Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Writer’s Life’ Category

Spring Is Coming!

Posted in God's promises, Pondering Biblical Truth, Writer's Life on February 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Springtime

Spring Is Coming!

Snow is still covering the ground (with more on its way), and it was 10 degrees when I got up this morning. Brrrr. It’s a good day to stay indoors and to remember that spring really is coming. It’s only 7 weeks away – 49 days!

I want to encourage you to take a couple of minutes to listen to Steven Curtis Chapman sing “Spring Is Coming” and to reflect on what the Master Gardener wants to do your life.

The Master Gardener

He planted the seed in the ground.
Ever so slowly it changed—seeds sprouting
actually it died—
that it might be reborn into something new.
It began to push through the soil.
First one, then another leaf appeared.
From a spindly little seedling
it kept growing—and changing—
until it became a sturdy, bushy plant.
Buds formed, and then beautiful flowers unfolded.

pink tulipsIn our Christian walk,
we too must first die to ourselves,
surrendering our wills to that of our Maker.
The newness of his life within us
begins to germinate and take root.
We begin to push through problems
and obstacles.
As we continue to draw up
nourishment from him—
to become strong and vigorous in his truth—
fruit that we could never produce by ourselves
begins to first bud, and then bloom.
And it is all the work of the Master Gardener.


Click here for a Bible study on “Bearing Fruit.”

 

The May 13-16 Colorado Christian Writers Conference is also coming! Fifteen boxes of brochures are sitting in my hallway. Hopefully you’ll have yours by this time next week if you’re on our mailing list. If I don’t have your current USPS address, please email it to me. Meanwhile, you can access the brochure on the website. Online registration is open. Remember, the first 75 to register receive an additional one-on-one appointment with the faculty of their choice based on availability. The sooner you register, the better opportunity you have to get your top picks.

The July 29-August 1 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference is presently in the planning stage. We’ve got 38 on faculty with 12-15 more to be added. Online registration opens April 1.

Every Christian writer should have a copy!
I love the emphasis on Scripture in each reading,
since it points us to the One who has called us to
Write His Answer. I found this book soon after
the 1st edition came out, and I have read and
studied and gone through it several times since then.
It has been the means God has used to encourage,
challenge, and enable me to write the books
He has planned for me to write.

Marjorie Vawter
Author, Freelance Editor

For 24 years
Write His Answer has encouraged writers.
This new edition of 176 pages includes updated resources.
Autographed copy available for only $10.
Click here for excerpts and to order.
E-book available through Amazon.com.

  

Read Full Post »

Are Your Words Bearing Fruit?

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth, Publishing journey, Writer's Life on February 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

mjb Dec 2014Are Your Words Bearing Fruit?

Today is bitter cold – a day to think warm thoughts about the bulbs I planted in the fall. If spring isn’t late, in about six weeks they will begin to push through the soil that is now frozen. Really, that isn’t very long except when you’re waiting. 🙂

Before I share an excerpt from my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers, here’s a great opportunity for those of you who live in Colorado. My friend, Cec Murphey, has borne much fruit through his writing and speaking.

 Cec Murphey will be in the Colorado Springs area for an interview on Wednesday, March 11. He’ll also speak for the Denver ACFW chapter on Monday night, March 9. Cec would like to fill the gaps in his schedule with speaking opportunities. He’s willing to be in the area for several days. Do you know of a church that might like to invite him in to preach and teach? Are you part of a recovery group/college/or other organization that might be interested in hearing from him? Cec’s years as a pastor, hospital chaplain, missionary, educator, caregiver, and professional writer, along with his life experiences, qualify him to speak on many topics and to diverse audiences. He has plenty of energy and enjoys meeting and ministering to people. Audience size is not an issue. For more info about Cec, visit www.cecilmurphey.com. Contact Twila Belk (twilabelk@mchsi.com) with questions.

Now . . .  here’s Chapter 17, “Bearing Fruit.”

It is a bitter cold February day. As I sit at my computer and look out the window, I can’t help but daydream. A winter storm has encrusted the trees and bushes with a thick layer of ice that glistens in the bright sunshine. Spring seems a long way off. Wistfully I dream of golden daffodils and fragrant lilacs.

My thoughts wander to the vegetable seeds I planted yesterday in window boxes on my toasty radiator. Although they are weeks from sprouting, I’m already thinking how good it will be to have fresh, homegrown tomatoes, peppers, and cauliflower. The ringing of the phone brings me back to the present and, after a brief conversation, back to this blank screen. “Lord, what do you want to say through me?” I ask.

“Bear fruit,” I feel Him speak to my heart.

I sigh. For all my hard work this past month, I don’t feel I have borne much fruit. January’s mail was slow to bring acceptances or checks.

