Encouraging Words for Writers

We Have a Winner!

2012-01-26T13:41:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who commented to win the book Trusting God. I read each of your entries and prayed for those of you who shared a little bit about your current circumstances and why you need to trust God. I’m so glad you felt open to share.

I couldn’t possibly pick a winner on my own so I used a random number generator to choose the winner.

And the winner is… Brittney Lian!!!!

Congratulations, Brittney! Hope you enjoy the book and find it helpful.

“Trusting God” Giveaway!

2012-01-23T17:34:00.001-05:00

I don’t typically host a lot of giveaways or do book reviews on my blog, but when Gwen Smith asked me to review Trusting God, I knew I would. I personally know two thirds of the authors so I knew the book would be good. I met Gwen through She Speaks and she subscribed to the weekly newsletter list for Encouraging Words for Writers that I used to send out on Mondays. She was one of those people who would email encouraging me! I’ve also known Sharon Jaynes for years through our affiliation with Proverbs 31 Ministries. I don’t know Mary, but I’ve heard lots of good stuff about her from friends that do know her.

Let me tell you what I like about Trusting God. First, the title and topic. Can’t we all, writer or not, stand to trust God a little more? The picture on the cover says it all.

The book is set up so it can be used as a personal devotional or in a group Bible study, or both. The content is divided into 12 weeks with 6 daily chapters per week. Each chapter starts with a scripture, followed by a personal story that demonstrates the truth portrayed in the scripture, and a prayer at the end. Day #6 of each week is called “Now It’s Your Turn” and this is the reflection/Bible Study/journaling part of the lesson.

What I like most about the book are the personal stories from the three authors. They offer glimpses into real lives that aren’t always perfect or pretty or easy. They share their struggles, heartaches, and lessons learned. It’s like chatting over coffee with a new girlfriend each day.

But the best part of all is that one of you is going to win a copy of Trusting God!!

All you have to do is leave a comment right here on this post. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you if you win. The deadline for commenting is midnight this Wednesday, January 25. I’ll announce the winner on Thursday.

Head on over to the website and check out Trusting God.

My Latest Writing Project

2012-01-13T11:31:00.002-05:00

This post is simply to let you see what I’ve been working on that has kept me extremely busy over the last few weeks. But, alas, it’s finally ready!

Stay tuned, though, because next time I’m hosting a give-away right here that you won’t want to miss.

This is my latest project:

I have a new blog for homeschoolers—a place where I share candidly about life as a homeschooling family. If you know any homeschoolers, please direct them to my blog. Check out Reality Homeschooling.

Don’t forget. Next time is a give-away right here!

Topics That Never Go Out of Style

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

If you’re suffering from writer’s block, let me suggest a few topics that are both broad and forever popular.

Health- Obviously, January is the big month when everyone goes on a diet and starts exercising, but people want information about health in all seasons. Whether you write about getting healthy, staying healthy, or what to do when you discover you aren’t healthy, this topic is always fashionable.

Finances- Money is big, big, big! People want to know how to save, how to earn, and how to invest. They also want current news about the national economy and what to expect in the future.

Women’s issues- Most readers are women. And they like to read topics that apply to their lives. Women’s health, marriage, parenting, friendship, balancing career and family. This is a huge topic!

Decorating- Blogs, magazines, TV shows—everybody seems to want to know how to beautify their homes and lives. Interior decorating is widely popular on blogs especially.

Fashion and Beauty- The trends are always changing, but the topic is always in style. People want to know how to look their best. They also want to stay current and know what to expect in the future. Even the outrageous is acceptable in this genre.

How-to –People want to be taught. They like to learn new skills and have step-by-step instructions to follow for anything and everything.

News- Whether it’s current events or juicy celebrity gossip, people want to know what’s happening in the world around them.

Technology- It’s here to stay and if you happen to be someone who can explain things well, or who keeps abreast of all the latest advances, this is your topic.

Inspiration and Motivation- Encourage, motivate, cheerlead, inspire to dream and achieve. Anyone who can make others feel better and move forward will always have a place in society.

Stories- Stories will not be going out of style any time soon. Spin a tale and tell it well and you will always have an audience.

Those should keep you busy for a while. Can you think of other topics that never go out of style?

It Won’t Be Easy

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of the best things you can do as a writer is settle in your mind that it won’t be easy. If it turns out to be easier than you think, that’s great, but if it doesn’t, you’ll be armed with the right mindset.

Frankly, I don’t find many people who think writing to produce is easy. It might be fun. It might be rewarding. It might even be profitable. But it’s rarely easy.

Last spring I decided to create a homeschooling blog based on one of my most popular talks. I’d heard a lot about Wordpress.org and decided this was the route I wanted to go since you own your site and your work on Wordpress. Also, it’s more search engine friendly, better for monetizing, and you can do a lot of cool things with a Wordpress blog. Not to mention, I’d heard how easy it was to use once you get past the learning curve.

Well, it might be easy for people who speak computer or pick up on technical things easily, but it has been far from easy for me. I’ve yet to make it past the learning curve! Even with a designer and oodles of help!

I really wish I’d gone into this venture with an accurate picture for someone like me, rather than thinking, “This will be a piece of cake.” I mean I’d been on Blogger for years. How hard or different could Wordpress be?

Months later, I still haven’t gotten that blog ready. If it weren’t for the fact that I paid a lot to have it designed, I’d have chucked it long ago.

It’s on my list of things to complete this year—sooner rather than later. But I’ve armed myself with a new mentality. I’m going into this knowing that I’m still facing a steep learning curve and that every new thing I do will probably have a degree of difficulty and frustration. That doesn’t make me excited, but it is realistic.

That’s the reality of writing. Some things won’t be easy. Even if the writing itself comes easily, other areas—editing, marketing, finding a publisher—might not.

I’m not advocating that we approach writing with a doom and gloom attitude. Quite the contrary. I think we need to approach it as an adventure, something that might take some doing to accomplish.

Most of all, I want us all to throw out the assumption that it will be a piece of cake!

Word By Word

2012-01-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

It’s that time of year again when everyone is starting fresh with resolutions and big, lofty goals. What a fun time to have a clean slate and imagine all that can be in 2012!

But I’m on a little different plane this year. Rather than getting all geared up to start with a bang and make big, sweeping changes in these first few days of January, I’m approaching this year differently.

I’m living step-by-step and moment-by-moment. I’ve decided that the right answer for me this year isn’t to overhaul my life in the first week, but rather to make wise choices in the small things throughout the year and live intentionally in everything I do. I have goals, but I’m taking a slower, more lasting, approach to fulfilling them.

And that includes writing.

My word for 2012 is “completion” and that means that a lot of the writing I will do this year involves finishing what I’ve already started.

No hoops and hollers and big fireworks about that. I simply must write one word after another and get the job done.

But isn’t that how we accomplish any writing? Whether we have a deadline that’s too close for comfort or we have ample time to play with our words, the only way to finish anything we start is to connect one word to another, over and over again.

My prayer for you (and me) in 2012 is that you won’t be overwhelmed by the big stuff, but will simply enjoy writing word by word.

Finishing Well

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I were scouting out our neighbor’s yard sale. Actually, our neighbor, who lived a few streets away, had passed away and her daughter was cleaning out the house.

I picked up a plastic shoebox, curious as to what might be inside. When I opened it, I knew immediately that this shoebox had been destined as a gift to a child via Operation Christmas Child. My daughter and I fill numerous shoeboxes every year and this one resembled the ones we assemble.

I called my daughter over to have a look and she said, “Mom, we need to buy that box and finish it for her. Let’s make sure that her plans are carried out.” So we did.

I don’t think it’s an accident that two people who love Operation Christmas Child stumbled upon that unfinished box just prior to the annual shoebox drive. It felt so good to complete something this woman had started, but could not finish herself.

As we wind down one year and head into another I ask, “Do you have unfinished business?”

Maybe you have writing business to complete. Or maybe you have other business that needs to be dealt with and left behind when the new year starts.

Whatever that pressing thing is—whether it be finishing a book or offering forgiveness to someone who hurt you—bring it to completion before the new year. That way you can start 2012 with a blank page and clear ideas.

Happy New Year!

Square Peg, Round Hole

2011-11-28T10:33:00.001-05:00

The last few years have been frustrating for me as I’ve tried different writing avenues, but with minimal success. But it’s not even the fact that the success didn’t meet my expectations that bothered me. It’s the fact that I felt wrung out and stressed more often than I felt good.

Health issues forced me to stop and take a long, hard, prayerful look at what I was doing and ask the hard questions:

-Is this what I should be doing?
-Why do I feel so frustrated so much of the time?
-Does the writing I’m doing truly bring me joy?
-Is this what I see myself doing forever?

Those were scary questions to answer, but a dear friend helped me see the light one evening at dinner when she said, “Bonita, I think you love to write for enjoyment, but you don’t love to write when you have to do it to make money.”

Something about her statement pierced my heart in the best kind of way. For the first time in a long time, I was willing to entertain the notion of doing something else to make money and letting writing be my hobby.

At her request, I proceeded to express what I felt my dream job would be if I did something other than writing. I went into great detail and then realized that this job didn’t exist and was a virtual impossibility. Imagine my surprise when two days later the Lord led me to the discovery that such a job does exist!

I’m still in the research stage at present and prayerfully letting God lead me from one step to another, but the peace I’ve had is incredible. And the greatest gift of all is that I now sit down to write with joy, not pressure.

What about you? Are you called to make writing your career or is it a side business or hobby? Or do you know yet?

God of the Hard

2011-11-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

I confess that sometimes I’ve abandoned writing projects because they got too hard. It’s not that I’m lazy or can’t plow through things, but somewhere in the midst of writing certain things I’ve grown weary of obstacles or felt that God vacated the premises. At those times I’ve questioned, “Is this really something God wants me to do? After all, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

And when things looked bleak and barren, I’ve quietly tucked away whatever I was writing into my “this must not be God’s will for me” folder and moved on to some other task.

I have no idea where I developed the philosophy that hard equates to “not God.” I didn’t have any trouble plowing through nursing school even though it was downright brutal. I didn’t have trouble birthing children even though I was sick for months during pregnancy and labored for 29+ excruciatingly painful hours with my first one. But something changed in my life when I became a stay-at-home mom and writer. I no longer had an overseer or a sure sense of the right way to go. Instead of plowing through the hard, I took it as a sign that I was going the wrong way.

I love what Joanna Weaver says about the process of writing her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.

“But when I sat down to write it, my words kept getting in the way. Chapter 2 alone had six different versions and as many different starts. It wasn’t anything like the Holy Spirit-inspired free flow I’d imagined when I’d signed the contract. In fact, it strangely resembled work. Hard work.” (page 197)

In Joanna’s case, I’m immensely grateful that she stuck with it and finished the book because it has ministered to me in powerful ways. The words of this prayer by E. Stanley Jones are the last words in her book:

”A Prayer for the Journey

O Christ, do not give me tasks equal to my powers,
but give me powers equal to my tasks,
for I want to be stretched by things too great for me.
I want to grow through the greatness of my tasks,
but I shall need your help for the growing.”

Amen!

Too Creative For Your Own Good

2011-10-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

I’m the queen of ideas. Just ask my family. The well of ideas bubbles, gushes, overflows, and never runs dry.

I think the technical term for that is visionary, but really I just bore easily and need creativity almost as much as oxygen.

In some respects, having a lot of ideas is a glorious thing. My editing clients think so. They love the fact that I can look at their situation, see the big picture, open their mind to new possibilities, cast a vision for what can be, and show them how to get there.

But abundant creativity also has a downside. Every day I wake up with a fresh vision—a different one from yesterday or from an hour ago or from five minutes ago. Thus, my mind is a junkyard of rusty ideas that have never been used.

Are you like me? Do you flit from idea to idea like a bee who can’t find just the right flower with just the right pollen? Are you always finding a new flower or a new field, but never producing honey?

How do us creative types ever get any writing done?

Obviously, I’m no expert on the subject, but I can share my “ideas” on the issue.

Pick one. Pick an idea, something you really like, that arouses passion in you, that you could actually stick with for a while and not get bored. This is half the battle, simply choosing one idea to run with. We are so afraid we won’t pick the right one or that we’ll get halfway through the project and be too bored to finish. Or worse yet, what if we don’t pick the perfect one or we miss God’s will? Yikes!

Find an accountability partner. Hint: You are not it! Find someone else, someone less flighty, someone who has a history of actually accomplishing things. Find someone who will rein you in when your mind starts to wander and someone who won’t put up with your junk. Find a drill sergeant!

Delegate. One reason I don’t follow through very well is because I hate the nitty gritty administrative tasks that go into bringing my ideas to fruition. I easily get bogged down in these details and feel like I’m suffocating from a lack of creativity. If you have the money and resources, which I often do not, hire some help to do the things you don’t do well.

Always have a creative outlet. Don’t become so engrossed in a project or in life that you can’t ever let those creative ideas flow. You aren’t made to operate this way. But you may need to find creativity in other ways while you focus on a writing project so you won’t be tempted to run off on another writing tangent. For example, if I’m heavily engrossed in a writing project, I’ll do crafts, homemaking projects, or gardening on the side to keep those creative juices flowing without interfering with my writing.

In a perfect world, I could continually come up with new ideas and then implement them all. But I don’t live in a perfect world. But sometimes I think I do. Therein lies the problem. I don’t have forever, but I think I do. So I churn out idea after idea, but have nothing to show for it.

Sometimes I'm just too creative for my own good.

Priorities and Limitations

2011-10-21T10:40:00.001-04:00

I seem to write about the topic of priorities all the time, but only because I struggle with it. All. The. Time.

Once a week I meet with Val while my daughter takes French. We are both writers with similar goals. We write down what we plan to accomplish for the week and vow to have it completed when we meet again.

About once a month I meet with Bethany. We do the same thing. We write goals and vow to hold one another accountable.

Then life happens.

We meet again and Val has just uploaded her very first e-book. Bethany now has a job teaching writing at a local college and a brand new agent that’s flirting her book proposal to publishing houses.

I have nothing. Nada. Or at the most, very little accomplished.

It’s not because I’m lazy or make excuses all the time. It’s because I live in a midlife hormonal hell and sleep is my most precious and rare commodity.

I’ve fought this tooth and nail, tried every sleeping remedy known to mankind, but this is life at the moment. And it limits me. And, oh, how I detest being limited!

So when I meet with Val and Bethany, I do it as an act of faith. I believe that one day I’ll be totally free of this mess and able to sleep like a normal human. That will be the week that I actually begin to accomplish those writing goals. So I keep making them.

In the meantime, I have to shift priorities and focus on what matters most. For me, at the moment, that is health, God, family, and friends at church. That is my world, with Val and Bethany thrown in for good measure.

I rest when I want to be writing. I work out when I could be editing. I chat with a flesh and blood friend while my blog sits idle. And I sit in a sleep-deprived stupor staring at unfinished writing projects that I simply don’t have the umph to complete. And while this may not be the way I’d like life to exactly look at the moment, I have found peace in knowing that it is what God has for me at this time. I daily hear Him whisper to my heart, “Rest.”

This verse is for my current season and it may help some of you as well:
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 (Amplified)

You might also like to read this post on Lovely Limitations.

Whatever you may think your priorities and limitations are today, submit them to the Lord and rest.

Fight!

2011-10-19T08:47:00.002-04:00

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

The Power of Humor

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Recently one of my mom’s best friend died unexpectedly. As my mom processed her grief, one memory helped her heal more than any other. It wasn’t a memory of sharing secrets with her friend or encouraging one another or anything spiritual. It was a memory of humor.

The memory that helped my mom heal was a hayride in which her friend led my mom and their other group of friends in a hysterical rendition of “I’m a redneck woman!”

As my mother remembered how much fun they had that day, she was comforted. This was how she chose to remember her friend, as the comic she was.

As I travel around the blog world and other publishing venues, I find people who have a rare gift to make others laugh. Just today I read an email that made me snicker because the writer did such a marvelous job of poking fun at her life, which is very much like my own. I could relate and laugh at myself.

I dearly love to laugh and anyone who can make me do so is a winner in my book.

Maybe you are one of those writers who has the gift of humor. And maybe you question why you aren’t one of those writers who can touch people in the depths of their soul. Friend, you are touching people on a very deep level. You are one of the pain easers of this world. You have a gift, a ministry, a very important one. Please don’t ever negate the value of your fun words.

Think what a morbid world it would be if all of us were incredibly deep. Somebody has to be crazy, nutty, and goofy to lighten up the seriousness of this dark world.

Humor holds power—the power to heal. A merry heart does good like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22). When you think of it in those terms, humor is serious business.

Be about your business, fun-loving friends. Make merry!

The Value of a Verb

2011-09-29T11:07:00.000-04:00

Who knew that my daughter’s wisdom teeth extraction would yield a valuable writing lesson?

The night before her surgery I was having mommy jitters and seeking comfort. I opened Jesus Calling by Sarah Young to the appropriate date, August 23. The topic of the day: Entrusting our loved ones into God’s capable hands. Her words brought much comfort and peace.

The following morning as I sat in the surgical waiting room trying to think about anything but what was happening to my daughter, I pulled the book out again and read the same page. Only this time I read slowly, absorbing each word before moving to the next.

That’s when I noticed it.

The verbs!

They came alive, creating vivid images in my mind.

They moved the passage along, but they moved me as well, demanding a response.

I knew Sarah Young was a great, God-inspired writer, but I’d never been able to pinpoint what made her writing so captivating. That morning I saw it. It was her usage of verbs.

I checked over the nouns and adjectives she used and while they were good, it was definitely the verbs that stole the show, inviting the reader to participate in her writing.

Read this list of the major verbs from her August 23 entry and you’ll see what I mean.

Entrust
Release
Endanger
Remember
Free
Suffered
Detest
Cling
Give
Relax
Watch

All the nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in the world can’t measure up to a perfectly executed verb.

If you can only choose one thing to improve your writing, wield dynamic verbs.

Ask for Encouragement

2011-09-19T11:48:00.000-04:00

What should you do when you hit a slump and you aren’t sure what to do with your writing?

Or when you feel like you’re writing to empty air and it doesn’t really matter anyway?

What do you do when you wonder if it’s even worth it, whether you should continue or just trash the whole idea?

And what about when God seems a million miles away from you and your writing?

You ask for encouragement.

You come before God with an open heart, willing to accept His will, whatever it might be, and you simply ask Him to encourage you, to give you the umph to keep going.

Then you believe He will do it. And you wait for it. Or you do whatever your heart prompts you to do.

I’m convinced that He always answers our prayers for encouragement.

It might come through a sudden idea or inspiration. It might come through the advice or wisdom of a trusted friend. Through something you read or hear or watch. Through a memory or a quote. Through something you do at work, or someone you meet, or somewhere you go. It might come through anything.

But I think the place it’s most likely to come from is God’s own writing- His book. His words specifically given to help us navigate this life.

