Quips & Quotes & Other Stuff

Do book or movie lines stick with you? How about quotes by notable figures, past or present? Bible verses, classic literature, or political speeches - has anything jumped out at you lately? Have any provided inspiration for your work?

Our family often tosses movie lines back and forth, and I wondered recently how this influences my writing. My first thought is the humor factor, for many lines are either funny or we apply them to situations in a humorous way. My second thought is the timeless application of these or any other words that have stuck with me. What things of lasting value do they spark or possess?

I like to examine the way words are put together and how they sound. If a line from a film, is it spoken with an accent? Another consideration is emotion; is it true to life or something only heard in the movies? How would this translate into characters for a book?

What do you think? Am I the only one who does this? :)


Who Said It? Inspiration in Action

Brownie points to anyone who can tell me who said the following. Answers at the end of the post. Perhaps one will spark an idea for your next project!

1) It is true that you may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time.

2) I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until I finally became that person - or he became me.

3) Imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.

4) Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

5) No more rhymes now I mean it!   


Villains & Guest Posts


Just in case you happened to miss Stephen Tremp's Home and Away series last week, he had a guest post about villains here Friday, and I was his guest Saturday. Click here to check out Stephen's post. Click here to check out my post over at Stephen's Breakthrough Blogs.


Other Stuff

Speaking of guest posts, Susan Reinhardt of Christian Writer/Reader Connection will be guest posting Tuesday over at Susan Panzica's Eternity Cafe. Will stop back tomorrow to post a reminder, but wanted to give you a head's up. Susan Reinhardt's Mom is in the hospital. Her Mom is doing okay, but I am sure they'd appreciate your prayers.

I think I'll be skipping my regular Thursday post this week to catch up on visiting my blog friends, and for some much needed down time. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support these past weeks. You've been a great encouragement. 

What quips and quotes inspire you? Have any sparked a story or article idea lately?

Happy writing,
Karen

Image credit: Naurich www.sxc.hu/photo/1255112

Answers:

1) Abraham Lincoln

2) Cary Grant

3) Albert Einstein 

4) Benjamin Franklin 
5) Spoken in the film The Princess Bride

Karen...Now Appearing...

Okay, so it isn't all that. :o)

But I am Stephen Tremp's guest blogger today at Breakthrough Blogs.

As part of his Home and Away post series, Stephen posted here yesterday. It was a good one! If you missed it, click here to check it out.

Hope you can join us!

Have a good weekend,
Karen


Image credit:  avanzero  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1319897

Stephen Tremp - Guest Post

Please join me in welcoming Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs. 

When you get a minute, stop by his blog and say hello. It's a great source of writing, marketing, publishing and other fabulous info.

And just in case you didn't know, Stephen's specialty is action and suspense, evident in his book -


Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan.

BTW, Breakthrough is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble; visit Stephen's blog for details. So enough chatting, on to Stephen's post:


Why We Like Villains So Much

 
Developing a seriously evil villain takes more than pasting together bad traits. They are more than being the antithesis of the hero. Villains force us to confront our worst fears at our weakest moments. They can attack us when we are most vulnerable, such as when we sleep ala Freddy Kruger. They draw us away from the safety of our world and into theirs, like Kathleen Bates in Misery. Villains are defeated, then return with their evil friends. They come in various shapes, sizes, or colors such as people, animals (Jaws and Kujo), or aliens. They can be silent and invisible as in spirit form. They might already be dead. i.e. vampires and zombies. Hey, they can even be a doll like Chucky or Talking Teena from the Twilight Zone. Sometimes we even root for the villain! They have a story to tell and secrets to hide.

“Villains pose fundamental questions about humanity and, ‘they make audiences consider the moral dilemmas of their society … they expose how much you can get away with, what’s legal, and these characters operate on quite a basic level.’ (Writing Great Villains). Other villains simply want to spread anarchy, as Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker.

Bad guys can be one-dimensional and predictable. We all know what Jaws was going to do. Eat people alive. A thug who is in and out of prison his entire life is going to do pretty much the same thing over and over. There are some really great ones like the simple hit man with no conscious such as Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men.

Villains can also be multi-dimensional. These bad guys are intelligent, socially adept, they have resources, and are usually somewhat athletic like Michael Douglas in Wall Street. Sometimes society doesn’t even know they are hosting a monster.

Villains can also be a tragic character, a victim of some hideous crime against them. They snap and seek revenge on their attackers, innocent people, or on the world. Villains can vary from culture to culture. What might be acceptable in once place could be reprehensible in another. Or a character can be an invader or a liberator, depending on the perspective of the other characters. Stella Cameron has a good list of villainous types at her Web site.