 “I feel as if I’ve plowed and planted my garden, but nothing is growing,” I complain. “It’s not that I mind the hard work, Lord. But when am I going to see the fruit of my labors?”

“Have you forgotten what I taught you about abiding?”

I open my Bible to John 15:4 and read: “Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me.”

I think back over the past weeks and the many excuses I’ve made to shortchange my quiet time with the Lord. It’s no wonder my writing is not bearing fruit. I have been trying to do it in my strength instead of His. Again the Lord reminds me that my relationship with Him is more important than anything I can do for Him. Then, in a new way, I also see the kind of fruit He longs for me to bear. Far more important than powerful prose or beautiful poetry is the fruit of Christlikeness.

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,” I read from Galatians 5:22-23 (TLB). I have to admit that sometimes this fruit is sadly lacking in my life.

Love for the Lord and my readers is not always my motivating force. Too often I am caught up in the ego trip of seeing my name in bigger and better magazines. When editors do not accept my work, I do not feel very loving towards them.

My joy is lost when I push myself to get manuscripts in the mail and measure my fruitfulness by the number of acceptances I receive in return. My peace is destroyed when I take my focus off the Lord and put it on myself -on my goals, my needs, my feelings.

My patience wears thin when things don’t happen as quickly as I want and feel they should. Instead of waiting on God and his perfect timing, I become discouraged and irritable. I say unkind things to the people I love, especially to my children, when they interrupt me when I’m trying to write.

Goodness makes me think of Paul’s words about Jesus: “He went around doing good” (Acts 10:38). Am I “doing good” through what I write? Using Lee Roddy’s acrostic, BERT, do my words really Benefit my readers? Do they Enrich them? Are they Relevant and Timely?

Faithfulness. The Bible assures me that “the one who calls [me] is faithful” (1 Thess. 5:24, NIV). Therefore, I do not have to become consumed by the dollars and hours part of my writing-by the little I earn for the long hours I work. Instead, I can choose to trust His promise to supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19) and to remain faithful to my call to write His answer.

Gentleness, I learn as I look at the original Greek meaning of the word, is not just the way I treat others. The NIV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translates it as “meekness.”Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says, “It consists not in a person’s ‘outward’ behaviour only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men. . . . It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.” In other words, instead of almost demanding that God “bless” my ministry, I must surrender my desires to Him. I need to follow Jesus’ example and remember how He took on “the very nature of a servant, . . . humbled himself and became obedient to death” (Phil. 2:7-8, NIV).

 Self-control makes me think of discipline and my need to take control of the hours in each day, as well as my thoughts, feelings, and actions which often defeat me. I can choose to dwell on the positives and not procrastinate. Most of all, I can choose to relinquish control of my life to the Lord every day and trust Him to work in me and through me.

 “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches,” I feel Him speak to me again through his Word. “Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit” (John 15:5). He doesn’t say when, but He also doesn’t say maybe. Instead, He gives me the conditions. I must deliberately choose to abide in Him and submit wholeheartedly to His pruning of my motives and goals. I must take care to stay close to Him-to let Him live in me. Only then will my life and my words bear fruit.

Responding to God’s Call to Write

 Prayerfully consider whether or not love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are evident in your life. Then read Jeremiah 17:7-8; John 15:1-8; and Galatians 5:22-23, asking the Lord to show you how He wants you to grow in Him. Write His answer in the space below.


Write His Answer by Marlene Bagnull
is a “must-have” resource for any writer.
It offers the perfect balance of practical tools,
personal honesty, and insightful passages
of Scripture. I was inspired by her wisdom
and challenged to answer God’s call
to write in authentic, life-changing ways.
Write His Answer will help you solidify your calling
and get to the root of insecurities may writers face.

Angela Donadio
Recording Artist, Blogger, and Upcoming Author
http://www.angeladonadio.com

For 24 years
Write His Answer has encouraged writers.
This new edition of 176 pages includes updated resources.
Autographed copy available for only $10.
Click here.
E-book available on Amazon.

Read Full Post »

How One Word Can Change Your Life

Posted in Goal-setting, Pondering Biblical Truth, Writer's Life on December 31, 2014| 4 Comments »

Reprinted below, with permission, is a thought-provoking article. I encourage you to join me in choosing one word to focus on in the coming year. I’ll share mine in another blog.

ASSIST News Service (ANS) – PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA

Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A Matter of Faith
How One Word Can Change Your Life

By Carol Round

Special to ASSIST News Service

CLAREMORE, OK (ANS) — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”—John 1:1 (NIV).

Hope

Illustration from myoneword.org

If you’ve never made a New Year’s resolution, you’re in the minority. However, we all have one thing in common—time. In an article for “Pulpit Helps,” author Steven B. Cloud wrote, “As we look into a New Year, we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds.  And all is a gift from God.”

