tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3577999405160784252024-03-19T01:55:14.992-07:00Story JourneyIt is good to have an end to journey toward,
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-20845761393897489282016-01-14T12:28:00.001-08:002016-01-14T12:28:34.441-08:00Four years later ...Like the “x number of months or years later” in a movie after the major character suffers a life-changing event, my blog posts seem to always start with a nod to “time passed since last entry.” <br />
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So here’s the nod, without excuses. And yes, this page needs an upgrade … I’ll get right to it in “x number of months (or years!)”<br />
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Any writers out there who need a boost of motivation? Check out Splickety. It’s a great little flash fiction magazine with three imprints (general, romance, and sci/fantasy), so you’re bound to find a genre that works for you. <br />
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For those new to it, flash fiction is just what it sounds like—a story in a flash. Word count is 300-1000, though for the best chance of publishing they recommend 699 or less. They are easy to submit to and great to work with. <br />
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My first attempt at fantasy didn’t quite make the cut for the magazine, but it’s in the Lightning Blog <a href="http://splicketypubgroup.com/talias-gift-cheney/">here</a>.<br />
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If you’ve been in the writing world for a while, you have probably heard this over and over … Just get something out there! It’s truly satisfying, and writing a short piece is a great exercise in making the words count. <br />
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And coming from the once-every-four-years blogger, that’s quite a feat. So … ready, set, write!Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-55012829504729820132012-02-27T17:41:00.001-08:002012-02-27T17:41:29.508-08:00All in Good Time ...Do you ever feel like a late bloomer? You're in good company here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZmqPE_BDpEV3_uykC6T9whHtlNjYM8bLJuqeFCwp5ZN2vBlez6JcmrJaE5tSgfOFb_A9-MGk-x3vlLDKlYcSc3V0M-uWzb-AMiqMS1qXEBMje6plouaXc7CI_WNBjzEMcq1lu3gkg7A/s1600/MP900422760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZmqPE_BDpEV3_uykC6T9whHtlNjYM8bLJuqeFCwp5ZN2vBlez6JcmrJaE5tSgfOFb_A9-MGk-x3vlLDKlYcSc3V0M-uWzb-AMiqMS1qXEBMje6plouaXc7CI_WNBjzEMcq1lu3gkg7A/s200/MP900422760.JPG" width="200" /></a>I started college late, changed my major three times and so took longer getting through, didn't start on my first career until my late 20's, and didn't get married until my early 30's. Now, in my early 40's, I have an elementary-school-aged child and many mom friends who are anywhere from two to fourteen years younger than I. <br />
<br />And it's taken me an awfully long time to write a novel. Or two.<br />
<br />Late bloomer? Compared to others in my present peer circle, most definitely. But lately I have encouraged by this realization: It's not so much about how quickly I attain to certain milestones in life. It's about resting in the Lord through the journey. <br />
<br />Throughout John 15, Jesus emphasizes the importance of abiding in Him. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (vs. 4)." In the Key Word Study Bible, one of the lexical definitions of 'abide' derives from 'humpeno': to remain under, be patient. <br />
<br />There are times when the Lord delivers, just like that. Or brings us the desire of our hearts before we have experienced great anguish in the longing. (My amazing husband and daughter are both examples of the latter.) But much of our lives is about waiting. Waiting for healing. Waiting for a beloved child to come home. Waiting for a spouse to reconcile. Waiting for a business to take root and grow. Waiting for a publishing contract. Waiting for an agent to take notice of our brilliance. (wink) Working, as we wait, to attain to said brilliance. (wink, wink)<br />
<br />Here's the cool thing about humpeno. I believe that as we "remain under" the Lord's hand through the waiting, we begin to realize that relationship with Him is dearer than anything we can attain. And that's when we bear fruit that lasts. We don't care anymore what we can do <em>for</em> Him. We just want to be <em>with</em> Him, where anything is possible. All in good time.<br />
<br />So wait on, dear ones. He'll make it all worth it.<br />
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<br />Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-69246082369656428252012-02-09T19:23:00.000-08:002012-02-09T19:23:27.465-08:00A Shocking Lack of Words<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">This has been my
