Tag: Perseverance

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Stay in the FIght

Like most people, I was saddened to hear the news about the passing of Christian recording artist Mandisa. She didn’t hide the fact that she was struggling and that her success and fame couldn’t fulfill her. I respect her vulnerability about the battles she fought because I have struggled with them as well.

  • Depression
  • Low self-esteem
  • Health issues

Her song “Overcomer” encouraged people to keep fighting. About the time it was released, I was struggling with my faith, broken relationships, and the loss of close friends. Her encouraging words helped me get through some of the darkest days of my life.

Today, many people are struggling to deal with daily life, whether it’s finances, mental health, or physical health concerns. We all need a little help and encouragement if we’re going to stay in the fight of life.

The Fight

While I am a firm believer that it’s the fight that makes us stronger in life, I am also keenly aware that sometimes the fight can overwhelm us, even if we have a strong faith. If you think life is hard, try living with a severe brain injury.

The side effects of living with a brain injury range from physical to mental and emotional challenges. Alone, any of them may cause a person to want to give up and quit life.

Statistics show that fifty-seven percent of TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivors are moderately to severely disabled. Fifty percent of survivors are hospitalized again at some point. Thirty-three percent must rely on others for help with daily activities

It doesn’t take much for disabled persons to become depressed or discouraged. The Brain Injury Association of America advises survivors to practice self-care and self-affirmations to stay encouraged and healthy. Many of these practices are beneficial if you are struggling with the grind of a writer’s life.

The Grind

 Most of us writers have experienced the grind of the writer’s life and know how it can wear us down. Social media and marketing can suck the life out of the craft of writing. The writing process itself can sometimes be difficult.

There are times when brainstorming, writing, and editing just seem to drain us of our creative passion. Add to that the rejection letters and no guarantee of being published. It’s clear why so many choose to throw in the towel.

If you have found yourself overwhelmed by the grind of a writing career, you are not alone. The odds of making a living as a writer are stacked against us. But don’t give up the fight just yet, below are some tips for staying motivated and staying in the fight for your writing dreams.

  1. Find your why.
  2. Find your motivational triggers.
  3. Make sure you’re not chasing someone else’s goal.
  4. Picture yourself as a successful writer.
  5. Create a roadmap and stick to it.
  6. Reward yourself
  7. Establish a routine
  8. Create a vision board
  9. Let go of perfectionism
  10. Cultivate community
  11. Read
  12. Reevaluate constantly

Over the years I have almost given up numerous times and each time I have stepped away to reevaluate my goals and options. I can attest it is wise to take a break and regroup. My initial writing goals had nothing to do with writing books.

As an English major in college, I wanted to write screenplays that made a difference. Life had different plans. My desire to write books was encouraged by mentors who believed in me and nudged me in the direction of writing books.

However, I never completely gave up on my dreams of screenwriting. Earlier this year, I decided to take the time to do another revision of my latest screenplay.

While rearranging the order of the plot points, I had an epiphany. Sometimes life also takes us down unexpected paths on our journeys.

Different Paths

I’ve said it before and I will reiterate it here, every brain injury is different and each person’s recovery will be unique to their brain injuries. I have seen people with less damage to their brains who are worse off than I am.

Our brains are amazing organs that can be reprogrammed and rewired to do common tasks in not-so-ordinary ways, that’s why no two people are the same; even conjoined twins can follow different paths.

I have learned over the last 27 years just how unique my recovery has been because the brain surgeries performed on me are rarely performed. I am one of the last persons to receive a partial frontal-lobe lobotomy due to the risk to the patient.

Likewise, a path to publication or literary representation looks different for every writer. We cannot follow the same course to success as other writers, because we are different writers and unfortunately the publication industry is constantly changing.

That’s why, this year I made the hard choice not to attend an annual writing conference I usually go to in the spring. I felt like it was time to take a break, regroup, and see what doors would open. Fortunately, the doors and opportunities are already opening.

  • I am about to celebrate one year of writing a successful spiritual column that reaches around the globe.
  • A popular screenwriting website has offered me free hosting and evaluations for my revised screenplay.
  • I am in my seventh year writing this column.

My path to success is different because my goals, gifts, and story are different. I must use my voice and skill set to achieve my goals. I get to encourage other writers through my writing. I can educate others about persons with disabilities and I get to help others struggling in their writing journeys. Together these are enough reasons for me to stay in the fight!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

How to Persevere in Your Writing

When I first started writing, I assumed publishing occurred as writers often presented in Hollywood films. Authors complete a first draft of a story and send it to a publisher, who is anxiously waiting for the manuscript. Then, a team of people publicize the story. Talk show hosts call, bookstores hold signings for crowds of adoring fans, news reporters request interviews, the book sells a million copies, and everybody lives happily ever after.

Reality is so different.

Authors work hard.

We craft a story (sometimes through years of labor) and then revise it multiple times. We research into the wee hours of the morning. We hire beta readers to give us feedback, and then go through the process again. When the manuscript is finally ready, we can’t just send it out, lest it land in the bottomless slush pile of submissions from which few ever return. Some publishers require an agent, so off we go, hunting for someone to believe in us and our vision. We send query letters and book proposals. We attend conferences, read articles, build a brand and platform, and the list goes on.

Yet even we they understand all the work involved, authors still pick up the pen and write. Why?

Perhaps because authors have learned the value of perseverance. If we continue with determination and dedication, we can succeed.

So today, let’s examine three ways we can persevere in our writing journey.

Set Goals

If you work full time like I do, your writing time is limited. I try to my redeem time by focusing on a big objective that might take longer and several smaller goals that can aid in accomplishing the bigger goal. It’s a method that has helped me survive life’s demands.

Consider a few smaller goals you can finish in a week. For example, Offsides, my upcoming YA fiction novel, will soon hit the market. When it does, I want pre-sales to be up, a launch team in place, and blog interviews booked. (Any takers? Asking for a friend…) Over the next several months, I’ll dedicate time each week to contact people, create social media posts, and market to my target audience. Being ready for the release is not something I’m going to complete on a short timetable. Instead, to reach my big goal, I’ll work on smaller goals each week, such as ‘Compile a list of endorsers,’ or ‘Contact libraries and bookstores.’ The ability to complete weekly small tasks will give me a great deal of confidence, and those little things will build into the bigger event: the release itself.

Take Breaks

Inspired or not, I often force myself to sit down at the computer. I love the challenge of writing, but I still wrestle with guilt for not being more productive. But here’s a secret: It’s okay to take a break. Shut down Word and go for a walk, go out for dinner with a friend, paint a picture, do the laundry, or find some other outlet for your mind. The change might actually be good for you. Medical studies show that downtime with limited stimulation helps replenish the brain’s ability to focus, create, make connections, and process information. I can’t tell you how many times a plotline problem resolves itself while I doodle a cartoon.

Adopt the Long View

Life makes many demands on us. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. And that’s okay. Unless you’re doing freelance editing or working on a publisher’s staff, you aren’t likely to be a fulltime writer, so when the unexpected pops up, it’s okay to make room for it. As much as you love writing, it will never love you back the way family and friends will. You want to write, but does that trump every other area of your life? Hopefully not. What if it’s a unique writing opportunity? Then yes, jump on it! But make sure your loved ones understand your situation and are on board. Initiate a conversation to explore your expectations and their needs so you can avoid hurt feelings.

I would define the long view as pursuing your writing dreams one manageable step at a time. Find balance. Say yes whenever possible and no whenever necessary and don’t stress about any self-imposed deadline. Flexibility frees the writer to create in the tiny slivers of open time without missing out on major life events.

“All of my writer friends and I have one thing in common: We didn’t listen to the naysayers. We kept writing. And eventually we have all been published.”

Author, Davi S. Laskar

So, when it comes to writing, set your goals, take breaks, and adopt the long view. Your perseverance will pay off.

Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing. Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori .

Categories
Craft Essentials

You May Be Done, But You’re Not Finished

Craft Essentials

“Rewriting is the essence of writing well; it’s where the game is won or lost. That idea is hard to accept.”

William Zinsser

Little in the writer’s life is as exhilarating as typing the words, “The End.”

If a celebration was ever in order, this would be our moment.

  • We’ve fought through the brain drain aka writer’s block.
  • Stayed at the keyboard till the wee hours of the night.
  • Surrendered free time to the fickle writing muse.
  • Missed parties, events, and time with friends and family.

But now, greatness is found in those two brief words that conclude the saga. The End. The skeptics, the critics, and those who predicted you’d never finish the book will be eating crow.

Bursting with a sudden rush of energy, (along with some well-deserved pride) you share the final product with a friend, your mom, or a writing buddy. You expect the standard oohs and aahs that attend the birth of greatness. Then somebody (clearly someone uninformed) says, “I don’t get the ending.” Or “I didn’t understand why the hero never showed up.”

The feedback is synonymous with calling your baby ugly.

You rationalize their response with the “I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt since they know nothing about writing,” brand of generosity.

Could They Be Right?

An essential component of writing well is the willingness to consider there might be a few valid points in their assessment. Some authors may not dismiss the critique entirely. They shop for additional feedback with an industry professional or pitch it to a publisher at a writer’s conference.

That can be the hard thump.

“It’s a good first draft,” says the pro. “Interesting storyline. I’d suggest you work with a coach or find a good editor to strengthen the plot and help develop your writing style. You have a promising start. Good luck with the second draft.”

