I’m writing a novel, and in doing so, I have read and absorbed a great amount of advice on writing. One topic that comes up frequently in writing forums is, “I have a great idea, but it’s not original. It’s like Stephen King meets Nicholas Sparks.”

Okay, maybe not that last part exactly, but you get the idea.

Let me set you free, there is no such thing as a completely new or original idea. Most innovations are improvements on something that already exists. In the example above, the novel isn’t a copy of King or of Sparks, it’s a marriage of the two. The author found something he liked about both styles and genres and combined them to make it his own. When this is done, it can be a train wreck, or it can be the next Harry Potter. What made this series so popular wasn’t the base idea, which is simply a coming of age story, but how British author J. K. Rowling delivered it.

And that is how our world is made beautiful, by people finding something beautiful and making it their own by adding a little bit of their personality and style.

Here is an incredible example I found, and the inspiration for this post. It’s solo cellist Kevin Olusola adding his own flavor to the song Julie-O and making it his own. Enjoy!

My hands clasped tightly to the rails. “One step at a time,” I repeated under my breath. It seemed that with every step up, the laughter and splashing faded just a little more. It took me weeks to get this far, all the way to the top, and now I had not only to make it to the end, but to jump. If I were lucky, maybe I would slip and fall in.

The pool was a favorite hang-out, especially in the summer months under the sweltering Georgia sun. I wasn’t that great at swimming, seeing that our previous years were in Alaska and you just don’t get that excited for a dip in a cool pool when the outside temperature is -20F and your older sister tells you that your hair will “instantly freeze and break off the moment you walk outside with wet hair.” To my friends, jumping off the high board was no big deal. They jumped, dove, and flipped off it effortlessly.

Me? Not a chance. To me it was no play thing to assist in my joyful entry into the pool, but a pirate’s plank by which I would be forced at the end of a cutlass to walk off, and take my last gasping breath before being consumed by a bottomless sea.

Many times I climbed the ladder almost to the top, only to back down from this tower of doom. But I had to jump, the other kids had so much fun doing it, and I wanted in on the party. I’m not afraid of heights, never had been. It was the jump. It was the fact that my feet would have to leave anything solid, even if only for a brief moment. I would be out of control, completely at the mercy of the laws of physics and gravity.

I did finally scooch my way to the end of that board, only to stare at the water. The kid behind me yelled, “Jump in already!” and in turning to tell him to shut up, I lost my balance and fell off the end. After my body smacked the water, I thrashed my way back to the top, made my way to the side, and almost ran to the end of the line to do it again. You couldn’t keep me off it for the rest of the day.

I ran into this scenario again recently. See, I like to write, and I dabble a lot. I write on this blog, and I write short stories, but what I really want to do is write novels. Not 300 words, or even 3,000, but full on 80-115,000 word novels. Several years ago I had a great idea, even outlined it, met with a great friend who has published 5 novels and he loved the idea too. I’ve done everything but sit my butt in the chair and write it.

That is, until January 5th, 2012. That day, I started Chapter 1. It took me five long years to take that first jump and plunge into something that’s much bigger than I am. And my feet are off the ground, and I don’t know where I’ll land, but I do know one thing. I love it, and now that I have started writing it, I can’t stop!

The horrible thing about dreams and passions is that when you don’t pursue them, they haunt you and when you get to be an adult, there isn’t always someone behind you yelling, “Jump in already!” So let me be that person.

JUMP IN ALREADY!

Whatever it is that you dream of doing, that you can’t stop yourself  from thinking about, just do it. Don’t waste years like I have, thinking of all the reasons it won’t work, just jump in. Once you do, I’m sure we won’t be able to keep you out of the water.

Obediphobia [oh-bee-duh-foh-bee-uh]: the fear of obedience.

It isn’t a real word, but it should be, and my picture would be next to the definition in the dictionary. This post started out as a devastatingly incredible post about how awesome God is, and that every word He says is done.  “Let there be light. Earth turn. Stars shine. Tide roll. Bees pollinate. Heart beat.  On and on it goes, every word He speaks is obeyed.

God gets what He wants, right? Wrong.

Enter me.

About half way through writing this post, I couldn’t write it any longer. It read of everything I am not. God has given me several tasks, most of which I have outright refused to do.

My greatest sin right now is disobedience.  He says do, and I kick my heals together, and for no reason other than self-seeking stubbornness, I say, “No, I’m not doing it.” Of course, maybe not those words exactly, but that’s the interpretation to my excuses and inaction.

I’ve thought about how to do what He’s asked, prayed about what He’s asked, planned about how to accomplish it, now all that’s left (and with all the preparation should now be the easy step) I am left with the “Do.”

When my butt hits the chair, there’s a giant fear. Fear that what I do is mediocre.  Fear that what I write will offend others. Fear that people may actually like it, which sounds ridiculous, but it’s real.  Fear that obedience could cost me relationships with friends and family.

In the end, it’s just another excuse to be selfish, lazy, and disobedient.

Jesus, my example, the One I say I want to be like, obeyed and it cost Him His life: His innocent life. And it wasn’t taken from Him, He gave it.

That’s right, He gave it.

He drank the cup of suffering when He had nothing to gain for Himself but knowing that He was doing what God asked Him too.

I beg of you, save yourself from this gut wrenching disease of obediphobia. Look in the mirror today and ask, “Self, what has God asked me to do?” Then do it.

I am.  Ready or not, here I come!

Here’s a little ditty from Todd Agnew, which sums these thoughts up better than I have written them, and was the inspiration for the original post I started.

umm, yeah. Here’s a little ditty I wrote four years ago. Enjoy

I own a store called A Light in the Darkness. It’s a quaint little shop with thousands of different lamps, chandeliers, and the like. I also sell the bulbs for every model you could think of. Our shingle reads, “My light will free you from any darkness.”

When you walk through the aisles, every lamp is lit so you can see how brightly they shine and what type of light they cast. They scream, “Look how bright my light shines! I have what it takes to free you from darkness!”

The display lamps scoff at the others still in the package. They call them useless and tell them how dull and insignificant they are sitting boxed on the shelf. “See how much light I give off? And you just sit there doing nothing.”

All of the lights are in separate rows, so you can clearly see their labels and what each is good at. Sometimes you can hear them argue about who does their job better and why they’re so important.

It’s ironic how proud the lights on display are, because they are the ones that never leave the shop.

The lights that are still in the package, they are my greatest asset. They have the potential to be everything and more that the display lights are, but are content to remain where I put them. They wait for the day that I take them from the shelf and send them to be the light that frees someone from darkness.

And that is important, because I have a specific light for every need. And not everyone knows what type of light is needed for their particular circumstance. These customers are easy to spot as they wander around my store from aisle to aisle looking for the one that’s “just right.” I’ve had a few complaints that it’s hard to know which light to choose when they all say they are the best. So I help them and guide them to a shelf, giving them the light that’s just right for their need.

I wish the display lights could be used to help someone, but they are too busy trying to outshine the others and too afraid to leave the store. They fear that they might be unplugged and their lights cease shining. I try to tell them they will be plugged in again when they are ready to be used but their fear paralyzes them.

So I am surrounded mostly by display lights who give light to no one but themselves in a store that is already lit, while a handful wait patiently for me to send them.

So how can I help you today? Remember, my light will free you from any darkness.

I enjoy writing, it turns out my nine year old daughter does too. Here is a short story she wrote this weekend.

Friendship Never Leaves

by Laila Mooney

There once were two girls who were best best BEST friends. Their names were Tracie and Amber. They were playing kick the leaves when Tracie’s mother called her inside.

Tracie said, “Yes Mother!” and immediately went inside.

Amber curious about what was going on was about to get up and go inside when Tracie came out crying. Tracie ran over and gave Amber a big hug and choked up the words, “I’m moving!”

Amber thinking of another town said, “Where?”

Tracie calmed down because of Amber’s hug and said, “California!”

They lived in Pennsylvania so this was a big move.

When the words came out of Tracie’s mouth, Amber was so shocked she just couldn’t hold back tears. She asked, “How can I live without my best friend?”

They stood outside sobbing in each other’s arms for what felt like hours, even though it was only a few minutes. Then Amber’s mom came to pick her up. Surprised by the crying she asked what was wrong.

Amber spilled the bad news.

“I just don’t understand why she has to move!” she said. “I mean, I’d be okay if it was another town but California? I mean that’s just crazy!”

Amber’s mom said, “I understand that it’s shocking news Amber but remember, no matter where she is she will always be in your heart, and so are all of your memories”.

Amber looked at her mom and said, “You’re right Mom. She will always be in my heart”.

Later that week at the moving away party, Amber came over to Tracie and said, “My mom reminded me the other day that you will always be in my heart and I will always be in yours.”

Tracie, holding back tears said, “Thank you. You just reminded me.”

Click to buy

Generally I read a book on the way to work (I walk), today I walked out the door checking Twitter. My friend Kelly Stone (@KellyMarieStone) reTweeted: “RT @michaelgungor: A bit of a fiery rant about Christian media, wine, and yes, zombies. (http://bit.ly/t3Zfzz). Compelled by curiosity I followed the link.

Wow. Amazing. It turns out its the blog of Michael Gungor, who I have previously never heard of, and his post is a few of his thoughts on “Christian” media.

By “a few of his thoughts,” I mean 2,969 words of awesomeness!

You have to read it (click here).  I know you’re thinking, “3000 words? really?” But you know, it’s worth it.  Some things can’t be packaged into tiny 250-300 word capsules. Maybe that’s part of the wonder I felt when reading it, that Michael didn’t care to shorten his thoughts, or abbreviate his point into separate posts. He just put it out there: Ready or not, here I come.

And that’s also the point of his post, that “Christian media” has become more a marketing machine than culture of artistic impression, and God forbid, creativity.

His focus is music, but I would also agree this point is true with books.  I read quite a bit, maybe more than the average Joe (my bookshelf), but most of the fiction I consume is not Christian, as it generally annoys me in the first few pages.

I am writing a novel and in doing so have read the “bibles” on writing, and the “what not to do” sections could be filled by many “Christian” novels written by the higher selling authors. They have a “feel” to them that’s easy to pick out, much like Christian radio stations, which are easily distinguished even before the “Jesus loves me” lyrics can be heard.

Not that it’s entirely bad, but the eerie feeling is one of inadequacy, of missing the empirical standards set by many secular authors like Stephen King, Philip Roth, Dan Brown, and John Irving.

I know my ideas may never be bought into by the larger marketers (oops, publishers), but that’s why I must create it. That is why I cannot settle for the subpar, call it “Christian” and expect people to like it. The Christian public may buy it, but like me, they are likely tired of the same old crap they get handed.

And so I raise my Guinness and toast to writing the way I want, to making my posts 2,969 words if I must. *chug chug*

For those of you still reading, Gungor’s music is amazing, and I leave you this video.  If you want to buy their album, as I did, click here: Gungor – Ghosts Upon the Earth.

I love to read and I love to write, but no matter how hard I try when I write, I always feel like my ideas and words are mediocre at best, and every one else is a brilliant literary savant.

I frequent Jon Acuff’s blog, made famous by his comical and witty book “Stuff Christians Like” (my review here) and more recently “Quitter” (great book!), and I was blown away by a recent post titled “The talent we have the hardest time recognizing is our own.”

He posted a video by a guy named Derek Sivers which sums it up pretty well.

Derek asks at the end of the short video, and I would like your thoughts as well, “Are you holding back something that’s too “obvious” to share?”

Mine is writing.

The talent we have the hardest time recognizing is our own.

Amazon Link

I enjoy reading so I read quite a bit, often 3-4 books at a time.  I recently finished a couple and found myself at a loss of what to read next, so I decided to get out old faithful.  We all have one; the book that you can read a million times.  It’s like comfort food for the soul.

My “old faithful” is Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”  It’s the only book other than the Bible I’ve read at least four times.  It’s a story about two boys, Will and Jim, and a mysterious carnival that blows into town.  I just can’t get enough of it.

Bradbury’s writing is so playful, and descriptive, I just can’t get enough.  Sometimes I will read a sentence or paragraph ten times in a row because it’s so brilliantly flawless: perfect.

The pic for this post is the front cover from the copy I have, a 1970 Bantam paperback that is near the end of it’s life.  (Take that ebooks, lol You’ll be irrelevant in 41 years and I’ll still have my paperback!)

So, what’s your “old faithful?”  What book keeps you coming back time and again? What is it that you love so much about it?

You have probably noticed there are some advertisements on my blog, and they are there for good reason: to give.  Originally, I opened an Amazon Associate account to help pay for my hosting and domains, but I don’t want to profit from what I write here.

So I am giving it away.  So, if you like to buy from Amazon, please stop here first and click through one of my book links, then search for what you want at Amazon and 4%-6% of you purchase will go toward the charity listed for that month!

Starting March 2011, all proceeds from my blogs (www.CRMooney.com and www.christianwriterscorner.wordpress.com) will be given to a different ministry or cause.  I will be posting a capture of my earnings and receipt of the giving for accountability.  There is a two month pay cycle, so the receipt won’t show until I have been paid, and the money given.

Also, please feel free to click through to the different organizations and see if you would like to donate on your own!

To see what’s been given so far, click the “giving” tab at the upper right of the blog, or click here to go to the Giving page.

My daughter Laila (8 years old) wrote this song today. I am humbled. I love you baby girl!

“Good Morning Jesus”

Good Morning Jesus
Good day
You know that i love you
Want to come and play
Maybe hide & seek
Or Maybe tag
I know that you love me
Today & Everyday
Every night i Pray
And you always listen
You never ignore me
And that makes me glad
Good Morning Jesus
Have a nice day.