Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

fact and fiction, part 26

Hey, I'm b-a-c-k!!! In today's entry over on Fact and Fiction, I talk about the seed God planted in my heart to write for Him.

-rlh-

freedom isn't free

This morning I had a half hour radio interview with a station in Michigan and a shorter taped interview (for play on Monday) with a station in Ohio. I have another live show in about an hour, this station in New Mexico. The interviews are for my new novel, The Victory Club, and of course, the press releases are getting extra interest because the novel is set during WWII. This being Memorial Day weekend has made it seem even more relevant.

One question I was asked was, Do most Americans recognize what this holiday is about or is it just a fun three-day weekend? Sorry, but I fear it is the latter. Thanks to many reasons today, too few are thankful for the sacrifices of our military.

Another question was, Is the war in Iraq more divisive than WWII? In some ways, yes. In some, no. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was a large segment who had an isolationist attitude. They thought the war was a European problem and we should stay out of it. So there were definitely people who were divided about the war, some even after Pearl Harbor.

Americans on the home front who lived during WWII truly had to make lots of sacrifices. Food was rationed as was gas. There were scrap metal drives and rubber drives and just about every other kind of drive. The way people lived was controlled a great deal by the war. Today, those of us at home are unaffected, for the most part, unless we know someone serving overseas. We can, with little effort, remain totally separate and ignorant of what is happening half a world away.

Memorial Day was established in 1868 as a way of honoring the dead from the Civil War. But I think it is the Greatest Generation from WWII who seem to be the last to really recognize the need to thank those who gave all. Freedom isn't free. It costs. It costs some everything.

It is estimated that the WWII military and civilian losses of the Allies were about 44 million. That number includes the close to 6 million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. The Axis nations lost about 11 million.

This weekend, take a moment to say a prayer of thanks for those who have given so much so that we can live in a free nation. And may God continue to bless the USA.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

yes, I cried

Okay, this was my first American Idol year, and I was a fan of Carrie's from the first time I saw her. I really like Bo, too. I expected him to win, but I was rooting for Carrie. When they announced her name tonight, I actually teared up.

I'm exhausted and contented. And look forward to buying both Carrie's and Bo's albums.

-rlh-

fiction was up in 2004

U.S. Book Production Reaches New High of 195,000 Titles in 2004

Bowker, the leading provider of bibliographic information in North America, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing compiled from its Books In Print® database. Based on preliminary figures, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output in 2004 increased by 14% to 195,000 new titles and editions, reaching another all-time high.

The catalyst for growth in 2004 was adult fiction, which reversed a three-year plateau and increased a staggering 43.1%, to 25,184 new titles and editions, the highest total ever recorded for that category. Adult fiction now accounts for 14% of all titles published in the U.S., the highest proportion since 1961. New poetry and drama titles increased 40.5%.

The number of new titles released by the largest trade houses increased 5.4%, to 24,159, their largest increase since 2001. University presses increased their title output 12.3% to 14,484, reversing a 4.3% decline in 2003. Since 1995, new titles have increased 72% for all U.S. publishers, 22% for the largest trade houses, and 12% for university presses....

"2004 marked a return to pre-9/11 patterns of publishing," said Andrew Grabois, senior director of publisher relations and content development for New Providence, N.J.-based Bowker. "The historic increase in fiction, and the high double-digit growth of the religion, personal development, domestic arts, and travel categories, point to a seismic shift in the marketplace from the political to the personal. Publishers are betting that the reading public, exhausted by four years of terrorism, war, and polarizing presidential elections, will be more than ready for the kind of escapist and self-help fare that seemed trivial and inappropriate in the wake of a national tragedy."

For those of us who make their living writing fiction, the above is particularly encouraging. I had a book that released just before 9/11, and for nearly a year after that, book sales were in the pits. It's been a tough climb out of that hole.

