Tag: persistence

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The Intentional Writer

Need Inspiration? Try these Writing Mantras

The intentional writer

So many things can hinder our writing. Our lives are filled with distractions and competing commitments, while our inner critics whisper that our writing isn’t good enough. On top of that, we’re bombarded with advice on how to write, how to market, and how to succeed. It can be easy to get so overwhelmed or bogged down that we feel like giving up.

Please don’t!

 When you’re feeling frustrated, confused, or depressed about your writing, these three short mantras can help you get back on track. Science shows that replacing unhelpful, negative thoughts with more positive truths actually works. So, give these simple truths a try.

Good enough is usually good enough.

Does your inner critic insist that every sentence you write be worthy of a prize? If so, this saying will help you move past the bondage of perfectionism. I’ve wasted hours striving to perfect every sentence in a scene only to delete the whole thing later. I wish I would have known this concept back then.

Learn from my mistakes and aim for good instead of perfect.  

Most readers are more interested in a good story than stunning prose, so keep this in mind as you write. Give yourself permission to write “good enough” sentences. Focus your prose-polishing energy on the places where your words pack the most punch, like the first chapter, the first and last paragraphs of every chapter, and the final scene.   

Doing something is better than doing nothing.

What does this mean? Let me expand it. Doing something—even when it’s not the ideal thing, or the perfect thing, or the thing some expert told us we must do—is better than doing nothing.

I learned this simple truth from a marketing expert who was doing a webinar for self-employed people making six- and seven-figure incomes. Even people who already enjoy that much success need to be reminded of this concept.

Why? Because most of us are afraid of failure. We stress over every decision because we’re not sure if we’re making the best choice. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking leads to becoming stalled on a project because we’re second-guessing and overanalyzing instead of doing.

Successful people don’t waste time worrying about perfection. While the rest of us are dithering about how to make the ideal choice, successful people are moving ahead because they know doing something will get them farther than not doing something.

So, stop stressing over whether your idea is the “right” thing and try it. If it doesn’t work, learn from your effort and try something else.

Everything is figureoutable.

We can become demoralized by all we don’t know how to do. Just thinking about a large project like self-publishing a book, building a website, or starting a podcast can be so intimidating that we throw up our hands in despair. I have no idea how to do this, we think. So, we give up.

In those moments, remember this mantra. Everything, including whatever big, scary problem you are facing, is figureoutable. This catchy saying comes from the book of the same name by Marie Forleo. It means exactly what is sounds like.

This reminds us that everything, no matter how complex, is figureoutable. We just need to roll up our sleeves and start figuring it out. It will take time, research, and probably some trial and error. We may need help. We may make a few mistakes along the way, but we CAN learn new skills, solve problems, and figure it out.

For more inspiration on tackling problems with confidence, read Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo.

I hope these simple mantras will inspire you to stay on course with your writing and book marketing projects. You can do it!

Lisa E Betz

An engineer-turned-mystery-writer, Lisa E. Betz infuses her novels with authentic characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her debut novel, Death and a Crocodile, won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021). Lisa combines her love of research with her quirky imagination to bring the world of the early church to life. She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in the Livia Aemilia Mysteries. Lisa directs church dramas, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes.

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Craft Essentials

Do You Want to Write? Or Do You Want to Publish?

Craft Essentials

“The writer, his eye on the finish line, never gave enough thought to how to run the race.”

William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well

We’d exchanged some niceties. She complimented one of my books. I acknowledged her decision to pursue her goal to write. While she assessed me as a potential writing coach, I was doing the same for her as a client. I prefer to use the exploratory call to answer questions and determine whether or not we might be a good “fit.” She’d thoroughly reviewed the information I’d sent prior to the call and had no questions.

She moved ahead quickly. “I’d like to begin working with you as soon as possible.”

 I, however, had a few questions of my own.

“Tell me a bit about your writing experience. What is the goal you hope to achieve?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to see a book with my name on the cover sitting on a bookstore shelf. Publishing a book has been a long-time dream of mine.”

“Why do you write?” Who is your reader?”

Long silence. Finally, “As I said, my goal is to be a published author. I haven’t done much writing; it’s tedious and it takes forever. And I don’t know what you mean about ‘who is my reader.’ But I do know everyone will love my story.”

She had her eye on the finish line, never giving any thought to how to run the race.

She didn’t want to write. She wanted to publish. I suggested she consider a ghost writer to help tell her story. Immediately she perked up. “Oh! I thought that’s what you would do.”

Not a good fit. Publishing is most often the writer’s goal. But first, you must write.

