LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Craft Skills

Creating When It’s Hard

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It started off like any typical June day. I drove the one-hour commute to Salt Lake City, worked my eight-hour day proofreading planners, and drove two hours home in rush-hour traffic. By then, I wasn’t feeling too good. I called in sick the next day, put on a comforting movie, and prepared to spend the next two days just recovering from the first long months of a new job.

Halfway through the movie, my brother video-called me in a panic.

“It’s Dad,” he said. “He’s fallen. And he’s not breathing.”

Immediately, all my senses went on alert. I texted everyone in my family, trying to figure out what was going on and trying—but failing—to keep myself calm.

Less than thirty minutes later, my mother gave me the most devastating news of my life. “He’s gone. Dad just passed away.”

As creators, we feel driven to put our pen to paper, our brush to canvas, our fingers to our instruments, or to create in our chosen way. This passion drives us and is a part of our very natures.

But what do you do when everything comes crashing down?

That June day three years ago, my world fell apart. I’d experienced loss and grief before. I’d had grandparents and an uncle pass away, but losing my dad hit harder. I staggered, reeling from the loss. My dad was my biggest supporter. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. His laugh and his voice were my favorite sounds in the world.

And now I’d never get to hear them again.

I fell into a deep depression that summer. I didn’t even touch my writing projects, even though I had several I needed to work on. I could barely cook, much less create.

But throughout that experience and other hard experiences in my life, I have learned that there are ways you can help yourself create when life gets hard.

Take Care of Yourself

Creating is difficult when you don’t feel well—whether that’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually. When I’ve been depressed or severely ill, putting my pen to paper feels as daunting as climbing Mount Everest. You need to prioritize feeling well again.

For some of us, this may mean that we write or paint or compose purely emotional pieces that are healing for us. Steven Sharp Nelson spoke at LDSPMA two years ago about how Beethoven’s best pieces came right after he had suffered a major trial in his life. One example is the famous Symphony No. 9—Beethoven wrote it after he’d completely lost his hearing, and “Ode to Joy” is one of the most recognized pieces of music in the world. Sometimes getting the emotions out is how you take care of yourself.

But for some of us, creating when our hearts are aching is the biggest challenge in the universe. If you’re suffering and need a break from creativity, give yourself permission to focus on yourself. When you are well again, you can get back to creating.

Fill Up Your Creative Well

During the rest of that awful summer, I filled my days with reading. It soothed my soul to take comfort in other stories. I read more books that summer than I had in a long time, and it was healing. When I did finally attempt to write again, the words I had consumed fueled me.

Filling up your creative well looks different for different people. Writers might be reading a whole bunch of books—whether in their genre or outside of it. Artists may go to a museum or a craft fair to see what others have done. Musicians may spend all their time listening to new music or going to concerts. Whatever your medium is, spend time consuming it.

But also spend time doing things outside your medium. Watch some films with your family and analyze the story or appreciate the stunning effects. Go on a trip with some friends to experience things you’ve never done before—even if that trip is only as far as the local escape room. Try a meal you’ve never had before. Think outside the box. You might be surprised what ends up sparking an idea.

Talk to Other Creatives

Many creatives work in solitude. It can be part of the process or just part of the creative’s personality—I’ve met many writers and artists who identify as introverts. But even introverts need friends. I love attending conferences and meeting other writers and fellow creatives. It’s cathartic to talk through troublesome issues with people who get it. Other creatives can share their views and enrich how you see and interact with the world.

A great conference for any Latter-day Saint creator is, of course, the annual LDSPMA conference held in Orem, Utah. For me, this conference is an amazing opportunity to fill up my creative well and talk to other creatives. I always leave LDSPMA feeling spiritually edified and ready to create more.

But conferences can be expensive. Another great, yet inexpensive, way to talk to other creatives is to find fellow artistic friends in social media groups. Painters could paint together once a week or meet over lunch to discuss techniques. Musicians can ask for advice on composing from other musicians. Writers can do online writing sessions with other authors to help get words on the page. Finding other creatives helps you feel less alone in your journey and can help you heal when it is hard to create.

Go at Your Own Pace

You don’t have to write your novel in one day. Nor do you have to paint your whole painting in one sitting. While we’ve all seen images of the inspired creative frantically working through the night, many work very slowly on their projects. Some might only finish one painting in a year. Others might make one hundred in a year. Some authors take ten years to write one book. Others publish four a year.

It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Take breaks when you need to. Refill your creative well so you have more to give. Remember, creating is a journey, not a destination.

Give Yourself Grace

Above all, give yourself grace. King Benjamin says, “it is not requisite that [anyone] should run faster than [they have] strength” (Mosiah 4:27). Life is hard. It has been three years since my dad’s passing, and I still have days when it’s difficult to make breakfast, much less create. But as Father Lehi said, we are here to have joy (see 2 Nephi 2:25).

So, do what brings you joy. Sometimes that might mean that your writing gets put on hold as you spend time with your children, and their smiles bring you joy and help your heart heal. Sometimes that might mean you spend an entire summer on vacation and don’t get a single painting done, but your soul feels alive and rejuvenated. Sometimes that might mean you pick up a new hobby that doesn’t require as much creative power. Whatever it may be, remember that you are a creative—even when you aren’t creating. Give yourself time to heal.

And who knows? That time you spend caring for yourself, filling up your well, talking to other creatives, going at your own pace, and giving yourself grace may lead to your next masterpiece that impacts generations. You’ve got this. Just take it one day at a time.

KaTrina Jackson

KaTrina Jackson loves penguins, cross-stitching, chocolate, and piano music, and spends much of each day trying to fit those loves in around her jobs as a freelance editor and as a project manager for Eschler Editing. She graduated with a degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University because she couldn’t get enough stories in her life. She’s also a member of three different writing groups, attends and teaches at multiple writing conferences yearly, volunteers with LDSPMA and has since 2021, and is currently working on publishing her first novel. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she can be found practicing yoga, teaching piano lessons or performing with her husband, or watching Disney movies while working on a cross-stitch project. She and her husband live in Olathe, Kansas.

