TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Sarah Wray: My Tenth Anniversary

... I must tell you about my husband. He is a wonderful man. And I don't say that just because our tenth anniversary was last week. He really is wonderful ...

Suspense Elements in Story--Part 4

I'm closing out this topic today with points 4 and 5--R for Reaction and K for Knowledge. I remind you again that these workshop notes are rather cryptic. Neither are they meant to cover every possible point, and every possible exception to all those points. This was only an hour-long workshop. (That enough disclaimers, you think?) So take from this when you will.

4. REACTION: This has to do with the constant building of suspense through your character’s reactions. SOMEBODY’S got to be proactive in his/her reactions, whether it’s your protagonist or antagonist.

Example: your character is out walking the dog at night and witnesses a murder. She runs away, planning to tell no one so she won’t be involved. But the murderer sees HER and vows to silence her. He’s the proactive one. In this kind of cause-and-effect reaction, the protagonist keeps trying to back off from the situation while the antagonist keeps the situation tightening.

Or, your character can react proactively from the start. She can feel she doesn’t want to be involved, but her conscience drives her to report the crime. Her thought is: this is all I’ll have to do, then I’ll be done with it. She reports the crime and solves the problem of her conscience.

Now you’ve got the proactive cause-and-effect. Next thing your character knows is – she’s drawn in a little deeper. She thinks, I’ll just have to do “B”, then I’ll be done with it. She does “B.” And before you know it, “C” arises.

Little by little, reaction by reaction, she is pulled deeper and deeper into the suspense, even while thinking that with just one more step, she’ll get out of it. In other words – the solving of one problem simply leads to another, worse one.

You can blend these two types of reactions. Your character may be proactive at first, then get so tired of the situation, she tries simply to run. But at that point, you’ll have to make other characters the proactive ones so that for her, there’s no escape.

The main thing, keep that screw tightening. Keep it tightening.

5. KNOWLEDGE. This refers to two types of knowledge: (A) the knowledge you allow the reader to have, and (B) the knowledge you withhold by planting questions in the reader’s mind. One leads naturally to another.

A. Knowledge you allow the reader to have. This aspect goes hand in hand with Pace. Because pace must be swift, you cannot allow the story to stop for long in order to introduce backstory. Especially in the beginning of your novel – keep backstory to a bare minimum. Start with action.

B. Planting questions in the reader’s mind. This requires a deliberate releasing of tiny bits of information – starting in your very first scene. Questions increase suspense. They are what keep your reader turning pages.

Points A and B both need to be used at the same time for ultimate suspense. Excess backstory can deaden any kind of novel, and should be avoided. Backstory should be spread out over time, told to the reader only on an as-need-to-know basis. HOWEVER, in suspense, rather than eliminating backstory completely in a scene, you add just a taste of it.

Example of Point A used alone (no backstory): A novel begins with a man going into a bar in a strange town. He sits down, orders a drink. A group of huge, mean-looking guys immediately surround him, spoiling for a fight. He doesn’t want to fight, but he has to. The scene is pure action, not stopped by any backstory regarding who this guy is. The level of suspense = will he win the fight? Obviously, that question is answered at the end of the scene.

Example of Points A and B used (tiny bits of backstory added to raise questions in the reader’s mind): Same scene. This time, as the bad guys surround the protagonist, this narrative is added: Not here, not now, he thought. How could they possibly know who he was? Through how many towns, how many states would he have to run?” Then the bad guys strike, and it’s back into action as he fights.

These three sentences are not enough to slow pace. In fact adding them heightens the level of suspense. Now, the reader’s questions are far more than who will win the fight. The reader will wonder: Why is this guy running? Who is he? What kind of reputation is this that causes strangers to fight him? How many towns and states has he already run to? When will he be able to stop? Etc. These questions are NOT answered at the end of the scene. They will keep the reader turning pages to find out the answer.

Bottom line, suspense is all about keeping those pages turning.

Speaking of which, I'm having a heck of a time writing my current one. I've hit that snag place, you know? I know I'll work through it, but...ugh.

Suspense Elements in Story--Part 3

Happy Monday, BGs.