According to New York Times writer, Joseph Epstein, 81% of all participants in a survey feel they have a book in them – and think they should write it. His personal opinion (for most) is they should let it remain within. Epstein was, at that time awaiting the release of his 15th book. His conclusion: “It is a lot better to have written a book than to actually be writing one.” 1

Zinsser would agree.

“Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” 

William Zinsser

There are moments of euphoria when a writing download delivers something truly delectable. The muse appears and the words flow, but he’s fickle more often than fair.

But, if you can say, with great certainty, your highest goal is to write the best story you can produce, keep reading. With perseverance to stay the course, and a commitment to excellence, you have a shot of landing in the pool of the potentially published author.

Good writing requires time. If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will do. So let’s discuss two practices that will give you a return on your time investment.

Map It!

Create a roadmap to take you from where you are, to where you desire to be.

1. Create a mind map

  • Write a brief synopsis of each chapter. Review it often to stay on track.
  • For fiction, create character profiles. Identify key beats that include an inciting incident, a complication, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution inside every beat.
  • For non-fiction, identify key concepts, research information, and resources you will provide for each chapter.
  • Use the information above to create a mind map to sequence the work. Find a variety or templates here.

2. Track it!

  • How often do you write? How many minutes/hours each day? Each week? Each month?
  • How many words do you need to write to meet the deadline you’ve set for yourself?
  • What’s your hard target – the “I will complete this work by . . .” date?

Without a goal, you’ll struggle to complete the work. To combat the “any path” meander, establish a word count target.

  • A word count tracker offers insight regarding your goal. It encourages you when you’re hitting the goal and informs you when you are not. Find various templates online to create a simple Excel worksheet at: binged.it/ 3xWkBt9
  • Invite a group of writing friends to exchange word count goals for the week. Report actual vs. planned. For greater connection, set up an online call and write together. At the end of the session, everyone reports their progress.
  • Many get caught in the trap of “edit while you go.” Assessing the work is a tactical function. Writing is a creative function. Both are essential, but don’t break the flow when the words are flying out of your fingertips! Resist the urge to polish while the heroine in your story dangles over the Grand Canyon!

Be the writer who runs the race. Deny the doubters their, “I knew you’d never finish that book,” moment. Defy the odds.

Write. Publish. Celebrate!

Deb DeArmond

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 was released in 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.”

1  Think You Have a Book in You? Think Again, Joseph Epstein / New York Times 09.28.2002

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

We All Fall

Twenty-four years ago, I experienced one of the most embarrassing moments of my life: I fell off the commode in the hospital.

When it happened, I had two choices: stay down or get up. After trying to get up on my own, I fell again. That moment is etched in my memory until I die. It is my motivation to keep pressing on.

I shouldn’t have been surprised I fell. It was only two weeks since I had part of my brain removed and only one week since I woke up from a coma. My body was weak, although my determination was on overload.

My doctors and therapists had already warned me about the difficulties and what I needed to work on, but I knew better and did things my way—the hard way. I still learned a lot during that time:

  • Keep learning.
  • Get stronger.
  • Stay motivated to not give up.

My reaction and history of rejection helped prepare me for disappointment. One of my early writing mentors Jerry B. Jenkins has a saying, “Writers need a thick skin.” Because the writing life can be full of disappointment and rejection. Writers must learn to take constructive criticism and not give up but get better—be prepared for the fall.

The Fall!

Nothing sucks the life out of a writer more than spending hours on the computer pouring their hearts out and creating their masterpiece, only to face rejection. It is human nature to fear rejection, failure, and falling.

The thought can trigger a fight or flight reaction that sends most writers into a panic. That’s when most writers make careless mistakes that will harm their careers. The fear of falling can sometimes do more harm than the actual fall.

By trying to avoid rejection and pain, writers can often miss opportunities to grow or achieve publication. When our dreams of overnight success are not fulfilled, our instincts kick in and many abandon their passions altogether.

The ones who make it are the ones who fall, face failure, and learn from the rejection. I enjoy hearing stories of successful writers who keep rejection letters to motivate them to keep going. Below are a few quotes I found to help writers deal with rejection:

I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career, that before developing his talent, he would be wise to develop a thick hide.

Harper Lee

Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection? You ask yourself every question you can think of, what, why, how come, and then your sadness turns to anger. That’s my favorite part. It drives me, feeds me, and makes one hell of a story.

Jennifer Salaiz

I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love.

Anita Diamant

Rejected pieces aren’t failures; unwritten pieces are.

Greg Daugherty

Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil –but there is no way around them.

Isaac Asimov

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success -but only if you persist.

Isaac Asimov

I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.

Sylvia Plath

You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.