If you believed the work was complete, this is a tough moment. A second draft, maybe even a third might be required. Adding more words is not the typical remedy. Killing off your darlings or discarding the overwrought half-page descriptions of the magnolias in full bloom in the moonlit night might be your road to success.

“We all have an emotional equity in our first draft; we can’t believe that it wasn’t born perfect. But the odds are close to 100 percent that it wasn’t.”

William Zinsser

The completion of a first draft is an epic accomplishment. In that finished work is evidence you have what it takes to be a writer – if you are willing to suck up the disappointment and dive in to refine and rewrite your work.

Don’t let the start stop you. You are not starting from scratch. But you do need to take a long look at your book baby with a more critical eye. The rewrite is inevitable as we learn the craft of writing. Every successful writer knows the first draft is seldom – if ever – the final.

Where Should You Start?

  • Consider the advice of the industry professional. If the feedback is general in nature, ask for specific insight for both strengths and opportunities for improvement in the work. For every “no thanks” to my first book – ten rejections – I asked for feedback that helped strengthen the work. I know their input and my willingness to incorporate it has helped me gain contracts for a total of six published to date.
  • Seek assistance from someone who has a successful track record to help move you forward. A certified writing coach or industry professional can help you accelerate your knowledge and build new skills.
  • Take a course – many are available online or through regional writing groups in your area.
  • Purchase and read books on the craft. The patron saint of this column’s book On Writing Well is a classic.
  • Attend a writing conference and select courses specific to your need.

Above all, refuse to throw in the towel (or throw a tantrum) and remember, you may be done, but you’re not finished!

Deb DeArmond

Deborah DeArmond Deb is a certified writing coach and award-winning author of five books. Her books often focus on family and marriage, covering relationship dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution. Her most recent wok is We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished (2021).

Deb’s published more than 200 articles in print and online, including a monthly column, for Lifeway Magazine. 200+ print and online articles published.

Deb helps writing clients achieve success using inquiry, humor, and a straightforward approach. Her clients describe Deb as “candid but kind” and skilled at helping “guide others to discover their answers and solutions to success.”

Website: debdearmod.com Facebook Author Deb DeArmond

Categories
Building Your Creative Space

How a Novel Came to Be, Part Two

Building your creative space

Read the first half of the story here to learn how hopes were raised and then dashed.

In the dark weeks that followed, some unexpected glimmers of light appeared.  Producer-director Bart Gavigan (End of the Spear, Luther) and Emmy and Bafta-winning writer-director Norman Stone (Shadowlands) read my unpublished manuscript.  Film executives at this level are inundated with scripts.  For them to take the time to read a novel – five times the length of a feature-film screenplay – was a huge gift.  As was their response.  Both were unreservedly positive and urged me to begin work on the script.  Bart went so far as to offer detailed notes on how he felt the screenplay should be shaped; I liked these so much I decided to incorporate them into the novel.

A few months later, my newly-completed screenplay was passed to Ileen Maisel, producer of Golden Compass and many others.  She invited me to a meeting at Claridges, where she had taken up temporary station.  She informed me that it was impossible for her to take the project herself, as she was fully committed to a new series (The Dresden Files, soon to be aired on ABC).  But she liked my work, and wanted to remain in contact.

As a result of this meeting, Island of Time then journeyed to Los Angeles.  Soon after, so did I.

My third Hollywood meeting was with David Lipman (producer of Shrek and Ironman), then president of Starlings Entertainment, and his DD Emily Gottlich.  They both were the exact opposite of everything I’d been led to believe about top-tier Hollywood executives.  They were soft-spoken, highly intelligent, and as gentle as they were intense.  Because they had simply asked to meet, without any actual response to my story, I had been warned by others that they probably liked my writing but were not interested in that particular script.  So I had practiced pitching two other stories.  For days.

Their offices were in a brand new building on the corner where Wiltshire Boulevard met the Pacific Ocean.  Not really.  Wiltshire actually dead-ends into Ocean Avenue, which then fronts a narrow park, then the cliff which drops down to the PCH, then the beach and the Santa Monica Pier.  But when I exited the elevator and entered the Starlings penthouse offices, all I could see through the wall of glass was…

Blue.

And storm clouds.  And rain.  Because it was a freezing rain-swept February day in Los Angeles.  For which David and Emily apologized.  Like I was expected to be seriously bothered by the weather. 

So I there I was, poised on the edge of their designer sofa, with the two of them seated with their backs to the Pacific.  Ready for them to ask if I had anything else I could offer…

The words they spoke just didn’t seem to fit inside my head. 

It actually took a while for their news to register.  Probably thirty seconds.  Less.  But it felt like hours.  Then…

They loved my script.  They wanted to buy it.  Not option.  Buy.  Put it into production.  Immediately.  They had decided to approach David Womark, producer of such hits as Deepwater Horizon, to run the project. 

Boom.

I have flashing images of what happened after.  They wanted to know if I had a sequel.  Thankfully, I was so deeply engaged with the story that I already had an idea.  I pitched that, scarcely believing what I was hearing from them. 

Sometime later, I left.  Floated down the park.  Called my wife.  Drove to the hotel.  Too excited.  Walked through the wind and the rain.  For hours.

The next thing I heard was, their legal department would not get around to sending me the T&C Sheet (contractual terms and conditions, negotiated before the contract itself is penned) until after Cannes.  At the time, the news was mildly hilarious – my project was delayed because of something they needed to get ready for presenting in France, and the same should happen to my film the following year. 

My film.

The next four months seemed endless.  A few high notes were reached; film budgeted at thirty million, my payment upon first day of filming was to be six hundred thousand dollars, and so forth.  But mostly it was a time of tension, and trying to stay patient, and unanswered phone calls to the legal department. 

Like I said, endless.

Four months stretched to five, then six, and suddenly the summer was over and autumn had started, and then autumn was winding into winter, and I still did not have the actual contract. 

When the phone call finally came, it almost felt like I knew what had happened before the connection was made.  Karine Martin, CEO of Starlings, told me in our first-ever conversation that Starlings was being sold.  And the buyers only wanted their television division and their film-investment fund.  And all of the current film projects were being dropped.  And earlier that day, David Lipman had been fired.

Those words still weigh several thousand pounds.  Each.

I actually don’t think the acquisition ever went through.  Covid was probably the reason.  In any case, Starlings is still an indie production group, and Karine Martin is still CEO.  But what I think happened was this.  And David Lipman, now a personal friend, agrees.

The acquirer was probably Lionsgate.  And this illustrates a major issue I’ve faced from the beginning with Island of Time.  And a barrier that David has confronted his entire career.

The standard tracks expected within contemporary fantasy run one of two ways.  Either they hold to the teenage-angst-and-romance structure (Buffy, Twilight), or they are very dark indeed (World War Z).  There are huge hits within both directions; and these structures represent common threads in contemporary entertainment. 

And then there are people who seek a different path. 

But current themes and directions in entertainment are not the topic here.  So I will close with three possible takeaways for all you future creative stars.

First, my aim from the beginning was to apply a classical heroic structure to neartime fantasy.  Use the naturally occurring elements of light and dark, good and evil, and magnify them by adding magic to this world.  This core concept was a vague hope when I began writing.  It came naturally; it is in some respects who I am as an artist.  But it was only through this trial by fire that I started drawing this into crystalline focus.

If or when you face your own impossible delays, ask yourself this question.  What lies at the very deepest level of my creative urge?  What is it that drives me to create?  What is most important?  And how is it represented in this specific work? 

Which brings us to the second takeaway, which is:

Beyond these core elements, do your best to remain open to critiques, and flexible to what needs improvement.  Or change.  Or cutting out entirely.  This disciplined balance is crucial to your future.  And your success.

And finally, accept the risk that such experiences may indeed be part of your own future. 

When I speak with other full-time artists, particularly those working in Hollywood, and tell them about these events, there is a been-there-done-that element to their sympathy.  It is, I’m sorry to say, part of the profession. 

Last month my wife and I were invited to the premier of the new theater-musical, Back To The Future.  Robert Zemeckis and his writing partner, Bob Gates, were there and spoke to the audience at its conclusion.  They described the trials and hardship they went through to get the film done; it took them seven years from the completion of the script to the first day of principal photography. 

I wish you every success. 

Davis Bunn’s novels have sold in excess of eight million copies in twenty-four languages.  He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with every major US book club.  In 2011 his novel Lion of Babylon was named Best Book of the Year by Library Journal.  The sequel, entitled Rare Earth,  won Davis his fourth Christy Award for Excellence in Fiction in 2013.  In 2014 Davis was granted the Lifetime Achievement award by the Christy board of judges.  His recent title Trial Run has been named Best Book of The Year by Suspense Magazine. Lately he has appeared on the cover of Southern Writers Magazine and Publishers Weekly, and in the past three years his titles have earned him Best Book and Top Pick awards from Library Journal, Romantic Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. His most recent series, Miramar Bay, have been acquired for world-wide condensation-books by Readers Digest. Currently Davis serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. Until Covid struck, he was speaking around the world on aspects of creative writing. 

Watch an excerpt from his new book The Cottage on Lighthouse Lane here.

Watch for Davis Bunn’s novel, Island of Time, to be released by Severn House/Cannondale UK in April 2022

Categories
Building Your Creative Space

How a Novel Came to Be, Part One

Building your creative space

Four and a half years ago, I was approached by the Director of Development for Gil Netter, who won an Oscar for ‘Life of Pi’.  For those readers who do not know the film industry, a development director (DD) plays an enormously important and complex role.  First of all, they choose the stories or scripts that could potentially be shaped into new projects.  Once this process is complete and the screenplay receives a green-light from the board, the DD then handles all preliminary casting and contracts.  Once everything is in place and the stars align, the DD passes the project over to the chief producer and newly hired director, and they start principle photography. 

