Monthly Archives: September 2011

CWG Board News September 30

Posted on September 30, 2011 by avatar

As Vice President of the Catholic Writers Guild, it is my responsibility to share board news on the fifth Friday (whenever that occurs).

Last Friday on this blog, in sharing what the CWG Board discussed at our recent Skype meeting, Karina said, “Officer Elections are in November! We discussed it and we will stay on as your officer cadre if you wish (though Karina would like to be committee coordinator and Dave would be secretary). However, that’s if no one else wants to run. Check out the forums for a list of duties and to nominate yourself or others.”

I just want to reiterate that the CWG Board members are willing to continue as members of the Board, if no one else wishes to run. If you are interested in running, please check out the forums to nominate yourself.

One of the great things about the 21st century is that we can participate in a Skype board meeting without leaving the comfort of our homes. We begin and end each meeting with a prayer. As a member of the board, I am able to view the agenda before the meeting and add any topics I think should be discussed. During the meeting, it’s easy to follow along with the Google Wave agenda and see changes which are being recorded in the minutes.

Being part of the CWG Board has been an interesting and worthwhile experience. As Vice President, my duties are not as numerous as some of the other board members, but I enjoy working with Ann, Karina, Anne and Dave.

Ellen Gable Hrkach is the Vice President of the Catholic Writers Guild. She is the award-winning author of “In Name Only,” a Catholic romance and now an Amazon Kindle bestseller (top 100 Religious Fiction). Her new book is Stealing Jenny, which is a contemporary pro-life suspense novel. Her website is www.ellengable.com. She and her husband and five sons live in Pakenham, ON Canada.

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CWG NEWS

Posted on September 30, 2011 by avatar

I AM HIS MOTHER SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

New CWG member Carlos Solorzano’s book for spiritual reflection builds on an interesting premise. I Am His Mother (CreateSpace, 2011) is a devotional dedicated to the Holy Mother, but with reflections based on a fictional document written by Mary about her Son. 


Solorzano expresses this fictionalized idea of Mary reflecting on events from the Gospels as a “gift to the Mother of our Lord and to all of you that love and cherish all that our Blessed Mother has done and continues to do for the Church and for the world.” Solorzano has a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and writes from Her point of view, drawing from his perspective as a father, son, and husband.


A theology teacher at Salpointe Catholic High School for sixteen years as well as an ethics and medical ethics teacher at Brown Mackie College, Solorzano graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA and MA in Religious Studies. Besides teaching, Solorzano speaks on faith matters and life issues in the Tucson area, writes, and performs in the Christian band, COME THIRSTY. He is married with two children living in Southern Arizona.


Solorzano’s first work is a novel, Through Time and Eternity, and is currently working on the sequel. He describes Through Time and Eternity as ”religious fiction but is a faith journey of a man called by God to literally save the cosmos as we know it.”


Through Time and Eternity tells the story of Joaquin Alameda, a high school religion teacher and kick-boxer, who becomes the center of a cosmic struggle. Joaquin must travel back in time to prevent a demonic attack on divine history while the angels and demons battle once again in the ethereal plane.


Both I Am His Mother and Through Time and Eternity are available through Amazon in paperback.


LIVE CHAT ON SUNDAY NIGHTS
Don’t forget the Catholic Writers’ Guild holds live chats on Sundays from 9-11 p.m. EST. Go to www.catholicwritersguild.com and click on chat under the CWG banner to enter the chat room. Nonmembers are welcome. The chats are a great way to meet other guild members and discuss craft, answer questions and share news and prayers.



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Being a Better Blogger: Judging Your Effectiveness

Posted on September 28, 2011 by avatar


One step to being a better blogger is knowing the standards by which you judge yourself.