Ray Bradbury

When I work with brain injury survivors or disabled persons, we often share our stories of recovery. We know it’s not a matter of if you will fall, but when you will fall—and what you do afterward. The choice is yours!

Make Your Choice!

We all have two options when we fall and you don’t have to have a perfect brain to know what they are—stay down our get up. Over the past 24 years, I have fallen more times than I care to admit, some publicly but most privately.

Sometimes I cry and sometimes I laugh, but in the end, I always get up and learn from my circumstances. It has shaped my perspective on life. Grieving what is lost keeps us from making the most of what we have.

This is true of the writing life, with each rejection or missed opportunity, writers can either wallow in self-pity or learn from the experience. Grow in the craft and carry on, or stay down.

I’ve seen disabled persons and writers throw in the towel and never reach their potential because they made the wrong choice. But the writers who succeed and achieve publication are the ones who tough it out and learn from their disappointments. I like to tell people a few things to keep in mind about disappointment:

  • Be willing to fight.
  • Be ready.
  • Be prepared.
  • Don’t be defeated.

Life is hard, it will knock you down, but we don’t have to stay down when we fall down.

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.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Patiently Persistent

I learned in physical therapy every brain injury is different, no one can predict how a T. B. I. will affect the body. In the middle of the struggles of physical therapy, I did learn valuable life lessons.

  • Be patient, recovery takes time.
  • Be persistent, you will fall, mistakes are part of the recovery/learning process.
  • Be grateful for what you what you can do.
  • Use your time wisely.

These principles apply to the writing life. Every writer’s journey is different, although the end goal is the same. Each writer is at a different place in life and will eventually get to where they need to be. Writers must learn to be patiently persistent!

Patiently Persistent?

On a recent episode of American Idol, Katy Perry shared with some unsuccessful contestants, “It will happen when it is meant to happen.” This perspective teaches us to be persistent towards our goals, but patient in the process.

Writers must understand there is a reason for the process, just like in recovery. No one starts where they want to be. This requires tremendous patience on our behalf or else we will make careless mistakes and possibly harm our careers. This means more than just waiting.

The dictionary defines patience as, “The ability to remain calm when dealing with a difficult or annoying situation, task, or person.” In those early days of my rehabilitation, each setback was a blow to my self-esteem and I almost gave up. Like my desire to get back to normal life, a writer’s desire for publication can cause us to become frantic and do stupid things.

Recently I learned an old coworker and friend suffered a stroke. I reached out to him on social media to encourage him. He assured me he was fine. But I noticed his sentences didn’t make sense and were full of typos, which was uncharacteristic of him. I talked to another coworker who shared that our friend wants so badly to get back to work, but he doesn’t realize that he is mumbling and his postings are incoherent.

I know how my friend feels because I experienced it in those early days. A brain injury makes people impulsive and short-tempered. Sometimes I struggle with my impulsive tendencies.

Only slowing down helps us have a better perspective of our abilities and where we’re headed. No matter how confident we are of our abilities, impatience can distort our reality. There are many other reasons why we need to be patient.

  1. It gives us time to understand our abilities. As writers, we can evaluate our skills.
  2. It keeps us from hurting ourselves. It keeps us from making careless mistakes in our writing career.
  3. It keeps us from hurting others. It helps writers refrain from hurting others with their words.
  4. It allows us to heal and to get stronger. It gives writers time to grow in the craft.
  5. It gives us a better understanding of our circumstances. Writers can see where they need to improve their understanding of the business.

Patience can benefit us in our writing journeys and helps writers endure the process. There will be times of rejection and discouragement. A patient writer can endure those seasons of disappointment.

Rejection isn’t meant to stop us, but to help us grow in the craft and become better writers. Rejection helps authors understand the business side of writing. You and your writing are an investment of an agent, editor, and publisher’s time.

I have heard stories of successful writers who post rejection letters on the walls above their desks to inspire them to keep going. Successful writers also know how to be persistent.

Persistent?

When I was in rehab, I had to go through a series of evaluation exams to test if I was able to advance to the next stage of my recovery. If I didn’t pass the exam, I had to continue in physical therapy until I was ready to progress and eventually be released from the hospital.

Never have I been so discouraged as when I was unsuccessful at doing the most common daily tasks: buttoning and unbuttoning a shirt, tying shoes, walking a straight line without stumbling. That season taught me a lot about growing.

Failures and mistakes are part of the growth process. When they occur it isn’t the end of life, just a reason to keep going. Be patient and keep growing:

  • You will make mistakes.
  • Mistakes aren’t the end of your life, giving up is.
  • We all fall down at times, getting up makes us stronger.

