WTI Writers

2004-03-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Since we're planning the Big Migration to South Florida, I've had questions from friends and family members (as an aside, why are they family members but we do not have friendly members? Can anyone explain this to me? E-mail me at sandilayne@sandilayne.com.)

Where was I? Oh yes. So, I've been inundated with worried looks, notes, and e-mails inquiring after my personal hurricane preparedness.

Now, I've survived earthquakes, sandstorms, monsoon seasons, and even a walk through a dark parking lot at night, but I've never been in a hurricane. So, my source of all knowledge and wisdom has thoughtfully had a guide all prepared, since 2001.

Read it and, ah, be prepared to make a quick dash to the bathroom to check your toilet.

2003-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

The reason for our celebration at Christmas

I got this story from my friend The Journalist and thought I'd share it with the blog.

* * *

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out
Christmas shopping with her two children; after many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year---overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, make sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, "Don't worry. We already crucified him."

For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

2003-11-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm Reading...

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain. I've always heard, you should never judge a book by its cover. I've also learned that sometimes you should never even judge a book by its title. I did both and missed reading this book when I should have read it a long time ago. Do not, I repeat, do not let the tacky $ on the cover and the seemingly money-minded title deter you from purchasing one of the greatest practical guides to writing fiction.

This book kept popping up as a must-read during the last couple of months in few writing forums I've been reading. I kept hearing positive reviews for this book from writers I respect. So I made the plunge and bought the book. After the first chapter, I knew I deprived myself from some of the best writing advice in print. In fact, I'd have to say that this is the best fiction writing advice I've read in a long time. And this book has 1965 publishing date! I've been in the dark a long time concerning this book.

The author, Dwight Swain, knows his stuff and covers plot, characters, dialogue, setting, scenes and much more. But he doesn't skim over the topics. This writer makes you think and doesn't ask you to do exercises to prove to yourself that you're a writer. After the first read through this book I simply went back to chapter one and have started a second reading.
The material is dense and deserves much re-reading.

Bottom line? Buy this one if you're a fiction writer. It's not one of those read it once and you're done with it books. Rather it's the kind of book you may find yourself reading again and again to completely grasp all the good down-to-earth writerly advice. This one belongs on every fiction writer's shelf despite the cover and the title.

2003-10-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm Reading...

East of Eden (Oprah's Book Club) One of my favorite writers is John Steinbeck but I've never read East of Eden until now. I stayed away from this book because I vaguely knew the plot was about a prostitute and her sons. However, the book is much more than that. In fact, Steinbeck wrote the book as sort of a family history living in the Salinas, California area.

After reading this book I'm ready to declare that this is my favorite Steinbeck novel despite some of the occasional profanity. This book, above many other books I've read, describes the classic struggle of good and evil that goes on in men's hearts and minds. I found Steinbeck's observation of human nature quite incredible. Here's an example:

And once a boy (Cal) has suffered rejection, he will find rejection even where it does not exist---or, worse, will draw it forth from people simply by expecting it. In Cal the process had been so and so slow that he felt no strangeness. He had built a wall of self-suffiency around himself, strong enough to defend himself against the world.

There are many other descriptions by Steinbeck in this book of the human struggle with the impulses of good and evil. The characters in this volume are rich and layered with deep emotions. And the ending of this novel is compatible with any Christian view.

I can highly recommend reading East of Eden (Oprah's Book Club) if you can tolerate a few occasions of profanity. This is one book I plan on reading and rereading for a study in developing characters. My only regret? I've finally read a book Oprah recommends.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-10-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

The book of Romans!

God is so amazing! I've started a new Bible reading experience and today something just spoke to me so I thought I'd jot it down here.

In the family of Christ, there are some people who believe that God has abandoned his people, Israel. But how could he have done so? His own son was born to Israel, and God promised he would always love them, though they are a stubborn and stiff-necked people.

So I'm reading in Romans today and this passage resonated in me: Romans 11:17-24

Basically, this is telling the reader that Israel is the Lord's cultivated olive tree and the Gentiles are like a wild olive tree. Some branches of the cultivated tree were cut off and some from the wild tree were grafted in.

But Paul warns the grafted-in branches not to think of themselves as being better than the rest of the tree. It is the ROOT that supports the BRANCH, not the other way around. By grace, the Gardener grafted in the branches, not because the branches deserved grafting.

Be afraid, Paul says to the arrogant branch. For if God would cut off branches of this tree that were a natural part of it, he can cut off branches he grafted in, as well.

