name will never hurt me’ is untrue. A broken bone can heal but a lacerated heart and mind may be poisoned and perverted forever. Relationships have split asunder by words being made swords aimed at cutting another to pieces.

Is it any wonder we need to ask the Lord to control, discipline and cleanse our ‘S’ nature?

Psalm 19 encourages us with these words: ‘By them (the words of God’s Law) a servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.’

Ray (always wrestling with the ‘S’ nature) Hawkins.

A Writer Glances Back and Looks To the New Year

My early morning devotions today had the theme “Facing the Future.” Ray’s devotional post last Monday was Facing the New Year and my thoughts and prayers this morning went back, way back over the many years of my writing, especially those first days of new years. And there have been many of those now! I dragged out my diaries to what I wrote at the beginning of new years, but don’t be afraid.,I won’t bore you with a personal history here! I think you can read enough on my website and blog.

Over the years I’ve heard it said so many times that a “Writer” simply writes. I had no idea I was a “Writer” over those many years I wrote in my diaries and later those long letters back home after I left for the “Big Smoke” of Sydney. They sure make interesting reading now. Interesting? Well, I do have to confess cringing at too many of the things that teenager wrote back then and also a bit disappointed there are only a very few actually written on December 31st or the first day or so of January. So that shows one thing has NOT changed – simply too busy to write over Christmases and New Year’s Days.

But then I noticed that so many thoughts I had then over the past years and about “facing the future” are similar to today’s heart of mine.

Way back in 1958, this young woman starting her “7th month of nursing training” wrote, “Well, it’s been a disastrous year in one way but full of new experiences. New friends made, old friends seldom seen but some old friends becoming dearer still.”

(Oh, and the photo here was taken on graduation night four years later!)

On January 2nd, 1959 the “writer” in me wrote, “Well, the New Year is here with all its promises and disappointments.” And of course that happened as it does still.

I went off to Bible College in the beginning of 1963 where I sure did make many “new friends”, including the wonderful man I have now been married to for over 47 years. The writing in the old diary since that year is very spasmodic with only several yearly summaries of key events. A shame, but “Writers” do move on to other kinds of writing like I did with College assignments, then that Writers Course after Ray read my diaries when we had been married a couple of years. Of course then there were articles, short stories and novels. In the last year that has even extended to trying to write these blog posts to share – which are not easy for a writer who now finds it easier to write a chapter of a book!

So, I’ve looked back through these old diaries this morning and while I am humbled at what God has given me over the years, the joy, the peace, the love and purpose in life, those events are all in the past. Even though they show me now the changes the years have wrought in me, the main thing in this writer’s life has only deepened – my personal devotion and commitment to continuing to seek out what God wants of me this New Year and trying still to obey Him. Will it be to keep writing more books? Will it be to try and be a mentor for other writers? I know it will not always be easy to listen to God, to always obey Him, but this morning’s devotions in James 4:13-17 stood out to me - especially verse 15. Let us remember to say with James, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do (write too?) this or that.”

Oh, and should add I am spending next Week from Sunday at the Poatina Faith and Arts event as a leader for the Creative Writing – Fiction elective. – if the Lord wills of course! Will not be able to post here next week so will fill you in Thursday week.
Click HERE to go to the Poatina Faith and Arts Website!

Getting Ready - for several things!

Do you find yourself too often in the “Getting Ready” mode? I seem to be in that mode all the time lately!

We prepared for our new little grandchild – and gorgeous, thick black-haired and placid Haylee Mae arrived three weeks ago today.

Next we prepared for birthdays – both Haylee’s mother and her brother Adam’s second birthday just yesterday.

And while all those were waiting in the wings, we’ve been preparing to be away in Queensland for some time on a working holiday. This will be a very busy time to not only visit family but be involved in a writer’s conference, mentoring writers, two book-signing events, speaking appointments and inevitably other things we have not planned for.

This is one time I would like another lap-top computer. However I do prefer to work on this desk-top one so think the other would not be used enough to make the expense of keeping in updated worth while! And sometimes too, after all the hours on the computer, perhaps I need a holiday from it also?

The next major event of course is preparing for Christmas and having all our children here. How very special that will be this year again! There also appears to be a week looming in January of helping more writers at the Poatina Faith and Arts event here in Tasmania. Then there are hopes for a Romance Writers event... then...? I’m sure there will be others too as next year unwinds.

Blog followers, I’ve been able to schedule the Ray on Monday posts while we are away but am not sure about access to a computer to bring you this weekly Thursday (and too often Friday!) post or if I have time to schedule another each week while we are away. Do be patient with us! And we would love more followers of course, so if you just pop in occasionally we would still like you to join us as “Followers”.

And during all of this “busyness”, somehow my own writing on that manuscript tentatively called Her Outback Cowboy is sitting all forlorn waiting... and waiting...

Expectancy

Our darling daughter-in-law is expecting. Yes, that’s right, a baby! And actually due today.

Ray and I are still expecting the phone call to stay with our other five gorgeous grandchildren while she and our son make the dash about 50 minutes to the hospital.

It seems so long ago since I was expecting the arrival of that son of ours. He actually surprised us by arriving four weeks early. But today has made me think about all the things we end up “expecting” over a lifetime – and perhaps some things that happen we do not “expect.” One of those of course is the delight of being able to expect this sixth beautiful grand-baby.

Life is full of expectancy and life isn’t always smooth travelling. We plant seeds in the ground and expect seedlings to peep up through the soil. Afraid that is something this gardener knows now she can never take for granted cause she doesn’t always look after that patch of ground well enough! We expect, perhaps take for granted many things that may not eventuate - whether that be because it is our fault or despite all we may do.