My leg muscles literally got stronger each time I had to pick myself up off the floor. Every rejection letter a writer gets should motivate them to keep going in their writing journey—it’s making us patiently persistent.

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.

Categories
Devotions for Writers

Completion

devotions

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

Revelation 21:6 (NIV) 

Do you finish what you start? Are you a New Year’s Resolutions kind of writer, or do you prefer to wait and see what will happen? After years of goal setting, I decided to revisit some of my forgotten projects and consider why I lost interest in follow-through. It turns out, I’m not the only one to have unfinished works. Yep, only 8% of those who set goals actually achieve them.*

As we turn our thoughts to a new year, we wonder what it will look like post-pandemic. Will schedules become insane again, or will we hang on to lessons learned in the bliss of solitude? Will writing time be squeezed out or sheltered? What would it look like if you created a writing routine that refused to be squelched?

After a writing group challenge, my friends Robin and Lori turned 15 minutes a day into a 870 day habit, and counting. My friend Tracy learned she could set aside time she didn’t think she had. And I turned a writing fling into a word frenzy.

Have you begun something that seems impossible to finish? How will you resolve to tackle it?

Exercise:

Unfinished articles will never make it to print. How can you turn “to do” into “totally done?”

  • Brainstorm a list of articles you can submit this year.
  • Research places to query your list with The Christian Writers Market Guide.
  • Start with the first idea and study the writers’ guidelines.
  • Adjust your words and send it out.
  • Move on to the next one and repeat.

Does this exercise seem too simplistic? If it were simple, we would all be prolific writers.

Do perfectionistic expectations sideline your goals? Author Jon Acuff says the way to beat perfectionism is to “cut your goal in half or double the timeline.” Make your goal attainable and watch the momentum build on your resume, when you complete what you start and commemorate each success.

The Author of words equips us with power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7), but He also expects us to do our part to complete the task before us. Ask Him to guide your work in progress and then set goals to measure your growth with word count and queries. You’ll have a partner all the way to the finish!

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

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net

References:

* Finish, by Jon Acuff https://www.amazon.com/Finish-Give-Yourself-Gift-Done/dp/0525537317/

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Secrets of Successful Authors

The writer’s life is full of challenge and discouragement, rejection and struggle. The famous authors we admire surely never went through this much, we may think to ourselves. But what if they did? Then maybe there’s hope for us. Let’s consider what a few well-known authors endured before becoming famous. What are their work habits, and how did they keep going? How old were they when they started? It might surprise you.

Work Habits of the Famous

For a time, Maya Angelou’s work pattern was to rent a hotel room and go every morning to write from about 6:30 am to 12:30 or 1:00pm. Stephen Pressfield has a daily ritual which includes donning lucky shoes and invoking the Muse. He sits in the same spot every day and writes until he starts making typos, and that’s it, about four hours. To him, the number of pages or the quality doesn’t matter at that point, he has beaten Resistance. Stephen King aims for 2,000 words a day, about ten pages, which can take him anywhere from a few hours of the morning or until suppertime, depending on how it goes. But then there’s Victor Hugo, who insisted his valet hide his clothes, so he couldn’t get dressed until he had completed his first draft. If only I had a valet….

From Rejection to Fame

After all the hours dedicated to writing them, some of the world’s most successful books were rejected dozens of times before finally being published. For example, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, was rejected sixty times before becoming wildly successful and being made into a blockbuster movie. Stephen King’s Carrie was rejected thirty times until he threw it into the garbage. His wife retrieved it, and it became the first of fifty worldwide best sellers. Beatrix Potter was rejected so many times that she decided to self-publish. Rejection, no matter how excruciating, might not mean your book is trash. Instead, it might indicate you haven’t found the right publisher yet, and that publisher just might be you.

It’s Never Too Late

Okay, you may think, but most famous writers got started young, and I’m not young. It’s too late for me. Let’s see about that. (And if you are young, Jan Karon has advice for you below.) Many famous writers began later in life. Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, got started at age sixty-six, and Laura Ingalls Wilder at age 64, with her ever-popular Little House on the Prairie series.

Jan Karon didn’t start the Mitford series until after she quit her job at an advertising agency at age fifty. She gave this advice to would-be writers in an interview with CBN:

If God has given you a dream, you’d better get cracking because He wants you to use it. That’s why He gives them to us in the first place…. We can’t say, “I’m too fat,” or “I’m too thin,” or “My husband wouldn’t like it,” or “My kids wouldn’t like it,” or “I’m too old,” or “I’m too young,” or “I’m too tired.” Just get moving!