-rlh-

get a life ... next week

Okay, so it's true. I have no clue what I'll do with my Tuesday and Wednesday evenings beginning next week. I suppose I could read a book or go for a walk in the lovely spring weather. But tonight and tomorrow, I shall be glued to the TV for the American Idol finale. No doubt about it. While everyone seems pretty sure Bo has it in the bag, there is always the possibility of a surprise Carrie win. Hey, it could happen! With two such likable, talented young people, there really can't be a loser. (Oh my. I sound like Paula!)

Actually, I do have a life apart from watching and talking about American Idol. Saturday our women's ministry at the Vineyard put on a women's workshop. My favorite session, oddly enough (see title of blog entry), was called "Get a Life!" It was about living in the context of the Word and seeing how foundational boundaries of Love, Truth, Time, and Purpose provides a framework for our lives. The speaker packed a lot of info into 50 minutes, but announced that this would be a seven week course in the fall, probably on Wednesday nights. If so, I just might be able to go.

Sunday, I babysat my three and one year old granddaughters while their parents and 12 year old brother went to see the new Star Wars flick. (They said it was "intense" but they didn't rave about it. I'll wait for video. I'm hearing it isn't great.) Then I sat down and did some advance scheduling for the next several years of writing. After The Victory Club put me so far behind, it's been hard to figure out how I will ever catch up. The plain hard truth is, I will never catch up, so I need to adjust my thinking. Sigh...

Yesterday, I returned my focus to the first in my two-book historical series for Tyndale. I love my early chapters and my hero and heroine. Am now waiting for inspiration to just overflow onto the keyboard. Yeah, right. No, I am pounding away, one word, one sentence, one paragraph, one page at a time. As the saying goes, "Writing is one-third inspiration and two-thirds perspiration!"

One of my New Year Resolutions for 2005 was to read one "classic" novel. I never mentioned here which one I chose — To Kill A Mockingbird. I've had a number of interruptions since I started it, stopping to read an advance copy of a book for endorsement and to judge contest entries so I'm only about a third done. It has been so many years since I read it, I barely remember the story, and I'm enjoying it a great deal. I just added the movie (starring Gregory Peck) to my queue at Netflix so I can watch it when I'm done with the book. I haven't seen the movie in maybe twenty years.

Well, off to work. After all, I do have a life.

-rlh-

fact and fiction, part 25

In Walking in the Midst of Trouble (a line from Psalm 138, NASB), I give a brief overview of my involvement with a class action lawsuit.

oh, happy results

Two pictures say it all:

No matter who wins next Tuesday night (and the odds are way in Bo's favor, although Carrie certainly is worthy of winning, too), I will be one content viewer. These were the two I've wanted to be in the finals for many, many weeks. Both will end up with record deals, and I will definitely buy their albums.

when God speaks to me

There are seasons in our lives when trials come to each one of us. Some trials seem to linger far longer than we wish. Sometimes for years. People of faith turn to God, but our prayers usually begin with a request to please take us out of the trial. Sometimes He does. Sometimes we stay in the midst of it. God knows why.

I'm in such a season. The details aren't important for blog readers to know. Suffice to say that, like the widow pounding on the judge's door, I've made my requests known to God and I'm ready for this season to be done with. But praise and thanksgiving rose up in me this morning as I was in prayer. Jesus is so worthy of my sacrifice of praise. And His goodness to me is so worthy of my sacrifice of thanksgiving. No matter what happens to me on this earth, He is worthy of my love, not for what He has done for me but because of who He is.

And then I opened my emails and found that in my daily subscriptions I had one on praise and one on thanksgiving. Oh, how I love it when God does something like this, soft whispers in my heart, gentle confirmations that He cares about the smallest of details, loving reminders that I'm in the right place.

In WHY PRAISE?, John Fischer writes:

I’ve been wondering lately if we might be getting somewhat presumptuous in our approach to the praise and worship of God. I’ve caught myself several times praising God and thinking I must be doing Him a favor by blessing Him, as if I made His day or something. It’s easy to start thinking that the better or more often our praise, the more blessed God must be.