Recently, I needed encouragement yet another time. More than encouragement, I needed clear direction. So I reached for a beautiful purple box filled with verses on slips of paper, a gift from my very encouraging daughter.

This is what was written on the first slip I pulled out of the box:

“So here’s what I think: the best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it.” II Corinthians 8:10-11

Today if you need encouragement, ask Him for it.

Is God in It?

2011-09-14T13:18:00.000-04:00

I had plans for my writing day. None of those plans included writing anything for this blog. Yet, I saved draft after draft as the words flowed like water.

I intended to do another type of writing. I had an outline ready and just needed to fill in the words. Simple.

But as I tried to write, only dead, lifeless words came.

Multiple times I stopped, took a break, and came back. Maybe a little rest or changing activity would spark the flame.

Yet each time I sat down to write, something just wasn’t right.

Finally I had to ask myself, “Is God in this?”

The answer was no.

So I stopped.

The simple fact is that I don’t want to write words of my own. If He isn’t flowing through me then I have nothing worthwhile to say.

Writing can be blocked for numerous reasons. Fatigue. Stress. Panic. Being out of practice. But we can’t rule out another factor—the God factor. Maybe God simply doesn’t want us writing this particular piece at this time, or at all.

That doesn’t mean that every time the writing gets a little hard, God isn’t involved. It doesn’t mean that whenever we have writer’s block He’s shut down the well of inspiration.

This is different. It’s a knowing deep down on the inside that something isn’t right, that God has left the building.

It may mean that we humbly admit that what we’re writing didn’t originate from Him. It can also be a simpler thing. Maybe the timing isn’t right today. Maybe we need to pray and get clarity on it. Maybe other things truly do need to be tended to and the writing must wait.

Whatever the cause, do yourself a favor. Stop and address it. Take it straight to the foot of the cross and humbly ask, “God, are you in this?”

When Writing Less Means Writing More

2011-09-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

Write less.

Sounds odd doesn’t it? The person who is perpetually urging you to write is now telling you to write less.

But I’ve made a discovery lately. You see, I love to write. I don’t just have one genre or one topic or one particular type of writing that I love above all else. I have many.

That poses a problem. Like an octopus, my mind can be drawn in so many delightful directions, but when I try to write in all those ways, I come up short. Frustrated. Stressed.

It’s only when I park myself at the feet of Jesus that I understand: When I write less I write more. When I focus on Him and whittle my writing down to a few specific projects it adds a whole new dimension. (Luke 10:41-42)

When I focus on one piece or a very few, writing transforms from mere words to an art form. It’s like a sculpture that is carefully chiseled. The artist desires a masterpiece, not a mere slab of mutilated marble.

So when I write less, I’m actually writing more. Better quality. More artistry. A greater stirring of the heart.

And when all of those things are true, more lives will be touched and encouraged and helped. The numbers may be smaller, but the impact will be greater.

I love the way Sarah Young says it in her book Jesus Calling (page 252): “When you look to me I enable you to do less but accomplish more.”

Write less, my friends. And write more.

Connection

2011-08-30T09:01:00.000-04:00

I’ve noticed something unusual about my blogging lately. Several of the posts within the last few weeks have received a different sort of comment.

It’s not that the comments haven’t always been wonderful, but some of the ones I’ve received lately, along with emails from readers, have been deeper, more heartfelt. It’s as if I can sense the reader’s emotion and we’re connecting on a level that is more intimate, a greater baring of the soul.

What’s even more unusual is that this feedback is coming on posts I didn’t really labor over. Some of them I almost didn’t post at all because I didn’t think they would benefit anyone.

I have a theory as to why this is happening and it has precious little to do with me or my writing ability.

I truly believe it’s because I’ve been spending quality time with the Lord every single day. Granted, I’ve always had a regular quiet time, but these times are more special. I’m lingering in His presence and carrying His word in my mind throughout the day. I’m unhurried both in my quiet time and in my days.

And as I connect intimately with Him, somehow He enables me to connect better with my readers. I don’t know what each person needs to hear, but He does.

In the past, comments meant so much to me. I’d push the publish button and wait to see if anyone would validate me and make me feel significant. I wanted to be popular—something I’ve never been in my whole life.

But I rarely think about comments anymore and when I do it’s in a whole new light. I’m humbled and grateful when someone tells me that a particular post was just what they needed, or confirmation about something God had already spoken to their heart. It touches me deeply because I know it’s Him and not me. He is the one drawing. He is the one speaking.

I think I’ve discovered the key to connecting with my readers. If I will stay connected to the heart of my Father, He will enable me to forge a relationship with my readers too.

I bet the same is true of you. If you will entwine your heart with the Father’s heart, He will enable you to reach people in a deep way whether you write about spiritual matters or the practical things of this world. He is the connection.

Editing to say that this post was written earlier this summer and my days are a little more hectic now than they were back then, but my relationship with the Lord remains the same.

Write!

2011-08-22T21:03:00.000-04:00

Start typing.

The words will come.

Trust yourself.

Ministering to Flesh and Blood

2011-08-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

This summer I had two experiences that would forever change the way I view my writing.

The first was meeting Julie Gillies. I’ve long been one of Julie’s greatest fans. I have no idea how I first found her online, but her writing completely captivated me and I’ve been reading ever since.

When I found out that Julie was attending the She Speaks conference I arranged to be her chauffeur to and from the airport. I remember standing at the bottom of the escalator hoping that Julie and I would be able to recognize one another. No worries. As soon as our eyes met, she smiled and gave a little wave. I met her at the bottom of the escalator with a big southern hug and within three seconds we fell easily into conversation that never stopped. An hour later we sat in her hotel room praying and sharing secrets. Julie was no longer a blogger I know, she was a friend.

A few days later I showed up at my son’s college to present a workshop at a homeschool conference. As my daughter and I entered the first general session we scanned a sea of faces trying to decide where to sit. Suddenly my eyes fell upon an unexpected familiar face all the way across the room. “Follow me!” I told my daughter as I literally charged across the room and threw myself in front of Dawn Camp.

We had never met, but I’d known her online for a very long time. I parked myself beside her and we enjoyed animated conversation about all the things and people we had in common. I met her son. She met my daughter and son. It felt almost like a family reunion.

I’ve met lots of bloggers before so this wasn’t new. But something was different with these two. Something clicked on the inside of me. It’s as if I suddenly realized that on the other end of all of my public writing is a flesh and blood person—an individual with a life, a family, hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, and a desire to feel significant and loved. It’s as if my audience literally sprang to life before my eyes.

I used to feel so alone as I sat typing in my cluttered little office. Now I don’t. I know that the words I’m writing will be read by a real person, a person I’d probably hug and laugh and enjoy sweet fellowship with if we were to meet in person. So I write to that person—to you my wonderful blogging friends. And it has made all the difference in the way I write.

The Thankful Writer

2011-08-10T07:00:00.002-04:00

My family and close friends know a little secret about me that few others do. I’m competitive. I don’t play to play, I play to win—no matter the game.

And that means, friends, that far too often writing becomes a competition as well. When I’m on top of the game, I feel awesome, but when I perceive that other writers are winning and I’m losing, I feel restless and fearful and sometimes even angry or jealous. Isn’t that ugly?

Not too long ago I found myself in loser mode, much like I felt during a family game night when my cousin’s husband rudely interrupted my Bananagrams winning streak by going on one of his own. Only this time it wasn’t Bananagrams that was upsetting me, but writing. Everywhere I turned someone was getting a contract or an agent or some sort of success that I longed to have. On one hand, I was happy for them, but on the other (bigger) hand, I was envious. I wasn’t winning and I wasn’t finding it easy to rejoice with those who were.

I hated this trait in me so I went to the Lord and asked Him to help me change.

The answer came in an unexpected way.

The Lord challenged me to be thankful—for everything. Thankful for not being a huge publishing success because it affords me privacy and more time with my family. Thankful that I know so many successful writers who can mentor me and make me believe that success is possible for ordinary people like us. Thankful for every single small accomplishment, for every person who appreciates my writing, for every journal entry that no one will ever read. Thankful for every little thing in every part of life, taking nothing for granted.

It’s when I finally became truly thankful that the competitive edge softened. I could rest and enjoy the successes of others. I could get back to encouraging others, a place of empowerment and true success. I was no longer competitor, but helper and coach and friend.

If you’re feeling any of these things- discouraged, jealous, fearful, rejected, like a failure, angry, unable to rejoice with others- it’s time to start being purposeful about giving thanks. A thankful writer is a successful writer.

But Things Were Going So Well

2011-08-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Friday morning I was riding in my van to Georgia. My husband drove and my daughter sat in front with him while I sat in the back pondering and writing as God gave me clarification and ideas for some upcoming writing ventures.

At one point I stopped and quietly cried because of the goodness of God and all the ways He was showing me how to encourage all of you and so many others. My heart was literally bursting with excitement and I couldn’t wait to get back home and implement all those wonderful things to touch hearts and change lives.

Who would have guessed that less than twelve hours later I’d be sobbing? The weekend was so bad that by Sunday evening I seriously considered making this my Facebook status: If anyone else wants to betray me this weekend, would you please get on with it so I can start life fresh on Monday?

Excitement? Encourage someone? With what? I was empty, drained, unable to remember why I’d ever thought I wanted to encourage someone in the first place.

I found myself wondering, “What on earth is going on here?” It was if I’d accidentally wandered into a boxing ring just as the knock-out blow was delivered and I was still staggering and reeling.

When I finally regained my senses I realized what had happened. I’d heard from God. I’d gotten excited. I’d set my heart to encourage and uplift. Somehow in my heart of hearts I believed that little ole me could make a difference in this world and I was determined to do it one word at a time.

And that’s when the enemy stepped in.

A blow. A shocker. Then another. Anything to divert me and destroy the mission in my heart.

This is how it always is. I should recognize the pattern by now. And so should you. Because the same enemy who tried to stop me will pay you a visit too. As soon as you step out in faith, he will be there to distract, discourage, distress, and ultimately destroy your mission.

But this post is evidence that he failed to thwart God’s plan in my life. And my sincere prayer is that he will fail in yours as well.

Don’t be surprised when all is going well and then suddenly it isn’t. But whatever happens, don’t abort the mission.

299 and Counting

2011-08-02T14:32:00.001-04:00

I have 299 followers today. Oddly enough, I happened on several other bloggers today who also have 299 followers. It seems to be the going number for a lot of us right now.

But if you had told me just a few years ago that 299 people would be interested in what I had to write, I doubt I would have believed you. It didn’t seem like even a remote possibility back then. But here we are.

And it just so happens that on this very day another blogger chose to write about what it means to blog and have followers. My sweet friend, Emily, from Chatting at the Sky has a lovely post where she rehashes some things she recently shared at a conference about blogging and book writing and what it all means.

One visual Emily gave that really stuck with me is to think about how you would feel if all of your blog followers showed up in a room to hear you speak. You see, 299 doesn’t seem like much, especially when I know lots of bloggers who have multiplied thousands of followers. But if all 299 of your wonderful selves showed up to listen to me and let me impart into your lives, I’d be completely overwhelmed.

In reality, though, you do show up. Not all at once, but it’s kind of like a drop-in party where everyone comes and goes as it works in their schedule.

Reading Emily’s words really made me stop and think. It seems lately that God is reminding me in a myriad of ways that the people I touch are real, flesh and blood, not-just-on-the-computer-screen people.

That makes me see blogging in a whole new light. It’s not that I didn’t know this before, but the visual of a room full of all of you really struck a chord with me. It made me see both the responsibility and the privilege I have as a blogger. It’s not just my hobby, but a ministry, a friendship, a way to truly reach out and touch people that I may never meet in person. It broadens my world and yours immensely. It connects those of us who might never have had the chance to connect in any other way.

Today my respect for blogging went way up. And I’m so thankful for each individual person represented by that number 299. I wish I could give you all a big southern hug and thank you for taking time to read my words and hear my heart. You truly have no idea how much you bless me!

And I hope that you will look at your followers whether they be 1 or a million and 1, and offer a little prayer of thanks to God for allowing you to write into their world.

God’s Pen

2011-07-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1 (NIV)

This is a familiar verse of scripture for writers, one that I can quote off the top of my head. But recently I saw a few new things in this verse that I’d like to share.

My heart is stirred. Writing begins in the heart. It isn’t simply an exercise of the mind. Certainly, it can be all head and no real heart. For example, a lot of my assignments in school were written from a “have to” rather than “want to” perspective. But really great writing, the kind that stirs the soul and changes people, always starts in the heart.

For the king. God is the real audience for our words. Yes, published writers need to write with a particular human audience in mind, but the ultimate goal is to please the King. If He is not pleased, if the words don’t stem from Him, they are simply resounding gongs and clanging cymbals.

As I recite/ my tongue. Do you see the speaking—writing connection? The thought that occurred to me as I read this verse is that we need to listen carefully to what we say, the topics of our conversation. This can be a clear indicator of what we should be writing.

The other thing I see here is that speaking and writing go hand in hand. I know most writers don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. In this verse, it sounds as though the verses were already written by a skillful writer and now they are being recited before the king.

While this verse isn’t written only to writers, it’s rich with wisdom for us. Do you see anything else in this passage that would help writers?

Encouraging Words on Facebook and I’m on Twitter

2011-07-24T21:37:00.001-04:00

News flash! Encouraging Words for Writers now has a Facebook page! Check out the sidebar of this blog to “like” the page. I plan to fill the Facebook page with snippets of encouragement that will supplement what you find here. Encouragement coming from every direction!

I have a personal Facebook page too, but I only use that for people I know in real life.

Hey, and I’ve finally learned how to use Twitter and, miracle of miracles, I even like it now. I’m @bonitalillie. I’m even tweeting. As of today’s date I’m up to 20 whole tweets!

I’m on LinkedIn too, but that one is still a mystery to me and one I won’t even try to figure out right now.

I’d love to have you join me at any or all of the above.

Why Your Words Matter

2011-07-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

Writing can be a lonely business.

Often it’s just you and the keyboard with God watching over your shoulder, whispering His words into your ears.

And on the other shoulder is the enemy screeching, “Why bother? Who cares what you have to say? What a waste of time!”

But you never know where your words might lead or who they might touch or what they might accomplish or whether they just might make a difference in that big ole world out there.

Take my friend, Jen, for instance. She started a blog to help homemakers. She wrote about how to save money, how to shop at thrift stores, decorating, cooking, fashion, enjoying family, and relying on God. And she did it all so well that she amassed quite a following and caught the attention of numerous advertisers and companies. Then one day a company had a sandwich competition and, thanks to all of Jen’s loyal fans, she won the contest. Not only did Jen win money for her family, but she won $6500 to donate to a non-profit ministry. Because Jen took a risk a few years ago and typed some words on a blog, 200 impoverished children will be fed, clothed, and given medical care for a month. Plus, Jen used her earnings from the competition to take her family to Guatemala to help even more. Take a moment to read How One Sandwich Will Feed a Village.

Yes, writing is a lonely business if you only consider the time you spend typing the words.

But writing is so much more. It’s a world changer. Maybe your words will one day open a door to help a multitude like Jen’s words did or maybe your words will penetrate the heart of only one. Either way, the impact is huge.

Your words matter! Please don’t keep them bottled up inside. Somebody needs them.

Beauty From Ashes

2011-07-21T08:43:00.001-04:00

Do you have any idea why I named this blog Encouraging Words for Writers? Do you know why I seek so desperately to encourage other writers?

It’s because I know discouragement so well. I know what it is to feel forgotten, forsaken, unworthy, and completely inadequate. I know what it is to be spurned and burned and rejected. And I know what it feels like to think God isn’t even looking and doesn’t care, even when I know that isn’t true.

But here’s the deal: I also know what it is to stare every one of those things in the face and choose to believe anyway.

You see, it does absolutely no good to whine and moan and bellyache about all the woes in life. We all have them.

But it does a heck of a lot of good to learn from what life throws at us and turn it into something useful for others.

Look at that Coneflower at the top of this post. A seed had to die for that flower to exist. From that death came not only beauty, but something useful. Coneflowers attract bees that make honey and they also attract butterflies and birds. Not to mention, they provide a feast for the human eye. All of that from a struggling, dying seed!

Maybe you feel as though your life is one big ash heap wrought from the fires of life. Maybe you feel lower than low. Can I tell you a secret? Someone feels worse than you do.

Whatever feelings you’ve had to endure, whatever injustices you’ve been dealt, whatever deaths you’ve had to die—someone has experienced all that and even more.

Sweet writing friend, I challenge you to let healing words flow through your fingers. You already know what to say. You’ve been there—where that hurting person is now. Write the words that you would want to read. Let God use you.

After posting this I realized that I just wrote about a similar topic last week. Sorry, it must be really on my heart.

He Fills Me Up to Pour Me Out

2011-07-19T09:38:00.000-04:00

The summer has brought a special surprise. I find my mornings quiet and uninterrupted, which means I have time to linger in God’s presence.

I have time to pray, time to soak in the richness of His word, time to read other books to help me on my Christian journey, and time to simply be quiet and still, basking in His glory.

And it has affected my writing life. I’m not plunging headlong into a major writing project. Rather, I’m writing a blog post here, a devotion there, an article or two, all of them stemming from my quiet time with God.

I find I’m very careful, not wanting to write anything that He did not prompt. Even as I type the words, I’m aware if something is meant to be or if I need to delete it. It’s as though He is typing through me, choosing each word.

I have no desire to be a Pharisee and make this into a doctrine that I can only write whatever God speaks during my quiet time. But I must say that for this season, it’s really nice. I love the connection with God and the feeling that I’m not alone in my writing. I love the clarity, the “knowing” that God wants me to write a particular piece, and the peace I have at doing no more and no less than what He asks. It’s freeing!

Most of all, I love that I’m full. I’m not writing from empty or half empty. I’m not writing to accomplish or out of a sense of obligation or to impress anyone or even to minister to anyone. I’m writing because I’m full and the words beg to come out. Full is good.

Precious friend, may I invite you in for a drink? Together can we drink deeply of His love and His presence? And when we are full, completely and utterly full to overflowing, we will naturally spill over onto others.

Drink, my friend, drink.

A Lesson From Jaycee Dugard

2011-07-12T09:41:00.001-04:00

Did anyone see the interview Diane Sawyer did with Jaycee Dugard the other night?

For those who may not know, Jaycee was kidnapped when she was 11 and spent 18 years in captivity where she was abused in terrible ways and bore two children to the man who abducted her. In 2009, she was finally discovered and reunited with her family.

I was astounded by the Jaycee that I saw in that interview, a confident young woman who is so concerned about helping others. She doesn’t even see herself as a victim, but rather a survivor!

Do you know one of the things that helped her stay sane during her 18 year ordeal? Writing. At first she wrote on scraps of paper which she hid from her captor. Later, I think she was able to write actual journal entries. Much of her book is comprised from things she wrote while enduring horrific abuse.

