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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Book Review of Writing Fiction for all You're Worth, by James Scott Bell
12:57 am est
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Who is a Better Story-Teller, C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkier?
J.R.R. Tolkien
vs C.S. Lewis Who
is a better story-teller, C.S. Lewis or J.J.R. Tolkien? Probably it depends on who you ask, but it fascinates
me that the two were good friends and rose to fame and notoriety even in their own lives. I don't believe we would have
had a C.S. Lewis if we had not had a J.R.R. Tolkien, and vice versa. What is the probability that two of the greatest Christian
fantasy writers of all time would live within a few miles of each other and sit in a local British pub night after night
critiquing each other's stories? (Unless their critiquing made it so; writer critique groups should be a part of every serious
writer's life). And critical they were. Stories of their divergent writing philosophies abound; but they helped each other
to create masterpieces which have been enjoyed by millions and turned into magnificent Hollywood movie productions.
As
a broadcast captioner, I caption a lot of sports, and occasionally I am called upon to caption boxing. Boxing is quite unique
in that to have an undisputed winner, one of the boxers must deliver a knockout punch to his opponent. Sometimes the fighter
is not able to deliver that fatal blow. When that happens, the judges are called upon to rate or assign values to various
aspects of the fight since both are left standing. No one ever seems happy when that happens, particularly the loser, because
the criteria for scoring are based on the perceptions of the judges, and we all perceive the world through different lenses
depending upon our life experience. In the same way, my analysis is biased, based on values drawn
from a lifetime. I can't deliver a knock-out punch to one or the other and declare unequivocally that there is only one
that deserves the award as the best story-teller in each category that I suggest. One observation I can make: I admire both
more having read major compilations from each. As you immerse yourself in superior writing,
you become keener in appreciating the value of "goodness" and what is possible; the bane and mundane become boring
and trite. You know the average is just ordinary, and having tasted the marvelous, your craving will remain unquenched until
you find the next great story. It's like finding a piece of heaven here on earth. Once you "taste and see the goodness
of the Lord,"' why would you settle for anything less? In addition, not only are
the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien extraordinary, but the Christian worldview reassures me that good will prevail.
Without a Christian worldview, there is no good story. To help me evaluate and compare
their writings, I thought I would apply a set of standards often used when you submit a piece for one of those contests
to declare your book the best in a certain category. I thought about theme and motif and setting and dialogue and symbols
and all those "critical" concepts that we rely on when judging. I even went to Spark Notes and looked up The
Lord of the Rings to see what they had to say. Having won several Academy Awards, I knew there would be a plethora
of ideas to get me in my thinking mode. Plus sitting here at Starbucks with my vanilla latte does wonders. I found, though,
while I didn't disagree with the details found in Spark Notes, what I analyzed about "story telling" from these
books had nothing to do with what they highlighted. So I came back to my blank screen to write my own thoughts and how I
feel about each author's masterpieces. Specifically, the books I read from J.R.R. Tolkien were The
Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. I had not read these books before.
I had previously read The Hobbit, so when I began reading, I had that background. I had also seen all three movies,
though by the time I watched the third one in the trilogy, I was pretty much lost in Gondor somewhere and missed the battle.
I think I fell asleep. The book I read from the Narnia series was The Horse and His Boy.
I had not read this story before, though I am fairly familiar with the most of the other Narnia books and have also
seen the movies The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Dawn Trader. At some level,
prior knowledge of works by both authors influence my assessment here.
Light
versus Darkness: I found The Lord of the Ring Series to be very dark; for example,
the emphasis on evil stemming from the one ring that needed to be destroyed before it was too late. Sometimes the things
we loathe are the things that most fascinate us, however. I started questioning, what in my life is the ring? What evil taunts
me, consumes me, distracts me, overwhelms me? And the more power I give it over me, the more of myself I lose to it. So
while the idea of the ring is captivating and thought-provoking, it is also dark and foreboding. I
found the Narnia Series to be more anticipatory of goodness despite the darkness. In The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe, the snow is melting. Aslon is back, and the direct and indirect references, as well as Aslon's personal
appearances in The Horse and His Boy, were uplifting and encouraging. Aslon is
the recurring motif in the Narnia books while the ring serves that purpose in the Lord of the Rings. Because
I preferred the goodness of Aslon over the evil influence of the ring, C.S. Lewis wins out on this comparison.
