From the President’s Desk – Merry Christmas!

/0 Comments/in /by

Photo copyright Josh Hrkach

Photo copyright Josh Hrkach

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)

“Fear not little flock, fear not. Come with me to Bethlehem. Let us celebrate a joyous Christmas. Let us be merry and happy no matter what because Christ is born.” Catherine Doherty

On behalf of the Catholic Writers Guild Board, I’d like to wish each and every CWG member a Blessed Christmas and a Happy and Holy New Year! May 2015 be creative, prosperous and healthy for each and every one of us!

Membership News:

If you pay your Guild dues via auto-renew on PayPal, nothing will change for you. Your dues will remain the same and the time they are withdrawn will also remain the same.

If you currently pay by check or if you are not on auto-renew, membership dues will be increasing to $40 a year and you’ll be invoiced either in January or July depending on the last date you paid dues. This new system will hopefully be easier for those non-auto renew members.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do feel free to contact me: president(at)catholicwritersguild.com

(Note: I will be spending time with my family from Christmas to New Year’s Day. If you send an email in that time, it will be answered after the New Year.)

Celebrating Our First Christmas with Alzheimer’s Disease: Laughter Allowed

/5 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

by Larry Peterson

I guess the first time I realized that something was really wrong was about a year and a half ago. I have a bedroom I turned into an office, and I was sitting at the keyboard clicking away. I sensed someone behind me and turned to see my wife, Marty, standing there. She had a strange look on her face. I remember the moment because fear was etched across her face. “Hey,” I said. “What’s the matter?”

Then I noticed she was trembling. I stood up and went over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. She stammered and sort of whispered, “I don’t know. I think I need your help.”

“Okay, what is it?”

Marty turned and headed down the hall past the living room and into the kitchen. I followed and noticed that she had her “cookie” stuff out.  As she had done so many times in the past, she was about to make the best old fashioned, home-made, chocolate-chip cookies I have ever had. Like a child, I said, “Oh, awesome, you’re making cookies. So, how can I help?”

She sighed and shook her head.  She began to cry and, looking at me, said, ” What is all this? I don’t know what it is for?”

The woman who had made thousands upon thousands of these cookies over the years had no memory of previously doing what she had done so many times before. She had placed the needed supplies on the counter and went to use the bathroom. When she returned a few minutes later, what had been virtually second nature to her had been erased from her mind. It was all gone.

She had come back to me for help because she KNEW something was terribly wrong inside her head, and this time the sudden, specific memory loss was scaring the hell out of her. She sobbed, “What is happening to me?”

She had been sick with Lymphoma since 2011. She had endured numerous cycles of chemotherapy to fight the disease. Anesthesia, required because of surgery in August (needed to repair a broken ankle), and an attack of A-Fib (Atrial Fibrillation) in September exacerbated the cognitive dysfunction. She was officially diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s Disease* on September 28.  And now we are approaching our first Christmas together with Alzheimer’s as our unwanted Christmas guest.

Guess what? It is OK. He will not ruin our Christmas. He is welcome to join us. That is because we have started to laugh again, more and more. And we are laughing at the insanity of living in Alzheimerville. And trust me, it can get quite wacky.

I have always had a bit of a flip attitude. It probably has helped me get through some tough times. So when Marty goes to the cardiologist and goes to sign in and cannot remember her name she looks at me for help. I smile and say, “Who cares Lucy, they know who you are. Just put down Lucille Ball.” She starts to laugh and I laugh and I write her name down for her. Not an issue.

The past ten years of her life seem to have literally vanished from her brain. She does not remember us getting married. (We were both widowed and married eight years ago. She has no clue.) So she asks me if we are really married. I show her our marriage license and pictures from our wedding. She is shocked. “I can’t believe it, ” she says. We really ARE married.”

Now, every night I say to her, “Okay, we can sleep together tonight. It’s not a sin.” She always laughs at that.