blogging life for the last year and a half ... a shocking lack of words. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">For those who may
have caught the reference, I did indeed borrow the title above from <em>Emma. </em>Remember
the last scene, when Emma and Mr. Nightly walked out of the church, under the
arbor, and the ever-critical Mrs. Elton turned to the camera and remarked at
the "shocking lack of satin?" Like anyone in the presence of such
loveliness as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam even noticed! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Likewise, I am quite
certain I have not sent any of you through a season of withdrawal. heh heh ... <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Still, I’m compelled
to give a reason for my absence. Though writers are not supposed to have
excuses, I've been sidelined for many months by a lingering bout of vertigo. If
you've ever experienced that thoroughly consuming affliction, you know that
vertigo + computer screen does not equal a happy head.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">And then, in
blogger-land, there's that thing about saying something useful. I admit to
being the type who is finicky about the “rules.” All the advice, instruction,
how-to-do-this-thing-the-right-way messages I’ve received at writing
conferences has fed my inbred hypersensitivity. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Contributions to the blogosphere should be purposeful, poignant,
applicable, or humorous. Preferably all of the above. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">When I was in
college, a friend and her boyfriend came to visit over Christmas break. Around
the dinner table one night, my dear mother, perhaps because she felt she must
share something, leaned toward me and said, "I bought you some underwear
today." My friend just about spit her mouthful of food all over her plate!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">But my mother
reveals the truth of it. Sometimes, all we have to say is, "I bought you
some underwear today." And after a year and a half of brain-rattling
(read: vertigo), I'm okay with that. I've learned there are more important
things in life than striving to be the one with the perfect words. (As if!) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia;">Here's one more
thing. Facebook friend and blogger extraordinaire Christen Nelson has put
together an e-book about God's love. I contributed an article about how I have
perceived His love so profoundly through my struggle with vertigo. You can
download it on Valentine's Day at <a href="http://www.theuncontainabletruth.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.theuncontainabletruth.com</span></a>.
Check out her website and blog. It is indeed purposeful, poignant, applicable,
and humorous ... you know, all of the above. :)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-73890735654375278362010-05-25T12:39:00.000-07:002010-05-25T13:51:11.644-07:00The Influencer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizBExZqkhA0ALQkpTAYzBtp0ofyT0Ran8fzmuyJRgdMbLL4dktrc1Cb5UTUWq13C7cxoSysP2fl7FTMpOCQCHlVMs46Jfm30JGhg35mqUR1pf3oqH-Fdrm5Z0qSFW2X3wREZ0sY-UKQI/s1600/PJ+for+blog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475307449061264066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizBExZqkhA0ALQkpTAYzBtp0ofyT0Ran8fzmuyJRgdMbLL4dktrc1Cb5UTUWq13C7cxoSysP2fl7FTMpOCQCHlVMs46Jfm30JGhg35mqUR1pf3oqH-Fdrm5Z0qSFW2X3wREZ0sY-UKQI/s200/PJ+for+blog.jpg" /></a> Not to be confused with the Exterminator or Silencer or whatever the name of that show was--the rogue good-guy who always got his man. This is simply a shameless promotion for a fun summer read.<br /><br /><div><div>The blurb: Hillary Manton Lodge's <em>Plain Jayne </em>is the story of newspaper reporter Jayne Tate, who escapes to Oregon Amish Country, seeking solace and maybe a big story. But what's a latte-drinking, laptop-using, motorcycle-riding reporter to do when this life starts to change her? </div><br /><div>I say read the book and find out!</div><br /><br /><div>I love this story for its fast pace, tight dialogue, and new twist on a much-used subject in Christian fiction. Hillary does a great job crafting characters with quirks and conflicts. She opens a window into the modern life of the Amish and gives us a glimpse of the tension between their world and our own. Her writing is all sprinkled through with personality--clever humor and catchy voice and not an adverb in sight! :-) Well, maybe one or two. My point, though, is that her sentences sing with action verbs. </div><br /><br /><div>A great debut novel for a lovely young writer. (Emphasis on <em>young</em>, but we won't hate her for it.)</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOKks-f8tybhHrsYgivAY5EwVFXo_xyAMkq6lQreoegXNcxII-jpLw-776TlaCmrSLJ5eX1E6dHrik2XX49L47P9fq4k02NTpWxJOojpplb9HG9YNpWBcncwghS9b6Ws0rFv_Rpt6x1I/s1600/simply+Sara+(1)+for+blog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475307135036983154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOKks-f8tybhHrsYgivAY5EwVFXo_xyAMkq6lQreoegXNcxII-jpLw-776TlaCmrSLJ5eX1E6dHrik2XX49L47P9fq4k02NTpWxJOojpplb9HG9YNpWBcncwghS9b6Ws0rFv_Rpt6x1I/s200/simply+Sara+(1)+for+blog.jpg" /></a>And there's more! Her second novel in the Plain and Simple series, <em>Simply Sara</em>, comes out in September. (Thanks for the alliteration there, Hillary.) I'm looking forward to spending another evening or three with a familiar cast. Yes, I did say evening or three. Don't be surprised. I told you her writing is fast-paced.<br /><br /><br /><div>Check out her funny and engaging blog. <a href="http://hillaryonwriting.blogspot.com/">http://hillaryonwriting.blogspot.com/</a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-68775102978059563292010-05-20T11:26:00.001-07:002010-05-20T12:58:05.564-07:00He Da Man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JKaF4z0E3mZISujx_J7uwOBqpuP5jZ2lrqG7axiasPFSPkQqU7kErLojdlNm1eaW1qz1PVJiaL5gcetJRH4KTP5UhicKHO7OHEEUCtU84bn7YsbYldXGciwZagFaUGmfBMKi8095Mjc/s1600/jhwayne.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 151px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473436969459715602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JKaF4z0E3mZISujx_J7uwOBqpuP5jZ2lrqG7axiasPFSPkQqU7kErLojdlNm1eaW1qz1PVJiaL5gcetJRH4KTP5UhicKHO7OHEEUCtU84bn7YsbYldXGciwZagFaUGmfBMKi8095Mjc/s200/jhwayne.gif" /></a> No, not John Wayne. I'm referring to my brother. Have you seen the <em>Two Weeks in Hell</em> series on the Discovery Channel? It's a peek into the Green Beret Training Camp. My older brother ... been there, done that.<br /><br />(I use him and my other two older brothers as my excuse for why I've never been naturally athletic. They stole it all before I was ever even a twinkle in my parents' eyes.)<br /><br />At the time my bro went through that training, he was in his mid-twenties and in the best shape, he says, he's ever been in. And yet, twenty years later, he believes that if his younger self met his older self in a fight, the elder would win. (Why they would fight I have no idea. My focus is on age, here.) "Something to be said for experience and mental toughness."<br /><br />As I inch a little farther into my forties, I find myself gazing longingly at those still noodling around in the decade just previous to mine. Deep down, I know what I'm doing ... Placing the knowledge and growth of me-now- on that 30-something self and wishing I could have been just a little bit wiser.<br /><br />But it doesn't work that way, does it? We learn as we add the years to our lives, and there's a process and timing for all our seasons in the Lord.<br /><br />Moses was eighty years old when God called him to deliver the Israelites. Zacharias and Elizabeth were well past the baby-having stage, for their culture, when they had John. David was an old man when he wrote some of his most poignant and powerful Psalms.<br /><br />I love this from C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters: "He [God--from the demon Wormwood's persepective, the Enemy] would have them continually concerned either with eternity ... or with the Present--either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure. ... [T]he Present is all lit up with eternal rays."<br /><div>"The Present is all lit up with eternal rays." </div><br /><div></div><div>The Present. Eternity. That's a good place to rest in as I walk toward the future. </div>Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-9793725504742875882010-05-17T11:34:00.000-07:002010-05-17T13:48:56.557-07:00Crazy faithEverywhere I look it seems I meet a person in need. Last night on the news, I heard that in the state of Oregon, one in five households have applied for food stamps. Many who have never used state services are now unable to meet their monthly bills without them. It's crazy times.<br /><br /><br />And crazy times call for crazy faith. Here's my highly theological understanding of crazy faith: It simply receives. Receives the calling one has been given, without worrying about the outcome. Receives his Word as Truth, resting in (and often clinging to) the promises he gives as we ask for direction. Receives provision for our daily needs, with thankfulness and without guilt that we can't give anything back.<br /><br /><br />I was blown away the other day by the power of like. Consider this verse: Psalm 37:23--"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way." The lexical definition for 'delights' from Strong's Key Word Study Bible: "to find pleasure, to take delight in, to be pleased with. Either man or God may have this feeling. It means to like someone or something very, very much."<br /><br />How many of us have ever said of our children (or, ahem!) another family member, "I love _________, but I don't really like him/her right now"? In our Christian walk, we are well-schooled in the love of God. We know "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son" so well we could recite it in our sleep. And that is an awesome, beautiful, all-encompassing love. But do we ever think about how he delights in us? Delight in a relationship speaks of the intimacy of it.<br /><br />So back to this crazy faith idea. If our steps are established by the Lord, and he likes what he has established very, very much, then we can rest assured that he will see us down our path, however dark it may seem.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-77897114198925493972010-04-15T12:02:00.000-07:002010-04-15T13:43:50.290-07:00Just Do ItWithout excuse or further ado, I'll just jump back into the blogging stratosphere after a nearly four month hiatus. Whew! Good thing I don't have a huge fan base yet. I might have lost everyone and had to start over.<br /><br />My mom is staying with us this month, recovering from a broken hip. With her surprising decline over the past two years (the woman has been running at break-neck pace for almost eighty years) and my dad's death at the end of December, I have been thinking about that story in scripture when Mary pours expensive perfume all over Jesus's feet. Judas rebukes her, but Jesus receives her gift--"Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial." (John 12:7) I love that image of a rich gift poured out on a life that is drawing to a close. Not wasted, but purposeful and intimate and, Jesus knew, motivated by love.<br /><br />We had a week with my dad before he died. A week for my siblings and me to pour out on him the perfume of our love. Though he was unresponsive, I know he heard us and knew we were there. I know it prepared him for his burial. And us, for his passing.<br /><br />I recognize it is not always easy. That week with Dad was as wrenching as it was beautiful. Mom has been diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, a type of Parkinson's in which the body is in a constant state of degeneration. She's plugging along pretty well right now, but her needs are many and varied, and well, let's just say she's the type who is not shy about voicing said needs. (wink) Still, that image returns ... the woman with the jar of costly nard, pouring out what she had to bless the one she loved.<br /><br />It seems meet and right to go and do likewise.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-91796690585337779602009-12-14T14:20:00.000-08:002009-12-14T17:47:28.651-08:00The Long Winter's NightDear me. And it isn't even winter yet. Well, I can honestly say I have reached a new procrastination high ... or low, as the case may be.<br /><br />I write to avoid blogging. Amazing. Never thought I would find a task more challenging than creating a novel.<br /><br /><br /><p>In Cheney news, for those who have followed previous posts ...</p><ul><li>The meeting I referred to has come gone and, as he promised, God has graciously delivered us. </li><li>Eric is now sole owner of his own (new) manufacturing company, walking step by step in the vision entrusted to him. Our theme verse these days: "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.'" Isaiah 48:17 </li><li>Camille just made her first stage debut. She sang in the choir and played the part of Mary in the church Christmas play. No speaking parts, but she was thrilled all the same. She sang with all her heart and made a lovely Mary. I'd include a picture here, but our fully-charged camera batteries died moments after Eric focused in for a snapshot. Guess what we're giving each other for Christmas? Yep. Any suggestions for something affordable and really, really easy to use?</li><li>I am about a fourth of the way through my novel, give or take. Getting to know my characters, discovering plot twists, and enjoying the fruit of abiding in the Lord through being a part of the work he called me to. It's really cool how the latter is becoming the best part. </li></ul><p>And there's that wonderful thing that happens when one writes. Just like that, all kinds of reflections emerge from the soggy depths of my soul. Don't worry. I won't go on and on here. I'll save them so I have something to say the <em>next</em> time. </p>Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-57970511432006472242009-11-02T10:53:00.001-08:002009-11-03T18:46:43.747-08:00Author Interview and Free Book Drawing!