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Writers

DarkWalker

DarkWalker

Member
Who here is a writer? What do you write? Do you write solely for yourself, or do you have aspirations to be published? Are you already published?

I love writing. It is my catharsis and my reason for living at times, whether that is good or bad. I can communicate with God much more easily through writing than I can through the spoken word. I am also working on my debut novel, which is a not-Christian Christian book.

(Edited to correct mistakes in wording.)
 
DarkWalker said:
Who here is a writer? What do you write? Do you write solely for yourself, or do you have aspirations to be published? Are you already published?

I love writing. It is my catharsis and my reason for living at times, whether that is good or bad. I can communicate with God much more easily through writing than I can through the spoken word. I am also working on my debut novel, which is a not-Christian Christian book.

(Edited to correct mistakes in wording.)
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You mean like keeping a journal?Alot of people do that.
 
Kathi said:
You mean like keeping a journal?Alot of people do that.
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I do keep a journal, and I think that is beneficial. When I started this thread, I was thinking more of people who write creative fiction, informational articles, poetry, and so on.

Gary said:
What's a "not-christian christian" book?
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Christian fiction often follows a formula wherein a character presents the Gospel to another character, often in the hopes of having a non-Christian reader follow suit. I tend to dislike that formula, but as a Christian, I cannot separate my faith from what I write. Consequently, my protagonist is a Christian whose faith is broken by what he experiences. That faith is then rebuilt by similar experiences, and while the Gospel is never presented blatantly, I believe Christians will identify with the character and non-Christians will still find themselves cheering for the character. My intent is not to write a Christian book, but as a Christian, I have found that to be mostly unavoidable.
 
I've always enjoyed writing. Even my Dad said he thought I'd wind up doing some kind of writing (I'm currently an engineer). But I've ghost-written manuscripts translated from Japanese, and clients say I have a talent. I poke at a novel as inspiration strikes. Don't want to give too much away, but it's basically about a mercenary international sniper who starts to think he is being contacted by either God or Satan after suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury in a roadside explosion. Weird dreams, bouts of psychic ability, and very strange, almost impossible coincidences.
 
KevinK said:
I've always enjoyed writing. Even my Dad said he thought I'd wind up doing some kind of writing (I'm currently an engineer). But I've ghost-written manuscripts translated from Japanese, and clients say I have a talent. I poke at a novel as inspriation strikes. Don't want to give too mych away, but it's basically about a mercenary international sniper who starts to think he is being contacted by either God or Satan after suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury in a roadside explosion. Weird dreams, bouts of psychic ability, and very strange, almost impossible coincidences.
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That's amusing. My mentor is an engineer and published author. Your book concept sounds interesting, very much unlike other books I've heard about. I'd definitely run with that idea.
 
KevinK said:
I've always enjoyed writing. Even my Dad said he thought I'd wind up doing some kind of writing (I'm currently an engineer). But I've ghost-written manuscripts translated from Japanese, and clients say I have a talent. I poke at a novel as inspiration strikes. Don't want to give too much away, but it's basically about a mercenary international sniper who starts to think he is being contacted by either God or Satan after suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury in a roadside explosion. Weird dreams, bouts of psychic ability, and very strange, almost impossible coincidences.
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Somewhat in the nature of an autobiography? :)
 
DarkWalker said:
That's amusing. My mentor is an engineer and published author. Your book concept sounds interesting, very much unlike other books I've heard about. I'd definitely run with that idea.
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Is you writing along the lines of John Bunyan's best seller "Pilgrim's Progress?"
 
Mr. Walker, bravo! It is my opinion that your intending fiction is a very good one. I'm not sure if you know of the facts surrounding Christians who are set back by some of what appears in Scripture to be a promise, but when they try and live up to the verses, they see no results. Thus, they are disillusioned, and become very weak in their walk with the Lord.

I'm not suggesting that you incorporate any doctrine to help these people, just that I think that this very large population will be very interested in your book. If your title somehow represents the main theme of what you have posted, you will hit a home run. I have been a pastor and psychologist since 1976. I have rubbed shoulders with this type of believer.

May God bless your endeavors with His wisdom and blessings.
 
Chopper said:
Mr. Walker, bravo! It is my opinion that your intending fiction is a very good one. I'm not sure if you know of the facts surrounding Christians who are set back by some of what appears in Scripture to be a promise, but when they try and live up to the verses, they see no results. Thus, they are disillusioned, and become very weak in their walk with the Lord.

I'm not suggesting that you incorporate any doctrine to help these people, just that I think that this very large population will be very interested in your book. If your title somehow represents the main theme of what you have posted, you will hit a home run. I have been a pastor and psychologist since 1976. I have rubbed shoulders with this type of believer.