Words simply can’t express the level of respect I have for this woman. She took an impossible situation, horror beyond horror and turned it into words of healing for others. Jaycee Dugard isn’t a victim; she’s a victor in every sense.

And this is the lesson she taught me as a writer: Let nothing be wasted. Take the hurts and pains and disappointments of life and turn them into something useful for others. It’s like a healing balm for the writer and the reader. Turn hurt into something good. Rather than being consumed and eaten by bitterness, reach out to help others who know your same pain.

Today is the release date for Jaycee’s book, A Stolen Life: A Memoir. I plan to get a copy. I can’t imagine that I will read every word of it because she recounts her abuse in graphic detail and I, frankly, don’t want those images in my mind. But I do want to help Jaycee. And I do want to help her spread a message of hope to other “survivors,” which is her intent with the book.

Thank you, Jaycee! Thank you for never losing hope. Thank you for surviving. And thank you for living the ultimate victory, triumphing over your enemies by the love you have for others. You are my hero!

For those who may not know, the pinecone is the symbol for the JayC Foundation, an organization that Jaycee has started to help other families and individuals who have endured abduction or severe trauma. A pinecone was the last thing Jaycee was able to clutch as her captors physically dragged her across the ground away from the only life she’d ever known.

But Am I Really a Writer?

2011-07-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

I was having one of those days again.

I woke up feeling defeated, questions lurking in my mind.

“Lord, what exactly am I supposed to do with my life? I’m in my late forties and my kids are nearly grown, but I seem to have lost my compass.

I write and write and write, but with so little success. All of my friends are earning a living writing, but I’m still at the beans and rice stage—after all these years!

Maybe I need to go back to the hospital and be a nurse. Not one fiber of my being wants to do that, but at least I’d make a decent wage. I’d feel like I was worth something.

Yeah, I’d be miserable. And I wouldn’t have time to write. But it would make life a lot more comfortable right now.

For crying out loud, Lord, just show me what I’m supposed to do!”

I voiced these rants with my husband eavesdropping.

He didn’t respond, but simply walked away.

Less than an hour later, I sat in the living room recliner, fingers flying over my laptop keyboard.

My husband walked in the room and chuckled.

“Oh, God,” he mimicked, “What am I supposed to do with my life?” His hands clickety-clacked on an imaginary keyboard.

“I just can’t figure out what you want me to do,” he chided with his fingers flying like lightening over his air keyboard.

“I write all the time, Lord. It flows out of me like water. But I still don’t know what you want me to do.” He smiled and walked out of the room.

But the message stuck.

This is what I do. This is who I am. I am a writer.

Even when things aren’t going so well. Even when success seems like the unreachable carrot dangling before me eyes. Even when I don’t feel like a writer.

I am a writer. It’s who God made me to be.

And I’m guessing, sweet friend, that if you’ve read this far, it’s who He made you to be as well.

The Curse of the Barren Calendar

2011-06-30T10:42:00.001-04:00

I have nothing on my agenda. No pressing deadline. No client waiting in the wings. I have no demands on my time outside of family, church, and the usual activities of daily living. Mark this day in history because it’s been a long time coming and I suspect it won’t last long.

In fact, it took me quite by surprise. Granted, I’ve still been writing here and there and trying out some new venues, but I have nothing crunching me and demanding anything from me.

I ought to be delirious.

Words should be flowing out of me faster than I can type them.

I should be imposing my own deadlines and kicking some serious butt when it comes to writing.

But I’m not.

I find myself dawdling. I’m easily distracted. I’m a little too interested in a particular news story that’s getting lots of air time on TV.

But, wait!

Isn’t this what I’ve longed for? TIME to write!

My family says, “Enjoy the time off! Rest, relax, it’s summer.”

My inner over-achiever says, “What’s the problem, lazybones? Get with the program!”

And God seems to be saying, “Don’t worry, baby. It’s all good.”

But the bottom line is that a blank calendar stares me in the face and I feel no particular compulsion to fill it with productive writing activity. I’ve accomplished far more at times when the schedule was overcrowded.

I share this because so often we writers pray for time to write. We envision slow summer afternoons in a hammock with a laptop and a glass of frosty lemonade. We think, “If only I could clear my schedule, I’d write so much more.”

Is that true?

Maybe; maybe not.

Perhaps the key isn’t a barren, dusty calendar, but rather finding time to write in the crevices of normal life.

Write Your Own Stuff First

2011-06-23T14:48:00.001-04:00

Years ago during my first year as a member of our homeschool support group I decided to host an authentic Thanksgiving celebration. I’d wanted to do this for quite some time and the support group provided the perfect avenue to bring my desire to fruition.

Even though I’d never undertaken planning any major event prior to that time, it turned out to be a huge success. Droves of Pilgrims and Indians showed up at our local park. We played games, feasted, made crafts, performed skits, and sang songs. One ultra ambitious family even built a Mayflower on wheels so adults could pull around small boatloads of children.

I was able to pull off such a fun celebration for one simple reason: I didn’t know that I couldn’t. I was new to the group and completely unaware that nothing like this had ever been attempted before. I hadn’t been around long enough to hear the rumors that homeschooling moms don’t volunteer to help with anything. I hadn’t even attended any other parties to see how things were done. I simply did what was in my heart to do.

When a new writing idea comes or you feel God nudging you to write a particular something, just do it. Rather than checking online to see what others have written on that subject or reading a bunch of “how to” manuals, dive in. Write. You can check out other stuff later.

Why do I give you this counsel? Because if you check what everyone else is doing first, you might not ever write your piece. You might succumb to any number of evils to keep you from writing. Comparison might make you think your stuff is inferior. Fear might tell you it’s never been done and therefore you can’t do it either. Doubt might whisper that you’re in over your head. Any number of thoughts can stop you in your tracks.

When you have something to write, get on with it.

Over the last week, I learned this lesson the hard way. Several times I sat down to write, but decided to check my email first or update Facebook or blog hop to see what everyone else was writing. Every time I got distracted. One time I was so excited to write about my topic, but I checked Facebook which led to a link to a blog and a You Tube video about an author that I know and when I saw what she was doing and heard her long list of accomplishments, my desire to write turned to mush. I spent the rest of the day downhearted, feeling like a failure. No writing that day.

So, again I say, write—do it first.

Lists and Numbers

2011-06-15T13:26:00.001-04:00

Today I want to share a small tidbit that may help when you’re writing for the web or magazine articles.

It’s a little trick called lists and numbers. Why do I call it a trick? Because it has a psychological affect on your readers that benefits you.

One way to make a post or an article appealing is to give your points in a list. Lists tend to involve short sentences or phrases rather than longer paragraphs. Thus, they appear less intimidating. They are also easier to scan and people tend to scan things they find online rather than reading word for word.

People like lists. In fact, they like them so much that entire book series have been published that are nothing but a compilation of lists. Lists are both familiar and well-liked by a large portion of the population.

Numbers have a similar effect. They break an article into manageable pieces.

For example, an article titled Five New Tricks to Teach Your Dog makes the art of dog training seem doable. After all, it’s only five tricks. And you can reasonably assume that the article will address each trick one at a time so you have time to assimilate the information.

You do need to be careful with numbers though. When offering points, you probably want to keep the number below ten or else the psychological effect may backfire. I doubt anyone wants to read 99 Ways to Cook Squash. Though you might get by with 21 Ways to Save Money, but only because saving money is always a hot topic.

You would think we would tire of lists and numbers and steps, but the opposite is true. Lists and numbers are always in style with readers, especially online.

Where Do I Fit in the Wide World of Writing?

2011-05-31T07:31:00.000-04:00

When you feel God nudging you to write, the most natural assumption in the world is that He wants you to write a book. After all, isn’t that what writers do? They write books.

But when you make this innocent assumption you limit God.

More than any other generation, our options for spreading the word are boundless. A book is only a tiny fraction of the ways you can publish the message God has put on your heart, and it’s probably the most difficult to achieve.

Before you head down a path that may take years of your life, years that might otherwise have been spent getting your message into the hands of those who need it, stop and ask God the path you should take. You have no guarantees that your book will ever be published, at least not in the traditional sense. The competition is stiffer now than ever. Granted, if God has called you to that road, He will make a way, but don’t be too hasty in assuming that is your chosen path.

Instead, consider book publishing as one, but only one, of your many options. Pray also about blogging, building a website, creating a newsletter or e-zine, guest blogging, writing magazine or newspaper articles, self-publishing. But don’t limit God to even these.

When God nudges your heart to write simply say, “What do you want me to write? And what do you want me to do with it when it’s written?” This takes God out of a box and gives Him free reign to direct your path.

Often His answer will be, “Start writing and I’ll show you.” Let Him do just that.

Uniquely You

2011-05-19T13:19:00.000-04:00

When I was in nursing school I had a friend named Traci whose handwriting had such a creative flair. I determined that I would learn to write just like her. For several weeks I painstakingly labored trying to imitate what Traci did with ease. Then I gave up. It was too much work!

A few years later I realized why it was okay for Traci to have such artistic handwriting while I was stuck with Plain Jane. She married right out of nursing school and immediately started amassing a house full of kids and pets. I, on the other hand, spent thirteen years as a nurse and most of my life as a writer. My Plain Jane handwriting has come in quite handy to process thoughts quickly, something I’ve had to do both as a nurse and a writer (and a homeschool teacher and a writing instructor).

My point is that it’s okay to admire other writers. It’s even okay to adopt some of their ways, providing they fit your particular bent. But a danger lurks in the mix. While imitating another you might lose yourself in the process. Your own unique writing style might never be set free.

See that fingerprint up there. Each of us has our own set, unlike anyone else. The same is true of writing. We each have a style. No one can say what you say quite like you.

For instance, my style is pretty straightforward, not terribly creative or witty. But it suits me because I primarily write to offer information, instruction and encouragement. I’m not in the entertainment business.

You, on the other hand, might drip with poetic phrases or make your readers bust a gut laughing.

God has designed you with a specific writing style, one that you naturally gravitate toward. He did that for a reason. You are designed to fulfill a particular writing need and He has gifted you accordingly.

The challenge is letting that style develop and freely flow from your hand. It requires shutting out all the other voices. It means appreciating another’s writing style without feeling a need to adopt it as your own. It means turning off the shoulda, coulda, wouldas and opening the door to your heart to let the secret words out.

What makes you unique as a writer? You will find your best writing success when you simply write like you.

“Create” time

2011-05-09T07:02:00.000-04:00

The last few posts have been about time management, a crucial element in the writing life. I want to add one more thought about managing your precious writing time.

When you schedule time to write and that time actually comes to fruition, make sure you use it to create.

When you have time to yourself, uninterrupted, quiet, like a blank canvas before you—create.

Resist the urge to check social media, to answer emails, to handle administrative details related to your writing. Don’t even use it to plan future writing projects.

Write, type, string words together in a creative way that gets your point across. Your canvas is blank, but aim to fill it up in these precious moments. Create a masterpiece, not a stick figure.

When the gift of writing time is granted, treat is as a sacred trust.

Use the moments well.

Create.

Write.

One More Time

2011-05-05T08:06:00.000-04:00

In my last post I talked about Tell Your Time, an e-book by Amy Lynn Andrews. Today I want to spotlight another resource that can help you capture writing time. This is a free e-book by Crystal Paine a.k.a. Money Saving Mom written with Amy Lynn Andrews. It’s called Time Management 101.
For those who don’t know, Crystal is an extremely successful blogger, but she’s also a wife and a mother to three small children. Not to mention, she homeschools!

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Crystal speak at the Relevant Conference 2010. I assumed she was one of those people that naturally has it all together, and to some degree she is, but she candidly shared her struggles with managing her time and priorities as her blog grew to mega stardom. Weird to say, but her realness really helped me feel better about my own struggles with time management.

In her e-book she shares practical advice (Amy’s influence is definitely present), but she also shares a lot from her own experiences. While she admits that what works for her may not work for others, it’s enjoyable to read about how she manages her own life and time. She even has a section for those with young children and one section especially for bloggers.

You can’t go wrong with this e-book, especially since it’s free! And the payoff will be even greater if it helps you find more time to write!

Boss That Clock!

2011-05-03T09:22:00.001-04:00

Sometimes my clock glares at me like a defiant two year old screaming, “You’re not the boss of me!”

Truer words couldn’t be spoken.

Time management is an issue for me as it is for most writers. I’ve come to the conclusion after years of trying and failing that I can’t follow a regimented schedule. But I can improve the way I manage my time and I’m always on the lookout for advice or resources to help me do just that.

I’ve found a gem in Amy Lynn Andrews’ Tell Your Time e-book!

Amy has a very straightforward, no nonsense writing style that is easy to assimilate and understand. She cuts to the chase, anticipates reader questions, and offers concrete visual examples to solidify her points.

Her approach to time management has a unique edge. Instead of telling you how to organize your time into a carefully constructed schedule that encompasses all you do, she asks you to first look inside to determine what is priority and what you should be doing with your time.

Another thing Amy offers is balance. Her scheduling method allows time for sleep and relaxing downtime rather than running like a race horse all the time. She forces you to take a realistic view of how you operate and how long it actually takes you to do things. Then she helps you use that information to formulate a doable, flexible plan rather than one that only looks good on paper.

In implementing Amy’s guidelines, I quickly discovered why I feel frustrated so much. I simply have too much to do! I probably knew that already, but seeing it in black and white in front of me made it real. Now I know where I need to purge, focus, and how to fit in more writing time, as well as time to enjoy life.

On a side note, I met Amy when I spoke at the Relevant Conference (2010). We rode on the same shuttle bus to the airport after the conference. While I didn’t have an in depth conversation with her since we chatted as a group, I did hear enough from her to see that she is genuine in her efforts to help others. That means a lot to me!

I’m careful about who and what I endorse, but I give Tell Your Time a hearty thumbs up. It’s a great tool for any writer!

If you order Tell Your Time through any link in this post or via the button in this post or in my sidebar I will receive a percentage of the profit as one of Amy’s affiliates.

Your Journal, Your Friend

2011-04-26T17:08:00.001-04:00

I’ve never been one to insist upon keeping a journal. I figured if it was important a writer would naturally keep one and, if not, there was no sense in forcing the issue. But my train of thought may have changed.

In the past week we experienced a tragedy in my extended family. It’s not been something I’ve wanted to discuss with anyone except family and a few select friends as I’ve bounced between emotions of shock, guilt, bewilderment, sadness, anger, questioning, and finally a measure of acceptance. But my journal has been my dumping ground, the clearinghouse of thoughts.

In the journal I’ve let emotions flow unrestrained. It’s there that I’ve asked, “Why?” And it’s there I’ve written the answers as they came and the frustrations if they didn’t. The journal has been my processing unit—the sorter, sifter, organizer of thoughts and emotions.

But I don’t think I could have written about this in just any journal. Odd as it sounds, I needed a journal that had already proven to be a friend. I needed it to be worn and familiar and comforting. I couldn’t have picked up a crisp, clean journal and expected it to hold such raw emotion in confidence.

And had I not been in the practice of regularly committing my thoughts, feelings, and questions to paper, I doubt I could have used journaling to help me through such a complex situation. But I was used to writing in my journal during my daily quiet time—not by a prescribed formula, but whatever I learned or whatever came to mind. We both had plenty of experience processing together which made this situation so much easier.

I think the best benefit of all has been the ability to express myself in a safe, familiar way and then leave it there. As I work through things in writing, I’m able to release those thoughts and let them sit on the journal page rather than continuously haunting my mind. Truly, it’s been therapy.

I’ve learned that a journal can be so much more than just a journal. It can prove to be a very necessary part of a writer’s life. It can be a friend.

Dear Commenters, please only leave comments as they pertain to journaling. I know the tendency with such posts is to express condolences, but while the situation is difficult, I wasn’t particularly close to the main character of the tragedy and, therefore, feel very awkward when sympathy is expressed to me. I don’t desire it and don’t need it. Thanks for understanding.

Ebooks, e-books, eBooks

2011-04-21T15:59:00.001-04:00

I can’t remember which is the right way to spell it and I’m too lazy to look it up on a sunny Thursday afternoon with the windows open and the spring air beckoning me outside. One of you grammar gurus can tell me in the comments.

But I’m sharing some valuable links about e-books that I hope you will read. I read these posts and learned a lot and got confirmation on some things I suspected.

E-books are definitely on my list of things to create in the near future and I’ve been researching, interviewing, and gleaning everything I possibly can about them.

Care to join me in the fun?

Read Link 1 and Link 2.

The Test of Great Writing

2011-04-18T07:19:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a major southern storm that left us powerless for four days. During daylight hours we spent a lot of time at the library, but at night we passed the time reading aloud by candlelight from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

This little exercise made me realize several things. First, I was amazed that the author’s writing could so easily draw us in and make us want more. His was a skill that had been honed and practiced and mastered.

I was also keenly aware that in earlier pre-electricity and pre-technology days writing had to be crafted with tremendous skill because readers were so much more intent on the writing. Every word was read and analyzed and the rhythms and cadences were easily detected by the ear when read aloud. Even a minor infarction was glaring.

My, how things have changed! Today the writing is often secondary to the message or the personality writing it. We are a rushed people. We want it short and to the point. Rarely do we take time to linger over words, letting them sink in gradually and fully. We equate writing to fast food rather than a meal to be savored.

And we are saturated with words. They bombard us from every direction. It’s like a kid who eats non-nutritious snacks all day and then snubs a gourmet meal when it’s set before him. We read so much that often the last thing we want to do is think too hard or digest writing that isn’t simple and easy.

That doesn’t make us bad or wrong. It’s simply the way life is now. The pace is faster, the savoring less.

But I wonder how we might feel about some of the writing that’s available today if we had to read it by candlelight night after night. If we took the time to focus, to really hear the way the author has streamed the words together, to shut out all other input and let the words speak to us. Would it be music to our ears or clanging cymbals?

After our experience in the dark, I’ve decided that it would be a great test of our own writing to have someone read it aloud to us by quiet candlelight. I venture to guess that our mistakes would slap us in the face and interruptions to the flow of words would be painfully obvious. But when all was said and done, a lot of editors might be job hunting.

Light a candle today. I dare you!

Validation

2011-04-12T12:24:00.001-04:00

Recently, a blogger posed a question similar to this: “Knowing that the climate of publishing is changing, why do you still pursue being published by a traditional publisher?”

As I read through the comments, I noticed a recurring theme. Many writers thought that publication with a traditional publisher would validate them. It would say to the world, “This is a real writer.”

That bothered me immensely, partly because I struggle with these very thoughts myself and partly because I think they are so misleading. I don’t have a well-rehearsed treatise on this topic so let me just throw out some thoughts that come to mind.

I’ve worked with enough writers to know two things:
1. You don’t have to be a great writer to get a publishing contract with a traditional publisher.
2. You can be a fabulous writer and never get a publishing contract with a traditional publisher.
A myriad of factors determine to whom the contract goes.