And then I read about the mountains and the hills breaking forth into singing and all of the trees of the fields clapping their hands (Isaiah 55:12). And I reflect in Psalms about the heavens telling the glory of God and the earth showing forth His handiwork — about day to day pouring forth speech and night to night revealing knowledge (Psalm 19:1-4); and I remember how the children naturally praised the Son of God as He entered Jerusalem, and how Jesus said that if they were somehow hindered, the very stones would cry out (Luke 19:40)… that’s when I conclude that for us not to praise Him would be the ultimate arrogance.

I encourage you to read the rest of this devotional.

In WHEN GRATITUDE GETS RADICAL, Charles Colson writes:

The notion of gratitude is hot these days. Search the Internet, and you’ll find more than a million sites about thankfulness.

For example, university psychologists recently conducted a research project on gratitude and thanksgiving. They divided participants into three groups. People in the first group practiced daily exercises like writing in a gratitude journal. They reported higher levels of alertness, determination, optimism, energy, and less depression and stress than the control group. Unsurprisingly, they were also a lot happier than the participants who were told to keep an account of all the bad things that happened each day.

One of the psychologists concluded that though a practice of gratitude is a key to most religions, its benefits extend to the general population, regardless of faith or no faith. He suggested that anyone can increase his sense of well-being just from counting his blessings.

As my colleague Ellen Vaughn writes in her new book, Radical Gratitude, no one is going to disagree that gratitude is a virtue. But, Ellen says, counting our blessings and conjuring an attitude of to-whom-it-may-concern gratitude, Pollyanna-style is not enough.

What do we do when cancer strikes—I have two children battling it right now—or when loved ones die, when we find ourselves in the midst of brokenness and real suffering? That, she says, is where gratitude gets radical.

I encourage you to read the rest of this commentary.

How much He cares for His children. How greatly He cares about each detail of our lives. I may never understand the reasons for the season of trial, beyond that He allows it to enter my life as a method of refining me, helping me to grow more Christ-like during my time on earth. But I can rest in the assurance of His love, and I am thankful for the many ways He speaks that love into my heart.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

my name means...

Okay, I couldn't resist this one:

What Does My Name Mean?

ROBINLEEHATCHER
R	is for	Romantic
O	is for	Outrageous
B	is for	Boisterous
I	is for	Impassioned
N	is for	Natural
L	is for	Legendary
E	is for	Entertaining
E	is for	Exquisite
H	is for	Handy
A	is for	Abstract
T	is for	Tricky
C	is for	Casual
H	is for	Healthy
E	is for	Ebullient
R	is for	Romantic

What Does Your Name Mean?

fact and fiction, part 24

I finally managed to post a little more to my writer's journey over on Fact and Fiction.

sweet victory

Reviews are a tough part of the writing game. They're tough because criticisms come after a book is done, and there is nothing a writer can do to change or fix anything. The book has to stand as it is, and the author has to take whatever is thrown at it.

Thankfully, I've received many kind and flattering reviews through the years, but the ones where a reviewer calls a story trite or cliche or unbelievable or whatever hurt. The comment may be true, but it hurts anyway.

Publisher's Weekly has given me a mixed bag of reviews, so it was with trepidation that I waited to see if they would review The Victory Club, and if they did, if they would like it. I was especially nervous because I struggled a lot while writing this particular book. Well, to my surprise, they liked it.

Veteran Christian fiction author Hatcher weaves epistolary elements with third-person omniscient narration in this moving novel about a year in the life of four Idaho women working at a Boise air field during WWII. Lucy, Margo, Penelope and Dotty all have loved ones serving in the military, and each reacts differently to the hardships of war. Three of them are Christians, and rather than making them cardboard saints, Hatcher depicts each one struggling with and giving in to sin. As each woman deals with the consequences of her sin, the novel's dominant theme becomes grace. For example, when Dotty realizes that a premarital liaison with her soldier boyfriend has led to pregnancy, she experiences God's forgiveness and finds the courage to face her difficult situation. Hatcher includes V-mail and news clippings to good effect, making this novel's wartime setting believable without resorting to cliche. She is not afraid to leave some of her characters unredeemed, and in contrast to much of the sentimental Christian fiction geared toward women, this novel embraces complexity rather than eschewing it. A well-paced and genuinely suspenseful plot plus Hatcher's pleasingly smooth prose make this novel a delight. (Publishers Weekly, 5/16/2005)

That sound you heard was an enormous sigh of relief. Now if readers will just feel the same about it...

