Amber Ravatsaas, Writer

Christian Fiction for Young Adults

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Write Every Day Course!

I am excited to introduce you all to my new writing friend Samantha Proctor; she created a fantastic writing course called ‘Write Every Day‘ that encourages you to write more consistently. As writers sometimes, it’s hard for us to find the time to sit down and write, but when we do, the results are noticeable. Every day she will give you a daily quote, encouragement, daily action, writing challenge, and a comment conversation starter. Samantha was very involved and a great motivator, she sends you a personal weekly email and is there to answer any questions you may have, course-related or writing in general. That was probably my favorite part, having a writing buddy to keep me accountable, give advice, encouragement, and a swift kick when needed 😉

Included in the course are printables to help you achieve your goals and a private Facebook group. Honestly, this course came at the right time for me I had started so many novels and never finished them, my writing was sporadic and I could never accomplish my goals. Since finishing this I have a renewed hope and passion for writing, I have actually started writing short stories instead and have taken a break from my Novella. Not because I cannot write a Novella, but sometimes you need to step away from something to gain a new perspective. The daily actions and writing challenges were exactly what I needed to give me that push and get my mind and creative juices working.

Here is what you’ll learn from this course:

There are five parts to this course.

Part one is about getting started. It’s about writing instead of just thinking about writing.

Part two is about setting realistic goals that don’t overwhelm you. It’s also about learning to accomplish those goals once you’ve set them.

Part three is where you learn to stick with your goals even when it’s not exciting anymore. In this part, you’ll learn to be disciplined even when you aren’t motivated.

Part four is all about rediscovering your love for writing. This is the fun part where you get to enjoy the process of spinning words together and creating stories.

Part five is the shortest part. It’s all about celebrating your success and ensuring that you continue to write long after this course is over.

Most importantly, you’re going to learn how to write consistently. If you would like some more info on the course, you can go here, but if you’re ready to jump in and start writing my sweet friend has given my readers a discount code for 20% off the course use, WRITEMORE in the add coupon section to take advantage of this offer.

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10 Reasons I use Scrivener to Write my Novels

10 Reasons I Use Scrivener to Write my Novels

Scrivener, Scrivener, Scrivener I keep talking about this amazing program, but people, it’s fantastic! I use this app on a daily basis for my novels and sometimes even blog posts. I am going to give you ten reasons why this app is something you need in your life if you do any sort of writing.

1.  I am able to keep everything stored in one place! You’re able to put your research, pictures, websites, PDF’s anything pertaining to your novel you can store in the same document your novel is. How cool is that? It’s wonderful to have everything in one place that I can access at any time.

2. Color-Coded. I love to color-code things and this app lets me do just that! It helps when you’re plotting and want to see the different parts of the novel, and you can create your own labels and assign colors to them. I’ve seen people use the labels for protagonist/antagonist chapters, and some will use them to label notes, first draft, revised draft, and final. You can use them however you want to that’s the beauty of this program.

3. Word count: Now this may NOT seem like a big deal, but it is. In Scrivener I am able to put the number of words I’d like to achieve in a certain amount of time and it will calculate how many words a day I need to write to make it to that goal

4. Storyboard: While I do most of my Storyboarding on Pinterest I will import the photos to my moodboards for each of the characters and add things I think they’d wear, what their homes look like, the town they live in, etc. Also, this is where I add all the data about the character and his/her backstory, quirks, motives, and so forth.

5. Folders: When writing normally I have a folder for each chapter of my novel and then subfolders for each scene in that folder. Scrivener also has specific folders for Characters and locations that you can use.

6. Templates: So many creative people have designed templates that you’re able to download for free and use. The one page novel plot formula is my absolute favorite.

7. Compose it to a kindle, Epub ebooks, or ibooks formats: this makes it incredibly easy to write and self-publish your own book to sell on Amazon, Apple, or Nook.

8. Ability to split the screen: This little feature comes in handy when I need to look at the plot points while I am writing a scene, or have a characters outline up to remember a certain quirk or specific quality they possess.

9. Distraction free writing: Wonderful tool when you really need to buckle down and focus on your writing without the distractions of everything else. The things you really need to know will pop up on the bottom of the screen when you move your cursor.

10. Sync: I am able to start writing on my computer, save it, and then work on it more from my phone or iPad. Now, this one may cost you a little bit more money but, for me, it was totally worth it. I love to pull my phone out and type up a scene when I have a spare moment of time; no writing time is wasted!

