Sarah's Words of Wit(sdom)

Anywhere I go, I see unique people. Unique in how they dress, how they talk, and how they act. Potential characters are everywhere, just waiting to be used in a story. I recently read “Getting Into Character” by Brandilyn Collins , and have been opening my eyes to certain things people do, or as Brandilyn calls them, “mannerisms”. The book is amazing. I highly recommend it for all writers of fiction! I was sitting in church, listening to the sermon, when I noticed an interesting man. I began to write on my sermon notes: Sunlight filtered through the stain glass windows, like a distorted rainbow-colored checkerboard on the church floor and across the benches. In the front bench sat a man in his fifties, hunched over, looking up through his bushy eyebrows, large ears wiggling as he chewed a piece of gum. What he had left of his grey hair stuck straight up and wrinkles deformed his forehead as he concentrated on the pastor.

Hi, everyone! Tommorow I'm over at RealTeenFaith.com , so be sure to check it out. I'm so humbled that the new editor of Real Teen Faith, BJ Hamrick , asked me to be a part of the RTF team! I'm so excited about this, I'm including a sneak preview. This is the first anyone (besides BJ) has seen this! That's right. You, my readers, get the first peek! Don't you feel special? :) Lists – Not Just For Christmas Could the way society presents dating be messing with God’s ultimate plan for relationships? Is the media so in love with the idea of dating that we forget it’s supposed to be a special experience? Since eighth grade, I’ve prayed God will help keep me pure and wait for the right guy to come along who I would eventually marry. I even made up a list of characteristics this special man of my future would have. Making a list is a great thing to do while you’re still single. We all think we know what we want in a dating relationship, but very few of us...

Here are the lyrics to a song I wrote: In this secret place where I hide away You came to with open arms and asked me to come Help me run to you past these barricades All I want is you And I am ready ‘Cuz you are worthy You’re the only one who won’t fail me I’m holding out my hand Lord, please take it now Come and rescue me I am ready for You Won’t You come into me? Take my heart and fill it up and take my life and make me whole again In this life I just need more of You to humble me and lift me up and make me more like You Help me pull this line of masking tape Up from on the stony ground on which it lies Help me cross the line and find your plan divine All I want is you And I am ready ‘Cuz you are worthy Human-set lines cannot stop me Give me courage to roam this world so new So I can give you glory I am ready for You Won’t You come into me? Take my heart and fill it up and take my life and make me whole again In this life I just need more of You to humble me and lift me up and make ...

I admit, sometimes I hate writing. My twitter update said it all. If we’re all being honest, we writers all hate writing once in a while. Writing is something I love, but sometimes I just don’t want to do it. I’m plagued with deadlines, plus my last year of school, and work. Adding a blog to the mix hasn’t done me much good in that either. I hear of some people who say God is just telling them to slow down. I wish that was the case for me. Instead, God has been throwing awesome writing opportunities at me. At first, I loved the work and loved the way God has been supplying me. But lately I’ve felt, well, overwhelmed. The next morning I received an email: Sorry you’re overwhelmed… You truly have a gift, Sarah. God has kissed you with this gift of writing and to make people feel something. God has not given you a spirit of fear as the verse says. As He told Joshua, “Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS” [Joshua 1:9]. He told Joshua that multiple times. God appointed Joshua to take over for Moses (a...

Lizzie Gordon always thought she had a pretty good life. That is, until a couple of years ago. Lizzie flicked on the brights that pierced through the darkness in front of her car, illuminating the road. She glanced in her rearview mirror at her son, Isaiah, sleeping in his car seat, his head lolled to one side, his mouth slack with sleep. Lizzie smiled. She loved Isaiah and would do anything for him. But he was the beginning of her life’s downhill slide. Four years ago, Lizzie became pregnant with him. She backed up her memories further. All the way to the eighth grade. Noah was a charming boy, and Lizzie fell for him all the way. Three years later, they were still dating and Lizzie felt sure he was the one. After all, a guy should treat a girl like a princess, right? At least that’s what Lizzie thought, walking arm-in-arm with him through the park, getting late night phone calls and moped rides to Patty’s Pizza. His genteel manners even caused her prim and proper mother to approve of...

I wrote this dialogue between the future love interests, Milana Mikay Clarke and Travis Brinkley. I love it how their opposite personalities promise potential conflict. This scene takes place at the University Hospital, where Milana is a nurse in training. “I thought you worked on the Lifeflight.” Milana went around the desk and picked up the clipboard, clicked her pen, but paused for his answer before writing. Travis leaned against the desk and folded his strong arms. “I do. I work here to relax.” “Relax?” Milana looked down at her clipboard, cynically smiling as she wrote. “And I bet you rock-climb and water-ski to relax, too.” As Milana looked up, Travis flashed a handsome smile in her direction. She looked back down so he wouldn’t see her blushing. “Yeah,” he said. “What’s your idea of relaxation?” “Curling up on the couch with a good book.” She looked up again perked one side of her mouth at him. “Sitting outside at night admiring the stars.” “Oh, okay, I see.” He raised one eyebr...