LDSPMA

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

Craft Skills

How LDSPMA Changed My Life—- and Can Change Yours

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Some lucky people know what they want to do early in their lives. Their career paths are clear straight lines. Far more frequently, though, career paths wind and twist and turn and tumble. They’re bumpy; they have ruts and potholes. They split off into the trees without road signs or mile markers. Maybe that’s why they’re called career “paths” and not highways or boulevards.

A few years ago, I was on a particularly winding, rut-filled path myself. But in the world of creation, no matter whether you are on a straight path or a winding one, we all are going to need help at some point. We will need guidance, information, or encouragement.

I needed all of that. And that’s what LDSPMA gave — and still gives — to me.

Starting to find direction

When I returned from my mission to Russia in August of 2018, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had dabbled with health care and law in high school but found both unsatisfactory. I liked sports, I wasn’t interested in it as a career.

When I first got home, I believed what many missionaries do, that I could continue my mission by teaching seminary. That idea faded quickly, and I was left in limbo. 

We all are going to need help at some point. We will need guidance, information, or encouragement.

While I drifted in uncertainty at Utah State University, I took a humanities class taught by former LDSPMA Education Director Joseph Batzel. In the class, we discussed various types of art and media, and learned to evaluate and think critically about their value.

Near the end of the semester, we had a large assignment. I wrote a parody of Sherlock Holmes where he works as a janitor at an elementary school. Watson is split into two separate teachers, Ms. Watson and Mrs. John. There is a little mystery about a tipped-over garbage can and hidden treasure. It’s a piece I’m still proud of today — although I probably would have forgotten about it if it weren’t for Professor Batzel’s reaction.

He wrote a thorough evaluation of my story, brought me in to talk about it, and sang a few of its praises to my classmates. I was embarrassed, but proud at the same time. I’d worked hard on that Sherlock Holmes story, and Professor Batzel recognized that. He knew it wasn’t going to win any awards, but he saw its potential and encouraged me. 

Not long after that, he introduced me to another of his writer friends, who was another LDSPMA member. This friend was putting together an anthology of short stories. I submitted a story, and a few months later I had my first published work ever. And, my first milestone on my new path.

Meeting others on the path

I attended my first LDSPMA conference in 2019. I was nervous, and didn’t know what to expect. Beyond connecting and working with Professor Batzel and a few students in my creative writing classes, I had never really networked before. But on the first day that I walked into the conference, I felt welcomed. 

We started in the Conference Center on the Brigham Young University campus. In the large crowd, I was waved down by Professor Batzel. He introduced me to a member of the Osmond family, Justin Osmond. 

Five minutes later, I was listening to Elder John H. Groberg (as in John H. Groberg of The Other Side Of Heaven) give the keynote address on creating uplifting media. I checked the rest of the schedule. There would be presentations from Lisa Magnum and Chris Schlesinger from Shadow Mountain Publishing, T.C. Christiansen the filmmakers, Janice Kapp Perry the composer, and Jennifer Sterling, sister and assistant to Lindsay Sterling.

I listened to professionals and enthusiasts from all branches of publishing and media present their advice and passion purely for the benefit of others over the course of the weekend conference. In those few days, I learned about networking, marketing, managing writing schedules, how to find an agent and a publisher, and so much more. I went from feeling like writing could be a hobby…to something that I could actually make into a career. 

The power, purpose, and spirit of LDSPMA

Since attending my first conference in 2019, I have attended other conferences and taken part in Zoom meetings with other LDSPMA members. Each interaction has uplifted and encouraged me. 

I love writing for the LDSPMA blog from time to time. Working with the other writers and editors has made me a better writer. Every person not only wants to get better at what they do, but help others get better. 

That’s the spirit of LDSPMA. 

I went from feeling like writing could be a hobby…to something that I could actually make into a career.

LDSPMA’s purpose is to “empower Latter-day Saints to become voices of light and truth in publishing, media, and the arts.” 

And I’ve found that to be true. 

LDSPMA gave me a foundation to start a career in something I love. I write for LDSDaily.com, I have published my first book, and I run a podcast called Mission Report designed to instruct future missionaries on how they can better prepare for their missions.

I’m grateful for the resources and knowledge LDSPMA supplies me with. I look forward to attending more conferences, associating with the members of LDSPMA, and gaining more ability and understanding of how to uplift and inspire others. 

From once feeling lost, I now love the path I’m on, and I look forward to what lies ahead down the road.

Tyler Brian Nelson

After serving a mission to Samara, Russia, Tyler graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in Creative Writing. Tyler is the author of Away From The Sun, a short collection of his written works, is the host of the Mission Report podcast, and runs the To Be Determined… blog. He lives in Provo with his drop-dead gorgeous wife, enjoys playing basketball, playing the banjo, studying history, and collecting Pokemon cards.

    Portrait of a Painter: The Journey of Latter-day Saint Artist Dan Wilson

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    Dan Wilson began drawing from the time he could pick up a pencil. “I doodled on everything,” he recounts. “My first sale was in 7th grade to one of my teachers. She had me draw John Wayne. I couldn’t believe she gave me $20. But I battled being an artist. I studied chiropractic, fire science, and business, but I always felt a tug to go back to art.”

    “Before graduation, Dan was all over the place,” said Heather, Dan’s wife of 13 years. “He couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do. I asked, ‘Why not art?’, but I never thought he would do it full time.” 

    Early Inspiration

    Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dan graduated from Utah Valley University with a bachelor degree in fine arts. “My greatest mentors were Perry Stuart, a UVU art professor, and William Whittaker, who mentored me after college. I was inspired by Danish artist Carl Bloch and French artist William Bouguereau.”

    Dan is also inspired by his wife. “I wouldn’t be able to give it 100% if she wasn’t behind me,” he said. Dan first met Heather at Gold’s Gym. “I didn’t want to be that guy who gets her number at the gym,” he admitted, “then I ran into her at a dance two months later. The rest is history.” The couple has four boys and two girls ranging in age from two to eleven.

