God Works In Mysterious Ways

This is gonna be short and sweet because it's almost 1am and I need to get up for an 8am class. Anyways... I have good news: GOD IS FAITHFUL. Maybe you knew that, maybe you didn't. I'm a worrier, so I'm in a whole 'nother category. I FORGET that He's faithful. But he certainly likes to remind me.

I'm officially registered for Mt. Hermon now and I'm going with one of my best friends this year (she's a real sweetheart). But I keep wondering where the money is going to come from so I can pay off what I owe. Jeez, you'd think I'd learn, but of course, money just keep showing up when I feel most discouraged. God is SO good and SO faithful.

I hope you see you at the conference.

Emily

Saving

Little moments are slipping by and Mt. Hermon is steadily drawing closer and closer. Money is still an issue that I keep giving back over to God. I trust Him completely with this. I feel as if He wants me at the conference this year. Don't ask me how I know, I just feel it! Maybe that's wishful thinking on my part, but I really am praying that it's in His will.

Money just seems to have a way of never being an issue though when you trust it to God. I've been turning over recyclables to raise up money. More recyclables just keep getting laid in my lap! I'm very surprised at the ways they just turn up. God is doing SOMETHING. I swear it. He answers prayer when His children ask things in His name. We'll see what happens.

For now... I'm saving and praying. We'll just have to wait and see...

Sick Days

I suppose some might say that sick days are their most productive days for writing. This is not so for me, at least, not when I'm truly and honestly sick. When I am only slightly touched with something, I can pound out pages, but when I've REALLY got something, I can't type a word.

I suppose that's a bit of a contradiction considering I'm still in the thick of whatever I've got (I think it's a variation of the flu) and I have managed to write this. Anyways...

Mt. Hermon is still on my list of things I am praying that I will be able to do this spring. I don't have a class the first day of the conference, so I feel like God is orchestrating things perfectly for me to be able to go. I still have a bit more fundraising to do.

I'm a scatterbrain. That wasn't the point of this post. I could delete it, but my style to to simply write whatever flops out of my head. The POINT is, I'm working on getting my pre-conference manuscript together. Bah. That's a laugh. I am not a big fan of editing my own work. It take a lot of effort. I only have about two weeks to get myself together and well, I'm lazy. I could be utilizing my sick day to get work done, and instead, I am choosing to sleep. The more favorable of the two options right now.

Well, like I said, while some say sick days are highly productive, I must counteract that by proclaiming that if you are TRULY sick, you will find them to be your least productive.

Mt. Hermon

I suppose it's that time of year again...

Last year at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference, I was so incredibly blessed to have been nominated and selected the Most Promising Teen Writer of 2012. God is working in amazing ways in my life. And since last year was so incredible, I can't help but pursue going back for a third year.

It's really no wonder though, Mt. Hermon is one of those few places where it's easy for a writer to get lost in the euphoria of being surrounded by other writers - believe me when I say that that is one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Writers are odd people. When we get together, we have an all out ball just talking about stories. We can even get into a full on discussion about editing. That's not normal I've come to find with non-writers. Most people don't talk about the techniques of writing. Oh well... we enjoy ourselves.

I took "Aura Lea" with me last year and I believe that I'm going to take this story with me again. Mostly because I put far too much effort into rewriting the opening scene for the 4th time. Put simply... the story I blogged about so many months ago is nothing like the story I "finished" over last summer. It's still changing and transforming. Names... Plot.... Family relations... all this and more is almost entirely transformed into something I might consider, "flipped on its head."

Everything has to be mailed by mid march, so aside from being a full-time college student, my life is now absorbed in turning the first 20 pages of "Aura Lea" into something worthy to behold.

Lauraine Snelling critiqued it for me at last year's conference and oh dear... I only just realized what she meant by "shallow" and "unsympathetic." Hence why I rewrote the opening scene altogether. My Heroine was far too angry to be a character anyone could like and all you could really hear was her bluster... very few genuine thoughts... therefore, "shallow" and "unsympathetic"

Anyways, that's all from me,

Hugs!

If All Those Endearing Young Charms

I've really been in love with old civil war ballads as of late. This one is my new favorite and I've been singing it all the time. I hope you like it nearly as much!

Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms ~ Thomas Moore 1808

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,

Which I gaze on so fondly today,

Were to change by tomorrow and fleet in my arms,

Like fairy gifts fading away

Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will;

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart

Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,

And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,

That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,

To which time will but make thee more dear.

