I have finished editing my manuscript for the fourth time, and have started to format it. I am using Adobe InDesign, but there are a number of programs you can use to format your manuscript to upload it to Amazon.
I thought I would share some resources and document my journey on my blog. I hope some of these are helpful to you if you are self-publishing.
Great InDesign Formatting Video Tutorials.
This is the video I have been using to help me to navigate Indesign. This is a tutorial for text only. Becca does a great job explaining the process!
If you are using InDesign that has images, such as a children’s book or photo book, you might want to try one of these:
Microsoft Word Book Formatting Video Tutorial
If you don’t have InDesign, you might want to check out this simple, short tutorial that uses Microsoft Word.
I prefer to use video tutorials from people who are good teachers because a) it saves time and frustration and b) every time you watch their video you are helping their Youtube business!
My Experience Formatting
Becca’s tutorial helped me understand how to use the program. Now that I’ve mastered the basics and have formatted the first couple of chapters, I should be able to finish formatting the book by the end of the week.
So far, it hasn’t taken as much time as I thought it would. Between watching the video and doing the formatting, I probably spent around an hour to an hour and a half on the first 3 chapters, the title page, etc.
I will make a post this week or next about uploading my book and how that went.
I plan to share other things I am learning in the self-publishing process, and resources you might want to look at if you are thinking about self-publishing your book, too.
At the beginning, it can seem daunting. Having spent a year learning about every aspect of self-publishing, however, I feel I am in a good place to finally take the plunge! Nothing will stop me now!
Today we’re going to discuss what Jesus says about some heavy topics: lust and divorce. It’s important to keep the old testament background in mind, as Jesus is talking about the Old Testament law. We also need to understand the cultural context and not misapply Jesus’ words.
In this week’s video, I share a few insights from my research to help us understand the text. I always look at the passage in the original Greek and use commentaries and other resources. If you’re a busy woman who wants to understand scripture at a deeper level but doesn’t have much time, my hope is that my videos can help provide that for you, and I always give you a reflection question at the end that you can use in your prayer life.
I have a BA in English and an MA in Theological studies. I have taught the Bible while working in various ministries for over ten years. I love helping others understand God’s Word and how to live for him!
Sources used:
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold. 2002.
IVP Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Editors Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall. 1992.
We often take resources such as water for granted, but this story shows the struggle of different tribes in Sudan to get clean water.
In Linda Sue Parks’ A Long Walk to Water, she follows two stories in two different time periods in Sudan.
The First Story: A Boy, Running for His Life
The main story is based on the true account of a boy named Salva.
It’s 1985 and a civil war rages on, driving Salva and his family from his village. Rebels from South Sudan have been fighting against the government, who want everyone to be Muslim.
For most of the book, you follow Salva’s perilous journey through the wild with different groups from the Dinka tribe. They encounter lions and crocodiles, and must survive the barren Akobo Desert.
All the while, Salva’s driving purpose is to be reunited with his family.
Salva’s story is heartbreaking. He loses many people he loves along the way.
Through all of his hardships, Salva learns to cope by reminding himself to take “one day at a time.”
Salva learns to face obstacles by focusing on the present and simply getting to the next step. That’s something we could all learn to do a little more.
The Second Story: A Girl in Need of Clean Water
The second story follows a fictional girl, Nya, in her daily life in 2008.
Nya has to make a long trip to get enough water for her family every day. Their lives revolve around having enough water to survive.
Nya can’t carry too much, so they can’t boil it. As a result, her sister gets very ill from the water.
One day, someone from a warring tribe comes to help them…
You’ll have to read the book to see how these two stories meet. 🙂
My Review
Overall, this book was an easy, quick read. It was also thought-provoking, and makes you want to take action.
This book was given to me by a friend, and is not a classic (but could become one!). It is, however, a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
An Aside
Sometimes people object that putting in clean water wells/ pumps may disrupt the community. For some tribes, a shared water source nearby is reason to keep the peace.
If people are dying from dehydration or diseases in the water, I think the water pumps are essential. Once they are no longer facing those day-to-day issues, they can focus on other ones.
In this story, a native who understood the people and the land started a water project to help them. I think that is an ideal scenario.
This video goes through part of the sermon on the mount where Jesus is talking about anger.
Anger is something I personally struggle with, and this passage is challenging to me. I hope this video encourages you and helps you to think about the times you get angry.
We all need to take a step back and ask why we’re getting angry and how God wants us to deal with it. Anger affects the way we relate to others, which matters to God.
Bible for the Busy Woman is a project I started to encourage women by bringing short expositions of scripture with the Biblical and historical background and help them to take a few minutes to reflect.
I have a BA in English from Framingham State University and an MA in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I served in various ministries and taught the Bible for over 10 years. I currently write Christian fiction and nonfiction, and do freelance writing.
You can now follow me on Twitter: MelissaMYounge1
Resources used:
Greek NT
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold. 2002.
In the past year and a half, since I made writing my full-time career, I’ve learned and grown tremendously.
My growth is partly due to the insights and wisdom I’ve gleaned from other writers, some of which I will share at the end of this blog. Along the way, I’ve recognized some of my bad writing habits, and I’ve worked hard to improve.
Here are a few gems I’ve learned:
I’ve learned how to copyedit. In copyediting, you reduce the number of words and try to find the best ones to convey your message. You’re trying to make your writing as reader-friendly and precise as possible.
For example:
“Sally was a strange girl, who would go around picking up lots of seashells on the sandy beaches, and then set up a stand to see if anyone would buy them.”
Becomes:
“Sally sells seashells by the seashore.”
However, sometimes I prefer longer prose, and you can trim your content too much.
Don’t do this:
“Gerald was tired of sitting around and doing nothing all day. He ate, slept, drank some water, and then used his special box. He was longing for adventure in the world he saw beyond the glass, but every time he tried to get there, something got in the way. Usually, it was his owner’s foot.”
Should NOT become:
“Gerald was a cat. He wanted to go outside, but his owner wouldn’t let him.” (It’s much less interesting)
Unless you’re writing a children’s story. If you are, then you want to do that.
I’ve learned to ask myself if something is necessary. Do my readers need to know that the girl’s grandmother’s tablecloth is red, checkered, and over fifty years old? Is it relevant to the plot and characters? Do I need to make a note of every time a character nods or scratches their head?
I also try to ask myself if something is accurate. If I said the lukewarm coffee was refreshing, the reader probably wouldn’t buy that (unless this was a strange quirk of one of my characters). Sometimes it feels cliche to write about the sunlight feeling warm or the rain feeling wet, but we have to write accurately.
I’ve had to cut out endless repetitions. It’s easy when you’re in the zone to say the same statement several times. Even if you’re saying it in different ways, your writing could benefit from trimming some of those.
For example:
“I opened every cupboard in the kitchen, desperately searching in every space. I opened cupboard after cupboard, wrenching the doors open with force. I ran my hand across the shelves, muttering to myself. It had to be there, somewhere.”
I’ve also learned to love Grammarly. I tend to overestimate my grammatical intuition and knowledge, but Grammarly helps to keep me honest. I don’t use the premium option, but I can usually figure out the changes that I need to make based on what’s underlined in yellow.
Below is an excerpt from a piece of nonsense I wrote many years ago that needed serious editing. After using Grammarly, I was able to whip it into decent shape.
Sudden movement beneath him caused him to divert his attention from his minor injuries to the heaving dune. With two great sighs, the land gave way and fell, forming itself into a large pit. Frederick fell gracelessly onto his side. He had forgotten about the irritable landscape on Fardula. One had to tread lightly on the dunes. Otherwise, they collapsed in a self-defensive measure. Then one would have to climb out of the pit, which was next to impossible, Frederick recollected as he attempted to do so.
He attempted to get a foothold in the side of the sand crater, but the sand poured around his foot, mocking him. He tried to dig but only succeeded in getting two large fistfuls of sand. He lay against the side of the almost sixty-degree wall of the inverted dune and pressed into it. How did he get out of the last one? He pushed off and tried to climb, but a great landslide of sand came pouring down.
Frederick lay down in the bottom of the pit, and it came to him. It had been Arena, a native who had dropped in on her spacecraft when she saw his plight. She had laughed at him, speaking in a series of clucks and tsks. Would he be so lucky this time? He decided to stand up and call for help.
“Hello?” he shouted. “I know you probably can’t understand me, but I need help! Do you hear me?” He kicked the wall of the sandpit in anger, and more sand crumbled down. This gave him an idea. He started kicking the wall all around him, causing more sand to fall and collect at the bottom of the pit. He kept this up for an hour but only gained about a foot and a half.
Though the sun was rising on Fardula, he felt exhausted. The strenuous kicking had tired him, and he lay down to have a quick and sandy rest. He awoke to a loud popping noise and felt the ground beneath him surge. The dune shot up again.
Great Resources for Writers
I was such a huge fan of Ella Enchanted when I first read it, and I decided to check out Gail Carson Levine’s website. She has an amazing blog with great conversations and tips on how to improve your writing. Here are some recent posts you might want to check out:
Every time you accomplish something, add something else to the list.
Keep telling yourself you’ll never get it all done, and you’re a failure if you don’t.
Tell yourself you can only relax once you complete the items on your list.
Demand that you bring your idealized best to each task.
Eliminate those unnecessary breaks by scheduling every minute to be the most productive.
Push yourself to the max every day.