    Lightbulb Moment

    “I originally painted just to have a career. I did portrait art and wanted to get into galleries,” Dan said. “Then I painted my first image of Christ, and two families bought simple prints. One mother stopped me the next week at church, got emotional, and said, ‘You have no idea how much that image is uplifting us in our home.’ I thought, ‘That was really cool.’”

    The next week at the exact same spot, another woman stopped Dan. “She also got emotional and said, ‘I gave my print to my sister who’s trying to keep her family together. You have no idea how much it means to them and how much it’s helping.’ She said almost the exact same words. The lightbulb went off and I knew—I’m supposed to be painting for a reason, and that is to uplift people in their homes with images of Christ.”

    I’m supposed to be painting for a reason…

    “When Dan was deciding what he wanted to paint, he was up and down,” said Heather. “When he realized he wanted to paint the Savior, everything just fell into place.”

    Rigors of Aspiration

    But it hasn’t always been easy. To support his art career, Heather cleaned houses and Dan managed a freight forwarding business for FEDEX. “My first year I made $7,000 from my art,” he said, “but Heather never second-guessed the whole thing.” 

    In 2014, Dan started painting full time. “It’s not a normal nine-to-five job,” said Heather. “There’s no paid time off. His schedule varies. At six pm he may be in the middle of something he can’t leave. Sometimes he paints until midnight. But he’s a hard worker and takes on the responsibility of providing for the family. He constantly studies the work of other artists.”

    Inspiration is a Process

    Dan relies heavily on the power and process of inspiration. “If I’m painting the Savior for a temple, I just want to do Him justice. I’m intimidated every time,” he said. “I spend a lot of mental prep work getting ready to paint. I get a father’s blessing. I include it in my fast. Then I do the best painting I can with the Lord’s help.”

    Dan is quick to add that inspiration doesn’t come all at once. “I can take it only so far, and then I get stuck where I just don’t know what the best thing for the painting is. It’s then that I receive more answers.”

    Washington DC Temple Painting

    This process was repeatedly manifested in his largest work to date, “His Return,” a depiction of Christ’s Second Coming for the Washington DC Temple.

    Dan had already completed six paintings for temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he received a call from the Temple Department to do another: an eight-by-twelve-foot oil painting for the Washington DC Temple. It needed to be completed in time for the temple rededication in the summer of 2022.

    “This Second Coming piece was a big slice of humble pie. I ran into several things I didn’t know how to do,” said Dan. “I’ve never done a mural this size before with 300-plus angels. It stretched me. When I get overconfident and don’t rely on the spirit, I make a lot of mistakes I have to spend the next day fixing. It’s pretty easy to stay grounded when you realize you’re painting stuff you can’t paint by yourself. I learn something new each time.”

    “The temple department gave me the idea for the painting based on scripture, with the Savior coming in the clouds clothed in a red robe surrounded by numerous angels,” said Dan. “I produced preliminary sketches with graphite. When they were approved, I was asked to do a one-by-two-foot painting which the temple interior designer would use for their color palate. When that was approved, they let me loose.”

    Dan went to work finding models and clothing for them, creating concepts for the trumpets, and conducting numerous photoshoots before putting it all together. “I spent hundreds of hours in Photoshop just placing the angels so that they didn’t create a pattern and the diversity was not stacked in one section. I had about 30 models, but as you go further away from Christ the detail isn’t as apparent.” 

    God is in the very details of our work.

    There were more layers of approval for the painting, the last one being a member of the First Presidency of the Church. It took Dan an estimated 2,000 hours to paint “His Return”—a fourth of it in preparation alone. 

    Specific Revelation

    Dan’s original concept was for 120 angels. To give greater depth to the painting, the number grew to more than 300. “I painted one angel at a time,” he said. “It took one to three days per angel. All of them had slightly different contrasts. The hardest thing about painting 300 angels surrounding Christ is to have them not consume all the attention and to have them go back in space evenly and consistently. I was really stressed out about it, and I prayed and fasted a lot.”

    One morning Dan awoke early and visualized the use of a specific white glaze to apply in variation to make the angels complement and not compete with the image of the Savior. It gave them a glowing feel and helped them fit perfectly in atmospheric perspective. 

    “Such a specific revelation is a testimony to me that God is in the very details of our work. That doesn’t just apply to me as a Christian artist working on temple paintings, but it applies to anyone in any career. God is in the details of our work, and He can answer specific questions to help us be better providers, better employees, better employers, better husbands or wives, or wherever we need help. If we’re specific with Him, He’ll be specific with us.”

    Howard Collette

    Author Bio

    Howard Collett has two novels in production, Erika’s War, a spy novel set in contemporary Berlin, and Lost in the Wilderness, the tale of a 10-year-old girl lost in Utah’s Uinta mountains. He has published 1,600 articles and 300 photos in aviation, medicine, software, and education in national and international magazines. His capstone achievement documented life-saving humanitarian aid on four continents. Visit www.howardcollett.net for more information.

      How to Publish Your Audiobook for Less

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      Julie MacNeil thought her work on her award-winning book The 50-Year Secret was done when she published it. Although she did successfully find readers, many of her friends told her, “I don’t read much, but let me know when it’s on Audible!”

      In the ever-shifting world of publication, authors must keep up with current trends to get their work published, noticed, and to increase shelf life. One of the biggest recent developments is streaming audiobooks on platforms such as Audible.

      Streaming on Audible comes with several advantages, as Julie discovered when she researched the platform. There are far fewer books on Audible as opposed to ebooks or in print, and its connection to Amazon is enormously powerful in finding new readers (and listeners!)

      How to publish on Audible (the easy way)

      According to Julie, the easiest and fastest way to publish on Audible is to hire a professional narrator using Audible’s “back office” site and service called ACX.

      The first step is to apply and get accepted for publication with Audible. Next, create a client account on ACX. From there, you can browse the profiles of the people who narrate books. You can listen to voice samples, and even solicit auditions from prospective narrators.  

      Audible’s connection to Amazon is enormously powerful in finding new readers (and listeners!)