Our lives have become so busy, yet we add to the burden each New Year by making a list of
resolutions that most of us will fail to accomplish—quit smoking, lose weight and get healthy or save more money. This is just a partial list but some of the more popular ones. That’s why we see so many advertisements promoting products and gyms to help us accomplish our goals. Stroll through the aisles of a bookstore and you’ll find so many self-help books, it’ll make you go cross-eyed with confusion.

One book, however, has the power to change your life. The Bible is filled with words of wisdom and encouragement. In Luke 11:28, Jesus says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Pastor Mike Ashcraft

Pastor Mike Ashcraft

In January 2007, Pastor Mike Ashcraft challenged his congregation to ditch their New Year’s resolutions and each pick one word to focus on that year. Embracing this new idea to approaching personal change and spiritual growth, church members realized the simple plan is more effective than making an overwhelming list of resolutions each year. Why? Called God’s instruction book for life, the Bible addresses every aspect of our lives—spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially.

Because we lead busy lives, we tend to focus on the surface-level of issues, forgetting God has numbered our days. Trying to manage our lives and our time, we fail miserably because we haven’t taken the time to seek God’s wisdom. Ultimately, says Pastor Ashcraft, that’s what the “My One Word” project is all about.

Willpower and self-effort only get us so far. When we’re overwhelmed with a long list, it’s even more difficult to achieve lasting change. That’s why, according to Ashcraft, the One-Word project works.

To choose a word for 2015, Ashcraft suggests asking the following questions:

1. What kind of person do I want to become this year?
2. What drives my desire to be this kind of person?
3. What characteristics define this type of person? Make a list.
4. Reduce your list to 10 words or less, research those words using a dictionary and Bible.
5. Choose one word from your list as your word for the year.
6. Choose a Bible verse that speaks to you about your chosen word and memorize it. This will provide a foundation of truth you can continually return to and will fuel your hope to change.
7. What initial expectations do you have regarding the impact of your word?

One word can change your life when it is grounded in faith.

Carol Round

Carol Round

Carol Round is a syndicated columnist, author, and speaker, who is available to speak at women’s events or to lead prayer journaling workshops. She has been writing her weekly column, “A Matter of Faith,” after retiring from a 30-year teaching career in 2005. Her five books include three collections of her columns: “A Matter of Faith,” “Faith Matters” and “By FAITH Alone.” In 2012, Westbow Press released her book, “Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God,” with the companion workbook, “The 40-Day Challenge.” All of Carol’s books are available through www.Amazon.com or by contacting the author through ww.carolaround.com. For information on becoming a subscriber to “A Matter of Faith” for your newspaper or magazine, please contact Carol at carolaround@yahoo.com. Readers who wish to receive her weekly column by email may contact her through the same address.

See all ASSIST News articles atwww.assistnews.net

This story is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ASSIST News Service or ASSIST Ministries.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
Send this story to a friend.

 

Read Full Post »

Encouraging Writers and Conference Updates

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Marketing, Overcoming self-doubts, Writer's Life, Writing Fiction on July 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Faith rocks2“Faith is the confidence
that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance
about things we cannot see.”
Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Rejection: A Fact of the Writing Life – Yes, this really is an encouraging blog from literary agent, Steve Laube, who published my book Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. To add to what Steve shared, 31 years of ministry through the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference and 18 years through the Colorado Christian Writers Conference would not have happened if I had allowed the deadly Ds (disappointment, doubt, discouragement) that often accompanied 42 rejections of my first book cause me to give up. To tie into the next item, I was ahead of the market.

Studying the Markets – Great advice from Cec Murphey, GPCWC 2014 faculty member who will keynote on “Write His Answer – Authentically” and teach the continuing session “The Power of Story.” I highly recommend Cec’s “Writer to Writer” blog.

Need more encouragement? – Best-selling author, Joel Rosenberg, says of where he was at in 2001, “Failure has a way of focusing the mind and I’d come off of ten years of political failure in Washington DC and I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m a Rosenberg, yet I am not a lawyer, a dentist, a doctor, an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, an accountant or even a stockbroker.

“I’ve got no financial genes and I can’t do anything practical. I write ‘Op-Eds’ that people don’t read. I    write speeches people don’t listen to; the only thing I know how to do is write and clearly badly. But these are my loaves and fishes and I don’t want to be a failure; I want to be a blessing.

“So, I told the Lord, ‘I want to be a servant of yours, Lord Jesus, so could you take these loaves and fishes, limited though they be, and would you break them, and bless them, and somehow feed people with them.’”

Click here to read the rest of this powerful and encouraging interview. I highly recommend Joel’s books and his blog, http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/ that tracks the latest happenings in the explosive Middle East.

How to Respond to Alarming Changes – Another helpful and encouraging post from literary agent, Rachelle Gardner. Click here.

A Word Fitly Spoken or Written – Good counsel from literary agent and GPCWC 2014 faculty member, Diana Flegal. Click here.