Oh, there are plenty of other people’s standards that you could go by. You could look at your traffic. You could measure number of comments and hot topics.
But all of that leaves a bad taste in my mouth and here’s why: I blog because a like it.
I’m a writer, and blogging lets me write. It’s a short and easy way to be published. It’s a way to interact with others, which is what I long for, many times.
Judging the effectiveness of your blog depends, first and foremost, on what standards you’re using. So let’s come up with some, shall we?
If you’re a writer, the writing should be good. Period.
If you need editorial help (some of us are better at self-editing than others), consider joining a group blog or a webpage where there’s an editor involved. Alternatively, you might ask someone to serve as your editor and to read/edit your stuff before you put it out there live on the internet.
Be passionate. Be interested. Be interesting.
Do people enjoy reading what you write? To some extent, this is an opinion, but there’s also a consideration here that’s worth your time.
If you are serious about writing–and since this is the Catholic Writers Guild, I gotta think you are–then it’s worth investing the time to be relevant and interesting to your audience.
Know who’s reading.
This isn’t meant to be tricky, but you should have an idea who’s reading your writing online. If you’re not sure, then compile a sample person.
Just as I do with a book proposal, I try to think of a specific person–or a couple of specific people–who I know are reading my blog. I even sometimes go so far as to name them: Sally, for example, is a sleep-deprived mom who has a baby on her hip and appreciates that I take the time to read books for her, so she doesn’t have to waste her time on them (not that I ever post a bad review, mind you), while George reads because he found my last article in the diocesan paper amusing and we both live in Ohio.
Don’t get me wrong: I write my blog for me, not for anyone else (and I know this about myself). It’s my outlet. But I still have an idea who reads. (It helps with those aforementioned book proposals, too.)
Now, I’m outta time for writing this post.

Your turn: how do you judge your effectiveness? What questions have I raised with this post?
image source: Sid’s Side
–
Sarah Reinhard is the author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families. You’ll find more of Sarah at her blog, SnoringScholar.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
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The Lie of the Perfect First Draft

Posted on September 27, 2011 by avatar

Newbie writers, just stretching out their inky fingers, often make one of these two big mistakes:

  • They believe their first draft is awe-inspiring and doesn’t need any editing.
  • They believe their first draft should be awe-inspiring and shouldn’t need any editing.
The truth is: Everyone’s first draft is crummy. That’s the nature of the beast. Anyone who tells you differently is a liar—and their first draft stinks.

Just write it, though. Get it out. Don’t fear the first draft.

Yes, that first draft is going to be really ugly and bear very little resemblance to what you envisioned. It’s like a young girl putting on make-up for the first time. She has the freshly unwrapped blush, lipstick, eye shadow, and eyeliner; she has a photo of her favorite celebrity taped to the bathroom mirror. Because she knows what a lovely make-up job looks like, she assumes that she will do a fantastic job on her first try. Never mind that she’s never actually put on any of it. And so, she jumps in. Her lipstick gets smeared, her cheeks are bright red like a sunburn, her eyes resemble Cleopatra’s after a good, hard cry. 
That’s what the first draft looks like. Parts of it will be overdone. Other parts will be neglected. 
But the important thing is that the second time, the task will be easier, more natural, more attractive. Each subsequent attempt will produce a better-looking result. 
Do you ever hear about people who’ve been nipped, tucked, sliced, reworked, etc., say that they don’t work hard to be beautiful? They say they eat whatever they want and never exercise—yet somehow have this marvelous body. The literary version of that is when a writer produces lovely writing and says, “This is my first draft.”

Perhaps a first draft is decent enough. The mistake is being happy with that first draft, to be so amazed by the fact that one has finished a piece, that the writer doesn’t put in the hard work to change it from a decent article to a good one and then work hard to make it a great one—and maybe even stellar.

And then there are people who are afraid to write because they know that the first draft is going to be terrible.  It will be, and that’s fine. If anything, a cruddy first draft is worth celebrating! The hardest part—making something from nothing—is done.

As Anne Lamott says in her popular Bird by Bird writing book: “The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. You just let this childlike part of you channel whatever voices and visions come through and onto the page.”

When I was writing my first articles years ago, I thought that being a gifted writer meant I’d only need one draft. I thought that being a talented writer meant being an effortless writer.

After being savagely edited by experienced editors every week, I abandoned that idea. Decades later, I know that talent means little if there’s nothing else behind it. Excellent writing comes out from subsequent drafts, formed out of hard work, guts, and hours hunched over the keyboard. You might not need as many drafts as you did in your newbie days.

See, the great part is that no one cares about the first draft except you … So, focus on a working on a brilliant final one. Peace comes from embracing the idea of a crummy first draft and look forward to the editing afterwards.

What do you think the hardest part of a first draft is?


