A fellow writer posed this question to me while she was critiquing the first chapter of my second novel, In the Days of Lachoneus: Book 2 The Battle. She noted that my characters do not speak in scriptural language, which is essentially Elizabethan English. The characters talk like everyday people, and some of them even appear to have distinct speech and word patterns that sound like an accent. Did people in the Book of Mormon really have accents, she wanted to know.
Of course, the honest answer is, I don't know. The only record I am aware of in modern times of a Nephite speaking was Joseph Smith's account of his interactions with Moroni, the last Nephite prophet and the finisher of the Book of Mormon. Joseph did not quote Moroni's words directly, and he said nothing about his voice.
I have never detected an accent in any of the speeches quoted in the Book of Mormon. That does not mean, however, that the Nephites from various regions did not have dialects, accents, and specific speech patterns. What we hear mostly in the Book of Mormon is one voice: Mormon. Most of the book was compiled by Mormon from vast stores of historical records. When he recorded a person's speech, he did not write what he heard the person say directly, he wrote what he read from other records. We have a little writing from Moroni at the end, much of which, again, is abridgment of other records. We do have some first-person writing in the first part of the Book of Mormon, but even that writing is not conversation, it is composition.
On top of all of that, we have Joseph Smith's voice as the translator into English. So by the time we get the written English version of the book, any hint of accents has been expunged and sanitized by compilation, summarization, and translation.
It is like reading the talks from General Conference in the Ensign magazine. The reader would have no way of knowing from reading the written words that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf speaks with a thick German accent. Yet his distinctive voice is unmistakable to many of the Latter-day Saints who have heard him speak.
I have no reason to think the Nephites did not have accents. They populated a wide area. Isolated groups would have had only limited communication with one another. When the Mulekites joined the Nephites, the Mulekite language was completely unintelligible to the Nephites, and they had to be taught the Nephite language. Such language transitions are a rich opportunity for the development of dialects and accents.
Most modern languages have evolved into regional dialects and accompanying accents. Professor Henry Higgins, in My Fair Lady, claimed he could place any individual within a few blocks of his home town by his speech. Such a fictional claim is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but even with an untrained ear, we easily distinguish people from England, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Australia, Dallas, New York, Chicago, and Salt Lake City by their accents.The same is true for Spanish speakers in Mexico, Argentina, Barcelona, and Los Angeles; German speakers in Bavaria, Hamburg, and Berlin; and French speakers in France and Canada.
So my natural response to the question, "Did Nephites have accents?" is "Why not?"
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Saturday, April 23, 2016
New eBook Published: SEARCHING ISAIAH
Searching Isaiah: Line Upon Line
I'm pleased to announce the publication of my first non-fiction book. At this time it is in eBook format only. It is currently available from the publisher Smashwords.com, but it will shortly be available through other channels, such as Barnes and Noble. I am offering it for free to anyone who would like to read it. I would love to get feedback on it.
I'm pleased to announce the publication of my first non-fiction book. At this time it is in eBook format only. It is currently available from the publisher Smashwords.com, but it will shortly be available through other channels, such as Barnes and Noble. I am offering it for free to anyone who would like to read it. I would love to get feedback on it.
The Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament strikes fear into the hearts of many readers of the Bible. It is impenetrable, enigmatic, and indecipherable. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints get a double dose of the scary enigma because nearly twenty chapters of Isaiah's writings are quoted in the Book of Mormon. The most often skipped chapters in the Book of Mormon are 2 Nephi Chapters 12 through 25. It can be difficult reading.
Like a mountaineer looking at the peak of Mount Everest, I had wanted to scale the chapters of Isaiah for many years but assumed it was impossible. Then one day I decided I was going to do it. I grabbed some metaphorical ropes, slipped a couple of tanks of oxygen into my backpack, tied on my crampons, and started at base camp of chapter 1. With guides and Sherpas to help along the way, I began to scramble over up the rocky slopes. Most importantly, however, I tethered myself to Jesus Christ and took courage from the words of a prophet who had already made the assent: "My soul delighteth in [Isaiah's] words," wrote the Prophet Nephi, and "I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice" (See Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 11:2, 8). I wanted to rejoice with Nephi and delight in the words he thought were so profound.
As I read, I took notes of things I learned, impressions I had, ideas that came to mind, and doctrines that stood out. The deeper I got into my study, the sweeter, more hopeful, and more joyful the messages of Isaiah became to me. After a year of careful, verse-by-verse pondering and studying, I compiled this book to capture my thoughts and the marvelous pearls I had found. I learned for myself to delight in Isaiah's words and to lift up my heart and rejoice in his writings.I want to share what I have learned with others in the hope that my readers will see the vistas I saw from the summit and will want to make to make the assent themselves.
