CHANGES ARE COMING

We are very excited to announce that changes will be coming to the blog and the website in the near future.

There is a lot of work involved and we are all about getting it done.

Keep reading. Keep writing.

JULY'S THEME

The theme for this month is “VISION: Observing Within and Without”.   Deciding to take an honest look at what goes on within our heart and life is a brave thing to do. Observing what is going on within us and around us opens up learning avenues and opportunities. Then we can choose to initiate change rather than be surprised when change happens without our consent.  

In order to make changes that enable us to walk in a manner worth of the Lord (Colossians 1) we will have to make decisions. We cannot evaluate/decide anything unless we have a constant standard of measure. 

The standard in this blog is the Bible. It is God’s word to us. It is living and active, speaking to the deepest needs of our hearts. Each of us needs to listen with our heart wide open.

Clearly God can use whatever He chooses to speak to us: a verse or passage, a song, a sermon, a child, a friend, or nature, just to name a few. Maybe He will whisper something to you from a bumper sticker or a billboard. The last memorable billboard I saw posed the question, “Are you running on empty?” My silent response was, “My stomach is full but my spirit feels depleted. Lord, thank You for calling me to You. Lord, help me turn only and always to You.”

To recognize His gentle call to me in such an ordinary thing leads me to realize that He is everywhere around each of us, wooing us to fall in love with Him over and over again.

Writing Our Way Into Summer

According to my calendar the first day of summer was Saturday, June 21st.  A new season ahead of us.  Let's start with a variety of writing prompts and write with enthusiasm.  Who knows, one of them could launch you into a story with a setting or plot line so clear it feels alive.  Let's focus on the sense of smell.

Write about the memories triggered by the following smells:

23rd:  pine needles
24th:  your favorite flower
25th:  cinnamon
26th:  orange peel
27th:  cut grass
28th:  new car 
29th:  frying bacon
30th:  the locker room

Write several paragraphs or a story.  Make it serious or humorous.  Or write a poem, rhyming or free verse.  Make it so descriptive we can all smell the fragrance.  If you don't care for any of the suggestions, come up with your own list.  The point is to write and focus on your sense of smell.  I hope you will share your writing with a writing buddy or maybe here.  Here is an opportunity for your memories to come alive again.  

Keep reading.  Keep writing.

Writing For The Kingdom of God

by Dorothy Johnson. 

As someone living her own redemption story, I see God’s merciful hand everyday of my life. Plus, I have a teacher’s heart, so I find spiritual applications in everything. Our job as Christian writers is to recognize these God Moments, commit them to paper and share them with a hurting world. I’ve been thinking about some of the principles involved with that process.
Writing Requires Discipline

            I’m retired and have lots of free time. Even so, I often

 procrastinate through busyness. I find a million things to do instead of working on that partially finished novel. I like immediate gratification, so it’s easier to concentrate on shorter pieces than develop a believable plot and characters true to the Gospel. Consequently, my book languishes.

            Soon we’ll be going to Navarre Beach for a couple of weeks, where I plan to work on that novel. It’s my summer priority. If you find it easier to concentrate on more challenging work away from home, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Educational Center in Piggott and the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs offer some opportunities to get away and write. I go to both places, usually once a year.

My Writing Process

            When I start my day by reading scripture and spending time in reflection and prayer, I’m at my best. Sometimes a devotional will spring from what I’ve read, but just as often, an idea that’s been percolating takes shape. It may begin with a single line of poetry, or an outline might unfold almost like a lesson plan. No matter how it comes, it’s more likely to have eternal value because I’ve spent time in God’s Word.

            I try to capture these thoughts in a journal in what I call daily writing practice. Often what I write there becomes a first draft. But true commitment comes when I type it into my computer. Even then, there’s work to be done because the first draft is never worthy of publication.

            Maybe because I worked as an editor, I actually enjoy the editing process. I find satisfaction in trimming away the nonessential, trading a phrase for the best word to convey a thought. I try to wait at least a few hours or overnight to let it get cold. When I go back to it, I always see more ways to tighten the copy and make it better. A fully polished manuscript goes through this process multiple times.