CBN interview by Belinda Elliot

Thank you so much, Jan Karon, I think I will!

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.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

National (What?) Month

lighter look at a writer's life

As you are reading this, it is December, the last month in the slog that has been 2020. Many of you have just finished Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month (for those of you who have eluded this illustrious event).

Writers around the country commit to writing an ENTIRE NOVEL during the month of November. There’s even a website, an accountability program, and more. Writing can be stressful, especially in these times, but, hey, let’s write a book in an entire month!

November is typically a hectic month for me, which I’ll discuss below, and that’s why I have never participated in Nanowrimo. Until this year. Sort of.

I have written some fiction, but my current focus has been devotional writing. I have been kicking around some ideas for new devotional books, so I decided to work on one of those during November. I guess you could call it “Nadevowrimo.” Has a certain ring to it, don’t you think? Seriously, I don’t think I’ll be starting a new trend any time soon, but it worked for me, for a while.

I figured if I wrote one devotion every day except Sunday (I need rest, y’all!), I’d have a good start on a new book by the end of November. The commitment of writing one piece a day would certainly help my discipline, wouldn’t it?

I am a teacher, and November tends to be “crunch time” as we barrel toward the end of the fall semester. Add virus concerns to that mix, and it has been even more intense, as my administration encouraged teachers to finish as much of our class work as we could by Thanksgiving break.

I am the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) coordinator at my church and one of the county coordinators in my area. At the beginning of November, I supervise the packing of a ton of shoeboxes, and then, the week before Thanksgiving, I oversee a drop-off center, where other churches, groups, and individuals bring their boxes to us. My fellow church members and I are then responsible for collecting them and transporting them to the Regional Drop-Off Center an hour away.

So, I wrote religiously for the first two weeks of November. Then OCC Week hit simultaneously with the new guidelines for wrapping up my semester at school, and what happened to Nadevowrimo? It flew out the window.

You know what? That’s okay.

For two weeks, I was disciplined. For two weeks, I got a lot of writing done. As I write this post, there is a week and a half left in the month, and I plan to “climb back on the horse” next week. Instead of beating myself up about missing some days, I’m celebrating what I did accomplish and looking forward.

Another thing about this experiment: I didn’t particularly like the stuff I wrote. There were times I wanted to close up the laptop, quit writing, and eat a package of cookies. Then I realized: programs like Nanowrimo are all about FIRST DRAFTING, getting the thoughts out of the mind and on the page. For me, it wasn’t about quality or even quantity. It was about roughing out those ideas to give me plenty to work with when I am ready to complete the project.

Now, I still want to eat an entire package of cookies, but only for fuel to give the strength to keep writing.

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

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Lessons from Bart

For years, I taught full-time, but it never quite satisfied my longing to create—to put into practice what I was teaching others. “Someday, I’ll quit teaching and pursue my dreams of becoming a writer,” I kept telling myself. And finally, I did just that.

“Oh, you’ve retired from teaching, and you’re taking it easy now!” seemed to be the implied if not the stated opinion of everyone who felt free to comment on my life choices.

Never Give Up

The truth is, I have been tempted to live up—or down—to those expectations. Writers face rejection constantly. We are misunderstood, or we don’t even get a hearing in the first place. “Why do I put myself through this?” I ask on a bad day when another “Dear Susan” rejection email arrives.

During one of those why-don’t-I-just-give-up mornings, I read the story of blind Bartimaeus. Bart had been waiting who knows how long for a chance to be healed. When he called out for Jesus, many told him to be quiet, “but he shouted all the more!” (Mark 10:48 NIV). The crowd thought Bart was wasting his time, but Jesus had a plan for him. He heard him, called him, and healed him.

When publishers reject my writing, friends expect me to kick back and relax, and voices in my head clamor, telling me to give up, I need to remember Jesus has called me. And perhaps, in time, he will heal me of the need for acceptance from anyone other than him.

Get Moving

To counteract discouragement, we can take concrete steps to improve our writing. Earlier this year, I joined a critique group which requires me to submit monthly. After a few months of writing with my group, an award-winning website gave me a column to write! This made me feel like a real writer—as opposed to the fake writer I was before—but then I got stuck. Certain I was delusional to think a monthly column would be a breeze, I panicked. I listened to the accuser in my head ask these questions: “What ever made you think you’re a writer, capable of working with a deadline? Why would you want to write a column every month? How will you come up with new ideas?”

To silence the voice in my head, I took a deep breath and went back to Bart. He not only kept calling out to Jesus but also bounced to his feet when Jesus called. He got moving, taking concrete steps toward his goal. We can do that too.

