Mt Hermon Christian Writers Conference – Laura Bennet

What I’m Learning From My Illness

August 10, 2013

I began getting sick more easily last November.

And it seemed to take longer than usual to shake it off. By January, I had been sick two more times and still felt under the weather. An unexplained rash began taking over my body with painful itching. At first, I didn’t make any connections. Stress governed my life due to family pressures, a beloved friend losing her baby, my grandmother passing and my push to sell myself to an agent. I assumed sleep would take care of my health issues. That is, if I could get any.

During the Mt Hermon Writers Conference, I silently itched and couldn’t sleep for the pain. But, after meeting with an agent who had some great ideas for me, I put my goals in place and plowed into my writing and marketing plans. Within a couple of weeks, the rash on my fingers had turned into painful, oozing blisters. My hand was so swollen I couldn’t type. Complete exhaustion prevented me from speaking a cohesive sentence let alone putting one in a book.

It was difficult to drag myself out of bed at all.

After numerous tests, the bottom line is a depressed immune and adrenal system – the result of a variety of issues. One of which is the driven, non-resting me that ties my worth to my productivity as a person, wife, mother, educator and writer. In the furthest recesses of my heart, what I do and how I perform dictate my value. Oh, my head knows this isn’t true. Jesus loves me based on who I am, not what I do or don’t do. A recent read of Embracing Grace by Daniel Brown, PhD, reminded me that God’s love is unconditional and complete. But sometimes my broken places scream otherwise. Especially when my defenses are down because of external or physical stress.

Here are a few things God’s been showing me:

As I admired the amazing diversity of God’s creation on a recent trip to Florida, I was struck by a whisper of God to my heart. “Just as my creation praises me by being what I created it to be, so are you my creation and praise me by your existence. I delight in you simply because you are.” Wow! Really? Still wrapping my mind around that one.
Rest is more spiritual than physical. Yes, I need to get enough sleep. But on my vacation, during which I basically slept or lounged all day, every day, the Lord showed me that my soul wasn’t at rest which was just as exhausting as not sleeping enough. I’m trying to grasp that I can be still because God is God and has everything under control. He says “I have everything you need. Relax. I’ve got your back.” I am finding peace by spending time each day in his presence—simply sitting and listening for his voice. I’ve read Psalm 23 about 100 times. Really.
I need to listen to what God says. Not agents or bloggers or other authors (no offense to all you wonderful, wise writers out there). I was crazily trying to learn everything and do it all even as it shifted from week to week. Knowledge is helpful. God tells us to “get knowledge.” But God will lead my steps. His direction may or may not fit with the “101 Steps to Getting Published.” Therefore, I need to be selective with what I read (I do not have time or energy for all of it, even if it’s good advice), and I need to submit it to God to see if it fits with his plans for me. He’s the one who can make his good plans for me happen. I got off track. It’s easy to do.
Reacting to others or circumstances rather than seeking God first sends me into emotional overload and gives the enemy a place to attack. Instead, whenever I start freaking out inside, I’ve been trying to ask God, “What do you say about that?” Sometimes it takes some sorting out the truth from the lies that swirl through my mind. Today my husband reminded me that whenever the thought I hear accuses or belittles me, it isn’t my thoughts or God’s about me. Satan hates me and wants me to hate myself. He is the one who tells me lies.

I’ve been learning so many great things. And while I’d rather have God heal me miraculously, I believe this has been the better way. Of course, God knew that.

And now I need to get to bed 🙂

Perhaps you can relate to feeling overwhelmed or exhausted because of an urgent driven place inside. Would you be willing to share your experiences?

What I Learned at Mount Hermon

March 30, 2013

Or, an attempt to encapsulate infinite amounts of wisdom in less than 800 words.

Mc Nair Wilson, our keynote speaker, inspired us as creative people to:

Be yourself. What do you do best? Who are you, really?
Take risks. Just start something. Everyone fails. You have before, you will again. Don’t fear it.
Challenge assumptions. God expects us to live in more abundance.
Stay Curious. Do what people think can’t be done. God’s name is I AM and He is holding you.
See differently. Write a story no one has written before. Do. You.
Be confident. God’s on your side.
Tell the why. Pay more attention to life.
Remember that Jesus showed us humor, humility and humanity.