**BONUS**

11. Revision Mode: I actually just discovered this one not too long ago! Revision mode let’s you go back and revise your novel with different colored text so you can easily see what you’ve changed and when. Such a handy little tool for editing 🙂

Try a FREE 30 day trial of Scrivener and see how you like it! If you’re ready to buy it you can do so here: BUY NOW!

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How to Make a Storyboard on Pinterest

I love to make storyboards on Pinterest when I get an idea for a Novel. It helps me to organize my ideas and thoughts into one place. My storyboards are private to keep the contents and ideas a secret, but I will show you bits and pieces of different ones to give you a good idea of the things I pin in them. So the first thing I do is set up a new board which I name Storyboard: {Name of Novel} or the other way around sometimes; then I hunt for pictures of people that meet the description of my character. I love having a visual of my character to be able to better describe them.

I have another private board on Pinterest called Characters where I pin different pictures of people that I may, or may not use as a character. It makes it simple for me then to go to that board and pin the characters to my storyboards. Clothes that the characters would wear was another thing I added to the storyboard, and how they wore their hair. Also, if you have ever taken the Myers Briggs test to find out your personality (I’m INFP if you were curious ;)) I like to give my characters each a personality type and then use that to find their strengths and weaknesses.

Scenes are another thing I will pin about, so take for example my Storyboard for “Life Unplanned” I have a hospital scene so I pinned different pictures of hospital rooms, the story takes place in Massachusetts so I have tons of pictures of Massachusetts!

Law school was a big part of the novel so I pinned some different Law school things that were relevant like when is admission due, how much does it cost, classes, and so forth to make things as realistic as I possibly can. The characters met for coffee at a sweet little coffee shop that overlooked the town, so what did I do? I found cute little coffee shops in Massachusetts and pinned them, of course 😉 Anything that I could think of that was relevant to my novel I pinned it even quotes that fit the storyline.

A few handy Pinterest boards that I love to keep adding to for when I am stuck and need inspiration are my writing prompts board, Character names, and Inspiration board, and lastly, my plot board which has various information about the most random things.

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What’s in my Backpack?

I’ve seen people doing videos regarding what’s in their backpack, so I thought I would do a blog post instead. These are the essential items I bring with me when I go out to write:

  1. My backpack! I got this off of Amazon for around $30 it has enough space for my needs, and then some. The thing that drew me to it (besides the roominess) was probably the USB port where I could charge my phone on the go. Not totally sure if it’s TSA approved…
  2. Most of the time I will use my iPad just because it’s more compact. With my iPad, I use my Bluetooth keyboard from Logitech; I absolutely love this thing. The case for the keyboard doubles as a stand so you’ll never forget to bring it. One of the main things that drew me in though was that it takes batteries instead of having to be charged.

  3. I have to have some sort of music going while I am writing so that’s where my phone and Bluetooth headphones come in handy. I found some good stations on Amazon Prime Music that are my go to for when I write.
  4. I always have a notebook and pens with me wherever I am going, but the Rocketbook Everlast Smart Notebook I found is unlike any other; it’s reusable! You use a page, mark one of the seven symbols on the bottom of the page, take a picture of your work, and it sends it to whatever website you correlated the symbol you marked. So, for example, if I put an X on the diamond and take a picture it will automatically send it to my Dropbox folder titled, “sermon notes.” When you’re all done take a paper towel with a little water on it and wipe off the page!

  5. And last, but certainly not least, my Scrivner app. I couldn’t write without this app it helps me keep my story, characters, and outline organized and I can set word count goals for each scene, chapter, and whole novel. When I set a word count for my whole novel I am then able to set a date that I would like to complete my novel on, and it will calculate how many words I need to write daily to achieve that goal. The other thing I like about it is that it I can write on my iPad and then sync it, and continue writing over on my computer. I did buy it for both my iPad ($19.99) and Mac ($45), so it will set you back about $64.99, BUT it is a one-time price, so you won’t be charged ever again. If you’re interested in more information on Scrivener check out their website: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

What’s in YOUR backpack?

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Our Art Gallery

We have had an influx of art going on at our house over the last few years, and I am constantly running out of room to put their beautiful drawings. The fridge was getting full and I had to resort to throwing out pieces that had been there for weeks, but, of course, they found them in the garbage and couldn’t believe that I threw away their precious art. We had to find some sort of compromise because hanging pictures on the wall with tape was not an option for me, nor would it even stick to our walls in the first place (we have such odd walls.)

I was able to purchase everything (except the buckets) off of amazon. It was nice to have everything delivered to the house instead of running store to store to get items; especially in the winter! You can buy the buckets off of amazon, but I found them $10 cheaper at oriental trading. The wire and clips that the pictures are hanging off of came from Ikea but I was able to find them on amazon. We are also using the wire and clips in the homeschool room for our alphabet cards!

Our chalkboards took a little time to find because we had a certain amount of space and I needed exact measurements to be able to fit three of them. My original plan was to get a big piece of plywood and a can of chalkboard paint and make it a “fun” DIY project. Well, if there is one thing you should know about me it’s that I am the least crafty person ever. In all honesty, though I am really happy with how it turned out!

The kids love to pull up a chair and draw during the day and it is also beneficial for homeschooling. Somehow making shapes and letters on the chalkboard is WAY more fun to them than on paper; I’ll take it! I love that it’s right by the kitchen so they can draw while I am making dinner in the evenings 🙂

(This picture was before we put the hooks and buckets up the kids were REALLY excited)

Here is a list of exactly what we bought for this project:

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What Does It Mean To Fear The Lord?

My word this year is brave, I want to be brave and courageous not be fearful of what man can do to me. I want to only fear the Lord. Martin Luther described two different types of fear;  FILIAL fear of the Lord means to have respect and reverence to the Lord and have a healthy fear of the consequences of disobeying Him. Think of the respect that a child has for his/her parents. That child fears disobeying their parents, not just because they are scared of punishment, but because they have such respect for them and the thought of hurting them by disobedience is disheartening. SERVILE fear is the fear that martyrs have or those who are tortured and jailed. It’s the fear and anxiety of the harm that they are going to thrust upon you.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

The Gospel message should be the most beautiful and terrifying message. It is beautiful the undeserved grace and mercy that the Lord shown upon us, but terrifying in the sense of the depth of our sins and the punishment that we deserve for them. Our faith in the Lord will show if we do, or do not, have a healthy relationship with the Lord. How do we respond when things go wrong? Do we whine and complain, or do we turn to the Lord? I struggle with anxiety and know that it is worse when I am not diving into the Word and surrounding myself with the Truth of God’s Word. I worry the most when I listen to the world!

George Muller said The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

Obedience will be another evidence of a healthy fear of the Lord. When we are obedient and following the Lord instead of the ways of the world we show our fear of the Lord through that. How do we respond when we sin? Do we go directly to the one who forgives us of our sins or try and hide hoping that we can get away with it? We are silly and foolish to think that God doesn’t see our sins… That alone should strike some sort of fear in us!

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Encouragement For When You Want To Quit Writing

I have been told many times that I give up too quickly, and while that is true, I don’t like to admit it. So when I realized that my novella was not making any sense, I gave up. I called it quits and decided that I was no good at this writing thing anymore. So many writers are where they are because they keep pressing forward and not giving up, and I have to realize that I cannot compare my beginning to their middle.

So tonight, after a small break away from my novella, I am looking at it once again with fresh eyes and a new vision. Writing is my passion; something that I love to do. For some, writing comes easy; and for others, like me, it takes some time to develop and conquer those hurdles of self-doubt, frustration, and being overtly cynical. I was so angry at myself for wasting all that time on this completely useless novel when I should have been proud of the accomplishment of actually sticking with it and writing from start to finish!

If you have been following me for any amount of time you would know that I like to change things often (i.e., domain names, and interests). I will stick with something for maybe a year or two and then change it. But, one thing has remained consistent through all those changes… writing. My love of writing has never once dwindled! Once you find that thing that you are passionate about, stick with it and work on improving and polishing your skill. I started taking courses about writing, listening to audio books, and reading blog posts. This is something I enjoy doing and I want to see where I can go with it, but I need to stop telling myself I can’t do it.

Sign up for my email list to receive access to my private discord server, where we talk about all things writing. Also, be the first to hear news about my current work in progress! [mc4wp_form id=”6600″]

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What if?

Do you feel like your plot has been way overdone and people are sick and tired of reading the same storyline over and over again? That’s exactly how I was feeling the first time around. But, if you take any TV show, movie or book and look at the bare bones of the plot you will realize that most of them are the same they just executed the scheme differently. Think of TV shows that take place in New York with 20-30 something-year-olds, movies where the nerdy girl gets a makeover or the one that I absolutely cannot stand… when they make the father an incompetent moron.

