How you can fail as a writer

AuthorAppleton on January 11, 2016

It’s a straightforward dilemma. If you dream of writing the kind of stories you love then one day you hope to share those stories with the world. You will focus on the things that matter, like good grammar and stronger sentence structure. You will face the demons of self-doubt, and you believe you will emerge victorious because you have prepared for this battle. But equally important for you to understand is how not to succeed as a writer.

If you want to succeed at something you must also recognize what things you need to avoid in order to succeed. We learn best by example, so let me tell you about Tommy Hopeful, a (fictional) writer who followed the path to writing failure.

Tommy was born to be a writer! He told stories to his siblings out of the crib. He read extensively, studied hard, and hoped one day to emulate his favorite authors. Yes, Tommy always wanted to be a writer. He jotted down story ideas that interested and excited him. His notebooks burst at the seams and he found he had to buy boxes of rubber bands to secure the well-used notebooks. Ah! Tommy had a veritable library of ideas, some partially constructed on paper, others fully written out.

At last, Tommy submitted his work to a literary agent. This was the moment he had waited for, he felt sure. Now a professional would see and believe in him. He didn’t dream of big money, lavish vacations, or any such frivolity. Tommy dreamed of seeing his book on Grandma’s shelf. It didn’t have to be fancy. It was his. He waited for ten months before the letter came, and with eager anticipation he cut open the envelope to read the letter within. Surely it would be handwritten, or personally notated.

Tommy’s first rejection letter was as generic as they come. He felt disappointed, yet not disillusioned. Well, that is, not until three years later when he added another generic rejection letter to the pile. He stopped writing as the discouragement settled in. He was a young man now and everyone around who cared about him told him it was time for him to put his energies into something that would pay his bills. It was time for him to stop disillusioning himself. The world awaited.

Tommy turned his passion into his hobby. He shared his stories with a handful of polite friends, he settled into that steady job, bought a house and began raising a family. Before he knew it the years had gone by, leaving him with gray hair. His children had moved on, much of his family had deceased. Tommy looked around him and realized that he had left nothing of import to the world, that is with the exception of his children. But he realized that the rest of the world would never know him. They would not remember his existence, except for the gravestone. But what epitaph would there be on his stone? What had he done so that a few hundred years from now he was still blessing the world.

Tommy let the demon of discouragement destroy his immortality. If he had wanted, he could have taken the bull by the horns. He could have picked himself up out of the dirt. Instead he allowed discouragement to govern his responses to the world around him.

Acknowledge discouragement but do not let it govern your choices.

Q: How do you react to discouragement?

How writing changes our world

AuthorAppleton on December 21, 2015

I once wrote a short story titled Trapped In Imagination and it was an exploration of how a writer creates a story. I have always been fascinated by the creative process. It is a gift and it has the power to effect change at the behest of the writer that crafts the words. A writer can quite literally change the world.

Recently I watched a fun Twilight Zone episode where a writer literally brings people into existence through his writing. The concept was fascinating to me and entirely entertaining to watch. In my own mind I have often thought what it would be like to actually bring to life the characters I write on paper or type into my computer.

This fascination is brought on by the deep impact that the writing process has on my mind. As the writer, I sink my mind deep in the stories I create. The characters become real to me, in my mind. The imagination of them is powerful. I can relate to their fears, their hopes, and aspirations. There are moments when I almost cry over the story I am writing. Other moments I feel almost giddy with happiness.

It is that utter abandoning of one’s self to the power of story that makes one realize its power. Through writing we can effect change. Not superficial change only, but real change. Consider the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or the negative impact of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. What of the rise of western civilization through The King James Bible. The list goes on almost indefinitely.

Writing changes the world. It impacts hearts and minds for good or ill. It is our responsibility as writers to impact the world for good.

Q: How do you see writers impacting real change in the world?

How characters with conviction drive story

AuthorAppleton on October 19, 2015

It would be impossible for me to recollect how many times I have heard people say to me, “All religions are really the same. So I don’t believe in any of them.” I think they thought it was impressive to say it, perhaps politically correct and socially accepted in our culture. Besides betraying a lack of knowledge or understanding of what divides religious groups, what they were really saying was, “I’ve given up on searching for absolute truth, so I am not accountable to any worldview.”

Interesting? Not really. It’s sad. Sad that an individual will fall into the trap of giving up on finding the basis for their convictions. Their ethics become based on feelings and emotions, as they are subject to no supreme authority. It brings to mind that verse in Revelation 3:16. It is pertinent to quote it here: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.”

Conversely, I have encountered people of faiths that differ from mine who will tell me in no uncertain terms where they stand. People like that I can respect, even if our beliefs are polarizingly opposed. They know what they believe and why they believe it.