No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close:

As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets

The same look which she turned when he rose.

Endings...

I've read a lot of books. Since I was a little kid, it was something I just enjoyed. Part of that may have been because I was lonely. Books took me to an entirely different place with people with completely different problems. But within the span of about 300 pages, I saw those problems get resolved and those characters get their happily ever afters.

So, like I said, I've read a lot. So many authors. So many stories. Even so, there is a trend among authors as to how a story should end. I used to be a very big fan of the "Epilogue." I loved looking into the future of the characters after all their problems go away and they are living their dreams. I think I liked KNOWING everything was fine. But there is another option that I think I've come to love. Epilogues make my heart ache now. It's not a pleasant feeling any more.

When a story ends, one can either resolve the problem and give the the reader hints that despite all problems, the fact that the character now has what they NEEDED they can carry on and edure, OR the author can type the word "epilogue" and explain to the reader what they had in mind. Is it at all strange that for some reason, the first option is more appealing?

On the bright side, reading an epilogue where we read about a hero and a heroine who now have everything they deserve - a wonderful marriage and a baby on the way - can make us smile. Those kinds of endings make us feel as if life is good and can be wonderful. That's why we read books, isn't it? To hear about something better? But hearing about those characters' future can eventually make your heart ache.

We spend far too much time focusing on the future and what it will be. Worrying over what MIGHT be. Certainly an epilogue relieves us of that fear. But for me, I've come to find that I don't NEED to know what will be for those characters. Their story is done being told once they undergo some kind of change for the better. Isn't that what a story is? the story of a struggle and that moment when they overcome? The future apart from THAT DAY'S struggles is another story altogether.

This is why my heart aches as I step into the future and begin worrying or rejoicing in another day's struggles and triumphs. Carpe Diem seems to be the terminology for this idea, but however cliche those words have become. With stories, that's how they work. the character is only shaped by things that have happened or are happenING. Future events have no impact on who the characters are in the moment of their story.

So let's let go of our desire to know that life will be good and focus on the moments that are happening here and now. Goodbye Epilogue. You made my heart ache because you told me things I didn't need to know. I just need to know that my characters have found what they need to face the life ahead of them with confidence.

So how's that?

Carpe Diem

College

College always adds a new element to life. Writing habits have definitely changed. I suppose that change has its ups and its downs. For me, this has meant a number of things, but I've found that - oh, I hope this isn't too disappointing - even with my lack of attention to my stories, I've started to learn a lot more about the process of writing itself. What inspiration and a truly good story look like.


Inspiration... it's a funny word, isn't it? It can mean so many different things. Spending time at a place of special importance, watching a sunset, listening to a conversation, "people watching," or simply having a cup of tea while listening to the birds. Inspiration can come from all kinds of places. For me, it comes when I spend time exploring museums and looking at "old stuff." Old places are fun too. Every time I "go back in time" I just find out something fascinating that gives me an idea for a story.


My family and I spent some time together at Tahoe this past weekend and visited an "old place." Valhalla to be exact. Such a cool place! It reminded me of my current story topic. The life o the rich at the turn of the century. Valhalla's heyday extended into the depression and prohibition, but still, it was built around the turn of the century. It has a beautiful boathouse on the lake with tracks that launch the boats into the water. So inventive! The women didn't have to get their skirts wet!

That's my inspiration. I couldn't imagine anything better that smelling dust and looking at old stuff. But that's not what's important. What I've found is that finding your inspiration is an important part of the writing process that I kind of forgot about.


Whenever I fist start to write a book, I always drown myself in the history of the time period. It helps me to get excited about a story. It also helps me to prepare my mind to create settings that accurately represent the scape I choose for my characters. Inspiration is important.


But I want to talk about more than inspiration. I've also started to take a closer look at stories in and of themselves. "Fine-tune," you might say. I'm praying that this will help me write better stories. Most of my recent discoveries you can find at https://www.facebook.com/ChristianTeenWriters A page that I manage on Facebook. though I suppose I'm officially no longer a minor, but this is where I share what I've learned with other Christian teen writers. You really should like my page. there are several other authors, primarily Mona Hodgson, who help me to maintain the page.


For now, if you are writing, or just like to read about the strange minds of writers, remember that stories are what shape us and transform us. Everyone likes stories. Cling to them and don't forget them. Jesus' most well-known teachings are in story form.

Hugs,