Verónica Maria Jarski has more than 15 years of professional writing and editing experience. She is a senior content writer and editor at MarketingProfs and the editor of the Daily Fix blog. In wee hours of morning, she works on her personal writing projects. Her “Celebrating Blessed Miguel Pro: Games, Crafts & Activities” book is published by Behold Publications. Plus, her articles, poems, and stories have appeared in major newspapers, educational presses, and university publications.

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CWG Prayer Chain Post: September 26, 2011

Posted on September 26, 2011 by avatar

The CWG Prayer Chain Post is a weekly post for members to include their special intentions by adding a comment. 

Psalm 25:5
ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me since you are the God who saves me. FOR my hope is in you all day long — such is your generosity, Yahweh.

The power of prayer and the power of people praying.

September Intention Prayer

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel (Feast Day September 29th)   
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..

 
Please leave a comment with your intention. If you have problems adding an intention, email it to Mike Hays at coachhays@gmail.com and I will add it.  God bless.

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"Gee, Davey….."

Posted on September 24, 2011 by avatar

Morality in Catholic Fiction: How To?

By John McNichol

Back when I was little and Christian-themed shows still appeared on network television, one of my favorite programs was a little piece called Davey and Goliath. Brought to us by the Lutheran Church and the folks who made Gumby, the show centered on young Davey Hansen and his big, talking dog, Goliath.

When confronted with a moral dilemma (and you could always count on one cropping up), if Davey’s parents weren’t available for advice, Goliath would act as Davey’s conscience. “Gee, Davey, I don’t know about that…”

It worked well for me as a six year old. Then, I was too young to be cynical about Davey’s unfailingly wise parents, or the very holy Pastor Miller. Today, though, our culture has difficulty believing in homilies from either parents or priests as a believable guide for faith and morals.

Many times, when we try to show that certain actions are right or wrong, we’re tempted to have our characters sermonize about the issue. Harriet Beecher Stowe did this so much in Uncle Tom’s Cabin that I had to grit my teeth to keep reading when she started pontificating to the farmers, merchants and mothers of America for the umpteenth time about how slavery was bad, and they were all complicit in it through their apathy.

Fine, I wanted to say when I saw the fourth or fifth of these monologues, I get it. Slavery is wrong, bad and awful. Now, could you get to something interesting?

So, I’ve gone on about how not to do it; what, then, would be the right way?

Eventually, Stowe did get to something interesting. Eliza started leaping from ice floe to ice floe in an effort to bring her child to a life of freedom. And that did more to galvanize me against slavery than did any ten of the finger-wagging paragraphs that Stowe seemed so fond of earlier in the novel.

Just as with any good writing, wherever possible, show, don’t tell. Eliza’s acting by risking her and her baby’s lives for freedom says so much more than any sermon could.

In a more modern context, showing consequences for actions is the best way to show an act to be right or wrong. A teenager suffering believable consequences for their wrong choices can say a lot more to a reader than having Father Feeney show up ten pages from the end to give a speech on the evils of …(insert teen temptation here).

Showing a teen boy’s friends shunning him on Monday morning after Saturday night’s alcohol fueled foolishness would make a great case for sobriety to the reader, more than Pastor Miller’s godly speeches on the subject. Showing a girl having arguments and trust issues with her current dream-beau because of a lack of chastity in her pervious relationship would convince far better than detailing Sister Perpetua’s talk with the class on the subject.

A good example is the best sermon, so the saying goes. I’d say it goes just as much for fiction writing as it does for raising kids.

———————————————–

John McNichol writes from Vancouver Washington. He is the author of the Young Chesterton Chronicles, a Catholic-themed Steampunk series that stars a teenaged GK Chesterton!

The Bestselling First Volume, The Tripods Attack!, is available from Sophia Institute Press., and is also available in E-book format on Kindle.

The Newly Released Sequel, The Emperor Of North America, is available from Bezalel Books, and is also available in E-book format on Kindle and Nook.

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CWG NEWS

Posted on September 23, 2011 by avatar

SOUTHERN BOOK SIGNING TOUR FOR PITTMAN


CWG member Susi Pittman, author of Animals in Heaven? Catholics Want to Know! (iUniverse, 2009), will sign books in Jacksonville, FL, at St. Joseph Catholic Church on October 2, 2011. The book signing begins a five-day author tour of Western North Carolina from October 6-10. 


Columbine Communications & Publications will handle the recent foreign rights of Animals in Heaven? Catholics Want to Know! at the upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, October 12-16, 2011.


