Your Beauty/Handsomness Made Complete

One of the great things about reading my Bible is that I get to learn new things, even in verses I’ve read several times before. Ezekiel 16 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It is an allegory–a story that represents something in reality–of God and Israel, but it can also apply to …

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Book Covers

No updatage last week because I couldn’t think of anything to say. But this week, I’m thinking about book covers. Now I feel like I’ve done a blog on this before, but I’m not sure. In any case, I will write on it again. Perhaps I’ll say something new. So, what makes a good book …

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Your Life in Your Writing

Okay, not the best blog title, but it was the best I could think of. I’ve noticed something about my writing. When I’m working through something, it tends to show up in my stories. For example, when I was learning how to look at myself differently, I wound up writing a story in which my …

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Books Based on Movies

Piggy-backing off of last week’s topic, I’d like to know what you all think about movies that are based off of books. I’ve noticed this trend for several years . . . perhaps even decades. There’s a book series that’s popular so they decide to make a movie off of it. Some examples that come …

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Book Trailers

Been thinking about book trailers this week. For those who don’t know, a book trailer is like a movie trailer–an advertisement that uses clips of the movie for the purpose of telling you about the movie and making you want to go see it. Which brings about an interesting question: how can you make a …

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Your Beauty/Handsomness Made Complete Book Covers Your Life in Your Writing Books Based on Movies Book Trailers

Apr
23

Your Beauty/Handsomness Made Complete

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One of the great things about reading my Bible is that I get to learn new things, even in verses I’ve read several times before. Ezekiel 16 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It is an allegory–a story that represents something in reality–of God and Israel, but it can also apply to us today. In this allegory, the story is told of an abandoned girl who no one loves. God came through, cleaned her up, dressed her in pretty clothes, put jewelry on her, and gave her good food to eat. She became the most beautiful woman in the world.

Now catch this,

And your fame spread among the nations because of the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.” Ezekiel 16:14

This time when I went over that verse, I caught something. He said that the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect (“perfect” here can mean “complete”). It wasn’t the stuff that made her beautiful–it only completed her beauty. In other words, the clothes and things enhanced her beauty. Though nobody thought she was worth anything . . . nobody cared about her . . . God saw her beauty, and His enhancements made everyone else recognize it.

So what does this mean for you? It doesn’t matter if your tall or short, big or small. It doesn’t matter if you have crooked teeth or a big nose. God sees your beauty/handsomeness and will give you love, mercy, peace, etc. so that others will see your beauty too.

But there’s another level to it. All the make-up, expensive sports shoes, clothes, glasses, braces, jewelry, haircuts, diets, and anything else you do or get to fit in aren’t what makes you handsome or beautiful, nor do they make you ugly. There is nothing wrong with those things (sometimes they are even necessary for your health), but they can only enhance who you are. Don’t trust in them because they don’t last.

And know that you are fine all on your own.

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Mar
30

Book Covers

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No updatage last week because I couldn’t think of anything to say. But this week, I’m thinking about book covers.

Now I feel like I’ve done a blog on this before, but I’m not sure. In any case, I will write on it again. Perhaps I’ll say something new.

So, what makes a good book cover? I couldn’t really tell you as an expert because I’m not an artist and I haven’t been trained in graphic artistry (I think that’s what you learn to design things like covers). However, I have a few ideas.

First, I think a book cover should say something about the book. I’ve noticed that many covers lately tend to have a model on the cover that depicts the main character. That’s good. Other covers have a logo or something that’s important to the work (Hunger Games, for example). Also good. My favorites (although I do primarily read and write YA and middle grade fiction) are drawn covers rather than portraits of a person or place, but that’s my preference.

I also think the cover should have meaning. For instance, book I’m currently reading has a blue, snowy background with a red dragon claw on it. The title? No Such Thing as Dragons. You can pretty much tell what that book is about just by looking at the cover and the title.

Color is also an important aspect. Between my friend who is an artist, the few art classes I’ve taken, and watching HGTV over the years, I gleaned a little bit about color and mood. Red is harsh, passionate, aggressive and powerful; blue is cold; yellow is cheerful, etc. The primary color on the cover can set the mood of the picture and perhaps the mood of the book.

Although, there’s one thing I’ve noticed . . . I hardly ever see any black book covers. I’m really not sure why that is. Or maybe I have, and they’re reserved for older books . . . hmmm . . .

A cover should also engage the reader and make him pick up the book. I’m not sure how that works, though.

Anyway, all this is my opinion, and I may be wrong about all of it. So let me have your opinion.

What do you think makes a good book cover? Do you like portraits of the characters, an important symbol in the book, or a drawn cover? Are there any other styles/themes you like? What about comic/graphic novel covers? What part does color play in designing a good cover? In your opinion, how can a cover engage the reader before they even pick up the book?

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Mar
16

Your Life in Your Writing

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Okay, not the best blog title, but it was the best I could think of.

I’ve noticed something about my writing. When I’m working through something, it tends to show up in my stories. For example, when I was learning how to look at myself differently, I wound up writing a story in which my main character learned how to see herself differently. Without meaning to, I write themes that correspond with my life. It’s quite interesting.

Personally, I like doing it. It’s therapeutic, and when I pay attention I can learn something about myself. (Of course, if it gets too personal it probably won’t see the light of day ;p ).

And I guess (but I’m not sure) readers like the stories that come out of it because it comes from a real place. There’s real emotion and raw feelings translated into text. Perhaps it makes it easier to relate to.

So my question to you is this: Do you do this in your writing? Do you think all writers do this? Do you (as a reader) like when authors do this? Why? Is it fair to try and guess what the author is going through at the time simply by looking at their work?

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