When writing fiction this is an important consideration. What kind of characters do you want to create? Do you want generic individuals so that you have to rely on the plot? Or would you rather have characters of conviction who stand firm on what they believe and why they believe it?

Looking at history demonstrates this repeatedly. If a simple monk had not stood against the Pope, we would never have heard of Martin Luther. If Hitler’s worldview had not been so polar-opposed to Stalin’s socialism, he may not have turned on Russia.

A story that is filled with characters of conviction leaves a lasting impact on the reader because the reader finds themselves rooting for some while condemning others. Characters with conviction can be praised or condemned for their choices and actions. Characters without conviction follow the whims of society and leave little lasting impact.

Conviction feeds growth. It makes people uncomfortable or inspires them, but it certainly leaves an impact on society. Characters of conviction drive story. We can root for them or watch them fall.

Storytelling is a powerful vehicle for exploring the best and the worst in humanity. But characters without conviction fade into the background. They neither angered nor thrilled us… Well, perhaps I am wrong in that. Sometimes they do anger us in the same way that those types do in real life.

Q: Do you recognize what convictions drive your favorite fiction characters?

The Necessity of Vision

AuthorAppleton on October 12, 2015

The existence we know is not the world we reach for
We see things above and beyond ourselves
We grasp at a vision of things to learn
And worlds yet to be explored.

The world around us is bound in the present
Yet we reach into our God-given creativity
Nothing unattainable or insurmountable
And our vision extends to the future.

Vision to see beyond the present curcumstances
Imagination to improve and grow
We will let nothing deter us from achieving our dreams
And the dreamers become the doers.

Vision must be tempered by humility
Without it we choose unwisely
Only with it can we attain our dreams
Our learning is empowered by this path.

The existence we know is only a first step
We see into the future and dream
We begin building the vision in the present
And over time we explore those new worlds.

Holding our Creator’s hand
We are people of vision
Undaunted by setbacks and discouragement
And the future is ours to fearlessly face.

Following in our Creator’s steps
We are people of conscience
Looking beyond this world of sin
And our vision is to stand in good conscience.

Q: Who is guiding your vision?

How my Grandmother’s book keeps giving

AuthorAppleton on October 5, 2015

Growing up I read lots of books. I loved a good story. The tales of King Arthur and his knights, of fairy tales, of Christian allegories… they fueled the fire for storytelling. I grew up in rural Connecticut where small towns and their tiny libraries were the norm, and it’s amazing the treasures that could be found on those old shelves.

As a writer you can mine treasures from old books. It is an unparalleled feeling to look through a long-forgotten volume that, to your knowledge at least, may be the only copy remaining to the world.

Those little old town libraries had great book sales. Often you could pick up a hardcover copy of exactly what you wanted for a dollar, or a paperback for fifty cents. But what I was always on the lookout for were the old volumes. Hardback volumes printed at the dawn of the 19th century, or in the 1800’s. I focused on historical books because their accounts were not burdened by the modern perceptions of the author. Little did I know that some of the greatest treasures could be found in short story collections and poetry.

Some years ago I was visiting my grandmother (my father’s mother) and I told her my vision for using my own publishing company to bring old, long-forgotten volumes back into print. She went and retrieved a couple of books for me and I’ll never forget how pleased I was to get a heavy volume titled The Children’s Book of Poetry. It was printed in 1879.
old book page excerpt
I’ve not finished this book… not by a long shot! It is not merely a collection of poetry, it is an arsenal of stories drenched in variety and, most importantly, morally constructive.

The value in this book is that I can read these old pieces, none of which are thus far familiar to me, and find fresh inspiration. Inspiration that will help feed my creativity for years to come. All thanks to my Grandma. She is the sweetest lady and I’ll always hold this book with fondness, knowing that she gave it to me. I’ve already gleaned some great ideas from these “lost” pieces.

You see? The value in an old book (from the writer’s perspective) is the content it offers. Not its value or interest as an antique.

Q: Do you have any old books from which you might glean inspiration for new content?

 

How writing strengthens relationships

AuthorAppleton on September 21, 2015

It is an interesting thing to sit back and reflect on how we relate to other people. Some people communicate best verbally… but some of us can only make people understand exactly what we mean by writing it out.

Have you ever found yourself talking too much? Suddenly you realize that the conversation died a long while ago and the person you’re conversing with is no longer interested in what you have to say? Well, you suffer from the same condition I do. You may feel something is wrong with you because your verbal communication is less effective, but in fact you experience suggests you are a born writer.

Not all of us are gifted with our tongues. Some of us are wired for the written word. We can only explain what we feel after careful consideration or even meditation. For us communication is a process of creativity and the end goal is communication that feels like art to the recipient. When we write our thoughts flow uninhibited.

What is more amazing is that other people read what we write and suddenly they clearly understand what we’ve been trying to tell them all the while.

This has always been my struggle. When I talk, people have an easier time losing interest. They often can’t follow my reasoning as well as needed to arrive at the same conclusions I do. I watch in their eyes as they try their hardest to follow my line of thinking.

When I write out my thoughts the reverse is true.

My wife and I have had our share of disagreements and I fault myself for many of them because I cannot verbally communicate what I really mean. It takes me a while to get around to the point in the conversation. But I remember back when we started dating that I wrote her many a letter conveying the depth of my thoughts and feelings. Doing that really drew our hearts together and helped me lead her spiritually.

If you are like me your written words are more impactful than your spoken. If you are born to write then you can make people relate to and understand you through writing.

Use writing to strengthen your relationships. Use writing to lead people and to confound your adversaries. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Some people speak and their words reach people to change hearts and lives, but their words are gone after they are spoken. For us our writing is a path into changing hearts and minds. You can use writing to effect change… and your words will be preserved from generation to generation, leaving the same impact with each. That is a solemn responsibility and a glorious opportunity.

Q: Are you using writing to strengthen relationships, and change lives?

Choices and Your Destiny

AuthorAppleton on August 31, 2015

You are the sum of your choices, not the victim of your circumstances. Some folks attribute the person they become to the way they were raised, the opportunities they had, who their role models were. But history is replete with people who came out of nothing, even out of bad circumstances, and  rose to greatness. The truth is more challenging than that and understanding it enlightens us as to how heroes come to be.

What separates the average person from an individual who stands out is the choices they make. This is key in writing. You cannot root for a character that wallows in self-pity, yet you can root for one that rises above the muck to follow conscience and vision.

When I was growing up I refused to let discouragements push me away from my dreams and my spiritual convictions. My parents always told me to dream big and to never stop believing that I could fulfill those dreams. I failed many times, of course, yet God would always put me back on track when I made the right choices again.

I hit a rough patch when I left home to join the work force. Starting when I was sixteen the people I spent hours with at work each day did not share my Christian values. Many of them were good people yet they did not understand my convictions. Constantly my convictions were challenged and I discovered that people really do try to pull you into fellowship with their sins. Otherwise you make them uncomfortable. Many times others offered to pay my way into a strip club or go and get drunk. “You don’t know unless you try,” they’d say.

I do not recall these things to build my esteem in your eyes, but rather to remind and warn. Choice governs our destiny. I made some poor choices during that time that set me back spiritually, but thank God I also made better choices that strengthened me to continue growing toward the type of man I wanted to be.

Many young Christians fall during that transition, even fall away from the faith. It is a time of testing to see if the convictions they voice are a conviction in their souls or merely a carry over from the way they were raised. They allow failings to strengthen discouragement until the pattern of their life is a spiritual defeat. I have seen many hearts turned wholly to the world instead of to seeking God.

The world defines someone as a hero if they “follow their heart.” If they stand out as different from the norm with strange, revolutionary thinking. This is especially true if they depart from tradition; historical and Christian values. Little do these folks realize that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. It can be led astray and must be guarded.

A true hero meets those moments when culture challenges them and they stand firm in conviction. In faith and action they demonstrate a desire to grow in favor with God, not with the world.

We are the sum of our choices. Our choices can be guided by wisdom or by the desires of our heart. It’s a hard battle, yet with each right choice we fashion our habits and our destiny in favor with God.

In some ways you could say that true heroes are made, not born. Or, rather, that true heroes are born of their choices. They live with a healthy fear of the God who made them.

Q: To what destiny are your choices guiding you?

Divinity and accountability in Fiction

AuthorAppleton on July 27, 2015

When writing I have often pondered the futility of leaving God out of the story. His presence, whether embodied or as a distant spirit-being, omnipresent and omniscient, is necessary even in fiction. Without an ultimate accountability characters lose their punch.

All stories need a level of good versus evil. Characters make choices between right and wrong. Humanism would have us believe that we do not need God to explain the choice between good and evil, whereas the standard of morality we know is completely dependant on Him.

Western society is founded on the moral system passed down by Judeo-Christian values. Without a Common Standard of morality society is left to the whims of its individual members. One person may say that stealing is wrong, but another may say it is not because they believe in survival of the fittest.

Why is sin always sin? Why believe in truth and falsehood? Because we do have a standard in the laws passed down by God through Moses and the prophets and Jesus Christ.

This is pivotal in writing. Literature needs to reflect that God is the same always, whether in the past or in the present or in the future. An eternal being whose standards are not dependant on our desires, whims, or failings.

Without that standard a story becomes dependent on the characters’ perspectives. But when that standard is used the story gains coherancy because all actions, whether good or bad, have consequences temporal . . . and eternal.

Freedom of choice does not mean your characters can escape the fact that they are created beings.

Question: How does accountablity to God factor in the fiction you read and write?