      Once you find someone who’s a good match for your work, you and the narrator negotiate a price. Prices tend to be high — possibly thousands of dollars or even split royalties — because these narrators are professionals. While narrators work on recording, sections are sent to both the author and Audible for approval before being published as one whole book. When it’s done, your book will be available on Audible for purchase and streaming.

      This is the most common way to publish on Audible. However, Julie decided to do something different.

      The 50-Year Secret

      For Julie, writing and publishing her book wasn’t about fame or money — it was about saving lives. 

      She had already lived through several difficult events in life, from bullying to abusive relationships, when she discovered through a chance DNA test that she had a rare liver disease called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.  

      The genetic disease is potentially fatal, but because it is a tricky disease that can often manifest as respiratory rather than liver problems, an estimated 90% of people who have it are undiagnosed. So, Julie was especially glad that she found out.

      “I found it really empowering to learn about my disease,” Julie told me in a recent interview. “I wanted to encourage others to … be proactive about their health. Even if you find out you have it or some other disease — even if it means you might die young — I hope you’ll make the most of life.”

      Because Julie was adopted, her doctor suggested she try to find her biological family so she could warn them about the disease and encourage them to get tested. Her book chronicles this journey of finding her biological family. Although her father had already passed away from alpha-1, the lives of other family members were saved because they were able to get treatment for the disease they might have died of but never known about.

      Julie wrote her book largely because she wanted to help bring awareness to others about alpha-1 and encourage more people to get tested — and maybe save their lives too. Getting on Audible would amplify her message beyond Amazon.

      How to publish on Audible (the cost-effective way)

      Julie figured out she could still get her book on Audible — and save money — by doing more of the process on her own.

      First, she bought a software program for recording and editing audio called Hindenburg. Julie heard about it at a writing conference where she was nominated for an award for her book and was impressed with some of its features. Besides important tools like filters for canceling background noise, she said, “Hindenburg has classes and deals and free trainings to help you learn how to use it.”

      Armed with her own software, Julie didn’t need to choose a narrator on ACX. While some authors choose to narrate their own books, she enlisted the help of her friend, Christina Betz (aka Tina) to read for her. Tina set up her own account on ACX as a narrator so that Julie could select her, and then they negotiated their own deal. Tina had never done any professional narrating before, but she did have an advantage because her husband had a recording studio in their home for his own work.

      The longest part of the publishing process was recording because there was a learning curve that Julie and Tina had to overcome. Tina would read a section and send it to Audible for approval, and Audible would reject it if it wasn’t perfect. In the beginning, recordings were often rejected, most often due to background noise. Tina had to make her recording studio more soundproof and get better microphones. Tina and Julie even had to change the lights because professional recording equipment can pick up many lights’ hum. 

      Writing and publishing her book wasn’t about fame or money — it was about saving lives.

      After about six months of trial and error (and help from another friend who worked in audio and video marketing), they were finally able to produce quality recordings that lived up to Audible’s standards. After that, it only took Tina about a week to record the 6-hour audiobook. The book was submitted in pieces and finally published all together as an audiobook.

      And now, Julie finds it’s easier to find listeners than readers.

      If she had to do it again…

      With the gift of hindsight, Julie told me she wouldn’t change anything. The hardest part, she said, wasn’t the long recording process. “It’s getting people to leave reviews!” 

      I asked her if it would be practical for other authors to do what she did to get on Audible. “It’s the cheapest way,” she said. “We could have hired someone else who had the recording equipment, but it might have cost thousands of dollars. It took a long time, but we learned a lot.”

      With a little extra effort and research, authors who are accepted for publication on Audible can do a lot of the work themselves for less cost and learn something along the way. Tina enjoyed the process so much that she decided to keep her profile on ACX so that she could narrate again. 

      Readers who are curious about Julie’s disease — or who might be interested in her inspiring story of adoption and overcoming trials with a positive attitude — can visit her website The50YearSecret.com and check out her book on Amazon or Audible. The book will also be made into a movie.

      Sapphire Hodges

      Sapphire Hodges has taught anthropology and middle eastern dance at the University of Oklahoma and courses in English as a Second Language at Utah Valley University. Along with her studies in linguistics and anthropology, she has been a licensed massage therapist since 2009 and has taught a little massage. She likes to read, write, dance, and teach her blue heeler, Beowolf, new tricks. 

        The Power of Asking ‘Why?’: Improving the depth and credibility of your writing

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        When I emerged from the diminutive mosque in a remote African village, I had a burning question. It came to mind while sitting reverently during prayers which the Imam had graciously invited us to observe.

        I was a writer and photographer in Sierra Leone with two senior missionaries and a two-person video crew for LDS Charities filming a documentary on clean water projects (see more).

        The village was home to a thousand people: half Christian, half Muslim. After thanking the Imam for his invitation, I asked him, “How do you get along with the Christians?”

        Asking the right questions

        The puzzled look on his face mirrored his reply: “What do you mean?”

        Stammering, I said, “Well, half of the village is Christian, the other half is Muslim. How do you get along?”

        When he gave the same response again, I wondered how much English the Imam understood. Then I realized his point-of-view on world issues was vastly different than mine. The village had no electricity, no running water, no televisions, scant public transportation (unless you call the back of a motorbike or the top of a cargo truck public transportation), few cell phones, and no world news.

        To provide perspective, I mentioned that throughout history Muslims and Christians had battled each other. Then I repeated my original question.

        We work in the fields side by side just to survive. What is there to fight about?

        The Imam answered, “You don’t understand.” Then he gave me perspective. “The Christians helped us build our mosque. We helped them build their houses. We work in the fields side by side just to survive. What is there to fight about?”

        Perhaps I should have first asked “why.”

        Getting to the point

        Not too long after my trip to Africa, I interviewed a science professor at BYU in Provo, Utah. He was renowned for his work in a particular field. I asked him why his work was so important. He answered with a barrage of scientific jargon, little of which I understood.

        Unfortunately, I repeated the mistake I’d made with the Imam by asking the professor the same question again. His answer was mingled with words such as “leading research,” “peer-reviewed trials,” breakthrough technology,” etc.

        Flustered, I blurted, “Why should I care?”

        Startled, he looked at me thoughtfully, then answered, “It’s a possible cure for cancer.”

