The Best Writing Is Born From Anguish

I listened to David Wilkerson, a well-known fire and brimstone evangelist whose messages stir the emotion and bring most to their feet or their knees. Clips of his sermons are posted on You Tube. You can search for him there.

"True passion comes from anguish," he said. His words flew into me like a fiery arrow, illuminating my past. Wilkerson's message centered around anguish and how todays church is void of it. He's a big believer in, Cryin' Holy unto the Lord. He professes the church has gone soft, that we're basically a bunch of babies who want to be soothed and coddled. That we no longer tarry for hours before the Lord, prostrate at the altar. That God wants to see our anguish over the state of the world and our Godless nation. Wilkerson has that pastor voice. You know what I mean? He's learned how to wail when he speaks, allowing us to hear his heart as it breaks for the sins of mankind. And if you've grown up as a fundamentalist, it moves you. Even if you've never sat in a tent revival, I think it would move you.

Whether or not you agree with Wilkerson's message, you have to agree that true passion is definitely born from anguish. As a writer, I believe the heartaches and hardships we experience give us plenty to write about.

And plenty to talk about ...

But it's not about anguish over a fender-bender. It's not about a bad grade on a test. Or losing your wallet. Or a fight with your spouse.

Anguish, suffering, agony, grief, sorrow and angst ... comes from a break in your spirit. A temporary disconnection with yourself and the world around you. The loss of anything dear to you creates real, gut-wrenching anguish. The kind you feel down to the soles of your feet. Buckets of tears. Nobody wants to experience it. Nobody wants to go through something like that, and I hope and pray you never do.

But if you do, what you do with that anguish, how you channel it, will determine your future in many ways. And if you're a writer, it can propel you into another level. I've read books where I know, without a doubt, the writer has suffered at one point in his/her life. You can feel it in the way they put the story together. Raising the stakes isn't so hard, because they've lived it.

Not a pleasant topic to blog about, but I think it needs to be said. Personally, I hope I never see another drop of anguish as long as I live. I've had my share. David Wilkerson can wail as long as he wants about anguish, but I never want to experience it again. Ever. It's not a pleasant place to go to.

However, I want you to remember if you've closed the door on your anguish, the memories of it ... you may want to revisit that dark place again. Especially if you're a writer. Your writing changes. Something inside you clicks and literary takes on a whole new meaning.

My passion was truly born from the sorrow, grief, and the anguish of my life. Now, I can truly say, the joy of the Lord is my strength. A scripture phrase that has almost become a cliché in Christian circles, has power and new meaning in me. At some point the tears have to stop. The river of sorrow has to trickle to nothingness. We have to move out of that place and use what we've learned to write the story of our life. It's not something we want to think about, anguish, but be thankful for it. It's made you who you are.

And despite the fire and brimstone, that's a good thing.

Blessings to you and yours.

I WRITE

 

In Kathryn Stockett's novel, The Help, when Stuart asks Skeeter, "What do you do with your time?" she answers emphatically, "I write."

I wonder what went through Kathryn's mind when she wrote those two words. I write.

It's the second day of the new year, and yesterday on the first day of the new year, I pulled the covers over my head and screamed ... "NO MORE! I'M SICK OF IT. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!!!"

Can we get real, here? Can we stop with the cutesy blogs and read something real? Can I write my heart this morning without backlash? Without somebody thinking I'm wallering in self-pity? Because I really just want to write what I'm feeling today, without pretense. Without agenda. Without that forced smile we all know so well.

Time to hash out a few words and see if anybody out there ... relates.

Every day I read all the wonderful blogs by other writers. Encouragement abounds. Positive messages and quotes and anecdotes fill the Internet. Every time I open my email, it's overflowing with writers, editors, bloggers, literary agents ... some folks I know, others I don't ... all telling me what to do and what not to do to be successful in the new year. It makes me wonder. How many of them have given up at some point. Just chucked in the towel and said ... enough. Enough of this bullshit.