Animals in Heaven? addresses the concerns of those who lose their pets to death, wondering what plan God has for animals after their earthly life. Pittman wrote the book “as a way to explore tenets of the Catholic faith that address creation; of bringing insight and spiritual truths to animal lovers and lovers of creation; and as evidential support of the truth that all creation was given its order, time, place, and purpose from its Creator.”


Animals in Heaven? is available in paperback at catholicstewardsofcreation.com, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon, in book and Kindle form.


Pittman is the founder of Catholic Stewards of Creation, a “Catholic layman’s ministry devoted to interesting, information, educational and religious content that calls for active stewardship of God’s creation.” For more information, go to her website, catholicstewardsofcreation.com or at her Facebook page, Catholic Stewards of Creation. 



REGISTRATION DEADLINE LOOMING FOR WRITERS RETREAT!



The St. Francis Retreat Center,in collaboration with FAITH Catholic Publishing and Communications and The Catholic Writers Guild, will sponsor Your Word is My Delight, a Catholic writers’ retreat, Oct 5-9, 2011. Come and delight in God’s word and sacrament, and pray in a beautiful and serene retreat setting.


The retreat’s key presenter is Pat Gohn, Catholic columnist, podcaster and catechist. Other presenters are Father Charles E. Irvin, David Krajewski, Father David Rosenberg and Father Larry Delaney.


Writers will enjoy five spiritually-enriching days of daily Mass, adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and many hours of writing time. Talks will explore how God speaks to and encourages writers through Scripture, papal writings and other topics in order to promote faith-filled writing.


Opportunities for networking also will be offered through an informal “book bash and social hour” Wednesday evening and Faith Catholic’s one-on-one “pitch sessions” that give writers the chance to sell their current writing projects.
Cost for the four-day retreat is $450, which includes meals and accommodations. Deadline for registration is Sept 28. A nonrefundable deposit of $45 is required at registration.

And for more information, please visit www.stfrancis.ws.

SUNDAY NIGHT CHAT
Join the Catholic Writers’ Guild for a live chat every Sunday from 9-11 p.m. EST. Everyone is welcome. It’s a great place to exchange ideas, learn, and pray! Go to catholicwritersguild.com and click on chat under the logo.





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What’s Up, CWG? (September 2011)

Posted on September 23, 2011 by avatar

After a break for the summer (though we did meet), the officers are up and Skyping again, catching up on the past and prepping for the future. First thing we want you to know:

Officer Elections are in November! We discussed it and we will stay on as your officer cadre if you wish (though Karina would like to be committee coordinator and Dave would be secretary). However, that’s if no one else wants to run. Check out the forums for a list of duties and to nominate yourself or others.

We only have a couple more days to get registrants for the retreat. We have 12 so far. Register by September 26 (Monday). This is a terrific opportunity and a great price. All members and CWG website guests got an e-mail about this Wednesday; for anyone else interested, check out the press release on the homepage, http://catholicwritersguild.com

Ann Lewis, our intrepid Madame President, met with our advisors at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis about how they want to be involved. They’ll attend our annual board meeting and keep an eye on our doings via the minutes. Monsignor Schaedel also wants to help out with the Seal of Approval and blog once a month. What a treat! They’ll also send out notices of CWG events to the Catholic education heads in the diocese.

We have about $950 for the website–half our goal–and have sent out the spec documents, and will let you know more about the website rebuild as the bids come in.

We have hired a new treasurer. Diane Guay was a great help to us for the first six months of incorporation, but she’s moving on, and we are hiring Mark Rhodes of Indiana. He came recommended by the Archdiocese and has already given us some great advice on simplifying the accounting–a real relief for us non-financial types!

We’re gearing up for the online conference! Anne McNesby will be working to get our awesome presenters, and Laura Lowder our much-needed and appreciated volunteers. More on this later!

We may be changing the date and location of the live conference. The Catholic Marketing Network gives us the conference space, so we follow them, and they are looking at Dallas and later in August. Thanks to those who took the survey on the dates. (We have no input on place, though we recommended Indianapolis.) We’ll let you know.

Our publicity committee has been doing an awesome job. Thanks.

We have a new Sunday Chats Coordinator. Susi Pittman is taking over this month and will be working to line up some terrific folks to chat with us. We have a guest chat once a month; the rest are open chats. Theresa Henderson and Lisa Mladinich will stay on to help. Welcome, Susi!