For fiction writers – K.M. Weiland, author of historical and speculative fiction and writing mentor has a helpful blog. Click here for “Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 31: One-Dimensional Conflict.”

Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, July 30 – August 2

Deadline extended for paid critiques – Since manuscripts for paid critiques are now sent via email, I’ve extended the due date to July 16. Paid critiques are a great investment in your writing ministry. Your critiquer will read your manuscript before the conference (please note length parameters at http://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com/paidcritiques) and spend 30 minutes with you at the conference pointing out things you need to strengthen and answering your questions. The cost is only $30.

Book signing Thursday & Friday night – Conferees as well as faculty are welcome to participate in a book signing following the Thursday and Friday night keynote. On Thursday night Cec Murphey will  keynote and authors whose last name begins with M – Z will have 1-2 minutes to talk about their latest book followed by a book signing. On Friday night Rob Cook will keynote and authors whose last names begins with A – L will share and sign their books.

Appointments – For those already registered, you have until tomorrow, July 10, to submit your appointment request form online for your appointments to be booked in the order your registered for the conference. That gives early birds a real advantage. All appointment requests need to be received by July 24. After that you can sign up for appointments when you arrive at the conference.

Bonus appointment with Rick Marschall – Because Rick is a last minute addition, we’re offering an bonus appointment with him in addition to the number of appointments you’re already entitled to receive (4 appointments for those coming all 3 days with the first 100 conferees receiving a 5th appointment, 3 appointments for those coming 2 days, and 2 appointments for those coming one day). If you’ve already submitted your appointment requests, you can add Rick by simply sending an email to mvawter@writehisanswer.com. Rick is also available for paid critiques of devotionals, picture books, nonfiction books and book proposals, historical novels, and humor. Rick has 74 books and hundreds of magazine articles to his credit. A former political cartoonist, editor of Marvel Comics, and writer for Disney, his fields as an author are as eclectic: popular culture; classical music; country music; biographies; television history; children’s books; cartoons and comics; and Christian books, where his publishers have included Thomas Nelson, Faithwords, and Tyndale House. For four years he has produced the weekly blog www.MondayMinistry.com,  devotionals that feature music videos and address culture, worldview, church history, and matters of faith.

Roommate matching – You can make a new friend and lower your conference cost by requesting a roommate but please do so as soon as possible.  A double room on campus is only $39 a night or $59 a night for a single. We need to let Cairn University know by July 23 how many are staying on campus.

Scholarship help and time payments – Complete the application at http://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com/scholarships and know I’ll do everything possible to help you be able to come.

Colorado Christian Writers Conference, May 13-16, 2015

Be sure to put next year’s date on your calendar. And remember, CDs of this year’s conference are available. You’ll find an order form at http://colorado.writehisanswer.com.

Keep writing His answer!

Read Full Post »

In the Garden

Posted in Writer's Life on June 1, 2014| 3 Comments »

82-pack3-021514-tm
I spent all day yesterday in my garden pulling weeds and finally getting beans and beets planted. It’s late, I know. Between the cold spring (snow in May!) and eight days in Colorado, it’s the best I can do. And there is still so much more to do. Cucumber, squash, sugar snap peas, okra, and sunflower seeds still need to be planted. (I just learned that sunflowers help okra produce more pods.)

My asparagus plants that I put in before going to Colorado are coming up. I love watching my garden grow and reflecting on the lessons the Master Gardener teaches me.

 

The Master Gardener

 He planted the seed in the ground.

Ever so slowly it changed –

actually it died –

that it might be born into something  new.

It began to push through the soil.

First one, then another leaf appeared.

From a spindly little seedling

it kept growing – and changing –

until it became a sturdy, bushy plant.

Buds formed and then beautiful flowers unfolded.

 

In our Christian walk, we too must first die to ourselves,

surrendering our wills to that of our Maker.

The newness of His life within us

begins to germinate and take root.

We begin to push through problems and obstacles.

As we continue to draw up nourishment from Him –

to become strong and vigorous in His truth –

fruit that we could never produce by ourselves

begins to first bud, and then bloom.

And it is all the work of the Master Gardener.

Read Full Post »

Grow Your Writing Ministry

Posted in Called to write, Overcoming distractions, Overcoming self-doubts, Publishing journey, Writer's Life, Writing Opportunities on May 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Possible And Impossible Keys Show Optimism And Positivity“With God everything is possible.” Mark 10:27 TLB

I’ve been part of Christian publishing for about thirty-five years. In the early days I used a Selectric typewriter and submitted (and resubmitted) my manuscripts via the USPS. It took six to eighteen months for accepted manuscripts to get in print. (I’ve sold over 1,0o0 articles, stories, poems, and devotionals and have had nine books published.)