The joy is not in watching another climb, but in making one's own trek and to see the magnificent scenery along the way. I invite all students of the scriptures to read Isaiah. Find your own path, learn your own way, and see what Isaiah has to say to you. My words are not the answer of all answers but merely encouragement to strike out on your own and see how marvelous the journey is.
Like a mountaineer looking at the peak of Mount Everest, I had wanted to scale the chapters of Isaiah for many years but assumed it was impossible. Then one day I decided I was going to do it. I grabbed some metaphorical ropes, slipped a couple of tanks of oxygen into my backpack, tied on my crampons, and started at base camp of chapter 1. With guides and Sherpas to help along the way, I began to scramble over up the rocky slopes. Most importantly, however, I tethered myself to Jesus Christ and took courage from the words of a prophet who had already made the assent: "My soul delighteth in [Isaiah's] words," wrote the Prophet Nephi, and "I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice" (See Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 11:2, 8). I wanted to rejoice with Nephi and delight in the words he thought were so profound.
As I read, I took notes of things I learned, impressions I had, ideas that came to mind, and doctrines that stood out. The deeper I got into my study, the sweeter, more hopeful, and more joyful the messages of Isaiah became to me. After a year of careful, verse-by-verse pondering and studying, I compiled this book to capture my thoughts and the marvelous pearls I had found. I learned for myself to delight in Isaiah's words and to lift up my heart and rejoice in his writings.I want to share what I have learned with others in the hope that my readers will see the vistas I saw from the summit and will want to make to make the assent themselves.
The joy is not in watching another climb, but in making one's own trek and to see the magnificent scenery along the way. I invite all students of the scriptures to read Isaiah. Find your own path, learn your own way, and see what Isaiah has to say to you. My words are not the answer of all answers but merely encouragement to strike out on your own and see how marvelous the journey is.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Battery Charger: League of Utah Writers Spring Workshop
Twice a year I get my writing batteries charged by attending League of Utah Writers writing events. This past weekend I spent a marvelous afternoon at the Spring workshop, which was held on the Taylorsville campus of Salt Lake Community College. The excellent sessions I attended included POW!, which was a stimulating presentation on how to write effective, fast-paced action scenes. This was a particularly useful class for me because my second novel will include a number of fight scenes and battle scenes. It is, after all, about the war between the Nephites and the Gadiantons. What is a war without some good fight scenes, right?
I also attended a wonderful presentation on Voice. "Voice" is the term for how a writer says something. Facts have no voice. "It rained on Tuesday" is a fact that has no voice. "The gloomy skies poured like Niagra Falls on the second Monday of the longest week of my life" not only provides the facts but tells the reader how the writer feels about the facts. That is Voice.
The third session I sat in on was a lively presentation by J. Scott Savage on Pacing. Plot is what happens in the story. Pacing is when it happens. He showed that many popular stories and movies all follow a standard pace that breaks up the story into four parts. Part One introduces the characters and sets up the rest of the story with a minor conflict that isn't really the story but hooks the reader anyway. Part Two sets the characters on a quest, but it is the wrong quest. At the end of Part Two the characters learn something that tells them they are on the wrong path. Part Three sets the characters on the true quest. Tensions build and pressures mount. This part ends with the Aha! moment when the characters finally figure out what is really going on. Part Four is the climax and resolution. It is amazing how common this four-part pacing is in popular fiction and drama.
The last session I attended was a panel discussion about Revising. This was the best session of all for me. I listened to six professional authors debate over processes, such as whether to use "beta readers". It was fascinating to see successful authors disagree about how they go about their craft, which says that no one way is best. They all agreed on one principle, however: the fastest way to improve one's own writing is to critique others' writing. Their suggestions gave me a whole new perspective on my local League chapter. None of us are qualified to critique another writer's work, but we are all trying to learn together, and that makes it valuable.
So now that my batteries are charged, I am plunging with new vigor into writing In the Days of Lachoneus: Book 2 The Battle. The first order of business is to revise the very first scene of the first chapter, which is a fight to the death between two hated enemies. POW!
I also attended a wonderful presentation on Voice. "Voice" is the term for how a writer says something. Facts have no voice. "It rained on Tuesday" is a fact that has no voice. "The gloomy skies poured like Niagra Falls on the second Monday of the longest week of my life" not only provides the facts but tells the reader how the writer feels about the facts. That is Voice.