Before we get to "A" for Aura today, here’s a question regarding sentence rhythm from Katie Hart regarding Friday’s post on P—Pace:

Jack Cavanaugh uses the technique of a horribly long sentence, punctuated with plenty of commas and semicolons, during a high-action scene to convey a feeling of breathlessness. What do you think of this technique? I know it should be used sparingly (maybe an average of once per book), but would it still have a lulling effect?

No, it wouldn’t have a lulling effect. I talk about this technique in Getting Into Character as the one exception portraying action through short sentences. I call it the “beat of chaos.” When the action gets so heated, so chaotic that individual movements all run together—or perhaps when a person becomes so panicked that everything seems to run together—a long, breathless sentence can work wonderfully. In GIC I show an example of this from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. (By the way, if you have GIC—you can review these sentence rhythm techniques in the “Restraint and Control” chapter.) I’ve used this technique for one paragraph in the next Kanner Lake book, Coral Moon. (I almost posted it here as an example, but—nah. I don’t want to give away anything about that story.)

Okay, on to today's topic.

3. AURA. This could also be labeled “mood” or “tone.” It has to do with the overall feel of your novel.

The aura should be established in the opening scene(s). This is because the reader’s first glimpse of your novel is what will set up his/her expectations.

When you come right down to it, a lot of establishing aura has to do with word choice. You can do a great “aura exercise” by describing the same scene in two or more very different ways. No matter what you’re describing—even if it’s something usually considered beautiful—it can seem menacing and dark, just due to the words you use. For example, think of looking at a star-studded sky on a clear night. If you wanted to create a content/satisfied/beautiful of aura, you might use pleasing verbs for the stars like glitter or spangle, and you might describe the backdrop of sky as velvet. All of these create an aura of beauty and awe, and the word velvet brings in through the sense of touch the feeling of softness and warmth. Now how might you describe the same thing in a darkened tone?

Here’s a wonderful line from Alice Blanchard’s Darkness Peering, again describing a star-studded sky. But her novel is a suspense, and the tone is dark. Particularly in this scene, because the character viewing this sky is about to commit suicide. As the character looks up, here’s how he describes the sky:

What a brutal night, stars nailed to an indifferent sky.

Those words—brutal, nailed, indifferent—cast a completely different aura to a beautiful night sky. And they are perfect indicators for the character’s perception of a cold, heartless world.

In Brink of Death I also wanted to describe a beautiful night sky with a dark tone. In the scene the main character, a woman with a very vivid imagination, is frantically waiting outside a neighbor’s house while policemen go in and out after arriving with screaming sirens. Are her friends dead? What terrible thing has fate wrought? She sees the sky like this:

The ebony sky, pocked with stars, hung low and threatening, a witch’s face thrust toward earth to observe human tragedy with sneering delight.

In writing pure suspense, I have found that aura is a great tool for heightening tension. Remember on Friday I mentioned that in suspense the tension should never be let down too far, even in the quieter scenes? I said that one way to keep up tension in these scenes is to keep the inner action of the character going strong. Another way is through aura. A dark, suspenseful tone can carry a scene that’s outwardly quiet, infusing a scene with little activity (as defined in Friday’s post) with the feel of action.

Tomorrow: R--Reaction.

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Wilbur: Celery and the Wasp

...His grandpa's name was Fitzgerald P. Cellaway, but he preferred to be called Celery, so we all did. Celery and I were driving down Main Street one day when a wasp flew in the window and landed in his hair. The man got real agitated, swatting everywhere. I had to grab the wheel to keep us from going off the road.

"Where’d it go?" Larry yelled.

I couldn't see the thing anymore. "It must have flown out the window."

But that wasp hadn't gone anywhere. Turns out, that evil critter followed south down the path made famous when a plumber bends over. All the sudden Celery got wide eyed. He let go of the wheel, stepped on the brakes and grabbed his backsides with both hands...

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

S-Man: Saurian Tech -- The Shirka Insertion Transport

Book Update: My science fiction novel, Starfire, is rushing along at a crazy pace now. I've just passed the halfway point and things are really getting intense for Rathe and the rest of his companions. I'd tell you more, but it will probably be better for you to just discover it all on your own when you read the published book. (It can't hurt to be optimistic).

But to celebrate the passing of the halfway mark and seeing the end finally being closer than the beginning I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the Saurian technology used in Starfire. (You may remember I've developed a whole language for my Saurian world.)

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Today is the last day of the blour for Violette Between, by Alison Strobel.

Between here and the past, there lies a place……a place of longing for what has been rather than hoping for what could be.

A true artist, Violette is passionate and emotional. Climbing back into life after suffering a loss, she teeters on the precipice of a new relationship with Christian, a psychologist who not only understands her struggles but offers safety and his heart. As Violette and Christian begin to feel something they both thought impossible, tragedy strikes again. Violette becomes trapped in a place of past memories–and she finds that she may not want to come back.

What would it be like to choose a place between the past and the present?

Suspense Elements in Story--Part 2

Before we get into Pace for today--The “P” in SPARK--here’s a comment from Becky, posted yesterday:

I have a question about your definition of suspense. [That definition was: “a story with a high level of tension, founded on fear for the character’s welfare.”] Is that one of those aimed-at-writers-of-suspense things you alluded to? I mean, the fear aspect makes it seem a bit narrow. I've said more than once, as have other BG's, that you are a master of suspense, even here on your blog. I might have also mentioned my belief that you could have me scrambling to read the next page of the phone book because you make readers want to know what'll happen next. Isn't that suspense? Which in that context seems divorced from any fear. I guess I think of suspense more along the lines of a marriage of tension and curiosity.

Yeah, okay, Becky. I’ll buy your definition. I don’t think we’re that far apart, though. “Fear for a character’s welfare” simply means “a tense concern.” As I mentioned yesterday, this can be anything from concern because of physical conflicts (Agh, she’s going to be locked up in a room full of poisonous spiders!) to concern because of psychological or emotional conflicts (from the “Never Ending Saga” of my journey toward publication in this blog’s archives: “Are those pages spitting out of Brandilyn’s fax machine the contract she’s waited 10 interminable years for—or merely some sales solicitation?”)

How’s about it, Becky, will you buy that? (My explanation, not the fax.)

On to today's notes:

2. PACE. In general, pace is faster in suspense. (Keep in mind I’m talking pure suspense here. Glean from this what you will and adapt it to your own story’s needs.) The story’s got to click right along. We’ll look at two aspects of pace – (A) conflict and (B) sentence structure.

A. Conflict. Conflicts should be introduced at a fast, sometimes even furious, pace. The overall feel of the story is action, action, action.

Important note: “Action” doesn’t necessarily mean “activity.” Action can be of a mechanical nature, i.e., your character must get away from someone who is chasing her. Or it can be psychological, i.e., your character must decide between two very different choices, both of which beckon her.

Sheer, constant “activity” in excess can become boring. Plus, it’s not realistic for a character to be embroiled in constant activity. So there are times in suspense when “quiet” scenes are needed. However, “quiet” refers to circumstances surrounding and OUTSIDE of the character.
But to sustain the level of suspense, even in outwardly “quiet” scenes, there should be plenty of “action” going on within the character. Maybe she’s faced with a decision. Maybe she’s reeling from the aftermath of activity. Maybe she’s grieving. Or fearing what’s to come. Or planning and plotting.

This concept is absolutely key. You cannot “let down” the pace in a “quiet” scene too far. Think of pace in suspense as a tautly-pulled rubber band. Constant, high-level tension.

Example: In Cast A Road Before Me the subplot of a potentially violent labor strike that introduced suspense into the story is resolved shortly before the end of the novel. Obviously, this subplot has much ACTIVITY.

The end of the novel itself has little to no activity. In fact, outwardly she’s merely driving a car. (I wouldn’t do this in a pure suspense, but remember, this was a women’s fiction novel with suspense elements.) The suspense at the end of this novel all comes from INNER ACTION on the part of Jessie. In order to be a satisfying ending after all that activity, this final scene had to carry a LOT of psychological suspense. Everything about Jessie – her future, who she IS at her very core – is placed at stake.

B. Sentence structure. Your writing has to be absolutely tight, or lean, as some call it. No extraneous words. Particularly in scenes of high activity. This is a whole subject in itself, but I’ll highlight a particular issue here.

Some of you have heard me talk about “sentence rhythm” (discussed in my book Getting Into Character). In a nutshell, this means that the rhythm of your sentences should match the “beat” of action in a scene.

Whether you realize it or not, sentences do have rhythm, just as music does. Long, complex sentences tend to have a lulling effect – an easy-going beat. Short, punchy sentences, even incomplete sentences, carry the rhythm of action.

This is not something your reader will understand consciously. But unconsciously, if you try to depict high activity with long sentences, the lulling beat of those sentences will compete in your reader’s mind with the heart-pounding beat you are trying to create.

In scenes or sequences of high activity: (1) shorten your sentences. (2) Use regular past tense verbs, not past participles (verbs ending in “ing”).

Shorten your sentences. The most important word in sentences depicting high activity is the verb. Long, complex sentences often make the reader wade through numerous words before getting to the verb. Example: Spinning around to face his attacker head on, Eric smashed his fist into Dexter’s eye.

In this example, we read most of the sentence before we get to the word “smashed.” Plus, there are simply too many words that drag at the sentence. Better to write the sentence with dual verbs, something like: Eric spun and smashed his fist into Dexter’s eye.

Use regular past tense verbs. Past participles carry the connotation of action over a space of time. “Was spinning” sounds like it took longer than “spun.” In times of high activity, events happen slam, bam. Regular past tense verbs portray the “beat” of this fast action better.

Consider these examples of a fight on a stairway. First, without employing sentence rhythm:

Throwing out her fist, she punched him in the eye. Growling in pain, he threw himself on top of her. She was screaming as he pinned her arms and legs. She strained to free herself, lunging up to bite him. He started jerking backwards, and his movements made them slide down a stair...

These “beat” of these long sentences do not enhance the “beat” of this high activity. In fact, the sentences fight the “beat” you are trying to convey. Here’s the same scene, using sentence rhythm, as it appears in Eyes of Elisha:

Her right fist caught him in the eye. He growled in pain, then threw himself on top of her. She screamed. He pinned her arms, her legs. She strained to free herself, lunged up to bite him. He jerked backwards. They slid down one stair...


Monday--A: Aura

Suspense Elements in Story--Part 1

Over the next few days I’m going to run the notes from my workshop given at the recent ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference. The topic of the workshop was on inserting suspense elements into a novel. Any genre of novel.

Obviously different kinds of stories will call for different levels of suspense. Many of these notes are referring to pure suspense. But the point is to look at the elements that make a suspense story and see how you might use them to some extent in your own work. Why? Because suspense elements make the story more interesting. If suspense has one thing going for it, it’s that these stories present a higher level of stakes. High stakes lead to a strong driving question that will propel readers through the book. (I’ve read—or started to read—way too many stories in the past year that didn’t present a strong enough driving question to make me stick with the book to see how it ended.)

So take from these cryptic notes what you will. If you have questions or want something fleshed out more, just stick ‘em in the comments section, and we’ll deal with them later. And as usual, the comments section is also the place to throw your tomatoes, should you think I’m totally off the mark.

Here goes:
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What is suspense? A story with a high level of tension, founded on fear for the character’s welfare.

This fear doesn’t have to be about the character’s PHYSICAL welfare, necessarily. Life and/or limb doesn’t have to be at stake. Suspense can also focus on the PSYCHOLOGICAL or EMOTIONAL welfare of a character. Many times the stakes are both physical and psychological.

When you think “suspense,” think “SPARK.” SPARK = Stakes, Pace, Aura, Reaction, and Knowledge. These all interact with one another. They simply can’t be separated.


1. STAKES. As suggested by our definition of suspense, a character must have more to lose, whether physically or emotionally, than in other stories.

Example: In my (women’s fiction) novel Cast A Road Before Me, Jessie wants to leave the tiny town of Bradleyville and return to the city, where she can follow in her (deceased) mother’s footsteps. Her overall Desire that pulls her through the story is: to enjoy a quiet summer in Bradleyville, then leave to pursue her mother’s footsteps of serving the poor.

In a general mainstream story, Jessie’s stakes might be all sorts of emotional problems with people that keep her summer from being quiet. Further, they might be issues that arise that could keep her from leaving town as planned.

With the introduction of a suspense element, her stakes rise dramatically--a step at a time.

First, she faces the loss of a quiet summer due to an impending strike at the saw mill, which employs half the town's men. Jessie refuses to have anything to do with the strike. She is a die-hard pacifist.

Then she realizes the strike could lead to violence.

Someone could really get hurt.

Maybe even killed.

In fact, that someone may be very close to her.

At a pivotal moment she realizes to her horror that SHE is the only person who might be able to stop what’s about to happen.

As a result, she finds HERSELF in the very center of the striking mob...


Tomorrow—Pace.

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Carla Radling: Goldfish, Beware!

I almost didn't write this after Pastor Hank's fish post. But I have to admit--I'm a killer. A cold-hearted fish killer.

It all started when I went to Fins 'n Feathers Pet Shop. My fellow real estate agent, Audrey Jenks, told me she got her husband a great aquarium for his birthday, complete with the pump, rocks, everything. She said hearing the bubbling pump and watching the fish swim back and forth really soothe their stress after a long day of work.

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Today through Friday is the blour for Violette Between, by Alison Strobel.

Between here and the past, there lies a place……a place of longing for what has been rather than hoping for what could be.

A true artist, Violette is passionate and emotional. Climbing back into life after suffering a loss, she teeters on the precipice of a new relationship with Christian, a psychologist who not only understands her struggles but offers safety and his heart. As Violette and Christian begin to feel something they both thought impossible, tragedy strikes again. Violette becomes trapped in a place of past memories–and she finds that she may not want to come back.

What would it be like to choose a place between the past and the present?

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Jared Moore: Resonating With the Written Word

"There's no greater power than that which is generated by the combination of ink and paper." As I have said before, I think often of this phrase my grandfather passed on to me. When I was younger, I assumed it to be specifically tied to his love for reporting. Now, as I have grown older, it has come so much more than that to me. The written word, whether it be a news reports, novel, a poem or even lyrics for a song, is something that resonates within each reader. As the words are taken in, they in turn stir up passion, awaken memories, evoke emotion and find completion in the mind and heart of the reader...

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Today through Friday is the blour for Violette Between, by Alison Strobel.

Between here and the past, there lies a place……a place of longing for what has been rather than hoping for what could be.

A true artist, Violette is passionate and emotional. Climbing back into life after suffering a loss, she teeters on the precipice of a new relationship with Christian, a psychologist who not only understands her struggles but offers safety and his heart. As Violette and Christian begin to feel something they both thought impossible, tragedy strikes again. Violette becomes trapped in a place of past memories–and she finds that she may not want to come back.

What would it be like to choose a place between the past and the present?

Inspired By...The Bible Experience

It's here! Zondervan's ground-breaking audio version of the New Testament (using the TNIV--Today's New International Version) is now on sale. The entire New Testament is dramatically acted, complete with sound effects and musical score. Want to hear the story of Jesus calming the stormy sea? Click here.

The cast includes over 200 actors and other well-known figures from the African-American community. Blair Underwood plays Jesus. Samuel Jackson is the voice of God. Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays Judas. Denzel Washington will be the Old Testament Solomon (the Old Testament CD set will be available in a year).

Retail price for the 19-CD regular audio set is $49.99, and the MP3 version is at $34.99. The Family Christian store in Lexington, KY I visited last week was selling the regular audio set at a promotional price of $39.99--but that won't last for long. This regular audio set also includes a DVD of the making of the recording. The manager at this store pointed to a large screen that was showing the video trailer for the project. "No one who's seen that video," said the manager, "has walked out of here without The Bible Experience in his hand."

To see the video trailer, click here.

Last July in my report of the ICRS convention, I told you about talking to various people in the Zondervan suite about this project. How excited they were to be working with the Inspired By...Media Group. This project was not Zondervan's idea. It came straight from the Media Group in Hollywood, who wanted to produce a "visceral" Bible experience. They approached Zondervan with their proposal--and the project was born.

This will be an awesome and moving Christmas present for someone.

For more information on The Bible Experience and for links to numerous articles about its production and cast, visit this page on the Zondervan Web site.

Motorcycle Mama

Happy Tuesday, BGs. I'm back in California after Mom's 90th birthday party in Kentucky. Had a great time. We four daughters each gave a presentation about Mom and her various escapades. The guy we hired to videotape the whole thing was impressed. He wondered, after the party was all over, if Mom would like one more "first" in her 90th year. He'd come on his Gold Wing touring bike. Would she like to go for a ride?

Naturally, Mom jumped at the chance. No matter that she was wearing a dress--she just hiked it up and climbed aboard. And off they went for a lap around the retirement village.

Halfway around, they passed a group of people standing out on someone's sidewalk. "Would you look at that!" one said. "There goes Ruth!"

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Angie Brendt: Pie to the Sky--Part 2

Tommy was laughing so hard he was having trouble standing up, and Joe sat down on the floor and continued to roar. Frank Jr. did not look at all pleased. As soon as he caught his breath, Tom started going on and on about all of Frank Jr.'s female admirers. Finally Frank asked how the whole town knew he was coming home and why all the pies? Tom replied, "Don't you read your mom's entries in the Scenes and Beans blog?"

My Life of Crime

Happy Monday.

Today I'm traveling back to California from Mom's 90th birthday party in Kentucky. Meanwhile, my post for today is over on Charis Connection. Please click over to enter my life of crime...

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TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Angie Brendt: Pie to the Sky--Part 1

As soon as I set foot on the tile, the smell of sugar assaulted me. I froze at what I saw. Pies. Pies on the counters. Pies on the table. Pies on the refrigerator. Pies stacked two and three deep. Then I remembered my post in this blog and started wondering how I was going to explain this one...

The Big Nine-Oh

That's right, 90 years young.

Yesterday on my birthday I traveled from our California home to Kentucky to join my family and many, many friends in celebrating my mom's 90th birthday. At the party on Sunday each of us four daughters will make a speech on different parts of Mom's life, complete with Powerpoint photos. It's gonna be a lot of fun--'cause if anyone knows how to have fun and enjoy life, it's Ruth Seamands.

So no time to celebrate my own birthday. But hey, it rather pales in comparison to hitting 90, don't you think?

Photo: Mom parasailing at age 84.

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Leslie Brymes: Learning To Drive--Part 2

Up ahead the road curved to the left. I was going a good speed by now and managing to keep relatively to the middle of the track. When it started curving I started turning the wheel. Only problem was, the truck didn't want to respond to my action. Dad was yelling at me to turn, I was tugging on the wheel, and the truck was going straight toward the ditch. We finally came to a stop when the front wheels bounced up the other side of the ditch, the hood just inches from a fence...

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BLOUR FOR DARK HOUR

This is the third and final day for the blour of Dark Hour, the latest from Ginger Garrett. Dark Hour is about the house of Jezebel and its attempt to overthrow the lineage of Christ. As a result of the blour, Dark Hour is number two on technorati, surpassed only by Bob Woodward's new political nonfiction. Ginger Garrett is also known for her novel Chosen, about the biblical Queen Esther.

My Un-Post on The Big Day

Nope, not posting on October fifth. I think I deserve a day off. Today I hit The Big Five-Oh.

Therefore, on this auspicious day in the year of our Lord 2006, I do hereby declare the floor open for birthday greetings. (And come on, BGs--where are your comments lately? We've fallen to a mere pittance of a percentage of commenters.) So here's your chance to make up for your lurkiness. Hit me with well-wishes in the form of Confucious Says; clever witticisms; Haiku, limericks or other fine verse; or whatever else strikes your creative chord.

Come on, you're writers, for heaven's sake. Lay it on me.

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Leslie Brymes: Learning to Drive--Part 1

The minute I hit 15, I was itching to get behind the wheel of a car. Mom wasn't thrilled at the idea; I guess she wanted me to wait a bit longer. But Dad, well he's in insurance, so he sees a lot of claims on cars driven by young people. He figured I'd be better off learning as soon as I could to get some experience under my belt. Of course, here in Idaho if you're under 17 you have to sit through all these driver training courses before you can get your driver's permit. But I just wanted to DRIVE!...

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BLOUR FOR DARK HOUR

Currently a blour is running for Dark Hour, the latest from Ginger Garrett. Dark Hour is about the house of Jezebel and its attempt to overthrow the lineage of Christ. Ginger Garrett is also known for her novel Chosen, about the biblical Queen Esther.

Dark Hour

Currently a blour is running for Dark Hour, the latest from Ginger Garrett. Dark Hour is about the house of Jezebel and its attempt to overthrow the lineage of Christ. Ginger Garrett is also known for her novel Chosen, about the biblical Queen Esther.

Way Cool Words

I just love learning new words. Like many of you I’m subscribed to the Word a Day e-mail. I can’t pay attention to these every day, but some days the word and its meaning is just so cool it catches my attention, and I have to write it down. I’ve got these sticky notes floating around my computer full of these words. At some point I’m going to have to enter them in by three-by-five card file of cool words. But as long as they’re in front of me and I glance at them every now and then—it’ll help me remember them.

Here’s a list of some I’ve run across recently:

Oniomania: overwhelming urge to shop. From the Greek onios, meaning for sale. I taught this one to my teenager daughter, who scooped it right up. If the shoe fits . . .

Aphatic: dark, without sunlight. Great word to use metaphorically.

Procellous: stormy, as in sea. Another great metaphoric one.

Garbology: study of a culture through what it throws away. I mean really—such a form of study really exists? My spell checker tells me this isn’t even a word. Shows what it knows.

Miscible: capable of being mixed together. Compounds, sure. But think in terms of people...

Tarantism: overwhelming urge to dance. Like me with rock music. And listen, BGs, I get this one first. It shows up in somebody’s chick lit, I’m comin’ after you.

Senectitude: old age. What a cool word. Senectitude. Just trips off the tongue. Another one my spell checker doesn’t know. Come to think of it—so far miscible is the only word it does know. Somebody in Microsoft needs to subscribe to Word a Day.

Prevenient: coming before, anticipatory. Not really a new word to me, but a reminder of a great concept. As in prevenient grace. (Spell checker doesn’t even know this one. Sheesh.)

Phatic: relating to words meant to generate social relationship rather than convey information. Example—“How are you?” Way cool—there’s a word for this nonsense?

Clinquant: glittering (adjective) or tinsel, glitter (noun). Secondary meaning: the glitz BC wears on her jeans. And shirts. And sunglasses. And purse . . .

Bromide: a tired or meaningless remark, as in “Everything will be OK.” Or a tiresome or boring person. I love the first meaning. "She writhed in the floor in anguish, and all he could do was offer bromides..."

Acidulous: somewhat sour in taste or manner. I know some people like this.

Exiguous: scanty, small, slender. In other words, what all we women would like to be.

So—how ’bout writing a sentence with as many of these as you can use? Most creative (or awful, depending on how you look at it) wins a dog biscuit. Here’s mine:

On that procellous and aphatic night with clinquant stars shining in a prevenient dawn, a shocking and unusually miscible oniomania and tarantism descended upon the exiguous form of the bromide Mabel Struggs, who in her senectitude had heretofore spent her energy in the mere spouting of phatics and the nosey garbology of her acidulous next-door neighbors.

TODAY ON SCENES AND BEANS

Pastor Hank: Funeral for a Fish

Pastors have many duties. Most of them are joyous, but if there is one aspect of the job that is the most difficult, it is conducting a funeral. I take them very seriously, because that is also one of the times when I can make the biggest difference in people’s lives, or can provide the greatest amount of comfort.

One of my other duties has been to my three wonderful girls. I know I haven’t been the perfect father, but I have always tried to take their concerns to heart, and be there for them when they need me.

Sometimes, the worlds of pastor and father collide...