Finding Time...Oh the Frustration!

If you are like me, and your life seems to thrive going from one urgent matter to another, time is a precious commodity. I confess I have not gotten a handle on this particular issue when it comes to writing. In most areas I am a disciplined person. I have to be. On the other hand, life as a pastor sometimes means I must drop what I am doing (maybe something I've disciplined myself to do) and handle the urgent. It's not like the guy heading for the emergency room can stop and wait for me to finish what I am doing. Let's not even talk about the pace that calls come into my office.

You might be one who is blessed with large blocks of time during the day for accomplishing your goals as a writer. I say, more power to you. If you are favored in that way, you need to make your gratitude evident by being disciplined with your gift.

However, if you are like me, you will need to use every free moment that comes along. That means making up for the spontaneity by being disciplined in other areas. For one, make sure you keep organized notes of your research. This is a must for the urgency driven writer. You must be able to get on track and do it quickly. To accomplish this I carry a small, pocket-sized notebook with plenty of pages. Ideally, a journal of that size works the best. I chronicle my research. I write down stray ideas that might come while I'm sitting in the hospital waiting room. I can assure you this little tip can save you a mountain of frustration when you are finally able to sit down at the computer and get back to writing.

Second, when you do find that little bit of time to work on your manuscript, I say let it fly. Don't worry about perfect grammar and spelling. Let the creative juices weave their way to the keyboard. You can edit and re-work your manuscript later, maybe in one of those larger blocks of time. This is how I accomplished the writing of Distant Thunder. You can do it too.

These two little tips for the writer who is unable to block out long segments of time to write are invaluable. Work at it. See what happens. Go with the flow.

Jimmy Root Jr

Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller

Virtual Book Tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions begins on August 3rd. Follow along on Titter and Facebook. http://twitter.com/jimmyrootjr/ http://facebook.com/jimmyrootjr/

Link to: http://virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/2009/07/distant-thunder-virtual-book-tour-09.html

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The Storyline: Part One--Using the Mundane

What, no glamour? No adventure? How can you have a proper story without the fluff? That is a great question, and one that every writer has to answer at one point or another in their writing.

In my development of Distant Thunder, I found that placing the character within a world filled with everyday, seemingly mundane activities helped bring to life whatever emotion was being experienced. Yes, the Lightning Chronicles series is a work of Prophetic Fiction, filled with action, renewed terrorism, death, mayhem, and the fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy. But it was in between the action sets that the mundane opened the door to truly understand the character and his/her conflict. For example; Pastor Ty Dempsey will soon be facing the most dramatic event to ever hit the mainland of the United States...although he has no clue. The climax will be an epic moment, but to get there, I had to reveal how Ty's particular conflict was building in him the character to withstand the coming disaster.

How does a writer create 'feel' without using action? I confess, I'm no expert. Rather, I used ordinary moments in my own routine to draw out of Ty his inner conflict. At one point the antagonist, a board member in his church, is being a rather large pain in the.....neck. Ty finds himself working through the feelings of betrayal, manipulation, and hopelessness, all while thumbing through the Church's Child Protection Policy. Let me tell you, there is nothing more mundane and boring than a Child Protection Policy: necessary, but BORING! Yet Ty's emotions flooded the paragraphs of the page without anything adventurous actually happening in the storyline.

You can do it to. In fact, you can practice right now. At the top of the page I posted a picture of garden green beans. Why? Because just last evening I spent an hour picking the little stinkers while sweating out every last ounce of my body fluid in the extreme humidity of Missouri. (I love hyperbole!) Take a moment and place your character, conflict and all, in a garden. Have him or her pick some green beans. Something like this:

Jana tugged at a long, fat bean and lamented. Rust had marred the most tender portion, a little clump of dirt clinging to the end was the culprit. At least half the bean was tainted, ruined, scarred. A tear found its way down her cheek as she saw her own life staring back at her. She'd ignored how the scars had layered themselves upon scars. But now, there was no innocence left to mar. This one, rusted relationship had finished it off.

Pardon me, I got way too in touch with my feminine side there. Okay, maybe something humorous:

Bob knew he'd gone way too far. It was one thing to try to lighten a moment with laughter. It was quite another to act out in unabashed tomfoolery, but here he'd done it again. That one bean, out in the middle of the wet, raised bed had called to him. He couldn't resist. Now, his face was covered in muddy slime and a warty, obese toad had locked him eye to eye. Wait, was that a smile on the toad's face?