        “Now I have a story,” I said. And a headline, I thought. People don’t care about a process until they can see the potential impact it can have on their lives.

        For example, when Joseph Smith walked into the Sacred Grove that spring morning in 1820 to ask which church he should join, he had little knowledge about the nature of God. He received an answer to the “which” question but also learned why. God revealed the nature of Himself and His Son, knowing it is easier for us to pray to a God we can comprehend rather than a nebulous, unknown being. And that understanding would be essential for the revelations that followed in the years to come.

        Who knows where “why” will lead

        My final story comes from a sister missionary in Germany. My wife and I were senior missionaries and district leaders for an all-sister district. Wanting to know why they decided to serve missions, we asked questions. Our dialogue with this particular sister went something like this:

        “What did you do before you started your mission?”

        “I played soccer at a junior college.”

        “How did you do?”

        “I scored a lot of goals.”

        When you think you have all the answers, ask one more question.

        I could have ended there, but I’d learned when you think you have all the answers, ask one more question.

        “Why?”

        “I was the smallest player on the team,” she said, “so I knew I had to be faster, smarter, and more determined than anyone else.”

        Now I had something to write about. I knew the why as well as the what and how. In fact, the physical characteristics and personality of the female protagonist in my novel are based on our missionary’s answer. You never know where asking why will lead you.

        Asking questions leads to discovery

        Asking questions while researching your book (or preparing for a presentation, podcast, interview, etc.) will add depth and understanding to your work. Ask questions of your characters to understand them better and make them more believable to your readers. We told our missionaries in Germany to ask questions before they started teaching. It not only endeared them to their friends, but their answers about their joys, concerns, successes, and failures often led to gospel discussions.

        The concept of asking the right questions is not new, as Simon Sinek described in his acclaimed book, Start with Why. His Ted Talk on the topic has 56 million views. Simon says every inspired leader or innovator asks the question “What.” A smaller number ask “How,” and very few ask “Why.”

        The essence of “why”

        The plot in my upcoming novel, Erika’s War, is about uranium being smuggled from Germany to Russia. There, the Russians will generate vast amounts of electricity and sell it to the Germans at an extremely low price. The conspiracy will drive renewable power and other sources of electricity out of business, eventually giving the Russians economic control over Germany on a scale not seen since the Cold War.

        Plausibility for my plot is strengthened when I discovered that growth of renewable sources of energy is already faltering in Europe. Asking the right questions gave me the why. For example, I discovered that villages in Germany are taxing wind farms for noise pollution and limiting encroachment to two kilometers. This raises the cost of land acquisition and wind farm operation, and increases the likelihood of acceptance of lower-priced energy from Russia.

        “Why” has to do with purpose, cause, or belief, not results. It’s the reason Christians and Muslims get along in Sierra Leone. It’s the reason the science professor spends untold hours of research. It’s the reason my soccer player was so good. And it’s the reason the protagonist in your novel just might prevail.

        Author Bio

        Howard Collett has two novels in production, Erika’s War, a spy novel set in contemporary Berlin, and Lost in the Wilderness, the tale of a 10-year-old girl lost in Utah’s Uinta mountains. He has published 1,600 articles and 300 photos in aviation, medicine, software, and education in national and international magazines. His capstone achievement documented life-saving humanitarian aid on four continents. Visit www.howardcollett.net for more information.

          Called to Create: Interview with New Host Connie Sokol

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          I am excited to introduce the new host of LDSPMA’s podcast Called to Create, Connie Sokol. Connie is a bestselling author, a national speaker, a media personality, and a program founder. She is a regular contributor on the top-rated lifestyle show Studio Five with Brooke Walker. She hosts Disciple Thought Leaders Retreats which teach women how to be influential writers, speakers, and media personalities. She is also the mother of seven.

          —-

          RACHELLE: The podcast’s name is Called to Create. Can you tell us what that means?

          CONNIE: Yes, we chose the title Called to Create because it resonates with creative people. There was discussion and prayer about what it could be that would reach the audience, which includes speakers, writers, musicians, publishers, and people trying to express the gospel through creative abilities. 

          RACHELLE: You definitely nailed the title. How did you get into media?

          CONNIE: I feel like Heavenly Father has plugged me in and out of experiences. I started speaking for the Church Education System. I was doing Education Week and Especially for Youth. One thing led to another, and I started doing professional speaking on the side. I had seven kids, so I would do a little bit at a time. 

          Then Bonneville Communications KSL approached me and asked me to be a host of a women’s radio show. You know that phrase, “Start as you mean to go on”? That was poignant for me. I was going to have another baby, and I said, “I cannot do every day from three to six, but I can give you two days a week from noon to three, because I’m a mom.” 

          They ended up having three hosts do one schedule for the week so we could all put our families first. And it was beautiful. The radio show kicked this off for me in a big way, and then I was invited to do TV with Brooke Walker. I’ve been doing that for 16 years now. I sort of fell into it, but I was looking for opportunities for the Lord to use me.

          It’s not a talk at you podcast. It’s very much like you’re sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a conversation with people who are extraordinary.

          RACHELLE: You’re a best-selling award-winning author, you’ve written 18 books, you do TV and podcasting, and you’re a media personality. How does that impact your ability to interview the guests on Called to Create? 

          CONNIE: I see profoundly how Heavenly Father has placed me in different situations so that when I’m interviewing these guests—like Lisa Valentine Clark, Al Carraway, The Jets—I’m able to connect. I understand what it takes to publish a book. I’ve done traditional publishing and self-publishing. I’ve had an agent. I have all these different experiences that the Lord has plugged me in and out of, just enough to be able to connect. 

          That’s one of the things I love about this podcast. It’s not a talk at you podcast. It’s very much like you’re sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a conversation with people who are extraordinary. They’re showing us by their process how they made it happen. My experience really helps me to go deep, fast. Through shared experiences we can laugh and learn together and have juicy, enriching conversations.

          RACHELLE: We are lucky to have you. Tell us how you connected with LDSPMA?