Take an Unbiased Approach

            Like any creative endeavor, our writing is a part of us, which can make every thought, line and word feel important. However, we need to get over that feeling and buy into the editing process. If a line, a phrase or even one word is repetitive or doesn’t contribute to the central thought, get rid of it or save it for something else. It makes the final product better.

Don’t Hide Your Work Under a Bushel

            I confess I’m shy about submitting my work, partly because of insecurity, but also because it takes effort to find the right place to send it. However, I’m working on that. This year, I’ve submitted several devotionals, poems and a story to some faith-based publications. I recently learned that several of my devotionals will be included on a new website that will launch in the near future. That’s exciting. I’ll keep you posted.

I encourage you to take advantage of contests. When two of my submissions placed in our writing contests last year, I found the confidence to polish and send them to a couple of publications.

Let God Draw Your Readership

            When I think about readership, I remind myself of a wise comment Tracey Eyster made in a presentation on blogging. My writing won’t appeal to everyone, but my true audience will find me. I want to trust the Holy Spirit to connect work done by His inspiration to those who need to read it. Consequently, I try not to pay attention to who or how many people read my blog or even if I win a contest. I must keep writing.

Called to Faithfulness

            I also admonish myself to remember that I am called to be faithful. God’s definition of success for me may look different from the world’s view of success. I pray for wisdom to recognize that truth and accept it.

            Writing can be a lonely pursuit, but it need not be so. When we gather each month at the Little Rock American Christian Writers meeting, we have the opportunity to give and receive God’s encouragement through one another. Come. Join us. Let us press on to give Him our best efforts and then rest in His love and acceptance.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil. 3:12

"God Will Smile on You" Reflections on the 4th Annual Writers' Conference

By Linda L. Scisson

            Seven months, nine days before this year’s conference, our writers’ club held its monthly meeting at the ministry headquarters of FamilyLife. On that Tuesday afternoon in October, we were encouraged to “use your talents, use your skills, use your God-given ability” and “God will smile, yes, God will smile on you.” 

            Having attended Saturday’s conference at The Summit Church in Maumelle, I believe God smiles upon writers who use their talents, skills, and God-given ability to write for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). And God smiles on writers who share what they have learned. Three keen examples: Darcy Pattison, Shannon Taylor Vannatter, and Deborah Howard.

            DARCY PATTISON:  As a hobby, Darcy Pattison quilts. She pieces things together to form a uniform design. This could be said of her writing, too. And that is an understatement when we consider the number of awards Darcy has received — in writing and quilting.

            Books having received awards or starred reviews include (among others): Wisdom, the Midway Albatross; Desert Baths; and The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman. Two recently published books (among others) are: Saucy and Bubba: A Hansel and Gretel Tale and Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma.

            On the home page of Darcy’s website, she is quick to let readers know that she does two things: “I write, or I teach writing.” Books and blogs are her specialties. “Fiction Notes,” Darcy’s blog for fiction writers, was one of the Top Ten Blogs for Writers in 2013.

            Add to that achievement, these two: In 2007, Darcy received the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist for her work in children’s literature. In 2009, she founded an Indie-publishing house, Mims House.   

            As our keynote speaker, Darcy addressed blogs, social media, and writing for children.

            SHANNON TAYLOR VANNATTER:  Shannon Taylor Vannatter views her books as “paper missionaries.” And that is not just a cute and clever expression for this stay-at-home mom, pastor’s wife, and author. On Shannon’s “Inkslinger Blog,” her no-nonsense guidelines for contributing guest writers are “send something nice and tame.” And she says why: “It goes without saying, this is a Christian blog. No off-color, cursing, or crude content.”

            It must be conventional wisdom that books in a series repeat words in their titles. For instance, three of Shannon’s books contain the word “white”: White Pearls, White Roses, and White Doves. And cowboys and cowgirls may take your pick among Rodeo Ashes, Rodeo Dust, Rodeo Hero, Rodeo Queen, Rodeo Regrets, and Rodeo Song. (I’d go with Rodeo Queen, having been one in 1967, age 17, in Farmerville, Louisiana.)

