For all the critter lovers out there, I’m going to share—our beloved Springer Spaniel, Zeke, passed away recently. He was ten years old. Here he is with my daughter, Lana, on her wedding day. Ah…in case you're wonderfing—no Zeke didn't come to the church. Or maybe you're wondering—how is the news that my dog passed away supposed to encourage? We live in a world that is full of tough things, sadness, illness, bombings in Boston for goodness sake! Shootings in schools. Scary stuff.
Category: Inspiration for Writers
This is our archive pageSailing to the Shore of Success
“Did you want a four or a seven-day Caribbean cruise?” the travel agent asked. What a choice. Even one day on that luxurious cruise ship is enough to make me salivate with excitement. But recently, unfortunate cruising events broadcasted by the media brought that thrill a notch down. Many feel pity for those passengers who found a nice cruise turn to a crazy nightmare. But when sailing in our own ship to success, the fate isn’t much different.
Thrive Write!
How can we have a fulfilling, productive writing life that does not take over?
Drastic Measures for Drastic Situations
Hello! Maureen Pratt here for my monthly CAN blog contribution. I’ve just returned from the dentist, so am even-more-than-usually delighted to be here (she writes, grinning with those newly repaired pearly whites)! To be completely honest, although not exactly fun, my unexpected detour to drill-land has inspired my topic this month: Drastic measures for drastic situations. That is, what do you do when every trick, technique, and type font has been exhausted and you’re still not happy with what you see pouring forth on the page? Do you abandon the project (not easy, if you’re on contract and deadline)? Do you…
OH LOOK AT ME
Oh look at me. You…whooooo, look at me!!! I’m over here. I’m the one waving a banner over my own head. I’m the one shoving my picture in your face. Do you ever get just plain sick of doing this? As writers it is so necessary to market. We know it’s part of being a good steward of our ministry. And we’d all much rather be writing our inspirational books to encourage readers in their faith, than having to infiltrate the market through Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But we have to do it, no…
The Power of Words
Hi, Sherry Kyle here, encouraging you from my laptop in Central California. Have you ever said something you later regretted? Maybe you wrote something you wish would disappear from cyber space. Or maybe you were the recipient from someone’s harsh criticism. I relate to each one of these. I’m sure you do too. As authors we also put our characters through difficult relationships. The only way our characters will grow is if they go through conflict. After all, life is complicated and messy. Right?
Five Keys to Triumph Over Internet Insanity
Anybody out there dizzy like I am? Are you being bombarded by offers, suggestions, advice, luring seminars, and workshops—all to expose your writing, enhance marketing efforts, and boost sales? Confessing…I’ve been caught in the gotta-try-that frenzy. Most of us are dashing here and there, hoping to get that platform built. Eager to get our books promoted. Trying to get that door to open, one that will make our work soar to the top. Trying to book that big speaking engagement. Trying, trying till we collapse into bed, our head exploding with endless possibilities—too many to try. And some, too…
A Listening Ear
Hi, Sherry Kyle here, writing to you on my laptop from Central California. I prayed fervently on my way to the Capitola Mall on Saturday. The direction of my prayer went something like this, “Please, God, help me to be a listening ear to those who need encouragement coming into Inklings Books & Things. Help me plant a seed for Christ. And if I sell a few books, well, that would be nice too.” I wasn’t nervous or anxious at being the featured author at my neighborhood bookstore. Instead I was eager to see who God would bring my way….
Seven Ways to Conquer Fear
“You have to go to school,” my father ordered. My 12-year-old heart beat fast with worry. Just off the airplane from Bolivia, I knew no English. And America was too big, too different, and strange. Weeks of anxiety at school made the adjustment harder. But what paralyzed me with fear were the relay races in which I was told to participate. The distance I’d have to run between the starting point and the next runner where I’d hand off the baton made my stomach cramp. With each new race, I anguished—what if I should stumble or drop the baton? What…
Picture It? Perfect!
Hello! Maureen Pratt here to bring another blog post to you. This time, I’m going to continue along the theme I began last month and talk more about capturing the visual aspects of writing – how working with a camera when you are writing can help you bring dazzling details to your work of fiction or non-fiction. Sometimes, when we write (particularly fiction, but also nonfiction), we think that our work has to come from our imaginations. This is, of course, true to a point. But in order to make a place come alive to the reader, we have…
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