Category Archives: Writing

All things concerning the theory and practice of writing and my own personal journey in writing.

Blogging Break

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If you have been following my tweets or Facebook status updates, you are well aware that I will be embarking on a new writing project during an event called Script Frenzy. The challenge is to write a 100 page script, of any kind, within 30 days. There is no reward, except the feeling of accomplishment and the knowledge that another great story has been written. I am extremely excited to announce that I will be writting a new, full-length screenplay called Hidden.

Logline: Harvard journalism student Kathryn Rodriguez fights to stay alive as she trails a serial killer, uncovers an ancient grudge and discovers a hidden world where nothing is as it seems.

In this screenplay, I am hoping to explore the theme of how we all have something hidden in our pasts, our present and our future. We don’t want people to know who we were; often, we are too scared to let them see who we are; and we are mortified of what we might become. As Kathryn will discover, however, no matter what is hidden, if you expect great things of yourself, great things will come. You will not try to hide your past. You will not try to act like someone else in the present. You will embrace whoever God is making you to be in the future.

This will be a thriller in which no one is as he or she seems to be. I can’t wait to start putting words to paper tomorrow morning. I wished to inform you all that as I write this screenplay, I may not have the time to put into writing blog posts. If I can, I’ll write brief snippets of my journey here, but that all depends on how well I can get this writing project underway. I plan to start up my blogging schedule again on Monday, May 1.

If you want to follow my progress and cheer me on this month, visit my Script Frenzy profile here.

Until I return, thank you for reading!

Crossing the Wilderness

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God called a lot of people into the wilderness. Some of them felt a tug at their hearts to leave the ordinary world and step out into the wild, and others were driven there by the trials of life. Two years ago, I sensed the Holy Spirit drawing me into the “wilderness” of writing. I’m starting to learn some things from the journey that I would like to pass on to you.

Me Travelin' Camel Style

The Wilderness is a lonely place. When God calls you into the wilderness, He calls you to go alone. Others won’t always understand you. They won’t always see why you are doing something. Remember that God called you out–no need to understand. Oh, and don’t try to drag your friends with you. If God hasn’t called them to trek through your Wilderness, they won’t stay for very long.

The Wilderness is bigger than you think. While hiking through the Negev in 2005, I realized something: The Wilderness can be deceiving. Things are always farther away than they look. When I first began learning how to write two years ago, I thought for sure that I would have sold a screenplay or published a book by now. As of the date of this post, I haven’t sold squat.

The Wilderness is full of miracles. In the Wilderness, Elijah heard the voice of God, Moses saw a burning bush, angels came and ministered to Jesus. God loves to show off His wonders in the Wilderness. Only in these times of barrenness will we experience the miracles of God’s hand. In my personal Wilderness, I have seen how God has lead me from story to story, provided for every need, and put me in relationships with people who are levels above me.

The Wilderness will shape you like no other place. Like I said, I haven’t made a dime off of my writing, and the masses have not been exposed to my art. In fact, I’m still struggling just to understand the idea of story. But I’ve learned a lot. Every day I learn more about who I am and who God wants me to be. This learning experience has shaped me in ways that I couldn’t begin to describe to you.

The Wilderness is full of life, if you know how to look. While in the Negev, our guide told us all to look down at the ground. He asked us, “What do you see?” None of us could make out anything! We were surrounded by rocks and sandy terrain. He then stooped down and picked up what looked like a wooden, gnarled hand. “This is what the Arabs call ‘The Hand of the Prophet.’” It was a desert flower that would open it’s “hand” and bloom every eleven years when a rain would come. When the rain went away, it would go into hibernation and wait for the next shower. Who would have thought this tiny ball of brown twigs had life in it? The same is true in our Wildernesses. God has his delights and treasures waiting for us under the crags and lifeless rocks, if we would take the time to find them.

Today, I am more energized and focused than ever before on what God has called me to do. I have found life in my Wilderness. I know you can too.

Are you in a Wilderness right now? What have you learned?

Why I Love my Writing Group!

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It has been said that being a writer is a lonely profession. Sometimes this is true, but it certainly doesn’t have to be this way all of the time. After all, writers are people, and people need to connect with other people. Fortunately, there are many ways that one can stay connected with others throughout the writing process. The one I enjoy the most is my writing group, the Mid-Ohio Writers Association.

The Mid-Ohio Writers Association was a group started by a lawyer years ago who was looking for some help writing up papers for his legal projects. I believe his goal was to attract writers who would create legal documents infused with a personal, passionate touch that would win over the courts. He certainly did attract writers, and they soon realized that they enjoyed gathering together to simply discuss and work on their art. After working on a few of the attorney’s projects, they decided to continue meeting with an altogether different purpose. Thus, the Mid-Ohio Writers Association (MOWA) was born.

