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Thursday August 28, 2008
I'm Recouping...
Nothing major, but I've been under the weather this past week, and have barely been close to a computer, never mind updating my sites. I plan to keep this site active, since I love the topic of writing.
Laurel informed me that the background here is doing kooky things in Mozilla's browser, so those who are using Mozilla, please bear with me, and I'll get it fixed soon. I'm on the recoup today (is that a word?). But not quite "there" yet, so I'll leave you with a few announcements. Announcements are a bloggers way of cheating out on writing a post, which is why I like them so much, I suppose.
In conjunction with Laurel Wreath's "I love Fall Giveaway" I'll be giving away my three favorite writing books as well as a funky messenger bag, which is perfect for writers who love to tote their stuff around. I wish I could win one! When I say "favorite" I mean totally-fav, y'all! These are the books I'd read cover to cover, over and over again, and when I do I always grow as a writer. My giveaway is scheduled for Wednesday September 3rd, but she'll have giveaways all week at her site, so head over there for details and prizes. And if you can mention it on your site as well, I'll be your best friend for a day. LOL
CWO will also be having a humongous giveaway that you won't want to miss, and we'll be announcing that at one at Christian Women Online when the new issue goes up for September. It'll be our biggest give-away yet!
Here's the official blurb on Laurel's giveaway:
Joining me are CWO's Editor Darlene Schacht [that's me!], Author and Speaker Lysa TerKeurst, Professional Organizer Beverly Coggins, jewelry maker Crystal at Two Belles & a Bead, and "Down on the Farm" Mrs. Deedra. They will be offering up some wonderful prizes you will NOT want to miss!
We would love for you to join us at laurelwreathsreflections.com beginning September 1st. Feel free to grab Laurel's button to help spread the word!
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Saturday August 23, 2008
The Take Away Factor
Terry Whalin, my lit agent and fellow writing friend, has been the Yogi to my Boo Boo for a few years now. Our friendship began about three years ago when I created a blog design for Terry, in exchange for some writing advice. Did he get short-changed on that trade! :)
It was a huge coincidence that I had just ordered his book, Book Proposals that Sell, the night before, so I already knew the big-wig he was when he contacted me for a blog template. I decided to take the opportunity to pick his brain and glean some of that wisdom he has.
While I worked on his design, he took a few of my blog posts to analyze and provide feedback. I'm sure he must have shook his head a few times, because I know that when I look back I do the same thing. At the time I thought they were great, in fact I half expected Terry to call me up saying, "This is the greatest stuff I've ever read! I'll meet you in New York in 5 minutes!" I'm sure that many of us have felt that way at times, but as we grow we see how far we've come, and just how far we still have to go.
A Take-Away Factor is the one lesson, message, or lightbulb moment that readers will take away from your book. What will they remember when they put the book down? The book requires a take away factor, while each chapter should contain a corresponding factor as well. I now look at it as a clothesline where the take away factor is the line, and each chapter are the clothespins that hold your ideas to that line. The clothespins should all correspond with that one idea.
What if you're not writing a book? What if you're writing a short story or blog post? Unless I'm really cramped for time--which is often the case on my personal blog--I've always tried to apply this lesson to my blogging as well. Even when we've struggled to find underwear on a Sunday morning, there's always been a life lesson to glean. When we can bring that life lesson to the reader and give them something to meditate on for the day, we've provided a worthwhile piece of writing, and a reason to come back.
I may be partial to "The Internet Cafe" since it's a sister site to CWO ~ wink. But the writers there have the amazing ability to provide a take-away factor day after day. There's always a wonderful lesson gleaned from their life experiences, which is probably one reason why several of those writers have been publishing articles.
I have a hilarious example of a take-away factor for you. This story of mine could have stood alone as a humorous anecdote of an evening we had, but I decided to apply a life lesson to it.
You can find it by clicking here: "Man Against Nature." It's good for a chuckle or two!
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Friday August 22, 2008
Writing Opportunities
I received a letter from Mark Littleton who was recently contracted to write a book called, Hurry Up, God: I Can’t Wait Another Minute. This is about twelve principles to learn to wait on God in a fast-everything world. He has selected eleven areas (the first one is already written) that he needs stories for, from 300-1500 words.
The story has to illustrate the principle in that chapter. If you have an idea, please send him an e-mail and he'll give you a go-ahead to see your article on speculation. Once he gets the book together, he will pay each accepted contributor $25 for articles under 1000 words, and $50 for articles from 1001-1500 words. He may be willing to look at even longer articles, if the story is really compelling. You can send in reprints, but they must be unique and interesting.
