tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29077372404923044282024-03-18T18:04:26.463-04:00The Write ConversationEdie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.comBlogger3999125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-30726404586459773702024-03-18T01:00:00.005-04:002024-03-18T01:00:00.134-04:00Marketing to the Agents and Traditional Editors<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljwMfzrq0_Ssrk55n1WNiuPemtW_oQkLelOy5Q7_5mjTGPB1oU_-R2hPROpKrnGO2ZfQiS40U5tKyUQKSgLNVWNsN6wJ9qSuJrYsuUndSF-UbfsN-F_FqLrQkLykqJlE3CRLWhWI4FTu9B4Yo88_gxtaLlryihr5L5NxjdvN6Dg-CW9gja4CbLhMxlkd-/s3000/Marketing%20to%20the%20Agents%20and%20Traditional%20Editors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljwMfzrq0_Ssrk55n1WNiuPemtW_oQkLelOy5Q7_5mjTGPB1oU_-R2hPROpKrnGO2ZfQiS40U5tKyUQKSgLNVWNsN6wJ9qSuJrYsuUndSF-UbfsN-F_FqLrQkLykqJlE3CRLWhWI4FTu9B4Yo88_gxtaLlryihr5L5NxjdvN6Dg-CW9gja4CbLhMxlkd-/w400-h225/Marketing%20to%20the%20Agents%20and%20Traditional%20Editors.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Karen Whiting @<a href="https://twitter.com/KarenHWhiting" target="_blank">KarenHWhiting</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To market to agents and editors in the traditional world, be sure your book is the right fit, create a stellar proposal, produce stellar writing, and come up with some great marketing ideas. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Right Fit for an Agent</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Agents know what they can place titles they place due to relationships with publishing houses . If the project matches an author's passion that makes it even better.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, know the agents. Meet them at conferences and listen to their passions. Find out what they placed. Ask writer friends who publish in the same genre as you if their agent might be a good fit.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Right Fit for Editors</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Publishing houses have their own brands and lines, so study the catalogue. Some that carry fiction may carry mainly romance with strong female leads or mysteries with underlying stories of families. You want to have an editor think, 'This writer gets us."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the proposal add within the description and hook, wording that fits their brand.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Stellar Proposal</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a writing coach I see proposals that don't showcase the book or author well. You want to honestly share about the book, how it meets a felt need for readers, and what will motivate people to buy the book. You also need to show why you are the person to write it with a strong bio plus lists of what you've had published, sales figures of previous books, awards earned, and especially how you are poised to market the proposed book. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Excellence in Writing</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Make sure others you trust review your writing and proposal. This can be a good critique group, a paid editor, or a fairly well published writing friend. It is not family, yourself only, or an unpublished writer. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Be sure the material is well-organized, with great flow, the best word choices, and readable for the intended audience. Be aware of the progression of the book and ideas presented, that it works together well and in a logical order. Create writing that is fresh with new ideas and solutions that are doable. Even in fiction, it's not just using the same old murder weapons in the same way, or the same plots, but new twists that grab reader's attention.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Make sure there's a satisfying ending for the reader of fiction or motivation that lets the nonfiction reader feel "I can do this" or "This will change my life."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Great Marketing Ideas</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Name ideas and share how you will harness the power of them. Be specific and share results. This is when you build the marketing plan. Here are a few examples</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Articles. I write for ____________- magazine with a distribution of ____________- and the editor is open to my writing articles related to this book. A few will be (name a few article titles). Or state (if the editor gives you stats, and be sure to ask). (The article I wrote for my previous release had 140,000 hits in 4 days and the bio included the book title).</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Speaking. I speak for ___________ groups in my (state, around the country, ...). This has included Name (places and audience sizes) or state a comment from the audience (recently I spoke at a woman's retreat of 60 women and at the end one woman jumped up and yelled, "This was the most refreshing retreat talk I have ever heard at a retreat.") </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Media. If you can post media you've been on, especially repeat guest spots do that). If not take training and state that you took media training, or state that you have been active with ABCs radio show telethon and they have invited you on when your book is published). Also share if you have developed a list of media that has guests on with similar topics and that you will contact them before your book' release).</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have an email list of 1000 followers with an open rate of 53%. Since the engagement is very important, it better to have a good list of at least 1000 that reads it than a huge list where only a few read it.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Unique Marketing Ideas</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stand out from the crowd. Show something different.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">To connect to readers for my romance stories I'll be doing chocolate and rose parties and will ask my launch team to do the same. Anyone who sends me an email list of ten people who will attend the party will be sent (name prizes or special e-downloads). All these leaders will be entered in a drawing for (name prize)</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've already spoken to the museum (name it) about my book and they agreed to have me do workshops there when the book releases). I plan to reach out to other similar museums.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have a connection to speak at (name a homeschool convention) and will have a booth there showcasing the book.