    Understanding Life by Studying the Craft

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    In my master’s program in English and creative writing, I took a class called “Studying the Craft.” The coursework explored how elements of dramatic narrative create tension and reveal a character’s inner conflicts. By learning the mechanics of plot and character development, I discovered parallels to our earthly journeys.

    Here are five storytelling insights that can help us understand life.

    1. Themes Shape Our Perspectives

    We can interpret our life stories by reflecting on how external experiences reshape our internal perspectives. Tracing the connections between our challenges and growth helps us find purpose in our suffering, transform limiting beliefs, deepen spiritual understanding, and strengthen our connection to our Creator.

    In Les Misérables, Victor Hugo’s main character, Jean Valjean, is a convict embittered by years of unjust imprisonment. His foil, Inspector Javert, relentlessly pursues Valjean, driven by a strict sense of justice. In contrast, a saintly bishop, representing the story’s moral archetype, forgives Valjean for stealing silver candlesticks and offers him mercy. This act helps Valjean feel God’s love and serves as his catalyst for transformation. Applying the themes of mercy and justice to his story deepens Valjean’s understanding of Christ’s atonement and grace.

    Similarly, we can recognize eternal truths by looking beneath the surface to find the themes in our lives. Our trials often contain lessons for spiritual growth. People who enter our lives may serve as instruments of divine instruction. Even ordinary experiences can reveal extraordinary spiritual teachings when approached with faithful contemplation and an open heart.

    2. Everyone Has a Growth Arc

    Like our favorite literary characters, our motivations drive our actions and shape our personalities. We can’t fairly judge a person unless we read their complete story.

    Take, for instance, Jane Austen’s Emma. If we, by chance, turn to the page where Emma advises Harriet to refuse Robert Martin’s marriage proposal, we might dismiss Emma as snobbish, pushy, and selfish. And while there’s truth to this view, we don’t understand the whole picture. Emma is also bright, witty, a devoted daughter, imaginative (sometimes overly so), a doting aunt, and a philanthropist, though her privileged upbringing makes her naive to the world’s complexities beyond her small social circle.

    When we understand her character within the context of Regency England, with its emphasis on advantageous marriages, we can judge her actions with more empathy. Through her struggles, Emma recognizes flaws in her thinking and evolves. She becomes the woman Jane Austen intended her to be—humble, open to wise counsel, and striving to improve.

    This literary growth mirrors our own lives. We are here to learn from experience, but it’s up to us to change. Austen didn’t want a static heroine. Likewise, God wants us to learn, grow, change, and expand our perspectives continually.

    Sometimes we get so caught up in our character development that we forget others are in the middle of their own arcs. Recognizing this truth reminds us not to condemn people for their actions. Emma wounded many people on her journey to become a better person. Similarly, we will hurt others on our paths to become more Christlike. We hope for their forgiveness, just as we extend grace and love to those who might harm us along the way.

    3. Conflict Makes Our Stories Interesting

    A story where nothing bad happens to the main character would have no purpose. As we read in the scriptures, all things must have opposition (see 2 Nephi 2:11). Without darkness, we can’t appreciate light; without defeats, we can’t understand triumphs. Suffering gives our existence meaning. This knowledge doesn’t make the hard times easy. However, we can endure them well, learn from them, and view them as essential parts of our journey. Often, the most challenging chapters lead to the most significant change.

    Consider the choice faced by Hercules as he stood at a crossroads. In the story, a goddess representing Vice entices him with comfort and pleasure while a goddess representing Virtue offers him a life of challenge and struggle. Hercules chooses the second path because he knows he is destined for greatness.

    Instead of blaming God, we might ask who we will become by conquering our trials. We can trust that the divine Author knows our story’s details intimately. He understands our motivations, the purpose behind our afflictions, and the lessons we will learn through each plot twist. Then, after the crisis has passed, we can look around for others we can serve.

    4. All Is Never Lost

    There comes a time in every story—and in life—when it seems like giving up is the only option. The protagonist alienates their friends, makes countless mistakes, and fails in some significant way. But these challenging moments aren’t meant to be avoided—they’re meant to be experienced. The beautiful truth of narratives and life is that things always get better.

    For example, when Jane Eyre leaves Mr. Rochester and Thornfield Hall, she is alone, penniless, and on the brink of starvation. The reader fears there is no hope for her. She might have remained safe if she had stayed to marry Mr. Rochester despite his attic-bound wife, but she would have sacrificed her sense of self, her independence, and her moral integrity.

    These challenging moments are catalysts. They force characters—and people—to find reserves of strength they didn’t know they possessed. Jane’s hardship was not a punishment, but a means to discover her true character, establish her moral compass, and ultimately return to Mr. Rochester as his equal.

    We will all face similar moments when hope seems distant and the path is unclear. But we can always turn the page. President Nelson’s repeated counsel to “Let God Prevail,” “Hear Him,” and “Think Celestial” reminds us that we’re part of a larger narrative. Each day is a fresh chapter waiting to be written. When darkness approaches, we can turn to our divine Creator for mercy, comfort, and peace because He knows the next plot beat and is carefully guiding us back to Him.

    5. Find Symbolism in Experiences

    Symbols convey meanings that extend beyond their literal representations, helping readers connect with the story on a deeper level. They convey truths, help us remember essential concepts, and enrich our spiritual insight. By recognizing and interpreting the symbols in our lives, we will gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world.

    In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne suffers the injustices of Puritan society. For the sin of committing adultery, religious authorities force her to wear a scarlet letter A as a public symbol of shame. Hester adopts this symbol by elaborately embroidering the A onto her clothing and dressing her child in red even after the law no longer requires her to do so. She reclaims her identity by transforming the emblem of shame into one of goodness and strength.

