C. S. Lewis never set out to build a classic. He simply offered clear truth in a hard time, and the harvest came later.
3 Functions of Dialogue
Reality Coaching for Writers
3 Functions of Dialogue
3 Functions of Dialogue… Dialogue sets the rhythm and pattern of natural speech. If characters talk but say nothing, the story falls flat.
Dialogue defines characters. The way they address one another—answering a question with a question, trading banter, giving guarded answers, or firing off sharp remarks—shows who they are. This builds tension and adds conflict.
Dialogue lets the reader eavesdrop and observe what happens without explanation. It can slow or increase the pace, but it draws the reader closer to the action and places them in the scene.
Dialogue must do three things: advance the plot, change the pace, and define character. It must pull the reader toward the story’s resolution.
Ask these questions of your scene’s dialogue:
- Does each passage define or strengthen character?
• Does it energize the scene?
• Does it add mood and immediacy?
• Does it shift the pace?
• Does it move the plot forward?
• Does it, as John Gardner says, create the fictional dream that lets the reader hear and see what happens without explanation?
If not, tweak until you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the moment.
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My Utmost for His Highest — Oswald Chambers
Rags-to-Riches Stories of Ten Christian Classics
Oswald Chambers—Some of the most important Christian books began with small print runs, plain covers, and weak sales. No one expected to reach beyond a narrow circle. Yet these books moved from hand to hand, year after year, until the church around the world treated them as trusted companions.
Here I walked through ten such stories/series, including three with a prophetic path that goes through prison gates.
My Utmost for His Highest — Oswald Chambers
Oswald Chambers never sat down to write a devotional book. He preached to soldiers and students, taught at a small Bible college, and died in 1917 at age forty-three. His words survived in shorthand notebooks and scattered notes.
His wife, Gertrude “Biddy” Chambers, had worked as a court stenographer. She had taken down his messages word for word. After his death, she spent years sifting piles of notes, grouping them into short readings, and shaping them into a one-year devotional. In 1927, a small publisher brought out My Utmost for His Highest.
The first audience was tiny. Former students, a few missionaries, some friends. The book sat in quiet stacks in small shops. No campaign. No tour. No push.
Yet readers met a direct call to surrender and trust. They began to press the book into other hands. Missionaries packed it in trunks. Pastors quoted it in sermons. Copies traveled across oceans in suitcases and boxes.
Printings grew. Translations followed. Over time, My Utmost for His Highest stood in homes and churches on every continent. A widow’s patient work with old shorthand notes became one of the best-known devotionals in the world.
2 Minute Writing Tip — Pocket Suspense
Reality Coaching for Writers
Pocket Suspense
Pocket Suspense… What if the key to great storytelling isn’t action—but interruption? Discover the secret writing move that keeps readers glued to the page.
ChatGPT Secrets with Mary Ruth: How Anyone Can Use AI
Reality Coaching for Writers
Want to know how to make AI work for YOU? 🚀 In this video, Mary Ruth pulls back the curtain on ChatGPT secrets and shows you exactly how she uses it every day. Whether you’re curious about saving time, writing faster, or getting creative ideas on demand, you’ll see real ways to put AI to work.
👉 You’ll learn:
- How ChatGPT can help with writing, brainstorming, and problem-solving
- Simple prompts that unlock BIG results
- How to avoid rookie mistakes with AI
- Why using ChatGPT feels like having a personal assistant on call
Don’t just hear about AI—see how it can change the way you work, think, and create.
Eddie Jones and Diana Flegal offer personalized coaching for writers.
For more information, check out:
https://writerscoach.us
Let’s Write a Story—Only $9.99 on Amazon
Kids, let’s write a story! Want to learn how to write a story? Join George and Selma on a creative adventure as you learn the secrets of story writing! This fun and easy guide walks you through the simple steps of building a great story-from creating characters and conflicts to crafting exciting endings.
You bring the ideas-we’ll help you shape the story!
A Note from Eddie
“Every kid has a story waiting to be told. That’s why I wrote Let’s Write a Story—to give your child a fun and simple way to discover the joy of writing.
“This book is for young readers and anyone who loves telling stories. George and Selma—my grandkids!!! and two quirky cousins—walk your child through the steps of creating characters, building conflicts, and crafting endings that make sense and keep the reader hooked.
“I know how easy it is for kids to drift toward screens and get stuck there. I wanted to pass along the joy I have in creating and releasing stories. With this book, your child will see how writing can be a great way of expressing your feelings while making up a better—or more complicated—life. Writing a story is adventure. It’s problem-solving. It’s finding your own voice and realizing you have something inside that needs to be released.
“Whether your son or daughter dreams of becoming an author or simply enjoys making things up (we pirates call these tall tales ‘lies, of a sort’), Let’s Write a Story gives them the encouragement and framework to get started.
24 pages, color illustrations, only $9.99
“Give your child the gift of creativity. Pick up a copy of Let’s Write a Story today, and let’s spark their imagination together.”