tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10395101725099912452011-12-05T07:26:29.912-08:00A view from the cross...John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-54375804526244588072010-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:002010-05-19T13:55:23.497-07:00

To light up our images we need to understanding the meaning of the story we are paying attention too. The deepest level of meaning is the Truth level. My argument is that we are loosing the words in our English language that convey meaning because there is a push by naturalists to argue that there is no meaning to life. Therefore, in their minds, meaning words are useless, or worst, deceptive.

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-42689579908780288172010-05-17T22:36:00.001-07:002010-05-18T07:18:09.440-07:00

In a recent Lightbox Method Seminar we once again struggled understanding the three levels of meaning. I took sometime to think this through and considered advice given to students that helped break through. So here are some more detailed definitions that may help you with the Lightbox Method. Function: refers to the author’s reason for the frame. A frame’s function could be to set the scene,

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-78431421613267806452010-05-17T22:05:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:15:55.070-07:00

Back in Medford I look back to Colorado with a grateful heart having met so many wonderful people and creative writers. We have an incredible time sharing the Lightbox Method with a class that kept growing every day with new people looking for more than the usual rules about structure, grammar and pleasing the market. The sacred task of being true to the story captured our imaginations and opened

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-69135852736263476462010-04-01T11:48:00.000-07:002010-04-01T12:03:42.990-07:00

Box-R retreat for the Lightbox Method was a great time as we delved deeper into the mysteries of writing to discover amazing stories and meaning. I am convinced more than ever the value of this new Method. All along with other graduates of this program we want to encourage you to attend a "Lightbox" retreat, which many of us what to do again.Here are just a few of the comments from the Box R

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-22014371065242813832010-01-23T21:38:00.000-08:002010-01-29T16:32:58.627-08:00

Writers! Mark your calendars! Sandy Cathcart and I are offering another Lightbox Retreat, Sunday 3:00 p.m., March 14 thru Tuesday noon, March 16. This next retreat will be in the mountains of Oregon at Box R Ranch. "The Lightbox Method" is changing how writers understand their craft and its mission. Feedback from people who have attended the seminar and are using this new method say it is life

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-35238170591958346932010-01-01T23:20:00.000-08:002010-01-01T23:27:49.197-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends, and fellow writers.May 2010 bring you a successful year in telling the stories of life with meaning and significance. The world needs good story tellers to help give shape to the chaos of our lives.The picture above is Crater Lake National Park near where I live in Medford, Oregon. This lake was considered sacred by the natives of Southern

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-78454814923229550522009-11-07T13:26:00.000-08:002009-11-07T13:38:52.830-08:00

Lightbox Method RetreatA Success...Last week I was able to test the Lightbox Method Seminar at Camp Bradley located just south of Bandon,Oregon. This wonderful location was filled with the wonder of God's creation as we enjoyed the coastal views. We were also graced with beautiful weather.Our small group journeyed through the four(4) part presentation of the Lightbox Method with a growing

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-26359815286166665992009-07-22T08:08:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:17:55.172-07:00

Last night I was invited to share part of the Lightbox Method with a group of writers. I have been working on preparing for a seminar retreat this fall and this was a wonderful opportunity to give the method a test.I was thrilled to see everyone writing and being surprised by what the stories and characters were revealing to the writers. Some commented they didn't want to stop writing because the

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-16296985602287105872009-06-19T09:39:00.000-07:002009-06-19T09:52:24.629-07:00

"Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning." Four words collide into each other and are used in our culture as if they imply the same thing are facts, reason, truth, and meaning. A professor in my graduate program reminded me that when a word is used for too much it means nothing. Words are meant to describe different things and not redundantly take on the job

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-7600813880654113112009-04-22T09:41:00.000-07:002009-04-22T09:45:22.918-07:00

I was in a room full of wonderful and as of yet undiscovered writers. There is no doubt that many of them will be famous someday and we will look back on those cozy gatherings as life changing moments.Once again I encouraged writing to discover meaning. Like most people writers take up their profession in order to deal with issues in their own lives and those characteristics show up in their