          CONNIE: Well, I’ve had my own podcast. We’re coming up on 180 episodes, and it’s been great. I’ve had wonderful guests on there, like New York Times bestselling authors. Then at the beginning of last year, I had this feeling like I needed to do more with my podcast. But it was already going well, and I didn’t understand what it meant. 

          A few months later, the thought of LDSPMA resonated, and I was like, I wonder if they have a podcast? When I asked, it just so happened that their original host, who had done a great job, was leaving and they were looking for a new host. 

          I contacted them and we immediately connected. We had the same vision, of getting this out and increasing the reach, and it’s been incredible already. We put 14 episodes in the can within two and a half months. It was unbelievable. The miracles fell into place.

          RACHELLE: Can you tell us what’s your favorite part of the podcast process?

          CONNIE: We have a beautiful team, and we laugh, and we have all these incredibly talented volunteers. We’re all volunteers. We’re just doing this for Him. So that’s a really fun piece. 

          But I think the guests have been incredible—the things that they’ve shared from their heart, the way they’ve shared the gospel in unexpected ways. I’m interviewing The Jets, and they’re talking about a Book of Mormon with Boy George; and then Al Caraway and how when she first came on the scene she was so passionate about the gospel, and then people just shredded her, and she really had to get tight with Heavenly Father. Moments like that where one minute you’re laughing, and one minute you’re crying. 

          It’s just the most wonderful experience and blessing to peek into the lives of these amazing people, and I am bettered by every single interview that I have done.

          If you have felt called to share His message through your creative abilities, this is the podcast for you.

          RACHELLE: What will audience members get from listening to this podcast?

          CONNIE: So much. I think tools might be your biggest surprise. We make sure they give takeaways so that you’ll come away with something every podcast to help on your creative journey. What are some of the how-tos? How did they get started in the speaking business? When you hear a show tool, you will just be blown away. You will want to jump out of your chair and become a speaker.

          But it’s these tools, these takeaways, these tips that you can start putting into your life regardless of what genre you’re in. You can apply them and start seeing the difference. You’re going to get great stuff.

          RACHELLE: For people who don’t listen to many podcasts or don’t think they have the time, what would be a reason to check this one out?

          CONNIE: Because it will impact your life. If you have felt called to share His message through your creative abilities, this is the podcast for you, even if you don’t listen to any other podcast. If you have felt a rumble, if you felt called to speak or write a book, or to do something in social media, or to be a musician or an artist or whatever, this will help you on your creative journey for Him. 

          This is all about: How do we apply the gospel? How do we navigate the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill? How do we make those hard choices that keep us on the straight and narrow to do what we came here to do? That’s the difference in this podcast. It is part devotional, part scripture, part life experience, part kitchen table chat. You’re getting all the things in one podcast.

          RACHELLE: Connie, what is one thing that you feel Called to Create?

          CONNIE: As you know, I help women with the Disciple Thought Leadership Retreats to do this very thing, so they can get in and make it happen. But beyond that and my family, it’s this podcast. 

          I really do feel “called to create” with this wonderful team. We feel so strongly about Elder Bednar’s invitation to sweep the earth as with a flood on media, particularly social media. 

          We yearn to help every person who feels called to be able to get their message out, to be distinct and different and articulate, to have the tools and the inspiration. And when they’re like, “I’m so done,” like in Alma when they talk about “when our hearts were depressed and we were ready to turn back,” right? They listen to this podcast, they listen to an episode, and they’ll be like, I can do this. I can keep going. I get what He wants me to do, and I’ll just take the next right step. That’s what we hope.

          —-

          Fabulous. I love that. This is such a treat. I am really glad that we got to know Connie Sokol a little bit better today. We are so fortunate to have her, I am so excited for the podcast this new season, so everybody listen in. We have a lot of great information in store for you.

          Author Profile

          Rachelle J. Christensen is the award-winning author of over 20 books, a mother of 5, and organizer of 75+ chickens raised annually by her family. Rachelle enjoys online marketing and harnessing the power of social media. She has worked with a multi-million dollar worldwide company, publishers, and dozens of authors, including New York Times bestseller David Farland and celebrity Merrill Osmond.

          Rachelle carves out writing time in between home-schooling kids and her work as a writing and marketing coach for authors. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Music.

            Presenting Moral Themes for a Secular Audience

            By 2 Comments

            By Emma Heggem

            Most of us don’t work within an entirely Latter-day Saint community. Many of us work with audiences, co-creaters, gatekeepers, and financial backers who are not of our faith. Sometimes,  in the secular publishing community, it feels like we have to pack our beliefs away during professional moments and save them for personal time. But that approach is never truly possible. Some of our beliefs may be easily removed from our creations, like letting characters drink coffee or swear. On the other hand, some of our beliefs are so deeply rooted that we don’t even realize they show up in our work. We may accidentally include topics such as what makes a good leader, whether people are primarily good, or if good is capable of overcoming evil. Sometimes these influences will be subtle and readers won’t consciously notice them. Other times, these beliefs become an active participant in the plot in the form of a theme. 

            When our beliefs become a theme in our fiction novels, we can still make books that can be published and appreciated by general readership. We just need to make sure we are making these ideas palatable for readers who are not of our faith by handling the theme with honesty and complexity. 

            Explore Your Theme

            When tackling a belief that some of your readers may disagree with, you can’t present a singular and unequivocal answer. For example, in a book with a theme about lying, stating that lying is bad is not going to be convincing. An author can touch their readers much more deeply by exploring the pros and cons of lying. For readers who do not already agree that lying is bad, this exploration—as opposed to explanation—will allow them to inform their own decisions rather than feel as though they are being force-fed your answers.

            Posing your theme as a question can help you make sure that you are exploring both sides of the issue in your book, though not all questions are going to lead to true exploration of a theme. For example, the question “Are serial killers bad?” is likely going to provide a single and fairly predictable answer. I think you’ll be hard pressed to find situations that do anything but show serial killers being bad and will have an even harder time convincing readers that there is any confusion over the answer.

            A better theme might be “Are sociopaths destined to be evil?” as the book I am not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells asked. While related to the topic of serial killers, it is a question that readers had not previously considered, and the book’s main character was determined to prove that sociopaths didn’t have to be serial killers. People were interested in seeing if that answer could hold up.