-rlh-

a "sermon" for writers

As I've mentioned here before, I get daily devotionals from the writings of A. W. Tozer. The recent series has been about preaching, and I confess that I've skimmed many of them.

Today's was titled Preaching: A Voice instead of an Echo, and it stopped me in my tracks. I found the words so profound and so true for those who write fiction from a Christian worldview, but even more specifically for those who write Christian fiction for the CBA market. So I have taken the honorable Mr. Tozer's words and revised them for Christian writers in general and for me in particular, changing the masculine to the feminine (revised portions in italics).

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But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard."
— Acts 4:19-20 (NLT)

To escape the snare of artificiality it is necessary that a writer of Christian fiction enjoy a satisfying personal experience with God. She must be totally committed to Christ and deeply anointed with the Holy Spirit. Further, she must be delivered from the fear of critics. The focus of her attention must be God and not men. She must let everything dear to her ride out on each novel. She must so write as to jeopardize her future, her ministry, even her life itself. She must make God responsible for the consequences and write as one who will not have long to write before she is called to judgment. Then the readers will know they are hearing a voice instead of a mere echo.  (adapted from God Tells the Man Who Cares, 133-134)

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Lord, when I sit down to write today, help me to remember that it is You I must please first. Let my words be Your words as I put them on paper. Amen.

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There are some who believe that Christian fiction should always be subtle, that it should couch the Gospel in euphemistic terms, never being overt. I believe otherwise. I believe we need the subtle, and I believe we need the overt. Different stories touch different hearts. Writers must write what God calls them to write and never disparage what God has called someone else to write (as long as both are writing Truth).

There is one review source that criticizes any Christian novel that has a conversion scene in it, usually inferring that such a scene is a prerequisite of the genre (i.e. gratuitous). Funny. I have never written a conversion scene because I thought it a requirement of the CBA. Such scenes are simply a natural outflow of the story. It is also a part of the life I live as a believer. And so, despite the comments of said review source, I have never cut a conversion scene if it is a natural outflow of my story any more than I have put one in when it was not. I would rather please God than man.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

it takes as long as it takes

Every once in a while, I run across statements that suggest if a novel doesn't take two or three or whatever years to write, it can't be very good. I don't know of any published novelists — at least not any who have written/published more than one novel — who would say such a thing. That's because someone who has written and been published multiple times knows that a book takes as long as it takes. No more and no less.

I have read absolute garbage that it took an author years to write, and I have read masterpieces that were created in a matter of weeks. And whether it takes weeks or years to write a book, it always takes blood, sweat, and tears.

If you are an aspiring writer and it's taking you two or three years to write a book, fine. Accept it as the way you write (unless, of course, you are merely a procrastinator and should be working harder). But beware the arrogance of assuming that someone who writes faster than you is not writing as well.

-rlh-

chicken, part 2

Dear Readers:

Okay, so I don't usually cook. But I just couldn't get that lemon chicken recipe (see earlier post from today) out of my mind. So after lifting some weights at the fitness center, I headed for the grocery store, bought a whole chicken and lemons and lemon juice and some kosher salt. Went home, followed the recipe, and roasted that little guy.

Oh, mercy me. Folks, there is a reason women got engaged after serving this to their beaus. yummy, yummy, yummy.

-rlh-

don't cook; love to eat

Years ago, in what seems another lifetime, I was a mom with young kids at home. I cooked for my family. The children grew up, moved out, married, had families of their own. I promptly became a fan of whatever was fast and easy. The Schwan man and I be mates.