Finally, Paul shows God's love in reminding the cut-off branches that they will be grafted in again if they do not persist in their unbelief.

I just thought this was cool. God's neverending love for a stubborn people is encouraging because I, too, am stubborn and I know he loves me anyway.

Praise the Lord for his faithfulness!

~~Sandi~~

2003-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

WTI Editorial from the Archives

Here's a past WTI editorial for the fall season dated Oct. 25, 2002.

WHAT HARVEST?
By Glenn White

Fall is here! It’s harvest time! Unless you’re a writer like most of us. Harvest? What harvest? You can’t even think about the harvest. You’re busy plowing through line after line, page after page, and chapter after chapter. Sunday comes, you go to church, and the sermon is about sowing, reaping, and the harvest. The message is encouraging as you sit in your quiet padded perch. Then you sing the doxology or a rousing worship song and go home.

As soon as you hit the door, the kids are hungry, the house is a mess, and you want to write. Harvest? You bet! You really have a harvest…a bumper crop of screaming kids and household chores before you can even think about writing. You flop down on the couch at 11pm. You’re exhausted and haven’t written a single word.

Yeah, the writer’s life is wonderful. Or so you thought. You find out that sowing, reaping, and harvesting are not the norm for most writers. You realize the writer’s life is a plowing life. So you write, rewrite, edit, revise and plow through page after page. Just when you think you’re done you notice the lumps and clods in your story. So, you plow some more. You take a deep breath, look again, and notice rocks and weeds. So, you plow through your story when you’re not plowing through piles of dirty clothes.

Then you struggle with unrealistic ideas about the writer’s life. Sometimes, you think publishers will grab your hard work, sow it to the world, and there will be a great harvest. You know it’s a wonderful goal but you also know writing is more about putting your hand to the plow every day. So you plow, you don’t look back and suddenly realize you really can leave the harvest to God. That's when you know you know that you're a fit writer for the kingdom of God.

2003-09-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

This Week's WTI Editorial

Just thought I'd post this week's WTI editorial from our weekly newsletter.

SHOW ‘EM THE TRUTH
by Glenn White

I’ve always been amazed by dumb things people say in the Bible. A good example is Pilate when he asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Every time I read Pilate’s pseudo-philosophical query I want to scream and tell him, “C’mon, didn’t someone tell you that Jesus said he was the truth. Truth stands right before your eyes.”

I guess I’m somewhat too harsh on Pilate since I too frequently miss the truth (Jesus) standing in front of my face. I call those times as my brain having an out-of-the-body experience. And I think all of us have those moments where the obvious seems obscure.

Many non-church people today are honestly seeking truth. But they believe truth is a subjective reality or cold hard facts found in a philosophical theory, religious teaching or legal system. However, after Jesus came on the scene then truth became a real person and not just another law, good idea or nice way of looking at life.

It’s important for every Christian writer to know that truth is found in the person of Jesus. It’s important to know because every writer should always tell truth. After all, even fiction is simply another way of telling people the truth through story. It makes no difference if you write fiction or non-fiction, you can show ‘em the truth by showing them Jesus.

How can you show people the truth? When you write let Jesus come into your writing. Write about the character of Jesus using a character in your story. Or look for the character of Jesus in your non-fiction article or book and write about what you find. Caution: show don’t tell. I think non-church people are tired of being told about Jesus without seeing him. It’s a challenge but I believe writers can show people Jesus without naming names. Also I believe that with a little practice you can become a real truth shower. And when people know the truth there are amazing results.

Finally, always remember that you can never separate the truth of Jesus from the love of Jesus. Because when you show ‘em the truth with the love of Jesus…you will write to inspire!

Aloha, Glenn

2003-09-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Electronic Reference Desk

I don't know about YOU, but I am frequently researching. Daily, as a matter of fact. I just found this 'reference desk' in my local paper and thought I'd share it with you.

I recommend bookmarking everything you run into, and organizing them into folders, if your browser allows it. The folders might be labeled by type of information, or by the title of the project for which it is required. I recommend keeping everything for a while until you've ascertained its full use. Then, you can delete it.

Note: IF a site was particularly helpful, keep the site and give them a mention in your work.

~~Sandi~~

2003-08-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Passion

Here's a link to the film trailer of Mel Gibson's new movie, The Passion. Brace yourself, this film depicting the crucifixion Jesus is graphic and intense.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-08-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

Tons of virus warnings caused by the Sobig.f virus. Not my kind of reading but a hazard of our technology age.
Have a wonder-filled day and keep smiling.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-08-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

Heretics by G.K. Chesterton, also the author of the Father Brown mystery series. My favorite mystery novels are written by British authors like Chesterton, Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There is a certain suspense element in their books that I admire. But Chesterton was more than a mystery novelist, he was also a fascinating Christian thinker. Here are a few quotes to ponder from Chesterton that I picked up today:

"The men who have been really bold artists, the realistic artists, the uncompromising artists, are the men who have turned out, after all, to be writing 'with a purpose.'"