The market is over-saturated. It reminds me of Noah and the ark. Only a select few are hand-picked by the "publishing gods" to travel on the ark, while the rest of us tread water, pound on the doors, and scream to be heard.

Now ... God knows ... I'm grateful. For every positive review of Televenge. For every letter of love and support. There have been many. I'm thankful for those who have expressed encouragement on my behalf and continue to do so. I'm not talking about that. That's not what this post is about. But the journey with Televenge as my debut novel has also taught me a few new things about the industry. The biggest is that although I've been a writer since I was a bitty girl, a full-time writer since 2003, the struggle is FAR from over.

In fact, I feel as if I've bounced along this pioneer trail on a wagon train heading west for over a decade. I've nearly drowned crossing the Mississippi, manuevered through a few prarie fires, and fought off one too many Pawnee with only a double-barrel and a fast horse. And now ... I'M STANDING AT THE BASE OF THE DAMN ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

I thought, at least, I would get a glimpse of home. How the hell do I get over this mountain?

It's enough to send a body under the covers.

Through all the unfairness within this industry, it doesn't matter. Not anymore. There's plenty of broken dreams out there. An abundance of struggling writers pounding on the ark. What is it that will set some of us apart? The story of a lifetime? The perfect editor/agent/publisher/book deal/book tour? Thousands of Facebook friends and Twitter followers? When the moon/stars/plants all line up?

None of the above.

The answer is simple. To get out of bed every morning, and write. To not think about the outcome or the awards or those who have let you down. The answer is to put social media on the back seat of the bus, and your butt in the driver seat. To do the one thing God has called you to do.

I'm a writer. It's what I do. The unvarnished truth is after all the new year resolutions are made and broken, after all the glass half-fulls are put to bed, I'm still wagon-training.

This morning I woke up and realized ... I can't go back. I've come too far. What is it that makes me get out of bed? What is it?

I write.

It's just that simple.

Blessings to you and yours.

Can Two Walk Together Unless They Agree?



Unequally yoked? Not at this Thanksgiving table.

Can two walk together unless they agree? It’s a Biblical question. A scripture quoted many times in my past. Usually to me. Or rather, at me. A question that got me to thinking.

Can a woman and a man be married and not agree on important issues?

I think it depends on the couple, their tolerance levels, and certainly what matters most. But I sat at a Thanksgiving table this year and watched my brother-in-law and sister-in-law in a very tender moment, express thanks for each other.

You see, I was there when they said their vows; nearly thirty years ago, and I wondered then if this unequally yoked couple would make it. At that time I was a member of a church that taught unless you and your spouse believed the same, walked the same path—your marriage would never last.

And yet, all these years later, I have to laugh because it was me who didn’t last in my marriage. Me. Married to a ministry team member. Thirty years ago, I was “equally yoked” to my Christian husband. Believed, submitted, and followed every edict of a church that said it was the only way to Heaven. The only way to stay married. The only way to be a true Christian.

Funny how I no longer believe that.

You see if there were ever two unequally yoked in matters of religion and politics, it’s my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. She’s a liberal. A Democrat. Where he is a far right conservative. A Republican. They laugh about it, knowing their votes cancel each other out during any election. He was a Fundamentalist who married a Catholic. The day they married, their beliefs could not have been farther apart. But love and respect was the glue that held them together. They raised two beautiful children, taught them tolerance, and love, and to respect the decisions of others. Not to judge. Not to throw the first stone.

Many years ago, they found a church they both enjoy. A church where they raised their children to love God. A church where they participate in matters of music and reaching out to those who have lost loved ones. A church where I’d be willing to bet, few know how different they are in their beliefs. Because it just doesn’t matter. Nobody is watching them. Nobody is counting how many times they miss church. After decades of being members there, nobody cares about their differences. What they care about is that they’re pillars of a community. A couple the young folks look up to. A couple who prospered in every area of life despite the fact the church we attended thirty years before, condemned their marriage. A couple who love God, together.

Can two walk together unless they agree? You bet they can. Because there’s nothing more important than love. Even God agrees with that.