About editors and agents.

Practice talking about your manuscript. Agents and editors expect you to be nervous so don’t fear them. Know your story well. Be prepared to answer their inquiries and be willing to ask them questions too. If an agent or editor has to tell you no, it isn’t personal, it’s about the right editor at the right publishing house at the right time. Don’t give up!

About the craft of writing.

The four D’s:

Desire sets our protagonist on a particular path that pulls the reader through the book.
Distancing happens with each conflict that knocks her off the path.
Denial is the point when it seems that our character will never attain her desire.
Devastation goes beyond denial, pushing our character back to the beginning.

A boring or confusing story is actually a symptom of a writer not having a concrete desire with high stakes for each of his main characters. We can approach our story with this simple formula:

Protagonist wants (action words – verb) so that (specific result or outcome).

For me, it’s actually much harder than it seems. Being specific propels the character through the story, but that same specificity feels elusive to pin down. I’m still working on it.

Use restraint and control with our words. (Rein ‘em in boys!)

Our sentence structure needs to keep the tension taut like a rubber band during our story. Too many words weigh our story down and alleviate the tension. We may lose our reader. Make it easy for our reader to remain engaged. Anything that stops the action (or forward momentum) is a reason for our reader to stop reading.

Use sentence rhythm. (Who knew?)

Our sentence rhythm needs to match the beat of the action in the scene. The sentences should reflect what is going on in our character. High action or nervous tension? Use short sentences. Complex sentences make the reader wait to get to the action. Don’t make your reader wait. There is a fine line between suspense that engages the reader and frustrating our reader by not giving enough detail. Each sentence should answer a question and raise another one.

Show, don’t tell. (We’ve heard this before, right?)

We want our reader to feel the scene not just read about it. Use all five senses and chose your words and their placement for the greatest impact. Split up descriptions and place them strategically to show without stopping the action. Add emotion by showing it in the dialogue and action of the characters without explaining or naming it.

And finally, about characters.

Point of View

Pretend there is a camera attached to the side of your POV character’s head. He can’t see himself (don’t cheat with a mirror), only what he would be looking at or thinking. Limit your point of view changes to new scenes. You personalize your characters by the way they perceive a setting or scene.

Dialogue

Knowing your characters intimately will help you create real dialogue that shows who they are without tags. Try taking out all the speaker attributes and see if you can tell who is speaking. Use action wherever possible and only add in “he/she said” when necessary to avoid confusion. Long, uninterrupted speeches aren’t natural. (Okay, maybe only for me …just ask my husband). Keep it short.

One parting note…

My mentoring group teacher, Brandilyn Collins pointed out to us that when we evaluate our own writing, we judge it based upon the same level of craftsmanship with which we wrote it. Therefore, find a more experienced critique partner (or professional editor) to help you discover the deeper issues you may be missing in your writing.

Phew. I made it. Only 760 words. And that was only the first day. (Just kidding)

Any tips you’d like to share with the group?

What Would My Characters Do?

January 19, 2013

My “practice” novel is almost to the midway point.

I’ve been slogging through the past few chapters of A Voice from the Past as my characters face some emotional changes. They seem true to life in their expressions and quandaries, but somehow, at least to me, I want more from them. More action, more depth, more life. And direction. Maybe they want to call the shots, and I am battling them for control. I don’t know. I’m new to this. Remember? An amateur.

Yesterday, I found myself staring down one of my characters.

I wondered what to have them say next. In that moment, I realized once again how helpful the advice gleaned from the wonderful teachers at Mt. Hermon’s Christian Writers Conference was to me. The reason I could look my character in the eyes is because James Scott Bell taught us to develop characters by finding actual pictures of them from stock photos on the internet and answering questions about all the details of their lives.