    By carefully examining our experiences, we reveal the meanings of symbols in our own lives. Often, symbols can only be understood retrospectively as we revisit our lives, pray, and ponder God’s messages to us. He promises that if we approach Him with humility and faith, He will strengthen our weaknesses. Like Hester Prynne, we are imperfect beings marked by sin, but no symbol of shame is beyond redemption. We can grow stronger and overcome our challenges by acknowledging the lessons we’ve learned.

    The art of storytelling echoes the truths of human existence. Elements that shape our favorite stories are the same forces that form our lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ assures us that no conflict is insurmountable and no failure is final. We are not static characters, but protagonists in an eternal work. Every day, we write and rewrite our stories with courage, humility, and trust in the divine Author, who sees the whole arc of our potential.

    Headshot of Kami Pehrson.

    Kami Pehrson

    Kami Pehrson lives with her husband and five teenage children in Stansbury Park, Utah. She recently finished her master’s degree in English and creative writing and has written three novels—but is still trying to figure out what to do with them. She loves editing, reading, and playing word games on her phone. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks while half-heartedly doing Pilates in the living room.





          



      How I Learned Not to Loathe Revisions

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      We’ve all been there. We just put the finishing touches on our creative piece. After hours of work (and perhaps a few tears), we submit it to a professional for review. Often, we receive feedback that requires considerable revision and makes us question whether we should be engaging in this work at all.

      I write historical romance novels, so this feedback usually comes in the form of substantial content edits from an editor. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the best mindset when it comes to editing my work. In fact, the word I often associate with editing is “loathing.”

      My first novel will be published by a small publisher this September. The first thing I wanted to do when I received the content edits? Cry. I had already hired a developmental editor and made significant changes based on her feedback and input from other readers. I even rewrote the entire ending! And still more edits? 

      I know, I know. I should be open to feedback that helps me grow and improve as a writer. But still, I couldn’t get my brain on board with that idea until I applied a few simple principles to my thought process. You might already be familiar with them because they align with the counsel we receive in the gospel. Here are a few simple ways I’ve found to shift my mindset and develop a healthier attitude toward feedback.

      Recognize the True Potential in My Work

      At least fifty—that’s the number of “no’s” I received from agents and editors when querying my manuscript for almost a year. I didn’t handle the rejection well. Remember those tears mentioned above? Yes, there were lots during this phase.

      I had the idea for my novel for more than a decade, but I put off writing it until three summers ago. My degrees and licenses in business and law don’t exactly translate to writing love stories, but I couldn’t ignore the prompting to embark on this creative journey. My work is not what I’d consider gospel centered. I write clean historical romances that don’t typically include characters with a faith arc. I like to call them “kissing books.”

      So, why did every attempt to put that work out into the world lead to a dead end? Even now, despite a contract with a small publisher (the only one who said “yes” instead of “no”), these doubts still manifest themselves. Why isn’t anyone buying or rating my self-published novella? Why do I have fewer than 200 followers on my social media accounts after eighteen months of effort? Why did 2% of my newsletter subscribers unsubscribe after my latest message? The list goes on.

      When “numbers” and “quantities” start niggling at my mind, it helps to view my work’s potential the way Heavenly Father views us—with an eternal perspective.

      Focusing on the quality of connections I make in this industry realigns my perspective. Reaching one person with my writing is far more important than earning ninety-nine likes on my latest Instagram post.

      Removing the “worldly lens” when valuing my work helps me recommit to this creative calling, especially when critiques (and the doubts that accompany them) follow.

      Speak with My Heavenly Father

      After I received the content edits for my first book, I tried to sit and write part of my current book. No words flowed. It was my worst attempt at writing. I doubted each word, erased more than I wrote, and ended up frustrated, discouraged, and dejected—never a good combination, especially when trying to create.

      This pity party lasted far longer than I care to admit. But I had a deadline to meet, so after hoisting myself up by my bootstraps, I decided to act on a thought that had come during the wallowing—pray.

      Perhaps it’s even more embarrassing to admit that I hadn’t really prayed much in my writing career. Again, these are just kissing books. Why would I need inspiration about romantic interactions like brushing hands and flushing cheeks?

      I gave prayer a go, however, because the idea wouldn’t leave me alone. Did I mention I was stubborn, too? I prayed each time I sat down to edit. I prayed to be open to the editor’s comments and recommendations. I prayed for guidance and inspiration as I selected the right words and phrases while rewriting. I prayed that I would complete tasks by the deadlines. And I prayed for help with my other responsibilities, including being a wife and mom of two, holding down a part-time job, and managing other volunteer roles, such as serving as one of the new vice presidents of LDSPMA.

      I’m not suddenly spitting out a masterpiece akin to Jane Austen’s work or tripling my word count, but I can set aside the emotions telling me my work isn’t good enough. I’ve also overcome the feeling of overwhelm that plagued me during the rewriting process. I meet my deadlines, too (I even met one five days early!).

      Most importantly, prayer changed my perspective. I now see revision as a way to ensure that my work is the best it can be. I feel the loving support of Heavenly Father, even if the process isn’t easy.

      Strive to Do Better Each Day

      Through what other process do we try to improve little by little and day by day? Repentance. We are often counseled that repentance should be a joyful process. While I still pray to find true joy in editing, I can safely say I’ve made it to the “not loathing” stage. I see the true potential in my work by speaking with Heavenly Father through prayer.

      And the best part? I can strive to elevate the gift Heavenly Father has given me every day, even after receiving feedback that requires yet another rewrite. I hope that you, too, continue to strive for true joy in your creative journey.

      Headshot of Casey Cline

      Casey Cline

      Casey Cline collects hobbies and pursuits as quickly as she reads books. She likes to believe her degrees and licenses in business, law, and real estate aren’t entirely incongruous with writing historical stories about the ultimate adventure in life—love. Casey is one of the vice presidents of the Latter-day Saints in Publishing Media and the Arts organization and is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild. She lives in Nebraska with her husband, two daughters, and three cats. You can connect with her at www.caseycline.com.