Blessings to you and yours.

When Your Candle Burns At Both Ends

“My candle burns at both ends it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light.” Edna St. Vincent Millay

How many times have I quoted this poem, but never have I felt the force of it until now.

It’s November! So much has been happening … here’s the latest update, in case you haven’t seen it! (And be sure to see the pictures at the end of this post!)

A very nice review from Publishers Weekly!

“Cable's unflinching fictional exposé of the dark side of televangelism has a human victim in the person of Andie Oliver. … Cable, a former member of a megachurch, places Andie's desperate struggle against the oppression of (Reverend) Artury's church, its brutal inner circle, murderous practices, financial fraud, and (husband) Joe's abuse. This powerful story, skillfully written and with well-drawn characters, reveals the classic entrapment of vulnerable people in the name of a vengeful god …” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

The hurricane is over in most parts of the US, but I think mine is just beginning. I’m leaving again tomorrow for two weeks of book signings and interviews throughout the south … Atlanta, Georgia, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Outer Banks, and Mobile, Alabama.

Please pray for me next Wednesday, Nov. 7^th. In one day I’ll have a live interview with WYRQ FM in Little Falls, MN at 8:00 am EST, a blog post on http://blog.juliealindsey.com/, an interview on CBS Atlanta TV (which will air on Sunday, Nov. 11^th  at 10:30 am)  an interview with Vipp Jaswall on Fox News Radio http://radio.foxnews.com/category/podcasts/the-vipp-jaswal-report (to be announced as to air date) and a book signing at Charis Books in Atlanta at 7:30 pm Nov. 7^th.

You would think I was twenty-five again, and running after my career! My twenties are gone by the wayside, by I’m still chasing that dream.

My appearances, past and future, as well as radio interview links, book trailers, and book excerpts can be found on my web site. www.pamelakingcable.com. The blog tours are also online with links to some really great book bloggers.

What has been a thrill are the reviews. My status on Amazon and my Alexa rating climbs higher every day. The book has gone national and international in a month. I'm humbled. Grateful. And now there are rumblings from the movie industry. So who knows where this road will take me. I'm grateful for my family, a great publisher, and readers I hear from each and every day along the way.

I’m consumed by it all. Actually, I work even harder on the road. Moving in and out of one hotel after another, setting up a desk area, working on my laptop instead of my home pc, trying to get enough sleep, eating food I'd rather not. Who said it was going to be easy? It wasn’t easy for Southern Fried Women, and it’s even tougher now. The schedule is heavier, with bigger venues, and more media interviews. But Televenge is moving at a steady pace. The climb is daunting at times. We’re always praying the weather cooperates. And all the while, I’m still writing. I’m still editing the finished second novel, and writing the first draft of the third.

Still, I can’t imagine doing anything else. After the holidays, we head west. All the way to California and back. Speaking and signing books. Below are priceless memories along the way …

And it's only just begun ...

Blessings to you and yours.

 

Why Should A Writer Bleed On The Page? Isn’t It Time To Open A Vein?

 

… continuing part III of What Do You As A Writer Bring To The Page?

Picture of my parents above ... winter of 1954, my father was leaving that day. He's a Korean War veteran. My mother was not happy. You can see it in her face here.

Until I met my husband, pursuing the passion and dream of writing was something I did alone. He afforded me the time to devote to my craft, which I soon realized was not enough.

As storytellers, surviving life’s heartaches and hardships leave the residue of so much conflict to write about. Without the struggle, we do not possess the understanding and compassion, the inward fortitude to pursue our dreams that often seem so out of reach.

And for all of this, you need to put a smile on your face today. My purpose for this post is to offer encouragement. To help you separate the sheep from the goats. The wheat from the tares. The bland, “so-what” writing of telling and not showing. It’s time to pull emotional appeal out of your gut, from your heart, and raise the stakes. Time to create an original and unique voice that will live long after you are gone. Time to bleed on the page.