Hog-tie yourself to your writing chair—or not—but sit in your writing space and type, even if it reeks, just to get the thoughts flowing. Take a few minutes to read some great writing and ask yourself why you love it. Take a walk outdoors. Find practices that work for you and make a list for the times you are panicked. Move in a positive direction like Bart did.

Open Our Eyes

Jesus opened the eyes of Bartimaeus, both physically and spiritually. When we need inspiration, we can venture out into nature and ask God to open our eyes. I walk and pray in the fresh morning air, and my mind opens up to new ideas and the guidance of the Spirit. Sometimes I sit watching the birds, remembering that Jesus said not to worry for God takes care of the birds, and we are so much more precious to him than they.

The world may seem to be falling apart, but in nature we see tremendous beauty all around us, whispering that God is real, loving, and attentive to our needs. When the descending sunlight filters through the delicate leaves, backlit with dazzling golds and corals, we need to be still and open our eyes. In the changing colors of sunsets and sunrises, we experience the creativity of God, his gifts to us, abundant and new every morning and evening. G. K. Chestertonsaid, “Most probably we are in Eden still. It is only our eyes that have changed” (2011, 2). 

If we allow God to open our eyes, the writing will flow from his Spirit, his Breath, breathed in by us, his children.                           

Reference

Chesterton, G. K. 2011. In In Defense of Sanity, 2. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.

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.

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Guest Posts

Publishing Dreams Can Come True

In the early 1920s, a young boy who hadn’t cared much for reading became enthralled with Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. He then read everything he could get his hands on.

He dreamed of writing his own stories. He hadn’t had much formal education, but he knew life with his dogs and home. He didn’t have paper, so he wrote descriptions in the dirt of what he heard in nature.

As a young man, he traveled around the country looking for work and wrote stories in his off time. He cut open brown bags for paper to write on. He couldn’t spell well. He wrote line after line continuously with no paragraphs. His only punctuation was a dash when he came to a pause in a narrative. When he finished, he rolled the paper up, tied it with a string, and put it in his trunk. He was ashamed of his lack of skill, but he kept writing the stories on his heart.

When he met the woman he wanted to marry, he was so ashamed of his writing that he burned all his manuscripts before the wedding. Some months later, he told his wife, Sophie, about the stories he had burned. She encouraged him to write them again.

He wouldn’t let her see the manuscript until he was done. When he finally gave her the manuscript, he left the house because he didn’t want to see her reaction. When he called her, she told him the story was wonderful but needed to be lengthened. What he had was too long for a story and too short for a book.

The man transformed his 30,000 words into 80,000. His wife edited his handwritten manuscript.

The manuscript was accepted for serialization by the Saturday Evening Post and then published as a book by Doubleday. But Doubleday marketed the book to adults, and sales languished. One editor who believed in the story arranged for the author to speak to a group of teachers, who then took the book back to their classrooms. Children loved it. The publisher reclassified the story as a children’s book. The book eventually became a beloved classic: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, based on his boyhood in Oklahoma.

Rawls later spoke all across the country. His most famous speech was titled “Dreams Can Come True” about his own writing journey (his speech can be heard in five parts on YouTube beginning here).

Rawls’ story encourages writers in several ways.

1. If you have a story on your heart, write it. Rawls found ways to write through less than ideal circumstances.

2. If you don’t have the necessary skills, it’s never been easier to acquire them. Numerous books, classes, and conferences are available. Many writers share vital information and advice for free through blogs and podcasts. You probably have friends willing to read your work and give you feedback. You might pray for your own “Sophie,” who would be willing to edit your work.

3. Trust God’s guidance. I don’t know if Rawls was a Christian. But you can’t listen to his story without noting several key factors or people without which his book would not have come to be: Sophie, the Saturday Evening Post editor who wanted to take the book to Doubleday, the Doubleday editor who fought for the story, the speaking engagement to teachers, the switch in marketing from adults to children. Ask God to guide your way, bring across your path the people you need to meet, and incline your thinking and your publisher’s as to the best way to present the book.

With help, hard work, and God’s leading, publishing dreams can come true.

Barbara Harper lives with her husband of 40 years in Knoxville, TN. They raised three sons, one of whom added a lovely daughter-in-law and an adorable grandson to the family. Barbara loves reading, writing, and card-making. She has blogged for almost 14 years at https://barbaraleeharper.com/. She wrote a newsletter for women at her church for 15 years as well as magazine articles, newspaper columns, and guest blog posts. One of her passions is encouraging women to get into the Word of God for themselves. She’s currently working on her first book-length project.

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A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Top Self-Quarantine Bestsellers?

lighter look at a writer's life

So, how’s life going, y’all?