The third session I sat in on was a lively presentation by J. Scott Savage on Pacing. Plot is what happens in the story. Pacing is when it happens. He showed that many popular stories and movies all follow a standard pace that breaks up the story into four parts. Part One introduces the characters and sets up the rest of the story with a minor conflict that isn't really the story but hooks the reader anyway. Part Two sets the characters on a quest, but it is the wrong quest. At the end of Part Two the characters learn something that tells them they are on the wrong path. Part Three sets the characters on the true quest. Tensions build and pressures mount. This part ends with the Aha! moment when the characters finally figure out what is really going on. Part Four is the climax and resolution. It is amazing how common this four-part pacing is in popular fiction and drama.
The last session I attended was a panel discussion about Revising. This was the best session of all for me. I listened to six professional authors debate over processes, such as whether to use "beta readers". It was fascinating to see successful authors disagree about how they go about their craft, which says that no one way is best. They all agreed on one principle, however: the fastest way to improve one's own writing is to critique others' writing. Their suggestions gave me a whole new perspective on my local League chapter. None of us are qualified to critique another writer's work, but we are all trying to learn together, and that makes it valuable.
So now that my batteries are charged, I am plunging with new vigor into writing In the Days of Lachoneus: Book 2 The Battle. The first order of business is to revise the very first scene of the first chapter, which is a fight to the death between two hated enemies. POW!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
The Joy of Outlining
Outlining is a wonderfully creative experience! I just finished the outline for In the Days of Lachoneus: Book 2, and I enjoyed the exercise immensely. I actually like outlining better than I like writing the real book. It is in the outline that I create and then solve all the problems. I love seeing the structure come together. During outlining is when the biggest surprises come for me.
Outlining can be done with many techniques. I like to start with a mind map. I use XMind as my mind mapping tool. With mind mapping I can let ideas flow however they come to me. Plots, characters, themes, settings - I just spill it all out onto the screen. The organization gradually takes shape as I push the ideas around and link them in various ways. I end up with a hierarchical outline of short phrases and sentences, which become the barest of bones for my story.
From this bare-bones outline I begin to define plot lines for each of the main characters. A plot line is a story within a story. My book has one main story around which the individual sub-plots weave themselves to create a rich tapestry. The high-level outline tells me how the plot lines diverge and interleave to create the patterns of the book.
It is commonly accepted that only seven stories or plots exist in the whole world of fiction:
Outlining can be done with many techniques. I like to start with a mind map. I use XMind as my mind mapping tool. With mind mapping I can let ideas flow however they come to me. Plots, characters, themes, settings - I just spill it all out onto the screen. The organization gradually takes shape as I push the ideas around and link them in various ways. I end up with a hierarchical outline of short phrases and sentences, which become the barest of bones for my story.
From this bare-bones outline I begin to define plot lines for each of the main characters. A plot line is a story within a story. My book has one main story around which the individual sub-plots weave themselves to create a rich tapestry. The high-level outline tells me how the plot lines diverge and interleave to create the patterns of the book.
It is commonly accepted that only seven stories or plots exist in the whole world of fiction:
- Overcoming the monster
- Rags to riches
- The quest
- Voyage and return
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Redemption
Virtually every novel we read is a variant of one or more of these plots. Each has its unique rules, stages and steps. These plots are not formulas, however, They are structures around which to build stories and reveal characters. In the western world we all pretty much live in rectangular houses with flat floors, windows, doors, bathrooms, and kitchens. Yet the structure does not limit creativity, and we each make our living spaces unique. The seven standard plots do the same thing for authors - they are the tools through which we express our creativity.
In the Lachoneus series, the main plot is "overcoming the monster", which is the basic theme of good overcoming evil. I also try, however, to weave other plots around that main theme. One character is on a quest, another goes on a voyage and returns; one is comic and another is tragic. Redemption is, for me, the most satisfying plot, and so at least one character seeks redemption. In my outline I use the structures of these various plots to mold the characters and find out how they change and grow. Each sub-plot has a million problems to solve, and it is exciting to see how they work together to create a climax that is both fun and satisfying.
In my detailed outline for a sub-plot, I first lay down the structure, and then I write a paragraph that describes each step in the structure. These paragraphs become the bases for the scenes to be developed. I then order and interleave the scenes from the sub-plots to follow the chronology of the main story and to determine how one scene may impact or lead into another. I try to balance the characters and their scenes to provide harmony and rhythm while interjecting a sharp curve or a jagged edge here and there to create surprising effects.
Finally, I define chapter boundaries around the scenes. My goal is to place a scene at the end of each chapter that is so suspenseful or compelling that the reader cannot close the book without reading at least the first couple of paragraphs of the next chapter.
And so the book is outlined. But it is far from done. Outlining is fun because it is fast. I get constant shots of endorphin as I push the outline along and discover in rapid fire the many twists and turns the story will take. Turning the outline into a first draft of prose is, by comparison, tedious torture. I may write for an hour and come up with only one good paragraph. But even so, surprises still await. The outline is only the blue print. No project ever turns out exactly the way the plan says it will. A good outline, like a good blue print, just gets you started. Finishing is whole different story.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
My Fifteen Minutes of Fame
I was sitting at my desk in the office Thursday morning, minding my own business, when four coworkers jostled into my cube. One of them was waving a newspaper in his hand. "Hey, David, you made the papers!" he said enthusiastically. "Yeah, and you didn't even have to get arrested to do it," another said. The others grinned and shook my hand.
I was bewildered. What did they mean, I made the papers? Was this a joke? My office is full of jokesters. Then the man with the newspaper slapped it down on my desk and opened to page 2. "What?" I asked, still dumbfounded. I looked over the page of newsprint. I saw a familiar picture. It was Janice Kapp Perry. She had apparently just published a book of children's songs. I saw an article about Prince Andrew commenting on the excellent humanitarian work of the LDS Church.
I scanned other columns but didn't see anything to warrant four guys coming to my desk. Then my eye caught a glimpse of a little green picture of a book cover about the size of my thumbnail. It looked very familiar. I focused on it a moment. Then my eye drifted upward and I saw a small photograph of an old man with a bald head and a devilishly handsome smile. Holy smokes! That is me! My picture was in the newspaper!
I widened my vision and finally saw the headline. The Deseret News had published a review of my novel In the Days of Lachoneus. It appeared in the Mormon Times section of the Deseret News on 21 January 2016. This was one of the few times in my life that I was genuinely stunned.
"Can I get your autograph?" one of them asked. It was a joke, of course. Grown men don't collect autographs from each other. But still, it was fun to hear the buzz go around the office. About an hour later, as I was heading downstairs for a business meeting, a thought stopped me dead in my tracks: Maybe people will actually see the book review and go out and get my book and read it! I smiled.
Today I am just normal old me again. I do my work, shop for groceries, take care of my wife with a bad cold, talk to my daughter on the phone for an hour about everything under the sun except my book, and balance my checkbook. Life didn't change that much after all. But for a few minutes, it felt really good - almost sinfully good - to have accomplished a goal. I am an author not just in my own mind but in the mind of at least a few readers!
P.S. The review was very good. My thanks to Angela Carter, who wrote the article, and to Christine Rappleye of the Deseret News for publishing it.
I was bewildered. What did they mean, I made the papers? Was this a joke? My office is full of jokesters. Then the man with the newspaper slapped it down on my desk and opened to page 2. "What?" I asked, still dumbfounded. I looked over the page of newsprint. I saw a familiar picture. It was Janice Kapp Perry. She had apparently just published a book of children's songs. I saw an article about Prince Andrew commenting on the excellent humanitarian work of the LDS Church.
I scanned other columns but didn't see anything to warrant four guys coming to my desk. Then my eye caught a glimpse of a little green picture of a book cover about the size of my thumbnail. It looked very familiar. I focused on it a moment. Then my eye drifted upward and I saw a small photograph of an old man with a bald head and a devilishly handsome smile. Holy smokes! That is me! My picture was in the newspaper!
I widened my vision and finally saw the headline. The Deseret News had published a review of my novel In the Days of Lachoneus. It appeared in the Mormon Times section of the Deseret News on 21 January 2016. This was one of the few times in my life that I was genuinely stunned.
"Can I get your autograph?" one of them asked. It was a joke, of course. Grown men don't collect autographs from each other. But still, it was fun to hear the buzz go around the office. About an hour later, as I was heading downstairs for a business meeting, a thought stopped me dead in my tracks: Maybe people will actually see the book review and go out and get my book and read it! I smiled.
Today I am just normal old me again. I do my work, shop for groceries, take care of my wife with a bad cold, talk to my daughter on the phone for an hour about everything under the sun except my book, and balance my checkbook. Life didn't change that much after all. But for a few minutes, it felt really good - almost sinfully good - to have accomplished a goal. I am an author not just in my own mind but in the mind of at least a few readers!
P.S. The review was very good. My thanks to Angela Carter, who wrote the article, and to Christine Rappleye of the Deseret News for publishing it.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Where is Lachoneus Part 2?
People who have read In the Days of Lachoneus: Book 1 - The Gathering can tell by the ending that Book 1 is not the whole story. Book 1 is just the setup for the rest of the story. So, they ask, am I writing the next book?