Today it sometimes still takes many long months and even years to get our work in print, but computers and the Internet have definitely speeded up the rest of  the process – God’s provision, I believe, because of the critical need to write and publish His answer while there is still time. Now we literally can reach the world from our desktop through blogs and websites and the publication of our work in online magazines or as eBooks or POD books.

It’s an awesome time to be a writer, but one thing has not changed. In order to impact the lives of our readers, we need to write with excellence.

I have given my Write His Answer Seminar over 50 times, coast to coast. God has used it to launch hundreds of writing ministries and to grow the ministries of those who are already writing for publication.

Friday evening, June 6, and Saturday, June 7 from 8:30 – 5:00 I will present this seminar at Faith Discovery Church, 33 Brass castle Road, Washington, NJ. If you’re planning to come to the July 29 – August 2 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, the Write His Answer Seminar is great preparation for meeting with agents and editors. If distance or your schedule prohibits you from coming, the seminar is available on CD. You can order the entire seminar or portions from my online bookstore for writers at http://writehisanswer.com/bookstore.

Here are some of the topics I cover:

  • How to get started in the ministry of writing. Personal and spiritual preparation.
  • An overview of the Christian market and the best opportunities.
  • The ministry potential of self-publishing and writing for the secular market.
  • How to turn your personal experiences into print. Seven essential elements of a personal experience story and pitfalls to avoid.
  • How to find, capture, organize, evaluate, and sharpen your ideas.
  • Using a Writer’s Check-off List.
  • Making a good impression on an editor.
  • Writing effective query and cover letters.
  • Knowing your rights and the editor’s rights.
  • An overview of the needs of the Christian market and best opportunities.
  • How to write devotionals, articles, fiction, profiles, fillers, humor, and poetry that will sell and touch lives.
  • How to pass the “So what?” test.
  • How to effectively market your work and use a market analysis chart.
  • How to overcome procrastination.
  • How to deal with the D’s (disappointment, doubt, and discouragement) and rise above rejection.
  • The importance of prayerfully setting specific and measurable goals.

Each session has a biblical focus and is hemmed in by prayer. Friday evening includes a critique session where portions of as many manuscripts as possible will be read. Even if you do not have a manuscript to be critiqued, you will learn principles you can apply to your own writing.

It’s not too late to register. Go to www.jewellutt.com and click on “Events: Calling All Writers” for more information.

Father, for such a time as this I know You are calling and equipping an army of writers to “write Your answer.” I praise You that you are able to do “far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Eph. 3:20 TLB).

Thank you for your outstanding seminar!
The feedback has been tremendous in terms of your expertise,
your helpfulness, and your love for our Lord.
People especially enjoyed the frequent times of prayer.
You are a blessing wherever you go.
Dr. Mary Ann L. Diorio, Founder
The New Jersey Society of Christian Writers

 

Read Full Post »

You can conquer the “deadly Ds”

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming self-doubts, Writer's Life on May 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Faith rocks2“Early in the morning
before the sun is up,
I am praying
and pointing out
how much I trust in you.”

Psalm 119:47 TLB

 

Some of you know that it took five years and rejection slips from 42 editors before the first book I wrote was accepted for publication. Before that I struggled for several years to finish the manuscript. Self-doubts, and to be honest, God-doubts had me close to giving up many, many times.

The “deadly Ds” – disappointment, doubt, discouragement, even despair – were my frequent companions. What kept me keeping on?

  • Promises such as Galatians 6:9: “Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up” (TLB).
  • The very first words I ever felt the Lord speak to my heart: “Child, I never said it would be easy to follow Me, but I have promised always to be with you.”
  • My husband who has never told me to go get a “real” job even during times when things were really rough financially.
  • My pastor who paid my way to my first writers’ conference and held me accountable afterwards to use what I learned.
  • Friends who year after year babysat my three children so I could go to the St. Davids Christian Writers Conference.
  • The network of writing friends who encouraged me, and Gayle Roper and Anne Sirna who mentored me.

Yes, it took many long, discouraging years but that first book did get in print. The rest – seven other books, the Greater Philly and Colorado Christian Writers Conferences that I direct, the 70 conference faculties I’ve been honored to serve on, and my day-long writing seminars that I’ve given around the country over 50 times – are the fruit of abiding in Him and trusting Him to do what I could never do in my own strength.

The key really is trust, especially when the deadly Ds threaten to derail me. I’m learning that I am free to trust or to doubt, but when I do not trust, I grieve the Lord.

I want to encourage you not to give up and to make registering for the May 14-17 Colorado Christian Writers Conference a priority.

