Catholic Writing and Publishing – Page 31

Building Books: Story Structure

January 28, 2014/6 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Fiction, Novel, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

So you’ve decided to write a book! You might attack the admittedly daunting task the way I did the first time around: I started with what I thought happened first, wrote it, then what I thought happened next, wrote it, and repeated until I got to about 300 pages.

I will say now that I wish I’d had at least a rudimentary understanding of story structure before I began that project! I’m in the final edits of that story now, but it’s been a very long road, in part because I didn’t understand how to put the pieces together in order to come up with a coherent finished product.

For those of you who would like to explore mythology or screenwriting as a template, check out Christopher Vogler’s The Writers Journey website. From this link, click on the fourth item down: The Hero’s Journey, which will bring you to Vogler’s explanation of the twelve steps of The Hero’s Journey as identified by scholar Joseph Campbell. Very interesting stuff – and effective at a primal level because we humans are hard-wired to respond to story-telling.

In a similar vein, Kim Hudson’s The Virgin Promise provides a thirteen step process from a feminine point of view. I used this in my most recent work, and it fit my purposes beautifully.

However, for me, those templates, as universal as they are, are sometimes confusing, so I tend to fall back on my favorite writing coach, James Scott Bell. He simplifies the process to a beginning, a middle, and an end. (I think we all could figure that one out!)

There must be a transition from one step to another, no matter what template or format you choose. It is critical to make each transition irreversible for the character. In other words, s/he has no option to return to “normal.” S/he must move forward – and the stakes must be higher.

The first major transition will likely come about one-quarter of the way into the book, although this varies from genre to genre. Thrillers may reach the first (irrevocable) transition early in the book.

A gripping book will have a series of events to fill the middle that lead inexorably to the final transition, and each of these events will have increasing tension and higher stakes.

The final major transition will come at approximately the three-quarter mark, and will be followed by the black moment (when all appears to be lost), the climax, and the resolution (end).

A good exercise is to take a paperback book and analyze it. Identify the first transition, the ratcheting of higher tension, the final transition, black moment, climax and resolution. Mark up the pages, or use bookmarks. Do the same with a movie. (I will admit to difficulty with these sorts of exercises, because I get so caught up in the story, I forget to analyze!)

For instance, in The Wizard of Oz, the first turning point is the tornado. Up until then, life is getting more difficult for Dorothy and Toto, but she hasn’t been pushed through the door of no return. But once she’s caught up in the tornado, she can’t go back. “Normal” is no longer available to her. The middle of the book is filled with the (mis)adventures of the Cowardly Lion, Heartless Tin Man, and Brainless Scarecrow. The final turning point (in my mind; feel free to disagree!) is the audience with the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz – who dashes Dorothy’s hopes. The black moment comes when Toto reveals that the Wizard is just an ordinary man, and has no magic to return Dorothy to her home. The climax is Dorothy’s discovery that she’s had the power to return within her the whole time; the resolution is her joyful reunion with the people she loves. Dorothy’s character has grown, learning her own worth and appreciating that which she has taken for granted.

Identifying turning points and understanding the structure of your story provides immeasurable help in the writing of the story, whether you use a more elaborate outline or simply go with a listing of the crucial points. An added benefit is that you’ve got the bones of a synopsis; it makes writing one of those ever so much easier!

As with anything in writing, each person is different, and different methods work best for each individual. I’ve struggled with The Hero’s Journey, but found The Virgin’s Promise easier to execute. Bell’s simpler approach is perhaps a better fit for the writer who hates outlines.

How do you approach planning and structuring a manuscript? Is there a method that works for you, or one that I haven’t mentioned? Please share!

January 22, 1973: The U.S. Supreme Court Gave Birth to Twins; “Roe & Doe”

January 22, 2014/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Today the annual March for Life will take place in Washington, D.C. It is the 41st anniversary of Roe vs Wade. Thousands upon thousands of Pro-Life advocates will brave the freezing weather in defense of the unborn. Millions more across the country will gather at state capitols, cities and small towns lending their support to the most defenseless of the defenseless. The hopes and prayers of all these folks are for the High Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade. As for me, I am a”pro-life person who had an “up close and personal” experience with the miracle of life and the pain of death all on the same day. If I had harbored any doubt whatsoever about the “viability of a fetus” that doubt was vanquished forever 35 years ago.

At the beginning of the sixth month of pregnancy, our fourth child, a daughter, was stillborn. She was our child and was a gift from God. She was baptized and buried with my parents. We had prepared for the arrival, but it came earlier than expected. No matter, she was a real person who lived and died. Her name is on a tombstone. It is Theresa Mary. Her birthday and date of death were Sept 6, 1978. She was not simply a “fetus”. She was not “products of conception”. She was not an “annoyance”, an extra pair of shoes to worry about, or another “sleepless night”. She did not mean less money in the bank. No, Theresa Mary was worth far more than any of that multiplied a thousand times over. Nothing can change the fact that she did exist, albeit for the briefest of moments. In God’s world there is no “time” as we know it. HE lives in the “Eternal Now”. Theresa Mary now lives there with HIM.

I think of the millions of little people like Theresa Mary who have been put to death in a heinous fashion because they are unwanted, because they might cost money, or might interfere with a career. How many have been eradicated simply because people take no responsibility for having sex, getting pregnant, and deciding that this “thing” has to go before it “ruins” their lives. You know, having sex is NOT the same thing as breathing, eating, and sleeping. Those bodily functions are instinctive and necessary for us to live. We do NOT have to have sex to live. We won’t die if we say NO. Many people actually choose to live a life of celibacy. It is OKAY to do so. And make no mistake, none of them die from NOT doing “it”.

.January 22nd will be the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling known as “Roe vs Wade”. Simply put, the court, by a 7 to 2 majority, said that abortion is a citizen’s fundamental right under the United States Constitution. You are all familiar with how that ruling has torn our nation apart. What many people do not seem to be aware of is the other ruling that took place on that very same day. It provided the proverbial “double whammy” to the abortion issue. That ruling is called “Doe Vs Bolton”. Once again, it was a 7 to 2 majority vote affirming the ruling. The US Supreme Court had given birth to the “Roe & Doe” twins. The ruling in the “Doe Vs Bolton” case is summed up here:

The Court’s opinion in Doe v. Bolton stated that a woman may obtain an abortion after viability, if necessary to protect her health. The Court defined “health” as follows:

“

Whether, in the words of the Georgia statute, “an abortion is necessary” is a professional judgment that the Georgia physician will be called upon to make routinely. We agree with the District Court, 319 F. Supp., at 1058, that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age – relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.

Amazing as it is, if Roe vs Wade was ever overturned, Doe vs Bolton would take its place. Doe vs Bolton allows for abortion “after viability” for almost any conceivable reason. Read the excerpt above closely. According to Doe vs Bolton, an abortion could be permitted at full term because a baby’s crying might cause too much stress for someone in the house who has a psychological problem. Far fetched? Not really. Who needs Roe vs Wade when you have its twin, Doe vs Bolton? Our fight for millions of little, unseen and helpless John and Jane Does will continue. God help us today and tomorrow.

The War by the “Worldly” is Secular Abuse Against the Very Heart of Christianity

January 7, 2014/9 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

It was a brutally cold winter night in 1839 when Jeanne Jugan brought the sick, blind, homeless woman into her home. All she wanted to do was help the poor woman. She had no agenda. She wanted nothing. She simply wanted to do what God’s graces had asked her to do, “Love her neighbor”. Jeanne never planned to have people begin to follow her example. She never dreamed that she would become the founder of an organization called the Little Sisters of the Poor. Jeanne Jugan could not in her wildest dreams foresee the order she had founded serving the elderly poor in 31 countries around the world. She must have had tears of joy streaming down her saintly face when Pope Benedict XVI canonized her in 2009.

Today she, and many others with her in the heavenly realm, must be so ashamed and saddened by the members of the secular world who, disguised in a mask of counterfeit virtue, are determined to lay waste to Christianity. Make no mistake, we Catholic/Christians are at war; and the Worldly, including many who claim to be with us, are waging this war against us. Their primary weapon is the Affordable Care Act aka “Obamacare”. Where does this weapon of mass secularity have its sights trained? Where else but on St. Jeanne Jugan’s order, The Little Sisters of the Poor. Are you kidding me? The government of the United States of America, under the control of the Worldly, is after The Little Sisters. The order must be considered an easy target because, after granting exemptions to other groups, the Worldly refused to grant an exemption to The Little Sisters of the Poor. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an appointee of the Worldly in power, granted the Little Sisters a temporary injunction against the mandate. Undeterred in their mission of spreading their all-knowing secularity, the Worldy immediately responded and asked the court to drop the appeal. Now we wait. We wait to see if the First Amendment of the Constitution is to be upheld.

As a Catholic writer I have unexpectedly found myself blogging more and more about subjects that pertain to things “Catholic”. I never began writing with that in mind. My novel, “The Priest and the Peaches”, deals with a Catholic family and a priest but it is not considered religious. Rather, it is classified as ‘historical fiction’. My children’s book is not religious either. I had been working on the sequel to TP & TP but I have had that on hold for almost six months as I blog about things and people that pertain to my faith. I do this because our faith is under attack. When did any of us ever think we would live to see the day when out revered government would turn around and demand we violate our religious principles? Our faith does not just take place INSIDE a church. It takes place within our very hearts and minds. We are supposed to LIVE our faith and, though many of us often fail, it is our CHOICE to fail. It is no one’s business. The government of the United States of America does not belong in our “hearts and minds” the same as it does not belong inside our churches.

We, as a church, a faith community, and as individuals who are part of it and believe in it are being abused and are under attack. So, I will keep on defending the faith the best I can with the written word. We have not only the right but the obligation to defend this faith with which we have been gifted. The Little Sisters of the Poor need our written voices to ring out. So do the almost 10 million folks who are able to turn to almost 1400 charitable organizations run by the Catholic church every year. So do the people, mostly volunteers, who staff the 600,000 plus soup kitchens feeding folks everyday and distribute food from the two million food banks and pantries. There is a veritable population of “goodness and kindness and giving” spread across this entire nation who ask nothing in return for sharing their time, their hearts and their love with those less fortunate. The Worldly need to start minding their own damn business.

From the President’s Desk – Merry Christmas

December 27, 2013/1 Comment/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

On behalf of the Catholic Writers Guild Board, I’d like to wish every Guild member a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It’s been an exciting and busy year for the Guild. Our membership tipped 500. We held a successful live conference in New Jersey with nearly 100 attendees. Our Seal of Approval committee evaluated 78 books, the most we’ve ever evaluated in any year since 2009. Our new Facebook group page has become quite popular. Our blog continues to receive regular posts from members.

Congratulations to all members who won awards, published a book or accomplished other writing achievements in 2013!

We have also had our share of challenges: our website was hacked and out of commission for several long days; luckily, we were able to get a temporary site going (thanks, Dave and Ann!) and we hope to have our new site up and running in the new year. We were also inundated with books for the Seal of Approval which made it necessary to shut the program down for one quarter. Our online conference had to be cancelled because of unforeseen events.

Our greatest challenge recently has been the need for more volunteers. I’ll be writing to Guild members in the coming weeks asking volunteers to step forward to help on various committees. A non-profit organization such as ours (especially one that is growing) needs many volunteers to ensure success. It is also one of the ways that we can keep our membership fee minimal.

As you celebrate this holy season with your family and friends, I ask you to keep me in prayer and I will do the same for you.

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

In Jesus and Mary,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, Catholic Writers Guild

A blessed Christmas Eve to all

December 24, 2013/3 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, History, Inspirational/by Leslie Lynch

Luke 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 ♥

The Christmas Haters are Here to Stay, and I am at Peace

December 3, 2013/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

I admit it. I get pretty ticked off at some of the anti-Christmas stuff that is dumped on us Christmas lovers this time of the year. If you do not like Christmas, if you do not believe in Christmas, if you are anti-Christian, an atheist, agnostic, or even a Vulcan, why do you give a ‘flying reindeer’ what we Christmas lovers love? Why can’t you let us enjoy our creches with the innocent baby and Christmas trees and wide-eyed children filled with the awe of an impending visit by Santa on Christmas Eve? How in the name of candy canes and snowflakes can these things bother you? Hey man, I don’t care if you don’t roast chestnuts on an open fire or do not drink eggnog. Why do you care if I and the millions like me, do? But a heavy weight has finally been lifted from my shoulders. I have finally accepted the fact that you anti-Christmas people have been around for centuries (ever hear of King Herod?) and are never going to stop your ranting and raving. Yes, this Christmas I am at peace with you.

Christmas is so much more than a ‘certain day’ each year. It is about faith and love and goodness and giving and sharing and the twinkle in the eyes of children and songs about peace and joy and angels and poor people (shepherds) and rich people (the wise men) and the star, the brightest and most wonderful star ever seen. For over two thousand years this star has lit the way for all blood-lines as they traveled across the centuries. It is about Salvation–the Salvation available to each and every one of us who has ever lived. So, whatever is the problem with all of you anti-Christmas, anti-God, anti-Jesus people who are somehow “offended” by KINDNESS and GOODNESS and LOVE? Why do you want to ruin it for the vast majority of people who LOVE Christmas and all it stands for? How can you be so self-centered and self-absorbed that you are willing to snatch joy and happiness right from the hearts of millions of children? What is wrong with you supposedly tolerant, caring, people? I don’t get it. How can you hate Christmas? Well, I have decided that you cannot hate Christmas. If you say that you do–you are living in a state of permanent denial.

So, for this Catholic man who believes that the reason for Christmas is the Virgin birth of Christ the Savior this is the Christmas that I have come to peace with you anti-Christmas folks, all of you. Filled with a “Bah-Humbug” spirit, you have tried to bludgeon all of us Christmas lovers into submission. You and your kind have been doing it for centuries, even before Dickens came up with the cliche back in 1843. It is old news folks, very old news and you have failed and will always fail.

Please know that this Christmas this believer will say a prayer for all of you who do not believe. I will pray that you catch a glimpse of that star that shines so bright. Maybe a droplet of its light will find its way into your heart. If you do happen to catch a glimpse of it, don’t turn away. You will have ignored a beautiful Christmas moment. You will have chosen the proverbial “hunk of coal” over a “sweet candy cane”. So keep your eyes and hearts open, and Merry Christmas to EVERYONE. For me, this Christmas is truly Peace on Earth no matter what anyone says or does.

Giving Thanks

November 26, 2013/4 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG Member News, Encouragement for Writers, The Writing Life/by Leslie Lynch

Last month, I attended CWG’s Your Word is My Delight: A Catholic Writers’ Retreat in Dewitt, Michigan. As is so often the case, it took me a few days post-retreat to recognize the gifts poured out by the Holy Spirit through the event.

Opportunities to pray abounded. Daily Rosary, daily Mass, Adoration most evenings…and those were just the formally scheduled times. Reflection in the privacy of one’s room or walking the beautiful grounds offered occasions for informal prayer. Several of us shared that the main focus of our attendance was discernment regarding our calling and future direction. No matter the answer(s) each individual heard, the time spent in the company of God brought peace.

The intimacy of the gathering allowed us to get to know each other in ways that are not possible through conferences. For me, recognizing the holiness in each person’s vocation, whether religious or as laity, was a true gift. Faith, fidelity, devotion, patience, joy—these attributes were modeled by various people throughout the five days. Our small community built each other up, just as Paul instructs us to do in the Epistles. Not limited to retreats, a mindset willing to see these things in our ordinary lives can open our eyes to God’s hand in the day-to-day.

Networking, both professional and personal, was another gift. Blogs were born, ideas (writing and non-writing related) shared, horizons broadened, new directions and new projects envisioned, contacts swapped. I’d had an idea for a book-length nonfiction project, and, thanks to a presenter, realized I could create it in any number of formats, from brochure to booklet to book. Others took a step into fiction from their background of nonfiction, etc. Sometimes it takes another’s perspective to see possibilities we never imagined. As a bonus, we left the retreat with a strong network of writers in vastly different geographic areas and personal/professional circles of influence. Now, when one of us tosses the proverbial pebble into a pond, the ripple effects will go into coves we never could have predicted.

The subject of New Evangelization came up numerous times in unrelated contexts. New Evangelization is reaching out in love and catechesis to those Catholics who’ve drifted away from the Church, or who’ve made a conscious decision to leave the Church, or don’t have a solid understanding of its teachings—namely, a lively relationship with and fruitful gratitude to Jesus, our Savior. I certainly came away with a better understanding of the scope of the issue, along with a renewed sense of purpose as a writer and evangelizer.

As Michelle Buckman, the keynote presenter, said, God is in the details. He brought each of us to Dewitt, Michigan for a purpose—actually, several purposes. From personal to spiritual to the craft of writing to the purpose of our calling to networking, the Holy Spirit was hard at work at the St. Francis Retreat Center.

Look back at your most recent experience with a conference or a retreat, or maybe in a CWG forum or the new Google group or Facebook group page. Take a moment to recognize the Holy Spirit’s influence, and give thanks. It is far too easy to take these things for granted, or downplay them. Next time you have the opportunity to participate in a writing community, pay attention to what God is showing you. If you’re like me, it won’t be anything like you expected, and may not even be writing-related. It may be difficult to recognize or discern while in the moment, but at some point you will recognize the truth of why you were in that place, at that time, with those people.

God’s hand, open hearts—a combination that bears great fruit, whether on retreat or slogging through our daily lives. Together, they yield blessings, grace, and much cause for gratitude.

Thanksgiving is two days away. What are you offering thanks for this year? Do you have any examples of blessings or gifts related to writing you’d like to share? Let’s encourage each other in our vocation as writers.

From the President’s Desk – November 22

November 22, 2013/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Ellen Gable Hrkach

As I look at my window, snow is gently falling, Americans are preparing for Thanksgiving, some of our CWG members are participating in the National Novel Writing Month and a new members-only Facebook group is thriving. If you are a dues-paying member of the Guild and you’re on Facebook, but have yet not been added, please let us know.

Have you voted in the Guild elections? Most of our current board members have volunteered to remain on the board, with the exception of Karina Fabian, who is leaving (thank you, Karina, for your many years of service on the CWG Board!!) Don Mulcare has been nominated to replace her as Committee Coordinator. If you’re a member, you should have received the newsletter, which includes the link for voting. If you haven’t received it, please let me know.

image copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” John F. Kennedy

Today marks the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. These lesser known words of JFK on the anniversary of his death are particularly relevant to the Catholic writer. They remind us that our writing can serve to be part of our legacy when we are gone, hopefully to be enjoyed by others.

JFK was the first Catholic president. He was also a writer. His book, Profiles in Courage, was a Pulitzer prize-winning bestseller. Although his immoral liaisons are now well-known, as I was growing up in the 60’s, his memory was respected and revered by my parents, who were grief-stricken at the news of his death (and who kept this framed portrait in a prominent place in our home for years).

Like Pearl Harbor before it and 9/11 after, November 22nd, 1963 will continue to remain a reminder of our vulnerability. To read my personal thoughts about the anniversary of the JFK assassination at my blog, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As always, if you have any concerns, please feel free to email me: president(at)catholicwritersguild.com

In Jesus and Mary,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, CWG

John F. Kennedy, a Kid from the Bronx, and a Moment in Time

November 21, 2013/4 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

“The president is dead.” For those of us who can remember those words from 50 years ago, they were seared into our brains like letters sand-blasted into a granite headstone forever: clear, succinct, and unmistakable in meaning. How could this be? Things like this did not happen, especially in the America of 1963. But then a few days later, John-John, in his little top coat and short pants, saluted as the caisson went by holding his dad’s body covered by our flag. It was real all right, no doubt about it.

I had a personal connection to John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Just like the moment when I heard of his death, these moment(s) are also seared into my brain, and the memories of them are as clear and vivid as if they happened ten minutes ago. The only difference is these are MY moments with JFK. No one else ever had these moments, just me and the 35th President of the United States. And I do not care if you believe me or not. I just felt that I should share. Let us go back to November 5, 1960.

The most famous hotel in the Bronx was the Concourse Plaza Hotel on the corner of 161st Street and the Grand Concourse. Built in 1922, it was an elegant 12-story hotel three blocks from Yankee Stadium. Many of the Yankees had stayed there, including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and others. The hotel had a grand ballroom and fancy dining rooms. On Saturday, November 5, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy was to deliver a campaign speech at the hotel. His fateful election to the presidency was now only four days away.

I had an after school job delivering groceries and stocking shelves for Harry “the Grocer” Greenhouse. I worked for Harry every day after school until 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. One of my frequent delivery stops was the Concourse Plaza Hotel. There were a number of elderly tenants that lived there year round, and they always called Harry when they needed anything from bread to fruit to bologna to beer to band-aids or whatever. I would bag up the stuff, load it into a cart, and push it up the two hills to the hotel. I would go there at least twice a week, sometimes more. I had made a delivery to a customer on the eighth floor on Friday, and she told me that Senator Kennedy was coming in the morning to give a speech. She was very excited about it and told me she was going to make sure she was down in the ballroom when he arrived. She said she thought he was going to be there at 10 o’clock. I had to start work at 10 o’clock, and I was quite disappointed that I might miss my chance to see the Senator. Then things changed.

That Friday night I saw my friend ‘Sticks’ (real name Tommy) and told him about JFK coming to the hotel in the morning. He said we should just go up there about 9 a.m. and see what happens. It made sense to me, so that is what we did. I do not remember why but we did not get up to the hotel until about 9:30. We came up to the hotel through the rear loading dock, which was off 162nd Street. That is where I always came in to make deliveries, and I knew my way around the back and basement of the hotel like the back of my hand. It was a bit strange because there were no cars or trucks, or anything or anyone for that matter, at the rear of the hotel. The overhead doors for truck deliveries were closed, and the only way in was through a door up some stairs at the end of the loading dock. ‘Sticks’ hurried ahead of me and went through the door. I was not as quick, so it took me about an extra half minute to reach the door. By the time I did ‘Sticks’ had disappeared. I hurriedly walked down a short corridor and made a left. I can remember that it was quite dark. (Whew! Right now, as I write this so many years years later, the memories have become crystal clear.) I made the turn and froze dead in my tracks. Someone else had also stopped short.

The man I had almost walked into, and who was now looking me in the eye, was Senator Kennedy. We were less than a foot apart. He had finished his speech and was leaving via the rear entrance. He was with another man. That was it. No one else was there. Just me, John F. Kennedy, and some other guy. The other man simply stepped near me and said, “Excuse us son.” I said nothing and stepped back. Senator Kennedy smiled at me and said, “Good to see you.” Then he and his friend walked down some stairs and exited the door that led to 162nd Street.

The rear stairwell was right in front of me, so I ran up a half flight to a platform and opened the big window. I looked out, and below me and maybe 50 feet away the next President of the United States was standing next to a limo, just talking to the man he had left the hotel with. There were no police, no guards in the street, no one else. I was staring out the window at John F. Kennedy. He was wearing a dark blue topcoat that had to be very expensive, and his face had a perfect tan, something you do not see in New York City in November. His thick, sandy hair was blowing a bit, and he ran his right hand up and across it. Then it happened. He looked up at me, smiled (I can still see his teeth) and held up his hand. He did not wave it, he just held it up. He probably held it up for about two seconds.

He was saying good-bye to ME, a kid from the south Bronx who just happened to be there at that moment. I held up my right hand to him and I guess I smiled. I don’t remember. Then he got into his limo and was gone. I watched as my new friend’s car turned onto the Grand Concourse. Talk about a “moment in time”.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I turned and ‘Sticks’ was at the bottom of the stairs. “I didn’t see him,” he said. “Did you?”

“Yes, I did.”

Straight Talk About the Seal of Approval

November 13, 2013/8 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG Seal of Approval/by Karina Fabian

It started at our first booth at the Catholic Marketing Network. We were new as a guild and with CMN, and incredibly hopeful that bookstores would fall in love with the books we were offering (or in the case of Ellen Gable Hrkach, pushing. That woman can market!) Again and again, the question came up, “Does this have an Imprimatur? Has it been approved by a priest?”

Later that year, we actually received a complaint letter from someone who was considering one of our books for their store, and was shocked by what she said was New Age philosophies mixed in with Catholicism. You see, we take all members on the honor system, and that year, all books as well.

So the next year, we talked to bookstore owners with a different goal in mind—what can we do to reassure you that our books are worthy of your store?

And the CWG Seal of Approval was born.

For those that don’t know, the SoA program looks at books that might not receive an Imprimatur because they are fiction, self-published, or the local bishop doesn’t have time to evaluate them. Three to five readers in good standing with the Guild read the books for minimum editorial/storytelling quality and Catholicity. Those that receive the Seal of Approval get art they can incorporate into their covers and seals they can put on their books to show they meet standards. CWG member books that meet the SoA also qualify for display at our CMN booth and can be featured in our monthly newsletter to bookstores. It’s a terrific program, and a LOT of work for those who run it.

Unfortunately, as the program has grown, so has some confusion about its purpose. I’d like to address some of those issues.

1. This is not a competition. This is a certificate, if you will, of meeting minimum standards of writing and Catholicity.

2. This is for the benefit of bookstores first. The SoA reassures the Catholic/Christian bookstore owner that your book does not contradict our faith and is of suitable quality for their store. This is not geared as an author bennie. Yes, you may benefit from receiving the SoA, but our focus in this program is to serve bookstore owners.

3. This is for books who are reaching a Catholic audience, and specifically Catholic bookstores. If your book would not be at home on the bookshelf of a Catholic bookstore, then it may not receive an SoA. You won’t get an SoA if your book is not Catholic, even if it does not contradict Catholic teachings. Merely having a Catholic character or being an author who is Catholic is not sufficient to qualify for the SoA. Just because your book does not receive an SoA does not mean it wouldn’t be at home on the shelves of B&N or your local Indie bookstore.

4. Not receiving the SoA does not mean your book is bad. Nor does it mean you are a bad writer or a bad Catholic. It means your book is not really something you’d find in a Catholic bookstore. Many of us in the Guild write books that will not qualify, often because they are for a more secular audience (which includes Catholics, of course). And that’s a good thing—we are supposed to reach the world, not just preach among ourselves.

5. Just because you don’t get the SoA doesn’t mean you can’t sell your books to Catholics. The great thing about Catholic readers, especially when it comes to fiction, is that they are generally open-minded and interested in things beyond our faith.

6. We don’t actively seek books to approve. Nor do we ask the big Catholic publishers for their books. Bookstores already trust what comes from Ignatius, Pauline, etc. They have their own vetting process. We are trying to open the eyes of bookstore owners to the small press and self-published works that they may never find out about or feel leery of because they aren’t published by the big names. If you have a book from one a large Catholic publisher that you wish to submit, you may, but really, the bennie for you is just the sticker and the possibility of being in the newsletter.

7. The decisions of the SoA committee are final. When we have a doubt about a book, we take it to a second committee of “experts” in the Catholic faith (usually clergy.) So please don’t argue the decision, and don’t harbor hard feelings. Again, we are evaluating for a specific audience.

Of all the programs the Guild has started, the Seal of Approval has been our biggest and farthest reaching. It’s building our reputation among bookstores, readers, and the publishing industry. That helps us all, as well. Sarah Reinhard and her team have done an amazing job building and modifying this program so that is serves a definite purpose—to show bookstores that there is a whole plethora of worthy books coming from diverse authors—authors like you.