There are many reasons why someone would join a writers group, but here are my main reasons for being a part of MOWA:

I love networking with serious writers. The support and encouragement I receive from this group is authentic. They know what it’s like to be a writer. Even if other’s compliment me or support me, it’s not the same without that level of empathy.

I love reading my works to people who want to hear them. Let’s face it: Not everyone wants to hear what we write. My family loves me dearly, but that doesn’t mean they are interested in discussing the poems I write.

I love improving my writing skills. Through workshops, suggested articles or guest speakers, I learn so much in this group. It is much more fun to learn in a group than alone.

I  love collaborating with others. When I share what I am writing for various projects, I receive objective and sincere feedback. The level of honesty is high because they care about my work as much as I do, and they want it to flourish. My writing is always better when I share it with the group.

I love having fun with words. The writing prompts are awesome! Slamming down 100 – 500 words in a set amount of time with these people is an adrenaline rush, to be sure. The taunting and bantering that goes on is reminiscent of backyard basketball more than anything.

I love hearing the works of other talented writers. They inspire me with their art, and they encourage me with their pursuit of their craft. I truly enjoy our sharing time.

I love not being criticized. Being able to write about anything that’s in my heart and read it in front of a group without being judged is priceless. Yes, my work will be discussed. Suggestions will be offered. But I will not be criticized for my feelings or my opinions that are expressed in my art.

I love the price. Ten dollars a year is peanuts when I realize what it is I’m getting in return for my investment.

I want to personally thank every member of MOWA for making this writing group what it is and for bringing in your writings to share. You are an inspiration and a joy. Never put down the pen! If you would like to join our writing group, visit the website for our location and times. We would love to see you there!

Are you a part of a writers group? What do you do to connect with other artists?

Unfinished Business

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It has now been over a month since my latest post. It’s time for an update. Last month I announced my plans to launch out into the world of playwriting. Today, I reveal what I’ve done. Letting it all hang out in plain, naked view, my confession begins…

I have done nothing.

Well, that may be a little harsh. I’ve done next to nothing.

Nothing when it comes to playwriting, that is. I did read as much as I could of Aristotle’s Poetics. I’ve started browsing through several theatrical websites. I even have literature at home to teach me about writing plays and then producing them. But I haven’t put one word down yet.

You see, I’ve got this screenplay that needs revised. It’s a story I love, and it cries out to me to finish it. I thought that it was ready to leave the house and find its own way in the world, but I was wrong. Like Edward Scissorhands, I noticed that it lacked some vital parts that all the other stories in the world have. If it is going to survive, I have to give it arms and legs like every other story.

It is an unfinished project that needs to have something shown for all of the work already put into it. I want to see it find a place in this world. Something aches inside of me when I think that it will stay buried in my files like an abandoned friend. A little dramatic maybe, but that’s the way we writers are, I suppose.

This whole month has been devoted to revising the story of Peter Vitanuova, a young man born to the Vitanuova mafia who falls in love with a rival family he is sent to destroy. My hope is to finish the revisions soon so that I can go on to the next project.

What unfinished business stands in front of you and a fresh page?

Clean and Clear

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Yesterday I formatted our Mac Pro’s hard drive, installed the Snow Leopard operating system, ran the OS updates, reinstalled Microsoft Office 2008 and Apple’s Final Cut Studio 2, more updates, created user profiles and completed a Time Machine backup at the end of the day. This process took me an entire day. Why would I want to take so long to wipe out the system and then build it back up you might ask. Well, if a computer is chock full of information, it slows down and eventually crashes. Just how it is. We’re the same, you know.

Most of us spend all of our days filling our minds full of information. The latest celebrity gossip, technology news, new car models, what our friends are wearing, Dr. Phil’s most recent cure, how our mother feels about us, what our spouse is thinking, who is getting promoted at the office–we are literally gorging ourselves on all of the information that we can stuff into our brains.

When was the last time we spent a day clearing our head? Formatting our hard drive? Oh, you can keep on cramming yourself with knowledge, but you will become bloated and top-heavy. Soon, you’ll crash. You won’t remember in whose world you are living. You’ll forget whose life you are living.

Perhaps it’s time for a little brain drain. Let go of all that data that you think you couldn’t possibly release without dire consequences. I imagine we would come up with some amazing stories to write, paintings to paint, songs to sing, strategies for our businesses, solutions for our relationships.