            Another option, if you don’t want to try to convince people of an unlikely (but possible) answer to an obvious question, is to present one answer out of many. This is the case for the question “Is lying always bad?” Many people will have different answers to that question, and your book can explore several of those answers and which might be right in various circumstances.

            Proposing a Natural Theme

            In order to explore a theme, you need to match it to the right story. The events of your story should naturally lend themselves towards questions and conflicts over the topic. A story about the morality of war will need a war. A story about honesty will need secrets and lies. A story about repentance will need a main character who has made a terrible mistake or who has suffered from someone else’s sins.

            Themes should also match the story in tone. A kids’ book about unicorns would likely not be the right place for a plotline focused on the murky, gray areas of life. An adult novel about deadly political conspiracy would probably fail to carry a theme about the importance of friendship.

            Sympathize with Multiple Sides

            As your story develops and the theme becomes relevant to the plot events, your characters will begin to be affected. They may deal with the fallout of other people’s decisions, or they may make their own decisions and have to deal with the consequences. As this happens, the characters may begin to have opinions or even dialogue about the “answer” to the theme question. 

            No matter what you feel is the “correct answer”, your characters need to come to their own conclusions. A good example of this can be found at the end of the film Doctor Strange. (If you haven’t seen it, the climax is a fight with a demon who was summoned from a realm of destruction by magicians who want to use his powers for their own means. The hero, Doctor Strange, chooses to use forbidden magic of his own to fight the demon.) The overarching question in this movie is: “Can dangerous magic be used for good, or will it always cause destruction?” Doctor Strange and his friend both enter the climax to stop the demon, but they leave the fight with very different conclusions about the overarching question. 

            No matter what you feel is the ‘correct answer,’ your characters need to come to their own conclusions.

            In the end, Doctor Strange believes that forbidden magic could be used for good because he has just saved the world with it. This ties in with his arrogance, which is an important personality trait for him throughout the story. 

            On the other hand, his friend leaves the movie with the opinion that using forbidden magic is what brought the demon to their world in the first place, so not using forbidden magic, or maybe even any magic at all, is the safest course of action. This lines up with his own established personality as a man who believes rigidly in rules. He also has recently learned that someone very important to him has been lying to him. This betrayal breaks his trust in people, and that carries over into his trust in Doctor Strange’s use of dangerous magic. 

            In your own stories, the line between characters who believe in the “correct answer” and the “wrong answer” should not one hundred percent follow the line of “good guys” and “bad guys.” Their backgrounds, personalities, and experiences may lead them to come to different conclusions from you and from each other. Always treat the differing opinions as valid and intelligent. If the only proponents of the “wrong answer” are misguided idiots or actual evil people, you will lose your readers and come across as preachy.

            Proposing an Answer

            When writing a story with a theme, you may frame your plotline around a specific answer, or you may keep it more open-ended and leave readers thoughtful about the topic. If you choose to provide a single answer at the end, you’ll have to be careful to do so gently and without invalidating the individual characters’ beliefs. 

            Have you ever watched one of those twenty-minute kids’ shows where, at the end of the episode, the main characters say, “And that’s why we always tell the truth,” and everyone nods sagely. Yeah, me too. And it wasn’t at all that convincing. Instead, it usually made me want to laugh. And possibly start lying ridiculously. 

            The reason this drove me nuts was because the idea is unbelievable. When was the last time that you got caught having lied to a friend, and they said, “Wow, now I see. I’m never going to lie again.” Never? Me neither. 

            In this example, the character who lied and the character who was lied to are going to have different experiences in the same scene. This may lead to different conclusions and reactions. The liar may feel as though the truth coming out was what got them in trouble, while the character who was lied to feels that the lie itself was the problem. Despite these differing beliefs, you can still have the plot demonstrate a clear answer. When the main character makes a correct decision, the plot should move forward. They should conquer an obstacle and make progress towards their final goal. Likewise, when the main character makes an incorrect decision, the plot should stall, their progress should fail, and negative consequences should occur. This pattern of being punished and rewarded by the plot will leave readers seeing how the “correct answer” is useful, and the “wrong answer” causes problems. Individual characters may believe or react differently, but the overall plot will still clearly send the message. 

            Using a Theme to Share our Faith

            Writing is a deeply personal art form, but we don’t need to hide our religious beliefs to write books for nonmembers. Including complex and nuanced themes will leave room for our beliefs in our books while still creating a story that people from any background can enjoy.

            Author Bio

            Emma Heggem specializes in content editing sci-fi and fantasy novels. She has worked with authors from around the world to prepare their manuscripts for publication. When she’s not editing, she loves to attend writers conferences to give critiques and demystify the publishing industry. She also runs an editing advice blog (www.editsbyemma.com). Emma graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English language and a minor in editing.

            Why Fiction Is as Precious to God as Nonfiction

            By 3 Comments

            By Nicole Bay

            When I first began writing, I dabbled in YA fantasy, early readers, middle grade fiction, and picture books. I loved all these genres and the worlds I had created, but after a while, I started to wonder if I was spending my creative time wisely. I wondered if, rather than writing fantastical fiction, I ought to be researching and writing family history stories or writing nonfiction related to the gospel of Jesus Christ or the Restoration of the Church. I started questioning the value of what I was writing and the wisdom of taking time to write fiction that might be better spent using my talents to build the kingdom of God.

            I thought about it, worried about it, and prayed about it. My prayers were answered in several ways over the course of a few years.

            The Desire to Create Is God-Given

            In the October 2008 General Conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared an important thing we can do to feel God’s happiness—we can create. “The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul,” he said. He emphasized that as children of a creator, we have a desire to be like Him, to create something that did not exist before. This is something I have felt. Ever since I was little, I have known there was an artist inside me. I took classes and participated in activities that allowed me to learn principles of drawing, writing, sewing, and acting, and I basked in the inner glow that creating provided me. 

            The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.