Does having a book in a bookstore really mean you are a great writer? I visit a lot of discount bookstores, book outlets, and book sales. I see an awfully lot of books from unheard of authors, and some well known ones too, gathering dust in the discount piles. A publisher somewhere put a stamp of approval on those books, yet no one is buying them.

What about the prolific writers who constantly turn out writing, but never have a book published? Website content writers, advertising writers, journalists, little old grandmas painstakingly writing handwritten notes to family members? Are they not valid writers because a traditional publisher didn’t swoop down and carry them off to publishing-ever-after land?

Will being published by a traditional publisher truly turn you into a confident writer? It might sweep you off your feet momentarily. It might provide evidence for nosey relatives who wonder what you do with all your time. It might even boost your confidence some. But what it won’t do is heal deep-seated doubt or an inferiority complex. All of your problems won’t be solved the day a publisher hands you a contract. In fact, a whole new set of them will just begin!

As I said earlier, I still struggle with this same issue and the temptation to feel “less than” because a traditional publisher isn’t wooing me is always lurking nearby and I’m constantly having to shoo it away.

But when I get in the mode of thinking I need a traditional publisher’s stamp of approval to make my writing valid, it never leads to good. In fact, it impedes progress because I think, “What’s the use?”

I don’t want that for me. And I don’t want it for you. Who decides if your writing is valid? You do! You don’t need a stamp of approval. If you get one, awesome! If you don’t, keep writing. That one act is what validates you as a writer, not approval or recognition from man.

Disclaimer: I am in no way against traditional publishing. I applaud publishers. I just don’t like to see writers beat themselves up because the traditional publishing world isn’t smiling upon them.

What is Writing Success?

2011-04-08T09:18:00.000-04:00

What is success? Is it money? Fame? Influence? Happiness?

What is success in a writer’s life? Is it publication? Awards? A huge platform? Prolific writing?

Whether we’re talking about success in writing or success in life, we need to bear in mind that the world’s version is usually the opposite of God’s version. Isn’t that true with most things?

It’s so easy to look around and suppose that because we don’t have an agent or a published book or a popular blog we aren’t successful. But when we really get to the core issue isn’t success about being satisfied? We can have all the accomplishments and accolades the world has to offer, but if we aren’t content inside are we truly successful?

Next time you feel less than successful, ask yourself these questions:
Do I enjoy writing?
Have I obeyed God in my writing?
Do I consistently write to the best of my ability?
Am I writing from my heart?
Is my life worth living even though I haven’t reached my writing goals?

If you can say yes to all or even some of these questions then you are successful.

Success isn’t found in keeping score. Success is the satisfaction that one feels on the inside.

Vocabulary Boosting 101

2011-04-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

My daughter and I like to read books by older authors because the vocabulary is much broader. They provide a welcome diversion from the typical 5th-8th grade level of today’s writing.

Even if you don’t enjoy reading a bunch of peculiar words, it doesn’t hurt to increase your vocabulary and occasionally offer your reader something unique and different. But how does one broaden vocabulary without boring drills or writing out definitions?

Read older books. Follow our example and delve into some works by writers in previous centuries. You’ll be amazed how many new words you’ll learn just by reading them in context.

Work crossword puzzles. For as along as I can remember, my mom has worked crossword puzzles—in magazines, newspapers, and crossword puzzle books. As a result she has an enormous vocabulary and no one, I mean NO ONE, can beat her at Wheel of Fortune.

Play word games. For the first five months I was on Facebook I didn’t even realize it was a social media outlet. I was too busy playing Pathwords, Scramble, and Word Twist. I learned lots of new words I never knew existed, mostly through trial and error.

Browse the dictionary and thesaurus. My nephew is very much a word man, so much so that he used to read the dictionary just for fun. It paid off recently when he took the SAT and achieved a score that makes colleges across the country throw out the welcome mat.

Talk with people who have big vocabularies. I have a friend who homeschools six children and her four year old has a wider vocabulary than most adults. That’s because my friend uses an interesting variety of words in conversing. Occasionally, I’ve had to stop her and say, “I don’t know what you’re saying. Tell me what that word means.” But I always come away from our conversations with a few new words in my arsenal.

Note new words. When you spy a word you don’t know, make it a point to write it down so you can look up the meaning. Don’t simply skim over it. Learn it.

Use new words. When you learn a new word, use it in conversation and in your writing until it’s second nature. Don’t just learn the definition and forget it. Incorporate it into your personal vocabulary.

Visit the topic in my sidebar titled "Vocabulary Boosters." I haven't added any new words lately, but you'll find some interesting ones there.

Make it a point to have an ever-expanding vocabulary rather than limited language.

Words That Stay With You

2011-04-01T07:00:00.003-04:00

I was browsing through the picture books in the library when a pair of toddler eyes caught mine through the empty space in the shelf. We exchanged smiles and a game of Peek-a-Boo ensued. Big sister, noticing the attention little brother was getting, wasn’t about to let him steal the show. She pranced to my side of the shelf and proceeded to sing.

“The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. . . .”

As she finished the verse I clapped and started to speak, “You’re a really great sing. . . .”

Before I could finish she was into the next round, “The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish. . . .”

At the end I tried again to inject a word, but I barely caught my breath before she proceeded, “The babies on the bus go waah, waah, waah. . . .”

She went on and on, through every verse of the song. She had an attentive audience and wasn’t about to pass by this opportunity to strut her stuff.

When the finale finally came I said, “Wow! You know all the words to that song. Does your mommy read that book to you?”

She affirmed with a nod and said, “It’s my favorite.”

Off she pranced still singing, “The wheels on the bus. . . .”

I thought about how she had committed all those words to memory, an entire song, an entire book.

I wondered if the writer of that jingle could have guessed that one day a four year old would recite it flawlessly. Or that her 40+ year old listener would know it just as well. Probably not. I doubt the writer knew that those words would affect generations, but they did.

We simply don’t know what words will stick with our readers. A thought? A phrase? A message? A rhyme? Likely, we will never know the impact, but isn’t it fun to think that someone somewhere is still rehearsing the words we’ve written?

_________
It's National Poetry Month! Let's celebrate by reading or writing poetry, songs, or rhymes. Some of my favorite poets are Shel Silverstein, Helen Steiner Rice, Robert Frost, and my bestest buddy, Vicki. Which poets and poems do you like best?

The Pivotal Point

2011-03-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

Recently, I met with a client and his graphic designer for a twofold purpose—to decide a title for my client's book and to brainstorm images for the book cover. We were discussing ideas and not getting very far when the artist asked, “What was the turning point in your story? When did you know that things would never be the same again?”

Immediately, my client’s eyes brightened and he recounted a very specific moment when he knew that he knew that he knew that he knew that he had victory over the trial he’d been going through. This was the pivotal moment in his book, the turning point, the climax.

Knowing the pivotal point in anything you write can be beneficial for many reasons.

1. It can help illustrators decide the associated artwork.

2. It can produce an awesome title for your work.

3. It’s a great hook for the reader if you start in the heart of the action and proceed from there. A story doesn’t have to be told from beginning to end and, in many cases, it shouldn’t be told that way.

4. It serves as a compass for both fiction and non-fiction. It’s the place where you’re ultimately heading in your writing and it’s the place from which the lesson or take-away value is gleaned.

5. It adds graphic detail. When my client discerned the pivotal point in his book, he no longer struggled with telling instead of showing. Instantly, he described a scene that was graphic and full of detail. His emotions were tied to that moment and it showed up in the way he expressed himself.

6. It answers the question, “Why? Why am I writing this piece anyway?” That answer often yields a greater passion for the project.

If you’re stuck, think about the pivotal point, the defining moment in your piece. Let it be a guide to how you proceed with everything else.

I Simply Don’t Have Time to Write!

2011-03-24T10:36:00.001-04:00

What do you do when you legitimately don’t have time to write? I know some will say to me, “You can always find time to write!” In theory, I agree, but I also know that some situations dictate that our time, every minute of it, be used for something of higher priority.

Case in point: I have a dear friend who used to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom who loved to write and had been published many times. Through an unexpected and unfortunate series of events, she woke up one day as a single mom, working a full time job. Every day was get up, get the kids ready, go to work at a stressful job, come home to housekeeping, cooking, helping with homework, arranging carpools, and finally falling into bed so she could start again the next day. Granted, as her girls have gotten older she’s managed to squeeze in some writing time around survival, but it wasn’t so for most of the last six years.

What can you do when the time just isn’t there? Obvious answers are to snatch moments, jot notes, try to arrange for writing time, keep a journal no matter what, and so forth. But I want to offer another solution: Wait.

I know that answer makes me highly unpopular. We are taught as writers to MAKE IT HAPPEN! I preach that myself. But sometimes it simply isn’t going to happen no matter what we do. At those times, something even greater than writing may be taking place. Sometimes rather than writing, we need to learn and live the lessons that we will later write about.

For example, when we moved to our current home, our neighbors owned two goats. Being a citizen of the suburbs, these farm creatures fascinated me and I quickly thought of an article title, “My Neighbors Are Old Goats!” But it took several years for that article to come to fruition because the goats had much to teach me about my marriage. Only when I’d learned all the lessons did I truly have fodder for writing.

One day I asked my friend, the single mom I spoke of earlier, how she reconciled the fact that she loved to write, but had no time to do so. Her answer was so wise: she trusted God that all the writing she had previously published was still out there impacting lives. Her words were still bearing fruit even though she hadn’t written anything new in a long time.

Your written words, whether published and affecting others, or sitting in journals like yet unplanted seeds, are still working for you. Find solace in this at those times when writing is only a dream on a faraway horizon.

Disclaimer: I’m not giving you a license to forego writing if your lack of time is caused by disorganization or poor time management skills. I’m talking crisis situations, those times when life crumbles around us and simply getting out of bed each day is a major feat.

Emotional Writing

2011-03-15T10:15:00.001-04:00

Today my most favorite guest blogger is joining us to share a post she wrote just for you. Allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Breanne. As you read, keep in mind that Breanne is just shy of sixteen and that I only tweaked maybe one little thing. The idea and the composition are 100% hers. I think you’ll agree that she’s one dynamite writer and a very wise young lady!

”But that dirty, rotten, no good (insert loathesome description here) hurt my . . .” Your what? Feelings? Pride?

I know you want to turn that horrible betrayer into a thinly veiled character in your latest fiction masterpiece, but don’t do it. We humans aren’t quite as dense as you hope. Your friends and that person will recognize who the character really is. Especially since you told everyone and their mother what that person did to you.

You must remember that the person whom you wish to feel the biting retaliation of your words is beloved of God. Christian or not, God wants to bring grace into that person’s situation as well as into your own. Emotional writing is not worth the trouble it can cause.

It’s okay to admit you’ve been hurt, or you're uncertain about your future, or even that you’re in love, but do so in a calm, rational manner. Ask God for peace about what you’re writing. Take into account how much you could hurt the person who hurt you. Is that what you want? Passion cools, but words cannot be taken back.

“The things we feel most deeply, we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God.”—Elisabeth Elliott

If you were to read my journal, you would think I live my life alternating between extreme emotional highs and extreme lows. But I don’t show people my journal, because it’s just between me and God. I allow myself that outlet for frustration and joy because, as a writer, I feel like I’ll explode if I don’t.

If you were to read my journal, you would see that the dates are sometimes months apart, that I almost never write about my everyday life, and that what is written there really doesn’t relate to what I post on my blog unless it is something God shows me during my personal Bible study.

One thing I do whenever I want to get a point across, but I feel a rush of overly emotional writing coming on, is to wait a day or so after writing it to post or send it. Upon reflection, I usually find things that need to be changed and made milder. Really, the world isn’t as dramatic as we, the poor victims of circumstance, would portray it to be.

I write a lot of emotional things. In fact, there are probably some emotional posts on my blog right now, but they won’t stay. I make it a point to go through periodically, and delete posts that are overly dramatic, potentially harmful, and just plain ridiculous. I don’t necessarily get rid of what I wrote permanently, but I save it somewhere no one else will read it.

So let’s review and emphasize:

-Don’t turn people you know into characters in your writing. Use aspects of their personality, but not the whole person.

-Remember that God loves the person who hurt you as much as he loves you.

-You can’t take back what you say, but you can have compassion and forgive. Trust me, it’s much more rewarding that way.

-Allow yourself a private outlet for frustration and joy. I would not suggest starting an anonymous blog. After all, it won’t be any different than posting where people you know can read because people will still read it, and someone you know will eventually find it.

-Wait. Give yourself time to consider whether or not what you wrote is a good thing to share.

-Delete. If you look back and see something too emotionally driven, get rid of it, and put it with your private writings.

Thanks, Bre, for sharing such a word of wisdom!

Where Steps Will Lead

2011-03-11T10:55:00.001-05:00

I just returned from a glorious few days in Wilmington, N.C.

I went there to speak to a group of home educators.

I truly had no idea what was in store for me.

They put me in a beach cottage tucked behind a larger home, surrounded by lush gardens.

The furnishings were exquisite, the nature so serene, and the quiet…oh, the quiet.

I heard God whisper to my heart.

His word was rich and alive.

I heard my own heart speak too.

I was keenly aware of what mattered…and what didn’t.

I could breathe.

Long, slow deep breaths.

I walked and meandered, laughing with my daughter.

Even to places I’d never dared to trod before.

Down a long pier without rails over a swampy marsh.

Were alligators lurking in the reeds?

And with every breath and every step I thanked my glorious God for this unexpected reprieve.

Truly, He had been good to me!

And He reminded me what had gotten me to this Eden, this paradise.

One step of obedience at a time.

One written word after one written word.

One spoken word after one spoken word.

One moment of courage at a time had gotten me to this place.

What step of obedience is God asking you to take today?

I know it’s scary when you only see the step or two in front of you.

I know that one step can seem so daunting and may require every bit of courage you can muster.

But take it anyway.

You never know where it might lead.

You just might find yourself in paradise.

That’s Not Writing!

2011-03-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

How many times do we sit down to write only to be distracted by a zillion things? And most of these things seem legitimate, or at least they start out that way. Before we know it, time has flown and we have no writing to show for it.

When we set aside writing time we need to make sure that words appear on the computer screen or paper. Only then can we say we truly wrote. Only then can we truly call it writing time.

Let’s be bold and name a few of the time stealers that deceive us into thinking we’ve used our writing time productively when, in fact, we’ve squandered it.

-Checking emails
-Reading or posting to social media
-Research or surfing the net
-Reorganizing our desk, office, or work area
-Rearranging computer files, deleting, or decluttering the computer
-Chatting, texting, emailing or talking to writers or anyone else
-Reading blogs and websites, even if they pertain to writing
-Checking in with our online writing groups
-Handling business details that relate to writing
-Planning what to write and how to write it
-Finding markets for our writing
-Blog or website maintenance
-Locating graphics to be used with our writing
-Networking or finding helpers to do the things we can’t (editors, proofreaders…)
-Marketing or advertising
-Ordering books, eBooks, or products to help with writing
-Signing up for writing conferences
-Looking back at things we’ve already written or published
-Daydreaming
-Working on any project that isn’t what we need to be working on at present
-Answering comments on our blog
-Jotting down ideas for another writing project
-Scheduling additional writing times on our calendar

All of these things can feel productive, but if it’s time we’ve set aside for writing, then we need to produce real writing—the writing we set out to do when we set aside the time.

But real writing is real work and that’s why it’s so easy to revert to piddly things, some of which may be very important, but not important enough to crowd out writing time.

We all know these things, but often we rationalize and reason away and continue with our bad habits, all the while forgetting that it’s costing us. In the end, we are the ones who will pay the price. We are the ones who will miss opportunities.

Let’s purpose to make the most of our writing time.

But I Have Small Children

2011-03-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Finding time to write can be difficult, but even more so when you have little ones who need your constant attention. I know mommies and daddies have very little time so let me get to the point and share some practical ideas for writers with young’uns.

1. Give yourself permission to survive. I don’t care what anybody says, sometimes you just don’t have writing time. I remember when my first child was born. I’d been through a horrendous labor that zapped all my strength and my baby didn’t like to sleep. It took weeks before I could walk across the room without collapsing. It took a full year before I even felt tinges of normal returning and it took two years before I had the mental energy to think a creative thought. At some junctions in life, surviving is enough.

2. Take advantage of naps. Forget about cleaning the house. It can wait or the kids can be your “helpers” later. Use nap time to tap into your creative side.

3. Put God first. If you have to choose between spending time with God and writing, choose God. Filling up is more important than pouring out. Besides, you will accomplish far more writing with God’s help than without it.

4. Barter for some writing time. Do you have a service you could offer someone in exchange for a few hours of babysitting? Can you swap kids with another mom? I used to trade kids once a week with a friend. One afternoon I’d be the babysitter and the next week I’d have free time.

5. Reserve special toys as treats. I have a love/hate relationship with Playdough. I always hated to clean up after the kids played with it because it was in the carpet, stuck to chairs, and stuck to the bottom of their socks. But Playdough was also my friend. I only allowed the kids to play with it once in a while and I made sure they had lots of colors and all the accessories to go with it. They would stay at the table for hours creating masterpieces, thus freeing me to focus on other things.

Choose a few special toys, things the kids dearly love, and reserve those for times when Mommy or Daddy need to write.

6. Include the kids. Supply them with paper, crayons, a pretend keyboard and let them “write” too.

7. Decide if it’s your hobby or your business. If writing is a hobby, then assign it that place in your life. It’s the thing you do to relieve stress, but it’s not something that should usurp your priorities or take over your life or your children’s lives. If it’s a business, then you’ll have to get very intentional about scheduling time and getting help so that the kids aren’t shortchanged in the equation.

8. Snatch the time. Seize whatever writing time presents itself. Be ready at a moment’s notice to write. If your spouse takes the kids for a walk, if they suddenly become engrossed in an activity, if a sleepy child goes to bed early—snatch it!

9. Be fully present. If you are with the kids, be with the kids, not in a creative stupor. If it’s time to write, then write. Don’t feel guilty or rehearse your “to do” list in your head. Engage.

10. Don’t put the kids on hold. Writing can wait, children cannot. This time will pass quickly. When the kids are grown I promise you won’t look back and say, “If only I’d spent less time with those doggone kids and gotten more writing done!” But you will regret it if their childhood is lost while you stare at a computer screen. Keep everything in perspective.

Editing to say this post wasn't supposed to appear until next Monday, but here we are. I guess we'll get back to the "it" factor in the next post!

Since we're on a roll of changing topics, let me say that my friend Bethany is offering one of her eBooks, Taming the Paper Monster, at a 20% discount. Who couldn't use a resource for cutting down on paper? Just go to her website and click on eBooks to find this treasure.

Exploring the “It” Factor

2011-03-03T07:00:00.003-05:00

In a former post, I introduced you to five bloggers (Donna, Emily, Nester, Scooper, Sandy) who have the “it” factor, that certain something that makes them stand out amongst writers. If you haven’t already read that post and poked around their blogs, I’d encourage you to do so in order to better understand what I’m about to say.