Sarah Reinhard has a new right hand for the Seal of Approval. Welcome Carol Ann Chybrowski, and thanks for stepping up!

Michelle Buckman will take over the Catholic Arts and Letters Awards Committee. We still need more volunteers to help with this, but thanks to Sharon Pickrel, Carol Ann, and Bobbi Sheahan for volunteering!

We toyed with the idea of a facebook group, but decided to stay as a fan page.

We are moving slowly with the CWG essay contest. Maria Rivera now had two volunteers to help (Joan Kelly and Ann Costa), and needs to coordinate with them on everything from rules to judging. We had a pro-life group offer to help judge and had suggestions for a couple of others, so stay tuned for further details!

Karina has at long last gotten all the minutes loaded onto the member forums, so if you are a member and deathly curious about the minutia of an officer’s meeting, check them out.

That’s the highlights of the summer. Thanks to all who are pitching in to make the Guild a terrific organization. We can’t do it without you!

Blessings,
Karina Fabian
Secretary

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Book Review: Death Panels by Michelle Buckman, review by Fr. Jim Tucker

Posted on September 23, 2011 by avatar

[Editor's Note:  The following guest post by Fr. Jim Tucker was published at The Catholic Creative Community earlier this month.  Fr. Jim is a member of the CWG, and a priest in the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ. He writes, "While I have never published any work of fiction, I put together this web site as the start of what hopefully can grow into a network of Catholics who want to take back the arena of fiction and claim it for Christ." If you enjoy this review, look for more like it at his website!]


Book Review: Death Panels by Michelle Buckman
by Fr. Jim Tucker

Imagine living in a world in which using your cell phone can get you arrested. Imagine living in a world in which reading the Bible could get you in trouble, or mentioning the name of Jesus could get you institutionalized.

Catholic author Michelle Buckman has crafted just such a world in harrowing detail in Death Panels: A Novel of Life, Liberty and Faith. The one refrain that was playing through my mind as I was reading this novel was, If we as a nation keep doing what we’re doing, if we as a people keep allowing atrocities to be written into our laws, this is the future we can look forward to.

Not a pleasant thought. Then again, the truth very often is not pleasant to face.

In Death Panels, Buckman gives us a wake-up call. This is a world in which not only are abortions prevalent but expected, in which developmentally deformed infants are euthanized and organs harvested, Christians live in poverty and squalor in ghettos separated from society. This is a world in which forces for good are forced underground and efforts for change are uphill battles.

David, a covert Christian doctor, steals away an infant with Downs Syndrome in order to save his life. Along the way, we follow his lonely struggle, escaping the peril of capture and arrest at every turn. Just when we think he has run out of options, he meets a whole community, hidden in the recesses of society, who think the way he does. This tells us that, regardless of whether we think we’re all alone in the struggle, we are never really alone.

Buckman masterfully crafts this society in frightening detail through the actions and dialogue of her characters. The short episodes keep the action moving.

I am reminded of one infamous line from the movie Casablanca in which a Nazi officer spat out, “You’ll remember that here in Casablanca, human life’s cheap!” Michelle Buckman draws the trajectory of our society’s mindset to its ultimate conclusion in frightening detail. In a world where human life is cheap, where comfort and convenience, as well as a false sense of tolerance trump everything else, including the dignity of the human person, those who are oppressed will rise up and plant the standard of Christ firmly back in its place.

Way to go, Michelle Buckman! Keep these stories coming. The world needs to be reminded of the dignity of all human life!

Find out more. Visit Michelle Buckman’s site.

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CWG Retreat: Final Reminder

Posted on September 22, 2011 by avatar
Final reminder!

The deadline to register for Your Word is My Delight: A Catholic Writers Retreat (October 5-9) is this coming Monday, September 26th.

This retreat will be a combination of writing time, praying time, sacraments, and low-key socializing to create an experience that will help Catholic writers discern their vocation as writers and creators.

If you are planning to attend our retreat in Dewitt, MI October 5-9, and have not yet made your paid reservation, we ask that you contact the retreat center today at (866) 669-8321 or register online at http://www.stfrancis.ws. The retreat center takes all credit cards, and their web site also accepts Paypal.

Information on the retreat can be found at this link:
http://catholicwritersguild.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=85

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