Where I get to guest post for the first time!

via Pinterest

Hello, all! This is Joy here... In posting this little post, I am just sneaking a moment away from NaNo writing which has been going extremely slow, a mere 3900 words so far I think, which is lousy of course but I am happy with it still considering I've not written so much in a long while! Anyway... you'll know all about my NaNo battle and its final results (whether it be defeat or victory!) Lord willing when I return in Dec 1! 

P.S. to satisfy your literary apatite in my writing of The Crown of Life (at least in my wildest imaginations I hope some of you hold a mild interest in it, but still... that may be my silly young writer's fantasy to think so!), here is a tiny snippet of what I've written unedited with warts and all:

Dawn stole the silver shimmer of the night stars, yet it was a morning without much light or hope. The sky was dark with thickened clouds that blighted out any warmth the sun deigned to give the small company of soldiers that set out from the encampment that early morning towards the River Exe. 

- The Crown of Life

But now... here is why I break my blog-fast long enough to write to y'all. I'd always enjoyed reading Elizabeth's Rose's blog, Living on Literary Lane, since I discovered it last year. Hers was one of the first blogs that I came across, and she did much to inspire me in the world of blogging :). So, when Elizabeth Rose e-mailed at the end of last month, asking if I'd be willing to guest post on Literary Lane, it left me feeling highly thrilled and honoured by the prospect, not the mention a tiny winy bit nervous, having never guest-posted before! I spent the first two days of NaNo finishing off a post which had taken more than a week to write (you know, because it had to be special!) for which I account my lousy word-count so far in The Crown of Life. But I am glad I did, and it has been a whole heap of fun. Thank you, Elizabeth! In the post, I wrote about the art of short story writing and about what a great writing medium it is, along with a a tad of advice on how to go about writing one. I took some detours, and the post turned out long, which is ironic, considering it is about short stories! But oh well, that's how it turned out!

Here is a sneaky peak!

A story must have purpose and theme in my opinion or else it falls flat like a pancake. Short-stories are perfect ground for proclaiming a message... even more than in a novel. As Christians, we have a wonderful opportunity through short story writing to impart lessons and themes of faith and the Truth of God's Word into them, whether obviously so or more subtly depending on your audience and your personal preference. As you write, try to hone in on that purpose and theme quietly, let it develop and shine, without letting the reader be aware of what you are doing. Just keep to that theme with assurance and certainty, even if some will try to undermine or deter you from proclaiming the message through the story. Don't get discouraged. There will always be those who will appreciate the message of your story, and may even be blessed or changed by it. 

read the rest on Elizabeth's blog here, and don't forget to leave a comment!

because, as Miss Hartman says, they make the world go 'round