by Jason Joyner | Oct 9, 2019 | Blog, theblog, Uncategorized
A month ago I was able to connect with an old friend. We had both done a Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission
(YWAM), with our outreach in Thailand. It was over twenty years ago when I flew out of the Bangkok airport – but Phil did not. He and his young family stayed behind and became long-term missionaries serving the Thai people.
It was amazing to catch up after so many years, and to hear stories of how God has worked in their lives and in such a beautiful country. There was one story that caught my attention over all the others.
YWAM Thailand was chosen to host a global gathering for YWAMers a couple years ago. This is a big deal, drawing thousands to be encouraged and to build camaraderie and strategy going forward to reach the nations. Phil worked with a team for over a year to plan and execute this conference in Pattaya, a resort city in Thailand known for beauty and sin.
The leadership of the gathering was wise in their planning. They knew that a majority of the attendees would be from the Majority World (Third World is an outdated term – the majority of the world population lives in Asia, Africa, and South America; basically the conference would not be focused on Western attendees). Therefore they tailored the program accordingly.
Translators worked together to bring messages to a broad swath of languages. Instead of the big name Western speakers dominating the agenda, leaders from Majority World areas brought the Word. There were workshops when attendees were split up into groups where one or two experienced people would be with younger attendees, so that the wisdom of older leaders could be spread wide instead of concentrated in their own groups.
My favorite part of the story was hearing about the worship. Different groups and leaders from various nations worked to lead worship sessions. Phil spoke on how special it was to see the diversity of worship – how each nation/ethnic group brought different aspects and flavors to the times of praise. It wasn’t overdone Western songs from K-LOVE. It was a glimpse of heaven.
We saw a highlight video. It was so beautiful. To see the Thai dancers, the haka performed by Maori brothers and sisters, the special touches by peoples I didn’t even know about, it was truly a peek into future glory.
The Lord has created amazing diversity in our world. As a writer, I feel that it is my obligation to write in such a way that I can show a small taste of creation, which isn’t just natural wonders, but cultural treasures as well.
I know that there are stories that do not lend themselves to a diverse cast, and that’s okay. Sometimes the cultural mandate of the day demands a certain quota of representation, even if it’s not the story for it. And there are challenges to writing/presenting other cultures in a sensitive way that is not appropriating said cultures.
However, when I saw the nations brought together in such a gathering in Thailand, and I saw the amazing sights and sounds that came from a true unity in the body of Christ – a unity made richer by the diversity, I was deeply moved. It truly is a representation of what the Bride of Christ will be. If I can showcase that even a little in my writing, then I believe it is worshipful and glorifying to the God who made us all.
May we all be able to show glimpses of eternity in our work as Christian creatives.
by Jason Joyner | Mar 31, 2016 | Blog, Uncategorized
Hey y’all. I’m pleased to help my author friend Amy Brock McNew with her cover reveal for her debut book, Rebirth. Check out the awesome cover and a synopsis below. The book is available on May 24!
Liz Brantley has a gift she wants to return.
Able to see and fight demonic forces, she has spent her life alone, battling the minions of hell bent on her destruction, running from the God who gave her this curse. The demon
Markus, drawn to her abilities, unleashes havoc on her hometown and pulls Liz further into the throes of battle.
She’s desperate for a normal life.
When she meets a mysterious man who seems unaware of the mystical realm that haunts her, the life she’s always wanted flits within reach. But her slice of normal slips from her grasp when an old flame, Ryland Vaughn, reappears with secrets of his own. Secrets that will alter her destiny.
Torn between two worlds, Liz is caught in an ancient war between good and evil.
And she isn’t sure which side to choose.
Author bio:
Amy Brock McNew doesn’t just write speculative fiction, she lives and breathes it. Exploring the strange, the supernatural, and the wonderfully weird, Amy pours her guts onto the pages she writes, honestly and brutally revealing herself in the process. Nothing is off-limits. Her favorite question is “what if?” and she believes fiction can be truer than our sheltered and controlled realities.
by Jason Joyner | Mar 7, 2016 | Blog, Uncategorized
Hey! It was time to do an introductory post to let you know about my work.