<strong>Readers, forgot to mention ... leave a post and you'll be entered in a drawing for a free book! This is definitely one you want on your bookshelves!</strong><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399984219194998418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNrMQYbZt9UCfUpsXsN5sUgpNhKE9KRcJ4l8r8-i1jJnMvWLR8u-9PBGLgY-4vVFyTYa8jU3W1oRSc318xuZyvqFa1eDtmATSkW4JL2y4upbnD1NvdYB9oWVKK_7bYCeAigvjDRuata0/s200/7918_1141573492069_1009405541_30351195_3552988_n.jpg" border="0" />To me, Christina Berry is friend, writing colleague, inspiration and treasure. We met for the first time six years ago at a Starbucks coffee shop. I was pregnant with my daughter. Christina was enjoying a newly-restored marriage. Much has changed in our lives from that "divine appointment" to this day. Through it all, I have been blessed to watch Christina grow as woman and writer into the calling the Lord has given her.<br /><br /><br /><div>Thanks for visiting my blog, Christina. Let's talk about your debut novel, <em>The Familiar Stranger.</em> I know it is a fast read. Tight writing brimming with interesting characters who struggle with real life problems.<br /></div><div><strong>Tell us about it.</strong></div><div><em>The Familiar Stranger </em>is about a couple going through a really rough patch in their marriage. When an accident incapacitates the husband, their relationship must be redefined. Which would be a lot easier to do if BIG secrets from his past didn’t raise their ugly heads. Despite the upheaval, the choices they make involving forgiveness and trust might allow a new beginning.<br /></div><div>Or … they might not.<br /></div><div>You can see the back cover copy and what other authors have said about <em>The Familiar Stranger</em> by going to <a href="http://www.christinaberry.net/books.aspx">http://www.christinaberry.net/books.aspx</a></div><div><br /><strong>Sounds intriguing. How did you come up with the story?<br /></strong>In the summer of 2006, two stories appeared in the newspaper. One was a huge, national story; the other a smaller, local-interest item. I wondered what it might look like if those two stories conceived a child. Boom! I had the entire plot for The Familiar Stranger. It will be interesting to see if readers can figure out which stories inspired the book. </div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Hmm. Don't worry, no hints here. Let's talk about your writing process. What kind of planning goes into it?<br /></strong>My previous writing has been heavily plotted and I’ve known almost everything about the characters before diving into the story. Writing with a co-author, Mom and I both need to know exactly how a character looked and his or her history. We wrote out each scene’s main plot point and point of view character on index cards and posted them on a large corkboard. We also found catalogue models that looked like our characters, made collages of the pictures, and slipped our character interview in the back of the plastic sleeves.<br /><br />With <em>The Familiar Stranger</em>, the first scene came to me like a movie. Once the first chapter was written, I took a few hours to write down how I saw the story progressing. Then I numbered each main point and called it a chapter. All told, I had just over one page of plotting. To keep everything straight, I made notes about the characters as I went along. A very different experience to write by the seat of my pants, but I’m working through my current book in the same way.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Based on the great reviews for <em>The Familiar Stranger</em><em>,</em> I would guess that method works well for you. What about takeaway value? What do you hope readers receive after reading your novel?</strong> </div><div>The recent changes in my life—losing my husband, facing finding a “real” job, selling my home—have done nothing but solidify what I hope to be the theme of the book and my life: Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly. If reading <em>The Familiar Stranger</em> makes even one man or woman be more honest with his or her spouse or delve into trust issues in a healthy way, I’ll consider it a success. Maybe there’s a hurting heart that can find a new path to forgiveness because of the story. </div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Knowing, then, that the story mirrors some of your own experience, what was the most difficult part to write?<br /></strong>I was in the middle of revisions when my marriage fell apart. God orchestrated it so that I was beefing up a "struggle with forgiveness" scene in those first few weeks of singleness. While aspects of that were hard to deal with, the very words I thought would help someone else ministered to me.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>It's a beautiful picture of how He works all things together for good, though the things themselves may not be so good. How has the writing journey changed your Christian walk?<br /></strong>I see writing as one of the tools He uses to form me into His image—a tool to teach me patience, self-control, determination, reliance on Him, and other life lessons. I also see writing as a gift that brings me hope, fulfillment, and purpose when the rest of life is not so nice. The journey has sharpened me, yet also softened me.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>So how long have you been on this journey? How many years from its inception to publication?</strong></div><div>My mother, Sherrie Ashcraft, and I began writing in the summer of ’99. We figured the accountability of having a co-writer would make us actually do what we’d always dreamed of but never put action to. It took a long road of learning how much we didn’t know, tons of re-writing, brooding over rejections, making connections, pitching at conferences, and directional prayer to make our writing salable.<br /><br />In the summer of 2007, when Mom was busy caring for her dying mother-in-law, I got the itch of a new story idea. <em>Undiscovered</em> was written by February 2008, edited by June, won second place in the ACFW Genesis Contemporary category, and was renamed <em>The Familiar Stranger</em> and contracted by Moody Publishers in October.<br /><br />One decade from naïve first scribbles to debut novel! </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><strong>Congratulations! Honestly, it gives me hope. </strong><strong>Tell us five things you love about writing.</strong></div><div align="left">1) Emptying my brain. Quieter with the voices out.</div><div align="left">2) Months later, rereading what was drivel when I wrote it, but somehow it's become beautiful.<br />3) Being with other writers, like my awesome critique group.</div><div align="left">4) Co-laboring with Christ in the creative process.</div><div align="left">5) Being paid money for things I make up.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Five things you wish you knew about writing way back in the beginning.</strong> </div><div align="left">1) Starting (sitting down, opening the doc, and typing the first word) is at LEAST 90% of the battle.</div><div align="left">2) I wish I knew how little actually I knew then. I would have started going to conferences and reading craft books sooner.</div><div align="left">3) God knows exactly when and where you will be published or not published.</div><div align="left">4) Each rejection is one step closer to acceptance.</div><div align="left">5) It's okay to move on from your first project. This means only that you're learning; not that you've failed.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Do you have any other advice for writers?</strong><br />~Read craft books (I have a list of my favorites on the sidebar of my blog <a href="http://www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/">http://www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/</a>)<br />~Write consistently<br />~Join a critique group<br />~Attend writing conferences~By open to criticism. One always has room to grow!</div><div><br /></div><div><strong>How can readers purchase your book?</strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWevUMe5dpE1MSW2fr0KGdI6Z0pwJEgjXpB5CZG79MHhmkR9dDhFFcHUY2gxe4J9rIXFz9P9LRA6a2uP5DxNALAe5Wzj4a4R5tTEApJcHDgltnVnl_l9eF-ywnmVNIgLeCY1DCXHbrXOI/s1600-h/6568_1132369781982_1009405541_30327534_2846080_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399985037733268386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWevUMe5dpE1MSW2fr0KGdI6Z0pwJEgjXpB5CZG79MHhmkR9dDhFFcHUY2gxe4J9rIXFz9P9LRA6a2uP5DxNALAe5Wzj4a4R5tTEApJcHDgltnVnl_l9eF-ywnmVNIgLeCY1DCXHbrXOI/s200/6568_1132369781982_1009405541_30327534_2846080_n.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here are two links:<br /><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/familiar-stranger-christina-berry/9780802447319/pd/447319?">http://www.christianbook.com/familiar-stranger-christina-berry/9780802447319/pd/447319?</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Familiar-Stranger-Christina-Berry/dp/0802447317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239913987&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Familiar-Stranger-Christina-Berry/dp/0802447317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239913987&sr=1-1</a><br />You can also have any bookstore order copies for you if they don’t have any in stock.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Or visit my website <a href="http://www.christinaberry.net/books.aspx">http://www.christinaberry.net/books.aspx</a> </div><div><br />It's been an honor having you, Christina, and a blessing walking this journey with you.<br />Godspeed and keep writing!<br /></div><div></div>Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-48986506370421732902009-10-29T10:48:00.000-07:002009-10-29T13:16:25.693-07:00What's that Buzzing Sound?Our lives hum with an intensity I haven't felt since our first year of marriage. Back then, my husband was working fulltime for another company and building his manufacturing business. I was teaching ninth graders for the first time and commuting 45 minutes each way every day. We ran, it seemed, from home to work and back home again for more work. In May of that year, I remember walking around our neighborhood, fulfilled and maybe a little tired, rejoicing in our happy marriage.<br /><br />Now, dismantling one life and trying to rebuild a new one, the crucible comes not so much from incessant busyness but from answering the question, "What's next?" An upcoming meeting (that I both anticipate and dread), will give us insight and finally close the door on my husband's former business. But in the meantime ...?<br /><br />David Wilkerson, the preacher who was called to minister in inner city New York, writes, "We learn God's faithfulness by answering our calling to stay in fellowship with Jesus."<br /><br />How do we stay in fellowship? Through prayer and reading the Word and communing with others, of course, but also through walking the path he's laid for us, whether it's corraling a class of miscreats or making cool stuff or writing a story.<br /><br />"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)<br /><br />It occurred to me this morning that as we move farther down the path, we must leave behind the loss of what was or of what might have been, even a dream carried since childhood.<br /><br />Perhaps the Lord brings us to these places in order to establish <em>his</em> dream for us. I come back, over and over, to that much-quoted and beloved verse from Jeremiah: "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to bring you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11)<br /><br />Ten years later, do I still rejoice? Yes. And not just in my happy marriage, but in the foundational work the Lord is doing to keep it that way.<br /><br />Now, I'm off to write Chapter 12.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-80223495437553077402009-10-21T11:22:00.000-07:002009-10-21T16:38:20.951-07:00Put the Spurs to It!No, I'm not referring to my own butt, though maybe I should be. I still have a chapter to write today. But first, the spurring ...<br /><br />"Continue to spur one another on to love and good works." It's the theme verse for my critique group, a fantastic group of gals who gather, about once a month, to point out what works and what doesn't work in each other's writing.<br /><br />But it's also so much more. The dramas we witness are not just in our stories. We pray together, emote together, and walk together through some real life stuff that, at times, makes our character's lives seem rather boring. We also laugh together. A lot.<br /><br />Writing is hard, lonely work. The solidarity and encouragement of a critique group is a beautiful thing. If you're a writer and you don't have a team of your own, I spur you on to find one.<br /><br />Gigi Rosenthal gives a good picture of what she looks for in a constructive critique group at <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/article/how-to-choose-a-critique-club/">http://www.writersdigest.com/article/how-to-choose-a-critique-club/</a>. For the method-to-the-madness, see Allen Cox's <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2091080_start-writers-critique-group.html">http://www.ehow.com/how_2091080_start-writers-critique-group.html</a>. We spend a great deal more on each other's writing the five-minute overview he mentions, but each group will find its own personality.<br /><br />In the interest of spurring-on, here's my team, the Redeemed Writer's Critique Group.<br /><br />Christina Berry <a href="http://authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/">http://authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/</a><br />Recently released her first novel, <em>The Familiar Stranger</em>, to rave reviews. She'll be stopping in here on her blog tour next month.<br /><br />Kristen Johnson <a href="http://adventuresofhistorygirl.blogspot.com/">http://adventuresofhistorygirl.blogspot.com/</a><br />The youngest member of our group, but by no means the least. She writes historical fiction ... "grift," "clink," and "tares." Can you guess her era?<br /><br />Sherrie Ashcraft <a href="http://www.sherrieashcraft.blogspot.com/">http://www.sherrieashcraft.blogspot.com/</a><br />She co-wrote a novel with her daughter, Christina. It's sitting on a very-interested editor's desk as we speak. A funny lady with a gift for devotional-style writing. Read her blog and see.