Tag: encourage others

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A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Read All About It

lighter look at a writer's life

I had a post due today, but I was reading.

I mean, for a writer, isn’t that a good excuse? If we are going to be good writers and hone our craft, shouldn’t we be reading? Isn’t that the point?

I know . . . it is just an excuse, but it is a good one. A friend of mine recently released a book, and I dug into it this weekend. Today is Saturday. I read from the evening into the night on Thursday and Friday. I did not get to read during the daytime hours because of that little thing called MY DAY JOB. If I could have taken the book with me on those days, I would have (Shhhh, do not tell my boss.).

I have read most of the day today and am almost finished with the book (which is wonderful, by the way). I decided to take a break to rest my eyes. In a quiet moment, I thought, Oh, I have a post due.

What to write about? Reading! After all, as a kid, I learned READING IS FUNDAMENTAL. What I would really like to talk about is reading to support a friend.

I know what it’s like to be a writer, to open that vein and release everything on paper. I know what it’s like to be a published writer, to wonder (1) if anyone is reading the book and (2) if anyone is enjoying the book.

The writing community, especially the Christian writing community, is a big family, and family members support each other. When family members face rejection and have a hard time, we need to be there to cheer them up or to be a shoulder to cry on. When family members experience success and get published, we need to celebrate with them . . . and read their stuff.

I cannot say I am perfect in doing this. Like many of you, my “To-Be-Read” pile threatens to overtake my bedstand, and many of those titles are books from my friends. Slowly but surely, I am making my way through them and will even try to leave reviews online, if possible. More importantly, I will reach out to them to let them know (1) I read their books and (2) I enjoyed their work (My friends are great writers, I just know it).

That’s the least a friend—no, family member—can do.

(I just wrote that line hours after I wrote the rest of this post; hey, I had to finish the book!)

Carlton

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

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Devotions for Writers

Drawing a Blank?

devotions

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

Revelation 1:19 NIV

So, you’ve come to your deadline and stare at a blank page. Your palms sweat and a headache seeps across your forehead. At the moment, writing your will sounds more appealing than the article in front of you. What’s a writer to do?

I’ve heard many writers say the best antidote for writer’s block is spending time with the Lord. We may come to the table empty, but when we feast on God’s Word, we never leave hungry.

Scripture prods us to:

  • Pursue justice, mercy and humility. Micah 6:8
  • Love our neighbor. Matthew 19:19
  • Look after orphans and widows. James 1:27
  • Be generous. Matthew 25:31-46
  • Be teachable, learn from mistakes and make corrections, and train in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

What do these verses have to do with writing? We need writers to:

  • Write about justice, mercy and humility.
  • Show us what it means to love others.
  • Share the plight of orphans and widows.
  • Tell us about those in need.
  • Rightly divide the Word of Truth.

Even our theme verse provides a template. Revelation 1:19 says to write!

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

  • Tell your story. What have you seen?
  • Report on current events or struggles you’re facing. What are you learning?
  • Talk about the future. What gives you hope?

Let your time with the Lord guide your words to reflect His heart.

Exercise:

A great way to boost your own morale is to encourage another. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage someone else. Write a letter or send a card to one or more of the following:

  • A mentor. In what way did she encourage you?
  • An acquaintance. What character trait do you admire about him?
  • A family member. Say, “I’m proud of you!”
  • A co-worker. What have you taken for granted?
  • Someone younger than you. What do you wish would have been said to your younger self?

Recently, a publication ceased outsourcing to its regular list of contributors. I mourned the loss of that assignment, thinking I would get lost in obscurity. Within a week, I received a phone call and a message from regular readers. My words were appreciated! Yours are, too; your words make a difference. Write!

Have you noticed it lifts your mood when you lift another? Whom will you encourage today?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net

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The Intentional Writer

Be a Generous Writer

The intentional writer

The law of prosperity is generosity. If you want more, give more.”

Bob Proctor

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6

One of the best ways writers can grow their platform and their influence it to be consistently and intentionally generous. Generosity is strategic: it fosters cooperation, strengthens connection, and develops trust. Generosity is also good for us, because helping others boosts our happiness and enables us to make a difference. Here are some ways you can be generous in your writing life.

Be generous with your content

  • Offer free materials on your website.
  • Include some freebies that come with no strings attached.
  • Give away free copies of your books whenever it makes sense
  • Share blog content on social media. Don’t just advertise your blog posts, but share a point of two of your content with each pin, tweet, or post.

Be generous with your time and expertise

  • Give free advice to those who ask. Even if you sometimes are paid to teach or edit, be willing to answer short questions or follow up questions without charge.
  • Volunteer to be a judge for a writing contest. You don’t need to be an expert to help with some contests. Large organizations like ACFW are always looking for judges to read manuscripts in the First Impressions, and Genesis contests. They also need readers to rate published books in the Carol Awards
  • Volunteer to give a talk at a local group, book club, or library that doesn’t have the funds to pay for it.
  • Offer a free webinar or ebook about the craft or business of writing.

Be generous in supporting other artists

  • Leave positive reviews
  • Purchase their products
  • Share their work within your network
  • Recommend other artists on your social media and pass on their special offers
  • Attend the venues where artists share their work: conferences, workshops, concerts, art shows.

Be generous with encouragement

  • To those who are learning: This is your chance to pay it forward by passing on the nurture and encouragement other writers have poured into you.
  • To your peers: Think of them as teammates not competitors. We’re all more likely to succeed if we work together.
  • To your mentors and role models: Even those who seem to have succeeded need encouragement.
  • To your audience: What message do you give your readers? Are your words filled with hope, even if your topic is heavy?

Be generous with those outside the writing world

  • Give your time and resources to organizations that matter to you.
  • Use your writing talents to benefit groups and individuals.
  • Don’t resent the time you devote to the important people God brings into your life. Who knows when an experience will inspire a fantastic story idea or lead you to the the answer you need to get out of the corner you wrote yourself into.

Final thoughts

  • Make sure what you give is appropriate and useful to the recipients.
  • Make sure what you give fits with your brand and values.
  • Accept thanks with humble grace.

How can you be intentionally generous this week?

What is one act of generosity that significantly impacted your life?

Award-winning writer Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a unique story to tell the world. She loves inspiring fellow writers to be more intentional about developing their craft and courageous in sharing their words. Lisa shares her words through speaking, leading Bible studies, writing historical mysteries, and blogging about living intentionally.

You can find her on Facebook LisaEBetzWriter Twitter @LisaEBetz and Pinterest Lisa E Betz Intentional Living.

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Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing: Tip #15 – Avoid the Tap Out, and Help Others Avoid it Too

One of my family’s favorite series to binge watch is the survival show Alone. From the comfort of our cushioned sofa spots, we love to watch as ten skillful individuals compete to survive—all alone—in the wilderness. Each participant is dropped into their own little corner of a remote island and equipped with nothing but basic survival gear. There they must battle the terrain, weather, wildlife, and hunger to create a habitat for themselves that can sustain them longer than any of their competitors. The contestant who remains the longest wins $500,000.

All the contestants have been carefully chosen from thousands of applicants. Each possesses the skill, health, and mental stability needed to succeed. But in every season, there are always a few of the ten who “tap out” within the first week. The others usually dwindle gradually until you’re left with the final few.

It’s easy to see, from about the fourth episode, which contestants don’t have the know-how to make it until the end. But the most surprising element of the show is that very rarely does the contestant with the highest level of skill win. In fact, the most skillful often tap out early. Why? Because while the other contestants are still struggling, the greatest survivalists have already built a masterful shelter, secured a food source, and solved the wildlife problem. Then, with all other distractions gone, they must deal with the real challenge—isolation.

While munching popcorn in our PJs, I admit my family and I have been known to roll our eyes and make fun of those muscle-bound pansies who tap out and throw away a half-a-mil just because they couldn’t bear to go to bed another night without kissing their wife. Why must they get into their own heads that way? My husband and I think that it’s because when all the work is done, and they are left without a purpose, the boredom drives them to loneliness. Yes, I know it’s easy to throw stones when you don’t have to sleep on one. But to have the prize in the bag and quit just because you’re lonely seems crazy!

Well, it did seem crazy until … quarantine.

We were created for fellowship. Just like our bodies need food for nourishment, our souls require the support and encouragement of others to keep us going. Last month I talked about ways to stay connected even while apart. That’s important. But it is just as important for us to use this opportunity to build up, encourage, affirm, and support people around us.

As writers we have the unique ability and responsibility to make our words count for something good. Instead of wielding our well-crafted words to cause further division, we can choose to give people a reason to hope. This applies to fellow writers and people in general. Let’s be the reason people choose to keep on reaching for the goal. Armed with that driving purpose, we will be less likely to tap out of our own writing journey and continue toward the prize set before us.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 18:4, Proverbs 12:18

Fun Fact or Helpful Resource: For several years I have enjoyed the inspirational devotionals emailed to me through the Joni and Friends ministry. If anyone has the experience and credentials to speak to challenges involved with isolation it would be Joni. If you need a pick-me-up geared to encourage you to push past your obstacles toward the finish line check out her daily devotional.

Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.

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The Intentional Writer

How to be a Helpful Critique Partner

The intentional writer

Last month I talked about how useful critiques are for writers, because they provide important feedback that helps us improve our craft and clarify our message.

Writers must learn how to accept critiques. We must also learn how to critique the work of others in a way that is loving and helpful. These principles can help you become a better critique partner.