Many antagonists are a mosaic of this list. My antagonist in Breakthrough is the Mastermind. He is compulsive obsessive and calculates his plans to the minutest detail. He has followers who are part of his inner circle, such as his girlfriend and fellow M.I.T. grad student Staci Bevere. She is the assassin extraordinaire. But he is the one who ultimately pulls the strings.

BTW, I love the malcontent, such as a fired or disgruntled employee. Example: Richard Preston’s The Cobra Event, a story of domestic bio terrorism where the villain was fired, and he decided to take his anger out on the world by developing and unleashing a virus that causes self-cannibalism and death.

“As the writer, it is essential you know the villain's motivation (even if the reader doesn't); only this way will you be able to keep his/her words and actions consistent; he/she acts evil for a reason; even if that reason is "crazy" in the eyes of society, the villain believes the reasoning is logical and performs accordingly.” Ruth Kerce

Power, greed, instinct, madness, fight for survival, and revenge are excellent drivers that motivate a villain. Sometimes we even root for a villain. Perhaps, they’re right because they are victims. Vigilantes fall into this catagory.

Stephen Tremp blogs at Breakthrough Blogs and is author of the Near Future SciFi Thriller Breakthrough. If you feel this blog is worthy, go ahead and make my day. Retweet it




Thank you, Stephen, for sharing with us! Don't forget to stop by Breakthrough Blogs tomorrow for my guest post.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the bad guy?

Have a good weekend,
Karen

A Challenge & Guest Post News

Thank You

Heartfelt thanks to you all - my family and I were touched by your kindness regarding the death of my sister Wendy. The outpouring of love and support through your comments and emails was an encouragement.

My blogging schedule may be a bit lighter this month as we regain our footing, but I will be coming to see you all soon. I've missed you; you are a blessing.



Guest Post

On December 3 and 4, I have the privilege of sharing a Home and Away Post with Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs. Stephen, author of Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan, will share his writing wisdom here, and I get to share at Breakthrough Blogs.  I'm looking forward to it; hope you can join us.



Hemingway's Challenge

Someone once challenged Hemingway to write a story in six words. He wrote the following:

For sale, baby shoes. Never used.

Oh my. If that doesn’t leave you wondering what the story behind the story is, I don’t know what does.  Does it tell the whole story? Perhaps only Hemingway knows for sure.

Is a six-word story a personal thing? It would seem so. Only the writer knows what lies beneath the surface. But then, it could be open to interpretation. It could be based on fact or simply fiction. What do you think?

Six-word stories are an extreme example of word economy in action. What an inspirational, yet mind stretching exercise. Are you up for the challenge? Will you share your six word story with us?

Don't forget to stop back tomorrow and Saturday for the Home and Away Posts. Thanks so much. :)

Have a good weekend.

Blessings,
Karen

                               

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the author, Karen Lange. 

Photo credit: Twitchtoo  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/949158

Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Jen Daiker, the winner of last week's giveaway. Thanks to all who participated; I appreciate your support.

Have a good weekend.

Blessings,
Karen

Monday

 In Loving Memory of Wendy Susan Esher 

1963-2010

We'll miss you, Wendy. Looking forward to seeing you again in heaven.

Love you, Karen. xo

My sister passed away Sunday morning. This sad and unexpected news has my family and me feeling as though we are walking about in a surreal world. Am taking a break; will see you soon.

Blessings,
Karen
 

Photo credit:  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1171491

 

Boot Camp & A Nifty Giveaway

Basic Boot Camp for Writers


Starting November 15, I will be teaching another session of Basic Boot Camp for Writers over at the Coffeehouse for Writers. Basic Boot Camp is a four week workshop that reviews helpful basics, such as sticky grammar issues and keeping things sharp. Hop over and check it out. I'd love to have you along!

Other Coffeehouse workshop offerings include historical fiction, blogging for profit, fiction and non-fiction, and lots more. These workshops begin November 15 as well. Their site also hosts critique groups, offers writing resources and links, has cool gifts for writers and other fun stuff.


Celebrating Followers With a Giveaway

Finally! I think I've been chattering about celebrating reaching 150 followers since August. And now I have nearly 200! Hooray! Thanks for your patience. My apologies - multiple projects, book reviews, birthdays, anniversaries and other things were the culprits that detained me. Oh, and sleep too. I'm funny about that; I like my rest.

I appreciate my followers. Without you, Write Now would just be a blip on the Blogspot screen. I am especially grateful when you are able to stop and comment. I understand when you can't; believe me, I do. My commenting has slacked off due to the above mentioned events - but it means a lot to me when you are able to slide by and say hello. Thank you!

The Prize Is...

A writer's package that contains a handy journal, a package of cute post it notes (or, for you guy followers they're convenient travel size), a set of pens, two highlighters, a copy of In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer (read my review here), and of course, chocolate. What's a follower giveaway prize without chocolate? :)

Giveaway Details - Please read carefully. 