Writers live with expectancy. We write our manuscripts, we rewrite them – sometimes many times. We edit them. We submit them to editors with great expectancy. Sadly that is dashed if the rejections start arriving. I experienced this thirteen times with that first book of mine. I have to confess after the first few my “expectancy” level became lower and lower as reality told me this was even much tougher than I had thought it would be.

We are told there are only two certainties in life. We are born and then we die. There is one other certainty I must always remember. God loves me. Through all the times in our journey when hopes may be dashed, when the things we “expect” do not happen as we may want them to, we have the proof of His love for all time: God’s great plan to defeat death, to bring life eternal to those who respond positively to His love. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

This life’s journey may be rough, filled with failed hopes, sorrow. Then I look at the cross, the triumph of the empty tomb. I see the history down through the ages how God, because of His very nature, has kept His promises. He never changes and I know I can trust Him to give life everlasting to those who believe, who accept His gift of forgiveness, who become His children – all because of what Jesus has done for us.

And now I have writers at The Word Writers Fair expecting to be encouraged and helped on the Friday Intensive and my Saturday workshop in (gulp) four weeks time! Time to do more preparation - the watering, the praying, the fight against time (instead of slugs and snails in my seedling box?)

What I Don’t Like about Writing

Mary says:

Ray wrote this post below some time ago and I can't remember if we did publish this in a blog somewhere or not. So, apologies if you have read this before but it has many thoughts writers do need to think about. I certainly do and was challenged again as I read this.

It’s confession time.

There are some things about writing which I don’t like. Do you suffer the same angst? Even as I sit here at the computer I’d rather be sitting in the sun, going for a drive or doing the garden. So why am I putting mental images into words on a screen for others to read and delete? I must have some masochistic tendencies.

What I don’t like about writing is its discipline.
I have to sit myself down and be ‘glued’ to a chair. I wrestle with words to make them fit into sensible sentences. I want to see empty space fill up, then worry I have too much to say. So then out comes the ‘scissors’ and the pruning cuts me as I cut the words. The requirement to edit, proof read spell check and get facts right is a drag. I feel a sense of frustration as my inspired creation undergoes a massive make-over.

The other thing I don’t like about writing is its loneliness.
We all hear about the loneliness of the long distant runner, but who thinks about a poor writer at the desk in a house, being shut away and being hypnotised by a screen? When family or friends intrude and ideas vanish how irritable I can be. They cannot understand for they are normal. What does that say about me?

The final thing I don’t like about writing is the waiting.

When my beautifully crafted, world’s best article or book has been sent off to the agent or editor I suffer unmitigated impatience. As my yet to be acclaimed work does the round from agent, editor, publisher I imagine all sorts of dreadful things happening to it. Then when it is printed, hopefully, I wait for the astounding amount due from royalties so as to satisfy my ego and its urges. Even then the waiting isn’t over. I pace up and down waiting for fan mail, commendations and invitations to award presentations! (I’ve been waiting for years. Still they may be lost in the mail or my e-mail server is jealous of me.)

Why do I then continue to write, you may well ask?

It’s due to a virus in the soul and spirit. It comes in the form of a word, an idea or a plot. Sometimes I catch it from disagreeing with something heard or read. Once bitten a fever develops. I fight it for I know the consequences. But too late I’m infected! The infection will not abate until I get the mental jumble of words, pictures, ideas onto some page or file.


To plagiarize, and with due respect, change the Apostle Paul’s anguish: ‘woe is me if I do not write.’ So what has bitten me you may well guess!
I must express my faith and awareness of God’s grace so others can see God and His Word’s relevance in their life. I may never be famous, never make any money, never win an award, but someone somewhere may read what I’ve written and become sensitive to the call of God. I know that makes all the ‘I don’t like’ parts of writing worth enduring.

Creativity and Writing

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of being the guest speaker at a special church service for their Chat and Choose group. Many beautiful arts and craft items were displayed. I was in awe of the imagination, the skilled hands that had created so much beauty from large patch-work quilts to the fine tatting and other numerous items.

It has been a very busy time in the Hawkins family and I had found it difficult to not only make the time to prepare but also to decide what message the Lord wanted me to share. To start with, while I enjoy speaking appointments to women and writers’ groups I was rather intimidated to be the preacher delivering the sermon. After all, my husband is the minister! But our roles were to be reversed that day.

As always after prayer and reading the scriptures, the brain began to churn. For some reason I could not get past the thought of God the Master Craftsman, the Creator who looked at all He had made and thought it was “good.” How many times in the past had I read and studied those first chapter of Genesis? This time the thought of God’s valuation of all He had created as “good” really struck home. I looked again and again at that verse twenty-seven: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” And then later, in that last verse thirty-one of chapter one we are told, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”

But I thought of Adam’s sad rebellion that brought death and destruction to The Creator’s wonderful, amazing efforts. How would those hard-working craft members feel if their display at church was destroyed? How would I feel if I saw my creative writing work, my books ruined, destroyed? How would I feel if someone thought so little of all my hard work that I think of as “good” they turned away from me, even hated me? 

And although that “image” of God in humankind is now distorted, is part of our desire to “create” and love beauty still from our Creator? He loves us so much He is still reaching out to those who have turned away from Him, rebelled.

I am so very, very thankful our God is still in the “Creating Business!” that He loves us still, was prepared to let His Son suffer what should be our punishment so we can enjoy intimacy with Him again.

Let us never forget the love behind the truth of 2Corinthians5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

And the words of an old Sunday School days hymn written by another writer many, many years ago has been resounding through my head today.

I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Tells of His love in the book He has given.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see
This is the dearest that Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me!