Category: Uncategorized

When The Writer Battles Self-Doubt

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Bravery.

If there is anything a writer (or any artist) needs, it is that. After all, you are placing a short story, essay, painting, poem or some other original work out in the open for someone to love or scrutinize.

Though I have written for years and published a little, I still wrestle with small bouts of insecurity. The shadow comes when I blog, tell people I am a writer or submit the latest short story. I think I am not good enough, original enough, have not lived and experienced enough to put something amazing or meaningful together.

Over the last few months I created a writing space. I built bookshelves, put pictures up of my wife and kids, in order to have a place to write and keep my writer-ish things (like a sailboat, family heirlooms, hockey pucks and, most importantly, my leather bound journals).

Every once in a while I crack open a journal entry or two to review an important date of my life. The entry at 5am before I was married to my beautiful bride. The birth of my first daughter. The day I graduated college. The day my second daughter was born. I reflect and remember how much I have grown both as a writer and a person. Recently, I read my very first journal entry and smiled.

This “entry” consisted of a date, title, and a scrap from a devotional book. That’s right. My first attempt at a journal entry was also my first attempt at plagiarism.

Be what it is, I learned something. Something significant and comforting that I consider each time I embark on a new project.

I have come a long way.DSC_0073

I can see progress and joy in my entries and short stories. I see the love of something good and, even in the rarest of occasions, profound.

There are many things we build on. But they all come from the first word, the first step of trying something new. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t.

That is not the point. The point is the step.

After a while you can see just how far you’ve come.

If there is any doubt in you writer – think about the piece before. Think about how far you’ve come. I did and find I am a lot further down the road than I could ever have expected.

And it gives me confidence to keep going.

Keep (or start) Writing.

Cheers,

Bob

Turning 30

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Yesterday I exited my twenties. I did not have a panic attack but I cannot say that it turning 30did not affect me. Because it did.

I woke up wide awake at 5:30am, as summer comes this seems to be more and more of a natural occurrence, and after read a few chapters of my Bible, I wrote in my journal and spent some time in reflective silence.

I thought about what I had wanted to accomplish by this point in my life and how I felt about what transpired thus far. I have a family and a house, a nice job and wonderful friends, and the best wife in the world. My life is rich and full and I could not be happier with it.

Whenever I think about my life goals, I tend to think about time and how I spend it. Where do the hours of my days go? Work? Sleep? Wife and kids? Do I think about myself all of the time? Or am I considering other people?

Time and how I spend time; that is what occupies my mind.

Dietrich Bonheoffer a pastor in Germany who was executed by the Nazis two days before his prison camp was liberated wrote in the book, Letters and Papers from Prison:

“Time is the most valuable thing that we have, because it is the most irrevocable.”

This causes me to consider things that distract me from what I want. Or that annoying thing that bothers me that is not really a bit deal. There are so many things that make me petty or selfish. I want them out of my life.

I hope that as I advance through my thirties that I will find myself on the couch in front of the television a whole lot less. I hope I play outside with my children. I hope to plant gardens and write novels. I hope to invite friends over for meals and share life with them. Life must be lived and as I stand on the precipice of the thirty to forty year divide, I know adventure and a full life awaits, if only I live it.

Writer, turn off the television. Be with your family and friends, then shrug off sleep and finish your work.

Cheers,

Bob

Busy Writer? 10 Ways to Squeeze in Writing Time.

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized5 Comments

Before kids, I wrote every Saturday morning from 5:30am until 9am. It was beautiful. I had enough time to finish a chapter, or, well, enough time to finish anything really.

That time is gone but my kids are a blessing. I’d never trade one for the other. And my life is so much fuller now, allowing me to draw from these deeper experiences and use them as fuel to write better novels and short stories.

Below is a list of several ways to keep your writing going when you schedule gets busy. I’ve used them all and I hope you find this list helpful.

