By Linda W. Yezak We spent part of last week in Matagorda Bay, Texas. Our little house faced the Colorado River as it rolled down to the Gulf of Mexico. Across the street were the marshes, and down the road–not five minutes away–was the gulf’s sandy shore. Fishing, crabbing, beach combing. Watching the sea gulls and pelicans, shrimp boats and …
When Research Becomes an Addiction (or Procrastination?)
By Eileen K Parsons “Look. Are you writing another novel or becoming an historian?” I looked across the table at my friend. “What do you mean? Of course I’m writing another novel.” “It just seems to me that this research has been going on for a long time. I mean, really, how much is necessary?” I wasn’t sure my friend …
Write What Delights
By JPC Allen When my family and I went on vacation last summer to the coast of North Carolina, we decided to look for sea shells on Shackleford Banks, an undeveloped barrier island claiming to be the best place along that stretch of the cost to find large, complete shells. At low tide, wearing masks, we floated near the shore, …
Your Words Have Power
by Kathy Harris Talk. Talk. Talk. There’s a talking head wherever you turn. On television… at school… at the office. Everyone has something to say. An opinion. A story. Even gossip. (Make that a lot of gossip.) Add in the cell phones, podcasts, and online radio that have become a routine part of our daily lives, and we’re constantly bombarded …
Getting Prepared
By Lorraine Beatty As long as I can remember, I’ve collected stuff. I’m not talking about collecting Depression glass, or snuff boxes or hand carved walking canes. I’m talking about collecting odd bits of information. Useless facts, tidbits of knowledge that no one else would keep in their brains for more than a nano second. Example: Did you know that …
Writing with “Wisdom of Heart”
by Linda Thompson First, a bit of transparency. When I committed to this date for a guest post, I thought I would be in a different place in my publishing journey. I understood there were no guarantees, but in truth I had some expectations. After years of writing and re-writing, when the Lord blessed my manuscript with a Genesis win …
Who Am I?
By Darlene L. Turner But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11 (NIV) “I can’t!” Murray shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked a stone, sending it flying across the gravel yard. “Who am I, but a measly worker?” The boss let out …
My Trip to the Moon and Other Forgotten Miracles
By Patricia Beal Last week a reporter asked me if I ever thought my novel would get published, and that’s when I remembered the moon story. Someone once told me that getting a book published was like shooting the moon. “What are you really going to do with the rest of your life?” The conversation had bothered me, but I …
Pay It Forward
By Mary Manners “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” ~ Colossians 3:12 ~ I have been writing since I was old enough to know that words tell a story…about four years old. I have such vivid memories of standing in my basement in Chicago, leaning against the washing …
Do You Have Unrealistic Expectations?
by Kathy Harris A familiar feeling nagged as I walked out of my office one recent Friday afternoon. I was late, as usual, and I hadn’t accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish that week. An important work project still languished, half-finished, on my desk. A blog post was imminently due. And I desperately needed to finish the edit of my …