I never realized how picking green beans could actually be cathartic. Yes, it's raw. It's unrefined. But it uses something ordinary to create a climate for development of your character. Try it! Let me know what you do with this little green bean patch.

Jimmy Root Jr

Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles

Watch for the Virtual Book Tour coming in August.

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A Good Writer's Group Can Be Valuable

Opinions are varied, but for the writer just getting started, finding a good writer’s group can be of tremendous value. Such has been the case for me, though it was the last thing I was looking for.

A writer’s group, at times called workshop or critique group is a cadre of three to six writers. This group gathers on a regular basis to offer constructive criticism and support for each member’s work. These groups can have a variety of experience levels, ranging from the novice to the polished, published author. The purpose is simple, to improve the skills, motivation, and success of each member.

My experience in a writer’s group has been exhilarating. When I first began to write my series on Biblical Prophecy, I had no knowledge that such groups were available. Therefore, I had no idea as to how to search one out. I came upon my opportunity by pure chance. I was invited. I am a better writer for the experience and Distant Thunder is a better book. In fact, with the support of the group I found the publishing process much more enjoyable than I'd been led to believe.

Horror stories abound. Many published authors openly declare a disdain, even loathing for the writer’s group. The truth is, in many instances, they are right. A poorly designed group can steal the joy from a writer’s soul. Ego can be driven to the lowest depth. Motivation can be exorcised from an author by an overabundance of criticism. However, finding a properly functioning team filled with fellow authors who only want to get better, can make all the difference.

Here are some suggestions when deciding on a writer’s group.

First, the group must have clearly defined goals. This can be as simple as making sure each member has something new to offer at each session, to how and when an author might defend his writing to the critics. A group without purposeful parameters finds itself wasting time and energy, thereby draining the members of creativity.

Second, there must be rules for criticism. Good guidelines will allow the group to function with efficiency. Within the confines of my writer’s group, each of the four members will share the latest segment, chapter, or article. Both the strong and the weak points of the writing will be examined. Praise comes accordingly, as does the criticism. Remembering that quietly listening to a critique can be intimidating, a special rule has been adopted by the group. For each critical comment, there must be at least two, equally authentic praises. We call it “two pats for every slap,” and it works beautifully. A guideline should also be adopted to prevent a monopoly on criticism by any one individual. Criticism must always be constructive and shared.

Third, the group should meet regularly. This can be once a week, or once a month, but it must happen methodically to have value. If one is offering segments of a continuing story, regularity of meetings can keep the other members on track with the context. But motivation is the greatest benefit with a disciplined pattern of meetings. To show up without having put forth an effort to write is taboo. If nothing else, it teaches the individual to stick with the hard work of honing the craft. The idea is for everyone to participate.

Fourth, there should be a mechanism in place to remove unfaithful or unruly members. Occasionally, a person may fall into the category of someone who does not pull his or her weight. Either by consensus or by vote, the person must be politely removed, or the entire group will suffer and eventually fold.

Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder Book One: The Lightning Chronicles
A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Release Date: August 10, 2009
www.lightningchronicles.com

Watch for my Virtual Book Tour coming in August and September of 2009. Details to come.
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Beware! Writing Is Addictive

If your history was anything like mine, writing was simply one of those unmentionable facts of life. I wrote because it was part of my job. Reading and writing were part of my education, one that I'm thankful for. However, it was only the reading that actually gave me any pleasure.
But then one cloudy December morning, after the thermometer strongly suggested I stay nestled close to my keyboard, I discovered the wonder of telling a story with the ends of my fingertips. Staccato clicks and runs rattled the entire day. For the first time I ignored the 'backspace.' It was just me, my computer, and a massive mug of coffee. By the end of the day I was addicted. That addiction has led me to the doorstep of a Virtual Book Tour.
The writing of Distant Thunder, began that cold, dreary morning of December 2, 2007. Two months later I had a manuscript. Three months after that, Distant Thunder had a publisher. Miraculous? Absolutely! Since that fateful start, my addiction has swelled into three books and a completely separate series proposal. If I weren't so completely enthralled with my life controlling issue (addiction) I would be calling the nearest chapter of AWA....Addicted Writers Anonymous. Thankfully, there are no chapters in the lower forty-eight states. Write ON oh captured one!
Jimmy Root Jr

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