         

        Why We Should Pay Better Attention to the Pattern for a Musical

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        Today’s article is courtesy of Rebecca Burnham of Summit Stages. You can learn more about this innovative organization by clicking here.

        How does one create a great musical? 

        That’s a question that composers and librettists have been struggling to answer conclusively for more than a hundred years.  And nobody has quite nailed the exact recipe, at least, not in a way that can be replicated again and again by others. Partly because “great” is a subjective evaluation that we don’t all agree on. And partly, because even if we did agree, there’s often a mysterious element that makes the difference between a solid, entertaining show and a great one.

        But there is one thing we do know – a great musical rests on a solid foundation. And the vast majority of musicals that have been widely embraced and celebrated share a common framework at their root. So, if you want to appreciate the art form of the musical, and especially if you want to tell a great story within it, it’s a good idea to learn about the basic framework. 

        Broadway Offers Mixed Inspiration

        This [article] is inspired by Jack Viertell’s Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built, a 336-page book that explores an overarching framework and how various famous shows have applied it, from Oklahoma to The Book of Mormon. I’m deeply indebted to it for all that it’s teaching me. But I also need to be honest. I don’t find Viertel’s book very accessible. It’s not that there was anything tricky about his prose. It’s that our values are so far out of sync that I find his musings frequently wearing, and I don’t even plan to watch many of the musicals on which he bases his examples. There’s wide agreement that they are masterpieces. But I can’t get past the outsized role that uncommitted sex plays in many of the storylines.

        By my values, sexual relations outside of a committed partnership aren’t just inappropriate, they’re actively damaging, and I’m irritated by a story that celebrates them. Furthermore, for me the message is the cake while artistic excellence is just the frosting. I experience watching a musical that’s missing a powerful, edifying message as something like eating straight frosting. If sexual promiscuity or hedonistic values are thrown into the mix, I tend to see the show as something like gorgeously frosted dog food. 

        Why does the craft matter? If the message is the cake and the artistic tricks surrounding it are just the frosting, then am I trying to focus attention on the fluff instead of the substance? 

        It matters because oftentimes, it’s the frosting that draws you to the cake.

        Cake-Decorating Analogy

        As an amateur baker, I learned this important principle when I made a cake for my eldest son’s 7th birthday party. We were all Harry Potter fans, and he wanted a marble cake that looked like a cauldron. That seemed reasonably doable. I had a vision in my head, but no pattern, not even an Pinterest model or tutorial of what I was trying to achieve (although you can now find a good one here). And once it was baked, well… you kind of had to use your imagination to recognize the shape as a cauldron. I frosted it with chocolate buttercream and just a little black food coloring – not too much because too much of those gel food colorings can make your frosting taste like chemicals. So, it was brown-hued, not cast-iron black. I figured it was close enough. Then, I added some “magical potion” in its bowl: butterscotch pudding colored slightly green with some gummy worms floating on top. 

        My son’s friends arrived for the party, and we had a great time. Then I brought out the cake, lit the candles, and we sang “Happy Birthday.” To my surprise, each of those 7-year-old guests politely declined their piece of cake. It just didn’t look right, and they didn’t dare try it. My five kids and I devoured it after they left. It was the best cake we’d ever tasted, but the guests hadn’t been willing to even take a bite. 

        If I’d found and followed a pattern for that cauldron cake, I bet the guests would have devoured it in one sitting. If I’d used enough food coloring to make it look right, they would have all at least taken a piece, even if they’d have left half of it on their plates. 

        Six years later, I made a glorious-looking cake for my youngest son’s 8th birthday. It featured a stream crafted from blue-colored candy melts and lined with rock candies. But I hadn’t checked the flavor of the blue “chocolate” before adding it to the cake. The finished product was beautiful. I cheerfully dished it up to our guests, who were eager for their pieces. And then I tasted it and discovered it was a disaster. We threw half of it away. 

        You Don’t Have to Choose Between Enticing and Tasty

        For a while after that, it seemed to my family that we had to choose between ugly cakes that were delicious, or gorgeous ones you could barely eat. We had learned that fondant frosting makes a professional-looking cake but tastes terrible. Buttercream looks more rough, but is edible for the first few bites until it becomes too much sugar. 

        It didn’t seem like a reasonable trade-off, so we kept looking for better options until we learned about marshmallow fondant (which tastes many times better than the store-bought kind) and stabilized whipped cream (which can be piped like buttercream but isn’t sickeningly sweet) and sweetened, whipped cream cheese (pipeable and just plain delicious). Now the daughter who did all this research is the queen of making cakes that look too good to eat and taste too good to stop at one piece. 

        A Great Show Is Both Enticing and Good for You

        What does this have to do with the craft of musical theater? This: If you want to change the world with musicals that lift and unite, you want people to feel like they need to partake. You probably won’t win over the crowds you’re trying to reach by baking up a great story with some ho-hum tunes, functional dialogue, and a couple spots for choreography. 

        It’s true that Broadway tends to use titillating content in order to gild a show and draw a crowd. That content is like store-bought fondant, poor quality candy melts, and food coloring that makes your frosting taste like chemicals. They’ll draw audiences and leave them with an aftertaste that robs your show of its healing power. But those aren’t the only tools for making a show supremely entertaining. They’re just the lazy ones. And if you can use better ingredients with more creativity while following a tried-and-true pattern, you can both fill the seats with eager audiences and reach their hearts. 

        Rebecca Burnham

        Rebecca Burnham writes a weekly newsletter about music and theatre that build Zion at SummitStages.org, where she is gathering a collaborative community of creators, producers, performers and playgoers to fill the world with musical theatre that lifts and unites. Her passion for the stage includes acting, directing, producing, and writing musicals which have been performed on various Canadian stages. A reforming veteran of the culture wars (as journalist, award-winning columnist, and pro-family activist), she’s now on a mission to build peace through connection across our divides and the skillful staging of shared stories.