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">My book for kids includes double Dutch jump roping. I plan to connect with the Heart Association for their Jump for Heart fund raising and will be a sponsor for my local heart group. [so see what's in your book that can connect to an association or group of women]</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love writing for traditional publishers, but it takes time to craft the right proposal. After sending a proposal if a great opportunity opens up, send an email with news to add to the proposal.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/4PUc7" target="_blank">Marketing to the Agents and Traditional Editors from @KarenHWhiting on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcl72NOcVoWgXJT6wmcKkJ0fQuPx_bmo27NSK3Brrg-r6CFBkqEZoTagq9DmW4IVVFNv0ppI9peVbFNGDx9OwbrGHpt0vsKY2gcA4Hz5afVcWh0a6NSPfpHJ_a6ESOkupx_IiFRYu5y0NnZHhsaaMiqxDK_Sq5_kWu2bV_XUesGFty5KP41KixhJI0uvx/s200/Karenlaugjng.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="150" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcl72NOcVoWgXJT6wmcKkJ0fQuPx_bmo27NSK3Brrg-r6CFBkqEZoTagq9DmW4IVVFNv0ppI9peVbFNGDx9OwbrGHpt0vsKY2gcA4Hz5afVcWh0a6NSPfpHJ_a6ESOkupx_IiFRYu5y0NnZHhsaaMiqxDK_Sq5_kWu2bV_XUesGFty5KP41KixhJI0uvx/s1600/Karenlaugjng.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>Karen Whiting (<a href="http://www.karenwhiting.com/">WWW.KARENWHITING.COM</a>) is an international speaker, former television host of Puppets on Parade, certified writing and marketing coach, and award-winning author of twenty-seven books for women, children, and families. Her newest book, The Gift of Bread: Recipes for the Heart and the Table reflects her passion for bread and growing up helping at her grandparent’s restaurant. Check out her newest book Growing a Mother’s Heart: Devotions of Faith, Hope, and Love from Mothers Past, Present, and Future. It's full of heartwarming and teary-eyed stories of moms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Karen has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than eight hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Crosswalk. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-75801394266392693322024-03-17T01:00:00.007-04:002024-03-17T01:00:00.239-04:00Every Writer Needs a Facelift on Occasion<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaWZZXqCXDLYxm6z0l_CO38QZ83lKpRI8AZ2nWvER9B_m2yAbXogbejoLMY50c4kyQalghYQft5lIHMQXj5jNOO09s8PBOr2PTuWuBlVD-AcuWBR4BHYr2lu4i5EpkaiDHtHPiYtmlhRlRQCkE2Sg1G398McW2ViyZXljqIptFgDZin4WW4HLbRAbNJZF/s3000/Every%20Writer%20Needs%20a%20Facelift%20on%20Occasion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaWZZXqCXDLYxm6z0l_CO38QZ83lKpRI8AZ2nWvER9B_m2yAbXogbejoLMY50c4kyQalghYQft5lIHMQXj5jNOO09s8PBOr2PTuWuBlVD-AcuWBR4BHYr2lu4i5EpkaiDHtHPiYtmlhRlRQCkE2Sg1G398McW2ViyZXljqIptFgDZin4WW4HLbRAbNJZF/w400-h225/Every%20Writer%20Needs%20a%20Facelift%20on%20Occasion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Tammy Karasek <a href="https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam" target="_blank">@TickledPinkTam</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m just going to say what I want to say and get it over with—writer, it’s time to clean your face. I’m not talking in the literal sense of washing your face with cleansing cream, but close to it. Hang with me a minute. Have you looked at the locations you have your bio, headshot, or about me information lately? We’re already into our 2024 writing/speaking conference season, so why not do a good clean now instead of the putting the task off? Conferees love to check out your social media and website as they plan their conferences. Make sure they are viewing the same person they will see when they look for you at a conference.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Three Things a Writer Should Update Regularly</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>First let’s start with your headshot. </b>Be realistic, do you still look like that photo? Has your hair grown, changed color (ahem!) or maybe lost a lot of inches to a short style? If you’ve changed any of those items, it’s a great time to schedule a new photo shoot. If you’re going to any conferences soon with no time to get the photo done beforehand, most of the conferences now offer a Photographer who specializes in headshots. This is a great investment for your writing business and worth having a good photo shoot done by a professional photographer. You will use it on business cards, your website, bios on guest posts and more.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Next is that bio. </b>You should have several bios done so no matter what size you need, the correct one to use is ready. Some of the guest blog posts you submit may have a specific number of words, often no more than fifty. Others may not have restrictions at all. Do your homework and send what they ask for. You could run into a problem if they only want a fifty-word bio and you sent your long one. They will then edit to their guidelines and what they come up with may not be what you would have preferred to have been shared. Take the time now and make your work easier down the road when a bio is needed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For instance, at least every December, I look at my bio and see what has changed for me. New job title, new writing assignments, change of focus on website, etc. To take the time to read through this bio quarterly is also time well spent. I’ve read far too many bios for people that’s obvious they haven’t updated it for years. Years, I’m telling you. Don’t be that person. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The last item for today is your website. </b>Have you gone to your website with the same mindset of a person who would visit the site for the first time? Look at that landing page. Can someone see you “before the fold?” Before the fold is where your screen will stop on a laptop or desktop before one would have to scroll to see more information about the website. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Does your header invite a reader in with a great title and tagline of what this website promises to deliver? Is it the current focus of your writing? Here’s an example: you started as a mommy blogger, but now your little one is a freshman. In college. Have your blog posts changed to empty nest topics? Then your title stating the site is a young mom blogging her way through diapers and terrible-two-tantrums won’t deliver the title’s promise. Back to the question above, does the first glance of your website state what you’re focus is at this time?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are more items you can update, such as the bios on your social media sites, newsletter items, items within your website and more. The above three important and quick ones you could have done to start with a great facelift. If we all take the time each year—before we get too busy—we will best set ourselves up for success in our writing business. And who wouldn’t rather have those photos and bios ready instead of having to scramble to recreate a new one at 1:30 am when one is requested … hypothetically, of course. Ahem…cough. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The above suggestions are a couple from me, but what about you? What would you suggest, or what do you do to get ready for success each year to dust off your internet presence? Share with us in the comments below. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/n0KaR" target="_blank">Every Writer Needs a Facelift on Occasion from @TickledPinkTam on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__kWvaqVr029HjGtFNXP-RqaUvzV8g5WDJnVkfkGHxO2ueOtCth8gW7Sv4r2ZfcB_G5-LlVetv0EG12YZxEFtojx-XeBjgAIMKlAI5EzlP_OzAxCy582nydmhEzxfCXAPpKR9rTpE4duZvsGN9DhPvVN_Sbk7BPWKL_FVSiGw7VCCbG7XSxxsTHN8L7Wx/s200/WKarasek-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="165" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__kWvaqVr029HjGtFNXP-RqaUvzV8g5WDJnVkfkGHxO2ueOtCth8gW7Sv4r2ZfcB_G5-LlVetv0EG12YZxEFtojx-XeBjgAIMKlAI5EzlP_OzAxCy582nydmhEzxfCXAPpKR9rTpE4duZvsGN9DhPvVN_Sbk7BPWKL_FVSiGw7VCCbG7XSxxsTHN8L7Wx/s1600/WKarasek-14.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. Don't miss her recent book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Launch-That-Book-Writers-Bookshelf/dp/1962705021/">LAUNCH THAT BOOK</a>, just released in November. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at <a href="https://tammykarasek.com/">HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM</a>.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-56017912869937252762024-03-16T01:00:00.030-04:002024-03-16T06:55:16.479-04:00My List of Guidelines for Writers to Live By<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR7XL8Nva4sz0qx8IZM4OMlP87SCy7-EMb2NRNYGr539XVoPWeWDXg1GF8s3s_IgFITsl2oY2ZHjTxYnRp6Ncwp7q3lPo5_bAlcTHfhXS3-vMH5ivgEfdexNNx_ZVfnOkjWJZpwGzhnnkVZXUlLrzuD4RnvpNmyk2O-3eXYutcUDPZbzYRCmIwNAmhG_L/s3250/My%20List%20of%20Guidelines%20for%20Writers%20to%20Live%20By.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYR7XL8Nva4sz0qx8IZM4OMlP87SCy7-EMb2NRNYGr539XVoPWeWDXg1GF8s3s_IgFITsl2oY2ZHjTxYnRp6Ncwp7q3lPo5_bAlcTHfhXS3-vMH5ivgEfdexNNx_ZVfnOkjWJZpwGzhnnkVZXUlLrzuD4RnvpNmyk2O-3eXYutcUDPZbzYRCmIwNAmhG_L/w400-h225/My%20List%20of%20Guidelines%20for%20Writers%20to%20Live%20By.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Edie Melson <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being a writer isn't easy. The writing life carries with it a good bit of chaos and angst. Add to that all the things writers are supposed to learn and remember and life can get crazy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Truthfully, while there is a lot of information out there about things writers should remember and do, not all of it is good. We can find everything from hard and fast rules like, </span><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>A real writer writes every day</b></i></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>Write what you know</b></span></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Beyond that, we're often inundated with esoteric quotes and thoughts about writing and the writers life. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To help sort through some of that, I decided to share the guidelines I’ve found most useful in my own writing journey. These won’t all be yours, but perhaps they’ll be a jumping off place. Hopefully you can use them to come up with your own writer guidelines.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">15 Helpful Guidelines for Writers</span></b></div></b><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. Your writing isn’t as good or as bad as you think it is.</b> I’ve learned that I’m just not a good judge of what I write. Sometimes I know, but often my emotions get mixed up in what I’ve written and I lose my perspective. I’ve discovered that if I go with this truth, I’ll usually be correct.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2. Never stop learning. </b>I spoke with a writer at a conference recently and this person told me they knew they were a beginning writer because they were still spending time learning. I quickly stepped in and let this writer know that all the good writers—whether brand new or veterans of many years—were <b><i>always</i></b> still learning. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3. Don’t lord it over others.</b> I haven’t met many people who do this on purpose. But sometimes it’s easy to slide into an “I know this and you don’t” attitude without meaning to. This is something I work hard to avoid. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4. Give back to the community. </b>I think it’s very sad when I hear a writer say they’ve gotten to the point where a writing group doesn’t help anymore so they have quit. First, because I think feedback from readers is critical for all of us to keep our perspective. And second, because staying involved with those who aren’t as far along the writing road is a great way to give back. Many experienced writers helped me get where I am today and I’d be doing them a great disservice if I didn’t offer the same to others. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>HOWEVER,</b> this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pick and choose how we give back. We must continue to grow and challenge ourselves and that means not <b><i>only</i></b> hanging around with those who are less experienced than we are. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5. Quit marketing to other writers.</b> This one’s hard, but it’s truth. All writers (okay all good writers) read. BUT very few writers buy a lot of books. We’re given books and we write books, so we’re not good consumers. <b>BEST ADVICE</b> is this. Find out who your readers are and hang out with them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6. Don’t force others to follow your process. </b>I admit I get a little hot about this number. It really gets under my skin when others impose their way of walking out the writing journey. I hate hearing, “Real writers write every day.” That statement is so crushing to so many people. (Can you tell it crushed me early in my career?)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7. Write regularly. </b>This one is important, but be sure you read what I’ve written and don’t assume. Writing regularly—on a schedule—is very different than being judged on whether or not you’re a writer because you write every day. This point is all about making writing a priority in your life. I know some writers who have professions that force them to only write on the weekends and they still do very well. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8. Embrace the critiques. </b>Writers have to be able to accept critique. We need to know what’s wrong so we can do better. However you can apply this, it will serve you well on the writing road.