C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

The Inspiration Behind “The Four Corners” Trilogy

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C.S. Elston

Admittedly, I’ve told this story before. But it answers a question I get asked a lot and, with the recent release of “The Four Corners of Darkness,” I thought it would be appropriate to, once again, share the inspiration behind the series.

I was driving down the 101 freeway just north of Los Angeles, California, somewhere between Studio City and Sherman Oaks about fifteen or sixteen years ago. Looking out the side window of my Jeep Wrangler as I passed by a sea of houses and apartment complexes, I don’t know why I was thinking about this but, all of the unhappy home environments that exist all around us entered my mind. I thought about the fact that a lot of people who feel unloved, really are in fact loved. They are just in an environment where the people who love them either don’t know how to say it or show it, or they’re too wrapped up in their own problems to recognize the ones they’re causing in the lives of the people they love by simply not expressing the love they really do have deep down. Sometimes, we just overcrowd that love with so much self-created, negative clutter, that no one can see it because it’s like a wonderful gift hidden in the back of the closet where no one will ever have the opportunity to enjoy it.

That got me thinking about how quickly someone’s attitude could change if they were faced with losing the person or people they love. Somehow, that translated into this fantasy world called Kadosh, which is a Hebrew word that means “set apart for a Holy purpose.” In the books, people are being yanked out of the real world and separated onto islands, presumably, for eternity. So, while God intends for these people to love one another, the fact that they are not doing that in the real world gives the demon ruler of this fantasy world the ability to pull them into his realm where he can keep them apart from one another.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And, in an extreme situation like that, the aforementioned gift is going to find itself through the clutter in a hurry. Then what do you do? When love and regret overwhelm you like that, you can’t keep it inside. You must let the people you have those feelings for know about it. In the case of the Snyder family in “The Four Corners,” that means an incredible journey lies ahead. Ultimately, the risk is worth the potential reward.

The sequel, “The Four Corners of Darkness” is inspired, at least in part, by a one-act play I acted in while attending college at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I think it was called “Doors” but, I can’t remember for sure and, I have no idea who wrote it. But the play was about a bunch of people who seemed permanently trapped in a house. The doors were locked and couldn’t be opened, and the windows had bars on them. It was an allegory about sin and salvation. Ultimately, someone from the outside, who had been there before and been shown the way out, had to go back inside and pay it forward. In the same way, while the Snyders and a bunch of others find their way back home at the end of the first book, their youngest child, Kinsey, recognized the responsibility that came with that accomplishment. He knew they would have to go back and show those who didn’t take the journey with them the first time, that there is, indeed, a way to get out and go back home. Now that the second book is out, I guess I’d better get to work wrapping this story up with the final installment of “The Four Corners” trilogy. . .

People Pleasing

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“Those who please all men at all times ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion.” — Johann Albrecht Bengel

There is nothing wrong with wanting to make people happy and it is completely natural to want to be well-liked. However, the goals of pleasing everyone and remaining someone who is honest both with themselves and those around them cannot co-exist. For me, and most of us, I presume, the latter is the priority.

As a Christian, my absolute highest priority is actually trying to please God. And, if I’m being two-faced, I’m failing in that primary goal. Two-faced people are not authentic people and God demands authenticity. After all, authenticity is truth and Jesus told us that the truth shall set us free. If pleasing my God is my top priority, I must be striving to please Him in every conversation I have. Therefore, I can’t be one person with my church friends and another with my school or work friends. I have to remain that God-pleasing person in every public situation, as well is in private. My inner person must match up with my outer person, always. That’s authenticity.

As a writer, trying to please everyone is the kiss of death. Different people like different things. Therefore, I write things that I would enjoy reading. When I do, I accept that some people will also enjoy the things that I do. I also accept that some people will not. That’s okay. Unfortunately, I even have to accept the fact that there will be people who actually hate what I do. That can be tough to swallow but, when it comes right down to it, it’s natural and, therefore, it’s okay, too. After all, if I write a piece about Jesus being the Son of God, I can’t expect an atheist to appreciate it. And, if I write something to try and get everyone to love it, chances are very few people are even going to like it. I’ll take 100 five-star reviews and 100 one-star reviews over two hundred three-star reviews because I know 100 people are going to want to read what I write next.

