Happy 1st Monday (of the month which ushers in spring, I might add!) from Dianne Neal Matthews. Last month I loved Jeanette’s post about sharing in the joys of fellow writers’ successes. It reminded me of a lesson that God taught me several years ago, when I was at one of the lowest points of my life.
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This is our archive pageWriting and Integrity
As I get to know other CAN writers one thing stands out and that is integrity. That’s something all writers should aspire to have. Each writer is committed to do his or her best, share information on promotion with others, and meet deadlines. I want to chat about how integrity helps a writer.
A Lenten Challenge for Our Writing and Speaking
Jan here. I’m enjoying a quiet day of reflection and challenge, especially around the idea of Lent. Lent is not a tradition that I grew up with, but I’ve enjoyed watching and hearing how individuals and various faith communities observe it. I like its call to be intentional about letting go of earthly distractions and drawing closer to God—particularly in relationship to preparing our hearts for taking in the passion of Christ, his suffering and resurrection, and what that means to each of us personally as his children in living this life in him. So I’ve felt stirred to consider ways to incorporate the parts…
Flashback to First Writers’ Conference
Hello, from Jeanette, CAN’s faithful secretary! This week I am scrambling with last minute preparation for two writers’ conference workshops that I am teaching over the weekend. Teaching at the Castro Valley Christian Writer’s Seminar has become a highlight of my year. In addition to teaching, I critique, and have many opportunities to encourage and guide new writers. Fifteen years ago I attended my first writers’ conference with a pretty even mix of excitement and terror. Now I’m one of those standing beyond the podium (actually, at this conference we get a music stand) teaching hopeful newbie’s how to format…
Descriptions I: Bringing Experience To Life
Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com here to share some writing tips with you. Fiction is mixture of plot, characters, theme, and setting and so much more, While setting is one way the reader receives a sense of place, it can do so much more for the reader. This series of posts will give you ideas on how to enhance your descriptions and make the work for you.
Starting Places for Greater Creativity
Hello! Jan here hoping to generate some freshness into not only our nonfiction writing, but also our speaking. Today is the Friday before Valentine’s Day. My childhood memories create a picture of schoolchildren across the country stuffing decorated boxes with sentiments and enjoying cupcakes with red sprinkles and candy hearts. What does that have to do with writing and speaking? Starting places for infusing very needed freshness into what we do . . .
TEAM SPIRIT
Happy Monday to you from Bonnie Leon. In all my yeas of writing I've seen very little resentment, back-biting, or mistrust among my writing friends and acquaintances. However, knowing the human condition (we're very self-centered) I understand that all of these emotions, and more, are present in the writing world. And I know my own heart, which is not always pure.
Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail
Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I’ve mentioned in previous months, I’m currently in the midst of an experimental year, applying principles from my retail business to the marketing of my fiction. If you’ve missed earlier posts, and would like a better explanation of my background and what these posts are about, please see Principles #1-#5 here. So, on to Principle #6… Learn how to use email effectively. Did you know that there are basic principles that, when followed, will greatly increase the chances that your…
Impossible Dreams
I’m so grateful for the many writing opportunities that God has given me. I frequently thank Him for the two daily devotional books I’ve had published and for the two-book contract that I’m completing now. Still, I find myself dreaming of doing a different type of writing—another genre that seems so out of my league that I’m embarrassed to admit it. Something that looks so difficult and daunting that it seems impossible. And when I think about impossible dreams, I always think of Kathrine Switzer.
Sharing Success
Last week my friend Diane pulled me aside after choir practice and placed a package in my hands. “I wanted you to have the first copy.” Her first book was finally in print! Over the past few years I have seen this book evolve as Diane brought individual devotions to our writer’s group, asked me to edit/critique the first draft, and started submitting to publishers. I was almost as excited as I would have been over my own book.
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