When you start to feel burnt out, push harder. YOLO, right?
Substitute caffeine for rest and sleep.
Repeat every day until you’ve demotivated yourself to the point that you just want to crawl under the covers and not come out for a couple of months.
I’m poking fun at myself (and others who do these things), but one insight I’ve gained lately is that this mentality not only treats yourself like machine instead of an organic lifeform with actual needs, but becomes more task-oriented than goal-oriented.
What about you? What are your demotivation techniques? 😉
Bible for the Busy Woman is a phrase I came up with to describe what I do: I minister to busy women through my Youtube channel by providing a short Bible exposition and application question. I hope that you find this video encouraging!
Please like, comment, and subscribe to my Youtube channel if you want to see more of these videos. Thanks for watching!
Also, if you have any questions about the Bible, Christianity, or theology I’d love to discuss them with you. Leave a note in the comments and we can connect. Feel free to leave a prayer request, too, and I will pray for you.
Resources used:
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold. 2002.
IVP Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Editors Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall. 1992.
I’m jumping on a book tag by Mischenko from ReadRantRock&Roll, showing off an old book I own.
Here’s my old, shabby book:
This book was well-loved by many others before it made it into my hands. There’s something nice about that.
You can’t see it too clearly in the photo, but the book was discarded from a library in 1987 (Before I was born!). I got this one at a second-hand book sale somewhere.
I first read A Wrinkle in Time when I was in the fourth grade. I thought it was the strangest, wackiest book, from the names of the characters (Mrs. Whatsit, for example) to the idea of a tesseract. At the time, my criteria for books was the wackier, the better.
When I got to the end of the book, I found a deeper meaning: Meg had to exercise true love to overcome evil and save her brother.
When I read it as an adult I was not as impressed by it, but I think that’s because I look for more complexity now. I think this is a great book for kids, though.
I think much of the magic and depth doesn’t translate well to the newest movie they made based on this book. They’re too concerned with trying to show strong female characters that they forget about the richness of the plot, especially at the end.
For this one, I’d say read the book and skip the movie.
“There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.”
A Study in Scarlet.
So begins the first case for Holmes and Watson.
This book was so much fun to read! I never thought I was much for mysteries, but I’m inspired to read the rest of the Sherlock Holmes books after this one.
Watson’s First Impressions of Holmes
This is the book you want to start with in the series, as it introduces Watson’s character, background, and how he meets Holmes.
Watson has come back from being an army surgeon in Afghanistan and is looking for a place to stay. The problem is, he doesn’t have much money. He needs to split a room with someone, and an old acquaintance introduces him to an eccentric student: Holmes.
It’s fun to hear Watson’s first impressions of Holmes, who becomes his new roommate:
As the weeks went by, my interest in him and my curiosity as to his aims in life, gradually deepened and increased. His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I have alluded; and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, had the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hands were invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet he was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical instruments.
A Study in Scarlet.
Apart from noticing his habits and physical oddities, Watson observes Holmes’ completely limited knowledge and competence in many ordinary subjects, and an expertise in strange subjects, such as chemistry and “sensational literature.”
Watson isn’t sure what to make of all this, until it’s Holmes’ moment to shine.
The Case
A tricky case is brought to Holmes. Using his powers of deduction and vast knowledge of murder, Holmes eventually solves it. However, the reader still doesn’t understand how Holmes solved it nor what the murderer’s motives were.
The second part of the book leaves Watson, Holmes, and England behind and travels to the midwest. We are introduced to new characters- an older man and a young girl, who are taken in by some Mormons.
Doyle inserts some history here, as the clan that the next several chapters follow are none other than those led by Brigham Young. Young had died (1877) only ten years before Doyle wrote this book (1887).
I won’t give too much away, but its an intriguing story that keeps you guessing until the end! I highly recommend it if you are new to mysteries like I am.
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus says His followers are light salt and light in the world, but what does that mean?
In this week’s Bible for the Busy Woman video, I explore these metaphors and some possible meanings for them in the original Biblical and historical context. Wait for the application question at the end!
Here are some other Bible passages that explore light and salt:
Genesis 1:16-19
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Exodus 10: 21-23
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
Nehemiah 9:12
By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.
Psalm 18:28
For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
Psalm 37:6
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
Isaiah 51:4
“Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Exodus 30:34-36
The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you.
Leviticus 2:13
You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
2 Kings 2:19-21
Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.”
2 Chronicles 13:4-5
Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?
Job 6:5-7
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder? Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow? My appetite refuses to touch them; they are as food that is loathsome to me.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
What patterns do you notice in the way light and salt are talked about/ the contexts they are used in throughout these passages?
How do these passages help illuminate Matthew 5:13-16?
Resources used for this video:
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold. 2002.
IVP Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Editors Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall. 1992.
Classic Reads 