          Sprint Writing for the Win

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          As a writer, I have so many stories I want to share with the world, but I also have time constraints. I’m a wife, a mother to ten, and a nana to thirteen. I currently serve as a seminary teacher, so I devote a lot of time to reading, researching, pondering, and preparing lessons. Then there’s personal scripture study, temple attendance, school activities, community service, sporting events, and family gatherings. And then I try to exercise, cook, do laundry, shop for groceries, and stay on top of cleaning my house. Some days, it feels like I need at least fifty hours to accomplish everything.

          So, what’s to be done about all the stories I want to write? I have notebooks filled with ideas, bits of dialogue, characters, and plot pieces. Trying to find time to create worlds and fill them with realistic, compelling characters can feel daunting, if not impossible, with so many other things to do.

          There is no one-size-fits-all for writing a novel—or any book, for that matter. We all must figure out what works for us. Once we do this, we can use our allotted time in the best way possible to produce the books that reside in our hearts and heads to fulfill our innate desires to share and create. As Elder Uchtdorf says, “The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.”

          I like to have a general idea of the plot and characters in my novel before I start writing. I’m a planner because I feel it saves time when I sit down to write. Even with advance planning, I’ve sometimes found it difficult to meet my word count goal, especially when I’m running from one activity to another.

          Sprinting

          During PE back in the day, I would audibly groan when the teacher told us we’d be running, especially if we were racing. Running fast, or sprinting, never appealed to me. Though I enjoyed sports, running wasn’t my vibe—and still isn’t.

          When I heard about sprint writing, I was intrigued. I’d never considered the idea of combining something I loved (writing) with something I loathed (sprinting).

          Applying sprinting to writing required suspending my disbelief. Writing fast appealed to me abstractly, but concretely, I didn’t believe it was possible.

          Until I tried it.

          Once I discovered sprinting, everything changed. I found that some days I could get 3000 words or more in an hour, broken into blocks.

          How Sprinting Works

          The idea behind sprint writing is to write as many words as quickly as possible.

          The first step is to determine the amount of time you want to sprint. I prefer twenty minutes because I feel like that is manageable—I can do anything for twenty minutes. Fifteen or thirty minutes may work better for you. Experiment until you find your magic number, but don’t go beyond thirty, or writing fatigue may set in before the timer goes off.

          Next, set up a document or spreadsheet to track your sprints. Include the time of day, how many minutes you spent writing, word count, and running word count for the novel (it’s a great feeling to see the word count continue to increase). Knowing these details will help you see when you are most productive and can give you motivation to keep going. Try to plan your sprinting sessions for when you are most productive and your creativity is flowing.

          Now it’s time to sit down and write. I like to do a little pre-writing so I know what scenes I’ll be working on. For me, this usually involves thinking about where I want the story to go for that particular writing session. I write a lot in my head while I do dishes, take a shower, fold laundry, or run errands. Sometimes I’ll jot down a few notes or even a paragraph before I start sprinting. If it’s been a few days, I’ll review the last couple of pages to get back in the flow of the story. If you are a discovery writer, skip this step or modify it.

          Try to eliminate distractions. Consider leaving your phone in another room if it will distract you. Turn off the TV, use the bathroom, get a snack for your child, and make sure you’re in comfy clothes and do all you can to “get in the zone.”

          Set a timer (on your phone if you must) and write. Don’t edit or worry about details. Just write. Allow yourself to get as many words down as you can. Write whatever falls out of your brain without any judgment. Think of this as the “word vomit” step while your inner editor is bound and gagged in another room. Honestly, the words may not be great—some may even be awful—but you can always edit words on the page. You cannot edit empty space.

          Once the timer goes off, stop writing. Get up, take a walk, do an errand, eat a snack, make a phone call, play a game with your child—whatever you need to do.

          Repeat this process as often as you can throughout the day. I’ve found that three times is the sweet spot for me. I can generally write 1000 words in twenty minutes if I’m using the sprinting technique. However, I absolutely cannot write 3000 words if I sit and try to write for a solid hour. Go figure.

          I’ve found that sprint writing has helped me focus on my writing and use my time much more wisely. As I’ve practiced sprinting, I’ve been able to strengthen my writing muscles, and the more I sprint, the more words I can write in my time block.

          Here’s a recap:

          • Do some pre-writing if needed          
          • Eliminate distractions    
          • Set a timer for 20 minutes (or a time block you feel would work best)    
          • Write, write, write—no editing and no judgment    
          • When the timer goes off, go do something else    
          • Repeat

          Try it for a week or two and see if it helps you increase your word count. You might be surprised by how many more words you can write in a day. The trick is to find what works for you. Maybe sprinting won’t be your thing, but it sure is fun to try!

          Headshot of Rebecca Talley.

          Rebecca Talley

          Rebecca Talley is the mom of ten children and nana of thirteen of the world’s most adorable grandkids. She lives with her family and her husband, Del, in Houston, TX, where she tries to avoid the heat and humidity by living in the pool.

          She has published thirteen novels/novellas, a children’s picture book, a chapter book, a writing resource guide, and numerous children’s stories and articles for both online and print magazines. When she isn’t writing, Rebecca likes to date her husband, play with her kids and grandkids, swim in the ocean, crochet, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house.

          You can find Rebecca’s websites here and here.

            Why You Don’t Want to Get Your Book Done Quickly

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            As a coach, speaker, or business owner, you may have heard that being a bestselling author gives you credibility. After all, having a book helps you:

            • Get more speaking gigs
            • Have another revenue stream to support that platform (from online royalties or selling books at the back of the room after a speaking event)
            • Expand your audience tenfold through a lower-priced product (made available worldwide through online stores and libraries)
            • Increase your opportunities to pitch to media and do interviews on radio, TV, podcasts, etc.
            • Connect with clients and potential business partners by showing your expertise (and don’t forget: you can use your book as a gift!)

