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 …
What’s Your Biggest Struggle as a Writer?
By Henry McLaughlin This is a question with as many possible answers as there are writers. Some struggle with finding time to write. Some with aspects of the craft like dialogue or characterization. For others it might be show, don’t tell. And what on God’s green planet is the difference between lie and lay? My biggest struggle right now is …
Writing When There are so Many Books
By Rondi Olson Most people are encouraging when I tell them I am a writer, and that my debut novel is about to be released. Often they congratulate me, and some have assured me they will look for my book when it comes out. A few others have been less generous. “People need to stop writing books,” one lady told …
Audiences and Communities
By Glynn Young Do you write for an audience? I don’t. Most of my career in communications focused on writing for an audience. It might be people listening to a speech; it might be people reading a magazine article or a newspaper story. The audience might be people (sometimes angry) assembled for a town hall meeting. Or company employees. The …