Karen Ball, an avid coffee lover, explained that she creates characters by assigning how they like their coffee! She described making coffee for them and sitting in her writing studio drinking coffee with her characters. They come alive for her that way. Real coffee, real characters. Very cool!

So, I have a notebook with all my characters pictures and bio’s in it.

Whenever I need more from my characters, I go to the notebook and flip to that character’s page. Then I ask,

if you were real, what would you do or say right now?

It sounds a bit crazy. Maybe people would say eccentric. Okay, perhaps even neurotic. I say helpful. Necessary. Enlightening.

Now, if only they’d talk back…

How do you make your characters come alive for you?

A Shout Out

October 18, 2012

In March of 2011, at the Mt Hermon Christian Writers Conference I met an author, and my life was changed.

Sitting in the front row (because I’m like that), I took copious notes and listened in awe as Mary DeMuth shared the various ways she had learned to make money as a writer. Mary’s name meant nothing to me at that point. I only knew I wanted to write, and I hoped to make enough money at it to attend that same conference the following year. Her class offered answers to my questions of Can it be done? and How? Mary said it could, and I believed her.

Then, she gave away copies of one of her books.

My covert approach to the table upon which said books resided may have indicated my insecurity at being a newbie with no knowledge or understanding of how these things work at a writers conference. Two different titles were offered with the gracious request that we choose only one so as to leave enough for everyone. I had never heard of either of the books, but I love to read so I figured, What the heck? In my novice confusion, I didn’t even realize they were actually Mary’s books. Sorry, Mary.

Should I just grab one? Which one? Did it matter? Was anyone watching me? In my fear and trembling, I didn’t catch the fact that they were related books; in fact specifically book 1 and 2 of a series. Even though I did read the cover, my nervous inhibitions kept me from comprehending a single word so I did what any book connoisseur would do: I chose the cover picture I liked best. It ended up being book 2. Of course.

Later, in the bookstore, I saw Thin Places A Memoir by…you guessed it, Mary DeMuth!

The book was relatively short, a price I could handle, and I actually recognized Mary as the author so I bought it. Imagine my surprise (at my own book table stupidity) and delight when I returned home and realized I had two new books to read by Mary! Confession here: I initially thought I sure hope I like her writing as much as her class!

Thin Places gripped my heart like a vise. By the third chapter I was sobbing for little Mary and for myself at the same age. Every chapter brought compassion for her and healing for me. At the end, I set the book down reverently and expelled the breath I seemed to have been holding throughout. I started the other book, Wishing on Dandelions, before my tears dried. And yes, now I’ve read almost every book she’s written.

Mary just released her newest book, Everything, which so far is everything I’ve come to expect from one of her books. Vulnerable, direct, insightful and real encouragements presented by a master wordsmith. Another pure delight.

There’s a moral to my story:

Great authors should be promoted, and I believe Mary is one of the greats. Buy her books. Read her captivating word play for yourself. I think you’ll agree.
Thank you, Mary. For forging a writing path with years of sequestered journaling, for teaching us what you’ve learned the hard way, for opening your heart and soul in the really hard places, and for all the encouragement and prayers you offer your readers. Thank you.
Pray for Mary and her family. Her youngest daughter is currently ill with some undiagnosed ailment. It came without warning and stunned the family while Mary was on a recent trip to Haiti. You can read about it on Mary’s blog at www.marydemuth.com

I hope you’ll consider checking out Mary’s blog if you haven’t already heard of her. Time spent with Mary is time well invested.

Is there an author who has impacted your life? Tell us how in the comments below.

How to Become a Professional Writer

September 14, 2012

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Richard Bach

This quote caught my attention earlier this week.

My apologies to you whose blog I “stole” it from because I didn’t make a note of where I saw it when I copied it down and now, can I remember where it was?? Of course not! This is the life of reading so many words from too many places; and getting old. There’s a lesson here about citing sources, I’m sure. Thank you unnamed author. May you be justly rewarded in some fantastic way! (If you are that blogger, and read my blog as well, would you be so kind as to let me know so we can settle up?)

My response to the quote above was, “Wow! Really? Then there is hope for this amateur writer because I will not quit!”

