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What I Learned About Writing by the Seat of My Pants

First of all let’s take a moment to address the phrase “flying by the seat of your pants”, since “writing by the seat of your pants” stems from that original phrase. Where did that phrase come from and what does it mean?

The phrase “flying by the seat of your pants” came from the early days of aviation and first came into use in 1938 and was in relation to Douglas Corrigan’s flight from Ireland to the United States, when a mechanic had to help him rejuvenate the plane. It also was used because in the early days of aviation, they didn’t have a radio, instruments, or other navigational or communication equipment.

The phrase “flying by the seat of your pants” means you’re entering into the unknown and taking action without planning.

And that’s what “writing by the seat of your pants” means–writing without planning or just sitting down with your characters and an idea and simply writing as it comes into your head.

Pride, Profanity, and the Lord’s Name

Photo by Alicia Quan on Unsplash

This is Chris Wachter’s post. I posted it for her due to technical difficulties, but she is the writer of this post and she chose the photo.

There is a lot of talk lately about ‘pride’ and a good portion of it is directed at behaviors which should be questioned by Bible believing Christians. But, as a Christian, shouldn’t I be proud as well? Proud of Jesus Christ and what he had done for those who come to believe on him and give him Lordship in their lives. It seems to me, we back away too readily from anything that might cause conflict or controversy, or smack of exclusivity. Reality check. Jesus makes claims like, the only way to the Father is through him. The only way… ponder that. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.^[^b^] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.’” John 11:25-26 ESV. He is the resurrection!

Today I want to talk about the holiness of the name Jesus Christ. As the only son of God the Father, the one who died on the cross to redeem his people from sin and eternal separation from God, his name deserves to be held in highest regard. Right? “…so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” Phillipians 2:10 ESV. So why do we Christians accept without protest when his holy name is used as an expletive in film, TV, and the written word.

Vanilla Ice Cream: A Flash Fiction Story

Today I thought I’d share an original Flash Fiction Story I wrote. I hope you will enjoy it.

Here he came again—blond hair and blue eyes. He walked with a confident gait, but his smile was always shy. Becky wondered if he had a girlfriend. He came into the creamery once a week. Always alone. Always perused the menu, then ordered vanilla—Every. Single. Time.

Becky watched as he stood back and stared up at the large board of thirty flavor choices. He cupped his chin in the thumb and index finger of his right fist. After a minute or two, he stepped forward. Becky smiled and said, “What can I get you?”

He looked into her eyes, then dropped his gaze and said, “I’d like a waffle cone with two scoops of vanilla. Do you ever have vanilla bean?”

Becky choked back a laugh and cleared her throat. Vanilla bean? Was he serious?

Dialogue Tags vs. Action Beats

“I’m so glad you finally accepted my invitation to join me for coffee,” said Jason.

Karen said, “I figured if you’re so persistent, I should, at least, take the time to see if we have anything in common.”

When Tony paused his reading, he looked at Miranda, a smile on his face as he waited for her response.

Miranda leaned toward Tony. “That’s a beautiful love sonnet. You really feel it expresses your feelings for me?”

Tony reached to take her hand in his, still smiling, and nodded.

The dialogue under the first photo uses “dialogue tags”. The dialogue under the second photo uses “action beats”.

Today I’d like to look at the progress of today’s story writing and how it has come a long way in engaging the reader and making them a part of the story instead of just being a spectator.

Why are Beta Readers, Regular Readers, and Book Reviews so Important?

Before addressing people who read books for information, inspiration, or entertainment, I want to address the difference between Beta Readers and Editors. There used to be a clear definition and description between the two, but somewhere along the way, the lines became blurred. This has become quite a frustration to both Beta Readers and Editors.

Why? Because Beta Readers are not editors. They are not skilled writers who are necessarily knowledgeable about the technical/mechanical aspects of writing. Beta Readers are simply regular readers who love to read, and though they may have some knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and the rest of the technical/mechanical aspects of a story, many do not, and they aren’t interested in trying to find those errors for the writer and report them to the writer.