  • If the evil one is bombarding you with the deadly Ds, trust the Lord.
  • If the logistics of childcare for your kids seem impossible, trust Him.
  • If you can’t see how to fit the conference in during a spring packed with activity and demands on your time, trust Him.
  • If you need more encouragement to overcome your self- doubts, trust Him and click here.
  • If financially it seems impossible, trust Him. Be bold. Ask family, friends, or your church to help. Apply for a scholarship. Even though it’s past the deadline, I will still consider requests for partial scholarships as well as requests for time payments.

Father God, thank You that You know the plans You have for us and our writing – and that they are good plans. Help us to trust You when we face the deadly Ds. Thank You for all the incredible people You have brought into my life these past 18 years of directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and 30 years directing the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. Thank You for all You have done and all You will do as I trust You.

Read Full Post »

It comes down to faith

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Writer's Life on May 4, 2014| 1 Comment »

10-1113tm-vector2-3103Do you put off doing things because you don’t believe you can do them? Do you have half-written manuscripts waiting to be finished? What about ideas that you’ve tucked away – somewhere? Are you putting off registering for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference or the  Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference because you’re uncertain that you have what it takes to get in print?

Yes, procrastination is a very real foe, but I am convinced the real reason we procrastinate is because we don’t believe we can do something. And actually, that’s true! We need God’s enabling to do the work He calls us to do. The key is knowing what He is calling us to do. The Living Bible paraphrase of Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

It comes down to faith – to believing in the One who calls us and choosing to say “yes, Lord, here am I.”Dream%20With%20Me_album%20cover

I want to encourage you to read aloud the “Writer’s Statement of Faith” below. You may need to read it aloud several times a day. I know I do! I also want to encourage you to watch this video of pre-teen Jackie Evancho singing “To Believe.” Yes, Father, help us to believe that we really can make a difference and bring peace – Your peace – to our troubled world.

A Writer’s Statement of Faith

I have strength for all things in Christ Who Empowers me-I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength in me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Phil. 4:13 AMP

Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies, so that God will be glorified. 1 Pet. 4:11 TLB

[Not in my own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in me – energizing and creating in me the power and desire – both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Phil. 2:13 AMP

My strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power at work within me. Eph. 6:10 TLB

In Him in every respect I am enriched, in full power and readiness of speech (to speak of my faith), and complete knowledge and illumination (to give me full insight into its meaning). 1 Cor. 1:5 AMP

Now I have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are mine during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1:7 TLB

I actually do have within me a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16 TLB

I can be a mirror that brightly reflects the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18 TLB

I will commit everything I do to the Lord. I will trust Him to help me do it and He will. Ps. 37:5 TLB

I will lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with all my heart and mind, and choose not to rely on my own insight or understanding. Prov. 3:5 AMP

I will commit my work to the Lord, then it will succeed. Prov. 16:3 TLB

Sharing Christ is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me. Col. 1:29 TLB

I will be strong and courageous and get to work. I will not be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with me; He will not forsake me. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly. 1 Chron. 28:20 TLB

I need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if I want Him to do for me all He promised. Heb. 10:36 TLB

I m convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in me will continue until the day of Jesus Christ – right up to the time of His return – developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in me. Phil. 1:6 AMP

His mighty power at work within me is able to do far more than I would every dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond my highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes. Eph. 3:20 TLB

From Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. For more excerpts, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Read Full Post »

Nurturing the Heart of the Storyteller – Part 2

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Writer's Life on April 28, 2014| 1 Comment »

Allen Arnold Nov 2013

Donna Brennan
Interviews
Allen Arnold

God’s primary desire isn’t that we write about Him. Or even for Him. It is that we write with Him.

 


As founder and former Publisher of Thomas Nelson Fiction, Allen Arnold was a strong advocate not just for story, but for the storyteller. He has worked with hundreds of authors and published more than 500 novels in his 20 years in Christian publishing.

Allen’s personal ministry is now to nurture the heart and spirituality of the storyteller. More recently, as Director of Content and Resources at Ransomed Heart Ministry, he has been able to expand his reach to help many others—besides just authors—get closer to God and live the story of their life with an awakened heart.

But he still has a special place in his own heart for the storyteller. That’s why he’s such a popular presenter at Christian writing conferences, and part of the reason he received the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Allen will be presenting a five-part continuing session at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference on May 14 through 17 on The Heart of the Storyteller. He has penciled in the 2015 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. I caught up with him to ask him some questions about this session and about his passion for nurturing the hearts of others.

Question: Isn’t it easy to lose track of God in the hustle and bustle of trying to do everything we are told we need to do? Is your session going to help us understand how to keep from getting burnout and still find time to spend with God?

An author recently told me, “It’s easy to sometimes forget why I’m writing in the first place.” And that is so true. We lose ourselves in the blur of deadlines, social media, and daily word counts. We turn to productivity while God longs for our presence. We put our heads down and focus on getting things done for God…instead of realizing we are on a creative playground with God. We ask God to bless our time writing instead of asking what His plans are for our day. We get busy doing rather than being. And when we look up, we find ourselves in a desert. In my sessions, I’ll identify the main “creative deserts” and offer tangible ways to avoid or escape them.