Seriously, the quote may seem facetious, but it holds a simplistic truth. Sometimes, all it takes to succeed is us not giving up. I think of my daughter, Ashley, who recently ran a half marathon in Vancouver, Canada. It was her first, and she didn’t quit. She crossed the finish line (in a relatively decent time even) and became a marathon runner. Still, she had put in training time.

While the simple theory of the quote encouraged me, I also considered all I’ve been doing to become a professional writer. Nearly a year and a half ago, I finally decided to take writing seriously and began doing everything I was told.

Here’s my list:

Take writing seriously. I know I already wrote that, but that is how important the step was for me. I had to choose to write for real. Not just say it, or dabble in it, or read a lot and dream about it.

Learn to write well. In high school and college I was told I had a gift for writing. For some crazy reason, I believed that meant everything I wrote and sent out for publication would be snapped up with a grateful “Thank you for gracing us with your wonderful work.” After a dozen rejection letters, I felt crushed and indignant. Then I decided I must not be any good after all. When I humbly accepted that I had things to learn about writing, my writing improved. Imagine that! I’m still learning. We can always learn something new or perfect what we already know. Mt Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference has been invaluable.

Write. Seems like a no brainer, but honestly I can spend a lot of time doing “writing” tasks without typing a word. 10,000 words or hours or something… Bottom line: we need to put in a lot of hours actually writing.

Build a platform. What’s a platform?? Honestly, this has been the hardest part for me. First to understand the need, then to be genuine about it and finally to simply put in the time to learn the technology and make connections. I’m currently reading Michael Hyatt’s book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. I’ve already learned so much in just a few chapters! (Like now I know that I’m supposed to write a disclaimer–according to FTC rules–saying I’m not being compensated for mentioning Michael’s book or Mt. Hermon. I list them simply because I think they’re so helpful.)

Learn to write fabulous book proposals. So my book is done and in the final stages of editing, but how’s someone going to hear about it unless I can pitch it well to an agent or publisher? Guess what? I’m reading a book about that too.

It seems like a lot of work because it is.

I’m fortunate to be able to work full time (ha! I use that term loosely) on my writing, but it’s still a challenge to spend so many hours doing something without being paid and think of it as a “job.” Explaining to people what I do for a “living,” that I write…for nothing, presents a challenge in my mind. But I’m trying to see it as an investment. As in a startup company. Like a professional. One day it will all pay off.

What’s your list? How have you turned pro by not giving up?

What Makes a Writer a Writer?

April 28, 2012

I just read a blog post by Jeff Goins that challenged writers to believe we are a writer when we say we are. I love that!

Last April I attended Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference for the first time. I was terrified, but I wanted to write since I was a kid. Attending the conference made a statement to myself; you will take writing seriously. I set some goals and worked to learn the craft of writing. This blog confesses my amateur status, but when I read Jeff’s blog, I realized he’s right. Our confidence and professionalism begins when we decide to be a confident professional. The change may be gradual, as it has been for me this year, or it may come as an instantaneous choice to think differently.

A professional mindset will lead to success. If we work like a pro, we’ll be a pro.

This year I attended the conference again. At first, fear and insecurity ruled my thoughts, but eventually the surroundings felt familiar. Surrounded by professionals, I began to think like them, and act like them.

No, nothing is published…yet. But I’m having a blast being a writer, and not many people can say that about their profession.

So, when did you decide you were a writer?

Chop, Chop, Chop

April 21, 2012

On Tuesday I finally finished my second full book. Hooray! Now the real work begins. Wednesday and Thursday my goal was to define the themes so I could begin editing and restructuring. When I started writing, the main idea revolved around online dating, and while that certainly remains a big part, the major theme speaks more about starting over in love and marriage after a messy, hurtful past. I discovered that I want to give readers hope that God can do the impossible things we only dream about.