Giveaway is open to followers only. I am grateful to everyone who stops by, follower or not, but it's my followers who provide support and keep me going. That's why we're celebrating with a giveaway, after all! Here are the rest of the details:

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address. Entries without email address are not eligible.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. Please be sure and comment telling me so.
• Deadline to enter is noon Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Winner will be  notified via email and announced in Thursday's post.
• Open to followers everywhere; allow extra mailing time if you live overseas.         

What are my happy followers doing this weekend? Thanks and blessings to you all! :)

Happy weekend,
Karen

Photo credit: merlin1075  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1318723

Within My Heart Book Review

Within My Heart 
Timber Ridge Reflections Book 3

By Tamera Alexander            
Bethany House Publishers


As a widow, Rachel Boyd must be both mother and father to her young sons. Her dream is to raise the boys on the ranch she and her late husband worked hard to build. Life in post-Civil War Colorado isn't easy, and dreams and reality often take different paths. Debt and dying cattle hinder Rachel's goals. Can she turn things around? Only time will tell.

Civil War veteran Dr. Rand Brookston has goals of his own. Setting up his practice in Timber Ridge, he hopes to bring modern medical services to the area. Some of the townsfolk are thrilled to have a resident doctor, others are skeptical. He dreams of building a state of the art clinic in town to better serve the public.

Rachel is determined to make it on her own, but her pride threatens to trip her up. She's not about to entertain the thought of remarriage, even though friends and family have gently suggested it for the sake of the boys. Rand wouldn't mind settling down, but the only woman who catches his eye happens to be the stubborn Mrs. Boyd.

Rachel and Rand's paths cross in unusual ways, and they settle on a truce of sorts. Rand requires Rachel's assistance with medical procedures; she has experience from working with her late father who was a doctor. Rachel needs Rand's help with the birth of a calf. They both struggle with fears that continually lurk in the shadows. And so it goes until...?

No spoilers here! It's a lovely tale of winning the trust of others, facing fears, and trusting God. I enjoyed Within My Heart as much as the first two books in the Timber Ridge series. Even though they are part of a series, each book can stand alone. I prefer this, as you don't spend half the book trying to catch up on who's who and who did what in the last book. If you need a good book to curl up with on a chilly day, this might just be the one.

Giveaway!

Stop back Thursday for the long promised 150 followers giveaway. As you can see, that mark has come and gone, so now there are more followers to celebrate! Stay tuned! :)

What books have you read that encourage you to grow beyond challenges you face?

Blessings,
Karen
 
This book was provided by Bethany House for review purposes. No compensation was received.

Practicing Tight Writing

 

Keep it Sharp!

Concise writing sounds good in theory. But how do we keep things tight and still communicate well? Word counts mean sharp, effective writing. Here's what Strunk and White have to say in The Elements of Style:

 “Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” 

Love that! Are there unnecessary parts in your writing? I've tossed many words over the years, and continue to refine each time I write.

Someone else weighed in on the topic:

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”  Thomas Jefferson

Editors would love Mr. Jefferson. Excellent point, and wise words to remember, don't you think?                                              

How do we tighten our writing? Develop a keen eye for unnecessary words and phrases. And practice, practice, practice!

Here Goes...

A telegram is an excellent way to practice concise writing.

Write a telegram, limited to 15 words or less.  Small and unnecessary words are left out. The word STOP is used as the punctuation between sentences. Don't count STOP in the 15 words. 

Here is an example:

Grandma joined circus STOP  Mom upset STOP Dad angry STOP Circus your town Saturday STOP Bring Grandma home STOP Karen

So, are you up to the challenge? Share your telegram with us! What techniques do you use to keep your writing tight?


Happy weekend,
Karen

Text copyright Karen Lange 2010. No text may be used without prior permission.
Image credit - Ambrozio  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1210411

Mother May I?

May I?  Might I?

What's the difference? Which is used when? It seems that may provides a stronger possibility of something happening than might does. Brian Klems of Writer's Digest outlines the finer points in the Questions & Quandaries post May vs. Might. Good thing. We might have been wandering around wondering if we may use might. Or vice versa.

Reign it in?

Here's another sticky one, deftly answered again by Brian in Reign vs. Rein. Does the king reign his horses with leather reins? Thankfully, the answer's supplied, along with an easy mnemonic to help remember.

Writing Right

Find yourself derailed by long winded phrases? Need help with commonly misspelled or misused words? Do you know what Puffspeak is? Nikola Hartmann's guest post at Pen and Prosper helps us out of that ditch.

It's so nice to have great resources! What trips you up and sends you looking for help? What are your favorite grammar resources?

Happy writing!

Blessings,
Karen

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1082427