HALT! And Rise Above Your Biggest Writing Challenges

This is a guest post by Kristen Clark, a speaker and writer, and contributing editor for the online His Witness Ministries and New Beginnings Marriage Ministry. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, while her inspirational stories have been published by Chicken Soup for the Soul.  She lives in Texas with her husband, Lawrence.

 

I love keeping busy with writing activities and exercises, but recently found myself putting pen to paper with a less than grateful attitude; the craft I once cherished and delighted in had turned into a source of tremendous frustration.  The reason: I had taken on too much and couldn’t keep up with it all.

Every opportunity felt like an unbearable chore.  I struggled frequently with writer’s block.  I was easily overwhelmed by simple submission guidelines.  I reeled against the practice of re-writes.  I floundered with openings and compelling closings.  My spelling and grammar became an embarrassment.  I missed critical deadlines.  I cried at rejection letters. I created endless excuses for not attending a myriad of writer’s conferences.  My attitude about writing in general had hit rock bottom.

Thankfully, I discovered a tool that helps me maintain a positive attitude through most situations.  The HALT method suggests pausing long enough to assess if I am Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.  If I am hungry, I make time for a meal or quick snack. If I am angry, I take a few extra minutes to detach from my stressful situation; I breathe, relax, stretch my limbs, count to ten, pray, and emotionally regroup. If I am tired, I withdraw for a nap and some quiet time in an effort to recharge my battery.  If I am lonely and feeling secluded, I lift my spirits by visiting a neighbor or friend.

Zig Ziglar once said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”   He was right.  In fact, research conducted in the last ten years successfully links positive emotions (including gratitude) to the ability to more successfully face life’s challenges. Using the HALT method, I can more easily maintain a positive attitude, if not gratitude, and do my best at what I love most - writing!

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

 for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV)

How to you maintain a positive attitude?

Image/MicrosoftClipArt

How to Avoid “Cheesy Easy” Endings When Writing Inspirational Stories

This is a guest post by Kristen Clark, a speaker and writer, and contributing editor for the online His Witness Ministries and New Beginnings Marriage Ministry. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, while her inspirational stories have been published by Chicken Soup for the Soul.  She lives in Texas with her husband, Lawrence.

Athena (Photo credit: timknows)

 

Readers are not usually forgiving of what my husband calls “cheesy easy” endings, meaning readers want resolutions that are compelling as well as logical and realistic.  This is especially true for readers of inspirational stories; they long for plausible solutions that leave them feeling uplifted, encouraged, and inspired.  One way to deliver those emotions is to avoid “deus ex machina.”

An old technique found in ancient Greek and Roman drama, “dues ex machina” involves the introduction of a God-like character into a storyline in order to resolve the plot entanglements.  The most famous example is in Homer’s The Odyssey.  After Odysseus and Telemachus slaughter the suitors, the suitor’s families appear at the farm of Laertess in search of vengeance.  As a battle is about to ensue, the goddess, Athena, shows up to save the day by telling everyone to stop their fighting.  Surprisingly, everyone complies, resulting in an ending that is inconsistent with the story characters and plot thread.

“Dues ex machina” involves the introduction of an unexpected character that has no real merit, but participates in the solution.  That character’s presence is suspicious to the reader, but convenient for the writer who chooses to wrap up the story quickly with a unique resource required for saving the day.

In modern stories, this unexpected resolution is the character who suddenly speaks the foreign language in which the secret documents are written, the distant half-brother who shows up just in time to invest the needed one million dollars, or the white unicorn that miraculously shows up after a nuclear war in a futuristic New York City.  A disconnect between the resolution and story line is obvious.

If you write inspirational stories, make it a practice to write a solution that is clear and reasonable within the context of your story.  Readers should walk away with a sense of confidence because the ending is believable, and not a feeling of disappointment or discouragement because the ending was a real stretch; there’s no inspiration in the latter.

Protect your story’s element of hope and encouragement by avoiding the “cheesy easy” ending, and focus on writing inspiring outcomes that fit naturally within your plot.  Your readers will thank you for it.

Can you think of another example of a “cheesy easy ending” or “dues ex machina”?

Related articles

• Four Ways to Engage Fiction Readers (wordservewatercooler.com)
• Debut Novelist Prunes her Rosebush (darcypattison.com)
• Deus Ex Machina (micahredding.com)

Thinking of Writing for Compilation Books? (by Kristen Clark)

This is a guest post by Kristen Clark, a speaker and writer, and contributing editor for the online His Witness Ministries and New Beginnings Marriage Ministry. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, while her inspirational stories have been published by Chicken Soup for the Soul.  She lives in Texas with her husband, Lawrence.

Writing for Compilation Books (like Chicken Soup for the Soul)
by Kristen Clark

I’m a writer who puts pen to paper in order to grow my speaking platform, but who wants to expand beyond Ezine articles yet struggles to write enough content for an entire book.  Thankfully, I found that submitting inspirational short stories for compilation books is “write” up my alley!

Compilation books, sometimes called anthologies, are collections of short stories by numerous authors, the most successful of which is the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.  Chicken Soup for the Soul has published over 200 book titles, sold over 112 million copies, and had titles translated into more than 40 languages, proof that this market is big business.

The good news is there are a number of compilation publishers out there and finding them is fairly easy.  Start by searching for “compilation book, call for submission” in Google, and see if there isn’t an opportunity that aligns with your area of interest.  Also, you can search Amazon.com for “compilation books”; the results will yield thousands of books and publishers you may want to research further for future projects.

Better news is that the benefits of writing for compilation books are many.  In addition to getting a writing credit for my story, many publishers will include my byline.  Also, reputable publishers will pay for my story, send me free copies of the book, and allow me to purchase additional copies at discounted rates for selling at my speaking events for a profit.  Finally, as a contributing author I can leverage the publisher’s brand in my marketing collateral.

For example, Chicken Soup for the Soul pays $200 for published stories up to 1,200 words and ten free copies of the book.  They also allow story contributors to purchase additional copies at discounted rates, and provide an electronic newsletter filled with helpful tips for writing, book signings, and book sales.  Additionally, they welcome multiple submissions and contributing authors can leverage the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand for marketing purposes. (I once got a speaking gig just because I am a Chicken Soup for the Soul story contributor.)

If you think writing for compilation books might be for you, take time to research the various publishers.  When you find one that aligns most to your writing style, do your homework and follow their submission guidelines exactly.  And, be patient; it can take 9 to 24 months for compilation books to develop.  If your story has been chosen, you will be notified and your permission to print the story will be requested.  Upon your approval, you’ll be well on your way to reaching those in desperate need of hearing your experience, strength, and hope.

Photo1/ChickenSoup book cover

Photo2/KristenClark

Have you written for any compilation books? Leave your comment below.