Belief is essential to writing success. Not just any belief, but belief in what God says about us. Far too many Christian writers believe what the world says about them instead of what God says about them. Here are a few wrong beliefs that I have heard in my work as a writing coach . 1) It takes luck to succeed as a writer. I dislike the word luck. It implies chance and happenstance. To believe that luck is essential to writing success is to believe a lie. What the world calls “luck” is really hard work and perseverance. 2) Only big…
Category: Inspiration for Writers
This is our archive pageEncouraging Yourself in the Lord
Perhaps more than any other profession, the writing life resembles a roller-coaster ride. We sit on the edge of our seats, excited about the climb to success when, suddenly, we are plunged into a valley of rejection slips, failed contracts, and a host of other discouraging events that threaten to destroy our resolve to keep on writing.
Go Back to Your Roots
Hi, Dave Fessenden here, with something for you Christian writers out there to ponder. Have you ever thought about the roots of your writing? No, don’t go out in the back yard with a shovel (unless maybe you buried a manuscript out there!). I’m talking about the chronological roots of the material you write.
Ways To Help Readers Connect
Welcome to the Friday CAN post this December from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com. I always happy to share information for writers on techniques of writing, especially writing fiction. Readers are important so knowing how to help them connect to what you write is important. I hope this post will provide you with techniques and ideas that work. Readers love stories that mean something to them. They may never experience the same event or problem, but they’ve had similar experiences or fears that those things might happen to them. It’s through the emotion authors bring to the characters that makes…
How to make our days shine
“Oh, sweet friend,” I said in an email to my dearest friend from my college years, “I’ll be attending a fancy gala soon. And if you find any fancy gowns in your shopping ventures in my size, let me know. Little time for me to shop these days.” As is her nature, she went to action. She researched and sent me links to dresses she chose according to my color and size. Then she wrote, “I found great bargains for gorgeous dresses. And I found other items that I’m sending too. I know they will look great on you. They’re…
Three keys to help claim God’s miracles
“Nana,” my 4-year-old granddaughter ran to me. I got on one knee and spread my arms wide to catch her dainty body. I lift her up, hug her tight, twirl her around and we both squeal with joy. That’s our usual greeting. But not today. She snuggled in her daddy’s arms. Her voice faint and her forehead burning. I placed her on my bed. Her body limp and her thin arms dropped to the side like a rag-doll. I spread a wet washcloth across her forehead and whispered in her ear. “Nana is here, I’ll take care of you.” But…
Tips From the Pros
Davalynn Spencer, here, from Colorado, and so excited to be introducing Linda Evans Shepherd today. Linda, you have an interesting writing journey, particularly the beginning. Share a little with us, please. I was set to be a youth director, but when I got kicked out of seminary for marrying an engineering student instead of a seminary student, I somehow landed a job as a high tech writer, writing The F 14 Documentation Guide as my first assignment. But after my children came along, God clearly called me to write for him.
Running on fumes
This past Sunday, my hubby and I headed to the beach to visit friends and catch some sun rays. But the trip turned cold when the display on the dash showed we had 14 miles before empty. Gulp. Nothing but highway ahead. The 14 soon turned to 10. We prayed. Then the indicator turned to 5. Then 2. No gas stations, or exits anywhere either. Finally, the displayed showed zero miles. That’s when I swallowed what I might have said and instead spoke softly. “Honey, God still works miracles.” I fidgeted in my seat. “A gas station will appear…
Sometimes, It’s What We Don’t Say That Matters
As writers who work at our craft every day, we meet the blank page squarely with the intent of filling it. What will we write about? How will we describe our characters? Which facts will we use to flesh out our story and, if writing an opinion piece, our arguments? But there is another element to writing that is often more potent than what we say on a page. That is, what we don't say. Indeed, the use of not using certain words, descriptions, or dialogue is a potent part of the writer's craft, strong and bold when used well,…
What is life’s purpose?
By Janet Perez Eckles Last Wednesday, my dear friend and I stepped into a nice hotel nestled in the busy part of Miami, near the airport. She put a large gift basket in my hands. “I think they left this for you.” What a lovely surprise! And on the night table was a stand with a copy of my new release, Simplemente Salsa, to be launched at EXPOLIT (an annual event for publishers, bookstores, music artists and distributors—an event to0 huge for my brain to take in).
