The odd things about writing...

 I want you all to just think back for a moment to the time when you began writing. It doesn't have to be your first novel or anything fancy, but when you  began to scribble down thousands of small half page stories with pictures for your parents. Do you remember how it all began? Now, that you are thinking about his try to remember what you wrote about. Most likely it was about childhood dreams of flying to the moon or something else that had caught your attention. 
 Have you ever though of using these ideas for one of your books that you are working on today?  Now this is a bit of a harder question for you, but if you look into the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13: 11 you will see an interesting verse to relate to. 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

So what exactly does this have to do with writing? Well, today when you are writing do you ever think about those stories and how you wrote them right off the top of your head like that *snap*? No, because you were a child when you wrote them and now you are and adult/teen, you have different ideas up in that brain of yours. What I am saying is that you should try to think like a kid when you are writing, not in the grammatical way but in the creative and you can be sure to write extremely interesting stories.
 (Want the picture above? Click here!)

~Son of the King~

In the Hall of the Dragon King

For a school project I was asked to choose a book that I thought would interest me and to complete a Novel study directed to it. So, I decided to complete the study on Stephen R. Lawhead's book In the Hall of the Dragon King. Even though  the writing style may captivate some people I personal found the majority of his book to be somewhat un interesting  (No offense to the Lawhead lovers:). Now you may be wondering why exactly I didn't enjoy reading this book. Let me get started. 

1. The first reason why I thought his story to be more on the uninteresting side is because of his writing style. I am not saying that his writing is amateur or even too complicated, but rather it is to 'fast paced'. This will not apply to all people, but personally for myself I like a book that will describe all of the details thoroughly and to have many of the scenes in the book have a chapter to themselves rather than a few hundred words. 

Want this picture?     

2. The second reason why I don't exactly enjoy his writing is 

because he uses to many places at one time. In one moment you will be at one town and in the next paragraph those same characters will be all the way on the other side of Mensandor. Like I said in my first point I don't enjoy a book when the author will not go through all the details of how something happened. 
3. The final and probably most understandable point is that I had no other books to choose form as this was probably only other book besides Starlighter that would have a high enough reading level. So, being forced to read a book can make that book look a bit bad because of a bias opinion :). 
Now you may be wondering what my overall 'score' of the book (in my opinion) is. Well I think that other than the fast paced way the book read I would mark it about 8 out of 10 definitely not the best that I have read, but certainly I will be reading it again...and not just because of this Novel study:).

~Son of the King~

A Day of Rest

   

 You all must remember about the big fast that I was talking about earlier? Well that is starting today as Emily is preparing for her stem cell transplant tomorrow. So, I would suggest that you pick an object, food group, or meal and begin fasting and praying for the acceptance of the stem cells in Emily's body.

 Not My Photo

Isaiah 58

True Fasting

 ¹ "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
       Raise your voice like a trumpet.
       Declare to my people their rebellion
       and to the house of Jacob their sins.

 ² For day after day they seek me out;
       they seem eager to know my ways,
       as if they were a nation that does what is right
       and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
       They ask me for just decisions
       and seem eager for God to come near them.

 ³ 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
       'and you have not seen it?
       Why have we humbled ourselves,
       and you have not noticed?'
       "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
       and exploit all your workers.

 ⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
       and in striking each other with wicked fists.
       You cannot fast as you do today
       and expect your voice to be heard on high.

 ⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
       only a day for a man to humble himself?
       Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
       and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
       Is that what you call a fast,
       a day acceptable to the LORD ?

 ⁶ "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

 ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 ⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness ^[a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

 ⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
       you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
       "If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
       with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday.

 ¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
       and will strengthen your frame.
       You will be like a well-watered garden,
       like a spring whose waters never fail.

 ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and will raise up the age-old foundations;
       you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
       Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 ¹³ "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
       and from doing as you please on my holy day,
       if you call the Sabbath a delight
       and the LORD's holy day honorable,
       and if you honor it by not going your own way
       and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

 ¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the LORD,
       and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
       and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
       The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

~Son of the King~

A blog of interest

While looking around for new blogs to follow I stumbled across one that I think is absolutely fantastic. Stephen Baird, an avid photographer and Christian has made his blog Nikon Sniper  to show the world a bit of photographic beauty.
I encourage you to check out his blog no matter what your status is (photographer or non-photographer :) and promise that you enjoy looking over the multiple photos of nature that he has taken.   


~Son of the King~

Are you feeling tied up?

I think that all of us writers have come to a point in time where we feel all tied up with writing. This may sometimes result with the writer becoming discouraged and in the future it may cause that specific person to stop their book. BUT you must know one thing. If you stop your book prematurely it will result in you stopping future books before they even are looked at by another persons eyes. SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO you ask. Here are my suggestions. 

Never try to fix your book up while you are still writing it! If you go back and look at your book that you started several years ago you are bound to be disgusted with your writing. If you just finish the book without trying to edit it then I can guarantee that it will be up in the market in no time.

Another tip that can keep you from being discouraged is to put up excerpts of it onto your blog (like I have done). When people come around to look at the excerpt they are going to read it and hopefully enjoy the breathtaking battle scene or the romantic wedding scene and are going to tell you how well you did. I know as a writer that this is one of the most encouraging things that can happen to you. 

A final way to be encouraged to finish a book is to send what you have written to your best friend or to a family member or discuss it with a sibling. By doing this they can encourage you as you talk about it and they can help you decide what should happen (If you have a hard time figuring stuff out like that). So there you go, just follow these three easy steps when you are writing your book and you will most likely not be discouraged with your writing. 

