Reading

How I wish I had Treasure Trove when I was first starting out writing articles for children's magazines. Ms. Abramovitz guides the novice writer through the basics, then hones in on the practical details from idea to publication and the numerous steps in-between for the remainder of the book. She gives examples and anecdotes from her own work and various other children's authors to make the process transparent. I will be recommending this to all my students who are interested in writing nonfiction.


So many of us start out writing the Great American Novel. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and I know authors who've sold their first ever novel. But for the vast majority, it is good to learn the elements of good writing by writing short stories and articles. And if you peruse magazines you will find that 80% of the content is nonfiction. What editors receive 80% of the time is fiction, though. I know we all yearn to write our own stories, but if you have a special interest in science or languages or math, try writing a well focused piece on it for children. I am so glad that the ICL course makes the students work on at least one nonfiction piece, and by far, these are the ones that my students sell. And many of my students who professed they did not like to write nonfiction get a bug for it. Give it a whirl. You will not be disappointed. And Treasure Trove will be a perfect companion for you as you navigate the world of children's magazines.


I cut my writing teeth on magazines and will forever be grateful for the opportunity to learn how to write clean and tight prose on deadline. I pretty much learned on the job, from the editors of Ladybug, Highlights, Odyssey, and many others. And I still write for magazines, though not as much because writing time is limited and I want to focus on my bigger books, but ideas hit me all the time, and all of them are not necessarily book worthy, so it's fun to explore these ideas for a magazine.


Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story by Joyce Moyer Hostetter is something I picked up for myself at the Write 2 Ignite conference. I love historical fiction and had already read Blue and Comfort, so I was intrigued by this story of a boy who had been banished to Molokai when he showed the signs of leprosy. What a story! Of love and betrayal, of separation and loss, of a boy turning to crime, hardening his heart, and then finding a way to forgive with the help of one of my favorite saints -- Father Damien. I had read a biography of Fr. Damien when I was about eight or nine years old, and have learned a fair bit about leprosy in my medical microbiology book, but I had no idea how lawless this place was, and how incredibly difficult it must have been to go there as a child, knowing that you are to live and to die there. Ms. Hostetter weaves a beautiful story of healing love. God's love.



It was such a pleasure to talk to her, and she was incredibly gracious, reading many pages of my current manuscript and offering advice. Thank you, Joyce, and God bless.


Pax Christi
 

Triple Seven

Faith tagged me for the Triple Seven meme so below is an excerpt from my novel, DAMAGED, which I am revising. I wonder how close to page 77 it will be when it is published. Given that I am adding scenes and cutting anything that needs to go ruthlessly, it may actually happen. Of course, I did some editing as soon as I copied this onto my blog. Okay, time to stop tinkering. Enjoy:

***

“We’re almost done. The nurse will give you the pills and we can go home. Okay?” I try to get as much of the gel off Joy's belly and clothes.

I know how awful it is to have anything done to your body. I remember screaming through all my debridement. They’d soak me in a tub and my rotting skin would peel off. What dead skin didn’t come off had to be scrubbed off. It was done daily to prevent infection. I was just a kid, but they’d hold me down anyway, and rub away my stinking flesh. I wonder how I survived as I scrape the paper towel over Joy’s belly one last time.

When I go to throw away the goopy towels, I look at the screen. It has the last shot, a grainy one, showing an almost empty cavity shaped like a giant kidney bean with a couple of blobs inside. One looks like a shrimp. The other blob is much tinier and round.

Joy stands beside me. “Is that the baby?

“Must be,” I say. “But right now, it’s just a bunch of cells clumped together. It’s not anything special.” I take a pen from the counter and draw on the paper sheet Joy had lain on -- two little circles, then four, eight, and finally a donut. “That’s how it begins. It’s just a cluster of cells.” But even as I say it, I marvel at how they know to become a pinky or a big toe.

“It’s so neat,” says Joy. “I want to take a picture with me.”

“You don’t want that,” I say, noticing how ugly and misshapen the head looks. “It’s like an alien from a movie.”

***
Most everybody I know has already posted excerpts. If you haven't, please consider yourself tagged and let me know. I've enjoyed reading everybody's wips. Here are the rules if you want to play.

1. Go to page seventy-seven of your manuscript.
2. Go down seven lines.
3. Post the next seven lines, sentences, or paragraphs on your blog.
4. Tag seven new writers.

Thanks Faith. Now I've improved seven paragraphs of my wip! Progress!
*

Write 2 Ignite Conference Tidbits

It's been a month since the Write2Ignite conference and it's nice to have my notes with me to remember a few things. Janice and I got a wee bit lost in Greenville because my directions were not clear. Thank goodness for her cell phone that had a built in GPS because we were able to find our way to the hotel. I had planned on having a cup of tea and taking a nap after the long drive, but I didn't want to miss the keynote, so tea was all I had.