At the end of the day, the truth is, what I really want to do is to write things that please God. If He likes it, I’m happy. If He can use it, He’ll guide the right people to it. In other words, I must only strive to please God at all times and He’ll take care of the rest.

My Intended Audience

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I have slowly been rolling out my answers to questions I received in an interview I did on Twitter back in November for #MounceChat / #HealthyFaith. This post is a continuation of that rollout.

A little over half way through the interview, a participant named Rachael Colby asked me, “Who is your audience? What age? Are they written for the Christian market, secular or both?” Here is how I responded:

I’d say “The Four Corners” series is written for kids older than eight. My wife is a teacher and she helped me put together a literary unit for schools which is a free download on the publisher’s website. We wrote a group Bible Study for families for that one, as well, which is also a free download. And, for the record, I know that a lot of adults have enjoyed the book, too.

Similarly, “The Gift of the Elements” series is written for teenagers and above but, I’ve had adults tell me that “The Gift of Tyler” is their favorite book. Hopefully, they feel the same way about “The Gift of Rio” and the others that haven’t come out yet.

The next series I’m planning (which is several books away) will be mostly for adults but,

I do like writing for a younger audience. Also, my hope (carried over from the earlier questions about faith and defining Christian novels) is that my books can be enjoyed by both Christian and secular audiences but, my faith is so much of who I am that I have reached a point in my life and my walk that I refuse to hide it and I’m sure some people will be turned off by that while others will identify with and appreciate it.

At this point in the interview, a participant called @mim526 joined in and asked, “I noticed in the description of The Gift of Rio that it’s chronologically book 1. For someone new to your books, do you recommend reading it first or after the Gift of Tyler?” Here is how I responded to their follow up:

The first four “The Gift of the Elements” books are stand-alone stories that are all connected but can be read in any order. “The Gift of Tyler” was the first book but the events in it technically happen fourth. You’re good either way.

I hope those questions and answers clear things up for people. More (from both the Twitter interview and elsewhere) to come!

Defining a “Christian” Novel

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I’m continuing to slowly rollout my answers to questions in an interview I did on Twitter back in November for #MounceChat / #HealthyFaith. This week’s post is a short but sweet one. A writer from Montana named Carol Buchanan asked me, “What defines a ‘Christian novel’?” Here is how I responded:

I’m sure it is defined differently by different people. For me, a Christian novel represents Christianity in a positive and honest way through character development and storyline and points people to the truth of God.

Someone whose primary concern is the marketing aspect of the literary world would tell you that it is definitely a genre of its own. But, for me, as the writer, I would say it’s the spirit that pervades the story. I don’t think there’s a strictly right or wrong answer. But, the latter is where I land.

Adding to my answer from back in November, I’ll just say that I don’t believe all of my own work would be called “Christian” by Christian film/book marketers and/or sellers although I also know that some of it certainly would be. However, I do believe that all of it represents Christianity in a positive and honest way and points people to the truth of God. I’m sure of this because I know I write honestly and from the heart and I have personally witnessed the power of Jesus Christ to change lives.

The more mature I become in my faith, the more that truth will reveal itself through my writing because it becomes increasingly intertwined with who I am. If you’re writing honestly, who you are shows up on the page every time. So, if you’re a true follower of Jesus Christ and you’re writing a novel from a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit, you’re writing a “Christian” novel whether or not you set out to do so.

The Influence of My Faith in My Storytelling

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I have been posting my answers to an interview I did on Twitter back in November for #MounceChat (which I believe has since merged with #HealthyFaith.) As I mentioned previously, this started because a participant, Rachael Colby, suggested I turn some of the questions and answers into blog posts. Solid advice. Since the third question was on a topic I have covered in a previous blog post, I’m going to skip ahead to the fourth question I was asked which was, “How does your faith influence your writing?? Here was my response:

C.S. Lewis said, “To love at all is to be vulnerable.” I think the same can be said of writing because to write at all is to expose yourself to your reader. My faith is who I am so, it comes out very naturally in my writing.

I grew up thinking that Christian music, movies and novels were mostly pretty cheesy. And, to be fair, a lot of it is. Certainly, a lot of it was. But, when I was younger, that caused me to run away from it instead of becoming someone who could try and improve upon what was out there. In my youth, I said I would always be a Christian and a writer but, I would never be a Christian writer.

So, on a number of projects I actually made an effort to write and keep certain things from coming off as “Christian.” But, it always felt dishonest because I was holding back a huge part of who I am. I used the excuse that Jesus came to heal the sick, not the healthy. It’s a truth Satan can twist to distract us from our mission.

Shortly before I started writing novels I began to realize that’s the same excuse people use when they water down the gospel or become preachers for selfish gain instead of fully giving themselves over to the Lord to be used by God the way God chooses. Contrary to what our attitudes sometimes suggest, He doesn’t need any help in deciding how to handle anything. To suggest otherwise would be to pretend we belong on that throne. Scary thought.

It’s a struggle everyone has because it’s the essence of sin itself. It’s pride and it’s wrong. What He wants, instead, is for us to let go and allow Him full access and full control. So, I’ve finally embraced it. It’s a decision that brings peace.

I’ve been encouraged as Christian music and even Christian movies have gotten better. But, I’ve also gotten closer to the Lord since I got married and now it feels like to hide that part of who I am would be to hide the whole of me. Quite frankly, if I did that, I don’t think my writing would be any good at all. I think that embrace really shows in my most recent book, “The Gift of Rio” more than in anything else I’ve ever written. Some of the people close to me, who have read most of the things I’ve written over the years, have told me that they think it’s the best thing I’ve written to date. I know this, it’s the most personal. And, that typically makes the writing better.

The Kind of Stories I Most Enjoy Telling

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As I mentioned a few posts ago, I did a #MounceChat interview on Twitter back in November and a participant, Racheal Colby, suggested I turn some of the questions and answers into blog posts. This is the second time I am taking her advice. The second question I was asked was, “What kind of stories do you most like to tell?” Here was my response:

I’ve always had a wide array of tastes. I like music from just about every genre (as is evident in a number of my blog posts) and the same is true of books and movies that I read and watch. So, of course, that greatly influences what I write.

As a screenwriter, I had the opportunity to try my hand at just about every genre out there. I hope that the same can be said when I’ve written all of the books I’m going to write. However, so far, with only three books under my belt, I have pretty much stayed in the fantasy lane. Not Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones type of fantasy – although I am a big LOTR fan – but fantasy nonetheless.

My first book, The Four Corners, I’ve always put in the same category as the Narnia books. Others have compared it to Bridge to Terabithia and A Wrinkle in Time. I hadn’t read either of those when I wrote it but, I’ve read the latter since and I can see why that comparison has been made.

The Four Corners starts with a family that is falling apart at the seams. The parents have essentially fallen out of love with one another and the oldest child, their daughter, is practically raising her younger brother on her own. When the young boy, Kinsey, hears the word “divorce” finally uttered in the midst of a screaming match, the emotions he has been bottling for years finally explode out of him and open a door that transports him to another world. When his sister and his parents go looking for him, they are transported to that world as well.

In this strange place, controlled by a demon named Raum, they are all separated onto different islands where they meet other people in their own gender and age categories who are also separated from their respective families. This gives them the opportunity to realize how much they love and miss one another and it becomes a story of finding their way back to one another.

My 2nd and 3rd books are a little trickier when it comes to finding comparisons. They are each part of the same series and I haven’t found too many novels that I think are accurate comparisons. They blend elements from stories in other media forms that I think work better. An example would be the 1995 movie Powder and even some comic books like Spider-Man, Superman and the X-Men.

In a nutshell, each of the first four books in the series are stand-alone stories about one person per book who begins to develop the ability to control an element. The first two are Tyler, who controls earth, and Rio, who controls water. Next will be Mattias who controls fire and then Amanda who controls the wind. It’s their journey in discovering who they are and why they were created. Their purpose is to show this fallen world that miracles still happen and that God, who gave them these abilities, still loves us.

But, I also have books I plan to write that are nowhere near the fantasy genre. I just haven’t gotten to any of them yet. I’m a planner by nature so, I already know the next 5 books I’m planning to write and one of them does happen to be one of those from outside of the fantasy genre.

Stay tuned . . .

When I Knew I wanted To Write Fiction

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I recently did a Twitter #MounceChat interview and a participant, Racheal Colby, suggested that I turn some of the questions and answers into blog posts. I’m taking her advice and thought, why not start with the very first question which was “When did you decide you wanted to be a fiction author?” So, following her advice, here was my response:

I was a very imaginative child. Whether I was playing with matchbox cars or out in the woods with friends (or, even alone) I was always creating plot. I didn’t know what it was called back then. But, that’s exactly what I was doing. One of those plots, I later thought about turning into a screenplay. Then Pixar made Cars and I decided that I didn’t want to look like a copycat.

As soon as I began to learn how to read, I started writing stories down. I was also an athletic kid so, if the weather permitted, I was outside throwing or kicking a ball. But, growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, a lot of days were rainy. On those days, I was inside writing. I tried to get my friends to write with me. They accommodated me at times but, for the most part, I was the only one truly interested. While I thought of myself as one of the neighborhood jocks, I suppose I was also one of the neighborhood nerds.

All that to say, I think I always wanted to write fiction. Even before I knew what that truly meant. I said I was going to be an author from the time I was a little boy. I took a detour when I fell in love with movies and became a screenwriter. But, then I met Andrea (now my wife) and decided to move back to my hometown and write my first novel. Three books later, that’s now what I’m doing full-time and I’d be happy if I never did anything else.

 

Facing the Critic Within

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We’ve never seen him (or, her – for me it’s a him) but we’ve all heard his voice. Call him the voice of doubt, the inner critic or, heck, call him the natural thief of confidence and productivity. It all means the same thing. It’s that nagging voice that comes from within. I hear it all the time. After all, I believe that I am my harshest critic.

Self-criticizing can be very detrimental. It can stifle creativity. It can cause you to doubt your abilities and the work you’re doing to the point where it slows you down or even leaves you completely unproductive. It can cause image issues, relationship fears, and often leads to full-blown depression.

All this to say that the critic within needs to be taken seriously and managed appropriately. To avoid the downward spiral that leads to self-destructive behavior, it is my humble opinion that the critic needs to be listened to and responded to because it can’t be all-together avoided. If, instead, we can harness the criticism and re-direct it into self-improvement, we will become happier and more successful people. So, how do we do that?

First, we must accept the fact that no one is perfect. We aren’t, never will be, and expectations of perfection are both ludicrous and harmful. Goals are great but keeping them realistic is critical so that we set ourselves up for success.

Next, we need to identify the motivational source of the voice. Is this coming from a place deep inside where we know we have room for improvement in a certain area? Or, is this coming from a place of pain? A place of deception? For some, the critic within comes from a place where they have been hurt in the past.

For example, a boy that was teased as a child for being overweight can grow up to be a man who feels fat no matter how much time he spends in the gym or how many times he passes on the French fries, opting instead for the kale salad. That’s when you know the voice is a liar and needs to be kicked out of your life. Choosing the gym and the kale salad made the man a better version of himself than accepting his “fate” as a fat man and eating French fries while watching The Biggest Loser in tears would have. But, he already made that improvement so, continuing to listen to that voice would only mean inevitable self-destruction. Time to move on.

As a Christian, I also believe that the voice within me can be the Holy Spirit shining a light on dark spots in my life that need to be exposed so that I can improve. So that I can become the man I was created to be and live the life I was created to live. That’s a voice I want to listen to because it makes me a better person and, ultimately, a happier one.

As a writer, the critic within can make my work better. Again, I just need to learn to harness it and use it for good rather than let it overwhelm me and take me down the path of self-destruction. Like me while I’m on this side of heaven, my work will never be perfect. And, also like me, there’s always room for improvement. We are all works in progress. And, until my books are in print, I’m trying to improve every little detail until I have to let go.

The bottom line is that the critic within can be a good thing. Or, it can be your worst enemy. The choice is up to you. One thing that’s for sure, we all face that voice from time to time. The trick is in how we decide to handle that standoff.

 

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My Favorite Thing About Being A Writer

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October 20, 2017

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C.S. Elston

 

 

One of the many questions that I’ve been asked repeatedly is, “What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?” Surprisingly, it’s not an easy one to answer. Perhaps that’s because, on any given day, my answer changes depending on my mood, my latest project or for countless other reasons. However, a handful of answers do seem to come up a lot.

I love that writing gives me a voice. People can express themselves in many ways. That’s one of the numerous things that makes any kind of art so great. For me, it’s through writing. Everyone has something to say and I have the privilege of saying it through writing.

I love that writing lasts. We don’t have videos of events that happened thousands of years ago but, we do have written accounts. Homer and Dante didn’t make movies but they did write The Odyssey and Inferno. The written word is a timeless tradition that I am very proud and honored to join on any level that I can.

I love that writing takes me and others on adventures. As I flesh out a story, I get to go on the adventure with the characters. When I write in “The Four Corners” series, I get to go to a fictional world called Kadosh. “The Gift of the Elements” series has taken me as far away as Japan and will eventually take me to both Chile and Finland. Then, when I finally finish and send the story out into the world, others get to go on those same adventures. I, for one, think that’s awesome!

Perhaps more than anything else and, therefore, the answer I give the most often and would probably pick as the number one reason if forced to narrow it to only one, is that I love that writing means I get to create something new. I love to create. It’s also why I enjoy cooking so much. In both cases, you start with nothing but an idea and wind up with something you hope is wonderful when it’s all over. And, in both cases, you can bet someone will let you know how wonderful (or, conversely, awful) either way.

Granted, the building blocks you use aren’t completely original to just you. With cooking, the ingredients come from somewhere. Even if they come from your own garden, you must thank God for sending the sun and the rain. And, with writing, the same is true. You’re building off your life experiences and the things that have inspired you. After all, as creators, we’re all actually imitators when it comes right down to it. In fiction, we’re imitating real life. In non-fiction, we’re documenting real life. And, the truth is, we’re all just imitating the original creator anyway.

The process can be a minor taste of hell at times but, in the end, we all hope it’s worth it. And, for me, so far, it always has been.

 

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Finding The Inspiration To Write

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I mentioned a couple of weeks back that I might do a post on finding inspiration to write. So, as promised…

Personally, I find inspiration all over the place and in any number of different ways.  Particularly when it comes to finding what it is I want to write about. That can truly come from anywhere: a news story, a song on the radio, a conversation with a friend . . . I’ve already written posts about what inspired my first two novels but, this might be a good time to bring it up again.

The inspiration for The Four Corners struck as I was driving down the 101 freeway in Southern California and thinking about all the different lives that were being lived by the people that surrounded me at that moment. Specifically, I began to think about the home-lives of the people in the houses and apartment complexes that I was passing by. It struck me that some were happy homes and some were not. That led to pondering the many differences and, conversely, the many similarities that existed between them and what led to the contrasting outcomes. Ultimately, I realized that a lot of those households could be changed if the people in them were faced with an extreme circumstance that forced them to realize and admit to both themselves and to each other, how much they loved one another. Those thoughts led to a book. And, now I’m currently writing the next book in the same series, The Four Corners of Darkness.

Although the inspiration for The Gift of Tyler also hit me in the car, it was a completely different experience. For one thing, I wasn’t alone. In fact, I wasn’t even driving. I was in the backseat and my parents were in the front. I was visiting from Los Angeles and we had just been to dinner. The song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five For Fighting came on the radio. I had heard the song many times previously but, for some reason, the lyrics resonated with me on a far deeper level than they ever had before that moment. I was taken by the idea that being the most powerful person (human or not) on the planet could be difficult and extremely lonely. From there, I wondered what it would be like if someone grew up thinking everything was normal and then suddenly found themselves in the position those lyrics were referring to. A person in that scenario would be faced with a choice between using that power for the common good or for selfish gain. Three weeks later, I had completed a screenplay for The Gift of Tyler. In a couple of months, the next book in The Gift of the Elements series, The Gift of Rio, will be released and I’ve already outlined the third book, The Gift of Matthias.

The main takeaway is the simple fact that there is no way to know when or where the inspiration for a great new story is going to strike. But, when it does, it’s unavoidable. It’s also awesome. You wouldn’t want to avoid it if you could. That’s why it’s always smart to keep a notebook handy. Or, a voice recording app on your smartphone. Whatever works best. Just don’t miss the opportunity to grab a great idea while it’s there because they can be as fleeting as the memory of a great dream.

Then you begin the much lengthier process of turning that brilliant new idea into a full-fledged finished piece of work – whether it be a short story, a 600-page novel, or something in between. I’ve already done a blog post on writer’s block so, I’ll try not to be too redundant. My main point in that post was that I find writer’s block to be little more than a myth. Sure, some days writing comes easier than others. That can be as simple as mood. And, some pages are easier to write than others. It’s all part of the process.

Sometimes, you just need to clear your head. This can mean temporarily moving on to another project, whether the project be something else you’re writing or pulling some weeds in the garden. The bottom line is that a writer needs to let the process run its course without letting difficulty become an excuse for laziness. As I said in the writer’s block post, “Do whatever it takes: A walk in the woods, a lengthy prayer, some journaling at the beach, or, maybe you need the inspiration that another artist can provide – a song with a similar feeling to the one you’re trying to write about.” Even another book, a movie (could be just a scene) or a TV show that you know hits you with the same type of emotion that you’re trying to convey. I’m not suggesting plagiarism. Far from it. Don’t copy. Just use that other piece of work to get you where you need to be mentally and emotionally so that you can do your own work and convey the story and the message that you set out to from the first moment where you were originally inspired to write whatever it is you’re writing.

Find what works for you. And, it may be different on different days, with different projects, and on different pages. That’s okay. Again, it’s part of the process. Every great piece of literature and/or art has a story of its own. A journey that the writer or artist took to bring it to life. Don’t be afraid to take it. Embrace it. No matter how frustrating that experience can sometimes be, when you look back, it will also be part of the joy that piece gives you. And, whatever you’re working on can become the inspiration for someone else. Or, maybe even for yourself at some point.

That’s the beauty of art, of writing, and of being an artist or a writer.

 

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Writer’s Block – Real Problem or Mere Myth?

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Let’s immediately get something out of the way, I can’t stand the term “writer’s block.” Perhaps it’s the connotations that come with the word block. I think of words like “blockade” and maybe the closest phrase, “mental block.” This conjures up images of total isolation and permanence. Because of this, the answer to the proposed question is that I tend to think of “writer’s block” as essentially a myth. Or, maybe even an excuse to be lazy and procrastinate.

Don’t get me wrong, some pages a lot easier than others. But, if you grind it out, you always get through the tough ones. Sometimes, it is even necessary to walk away. I’ll often go workout or take a shower so that I can think about what’s slowing me down. Most of the time, I have it figured out by the time I’m back in front of the laptop. It just takes some mental wrestling. Typically, that fight makes it all better anyway.

Occasionally, an artist just needs inspiration. This can be obtained from any number of sources. Do whatever it takes: A walk in the woods, a lengthy prayer, some journaling at the beach, or, maybe you need the inspiration that another artist can provide – a song with a similar feeling to the one you’re trying to write about. Perhaps I’ll do a post on inspirations for writing down the road.

For now, just know that you’re not alone when you hit a page that causes you fits. We all go through that. It’s one of the reasons I struggle with rules that writer’s often put on themselves. I’m sure it helps some. But, for me, it feels unrealistic. Rules and boundaries can stimulate creativity. But, they can also stifle it.

I happen to be naturally self-disciplined. So, I need to give myself freedom. It’s far more helpful than boxing myself in would be. But, that’s not true for everyone. I know a lot of writers that demand 10 pages a day from themselves. I can’t do that. Today, 20 pages might pour out of me and tomorrow it could be an excruciating exercise in self-torture to crank out 5. I think that’s okay. The pace for writing each chapter or scene is bound to be different.

As long as the inconsistent pace doesn’t become an excuse, I’m fine with some days being more difficult and seeming less productive than others. Some of those “less productive” days, for me, have paradoxically been the most productive because I’ve written the least but I’ve also written the best. Every writer is different. Every piece of writing is different. Find your own balance of freedom and boundaries. Figure out what works for you and helps you accomplish your goals.

In the end, the grind is part of the process and it’s the quality of the work that matters most. At least, that’s true for me. That’s why I tend to think of “writer’s block” as little more than a myth.

5 Books I Think Would Impact Me As A Writer But I Haven’t Read Yet

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Alright, I’ll admit it. This is kind of a weird topic for a blog post. But, there are many books that consistently get recommended to me and I haven’t gotten around to reading them all yet. I’ve read a lot of them (some good, some not so much) but, for whatever reason, there are a few that I just haven’t tackled. Several are even sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be read. So, this is a list of the books I know I should read, and intend to at some point, to get better at my craft.

  1. The Classic Guide To Better Writing by Rudolf Flesch


From what I understand, this is about getting back to basics and remembering that sometimes simple is better. The “back to basics” is probably one of the reasons I have put off taking the time to go through this book. However, even professional athletes need to return to the fundamentals from time to time. I’m told this is a must read for writers at all levels.

  1. On Becoming A Novelist by John Gardner

John Gardner has written several books on the craft of writing but, I’m told that this is the most important. It also contains a quote about the writer’s gift that I have loved ever since I read it on the wall of the tasting room at the Redhook Brewery while on a tour about fifteen years ago.

  1. The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Gide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker

This is, apparently, a contemporary approach to good writing that helps the reader understand the importance of writing clearly while teaching them how to know when to follow the “rules” and when to ignore them.

  1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Of every book on this list, this is probably the one I can’t believe I haven’t read yet. It’s a masterclass by one of the most prolific and popular authors of all time. I must read this book! Almost everyone else has, it’s sold over a million copies for crying out loud!

  1. The Elements of Style by Jr. William Strunk

This is an absolute classic and it’s embarrassing (not quite as embarrassing as the Stephen King book though) that I haven’t read it. It’s short, too. So, there aren’t any good excuses. Almost every writer I know has this on their shelf.

 

 

The Inspiration Behind “The Gift of the Elements” Books

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Music, and the often-accompanying lyrics, has been a source of inspiration in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my dad introduced me to songs like “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean and the Tommy Sands version of “Sinner Man” (although I now prefer the Three Dog Night and Nina Simone renditions) when I would ride with him in the car on trips from the northern suburbs of Seattle to the southwestern tip of Washington State where he spent one weekend a month serving in the Coast Guard reserves at Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco. The time with my dad was priceless and the music he introduced me to on those trips began my love affair with song lyrics. The love affair allowed me to branch out into different genres of music and gave me an appreciation that threw a wider net than it otherwise may have.

I fell in love with the stories those lyrics told and the emotional impact they could deliver. As I got older, however, I started noticing that certain songwriters are poets who deliver that impact more consistently than others. Not all lyricists are created equal. Some of my favorites over the years have included Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, Johnny Cash, Brandi Carlisle, Lecrae Devaugn Moore, Bob Dylan, Ed Sheeran, Billy Joel, Jason Emmanuel Petty (aka, Propaganda,) Hank Williams, Hank Williams, Jr., John Legend, Toby McKeehan, James Taylor, Merle Haggard, Kevin Max Smith, Bernie Taupin, Leonard Cohen, Alan Jackson, Rich Mullins, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Paul Simon, Michael Tait, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Chris Tomlin, Stevie Wonder, Adele, Chris Cornell, and recently both Zac Brown and Chris Stapleton. It’s an already ridiculously long list that could go on and easily become ten times as long as it already is.

I left one important name off that list because it’s the most critical one when it comes to “The Gift of the Elements” series. That name is Vladimir John Ondrasik III.

I was in the backseat of my parents’ car on the way back to their house after having dinner and the song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five For Fighting came on the radio. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. It may very well have been the 100th. The song got a lot of airplay following its release in April of 2001 and this was at the height of the song’s popularity. However, for some reason, the lyrics impacted me in that moment more than they ever had before. Perhaps it was because “Smallville” had started airing around the same time. I honestly can’t remember if I had even seen the show yet at that point. But, whatever the reason was, I listened to the song and began to think about Superman, this being of immense power, more as Clark Kent than I ever had before. It struck me, on a deep level, how difficult and lonely that life could be.

Then I began to think about what it would be like if you had grown up without those powers but suddenly, they began to develop with the onset of puberty. That would be, in addition to lonely, completely terrifying. But, once you accepted what was happening to you, you’d have to make a choice. Do you use those powers for selfish gain? Or, do you use them for the betterment of humankind as a whole?

I was told once that my writing seems to have a common theme of redemption. Maybe that’s why the lyric that struck me the hardest was “I’m just out to find, the better part of me.” It’s thoughts like that that stick with you. They give you a thread that can spin off into a whole new piece of work. It did for me.

In fact, three weeks later, I had completed a screenplay called “The Gift of Tyler.”

It wasn’t until about a decade later that I pulled the script back out and began to develop it. Through that process, I dropped the whole puberty element and also decided I liked the idea of something larger happening around the world and experiencing it through one of the few people chosen to play a major role in it. This could possibly have been influenced by how brilliant I thought M. Night Shyamalan’s concept was for the movie “Signs.”

Then I put that polished script away again and decided to write my first book, “The Four Corners.” By the time the book was finished, I had gotten married and left Los Angeles after about fifteen years and moved back to the northern suburbs of Seattle to be close to my family. With “The Four Corners” out in the marketplace, I knew I wanted to write another book. I decided to wait on the sequel to the first book and write something new. So, I sat down and developed a 7-book game plan for a series called “The Gift of the Elements” based on “The Gift of Tyler.”

Chronologically, “The Gift of Tyler” is the fourth story in the series. However, the first four books all stand alone since they are individual stories about the four people chosen to play a major part in that global event. It isn’t until the final trilogy in the series that those four characters interact with one another. So, I wrote “The Gift of Tyler” first and then followed up with “The Gift of Rio” which is chronologically the first book.

I’m finally writing the sequel to my first book while I also do the final edits on “The Gift of Rio.” But, I’m already anxious to get back to “The Gift of the Elements.” The entire series carries themes found in the song that inspired it all and they still manage to touch me deeply, the same way they did in the backseat of my parents’ car that day.

Vladimir John Ondrasik III (aka Five For Fighting) hasn’t gotten a shout-out in either of the first two “Gift” books. Perhaps, I’ll throw him a bone in “The Gift of Mattias.” After all, like the man said, “even heroes have the right to dream…”