There are so many little, extraordinary things that happen every day. Being asked the same question over and over can become unnerving. I have turned it around to where I start by giving her the answer. For example, she asks me ten times a day, “How do you feel today?” After a few times I answer, “Today I feel like seeing you and that makes my day shiny.” It is a ridiculous answer but she likes it and I like it too.

I cannot count the things that have been moved to the strangest places. I have found the Parmesan cheese in the towel closet, unwashed clothes in the dryer. She makes coffee and tells me it is the worst coffee she ever had and I should let her make it. She has hair curlers that keep vanishing. I have found them in the garage, in the refrigerator, and under the kitchen sink. We had been searching for them and when I found them in the refrigerator I said loudly, “Here they are.”

She was standing nearby and turned to see me lifting the bag from next to the milk. I quickly asked, “Can I use these for curly fries?” I began to laugh and she shook her head and smiled. I gave her a hug, opened the freezer door and tossed the curlers in. “They are not frozen enough,” I said.  She began to laugh and so did I and, although shrouded in a dark moment, we laughed our way into the brightness of a new moment.

Marty has been captured and imprisoned by the most insidious of diseases. It is like a computer virus slowly deleting what is in memory. So far the last ten years are gone. That cursor is still clicking delete, delete, delete. The day will come when she will not even know who I am. I will do my best to keep her laughing and smiling as long as I can, and as long as she understands why we laugh.

As for me, I must admit, this entire situation has been wearing me down. There is a lot to do as a caregiver. I traveled a similar road with my first wife, Loretta, who died 12 years ago from cancer. She was sick a long time, but she never lost brain function. That is a very difficult thing to deal with 24/7. But you do what you have to do. If a man and a woman love each other that is the way it should be, HAPPY to be there for each other, no matter what. We both took vows before God and man to that effect and, for me, they remain in full force until death.

Our biggest friend in all of this is our Catholic faith. It is there for us through the Holy Mass, through Our Lord Jesus, through Our Blessed Mother and through the examples and intercessions of so many great saints, reinforced every day by prayers from our family and friends. In fact, I did attend Mass this morning and I had a bit of an epiphany. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I realized I had been given a Christmas gift from God Himself.

This gift is my ill wife afflicted with a disease that is unstoppable and incurable. She is foremost God’s child, and now she needs someone to take care of her just as she did years ago when she was a child. We met at church and were married in church. An unlikely couple, I know that God brought us together. Maybe this is why. Because during the Christmas season of 2014 I realized that besides a wife, HE has given me one of HIS children to care for. I will do my best to make Him proud. I will also do my best to keep us laughing. It is all GOOD.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
________________________________________________________________________

* In case you do not know this, Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia are NOT the same thing. Alzheimer’s is the number one cause of dementia but there are over 150 different causes.

 

Copyright Larry Peterson 2014

The Nativity of Our Lord

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

NativityLuke 2: 1-20 The Infancy Narrative

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem , because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

We, too, keep all these things, reflecting on them in our hearts, and give glory and praise to God for all we have seen and heard, just as it has been told to us.

Merry Christmas ♥

Alzheimer’s Disease: An Ever Expanding Universe of Blankness

/12 Comments/in /by

by Larry Peterson

N.B. This is a bit unusual because I am sharing and also trying to inform. Hope you don’t mind.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unexpectedly, my life’s ultimate challenge is now upon me. I have become the primary caregiver to my wife who has entered a world from which there is no turning back. She has Alzheimer’s Disease.

Marty has been undergoing chemo treatments for over three years for Lymphoma. Subtle cognitive changes became apparent about a year or so ago. I spoke to the oncologist about this and he said he had noticed slight differences also. I asked if long term chemotherapy treatments could cause this and he shrugged. I “Googled” the question and page after page of “chemo brain” info popped up. They used names like “The Fog”, or PCCI (Post Chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment) or maybe CRCD (Cancer Related Cognitive Dysfunction) and, of course, plain old Chemobrain. Bottom line—I know in my heart that chemotherapy caused cognitive problems for Marty. I had to ask myself, how many others?