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-60041621776632457232009-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:002009-04-16T19:35:38.687-07:00

The Lightbox Method is receiving a warm welcome by writers from all skill levels. Some are even telling me that it is life changing, taking their lives and projects to a whole new level of depth and meaning.Wow! I am so honored to be able to offer this method free to my fellow writers. I am even more honored to be asked to coach writers through this process and to have taught classes on this

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-70492066538091524962009-03-17T09:46:00.000-07:002009-03-18T09:09:54.028-07:00

Creativity and discipline are the two most often sited issues in getting beyond writers block. We are encouraged to just let the story flow and then edit later. But what if creativity and discipline is not the block to you writing?Coaching people in the writing process is a rewarding experience for me and along the way I have discovered a few great truths. First I discovered that many writers see

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-50114523285905843342009-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:002009-02-10T12:32:23.630-08:00

I discovered something new about myself in my last bout of writers block. For the last twenty years I have composed my projects on my computer and thought it a waste of time to write something out by hand when I could use a word processor while I wrote.Recently though I sat in front of my computer and could not write. A block formed in my mind and I just could not get around the offense that the

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-3700701250696361362008-10-16T15:47:00.000-07:002008-10-16T15:51:40.427-07:00

Maybe you need one!Recently I was helping a fellow writer with a project that hit a wall. They had several project and all seemed to pile up like a train going off the tracks. We drop notes to each other in casual way until they asked for help with the road block.We exchanged emails, a couple of phone calls and an amazing thing happened. What seemed to be a road block became a wonderful

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-60994520088898074432008-08-14T16:48:00.000-07:002008-08-14T18:57:30.547-07:00

I'm back from my trip to see family in Canada and read a novel by a Canadian transplanted to Oregon, the state I now call home. “The Shack” is creating a stir in the Christian writing community.I heard about the book from others who were reading the book and like it but thought there was something…off, not quite right.Indeed there is something terribly off about the book and reflects the growing

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-24831495157719914192008-07-16T14:06:00.000-07:002008-07-16T14:07:00.359-07:00

There are some babies that only mothers could love. There are times when we as authors wonder if we are the only ones who see the beauty and the promise of our work. Editors and critiques look at our work and think the nose is too large, and the skin blotchy.But to the Mom, that baby is the sweetest kid to grace this earth. Even that Mom is she listens to the critiques too long will begin to

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-56821226070542484632008-01-23T12:35:00.000-08:002008-01-23T12:38:12.350-08:00

I have returned back to my first novel “White Stone” with a fresh question: “What is this story really about?” The amazing realization that hit me was that I could write a novel and not really know the story’s true focus. There is drama and suspense that will keep the reader moving through the story, but that can’t be the focus. That only helps hold the reader interest to get to the core of the

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-27356067631550825512007-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:002007-09-01T21:45:11.211-07:00

Last Tuesday was the close of a summer support group for writers. Sandy Cathcart led our group and kept us all encouraged to keep writing. One of our colleagues shared in the last session that we should not wait too long to begin our writing. She was retired and had become serious about her writing. I shared “Excel In Writing” with the group two weeks ago and she took it very seriously. She

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-82464843770751532162007-08-28T20:38:00.000-07:002007-08-28T20:41:47.266-07:00

ANOTHER 1-10 WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE ONE YEAR FROM NOW?1. CENTER OF GOD’S WILL 2. MEDFORD 3. COMPLETED TWO BOOKS4. FINANCIALY COMFORTABLE5. GROWING CHURCH6. COURTING EDITORS AND AGENTS7. ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED TO A PUBLISHER8. NINE WEEKS PREGNANT WITH A BEST SELLER9. CALM 10. READY TO GO HOME TO HEAVEN

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-54932423155406588222007-08-25T20:34:00.000-07:002007-08-25T20:38:38.742-07:00