Like I said, a big job.

This DD contacted me to say he had become a fan of my work; did I have a concept that was big enough, and original enough, to become their next feature?

The answer was yes, maybe, I had a new idea I was playing around with that might fit the bill.  Even so, it took me almost a month to respond. 

The very idea of pitching a story to someone in his position was terrifying.  Finally my wife put her foot down and ordered me, then and there, to make the call. 

She knew if I waited I would successfully manage to delay things another month.  Or year.  This was my first-ever contact with top-tier Hollywood.  I’ll never forget that moment when the phone started ringing…

We were seated in our car in the central-England market town of Witney.  Rain pelted the roof.  Five o’clock on a Friday afternoon, nine in the morning LA time.  A perfect moment for him to not be available.  Which of course I was desperately hoping would happen.

Instead, he answered.  And to make matters worse, he said he had time to hear my pitch.

With my wife listening over the car’s speakers, I laid it out.  Tried to keep my voice steady by keeping a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. 

I described an alternative world where magic was real, and Interpol was tasked with the global policing of Talents – my word for people with magical powers.  The word Talent worked because, except for a very small group of Adepts, wizards generally possessed just one magical ability. 

These Talents loathed Interpol.  The very idea of wizards being policed by the mundane, their powers kept in check by the same laws and principles that were applied to the ungifted, drove them to a constant and never-ending fury.  They used all the money and power at their disposal to have Interpol disbanded.

And then rumors began to surface, of a centuries-old power that had been relegated to the realm of fables, now whispered to be both real and available.  Spells which granted the user the ability to go back in time, remember everything from their previous existence, and change the course of events.  Reshape the global order. 

Two agents were tasked with tracking down the rumors.  Risking their own lives in the process.  Keeping the spells out of the hands of renegade Talents and government agencies who might seek this ultimate weapon for themselves. 

My pitch lasted seven minutes. 

When I was done, there was a long moment of silence, then the words that every author on earth, every artist, dreams of hearing. 

WOW.  I LOVE IT.

He probably didn’t shout the words.  But that was how it sounded inside my head. 

Isabella pried one of my hands off the wheel and pulled it over where she could hold it with both of hers.  We listened to him take this feeble pitch and turn it into something concrete – in his words, a mature fantasy for adults, one that avoided the multitude of cartoonish super-hero stories and the current wave of zombies and vampires.  He urged me to write the novel first, let him go through it, then together we would shape the script. 

Needless to say, the sun came out during our conversation.  No, really.

Further deliberations and long conversations followed, first with Isabella (my wife) and then including my literary agent, Chip MacGregor.  Together we decided it would be best to hold back on pitching the novel, for two reasons.  First, the book’s final shape should fit the actual movie, because the Development Director saw this as the first of several films.  Having the two stories move in tandem was crucial.

Second, we wanted to do what had only happened a few times in history – have the publishing campaign for a new novel work in tandem with the film’s publicity machine.

Only this created a problem.  Because I was already under contract for other books, I needed to somehow squeeze this writing into an already full schedule.

Fourteen months later, I called the film company with the happy news.  The book was completed.  Ready for their first read.  So excited, so utterly thrilled. 

Only there was a problem.  The director, my advocate in the company, had moved on.  And the new director was completely and utterly disinterested in my project. 

I was new to this game, but I’ve since learned this is a common tactic in LA.  Projects started by an ousted executive are almost never taken on by their replacement.  The new guy wants to imprint his or her vision on the group.  Continuing with an early-stage project means burnishing someone else’s image. 

All those hopes and dreams.  Gone. 

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story.

Davis Bunn’s novels have sold in excess of eight million copies in twenty-four languages.  He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with every major US book club.  In 2011 his novel Lion of Babylon was named Best Book of the Year by Library Journal.  The sequel, entitled Rare Earth,  won Davis his fourth Christy Award for Excellence in Fiction in 2013.  In 2014 Davis was granted the Lifetime Achievement award by the Christy board of judges.  His recent title Trial Run has been named Best Book of The Year by Suspense Magazine. Lately he has appeared on the cover of Southern Writers Magazine and Publishers Weekly, and in the past three years his titles have earned him Best Book and Top Pick awards from Library Journal, Romantic Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. His most recent series, Miramar Bay, have been acquired for world-wide condensation-books by Readers Digest. Currently Davis serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. Until Covid struck, he was speaking around the world on aspects of creative writing. 

Watch an excerpt from his new book The Cottage on Lighthouse Lane here.

Learn about his new home at Blenheim Castle here.

Categories
Building Your Creative Space

The Day After The Day

Building your creative space

“Each of us have moments when we are swept away by an inner sense of excitement about something we are doing or want to do.  In this state, whatever we are working on seems to come alive with significance and even necessity, and our contribution seems to validate who we are or, perhaps more accurately, who we can be.”

Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer

Say you have a truly perfect day. 

Your art sings with such passionate ease you feel it flowing with your breath.  Time becomes a measurement applied to mere mortals.  You become genuinely united with the creative moment.  The heavens open, the angels descend, and they sing with you.  It is, in a word, glorious. 

Then there is the next day. 

Because you have returned to the mortal realm, your first temptation is to review the previous day’s work.  But let’s be honest here.  You’re not doing this because you actually want to change anything. 

You’re after a cheap high. 

You want to feel that same incredible union, without the blood and sweat and tears.

But then you realize that the product of your intense experience is not quite perfect.  What you created has a flaw.  You pluck at this tiny imperfect strand, and gradually your beautiful work becomes shredded. 

The result is inevitable.  All the glorious emotional impact fades away.

You doubt it ever happened.  You become tempted to dismiss the entire experience as a passing illusion. 

There is a scene in my recent novel, Miramar Bay, when the main character goes racing off on his motorcycle in the dark with the headlights off.  How I happened to write it goes like this:

I was at the end of a very long day.  Tired, strung out, a lot going on, and I was running away from two half-finished scenes that I simply could not get right.  So I went to the gym.  And there in the middle of my workout…

The main character, a man named Connor, talked to me. 

It was just so incredible, hearing this guy confess his deepest secret.  I felt so moved.  I borrowed a pen and pad from the gym’s manager and scribbled out the entire scene, like I was listening to Connor confess.  Broken, afraid, totally uncertain as to what he should do next.  But it was this moment that propelled him to do what he did.  Take the midnight bus to Miramar Bay.

Connor raced bikes.  His own ride of choice was the fastest street-legal bike in the world, a Ducatti.  And while Connor had been rising up the impossible glass mountain of LA fame, his escape had been rides through desert hideaways with outlaw buddies. 

But that night Connor had been alone.

He pushed his bike up the desert cliffs north of Palm Springs, one switchback after another, and did so with his lights off.  The motor screaming, his blood pumping, illuminated by the moon.  Why?

Because he did not care whether he lived or he died. 

That was the confession he shared with me.  I wrote it down, and when I was finished, I felt as though I had been given an incredible gift by a guy who was a lot better, and far greater, than he gave himself credit for.

Welcome to Miramar Bay.

So why am I sharing this with you?

Because of the next day. 

When I sat down at my desk the following morning, I faced the same quandary as I had before I left for the gym.  The same two unfinished scenes.  The same imperfect structure that I had to get right.  The same doubts, the same fears, the same…

Do This Now:

  • The issue here, the crux to arriving at the point when inspiration happens, is this:  Work through the hours of drudgery. 
  • You need to fashion a means of maintaining this discipline when the hour is hardest.  Not when it comes easy.  You must do this.  You must.
  • For myself, the answer has come through not allowing myself to reread what I have written until the first draft is completed.  I want to go back.  I hunger to see what I am creating.  But I don’t give in.  I can’t, and maintain my daily productivity, my drive.  I just can’t.
  • You must design your own method for making it through the slog.  I suggest you start with my concept, and hold to it until you fashion your own. 
  • Whatever it is, however you make this work, consider this one of the most vital steps you will ever take as an artist.
  • Do this now.

Davis Bunn’s novels have sold in excess of eight million copies in twenty-four languages.  He has appeared on numerous national bestseller lists, and his titles have been Main or Featured Selections with every major US book club.  In 2011 his novel Lion of Babylon was named Best Book of the Year by Library Journal.  The sequel, entitled Rare Earth,  won Davis his fourth Christy Award for Excellence in Fiction in 2013.  In 2014 Davis was granted the Lifetime Achievement award by the Christy board of judges.  His recent title Trial Run has been named Best Book of The Year by Suspense Magazine. Lately he has appeared on the cover of Southern Writers Magazine and Publishers Weekly, and in the past three years his titles have earned him Best Book and Top Pick awards from Library Journal, Romantic Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. His most recent series, Miramar Bay, have been acquired for world-wide condensation-books by Readers Digest. Currently Davis serves as Writer-In-Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. Until Covid struck, he was speaking around the world on aspects of creative writing. 

Watch an excerpt from his new book The Cottage on Lighthouse Lane here.

Learn about his new home at Blenheim Castle here.

Categories
Craft Essentials

Please Take Your Seat!

Craft Essentials

“The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.” 

William Zinsser

I explored the idea of writing for several months before I realized it was not my idea. The Lord tapped on my heart, and I knew I was to write. As I became serious about moving forward, I engaged a writing coach. She was highly experienced and respected in the industry. She informed me early on there was much to learn but expressed her confidence I could be successful. “Please know, Deb, writing is a discipline. There are no shortcuts to writing well.”

