New Story - Courage to Weather the Storm

I have been struggling with my writing lately. I have tried to write a story I found out God doesn't want me to write that story right now. I have spent a lot of time in prayer the last couple of weeks as I was struggling with writing a story I thought would be a good story. But I heard a voice telling me to write my Courage to Weather the Storm story. I plotted the story this morning and  it took me a lot of hard work, but it came quickly.

For me to write a story I plot it out, then work on the characters. First comes the names of each character. After that I detail the main characters. I use a character map to build for each character. It took me a few hours to build my characters. After the characters are built I'm ready to start writing.

Storyline:
After months of fighting and screaming matches, Rachel's mother walks out on the family. She moves in with Tom's best friend Jason and his two young children.  Leah files for a divorce after she falling pregnant with Jason 's child. Rachel blames herself for the divorce, and her mother leaving the family. Rachel begins to punish herself for the divorce and split of her parents.

After a couple of months with her dad being sad and depressed. Rachel  talks with her dad about why she blames herself for her mother leaving. Tom explains to Rachel it wasn't her fault and to stop punishing herself. This is when Tom starts living again. He gets out there and starts dating again. Rachel and her younger brothers find her dad's dating as a shock and they can't deal with his many girlfriends. Rachel does her hardest to stop her dad dating. She thinks the women her dad is dating will do what her mother did and leave them.

Slowly Tom explains to his children, especially his daughter that not all women are like her mother. Rachel realizes that her dad is free to be happy. Slowly Rachel learns to trust women from the main girl her dad dates is going to show her that not all women are like her mother. Her dad is always going to be there for her, but she learns to trust women again.

Finally her dad moves his girlfriend of three months into the house. Slowly Rachel and her brothers learns to trust her and they slowly make friends and they become a whole family again. Tom moves the family to a new house, in a new city and begin to live again.

Andrew Motion: Ten Techniques to Spark the Writing

10 Techniques to Spark the Writing

1. Decide when in the day (or night) it best suits you to write, and organise your life accordingly.
2. Think with your senses as well as your brain.
3. Honour the miraculousness of the ordinary.
4. Lock different characters/elements in a room and tell them to get on.
5. Remember there is no such thing as nonsense.
6. Bear in mind Wilde’s dictum that “only mediocrities develop”— and challenge it.
7. Let your work stand before deciding whether or not to serve.
8. Think big and stay particular.
9. Write for tomorrow, not for today.
10. Work hard.

Michael Morecock 10 Tips for Good Storytelling

1.My first rule was given to me by T.H. White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian fantasies and was: Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.

2.Find an author you admire (mine was Conrad) and copy their plots and characters in order to tell your own story, just as people learn to draw and paint by copying the masters.

3.Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel.

4.If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction.

5.Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development.

6.Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution.

7.For a good melodrama study the famous “Lester Dent master plot formula” which you can find online. It was written to show how to write a short story for the pulps, but can be adapted successfully for most stories of any length or genre.

8.If possible have something going on while you have your characters delivering exposition or philosophising. This helps retain dramatic tension.

9.Carrot and stick—have protagonists pursued (by an obsession or a villain) and pursuing (idea, object, person, mystery).

10.Ignore all proferred rules and create your own, suitable for what you want to say.

Poem - At the Table

At the table the body was laid
Bread was broken and unto each it was partaken
Prophecies before were all but vague
But at the table they all made sense


At the table disciples got drunk
Not of the wine but of the blood
A powerful, redeeming blood
One that sets you free and makes you God's child
At the table it was all but vivid
That sinners would live and enjoy God's kingdom
eternally
All but at the table


At the table a convenant was made
Man would choose a path to a beautiful place,
And live like angels on a Summer Holiday
For at the table the blood was drunk and life was attained

Poem - letter to My Father

It's only been a year, but it feels like forever


A long, treacherous journey, where the roads go wherever


You've held my hand, the whole time, though, I've tried to break free


But Your ever-lasting grip won't seem to depart from me


Yeah, I've done all the dirty deeds, hoping that You weren't looking


I've mistaken you for a warden, even though I've done all of the booking


Yes, I've thrown, myself in "the slammer," forgetting that You have the keys


I guess I thought my crimes were too heinous, "surely, You could never pardon these."


You've been the perfect Father, yet I continue to be a delinquent


You keep telling me to mind, but I can't seem to be obedient


But what a sweet bargain I got when I chose to follow You


Love, protection, and promises that will never be broken in two


Yet, I hate to think about Your raw end of the deal


A spoiled brat with a closed heart, that relies on what it can feel


Day after day, I fail You, and I put Your glory to shame


And without hesitation, I continue to deny Your name


But You never seem to remember, after I've apologized


You even give me time to come to You, so that I will realize


That I need You, above all, and You will never leave


And if I'd just let You in, there would be nothing I couldn't achieve


But I'm so rebellious, that I forget, that I'm not an orphan


I have everything I could possibly imagine, and even more than


Fortunately, a "screw up" like me, can have such an awesome Father


With overflowing love like Yours, I know, now, why I'm Your daughter

Poem - Good Luck

A great day today, many things to do

A gift so sudden, a gift for you

its nothing special but hear what i say

that i enjoy you company every single day

remember to always eat your meals regularly

I'm sure u don't want feel pain so suddenly

try to sleep early cause its better for u

and always be patient in whatever you do

i know you're life is busy and i have no right to interfere

but I'm just reminding you with full of sincere

that I'm always around when you need someone

to lend a ear when you're feeling down

so keep on smiling and stay strong always

nothing suits you more than a smile on you're face

never keep things to your self because it'll hurt u

weird as it sounds, it hurts me too

Gd luck for your exams and i wish u well

i hope this gift of mine becomes your "passing spell"

one thing to remember is never lose faith

in yourself and the life that God gave.

Update - Having a Little Faith

Over the last few days, I've be trying to make each chapter perfect before moving onward. I'm learning I need to improve yes, but let the spirit move me to what I write. I love writing and right now it's sucking the fun out of it making it all perfect all the way through. I've been given some support and tips about writng and letting me work the whole way through the novel I'm writing and also thanking God for what talents he has given me through my writing.

Being a devote catholic, I love church and proclaiming God and Jesus as my Savior. This means that I need to let the Holy Spirit guide my fingers and letting them do the talking and hoping that this novel is going to be the best i can make it. I pray before I start writing. If I get stuck I pray and read the my bible. When I'm filled to the brim with the spirit I can write for hours and I get things done.

Over the last few days, I've written around 7,550 words and in three chapters. I feel that the spirit is guiding me and showing me what I need to use my talent for writing for. I'm truly blessed

Rewriting - Having a Little Faith

I been praying a lot of the past week. I had a story that was going nowhere. I closed my eyes and quietly went into prayer. While in prayer I heard God talking to me. I can't quite explain it, but he told me to rewrite my current story and  and change the gender of my main character. I was trying to write a story with the protagonist as male. But it was like I couldn't get it working and I was lost and had no inspiration. I force the words out, but they weren't flowing like they do when I write with a female protagonist. I had put all my strength and energy into my story, but I was stuck and nothing was happening.

After Sunday's mass, I came home and got onto my computer and pondered what had happened during mass. I knew he was trying to tell me to change the gender of my main character, my protagonist. I changed the gender and prayed for a name for my main character I got Madison Rachel Decker. I then changed the plot a little and began writing after getting my plot, and characters done. I always play out my stories. I got the tip from some friends.

Since Sunday I have wrote 4,430 words and my story is flowing slowly. I think this is what God was telling me to write. I believe he is teaching me to write. I was given a gift, a gift of words. Now I know that writing is my main passion and I love this gift I have. I'm always learning to improve my writing skills. I'm in a few yahoo writing groups and I have found one that I'm in is got people who are helping me improve my gift and look at the mistakes I make. I have even gotten someone who is editing my story. I'm thankful for these friends I've made in this group. I like them alot and they are very friendly.