The Gathering

I recently finalized my plans to attend Ted Dekker’s The Gathering in June in Nashville. Ted is an amazing writer and truly one of my favorite novelists. His books have been a huge influence on my decision to pursue writing. The Gathering is basically a one-day conference for his fans, but it’s a little more than that.

Ted’s going to be talking a lot about what it takes to get published, his thoughts on the Christian Fiction market, and answering questions about his books. Apparently there will be some big wig publishing folks there answering questions as well. There’s also going to be a panel of some other writers (I know Eric Wilson will be there…another one of my favorites. He is releasing a brand new trilogy this fall featuring vampires, which is really unheard of in the Christian Fiction world). Ted’s book, House, has been made into a film and it was scheduled to release in theaters last fall. For some reason it was held up and is now scheduled to open this fall. I’m really excited because at The Gathering they are showing a sneak preview of the movie! Currently it is rated R because of the violence and the intensity, so I’m real interested to see what that’s all about. All the participants will receive an advanced copy of his upcoming book, Sinner, as well.

This is a great opportunity for me and something I hope will give me some more inspiration and insight into being a novelist. I’m still very passionate about wanting to write, but I have really struggled with finding the time and motivation. I have really wanted to give up a few times, but something always happens to encourage me to keep going. Just last week Randy Singer emailed me to thank me for a review and to encourage me in my writing. I’ve never emailed him before so I was really blown away that he contacted me and took the time to give me some helpful advice. I’m also so thankful for Angie and how supportive she is. I was really hoping she could go to The Gathering with me, but we just couldn’t work that out. She’s been super great about encouraging me to go anyway. She is so understanding and so good to me. I am blessed!

After the trip I will try to give a little report here on what it was like. Hopefully I will have some cool pictures of me and Ted to share and some exciting Dekker news about his future books. Maybe I can even write about the movie. Stay tuned!

 

The Christian Manifesto

You may or may not know that I currently run my own book review website (www.BookshelfReview.com). I’m thrilled to announce that some of my reviews will now also be featured regularly at The Christian Manifesto. This is a great site that focuses on Christian entertainment and news in our culture. Check it out!

 

Short Story- Three Steps

I entered another short story for the FaithWriters.com Weekly Writing Challenge last week. I didn’t place this time around, but I thought I would share it anyway. My little girl is only 10 months old, but already I am amazed and a bit overwhelmed by how quickly it all seems to happen. I just want to freeze time even though I know I can’t. All parents go through these emotions and that’s where the idea for this story came from. For the challenge I had to illustrate the meaning of the phrase, “Every dark cloud has a silver lining”. Let me know what you think.

Three Steps

By Jake Chism

I watch through the viewfinder as she takes her first three steps. It’s an incredible feeling to know that my wife and I are both able to be here at this exact monumental moment. The tape is rolling and memories are being captured, yet my heart is breaking. Don’t get me wrong. Nothing thrills my soul more than to see my little girl discovering something new. What tears me up inside is the realization that my little girl isn’t quite as little as she was three steps ago. Slow and steady she is moving forward and I just can’t let her go.

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All too soon the big day is here. Kindergarten here we come. She is dressed to kill with her pigtails and bows and a lunchbox to boot. I’ve taken the day off to drive her myself and there is no where I would rather be. She’s my little charmer and no doubt she’ll do fine. As she hugs me goodbye I hold on a tad too long. If only I could freeze time and forever be in this moment. I hold back a sob as I release her and force myself to watch her go. She charges forward with a confidence I’ve never known. Three steps later she turns and smiles.

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The place is packed and it’s almost too much. My wife practically had to drag me here when it was all said and done. It has all happened so fast and I can’t believe this day is here. Excitement and hope fill the air, but all I can do is breathe deep and try not to let it get to me. One by one they cross the stage and accept the diploma they have all worked so hard for. Her name is next and I feel weak in my knees. Three steps across the stage and she is now moving on to a new chapter in her life. I’ve given her every reason to stay home a bit longer, but she is going away to the school she has set her sights on. As much as it kills me, I have to let her go.

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We stand arm in arm three steps from the altar. My heart is pounding through my chest and I’m sure the whole room can hear. She has never looked so radiant and the look on his face proves it. I know he loves her. He swore to me he did. But no one could ever love her like I do. She’s still my baby. The minister coughs and I realize it’s for me. I quickly manage to stutter out, “Her mother and I.” She smiles at me in tears and kisses me on the cheek. She moves forward toward her chosen and my hand won’t let go. I try and I try, but I cannot release. Suddenly, a voice whispers, “It’s time to let go.” With a sniffle and a smile I finally do. It’s time to let her go.

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On the other side of the glass she is beaming with joy. It’s been a long struggle but you wouldn’t know it from her smile. Never have I seen her happier or more alive. My little princess is holding her own little girl in her arms. Just three steps away.

 

Short Story- Sober

When I first started to get into writing I stumbled across a weekly writing challenge at FaithWriters.com. Each week a different topic for the challenge is given, and you never know what it’s going to be. All entries have to be between 150 and 750 words. There are four different levels of competition: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master. I have previously placed in both Beginner and Intermediate, so this past week I wrote my first Advanced entry. I was somewhat nervous about it because it has been quite awhile since I’ve entered the contest, but I figured I’d give it a shot.

This morning I was ecstatic to find out I won 3rd place in the Advanced level. I was a bit bummed though that I didn’t make the cut for Editor’s Choice. Each week the top 10 from all 4 levels are given the lofty Editor’s Choice award. Each quarter these entries are published in a new Faith Writers short story collection. I have to get Editor’s Choice three times before I can move up to the Master level, so I still have a ways to go. It gives me a goal to work towards at least.

I thought I would go ahead and post my story here for anyone who wants to check it out. For this challenge I had to illustrate the meaning of the phrase, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” (without using the actual phrase or literal example). Please let me know what you think. Any feedback helps make me a better writer. (You can see all my Faith Writers short stories here).

Sober

by Jake Chism

You look down at the beer in one hand and your three month sobriety chip in the other. What a joke. Just two hours ago you played them all like fools as you discussed how hard the road to recovery has been. All the times you want to quit. The sleepless nights. The headaches. It was quite a performance.

As you glance around the bar you are reminded of why you chose this place. Not only is it half an hour from your house, but you like the way no one bothers you. You originally found this place on a whim, when you had taken a drive to clear your head. Two days without a drink had about killed you, and then suddenly this beautiful tavern beckoned to you like a glorious lighthouse through the fog. Here you could be someone and no one all at once. This is the kind of place where nobody knows your name, and that’s just the way you like it. For the last three months you have driven here straight from your AA meetings to drown yourself in anonymity and booze. What a life.

You look at the fateful tokens in you hands again and are startled by the polarity on display. One hand represents the miserable reality of who you are. A drunk to be sure, but oh so much more. You’re a hypocrite and a liar, too. Not to mention a quitter.

The other hand represents all you want to be even though you believe you can’t. Everyone in the group has come to believe that you are this mighty hero who is beating the disease. Who are you to disappoint them? You like that version of yourself so much better. If only you could be that guy. If only you could change.

The bartender glances down at your hands and gives you a disapproving glare before moving on. The kind of glare you are sure your sponsor would give you if he knew the truth. That same sponsor who has been so encouraging to you from the beginning. Your sponsor is a praying man, a believer in the true higher power. So he had said that first day.

Suddenly you are overwhelmed with the disparity of it all. Who are you kidding? You will never be who they think you are. You will never be who you want to be. At this moment you have never been more sober as you face the ugly truth. You cannot change. So why try? Why all the pretending? You should embrace who you are, even if that means you’re stuck with this mess. There is no way out, only a way to deal. To cope. To numb.

The demon of the drink is calling with ferocity. Just a taste to heal the pain. To make it all go away, if just for awhile. The others may not know you, but this is who you are. No more lies. No more games. It’s time to just be you.

You close your hand tightly over the cursed chip as if to crush it from existence. You grip the bottle with familiarity and ease. This is your favorite part. The moment before you surrender your will to the only higher power you’ve ever known. The calm before the storm.

As you bring the bottle to your lips you are suddenly thrown into the bar as someone crashes into you from behind. You are aware of the cursing and the apologies. You feel the pain where the bottle rammed into your face. But none of it means a thing to you because all you can do is anguish over the loss. The beautiful cure that you so desperately need is flowing down the side of the bar. The one thing you desire is now out of reach and all you want to do is cry.

You hang your head to wallow in your grief. A few minutes pass and you are suddenly brought back to awareness by the distant vibration of your phone. You check the display and roll your eyes. A text from your sponsor. What timing. How convenient. You reluctantly open the message:

I’M PRAYING FOR YOU

As the tears stream down your face you open your hand and stare at the chip. You place it in your wallet and walk to the door. No more lies. No more games. It’s time to be who you were meant to be.

 

Writing Stuff

People often ask me how the writing is going and I never quite know what to say. Although I have been writing a lot, it hasn’t been what I envisioned. Several months back I wrote a post about how I was starting a novel, and honestly I haven’t done much with it since. I went back over what I originally wrote and ended up scrapping it all and started over. My original intent was to write it in the first person, but I felt limited by that so I started over in the third person with a new approach. I cranked out the first 5 pages and was extremely pleased, and then for some reason I quit. I thought announcing to the world that I was starting a novel would maybe light a fire under me, but I guess stage fright settled in instead. I think I am about over that at this point though and one of my goals for this year is to try and complete this book. I still love the story idea and I think it’s something people will enjoy reading….at least it’s the kind of story I enjoy reading. Hopefully within the next few weeks I will have enough written to be able to share with anyone who is interested in checking it out. I will need plenty of quality, unbiased feedback (except from you Mom….feel free to shower me with ridiculous amounts of praise and adoration). Stay tuned for updates on the book….I hope.

So what’s the writing I have been doing? Book reviewing…and tons of it. I started reviewing books on Amazon and for various review sites about a year and a half ago. I just started doing it for fun and for free books and I guess you can say I got hooked. I reviewed for a few different websites for awhile and then I started my own website that now even has it’s own official dot com address. (I’m so proud). I kept track of all the books I read in 2007 and the final count was 74. Most of those were books that I was sent for review, so you can imagine how that has kept me quite busy. I currently have a stack of about 10 novels I need to read and review…and the number keeps growing. The cool thing is that my reviews have started appearing on different websites and I have even been quoted in a few books. To date I have reviews quoted in Tosca Lee’s Demon: A Memoir, Robert Liparulo’s Deadfall, and Ted Dekker’s Chosen and Infidel. My name actually appears in the Tosca Lee book, but the others just say “Bookshelf Review”. (My mom is still upset about that). Nevertheless I am thrilled and I never thought my measly little reviews would ever be considered quotable. I do love reviewing though. Part of being a good writer is being familiar with various genres, what’s selling, what works, what doesn’t, etc. This gives me a great opportunity to do that. I am starting to realize however that if I really want to finish writing my novel, then I will probably have to cut back on the reviewing a bit.

How’s the writing going? Not too bad. Let’s just hope it gets better!

 

98,500 Words To Go…..

For the longest time I have dreamed of writing a novel. I have always loved to read and I’ve always been in love with a good story. Our lives are indeed a story, for at their most basic level they consist of a beginning, a middle, and an end (Although for Christians the end is really the beginning, no?). I think this is part of the reason why Jesus chose to teach through parables. We understand stories. They entertain us, they challenge us, and they move us. If you think of your favorite book, movie, play, TV Show, etc…..no doubt you will find those elements in some form or fashion. I want to be a part of that. I want to create stories that will make readers think…stories that will make them wonder and dare to dream….stories that will inspire…….stories that will make their hearts pound and their spirits soar….stories that will open their eyes.

So, I’ve decided to pursue my dream. I have started a novel. And when I say “start”, I mean start. The typical length of the average novel (appx. 300 pgs. give or take) is about 100,000 words. There are exceptions to this of course..but that is the average…or so I’m told. I’ve written about 1,500. So I’ve only got about 98,500 more words to go. Gulp…

This blog has taken a few different directions since I started it last fall. From this point on I will mostly use this blog to journal about the novel writing process and all that is involved. I really have no idea what this will be like. I do know it will be very difficult, very challenging, and very intense. But I must see this through. The “what-if” is killing me and If I don’t give this a shot, I will forever regret it. I will also use this blog to share devotional thoughts, and I may even write about being a Daddy from time to time.

Meanwhile, I have 2 other blogs going. I have just started a new book review blog that I am pumped about (Bookshelf Review). I have been in contact with several major publishers and they have agreed to send me books for review on a regular basis. This is a great way for me to grow as a writer and it gives me the opportunity to share great fiction with other book lovers. The site will focus primarily on Christian Fiction (mystery, suspense, thrillers, supernatural thrillers, etc.). I will also be posting author interviews and book related news. I am not limiting the site to Christian Fiction however, and I hope to be able to provide a good variety as the site grows.

And don’t forget about Madelyn’s Blog. Every now and then she somehow sneaks off and “borrows” my laptop so she can communicate to all of her adoring fans. I have a feeling that blog is going to be around for awhile.

As far as the book I am writing….I’m not ready to say too much about it a this point. I don’t even have a title yet. Here is what I can tell you: At this point it will most likely be a modern mystery/suspense novel with a supernatural twist. I am writing with the Christian Fiction market in mind, but I hope to write it in such a way that it could be published outside of that market as well. I want to explore spiritual truth without being preachy or too “in your face”. I want to stretch and challenge people..not spoon-feed or force-feed them.

Like I said…I don’t want to say too much yet. But I will tell you this much about the story: There is a boy, a dog, and a girl. And it all started way back in 1985. (Of course everything I have just told you about the book is subject to change at any moment).

So there you go…I’m writing a novel. I wrestled a long time about whether or not to make this known. But I figured if people know then I will be encouraged that much more to keep on going. So please…I beg you. Ask me how it’s going. Bug me about it. Don’t let me quit! Even if I never get published, at least I can say I gave it my best.

98,500 more words to go….

 

New Short Story

I just found out my latest short story placed 3rd in this week’s Weekly Writing Challenge on FaithWriters.com . You can click on the “My Short Stories” link on the left to read it. It’s called, “The Rescue”, and the assigned theme was Fire-Fighter. You can also see my other stories there if you want to check them out. Let me know what you think!