            Strategies for Fast Book Production

            So, how do you get a book out there quickly? There are lots of ways to approach this process.

            • Pick only one small, focused problem and offer the solution for it in fewer than 10,000 words.
            • Compile all of your blogs, PowerPoint presentations, etc., and roughly organize them around a few key ideas.
            • Turn your signature speech into a book.
            • Get together with other like-minded professionals and do a themed compilation book on your individual stories or on how you each solved a problem.

            But stop a moment.

            What Haven’t You Heard?

            While I’m all for helping authors self-publish and build their platforms with quickly produced books, I have learned a thing or two coming from “behind the curtain” of traditional publishing that I think most new authors learn only in hindsight.

            Traditional publishers understand the long-term results of good branding.

            They won’t take a book that isn’t really compelling in each of these areas:

            • Well organized; each fresh idea builds momentum gracefully and powerfully, convincing the reader of the value and truth of the ideas being proposed (avoiding redundancy, confusing paragraphs, muddy arguments, etc.)
            • Full of emotionally impactful stories that concretely support the ideas the author is developing
            • A strong, unique hook that can get both media and a bookshelf browser’s attention despite all the competition from similar products
            • Good writing—not just mechanically clean writing (with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and lack of typos), but prose that captures the stories and ideas with powerful verbs, word economy, precision, and strong voice/compelling style

            A publisher wants to make the deepest possible emotional impact on the broadest possible audience: impressed, moved, excited readers mean repeat buyers for future books, converted clients for the author (which means a bigger platform for future books), and excellent reviews and interview requests (which drive book sales). Publishers don’t want to rely on one-time marketing strategies to sell a single book in the short term. They are investing in something; they want long-term buying conversion to that author’s brand.

            The quality of the book—from its well-edited guts to its cover to the marketing copy on the back (and even the type of paper it’s printed on)—is a publisher’s best chance to convey the brand experience that will convert readers.

            Compromise for the Solution

            So, yes, you can jump on the bandwagon and quickly slap your book together, have only one or two other people give you their thoughts, and hire a proofreader to find the typos (which is different from the type of editor who deals with the items in the good-branding list above, FYI).

            And you can even sell a lot of books at the back of the room and pay for the kind of marketing that will make it a best seller in some Amazon category. But what’s after that? If someone attends your speech and then buys your signature-speech book, what increased value did you give them? Will they be that interested in the next thing you produce, or will they write you off as a one-hit wonder?

            If you want to use your book to grow your business long-term, the smoothest path to success is to have a clear, firm, and impressive book-branding experience in place from the get-go. It will give them more value, more interest in you, and more loyalty as converted clients (and it will be more convincing to any business partners you’re courting). With a higher-quality book, you’ll truly convey the expertise you have.

            Do Now

            It’s never too late to up-level your branding. If you’ve already published a quick book, don’t sweat it. Let it continue to produce what results it can while you consider if you could take it to the next level. If you’re thinking maybe you should redo the cover or the marketing copy, find a professional in the book industry to help you. Find a good developmental editor (and a deep-line editor) to give you that professional edge. That’s the beauty of self-publishing, after all—you control everything.

            If you’re still developing your book, how do you incorporate the lessons of traditional publishing into your plan for quickly producing your book?

            • Get your content together quickly and, by all means, team up with the marketing power of other professionals if that makes sense for you; but in traditional publishing (where quality equals long-term success), that’s called a draft. It’s not what you go to press with.
            • Get lots of feedback—not from close friends, your mom, or a single mentor. Use whatever networks you have (including social media and/or the audience for any online courses you’ve created) to refine your ideas by beta testing them to see what gets engagement and interest. (You’ll want to find readers who are actually facing the problem for which you’re providing a solution.)
            • Hire a professional developmental editor—don’t just get a copyedit or proofread; these latter services are both types of professional editing, but they are final steps. A developmental editor is trained in developing ideas, making sure your book is well organized, and in helping the audience connect with your voice—in short, his/her job is to make sure the market you want to speak to is going to understand your message and be moved by it. If you’re writing a memoir (or a narrative-driven inspirational/how-to), find out if your nonfiction editor also has extensive training in story structure, thematic through-lines, character development, and so on.
            • When you go to self-publish, hire individuals or teams that have experience in the traditional publishing industry so you can apply that experience to producing a quality book—one that will look as good as what the traditional industry produces. For instance, you want a team who knows what makes a good cover and why. Is the marketing copy actually marketable (has a good hook, covers reader pain points and desires, is well-worded), or is it just a general summary of your content? Does the vendor insist your cover, tagline, and image tell a cohesive genre story and hook your ideal target market? (Most won’t.)

            Sound Like This May Take a While? 

            Actually, we’re talking about adding just a couple of months to your timeline if you bring in professionals to help. In the grand scheme of things, adding two to three months to your release date isn’t much of a bump in the publish-quickly road. (If you have a pressing deadline that’s non-negotiable, just get what you have out and then up-level as soon as you can after that; you want the best version of your book available for bigger audiences as your business grows.)

            If speed is your priority, or you’re really starved for time, you can even give your content to a ghostwriter who can spin gold from it, capture your voice, and have it all done within a couple of months.

            Spun gold—that’s the kind of book that’ll have your readers coming back for more. That’s the kind of book a traditional publisher may consider picking up after you’ve made a self-pubbed success of it. That’s the kind of book that can be your legacy.

            In short? Get it done fast, but get it done right.

            This article was written by Angela Eschler and was republished in this condensed form with permission from Eschler Editing. To read the full version, click here.

            What’s More Important: The Actor or the Show?

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            Today’s article is courtesy of Rebecca Burnham of Summit Stages. You can learn more about this innovative organization by clicking here.

            One of the things I find most challenging about building beloved community through musical theatre is the apparent conflict that inevitably arises between the interests of the show and the needs of the individual.

