Bubbles in the Wind

The wind swept across the plains in Northwest Iowa. My four year old son, Jadon, attempted to blow bubbles into the wind. He gave the bubble blowing several tries, then shoved the wand back into the bottle, turned to his oldest brother JP, and said, “I’m just wasting my time here.”

This story is amusing in the fact that a four-year-old has all the time in the world, but even at such a young age with little responsibility weighing him down, Jadon knew to continue blowing bubbles into the wind was futile. There was no point in continuing.

Often times in life, I set goals for myself, but in the ensuing daily-ness of life I lose sight of those goals. I forget why I do what I do.

At times like these I stop and proceed through the following five steps to refocus my priorities.

Step 1 I start by asking myself:

· Am I blowing bubbles into the wind?

· What am I doing here?

In this way, I begin to assess if what I am doing will take me where I really want to go.
For example, I am currently taking a writer’s course in the hopes that in two years I can be a full time writer. I assess if what I am doing will get me to that desired end.

Step 2 I need to ask myself:

· Am I on track?

· Do I need to step up the pace of what I am currently working on?

· Should I be doing more than I am?

Step 3 I look at what I can cut out to further my writing career.

· Do I spend too much time scanning the internet?

· Or watching television?

· Or reading books?

· Or too many outside interests:

o Bowling

o Golf

o Spending time with friends

While all of these things are not bad in and of themselves, if they detract from my goals, they need to go.

Keeping a positive mental attitude over the long term can be difficult. I often have to remind myself of why I do certain things to keep motivated when the flow of words stops and I fail to see the results I want.

Step 4 To stay focused and pressing on towards my writing goals:

· I have aligned myself with other Christian writers to:

o Hold me accountable

o Encourage me

o Critique my work

o Direct one another to seek the Lord when the road gets hard.

· I am taking a writing course to:

o Keep up to date on current writing trends

o Have mentor guiding my writing as a trained professional

· I read books on writing to:

o Get ideas

o Educate myself

o And just for fun

Step 5 Lastly, I make sure my spiritual tank is full by:

Spending time daily in:

o prayer

o Bible study

o Praise and Worship

Regular communion with the One who guides my hopes and dreams enhances my ultimate goal of encouraging women in their walk with Christ.

So, if you feel you are blowing bubbles into the wind. Stop. Put your wand back in the bottle. Take a few minutes and evaluate your life. See which activities further your life goals and which detract. Decide today to stay focused and blow your bubbles with the wind. In this way, your life goals can take flight and work with you.

Novel Writing The Snowflake Way

As some of you may have read, my new year's resolution involves actually writing a complete novel. I am going to. In light of said resolution, my writing friend, Gwen and I set up a plan. At our last writer's group meeting, held during a good old-fashioned Iowa blizzard, we talked through our goals and detailed a plan. Using the snowflake method of novel writing, we embarked on the arduous journey of tale telling.

The snowflake method, by Roger Ingermanson, details in a 10-step format how to write a novel. Ingermanson has written six novels using this method and has won numerous awards. Here are the ten steps in a nutshell:
1) Take an hour and write a one-sentence synopsis of your book.
2) Take another hour and expand that sentence into a paragraph describing the story setup, major disasters, and story ending of the novel.
3) Take another hour and write a one-page summary sheet of each of your characters including: characters name, purpose, motivation, goal, conflict, epiphany, and summary.
4) Next, take each sentence of your summary paragraph and make a complete paragraph out of each one.
5) Take a day or two and write up a one page description of each major character and a half-page description of all other characters.
6) Now take a week and expand the one-page synopsis of the novel into a four page synopsis.
7) Take another week and make a full-fledged character chart detailing everything there is to know about each character.
8) Make a spreadsheet detailing the scenes that come out of your four page synopsis.
9)Begin writing a narrative description of each scene that emerges from your synopsis.
10) Sit down and start pounding out the real first draft of your novel.

While this is a very brief synopsis, you get an idea of what we are working with. For the month of January, my writing partner and I are working on the first seven steps in the snowflake method. We want to complete the first draft of our respective novels by spring. We are holding one another accoutable and I am inviting you to join us in our writing trek.

Both Gwen and I have solid story ideas which we've written down in a one-sentence synopsis. We are now moving on to the paragraph step. Ingermanson details how to complete this step on his website. We invite you join us in our "Novel Adventure."

If you have been pondering a novel idea or simply toying with the idea of writing a book, take up the challenge to join Gwen and I on this "Novel Adventure." If you are looking for accoutability and encouragement, join Gwen and I on our "Novel Adventure." If you are simply bored and need something to do with all of your free time, step right up and join us on our "Novel Adventure." Don't spend another year wishing you had written the next great American novel, do it now.

Whoa! I get a little carried away. Let me know through your commments if you are joining our "Novel Adventure." I'm excited to hear of your story ideas and how you intend to accomplish your own "Novel Adventure."