I like it best when someone else cooks, but if not, I can be happy with a can of peaches for a meal. Sad, isn't it? I'm told that I roast the best turkey, so holidays are my responsibility, and I have a few other favorites that I prepare when the mood strikes. Still, cooking is not an enjoyable hobby for me. I have a writer-friend who is truly a gourmet. Being treated to a meal at her home is like going to a 5 star restaurant, including how the food is placed on your plate. It's truly a work of art.

Anyway, around 5:15 this morning, as I was riding away on my stationary bike, getting in my 30 minutes of cardio, to be followed by 80 sit-ups, I was watching the Fox News morning show. They were talking about this Engagement Chicken from Glamour Magazine. Supposedly, single women serve this and they get marriage proposals, thus the name. It looks rather yummy and very simple. This looks like something I can do.

thursday thoughts

Well, things have been a little crazy in the Hatcher home recently. Some good things. Some not so good things. Life happens, huh?

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Why can't all writing days be good writing days? I had such a great one on Tuesday. Then yesterday wasn't worth spit. Sigh... Hoping for better writing today.

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Netflix: I'm loving it! We've already received, viewed, and returned our first rentals. Actually, we are still in the two weeks free period. Anyway, another movie shipped yesterday and two more ought to ship today. I'm having fun looking for those films I never would have seen otherwise. And a friend in another state joined because of my blog entry, so now we can see what the other is watching and how they rated films (where we agree and where we disagree).

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American Idol: We said goodbye to Anthony last night. Now it is down to three. Unless America goes totally nuts, the final two will be Bo and Carrie. I love them both and want them both to win. Since that can't happen, I will probably base my final vote on the performances from the finals night only.

But I have a request for Bo and Carrie. Please do an album together. Your voices blend so well together. Every time they have done a group song and those two have been paired, I've thought how terrific they sounded as a duo.

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This morning, I read a letter to the editor in Christian Retailing (May 16, 2005) from Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay. He had been misquoted as calling the Christian music industry a "monster" because artists can't make the kind of music they want to make because of industry restrictions. (That is my interpretation and abridged version; I don't want to put more words in Mr. Haseltine's mouth.) His letter to the editor detailed the full context of what he said and where he said it.

The reason this letter drew my attention was two-fold. First, I have been savaged on the Internet (three years ago) because of a newspaper article that took words out of context and made it seem I said some things I didn't. So I can certainly empathize with Mr. Haseltine. It is frustrating and disheartening to see the distortion of truth.

The second reason I took note was because this same sort of discussion goes on regarding Christian publishing of fiction. I could send you to numerous sites that discuss how the CBA keeps a tight rein on authors and that authors can't write what they want to write. Someday maybe I will write a longer post about my thoughts on this.

For now, I can only say how blessed I feel that I've been able to write the stories of my heart. Oh sure. I think it's silly what some publishers won't let me put in a book (the word "drat" for instance). But that's a small thing when I'm trying to write about God's grace in a culture that believes there is no black and white, no absolute right and wrong.

I have had two readers write to tell me they threw my books into the trash can. In Ribbon of Years, I allowed my protagonist to date a divorced man (his wife left him for another man she was having an affair with; after the wife divorced him, he became a Christian). Trash. In The Forgiving Hour, two unbelievers have an adulterous affair (while the reader watches the lead up to the affair and can see it is coming, the reader is not taken into the bedroom; and it's forgiveness for that betrayal that is the essence of the novel). Trash.

But I believe those two readers reacted the way they did because of issues in their own hearts. For each of those letters, I've received dozens of others thanking me for those same two novels.

As a writer, all I can do is tell the stories that God gives me to the best of my ability. I look at the hurting world around me — including the walking wounded in the church (the readers I consider my primary audience) — and I want to touch them with the love and grace of God through my stories. I want to offer them hope and peace. I want to send them from my words to the Word.