I’ve given lots of thought as to what contributes to the “it” factor and these are my discoveries, using those five bloggers as examples.

1. They have style. If you gave me 100 anonymous blog posts to read, I can pretty much guarantee I could identify the five that were written by these bloggers. These girls could never write for a textbook because none of them would be able to conform. Each has her own quirkiness to add to the mix. For example, I’m convinced that Sandy could turn an encyclopedia into a classic work of art.

2. They are unique. This sort of goes with style, but it’s a little different. These bloggers don’t worry about what’s trendy or in; they are very comfortable in their own skin and make no attempt to mold to someone else’s. Donna comes to mind. The girl decorates her home with rusty gears. Need I say more?

3. They are genuine. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting three of these ladies: Emily, Nester, and Scooper, and what you read on their blogs is exactly what you get in person. Nester, whose motto is “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” lives 15 minutes from my house so I invited her to tea one day. I was so nervous, fully expecting her to scoff at my undecorated, badly-in-need-of-repair home. Instead she pointed out all the things to love about my house and by the time she left I felt like hugging and kissing my walls. Real deal.

4. They connect with readers. These girls don’t blog to self. They have a clear reader in mind and they play to that reader. Each is ever mindful of her audience and much less mindful of her own reputation. That’s not to say they ham it up or seek to gain a following. No, they just connect. Take Emily for example. She writes about ordinary days and ordinary things we all feel and do, but her words pierce through our masks and stir the river of emotions deep within.

5. They take risks. These bloggers aren’t afraid to step outside-the-box—they live there! Recently, Scooper wrote an incredibly transparent story about her marriage that few would dare to share. But it made her readers love her all the more. These girls aren’t afraid to leave the comfort zone behind and lay it on the line.

6. They didn’t seek success. Ask any one of these ladies if she started a blog with the intent to gain fame, recognition, wealth, or influence. Ask any one if she started her blog to catch a publisher’s eye. No, each one started a blog for a reason of her own that had nothing to do with fame or fortune.

7. They write their passion. I truly believe this is the most essential key to the “it” factor. Each one of these bloggers writes what she loves to write and that passion oozes out with every word typed. Emily once wrote that she got the most comments and views on posts about remodeling her house. A less passionate writer might have been swayed to turn her blog into a decorating hub to gain popularity. But decorating isn’t Emily’s passion and she wouldn’t be sold out. She stuck to her guns, writing about ordinary life in an extraordinary way. Shortly thereafter, she was awarded a two book contract with a major publisher.

What do you think? What creates the “it” factor in a writer? Do you know other bloggers or writers who have “it?” Feel free to comment and tell us where to find them.

The “It” Factor

2011-03-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

I have a pretty good track record for picking winners when it comes to writing. I don’t say that to brag, but I’ve seriously considered pursuing a job as an agent or an acquisitions editor because I know a publishable writer when I spot one.

Some writers have the “it” factor. It’s a total package, a persona, a certain something that causes them to stand out in the best sort of way.

One day I spent a lot of time thinking about what exactly creates the “it” factor in a writer and I came to some conclusions, but I’m not going to share them—at least not now.

First, I’d like to introduce you to five bloggers who definitely have “it” and I want you to spend a little time visiting their blogs and discovering for yourself why they have “it.” Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and I’ll share mine in my next post.

-I’ve long encouraged Donna at Funky Junk Interiors to write a book and just a few weeks ago she got her first book contract. If this girl isn’t on HGTV within the next five years I’ll be very surprised. She’s a rising star for sure.

-I adore Emily at Chatting at the Sky as both a person and a writer. She afforded me the honor and privilege of helping prepare her first book proposal and from the moment I read the draft I knew she would be published. You’re going to love her!

-I’ve long badgered the Nester (Emily’s sister) about writing a book. I’ll never forget the first time I read her blog. I read for hours because I simply could not stop. I predict books and TV in her future.

-One of my newest discoveries is Scooper. She makes me laugh and cry and feel so deeply. The girl moves me with her words. I’d like nothing better than to sit outside with a cup of tea in one hand and a book by Scooper in the other.

-Sandy at Quill Cottage marries art with words, transporting me to a world I can’t find on my own. She is a true artisan in every way. I expect to see her work in magazines with beautiful layouts and I could easily see her preparing books that combine the beauty of both her words and her art.

These certainly aren’t the only bloggers with the “it” factor, but they happen to be ones that are near and dear to my heart. I hope you will visit their blogs and think about why these gals would be publishable. Next time I’ll share my thoughts about the traits they all share.

Great Blogging Resource!

2011-02-25T12:21:00.001-05:00

I get a lot of questions about blogging, which is odd considering I’m not a mega blogger with thousands of followers. Recently, I discovered a fantastic blogging resource that answers a lot of questions I’m asked and a lot that I’ve asked myself. And it’s written by a woman with over 12,000 followers so I think she knows a thing or two about blogging!

It’s an eBook called Simple Blogging by Rachel Meeks and I can tell you that the title hooked me right in. I crave anything that will make life simpler!

The book did not disappoint. It includes lots of practical advice for people who want to blog successfully and still live a life too. Plus, it has gobs of helpful links listed at the end. Like its name, this book is simple enough that even non-techie types like me can understand it and employ Rachel’s suggestions.

I liked this eBook so much that I ventured into my first ever affiliate arrangement which means that when someone clicks through this Encouraging Words for Writers blog and orders the eBook, I get a portion of the proceeds.

This book is for bloggers in any stage of the journey and it has officially become my “go to” book that I’ll refer people to when they ask blogging questions that I feel ill qualified to answer.

Pop on over to Simple Blogging and take a look.

When Will You Get Serious?

2011-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

When will you take your writing seriously? When will you stop daydreaming about someday and start taking action today?

For some of you, this is easy. You have an internal motivating device that gets you moving and keeps you moving. I believe that’s called self-discipline.

But for the rest of us, acting on our writing dreams and maintaining momentum can be a little harder. So what does it take to make us take charge and get going?

Often it takes a crisis or a serious amount of discomfort. I’ve heard that eagle parents use this tactic when it’s time for the babies to fly. They start throwing the soft, cushy stuff out of the nest until the eaglets become so uncomfortable that they are willing to venture outside the nest in search of something better.

Recently, I had a mini crisis of sorts that made me stand up at attention. A funny thing happened during this time: I lost all inhibitions.

Suddenly, I was no longer afraid to step out and take a risk. I contacted people I’d been timid to contact before. I was willing to ditch certain things and try new things. I no longer cared about my reputation or what people thought. In fact, I was willing to revamp my entire life if that’s what it took. Staying in my situation created more fear than doing something about it.

Discomfort is our friend. It makes us step up to the plate and swing the bat. It makes us turn daydreams into reality. And it gives us uncommon courage to try things we never thought we would.

Are you uncomfortable today? Are you being squeezed and pressured? Is life throwing you a curve ball?

Take a chance. Step out in courage. Pursue your writing dreams.

The Filling Station

2011-02-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Are you regularly filling up?

Do you take time away from writing to do other things that you enjoy, things that rejuvenate and refresh?

I know what some of you are thinking, “Writing is what I do to rejuvenate. It’s my outlet, my art, the thing that soothes and calms and refreshes me.”

But did you know that writing, even when you love it, is a pouring out of yourself? You empty yourself of words and thoughts and ideas. And any time you empty yourself you tread on dangerous ground if you do not also take time to refill and replenish.

These are some things I do to keep my tank full:

-Have a daily quiet time with the Lord first thing in the morning. This is not a duty or an item to be checked off the list, though I admit that at one time I felt that way. It’s my big buffet breakfast after a night of sleep. Because this is my regular habit, I wake up hungry for God. Nothing else I do, writing included, satisfies like this morning time alone with God.

-Take some downtime before sleep at night. I’d love to say I do this every night, but this is a harder one to keep. Usually I’m so tired by day’s end that I just want to fall in the bed. Sometimes, though, I’ll watch a little TV with the family or read a good book. I don’t normally read fiction, but I do find it rather soothing at bedtime.

-Observe the Sabbath. This isn’t a hard and fast legalistic rule, but I do try to abstain from work and focus on resting, spending time with family, spending a little extra time with God, and doing pleasant things that I enjoy and don’t get to do much during the week.

-Exercise at the gym 3-4 times per week. If you had told me last year that this one would be on the list I would have laughed myself silly. My, oh, my how things change! The gym is my chance to let my mind zone out. Sometimes I listen to music, often I watch the Home and Garden channel, sometimes I just zone out and watch what’s happening around me. I find that my mind acts like a filing cabinet while I’m exercising, sorting through and organizing thoughts.

-Spend time with writers. A meaty writing conference, reading writing blogs or simply talking shop with other writers ministers back to me the very thing I pour out. Always refreshing, though sometimes a little too stimulating to promote rest.

What do you do to refill? If you don’t have some cushion areas in your schedule then I encourage you to find ways, however small they might be, to fuel up every single day.

A Kindred Spirit

2011-02-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

What made you want to write?

I’m sure each of us would answer that question differently.

Personally, I can name people, circumstances, God-given desires, and a host of other things that influenced my decision to become a writer. But I can also name some books and stories and characters that helped with that decision. In fact, my love of the craft was deeply influenced by a red-headed orphan named Anne Shirley.

I was in the fifth grade when my best friend, Shaunna, a Canadian native, placed Anne of Green Gables in my hands. Shaunna was even more of an avid reader than I was, if that was possible. She had already introduced me to Laura Ingalls Wilder so I was eager to meet her new friend, Anne Shirley.

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Anne and her antics. I could relate to her hot temper, her deep-seated passions, her ability to get lost in revelry and forget the real world, and her desire to turn everything into something romantic. I found a true kindred spirit, as Anne would say.

I’ll never forget the Christmas Eve that I laid on the floor beside the Christmas tree, lovingly stroking rectangular presents, each exactly the same size. I could not wait until Christmas morning to open the entire Anne of Green Gables series in hardback form.

Even today, I keep in touch with my kindred spirit. Every time I set the stove on fire or do some other ridiculous thing in the kitchen (which happens often!), I think of Anne and her culinary mishaps. And every time I open my daughter’s book closet and spy those hardbacks from my childhood, I smile.

As a child I vowed that one day I would write in a way that would affect people just like Anne affected me. I longed to create that same awe and wonder in others. I don’t think I’m there yet, but I do thank Anne Shirley and her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery. for planting the desire.

What about you? Do you have any fictional characters or childhood books that have influenced your writing? Do share!

My Daughter the Writer

2011-02-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

I didn’t ask God for a daughter. I only asked Him for children, leaving the gender up to Him. But in His infinite wisdom, He knew I’d need her.

I didn’t ask God to give me a writer. I figured my kids would be so sick of hearing about writing by the time they were half grown that they would go as far as possible in the other direction. But once again, God’s infinite wisdom dictated that my girl would love words and languages and writing.

And now, with my son five hours away at college, my daughter and I spend our homeschooling days together. And we spend a lot of time talking about…words.

It thrills my heart to share this passion with her.

She reads and reads and reads, even more than I did as a teen. She reads everything from Elisabeth Elliott to Harry Potter and Twilight to self-published books. And she critiques them all.

It’s so fun to ask her about a book. Rather than giving a synopsis of the story, she offers her opinion of the writing style. “The characters were flat and lifeless,” or “The author has an amazing mastery of dialogue.” She goes into great detail about the strengths and weaknesses of each writing style.

And she writes—on her blog, in her journal, and when she writes fiction—Oh my stars! It’s fabulous!

Is it any wonder then, that God, once again in His infinite wisdom, has started opening writing doors for her? First, she stepped out with faith and courage to start the blog. Then her Key Club advisor asked her to become the newsletter editor. Her job is to interview other Key Club members and write their bios. Even more recent, an author who is writing a book for teens asked for her feedback on the manuscript before it goes to the publisher.

And we are attending a writing conference this month—together.

I didn’t ask for a daughter who is a writer, but from the bottom of my heart I’m so thankful to have her! And I’m so thankful that in the teenage years when most moms and daughters are drifting apart, we have this common bond drawing us together.

And I’m so thankful that when she speaks of writers she says, “Like us, Mom.”

Happy Valentine's Day sweet daughter of mine!

Taming the Preacher Within

2011-02-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

A fairly common issue I face in working with writers is a preachy tone. It seems to creep into writing, especially writing that is near and dear to the writer’s heart, or a topic the writer knows a lot about, or anything that is emotionally-charged. Unfortunately, it spells death to gaining readership.

Let’s talk about how to do away with this vice and make writing more palatable to the reader.

Be humble. Let’s face it, a preachy tone often stems from a prideful spirit. Take the pride test: If your predominant thought as you write is, “I’m right, you’re wrong,” you’re operating in pride. It’s wise to take a moment before writing anything and pray, asking God to remove all pride so you can humbly present your case.

Teach, don’t preach. A preacher is commandment-oriented. “This is the command. Do it!” A teacher is people-oriented. A preacher spews out information and let’s the cards fall where they may. A teacher seeks to present the information in a way the student can understand.

Focus on your audience. This goes along with being a teacher. Instead of focusing on yourself, shine the spotlight on your reader. Who is your reader? What does that person need or desire? How can you present the information in a way that is palatable to your reader?

Take “I” out of it. Make sure your work isn’t riddled with statements like:
”In my opinion…”
”I think that…”
”It’s my belief that…”
Too many of these and you’ll come across as self-absorbed.

Take “you” out of it. Have you ever been in a church where the preacher constantly talked about all the things “you” ought to do? How did it make you feel? Did you feel condemned as if somehow the preacher was on a superior level to “you"?” That’s how your reader feels when you constantly point the finger at “you.”

Be respectful of others. Don’t use other people for all of your bad examples. If at all possible, find something from your own life to use as the example of someone doing something the wrong way. This makes you human to the reader and saves the reputation of others. If you must use another as your example, do so discreetly and with anonymity.

Don’t write when you’re emotional. Hurt, offense, anger, pain, embarrassment, discouragement, and PMS lend themselves to preachy writing. When you’re emotional, write in your journal, not for the public.

Write unto others as you would have them write unto you. Do you like to read preachy, dogmatic writing? Neither does your reader. Write in the style that you would most like to read.

Your reader may not always agree with you. In fact, if you write about controversial matters, you are sure to ruffle some feathers. But even in those instances, you can write in a tone that is humble, not preachy. And even your enemies will respect you for that.

Gleaning

2011-02-07T07:00:00.002-05:00

The other day I read a statement by an author who said the polar opposite of something I said on this blog a few weeks ago. Did it ruffle me? Nope. I realize she’s writing from her experience and I’m writing from mine.

I guarantee that if we lined up ten of the bestselling authors and writers in the world and asked them a series of questions about writing we would get ten very different opinions. And I’m quite certain that in several instances we would hear conflicting viewpoints.

Of course, that makes things confusing for writers who are trying to learn from the experts. If one says one thing and another says something completely different, which one do you believe?

In my opinion, you believe them both. But you take the advice that works best for you and leave the rest.

The important thing isn’t necessarily who’s right or who’s wrong, but that you are willing to learn. You’ll try to implement some of the advice and it will be spot on, a godsend for you. Other times you’ll try to put it into practice and it will flop. That doesn’t mean the advice was bad, but it just doesn’t work for you like it did for the writer who offered it.

You’ll drive yourself nuts if you try to follow every expert’s advice. You’ll do and undo and do and undo. Instead, simply glean what you can use and leave the rest in the field.

Three Things That Sell a Book

2011-02-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Next time you’re at the bookstore, take a few minutes to watch the other customers browse for books. I bet you’ll see the following scenario played out, though maybe not in this exact order.
1. The person notices something that catches the eye—the cover or the title.
2. The person picks up the book and flips it over to read the back cover.
3. The person skims through the book, eventually landing at the table of contents.

The three things that sell books:
-the cover/title
-the back cover
-the table of contents

Obviously, content, word of mouth, being on the New York Times bestseller list, and marketing also sells books, but I’m talking about how the average person decides to buy a book in a bookstore.

Cover/Title The cover consists of both images and title and both are very important. On the image end of things, any of these things might catch a reader’s eye: an unusual photo or picture, color, font style, general layout, style or mood of the cover, anything that makes the book unique, or a catchy title.

The title is an extremely important element because, in reality, many covers of books in the bookstore are not seen by the public. Often only bestsellers and new products by top authors will be displayed in such a way so the reader can actually see the cover. The rest of the books will be observed by spine only, so the reader only sees the title initially.

Without a doubt, the few words that make up the title are probably the most important words in the whole book from a marketing standpoint. They are the hook that gets the reader to take a look. Without a look, no sale.

The Back Cover The back cover generally consists of a short synopsis of the book and a bio of the author. While the title reels the reader in, the back cover is at least 50% of the sale. Few things stress me more than writing back covers because every single word must be carefully scrutinized for marketing potential.

The synopsis of the book needs to include the big picture, but also enough pertinent details to make the reader want to read more. It must be written wisely and with great care.

The bio connects the potential reader with the author. One thing that helps greatly, especially for visual folks, is a picture of the author. When writing a bio, think about the typical reader of the book and what facts that person would want to know about the author in order to make an emotional connection.

The Table of Contents The hook lures the customer in, the back cover peaks interest, but the table of contents closes the deal. It needs to accurately reflect the meat of the book. The tone of the book also needs to be reflected. If the book has a humorous air then the chapter titles must have the same humor. If the style is informative or technical, so should the chapters be.

The key here is to make sure the chapter titles portray what is in each chapter. Have you ever looked at a table of contents that had really creative chapter titles, but left you scratching your head as to what the content of those chapters might be? You don’t want that. It’s okay to be creative as long as the content is reflected amongst the creativity.

The amount of input you have in each of these areas will depend on which publishing avenue you take. Also, when selling books online certain aspects of the book, such as cover design, might be more important than they would be to a person physically holding the book in a bookstore.

Overall, though, these elements are crucial to selling the books you put blood, sweat, and tears into writing.

The Struggle and the Balance

2011-02-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

I walked in the door after meeting with a writing client and his wife. I was in writing mode, pumped up, ready to dig in and get some serious work done. It would be easy; it always is when I’m in that frame of mind.

But my daughter had something else on her mind. Would I take her to the fabric store to get some scraps for the rag rug she’s making?

Torn.

This would be such a prime time to get some writing done and I knew it would come easily and efficiently, much easier than it does when I have to prime the pump. But my daughter is my first priority, above my work. And I’m keenly aware than in just a few short years she will be off to college, not here to ask for my time.

Torn.

If I said yes to writing I’d feel guilty the whole time and my efficiency would go down the drain. If I said yes to my daughter, I’d never be able to retrieve the zone again and I’d feel guilty for not accomplishing something when I had the chance.

Torn.

That’s how I live my life. Torn. This one scenario plays out day after day, only the characters and circumstances change. I want to write and produce and to have something to sell the people who always email me asking if I have another curriculum completed yet, but the reality is I’m a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a homeschooling mom, and I still haven’t figured out how to balance it all and accomplish much. And I spend a lot of time feeling guilty because of it.

Torn.

And I’m writing this because if there is anything I truly want to be on this blog it’s real. And I know a lot of you experience the same struggles in one way or another and the same feelings and the same guilt.

I wish I had pat answers for all of us: a magic schedule that allows for writing time at just the right moments, a scale that perfectly balances life for writers so that nothing is ever out of whack, or even a crystal ball that lets us know the right choice to make every time we have to decide the best way to use our time. But I’m human and I don’t have any of those things to offer.

I do, however, offer empathy. I can feel your struggles. I know them well.
And I know the answer lies in listening to the Lord. I wish I could say that I always hear Him perfectly and always know the right choice to make, but sometimes I think I need a heavenly hearing aid.

So I offer encouragement to all of you who know what it feels like to be torn. You are not alone.

P.S. I struggled more pressing "publish" on this post than any I've ever written. It feels very raw and vulnerable, maybe too transparent. But it is what it is.

Hold Your Writing With an Open Hand

2011-01-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Will you yield it to God?

Will you open your tightly clenched fist and offer back to God the gift He has given you?

Will you push back my writing dreams and my will in order to make room for His?

Those are questions the Lord posed to me recently. “Bonita, will you offer up to me your writing hopes and dreams? Even if they never come to fruition, will you let go and place them in my hands?”

Hard questions.

In the back of my mind I presumed this was one of those Abraham tests where God asks me to give up something and then He comes through at the last minute and tells me it won’t really be necessary, He just wanted to see if I would do it.

So He said, “Bonita, will you stop sending the weekly writing emails you’ve sent for the last four years?” I said yes and waited for God to tell me He was only kidding, it was only a test.

But He didn’t. It wasn’t a test. It was the real deal. He was genuinely asking me to sacrifice something that I’d birthed and raised for the last four years, a writing child if you will.

Thoughts ran through my mind. “But I’ve got hundreds of writers on that subscription list, a captive audience, and you want me to throw that away? Those people count on me and I count on them. And what about sticking with what you start? You want me to quit? Just like that?”

I could think of a million reasons why I shouldn’t stop the emails, but none of them quelled the knowing on the inside that this was what I needed to do. In the end, I obeyed, but pressing “send” on that final email was hard and it took me a long time of just staring at the word before I could actually bring myself to do it.

So I counsel you, writer friend, hold loosely to your writing. It isn’t really yours at all. It’s His—His words, His inspiration, His message, His purpose.

Keep your hand open, never clenching and screaming, “Mine!” Be open to all that God has in mind. And should the day ever come when He asks you to hand over one of your writing dreams, let Him have it.

But don’t stop there.

Look down at your open, empty hand, a hand waiting to be filled, and allow Him to fill it in any way He chooses. For it is when we let go of what is “ours” that we are free to embrace all that He longs to give us.

Somebody Can Do It Better

2011-01-25T18:03:00.001-05:00

The first year I taught writing classes was really an experiment. Did I even know how to teach writing?

One day I was driving to class when insecurity gripped me. I thought of all the people I knew personally who were better writers than me, better teachers than me, or had a degree in English or Creative Writing. “Oh, Lord,” I cried, “so many people could teach these classes so much better than me!”

Immediately, these words came to mind, “Yes, but they aren’t doing it are they?”

It was true that a lot of other people could have done a much better job, people with years of experience and expert skill. I could have rattled off at least a handful of names without even trying. But God hadn’t asked any of those people to teach the writing classes or if He had they weren’t doing it. He had given me that task, not because I was so overly qualified and not because I was a sensational writer, but because it fit His plan and purpose.

A few years later I started teaching in a co-op. Up to that point, I’d taught in a bookstore by myself, but at co-op each teacher had at least one assistant. I was mortified to discover that my assistant would be the other writing teacher at the co-op. Would she analyze everything I said and did? Would she point out all of my inadequacies and mistakes? After all, I was a thousand percent certain that she’d been doing this longer and had to be a much better teacher than me. Turns out, she became a precious friend and we continue to encourage and glean from each other to this day. My fears were unfounded.

Today I visit blogs of true writing artists and I want to crawl under my desk. Am I so brazen to name my blog Encouraging Words for Writers when such mastery and talent lies only a few mouse clicks away? So many of you write way better than me. So many are true wordsmiths. And I feel very small when I read your writing.

The truth is somebody out there can write better than you and I can. Sometimes when we encounter their writing we want to run and hide and never write another word because we feel so insecure. But the good news is there is room for all. Not only is there room for all, but there is a need for all, for every writer that God has called or gifted or commissioned to share His words with a big ole lost world.

Somebody can write better than you, my friend. Accept it and keep on typing.

Walk With a Purpose

2011-01-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

My kids are very familiar with a statement that I make all the time, “Walk like you have a purpose in life.”

Sometimes, particularly since becoming teenagers, they get a case of the slumpy frumpies. They walk around with drooping shoulders moving at the speed of a snail and with the energy of a sloth. When I catch one of them doing this, I get in his or her face, roll the shoulders back, lift the chin, push the belly in and say, “Remember who you are and walk like it.”

Recently, I had an unusual experience that spotlighted my own case of the slumpy frumpies. I took my son back to college after his Christmas vacation and found myself iced in at my parents’ house 250 miles from home for five solid days. I had every comfort-warmth, food, cozy surroundings, a treadmill, even a little bit of Internet (I was afraid I’d break my dad’s new computer so I didn’t use it much). What I didn’t have was any of my writing or other work. My greatest commodity was time and I spent a lot of it thinking and praying and pondering.

Prior to this unexpected and unplanned vacation, I’d done a lot of wrestling and wrangling with my mission and self-confidence and it had left my shoulders drooping. I wasn’t holding my head high. I wasn’t walking with purpose. I was getting by. Barely.

At the beginning of the five days I was anxious and fretful, trying to figure out a safe way to get home over 250 miles of icy road. But as each day passed with no thaw in sight, I began to relax, to listen, to accept this time as a gift from God rather than a hindrance to my plans.

By the end of the five days my shoulders were no longer stooped, my attitude was lifted high, and I knew my purpose and what I had to do when I returned home. What a difference it made in my ability to write and run my business.

Remember that old saying. “Fake it till you make it?” That’s exactly what I’m going to ask you to do today, my friend. Maybe your shoulders are slumped and you’re wondering about your writing purpose. Just for this one day I want you to do something. I want you to pretend that you have a book at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. I want you to walk and talk and act like you would if that was truly the case. Carry yourself like a respected writer. Hold that air of confidence. Treat yourself like you’re pumping out books left and right with publishers lining up to court you.

See how it affects your ability to write. See how it affects your want to. See how it changes everything.

My friend, if you will walk as though you have a purpose in life, I promise you that purpose will one day show up in front of you.

You Don’t Say!

2011-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

He said.
She said.
They said.
We said.

Too often I read work where everyone is “saying” far too much.

Doesn’t anyone know how to reply or ask or shout or joke or exclaim?

When writing dialogue, it helps to be specific, particularly if the way a character says something is going to display his or her personality, motive, or in any other way enhance the story.

For example, let’s pretend our character has attitude. Look at all the ways she might express it:
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she smirked.
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she groaned.
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she yelled.
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she snapped.
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she retorted.

Get the picture?

It’s true that one can use adverbs for a similar effect:
”I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she replied sarcastically.
“I could have done better than that in my sleep,” she boasted haughtily.

But one extremely specific verb trumps an adverb nearly every time. Not to mention, it tightens the writing and decreases word count.

The key is balance. You can’t use said for every word of conversation, but neither can you get so verb happy that your characters chortle and snort and demand and quip and scream and shout and whisper to the point of being obnoxious.

100% said = boredom
100% specific verbs = nauseating

A 50/50 ratio usually works well, though sometimes a 75/25 ratio in favor of “said” might work even better.

It goes without saying (haha), to read your work aloud and use your judgment as to the balance of the two.

Believable Dialogue

2011-01-15T15:47:00.001-05:00

Dialogue can be an enhancer to any story and to a great many other types of writing as well. It moves the story forward, brings characters to life, and adds interest. However, it needs to be handled with precision in order to be effective.

When it comes to writing believable dialogue, four things must be considered: words, topic, tone, and body language.

Words: Simply put, only use words that line up with the way the character would really talk. For example, a backwoods hillbilly wouldn’t use the same terminology as a royal queen. They have vastly different vocabularies and each needs to stay true to his or her position in life.

A lot of my writing students miss the point on this one. In an effort to be grammatically correct, they don’t use contractions or slang or anything but acceptable English when their characters speak. Yet, how many of us truly speak perfect English? Most of us have our own version of the language. Dialogue is one of the few places where it’s perfectly acceptable, and much preferred, to allow characters to speak as they actually do and not as the rules of grammar dictate.

Topic: Is the topic of conversation something your character would normally speak about and is it worthy to be included in your work? Granted, we all might speak about many topics, but certain people are going to gravitate toward certain topics. Make sure your character is speaking his native language in this regard.

Also, make sure this particular conversation is necessary to your work. Does it move the story forward? Does it have a purpose? If it’s just filling space, leave it out.

Tone: We all have a natural bent to our personality. Some are loud, some funny, some downcast and sullen, some sarcastic, some are complainers and the list goes on and on. Your character also has a natural bent and needs to lean into it in when conversing. For example, if your character is a negative person then he’s going to find the dark cloud in most every interaction. If he’s optimistic, then he’s going to find the silver lining and speak in an energetic, upbeat manner.

Body language: Our conversations are not mere words. We are all doing something as we speak. We might be listening intently, gazing earnestly, walking briskly, folding laundry, tapping nervously, or engaging in any of our myriad of individual quirks. In fact, much of what we communicate in any conversation is done without words at all. Body language mixed with tone, accounts for a huge amount of our communication.

Few conversations are interesting enough to hold their own as black words on white paper without a little physical involvement from the characters. Not to mention, appropriate body language adds emphasis to the spoken words.

The best way to learn to write dialogue is to listen to conversations around you, noting all of the four elements listed above. Don’t assume that this is an elementary exercise and you already know the outcome. I think you’ll be very surprised at what you find when you become a student of the conversations happening around you.

Here and There

2011-01-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Want a quick tip to improve your writing? Look over whatever you've written and note any sentences that begin with here or there. In almost every instance a sentence that begins with either of these words can be reworked and improved.

Think about the words here and there used as the subject of a sentence. They aren't nouns. They can't do or be anything. They are vague, non-descript words and they don't need to be at the forefront of a sentence.

Instead, find a solid subject, one that clearly defines what you mean. Sometimes that subject can be found elsewhere in the sentence or sometimes you might have to start from scratch. In a lot of cases, the problem can be solved by simply omitting here or there from the beginning of the sentence.

Read these examples:
Original: There are writers everywhere in the world.
New versions:
Writers are everywhere in the world.
or
The world is full of writers.

Original: Here are your books.
New version: Your books are here.

I'd offer some sentences for you to change, but I'm guessing that if you look over some things you've written, you'll find sentences of your own that need a better subject.

Beginning sentences with here and there is a common problem among writers of every age. Unfortunately, it also spells novice in the eyes of an editor. If this is a habit you've developed, as it is for a large percentage of writers, nip it. Your writing will be much better for it.

Jumpstart Your Writing Year

2011-01-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

I can’t think of a better way to start a new writing year than by reading W. Terry Whalin’s Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. As soon as I read it, this one skyrocketed to the top of my favorites list.

Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams is the go-to book for anyone who is serious about the business of writing. It’s like a modern day encyclopedia of writing and publishing. Regardless of your genre or where you’re at on your writing journey, this book offers valuable information that will help you move forward with your dreams.

Twenty short, easy-to-read chapters offer just about everything you need to know about publishing. At the end of each chapter, Terry shares a “Dig Deeper” section that lists other helpful resources that relate to the topics addressed in each

chapter. This is followed by an “Awaken Your Dreams” section that suggests ways to implement what was discussed. The book even includes a handy index to help you locate information about specific topics, making it a handy reference tool for writers.

Aside from the wealth of useful information provided, I particularly like two other aspects of this book. First, Terry has many years of experience in all aspects of publishing. He knows the subject from the vantage point of both the writer and the publishing house. He isn’t just theorizing, but he shares the knowledge that he’s gained from years of personal experience. Secondly, his writing is easy to read and understand, yet entertaining. He presents information in a simple, straightforward manner, but does so using the writing skills that he himself has developed through countless years of practice.

As far as I’m concerned every writer needs a copy of Jumpstart Your Writing Dreams on his or her bookshelf. It does exactly what it says it will do. It jumpstarts you so that you are ready to dust off your writing dreams and actually pursue them.

Disclosure: Terry sent me a copy of his book for the purpose of reviewing it. However, I’ve long been a fan of W. Terry Whalin’s writing materials and had he not sent me a copy I would have bought my own and said exactly what I said in this post. Good stuff!

Thank you, Mr. Reporter

2010-12-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

Forty-three Christmases ago I watched a parade in a small town only a few miles from my current home. I was only three, but I remember the scene in vivid detail.

I don’t recall much about the parade (except Santa), but I do remember the cotton candy my mom bought me, probably to take my mind off of the blustery winter day. And I remember the man in the long dark coat who ran across the street toward us just as soon as the last float had cleared. While I had been eagerly watching the parade, he had been eagerly watching me.

He was a stranger and at first I felt shy, but when he offered to purchase another round of cotton candy he became my BFF. I couldn’t figure out why my mom would allow a second dose of spun sugar so as soon as it landed in my hands I buried my face to get a big mouthful, just in case my mom changed her mind.

At first the stranger said, “No!”, but as soon as I pulled my face back he was overcome with delight when he saw my cotton candy goatee. He pointed a big black thing at me and the next day my face was plastered on the front page of the newspaper.

My mother said he was a reporter. I had no idea what that meant, but I decided that whatever a reporter was, I liked him very much. When I saw my picture in the newspaper I liked him even better.

Way down in my little girl heart something stirred. I connected the dots that this picture + word thing was a good deal. The stranger had been generous. He had taken my ordinary little life and made me feel so special, not to mention I got free cotton candy out of the deal. A tiny seed was planted, an inkling of a desire to do the same for others.

Mr. Reporter from the 1960s, whether you’re still on this earth or not, thank you for that tiny seed. It sprouted, it grew, and now I, too, use my life and words to bless others.

As we celebrate this season of giving, take a moment to remember those who have impacted your writing journey and say a prayer of thanks for them. If possible, send a note, an email, or a text and share your appreciation. What better gift could you give?

Two Tips Plus More

2010-12-01T23:18:00.003-05:00

Last night my son called from college to inform me that he did well enough on his last writing paper that he doesn’t have to take the final exam. He’s thrilled!

These days he’s thankful to dear old Mom for all of that writing instruction over the years. He didn’t care for it at the time, but it’s proving to be very beneficial in college.

He told me two things that I taught him that have helped him the most and I thought I’d share them here because they are things that are beneficial to all writers.

1. Learning how to organize thoughts into a logical flow of writing. Granted, his college professor doesn’t care for five paragraph essays or other standard forms of writing that we teach school kids. Nevertheless, knowing how to create a basic skeleton on which to hang your thoughts is absolutely necessary to any form of writing.

2. Knowing how to critique someone else’s paper. Learning to examine another person’s writing and give feedback beyond “fine” or “good” is so beneficial to writers. If you can articulate precisely what makes another person’s writing wonderful or awful, it will transfer to your own writing as well. You’ll develop a critical eye that will help so much with revising your own work. This is where a healthy writing critique group comes in handy.

Coming Attractions and Your Input

2010-11-19T08:57:00.001-05:00

Next week is such an exciting time for me. Not only is it Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, but my son is coming home from college for the first time since August! I forewarn you that my world will stop spinning when my boy comes home and you won’t be hearing much from me.

I know these last few weeks of the year will be busy for all of us so I’m not planning any earth-shattering posts during this time frame. However, I am thinking ahead to the new year and what it holds in store for my little writing blog. Matter of fact, I woke up very early this morning with some fresh ideas brewing.

One thing I’d really like to do is create a series about improving your writing. This would include various tricks of the trade to take your writing from great to glorious. Improving writing doesn’t always have to be an arduous task. You can make great strides by implementing a few simple tactics.

Another thing I’d personally enjoy is more interaction with you, my readers. I think question and answer sessions are in order. If you have a question burning in your heart that you just must know the answer to, let me know. You can ask anything about writing or if you have questions that pertain to me personally, that’s okay too. Chances are, if you have a question, someone else would also like to know the answer.

Finally, I’d like input from you. What topics would you like to see addressed on this blog? What interests you? How could the blog be improved (be gentle on me, please!)? What do you like best? Why do you visit here? I’d love to hear anything and everything you have to say so comment or email to your heart’s content.

I’m getting excited already!

It’s your turn. What’s on your heart?

The Vital Union

2010-11-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

I get so many emails and comments from people who have a sense that they are supposed to be writing, but can’t put their finger on the direction to take. A book? Magazine articles? A blog? Writing just for family or self?

I know these struggles well. My own writing journey has been anything but placid and smooth. Every time I start to get comfortable and feel like I know what I’m doing, God steps in and says, “Let’s try something new!” Suddenly, I’m jolted out of my comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory—again! I grope around trying to find my way, wondering if I’m headed in the right direction or getting more lost by the minute.

Are you asking the question, “God, what am I supposed to do with this desire to write?” If so, I have an answer for you. Unfortunately, it may not be the one you want, but it’s the only one I have and I say it in every way that I know how over and over on this blog.

The answer is to stay vitally connected with God.

Do you have any idea how many times the Bible promises that God will lead, guide, direct, or show us what to do? Recently, during a confusing time, I did a study on this very topic and was dumbfounded by the sheer volume of scriptures that pertain to God’s leading of man.

The other thing I noticed is that God promises to lead us, not to drive us. He stays a step ahead, offering his hand that we might take it and follow Him. He isn’t behind us with a whip trying to herd us to the next destination.

Truly friends, the only answer I have is to spend time with the Shepherd—regular, quality time. Step away from the cacophony of the publishing world with all of its shoulda and coulda and woulda. God’s way is always filled with peace. It may not be the easy way and our mind might be tilting, but our heart will always be at peace along the Shepherd’s path.

The answer to all of your writing questions can be found in an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Culturally Correct

2010-11-05T08:30:00.002-04:00

I stopped in my tracks as I entered my patient’s room. Her husband was dangling a peppermint from a string between the legs of his laboring wife. “What on earth are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m coaxing the baby out. Children love candy and in our country we believe the baby will come out quicker if he senses candy nearby.”