Question: Do you think it’s the enemy that distracts us so much with the busyness of writing and marketing? Or do you think we do it to ourselves?

The answer is both. We have an enemy of the story we are writing AND the story we are living. His goal is not distraction as much as destruction. I believe the enemy has a unique hatred for creative…and will spend time taking readers into why this is and how to overcome his very specific plans to destroy our creativity and our calling. The second element is our own motives. It is easy to make our stories and our success an idol. If that sounds a bit strong, realize this. Whatever we turn to for life is what we worship. So if your validation hinges on success as a writer…you may be more focused on your calling than the One who called you into it. During my sessions, I’ll share how to make your writing an offering – and how to resist the enemy. It’s a two-fold approach.

Question: The nature of writing usually makes it a solitary—and isolating—task. Why can this be dangerous, and what can we do to avoid any pitfalls?

We write in isolation – but we never have to write alone. Because our gifting came with an invitation from God. Not just to create. But to create together. God gave you this talent so you can spend it with Him…as a way to grow closer together. But something happens along the way. The gift overshadows the giver – and aloneness replaces fellowship. Remember this – God’s primary desire isn’t that we write about Him. Or even for Him. It is that we write with Him. When writers discover this truth and learn how to live it, they will never write alone again. That is the whole focus of being in Creative Fellowship with God.

Question: In the description of your continuing session, it talks about discovering “how to live free, write free.” What exactly does that mean?

This phrase is a short-hand way of reminding writers that Jesus came to set us free…and when we are living in His freedom, we can then create in total freedom. Imagine what better stories we can tell when we are writing from an awakened heart and walking with Him through the entire creative process. It is  transformational, but it starts with our lives before it can transform our writing.

Question: The novel I’m working on is fiction, but my life is real. How can getting in touch with my own story—my own life—improve the story that I want to write?

Here is the bottom line – you can’t write a better story than you are living. So to write really powerful stories, you first have to live a really powerful life. Knowing your personal story (it didn’t just begin last week or even last year) allows you to tell better stories. There’s got to be time built into your life for you to be aware of what’s really going on in your heart. Artists are gifted at “seeing the unseen” and then creating. Yet they often overlook their own spiritual health. Writers can focus more on imagined stories than the rhythms of their own life story. We’ll dive into this more – but it’s impossible to offer words with life when your own life is stressed out, dried up, and empty. The discovery is how to live and create from an awakened heart.

Question: Is it more than just a coincidence that you have such a passion for the writer’s heart and the ministry that you’ve been drawn to deals with restoring and nourishing the hearts of God’s people?

Great question! There are no coincidences for those who walk with God. He has invited me into a ministry in Colorado (Ransomed Heart) where the focus is healing broken hearts and setting people free. If that phrase sounds familiar, it is from a passage in Isaiah 61 that Jesus quoted to start His ministry. Two years ago, God told me that my new ministry was going after the hearts of writers. I wish I had done that while I was in publishing for 20 years. I did my best as a publisher to help authors write the best stories and then get them to the broadest possible audience. But I didn’t know how to go after their hearts…probably because I didn’t even know fully how to pursue my own heart at that time. So while being a part of the Ransomed Heart ministry is my full-time role (and I love it!), I also speak and meet with hundreds of writers a year to help them write with God from an awakened heart. It brings me incredible joy to help writers find a way out of the creative desert and into the wildness of creating with God.

Question: What are some of the things you do to revitalize your own heart? How do you get in touch with who God created you to be?

If I don’t spend regular, intimate time with God – I quickly end up in a dry and dusty place. For too long, I thought productivity was the secret to my happiness – the more I got done, the happier I was. But I’ve discovered that God always longs for our presence before our productivity. So what revitalizes my heart is savoring God by just being with Him, reading (for pleasure), playing (with my kids), dreaming big with my wife, and time at the gym. Oh, and salsa. I love salsa.  ;  ).  

Allen, to be quite honest, I didn’t think I was “in need” of your session—I thought I was in touch with my heart and that I had most things pretty much in balance. But after reading a few things short things you’ve written and listening to two online interviews you gave, I realize how far I am from what you are talking about. Your passion for the writer’s spirituality made me realize how much my writing has been becoming a business, and not a calling. I wonder how many other writers, like me, don’t realize how much they need your message. I’m including a link to a PDF of the Keynote you gave at the Christy Awards in 2012. http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/images/stories/client_pdf/CAPTURED_BY_STORYed.pdf

I think it will inspire a lot of other writers to remember why they are writing, and to actively partner with the One who called them to write.
___________________

Thank you, Donna and Allen, for this thought-provoking interview. Allen welcomes your comments on this blog.

