If only I had known

Long before text messaging reduced words to their first letters, writers and editors referred to a commonly over-used plot as IOIHK – “If only I had known.”

Books, movies, stories, areas of miscommunication, and misspent lives have infamously fallen into the IOIHK category. But in this time of rampant misunderstanding between various peoples and traditions of faith, we poets, writers, pastors, teachers, parents, politicians, caregivers, and other leaders can be mindful of cultures, levels of maturity, and opinions unlike our own. 

Remember:

If Only I had Known often means we didn’t bother to find out!

The remedy, of course, is to check our emotions and check the facts.

• Ask questions to clarify.
• Listen – truly and intently.     
• Aim to hear another perspective.
• Research.
• Investigate both sides.
• Look for workable solutions.
• Show respect.
• Build bridges.
• Embrace the blessing of diversity!
  
  

Can we do this on our own? Probably not! But we can agree to pray for God to help us to be open to other perspectives and peaceful possibilities for healing.

©2021, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet-writer

P.S. If you're writing a book or script, please be sure IOIHK is not the story plot!

 

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Christian writers write in all genres - just like in the Bible

Some people think that Christian writing has to be nonfiction to be true, but that’s not true! In any genre, our writings cannot make a decision to follow Christ. Therefore, “Christian writing” is a misnomer, but, as Christian writers, we can make that choice and do. Then we have as many styles, literary genres, and ways of writing as anyone else.

So the big difference in our work in particular and in the Christian writing life in general comes as we gain and give a godly perspective. How?

Start with the Bible. To get a sweeping view of how God interacts with all peoples and creation, read the Bible cover to cover.

Pray for God to guide your reading. Consider what other students of the Bible say and what you think, too, but stay open to a fresh view as the Holy Spirit aids comprehension and deepens your insight into spiritual matters.

Compare translations. Many old and new versions of the Bible can be found in full on the Internet, but you might not find them all in one location. For instance, a translation approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops can be found in full (with excellent footnotes) on the USCCB website, while most Protestant versions are posted on Bible Gateway and other sites. Also, a commercial website (the ChristianBooksBibles online store) with which I have no tie, offers a comprehensive list of translations available for Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish readers.

Look up place names. Use a Bible dictionary and Bible atlas, and compare maps showing ancient and contemporary geographical boundaries.

Research your main topic with the key word and also peripheral wording. After using a concordance or searching various translations on the Internet to see what the Bible says about your subject, look up related words or topics in church documents and statements of faith, which can be found on most denominational websites.

Read footnotes and fine print. Allegedly, study Bible were once used to promote a particular perspective or denominational interpretation, whereas new study editions are more likely to bring together information and insights from diverse scholars who have devoted their whole lives to Bible study. In general, newer study editions clarify information, define unusual words or colloquial phrases, and put factual data into cultural context. Some editions include numbers in a tiny font to show cross-referencing as a topic threads through one book of the Bible to another.

Study the Bible as literature. This excerpt from a new study edition discusses literary aspects of the Bible that can broaden our understanding of genres and also increase our awareness of our unique work and individual calling as a Christian poet, editor, or writer.

Practice each genre. Experiment! Find out which type of writing comes to you most readily. Remove preconceived thoughts of “Christian writing,” too, and begin to see yourself as a Christian who writes in all genres, knowing the biblical writers did too.

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(c) 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler

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Basic Steps For Writing & Marketing

Study the classics and contemporary works in your genre.

Consider what draws readers to a particular poem, story, article, or book.

Study publications you like to read. Get familiar with magazines, e-zines, journals, and book catalogues of publishers whose work you like.

Consider any potential gaps that your story, poem, article or book might fill.

Plan your work before you begin. Decide on a theme, purpose, and reading audience.

Research each topic thoroughly.

Outline each article or nonfiction book. Write a synopsis of your novel in present tense.

Let your writing flow without criticizing yourself. Let your work rest. Later read those pages as if someone else had written them.

Identify each problem. When you see a problem, you may see a solution too.

Revise to make the manuscript your best work before you try to place it with one editor at a time.

Follow writers’ guidelines carefully as you submit your manuscript. When using the postal service for a submission, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to cover its potential return.

Keep track of where, when, and to whom you mailed your work.

While you’re waiting to hear from the editor, query other editors about your next idea.

Start researching and planning another project.


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(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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