During our first session she explored my goals and discussed the challenges that might derail me. It was not a long list, but the single item was demanding. I owned a business that required a significant amount of travel. She asked if this was the right time to begin and if I would make the sacrifice writing would require. I nodded. “Where do we begin?”

We discussed a project I had in mind, and she agreed it was a good starting point. At the end of that first session, she asked me to track the weeks’ writing sessions, down to the minute. “What day of the week, what time did you start, and what time did you end the session?” She called them BIC hours. I thought it was a writerly term, one I had not yet encountered. I refrained from asking for the definition. No need to remind her I was greener than grass. I was certain she’d realize it soon enough.

I faithfully kept the BIC Log and sent it to her each week prior to our session. She used it to assess where in my week I was most productive. There was definitely a pattern. This helped tremendously and I was able to establish a consistent schedule and routine. That BIC Log became my planner of sorts. I treated it as though it had been heaven sent; I didn’t question the process. I leveraged those productive times, blocked them on the calendar, and honored my commitment to show up at the keyboard when it was time to write. I sensed a pattern and rhythm that worked. On good days and bad, I wrote. I established words written as my goal marker rather than time in the chair.

My coach served as a wealth of information about everything related to writing. But it was the BIC Log that most impacted what I did and when I did it.

BIC, I learned several months later, was her abbreviated version for “butt in chair.”

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” There are many variations on this quote, but The New York Times attributed it in August 1977 to Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman, co-writers of the Oscar winning screenplay for the movie Annie Hall.

Showing up. Butts in chairs, my friend is what the craft requires. Every line that never gets written is guaranteed to never be published.

The days your fingers fly over the keys, and you can barely contain the rush of words, are victories. It feels effortless and you emerge feeling victorious Those days happen. They just don’t happen often enough. Relish them. It’s the contrast to the days you decide to clean out the fridge or rearrange the pantry instead of facing the keyboards that are treacherous. Definitely not BIC days.

Why does this happen?

Two major challenges become hiccups along the way: procrastination and distraction. When we feel uninspired, we avoid the keyboards. Procrastinators are often labeled as lazy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s not a lack of interest or commitment. In fact, science suggests most procrastinators are perfectionists. The lack of inspiration or confidence is the factor that pushes us to avoid writing in those times.

“If I am not clear about the next steps in my story, I can’t move forward.” Or “I can’t locate the research I need to proceed.” And for many, the only solution is to avoid sitting in that chair altogether.

What to do?

Here are a few tips to help you settle into that seat and forge ahead—regardless of your emotion in the moment.

Bring to mind something related to your writing you’re putting off right now — you’ll probably find the task has many, if not all, of the characteristics that identifies it as procrastination-worthy. Here are four top examples.

  • Imposter Syndrome: “I’ve told everyone I’m writing a book. What was I thinking?”
  • The task is boring: “I thought writing a book would be fun. This is a lot of research!”
  • The task is difficult: “I have request for a proposal, but it’s complex. I can’t do this.”
  • The task is ambiguous or unstructured: (Vague, confusing, unclear). “I don’t even know where to start!”

What’s the impact of these statements and why it is important? Because it’s what we’re telling ourselves, about ourselves. And it’s all dangerous self-talk that tries to convince us to quit. To clean out the pantry and rearrange the potted patio plants instead of pushing through.

Today you can increase the odds of achieving your writing goals, whatever they might be. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Put your sitter down in that chair and write!

Deborah DeArmond is a recognized leader in the fields of performance development, facilitation. She is a certified writing coach as well as an executive business coach. She is also an award-winning author.

Deb’s the author of Related by Chance, Family by Choice, I Choose You Today, and Don’t Go to Bed Angry. Stay Up and Fight! All three books focus on relationship dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution. Her humorous devotional entitled Bumper Sticker Be-Attitudes was published in late 2019. Her newest release, We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished: Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life will be available in late July. She has published more than 200 articles in print and online, including a monthly column, now in her 7th year for Lifeway Magazine with an international circulation of 300,000.

Deb helps clients achieve success in becoming the coach others desire to work through through her engaging inquiry, humor, and straightforward approach. Her clients have described Deb as “candid but kind” and skilled at asking the questions that help “guide others to discover their answers and solutions to success.”

William Zinsser was a writer, editor, and teacher whose book, On Writing Well sold more than 1.5 million copies over three decades by employing his own literary craftsmanship to urge clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity. Monthly we’ll tap into his insights and perhaps you too, will find life-changing messages in the wit and wisdom of William Zinsser.

Categories
Book Proposals

The Two Big Cs

So, it’s Christmas and we’re all still dealing with Covid. Who would have imagined a year ago when we first heard rumblings about this virus that we’d be dealing with it twelve months later? And the artsy community is seriously suffering. Whether it’s authors, actors, singers. All in the what many people see as “disposable” community are working hard to keep afloat.

So, what does this all mean for writers? Huge sigh. It means, publishers are taking longer, looking harder, deciding slower, especially for debut authors. It’s tough. Without in-store shoppers, more bookstores have closed. Publishers are being far more selective in those they sign. Folks aren’t spending the dollars as many have lost jobs. “Thanks, Linda. Lots of really uplifting news here!”

But don’t despair. Because a LOT of folks are home now, it’s been a great opportunity for more writing hours. Instead of simply shopping one book around, I have quite a few clients with multiple books now. They have spent their extra time wisely and have been glued to their computers: writing, writing, writing!

As things begin to return to normal … and they will, my authors are going to have a bag full of new tricks, new novels, new ideas that can be shopped to the publishers. Instead of that one really awesome book I signed them for, there are now two or three books ready for a home.

How have you spent your extra time? Or, if you were lucky enough to continue to work, did you still look for new ideas, new ops for writing? And as you get those weekends back, will you push forward with even more writing? Now is the time to use your spare minutes wisely.

The key, folks, at any time, in any circumstance is to continue writing. Too often, we find excuses (and let’s face it, Covid has been a real game changer) to give up. We get depressed, who isn’t today, right? But those who keep at it. Those who refuse to allow their fingers and minds to quit. Those who see this as an opportunity instead of a loss will emerge on the other side stronger, better prepared, and ready!

Am I still signing folks? Yes! More in the last few months that in the last couple years. I’ve found that cream has truly risen to the top, and I’ve been lucky enough to find some amazing authors in this mix. How do I know they’re the cream? They’ve continued with conferences even if a Zoom conference isn’t first choice. They’ve worked at learning their craft. Even my clients that I’ve already been shopping around have used this chance to write more, write better, write with innovative motivation. They’ve taken out old manuscripts and rewritten them. They’ve dug deeper in to the ones I’ve seen.

Key here: they have not given up.

Nor have I. Again, Zoom conferences aren’t my first choice, but I’ve continued to be part of them in order to find new talent. And many very prestigious conferences have offered online versions for less than half the price. I’ve found numerous new clients over a simple Zoom appointment. I’ve done my best to stay abreast of changes and learning what the publisher are looking at now. And it has changed! But one thing never does: publishers want stellar writing from teachable authors who aren’t afraid to get themselves out there.

2020 has allowed most of us the opportunity to spend more time at the keyboard. If so, have you spent your time wisely? Are you writing more? Are you improving?

In less than a month, 2021 will replace what many see as the year of the century. What have you done to take advantage of and try to improve your lot in 2020? Stay the course, my friends. As my beloved mom used to say, “This, too, shall pass.”

Looking forward to a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year with hope just on the horizon for all of us. God bless you all, God bless your writing!

Linda S. Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency, and also the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year. Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town where everyone is family.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

How to Defeat the Dream-Stealers

I hadn’t been careful enough, and the creature had my scent. Fight or flight, but there’s nowhere to run. With my dream exposed, I came face to face with the very real beast known as the dream stealer.

All writers face dream stealers in their lives, but the scent of the speculative fiction writer draws them more powerfully than any other. They might look like your mom, or your dad. They could be your husband, or wife. Maybe they wear a face of a good friend. But if you aren’t ready to fight, they will kill your dream, and you’ll push away from your manuscript, never to return.

Why do they attack,?

Sun Tzu famously said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Dream Stealers, like any good antagonist, are the hero of their own story, gallantly trying to save you from yourself. They have your best interests at heart.

They know, from their own painful experiences, how much it hurts when a dream is left unfulfilled. They will rescue you from heartbreak and ruin before it’s too late. It’s not just you they want to save, but also themselves. It’s hard to watch someone you care about walk through a painful experience. Better to steer them off the path before they get hurt.

They want you to take the path more traveled. The safer path. They are the voice of the future. There will be time to pursue your dream of publication later, they say. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. After college. After you get married. After the kids are gone. To the last syllable of recorded time.

How can you fight them? How do you hold on to your dream of being a published author when they tempt you to take the easier path?

Know your odds, know your definition of success, know your season, and know your why.

Know your odds

The Dream Stealer will quote the odds to you. Whether you opt for traditional publishing or go the route of Independent publishing, the odds are stacked against you. Many will enter, few will win. For every publishing contract awarded, or agent signed, they reject hundreds of other writers. Knowing the odds before the Dream Stealer throws them at you neutralizes their power. This isn’t a once and done battle, it’s one you have to fight repeatedly. Look your Dream Stealer in the eyes, channel your best Harrison Ford, and say, “Never tell me odds.”

Know your definition of success

Dream Stealers take a narrow view of success when they talk of the odds. It’s not enough to have finished a manuscript, or even gotten an agent. No, their only criteria is if you become a Best Seller. They never look at the smaller accomplishments. You must celebrate the small wins: the finished draft, the compliment from your critique partner, a contest victory. Those are the oxygen your dream needs to stay alive.

A struggle with a deep, philosophical issue gave birth to my current work-in-progress manuscript. If the story helps even one other person navigate those waters, the book will have been a resounding success.

You are not a failure just because you didn’t achieve someone else’s definition of success.

Know your season

My kids tire of me saying ‘a time and a place’, but it’s true. There’s a time and a place for everything. It’s important to understand your current season of life. Pursuing a career as a professional writer takes a serious commitment of time, passion and resources. Not every season lends itself to making that commitment. Perhaps today you’re in a growing season which will provide a fertile ground of emotions and conflict to fuel your future novels. Don’t let anyone define the timetable for you.

Know your why

Like our characters, we need deep motivations to maintain our quest for publication over the long haul. You need to connect your dream to something bigger than yourself. From my experience, fantasizing about a huge advance check won’t do it. There are easier ways to make money.

Whatever your reason is, write it down and read it every time it’s time to write. That why will motivate you to put the butt in the chair when you’re tired, or aren’t feeling it. Your why will get you to grind out words that won’t come.

Gird yourself for battle

The moment you pursued the dream of being a published writer, you put a target on your back. Your scent wafts in the breeze and every Dream Stealer in your life picks it up. They mean well and they sincerely have your best interest at heart. But they give voice to the fears and doubts every writer harbors in their heart. We have to be careful to choose the voices we listen to. Those will be the ones that influence us.

“Life’s full of lots of dream-stealers always telling you you need to do something more sensible. I think it doesn’t matter what your dream is, just fight the dream-stealers and hold on to it.”

Bear Grylls.

Ted Atchley is a freelance writer and professional computer programmer. Whether it’s words or code, he’s always writing.  
Ted’s love for speculative fiction started early on with Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and the Star Wars movies. This led to reading Marvel comics and eventually losing himself in Asimov’s Apprentice Adept and the world of Krynn (Dragonlance Chronicles). 
After blogging on his own for several years, Blizzard Watch (blizzardwatch.com) hired Ted to be a regular columnist in 2016. When the site dropped many of its columns two years later, they retained Ted as a staff writer. 
He lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When not writing, you’ll find him spending time with his family, and cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers.
He’s currently revising his work-in-progress portal fantasy novel before preparing to query. 

  • Twitter: @tedatchley3,
  • Twitter: @honorshammer (gaming / Blizzard Watch)

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Top Five Books to Encourage Writers

Expect rejection, and don’t take it personally. Just keep writing. God is in control. This is my mantra. Most famous authors have been through years of rejection before finally breaking through the barriers we all face. The following books are full of encouragement to persevere, along with practical suggestions for improving your writing.

books to encourage writers

1. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Pressfield names “Resistance,” as the enemy that keeps us from writing. He shares how he finally faced Resistance after years of running from his calling.

Pressfield is like a drill sergeant ordering us to face down opposition daily and stop making excuses, but he’s an eloquent drill sergeant:

“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it”

Pressfield, Steven. 2002. In The War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, 165. New York, NY: Black Irish Entertainment.

2. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

If Steven Pressfield is a drill sergeant, Julia Cameron is a compassionate friend coaxing us into writing through playful exercises designed to jumpstart artistic expression. Wonderful for blocked writers, I found it affirming even though I didn’t feel blocked. Cameron reassures us that God is pleased with our creative efforts. She provides wisdom for dealing with crippling perfectionism and negativity. She also suggests practices such as “morning pages” and a weekly “artist date” to stimulate creative flow.

3. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Fun and relaxing to read, Goldberg is honest and vulnerable. In this classic book, she shares her secrets, such as promising herself two chocolate chip cookies at her favorite bakery as a reward for writing. (My kind of gal!) Arranged into short chapters filled with engaging stories and concrete steps to establishing a writing routine, this gem is encouraging on every page.

4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

With her characteristic humor, Anne Lamott shares her experiences growing up with her writer father as she struggles to become a writer herself, and that’s just the introduction! Then she gives thorough instructions about getting started with short assignments, crafting characters, setting, plot—nearly everything you need to know about writing—punctuated with hilarious stories. She charms the reader to the last page.

5. On Writing by Stephen King

I am not a fan of horror, and this is the only Stephen King book I have ever read, but it is riveting.

“The nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing”

King, Stephen. 2000. In On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft, 41. N.Y., NY: Pocket Books.

King also includes nuts and bolts instruction on the craft of writing. It’s perfect, almost.

Dive into these books and press on toward the goal. Replace your “nail with a spike” and keep on writing!

In 1996, Susan E. Brooks moved to Mozambique, Africa, with her family where she taught art and English at an international high school and started journaling about her adventures. Twenty-six of the stories of struggles and victories in Mozambique are now published on her blog in a series entitled “Mozambican Odyssey.” She has since lived in Portugal, Ghana, and Cyprus, as well as in her home state of Kentucky, USA.

Meanwhile, nine grandchildren have come along, and she is inspired to write and illustrate a children’s book for each of them. Susan has self-published four children’s books so far.

In recent years, her stories have been published by Peace Catalyst International and in an anthology entitled Prayer Warrior Confessions. Follow Susan’s adventures and her art on her webisite: susanebrooks.com, Facebook susanbrooksart, and on Instagram @sebrooks81.

Categories
Book Proposals

We’re All Struggling

We’re all struggling in this craziness, but one thing is sure, we are writers! We push on and don’t allow circumstances to prevent our stories coming to life.

Each day the news is different, and depending on who we listen to, either good or bad. Print sales are up, print sales are down. Ebooks are soaring, Ebooks have tanked. Self-publishing is the only way to go in this climate. Self-publishing will only drain you financially and emotionally. And it’s all Corona’s fault.

It only takes two minutes to open social media or a literary report to give us goosebumps from head to toe. And … cause us to question our chosen vocation. It’s tough to work on a project for a year or more, only to learn at the end of it that we might not be able to sell it.

This latest setback, the novel virus—we all know that has nothing to do with our kind of novel, has contributed to some interesting fluctuations in the market. So much so, that the very weak of heart have given up. But let me explain something. Those who aren’t in this crazy writers’ life for the long haul will use any excuse to give up. ANY excuse. Did you hear that?

They don’t like my work. I got three rejections in one day! I have to make a living (yes, a very valid reason, but if you can squeeze in just twenty minutes a day to write while keeping your day job…). It’s a LOT harder than I thought it would be.

If this crazy lock down did one thing, it’s this: it actually gave a lot of folks more time to write instead of less. And if not, then you’re no worse off than you were before. But write you must! Yes, there I said it. IF you are truly a writer, you have to write as surely as you have to breathe, and nothing … did you read that … nothing will stop you.

Artsy vocations aren’t like going to the bank from nine to five and pulling in a steady paycheck. Artsy vocations: theatre, sculpting, writing, painting, photography, etc., are not five days a week careers. They are 24/7/365 vocations that come from the heart. While you can learn to do all of these things, for true diehards, there is an uncontrollable itch inside that births the desire to create.

Few people wake up one day as a child and just know they must grow up to be a banker. But many children feel that tug to act, paint, or write. They set up stages in the family garage and act out Grease over and over until they are prolific with the songs and dialogue for each and every character. Others start writing stories as soon as they can string words together. And still others might paint/draw incredible concepts early on. This, my friends, comes from the heart. Not from classes, not from books, but from the heart. And THOSE individuals must pursue their art form, as I said, as surely as taking one breath after another.

Okay, nice philosophy, but do I really believe that? Should you really believe that?

Absolutely! If I quit writing altogether, a part of me would shrink (just like muscle atrophy when we stop moving), and I’d wither like a flower on a vine. I need—you need to be creative. We were made that way. As writers, we can’t look around us without seeing stories unfolding. We can’t sit at a keyboard and play games when there are voices in our heads begging to be released so they can tell their stories.

Do NOT allow these crazy, troubling times to become an excuse to sit back and give up. Only you can successfully tell the story or bring to life the information that has been woven into your heart. Don’t give up. Your story or article or memoir might be the very thing that helps another life grow into what he or she is meant to be. You never know who your writing will touch or why. In this lifetime, all you can do is write and assume you are helping to make a difference.

Press on and create. Let nothing … nothing … stop you.

Linda S. Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency, and also the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year. Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town where everyone is family.

Categories
Devotions for Writers

Lessons from a Cupbearer

devotions

“So we rebuilt the wall… for the people worked with all their heart.”

Nehemiah 4:6 (NIV)

Nehemiah was a layman in exile, working as a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. In other words, he was expendable. He drank the wine to be served to the monarch. If it was poisoned by the king’s enemies, the cupbearer took the fall for the ruler. This cupbearer, however, was unique.

Nehemiah had a burden for his hometown. How did he turn his weight into a gate? Nehemiah is known for the extraordinary work he did to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but one doesn’t accomplish such a feat alone. It took a plan and a band.

Nehemiah is known for the extraordinary work he did to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

Here’s his sketch:

  • Burden 1:4
  • Prayer 1:5-11
  • Audience 2:1-3
  • Target 2:5
  • Deadline 2:6
  • Resources 2:7-8
  • Research 2:11-15
  • Work 2:17-18

How about you?

  • Do you have a burden?
  • Have you prayed about it?
  • Who speaks into your life? Whose words do you give audience to, in your quest to write? Who is on your team?
  • What is your target? Nehemiah concentrated on one job. The city had other problems, but he didn’t focus on them.
  • Do you have a deadline, self-imposed or from an editor?
  • Have you gathered your resources?
  • What kind of research will you need to do?
  • How will you hunker down to do the work?

In chapter three, the project is divided into manageable sections. How can you measure out the words in front of you?

Learn from a wall-builder:

4:14 Remember your “why.”

4:8-9 Pray against distractions.

4:16-18 Prepare for the unknown.

Do you feel as if your words are expendable? Take a lesson from a cupbearer and refill your cup before your heavenly King. He will set your burden into motion with rewarding work.

Exercise:

What burdens do you carry? Journal your heart’s passion. That is your “why.”

Write a prayer, asking the Lord to show you how to put that passion into action.

Why do you write? This is different than your why, because of the medium used. Put that after the prayer.

What keeps you from following your passion? Brainstorm ways to avoid distractions.

Prepare for the unknown, by eliminating procrastination. Chip away at your project daily until you know you have put your whole heart into it. One day, you’ll look up and see the physical results of your daily build.

Call someone for accountability and become prayer warriors for each other. You will both win!

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

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Reaping the Rewards

It took 11 months after my accident before I was finally released from doctors’ care. That season was more than just recovering from a gruesome life-altering accident. It was a time when I had to adjust to my new normal.

Over 20 years later I’m still not used to it. There are times I encounter new challenges, but despite what life throws at me, I understand each challenge has its reward.

  • Processes to help me learn patience and how to listen.
  • Setbacks to make me stronger.
  • Rejections to grow my desire for my goal.

As I look back from this side of my recovery, the process changed me just as much as my disability has.

Regardless of how and why, here I am over two decades later walking when I’m not supposed to, eating on my own, and taking care of myself, despite what I was told by my doctors.

Actually, physically I’m in better health than a lot of people half my age. The struggles and long recovery have made me a better person. Now I get to reap the rewards of nearly a year of hard work. But, the cliché holds true, it wasn’t about the destination, but the journey to reaping the rewards.

Rewards?

The dictionary defines a reward as, “A thing given in recognition of one’s service, effort, or achievement.” Rewards are a result of hard work and take time to receive. There were times during my recovery I thought I would never get to where I wanted to be physically. Each negative result only made me want to succeed more. Failure was not an option.

Writing is a business and it works like any other business. Contracts aren’t given to just anyone with a good idea. Successful writers do the prep work and put in the time to get where they want to be. As I learned during my rehabilitation, anything worth achieving is worth fighting for, even when the struggle is unbearable.

This is especially true if we plan to reap the rewards of a long-term writing career. One of my life hacks is to mimic people who are where I want to be. This is why so many artistic fields now offer “masterclasses” to help others achieve success. Below are a few tips from successful writers.

1. Develop good habits – Most beginning writers will have to balance their writing with other responsibilities.

2. Use your limited time wisely – Before you sit down to write, think of ideas, remind yourself of where you left off in the story, or make a mental plan for what you want to accomplish during that session. Some writers strive for 2,000 words per day.

3. Network with other writers at conferences – Conferences are an invaluable help if you’re looking to network with other writers, publishers, and agents.

4. Find an agent – publishing via a traditional publishing house means you need to find a literary agent. These professionals are the gatekeepers of the publishing world.

5. Build a relationship with an editor – Editors are a hugely important part of your publishing process.1

My recovery wouldn’t have been a success if I’d done it my way. The rewards I gained came from working together with countless therapists, nurses, and doctors. As I look back now on who I used to be and what I could do pre-accident, I am amazed at how much I learned and what more I can do now than before. Recovery, like writing, is a process—and that process changes our perspective on what matters.

Perspective?

When I was younger I thought I was indestructible and life was at my fingertips. This thinking caused me to take everything for granted. My disability humbles me and keeps me on my toes.

I can vividly remember in college wanting to be a writer, but having nothing unique to write about. I can even remember praying for inspiration to write a screenplay that would touch the world.

Since my accident, I have worked with other disabled persons and shared my story. I am also inspired to write encouraging movies about people with disabilities. My accident changed my perspective on writing and life alike.

Too many people, especially writers look at success as the goal and miss the journey. Success may never be riches and fame for most writers. Success looks different to each of us.

  • Writing full-time.
  • Traveling the world.
  • Huge book sales.
  • Or a simple byline.

In one of my favorite books on writing Jerry B. Jenkins concludes with this, “I’m living my dream as a full-time freelance novelist, writing about things I believe in and care about. And you can too. The path is crowded and the passage long, but the reward is worth it. You can write for the benefit of your soul. And you can write to reach the soul of another. Welcome to the journey.”2

For some, the journey may be the only reward they receive from a writing career, for others it may be a New York Times best-selling book. Personally, each baby step I take both in writing and in my physical recovery, I know I am reaping the rewards.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-become-a-published-author

2  Jenkins, J, B 2006 (Writing For the Soul) Writers Digest Books, Page 214.

Categories
Writing for YA

Write Anyway

There will be days when writing is hard. When your eyes burn and your back hurts. You will scrape dried ink from the bottom of the well, wondering if these tiny, insignificant flakes are worth anything. 

Hours, days, years of work languish with no guarantee of display in the light of day.

Write anyway.

Some days your words and lines will rip out your heart with their truth and beauty. You will feel naked and afraid. 

Some days the emotion you are desperate to share dribbles away, never caught and put to page. An unspoken message is worse than letting the world taste your secret sorrows. The tale must be wept out and sweated out onto paper even if it doesn’t want to be confined—or set free—by a pen. Story will haunt, steal your rest, demand attention. You will pound a keyboard while dinner burns.

Write anyway.

There will be people who tell you the harsh truth, and those who whisper sweet lies. And others who are purposely unkind, cruel with breath-stealing carelessness that makes you doubt your own passion. 

There will be rejections wrapped in softness. Slamming shut doors will become a commonplace sound. 

There will be hindering mentors, jealous companions, and friends who mean well but let you wallow in mediocrity and blissful ignorance.

Write anyway.

Some days you will be your own worst enemy, second-guessing, unsure as a newborn colt. Some days you will be too sure of yourself, and ignore horrendous flaws, until, stumbling over the cracks, you fall flat on your face, hard. The danger is invisible to the scribbling storyteller. You will fail and embarrass yourself time and time again.

Write anyway.

If you succeed, the monetary rewards are likely to be small. There will always be ugly reviews. People will inform you point-blank they didn’t like your book. Family members and friends won’t even bother to read it. But someone will. And sometimes it will mean a great deal to the reader, your reader. They may or may not tell you—this really happens—how it touched them, comforted them, and made them feel understood.

It’s why we write anyway.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Devotions for Writers

devoted words

devotions

“Every pot…will be holy to the Lord Almighty.”

Zechariah 14:21 (NIV) 

The book of Zechariah speaks to a nation returning from Exile. Israel’s release from captivity brought them to a land experiencing famine and economic difficulties. The Temple had been destroyed, and worship infiltrated by foreign influences. As God called the people back to purity, He promised blessing for obedience.

Did you notice in Zechariah 14:20-21 that the common items would become sacred, when used for the Lord? The Israelites dedicated specific items for the Temple, in the model set up with Moses and Aaron. But Zechariah prophesies a time when anything can be used. The same can be said for us. No longer needing a mediator before God, we now have access through Jesus. He is the one who purifies what we offer to His service. As we set aside the world’s agenda and make writing a priority, we are dedicating common things for God’s use.

Many times, I have wondered what I could contribute through writing. Hasn’t every idea already been published? What would I have to say that would be fresh and exciting? Yet an ordinary person surrendered to the Lord can be used for extraordinary things. Think of the times you’ve read someone else’s words, and a sentence or a thought popped out at you. What if that person had deleted their work before ever sending?

What do you use for writing? A desk becomes an altar to seek God’s guidance. Paper becomes His tablet. A Thesaurus illuminates the words. And a pen flows with inspiration and perspiration: God’s ideas given to you to flesh out on paper. Maybe a common activity like washing dishes or putting gas in the car can become a place to ponder God’s faithfulness?

What will you dedicate to the Lord today? Whether on a laptop, a journal or a scrap of paper, lay your musings at the Lord’s feet for His use, in His time.

An ordinary person surrendered to the Lord can be used for extraordinary things.

Exercise:

Pull out a piece you gave up on. Maybe you filed it away because it received one too many rejection letters. Maybe the idea never got mailed because it just couldn’t get the angle that would make it pop.

How could you rework the article? Do you still agree with the stance you took? Does it still speak for your philosophy, or have life experiences given you a different view of your topic?

You may have thought it was ordinary, but the Lord wanted to use it for good. Dedicate yourself to sprucing it up, and then trust God with the editor’s response!

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

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Don’t Quit Your Daydream

lighter look at a writer's life

I was ministered to by a bathroom cup a while back.

One day I was getting ready for work and grabbed a cup for my mouthwash. The little saying on the cup caught my eye.

“Don’t quit your daydream.”

There it was, my life story on a mini-cup.

Fourteen years ago, God gave me a dream to write for Him. I didn’t quite know what to do with that dream, but over the years I have tried to fulfill it. I have attended writers conferences, made lots of writer friends, paid for critiques, and pitched enough projects to fill a library.

Were there times I wanted to quit? ABSOLUTELY IN ALL CAPS. But God wouldn’t let me.

I had one of those “I need to quit writing” pity parties right before a writers conference earlier this year. I just wasn’t feeling it, but I prayed and prayed. God has His own sense of timing . . . and humor.

On the way home from that conference, I got a message from my agent. A legit publishing company was ready to offer me and my co-author a contract. A real contract. For an actual book. With my name on the cover.

A couple of weeks later, we signed and began writing our book . . . with a deadline of less than two months (Remember that thing about timing and humor).

It has been fourteen years, and that dream, God’s dream planted deep in my heart, is coming true. I want to pinch myself sometimes. Then I remember that deadline, so I start typing again.

It’s been a long journey, but, if there’s one thing I have learned, God is faithful. If the dream came from Him, He’ll see it through. The path will not be clear at times and you will want to quit, but just trust Him.

Don’t quit your daydream. Bathroom cups are pretty deep.


Carlton Hughes wears many hats. By day, he’s a professor of communication at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he does object lessons and songs with motions as Children’s Pastor of Lynch Church of God. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and several devotional books from Worthy Publishing—Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. Carlton and his wife Kathy have two sons, Noah and Ethan, both of whom recently flew out of the nest. He is on the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference and is a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas child. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency. His book Adventures in Fatherhood, a 60-day devotional co-authored with Holland Webb, will release in April 2020 from Worthy/Ellie Claire.

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Work While Waiting

The waiting game for writers can seem endless.

You edit then edit some more, then recheck submission requirements. You push the send button. And wait.

The days and weeks go by and you hear nothing. You check your inbox religiously. Still nothing.

What do you do?

Keep writing. Seek out other projects and ideas. Then write some more.

I had an interesting experience this week with a short story I’d submitted over a year ago. I’d long since given up on hearing back from this publication. All of a sudden, the editor is desperately trying to get ahold of me and even calls me on my cell phone. No one was more surprised, especially because so much “life” and writing had occurred since I’d submitted it. In fact, I was in the midst of moving to another state when the email first was sent to me—and I missed it. EyeRoll

What if I’d just sat and waited and grew discouraged, assuming no one would want my story? I’d have missed out on signing a contract for another book I’d written over a year ago. I’d have missed out on many other opportunities to guest blog and hone my craft.

I could have given up on writing altogether. Perhaps writer’s self-absorption tends to overwhelm us with discouragement at times. It happens to all of us.

A quick fix for that is to offer to help another writer. Be a beta reader for a new manuscript. Help promote a new release for someone else. Go take a walk in fresh air.

Then go back to your cubby hole and write some more.

You never know when that email or phone call may come—out-of-the-blue.

Carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper has two historical fiction books that recently released: War’s Respite (Prequel novella) and Love’s Kindling. Love’s Kindling is available in both e-book and paperback. They are the first two books in the Dawn of America Series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her 2016 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. You can visit her website/ blog at www.elainemariecooper.com

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Perseverance

In the interest of keeping things real here, I need to tell you how much I have been struggling with my identity as a writer. I have been wrestling with time management, facing off with my fear of social media (yes, that’s a thing), and having blunt discussions with myself about my skillset. It has been humbling. But it’s also been, for the most part, a private conversation.

Each night before bed, I ask my son if there’s anything he wants to talk about. The other night he seemed troubled, and this is what he professed.

“Mom, I have all these ideas in my head. Whole worlds of just…stuff. I get ideas at school and I just can’t stop to write them down and then later when I do go to write them down, they’re like, changed already and I can’t keep up. But mostly I never have enough time to write them,” he says. Then he looks at me with trusting, eager eyes and asks, “How do you do it?”

Thoughts flurried and my eyes blurred. I don’t. My staggering lack of increased page count over the past year is a glaring testimony to that fact. All my failed attempts at query letters, proposals, twitter pitch parties bear witness. 

One thought jarred me out of my pity storm: Regardless of how I feel, my son sees me as a writer. My son is beginning his own writing journey and he is looking for guidance. He’s looking to me.

Somehow I managed to check my insecurity and said, “I understand how hard it is. I don’t know that I have the best answer. I just keep trying.”

His face relaxed and he kept talking. He pulled out his phone and showed me his notes – they were only a couple of pages long but they prompted him to offer lengthy descriptions about characters, backstories, settings, plots. He told me about his worlds and where they came from. As a mom, and a writer, I couldn’t have been more proud to listen.

However clumsy I may have been, I would like to think listening to him and encouraging him helped him grow as a young writer. How can I help you? What kind of topics do you want to see in this column? What do you most want to learn about as you write for the middle grade reader?

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Are You a Titan?

There is a television show this season called Titans. It is one of those shows that challenges the strength of the participants. Every week those who have trained and passed the auditions show up to try to out-run, out-pull, out-climb, and out-do in every other way their opponents.

The challenge is always different but the method is always the same. The contestant starts off with a burst of energy when the torch signals to start. He or she completes the first segment quickly. But as they progress, each contestant begins to show signs of fatigue. Their muscles bulge, their faces contort, their steps falter, they fall more, and they advance toward their goal slower.

For some reason, I am drawn to these shows. There is something about cheering another person on to victory that is exciting. Even though I am not the athletic type, I love to see others meet their goals.

Last night as the show went off, I realized that writers are a lot like these titans.

We first get an idea to run the race to publication. After that initial idea, we grab another idea to write about. We go into training as we ponder and research the idea.

Then comes the race. We step up to the plate, excited, adrenalin flowing. We know we are going to make it to the top. We work tirelessly to assimilate our information, make outlines, and write our introductions. Then we begin to write. We notice our enthusiasm may have waned just a bit but we know we must get those words on the paper. We start writing, pushing our muscles a little farther.

As we progress to the top, we notice we are having to flex our writer muscles a bit more solidly to keep on track. But we keep working at it.

When we get near the finish, we realize that we are really struggling to stay focused and wrap up the article in a strong and effective. We write one word at a time, deliberately striking each key. We pray that we can make a difference and that our words will change lives.

Finally, we finish, exhausted, arms in the air declaring victory (and stretching our weary muscles in a different direction. Maybe not the same kind of exertion as the titans on television, but all the same exhausted.

Are you a titan? Do you approach your writing with every bit of energy and training you have had? I would say to you exactly what I would say to the titans on the screen, “C’mon. You can do it! Go for the goal.”

Linda Gilden is an award-winning writer, speaker, editor, certified writing and speaking coach, and personality consultant. Her passion is helping others discover the joy of writing. Linda recently released Articles, Articles, Articles! and is the author of over a thousand magazine articles and 18 books including the new LINKED Quick Guides for Personalities. As Director of the Carolina Christian Writers Conference, Linda helps many writers take the next step in reaching their writing goals. Linda love to float in a pool with a good book surrounded by splashing grandchildren—a great source of writing material! www.lindagilden.com

Categories
Guest Posts

Word Play: Life Lessons from One Tough Cookie by Diana Derringer

“Will you please teach me a new slang expression and what it means every day?” Little did I know where that simple request would lead.

As a friendship family to international university students, I became the unofficial interpreter for my husband’s frequent use of slang, idioms, and other unusual expressions. When students asked “How are you,” he responded, “Hunky dory” or “Fit as a fiddle.” When they said, “Goodbye,” he replied, “Toodle-oo.” For them, he often spoke his own foreign language.

A student from Taiwan made her request for slang lessons during one of our daily walks. As we began exploring those often-confusing expressions, an idea slowly formed. Why not combine my writing and international outreach with a hearty dose of fun?

Thus began Words, Wit, and Wisdom: Life Lessons from English Expressions. Once a week I explain a new expression, frequently suggested by a reader. I keep blog posts short, simple, and easy to read.

My primary audience remains people with English as a second language. However, many followers, who speak English as their primary language, enjoy the word play and devotional respite.

The wisdom I find in many expressions applies to the writing life as well. For example, my husband taught me the importance of becoming a tough cookie. The way he handles hard times amazes me.

A tough cookie has often experienced a hard life.

My husband has suffered:

  • A malignant brain tumor (In 2004, he was expected to live three to five years.)
  • A heart attack, stroke, and fall that resulted in a severe brain injury (In 2009, all three happened the same day. He was not expected to live 24 hours.)

As a writer, I dread rejections (or worse, no response at all). However, in the grander scheme of things, those are not a problem. I can revise and submit elsewhere.

A tough cookie is a strong person. 

My husband refuses to give up in spite of health problems. He:

  • Almost never complains
  • Rarely gets discouraged
  • Fears little
  • Refuses to accept defeat

When I grow weary, ready to throw in the towel, I remember God called me to write. I can do this, not in my own strength but in God’s.

A tough cookie decides to make the most of life.

My husband would prefer to be healthy and able to work. However, he chooses not to be a worry wart. Instead, he enjoys what he can.

I also choose whether to make the most of each day, in spite of less-than-ideal circumstances. God can take my life and my circumstances to create opportunities I could never imagine.

A tough cookie is not perfect.

No one is. Life’s not perfect. However, like all of us, my husband has a choice: complain or do the best he can. He says what happened to him is just the way the cookie crumbles. Therefore, he makes the best of life.

Although I organize, set goals, and take notes, life seldom follows my well-laid plans. Like my husband, I learn to cross each day’s bridge as I get to it.

Why not join me? Enjoy and allow God to direct your word play. Remain a tough cookie. Who knows where that may lead or what you may discover?

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11 NIV)

Diana Derringer is an award-winning writer and author of Beyond Bethlehem and Calvary: 12 Dramas for Christmas, Easter, and More! Hundreds of her articles, devotions, dramas, planning guides, Bible studies, and poems appear in 40-plus publications, including The Upper Room, The Christian Communicator, Clubhouse, Kentucky Monthly, Seek, and Missions Mosaic, plus several anthologies. She also writes radio drama for Christ to the World Ministries. Her adventures as a social worker, adjunct professor, youth Sunday school teacher, and friendship family for international university students supply a constant flow of writing ideas. Visit her at dianaderringer.com.

Categories
Support

On Writing: This is the Year

 

This is the year—the year we finish the manuscript and click send.

The year we commit to being a writer with goals and purpose.

The year we bind our fears and bring a message of hope to a world struggling to breathe.

This is the year the following questions will no longer haunt us:

  

  • What makes me think I can be a writer?

For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn (Romans 11:29).

By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News (Ephesians 3:7).

 

  • Will I ever finish this manuscript?

By perseverance the snail reached the ark. Charles Spurgeon

If you’re running a 26-mile marathon, remember that every mile is run one step at a time. If you are writing a book, do it one page at a time. If you’re trying to master a new language, try it one word at a time. There are 365 days in the average year. Divide any project by 365 and you’ll find that no job is all that intimidating.  Charles Swindoll

Our motto must continue to be perseverance. And ultimately I trust the Almighty will crown our efforts with success. William Wilberforce

Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing.  Ravi Zacharias

  

  • Another rejection. Will I ever be published?

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation (Romans 5:3-4).

Do not be lazy. Run each day’s race with all your might, so that at the end you will receive the victory wreath from God. Keep on running even when you have had a fall. The victory wreath is won by him who does not stay down, but always gets up again, grasps the banner of faith and keeps on running in the assurance that Jesus is Victor.  Basilea Schlink

2018 is the year.

Fire the laptop. Prime the pen.

Keep writing!

[bctt tweet=”This is the year—the year we finish the manuscript and click send. @A3writers @LThomasWrites #Writing #Publishing” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”This is the year we commit to being a writer with goals and purpose. @A3writers @LThomasWrites #Writing #Publishing” via=”no”]

(Scripture quotations NLT)

 

Leigh Ann Thomas is the author of three books, including Ribbons, Lace, and Moments of Grace—Inspiration for the Mother of the Bride (SonRise Devotionals). A regular contributor to AlmostAnAuthor.com, Just18Summers.com, and InTheQuiver.com, she has also published with Southern Writers Suite T, The Write Conversation, and Power for Living. She is a contributing author in 10 books and her award-winning fiction is included in three editions of Southern Writers Magazine’s Best Short Stories. You can find Leigh Ann on her front porch daydreaming story plots, or blogging at LeighAThomas.com.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lthomaswrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leigh.nallthomas

 

 

 

Categories
Guest post archive

I Almost Quit Yesterday––Again by Carol Sparks

I quit writing about four times a year. Especially, when I look at the ages of my children, at the dust on our bookshelves, at the number of digits on our bank statement, and at my neighbors’ needs. It’s easy to think about how other people go hiking and watch TV shows. How they answer occupational questions easily. They enjoy regular paychecks. I wonder if I’ve confused enjoyment with calling, if fingers-tapping-keys is, for me, an avocation rather than an occupation.

It happened again yesterday. Funny, it doesn’t happen in the middle of hectic times. It happens when all is quiet. Quiet but desperate.

Desperate for…

  • financial security
  • earthly order through a clean house or an easy schedule
  • recognition—if not in the writing community then somewhere else.

Desperate for all sorts of things…except God.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
-Psalm 63:1-2 NIV

One way or another, God highlights my derailed desperation in those times. Maybe it’s an encouraging comment on my blog, maybe it’s a pep-talk from my husband. Sometimes I read a verse like the one above. But often, it’s a scheduled writing time (that I don’t ignore).

Out of habit, obligation, pre-existing commitment…I don’t know why, but I sit down again. And here, in front of my computer, I meet God again.

I like a good praise chorus as much as anyone, but this—the fingers-tapping-keys—is where I worship most fully. With my Bible open on my left, I again read a section that’s been on my mind. I immerse myself in the Word then I put my words on the page in response; that’s worship.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  -Psalm 63:3

Maybe the writer’s version would say, “Because your love is better than life, my written words will glorify you.”

If you think you might quit tomorrow…first, know you’re not alone. Then, try these two things before you close that laptop for good.

  1. Work toward worship. Dig into Scripture (Psalm 63 is a great place to start.) or turn on your favorite music. Read some poetry or go for a walk. Do whatever it takes for you, with your unique personality, to reconnect with the God Who called you to this work.

Worship is your truest work, what you were created to do. Worship is no avocation. Worship is the ultimate vocation of every Christ-follower.

  1. Reconnect with your calling. Sit down at the computer anyway. We are, after all, creatures of habit, and sometimes all it takes is the resumption of the habit. When I haven’t written anything in a couple of days, I begin to forget what it feels like, how it fuels me. If merely writing isn’t enough, put aside your current project and write the kind of piece that first drew you to writing.

I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in fourteen years when our family decided to ride the Creeper Trail near Abington, Virginia. I felt awkward trying out bikes in the rental shop, but when we strapped on our helmets and mounted those bikes at the top of the mountain, all the experience of riding flooded back into my hands and feet as well as my mind. I made the eleven-mile descent without wrecking once.

So sit back down at your computer. Write what you love to write even though you have no place to publish it. Let the experience flood back into your extremities and feel the exhilaration of doing something you were made to do! (Not that I was made to mountain bike. My analogy doesn’t go that far.)

When you lean into your calling, you’re practicing another kind of worship.

In those times when I feel desperate, I realize I’ve drifted away from mindful worship in the everyday rhythms of life, and it affects my writing more than anything else. Before I can face that looming deadline, I must face my Savior in worship. Only then does the commitment to writing return, and I know I won’t quit.

At least not today.

Bio.

Carole Sparks doesn’t spend as much time writing (or worshipping) as she would like. There’s this thing called “the rest of life”…maybe you know what she means. Still, you can catch up with her most days on Twitter or her blog.

Categories
Pleasant Rosebud - Romantic Suspense

WELCOME HOME (Thomas Garet series)

He snapped and got into real dark moods a lot, but at least he stayed. She had been irresistibly drawn to him from the beginning. He looked like a stray dog, one that needed food, shelter and a good cuddle. Lacy offered the first two, but dared not hint on the third.

Just as Aunt Ann had warned, he insisted on paying for the room, and food. Lacy obliged him. She stayed in a block of apartments and didn’t have much use for help, but he offered to work in the yard, take out the trash, do the small laundry, cook, clean, and give her a vacation in her own space till he was strong enough to hit the road.

Thomas Garet continued to stay in Ravena’s condo down the road. Her friend had more than three months left of her exchange program to Tanzania in East Africa, and allowed Lacy the use of it.

They settled into a routine, and he visited her every other day to cook and clean. The arrangement was ludicrous because she did not need his services.

“We have a guest minister coming over to my church, Thomas, I thought you might want to come with me?”

“Haven’t been in church since Molly’s burial.” He picked the trash and walked out.

Lacy swallowed. He’d given her all manner of short, sharp answers about his life before they met since she asked who Molly was. It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about his wife or the tragic circumstances around her demise. She let him be.

But how would she reach out to him? If she let him be every time he walked off on an attempt.

She followed him out. “Pastor Paul is a renowned international minister. He has the word.”

Thomas smirked. “He sure does now.” He brushed past her back into her space.

She followed him. “It’s rude to walk off when I’m trying to have a conversation with you.” She bit her lip.

“Then don’t have a conversation with me!” He glared, his blue eyes dead cold.

Her voice shook. “Thomas, please—”

He stepped back as if she threw him a punch. “Don’t try to win me!”

She clasped her hands. “Of course not. I—”

“I don’t want to go to your church. And I don’t want to be nice. To you or anyone.”

His words came out jerky, and for a moment, Lacy realized she had struck something in him. He never spoke this much. He stared her down for a second then turned to wash his hands.

Lacy touched his firm shoulder blade and squeezed before he stiffened. “Allow God to heal you, Thomas.”

He turned to her, his angry blue eyes blazing. “I—”

“Ssh.” She pulled him into her arms. “Allow God to come back.”

“He did nothing for me. I loved him with all my heart. Still he took everything from me.”

His sobs shocked her but she had prayed for him every single night since the day Charles Taylor shot him on the street. She needed to seize this moment.

Deep, throaty cries shook his body and she held his 200 pounds of toned muscles until they subsided.

She cupped his face and smoothed back his wild, blond hair. He might get a cut if she could convince him. “God loves you, Thomas, and he welcomes you. Home.”

He looked sideways for a moment and closed his eyes. She could almost taste his struggle. Thank God, she thought.

Her heart sang a song of healing and redemption. She prayed for courage to see him through. She whispered words of comfort and assurance, and he nodded intermittently. One day, she prayed he would return her gesture, and love her back the way she loved him from first sight.

For now, she was content to lead Thomas Garet on his way to finding love again.

 

Picture: https://pixabay.com/en/shoe-laces-leather-hiking-974564/

 

Author bio:

Sinmisola Ogúnyinka is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer and movie producer. She has a university degree in Economics, and is a Craftsman of Christian Writers’ Guild. She lives with her family in Pretoria, South Africa.

Blog: www.sinmisolao.wordpress.com

Twitter: @sinmisolaog