As I write this post, our country has been in pandemic lockdown for over two months. States and communities are slowly reopening, but life certainly feels different.

Know what else is different? Writing and creativity in a pandemic.

You would think days and days on end at home would lead to lots and lots of writing. You would think that would be true, but it hasn’t necessarily been for me.

I have been working from home (for which I am extremely thankful), and that has kept me very busy. I have been doing a lot of baking and, therefore, a lot of eating. Eating time can really eat into your writing time (see what I did there). And all of these television shows aren’t going to watch themselves.

On the other hand, thinking about what kind of books might be written during this time of self-quarantine, I have come up with some ideas. Here, in no particular order, are my top ten isolation book concepts:

1. –Zoomin’ for You: A Video-Conferencing Love Story

2. Sleep Pants of the World: A Comfortable Pictorial History

3. What Day is It: A Cozy At-Home Mystery

4. Lounging Around: Lifestyle Devotions for Not-So-Busy People

5. Who’s That Masked Grocery Shopper: Where’s Waldo for Adults

6. Honey, I Don’t Want to Do Anything on the List: Procrastination on Steroids

7. The New Hygiene: Getting by on a Shower a Week

8. Wiped Away: The Search for Toilet Paper

9. School’s Not Out: Homeschooling for the Perpetually Frustrated

10. Corn-Teen: 500 Easy Recipes for Isolation Weight Gain

Of course, I must mention a bonus title, proposed in last month’s post: How to Pull Your Hair Out: Releasing a Book During a Pandemic (I know this one all too well, as previously documented).

On a serious note, I am looking forward to the works developed during this time at home, from dedicated, disciplined writers who have taken the time to create. I salute you for your determination and for your good use of time. To be honest, I have worked on some legitimate ideas for actual projects. I have lots of thoughts on sticky notes, ready to be transformed into actual stories, as soon as I can find them all and put them together.

I’ll get to those—right after my tenth snack of the day.

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

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Embrace the Wait

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

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

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

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

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

Well, it did seem crazy until … quarantine.

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Guest Posts

Overcome This Temptation if You Want to Finish Your Book

When you first start working on a new book, everything feels great. But then somewhere along the way, something changes. You begin to struggle. You’re not sure what the next scene should be. Characters start acting in ways you didn’t expect, or maybe the pacing slows down. 

What do you do then?

If you’re like the majority of writers, you start to doubt yourself. You wonder if this story is any good. You may begin to think it’s no longer worth the effort. 

Then out of the blue, you get another idea. A much better idea. You think perhaps you should abandon the story you’ve been working on and try the new idea instead. Just the thought of doing that makes you feel better. 

Watch out! This type of thinking is dangerous and could have long-lasting negative effects on your career.

Writers Watch Out for the Shiny Object Syndrome

Writers are creative people. We love thinking about new ideas. 

Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to this part of our personalities. We can fall victim to a condition called the shiny object syndrome. This is the tendency for a writer to chase after a new idea rather than stay focused on what she’s already working on.

Picture a child playing with bubbles. He will run after one shiny bubble until it pops, and then another and another, constantly changing his focus and direction. It’s fun, but it doesn’t accomplish much.

A writer is afflicted with shiny object syndrome if she abandons a project into which she’s invested considerable time to chase after another idea she thinks is better.

This syndrome is extremely dangerous to a writer’s career. I know from personal experience.

How Shiny Object Syndrome Hurts a Writer’s Career

I spent many years writing novel-length manuscripts before I finally got one published. During that time, I abandoned many manuscripts because I fell victim to shiny object syndrome.

I would get about halfway through the book and start to struggle. I know now it’s perfectly normal to have difficulties in the middle of a book, but I didn’t know that then. I assumed if I was having trouble, something was wrong with the story idea.

Right when my struggle was greatest, shiny object syndrome would appear. I would start to think of other ideas I could pursue, and those other ideas would sound better than the one I was working on. Soon I would succumb to the syndrome, abandon the story I was working on, and start over with a new one.

What this process got me was a lot of years of writing manuscripts I never finished. Finally, it became clear what was going on. My story ideas weren’t bad at all. I just didn’t have the skills I needed to complete them.

7 Ways to Defeat Shiny Object Syndrome and Finish Your Book

How can you tell if you’ve fallen victim to shiny object syndrome? Ask yourself if any of these sound familiar to you:
· You have a long list of story ideas but none of those stories have been completed. 
· You constantly start new stories but don’t finish them.
· Your computer or desk is full of unfinished manuscripts. 
· You like to start new stories, but you rarely have a plan for how you’re going to finish them.
· You’ve been working on one story for years, but can’t seem to finish it.

If any of these statements seem to apply to you, try the following tips. 

1. Write it down: When a new idea occurs to you, write it down and store it in an idea box or on a file on your computer or cell phone. Don’t jump ship to pursue it until the project you’re working on is completed.

2. Understand that “new” isn’t “better”: Understand that any idea you have for a book is just an idea. What matters is your ability to execute that idea in a novel-length manuscript. That’s where the real challenge is. 

3. Commit to your story: Any book or even a short story takes a significant investment of your time and energy. Make sure you’re in love with the idea and you have a powerful motivation to write it before you begin, then commit to finishing it.

4. Keep quiet: Talking with other writers can be fun, but if you leak your story idea before you finish the book, watch out! Other writers will chime in. “You could set the story in this location!” they might say, or, “How about so-and-so for an antagonist?” These new ideas may seem better to you, throwing you off course. 

5. Realize that getting stuck is normal: Most writers experience a struggle in the middle of a story. It’s normal. So when you reach that point, don’t despair. Get help if you need to, and keep writing.

6. Keep going: Writers must keep going no matter how tough the story gets. Take stock of what you’ve done so far. Create an outline of the chapters you’ve completed. Brainstorm solutions to whatever problems you’re facing. Turn to craft books and mentors when needed. Keep trying while learning to live with the discomfort. Eventually, you will find a way through! 

7. Understand the value of having completed projects:Remember that success as a writer is based entirely on those projects you complete and publish. We can often fool ourselves into thinking that the ideas in our heads are completed ideas, but you can’t build a career on your thoughts. Completed stories are what matters. Focus on finishing no matter what. 

Note: For more guidance on how to finish the creative projects you start—including the 5 things you must have to complete your book—get Colleen’s FREE mini-course here !

Colleen M. Story inspires writers to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment in their work. Her latest release, Writer Get Noticed!, was the gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards (Writing/Publishing 2019). Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018, and her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others. Find more at these sites:

www.colleenmstory.com
www.writingandwellness.com
www.writerceo.com
Twitter: @colleen_m_story

Categories
My Writing Journey

Thanks, Tony Robbins

“Janine?” Where are you?”

I don’t know why my husband asked me that. He knew where to find me– in front of the computer, squirting eye drops in my blurry eyes.

Yep, I’d spent another all-nighter spiffing up my manuscript. After twenty-two years, a renowned publisher had asked to see the whole thing. As I pounded the keyboard, giving Answered Prayer a final twice-over, I wondered how many nights I could go without sleep. (It was four, minus a couple two-hour naps.)

My writing journey started in the summer of 1996. I had purchased a set of “Personal Power” cassettes from Tony Robbins. At the ripe-old age of thirty-eight, it was time to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. For thirty days, I walked the high school track and let Tony’s voice seep into my head:

“The past does not equal your future.”

and

“Decide today who you will become, what you will give, and how you will live.”

I got the message. I wanted to become a writer. And not the kind who pens killer grocery lists on the back of the electric bill.

I went back to college, took a couple of computer and creative writing classes, and began my writing journey.

I wish I could say my first book was good. Calling it bad is a compliment. I still cringe when I think about it. If you’re a writer, you understand why. Your first book, though a labor of love, is fraught with newbie errors: POV changes mid-paragraph, a plot so crooked it rivals a dog’s back leg, and characters so boring they put themselves to sleep.

But it was my start…

With the love of God and 19th-century westerns deep in my soul, I began the second book. And for the past twenty years Cassandra Jane Pickett and her ruggedly handsome (of course) love-interest, Matt Atkins, have visited agents and publishers, in hopes someone would see their worth and give them a shot. (Well, yes. I revamped and edited their story so many times, it barely resembles its auspicious beginning).

But I’m happy to say their dreams, and mine, have not been in vain. The editorial director at Kensington Publishing is reviewing Answered Prayer even as I write this article.

As I wait by my computer with bated breath (Eww!), I hold hope Answered Prayer will see the publishing light of day.

Hmm… Tony Robbins was right. The future can look brighter every day.

Janine Mick Wills is a former pastor’s wife with a B.A. in Christian Ministry. She received The Grace Way Bible Society Award from Ambassador Baptist College for high academics and Christian character. She has used her training to help women grow in the grace and knowledge of God (Titus 2:3-5). To this end, she created a page on Facebook  called Growing in Grace by Janine Mick Wills. Janine has published articles in many magazines, including NovelAdvice, an online site that gives advice to aspiring novelists. She was also a columnist and freelance reporter for The Tomahawk (Mountain City, TN).