Comments for The Christian Writer's Notebook http://frankcreed.com/blog Musings about writing Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:26:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 Comment on My Blog has moved! by joriubat gkczse http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/07/21/my-blog-has-moved/#comment-63 Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:58:53 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/07/21/my-blog-has-moved/#comment-63 aesf rbewdl jigp hwuftma ftumwcirq wtfvrj uomzg aesf rbewdl jigp hwuftma ftumwcirq wtfvrj uomzg

]]> Comment on Interview with author Jackie Moore by Sharon SHAYE Gray, MPA http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/07/04/interview-with-author-jackie-moore/#comment-23 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 18:25:35 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/07/04/interview-with-author-jackie-moore/#comment-23 This is a divine interview---Jackie is truly an amazing writer and I am a HUGE fan of her work! This is a divine interview—Jackie is truly an amazing writer and I am a HUGE fan of her work!

]]> Comment on Frank’s Interview with author Tricia Goyer by Frank http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/06/29/franks-interview-with-author-tricia-goyer/#comment-22 Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:26:53 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/06/29/franks-interview-with-author-tricia-goyer/#comment-22 *tips hat* Thanks for the thanks, and for being a very gracious guest. *tips hat*
Thanks for the thanks, and for being a very gracious guest.

]]> Comment on Frank’s Interview with author Tricia Goyer by Tricia Goyer http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/06/29/franks-interview-with-author-tricia-goyer/#comment-21 Fri, 30 Jun 2006 02:32:30 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/06/29/franks-interview-with-author-tricia-goyer/#comment-21 Thanks for having me, Frank! I'll spread the word about your BLOG. Thanks for having me, Frank! I’ll spread the word about your BLOG.

]]> Comment on The Notebook by Jim http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-20 Sat, 13 May 2006 19:00:45 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-20 Holy Library of Congress, Batman! An organized writer? Who woulda thunk it? Well, I guess I fall somewhere between the organized and disorganized sort. Every few months I say to myself, "Gosh. This place of mine is a wreck!" and launch myself into a frenetic period of reorganization. It usually gets me back to the point of being about halfway organized (and serves to remind me of just how many things I still have unfinished). Thankfully, I have a pretty good idea of where (i.e, in which disorganized stack) something I need is located... until my wife comes through in one of <i>her</i> frenetic fits of reorganization... Gosh. This place of mine is a wreck! Would you excuse me for a few days...er...weeks? Jim Holy Library of Congress, Batman!

An organized writer? Who woulda thunk it? Well, I guess I fall somewhere between the organized and disorganized sort. Every few months I say to myself, “Gosh. This place of mine is a wreck!” and launch myself into a frenetic period of reorganization. It usually gets me back to the point of being about halfway organized (and serves to remind me of just how many things I still have unfinished).

Thankfully, I have a pretty good idea of where (i.e, in which disorganized stack) something I need is located… until my wife comes through in one of her frenetic fits of reorganization…

Gosh.
This place of mine is a wreck!
Would you excuse me for a few days…er…weeks?

Jim

]]> Comment on The Notebook by Deb Cullins Smith http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-19 Fri, 05 May 2006 03:19:00 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-19 At a Writer's Digest seminar about a year ago, it was suggested that you have a notebook for each project you're working on, and that it be a special notebook that represents your main character or your theme. The instructor said to "take your main character shopping with you" -- pick out the perfect notebook, even a special pen just for writing in THAT notebook, little momentos that will inspire you -- anything that will stir the creative juices. While I haven't gone so far as to buy a pen for every project, I have a stack of notebooks, most of them decorative spiral-bound 5x7 sized, and they house the specifics of each major project brewing on the many burners in my mind! Then there is one specific notebook for all the short stories that blossom from time to time. If it keeps you writing, do whatever it takes. I have a necklace I purchased for an absurdly paltry sum, but it looks like a dragon's scale! (it's really abalone shell...) When I'm writing a story about dragons, I wear it. Another cheap little necklace is my dragon's tooth! You don't have to spend a ton of money, but small things like this can set your mind spinning, and suddenly the sky's the limit! No matter what kind of notebook, pen, or artifact, the very best asset of any writer is the fertile ground of our imaginations. May they never run dry. deb At a Writer’s Digest seminar about a year ago, it was suggested that you have a notebook for each project you’re working on, and that it be a special notebook that represents your main character or your theme. The instructor said to “take your main character shopping with you” — pick out the perfect notebook, even a special pen just for writing in THAT notebook, little momentos that will inspire you — anything that will stir the creative juices. While I haven’t gone so far as to buy a pen for every project, I have a stack of notebooks, most of them decorative spiral-bound 5×7 sized, and they house the specifics of each major project brewing on the many burners in my mind! Then there is one specific notebook for all the short stories that blossom from time to time.

If it keeps you writing, do whatever it takes. I have a necklace I purchased for an absurdly paltry sum, but it looks like a dragon’s scale! (it’s really abalone shell…) When I’m writing a story about dragons, I wear it. Another cheap little necklace is my dragon’s tooth! You don’t have to spend a ton of money, but small things like this can set your mind spinning, and suddenly the sky’s the limit! No matter what kind of notebook, pen, or artifact, the very best asset of any writer is the fertile ground of our imaginations. May they never run dry.

deb

]]> Comment on The Notebook by Chris A. Jackson http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-18 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 01:33:09 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-18 Scott, you are an inspiration. Organization is my downfall. I need to do more in the way of keeping the details straight, but if I attempted something on the scale you have done, I would be working more on my organization than on my writing. My style is rather scary in that regard, and can be summed up in two words: "Whatever works". I know many writers, and no two do it the same. Some are hyper organized, some just sit down and start rattling out thoughts, starting in the middle of a story and working both directions. Wow... I outline heavily, but don't stick to my outline too rigorously. Cheese Runners was the one exception to my rule of outlining. That one, I shot from the hip. I rather like the result, but humor is a spontaneous thing with me. I can't really plan it. Anyway, good advice as always! Cheers! Chris J. Scott, you are an inspiration. Organization is my downfall. I need to do more in the way of keeping the details straight, but if I attempted something on the scale you have done, I would be working more on my organization than on my writing. My style is rather scary in that regard, and can be summed up in two words: “Whatever works”. I know many writers, and no two do it the same. Some are hyper organized, some just sit down and start rattling out thoughts, starting in the middle of a story and working both directions. Wow… I outline heavily, but don’t stick to my outline too rigorously. Cheese Runners was the one exception to my rule of outlining. That one, I shot from the hip. I rather like the result, but humor is a spontaneous thing with me. I can’t really plan it. Anyway, good advice as always!
Cheers! Chris J.

]]> Comment on The Bible vs. Rock Music, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Role-Playing Games by chris-------say http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/03/15/the-bible-vs-rock-music-fantasy-sci-fi-and-role-playing-games/#comment-17 Mon, 24 Apr 2006 01:07:59 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/03/15/the-bible-vs-rock-music-fantasy-sci-fi-and-role-playing-games/#comment-17 It's a little different now that I have children. That being said, I try to get my kids in the secular world for that very reason. They will be facing it one day and I can only insulate them so much. But boy, do I want to insulate them. Those like suburbancat have taken their stand and drawn their line. That is great! I have too. I've read the Potter books and if someone (kid or adults) wants to have discussion, I can. However, it's NOT for everyone. Christian Romance novels are not for me; but lots and lots of people love them. That's wonderful! I can see that Christian Genre Fiction will be very touchy and strictly judged. It will be difficult for some to read it and for some impossible to accept it. However, I can see it as a wonderful way to draw people to Christ. I guess "do all to the glory of God." It’s a little different now that I have children.

That being said, I try to get my kids in the secular world for that very reason. They will be facing it one day and I can only insulate them so much.

But boy, do I want to insulate them.

Those like suburbancat have taken their stand and drawn their line. That is great!

I have too. I’ve read the Potter books and if someone (kid or adults) wants to have discussion, I can. However, it’s NOT for everyone. Christian Romance novels are not for me; but lots and lots of people love them. That’s wonderful!

I can see that Christian Genre Fiction will be very touchy and strictly judged. It will be difficult for some to read it and for some impossible to accept it. However, I can see it as a wonderful way to draw people to Christ.

I guess “do all to the glory of God.”

]]> Comment on The Notebook by Chris D http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-16 Fri, 21 Apr 2006 23:42:22 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/04/21/the-notebook/#comment-16 I have not organized like that but I do have a lot of notes from resources. Notes about characters that I may or may not use. Snippets about what's coming up. Glad to see that I'm not alone in sorting out the crazy story that's in my mind. Regards, Chris :D I have not organized like that but I do have a lot of notes from resources. Notes about characters that I may or may not use. Snippets about what’s coming up. Glad to see that I’m not alone in sorting out the crazy story that’s in my mind. Regards, Chris :D

]]> Comment on The Bible vs. Rock Music, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Role-Playing Games by SuburbanCat http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/03/15/the-bible-vs-rock-music-fantasy-sci-fi-and-role-playing-games/#comment-15 Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:25:06 +0000 http://frankcreed.com/blog/2006/03/15/the-bible-vs-rock-music-fantasy-sci-fi-and-role-playing-games/#comment-15 You pose some very interesting arguments here. I do agree that the media themselves, whethere it be games, movies, books, music, or what have you, are problems in and of themselves. There are both Christain and secular versions of each, and I, for one, love Christian fantasy and alternative rock. In viewing, listening to, and participating in these generes, though, I have one simple test: Philipians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." What we see, read, and participate in is the gateway to our thought life. One of our enemy's favorite weapons is to use past thoughts and experiences to bombard us with impure, selfish, and immoral thoughts, thus taking our minds captive. If we do not allow these things to be presented to us in the first place, they cannot be used against us. If we fill our minds with things that our lovely, pure, and admirable instead, there's even less room for the enemy to wiggle into our minds. As such, I personally refuse to watch movies like The Matrix or read books like Harry Potter for the simple reasons that they do not glorify God and do not fall under the guidelines presented in Philipians 4:8. Although I do not have children of my own, I have taught this verse to my grade-school brother and sister. My brother has since told me that he finds it a very effective weapon in spiritual warfare. You pose some very interesting arguments here. I do agree that the media themselves, whethere it be games, movies, books, music, or what have you, are problems in and of themselves. There are both Christain and secular versions of each, and I, for one, love Christian fantasy and alternative rock. In viewing, listening to, and participating in these generes, though, I have one simple test: Philipians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” What we see, read, and participate in is the gateway to our thought life. One of our enemy’s favorite weapons is to use past thoughts and experiences to bombard us with impure, selfish, and immoral thoughts, thus taking our minds captive. If we do not allow these things to be presented to us in the first place, they cannot be used against us. If we fill our minds with things that our lovely, pure, and admirable instead, there’s even less room for the enemy to wiggle into our minds. As such, I personally refuse to watch movies like The Matrix or read books like Harry Potter for the simple reasons that they do not glorify God and do not fall under the guidelines presented in Philipians 4:8. Although I do not have children of my own, I have taught this verse to my grade-school brother and sister. My brother has since told me that he finds it a very effective weapon in spiritual warfare.

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