<br /><br />Angella Foret Diehl <a href="http://angellaforet.com/">http://angellaforet.com/</a><br />Oregonian writer, teacher, speaker, webmaster, novelist. I could go on and on ...<br /><br />Debbie McMillan <span style="color:#3333ff;">Blog under construction.</span><br />Debbie and I were the founding members of this God-inspired group that has grown and changed so much the past seven years. She is working on a series of young adult fiction set in the Deaf culture.<br /><br />Keep writing, ladies. The journey has only just begun.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-82343070309102624332009-10-06T20:34:00.000-07:002009-10-06T21:19:35.113-07:00Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ...Creeps in this petty pace from day to day ...<br /><br />Alack and alas! Apparently, blogging is yet one more thing to procrastinate. "I'll get to that ... tomorrow. " What's that old saying about tomorrow never arriving? hmmm ...<br /><br />In happy news, our wonderful five-year-old has been chosen by her Kindergarten teacher to be the one representative from her class for the school government. Needless to say, her daddy and I are so proud.<br /><br />And I have a detailed character sketch, two new scenes, and some light on the path for my story's direction. Originally, the idea came to me as a father-daughter story, with the father as the main-point-of-view protagonist. At a writer's conference this summer, I had wonderful feedback from agents and a few editors, but the general consensus: women read the great majority of fiction, and women want to read about women. So I fretted and picked and poked and tried, so hard, to turn it into the female protagonist's story (the romantic counterpart, not the daughter). After all, the professionals said, women want to read about women.<br /><br />Then I went to a retreat with the wonderful women of Gig Harbor's Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church (shout out to those amazing, gracious ladies and my dear friend who gave me her spot), and the Lord spoke right to my heart. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things ..."<br /><br />You remember that story. Mary sat at Jesus's feet and basked in his presence while Martha bustled about the kitchen, cooking up a feast. When she complained to Jesus about Mary's lack of help, Jesus gave her that word of correction--"You are worried and bothered by so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10: 41-42.<br /><br />Writing, for me, is co-laboring with the Lord, sitting at his feet, learning from him. It is a walk of faith. I was so distracted by whether or not the story the Lord laid on my heart was marketable, that I couldn't make any headway with it. Finally, I gave up and went back to my original version with my male protagonist, and the details are falling into place. Marketable or not, it's the story I have to write.<br /><br />What about you? Is the Lord leading you in a way that seems "counter-culture," yet is the only path that gives you peace and joy? Trust him. Remember, it's more about the journey than the destination.Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357799940516078425.post-53584700036494322652009-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:002009-09-21T17:15:37.338-07:00Starting Over ... AgainSeems to be a common theme in our lives these days. Often, we work for years at something that doesn't quite "make it." My first novel. My husband's first manufacturing business. All that invested energy and time and sweaty work (husband owns the "sweaty work" part). All the dredging deep for rich characterization and resonating truths that readers will stand up and proclaim from rooftops! (Bear with me. A writer is nothing if not dramatic.)<br /><br />All of that ... wasted? Not by a long shot. Because, as this blog proclaims, and I believe with all my heart (most days, anway), the journey is the thing that matters. The tool God uses to shape and hone and refine and lay a foundation of strength for the path we're called to walk. His strength, specifically.<br /><br /><br />Chronicles 15:7: "But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work." And in Hebrews 12:1 Paul reminds us, "... let us run with endurance (patience) the race that is set before us."<br /><br />Certainly, it is good to have a end to journey toward, whether it is paying off a new machine or completing a book or finishing your first blog post! Step by step, we'll get there, knowing we serve a faithful King who leads us ... patiently.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by. Come back often and share the journey with me!Miriam Cheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481819606393186908noreply@blogger.com8