Read Full Post »

Nurturing the Heart of the Storyteller – Part 1

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Platform building, Writer's Life on April 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

Allen Arnold Nov 2013

Donna Brennan
Interviews
CCWC Faculty Member
Allen Arnold

 

As founder and former Publisher of Thomas Nelson Fiction, Allen Arnold was a strong advocate not just for story, but for the storyteller. He has worked with hundreds of authors and published more than 500 novels in his 20 years in Christian publishing.

Allen’s personal ministry is now to nurture the heart and spirituality of the storyteller. More recently, as Director of Content and Resources at Ransomed Heart Ministry, he has been able to expand his reach to help many others—besides just authors—get closer to God and live the story of their life with an awakened heart.

But he still has a special place in his own heart for the storyteller. That’s why he’s such a popular presenter at Christian writing conferences, and part of the reason he received the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Allen will be presenting a five-part continuing session at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference on May 14 through 17 on The Heart of the Storyteller. I caught up with him to ask him some questions about this session and about his passion for nurturing the hearts of others.

Question: If I sell my stories and articles, then I’m a writer, or an author. That’s my identity; that’s who I am. Or am I missing something?

Here’s what is missing in that assumption: being called to write is not dependent on whether your article or story sells (“IF my story sells, THEN I am a writer”). God calls people in ways that often never correlates to monetary validation. That said, even when a person is called to be a writer and even if they sell millions of stories, that is never their identity. Your identity goes far deeper than being a writer. At your core, you are a son or daughter of the Father. He knows you by name. For who you are…not what you do. Some children of God are called to create. But calling isn’t your core identity – which is quite freeing because no matter what happens within your calling, it can’t touch your identity.

Question: I think most Christian writers believe they are called by God to write their stories. So, after we spend the necessary time learning the craft, all we need to do is start writing, correct? After all, if God wants us to produce, we should be busy producing. Isn’t that how we obey our calling?

The thought that writers should just get “busy producing” is prevalent…and toxic. And it is because it puts our focus on “doing” rather than “being.” And it can cause us to miss the bigger issue of why God invited us to create in the first place. Is it important for authors to improve their craft – yes. But more than that – or perhaps I should say before that – we are called into Creative Fellowship with God. What the world needs most is the warmth from the glow off the face of those who spend time with God. It’s the difference of a storyteller who sits around a small campfire telling stories…and a storyteller whose face is glowing so bright she doesn’t need a campfire to warm the souls of those listening.

Understanding why God invited you to create is the most foundational aspect of your calling. Start there and dive deep into all new waters…then move on to enhance your craft. But by all means start with why you were called and what that means. Because that changes everything.

Question: So I need to work with God as I write my novel and tell my story. But what about after the story is written? Then I have to go to conferences and pitch my manuscript; and get a blog and try to build a following; and I’ll need an author page on Facebook; and I should start tweeting on a regular basis; and what about Pinterest and Instagram… That all sounds so exhausting. Is there a better way to get my book in the hands of readers and still find time to work on my next story?

Right – it doesn’t just sound exhausting. It is exhausting. What I’ll say here is counter to much advice within the industry. But I think sometimes those in an industry can repeat an answer so many times that it starts to sound like absolute truth when it is just opinion. Let me offer another opinion based on working with hundreds of authors during 20 years in publishing as well as my experience now in a ministry that focuses on the heart.

I understand that publishing houses have less staff than they did years ago – so the more an author can do to promote their book, the better. And the larger following they have on-line, the higher the odds of a successful launch. That is horizontal (human) wisdom – but large on-line followings actually don’t guarantee a book’s success. And those called to write are not usually equally gifted at marketing. So rather than taking half your writing time to strive after social media – what if you spent 95% of your time doing what you were called to do, which is to create and write?

Sure it’s important to promote your book. Find others who are gifted at marketing and find a way for them to spearhead it – whether you pay them or trade services. Absolutely do the interviews and participate in spreading the word about why you wrote your book. But to assume your project will only succeed if you succeed at social media is not only exhausting…but basically godless because the assumption is it is all up to you to make it happen. In the great stories of the Bible – victory was never all on the shoulders of the person following God. If God has given you this message, then He will not be sidetracked by you not tweeting enough or not building your platform.

This topic is something that we’ll discuss more in my session. And please don’t take my comments as minimizing the promotional aspect of publishing. My degree is in marketing and I spent much of my career at major advertising agencies and overseeing author branding. I believe in the power of great promotions – I just don’t believe the author should feel they must become marketing experts or spend hours a day on social media to achieve success in the calling God has given them. I want these words to alleviate stress and allow authors to breathe deep so they can focus more on their calling.

__________________

Note from Marlene – Thank you, Allen and Donna. I’ll post the rest of this interview tomorrow. For now I think Father would have us reflect deeply on what has already been shared.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »