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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

I just did this myself with a sparkler and time-release photography! Can you believe it?  I mean, how cool is that?

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Weekend Funnies: OCD Santa























You've gotta LOVE that! I mean, sheer genius.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Friday Free Association Chain


The word is........


CHRISTMAS!




First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Wish I could take credit for this, but it came in my inbox courtesy of the American Association of Christian Counselors on December 14th, written by Dr. Tim Clinton, and edited by yours truly.
A manger. The baby Jesus. Mary. Joseph. A star.
No Christmas play would be complete without the three wise men.
Matthew records the amazing story of the “Magi” who went to see the King of the Jews after his birth. Bible scholars agree that these wise men may have traveled upwards of 800 miles – a journey that could have taken anywhere from several months, to 2 years.
What’s interesting is that after the wise men’s interaction with Herod, Matthew makes a point to tell us that the “star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was.” (Matthew 2:9 NASV)
The phrase “went before them” in the original Greek actually means to “lead by going ahead of”. There was no “trying to find” the Christ child. No going house to house making inquiry. The star simply led them to where they saw Jesus.
Throughout the Bible we are admonished to seek the Lord:
But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)
If only we had a “star” to go before us and lead the way.
Good news! We do. Jesus promised in John 16 that He would send us a Helper. He called this person the “Spirit of truth” who guides us into ALL the truth and will “declare to you the things that are to come.” (vs. 13 ESV)
Seek the Lord. Not blindly, or haphazardly, but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit – thinking…praying…meditating on His word.
This Christmas remember – wise men still seek Him…every day. Encounter Him. Fall down. Worship Him.
It will turn your life around.

Can I get an Amen?

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Holidays and Trauma: Making Connections

Holidays can be a really tough time for people who don't have mental health challenges, much less those who do. In fact, the holidays themselves often bring about trauma for many people.

Christmas in particular is one of the toughest holidays for some to soldier through (pun sort of intended). Perhaps because it's a holiday where expected family interaction is coupled with presents, unlike Thanksgiving. Whatever the reason, Christmas can actually usher in a reexperience of pain for people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

These individuals might feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge instead of Santa's Little Helper. Holidays can reinforce the feeling of being "outside and looking in," like you're watching a movie filled with happy, smiling people while you're stomach is twisted into knots as past events swirl around in your head instead of visions of sugar plums.

Of course, this further isolates the trauma survivor. A typical reaction of family or friends who don't "get" trauma might be, "What's wrong with you?" Even worse, trauma survivors might not even be able to verbalize what's wrong with them. Instead, they feel humiliated and wish they hadn't shown up at the holiday event or party.

For those of you who have family members in your life (or characters!) who have PTSD, be cognizant of how you offer to include them, as well as sensitive to even subtle cues from the person that they aren't comfortable. Survivors may need to create new rituals to help in their healing, and it's important for people in their life to support this by being open to change as needed.

Let's analyze: What have been your traumatic experiences over the holidays, either your own or someone you know? What helped to overcome those feelings?

Monday, December 19, 2011

Last Line Lemons

Since December is the last month of the year, I thought it might be appropraite to talk about the last lines of your books. Here are some memorable ones:

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

“Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.” Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind (1936)

“And they all lived happily ever after.” fairy tales the world over

When a last line resonates with the readers, it becomes somehow etched in their minds as a beacon illuminating the entire book. Some of the above examples are no doubt familiar to many of you. They have become immortalized in time. The perfect ending to inspire wonder, instill hope, allay fears, and clear up questions.

Click here to read the rest of my December article on Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Weekend Funnies: A Contest

I've been waiting to break out my holiday funnies...and this one is one of my favorites, because I love the pop cultural reference. The first person who comments below with the reference will win a Writer's Guide of their choice from my Therapy Store. I'll pool all other commenters in another drawing for another Writer's Guide of their choice...so keep the comments coming!























Friday, December 16, 2011

Friday Free Association Chain


The word is........


HOLLY.




First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Lesson for Writers from Jonah and the Whale

You might be thinking why on earth is she writing about Jonah and the Whale, but it's a great example of how we lose sight of God's provision. The whale gets a lot of face time, but Jonah had a run-in with two animals in the story...both seeming polar opposites of each other, and therein lies the heart of my lesson.

Animal #1 is the whale GREAT FISH. No duh, right? If Jonah is the "hero" of our story, then the Fish is certainly the secondary character. It swallowed Jonah whole, and clearly represented God's usage of the supernatural to rescue his creation in times of trouble. Jonah has his ah-ha moment when he says "Salvation comes from the Lord" while in the belly of the fish. He recognized the providence given to him by God in sustaining his life through being swallowed by a fish. 

Animal #2 is the WORM. What? A worm? What worm? Yep. Read it. At the end of the book, Jonah is sitting and waiting to see what would happen to the city of Nineveh. He's done his duty, called for repentance from the people of Nineveh, and now he's really waiting for God to turn them in to crispy critters. God provided a plant that grew up over Jonah and sheltered his head. "But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered" (Jonah 4:7). In our story, the Worm is the villain.

Does anyone else see the irony here? Jonah is saved by something larger than life--a freakishly huge fish--and yet he is undone by a something as insignificant as a tiny worm. Granted, a worm with teeth that chewed through his vine and made him uncomfortable with the heat of the sun beating down on him.

Don't we do this? Have an amazing God-ordained experience that sustains us and gives us motivation to keep writing, and in the blink of an eye, we're undone--made angry, made sarcastic, made bitter--by something so small on the scale of life. God chastises Jonah, asking him what right does he have to be angry and throw his little tantrum because the plant died (due to the villainous worm). 

Writers have whale moments, such as getting an agent, winning a contest, snagging a contract, getting a great review/endorsement, being in the coveted top 10 slot on Amazon. Then in the span of minutes, we can come crashing down in a storm of jealousy or bitterness due to a worm moment. A friend got a better review or is higher in their Amazon ranking, or we got a bad set of edits or critiques, or some contest judge thought our story was awful.

The lesson is to take these experiences more in stride. They are the little worms with great big teeth in our life, sent to destroy our happiness. But they have a lot in common with the great fish. Both animals were provided by God, and both were used to get Jonah's attention.


Let's analyze: What do you do when you face a situation where a worm has eaten your "vine," causing it to die?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Character Clinic: Jun Un Baek and Anger Insight for Authors

Today, I've got Sharon's character on the couch. He's 15, of some Oriental or Asian descent, living in America. His sister brought them to America when their parents died, but then she died, and Jun ended up in the foster care system. He's an extremely angry, intelligent young man, and Sharon is wanting some general commentary on the intake form she filled out.

Sharon -

My initial thoughts on Jun is that it's going to be difficult--not impossible--to sustain a novel with him as the main character. He's angry, yes, and with how you wrote his voice, it comes across to the reader in an overt manner that this is one ticked off guy. It might become annoying to a reader to be bombarded with his anger over and over (at least, it was this way in the intake form).

My question is why? Yes, he's had a hard life, and suffered a lot of loss. This would make anyone mad at the world, mad at God, mad at themselves. But you want to be careful that your 15-year-old character doesn't come across sounding like a sulking 8-year-old. He's 15, and his coping mechanisms will be different, and a little more covert. On paper, he sounded like he was on the brink of a tantrum.

You wanted to know if he sounded authentic, and I think there is still some work to be done to make him realistic.  Good news is that there are lots of resources out there! I'd encourage you to read this post I did several years ago about anger as a secondary emotion. It might help with solidifying the real emotion behind his front of anger, and that will aid in making him multidimensional. And then you can check out The Bookshelf Muse for some additional ways to exhibit his anger, such as working his jaw and flaring his nostrils.

Anger management therapeutic techniques are fairly easy to come by on the internet, as well. There is a free downloadable .pdf workbook and manual from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association. This is an awesome site with tons of free materials that are really helpful. So check that link out for additional insight into anger.

Wishing you the best with Jun!

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Writer's Waiting Game

I'm guest blogging over at the FaithWriter's blog today! If you haven't read my Writer's Waiting Game devotional post, now's your chance!

Come on over and show some love. :)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Winners!

The winner of Kim Zweygardt's Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story is Jessica from SafireWriter!

The winner of my Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Back Stories is Liberty!

Congratulations you two!!  And thanks to everyone for participating. :)

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Weekend Funnies: Christmas Lights and Anger Management

I know you have to feel this one.

BOUND AND GAGGED 11-27-10




Friday, December 9, 2011

Friday Free Association Chain


The word is........


GINGERBREAD.




First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Traits of Self-Destructing Characters

I have had a hard week. I had started this blog post yesterday, but fell asleep too exhausted to finish it. I have a client who is the epitome of self-destructing. It's one thing to read about them, but it's quite a different thing to be their therapist.

As a result of my interactions and observations while in session with this client, I'm bringing you--straight from the trenches--a glimpse into the mindset of someone like this. I've noticed some general characteristics that will definitely help make your self-destructing characters more realistic.

1) They will have an obsession, and it will be their Achilles's heel. The character will live and breathe for a particular person, achievement, desire. It usually consumes them, and reality fades as to how unbalanced they are becoming in their quest for this obsession.

2) They will put their welfare below their desire for the obsession, even if it means their death. Whether they are addicted to drugs or a person (think Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction), the means to their end are always justified. They can't see beyond the next tree to see the forest, so consequences are minimized or they are completely blind to them.

3) They likely will have a personality disorder or serious mental disorder. This one is on my list by default. Anyone who exhibits the first two will probably qualify for something like borderline personality disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia....something pretty major.

4) Attempts to reason with this person will fall on deaf ears. As mentioned before, reality takes a back seat. As a therapist, I am obligated to do what I can to help my client see a different, better way.  A more healthy way. I usually receive a blank stare or feel like I'm talking to a wall. But writers should give one to two scenes over to someone trying to talk sense into this character.

5) Their demise probably will not be satisfactory to any involved, as it's more tragic. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes the bad guy has to die, and I know this. But if you've done your homework and included the above, their end will resonate with the reader more in a reflective way, not necessarily a "awesome, he/she is dead" way.

If any of this gives you a clue to what my week has been like, then I'll ask for prayers! Dealing with someone like this exhausts you emotionally and physically. In the end, I go home and go to sleep with their name on my lips in a prayer to God to keep them safe and watch over them, because there is only so much I can do and there is only so much the person will let me do.

Let's analyze: Ever had interactions with someone who was going one-way down a dead-end road? What other characteristics of someone like this might you see fit to add?

I'm still giving away a copy of my Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Back Stories...all you have to do is comment on this post about my tentative foray into vlogging.

And click over to read my therapeutic review of Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story. Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of the book for a special girl on your Christmas list!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Video Blogging: I Need Your Input

I'm gearing up to join the vlogging world, and I'm seeking your opinion and/or advice. Keeping in mind that I want these vlogs to be short and sweet, around 2-3 minutes, I believe I have a couple of options. 

I could field psychological questions from my readers, but I'm not sure that people would know what kind of questions they could ask.

I could post little statistics and things I find interesting, and search frantically for things that are short enough to talk about but fascinating enough to keep you riveted. (Not exactly thrilled with this option....)

I could focus on two or three topics and always vlog on something related to these. Trouble I see here is in selecting topics of interest to writers that I can shed weekly light on without becoming repetitive.

What do you think? Anyone who leaves a comment with their opinion will be entered to win my Writer's Guide to Creating Rich Back Stories, so don't be shy!!

And click over to read my therapeutic review of Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story. Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of the book for a special girl on your Christmas list!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Therapeutic Review AND GIVEAWAY of Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story

I wasn't sure what my expectations were when I received Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story in the mail, but it exceeded them! This beautiful story really speaks to the heart of girls of all ages, and indeed lives up to it's subtitle of, "A Fairytale for Girls of All Ages."

Here's a blurb about the book:

A touching allegory based on the Cinderella story and Isaiah 63:1-3, Ashes to Beauty, The Real Cinderella Story is “A Fairytale for Girls of All Ages.” Written like a children’s story book and beautifully illustrated, Ashes to Beauty is filled with eternal truths about our real life Prince of Peace and our dreams come true. “Was Ella born only for dusting and dishes or was there something more? Life is ordinary in the Land of Near, but Ella dreams of the Kingdom of Far Away in this tale that speaks to the deepest heart’s desire of girls of all ages. Fairytales do come true!”

I became engrossed in this allegory upon my first read, and even more so when I sat down with my daughter to read it. She's almost 4, so a lot of the allegory and symbolism were lost on her, but she understood the gist, and I was so proud to be reading her this version of Cinderella instead of Disney's.

Girls the world over just want to be loved and thought beautiful. When my little one gets her nails painted or gets dressed up in a new dress, the first thing she wants to do is run to her Daddy and hear him say, "You're so pretty!" I loved how Kim and her husband Kary (the illustrator) depicted this internal--and often external--struggle women have. Our outward beauty is made even more so by an inner beauty, and even my little girl was able to understand that Ella's cheeks had ashes that couldn't be scrubbed off because she had harbored anger in her heart.

The Prince in the story sees beyond the outer image, and his love and her acceptance of Ella makes her pristine and beautiful, both inside and out. Come on, you know there wasn't much substance in the way Cinderella's prince singled her out at the ball. I don't want to read my daughter that story anymore, because of the emphasis put on being beautiful.

It was beautiful to see how Kim wove scriptures into the book, in particular the "The Sheep and the Goats" passage from Matthew. Our actions take on eternal significance, especially when we show kindness to the "least of these." We never know when we will reap a reward! My little girl was getting the life message that God has good things in store for her when she, in turn, gives of herself selflessly and puts things like her appearance on the back burner.

I can't wait to continue reading this to her as she grows older. It's going on my kiddo keeper shelf, along with some other great books like I Love You Forever and Someday.  This is the story I want her to have on her heart, not Disney's version.

Ladies--do yourself a favor and get this book. Read it and then do someone else a favor and give it to them for Christmas. And to anyone who has a little girl, especially you, get this book.

-----UPDATE!------

Kim has generously agreed to give away a copy of this book. I'll enter everyone who left a comment already, but if you didn't, please do so to be entered. This would make a great gift for a young or young-at-heart girl on your Christmas list!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Weekend Funnies: New Take on the Mental Health Hotline



Watch this all the way to the end....it's not even a minute of your time.

They've added some stuff that I hadn't heard before....funny!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Free Association Chain


The word is........


PEPPERMINT.




First commenter free associates with the above word. Second commenter takes the first commenter's word and free associates, and so on.

Remember -- FIRST thing that comes to mind. GO!!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

My Recent Landlord Notice

I read to my little girl before she goes to sleep most every night. Most of the time we read the Bible, but sometimes she wants fairy tales or nursery tales. We recently read The Three Little Pigs, and I was struck at how each of the pigs spent a varying amount of time and energy on building their houses, and of course the last pig, who spent the most time on a brick house, built a house that withstood the Big Bad Wolf's puffs.

Yesterday, my friend and crit partner, Katie Ganshert, a debuting author with Waterbrook Multonomah, wrote a post on accomplishing the impossible, with God's help. I needed her reminder that when the waves (or the huffs and puffs of the Bid Bag Wolf) try to knock you down, you have to stand firm in your faith. Jesus will see you through, and there will be no rivers that will sweep over you (Isaiah 43:2).

Recently, there was another tragedy at my place of employment. A family has one less member present than they had with them on Sunday morning. Being the clinician for the agency, I was called in to be there with the family when they were told, and this was the absolute hardest thing I've ever faced in my career. I'll never forget the screams, the denial, the anger, the defeat, the pain. I'll never forget the look on the mother's face as it crumpled under the weight of the news that her child would never be with her again, laughing, playing, texting her.

Life changed in the span of time it took to say, "I'm sorry, but your child has been killed in an automobile accident." If ever there was a time when the waves would threaten to crash over a person, that would it.

I absolutely dreaded going back to work the next day. I knew there would be hours upon hours of comforting, checking in, being present and being on. I knew I'd have to do critical incident stress debriefing, over and over and over. After the night before, I honestly didn't know how I'd do it. I'd released my own pain and sadness at home, and felt raw.

Monday morning I managed to take a shower, get dressed. I felt like a shell of myself. No motivation, exhausted, spent. I believed my house to be made of straw and sticks, easily blown away. I was depleted.

But on my way in to the office, this is what I saw:
Rainbow over Humboldt County, CA
All it took was this one visual reminder (which yes, I took this photo while driving...huge no-no in CA, but I didn't think anyone would believe me at work) to evoke God's promise to the earth to never again let it be overtaken by a flood.

I was rejuvenated, renewed. I actually smiled when I arrived, and was able to do all the things I had known I had to do...but with a song in my heart, despite the pain and exhaustion keeping residence there. It was exactly what I needed, and I realized that my house was built of brick and not just straw or sticks. My Landlord painted me a little note in the sky to remind me, too.

Let's analyze: Are you building a house of straw and sticks, or are you taking the time and energy to use brick? What huffs and puffs of the Big Bad Wolf are being sent your way this week?