On July 31, she fell and broke her ankle. She needed surgery and did not come out of the anesthesia properly. She did not even know what her name was or where she lived. After several weeks, some cognition did return but nothing like pre-surgery. Chemo started the ball rolling and anesthesia pushed her off the cliff into the dark sea of cognitive dysfunction. Another label still awaited.

Several weeks later a serious heart problem arose. it was Afib (Atrial Fibrillation) resulting in more oxygen deprivation. (I am told that this is also a result of the anesthesia six weeks earlier).  She was admitted to Neuro-ICU and, in addition to the heart problems, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She spent another 34 days in the hospital and rehab and came home on October 26. She was not nor will ever be the woman I knew three months earlier. In fact, the person who she was will ultimately vanish into a blackness none of us can understand.

For me, being my wife’s primary caregiver and watching her life slowly vanish right before my eyes is the most helpless, heartbreaking thing I could have ever imagined. My first wife, Loretta, died of cancer 12 years ago and she suffered a great deal. I was also her primary caregiver. I have to admit that was a heart wrenching road to travel, but I just never thought another road to travel would appear and could lead to this.

Marty keeps asking me if we are married and “is this our house?” She cannot remember things from one minute to the next, yet seems almost normal to anyone who might speak to her for a short time. I have never seen anything like this. She will get up and spontaneously get the toothpaste and put it somewhere it does not belong, like the closet. Yet she can still play the piano. I am told that she will soon forget how. I could go on and on, but what is the point? It only gets worse and worse until there is no more.

I just want you all to be aware of this chemo “thing.” Chemo has saved the lives of countless thousands of cancer patients over the years. But there is a sidebar to all of that that must be addressed. It is something called “chemo brain.”  As for me, right now I do not know if all those chemo treatments were ever worth it. Her cancer is back.

Please pray for both of us.

Transitions – How to get your character from here to there

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

MC900434910[1]One area of writing craft that doesn’t get a lot of attention is that of writing transitions. You’ve gotten to the end of a scene, or maybe just to the middle, and the characters need to move to a different location, or perhaps some time must pass. How do we accomplish that in a way that moves the story forward and also keeps the reader’s interest?

I admit to hitting spots like this and getting stumped. I know what is coming up, but can’t quite figure out how to make it happen on the page. Sometimes I just skip the transition, leave a space or type “needs something” in red, and go on. When I come back, the answer is often clear and I can add, then revise and move on.

Deconstructing transitions can help. Ask questions of yourself or the characters. What needs to happen next? What is a logical way of getting there? How can I as author make the “getting there” part compelling? Can I reveal characterization? Can I set a tone? Can I use an active verb? What word choices will help me create the imaginary situation that I hope my reader pictures and feels? How can I do this in an unobtrusive way?

A simple solution for time shifts is to double space between scenes. In more complex time situations, a timing cue may be necessary, i.e., a day, date, or time as a header at the beginning of a chapter. As in any literary technique, get the most bang for your buck with each word.

For instance, in Hijacked, my first novel, the female protagonist is a pilot. I purposely used weather cues that a pilot would notice to alert the reader to the time shifts. The setting became a vehicle for those transitions: A thunderstorm to indicate that summer had arrived, the brilliant color of fall foliage as seen from the air to denote autumn, the sight of malls (again, from the air) engulfed in oceans of cars just before Christmas. I used those opportunities to deepen the heroine’s character, i.e., how she felt about what was going on in her life at each of those seasons, and to move the story forward, i.e., her musings about past events or how to proceed with relationships. Is there a unique aspect of one of your characters or your setting that might serve to assist with transitions?

In more complex time situations, a timing cue may be necessary, i.e., a day, date, or time as a header at the beginning of a chapter. I used this technique in Unholy Bonds, the sequel to Hijacked. Create a timeline outside of the book as a reference; it will help keep things straight. This idea is especially helpful in creating tension in a novel of suspense. Conversely, it can indicate the passage of long periods of time and slow the pace of a more introspective novel.

Within a chapter or scene, your goal is to move the characters around without creating a sense of plastic figures being manipulated by the author. Describe their movements in terms of their personalities and within the context of the emotion felt or displayed at that moment. Give them reasons, valid ones, for going where they need to go. Use transition words (then, next, after, etc.) if you need to, but keep them to a minimum or the story begins to read like an instruction manual.

Avoid the “grocery list” approach. Too many details getting the character from one spot to another risks losing the reader’s interest. Keep only the details that move the story forward or reveal something about the character. If they need to get out of the kitchen, into the car and down the street before the next interesting thing happens, try to get that done in a sentence or two—not six.

For instance: He dropped the milk carton on the counter and sprinted to the door, grabbing a coat on the way to his vintage Harley. A roar of noise and black exhaust carried him away from safety and into the unknown of danger. Where is Patty?

Okay, I know that’s sort of hokey, but I established a whole lot of stuff in a few sentences and got him out of the house and down the street. Our hero drinks milk and rides a vintage Harley (potentially contradictory and character revealing information.) His bike belches black smoke, so it might need some maintenance. He’s leaving a place of safety and heading into danger, which makes him brave or impetuous – or both. And as he’s moved from one place to another, he’s (hopefully) kept our interest and created a sense of urgency, both on the page and within the reader, who now needs to keep reading.

What we avoided was: He picked the carton of milk up and sniffed it, but then set it down. It wasn’t sour, but a thought crossed his mind. He hadn’t heard from Patty yet, and she had promised to call him when she arrived at work. Where was she, anyway? Concerned, he walked quickly down the hall where he picked up his keys and his coat, then checked his pocket for his wallet. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he stepped out of the house, closed the door and locked it, then took the three steps from the porch to the sidewalk. His motorcycle was parked on the driveway, and he walked over to it, then picked up his helmet and put it on. (Are you bored yet? I am! And it’s so painful I’m not going to write any more! But I bet you get the idea!)

Many times, the transition doesn’t need to be exact.  Sometimes you can simply start the next sentence or scene with a thought in the character’s POV that indicates a change has taken place, then move on from there. Flashbacks followed by “leap forwards” can work, too, but use caution. Overuse or poor execution of flashbacks cause more problems than they solve.

This is a good time to get out your favorite novel and read a bit of it, paying close attention to how the author treated transitions. How do you handle transitions? Do you have suggestions beyond what I’ve addressed here? Please share! 

From the President’s Desk – Terrorism Comes Close

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Photo courtesy KJ

Photo courtesy KJ

It’s a beautiful autumn day as I write this. Here in Canada, we are still in shock that terrorism has come so close. It played out like a suspense novel. A young reservist, Corporal Nathan Cirillo, was shot and killed by a Muslim extremist. Most of downtown Ottawa was in lock down as the RCMP and military personnel were trying to ascertain whether there were multiple gunmen. When I found out about the shooting, I was immediately concerned for my 22 year old son, who attends college a few blocks from Parliament Hill. I texted him, but there was no response. I found out from another student that the university was in lock down with intermittent internet. I knew he was probably safe, but only breathed a sigh of relief when he texted back four hours later. The lock down was finally lifted at around 5:30 and he was able to go home.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo guarding the War Memorial minutes before he was gunned down (photo Huffington Post)

Corporal Nathan Cirillo guarding the War Memorial minutes before he was gunned down (photo Huffington Post)

Incidents like these remind us of our vulnerability. We are blessed with freedom — and free will. All persons have a choice to do good or to do evil. I just can’t imagine how any religion can justify unprovoked violence on innocent people. But, as a friend reminded me recently, western countries are no stranger to causing unprovoked violence to the most vulnerable of all, the unborn child.

In the unprovoked violence on Wednesday, however, there were many accounts of heroism, from the bystanders performing CPR on Corporal Cirillo to Parliament’s Sergeant at Arms, Kevin Vickers shooting the suspected gunman before he could enter the caucus room where many of the Members of Parliament were meeting.

Please join me in praying for all who were affected and for the souls of those died on Wednesday. May God keep both USA and Canada “strong and free.”

Guild Elections:
Elections are coming! You will be receiving an instruction email soon. The CWG Board for 2014/2015 will be:

Ellen Gable Hrkach – President
Arthur Powers – Vice President
Ann Lewis – Treasurer
Dave Law – Secretary
Nancy Ward – Committee Coordinator

Please vote in our upcoming Guild elections to confirm the above board members.
Voting is a privilege! Although I live in Canada, I still vote in US elections. As a new Canadian, I voted for the first time since in our municipal election. Please let your voice be heard!

Join me in giving a special thank you to Jennifer Fitz (outgoing VP) and Don Mulcare (outgoing Committee Coordinator) for their service!

Membership Dues:
Membership dues will be increasing to $40 per year starting on January 1, 2015. We will be stopping the automatic dues payments as of January 1st and we will be sending PayPal invoices to all members who had previously been on automatic dues payment. Please pay your membership dues in a timely manner. The Guild depends on this money to pay for the day-to-day business expenses of the Guild.

FREE BOOK: My second novel, In Name Only, is FREE through Sunday on Kindle.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns: president (at) catholicwritersguild.com

Blessings,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, CWG

The New Oxymoron: Catholic Secularists

/2 Comments/in /by

I think that the plague of secularism that has engulfed the entire world possibly reached its optimal success last February. The highly civilized country of Belgium passed a law allowing children to choose to euthanize themselves.  The final seal of approval was placed on this bill by none other than King Philippe himself.  Yes, the Roman Catholic King of Belgium, Philippe Louis Leopold Marie, signed the bill making it official.  Belgian children can kill themselves if they have “good reason” (They also need a physician, a psychologist, and the parent(s) to approve their request).

I am a Roman Catholic.  I know many people who are Roman Catholics. Most of you reading this are Catholic. You know what? Ironically, much of the anti-Catholic sentiment comes from those who say they are Catholic.  Many people who call themselves Catholic approve of abortion, contraception, and gay marriage.  Heck, Belgium is a 75% Catholic country and they voted by a 2 to 1 majority for the Child Euthanasia Law. And that is after their bishops condemned the bill. But you cannot pick and choose what parts of the faith you like and do not like, especially when it comes to the sanctity of life. Many of us do our best to adhere to and respect Catholic teaching. We who do are often called judgmental and intolerant. If you possess a progressive and “caring” attitude and reject Catholic teaching you are a Catholic Secularist. You are an oxymoron, a contradiction.

Whenever did so many of our species get so smart that laws were enacted giving people  the individual “right” to end the God-given life of someone else? People who call themselves Catholic and accept abortion and euthanasia and sex outside marriage now have a king who has joined their ranks. There are millions more.

Euthanasia is an abomination of the Natural Law which was established by God and is “naturally” ingrained in each of us. We instinctively know what is right and what is wrong. But how many of us go against the Natural Law because we have been desensitized to the point that we delude ourselves into thinking  something ‘unnatural’ is okay because it has been legalized? Adhering to Natural Law often times involves self-denial. However, secularism is the twisted religion of self-gratification. To hell with self-denial.

The State of Oregon passed the “Death with Dignity” Act in 1997.  Washington, Montana, and Vermont have also passed Euthanasia laws.  Belgium passed their euthanasia law in 2002, the second highly civilized nation to do so (The Netherlands was first).  In 2011, 1133 cases of euthanasia were reported in Belgium. In  2012, 1432. That figure represents 2% of all deaths in that country.  Statistics show that the suicide rate of those who have undergone sex change surgery is as high as 31%. Why such despair?  Why such hopelessness?

I really believe it is because many have the misguided and illogical notion that our happiness depends on “things”.  Good health, money, position, and material goods have become the god that never satisfies. Worshiping those things are the violation of God’s First Commandment. Secularism honors the god of hopelessness and despair. The God of mercy and love has been rejected for a false god.  And, after all those self-inflicted deaths, they pass a euthanasia law for children.  How sad this is.

King Philippe is one of many highly placed people who have embraced secularism and then pretended that they are being virtuous by giving approval to all things for all people.  Legalization of drugs, of abortion, of euthanasia, of same-sex marriage, are all the result of a civilized society that has deluded itself into a false happiness. This false happiness is never attained and ultimately leads people off a cliff into a sea of misery. Those that might have the “temerity” to say “NO” are branded as intolerant.  At least those folks can still sport a truthful smile even though it might have cost them defilement and persecution to keep it.

One final thought. Imagine a child of seven or eight years old who has a terrible disease that can lead to many surgeries, long term disability, and no guarantee of survival. The financial burden will also be huge. Yet, other children with the same disease have survived and led full lives. Doctors advised the parents that their child will have to endure years of torment, but they do have an option. They could discuss the pros and cons of euthanasia with their child. If those parents are absent of faith, how hard would it be for them to talk their child into accepting euthanasia because, “you will never hurt again and mommy and daddy will be with you through the whole thing.”

How far we have come in our civilized world. And that includes the many oxymoronic Catholic Secularists.

From the President’s Desk – Courage and the Catholic Writer

/4 Comments/in , , , , /by

photo by Josh Hrkach

photo by Josh Hrkach

As I write this, it is a gloomy, cold and wet day.  It feels more like the end of November than September. The Farmers’ Almanac and recent weather forecasts have predicted that Canada and much of the Northern and Midwestern states will be experiencing another brutally cold and snowy winter.  Upon hearing this, I groaned.

It’s good to be prepared, not only emotionally, but practically as well.  For our family, that means making sure we have enough logs for the long winter ahead to keep us warm and always having extra provisions in case we lose electricity.

In the grand scheme of things, a cold winter can be uncomfortable, but not usually life-threatening, especially for the vast majority of us who live in well-insulated homes and have warm coats and cars. In fact, a brutal winter has the potential of being a positive experience because it can build our character and increase our patience.

Right now, Middle Eastern Christians and others are dealing with worse atrocities than cold temperatures.

With Social Networking, many of us thought that genocides (like the Holocaust) would not be possible.  Instead, extreme Islamist terrorists are using Social Networking to boast about and to spread their evil through their graphic beheading videos (which admittedly, I have not watched). Christians are being murdered and persecuted not only in the Middle East but also in Africa.

So what does all of this have to do with the Catholic writer?  A great deal. 

Catholic writers must have the courage to speak the truth through their blogs, columns, books, novels and Social Networking. In fact, nowadays, that courage to write the truth has already resulted in the brutal deaths of several journalists. Jim Foley, a Catholic journalist, was one of those beheaded last month by terrorists.

I see this courage to speak the truth daily as I read the inspiring and no-holds barred posts of some of our members (Rebecca Hamilton and Elizabeth Scalia to name a few).

Elizabeth shares an Op-ed article, but also comments that the world situation is, in fact, as bad as we thought in this gripping post.

I know some of us don’t want to read the depressing realities.  But as Elizabeth writes, “Sadly, this is essential reading; this is essential thinking. The long sleep induced by prosperity and power must now be broken. The choice to remain unengaged, fully tricked out with technology, is coming to an end, as is the easy habit of playing partisan games at the expense of human lives.”

We’re nearing the end of the Week of Prayer and Fasting for Peace so check out Lisa Hendey’s post for more information.

Finally, please take a look at this video from Cardinal Wuerl, “Where Are The Voices?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kujTZbwOMcc

We have no idea how this will play out for the rest of the world or, more specifically, for North Americans.  Right now, many of us are groaning and complaining about the impending cold winter.  But we are safe and we have freedom to practice our Catholic faith and freedom to live where we want.  This is not the time to be complacent or spend our time complaining. This is the time to prepare emotionally and spiritually for those difficult and challenging times ahead.  Let us offer our prayers, fasting and sacrifices for all those who are the victims of evil.  May God give us the courage to write about the truth. Amidst the darkness, Christ can and will be our light. As Catholics, we know that God’s goodness, love and mercy will triumph over evil.

Until next month, as always, please let me know if you have any comments, complaints or concerns.  You can email me at president -at- catholicwritersguild.com Please keep me in prayer as I keep you all in prayer.

In Christ,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, CWG

St. Paul Calls Out to Us from Across the Ages

/2 Comments/in /by

The second reading at  Sunday’s Mass (the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:  8/31/2104) was from St. Paul to the Romans: 12:1-2.  The words reverberated in my head, and I think it was not only because of their simplicity and timeliness but primarily because  of the message.  

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual  worship.  Do not CONFORM yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the WILL of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Offering our bodies as a living sacrifice does not mean jumping into an open volcano.  It does not mean that we are supposed to self-flagellate or harm ourselves in any physical way.  I think it simply means  that we must do our best to follow God as He would have us follow Him, and not to conform to the secular, morally bankrupt world we live in.  The thing of it is,  the secular world  has encapsulated its meistic philosophy into a false narrative of “pretend virtue” suggesting that self-gratification (no matter what that might be) is perfectly permissible.  Some of the  cliches which precede anything self-gratifying are, “You don’t have to do it” or “I’m not bothering you” and “Mind your own business”.   In the world of Meism  (my word) the other person NEVER comes first.

Our Judeo/Catholic/Christian beliefs are under attack around the world.  Not just from ISIS but from people just “like” us.  Many of our  neighbors, friends, colleagues and even family members have been swept up in the phony virtue of meism.  Many Catholics attending  Mass do not even believe in the Real Presence.  Many Catholics believe  abortion is okay and that birth control should not even be discussed because it is just a normal part of life.  It is okay for people to:  live together first as an unmarried “husband and wife”; then have a child; then get engaged, and then, when the child is old enough to be a flower girl or ring-bearer, maybe get married.  Talk about putting the “cart before the horse”.  Belgium, which is supposedly 75% Catholic, has approved euthanasia for children, and that is after the Bishops condemned the entire concept.

So, as St. Paul calls out to us from across the ages,  many do not listen.  They do not want to surrender their secularly approved philosophy of self-gratification.  The term, “Cafeteria Catholic” has become common-place.  Many do, in fact, pick & choose what church teachings fit their lifestyle.  No doubt about it,  secularism has taken a heavy toll.

The two verses quoted above are so profound for all of us, especially today.  Here they are, one more time:

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual  worship.  Do not CONFORM yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the WILL of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

As members of the CWG and/or other Catholic writing groups, we have, in a way, found a comfort zone with each other.  Most of us are traditional minded Catholics doing our best to follow the faith as handed down by Holy Mother Church.  It is kind of a “safe place” to be because most members agree with each other regarding church teachings, especially in regard to faith & morals.  Step outside our comfort zones and roll the dice with the anti’s (I do this quite often) and it can get ugly.  All I know is that I am NOT so smart as to know better than the Church that Christ Himself founded.  I shall listen and do my best to discern what is the WILL of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.  I guess that is all any of us can do.

St. Paul, please pray for all of us.

10 Steps to Indie Publishing

/18 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Printing pressThese are the best of times for authors—and possibly the worst of times! The changes in the publishing industry over the past five years are nearly as significant as the advent of the internet. In fact, the two developments are intertwined and build on each other.

We all know traditional publishing has undergone tremendous upheaval. It’s still difficult to find an agent. Same goes for a publishing home, doubly so when entire houses fold or get bought out by another entity. Authors are taking to the waters of Amazon and related ponds by the droves, flooding the markets with their manuscripts.

What are some advantages to independently publishing your work? Total control is the one most often mentioned. You work directly with a cover artist to produce the best one for your story. You can replace it if you decide it’s not working. You can set your pricing, then change it at a moment’s notice if needed.

Total control is also the disadvantage to indie publishing. Marketing is incumbent upon you, no one else. Make no mistake: this is a big responsibility.

Given this environment, if you are interested but have yet to dip a toe into the pool, how do you go about what has become known as indie publishing?

1. Know your goals. Do you want to get something in print form for family and friends? Skip down to items 4 through 7 and ignore the rest. Do you want to reach readers who don’t personally know you? Start here and slog through every step listed.

2. Hone your craft. Write the best book possible, run it by critique groups and/or beta readers and/or enter it in contests to get unbiased feedback. Then hire an editor and revise. Yes, this will cost money. Yes, you must do it. Do not fall prey to the delusion that your book is the best one on the planet or the only one not in need of professional editing. It’s not. You can always make it better. Believe me, if your critique partners/beta readers/editors say it needs work, it does. Fix it. If you don’t, the whole world will be privy to the lashing you will get from Amazon and Goodreads reviewers. So make it the best possible book before you put it out there. At least no one will be able to say “poorly written/edited!”

3. Buy books on the process. Let’s Get Digital and Let’s Get Visible  by David Gaughran are great resources, they are cheap, and they are fairly up to date. He is a proponent of the Amazon-only model. If you are comfortable with reading advice by savvy romance writers, The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing by The Indie Voice is another great resource.  This group is a proponent of getting your work out to every venue possible; why limit yourself to one vendor? These three books come to less than $15 and lay an excellent foundation for understanding the nuts and bolts of self-publishing.

4. Explore publishing options. Amazon’s self-pub arms are KDP for ebooks, Create Space  or print on demand, and ACX for audio books. Ingram Spark is another option. Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo have platforms for uploading books; I have not gotten that far and do not have information to share. I’m sure others can contribute to the conversation here!

5. Utilize the tutorials on each publishing site. They provide a wealth of information. My experience with customer service on each site has been exceptional. If your budget allows for additional services, pretty much anything you need is available .

6. Remember that nothing is set in stone. If you make a mistake, all you usually have to do is replace the file. For ebooks on KDP, the old one will still be available for sale until the new one goes live. With Create Space, the title will not be available during the changeover, typically twelve hours or so. That said, some mistakes require taking the book down and reissuing it. Call customer service if it looks like something you can’t address on your own.

7. Mistakes: You will make them. The earth will not stop rotating. You will fix them. A week later, you will probably have forgotten the details. Moral: Be nice to yourself when you demonstrate your humanity. Even better, laugh!

8. Connect with your writing community. Ask for help, share insights, cheer each other on, and promote each other’s work. There are enough readers out there for all books. Amazon gave a presentation at a conference I attended recently. Their statistics show a dramatic rise in books sold since the ebook became widely available. More titles, more sales. Readers are voracious. There is enough success to go around; it’s not a finite quantity.

9. Adapt. There is no right way or wrong way to do this. The only given is the quality of the product you put out. Beyond that, much of the process for individual books is trial and error. Try something and see if it works. If not, try something else. Be persistent. Realize that marketing is part of the authorial journey these days, whether you are traditionally or independently published.

10. Remember this is a business for the long haul. It may take years to build a following. Meanwhile, keep improving your craft and writing new content. That is the one action you can take to improve visibility of your books, and visibility translates to sales. Continue to interact with readers, either online or in person, so they remember you and look for your books as you write them.

Questions? Discussion? How about suggestions of books or other resources you’ve found? Please share!

Stay in the Know

Join Our Newsletter

Members and supporters can get the latest on CWG news and events by signing up for our newsletter.

Catholic Writers Guild
P.O. Box 77
Eaton, IN 47338

About
Membership
Connect
Showcase

Blog
Contact
Terms of Use
FAQs

Pray with Us

Click Here