  1. During Lunch Break – You can write on your iphone or android phone. If a library is close by head there or simply bring a pad of paper and write by hand.
  2. While in the Waiting Room – If you have meetings with a client or have a dentist or doctor’s appointment be sure to bring something to write with.
  3. While Preparing Dinner – There are times when I might have to wait for the water to boil, the sauce to simmer, and the dishes are done. This means I need to be present but not actively preparing a meal. Have your notebook ready for these spare minutes.
  4. Right Before Bed – Instead of reading 20 pages of a book, write one or two  pages of your own.
  5. Early Early Morning – Like 4:30. Yes I know. Yikes. But you love this remember?
  6. During Nap Time – If you are a stay at home dad/mom, and still have this time, use it while you can.
  7. During Breakfast – Some people read the newspaper during breakfast or read a novel, you can work on yours.
  8. As the Kids Play – This sounds like terrible parenting, but our kids do need to learn to live without us hovering over them, right? So, if they are playing quietly, get a few sentences down during the peace before rushing to the housecleaning, work projects, etc..
  9. Be there 15-20 Minutes Early – Wherever there may be: grocery store, work, meeting, etc.. This is different than the waiting room tip as you have created this space and are not waiting on someone else. Imagine using them both together. Is that 40-50 minutes??
  10. In Between Commercials – If you wind down by watching television try to get a few paragraphs in the 17 minutes of commercials during that hour long show.

These are not fool proof or the only way to do it, but I hope you found them helpful or at least made you think of how you can use those lost minutes to work on your novel.

Do you have any other suggestions? Please post them in the comment section below.

Cheers,

Bob

The Muse in Everyday Life

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Every writer has come to the point where things become muddy, sticky, and possibly monotonous. Is it writer’s block? Sure. Is it becoming bored with your own story? Maybe. Is it the dullness of life or a perpetual northern winter or a life event that arrives like a stray lightning bolt and saps you of any motivation to get to the page? Of course.

Do things that bring joy. Use that joy as fuel to write.
Do things that bring joy. Use that joy as fuel to write.

As a writer I admit I have been there. All of us have. But what can you do to get out of that funk? How can you rise above yourself and this particular situation with your friend or family member that just won’t leave you?

I believe the answer lies in what can be called a Muse. It’s the age old question. What can the artist (in this case writer) do to keep, well, doing? It’s not a sudden burst of energy that finishes a great work but coming back to the project day after day after day. The great writers of the past may have written amazing things because of the epic lives they lived. But more likely they became great writers because they pulled up their sleeves and wrote.

But this work requires energy. And yours is sapped remember?

In the article, How to Keep and Feed a Muse by Ray Bradbury, he explores a thread which holds the “fuel your writing idea” together and it is this twofold:

“I believe one thing holds it all together. Everything I’ve ever done was done with excitement, because I wanted to do it, because I loved doing it.” (Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing, pg 40).  This means, obviously, doing things you love. I have children and a full time job yes. But I haven’t stopped watching hockey or finding time for that good book or going on a walk or stopping by a library during lunch break.

What do you love?

Number two:

“Do not, for money, turn away from all of the stuff you have collected in a lifetime. Do not, for the vanity of intellectual publications, turn away from what you are – the material within you which makes you individual, and therefore indispensable to others.” Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing, pg 42).

So, writer. It’s time to unlock the broom cupboard you’ve put yourself into. The key, after all, is right in your hand. Take it and unlock the door. Don’t cast away responsibility but be sure to remember who you are and do something you love.

Allow that love to unlock excitement, ardor, joy.

And use the fuel it creates to write.

Cheers,

Bob

 

 

Things I Wish I Knew Before My Fifth Draft

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Hello readers. It’s been a while since I focused on my blog. I have a thousand legitimate excuses and today I’d like you to introduce one of them: Jot – the Grand Rapids Mini-Writers Conference.

If you’ve been a regular reader on my blog you probably have heard of it. It was a one night writers conference put on by my writers group. It was held last Friday the 8th at local indie bookstore Baker. It could not have gone better.

First, the turnout was double what we anticipated. We had over sixty people attend. We ran out of chairs and hand outs, it was beautiful. People gave it favorable reviews and we are already dreaming about the next conference. Such an energizing time could not have been possible without the people so if you attended, thank you so much for making it a great event.

My speaking portion was chronicling my life as a novelist thus far. I covered starting your novel, drafting, and submitting. If you are interested in watching a nervous man sputter out his thoughts, I have posted it below (Bob cringes).

The other presenters/interviews can be found by clicking HERE.

Keep on Writing.

Cheers,

Bob

Interview with Author Daniel F Bowman

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Today, I am loaning my blog to published author Daniel F. Bowman. We both attended Cornerstone University but recently connected through a mutual friend. If you are interested in a good read, especially historical fiction, I would encourage you to check out his book – Alaric, Child of the Goths.

What inspired your novel?

My wife Amanda and I rarely get a chance to take a weekend off and spend it together (without the kids), but back in 2009 we visited the Toledo Zoo (with our son). Amanda was wiped out from walking all around, so I had the chance to watch the History Channel after she fell asleep. We have never had cable, so this was as much a part of vacation as was watching the polar bear tear apart a trash can.

The episode was—you guessed it—about the Goths. I stared at the screen as I heard how a group of farmer-soldiers were cheated by Rome but decided to stand up to her, though she was the greatest empire in the world. They would not put up with bullying. The program ended: “Oppression sires rebellion, and when pushed too far, even the weak and the shattered can rise to challenge their oppressor.” I feel chills every time I hear that.

How did you hear about the writing contest?

I looked for “historical fiction 2012 writing contests” online. I was discouraged by the trouble of getting an agent, and knew that trying to approach a publisher directly for historical fiction was a waste of time. After looking through my list of contests, the best bet seemed to be Creative Print Publishing (CPP), as that had no fee to enter and the winner received publication.

What got you into writing in the first place?

I haven’t always written, though when I think back, I realize that I have tried for a long time. When I was a child, I wrote 1½-page stories of alien abductions, ending before the main character ever made it to the spacecraft! I also like pirate novels, though these always stopped after the third mutiny.

During college, I began writing “The Tinker’s Sons” about two boys (based on my brothers) who were destined to overthrow the evil empire. It was fun telling them the story each night.

Do you have other plans in place along the same storyline?

I began my 3rd book this month.

1st—Alaric, Child of the Goths. (Battle of Adrianople, Fall of Rome, overthrowing the evil empire!)

-Published

2nd—Hammer of God (Charles Martel, Battle of Tours —Christian Franks vs Muslim Umayyads)

-Entered in gracenotesbooks.com competition, now being reedited

3rd—Mother of Mexico (Dona Marina, wife of Hernando Cortes—Aztecs and Spanish)

Amanda—my wife and editor—wants a book with a female POV. I’m up for the challenge. It might help me as a husband to get in a woman’s mind.

What are you plans for writing, hobby, full time, dreams?

So far, it’s a nice hobby and publishing was a good goal before turning 30. I barely made it!

Ideally, I would like to get paid for writing so that my main job (teaching ESL) became additional income, rather than the way it currently is. Then again, I don’t know how I would handle the freedom of my own hours. I have a feeling that I would never feel caught up enough to stop working.

Where do you get your ideas?

History is full of stories—true ones (unlike the wildly-adapted-but-still-enjoyable Braveheart, 300, Gladiator…). So many heroes, villains, and tragedies have happened which far exceed the fictional ideas of authors, and many of these stories are known only in boring monographs. I aim to remedy that.

Do you write each day? If so, where? When? 

I recently finished a break from writing. After submitting Hammer of God, I wanted to take off the rest of 2012 and prevent burnout. When I am writing, I try to write 1,000 words daily = 5,000 weekly. This is doable and I usually achieve it. Plus, ideally, I could finish a book in six months this way.

Where do you write?

My office (more like a storage room most of the time). Having a door between me and my family is a psychological help for focusing. I also work well as I proctor quizzes at work, wear headphones in the school computer lab so no one interrupts, or am in busy places apart from home. I think it’s because I can ignore everyone there. The non-office places are perfect for putting down ideas, but I tend to need a large chunk of time to put them all together.

When do you usually write?

This is the harder question.

I used to write in the morning, but as my son has proven to be a morning person, I no longer have that time to myself. So I guess this coming year will have me in the office at night. The best tip I came across for “when” is to always plan my next session before I end my current one. That way I can write anywhere/anytime, knowing what I’m supposed to do next. I rarely have writer’s block because of this.

Daniel, Thanks for taking the time to put this interview together. If you are interested in his novel, or have questions for Daniel, please visit his site at http://danielfbowman.webs.com/

Cheers,

Bob

Interview With Writer Jessie Clemence

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Today, I am offer my blog to writer Jessie Clemence who I met through my writing comrade Josh Mosey. If you are a parent, mother, Christian, or just in need of a laugh, I suggest you visit her blog and pick up her book when it hits the shelf.

What is your working title of your book (or story)?
There’s a Green Plastic Monkey in My Purse

Where did the idea come from for the book?
My editor suggested it because she saw that theme running through some of my other writing. Also, I have lived this book ever since my first child was born almost ten years ago.

What genre does your book fall under?
Bible study and parenting

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Since my family and friends are all in the book, I think we’d just all play ourselves. We’d have to be a reality TV show, like the Duggars on 78 Kids and Counting.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Motherhood is hard and requires special character traits that God can help us develop.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Green Plastic Monkey is being published by Discovery House Publishers in Grand Rapids.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took about nine months. Which, I just realized, is about how long a pregnancy lasts. Coincidence? I think not! (God just thinks He’s funny sometimes.)

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I always have trouble with this one, because it really is a parenting book and a Bible study together, and it’s fun. I haven’t found another that fits these criteria. But I know that Rachel Jankovic has written Loving the Little Years, Motherhood in the Trenches. That theme of enjoying a difficult time with God’s help is certainly running through Green Plastic Monkey, too.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My editor suggested it! It took me a while to get the nerve up to try it, because parenting has been a difficult road for me. But in the end, I think that’s the book’s strength. I don’t have it all together. I don’t know what I’m doing. My kids are thriving because God has changed my heart and shown me His grace. I think that will resonate with other mothers who are struggling.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
My primary spiritual gift is ridiculousness, and the book is full of it. It’s fun and silly and real. Many mothers will read the book and walk away thinking, “Thank goodness I’m a better mother than Jessie.” And I’m totally okay with that, as long as God’s word gets into them while they are laughing at me!

Thank you for participating Jessie!

Keep Writing.

On By Robert EvenhouseIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

joshmosey's avatarJot Writers Conference

There is a reason Jot is free. Most writers aren’t rolling in piles of cash. We understand that. In fact, we represent that.

So here are a few ways that you can help us out for little or no cost:

  • Re-blog our posts. If you don’t have a blog of your own, start one and use it to re-blog our posts.
  • Tweet or Link to Jot on Facebook. Use this link, it’s short! http://bit.ly/ZZFvAw
  • E-blast your contact list info about Jot. If they tell you that the email wound up in their spam folder, maybe you should just remove them from your contact list. Those aren’t the type of people for you.
  • Print out and hang a poster at your favorite library, coffee shop, or public writer hangout. (Click here for the jot_mini_poster)
  • Talk about it to your friends. If you don’t have friends, talk about it to strangers…

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On By Robert EvenhouseIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Here’s a little blurb about the writing conference I am speaking at. If you are in the Grand Rapids area and are a writer or interested in writing, check out this free conference.

Robert Evenhouse's avatarJot Writers Conference

Writers are unique individuals. Not because they tend to be odd or nerdy or both, but because they spend their time doing something that most would consider torture – that is – writing something. Writing is hard work. It’s a task that requires an enormous amount of effort. It calls for perseverance. It needs constant encouragement.

This is where Jot comes in.

Jot is for new and aspiring authors. It’s for established authors, writers mired in the drafting or writer’s block stage, and for those interested getting their feet wet, having yet to put words on the page.

Why should you attend Jot?

Because it’s a date with your inner writer. It’s a time to reflect on your writing life, to learn tips, rub shoulders with other authors and, possibly, make a writing friend or two in the area.

Who should attend Jot?

Anyone interested in writing. Whether you are…

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