            Shannon’s presentation was “Cut the Fluff: How to Write a Great Read.” Shannon knows her topic, evidenced by her receiving several writing awards and being interviewed several times. 

            DEBORAH HOWARD:  Deborah Howard is no stranger to our chapter. She spoke at our monthly meeting in March. A review of her talk, titled “Perseverance Pays Off,” is posted March 25, 2014 at our “Writing on the Rock” blog-site, which address is: http://lracw.blogspot.com/

            At Deborah’s website — http://www.deborahhoward.net/ — her first paragraph tells us that she is “an avid tennis player.” Deborah also serves smashing shots in the writing department with these four books (among others): Sunsets: Reflections for Life’s Final Journey; Where is God in All of This?: Finding God’s Purpose in Our Suffering; HELP! Someone I Love Has Cancer; and HELP! Someone I Love Has Alzheimer’s.

            At Saturday’s conference, Deborah focused her remarks on Query Letters, Proposals, and Synopsis — to help us move from rejection to acceptance.

            I thank God for our May 17, 2014 conference speakers, as well as donors and sponsors of the writing contests, and all who made our conference a sweet reality.

            And I honor the memory of author, musician, and songwriter Peg Roach Loyd, who took life’s final journey on January 6, 2014, three months after speaking at our October 8, 2013 meeting. While playing the guitar, Peg shared one of her songs that included the lyrics: “To use your talents, skills, and God-given ability” and “God will smile on you.”

            While I imagine Peg standing with angels on “a street of pure gold” (Revelation 21:21), as she sings an Irish lilt, I also picture her agreeing with a phrase that we find at the end of Dorothy Hill’s posts on our club’s blog-site:

            “Keep reading. Keep writing.”

            May we hear an “Amen” to that advice from all of creation, including a hospice nurse caring for the terminally ill, a Texas Ranger helping a rodeo queen, and an albatross named Wisdom flying above the storm.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WRITING CONFERENCE

Just one short week from today, on May 17^th, we will be holding our 4^th Annual Writers Conference.  I’m really excited about this.  A lot of prayer and preparation have gone into this, and we are anticipating a bounty of practical and instructive information for each of us.  We each know that we will get out of an activity exactly what we are willing to put into it.  So, as a former teacher, I have some suggestions:

1. Come ready to hear what the speakers have to share with us.  Their depth of knowledge is born of years of writing experience, rejection, and determination. Listen with your ears and with your heart.  You will likely hear something that resonates in you. 

2. Write it down.  We will be hearing a lot of things, so if something resonates within you, write it down.  You will find a journal and a pen in your Goodie Bag so you will be all set. You may get inspirations for a blog post or a story or a poem. You might see an interaction unfold around you that you want to record in writing.  You may have something scratching at your brain begging for attention … write it down so you can tell yourself you will remember it and deal with it later.  It will free your mind to focus. 

3. Identify action points and wisdom-gems.  As with any conference, you will probably walk away with copious notes.  If your notes resemble mine in any way, then there may be arrows and things written sideways, circled and starred.  Maybe a quote someone used was meaningful and you captured it.  A wisdom-gem.  Possibly someone else suggested, ”Write for at least 15 minutes a day, at the same place and time.”  And you said, “AHA! There is a piece I’ve left out of my writing process.”  So you intend to implement this right away.  Put a star by this.  Color code it. Do something so you don’t forget it. Wisdom-gems can shape how you think and action points bring you to the place of application.

4. Make connections.  This is a social event as well as a writing conference, because who can go to a conference and not interact with others?  If you came with a friend, great. Sit and chat with them but don’t miss the opportunities to meet new people too.  Make it a goal to meet and remember at least three new people. It is important to make connections with others. A shared experience like this conference is a great place to connect.  Get email addresses and maybe phone numbers and stay in contact. 

5. Post-conference review. After the conference, go back over your notes. List your action points on your task list or your to-do list.  Intentionally create personal growth opportunities from what you learned and took the time to write down.  Evaluate how it works for you.

Looking forward to seeing you there!  Keep Reading, Keep Writing.