Visualization

Okay, I have learned how to relax my body; I have listened to my internal dialogue. So now what do I do with it all. Here is one more piece to relaxing and listening to yourself and your body.

“When you have relaxed all the parts of the body and have returned to focusing on your breathing and heartbeat, allow your attention to flow over your internal organs as well. Allow your mind to create a visualization of everything working smoothly without tension and pressure of time.

“You are now very relaxed and your mind is quiet. With this quiet mind, place yourself mentally in a very pleasant and safe place. God has created so many wonderful places for us. Simply allow your mind to focus on a place where you have felt a deep peace and serenity. It may be out of doors. It may be in a church. It may be a time when you felt yourself lifted and held by your Heavenly Father. It may be a place where the quiet and serenity of the environment allows you to breathe in the wonderful scents of the world while you feast on the beauty that God has placed all around you. Feel the air on your skin. In your visualization you can reach out and touch things, feel sand between your toes and warm water on your skin. This is a time to allow your mind and body to soak in the wonderful things that God has created for us. It is a safe place, in that only you and your Lord are there together. You are ready to listen to Him and can allow your hearts to be filled with His love, grace, peace and serenity. This is a peace and love you have never experienced before. As it soaks into and permeates every cell in your body, you feel yourself becoming healed in spirit, body and mind.”

After you have spent some time in your safe place, focus your attention again on your breathing and as you do, slowly count from 3 to 1, becoming more alert and attentive to the space around you. Open your eyes and gradually stretch. Give yourself a moment before getting up as your muscles and body will be very relaxed and needs to have the blood flow again.

You will feel rejuvenated as never before when you do this relaxation/visualization exercise. I have a relaxation CD that is available on my website that will take you through this exercise easily and allows for a deeper relaxation. You can do this exercise each day by simply finding a quiet spot, shutting off all phones, and putting out a Do Not Disturb sign on your door. Each time you do this, you will become more aware of where you hold your tension and during the day you can take some deep breaths, visually do a quick relaxation as you tell yourself to let go of the tension. Your body quickly responds.

Knowing how to relax allows us to slow down and really “see” the beautiful world God has created. It helps us to relax during the day and it reduces stress levels. As you remain more relaxed, your conversations and relationships will be more relaxed as well. When you are uptight and your mind is racing with thoughts from the past and present, the stress affects everything you do including your ability to pay attention to anyone who is speaking to you. Listening is paying attention to what the other is saying so you can really hear what is being said. It focuses on what the other person is trying to convey.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Copyediting Checklist

Copyediting a manuscript for punctuation, usage, grammar and style comes, of necessity, after content editing and technical editing. Because it requires great attention to detail, some writers dislike copyediting, but its benefits far outweigh its challenges. I hope you find my list of things to watch for while copyediting helpful.

Copyediting Checklist

Punctuation

·         Are commas correctly used but not gratuitous?

·         Do you need colons or semi-colons instead of commas?

·         Are colons or semi-colons misplaced or unneeded?

·         Have you left any quotes or brackets unclosed? Is punctuation placed correctly around quotes or brackets?

·         Is there a period where a comma should go?

·         Did you forget any question marks?

·         Are dashes and hyphens used appropriately?

·         Did you omit any apostrophes?

·         Is spelling correct?

·         Do you spot typos?

Usage

• Do you find an over-abundance of participial phrases?
• Are there passive-voice verbs that active verbs can replace?
• Would pruning adjectives help ideas flourish? Beginning writers tend to load on adjectives, but with adjectives, less is more.
• Are certain words or phrases overused?
• Do you find duplications of specific words on the same page?
• Does the imagery work?  For example: the sentence, above, works because “pruning” and “flourish” both relate to plants. If I used “take flight” instead of “flourish” in this sentence, it wouldn’t have the same impact. Make sure your symbolism lines up.
• Do ideas follow a cause-and-effect sequence to bring immediacy? For example: “He saw the girl as he walked the dog” has less immediacy than “As he walked the dog, he saw the girl.” Why? Because walking the dog is the event that causes the effect of seeing the girl.
• Are there any words that distract by rhyming?
• Does any usage devolve into cliché?
• Do you detect any “weasel words” (overused, unimaginative and usually unneeded words)? I’ll cover this in a later post.
• Is any phrasing awkward?
• Are there any run-on sentences?
• Do sentences contain correct parallel structures?
• Are sentence structures varied?
• Do paragraphs break logically and include transitions?
• Does the story flow?
• Are there unneeded attributions (he said, she exclaimed)?
• Does extraneous matter (he smiled, she nodded) used in place of attributions slow dialogue?

Grammar

·         Do you use participial phrases correctly? For example: “She ate a cupcake, licking the plate” seems to imply that she ate a cupcake at the same time as she licked the plate. Since that is a physical impossibility, this sentence is incorrect.

·         Do any subjects disagree with verbs? For example, “He listened to the news and eats dinner.” The second verb should be “ate.”

·         Are verb tenses correct?  This is too big a subject for a simple example. I’ll cover it in more detail in a future post.

·         Are there split infinitives? For example: “She went to often see the ocean” splits the infinitive: “to see” with “often.” The sentence reads correctly when cast, thus: “She often went to see the ocean.”

·         Do you detect any dangling participals? For example: “Walking along the street, a car radio played his favorite song” seems to imply that the car radio walked along the street. Correctly cast, this sentence would read: “Walking along the street, he heard a car radio play his favorite song.”  

·         Do pronouns and antecedents agree?

·         Are there any incomplete sentences that need correcting?

·         Do any sentences end with verbs or prepositions?

Style

Have you followed your publisher’s or your chosen editorial style guide for use of abbreviations, measurements, treatment of numbers, spelling, italics, bolding, quotations, commas, and capitalization?

Don’t know the answers to questions that arise during copyediting? Research them, and you’ll strengthen your writing.

I’ve tried to be thorough with my list, however if you can think of something I’ve missed, please leave a comment.

Another Set of Eyes

It has been a while since I’ve posted a thought here. I hope you’ve missed me. For several weeks I’ve been going through the process of editing for publication. My first novel will be released through Harbourlight Books. I will give you more updates as they come.

One of the realities I’ve discovered in this process is how critical it is to have another set of eyes looking at my work. My editor has poured through the manuscript, providing skilled and thoughtful revisions and corrections. Her efforts have added a wonderful quality to the story. At first, I must admit that I was leery. It was hard to believe that anyone else could understand my story as well as I could. I was completely, delightfully, wrong. Now I am very thankful for the partnership that has occurred in this process from submission to publication.

In light of this experience, I wonder if it is necessary to have another set of eyes that are willing to look upon my life, offering thoughtful insights into the areas that need some “editorial” work.

So often, people think that their own point of view is the single most critical point of view available. Yet (even as I learned going through the editing process) there are aspects of life that the individual might not see – aspects that will only be seen by someone who is objective and honest. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” For this to happen requires a spiritual person paying attention, behaving like another set of eyes.

So, do you have another set of eyes upon you? Is there someone who is reading the script of your life and offering the critical edits that are necessary to bring you into conformity to the standards of Christ? Or do you ask the question that many ask, “Who are you to judge me?” True, no one on this planet has the capacity to sit in judgment over another – only Christ has that capacity. But this is not about judgment; it is about coming along side another person as a partner in their spiritual life to help them see those things that they may not be able to see for themselves.

Just as I needed the critical, yet faithful eye of the editor to bring my manuscript to a high standard, so all Christians needs faithful and truthful friends who will act as another set of eyes, who will speak the truth in love, and partner together to help each other develop the life and love of Christ.

©2011
Rev. Michael Duncan

Novel Craft Editing Workshop: Technical Editing Checklist for Fiction

Every novel needs technical editing, although you may scratch your head over that idea, especially if you view technical editing as checking graphs and calculating totals. While the definition varies depending on the type of writing it covers, I've developed the following technical editing checklist for novels.

1. Check all facts your research missed against more than one source. Be careful when verifying on the Internet, however.  Misinformation is often reposted.
2. Verify any quotes or poetry you may use in the body of your novel or to head chapters.
3. Do a continuity check. Are there any objects that disappear while being held? Or suddenly appear? Does someone mention an upcoming event that never occurs? Do characters vanish or appear without warning?
4. Check for consistency. Do you describe a character with blue eyes in one scene and brown eyes in another? Do your characters stick to their personal lexicons throughout the entire book? Does what you intended as a character's habitual action show up in one scene but then disappear? 
5. Are logistics accurate? Is it really possible for action to take place within the time frame described in each scene? Do all characters have time to get from the location of a previous scene into a new scene? Do you allow too much or too little time for travel?
6. Verify that all events are plausible. Step back and, with as much objectivity as you can muster, ask yourself if you buy all elements of your story. If you're not sure, ask someone you trust to read your manuscript with believability in mind. 
7. Check your manuscript against the stylebook your publisher uses for punctuation, grammar and usage. If you don't have a publisher yet, pick a stylebook to follow. The Chicago Manual of Style is a popular resource.

Technical editing is a small part of the entire editing process, but it can make a big difference in producing an excellent manuscript. 

© 2011 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

Do you know another item that belongs on a technical editing checklist? Have a comment or question? 