I spent nearly two decades writing in the general ABA market. I was restricted in many ways from writing what I wanted to write. I have enjoyed far more freedom writing Christian fiction than I ever knew in the general market place.

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Oh, my. How did I get onto this soapbox? I think I'd best step off it and get to work.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

a dad's story for mother's day

I've had a pretty good writing day. Still shy about three needed pages, but the day isn't over yet. I may still get them.

I took a break to watch a movie (one of my Netflix rentals!) while I ate. Then I clicked on my Bloglines to read my favorite blogs. Now I'm in tears over the post I read at From the Morning. Here's the opening:

His parents divorced when he was in the third grade. Mom and dad couldn't get along anymore, so they just split, on many levels. Mom stayed, dad left, and insanity ensued.

He didn't know who did what wrong or what the details were, only that his world had been turned upside down. At any rate, the details didn't matter, only the consequences, paid by an innocent bystander.

Take a moment and go read the rest. I hate to cry alone.

subscriptions that make sense

Okay. Confession #1. I love movies. I subscribe to cable TV's premium movie channels and am always searching through the menu for a good movie to watch. And yet, it often seems there is nothing playing that tempts me in the least. All that money for all those channels down the drain.

I have an extensive library of DVDs and a rather large one of older videos as well. I pluck my favorites out to watch again and again, but there are also quite a few I've purchased that I've never viewed a second time. Occasionally, I liked the movie when I saw it in the theater and bought the DVD knowing I liked it, but once home, it didn't turn out to be a "view often" picture after all. Worse are the times that I've purchased a movie without seeing it first (either on the recommend of a friend or by the reviews) and then I've discovered it was a waste of money. Ouch!

A week or two ago, I went to the video store and rented a number of movies. And I also bought three movies: Lemony Snicket; Phantom of the Opera; and National Treasure. Yes, I will watch all of these purchased movies multiple times. However, the purchases and the rentals got me to thinking. The rentals were $3.69 each and had to be returned in 4 days. A real pain since I'm not out in the car that much and even less so in the direction of the video store. The purchased movies cost a minimum of $19.99 plus tax. Ka-ching... Ka-ching...

I've heard about Netflix for several years, but it seemed silly since we have cable TV. I know several people who are members. So on Thursday, I decided to check things out on their web site. It didn't take long to see that this could be a major way to save and still view lots of movies I otherwise never would at $3.69 a pop. For $17.99/mo I can rent as many DVDs as I want, keep them as long as I want (total of three at a time), and never have to make a run to the video store again. That's less than five rentals at myr local video store, and it's definitely less than buying just one DVD. And it may even allow me to cut some premium movie channels from the cable package. (That's the plan, anyway.)

I now have about 45 movies in my queue that I want to view eventually, including the old BBC Upstairs Downstairs series collection that sells for $240 at Amazon.com. Viewing those alone will be worth the membership!

As long as I'm baring my soul, here's Confession #2: I have very little pleasure reading time. In order to keep me up to speed, I like to listen to audiobooks while in my car or when riding the recumbent stationary bike. But I hate abridged audiobooks and the unabridged can be very pricey ($35 or more not being unusual for the best ones).

Well, about two or three months ago, a writer friend advised me of the subscription available via Audible. For $14.95/mo, I can download one book and one other subscription item. For $21.95/mo, I could download two books. After downloading, I can put the book in my MP3 player or burn it to CDs to listen to in my car. Including the free book of my choice that I received upon joining, I figure I've already saved close to $100. Plus I've listened to some excellent books. Savings and entertainment — the best of both worlds.

fact and fiction, part 23

Just what is it I do best as a writer? Oh, yeah. That.

Check out my latest entry at Fact and Fiction.

epitaph funny

I'm getting a late start on my morning. Spent a couple of hours working on a script for a drama to be performed at a retreat this summer, then working on some miscellaneous other items.

Now it is time to turn my brain toward the wip. But before I do, I simply must share this funny. Another writer friend sent a link to a Yahoo Group for a site where you can design your own tombstone. So here is mine:



Have a great day.

brideshead revisited

Just home from my time at the gym and eating a late lunch/early dinner while checking on email and blogs. Saw this quiz and had to take it. Now I shall have to pop the DVD of the BBC production into the player and watch it.

You are Lady Cordelia Flyte.  You are loving and loyal.  You're not a sentimental dowdy, however: you have a lively sense of humor and keen intellect.

What Brideshead Revisited character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

 

abc & corey clark get the raspberry

I was asked in the comment section of American Idol Justice (below) if I watched the ABC "expose" last night. Yes, I hate to admit it, but I did.

I have no way of knowing if Paula Abdul behaved in an inappropriate manner with Mr. Clark. I hope not for several reasons. But I can say this. I have far more reason to believe, after watching 60 minutes of Primetime, that Corey Clark is an opportunist looking for publicity in order to sell his album and/or sell his book proposal. Nothing he said convinces me that he wanted to "come clean" and tell the truth two years later. Nothing the Primetime folks did or asked or showed seemed like anything more than a weak attempt to ride the coattails of Fox's wildly popular show. I'm sorry I fell victim and added to their rating numbers last night.

I became suspicious early in the program when they showed clips of Paula saying sugary things about Corey in her judging comments, showing her hugging him and the voice over trying to make it seem that those actions indicated something special between them. Good grief! Anyone who has watched just a few shows has heard Paula say similar things about lots of the contestants, both guys and gals. She's hugged a few this season, too. Paula is a cheerleader. She rarely says anything remotely critical. She gushes praise, often when the performance doesn't deserve it. If she can't say something nice about their singing, she'll say the contestants looked like they were having fun on the stage or that their clothes look great.

So, yes, I watched the "expose", and the bottom line is, Primetime was really scraping the bottom of the barrel to come up with this and try to make it news. Tsk, tsk. And Mr. Clark? Well, he's guilty of bad manners (never kiss and tell), bad judgment, and/or outright lying.

Remember the good old days when folks didn't want to air their dirty laundry in public? Sigh...

looking for narnia

If you happened to stumble across a devout Christian in Hollywood, you’d likely assume he was one of two things: He must be Mel Gibson, or he must be lost.

But, in fact, you just might have run into a Christian businessman named Philip Anschutz. Philip has just spent $150 million to film The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first of the Narnia books by C. S. Lewis. Anschutz is showing us what we’d find at the box office if Hollywood gave Americans the kind of films we really want to see.

When he first considered bankrolling films, Anschutz—a billionaire from Colorado—asked the first question any smart businessman asks: What do the people want? After all, with filmmaking, as with all business ventures, the idea is—or should be—to make money.

The answer was not difficult to find. Of the twenty top-grossing films of all time, not a single one is rated R. Of the top fifty films, only five are rated R. Clearly, Americans want family fare they can take the kids to.

And yet, as Anschutz noted in a recent speech, since the year 2000, Hollywood has “turned out more than five times as many R-rated films as it has films rated G or PG or soft PG-13. . . . Don’t these figures make you wonder what’s wrong with Hollywood just from a business point of view?”

Read the rest of this BreakPoint commentary, Lighting a Hollywood Candle.

And if you are among those (like me) eagerly awaiting the December 2005 release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, visit the Disney Narnia movie site. It's a beauty.

-rlh-

american idol justice

It felt so good to look at the top three vote getters, sitting on the couch. Bo, Carrie, and Vonzell were the right and deserving top three.

And Scott went home tonight. Several weeks later than he should have gone home, but it happened. Now I don't have to boycott Ford. Good thing since we own one.

fact and fiction, part 22

Sometimes we just need a different perspective. That's what I learned in July 1990.

Christian Carnival LXVIII

Another week. Another carnival with lots of good posts to choose from. Indulge.

bo and carrie!!!

Bo and Carrie owned tonight's American Idol. I'm giving Bo a slight edge over Carrie. If either of those two are in the bottom three tomorrow night, I'm boycotting the AI advertisers in protest.

