Billy Coffey on writing and a giveaway!!!

I have been moved, inspired and encouraged by the words of Billy Coffey since I first started reading his blog years ago.  He is a writer's writer and a down to earth, God fearing, sit awhile on the front porch Virginia man.  With his latest novel When Mockingbirds Sing releasing next week, Billy was gracious enough to take time to answer a few questions for us.

Billy, with three books published and another on the way, I believe you’re qualified to speak a bit about the art and craft of fiction writing.

Do you feel like you design your characters or do they develop a life of their own as you begin to put words to paper?

I usually begin with a name, a problem, and how that problem gets solved. Novels aren’t about events as much as they’re about people and how they change between the first chapter and the last. Those three things are all I allow myself to think of at the beginning. After that, they sort of come alive on their own. By and large, though, I think every character in every story is in some ways a reflection of the writer. At least, that’s true for me. 

Do the paths your stories wind down ever take you by surprise?

Occasionally, yes. I've always been better at characters than plot, so I have to approach plotting carefully. It’s a balancing act. If you sit down and try to outline every single moment of your story, there’s a good chance it will grow stale. I have in mind where I want to start, where things need to be at the middle, and a rough idea of how it all ends. I let the rest take me by surprise.  

How much have your characters taught you, or changed the way you look at this life?

I think they've taught me much more about myself. All the characters in When Mockingbirds Sing are segments of my own personality—Leah’s shyness, Allie’s belief in life’s magic, Reverend Goggins’s sense of entitlement. They’re all me. Seeing me laid out on the page wasn’t very comfortable, but it made me see my own strengths and weaknesses.

I know we have talked about how much courage it takes to pour your self into words.  Where do you turn when that courage begins to fade?  How do you keep yourself going?

To me, writing is a huge blessing. It’s also a huge responsibility. Readers don’t owe writers anything, and to pretend otherwise is only to court disaster. But writers owe readers plenty, and chief among that is honesty. You have to give the very best of yourself to the page, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. That responsibility is what I most often turn to when the courage begins to fade.

Any other words of wisdom or encouragement for those of us still working on our first novels?

Write every day. For every hour you spend on social media, spend three on your work. 

Read every day. Not just the genre you’re writing for, either. Read anything. Everything. The broader your knowledge, the better you’re writing will be.

Kill your darlings. 

Polish, submit, wait. And when those rejections come (they will, and often), always try one more time. I cannot stress that rule enough. Always, always. Just once more.

I hope this peaks your interest in Billy's work.  If you haven't already, you really should read Snow Day, Paper Angels and next week his latest becomes available When Mockingbirds Sing.  Here's a little peek into this new novel:

Thomas Nelson Publishers has been kind enough to make a copy of When Mockingbirds Sing available for me to give away to one lucky reader.  All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what gives you courage and you'll be entered into a random drawing.  To earn extra entries, share this via Facebook, or Twitter or Google+ and come back and leave me another comment for each shout-out.

Keep watching here. Winner will be announced next week when I post my review of this wonderful story!

 

Open hands

In our endless conversation about surrender, mine

and dominion, His

the Lord shared the following words:

What you give to Me is never wasted

riches or time or love

instead of being spent, will multiply

The world cries "never enough"

but I Am the Master of "more than enough"

When you open your hands

when you stop holding on

I can't multiply what is yours

but what is Mine

 

Things we can not control

Last year there was hemp grown for seed in the field adjacent to our land.  The hemp fibre was not harvested and did a fantastic job as a snow fence all winter, helping to keep our road from getting blown in beyond hope.

The only way to redeem the field for planting is to burn away all that remains.  The farmer began the burning late yesterday afternoon, stopping before dark only to begin again today.

I watched the flames.  I watched the swirling smoke, all at once both awed and frightened.

Fire has power.  Fire has strength.  Fire has force we can not control.

The farmer checks the wind speed and direction, seeking the safest conditions.  Still...

Wind has power.  Wind has strength.  Wind has force we can not control.

Yet perhaps my post title things we can not control  is misleading.  For us mere mortals, control is an illusion.  Only illusion.

Not only can we not control the elements, we can not even control our desire to control.

My hands are empty, palms upturned,  all that I am, and all I can do, is in Him.

I surrender.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. John 15:5 The Message


walking with Emily and the broken redeemed

 

cultivation

an act of violence

upon the land

last year's dry stubble

flares, sparks

flames rise

as smoke fills yards

and valleys

deep into the night

licks of fire burn on

an act of violence 

upon the land

no harsher

then the ripping away

of heavy equipment

removing old

to prepare for new

cultivation is

an act of violence

upon the land

without which

nothing grows

roots loose their grip

and submit

to the crops to come

hanging out with poets at the pub
 

feed My sheep

The third time he said to him, 

“Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 

“Do you love me?” 

He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

John 21:17 NIV

My heart today, as always, is with "the least of these"

 

joining the Sunday chorus at Deidra's

 

To be brave

 

How brave the bud

stretching to open

no longer to hide

all the beauty within

Come back to the quiet

The Spirit works deep within us, so deeply that we cannot always identify its presence. 

The effect of God's spirit is deeper than our thoughts and emotions. 

That is why setting aside a special time and place for prayer is so important. 

Often we do not feel like praying and our minds are distracted. 

The lack of motivation and difficulty focusing

 make us think that our prayer time is useless and wasted time. 

Still, it is very important to remain faithful to these times 

and simply stick with our promise to be with God, 

even if nothing in our minds, hearts, or bodies wants to be there. 

Simple faithfulness in prayer gives the Spirit of God a real chance to work in us, 

to help us be renewed in God's hands and be conformed to God's will. 

During these sacred times and places, we can be touched in deep, hidden, and tender places. 

We can become more fully aware of the divine presence 

and more open to God's guidance as we are led to new places of love.

Henri Nouwen

As I retreated to the silence yesterday at day's dawning, the Lord shared a similar word:

Why keep trying to walk on your own when I promise to lead you?

Come back to our quiet time with open ears, open eyes, open heart, 

for there is much I can show you.

I will direct you.  I will correct you.  

I will guide you in the way you should go.

Often what seems to be a circle is My most effective path.

Now may be just the time to abandon your human reason, 

throw it into the fire of faith.

 

still with Sandy

abiding with Cheryl