May God bless your endeavors with His wisdom and blessings.
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I have experienced that disillusionment myself, as a child (spiritually and physically) and as an adult (likewise). I have also been harmed by the fact that God's sheep will sometimes eat each other in the name of "righteousness." As Captain Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly and Serenity says, "there's nothing worse than a monster who thinks he's right with God." What I do in my book is take people on a journey of how blind faith, tailored by others, will break. Then, it will be rebuilt--not because life gets easier, but because the person owns their own faith. When you make your faith your own, it gives you the strength to survive disillusionment, misunderstanding, and cannibalistic sheep.

Like me, my protagonist is disabled, mentally ill, and a man of vices. At his heart, he wants to do the right thing, but he is pained by his own distractions (desire leading to temptation and allowing for sin unto death). He is also constantly discouraged, angry, and rebellious, but above all of it, he is persistent. Stubborn, I believe, would be an appropriate word.

I appreciate your words, Chopper as they give me encouragement. If y'all would like, here is an excerpt from one of my improv sessions:

"Fighting zombies isn't any different from fighting yourself," he said, whittling away at the branch in his hands. He looked up at her, nearly losing his thumb to the blade as he found himself watching the firelight dance off her face.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Way I see it, every day I've got the wrong choices--the monsters--knocking on my door, like the wolf and the pigs. 'Let me in, let me in.'" He rapped his fist against the floor. "All you've got to do is have the guts to say, 'not now. Not today. Not ever.'"

She watched the flames dance in the fireplace, letting the comfortable silence fill the room, punctuated by the pops and snaps of the burning wood, and the hoot of the owl on the chimney.

"Of course," he said, standing up, "the three little pigs might have done better with a shotgun. Sometimes it's not enough to say 'no.' Sometimes you've got to hunt the monsters down and kill them in their sleep."
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DarkWalker said:
I have experienced that disillusionment myself, as a child (spiritually and physically) and as an adult (likewise). I have also been harmed by the fact that God's sheep will sometimes eat each other in the name of "righteousness." As Captain Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly and Serenity says, "there's nothing worse than a monster who thinks he's right with God." What I do in my book is take people on a journey of how blind faith, tailored by others, will break. Then, it will be rebuilt--not because life gets easier, but because the person owns their own faith. When you make your faith your own, it gives you the strength to survive disillusionment, misunderstanding, and cannibalistic sheep.

Like me, my protagonist is disabled, mentally ill, and a man of vices. At his heart, he wants to do the right thing, but he is pained by his own distractions (desire leading to temptation and allowing for sin unto death). He is also constantly discouraged, angry, and rebellious, but above all of it, he is persistent. Stubborn, I believe, would be an appropriate word.

I appreciate your words, Chopper as they give me encouragement. If y'all would like, here is an excerpt from one of my improv sessions:
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Very good. Work hard my friend, and your dreams will find the prize.
 
Chopper said:
Very good. Work hard my friend, and your dreams will find the prize.
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Thank you, Chopper . I have begun following Stephen King's advice to write every day, and finish the manuscript in three months. I don't write on Sundays, so I need 1,283 words or so a day to finish my manuscript on time. I try to write 2,000 words a day, even if they're garbage, because I can always go back and edit when I'm done. When I have finished my manuscript, I'm going to "pitch" it to Tor or one of the Big Four to see if they like it.
 
DarkWalker said:
"Fighting zombies isn't any different from fighting yourself," he said, whittling away at the branch in his hands. He looked up at her, nearly losing his thumb to the blade as he found himself watching the firelight dance off her face.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Way I see it, every day I've got the wrong choices--the monsters--knocking on my door, like the wolf and the pigs. 'Let me in, let me in.'" He rapped his fist against the floor. "All you've got to do is have the guts to say, 'not now. Not today. Not ever.'"

She watched the flames dance in the fireplace, letting the comfortable silence fill the room, punctuated by the pops and snaps of the burning wood, and the hoot of the owl on the chimney.

"Of course," he said, standing up, "the three little pigs might have done better with a shotgun. Sometimes it's not enough to say 'no.' Sometimes you've got to hunt the monsters down and kill them in their sleep."
Click to expand...

That is excellent writing! Take it from someone's who's done some professional editing and proofing. It shows depth and content. Motivation and a sense of journey (as I believe all good fiction writing must have). So much writing seems to lack the fundamental elements here and there.

As the occasional proofer/ghoster, I would say don't change a single word (and I never say that).
 
KevinK said:
That is excellent writing! Take it from someone's who's done some professional editing and proofing. It shows depth and content. Motivation and a sense of journey (as I believe all good fiction writing must have). So much writing seems to lack the fundamental elements here and there.

As the occasional proofer/ghoster, I would say don't change a single word (and I never say that).
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Thank you. I am truly flattered. This was an unedited, "off the top of my head" sample of my writing style, but I did not think it was the best I could do. I also edited out the character names and one swear word, but it is otherwise true to my writing style for the novel I'm working on. Again, thank you.
 
Well, then you got me on a roll, so here's one of my entries. Slightly on the pedestrian side, this is one of the pivotal action sequences that bridge the more serious philosophical scenes...
_________________________________________

Ogawa enters the room, located on the 123rd floor of the New Shinjuku Building. There are three other men already there, as well as what looks like a Remington 700 bolt action rifle in Tactical Weapon System trim. Two of the men are Asian; the other is a Caucasion, but seems completely comfortable in his surroundings. He starts speaking to them without the unnecessary amenity of an introduction.

O: That's an LTR. How does he expect me to do a job like this with a 20 inch barrel?

The non-Asian is the only one to address Ken. "It's the best we could manage. I'm sure you can appreciate the difficulty of "importing" an item like this into Japan at all?"

O: I can't believe I'm going to attempt something like this without at least a 24 inch barrel.

M1: I heard you nailed someone once with a .357 snubnose from 100 yards.

Ogawa strolled over to the weapon and began fiddling. "You can't believe everything you hear." Ogawa directed his attention out the window where the rifle had been positioned. The glass pane had been carefully removed, and was leaning against a wall, suction cup handles still attached. There were various odd construction tools lying nearby. Ken pulled a plain Manila folder and a small calculator from the black backpack he'd been toting, and began to jot down notes and figures.

"Who zeroed this weapon?"

M1 took a pencil from his pocket and jotted down a name on the piece of quad paper Ken had been writing on. "I think you recognize this name." Ken glanced quickly at the name, recognizing it immediately. "I guess that will do. You realize, of course, that everything on a precision rifle gets shifted in transport, no matter how careful you are."

"We've done our job. Just make sure you do yours."

"That's what I'm here for. Your English, by the way, is outstanding." The sarcasm was almost unnoticeable. Ken himself could barely hammer out a phrase in Japanese.

M1: Ken Ogawa. World's Best Sniper. You don't look like much to me. Never served formally in a military. Never even shot a rifle before your forties. Internet commando. I heard you actually did once accept a contract over the web.

K: I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss other clients.

M1: It's almost noon.

Ken knew what that meant. Any minute now Hiroshi Watanabe would emerge from a rooftop access door atop the Sankami Corporation Building, decked head-to-toe in traditional Kendo sword-training gear, with a like-attired companion in tow. They would quickly exchange a curt bow, then come at one another with long bamboo swords and barely recognizable shouts.

M1: They are very rude for Japanese.

Ken understood what he meant. Practioners of the traditional Japanese sword arts were not supposed to step onto a dojo floor already wearing their helmets. And even a dirty rooftop 100 floors from street level would be considered a practice hall.

"They must be in a hurry." Ken knew that even a 15 year old son of the CEO of one of Japan's largest companies would be constantly on a tight schedule. M1 continued talking, "Although we both know, he's got all the time in the world now."

"The rest of his pampered life," Ken agreed, looking through the high-powered scope at the two combatants, who were already engaged in mock combat. "How do you know which one is the target?"

"Easy. He'll be the one who loses," Ken replied. "Hiro Watanabe's kendo sucks".

Sure enough, after a flurry of furious attacks, the two kendoka separated, with one bowing deeply at the waist. "You see, while his sword-fighting sucks, his manners are impeccable. He always loses, always says "Thank you" to his opponent in the most courteous Japanese, and maintains a perfect 45-degree bow for three full seconds. That's our window."
 
DarkWalker said:
I do keep a journal, and I think that is beneficial. When I started this thread, I was thinking more of people who write creative fiction, informational articles, poetry, and so on.



Christian fiction often follows a formula wherein a character presents the Gospel to another character, often in the hopes of having a non-Christian reader follow suit. I tend to dislike that formula, but as a Christian, I cannot separate my faith from what I write. Consequently, my protagonist is a Christian whose faith is broken by what he experiences. That faith is then rebuilt by similar experiences, and while the Gospel is never presented blatantly, I believe Christians will identify with the character and non-Christians will still find themselves cheering for the character. My intent is not to write a Christian book, but as a Christian, I have found that to be mostly unavoidable.
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interesting, it will be more like how someone speaks to others through their life actions, which is a good way to go, it's real life.


I was a free lance writer for a few years and a poet, lately have been thinking about writing fiction. I have a few ideas I'd like to try and make work.
after a few years of not writing, I really enjoy being able to do it again
 
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