I live in an area in the world where many people want to be writers. There is something about Southern Oregon and the passion to write for the Christian market. We have a few notable and some notorious writers in the Rogue Valley.So why do we write? Is it for money, recognition, or self torture? Writing is an unforgiving experience where the author agonizes over the words only to have them edited

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-75384564687500386702007-08-05T19:38:00.000-07:002008-12-12T21:39:50.214-08:00

This weekend I frustrated my family by insisting on seeing all four hours of ABC Family’s broadcast of the “Fallen.” This spiritual suspense trilogy is based on a book by Thomas E. Sniegoski. This book and movie series continues to make the point in my earlier blogs...that authors who know little about the spiritual world or the Bible should stay away from the topic. They not only confuse but do

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-82485124822077822772007-07-14T07:46:00.000-07:002007-07-14T09:04:09.471-07:00

I was recently in a meeting with other writers who shared their struggles. The most common complaint I heard was, “I just need to get organized...”Organized... if you are a creative person you just hate that word because it means killing the inspiration that makes your writing possible. If you are a linear thinker you may spend too much time arranging pencils, lining up your cards and buying new

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-70241877582049379102007-07-12T10:38:00.000-07:002007-07-12T10:50:51.143-07:00

From a writers point of view there is a real problem with writing a Spiritual Suspense Thriller. George Orwell reviewed C.S. Lewis’ work "This Hideous Strength" and although he liked the theme he did not care for the genre. Orwell argued that Lewis's book "would have been a stronger without the supernatural elements". Particularly, Orwell objected to the ending in which N.I.C.E. is overthrown by

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-29349716765694385402007-07-12T10:17:00.000-07:002007-07-12T10:51:31.885-07:00

Have you ever read a book about a place you know personally and just a few short pages into the paragraph you know that the author has never been to that part of the world. Clues give it away: wrong accent, customs are awkward, and stereo types abound. When writers venture into the world of the spiritual they often are writing about things they don’t know or have never experienced. As a result

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-64309799434162022762007-07-12T10:16:00.000-07:002007-07-12T11:29:30.990-07:00

Over the last several years I have encounter a bias against this type of genre in the Christian Market Association (CMA.) Despite the great success of Perretie and Decker many publishers don’t want to consider this type of novel.What we see now is a thirst for “how to” books like the Purpose Drive Life. People are looking for things they can do to make their lives more meaningful. We have a

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-72818375322953739182007-07-12T10:14:00.000-07:002007-07-12T10:53:26.229-07:00

One of my colleagues recently wrote an article that challenged me to consider whether my writing was a hobby or a calling. I had to admit that I have been on the edge between the two for sometime. I started writing as a hobby but over the last few years it has become a calling. Another good friend help me to clarify what my calling as a writer was about. We were working on an idea for a novel

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-21832009458209079862007-07-11T15:12:00.000-07:002008-12-12T21:39:50.593-08:00

May 15, 2007 Last Saturday I walked with my wife down to the farmers market on a brisk cold afternoon in Eugene Oregon. We were in town for a conference and heard about the "granola" crowd down town. We didn't have to travel far before the sounds of guitars, and ballads told us we were in the right place. Fresh vegetables lining the walk ways would have made my father the master Gardner proud.

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-13255660366906893502007-07-11T15:05:00.000-07:002007-07-12T10:41:41.460-07:00

04/30 /07My mother returned from England with a sacred parchment made in a monastery. She presented it to me as a gift thoughtfully selected for her youngest son. I took the scroll and unrolled it expecting to see heraldic nights and gothic script. The cream colored thick scroll was blank with rough edges. She must have understood my puzzled expression when she told me, "Write something important

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039510172509991245.post-731932871799219672007-07-11T15:04:00.000-07:002007-07-12T10:41:57.140-07:00

April 26, 2007All writers need to be challenged. This blog is the result of one recently tossed my way. One of the members of my writers group dared us to get our blogs on the web with other writers.Like any of those frustrating writing exercises that are to spark creativity this challenge to write and interact with other writers/readers will hopefully bring back some of the drive and inspiration

John Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587345469647146879noreply@blogger.com0