Story-telling -- which content did I enjoy more? J.R.R.
Tolkien wrote in a very classical style. I cannot imagine the kind of talent it requires to spend 50 pages getting from point
A to point B without immense repetition, which did not happen. His imagery was breathtaking as I felt transported to the
world of hobbits, elves, and dwarves in Middle Earth, where epic battles had been fought for thousands of years around the
tiny world of the shire which seemed unaffected by it all. I was disappointed
in the end that the shire had not escaped the evil. I like to think that there are some things that evil cannot penetrate,
and for me the shire represented that paradise, that special place that will always be there despite whatever else bad in
the world happens. It reminds me of a comment that Jesus made in Matthew 8:20, "Foxes
have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head," referencing the fact that
His home was in heaven and not on Earth. In the midst of the journey, though,
I got impatient. I wanted to get to the fires of Mordor and destroy the ring that I was helping Frodo to carry. I became
frustrated, reading through pages and pages about prominent kings and characters from the past that added little to the
story. But I trudged through it because I wanted to get rid of that darn ring. And, of course, the ring was destroyed quite
a ways before the actual end of the story. I wasn't sure I cared enough about the characters after the destruction of the
ring to keep reading. I figured everything would end happily ever after anyways. I was relieved when I did finally get to
the last page. In contrast with C.S. Lewis' The Horse and His Boy, and all of
the Narnia books, I didn't feel bogged down in a never-ending journey that was almost doomed to end in failure. In fact,
there was sadness when I finished The Horse and His Boy. As has been true with all of the Narnia books, I wanted
more. I wanted to see Aslon again. I wanted to linger in Narnia. I didn't want the story to end. I have yet to read The
Final Battle, and I tarry to do so because once I have read it, there won't be any more Narnia books to enjoy.
So
on content, C.S. Lewis won out again.
Story-telling -- which style did
I enjoy more? C.S. Lewis incorporates one ingredient into his writing which J.R.R. Tolkien
lacks: Humor. I relished those lighthearted, silly thoughts and playful moments; i.e., the horse who didn't want to give
up his habit of scratching his back by lying on the ground with his legs up in the air. J.R.R.
Tolkien's style represents a battle of epic proportions with serious consequences. If the main characters fail, Middle Earth
is doomed. In The Horse and His Boy, while there is a battle between good and evil,
with Aslon's help, you know that goodness will prevail. The story ebbs and flows with suspense, unpredictability, and action.
The light nature of C.S. Lewis' storytelling is refreshing. While probably artistically inferior to J.R.R. Tolkien, I preferred
it. I just wanted a good story, not a literary masterpiece. Perhaps less sometimes is more.
The
Take Away -- who wins out? While I will probably read the Narnia books
again (some I have already read twice), I will probably never re-read any of the Lord of the Rings books.
However, that being said, for me, I believe the takeaway from J.R.R. Tolkien is greater. The overarching feel of the story,
its grandeur, the meaning of the ring and how it applies to my life, the insignificant hobbits playing such an important
role in destroying the ring (although in the end Frodo failed), the mental images of a decaying world (reminding me of ours),
the wise, slow-talking Ents (I need to slow down), Stridor who was a woman's man (will I ever meet someone like that), and
Gandalf, the fearless wizard, and many others, these images will grow over time and become a part of me. Some parts of the
story were understated. I will see or experience something that will trigger a reflection back to those scenes which have
etched themselves in my memory forever. Some of my favorite movies and books I have read or watched
only once. Perhaps they stir within me feelings that I haven't fully explored, thoughts that I don't have answers to, or
motifs that still await redemption and therefore are painful to relive, much like reading about Christ's crucifixion in
the Bible. It hurts too much. I can think of many such examples; e.g., the movie A Beautiful Mind and the book The
Exodus. So
to sum up the results, who is the better story-teller, C.S. Lewis topped J.R.R. Tolkien in light versus darkness motif,
story-telling content and style, but J.R.R. Tolkien came in first with takeaway-- long-term impressions that will grow with
the passage of time and increase in measure and fullness of meaning.
2:41 am est
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Interview with John 3:16 Marketing Network Founder Lorilyn Roberts About New Book Taste and See 
QUESTION: Why did you decide to publish Taste and See?
LORILYN: The idea
for Taste and See, a Sampling of First Chapters, came after reading Nathan Bransford's blog on September
29, 2011. He asked the following question:
“There is so much talk about self-published books in the writing-o-sphere.
But have you actually read one?" 69% said yes and 30% said no out of 1,772 votes.
That made
me think, one out of three readers has never read a book that is self-published, and if you include print-on-demand books,
the percentage is probably higher. I thought, why not give those readers an opportunity to enjoy a sampling of first chapters
by authors they have never heard about who are published in a variety of ways?
The John 3:16 Marketing
Network doesn't make a distinction and I have always maintained that readers don't care how books are published. If someone
finds a book he likes, he will buy it. From that thought came the idea, why not give authors an opportunity to share a first
chapter of their book in a "First Chapters Sampling"?
We have all enjoyed chocolate samplings,
coffee samplings, tea samplings, and other such assortments, and it's fun to "experiment" and try something new.
Sometimes we find something we really like and then we head to the store or web and buy the product, whatever that might
be. It's long been known as a proven marketing strategy to give people samples of free products to try, so we are just "piggybacking"
on an old idea with a new twist. I sent out an email to our members to see how many would be interested and the response
was overwhelmingly positive.
A very small portion of the publishers were reluctant to let their
author contribute a first chapter, so we offered the option to contribute something else; hence, the miscellany section.
We wanted to include everybody who wanted to participate.
QUESTION: What are your long-term goals for
Taste and See?
LORILYN: My long-term goal is to increase the opt-in list for the John 3:16 Marketing
Network. I hope to eventually offer free e-books, more sample chapters, and other book opportunities. Perhaps we will
have a book club where books can be purchased at a discounted price.
The short-term goal is to provide exposure
for the John 3:16 Marketing Network as well as Network authors. New and low-profile authors' greatest obstacle to successful
sales is exposure. I hope readers will take advantage of this FREE opportunity to sample first chapters and other offerings
by close to sixty authors. It's a win-win for everyone. Readers discover new authors, and authors get exposure to readers
who may want to buy their books.
QUESTION: How were the books chosen for Taste and See?
LORILYN: The chapters
in Taste and See were chosen by the authors themselves. The opportunity was weighted toward those who had contributed
the most to the John 3:16 Marketing Network; i.e., featuring authors in the network on their blogs, posting Facebook and
Twitter announcements for book launches, offering free e-gifts for book launches, participating on the forum, and other social
networking activities.
QUESTION: How does Taste and See expand upon the John 3:16 Marketing
Network's ability to help authors market their books?
LORILYN: Because this is an innovative idea, I am not sure how successful
it will be to promote authors' books, but my feeling is we focus on process and God controls the outcome. My overall goal
is to promote books with a Christian worldview, and in so doing, we are making an impact on the world. If we make a difference
for one reader or one author, that is a profound accomplishment. Every great book ever discovered began with one person.
QUESTION: What
other plans do you have for the John 3:16 Marketing Network in the future?
I have lots of ideas but until I finish
my Masters in Creative Writing, my time to implement them is limited. I do struggle with that because I tend to be impatient,
but God is teaching me patience and to wait on Him. As it is said in Ecclesiastes 3:1: "To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven." (King James Bible, Cambridge Ed.) It is then I remind myself that the
John 3:16 Marketing Network is bigger than my vision and that God has a purpose and a plan. When I give my dreams to the
Creator, He does far more than I could ever have hoped for or imagined.
My biggest "reward" from the John 3:16
Marketing Network has been the relationships I have formed with members. We pray for each other, encourage each other, share
knowledge, post links to articles, announce upcoming opportunities, provide answers to questions, write book reviews, and
offer encouragement when needed. We even share heartaches and disappointments, for there is a genuine humility among members.
There is nothing else like it on the web.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Ten Characteristics That Make Good Books GreatWhen I began my Masters in Creative Writing from Perelandra College two years ago, I was frightfully
afraid I wouldn't be able to write fiction. I had spent the last thirty years reading and writing nonfiction in a journalistic
setting. Long ago were the days I spent as a child reading fiction books about mushroom planets, traveling through tesserects,
meeting talking animals, solving mysteries of hidden staircases, becoming a heroine, and falling in love with war heroes.
Those delightful stories were my constant companion and escape from reality; how different my early years would have been
without those great books.
As I grow older, it's refreshing to see my
inner child peek out and remind me I am still who I was way back then--yes, a little bigger around the waist with a few more
wrinkles, but I treasure those wonderful stories that were such a big part of my childhood. What was it about them that stole
my heart and gave me such a love for books and writing?
I wondered, can I write
a book similar to those that I so dearly loved? Matthew 10:24 states, "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant
above his master." I reasoned, how can I be the best writer possible unless I read the best literature? So I asked my
professor, Ken Kuhlken, "What is the most perfect book ever written?" From this question we had a series of discussions
that led to me taking two classes of independent study. I set about reading some of the books he suggested. I am now finishing
my second class and am looking forward to reading works by C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. I saved the best for last.
After reading over a million words from the
best literature, I have come to appreciate what makes a good book great is not by accident or luck. The stunning story that
emerges from the pen of a Master is a work of art--painstakingly designed, written, and edited. The stories are not
created out of a "one size fits all' mentality or factory-produced where the plots are predictable and the characters
"stereotypical." To write a great book, I won't find any GPS directions to get me there or weekend seminars to make
it easy.
Those activities serve useful purposes, but not to write great stories. It takes a commitment to excellence,
patience, talent, and perseverance.
After having read ten of the best classics,
I also wonder if great writing is caught, not taught, borne out pain and suffering. I was surprised by the many similarities
in the biographies of classic authors: The crucible of suffering was imprinted in their lives and found its way into the pages
of their books.
To help me sort through what makes these books classics, I have listed ten characteristics
I found in common. You might be surprised--I know I was.
1. Create characters that will be remembered long after the book is finished. We are made
for relationships, and this part of our nature carries over into books. For example, I remember my first love crush from The
Exodus by Leon Uris when I was seventeen; and the poor, battered soul in The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.
Make characters memorable and your book will be remembered.
2. The Christian worldview
speaks to the heart of man. While fads come and go, new ideas spread across continents, and knowledge increases with each
passing year, written on our hearts are values that cross generations and cultures. All the classics I have read present a
Christian worldview. While some make no mention of the Bible (Frankenstein), it is implied, and writers who have
written classics embrace this universal truth.
3. Write tight plots. John Piper has
written a wonderful book called Don't Waste Your Life. I would say don't waste your reader's precious time
by including scenes or characters that add nothing to the story. Every scene, every character, and every chapter must serve
a point. Examples of the best are A Tale of Two Cities and Wuthering Heights. That doesn't mean there can't
be many characters. It just means each character must be absolutely necessary to propel the story forward.
4. To add to your book's greatness, let it make a statement about society, about life, about those
things that are deep within us that cause us to groan and laugh, reflect and ponder, and most of all, never to give up hope
(The Brothers Karamazov).
5. Take risks. Original works oftentimes
make people squirm because they take the reader out of his comfort zone. Some of the great classics were not originally well
received because they were "different" (Wuthering Heights).
6. Don't shy away from embracing controversial topics or paradigms that impact the story and raise the stakes for the protagonist
(The Grand Inquisitor, Crime and Punishment, Frankenstein, The Power and the Glory, Wuthering Heights, The Brothers Karamazov,
and Pride and Prejudice).
7. Redemption out of chaos brings hope,
leaving the reader with optimism about his future. I am reminded that our words will outlive us in the pages of our books.
Make your book a gift worth remembering. (Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice)..
8. The tone, symbolisms, and motifs should work in unison to undergird
the subliminal theme and arc of the story. Make it relevant to the reader (Wuthering Heights, Crime and Punishment, The
Power and the Glory).
9. Slow down the forward progression of the story
sufficiently to explore the psychological and spiritual warfare experienced by the protagonist For example, here is a comment
I wrote from my analysis of Crime and Punishment: "Never mind the 'punishments' I received. What I learned
early on is I have a conscience. A relentless whisper spoke to me even when I didn't want to listen. My guilt pricked my soul
like a thorn, bothering me more than I could have imagined. I did not know I would feel so miserable before I committed each
of my various "crimes." I was forced to carry a heavy burden that painfully weighed me down until I either confessed
my sin or my guilt was discovered. The suffering was relentless and did more to drive me to a loving God than the severe discipline
I received from those who showed no grace." (Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers
Karamazov, and Pride and Prejudice).
10. Leave
the reader forever changed. If your book is forgotten after the last page is read, you will have forfeited a great opportunity
to make the world a better place.
If
you have additional characteristics you would like to share, please do.
Lorilyn Roberts is an up-and-coming new author who writes with passion about life--politically incorrect topics, homeschooling,
adoption, book reviews, author interviews, inspirational stories, family topics, Bible studies, poetry, and the art of writing.
Lorilyn has written three books: The Donkey and the King, Children of Dreams, and How to Launch a Christian Best-Seller
Book. She is the founder the John 3:16 Marketing Network, a network of Christian authors who focus on launching books,
and the president of the Gainesville, Florida, Word Weavers Chapter.
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Saturday, November 19, 2011
A New Way To Sample Christian Books
A New Way to Sample Christian Books By Lorilyn Roberts
The following blurb in italics is quoted from
Nathan Bransford’s blog, dated September 29, 2011.
“There is so much talk about self-published books in
the writing-o-sphere. But have you actually read one?
Poll below - Total Votes: 1,773 Also, your further thoughts
requested in the comments section. Did you like the self-published book you read? Would you read another? Do you only read
traditionally published books? Etc.”
While it’s hard to generalize from such a wide variety of responses, some things are clear:
1. There is still a lingering prejudice toward Print-On-Demand/self-published books. 2. Many readers do not think Print-On-Demand/self-published books
are on par with industry-published books. 3. A sizable
portion of readers have not read Print-On-Demand/self-published books. 4. Many who haven’t read Print-On-Demand/self-published books would if they could sample them for free.
Out of the menagerie of comments shared in this blog post, after much reflection, I came up with an idea which I
will share in a moment. But first, I want to give my own thoughts about the findings from this survey. I have said this for
a long time, although most traditionally-published authors won’t agree with me: Readers don’t care how a
book is published. They might think they care because of preconceived notions that self-published books are in the category
of “vanity” publishing, and therefore, inferior. In reality, however, when you dig deeper into those who
are not biased, you will find what readers really care about is content. Content is king.
My American
roots go deep. Some of my ancestors arrived with the Mayflower, and in the decades of colorful history since then, dreamers
have made us a great nation. The key factors that made that possible: Freedom and a capitalist system where hard work, creativity,
and perseverance rewarded those who didn’t give up. Do we really need gatekeepers to tell the world whether something
is good? Do we really need a hundred authors with unread manuscripts returned because the overworked acquisitions editor
was two months behind opening her mail? In the past, because of the financial investment, book publishers decided which books
would see the light of day. Most never did, making it very difficult for promising authors to get discovered.
Get ten people in a room and I guarantee you, they won’t agree on everything. Chances are they will have different
tastes on what they like to eat, where they want to go on vacation, and yes, certainly on what books are worth reading. The
traditional way of publishing books squelches creativity. I have spent far too much time trying to understand what an acquisitions
editor or agent wanted, where he wanted my manuscript sent, and then he lost my manuscript anyway. That wasted time could
have been better spent procuring an editor, improving my writing, and publishing and marketing my book myself. That is exactly
what I did eventually. My point, though, is that the readers didn’t care how my book was published. They did care that
it was worth reading.
I believe the days of mailing a book to one hundred publishers over five years
hoping to find a “taker” are gone. Why would anyone want to do that? Authors can publish their own books
now—faster and more efficiently. It doesn’t mean that the traditional way won’t exist into the future. It
does mean ALL publishing companies will be vying for supremacy in a rapidly changing environment where the old ways of doing
things won’t work as well. Competition raises the standard and forces downward the cost of publishing. The reader benefits
from more choices in books and the result is a brighter future for new authors who are gifted with an entrepreneurial mindset.
The only requirement—write the best book.
While
the John 3:16 Marketing Network is for Christian authors, I envision our paradigm being adopted for mainstream authors, though
it may not be free. The hard work in the John 3:16 Marketing Network is borne by many who have a passion to serve. Opportunities
abound to provide books to readers all over the world, not only through industry-published books, self-published and Print-On-Demand
books, but e-books as well. I envision e-books becoming popular in countries where the shipment of p-books is not practical
or affordable. We are on the cusp of a revolution in publishing, and the John 3:16 Marketing Network is at the forefront of
marketing innovation. Readers want diversity, options, and choices. The John 3:16 Marketing Network is poised to experiment
with new ideas and introduce readers to new ways to sample books. Again, I want to emphasize, let the reader have more choices
and make it easier for him to sample.
Not only is it important for authors to provide readers with
the best possible product, why not give book lovers “more flavors”? With the end of the year approaching,
I have exciting news.
First,
we will have a short Christmas membership drive to allow newcomers (authors and bloggers) to join without a referral (must
believe in John 3:16).
Second, to celebrate our first full year of launching best-seller books on Amazon, we
will be offering a free e-book, Fifty First Chapters From Christian Authors, a New Way to Sample Christian Books.
Third, we will be introducing a new John 3:16 Marketing Network Membership for readers.
If you are interested, all you have to do is sign up to receive our e-zine. You will NOT be bombarded with emails because
I don’t have time to write them. My goal is to provide access to the best undiscovered Christian literature in the world.
In the future, we will serialize e-books; and offer coupons for free e-books, shorts stories, and anthologies by John 3:16
authors. Tell us what you want; we would love to hear your ideas.
Our first e-book, Fifty
First Chapters From Christian Authors, a New Way to Sample Christian Books, will be released on December 15 (or sooner).
To receive your free copy, all you need to do is sign up to receive our e-zine. Enjoy reading the first chapter of
fifty books by fifty authors AT NO COST. Nothing like beginning a new book that whets your appetite for more. You won’t
have to travel to a book store or surf the web to find the kind of book you want. We have made it easy for you to sample a
large assortment of all kinds of books while drinking your latte at Starbucks, at home curled up on the sofa, or during your
lunch break at work.
Our John 3:16 Marketing Network authors are known and unknown, young and old, first-time
published and multi-published, standard-industry published, self-published, and Print-On-Demand published. Our goal is to
glorify God in our writings and help each other to promote books with a Christian worldview. If you are interested, please
sign up for our mailing list. On December 15 (maybe earlier), you will be emailed a coupon to get your free copy. We
will also be posting previews of chapters ahead of the launch at http://john316mn.blogspot.com. More information will be forthcoming.
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