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>9. Enjoy the journey, not the destination. </b>Learning to write is a process and it’s one where we are always improving but we have never arrived. By enjoying the process—the writing, the editing, the interacting with other writers—we guarantee lots of opportunity for joy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10. Write for fun. </b>It’s easy to get caught up in the striving when it comes to publishing. But that way of managing your writing life will cause burnout and steal your joy. Take time regularly to write something fun—no matter if it’s ever published or not. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>11. Don’t forget your why.</b> This is a big one for me. I know why I write—writing is the way I process life. If I couldn’t write, I think I’d die. That <b><i>why</i></b> has nothing to do with winning contests or publishing contracts. Writing is who I am. When I remember that, everything else falls into place. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>12. Try something you’re sure you can’t do.</b> Saying yes to hard things has brought me some of my greatest joys along the publishing journey. One of my favorite things in the world is writing marketing copy. Did I have formal training? NOPE. I just took a chance and tried it, found I liked it, and spent the next few years learning everything I could about being a copywriter. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>13. Remain grateful. </b>One of the biggest problems I, and other publishing professionals, see in the industry today is a whole lot of people who feel they are entitled. They act entitled to be published, to be taught, to be first, etc. I’ve found that remaining grateful protects me from developing an entitlement mindset. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>14. Don’t expect to be the exception. </b>So many new writers come into the journey saying things like, “I know it’s done this way, but I think my situation is different.” Folks, that is expecting to be the exception. Stop it! It’s called an exception because it rarely happens. Yes, we serve an amazing God and He can (and often does) step in when we least expect it. But even then the outcome is always better when we’ve done our part and learned what we needed to know. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>15. Pray first. </b>I am a believer who writes. Because of that, I always want my writing journey to line up with God’s priorities—in every single way. To stay in step with God, I always pray before my fingers hit the keyboard. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These are the 15 guidelines I believe will serve every writer well. Now it’s your turn. What would you add to the list? I don’t pretend to have all the answers and I know you have something to share with me and with our community that will help us all! Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t forget to join the conversation!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessings, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Edie </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/0Lfdu" target="_blank">My List of Guidelines for Writers to Live By from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92nubz70tWoDqunCWflh-CrIRoHWfx3CEvgmf_EJj4tABWiKC3lZnpIDADYJC_8BVU1KzKRgO1kVlht1s468YRdH6LuIHKiR8PJo7StRXEkeI1vqsHoJ6Hel1L7ru__bcECUGg8PDWIW8spTRaN3NK7OowBSZU2AZ-3aLm8JMuPaTboh8P-hhvD0bMMYS/s200/Ediecup1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92nubz70tWoDqunCWflh-CrIRoHWfx3CEvgmf_EJj4tABWiKC3lZnpIDADYJC_8BVU1KzKRgO1kVlht1s468YRdH6LuIHKiR8PJo7StRXEkeI1vqsHoJ6Hel1L7ru__bcECUGg8PDWIW8spTRaN3NK7OowBSZU2AZ-3aLm8JMuPaTboh8P-hhvD0bMMYS/s1600/Ediecup1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">website</a>, through <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">Twitter</a> and on <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#">Instagram</a>.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-47412444513344917782024-03-15T01:00:00.004-04:002024-03-15T01:00:00.245-04:00How Things Have Changed Through the Decades in the World of Publishing<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmONk6OltczuO7fz1_ciMN8V43YAOnrSPEw15-IOMp98SJU52VNdaGm1FM6jJcMtW1qs2xpl0IJrM2WwAnGWrdRj2ekKLr5t65x3-ENdniXUIeIvfEgT1jNFPdIRqgXhGQfZ734YkcbYAXl-H2LcJD39FzSDylxSZb7lE4ZspRfVOvAHnKFBo8s_l5T0GT/s3000/How%20Things%20Have%20Changed%20Through%20the%20Decades%20in%20the%20World%20of%20Publishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmONk6OltczuO7fz1_ciMN8V43YAOnrSPEw15-IOMp98SJU52VNdaGm1FM6jJcMtW1qs2xpl0IJrM2WwAnGWrdRj2ekKLr5t65x3-ENdniXUIeIvfEgT1jNFPdIRqgXhGQfZ734YkcbYAXl-H2LcJD39FzSDylxSZb7lE4ZspRfVOvAHnKFBo8s_l5T0GT/w400-h225/How%20Things%20Have%20Changed%20Through%20the%20Decades%20in%20the%20World%20of%20Publishing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Crystal Bowman</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My first book was published in 1993, so I’ve been in the publishing biz for more than thirty years. Things have changed a lot, so let’s take a trip down memory lane. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The writing process:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I typed my first manuscript on an electric typewriter, then finally upgraded to a desk top computer and printer. I kept my documents on a floppy disk. In 1995 I bought a laptop the size of a small suitcase (and very heavy to carry through the airport). </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since the internet was still fairly new (and some of us were afraid of it!) my research for writing stories or preparing proposals took place in bookstores and libraries. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The submission process:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Writer’s Market Guide provided submission guidelines, names of editors, and addresses for publishing houses. The books were expensive and became outdated quickly, so many writers used the copy at their local library. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Proposals were submitted to a publisher through snail mail, which meant a trip to the post office to have it weighed and stamped. A self-addressed stamped envelope needed to be included if you wanted a response from the publisher. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The good or bad news from the publisher arrived in your mailbox (in the self-addressed stamped envelope) four to six months later, or maybe never. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Self-publishing was for writers who couldn’t land a publisher. Vanity Press was the condescending name given to publishing companies who would publish your book if you paid them a lot of money. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Marketing your book:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Back in the day, publishers had a marketing team of sales reps who would travel to bookstores and meet with managers to promote new titles. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The CBA (Christian Book Association) had a mega convention every summer. Christian publishing houses from all over the US and beyond would gather for a week of celebrating and promoting new book titles, music albums, church supplies, and gift products. The exhibit halls were so massive that you could not see everything in one day. Concerts and book signings by top artists and authors were the highlight of the convention as well as the inspiring Sunday evening worship service. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Authors were not responsible for marketing their books. If they did some local speaking or had connections for book signings, publishers were happy. Platform was something people stood on while speaking or performing—also known as a stage. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s fast forward to today.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The writing process:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Clicking the keys on a keyboard allows writers to easily transport the words in their heads to their computer screens. Features like word count, spell check, Grammarly, and read aloud (my favorite) are helpful tools that enable writers to self-edit as they write. Documents are stored on your computer or an external hard drive. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Information and research on any topic are instantly available with the click of a mouse. No more long nights at the library.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>The submission process: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writer’s market guides are still helpful when trying to find a publisher, but submission guidelines are readily available on most publishers’ websites. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Proposals are submitted via email rather than a trip to the post office.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Independent publishing is a desirable option for writers who want to bypass the challenge of finding a traditional publisher or wait years for their books to come out. Since many indie publishers are producing bestselling, award-winning books, the stigma of “self-publishing” is gone. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Marketing your book:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">With fewer brick and mortar bookstores, sales reps are pretty much a thing of the past and authors are expected to aggressively market their books through social media sites like Face Book, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Launch teams, podcasts, blogs, email lists, and You Tube channels are other ways authors can market to a large audience. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Christian Product Expo (CPE) is smaller than the previous CBA convention, but is well attended by publishers, retailers, and authors. CPE offers book signing opportunities, radio interviews, and networking.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The NRB International Christian Media Convention is the world’s largest gathering of Christian communicators and ministry professionals. NRB offers a variety of keynotes, and workshops as well as book signings and author interviews. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writers’ conferences help authors learn more about writing and publishing, but they are also a place where you can bring your hot-off-the press gem to share with others and possibly win an award. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>In Conclusion</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Things have changed a lot through the decades, and it’s important for writers to know what’s current. And whether you publish with a traditional publisher or one of the many professional indie publishers, our purpose remains the same: to use the gifts God has given us to inspire, encourage, and entertain others while bringing glory to God.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/cMd4v" target="_blank">How Things Have Changed Through the Decades in the World of Publishing from author Crystal Bowman on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Z9kPYkjxubJv0RSJYIZD7RJDkkSDAphg6mk9b5HHSJex5FL5eim8g3UluwsyoUfy229tn3b3_7wwos0hLKMN3vYMSPbybE6djFe2_vLze8i0DD6vkYQI0RCF5w3ilXeirFynnN4Q1-Is_TfXtc2YMYueOKnB5Iww2lLSLqP-wZ8VcVKGLSSW3QBcgxf/s200/Crystal%20hi-res%20head%20shot%20crop.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="165" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Z9kPYkjxubJv0RSJYIZD7RJDkkSDAphg6mk9b5HHSJex5FL5eim8g3UluwsyoUfy229tn3b3_7wwos0hLKMN3vYMSPbybE6djFe2_vLze8i0DD6vkYQI0RCF5w3ilXeirFynnN4Q1-Is_TfXtc2YMYueOKnB5Iww2lLSLqP-wZ8VcVKGLSSW3QBcgxf/s1600/Crystal%20hi-res%20head%20shot%20crop.jpeg" width="165" /></a></div>Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and families. She also writes lyrics for children’s piano music and is a monthly contributor to Clubhouse Jr. Magazine, Arise Daily, and Christian Children's Authors. She enjoys coaching children's writers as well as teaching at writers conferences. When she is not writing or speaking, she likes going for walks and spending time with her huggable grandkids. She and her husband live in Michigan and Florida and try to avoid snowstorms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.crystalbowman.com/"><span style="font-family: verdana;">WWW.CRYSTALBOWMAN.COM</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/CRYSTAL.BOWMAN"><span style="font-family: verdana;">WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CRYSTAL.BOWMAN</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/CRYSTALJBOWMAN"><span style="font-family: verdana;">WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CRYSTALJBOWMAN</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/CRYSTALBOWMANAUTHOR"></a><a href="http://www.instagram.com/CRYSTALBOWMANAUTHOR"><span style="font-family: verdana;">WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/CRYSTALBOWMANAUTHOR</span></a></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-11325779908910330862024-03-14T01:00:00.006-04:002024-03-14T01:00:00.239-04:00Lucky Writer or Blessed Writer: The Adjective is Up to You<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocx6AL8O7kmxkRzYwwtNueQMzXiaxL4Mg_xCOIqgBrCrExRCm8NIOCj62jI83SHrpDVJPE3_qaFfvntfW6IT-Vo_NT_Z-vf2U6ftqCmdnRoC-fK6TTODMpXSHYH7s4gu5Ydz-qN1x8EcdB6YVrnM5hhf5HPFqwBjdSfIr14efgc5qxH8HVwJSP7fBt4jf/s2750/Lucky%20Writer%20or%20Blessed%20Writer%20The%20Adjective%20is%20Up%20to%20You.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocx6AL8O7kmxkRzYwwtNueQMzXiaxL4Mg_xCOIqgBrCrExRCm8NIOCj62jI83SHrpDVJPE3_qaFfvntfW6IT-Vo_NT_Z-vf2U6ftqCmdnRoC-fK6TTODMpXSHYH7s4gu5Ydz-qN1x8EcdB6YVrnM5hhf5HPFqwBjdSfIr14efgc5qxH8HVwJSP7fBt4jf/w400-h225/Lucky%20Writer%20or%20Blessed%20Writer%20The%20Adjective%20is%20Up%20to%20You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Julie Lavender <a href="https://twitter.com/JLavenderwrites" target="_blank">@JLavenderWrites</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Four leaf clovers, lucky pennies, ladybugs, and horseshoes. How’s your luck holding out this month? Obviously for the believer, a successful writing journey requires no lucky symbols or tokens.. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In fact, only one requirement—an abiding faith in the One who gives good gifts to His children—will lead the writer down the road to success. And keep in mind that success may look different on each writer’s journey, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But just for fun this month, let’s take a look at some famous quotes about “luck,” and put a writerly spin on them. We’ll substitute “writing success” for the word “luck” in each phrase to help us ponder our part in doing the work along the path of God’s good purpose.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I say [writing success] is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.” – Denzel Washington</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“[Writing success] is where opportunity meets preparation.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I think the harder you work, the more [writing success] you have.” – Dave Thomas</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“[Writing success] marches with those who give their very best.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“[Writing success] is not chance, it’s toil; fortune’s expensive smile is earned.” – Emily Dickinson</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I’ve found that [writing success] is quite predictable. If you want more [writing success], take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” – Brian Tracy</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The amount of good [writing success] coming your way depends on your willingness to act.” – Barbara Sher</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The only sure thing about [writing success] is that it will change. – Bret Harte</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“[Writing success] is the by-product of busting your fanny.” – Don Sutton</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I feel that [writing success] is preparation meeting opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No matter how you spin it, our writing success depends on the Lord’s plans and purpose. Lean into Him, work hard, and enjoy His sweet blessings. Just for fun this month, look for “lucky” symbols. When you find a heads-up penny in the parking lot, a four-leaf clover in the front yard, a ladybug on the windowsill, or an upturned horseshoe “collecting luck,” thank God for His constant presence in your life and the many writing blessings He has gifted you over the months and years. Happy March, fellow writers! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now it’s your turn. What “signs” or “symbols” help you remember to thank God for His blessings? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/eJ4bW" target="_blank">Lucky Writer or Blessed Writer: The Adjective is Up to You from @JLavenderWrites on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiqiwMn00hBnyRl26hJdE1_t0Jd0lbsd4VtumpZZSIVoA1RPLd4_R8K5Eap3MxbJkMFBxr2uabBmbkDLItMW4fXwrO-EYhE9_nj2968YX4XFMUmyqPzqP3SlcSgVzRSwPbnMvSYh2yhHSuVP6iWFnwnCPXzAwZlklblUrNsJwPP6yMVF7ZcHYmYclZdSg/s200/JulieLavenderheadshot-267x400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="134" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiqiwMn00hBnyRl26hJdE1_t0Jd0lbsd4VtumpZZSIVoA1RPLd4_R8K5Eap3MxbJkMFBxr2uabBmbkDLItMW4fXwrO-EYhE9_nj2968YX4XFMUmyqPzqP3SlcSgVzRSwPbnMvSYh2yhHSuVP6iWFnwnCPXzAwZlklblUrNsJwPP6yMVF7ZcHYmYclZdSg/s1600/JulieLavenderheadshot-267x400.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>Julie Lavender is excited that her children’s books release this year. A children’s picture book with End Game Press and four educational children’s books co-authored with her husband release in the fall. She’s also excited about the release of two books since October: the bilingual edition of her award-winning, Amazon bestselling, Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime and Strength for All Seasons: A Mom’s Devotional of Powerful Verses and Prayers. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-70555830078957325382024-03-13T01:00:00.005-04:002024-03-13T01:00:00.136-04:00A Freelance Writer's Best Tool: Interviewing Skills<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0p9pGUPE9ZxuK11kmyb1KyOOJIURBPa-2BwJVxNCmXpaGaLZN2AU_T4UHxVaOIltRhlaUiE2F6LA56-DYmHkxe3ed6EkQWYuLefCGxU2MNR4nosYGs1cEcJYbYmOfCjxFjwMgXsZc6We2pEN4JlVApx1lCxd6sElY8XpF0ztdz9kT1gllbzH65cAwqOs/s3000/A%20Freelance%20Writer's%20Best%20Tool%20Interviewing%20Skills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0p9pGUPE9ZxuK11kmyb1KyOOJIURBPa-2BwJVxNCmXpaGaLZN2AU_T4UHxVaOIltRhlaUiE2F6LA56-DYmHkxe3ed6EkQWYuLefCGxU2MNR4nosYGs1cEcJYbYmOfCjxFjwMgXsZc6We2pEN4JlVApx1lCxd6sElY8XpF0ztdz9kT1gllbzH65cAwqOs/w400-h225/A%20Freelance%20Writer's%20Best%20Tool%20Interviewing%20Skills.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Linda Gilden <a href="https://twitter.com/LindaGilden" target="_blank">@LindaGilden</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the greatest tools we have as article writers is the interview. You do not necessarily have to do an hour-long interview to receive great benefit to your articles. Quotes from individuals strengthen your point and let your readers know that even if you are not an expert on the subject you know people who are well-versed and you work hard to make the connection.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Here are several reasons the interview helps the article writer make articles stronger.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The opinion of someone else validates your subject and adds value to the material. Interviewing someone who is knowledgeable in your subject broadens the scope of your reach and helps more people to personally identify with your subject.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">An expert brings extra meaning to your article and gives credibility to your subject. Even</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">if your article is not an academic one, having a quote from an expert let’s the reader know that there is deeper knowledge to be had if they want to pursue it.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quotes show how your subject can be applied to daily life. If you are writing an article </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">on depression, yet you have never experienced depression, having a quote or a sidebar from someone who has gone through depression will bring the human element into your writing. Likewise, if you are writing on running marathons and have never run one, seek out a marathon runner who can not only read your article and verify key elements, but he or she can also provide firsthand experience to illustrate your points.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Often when you interview someone for a quote to go in an article, you find an aspect of the subject that you didn’t even think to include. So, talking to others helps you strengthen your outline and not leave out important parts.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those you include in your article will help spread the word about your writing.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even if you only contact someone for a quote, remember your manners and be respectful of their time. Be sure to write a thank you note. Send them a copy of the published article and let them know where they can get copies or find it online. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If there are parts of your conversation you aren’t able to use for this article, file it away to use another time for a different article. Never throw anything away because you never know when you may have an opportunity to use it!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Every article you write will build your platform and increase your name recognition. Because articles are shorter than a book doesn’t mean they are less important. Every word you write will be valuable to some reader and make them want to learn more about your subject.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/tjyAK" target="_blank">A Freelance Writer's Best Tool: Interviewing Skills, tips from author @LindaGilden on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzVjrybnxiP03B4eI7Kv8TNCu7gkSMXZoZi_A3skaSdMhOArt6mRzxVUA0TQ3G2uiLVitCg898V7kzgciZ7iUT7Fitzvbq0lmulQIW-H8bLF6meocc6NEooljzIdokKqHW2eU85AhQt28u-_Qr_S3lV1T9zCIXYgcTvr4iV4awwlxLMdhLNMI1jx4nUV8/s200/62253456_10156176280987665_3851710801148641280_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzVjrybnxiP03B4eI7Kv8TNCu7gkSMXZoZi_A3skaSdMhOArt6mRzxVUA0TQ3G2uiLVitCg898V7kzgciZ7iUT7Fitzvbq0lmulQIW-H8bLF6meocc6NEooljzIdokKqHW2eU85AhQt28u-_Qr_S3lV1T9zCIXYgcTvr4iV4awwlxLMdhLNMI1jx4nUV8/s1600/62253456_10156176280987665_3851710801148641280_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Linda Gilden is an experienced, bestselling writer, speaker, award-winning editor, marketer, and speaking coach, ghostwriter, and writing coach. Author of 40 books and 2,000+ magazine articles, Linda appreciates a great story. She believes with our stories, we can change the world one word at a time and loves to encourage others to do that through writing coaching and personal tutoring. Her newest book was released in November: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trading-Shadows-Exchanging-secrets-Almighty/dp/1962705048/">TRADING SHADOWS: EXCHANGING A LIFE OF SECRETS, FEAR, AND DOUBT FOR A LIFE OF FREEDOM WITH THE ALMIGHTY.</a></span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-70631801796495598052024-03-12T01:00:00.012-04:002024-03-12T01:00:00.144-04:00Timelines and Plotting Your Novel – Part 2<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ4IO_X2v_uC9h7Oe7UGnXp05apKzJOqZnbiYCWFEPtB6tlbRyKnDml0Uy4WabpRBhWt1aH_GIjZeZewKNE_dxyIE949pOvMT-c2Vg5dlxtDFxOJDhdWoHMrq5kCGNGgBtpFTBrbNJF-S_2X2vDDA-RIVH8QXNarobTOquTM_z0HMgjMGEqCiAXMt8Rv1/s3250/Timelines%20and%20Plotting%20Your%20Novel%20%E2%80%93%20Part%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQ4IO_X2v_uC9h7Oe7UGnXp05apKzJOqZnbiYCWFEPtB6tlbRyKnDml0Uy4WabpRBhWt1aH_GIjZeZewKNE_dxyIE949pOvMT-c2Vg5dlxtDFxOJDhdWoHMrq5kCGNGgBtpFTBrbNJF-S_2X2vDDA-RIVH8QXNarobTOquTM_z0HMgjMGEqCiAXMt8Rv1/w400-h225/Timelines%20and%20Plotting%20Your%20Novel%20%E2%80%93%20Part%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Cindy K. Sproles <a href="https://twitter.com/CindyDevoted" target="_blank">@CindyDevoted</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last month, we talked about creating a timeline for your novel. We discussed the questions and items you needed to keep your story on track. Today, we want to continue to help you see the value of developing a solid timeline and how it can help get rid of unnecessary information.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let me begin by saying that the time span of your novel has nothing to do with the word count. We could write a character’s lifetime in a paragraph. So, remember, your timeline could serve as only one day in the life of your character. That’s fine if all the incidents that happen in the story fit into that day, and you don’t slip up and make something happen the next day. The timeframe of your story is up to you, but the job you have is to make sure everything ties together nicely and no holes form.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The timeline of your story should only have events that are important to the plot. Those rabbit trails we take need to have an important reason for being there. They should be a step forward in the story, not a step backward. Remember, your story should always move forward. If you find yourself stuck in one space of time, tied up in a backstory, the novel comes to a screeching halt, and your reader will grow frustrated. One of the most important questions I learned to ask came from an agent. He said, learn to ask the question, does the reader really care? It’s a harsh question because writers want readers to know every tiny detail. The truth is, when these long backstory sequences enter, the reader doesn’t care. They are caught up in the moment and want to move ahead, not backward.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having said that, don’t start your story out on the day your character was born. That is, not unless it is really valuable to your story. You’re writing a novel, not a biography, and remember, the question, does the reader really care? So, unless little Tommy was dropped off as an infant on a doorstep and it affects his long-term well-being, it’s probably not going to be something your reader cares about. Just start where Tommy is now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Timelines will help us remove the pesky backstory. By that token, it becomes a valuable tool in our editing process. The timeline will help you decide how much, if any, backstory is necessary at the beginning of your story. You’ve heard it said that backstory is best dropped in as small tidbits throughout the story. This can truly enhance your work-in-progress because tidbits bring clarity. We don’t need the whole historical account. Part of the fun of reading is being able to use our imagination to fill in the gaps. Don’t take that joy from your reader. Use backstory carefully and strategically. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Backstory can be used as a tool to develop your character. It is things you can use to help you craft why a character is the way they are. Listing these life incidents on a separate sheet of paper is wonderful to help you remember a why or how about a character.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In our first post we briefly noted a question we want a reader to ask at the beginning of every story we write. It’s in the hook we develop. I believe your hook should be in the first paragraph of your story and no further down than the end of the first page. You want your opening paragraph to be so tantalizing that your reader is jolted to ask, “What on earth is going on here?” When a reader has to ask that question, you have piqued the deepest part of their curiosity, and they will read on. They will turn the page and not be able to lay the book down because they must have the answer to that question. Start your timeline, your story, at a moment of crisis, or the reason for your story to begin.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Continue to add angst, action, and problems to your timeline. Perhaps it was a past incident that has come back to haunt our protagonist. Drop it in on the timeline and allow it to move your story forward, being cautious to keep dates and incidents correct in the line. Does it really take hours to move a character three blocks? You must watch for these things and craft them to fit or remove them. How we move our character through time makes reading smooth and seamless. You don’t want your reader to stop mid-stream and flip backward in the story to try and resolve something they thought they missed. Always tie everything together so the read is seamless. The development of those scenes is vital and can make or break your story.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, when you end the story, has your protagonist hit their mark? Did you accomplish what you wanted for this character? Does every incident you wrote tie well into the character, and does it move the story forward? Are the timeframes correct, ages, and incidents all there? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A timeline is more than just dates. It’s the link that holds the rope that threads all through your story. When we reach the end, we should be able to pull that rope, and it gathers into a nice ruffle on a dress. Your timeline will help you edit by showing you repetitive scenes or unnecessary backstory. As you write your story, take time to list the incidents on a separate page. It will be valuable when you begin to write a synopsis for your proposal and will help sharpen and tighten your story.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/ak2Zv" target="_blank">Timelines and Plotting Your Novel - Part 2 from @CindyDevoted on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Don't Miss the Other Post in This Series!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/02/timelines-and-plotting-your-novel.html" target="_blank"><b>Timelines and Plotting Your Novel - Part 1</b></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/03/timelines-and-plotting-your-novel-part-2.html" target="_blank"><b>Timelines and Plotting Your Novel - Part 2</b></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ65h10IWy-eDFl4iWHhxCVKlbYYkzjToqHjeLAQYMyI08yE8PdKyy5pHf7ZVnYyA7IvFRvZLQc8gWogjIqheftyvQpaRGk1ILkvIww-rK2wBkXFRhfPmkwNvkBhCPJJosQkskCVd3duhyeyXKADt-tM6mhP5gI35ahjwbIUKK2GSU6FzXtyPZI5mk_SyX/s200/CS-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ65h10IWy-eDFl4iWHhxCVKlbYYkzjToqHjeLAQYMyI08yE8PdKyy5pHf7ZVnYyA7IvFRvZLQc8gWogjIqheftyvQpaRGk1ILkvIww-rK2wBkXFRhfPmkwNvkBhCPJJosQkskCVd3duhyeyXKADt-tM6mhP5gI35ahjwbIUKK2GSU6FzXtyPZI5mk_SyX/s1600/CS-1.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. Having served for a number of years as a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Ironstream Media, Cindy now works as a mentor, coach, and freelance editor. She is the co-founder of Writing Right Author Mentoring Services with Lori Marett and she is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Cindy is also the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and <a href="http://www.christiandevotions.us/">WWW.CHRISTIANDEVOTIONS.US</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.inspireafire.com/">WWW.INSPIREAFIRE.COM</a>. Her devotions are in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and her novels have become award-winning best-selling works. She is a popular speaker at conferences and a natural encourager. Cindy is a mountain girl, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, where she and her husband still reside. She has raised four sons and now resorts to raising chickens where the pecking order is easier to manage. You can visit Cindy at <a href="http://www.cindysproles.com/">WWW.CINDYSPROLES.COM</a> or <a href="http://www.wramsforwriters.com/">www.wramsforwriters.com</a>.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-7609900210483430202024-03-11T01:00:00.005-04:002024-03-11T01:00:00.150-04:00Be Equipped to Combat Writing Discouragement <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx3OZEhbF4ixqeqTR9YO2l9YuiCM1tJCT4EXyFg8u4ShOOTKxLxKsfENGMQTjLPVX4rfrCKtplfQOhSlfqgU3rpEAGMqZnOB2z42B-0wyOpPVrVesPadR-GmNq7EpuClPf_3YKHeS646LnOXpTZqDFQAyY1f2bsgHSNbaTipGJ9Yka8aheeb_wMhSnHCp/s3000/Be%20Equipped%20to%20Combat%20Writing%20Discouragement%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx3OZEhbF4ixqeqTR9YO2l9YuiCM1tJCT4EXyFg8u4ShOOTKxLxKsfENGMQTjLPVX4rfrCKtplfQOhSlfqgU3rpEAGMqZnOB2z42B-0wyOpPVrVesPadR-GmNq7EpuClPf_3YKHeS646LnOXpTZqDFQAyY1f2bsgHSNbaTipGJ9Yka8aheeb_wMhSnHCp/w400-h225/Be%20Equipped%20to%20Combat%20Writing%20Discouragement%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Larry J. Leech II <a href="https://twitter.com/LarryJLeechII" target="_blank">@LarryJLeechII</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Conference season is underway, and if you have attended a conference already or plan to soon, I’m sure the enemy has been whispering in your ear.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh, he’s a tricky one who likes to say things like “You shouldn’t waste your money on a conference.” Or “Your idea or story is stupid, and no acquisition editor or agent will want it.” Or “You’re an idiot if you think you have what it takes to be a writer.”<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Well, you know what? Those are ALL lies. Flat-out lies. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the Holy Spirit put a story or idea on your heart to write, He’s done so for a reason. Your job is to be obedient and write it. In the meantime, though, the nasty little snake who has slithered around on the earth for centuries will do all he can to deter you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Don’t. Let. