• Header Right Box

    Liz Johnson on FacebookLiz Johnson on TwitterLiz Johnson on InstagramLiz Johnson on PinterestLiz Johnson on AmazonEmail Liz Johnson

  • Header Left Box

    • Day: January 12, 2009

    Writing Isn’t for the Weak – At Least Not the 2nd Book

    Posted on by lizjohnson

    As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, my first novel, The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, is being published by Steeple Hill next summer. I couldn’t be more thrilled, and I know that I owe all of it to God. He happened to use a couple of my friends, Kelly B. and Jess B., to help me get the first draft of that story finished–keeping me accountable to get my words written. But since then, I’ve been in the process of writing two or three other stories and making edits to Kenzie’s story. Now that I’m committed to working on the follow-up novel, I find it especially hard to buckle down and get words written each week.

    Then last week, I chatted with another author that I work with. He’s been writing books for more than 15 years. He’s a great guy, so when I told him that I was working on my second novel, I expected him to give me loads of encouragement. I said something along the lines of, “For some reason, getting this book written is harder than the first.” And he said, “They just get harder.”

    Ouch! Talk about a reality check. He told that no one ever tells aspiring writers the truth–even if it is your calling, writing is tough, and it just gets harder over the years.

    At first I was a little disillusioned. Was he just really jaded after so many years in the business? Was he just telling me that every book is harder to write than the last because I was having a hard time? Was I so different from every other author that says it’s easy because God has given them a message? I grappled with these questions for an evening, until I finally came to freeing conclusion.

    It’s okay for the second book to be harder than the first–regardless of what every other author says. After all, writing isn’t about being easy. It’s about being dilligent with the talents that God’s given me.  Getting in front of my computer and putting words on paper, er, screen. It’s just up to me to be available. God will take care of the rest of it for me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

    Now this post just passed 370 words. Would these words have been better used if I’d added them to ch. 6 of my current project? Hmm … Not enough answers tonight. So I’ll say goodnight here before I add a couple more lines to ch. 6. – LJ

    Monday Movies – Eagle Eye

    Posted on by lizjohnson

    It’s pretty much a given that I’ll see at least one movie over any given weekend, so I thought I’d share my views on said films in a weekly segment I like to call Monday Movies. If I haven’t managed to catch a recent flick in the theater or on dvd, well, then you’ll be subjected to favorites from my past, likely ranging from the classic muscial Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to the more recent editions of Pride and Prejudice. But this week, I’m featuring …

    eagle-eye-poster

    I caught this action flick, starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, at the dollar theater on Saturday afternoon. Let me just begin by telling you that the cheap theater–while totally fiscally responsible–is not always the best moving-going experiece. The lines can be obnoxiously long and the seats are hugely uncomfortable, but a friend and I decided to give it a go. We were late, so the theater was dark and pretty full by the time we tried to find seats. We managed to find two on an end toward the front, my feet only sticking to the floor like it was coated with regular Elmer’s glue (not the heavy-duty stuff).

    Let’s just say that by the time I squeezed into my seat, I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision. After all, the movie is already on dvd, so I was thinking that maybe I should have just rented it.

    And then it got going. From the jump, I was hooked! Its fast pace and detailed plot kept me guessing, and I confess that I really didn’t know who the bad guy was until the end. The acting was tight and the story of two strangers who are coerced into following a mysterious voice on the other end of the phone was completely far-fetched–just what I was hoping for. Shia and Michelle had great chemistry and the screenwriter had a wonderful sense of suspenseful build-up followed by a little down time for the audience to catch our breaths.

    Well worth the sticky floor and itty-bitty seats. I’m so glad that I didn’t miss it on the big-screen.

    Eagle Eye does have some rough language and bits of violence, so I don’t recommend it for the kids. But I sure texted my sister-in-law the minute that we got out of the show to tell her that she and my brother should rent it.

    Until the next one … LJ