(Those are pictures from last week.)

fact and fiction, part 21

The self-employed writer now has to prove she can "make it" without a job to fall back on. And then came trouble...

Check out the new post over on Fact and Fiction.

tag, you're it

Cindy at Notes in the Key of Life tagged me this morning to complete three of the following sentences, then pass them on to five more people.

"It's part of a new meme that is travelling through the blogosphere. The idea is if you're tagged, you need to choose 5 (or more if you like) occupations from the list below and then finish the sentence for each that you've chosen.

"You then tag three more people who must do the same. You can add more occupations to the list when you pass it on but you must choose your 5 from the list provided by the person who tagged you. You're also asked to trackback to the blogger who tagged you if you know how."

Here's the list:

If I could be a scientist…
If I could be a farmer…
If I could be a musician…
If I could be a doctor…
If I could be a painter…
If I could be a gardener…
If I could be a missionary…
If I could be a chef…
If I could be an architect…
If I could be a linguist…
If I could be a psychologist…
If I could be a librarian…
If I could be an athlete…
If I could be a lawyer…
If I could be an innkeeper…
If I could be a professor…
If I could be a writer…
If I could be a llama-rider…
If I could be a bonnie pirate…
If I could be a service member…
If I could be a photographer…
If I could be a philanthropist…
If I could be a rap artist…
If I could be a child actor…
If I could be a secret agent…
If I could be a comedian/comedienne…
If I could be a priest...
If I could be a radio announcer...
If I could be a phlebotomist...
If I could be Paris Hilton's stylist...
If I could be a movie producer...
If I could be the CEO of Microsoft...

If I could be the CEO of Microsoft, I would make sure that all software was compatible with every machine and that operating systems were without flaws and not subject to viruses, and I would do my best to make high quality software at a low cost.

If I could be a movie producer, I would make high quality, creative, entertaining movies that were family friendly in order to prove a movie can be a success without foul language and/or sex.

If I could be a professor, I would teach my students that everything isn't relative, that some things are black and white, and that there is such a thing as right and wrong, good and evil, truth and lies.

If I could be a lawyer, I would fight injustice, preferring to represent "the little guy" rather than the wealthy.

If I could be a psychologist, I would tell my patients to stop blaming their parents and/or other people who have hurt them and to take responsibility for their own lives and actions (i.e. Get over it! end of session).

I'm tagging Katy, FTM, and Angie.

-rlh-

monday progress update

If I can remember, I'm going to try to post a progress update on my works-in-progress each Monday morning. Here's is where I'm starting today:

(24.0%)

Inching forward.

beware she who lunges

Oh, man. I laughed out loud over the most recent post at Church of the Masses about what it's like to be a writer.

Being a writer is very, very hard. Being a screenwriter is agonizingly hard. This would be the wrong day for some brother or sister in Christ to say something to me about how the movies are so stupid that anyone could write better ones. If someone says that to me today, I am sure some kind of violent lunging will ensue.

Goes for books, too. My loved ones have learned to be careful what they say when I have a certain crazed look in my eyes lest lunging ensue.

-rlh-

answer me this way

My daily Bible reading this morning included this selection from 2 Kings 5. Naaman was the commander of King Aram's army, but he suffered from leprosy. He was sent to Elisha the prophet to ask for healing.

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of leprosy."

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would surely come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren't the Abana River and Pharpar River of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel put together? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply to go and wash and be cured!" 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's, and he was healed! (NLT)

This story made me think how often I go to God in prayer, not only asking for something but asking for that prayer to be answered in a very specific way. My way. Like Naaman, I may have a pride issue and not want to go bathe in a river. Or like Peter, I may not want Christ to wash my feet because I think I know a better way.

But God's ways are not my ways, and when I let go of my expectations and (admit it) demands, I find I am ultimately blessed. Answers to prayers rarely happen the way I think they will, but I can look back at my life and see how faithfully God has answered despite all the times I haven't wanted to bathe in the river.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin