Mormon Bloggers

I think one of the greatest ways to promote creativity is to have limitations that seem to hamper the progress you are able to make. Think about it. If material is lacking, you learn to be creative with what you’ve got. If money is an issue, you get creative with the money and resources you already have. If you don’t have much space, you either turn a bedroom into a studio or find a way to do your work outdoors, where the atmosphere is better anyway. Limitations and roadblocks promote greater creativity. If you think your limitation is hampering your creativity, maybe you just need to think more creatively about your creativity. It rarely does any good to put off an aspiration until you have the money or means to do something about it. Whatever it is that you want to do, start doing it, with whatever time, money, and resources you DO have. For example, let’s say you want to take up sculpture, but have no clay, and no money. That is an issue – but not enough of an... Read the rest of this entry »

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We bump up against each other most every day. Kids bear cub their way into each others personal space. We feel that conflict at our house with everyone home for summer. Adults maintain that space better, but we feel tension in less physical ways. Our weaknesses—or strengths—rise to the surface of our actions and slam [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent.Characters in Conflict AKPC_IDS += "236698,";Popularity: 1% [?] Read More →

1 Nephi 1:1 I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. I’m trying an experiment. I’ve found that writing is a form of pondering – a very powerful form of pondering, so I’m going to try reading the Book of Mormon slowly, writing about each verse. I would guess that this is the most widely read verse in the whole Book of Mormon, simply because it is the first verse. If I were going to explore the scriptures verse by verse, trying to get as much out of them as possible, I might start with a few questions about how this verse starts. I ask these questions, either because I don’t know the answer, or in hopes that in exploring the answers I already... Read the rest of this entry »

Dirt flew around my dining room as my hands pulled apart the roots of the plant. I knew instinctively that the mess I was making on our bamboo floor was worthy of a picture, but my blackened hands and my attention needed to stay put on my work—to divide my eight-foot houseplant and transplant it [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent.Hands in the Dirt AKPC_IDS += "163730,";Popularity: unranked [?] Read More →

I blew it. My first chance and I blew it! I’ve had a silly idea for a long time. Jenni and I don’t have a TV, so we never see regular episodes of anything. We do rent movies on DVD and watch them on the computer, but we’re determined not to get a TV. I’ve been working on my most recent book quite a bit lately, and I was talking to someone about it, and how much fun it has been to write. When the person I was talking to said, “How do you get the time?!” I fumbled with stuff about getting up early or staying up late, and a little about determination, blah, blah, blah. After I left, I slapped myself on the forehead. I forgot – completely forgot! See, I’d had this idea that if anyone ever asked me how I get time to write books or CD’s, I’d simply say, “I don’t watch TV, and in the time I would have been watching, I write.” But I forgot. Blew it on my first chance. Oh, well. Guess I better give up movies so I’ll... Read the rest of this entry »

If you love writing, there’s something wonderful happening on April 23-24, 2010, at the The Marriott Hotel in downtown Provo, Utah. These two dates are when the 7th Annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference takes place–the best event of the year for all writers. Here’s what Stacy Whitman, Editorial Director of Tu Publishing and guest editor at the 2009 LDStorymakers Writers Conference said last year. “I must say, it was one of the most well-organized, well-staffed conferences that I’ve ever participated in. It ranks right up there with BYU Writing for Young Readers (though Storymakers is for every genre–adult, children’s, LDS, secular, fantasy, realism, nonfiction, and so forth), and the conference itself focuses more on craft than marketing, so the lessons about, well, storymaking, can be applied to whatever niche an author writes for.” For detailed information about this year’s conference, please click HERE! AKPC_IDS += "145018,";Popularity:... Read the rest of this entry »

Meet me over on Writing Fortress today for another Peek in the Past. This month my post is titled “Black and White Cemeteries.” AKPC_IDS += "143883,";Popularity: unranked [?] Read More →

Spencer W. Kimball, “The Gospel Vision of the Arts,” Tambuli, Feb 1978, 1 In our world, there have risen brilliant stars in drama, music, literature, sculpture, painting, science, and all the fields of excellence. For long years I have had a vision of members of the Church greatly increasing their already strong positions of excellence till the eyes of all the world will be upon us. President John Taylor so prophesied, as he emphasized his words with this directive: “You mark my words, and write them down and see if they do not come to pass. “You will see the day that Zion will be far ahead of the outside world in everything pertaining to learning of every kind as we are today in regard to religious matters. “God expects Zion to become the praise and glory of the whole earth, so that kings hearing of her fame will come and gaze upon her glory. …” (September 20, 1857; see The Messenger, July 1953.) With regard to masters, surely there must be many of the quality of Wagners... Read the rest of this entry »

The words, “inspired by a true story,” often mark a movie or novel. When my manuscript is published, the cover could read, “inspired by a real plant.” I received a hibiscus plant at Christmastime several years ago from a woman receiving hospice care for cancer. I met Lily through my husband when we visited her home [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent. The Plant That Inspired My Novel AKPC_IDS += "110362,";Popularity: unranked [?] Read More →

By the end of the week I will have met my goals for 2009—well, not all my goals. I never learned to smile very well, a goal I will carry over and try again next year. I will, however, mail the manuscript of my novel to an editor for her consideration, which will lead to [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent. A Greater Capacity to Create AKPC_IDS += "107308,";Popularity: unranked [?] Read More →

On November 1, Jenni I were about to get ready for bed when she mentioned to me that she had a friend who was going to write a novel in a month. When I asked why he was doing it, she told me about National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, and how it was a group that challenged people to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I laughed, wondering what kind of goof would make such a ridiculous commitment. I love writing, but that would be way too much. Still… Then gears started turning in my head. “No,” I told myself, “I’m a nonfiction writer.” Of course, I knew that wasn’t completely true. Anyone who’s been following the Synergetic Novel knows I’ve at least dabbled in the juvenile fiction genre. Then my fingers started to itch. “Argh…” I told myself, “but I’ve got a Christmas CD to be working on. I’ve got two other books in the works right now. Taking on another project would just back up their publication.” But... Read the rest of this entry »