Have a great day!
Lori

Blogapalooza

Today is the day! I am the guest blogger at Middle Zone Musings along with several others. Middle Zone Musings is smack dab in the middle of Blogapalooza. Everyday for the last week, Robert Hruzek has posted links to other blogs exposing us to hundreds of great blogs, and the exciting part is, you can participate too and generate new traffic to your blog.

You might be asking yourself, "Bloga-whatza-pa-whooza?" Well, Robert Hruzek has graciously offered to post links to your blog--one for each month of 2008--on his blog. The directions are simple a pocket gopher could do it. So head on over there and sign yourself up. While your there, check out the other links.

Have a great day! Write On!

Lori

Goals: Too High or Too Low

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26 NASB

Yesterday on Twitter, I received a question from Tricia Goyer: If you could do anything you wanted and knew it would succeed, what would you do? What a great question. I immediately shot back a reply. I would write a novel. A pretty lofty goal, or so I thought. I am busy, but who isn't? I have eight children who require my time, but who doesn't? If I set my mind to it, I could write a novel.

I even have a good reason for writing a novel: to encourage women in their walk with the Lord, their family, and their friends. I was feeling pretty good about my answer; not to mention who the question was from--a real, live author. Exciting stuff for a newbie in the field of writing.

Two days ago, I started rereading Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn moved me deeply when I read it five years ago. When I came across it in my local library, I snatched it up for a quick reread. I really wanted to read it, but it has sat in the library book pile for several weeks. It is now incredibly overdue, but I needed a book to read at school during D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read.) I snatched it up on my way out the door.

I am enjoying it as much the second time around as I did the first...sort of. The story is challenging me in different ways. Different parts of the story are jumping of the page and screaming, "Apply me."

Yesterday, after I received and answered the twitter from Tricia, I resumed reading. Ben Fielding, a Getz executive, is in the middle of his visit to his college roommate, Li Quan, in China. While Ben led Li Quan to Christ in college, Ben traded his faith for success in the cooperate world. Li Quan traded his dreams for his faith which is being tested daily in China. Throughout the visit, Li Quan challenges Ben's thinking...and mine.

In a conversation about goals, Ben comments, "So far I've done alright. I've always managed to get what I've wanted."

To which Li Quan replies, "Then you have wanted too little."

Ben set goals for this world only; while Li Quan set eternal goals.

So in light of this conversation, I asked myself, "Are my goals too small?" "Am I setting goals for this world alone or for the next as well?" Challenging questions. I find myself so busy somedays doing housework, shuttling kids here and there, and working my various jobs, I lose focus. I take my eyes off the prize. I become so overwhelmed with the challenges of this world that I fail to see the reason behind the challenges is to fit me for the next world.

I need to once again evaluate what I'm doing and why. As a task oriented person, I like the short accomplishable tasks. The ones that can be finished in a reasonable (before I get bored with it) amount of time. I have found, however, that the most important goals in life last years if not a lifetime: raising and training my children, growing in the wisdom, grace, and knowledge of God, being a Godly wife, encouraging women in their walk with the Lord, their family and their friends. Each goal takes a long time. Each goal is worthy of the time. Each goal reaches beyond the bounds of this world for only in Christ can I reach each goal.

I come back to the original question, "If you could do anything your wanted and knew it would succeed, what would you do?" I would love to hear your answers to this question, and why.

Have a great day!

Lori

Safely Home Print by Ron DiCianni

Safely Home music video:www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXQhRYM3yP8

Safely Home
Steve Green
Children, precious children I Know you’re shaken,
A loved one taken. Oh but hear me. Come, draw near me. Their pain is passed now. They rest at last now, safely home.
They are strong and free. They are safe with me.
This life is nearly shadow. Today there’s sorrow, but joy tomorrow. Safely home. Safely home.
One day you will join them, all together, this time forever, safely home. Safely home.
Words and music by Jon Mohr
Copyright 1998 Sony/ATV Songs LLC and Randy Cox Music, Inc.

All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing,

8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203.

International copyright secured. All rights reserved.

New Year's Resolutions

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I am going to do it this year. I am going to write not one, but two complete novels. I have been outlining book ideas for years. I am going to stop putzing around and finish a book.
I've made progress in my writing in 2008. I've been published in magazines and contributed to books. I've written and sent out a non-fiction book proposal. I'm in the middle of a Bible study proposal, but I really want to write a novel.
I've always wanted to write a novel. I've talked about writing a novel. I've read about writing a novel. I've outlined several novels. I've even started writing a novel or two or three, but I've never finished writing a novel.
This is the year. This is the year. I'm going to put my writing where my mouth is and write a book...or two.
Grab the year by the horns. Go for the gusto. Live the high life. Use as many cliches as possible on your blog because you can't use them in your novel.
Resolve to live your resolutions.
Have a Fantastic New Year! Write on!
Lori