Principles to help you give helpful critiques

  • Be encouraging. The ancient oath for physicians included the promise, “First, do no harm.” It is a useful reminder for critiquing the precious work of a fellow angst-filled writer. Always find something positive to say! It’s easy to focus on what is wrong, or what needs to be improved. Make the effort to note what is working, what you like, what made you laugh, and the insights that touched you.
  • Ask what kind of feedback the writer is looking for. This will vary depending on where the piece is in the process. In a first draft the writer may be testing out a character or plot idea. In a later draft she may be more concerned with getting a description just right. It’s easier to give useful feedback when you know what to look for, so ask.
  • Be fair and reasonable. Don’t compare the work being critiqued with your favorite author. Teachers don’t expect a third-grader to write a story as well as a tenth-grader. In the same vein, you should try to give feedback in keeping with the level of the writer, not expect them to attain standards that are beyond their current skill. Consider what criticism will help them take the next small step toward better writer. Look for a key area where they might grow and suggest how they could improve in that area.  
  • Don’t focus solely on the obvious. Typos, grammar, and incorrect facts are easy to catch. Try to look beyond them to what else is there, such as structure, characterization, motives, world-building, theme, etc.
  • Notice what isn’t clear or what doesn’t make sense. A piece of writing is only effective it if communicates what it’s meant to communicate. All writers need feedback to ensure they are getting their message across.
  • Notice what is missing. We all have some aspects of writing we tend to skip. For example, my critique partner is always asking me, “How does he feel when that happened?” She helps me remember to include the emotions I would otherwise ignore.
  • Notice what doesn’t feel right. Is the heroine acting out of character in this scene? Does the action seem unbelievable? Does the voice not come through like it did in the last scene?
  • Notice how the writing makes you feel. What emotions does the piece evoke? Do you like the characters or not? Are you intrigued or tempted to skim over stuff? Do you sense something ominous? This may be helpful feedback, so pay attention as you read.
  • Whenever possible, read through the piece more than once. That gives you a chance to focus on different facets of the writing with each pass.
  • Finally, remember your ultimate goal is to inspire, encourage, and enable growth. Be kind. Be encouraging. But also provide honest and constructive input that can help the writer take their piece to the next level.

Award-winning writer Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a unique story to tell the world. She loves inspiring fellow writers to be more intentional about developing their craft and courageous in sharing their words. Lisa shares her words through speaking, leading Bible studies, writing historical mysteries, and blogging about living intentionally.

You can find her on Facebook  LisaEBetzWriter Twitter @LisaEBetz and Pinterest Lisa E Betz Intentional Living.

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Writer Encouragement

…. Be An Encourager

In a solitary profession like writing, sometimes the thought of being an encourager to other writers might not occur to us. After all, we are taught to be creative, get good edits done, submit to publishers, etc., etc. The list is long and, in most cases, self-directed towards “me, myself, and I.”

Encourage someone else, you might say? It’s all I can do to meet my deadlines, get book proposals done, sign up for conferences, get a few moments of sleep … We are truly self-driven humans with much on our agenda.

Stopping for a moment to look around and see the other writers in our circle of acquaintances and spend time encouraging them might seem like more than you can handle with your schedule of things to be done. But there is a simple phrase that might find a home in your thinking: What goes around, comes around.

I’m not saying that we should only encourage others because we think we will get something out of it, although you likely will. But think of all the unofficial mentors who have helped you along the way. Perhaps a fellow writer you met at a conference who gave a pertinent piece of advice. Or another writer who offered to critique your first chapter or a book proposal and give you feedback.

If you stop and think, I imagine you would come up with a list of several more experienced wordsmiths who have smiled at you and taken you under their wing in one way or another. I am so grateful for the numerous writer-friends who have taken even a moment’s time to encourage me along the way. I know they had better things to do. But they chose to help me in one way or another and I’ll never forget their kindness.

You may struggle with such feelings as, “what if I don’t know enough to be helpful?” Chances are you know some aspect of writing that will encourage another struggling author. If you don’t, try to find someone who you know can help them and connect the two.

You may honestly be at a point in your writing where your schedule is swamped with edits, deadlines, and toddlers that need to be potty-trained. If you are stretched to the max at the moment, be honest, especially if someone is requesting an endorsement for a book. That requires reading the whole manuscript and may push your “To-Do” list over the edge!!

Be truthful.  You might say you can’t help now but perhaps with their next book. Don’t leave them hanging without hope for help. Always try to encourage.

Conference season is here, so look around at that venue for wordsmiths that you’ve longed to attend. Be aware of those sitting next to you and be kind. They may have arrived at conference feeling discouraged and hopeless. You may be the one that can re-set their hope. But you need to look past yourself and become their encourager.

Carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her latest release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She penned the three-book Deer Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. She freely admits to being a history geek. Look for her upcoming series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. The 4-book series is entitled Dawn of America. You can visit her site at www.elainemariecooper.com