The difference between the story lines in these various plots is a simple question, What if? Let’s look at The Princess Diaries. What if an average girl finds out she’s a princess? Or in My Fair Lady, what if a pompous phonetics professor transforms a Cockney working-class girl into someone who can pass for an experienced member of high society. See how they both are the same, but very different?

What if a husband vanishes and leaves his wife and children behind. This is one example that I have been mulling over the last few days. What if he didn’t leave on purpose? What if he was forced to leave but couldn’t tell his family? What if she gave up hope for ever finding him? What if he did leave on purpose?

Asking myself those what if questions got me thinking, and pondering what would happen if this happened? How would I react in this situation? I even threw questions by Ruben to see how he would respond in a similar situation. I so appreciate my husband’s willingness to listen to my ideas and help me out. He’s given me some great ideas for plots, told me when something seemed not realistic, and helped me out with different conversations between characters.

I have a much clearer picture this time around of how I want this to end up and I am excited to start working on it again. Just need to get over the hurdles of criticism and self-doubt that I face and I am certain many others face. It’s scary to put yourself out there because you are going to get judged once you do. Everyone has an opinion, some good, others not so good.

Sign up for my email list to receive access to my private discord server, where we talk about all things writing. Also, be the first to hear news about my current work in progress! [mc4wp_form id=”6600″]

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Finding Writing Inspiration in Everyday Life

Finding Writing Inspiration in Everyday Life

There is a guy on our street who likes to walk his dog in a nice dress shirt and pants. Why doesn’t he change before he walks his dog? I find it oddly fascinating. Or the guy that I stood behind today who had a tattoo on his arm that said, “Reward.” Even the quirky ladies that I talked to in the long line at Walmart. Those people are my inspiration! I pull characters, emotions, settings and appearance from them.

I like to keep a small notebook in my purse at all times so whenever I see something, hear something, or just need to make a quick note I can jot it down so I won’t forget. Other places to look for inspiration would be quotes, music, books, and movies. Trust me, I am not saying that I never get writers block, or that I never get low on inspiration, but during those times I don’t give up. Something on a commercial even gave me an idea once!

So, if you’re struggling for inspiration, look up. Look up from the glow of your cell phone to the world around you. There is tons of inspiration right there in front of your face. Everyone has a backstory!

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10 Writing Resources

Here are some of my favorite resources I use when I am writing:

1. I bought a Bluetooth keyboard off of Amazon for my iPad and had been using it to write when I am on the go. It’s a lot easier to haul my iPad around than it is my computer. If I use the Pages app on my iPad, I can sync it through the icloud drive and continue writing right where I left off on my computer! My phone also has the pages app, so if I get an idea I can scribble it down on there as well 🙂

2. Scrivener: If you follow me on Instagram you will see me post screenshots from a program called Scrivener every so often. I bought this program for $40 and use it almost every day to write. I love that you can organize and personalize it however you want to suit your needs. I am more of a pantser when it comes to writing, but I have slowly developed into a planner. I need to write a post about Scrivener at some point…

3. Grammarly! I wrote a post about this one already, but it’s so good that I just needed to mention it again to you. I love that it helps me correct my grammar mistakes and tells me exactly why I shouldn’t write something the way I did.

4. One stop for writers– this resource has helped me enhance my writing. It costs $9 a month, but I think it’s totally worth it. When I am stuck writing a scene, I can quickly head to the setting thesaurus and find sights, sounds, smells, tastes & textures, and possible sources of conflict for that particular environment.

5. Evernote– I use this one to jot down a note when I am on the go since it syncs to my computer so I can easily access it. I will save my whole manuscript to it as well just to have another place to store it.

6. My iPhone– It works as an excellent voice recorder for the time being, but I am looking at getting an actual voice recorder. My phone runs out of space quickly!

7. Facebook groups- I have a few groups that pertain to writing that I am part of, but for the most part, I am in Christian homemaking groups. Sometimes I get sparks of inspiration from posts from others!

8. Pinterest– LOVE this resource! I have a few boards about writing that I find useful when writing, or if I get stuck. It’s nice to have resources about writing, character development and grammar all in one place.

9. Thesaurus and Dictionary– Pretty self-explanatory, I think 😉

10. Jerry Jenkin’s Writers Guild- At this moment the guild isn’t open to new members, but if you are interested I would highly suggest that you sign up to be notified when it begins. If you do join, send me a message I would love to connect with you!

**BONUS: Music- but, I think, that’s also a given 😉 I love to listen to Pandora or Spotify when I am writing and sometimes, sometimes I will get inspiration from a song.

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