            Dieter F. Uchtdorf

            President Uchtdorf continued, “Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment.” Even when I struggle to get just one sentence on the page, I feel better for having taken time to work on my art. And nothing beats the floating-on-clouds feeling of being able to type the words “The End” when I finish a draft of a new story. 

            Taking time to be creative has more benefits than just feeling good. President Uchtdorf added, “We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.” Over time I have realized that development of self and others isn’t just referring to the development of talents. This development is all about the sometimes life-changing effects our work can have on us and those who experience our art. Both parties can learn. Both can grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. And both can discover truth through art.

            “Out of the Best Books” Includes Fiction

            The Lord commands us to seek words of wisdom out of the best books so we can teach each other and strengthen each other’s faith (DC 88:118). Of course, He is referring largely to the standard works and inspired writings of members of the Church. The truths found here are the most important truths to develop a testimony of. 

            But there are also many, many other works that can build our faith and lead people to be better for having read or experienced them. As an avid reader growing up, I was touched by fiction and nonfiction stories of heroism, triumphing over trials, clever thinking, kindness, and forgiveness. I will not soon forget the moving themes woven throughout my favorite books of sacrifice and redemption, good versus evil, the power of love, or the huge effect that one person choosing to stand up for what is right can have on the world. And if those stories can resonate so strongly with me, might I not also be able to tell a story that inspires someone else?

            If fiction stories can resonate so strongly with me, might I not also be able to tell a story that inspires someone else?

            I hope so. Because I believe that the best books can do just that.

            God Cares about Your Creative Gifts

            I’m grateful for a commandment to seek out the best gifts and to develop my talents (D&C 46:7–33). My desire to create is a way that I can enrich my own life and bless the lives of others. 

            And because this is a gift that is important to me, it’s important to the Lord as well. Amulek advised us, “Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase” (Alma 34:24–25). Whether creating art is my hobby or my living, the Lord wants to bless me in my efforts, so I can pray for that guidance, and my work will be better for it. 

            Any Genre Can Be a Conduit of Light

            When Christ exhorted His listeners, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16), I believe He was talking about letting our testimonies shine through our actions and work. And that includes our creative work. My writing, whether nonfiction, fantasy, or humor, is a conduit for my testimony.

            I’m thankful for the divine desire to create, for the understanding that all can learn from the best books, for the knowledge that God wants to support me in my work, and for the calling to share my light through my work.

            Nicole Bay teaches linguistics and English language courses at BYU. She is also the Internships Coordinator for the Linguistics Department. She loves to write for children, especially when she can include fun facts about language and linguistics in the story. She spends her non-work time gaming with her family, reading, writing, doing New York Times crosswords, and volunteering for writing conferences. She currently serves as LDSPMA’s director of education.

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            The Lady and the Map of Sorrow: How Stories can Offer Direction in Dark Times

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            By Bridgette Tuckfield   

            How Do You Know It Is Going to Be All Right?

            There are a few neurological explanations for why time moves much slower when you’re younger, which I reflected on recently when showing the film Howl’s Moving Castle to my niece Sadie, who is four.

            Sadie (aka the Lady) is a beautiful and sweet little girl with chubby cheeks, dimples, and the precise and uncanny ability to immediately and perfectly size up your insecurities and then unerringly cut you down to your core with a single sentence (a trait which I both marvel at and fear). She enjoys magic and peril and romance, and I thought Howl might appeal to her.

            There is a scene near the beginning of the film when the wizard Howl saves the young protagonist Sophie from some soldiers in an alley. He walks her away, when they begin to be pursued by Howl’s enemies—amorphous undulating black humanoid blobs, sporting dapper hats.

            It’s right before the first magical moment of the film—when Howl and Sophie take off flying, literally walking through the air to safety.

            When this happened, Sadie crawled into the crevice of the couch, terrified. “FAST FORWARD,” she yelled, and I paused it.

            “Sadie,” I said. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine. I promise Sophie is going to be fine. Just wait a minute.”

            She was incredibly dubious. “How do you know?” she asked.

            “I’ve seen the movie before,” I said, which left her unimpressed. I tried a few other tactics, to no avail: I promise you. I wouldn’t show you something terrible. I know it’s scary, but it’s only a few seconds, and then it will be magical (perhaps all the more so, given the peril). Actual time before the magic rescue? About fifteen seconds. I fast-forwarded it that time around; I’m not a monster. After we finished the film, it became Sadie’s favorite movie for a few months, which she could happily watch over and over with no fast-forwarding, but at the time, absolutely nothing worked to console her.

            My mother always told Sadie and her sister something when they were afraid during a kid’s movie—something like, “Nothing bad ever happens in a kid’s movie.” Whatever it was, it always seemed to work.

            Which was too bad, as I couldn’t ask her.

            Mom had died a few months earlier, at age 55.

            Grief: Both Universal and Isolating

            Grief is, I believe, maybe mostly beyond words. As Daniel Handler put it in his children’s series: “If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels; and if you haven’t, you cannot possibly imagine it.”

            I will say that nowhere and with nothing else have I felt as keenly the conflation of time and space.

            What grief can feel like, sometimes, is a wound that will not stop bleeding—and bleeding and bleeding. When you look back it seems you have left a blood trail back to the time and place you cannot get to—the last place in the past where your loved one once lived, and where it seems they still wait as you move further and further away in time, leaving them behind.

            What it can do, sometimes, is shrink your entire world to only your loss and pain. Only your lack. With no hope of joy or meaning on the horizon—all that lies in the past, the only land you can never reach again.

            It is then, of course, that you are most vulnerable to despair. And once despair sets in around you, it seems like you will never live anywhere else again.

            I believe too that it can feel like this for everyone.

            Our Sorrow Shall Be Turned Into Joy

            Elder S. Mark Palmer addressed those feelings and fears for those of us mired in grief in his recent talk, “Our Sorrow Shall Be Turned Into Joy.” He centers his talk around what are the fundamental principles of our religion: that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again on the third day—that Jesus Christ lives and what that means for us:

            1. We will live again after we die. 
            2. This is possible through Christ. 
            3. We will see our loved ones again.