In order to make the message clear, today I chopped up my precious “baby,” discarded parts, pieced some together and added bits to make it flow. It’s painful to read a section and like my writing, but know that I have to cut it out for the sake of the whole. I think I’ve become better at letting go. The wonderful folks at Mount Hermon’s Christian Writers Conference taught me how to chop out words and use better ones to say more. I’m grateful for all the instructors and my Head Start critique group with leader Karen O’Conner. Their suggestions gave me constructive ways to improve my book. I also appreciate the advice from Susanne Lakin’s posts at Live Write Thrive!

Today was only the beginning. Out of 354 pages, I made it through nine (well, I cut out three so technically twelve). I worked hard and long. Wow! Can’t imagine how long it will take to polish. Just as in writing it, one step at a time will get the job done.

I love to write. I can’t change the way words fight for a place on the page some days and hide from my probing mind on others; or sometimes during the same writing session. I’m also learning what hard work writing is if you take it seriously. Like any job, you get better at it as you work at it. It’s great to love what you do. Waking up excited to get to work thrills me. I pray you feel the same about your work whether it’s writing or some other profession. Here’s looking forward to Monday and growth as an amateur writer…chop, chop, chop.

Are We There Yet?

March 24, 2012

I confess. I’m an amateur. Truly, and I can’t get it together enough to write my blog in a timely fashion. Sad face here. But I think I have a fairly good excuse as far as amateurs go. If I held a professional title, I don’t think it’d fly, but maybe as an amateur…

Here’s the deal. I’m getting ready to attend the Mt Hermon’s Christian Writers’ Conference next week, and the pressure is on to get together the two manuscripts I am entitled to submit. Which means editing ad infinitum because I’m terrified they won’t be good enough, until I’ve taken out whole sentences and then put them back again in a new order, then removed parts and reinserted until finally I’ve decided it was better the first time, or maybe not, but I’ve got to quit somewhere. My actions replicate my favorite quote which I’ve placed strategically on my note board over my desk at eye level in an attempt to keep myself from doing exactly what I’ve been doing, or at least encouraging me that even professionals do the same.

“All morning I worked on the proof of one of my poems, and I took out a comma; in the afternoon I put it back.” Oscar Wilde

Next I plow through an extensive Excel spreadsheet with numerous authors, agents and editors to decide who I’d like to torture with the honor of said submission, by having them read my amateur scribbles. The question arises(with a gulp), “Am I ready for an agent?” A new friend who IS a professional (read published) author suggested a few months back that I should pursue seriously the agent realm, but I confess that I just didn’t feel good enough yet. Now with the potential of submitting my work to a real professional agent as part of my conference tuition, I have decided to bite the bullet and go for it. Obviously, the worst that can happen is that they will kindly (everyone at this conference is extremely kind and encouraging)tell me that I need heaps more work before I can consider myself agent ready. Sigh…a writer’s life is not an easy one and fraught with rejection as I’ve experienced.

Back to my excuse…

The learning opportunities seem endless as I diligently read all the workshop descriptions and teachers’ profiles trying to get a sense of which will be the most helpful for me at this point in my amateur “career.” I can only take one out of the ten listed for each of the seven sessions and only a handful don’t really apply to my genre of writing. A plethora of rich instruction from amazing authors and editors! What’s an amateur to do??

Then someone mentioned packing. Packing???? Oh no, you’re right. I’d forgotten that for six days away from home (I’m participating in a Head Start program for new writers which adds two days to the actual conference), I need something to wear there. Oops. Last year, I drove back and forth for four days…no big deal, but really late nights, so this year my husband thought it would benefit me more to stay. What a darling man! Except for the part where I have to add packing to my to do list!! Oh, and then of course there’s the fact that the one who usually makes meals for the family, which consists of at least three children and sometimes the additional grown ones with granddaughter, will be gone for six days being fed for a change by others (bless you!). Meaning I need to plan for my family to eat while I am off being somewhat pampered (even though I will be slaving over words not a stove).

Now you begin to see how a blog with pretty meager readership gets pushed out of the way. Not very professional of me, is it? But that is why I am still an amateur writer I suppose.

Laura Bennet – Author

Sharing Stories of Hope, Healing & Redemption.

Tag: Mt Hermon Christian Writers Conference