In my years as a nurse I became acquainted with a wide variety of customs from various cultures and religions. I learned not to serve beef broth to an east Indian woman after a C-section. I found out that certain topics and specific words are taboo to mention when a woman is in labor in some countries. And I discovered that certain groups believe that eating the afterbirth is beneficial to the new mother. Quite an education!

Recently, I spoke with an author who is having his books translated into Mandarin. He informed me that he has eight Chinese pastors translating the language and correcting cultural issues. I’d never really thought much about the need to make writings culturally correct until I spoke with him, but looking back on my experience as a nurse I can see the importance of it.

While I’m not one to tread lightly so as not to offend spiritually, I can see a great deal of value in respecting culture. You will lose your audience if you don’t. Once I learned the various customs and employed them in my nursing, my patients were at ease and they really appreciated my attempts to honor them in this way. But in the beginning I fumbled and bumbled and offended left and right. This did not make for great patient relations.

If you are planning to write for or about a particular group of people, it would behoove you to learn a lot about those people. And do what my author friend did and ask some natives or cultural experts to help you work out any potentially offensive kinks. This also applies to writing for people who are vastly different in age. One thing I noticed at the Relevant Conference is that women who are a lot younger than me relate to the world differently than I did at that stage of life. We have many of the same morals and goals, but different ways of living them out and impacting the world around us. That was an eye opener to my need to know them better before I try to write for them.

I suppose the moral of this post is know your audience. If they be different from you, educate yourself on those differences and respect them.

Writing With Five Senses

2010-11-04T07:10:00.001-04:00

We are a visual society. Most of us don’t do justice to our other four senses and rely too heavily on our eyeballs.

For example, I would often ask my writing students to describe something. I might say, “Describe this room.” I knew the outcome before I ever read their descriptions. Most of them would give a somewhat detailed account of what they saw as they scanned the room, but never mention any smells, sounds, feelings, or tastes. Even if I asked them to describe a meal or piece of food they would still tell me what it looked like as opposed to offering smells or tastes.

While it isn’t necessary to describe every scenario to the inth degree, if you only focus on what is seen, your writing will be flat and non-dimensional. We are made with five senses that are constantly gathering and assimilating information. So are our readers. So are characters in our stories. Addressing input from the five senses breathes life into our writing.

Let’s do a quick exercise to help you use all five senses:
Q: What do you see at this moment?
My answer: A computer screen with typed words, lights flashing on my router/modem, office equipment, the incredible face of the woman dancer in the painting Dance at Bougival by Renoir

Q: What do you hear?
My answer: The clacking of keyboard keys, an airplane making its descent to the airport, the hum of my computer

Q: What do you smell?
My answer: Food smells of macaroni and cheese and chicken that we had for supper

Q: What do you taste?
My answer: It’s after dinner and my mouth tastes like it’s been used a lot and needs a good teeth scrubbing. Somewhat salty and not very fresh.

Q: What do you feel?
My answer: The chill of night slowly creeping in, numb legs and tingling feet from sitting Indian style too long, sleepy

Now it’s your turn. Put those God-given senses to work!

Who Is Your Audience?

2010-11-02T06:20:00.001-04:00

Who is that person on the other end of your writing? Regardless of what you’re writing, you need to know your audience.

Let me clarify something before we proceed. I hear a lot of talk about writing for an audience of one and I definitely agree with that idea. When I write, I write to please the Lord and I do my best not to worry about what others think. I’m writing in obedience to Him.

However, I also want to be an excellent steward of the gift He’s given me. That means that when I write I need to think about the person on the other end and gear the content and style of writing to that person or group. The two ideas are not in conflict. My motivation is to please the Lord while my mechanics should please the reader.

When I spoke at the Relevant Conference I shared a list of questions you can ask yourself in order to create a composite of the average person who reads your blog. This really applies to any type of writing, though. Once you have an image of your average reader, you can gear posts to that person and also get fresh writing ideas based on his or her needs.

Think about your blog or current writing project and answer the following questions:
1. What is the gender and age of your average reader?
2. What is his or her family situation? Married? Children? Single? Divorced? Widowed? Living with parents?
3. What is daily life like for this person? What is the usual routine?
4. What is this person’s interests or hobbies?
5. What are this person’s greatest struggles or challenges?
6. What questions might this person have?
7. What does this person want to know?

A few months ago, I went in my very official recording studio (master bedroom closet) to record some of the talks I give at homeschool conferences. I started and stopped, started and stopped, at least fifteen times. I couldn’t figure out why it was so difficult when I’d given these talks multiple times to live audiences. Then it hit me. I was talking to a cold metal computer when I was used to talking to real people.

To remedy the situation I found a magazine picture of a woman that looked like a typical person that would come to one of my workshops. I sat “Janice” in front of me and started speaking directly to her. Presto! Suddenly, I could speak. She was attentive. She looked interested. I anticipated thoughts and questions she might have and addressed them in my talk. In essence, she became the real person on the other end of my words.

One way to seriously improve your writing is to put a little flesh and blood on your reader. Answer the questions I listed earlier. Frame a photo of a typical reader or make a collage of a bunch of readers and keep it nearby when you write. Create an audience and write with that audience in mind.

How Does God Lead?

2010-10-27T07:21:00.002-04:00

I had a funny experience at the Relevant Conference. It was difficult to find a place to have my morning quiet time with the Lord.

My roommates were night owls and I’m an early bird. Unless I wanted to sit on the toilet or in the bathtub, studying in my room wasn’t an option. Each morning I went downstairs in search of a quiet place of repose. It seemed that no matter which spot I found it proved unsuitable. Groups of people would show up out of nowhere, the hotel would suddenly decide to play loud Latino music, or someone would stop to chit chat.

It wasn’t until the final morning that I was able to find a chair in a corner on the fifth floor that was peaceful and quiet (mostly). It was there that the Lord reminded me that ‘he leads me beside quiet waters.’ (Psalm 23:2)

I’ve always looked at this verse as meaning that He leads me to the place of still waters for refreshment. I do believe that is true. But that morning at Relevant I saw something else. He leads me while I’m beside those still waters.

It’s in those quiet times with God that He feeds my spirit and shows me things to come. That is where I receive my direction and guidance for life. It’s by the still waters that I hear the voice of the shepherd beckoning me to follow Him.

If you feel you lack direction about writing or life, I encourage you to spend a little time hanging around God’s still waters. Don’t go there with a mission or agenda in mind. Rest. Drink deeply of God. Let Him be the one to speak, to initiate, to guide. He will show you the next step to take.

Be Open to God

2010-10-26T08:26:00.002-04:00

Goals are a good thing. They help us move in a specific direction to accomplish a specific thing rather than wandering aimlessly, hoping everything turns out okay.

But sometimes goals can stand in the way of the best thing, the leading of the Lord. Sometimes we can be so bent on achieving our goals that we leave no room for God to lead us to something even better.

When I was a little girl I had three goals in life.
1. I wanted to be a wife.
2. I wanted to be a mother.
3. I wanted to be a published author via the traditional publishing route.

I became a wife. I became a mother. But #3 is yet to materialize. Some might say, “You didn’t work hard enough at it,” or “You didn’t stick to your plan.” But I know in my heart that the simple answer is that God hasn’t opened that door yet. It hasn’t been His plan for me thus far.

On the flip side, God has opened many doors and asked me to do many things that were never on my radar screen. These are some of those things:
-Be a maternity/neonatal nurse for thirteen years.
-Teach writing to kids.
-Develop curriculums for kids.
-Editing, consulting, and generally cheerleading other writers.
-Open a business.
-Speak. I never, ever, ever wanted to be a public speaker.
-Blog

If I had been bound and determined to meet my publishing goal at all costs, I might have missed out on some of the other wonderful opportunities God had in store for me.

God knew better than I did. He gave me a path that is good, pleasant and well-suited to my personality and station in life. Each step of the way, I’ve done things that fit with our family dynamics, raising my children, and homeschooling. Now that my children are nearly grown God is easing me into a role that extends beyond the borders of my home.

As you continue on your writing journey, I hope you will take time to write some goals. They will help you stay on course. But I also pray that you will walk so closely with the Lord that you can hear His whispers. Today if He asks you to move in a direction different than you originally intended, I pray that you will follow His lead and obey. He has only the best in mind for you. Trust Him.

Relevant Women

2010-10-25T10:56:00.004-04:00

I have a few pictures to share from the Relevant Conference. I’m not a photographer so forgive me for forgetting that I had a camera for most of the conference and only taking random pictures now and then. Also, give us all grace. Many of these were taken at the end of long days so we may not look our best. And please, please, please forgive me if I don’t have your name beside your picture. Tell me in the comments. It’s so hard to remember everyone’s names and to sort through my gigantic stack of business cards trying to locate each person’s blog. Make yourself known!

Billie is my flamingo friend.

                                   Kimba and Melissa

                                Kimba, Jen, Melissa
Andrea Doering, senior acquistions editor for Revell Books. I’m so glad I got to spend time with Andrea and learn from her expertise. And we both enjoyed singing the praises of a writer who is near and dear to both our hearts.

A relaxing moment between Sarah Mae and my roommate, Serena. My other roommate was Sarah Pinnix. Both were great women of God.

Breakfast table: Faith, Kim, Sally, Natalie, Shelley, Stephanie
                                    Traci, Kim, Marsha
                         Stephanie, Marsha, Faith, Natalie
                                  Faith and Marsha

                                              Debi

                                          Kristen

Resurrection

2010-10-24T22:02:00.001-04:00

“I quit.”

I spoke the words only a week ago with face buried in my bedroom carpet.

“No more.”

He knew I meant them. The all-knowing God knew they were not hollow threats, nor frustrated words spoken in a moment of desperation.

I had made a decision—a firm one. I would shut down my business, delete my blog, and all of my writing hopes and dreams would go out with the Thursday morning trash bin.

The chaos, the rejection, the suffocating self-doubt—it had all become too much. I would quit. Plain and simple.

But this little thing remained on my “to do” list before I could execute my plans—a little thing called The Relevant Conference. I didn’t want to go, but the plans were all made. I was a speaker. People were counting on me. “I’ll go,” I told myself, “I’ll do this one last thing, but when I get home that will be the end of it all.”

I went. And I’m sure God chuckled. He knew what was coming.

I was scarcely there eight hours before an unexpected door, one I didn’t even knock on, flung wide open before me. It was a set up, a divine appointment.

Then I spoke, sharing my meager offering of tools to help writers.

One by one they came. Not mere blog titles or online names with photograph faces. Flesh and blood. Breath-breathing women. Real faces, real lives, real struggles, real stories to tell.

Their words were so simple, yet so profound. “Thank you,” they said. Each one blowing soft breath upon the flicker in my heart, rekindling the flame.

And I knew.

I knew I couldn’t quit. Their faces would haunt me, their stories echoing in the hollows of my mind.

The final morning came. The wee dark hours. I sat in the chair by the elevators on the fifth floor, just me and God. And these words welled up in my heart:

”My child, you can quit many things in life. You can quit a job, a hobby, a habit. But you can never quit a calling. It will chase after you all the days of your life and you will never be satisfied until you are firmly embedded in the middle of God’s will.”

I came home. The chaos, the self-doubt—it was all still waiting on me. Only the desire to quit was gone.

Before the conference God gave me one word: “new.” Now I understand. He took the dying part of me and resurrected it. He made it new—new hopes, new dreams, new desires.

Thank you to all of my “new” beautiful Relevant friends. You were God’s breath on my dying ember. I’m thankful beyond words.

Focus Tip of the Day

2010-09-27T13:51:00.001-04:00

Want to hear something totally cuuuurrrrraaaaazy? So I write this post confessing my total lack of focus and vowing to do better. I hit “publish” and walk away.

Stuff happens, life happens, insomnia happens.

When I finally remember I even have a blog I go back and read my last post. “Oh dear,” I think to myself, “I told my readers that I would share some things I’m doing to focus better.” I vow to do that…as soon as I have time…and as soon as I figure out what exactly I am doing to improve focus. I walk away.

Stuff happens, life happens. And, of course, I forget all about it.

I stumble upon an email from my pastor’s wife that includes the notes from the series she recently taught on boundaries. One part talks about a lack of focus and how it’s a sign that you don’t have boundaries in place. “Oh no,” I think, “that’s awful.” Do I remember that I’m supposed to be working on a blog post about focus? Of course not.

Stuff happens, life happens.

Then my friend comments on the previous blog post and says she can’t wait to hear some of the things I do to help focus. Suddenly, I’m jarred back into focus. Oh yeah, I was supposed to offer help!

So I think and I think and I think and I look around my office where I somehow managed to lose today’s “to do” list even after I had written it on blue paper so I could keep track of it, and I realize that I probably only have one tip to offer those who need to focus:

Ask focused people how to focus!!!!!

One Productive Word

2010-09-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

I’m getting a tattoo. Actually, I’m getting two of them. I’m having the same word tattooed on the inside of both my eyelids. That word is “focus”.

You could describe me as a highly distractible individual. That’s the downside of being really creative. The ideas come too quickly and I don’t complete one before the next one entices me. It’s a sickness.

A lot of people think I’m really successful as a writer. A lot of people are fooled. I could be sooooo much more successful if I could focus on one project at a time and carry each one to completion. Instead I hop and skip and jump from one thing to the next leaving in my wake a never-ending string of unfinished writing.

For example, a year or two ago a certain friend decided to write fiction and I decided to do the same. She thought it would be a great idea for us to occasionally get together to critique, compare notes and such. She proceeded to write fiction. Today she has one novel published and in the bookstores and another in the works. Do you know how much fiction I’ve written? Not.a.word. Granted, I’m not in love with writing fiction like she is, but my big issue has been distractions and lack of focus. Too many ideas, not enough follow through.

So I’m slowly taking measures to change that. Little by little I’m refining my focus and, with God’s help, learning to stick with a few things and get them done rather than attempting many things and finishing none. I have no ambitions of being hyper-focused and distraction free, but any improvement would be nice!

Later I’ll share a few things I’m doing to FOCUS in case any of you happen to have the same problem. Lack of focus is a success killer ya’ll, and what writer wants that? Not me!

Fun Writing Resources

2010-09-20T12:22:00.001-04:00

As you probably know, I don’t live on the cutting edge of all the latest trends, media, and technology. Nevertheless, when I find things I really like, be they old or new, I like to share.

How did I not know this book existed? I imagine it’s because I don’t normally read books that are compilations of stories. Too many remind me of those cheesy emails that circulate. But when I saw this book in the library in the neighboring county I knew I had to give it a try. It did not disappoint.

I’m still reading through it and while every single story hasn’t captured my attention, enough have to warrant recommending it. I’ve been moved to laugh, to cry, to empathize and mostly to write. That’s a lot for one book to accomplish!

At that same library my daughter and I found another gem—a movie called The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. This is a fast-paced, mostly fun, movie about a housewife from the 1950/60s who won all sorts of jingle-writing contests. Her prizes, both cash and material goods, helped sustain her family of 10 children. I really enjoyed it and will likely watch it again. It does have some bad language, mostly during one scene when her alcoholic husband goes on an angry tirade spewing out plenty of foul verbiage.

The movie is based on a book written by one of her adult children. I did a little research and found out that the author, her daughter, was also included with the filming of the movie so it’s far more true-to-life than most movies that are based on real stories.

It inspired me because the woman used her wit and writing skill to not only help her family, but save them from numerous financial disasters. Also, while I’m not nearly the optimist that she was, I could identify with her on many levels.

Neither of these finds are new, except to me, but I’m alerting you in case you live with your head in the sand too and didn’t know they are available. Actually, I vaguely remember someone recommending the movie to me a few years ago, but as my husband says, “I didn’t store that data.”

The Wonder of It All

2010-09-13T12:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my pastor held up a small plastic bag filled with leaves, sticks, rocks and even a piece of concrete from his driveway. It belongs to his three year old daughter. Similar plastic bags are all around his house, filled with an assortment of odds and ends from outside—her bounty.

With excited anticipation, his little girl says, “Come on, Daddy, let’s go look for treasures.” To her, the smallest, most ordinary things are captivating. At three, she is still filled with wide-eyed wonder.

As I thought about these things I realized that sometimes we have writer’s block for one simple reason—we’ve lost our sense of wonder. Everything becomes ordinary, mundane, dull. We are busy, burdened, hurried, worried, and we cease to look around us and gasp at God’s creation.

If you are facing a blank white page and can’t muster a word to put on it, I counsel you to renew your sense of wonder. Put everything else aside and choose one of these assignments. Better yet, do all of them!

-If you are near an ocean or large body of water, stand at the shoreline and look out on the water. Remember how big God is and how small you are.

-Look up into a clear night sky. Marvel at the stars. Search out constellations and watch long enough to see a shooting star.

-Bend down to the earth and watch a caterpillar inch his way along or a busy ant hurrying and scurrying.

-Throw a blanket on the ground and gaze at the clouds swirling like moving pictures.

-Look into the face of a child, an elderly person, or someone you love and see the image of God.

If the world can steal your wonder, it can steal your words. Don’t let it. Take a few moments every day to bask in the wonder of it all.

Maintaining Your Platform

2010-09-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

People are often shocked when I tell them that the house of my dreams isn’t a big, brick palace, but rather a small, comfortable home that’s low maintenance. The fact is that whatever we build we must maintain so I’d rather have a smaller home that requires less of my time than a mansion that would take all of it.

That’s the nature of the beast. Whether we’re talking houses or platforms, we have to maintain what we build or it won’t take long for it to become a run down wreck. In the case of platforms, if we aren’t constantly nursing our babies, we will eventually lose them. People are fickle that way.

So, how do we maintain a platform once it’s established.

1. Regularly produce new material. The day of writing a classic that stays around for generations with the same level of popularity is probably over. People don’t have that kind of attention span or loyalty anymore. They want something hot off the presses on a regular basis.

2. Be consistent. Your readers like your writing for a reason. If you are unpredictable or constantly changing everything, you’ll lose your following because people won’t know what to expect. For example, my niece’s husband is an artist that paints a particular type of painting. He readily admits that he’s not crazy about the things he currently paints, but he’s been branded as a certain type of painter and that’s what his clients expect. To suddenly change directions would be to lose his following and risk being black-listed in the art world.

3. Update, upgrade and stay current. Times are changing. People are changing. And it’s all happening at a faster rate than ever before in the history of mankind. What was fashionable yesterday is old hat by now. If we ever hope to have a viable platform, we have to stay reasonably in tune with the latest and the newest.

4. Regularly connect with your audience. Gone are the days when writers could stay secluded in their happy little writing world. The people in your audience want to know you. Some ways to connect with your readers are: start a blog and regularly post, speak at conferences, develop email or facebook relationships, create some sort of Q&A forum where you can answer questions from readers. Stay as personal as you can. Obviously, the larger your platform, the harder this will be, which leads us to #5.

5. Get help. At some point your platform may grow so large and demand so much of you that you simply can’t handle it alone anymore. Rather than live in a state of frustration, find a helper or two or two hundred and start delegating.