Yes! I answer enthusiastically. But not without distractions. The series will consist of three books. I have outlined the entire series. I know the characters, I know the plots, I know the settings, I know the timeline, and I know I have a lot of writing ahead of me.
I was about to start writing Book 2 when I was prompted to start a different project. The thought came to me that I am the only surviving relative of my mother and father. Their story needs to be told before anything happens to me and the connection between my parents and the next generations is lost forever. I knew I had to write their life stories before I could continue with Lachoneus.
So as much as I wanted to work on Lachoneus, I went to work on my parents' stories instead. It turned out to be a great experience. I recalled memories I had not thought about in many years. I remembered the names of people whom I have not seen or heard from in more than fifty years. By writing about not only my parents but about the people who were important in their lives, I feel like I have validated their existences along with my parents.
I finished the book about my parents just this last week. The Life Sketches of David and Iva Armstrong will never be published. I am printing copies for the grandchildren of my parents as an heirloom to be handed down to their children and grandchildren. They can make as many copies as they want. This was a project that had to be done. And now that I have satisfied the prompting - I believe a prompting from the other side of the veil - I can pick up Lachoneus again.
So for those who are wondering when the next part of the Lachoneus series is coming, don't despair. Book 2 is going to start becoming more than just a figment of my imagination. Provided, of course, I don't get any more directives from the spirit world.
Yes! I answer enthusiastically. But not without distractions. The series will consist of three books. I have outlined the entire series. I know the characters, I know the plots, I know the settings, I know the timeline, and I know I have a lot of writing ahead of me.
I was about to start writing Book 2 when I was prompted to start a different project. The thought came to me that I am the only surviving relative of my mother and father. Their story needs to be told before anything happens to me and the connection between my parents and the next generations is lost forever. I knew I had to write their life stories before I could continue with Lachoneus.
So as much as I wanted to work on Lachoneus, I went to work on my parents' stories instead. It turned out to be a great experience. I recalled memories I had not thought about in many years. I remembered the names of people whom I have not seen or heard from in more than fifty years. By writing about not only my parents but about the people who were important in their lives, I feel like I have validated their existences along with my parents.
I finished the book about my parents just this last week. The Life Sketches of David and Iva Armstrong will never be published. I am printing copies for the grandchildren of my parents as an heirloom to be handed down to their children and grandchildren. They can make as many copies as they want. This was a project that had to be done. And now that I have satisfied the prompting - I believe a prompting from the other side of the veil - I can pick up Lachoneus again.
So for those who are wondering when the next part of the Lachoneus series is coming, don't despair. Book 2 is going to start becoming more than just a figment of my imagination. Provided, of course, I don't get any more directives from the spirit world.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
What inspires me to write?
My inspiration to write comes mostly from reading and thinking. When I read an excellent story or article that moves me and impacts my life in a positive way, I am motivated to want to do the same thing for others. I have an innate desire in me to want to elevate others as I have been lifted. I want to give back something of what I have received. When something I read touches me, the experience always awakens in me that desire to touch others. In my altruistic moments I think we humans are put here on this earth to help each other. If I can make even a small difference in one person's day by sharing a positive thought or telling a story that boosts his courage or enhances her hope or just brings a moment of peace, I will have filled one aspect of the measure of my creation.
I have also found for me personally that the very act of writing also inspires me to write more. I get pleasure from writing, especially when I am in the writing groove and the words flow easily and fluidly. I enjoy the sensation of having my mind alive with words and ideas. I get a high from the creative process. Sometimes I have to force myself to start writing. Nevertheless, when I follow my discipline and get those juices flowing, the joy of writing is not only its own reward, but I feed on it, and that joy keeps me writing.
Finally, God inspires me to write. I believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love them. I believe they love me. When I see their love around me, I feel like I have to write about it. It is not good enough to just experience it. I have to share it. If I can write something that lifts another just a little closer to God, I feel like I have done something worthwhile.
I have also found for me personally that the very act of writing also inspires me to write more. I get pleasure from writing, especially when I am in the writing groove and the words flow easily and fluidly. I enjoy the sensation of having my mind alive with words and ideas. I get a high from the creative process. Sometimes I have to force myself to start writing. Nevertheless, when I follow my discipline and get those juices flowing, the joy of writing is not only its own reward, but I feed on it, and that joy keeps me writing.
Finally, God inspires me to write. I believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love them. I believe they love me. When I see their love around me, I feel like I have to write about it. It is not good enough to just experience it. I have to share it. If I can write something that lifts another just a little closer to God, I feel like I have done something worthwhile.
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