            I don’t think it’s possible to put on a play that builds community unless you are intentional about prioritizing the people over the product. For example, if the product were the primary goal, auditions would be extremely competitive and only the very best actors would get cast. But if you’re building community, you’re going to give some parts to people who didn’t really shine in auditions but you know they need to be there and they have growth potential. You’re going to take a chance on actors from marginalized backgrounds who need extra, offstage support. You might put an exceptionally talented actor in a supportive role, where they can be an anchor for the entire cast. And then, when the crunch is on and a member of the cast is struggling in a way that may compromise your production, you are going to wonder if it’s time to prioritize the production over a specific individual.

            This happened to me recently and I made the wrong decision. Grace got in the way before I could act, then I got another opportunity to choose better. And the results were beautiful. I want to tell you about it and what I’ve learned.

            There Is a Way to Meet Everybody’s Needs

            Among the community-building decisions we made when we cast Fiddler on the Roof was to include in our ensemble an AuDHD boy who is a newcomer to the stage. It was obvious in auditions that this was important to him, and it was equally apparent that he would need a little extra help to succeed. We put him in a role that we thought would come almost naturally to him, and we expected we’d be able to give him the extra help he needed. But we didn’t realize how big of a task we’d signed up for.

            It wasn’t just his needs that were greater than we’d anticipated. So were the demands of this particular play, which is 1.5 times as long as a standard 2-hour show. Neither my co-director nor I were super familiar with the play (we’d signed onto the job with the understanding that we were doing a different show). The musical tracks provided by the licensor did not match any of the Broadway soundtracks, and we had to create our own rehearsal tracks in order to figure out choreography. We were working as hard as we could just to map choreography and pre-block the scenes before rehearsals, and then to smooth out the glitches during our run-throughs. There was so much going on with our cast of 51 that we just did not find time to work one-on-one with the boy in the ensemble that we’d known would need extra help. We saw some silliness onstage and heard reports about impulsive behavior offstage that needed to be managed. But we had some exceptional actors who were helping out with the offstage behaviors, so we directed the boy to tone down the onstage behavior and thought we had it covered.

            Halfway through our run, it became evident that the problem was getting worse instead of better. We’d gotten to the point that we were worried about being able to provide a safe environment for our actors and the equipment, and we were at our wits’ end. My co-director and I held a quick consultation. We’d tried talking to him multiple times. So had the actress working directly with him. Obviously, it wasn’t connecting. We decided that for the sake of the show and the rest of our cast, he needed a firm talking to, some actual modeling of exactly what we needed from him, and an ultimatum to straighten up or withdraw from the production. We went to take him aside, but we couldn’t find him. He’d already left the building.

            It was maybe twenty minutes later when I got a text from his mom, asking for help to recover an item he’d forgotten at the theatre. It suddenly came to me that I should tell her about the struggle we were having and ask for her ideas. She understood exactly what I was concerned about. She explained what was going on in terms of her son’s development and his meds. Then she offered to come backstage and run him through some breathing and grounding exercises that could help him cope. She even taught those exercises to the adult actress who works most closely with him so she could provide that support when the mom wasn’t able to be there.​

            Our next performance was almost flawless. I was so proud of the entire cast and crew, and especially of the boy who was now performing his part just like we’d envisioned it and honoring the space that other actors needed. And I was so, so grateful that we’d been forestalled from giving him the talking-to that would not have fixed the problem, but would have more likely ruined his experience and undermined his relationship with theatre.

            Here are my takeaways:

            • I believe the economy of heaven is win-win. I believe it’s a myth that sometimes the individual has to be sacrificed in the interest of the production or the community. I believe that if we keep digging, we will be led to a solution that meets the needs of both. I want to clarify that sometimes, that solution may ask a lot of the individual and/or of the community, and achieving it will depend on everybody’s willingness. But if we’re all willing, we can find a way to meet everybody’s needs.
            • If we can’t find a way to meet everybody’s needs, it’s time to broaden the collaborative circle. There is somebody out there with exactly the expertise or insight we need. So, instead of sacrificing the individual or the community, I’m going to trust heaven to help me find them.
            • Next time, I plan to have a member of the production whose whole job is to identify individual needs and care for the community offstage. Stage directors can do a lot to impact cast culture, but they have too much on their plate to give due attention to the specific needs of the individuals and the community. So, if the driving purpose of my work in musical theatre is to build beloved community, I need a community director who can give their full attention to that.

            Summit Stages aims to build a kinder, brighter world… one musical at a time. We’re going to do this in a way that thoroughly entertains and provides funds for our creators to achieve their dreams. But we aren’t all about the money or the entertainment. We’re about impacting lives and communities for good. 

            Headshot of Rebecca Burnham

            Rebecca Burnham

            Rebecca Burnham writes a weekly newsletter about music and theatre that build Zion at SummitStages.org, where she is gathering a collaborative community of creators, producers, performers and playgoers to fill the world with musical theatre that lifts and unites. Her passion for the stage includes acting, directing, producing, and writing musicals which have been performed on various Canadian stages. A reforming veteran of the culture wars (as journalist, award-winning columnist, and pro-family activist), she’s now on a mission to build peace through connection across our divides and the skilful staging of shared stories.

              How to Master the Apostrophe

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              Apostrophes are one of the most diverse punctuation marks in the English language. They can be used and placed in various ways to change the meaning of a sentence. You’ll want to make sure you’re using them correctly, so that your writing reads clearly. In this article, we’ll outline simple rules that will bring confidence and accuracy to your apostrophe use in the future.

              This is an apostrophe: ’ It is also known as the right single quotation mark.

              This looks like an apostrophe but is not: ‘ It is the left single quotation mark, which can’t be interchanged with an apostrophe.

              Apostrophes are used for three main reasons: signifying possessives, replacing missing letters or numbers, and—rarely—to form plurals.

              1. Signifying Possessives

              This is the most complicated use of the apostrophe. Possessives have a handful of nuances based on singular or plural form and, in some cases, the pronunciation of the individual word. But don’t let that scare you. We’ll lay out some simple rules you can follow so you’ll get this down in no time.

              Singular Possessive

              This is the easy one. To show that a singular person, place, or thing possesses something or someone else, add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the noun.

              The cat’s paws were as pristine as a white carpet.

              A student’s book was in the street.

              My toddler’s red balloon sailed into the sky.

              The same rule applies to singular nouns that end in s. Add both the apostrophe and the s at the end of the word.

              James’s dog chases Chris’s ball.

              Arkansas’s capital has a booming industry.

              Agnes’s report said that her crocus’s petals were as vibrant as ever.

              Note: Not every style guide agrees on the treatment of singular nouns as possessives. For example, in the Associated Press (AP) style, the noun being proper or common will determine whether to use an apostrophe or the apostrophe s. However, the majority of style guides, including Chicago style (CMOS), American Psychological Association style (APA), and Modern Language Association style (MLA), agree with the rule above.

              Plural Possessive

              Most plural words in the English language end in s or es to show more than one person, place, or thing. For those plural possessives, add only the apostrophe after the end of the word.

              The knives’ sharpness made even the most experienced chefs take precaution.

              My sisters’ shoes always look pristine.

              The boxes’ angles interested the children.

              For plural nouns that don’t end in s or es, we revert back to the original rule. Add an apostrophe and an s.

              The children’s toys were sprawled across the room.

              The mice’s tails whipped behind them as they ran.

              The women’s discussion enlightened each member of the room.

              There are a handful of words in English that end in s both when they are singular and plural. Examples are leggings and politics. For these kinds of words, just add an apostrophe like you would for plural words ending in s, even if they are used in a singular sense.

              The headquarters’ main office had cubicles.

              The crossroads’ intersections both needed to be cleared of debris.

              The tweezers’ prongs were sharper than necessary.

              Similarly, words that have a plural form ending in s but are singular in meaning, like United States, follow the same rule of adding only an apostrophe.

              Beverly Hills’ homes are some of the most expensive in the country.

              Longwood Gardens’ woodlands contain over 100 floral species.

              Portland Academy of Writers’ meetings are extensive and informative.

              Joint Possession

              When a noun is owned by two or more people, this is called joint possession. The placement of the apostrophe (or apostrophes) in joint possession will change the meaning of the sentence. If two or more people own the same item, only one apostrophe is used with the last written owner’s name. If two or more people own separate but similar items, apostrophes are used with each written owner’s name.

              For example, if we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned by both Jim and Pam, we would write, “Jim and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophe is placed only after Pam’s name to show that Jim and Pam own the same dogs. If we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned separately, some by Jim and some by Pam, we would write, “Jim’s and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophes after both names signify that Jim and Pam do not own the same dogs but have their own set of dogs.

              Chancy, Noah, and Clara’s parents celebrated their 28th anniversary.

              (Chancy, Noah, and Clara all have the same parents.)

              Emma’s, Anthony’s, and Sawyer’s parents shop at the same grocery store.

              (Emma, Anthony, and Sawyer all have different parents.)

              Halley and Stuart’s bakery is located on the corner.

              (Halley and Stuart own the same bakery.)

              Josie’s and Caleb’s bakeries are across the street from each other.

              (Josie and Caleb own two separate bakeries.)

              Last Names Ending in S

              Here’s a little bonus section for you. Sometimes last names that end in s can make the plural and the possessive complicated. But if you follow the rules stated above, you can figure out the correct way to write each last name in each situation.

              Let’s say the last name is Leavitt. If we want to talk about one Leavitt (singular) in the possessive form, we would add an apostrophe and an s. “Sophie Leavitt’s nails were painted red.”

              If we want to talk about all the people in the Leavitt family (plural), it would be Leavitts. Now, let’s add the possessive form with the plural. Like we mentioned above, for plurals already ending in s, simply add an apostrophe. “The Leavitts’ car is brand new.” Simple enough, right?

              Here’s where the confusion comes in. What if the last name ends in s already? Let’s take the last name Roberts, for example. In the singular possessive form, we would say, “Ignacio Roberts’s house is the quaintest on the block.” Making that last name plural, it’s Robertses. Now, follow the same rule for a plural noun already ending in s: add only an apostrophe. “The Robertses’ cat dashed under our porch.”

              2. Replacing Missing Letters or Numbers

              Sometimes apostrophes stand in for letters or numbers. These are called contractions. For example, in the contraction don’t the apostrophe stands in for the missing o in the phrase do not. Here are more examples:

              won’t for will not

              ’twas for it was

              gov’t for government

              rock ’n’ roll for rock and roll

              cookin’ for cooking

              Apostrophes standing in for numerals have less variations. They are mainly used to signify the year. So, instead of 1994, we could use an apostrophe to replace the numbers 19 and simply write ’94.

              3. Forming Plurals

              This is the least common use of the apostrophe. In fact, it’s pretty rare. An apostrophe can show the plural form only when adding an s or es would make the meaning ambiguous.

              For example, if we’re talking about lowercase letters of the alphabet in the plural form, it would be confusing to read “The teacher wrote xes on the chalkboard.” The reader may not know if the teacher wrote more than one x or xes. Instead, to be very clear, we would use an apostrophe. “The teacher wrote x’s on the chalkboard.” This applies to lowercase letters, but capital letters are pluralized by adding only s. (“She got all As on her report card.”)

              You may also see this same usage being applied to numbers, but it’s not as common. (“The algorithm required we use only 0’s and 1’s.”)

              Apostrophes are diverse, but you can master them if you review the guidelines outlined above. The more you practice using apostrophes, the more confident you’ll be that you’re applying them correctly. To learn more about apostrophes, you can read the Chicago Manual of Style, sections 7.5–30 and 5.20. And if you’re ever confused, you can always refer back to this article.

              We would like to thank Breanna Call and our friends at Ever Editing for allowing us to share this article with you. To read the other great articles they’ve written, click here.