            As he puts it:

            This knowledge [of Christ’s resurrection] gives meaning and purpose to our lives. If we go forward in faith, we will be forever changed, as were the Apostles of old. We, like them, will be able to endure any hardship with faith in Jesus Christ. This faith also gives us hope for a time when our “sorrow shall be turned into joy.”

            Palmer also supports his message with the story of his parents, and how they navigated the loss of his sister Ann.

            By illustrating and testifying of these gospel principles, Palmer does a few things:

            He gives us an endpoint: the point at which our sorrow will be turned to joy.

            He gives us a way to get there: having faith, and following Christ:

            He gives us the truth. A way of understanding the world, as it is.

            And, in this case, a way out of despair and grief and sorrow.

            And what that truth is—what maybe all truths are—

            Is a map.

            A map to help us find the way through the dark.

            Stories Are Maps

            What I speak of here—the interrelatedness and importance of maps and narratives (and respectively, space and time)—is not a new concept.

            “To ask for a map,” writer Peter Turchi says, “is to say: tell me a story.”

            He goes on to say about the similarity: “Maps themselves are stories. They’re simplifications, distillations, and interpretations of a hugely complex world.  Maps provide meaning and context; they reveal patterns and relationships…sometimes maps can reveal hidden stories.”

            If a lifetime is a space, then times of grief and loss are a wasteland.

            This is perhaps why Elder Palmer ends his talk by stressing the steps you can take through sorrow (although perhaps never out of it), and the place you will find yourself if you do:

            I invite all who feel sorrow, all who wrestle with doubt, all who wonder what happens after we die, to place your faith in Christ. I promise that if you desire to believe, then act in faith and follow the whisperings of the Spirit, you will find joy in this life and in the world to come.

            As someone amid despair myself, this map spoke to my heart.

            Wrestling With Despair as a Saint

            All that said, it is not always easy to see the whole picture or the way forward.

            Sometimes—perhaps most times—we can only take it on faith.

            After all, some things can seem too good to be true, and thus to be regarded with suspicion.

            Stories tell us all this, too (Sadie knows this, even at four years old).

            Elder Palmer illustrates these difficulties with the story of the apostle Thomas. When Thomas is told of Christ’s resurrection, he doesn’t believe it:

            Later Jesus admonished Thomas, “Be not faithless, but believing.” Then the Lord taught the vital role of faith: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

            I have always felt for Thomas—it’s very human, to not want to believe something so longed for. It’s also human, with our limited perspective, to fail to see the whole picture because we only perceive the bad.

            Often in scripture, Christ encourages taking a broader perspective. Peter in particular seems to struggle with this (which I love him for).

            In Matthew 16:21-25, Christ is walking with and teaching his disciples. He tells them he needs to go to Jerusalem and says he will suffer and die there, to rise again.

            Peter objects; he says surely this doesn’t need to happen.

            Christ admonishes him and says, functionally, you’re looking at this from a narrow framework.

            You’re not looking at this from the view of God and seeing my true mission: the redemption of mankind, and that my death will not separate us for eternity but only for a brief moment. You’re looking at this from your limited mortal eyes, where my death would be just a catastrophe and separate us forever.

            In short:

            You lack perspective.

            You are not seeing the end.

            The whole picture.

            Darkness Can Delineate Light

            Elder Palmer also speaks of the wrenching ways this perspective can be gained and what else can come of it.

            He tells the story of the tragic loss of his sister Ann when she was only a toddler, and how it affected his parents:

            “Many years later Dad told me that if not for Ann’s tragic death, he would never have been humble enough to accept the restored gospel. Yet the Spirit of the Lord instilled hope that what the missionaries taught was true. My parents’ faith continued to grow until they each burned with the fire of testimony that quietly and humbly guided their every decision in life.”

            This illustrates how important contrast can be: dark and light, sorrow and joy.

            I know that I have fundamentally changed for the better as a person after the loss of my mother. My faith and connection to Heavenly Parents and Christ have improved.

            This does not mean, I must stress, that a specific loss or pain is good or warranted or just or necessary, but rather that it can point us in the right direction.

            It can make truths resonate with us more, just as the black ink of a map delineates meaning and space. Just as you can’t know light without dark.

            Small Truths

            Howl’s Moving Castle is not gospel, of course; it’s just a little gem of a film. And although I didn’t have my mother’s words or presence anymore in this time and place, I could at least comfort Sadie by sitting with her and promising her it would end well.

            When it came to Howl at least, I had the whole picture. I knew what was going to happen, and how, and why.

            Sadie had to find out for herself. She (like the protagonist Sophie) had to take the next steps, go through the (literally) fifteen seconds of dark (or in this case, again, very mild animated peril), to get to the magic part.

            But in that moment, and in that film, are small truths. Facts that resonate, and that you can hold on to in times of fog and despair.

            That you can never be certain of exactly how the end will look until you get there.

            That you have reserves of strength and power and beings who care for you, that you aren’t even aware of right now.

            And that ultimately, everything is going to be all right.

            Maybe—almost certainly—it will be better than anything you can imagine right now.

            Our Role: To Show a Way Through the Dark, as Best We Can, With the Truths We Know

            Truths (and the stories they’re embedded in) can be maps through darkness and despair. This is the case whether they are an ultimate truth such as Elder Palmer spoke of, or a small one like in Howl’s Moving Castle.

            I appreciate talks like Elder Palmer’s because his message was the promise of the purpose and the ending, given to us.

            He gave us a map to follow. Like all narratives do.

            For me, taking this message to heart meant flipping around the proverbial map of sorrow I was working with.

            I was not moving away from my mother, as I once believed — I am moving towards her. The lines between myself and her in the time and space that separates us are not trails of blood and tears as they felt and sometimes still feel, but bonds.

            The world around us is getting darker and brighter all the time.

            And storytelling is—and has perhaps always been—a “deeply spiritual act,” as the poet Clarissa Pinkola Estés says.

            It’s our job to add to the light.

            I believe we do this not by shying away from the dark — by timidly skirting a way around it, as we seldom get to do in life.

            I believe we do this by, instead, showing a way through it.

            Bridgette Tuckfield is a writer and semiotician.