And it was worth it to miss the nap just to hear Kristi Butler speak. What energy! And how wonderful to begin with prayer and being aware of God's call in our lives. The best part was that she compiled a list of Scripture passages so that we could be reminded of God's promises. I will most likely put them on a separate permanent page on my blog. She says she has them taped to her bathroom mirror, and I think I might do that myself.

Here are a couple to whet your appetite:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Phil 2:13

Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.  Joshua 3;5

Kristi was such a generous soul -- she gave us each a feather to remind us not to let our dreams turn to dust and a river stone that she wrote "Remember" on. Both are in my office now ... along with my stones that say: Dream, Courage, and Peace (I picked out these other river rocks when I went through RCIA). So, aren't these lovely things? I have pinned the feather to my bulletin board to keep it safe from the cat.

And the Welch sisters (Donna and Rachel)  led us into a song. What lovely voices.

The breakout sessions that I went to were geared towards beginners and intermediate writers, and I tell you, no matter how long you've been writing, it is always good to be reminded of the basics. This is part of the reason why I love teaching at ICL so much -- when I preach about pacing or showing or being true to the characters, I am reminded to practice it in my own writing.

A couple of tidbits for you to ponder:

Joanna Lutz Echols, Editor of Clubhouse
Endings should be satisfying, tinged with dissatisfaction. Think yearing.

Nancy Lohr, Editor Journey Forth Books
Plot is what, driven by the so what?

Joyce Hostetter, author of historical fiction books like Blue, Comfort, & Healing Waters
Challenges us to tell the truth -- emotional and spiritual along with the factual.

Some practical advice from me:

I recommend you invest in a copy of Sowing Seeds by Kathleen Muldoon if you are interested in writing for the Christian magazine market. And remember that the consequences of choices the characters make must reflect the Biblical worldview. That's what makes it Christian fiction.


I had such a good time meeting Christian writers and editors. I confess I skipped one afternoon session to visit with Donna. Did you know that together we are a pina colada? She's pineapple and I'm coconut. Grin. I am immensely grateful to Cec Murphy for his generous grant that covered my tuition and for Janice Green who was a great companion for the long drive. We didn't get much sleep with all the gabbing we did ...

I almost forgot -- I won a drawing and came home with a lavender bath spa kit. My daughter was the first to use it! Such a treat. Thank you, Write2Ignite team.

Alrighty, that's it for now. I have a novel to revise before school ends.
Easter joy and blessings to all.
Pax Christi.
+

This I Believe

This afternoon, my daughter brought in a packet from John Wiley. "Is this an Easter present for me?" she asked. Both my children know that I buy books as gifts and know not to open packages that come in the mail. Or else suffer my ire.



I told her, yes, but it was for me!


But she was the first to read my essay in a bound book form. I tell you, nothing can replace the smell and feel of a new book! My daughter told me she still does not like spicy food, which is true, but nothing stops her from dipping her dosa into a spicy sambar, just to get a taste.


Reading My Mother's Eggplant again made me realize how much I've gone through these past five years. I am no longer the same person as when I wrote it. Of course, the essay still holds true, but if I were to write an essay about motherhood and legacy now, it would be different. It would reflect my Christian worldview. I am so blessed that the editors chose my essay to be in the book. It was a great joy to take what I thought was a polished piece and make it even better. Thank you, Dan and Mary Jo Gediman. I hope to contribute more essays to This I Believe ... and so can you!

Tonight on our evening walk, I couldn't help but think how I begin my rosary or various other chaplets by first professing the Apostles Creed. I believe in God ... everything else stems from this.

If you spy this book in the bookstores, let me know. All my other books are of the educational variety (for the school and library market) so they are not carried by bookstores.


Please check out This I Believe: On Motherhood. I have yet to read a single essay since my daughter nabbed the book ... 


Happy reading and God bless mothers everywhere.
+

Gifts for Easter

I am finally getting around to posting reviews on Amazon and thought about cross-posting.


Sense of the Sacred: The Beauty of Catholicism Series by Mr Dominic M de Souza
This is the most beautiful coloring book for children to inspire them to grow in their Catholic faith. The drawings are detailed and there is enough variety for a child of 2 to a child of 99 to spend hours coloring these. They make beautiful Christmas and Easter gifts. I am a repeat buyer since I have not seen any other coloring book of religious art with such beauty.


The Creation by Janice D. Green
 I had the pleasure of seeing the actual quilt and it is amazing. What a family treasure! But you do not have to be a quilter to enjoy this book with a child or a grandchild. Janice Green has retold the Creation in her own words using the quilt blocks to illustrate. Children will not only delight in the story, but they will be eager to discuss the questions that Ms. Green poses on each page spread. Ms. Green also gives several ideas on making your own quilts or tracing pictures for the children to color. This makes a wonderful baby shower gift, especially to those mothers who love to sew. This is a book I will be purchasing again and again for young mothers.


Both these books make lovely gifts for children. I hope you will consider getting a copy to share with a beloved child. Thank you so much and I hope you will have a most blessed Holy week and a joyful Easter.

I am especially enjoying practicing songs for the Triduum. It is such a blessing to sing in a choir again. I'm also discovering the power of the Gregorian chant in alleviating pain. Wow!

Consecration Day

I am still taking in the effects of daily rosary and other prayers, marvelling at the transformation that has been occurring within my heart. When I first began, I did not *feel* much. I would say some prayers and then right afterwards say I can't possibly mean that because I don't want to. But as the days went on, I found myself meaning the words I said. I think this is true for me in so many areas of my life, whether it's doing the household work or writing. I'm often unenthusiastic about sitting down to revise a particularly difficult chapter or washing all the lettuce, but once I begin, there is joy in the tasks. And so it is with faith. I am reluctant, but it grows nonetheless as I pray, sometimes mechanically, sometimes with fervor, sometimes with tears.

I almost didn't get to make my consecration. I was determined to do it on Sunday, March 25th, even though this year the Church moved the Feast of Annunciation to the 26th since last Sunday was Passiontide. Anyway, after getting some fresh air after choir practice, I went up to the loft to read and pray. The bells rang. Mass started. But my daughter and her two friends were still not there. When we were praying the Kyrie, I heard the clomping of one girl up the steps. Not my daughter. But her friend. "My sister is hurt," she whispered. I went to the parish hall across the street thinking it must just be a little scratch, but instead she had bloody knees and elbows and scratches on her hands and ankles. We cleaned her as best we could and raided the first aid kit. She was so brave. I knew the water stung, as did my words about them going to the loft at the first sound of the bells, instead of waiting till the last minute and then rushing about ...  Not my finest moment, I can assure you.

I didn't realize how much time had passed. When we entered the sanctuary, Father was giving his homily. I could barely concentrate. It was during the Offertory while the priest prays and offers once again the perfect Sacrifice that I began to offer myself wholly, body and soul, to do with me as He pleases. And this is exactly what total consecration is about. We do it through Mary because He came to us through her and so we go to Him through her. This is why we kneel every time we proclaim the Incarnation. I find that these physical movements, though they are external, direct the interior.

Try this. Next time you are feeling a bit blue, hop or skip. It is impossible to have a long face while you skip. In fact, you will be merry.

I have a happy ending. After Holy Communion, I made my consecration with my whole heart, my body and my soul. I know I will fail and fall in many, many ways, but I will get up and reach out to Mary and Jesus. They are with me. I had the pleasure of going to Mass again on the 26th, to properly celebrate the Annunciation.

God bless you.
+

Spinning

It's hard to believe that this same time last week I was doing last minute preparations for the Write2Ignite Conference. I thank God for this gift (and Cec Murphey and the conference team) and for my carpool buddy Janice Green without whom I'd have ended up in some dirt road up a hill. Lovely house, that, but it was not our hotel.

I had such a wonderful time meeting Christian writers and editors -- on fire for the WORD -- and it makes me ever grateful that God never let up on me, that He kept calling and knocking on my stony heart ...

I had the opportunity to share my faith journey with these faith-filled women and men. One thing that came up a few times was why I chose the Catholic Church, and I don't think I chose it, as much as the Holy Spirit led me to it. Remember that I grew up in the Episcopal church in India, but it is quite different than the one here. I did remember enough of my history even without having touched the Bible for 30 years that for 1,500 years (until Reformation), Christianity was the Catholic Church. So it was very natural for us to step into the church that Christ established with Peter. Interestingly, we derive much of our liturgy from the Jewish practices, so there are many, many similarities if you attend a Jewish service.

I love that Christ gave us the Church, and at the foot of the Cross, he gave us his Mother. Under her protective mantle, all Christians gather. The consecration that I am going through is making it clearer and clearer. Another prayer I am beginning to love is the Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,

implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,

I fly to thee O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;

to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word incarnate,

despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.

Amen

Our heavenly Mother is our advocate. St. Louis de Monfort's prayer to Jesus includes this:

Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should certainly be lost.

Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere;

that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee;

that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve;

that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee,
pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee;

that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others;

in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will

and seek Thy greater glory in all things.

And so you see ... I am spinning into this vortex of love ... I am not alone in my journey. As I pray the rosary, it is Mary who leads me closer and closer to Christ.

I will be making my consecration on Sunday after Mass. Pray for me, my friends, that I may walk in the Light of Christ. I am so thankful for all of you.

I promise I will write a post about the conference ... after I have processed my notes and thoughts. Until then.

Pax Christi

+

Prayer of St. Aloysius to the Blessed Mother

O holy Mary, my Mistress,

into thy blessed trust and special keeping,

into the bosom of thy tender mercy,

this day, every day of my life

and at the hour of my death,

I commend my soul and my body;

to thee I entrust all my hopes and consolations,

all my trials and miseries,

my life and the end of my life,

that through thy most holy intercession and thy merits,

all my actions may be ordered and disposed

according to thy will and that of thy divine Son.

Amen.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Mary and Jesus. Years ago, my sister copied it. I wonder if she still has it. I have a large print of this in our bedroom and a holy card with the prayer of St. Aloysius on the back. I use it as a bookmark and have gotten into the habit of praying it daily. It is such a simple and beautiful prayer, and it reminds me why I ask for her intercession -- her merits are great -- so that "Thy will be done." And she will be with me at the hour of my death, to guide me to her Son.

*

Holy Ghost

As Faith rightly points out in her comment of the previous post, the most obvious thing -- stop sinning -- is easier said than done. But the Lord does send help.

One of the daily prayers is the Litany of the Holy Ghost. And some of the requests seem straightforward -- for piety, virtues, graces, etc.

But here are some things that struck me as unusual ... only because I hadn't thought about them before. But they are just as important. Consider:

Holy Ghost, inspire us with horror of sin. Why? Why should we be horrified? We live in a world where many of us are not moved by the violence of abortion, family breakdown, or sexual immorality that we see or hear of, or even partake in. We are complacent. We take it for granted. I've read articles promoting infanticide because the authors claim there is no difference between a fetus and a newborn. They are right -- a fetus is on the way to becoming a newborn. It is a continuum. But their argument is that if abortion is allowed, then a doctor should also be able to kill a newborn because it is defective, or because it's the wrong sex, or because the parents simply do not want it. Do people like Peter Singer, Alberto Giubilini, Francesca Minerva, and other so-called intellectuals and philosophers, not realize the horror of what they propose? 

Parce Domine!


Holy Ghost, engrave Thy law in our hearts. What is God's law? The 10 Commandments? The Beatitudes. Sure. But God's laws are also the natural laws that rule physics, chemistry and biology. This is why homosexuality doesn't fit in the natural order of things. You can't make babies! Woman was made for man, not for another woman. That some people are born with an unnatural attraction towards the same sex must be a heavy cross to bear, but it still doesn't make it "normal." Homosexuality will always be an aberration. I know I hold a very unpopular view. Years ago, I would've said, live and let live. What does it matter what two people do in their bedroom? I even thought homosexual marriage was a good idea because at least they were committed. But I've come to my senses. The sexual liberation has not liberated anyone, but in fact, has made us slaves to sin. Premarital sex, extramarital sex, homosexual sex, divorce, and abortion are all the fruits of this so-called liberation. Western civilization is on a downward spiral; we need to reverse the trend by embracing natural law promoting healthy and holy families. For it is family that is the natural unit of society, not the individual. Where families break down, so do societies.

Miserere nobis.


Holy Ghost, grant us the only necessary knowledge. This is interesting to me. I am so hungry for knowledge. But with this prayer, I am asking not to grasp at knowledge, but to be given the wisdom and knowledge that is necessary, and sufficient. With this prayer, I ask for greater trust and faith in the Lord.

I hope you will be inspired to pray the Litany of the Holy Ghost from time to time.

Come, Holy Ghost! Fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

*

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

“The biggest obstacle we have to understanding the Word of God is our sin.” Fr. Francis Martin says to the young deacon, now Msgr. Charles Pope. To read the full reflection on one of the most important beatitudes, go to the ADW blog. In a nutshell, we need to stop sinning. We should pray to become more holy.

There is so much evil in this world, and much of it comes from our fallen natures, our propensity to sin. We must fight it. Just like the boy David chooses five smooth stones in preparation to bring down the mighty Goliath, so Our Lady gives us five stones to fight the devil:

Prayer -- Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
* 
Fasting -- Certain devils, can be cast out in no other way except by prayer and fasting, said Jesus (Mark 9:29).
*
Daily Bible Reading -- For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).
*
Confession -- for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:10).
*
Eucharist -- So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves (John 6:53).
*
You can read more here.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
I like this recording of the psalm.

Enjoy and God bless.
+