Finding the Motivation to Write

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing Leave a Comment

by Susan A.J. Lyttek I love writing. You’d think after that statement that I would jump out of bed and head down to my notebooks and laptop with unbridled enthusiasm each morning. Not so. In fact, I will often putter around and do anything other than write. I will suddenly need to spend a lot of time in Bible study, …

Three Ways to Keep Your Writing on Track

ACFWAccountability, ACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, tips Leave a Comment

By Lisa Jordan Recently I bought a new train set for my childcare program. One of my Little Darlings waited patiently while I assembled it, then proceeded to move the three-car train along the tracks. If he pushed too hard or too fast, the small train derailed. As I watched him, I realized his actions resonated with how I’ve been …

First Chapters Syndrome

ACFWAccountability, ACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Deadlines, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, writing Leave a Comment

By Rondi Bauer Olson Last year my nebulous-but-fantastic-sounding goal was to “write every day.” I did a pretty good job. Five or six days a week I opened my laptop and typed a few hundred to a few thousand words. After twelve months, my word count was pretty impressive. Unfortunately, my useful output wasn’t. The first project I started working …

SMART Goals for Writers

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, tips Leave a Comment

By Preslaysa Williams I always get excited about a new year. I have a chance to start fresh and do something new. I’ve set goals, met goals, and left others unmet. Every new year, my goal setting skills have improved. Some may ask: Why set a goal if you won’t meet it? Here are a few benefits of setting goals: …

Procrastination Explanation

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Authors and writing, Deadlines, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing Leave a Comment

By Patti Shene Gonzales I’m a procrastinator. The one thing in my life I procrastinate most? My writing. When I was pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at what was then University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo, we were assigned a “term paper.” I assume a student was expected to work on the project for the majority of …

Making Wise Investments

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, writing Leave a Comment

By John W. Tucker Balance in each day’s activities is something we all strive for. Full-time or part-time writers, we must plan ahead and stay focused when we write. Think of the potential activities a writer may be involved in: writing into an article or book daily, writing a blog weekly or biweekly, setting aside money toward a writer’s conference …

How to trick your brain and create the perfect writing environment

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing Leave a Comment

By Melissa Tagg Here’s the thing: I wish I could do ALL my writing on languid Saturday mornings…slow and relaxed and unencumbered by things like, oh, you know, the need to actually get dressed and go into the office and interact with the real world. But once I signed my first publishing contract, I realized in order to do that …

What Are Friends For?

ACFWAccountability, Advice, Authors and writing, Fellowship, Friends of ACFW, writing Leave a Comment

by Kathy Harris So, how are those New Year’s resolutions working out for you? We’re one week into 2016. That’s seven days you could have been writing. Six, if you take a day off for Sabbath rest. In one week – working only 10-20 minutes each day – you could have written several scenes, completed a chapter, or edited thirty …