"It is ludicrous to suppose that the more skeptical we are the more good we see in everything. It is clear that the more we are certain what good is, the more we shall see good in everything."

"A man cannot be wise enough to be a great artist without being wise enough to be a philosopher. A man cannot have the energy to produce good art without having the energy to wish to pass beyond it. A small artist is content with art; a great artist is content with nothing except everything."

Have a thoughtful day.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Lord!

Now, I say that with all sincerity. I do. Today, Cyclone started back to school. I promised to pray and I asked for prayer during the summer, because I was afraid I'd over-stress and go ballistic or something while both boys were underfoot.

God is faithful and I didn't go ballistic. I rarely lost my temper, and I actually had a great summer with my boys. :-) I'm so thankful.

And to those who were privy to my ups and downs this summer, thank you, too! Your prayers were so appreciated!!

The temperatures may still be in the triple digits, but summer is officially over for my family. We survived again. God is awesome.

2003-08-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Free Online Writing Class

You can enroll in a free online writing class I'm teaching called Write from the Bible by clicking on the underlined link.

I can promise you when you finish the class and the assignments that you will write like never before. The basic premise of the class is that the world's greatest literary masterpiece, the Bible, also is a valuable resource for writers. Try the class and see what you think.

Have a great Aloha Friday!
Glenn

2003-07-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Metron Press

If you haven't seen these people, go to their website at www.metronpress.com. Quality, scripture-based graphic novels that will appeal to teens and adults. In full color, no less!

The Lord deserves top-of-the-line representation, and I am always enthusiastic about people and organizations that give it to him!

2003-07-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bill Bright the Writer

Last weekend, Dr. Bill Bright, 81 years old and founder of Campus Crusade for Christ passed away. Bill Bright was an amazing guy and what I consider a successful Christian writer. He wrote a booklet in 1956 titled "The Four Spiritual Laws" which contained only 77 words. Since then this booklet has been printed in 200 languages and distributed to over 2.5 billion people. This makes it the most widely disseminated religious booklet in the history of publishing. Not bad for someone not normally considered a writer.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

Christianity for Modern Pagans by Peter Kreeft. Okay, now I'm out of the closet. I'm really a pseudo-intellectual and love reading heavy philosophical stuff. This book is an edited, outlined, and explained commentary on Blaise Pascal's Pensees. And yes it is a Christian book written by a great Christian thinker and writer commenting on the work of a brilliant Christian French philosopher. Are you yawning yet?

Anyway, Peter Kreeft has written quite a few good books about Christianity and modern philosophical thought. This book is one of his finest works in my opinion. Here's a sampling with Pascal's thoughts in bold and Kreeft's comments in italics.

There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.

The only choice, then, is between being sinners who know they are sinners and repent; or sinners who don't. Saints are not the opposite of sinners; saints are sorry sinners, saved sinners.

I don't know about you but I think this is good stuff, really good stuff. I'll admit it's not easy reading but it does stretch my brain to think about my faith in new ways. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to communicate their faith to college students or the intellectual elite.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-07-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

Help Wanted Ad

My wife, Sheila, brought my attention to a Help Wanted ad in last Sunday's Honolulu Advertiser:

"FLORAL DELIVERY---Drug/alcohol/cell phone dependent need not apply...."

Aloha, Glenn

2003-07-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

WTI New Search Engine!

From our home page you can search the archives of WTI with our new seach engine from Google. Whether it's a specific topic, writer, or key word you're looking for you'll find it with our new search feature. Try it, you may like it.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-07-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

The mind of God.

I don't know much about the Mind of God, other than what I read in Scripture. But, it seems to me that there are a lot of things not specifically covered that intrigue me as a writer.

I read this morning about the brave Iranian twins who are undergoing surgery to become separate individuals. Anytime twins are born conjoined, I feel for them and for their families. The decision to separate them can be difficult, and often the life of one of the children is at stake...and the parents are more often than not the ones who are burdened with that decision.