This is an expanded form of Jake's information on Teenage Writer
~Son of the King~

Excerpt 2 from Into the Mystic Lands

I have finally reached my prized position in my book Into the Mystic Lands and have decided to throw a party of sorts for my reaching the 10,000 word point. Of course this is only a small amount for what I have in plan, but nonetheless I will celebrate my success, here is the excerpt from chapter five. 

Midnight was approaching the now darkened city of Droth, a southern city that was used for its accessibility to the ocean and to the other lands across the expanse of water. It was Valens first time in the city and it was the first time that he had traveled out of his northern homeland.
He had made way there to settle business with an old time friend of his father’s who had moved here to join a fishing crew. His meeting had gone well and he was happy to know that as soon as he would return home he would be in the silk business. To celebrate his accomplishment he went into the tavern to buy himself a drink.
“What will it be mister?” He was questioned by the bartender.
“What is your best that you have?”
“Snowskin ale, a mixture of our best brew and wine combined that has been sitting in our cellar for over ten years.”
“Then give me two of them” He said as he tossed down a gold coin onto the counter. Tonight was his night and he was going to enjoy it. As he took off his fleece coat the first drink arrived in a tall potted cup. Filled to the top with a strong smelling brew and coated with an inch of foam.
This is the life! He said to himself as he slurped down the ale. Strong, and not as good as it is back home, but it will suffice for now he told himself.
The tavern overlooked the glistening waters of the ocean and mirrored the stars that shone ever so brightly that night. Not even money could pay for the feeling that he had in him right then. A peace or a knowing that everything was just how he wanted it was the way to describe the feeling.
He tilted his head back and lifted his cup but found that he had already finished it so he called the tavern master to bring him the other.
After he had finished the second drink he was satisfied beyond comparison. His face was flushed and he felt warm. It didn’t matter that he would feel ill in the morning, now counted the most.
As he walked outside he was greeted by a warm southern wind that blew in from the oceans. The smell of salt water penetrated his senses and worked its way into his tired mind. It did the trick. Immediately he felt as though he had never felt pain, or experienced fear. All was perfect.
A voice sounded from behind him, an evil and sinister voice. “Give it to me boy; you have something that I want!”
Valen swung around to see a hooded man staring at him and replied in a shivering voice. “I...I don’t have any...anything of your...yours sir.”
“But you do boy, you have blood that I want! And I will take it!” The man lunged at Valen but missed as Valen leapt out of the way and into safety.
“You can’t dodge me forever, you will die tonight, and your hours are limited.”
With that his body shudder and started to grow. Valen now knew what he was up against, a deceiver. These shape shifters could take on the form of any fear that a person had, this was just what Valen feared.“You now know who I am boy, I am your FEAR! Suffocation!
“Valen backed up and was rewarded to find an alley as he ran. The shape shifter, still growing into its wolf form was momentarily left behind.
“As he ran Valen could only hope that there was a safe way out. And there wasn’t,only a dead end.
Skidding to a stop he faced a fifteen foot wall. Panic set in and started eating through him. Now there would definitely be no escape for him unless he ran back the way he came...into the deceiver’s mouth! Right then and there he knew what he had to do and he made his decision. He would face his fears. 


So there it is, a excerpt from chapter five for you all! I hope you enjoyed. 

~Son of the King~

Operation Combat

How exactly would you feel if everyone on blogsphere got together when you were sick and started fasting and praying for you? You wold feel special right? Well that is how we are going to make Emily B. feel as she is going through isolation due to her disease of leukemia. 
The idea originated from an avid blogger(Squeaks)who decided to start a cooperate fast on the blog world for the 16 year old. So, to get together with all our Christian Brothers and Sisters we will begin a fast from the 15 of October to November 15 or release. If you feel pressed to join this fast then you are free to but once you do join it you have to remember not to break your fast until her release. 

Here are a few helpful tips on how to fast (by Squeaks). 

Joining this force doesn’t require much: simply your honest prayers and fasting. Fasting? Yes, fasting! Now don’t look at me like that…let me explain. Some of you are under the age of 17 and are still growing like weeds. Biblical fasting has always been going without food for certain periods of time, but because you’re growing it probably isn’t safe for you to go without food (you’ll have to talk with your parents). So, if you want to join in the fasting, all you have to do is give up something that is important to you. For most people, food is something that is important to them (ok, it’s important to all of us). When we get hungry and we’re fasting, we feel the tummy pains and are reminded to pray to God. So that’s why it’s important to choose to give up something that’s important to you while you fast; something that you think of often and, in its absence, you’ll be reminded to pray to God. Here are some of my own suggestions:

·         1 meal a week/day (for older teens, you can give up lunch for one day a week or once a day)

·         Fast food from 6pm till breakfast the next morning (that means no snacks, just drink water)

·         Fast gaming devices (Wii, iTouch, gameboy, etc), junk food (chips, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, prepared foods)

·         Fast words (this is a cool one); don’t speak for a certain time period each day (if you go to school, you can’t choose those hours, lol!). My suggestion would be to not speak from 5 or 6pm until the next morning.

·         Fast books; many of you are readers and love your fiction; a good way to focus on prayer and healing for Emily would be to give up reading fictional books (not including books you’re required to read for school) for 1 month. Read the Bible and pray for Emily instead.

·         Talk with your parents and discuss what you should fast. They might be able to come up with other creative ideas. If you’re under the age of 18 make sure that you talk with your parents before you begin to fast anything; they need to give you permission.

·         If you’re over 18 or already done growing, pray about taking on the challenge of a full fast (no food at all; just fruit juice and nutritional liquids) for 1 month

So if you feel pressed to join this fast then please do because every prayer counts! 

Mathew 6:16 

WHEN (not if) you fast , do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

~Son of the King~