“The question isn’t  who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

Be a fearless writer. Make the decision you’re going to do whatever it takes. Sometimes ... you just got to open that vein.

What are the events in your life, or in others lives with which you are intimate, that possess powerful magic to influence the stories you create?

I wrote Southern Fried Women during different eras of my life. Growing up in a Pentecostal fundamental congregation, I experienced a world reaching from the backwoods and hollers of West Virginia into the great and grand cathedrals of several high-tech megachurches. Living through my own dark days in televangelism, it inspired me to weave religion, spirituality, and the unexplained into my stories … stories that hint to an ancient bridge where the real and the supernatural meet. The biblical kind of supernatural that exists in all deep-rooted religious families.

In the beginning, I wanted to inform and enlighten the minds of my readers, but I learned something about myself in the process of writing my stories. I learned that what I wanted even more was to kick-start their hearts. For me, faith and spirituality have a way of doing that like nothing else.

My point is that as I look back, the horrific darkness I went through gave me a keen insight into the mind and life of struggling and desperate women. Women that I began to write about. The sparks of passion to develop my stories became a burning and all-consuming flame. As I wrote, the blinders lifted off my eyes and my ears became unplugged. I heard myself laughing, crying out, screaming and whispering secrets through the characters I created.

It seems no matter what I write, I draw from those times of tragedy and of triumph. Of horrific and hilariously funny times when all I could do was cry or laugh.

I strongly suggest you draw from your past, from the dark places you don’t want to think about anymore, of love lost and of love sought and found. From those desperate times you will find the words needed to fully develop the characters you were meant to create.

Nobody’s life has been a bowl of soft rose petals spread upon a fine, feather mattress. Somewhere you have experienced pain. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. It comes to us all. So use it. Draw from your own well. Your stories will deepen, strengthen, and yes—matter! At the lowest point in my life, my faith and the ability to write it down became my life preserver. It changed me, as woman, and as a writer.

Draw from your darkest hours and your fondest memories. Life is too short for too many regrets. If you want to be a successful writer, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.  I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I can promise it’ll be worth it.

Blessings to you and yours.

Why Do Writers Need Blog Tours?

 



Last night, around midnight, I completed the last of my submissions for my first blog tour. I have another blog tour coming up but it felt good to get this one done, although I find I rather enjoy the process.

When I attended the BookExpo in New York this past June, I met many bloggers. These folks are serious about what they do. Blogging with a passion, some are writers, some combine it with their day jobs, and some are stay-at-home moms and dads who simply love books. But book bloggers number into the thousands these days. Each one has a unique interest and you as a writer, need to understand that in your approach.

Think of it as if you're standing on somebody's front porch, and knocking on their door. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable if you knew the person opening the door? You need to know a bit about the blogger before you go knocking on their door. As you would be a guest in their home, you're a GUEST on their blog. Familiarize yourself with their blog. What are their passions, their pursuits, what do they care about? What kind of books do they read and review? And if they "invite you in" be kind, courteous, and meet their deadline.

What do you notice about their website? What is their appeal? To readers or writers or both? On the day your post appears, be sure to visit the site regularly throughout the next few days to respond to comments. Post your appearance throughout your social media sites and your web site.

Does the public buy books from book reviews? There are differences of opinion when answering that question. There are many factors that play into why readers buy certain books. But the one thing almost everyone agrees on is that we have grown to trust the book blogger. Their honesty, their appeal has driven the book-buying public to reading their favorite blogger on a daily basis.

Your obligation as a writer, is to utilize this service. You can pay for a blog tour that is set up for you, or you can take the time to research the bloggers on your own. Some blog tours offer wonderful additions to their services, like contests and giveaways. But whatever you decide, you must remember that word of mouth is paramount when it comes to selling your book. And to sell you book, a blog tour can reach thousands of readers.

As you write the next bestseller, keep this in the back of your mind. Either you or someone willing to help you must take the time to set up a blog tour. Besides getting out there and meeting your readers up close and personal, blog tours are your best bet to successfully marketing your work.

Blessings to you and yours.