My friend Esther frames Vonnegut’s saying differently: do the things that make your soul happy. She and I are quiet for a moment – an oddity for the two of us – and reflect on what her statement means in the context of our conversation. She and I aren’t speaking of a short-term happiness but of a long-term one, one that is rooted in pursuing God and resting in Him.
Archives for October 2014
Write Right Brews Some Toil and Trouble
Clarifying Priorities
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary – we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! – Romans 5:3-5 (The Message)
Writing as Witness
To be a writer is to write on behalf of, even if it’s on the behalf of herself. It’s to bear witness to her own life and to hold it beneath the glare of her writing. It is to study and prod in an attempt to understand – sometimes even when there is no understanding to be found or claimed – and to call attention to something greater than herself. [Read more…] about Writing as Witness
How to be a Better Writer: Take a Stand
In college writing courses, professors typically warn against making absolute statements. It’s valid advice; there always is a “but” for an absolute. An avoidance of absolute statements, though, does not mean writers shouldn’t take an absolute stand.
How to Lengthen a Scene
Stepping back: yes, lengthening the scene, so awe has a little room to breathe. That courtesy. – Lia Purpura’s “Sugar Eggs: A Reverie”