I’m an author living in southeast Idaho, in the high desert valley leading up to Yellowstone National Park.
I’ve been writing since 2005. So far I’ve been published in Splickety Magazine for flash fiction, and I’m a local columnist for the Post Register, a regional newspaper with a reach of 70,000.
I love a variety of genres. Currently I have a completed suspense novel, Darkness Under The Moonlight, about a medical student who travels to Thailand to discover the cause of her missionary brother’s death.
My current project is a YA superhero trilogy, with the first book almost to completion and a first draft of the second book. In the Bible, Samson had strength. Elijah outran chariots. Today we’d call these superpowers. In modern day San Francisco, an evil is rising that triggers an ancient prophecy, and teens suddenly find themselves with amazing abilities. But will they choose to use their gifts for good or evil?
I’ve done a lot of blogging, and you can find all my posts on this site. I’m also very active on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
by Jason Joyner | Aug 27, 2015 | Blog, Uncategorized
Now that the glow from Realm Makers is wearing off, it’s time for the rubber to hit the road. The inspiration of RM has me fired up with goals and dreams. I have to get them implemented.
A primary goal is to edit and revise the first draft of my YA story so it can be submitted. And writers just LOVE editing.
Some actually do. I like it when I get into making a story better, but it can be a slog as well.
One of the best decisions I’ve done with my writing is to work with freelance editors. On an early draft of my suspense, my heroine wasn’t likable. Thanks to Becky Miller, I was able to turn my main character around.
Then I worked with Ben Wolf after a couple of revisions of the full novel. This is where the nightmares set in.
See, Ben would see all the spots where I was telling something, instead of SHOWING what happened. Early in the book, he’d explain in his comments. As it went along, the code became:
Get Physical.
I’ve had a couple dreams where I see red over the manuscript, and the continual admonition to “get physical.” And it’s a great code to remind me to not be lazy and just tell the reader something.
Of course there’s time for telling. I’m not going to show you every breath a character takes. But we writers need to be ever vigilant on letting bad habits slip in.
That’s my encouragement to my writer friends, especially those Realm Makers Alumni who are hard at work on their WIPs. Keep going. Remember what Robert Liparulo said.
And get physical.
by Jason Joyner | Aug 13, 2015 | Blog, Uncategorized
Realm Makers is an amazing opportunity.
I just got back from St. Louis for the 3 day speculative fiction conference. In just three years, the staff has produced a high quality gathering that was informative, yet it was so welcoming and encouraging. As far as I can tell, there’s been universal praise for it from writers coming back ready to tackle the writing world.
If you look for posts from other attendees, you’ll see them rave about the fun, the great books and authors, the study of craft, and being fired up to keep writing.
I can say “ditto” to all of those, but Realm Makers stood out to me for a different reason.
They were the quiet moments.
Like meeting my new friend Herbert. He’s not a writer. He’s a homeless Vietnam veteran who I met on the train after arrival. We got caught in a downpour together, and we ended up sharing pizza and prayers the first night. I could’ve caught a group going to dinner if I’d gone right to the dorm. Instead, I had a cool moment with a guy in need, and with God.
I may seem outgoing in the crowds there, but I’m also kinda reserved. I don’t like to impose on people. But when I goofed and was waiting for the shuttle to get to my first pitch appointment, I had to be bold. Because I timed things badly and was waiting for the shuttle during its down time. No shuttle to take me 15 minutes away with 5 minutes to go (after I’d waited 20 minutes).
That’s when Pam came in.
She was a random lady getting into her car when a crazed author flagged her down and asked for a ride to the conference center a mile away. God bless Pam, as she didn’t hesitate, and I made it on time.
Probably a good thing I wasn’t dressed for the costume dinner.
I met so many cool people during the conference, or got reacquainted with friends I’d met before. But one time stood out. My roommate Josh Smith had his van, and was very kind to run us back and forth (he wasn’t there for the last story). We got time to share heart to heart, especially when talking about ministry we each did back home.
God is good, and He works through pizza, hitchhiking, and simple talks among brothers.
And Realm Makers rocks. I’m sure many others have their quiet moments as well. Anyone want to share?
Not quite the same image Pam saw.