This wraps up this series on platforms. If you haven’t read the other posts, scroll back and you’ll find lots of additional information about platforms.

Platform Building 102

2010-09-03T11:12:00.001-04:00

We’re nearing the end of this mini series on platforms. In this post I hope to offer some practical tips to help you get started on your platform.

1. Produce quality writing. No amount of exposure is as important as excellent writing. No matter how big or wide your platform, eventually it will take plain old skill to keep people interested.

2. Get to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What do they like? Where can you find them? For example, since part of my writing business is aimed at homeschoolers, it would behoove me to find out what they like or need and to show up at a homeschool conference now and then.

3. Get to know yourself and your writing. Find what you write best and keep writing it until you’ve obtained mastery and then write it some more. Don’t aim to be the jack of all trades, rather be the master of one. The people who like your topic and style will gravitate to you.

4. Focus on a few things at a time. Rather than operating on the scale of a massive marketing campaign, pick one or two areas where you’ll focus. If you find they work and people are getting interested, keep working them. If not, chalk it up as a learning experience and move on to the next item on your list.

5. Network. I admit that I’m the world’s worst at online social networking. I haven’t tweeted in so long that I forgot how and I’m really only on facebook to keep up with what my son is doing at college. But if you happen to be a little more with it, social networking can be a great way to build a platform. For that matter, any type of networking can be worthwhile.

6. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. It might not be the swiftest platform-builder, but I’m convinced it produces the most loyal readers and fans. Word of mouth is powerful.

7. Hire professionals. If you truly need to get your platform off the ground in a big way, hire someone to help with branding, marketing, and publicity. This will likely be the most expensive route, but it might also be the most far-reaching. Not to mention, it might save you a lot of headaches.

Stay tuned for the final post in this series, Maintaining Your Platform.

Platform Building 101

2010-09-01T04:49:00.001-04:00

I’ve been doing a mini series on platforms so if you haven’t read the other posts I encourage you to scroll back and read them all.

Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty of how you actually build a platform. My approach is probably going to be a little bit different than what you typically hear about platform-building. I believe that it all begins with God. You get the spiritual blueprint before doing anything in the natural. So that’s where we’ll start today. We’ll talk spiritual and in the next post we’ll talk natural.

Who is the builder? Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

You are not the builder of your platform. Yes, you can certainly take steps to promote your writing and to widen your audience but, ultimately, the outcome is in God’s hands.

If you try to make this happen in your own strength you will find yourself working in vain.

What do you build your platform on? Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)

Build your platform on the principles of God’s word and not on your own merit. That doesn’t mean that everything you do will be an overt witnessing tool or that you have to be a preacher. It does mean that the way you conduct yourself needs to be in line with God’s word. Don’t do things just to gain a few more followers. Rather, do the things that are right in God’s eyes.

Mark my words, the storms are coming. You want a firm platform that is built on a faithful God instead of one you slapped together yourself that is built on your shaky human frailty.

Who has the blueprint? But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.” John 7:2-6

Jesus’ brothers were guided by a natural set of rules. To them, the logical way to build a platform was to get out there and promote yourself. Wasn’t that what everybody else did?

They didn’t understand that Jesus was building a more sure foundation. He wasn’t after a wobbly platform of man-made fame. He was building a platform that would last throughout eternity and that required carefully listening for and following God’s blueprint.

Think of it this way. If you were building your dream house wouldn’t you want to spend a long time making sure the foundation was solid, sure, and capable of supporting that home? That’s how to approach platform-building. Don’t be afraid to go slow and steady, allowing God to carefully lead you every step of the way. That’s what Jesus did and I don’t think anyone would argue that His platform is the greatest of all time.

The spiritual comes first, then the natural. And we’ll talk about the natural in the next post.

My Beefs About Platform

2010-08-30T11:10:00.001-04:00

Thus far in this series I’ve explained what a platform is and shown from scripture why it’s important. Nevertheless, this topic of platform remains a divided issue for me. Today I want to discuss some of my personal beefs with the push for platforms.

1. Too many great writers get overlooked because publishers won’t take a chance on someone who doesn’t have an established platform. To me, it’s still all about the writing. I understand their financial perspective, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

2. Many people have books out there only because of their platform and not because they have even a hint of writing ability. Granted, some of those stories need to be told, but I find very few that I couldn’t live without.

3. So many writers rush to and fro in an exhausting marketing frenzy, trying to increase their platform. Sometimes it’s to the neglect of family, their health, their personal budget, and just about everything else. It consumes them. It becomes the focal point instead of the writing. Not good on any count.

4. It’s a fine line between platform-building and a popularity contest. It’s far too easy to forget that the reason for the platform is to reach more people and not to exalt self.

5. It promotes the belief that more is always better. Just because you can reach scores of people doesn’t mean that you’re having a deep, lasting impact. Some platforms are meant to reach far and wide while some are meant to be small, but deep. Never underestimate the importance of one on one.

6. Sometimes God is left out of the process. The first one to turn to for advice and instruction is God, rather than the experts. He will direct your path, show you the way to go, lead you to the right people who can help you. He knows you best and is most capable of deciding how wide and far-reaching your platform needs to be. He knows what you can handle and what you can’t.

I’m not against platforms. Quite the contrary. But I think they should be developed hand in hand with God and not in our strength. And I think our reasons for developing a platform should be pure and wholesome, not selfish.

We’ll talk later about how to build a platform.

What Exactly is a Platform?

2010-08-26T07:27:00.001-04:00

I’m doing a short series on platform. In my last post, I talked about why a platform is important for a writer from a scriptural standpoint. But some of you might be thinking, “What is she talking about? What on earth is a platform?” Today I’d like to answer those questions.

What is a platform? Simply put, it’s a base from which you operate that allows you to reach more people than you would as an ordinary individual. Look at the physical platform in the picture at the top of this post. If you were standing on it you would be seen by more people than if you were standing on the ground. That’s what a platform does—it widens your scope of influence.

Yes, but what does that actually look like in a person’s life? Think for a moment about the office of President of the United States. That is an enormous platform. Because of his office, the President has an incredible sphere of influence. When he talks, people the world over listen to what he says. He has the ability to affect public policy, to have audience with other world leaders, to impact millions or billions of lives. He has the ability to change the whole world to some degree. But most of this is contingent on his office as President and not on him as an individual. Without that platform, he wouldn’t have the same ability to impact others.

What does a platform look like in a writer’s life? Your platform is sort of like your credentials, but with the added twist that those credentials can’t be hanging on a wall. They have to be impacting others and widening your audience. The easiest way I can explain this is to show you my platform.

I have two platforms that sort of blend together in some realms since both involve writing and helping writers. First, I have a platform to homeschooling families. My credentials are: author of a writing curriculum, homeschool conference speaker as well as a speaker at other homeschool-related events, seven years as a writing instructor to homeschooled students, more than twelve years as a homeschooling mom. These accomplishments give me a certain amount of sway in the homeschool community.

I also have a platform to writers. My credentials are: being a published author myself, being a freelance writer, self-publishing my works, a weekly email for writers (see sidebar), a blog for writers, and speaking at a national blogging conference. These things give me credibility among writers and, therefore, more writers will listen to what I have to say.

I hope this gives you a better picture of what publishers are looking for when they talk about having a platform. Obviously, the bigger your platform, the more likely you are to sell books.

We’ll continue this discussion in upcoming posts.

The Case for Platform

2010-08-25T09:20:00.001-04:00

It’s the word that publishers seem to care so much about these days—platform. They want to know the scope of your influence almost as much or more than whether or not you can write. I admit that while I understand their reasoning, I still get a little miffed that writing can’t stand on its own two feet.

Today, though, I’m going to play the devil’s advocate and attempt to show you why having a platform truly is important. But I’m not going to do it from a publishing standpoint, but from a scriptural point of view.

The following scriptures come from the book of Nehemiah(NIV):
So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Nehemiah 8:2-6

It goes on to say that other guys also read from the Law, made it clear, and gave instructions to the people so that they could understand what was being read.

Now let’s see how the people reacted in the end.
Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. Nehemiah 8:12

This is my take on these passages. Because Ezra was standing on a platform, he could be seen by more people, heard by more people, and he could impact more people. This is precisely why having a platform, or a wide sphere of influence, is important.

From a publishing standpoint, the more people you can influence the more $$ can be obtained, though that isn’t the sole reason publishers like big platforms. From a spiritual standpoint, the larger your platform, the more people you can impact. It greatly increases your ability to spread God’s word and to help others comprehend it. If your thing is humor, a bigger platform will make more people laugh. If you’re a writer of wisdom, those wise words can spread further. If you offer practical tips, more people will be able to implement them.

As you can see, platform is important. That’s why I have a few other posts planned for this particular topic.

Try Something New

2010-08-17T04:38:00.002-04:00

A new season is slowly creeping up on us.

Like it or not, this heat that we complain about will shortly give way to milder temperatures and a change of color.

The lazy, hazy days of summer (of which I had virtually none this year!) will become structured, busy school days.

A new rhythm of life will take hold.

What a great time to try something new!

The possibilities are endless:
-Start a journal.
-Start a blog.
-Create an newsletter or e-zine.
-Plan to participate in NaNoWriMo. I’m seriously considering this one.
-Join a writer’s group online or in person.
-Start a support group for writers.
-Finish a project you previously started. This is likely where I’ll be camping for a while.
-Submit something for publication.
-Try to get an agent.
-Write in a genre you’ve never tried before.
-Craft a ballad or sonnet.

Whatever you decide to do, challenge yourself. Learn something you don’t know. Keep growing and changing. Never become a stagnant pool.

If you need a little inspiration read this story of a woman who tried something new and found incredible success.

Type the Next Word

2010-08-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve probably never been more thankful for the gift of writing than I am at this moment, but not for the reasons you might think. It has nothing to do with getting published or being overcome with waves of inspiration. It has everything to do with practicality.

We are counting down the days until we drop my son off at college two states away. I had no idea how emotional this experience would be for me. My eyes have been free-flowing faucets. My heart aches. And throughout the day I have to stop and purposefully remind myself that this is a good thing. He has become the young man I’d always hoped he would be. We hit the target. This is good. But it’s also painful.

And where does writing fit in the picture? It’s my therapy. I know that when we’ve dropped him off and the house is quieter and the grocery bill significantly lower, I will need something for my hands to do and something for my mind to think. Otherwise, I will quickly sink.

I need to get on with the next thing. Part of that “next thing” is writing. Each word I type will be a life jacket keeping me afloat.

I remember how I felt around the holidays and in the spring months. A publishing business had landed in my lap and I felt so overwhelmed and wondered what on earth God was thinking to give me such chaos right in the middle of my son’s senior year. Now I know what He was thinking. He was looking ahead to this day when He knew that I would need that business so desperately. He knew that my hands and my mind would need something productive to do, something to quell the emotions, something to pass the time until I’d see my son again.

And I am so thankful. I’m so utterly grateful that when I return from depositing my son into his new life, my next order of business is to type the next word.

Whatever you may be facing today I encourage you to simply do the next thing. Type the next word.

The Unfolding Purpose

2010-08-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

“What is my purpose?”

It’s a popular question and one I’ve asked myself. I’ve also inquired of God concerning my writing purpose.

It seems that we all want to know that we’re on this earth for a reason. And then we want to know that reason.

In my 46 years of living I’ve discovered a small truth concerning purpose, whether that be writing purpose or life purpose. Instead of pleading with heaven to shine a light on our life’s mission, we would do better to simply do the next thing and let the purpose unfold.

Most of the time God isn’t going to send an angel and ten trumpeters to announce our life’s purpose. Instead He sends us on a mission of discovery. As we act in faith and obey Him, He reveals the purpose little by little. Even those who have a good grasp on purpose from an early age are usually both shocked and dumbfounded at how that purpose actually manifests.

So instead of bombarding the gates of heaven in an attempt to get God to reveal our purpose, a better suggestion might be to get up each day and do what is in front of us.

Think of the farmer. Does he get up every morning and plead with God to show him his life purpose? No, he’s too busy. He gets up and milks the cows, feeds the pigs, gathers the eggs, plows the field, plants the seeds, and harvests the crops. And it is in doing these things that his life purpose unfolds. These actions verify that he is indeed a farmer, destined to supply food to others.

Why do we get so concerned with purpose? As I said earlier, part of the reason is that we want to make sure we have one, we want to justify our existence. But sometimes I think it’s a matter of pride. We don’t want just any purpose, we want a big one. Our purpose might be staring us in the face everyday, but we ignore it because it looks too mundane and ordinary. Surely God has something greater for us to do!

”If I write then God must want me to write a New York Times bestseller. Surely, my sole reason for having this talent couldn’t be to write for a little church newsletter or to send letters of consolation and comfort to one lonely prisoner. Surely, God has bigger plans than that for my talent!”

So we plead and we wait for the big answer to arrive. But God is waiting too. He’s waiting for us to do the next thing, to get on with life, to work, to write, to do a little less waiting and a lot more living. And when we do, our purpose begins to unfold bit by bit in front of us. And while we may never say, “This is my purpose,” we live it and that’s far more important than being able to state it.

Airport People Watching

2010-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I dearly love going to the airport. Aside from the fact that I enjoy flying and all the hubbub that goes on in the terminal, I get a kick out of watching the wide variety of people.

Sunday morning I took my daughter and my pastor’s daughter to the airport for a mission trip to Texas. Since they were minors I was awarded a pass that allowed me to accompany them to the gate so I got to spend quite a bit of time watching people. If you can’t find a story idea in the airport I can’t imagine you would be able to find one anywhere. It’s practically an idea supermall!

These are a few of the people and situations I noticed that made me think in new directions:

-I walked past the mom and son from Little People, Big World. They seemed to be in a hurry and the mom looked like she’d had a rough morning. I started pondering how difficult it must be to live in a world twice your size and then carried the thought further to how hard and physically exhausting it must be to attempt air travel when you are smaller than the average person.

-I watched an elderly gentleman who couldn’t find his boarding pass when he got to the security area. The airport security agent wasn’t mean, but she was frustrated and very direct. I could tell the older man was flustered by all this new high tech stuff and was having trouble keeping up with all of the necessary documents. Thankfully, one of his sons came to his rescue and found the boarding pass. I thought about how the new security measures and ever-changing technology must affect elderly folks who have trouble keeping up with it all.

-We made a pit stop in the restroom and I was shocked to find a bathroom greeter. Celeste proudly proclaimed this to be a five star restroom and informed us that we were free to choose our seat and that if any toilet didn’t meet our cleanliness standards she would be happy to clean it. I’ve never encountered a bathroom greeter before so my thoughts ran the gamut from what it was like to do her job to why the Charlotte airport would go to such great lengths to make ladies feel welcome to how blessed Celeste was to have a job, any job, in this economy.

-After the girls boarded the plane I hung around until I saw them taxi out to the runway and take off. At one point a final boarding call was given for a specific couple at a nearby gate. The attendants were just about to close the door when they spotted a couple coming to the gate. They called out their last name and the couple, who were leisurely strolling, seemed shocked that they came within a hair of missing their flight. I wondered why this couple hadn’t hurried and why they were so unaware of their near disastrous plight. A story starting unfolding in my mind about what would happen if they did miss the flight.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Next time you’re in an airport don’t just idle. Find the story.

The Bucket List (Part 2)

2010-07-29T07:42:00.002-04:00

In my former post, I promised to return with a bucket list. I’m not sure this truly qualifies, but these are a few things I think I’d like to do in life:
-Give away ten $100 dollar bills to complete strangers during the holiday season at least once. I’d really like to do it every year, praying that God would lead me to the people that need to know He cares about them.
-Teach a prisoner how to write.
-Take an Alaskan cruise and get off the ship and explore parts of Alaska.
-Help build a home with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or some such organization.
-Travel the U.S. visiting ordinary people who have extraordinary stories. I’d like to either write their stories or create videos about them. I could care less about movie stars and famous people, but I’d truly like to bring to light some unsung, ordinary heroes.
-Help in some way with the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
-Plan and fund an orphanage in a third world country where children can be brought up in a loving family situation and come to know the God who loves them most.
-Pay for or heavily contribute to:
   -families that are adopting children
   -those who have exorbitant medical bills that they can’t pay
   -college tuition for students who might not otherwise be able to get a higher education
   -struggling single parents
-Deliver some Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes into the hands of children who need them.
-Take tea in England.
-Visit: New York City, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park and lots of other interesting places in the U.S.
-Create a garden oasis in my own yard: herbs, flowers, vegetables, pathways, square foot gardens, birdbaths, lattice, etc… Supply food to needy families.
-And the obvious: Publish many books that reach people worldwide.
As I look over this list I see that I need to write multiple bestsellers or win the lottery! These are some expensive desires!
Two things aren’t on my bucket list, but were in my heart for years and God has already brought those to pass. First, I was able to visit Amish country not as a tourist, but as someone with an inside connection. As thus, I got a private tour of an Amish farm and ate in an Amish household. Secondly, I was able to give away two complete holiday meals to needy families in my city who wouldn’t otherwise be eating. This is one thing I plan to continue doing as often as possible. Giving away food is one of my great loves.
You’ve had time to think. Now it’s your turn. What is on your list? You can leave it in the comments or if you want to post on your blog and leave a link in the comments that would work too. If you do that, please link back to this post on your blog. I look forward to reading your list!

The Bucket List (Part 1)

2010-07-27T07:05:00.002-04:00

Three times in the last few weeks I’ve had a similar experience. First, I read a book where an author talked about the people she wanted to meet in her lifetime. She keeps a list and marks them off one by one as she meets them.

Secondly, my daughter’s friends had an experience where their car stalled in the middle of an intersection. This required them to get out of the car and push it out of the way. As one of them excitedly recounted the tale she said, “I was so happy! Pushing a stalled car was one of the things on my bucket list and I got to mark it off!”

Finally, as I was sitting poolside with my sister-in-law this weekend she asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” The question befuddled me. Frankly, the only thing that has mattered to me recently is getting sleep and all other goals have fallen by the wayside. I had no answer for her. So she told me of her plans to move to Hawaii.

These instances remind me of the movie, The Bucket List. Two old guys who are terminally ill make a list of all the things they would like to do before they die and set out to mark each one off the list. Since that movie came out, many people have set about to write a bucket list and make it happen. I have not been one of them.

It’s not that I’m without any ambition or goals, but several factors come into play. Over the last couple of years my apple cart has been upset so many times that I’ve learned to roll with the punches, savor the experiences that come my way, and not be quite so driven. Also, my level of contentment has grown. If I were to die today, I’m good. I’ve lived a rich, full life and there just isn’t anything that I absolutely MUST do before I leave this earth.

Still, because I’ve had these recent encounters I feel the need to at least put a few things on a bucket list. So, I will ponder this over the next little bit and come back to you with a bucket list soon.

What about you? Do you have such a list? If so, what is on it?