The breath of God in our Lives

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations . . . God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. Genesis 17:5, 15

So often we become God’s children, long before we allow Him to breathe life into our lives. Our hearts belong to him, but we often resist the changes He wants to make in us.

The Radiance of the Humble Writer

by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

The writing life is often one of solitude as we barricade ourselves behind closed doors and weave words into story. If we stay in our writing cave too long without social interaction, we run the risk of what I call the hibernation syndrome. We grow inactive and our mind turns to mush. We’ve used our stored energy and need to escape to enjoy a meal of sumptuous literary food.

Professional Polish for the Indie Publisher Step Two: Become an Expert

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Tips to Organize Your Writing Life

I don’t care if you’re a freelance writer, nonfiction writer, novelists or something of a hybrid. The truth is that you have to wear a lot of hats to find publishing success. You have to be able to write on a deadline, plan marketing campaigns, utilize social media, and of course, write.

Tips for Creating Meaningful Takeaway for Your Reader

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

We buy books because we’re hungry—hungry for a good story, hungry for an encouraging message.

When I consider buying a nonfiction book, I read the back cover and flip through the pages looking for the takeaway. What good things can I “take away” from this book? What message, hope, or practical advice does the author share? I also find out whether the author has a conversational voice and good lead-ins. (For that last one, it’s the writer in me kicking into gear.) But I care the most about the takeaway. Do you?

What You Can Do for Writing Conference Faculty

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

I’m tired. Really tired. But it’s a good kind of tired. Conference season is over for me. After eleven conferences (and 12k logged miles), some back-to-back, my suitcase is finally emptied and stored in its place. As I climbed the ladder to store the suitcase, I found myself a little sad that it’s done for the year.

Plotting Your Social Media Course: Know Where You Are & Where You Want to Go

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson

When I teach social media, I encourage people to relax and not take on too much at once.So today I want to back up and start at the very beginning. Because social media can reach millions, it’s way too easy to think of it as mass marketing. In reality it’s about one-on-one relationships.

That is the beauty and the dichotomy of the medium. It can be overwhelming—this building relationships with millions—especially when our goal is writing, not advertising. Now the good news: social media is not as difficult as it seems.