Please e-mail your story, query, or idea to mlittleton@earthlink.net
The book is due Sept. 1, 2008, so it’s on a tight schedule at this point. He’ll need all stories by August 28th, no later. The article must be a nonfiction, true story from your life or someone else’s that illustrates the principle in the chapter.
Here are the subjects he still needs articles for: Chapter Two: Biblical Example: The Story of Hannah, A Sorrowful Woman
Chapter Three:
Chapter Four:
Chapter Five:
Chapter Six:
Chapter Seven:
Chapter Eight: Chapter Nine:
Chapter Ten:
Chapter Eleven:
Chapter Twelve: Biblical Example: The Thief on the Cross If you have any questions, please direct them to:
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Take a look at the following list of some of their working topics:
Results Stories (How a Chicken Soup story
If you don't see a topic that fits, you're encouraged to send your stories in regardless. Click Here to Submit Your Story
2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Thursday August 21, 2008
A Dash of this and a Dash of That...
Add spice to your writing with dashes. I love them, and therefore I'm probably guilty of using the em dash far more than I should. Let's discuss what it is, and what it's used for.
The em dash is labeled so because it's approximately the width of the letter "m" (—). It can also be expressed by using two dashes (--). We
There are a few other dashes we could touch on as well such as his little buddy, the "en" (–) , but since the em dash has several uses of its own, let's discuss this one in detail.
One way the em dash is used, is to set off an additional, but not necessary, detail in a sentence. It's what dip is to the chip. You really want it there to enhance the flavor, but you could live without it. I find that it's also a great way to add personality to your sentences. Think of it as you would a dash of spice. Here's an example:
Notice that there aren't any spaces before or after the dash.
The em dash is the best way to express an interruption of speech:
The em dash is a great way to define something, midway through sentence:
Use it to cite examples, in place of "such as":
Lastly, I like to use it in place of "that is," to add emphasis. You'll see it a lot in my writing, but only when I want to bring home a point. Here's a sentence from Live Well at CWO, where I use the dash to first add a side note (the dip on the chip) and secondly to bring the point home.
If you notice the dashes in the first paragraph, you'll see that the phrase, "one of the twelve desciples," is not a necessary detail to the reader. It's simply good background information. However, in the second sentence, "despite the storm that surrounded him," was very necessary to the point, and therefore commas were required.
Since my brain's run dry, we'll discuss the other dashes another day, while this one stews in our pen.
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Since I discovered that writing is more about releasing my inner creativity than being the perfectionist that I once thought I should be, I've become a bit of a word-nerd.
If you're a writer, and if you like to have fun--this site is for you. I doubt it will be anywhere near to perfection, but I will be enjoying every jot and tittle that we discuss while giving you tips and tricks of the trade that I've found have helped me.
On that note, let's jump right in and discuss rhetorical questions...
One Sunday, when I was around 12, our family took Betty Clark, the girl next door, along to church with us. Eager to be seen and heard, Betty sat front row center. I'm sure she felt closer to Jesus then we did that day, since she was 2 feet from the altar mid service, but we hadn't ventured to ask for fear she might never stop talking. Anyway, during the service Pastor Gibson would often ask rhetorical questions like: "Have you given your burden over to Jesus?" "Do you hear what I'm saying, Brother?" and "Can you feel the power?"
That Sunday Betty answered each one loud and clear: "No." "Yes." and "Not yet," while my sisters and I choked back a snicker. We had already learned the cardinal rule that rhetorical questions are never answered aloud--they are pondered.
Fast forward to the future where little Darlene has grown into a writer. Enter "rhetorical question" and my own question of what does one do with it?
The answer? We do a Betty Clark, and answer the question out loud. Let me give you an example or two...
Here is a paragraph that I wrote for my Live Well! column at Christian Women Online Magazine. Notice how I could have left the questions unanswered, but I didn't:
A second example appeared earlier in this article when I wrote:
Answering the question adds an extra layer of interest to your article, while it carries the reader from one thought to the next. It also serves well to link one paragraph to the next, which is a creative way to move your story along.
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Tuesday August 19, 2008
Imagery. It's the tool that most student writers are taught right off the hop, when they are instructed to "show" rather than "tell." What does a room feel like? What are the sounds, the sights, the smells? Let your imagination soar, and paint a picture with your words, that picture is known as "imagery."
When you can describe the scene well, you invite the reader into the story to walk alongside you, or in some cases--to be you. Don't be afraid to use all five senses if they flow well into a piece. Allow your story to be rich in visual content, and take your time to craft it well.
I wrote a short story that was published in Life Savors for Women, by Tyndale Publishers entitled, "My Sister's Neighbor." It's been one of my favorites since it is so rich in imagery--and funny to boot! Here's a little blurb from the story:
Here is another paragraph from the same story:
You may notice that I like to use brand names such as "Sealy Posturepedic" rather than simply saying "mattress." It's just a thing I like to do in order to be specific. As long as I'm not knocking a company, I don't think they'd have an issue with me using the brand. But ultimately, the publisher is the one that will decide.
A writing mentor of mine, Shannon Woodward, is very gifted when it comes to detail--very! She knows how to paint a picture with words, like few writers I've read, which is what makes Shannon one of my favorite authors. Before I even stepped foot into Seattle's Pike Street Market, I felt as though I had been there before, thanks to Shannon's detailed depiction of it.
You can enjoy Shannon's writing by visiting her blog at: Windscraps.
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
Monday August 18, 2008
When my kids clean their rooms, I'll often stand behind them with a trash can saying, "When in doubt, throw it out." They don't know it, but I retreive those doubtful items every once in a while, and slip them back in the drawer. Bottom
So it is with our paragraphs. Too much clutter makes for too much confusion. Clean concise sentences are breathable. This doesn't mean that we eliminate the art of painting a picture with our words, but rather we choose the best words to do it. The goal is to show your reader in detail what they are experiencing, while eliminating all unnecessary words. There will be times when we also eliminate unnecessary sentences, paragraphs, and in the most tragic of cases--chapters.
We'll keep things small for now, and look at a sentence at a time. Here's an example of painting a scene with few words.
Compare the same piece written with too many words.
Both pieces show what's happening in the story. We know that Peter was eating a cheeseburger, and that it fell to the floor, but the second example uses too many unnecessary words to bring the reader in. Using one good word such as "slid" rather than "was falling" makes the story move better and removes extra fluff. The other examples are "gasped" in place of "screamed loudly," "beige" for "lightly-colored," and finally I was able to make two sentences into one by simply saying, "and became one," rather than mentioning the burger once again and using three words such as "lying face down."
Be particularly aware of those "ly" words such as "loudly" "quietly" "firmly" etc., that are there when they don't need to be. If you're a new writer, look for them, and you'll likely find a few that you can remove in your writing.
Below are sample sentences using many words, followed by the same sentences using few:
1. Kiki joyfully ran into the room. 2. Betty gently threw the ball my way. 3. Kevin spoke softly to me. 4. Trish came running into the room. 5. That episode shook my confidence. 6. Put your trust in God. 7. Throw all paper towels in the trash.
Better said:
1. Kiki skipped into the room. 2. Betty tossed the ball my way. 3. Kevin whispered to me. 4. Trish whipped into the room. 5. That episode rattled me. 6. Believe in God. 7. Discard all paper towels.
©2008, Darlene Schacht Get Published at Art Bookbindery -"Empowering Writers to Self Publish."
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I'm a forty-something-year-old Christian mother of four whose children range in ages from seven to sixteen. My husband, Michael, and I l live in Manitoba, Canada, where we run a company that empowers writers to self-publish.
I'm also the founder and editor of Christian Women Online Magazine, where I write a monthly column inspiring women to a Christ-centered journey through weight loss.
My articles have been published in print, online, and in my own humorous book:  I'm also a contributing author in:  (Tyndale Publishing)  (Thomas Nelson)
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I got some great feedback from him, which I've since applied to my writing, but within all the little that notations he made, one piece of advice stood out to me far more than the rest: "The Take-Away Factor." 
And if that doesn't sound like the right fit for you,
see the double dash used online quite often, because the true em dash usually requires a little html adjustment since it's not on all keyboards. Don't mistake it with the hyphen (-), which is much smaller. 
Who puts 
Wikipedia defines it this way: "Imagery is descriptive language that evokes sensory experience (in any or all sense modes), and is intended to make the reader feel more interested and more emotionally involved in the work by creating a mental image of the subject." 
line is that when a room is free of clutter, it's breathable, well organized, and a comfort to be in. 