Focusing and Re-directing

Before we can listen to another person, we need to learn to listen to ourselves. What are we saying to ourselves about our world, other people in our lives, and about ourselves? When we communicate we bring to that conversation who we are, our perceptions, expectations, assumptions and beliefs. We look through the world through our own personal lens and our conversations reflect that as well. When you are having a bad day, that is reflected in your speech. Your past experiences in life color what you hear from other people. Your beliefs and biases will be reflected both in what you say and how you listen.

So getting to know yourself is very important. Listening to our own internal speech helps us become aware of the biases and beliefs that can bring discord and misunderstanding to our conversations. As we learn to listen to our internal dialogue, it will reveal the unconscious expectations we have of others, especially our loved ones. Attached to those expectations is the assumption that others believe and think the same as we do. When we come to a conversation with these perceptions, we hear only what matches our perceptions.

Another exercise you can do to unlock some of your beliefs and unconscious expectations is to do an early morning exercise that was created by Julia Cameron in her book, “The Artist’s Way”, designed as a course “in discovering and recovering your creative self.” It is also an excellent way in discovering more about who you are in general.

Every morning when you wake up, before conversing with anyone else, take your cup of coffee or tea and sit down in a quiet spot and write until you fill 3 pages of a notebook. Simply write down whatever enters your mind. It can be as inane as I am sitting here with a pencil and I am wondering why I am doing this, don’t know what to write, etc. The exercise is simply to put down on paper without any corrections or deliberation anything that comes to your mind. Once you start you will be amazed at what surfaces. Remember, don’t block anything – don’t try to initiate anything – just write whatever streams into your consciousness. This is for your eyes only. Do this consistently for at least a week.

Continue with your quiet times each day. This time, however, as you make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and begin breathing slowly and deeply, allow any thoughts that intrude on this relaxation process to simply float by. Imagine there is a balloon attached to each thought that simply floats it away. Most of these thoughts contain words such as “I should be…I have to… I must”. Do not try to stop or resist any thoughts. Simply allow them to come – then move on by. In your mind’s eye see them floating away. With each deep, even breath, your mind will become quieter.

Now focus on the parts of your body, starting with your face. As you breathe in, tighten the muscles around your forehead and eyes; and then release the tension and relax as you expel air out through your mouth. Do this with your jaw and cheeks. Continue with your neck, rotating slowly left, back, right and forward as you breathe in and out. Lift each shoulder, feel the tension and as you release, feel the tension drain away. Create a visual of this tension as it flows away. My mind creates an image of hard rocks melting like butter and I can feel the muscles relax. Remember to continue the process of breathing in and out slowly. After each tensing and relaxing, repeat the words, letting go and relaxing, deeper and deeper.

Continue by stretching each arm with outstretched fingers, then relaxing them and placing them comfortably in your lap. Moving down your back, tighten and release the muscles in your lower back, hips and legs. Stretch your leg, feet and toes, and then lower them comfortably.

At the end of the exercise, re-focus on your breathing and heart rate. As you tighten and release tension of the different muscles throughout your body, you will become aware of where you hold your tension. You are listening to your body that normally keeps adjusting throughout the day without your awareness. This tension affects everything we do, including our ability to converse with others.

Next week, I will continue this exercise by adding a visualization of a quiet, safe place where you and your Lord can meet uninterrupted by the hustle and bustle of the day.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Listen

Listen! God is calling! “I’m listening, Lord. I just have a few more things to do. As soon as I finish this salad and get dressed and oh darn, there goes the phone again.”

Marlene, God is calling. Listen. “I’m listening, Lord. Give me a few more minutes. I have to call my daughter back. She called earlier; and I have to leave a key out for my friend; she will be taking care of my little dog, and . . . .”

Marlene, this is God calling. Be Still! “I’m almost finished God. I just have one more thing to do before I leave for church and then I will give you my undivided attention.”

Marlene, this is God calling. Be Quiet. I’m here Lord; I can still talk to you while I work. My hands and feet are always moving. It’s just my ADHD! Really Lord!

Marlene, this is God calling. Be still – be quiet – listen. “I’m trying, Lord, I’m trying! But I keep thinking about all the things I haven’t finished yet and must take care of before I leave this morning. But I’m trying, Lord, I’m trying!”

Do you identify with any of this dialogue? This was the beginning of an opening I delivered several years ago for a Women’s retreat. Our lives are so busy we don’t take the time to be still, be quiet and listen, to God or the people in our lives.

I want to begin this new series on communication, by focusing on the most important part of communication: listening. But before we can listen – really listen, we do need to stop what we are doing. When I grew up, busy hands kept you out of trouble. And our conversations are like that as well – they are sandwiched in between what we are doing. And then when we do talk, we spend most of our time in conversations thinking about what we will say, how we will respond, and/or defending our position. In the process, we really don’t listen, don’t hear, and don’t have a clue as to what the other person is trying to tell us.

To listen, we need to “still” the voices that are competing to be heard within our head. There is a constant chatter or dialogue that goes on in our mind all the time. Are you aware of what it is saying to you? Learning to listen to others begins with listening to ourselves.

Try this for one week. Find a time each day when you can be by yourself in a quiet place where you will be undisturbed for 15-20 minutes. It can be indoors or outdoors. You can lie down or sit. Take a pad and pencil with you. Make yourself comfortable and begin taking slow, deep, and even breaths, breathing from your diaphragm as though you were slowly filling up a balloon. As you body begins to relax, close your eyes, and continue the even deep breathing. As you shut out the environment around you, become aware of your thoughts. What are they saying to you? Are they telling you what you should or ought to be doing? After sitting quietly like this, open your eyes and write down the thoughts you had. Were they important? Were they instructive? Do they keep you from relaxing?

Practice this exercise throughout the week, each time allowing your mind to relax and focus as much as possible on breathing evenly and slowly. Write down thoughts at the end of each exercise. You might discover by the end of the week that your focus is more on breathing and relaxing than on thoughts. Next week we will learn how to focus and relax the parts of our body.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Steven King's Tips for Writers

I don't know why I thought I could write a post on editing in the middle of a family reunion. I offer, instead, Steven King's best advice to writers in this video.

"Home"

Two and a half years ago on Dec. 2009, I wrote a short piece entitled “Home.” I had just returned from closing my son’s apartment after an unexpected and rapid death from pancreatic cancer. I wrote,

“Home. I have come home from a nightmare of critical activity, on-going crisis and death. This place of solace and comfort wraps itself around my aching heart and body like a sweater stretched and shaped with well-worn threads of softness. My thirsty soul drinks in the peace that God has placed here for me. I wrap my prayer shawl around my shoulders and know my God has been with me as I walked through that valley of death one more time.”

Once again, I have arrived home from a trip - only under more pleasant circumstances. After ten grueling days of rehearsals, concerts, walking guided tours over ancient ruins and uneven cobble stones in 98 degree heat and humidity, I have come home. I went to Italy as part of a group of singers who joined other singers from across the United States to attend an International Chorale Festival. Leaving home this time was a source of excitement and anticipation. And singing with 240 other voices in the beautiful old cathedral of S. Maria Sopra Minverva and for a 9 AM Mass at the Vatican in Rome was a thrill I shall treasure forever. Later our own group performed in two other cathedrals in Florence and Venice.

On the 10+ hour trip home, I thought about the trip we made together as a group and the memories each of us was bringing home. The schedule had been brutal, the heat at times almost unbearable, the intense pace of keeping together as a group as we followed guides on tours in a sea of people was at times frustrating; yet the experience of singing in places like the Vatican and centuries old stone cathedrals was worth the effort, energy and blisters on our feet. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and the memories we would store from this trip immeasurable.

Home. As I reflect on what home means to me, I am aware that it is more than a place where I return to find solace to heal and rest. There is an internal longing in each of us for a home that is more than a physical place to reside or a time out from busy schedules. It is more than a place to sleep and retreat from the world.

While vacations and trips and experiences are great, we all long for something more than that perfect performance, the perfect song, the perfect job or perfect vacation. We travel around the world looking for the most ideal and relaxing spot on earth to spend days in quietude and tranquility. Along the way we search for the perfect someone to love and who will love us in turn. Our hearts and spirits hunger for love and peace, contentment and joy. We are looking for a place that money can’t buy. We are searching for more than a country or physical building. We are searching for “home”.

The home we long for cannot be created out of ancient stone or modern towers of steel. In fact we can’t create this home that our hearts long for - a place of safety, peace and unconditional love. No matter how far we roam, whether to the ends of the earth or the far flung vastness of outer space, we will only get glimpses of what our spirit yearns. Money can’t purchase it and we can’t create it. But that place already exists, created by our Heavenly Father who entreats us to return. It exists in Him and through Him. And to take possession, we only need to come to Him and accept the wonderful gift He has given us - the bridge that takes us home – Jesus Christ.

©2011 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC

Surviving the First 6 Weeks of Writing a Novel - Advice From Joyce Carol Oates

In this video, celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates shares from the heart about the difficulty of beginning a novel and gives her intriguing technique for characterization. I offer it to you as a special holiday treat. The Novel Craft Editing Workshop resumes next week.


Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books