But with Ladan and Laleh Bijani , the decision rests with the sisters themselves. They have chosen, as 29-year-old women, to take the risk and opt for surgery so that they might choose independent lives. One account of this surgery is here: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0707IranTwins07-ON.html

As a Christian, I wonder. What does God intend with such a circumstance? How can we decide if one person or the other might die in such a situation? How can we choose? Do we let every set of conjoined twins stay that way, and figure that the Lord will make a way? Or do we opt for surgery, even if it risks the life of one or both children?

As a writer, I wonder how to communicate this dilemma. Not to make light the heart-wrenching dilemma that those with this decision must truly face, but merely to explore it.

How to decide? What if one twin does not survive the surgery? What, then, will the other think and feel?

I've rambled on enough. I just wanted to float this.

Comments always welcome...lol

mailto:sandilayne@sandilayne.com

2003-07-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Take a moment to pray for the men and women who are still 'over there,' preserving freedom for ourselves and others!

Take another moment to thank God for the free nations of the world, and – if you're American – for the freedom we enjoy here to worship as we wish.

God bless you and yours this lovely day!

2003-06-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible School is over!

Greetings! Last week was a busy one out here, as it was in many, many places, I'm sure. VBS can be that way. :-)

As music director, I was involved in approximately 2.5 hours of aerobics every evening, teaching all the kids that came how to sing the songs that went along with the VBS program. It was a BLAST, let me tell you.

But the best part of the whole week was Friday, when I found out that we had 225 children who had attended (a figure I hadn't known, because I frankly didn't have time to count heads each night) and that out of that number, 34 of them had made first-time decisions for Christ!!

It's awesome to know that a harvest like that was reaped in the course of a week. We pray and we pray for the hearts of the kids to be prepared...and then they take a stand and God is honored.

Awesome.

2003-06-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

A Writer's Inspiration

My biggest fan and greatest encourager is Sheila, my wife. For example, this morning she put on my desk (for non-writers this is commonly known as a kitchen table) her Mary Engelbreit daily calendar with the page for today. It read:

Inspiration is the act of drawing up a chair to the writing desk.
Anonymous

I'm convinced more and more that writing is all about discipline and inspiration. So I apply my bottom to the chair and let inspiration rise to the top.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-06-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

I'm re-reading How to Write a Great Story: A Fiction Writer's Handbook. This book is on my once-a-year reading list. It's a clear concise 88 page writing guide filled with good advice. I enjoy this little book because I can give it a quick read and glean valuable tips.

Here's a sample quote: "Great stories have great characters who solve problems through great action."

Okay, so this is not a profound advice for any writer. But direct simplicity is the beauty of this small tome. I think it's a worthy read for any fiction writer as a delightful refresher for good fiction writing.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-06-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Writer and Artist's Prayer

Yesterday afternoon I received another polite encouraging rejection letter. Occasionally, I use a highly scientific and theological approach to Bible reading which I call the "Flop and Read" method. When I hit the wall, like receiving another rejection letter, I take my Bible flop it open and ask God to speak to my heart. Amazingly, sometimes the "Flop and Read" method really works. And it worked yesterday when I discovered what I call "The Writer and Artist's Prayer" in the book of Psalms. The prayer goes like this:

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us---yes establish the work of our hands.
Ps. 90:17 (NIV)

There are times when every writer, artist, musician, or any other creative person faces rejection and discouragement because of their work. That comes with the territory, so to speak. In those times, however, we can ask for God's favor and establish or confirm the work of our hands. My prayer is that we'll experience God's favor as God establishes the work of our hands. Keep creating, keep believing, and keep praying.

Aloha, Glenn

2003-06-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...

Mr. Darcy's Daughters : A Novel by Elizabeth Aston.

This is a great book for those of you who enjoyed Pride and Prejudice as much as I do. Of course, if you know me, then you know that PnP is possibly my favorite work of fiction of all time. I have several editions by different publishers and in different formats all over my house, not to mention the movies!

Anyway, this book takes a look at the children of such interesting folks as Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy. It's a fun and fast read and I consumed it in a matter of a few hours.

A lesson, though, to be learned. These wonderful parents both left on a diplomatic mission, thus taking themselves from the book. As a fan, I was bummed. I kept hoping to see them eventually. Note to self: when writing a sequel, be sure to include the original characters at some point.

Another lesson has to do with family. As great as these parents are, they left their five daughters in the care of friends and family In Town for a London Season. The girls got into all sorts of trouble, because their parents weren't with them, providing the familiar guidance and boundaries they were accustomed to.

Of course...the book wouldn't have been written if they had!, but still, a lesson to parental units everywhere.

Great book. Highly recommended. Okay, so it isn't Christian lit, but I don't confine myself to that genre...