Summing up Saturday Part 2

Wow what an amazing week! I really appreciate all of your comments and I had a really tough time thinking of which ones to pick. I also struggle with this because I don’t want to make others feel like their comments did not touch me or change me in some way. I can’t think of one comment that I did not enjoy reading or did not affect me. Thank you all again for your continued support and comments.

Brian Miller said...

nice. i like the hint of supernatural, your descriptives are good...personally i think you would get more bang for your buck in the present tense vs. past but that is me..

What it did for me. I loved the critique and the advice on how to improve my story.

Whitney and Michael said...

This idea reminds a lot of my child development classes in talking about how crucial the earlier years are for children because this is where they learn how to build a foundation for the rest of their lives, if they feel a good connection from their parents then they have a good foundation to help them connect well with the world when they get older. It is isnteresting though to think back in my own life and think about the times I may have felt abandoned and how it affected me later with different situations. It really can have a big effect!

What it did for me. Reminded me of the importance of childhood experiences.

Laurel Garver said...

It saddens me a lot that so many writers of faith feel spirituality has to be gutted from their work. I think it's perfectly acceptable even to nonbelieving audiences to see genuine faith in action. I'm a Christian, but a few summers ago read and really enjoyed a Jennifer Weiner's _Certain Girls_. It has lots of Judaism in it, which I thought was wonderful and fascinating. I also recall that Jan Karon's Mitford books were huge bestsellers--and they were about an Episcopal priest caring for his flock in a small town in North Carolina.

I enjoy writing spiritual struggle of characters dealing with crises that shake up their usual ways of understanding God. I've had a few atheists read my completed novel and they found it moving and non-preachy. It's really a matter of how the characters embody doubt and faith that make a story mainstream rather than niched for specifically religious markets.

What it did for me. Taught me the importance of respecting and understanding others beliefs and that others will respect and understand my beliefs.

Kristy said...

The emotional memory seems stronger to me. I tend to remember more of what I have felt in my dreams too. The feeling lingers, rather than the events of the dreams. I also believe that people don't really change unless they have an emotional experience to do so.

What it did for me. The emotional experience in life is so important and without it we don’t change.

Jennifer Shirk said...

That's really interesting to think about. It is kind of neat to think about how culture, education, family life, etc...shape our behaviors just as much personality.

What it did for me. Really summed up what parts of nature effect our personality.

Elliot Grace said...

...without a change of opinion, a change of heart perhaps, or an earth-shattering change of livelihood, it's a struggle to hold a reader's attention long enough to enjoy the story we've sacrificed tears while creating. Even the most subtle shift in one's character may be what's needed to cause the reader to fall for that favorite character. Something simple, something unique...yet unforgettable.

Great post:)

EL

What it did for me. The last line is what catches my attention the most keep it simple and unique but unforgettable.

What changed you the most this week and Why?