By Darlene L. Turner My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit. John 15:2 (VOICE) Spring is around the corner (hopefully!) and with it comes clean-up of debris left from the winter months. Every year, I pick …
When Emotions Cause the Block
By Chandra Lynn Smith I sat at my desk in January writing the blog post and I shared a little about my current project. Then the project was put on hold for a little while. What happened? Life. This winter has been one of heartbreak and my personal grief created a writer’s block. Last Fall I would have told you …
Failure or Success – Our Choice
By Henry McLaughlin I experienced two what might be called failures recently. In the space of three days. On Saturday, I received a rejection from an agent. On Monday, a publisher declined to consider my manuscript. It was the same book in both instances. To me they were failures. Something about my writing did not strike either the agent or …
Imagine the Impact
By K.W. Bounds Why do I even bother writing? Threatening to torpedo my work in progress, this thought surfaced leaving a wake in its path, as I scrambled to stay afloat in a sea of self-doubt and frustration. The compulsion to write God-honoring words never left, but my confidence in producing such waned. You’ve been there. It’s a universal struggle …
Trusting the Truth
By Christine Sunderland I look through my kitchen window to the slopes of Angel Mountain (aka Mount Diablo in Northern California). A white cross rises in the green grass, recently watered with rain. I jot notes on a lined yellow pad. I am in the home stretch of the first draft of my novel, Angel Mountain, 60,000 words and counting. …
A Pick-Me-Up for the Weary Writer
By Cynthia Herron As a little girl, I created masterpieces. I rocked my world with art and zany inventions. I made stuff from unusual materials—egg cartons, fabric swatches, wallpaper samples—you name it. I used it. I adored anything I could put my creative stamp on and call my own. I liked to color, paint, and make things with my hands …
Let Go and Let God Write
By: Lenora Livingston In my seventy-nine years of living, never once in my wildest dreams did I ever envision myself writing a novel. No, not me, no way! In my school days, I always cringed at the very thought of rough drafts and rewriting themes and term papers. If I couldn’t write it right the first time, forget it. It …
“Don’t Push Me”
By Leslie DeVooght My two-year old niece proclaims, “patience is waiting with a happy heart.” Apparently, I gave her mother the book In This House, We Will Giggle by Courtney DeFeo. My family studied one virtue a month from this book, but I’m pretty sure we need a remedial course. We all need what we want, and we need it …
Enjoy the Journey – Even the Detours
by Tracy Popolizio Last year I was given a great, hidden treasure. A book! I say hidden because I didn’t realize the impact it would have on me until months later, when, shuffling through my stack looking to see what might interest me, it caught my eye. I pulled it out and thought I should probably read it because it …
Beautiful in His Time
By Cathleen Armstrong How does it happen so fast? New Year’s Day always dawns with so much promise—365 days, a whole year, lie open like the pristine pages of a brand-new journal. The possibilities are infinite. This is the year we’ll finally finish the novel-that-never-ends. We’ll start a new one. We’ll wrestle social media to the ground and rise victorious …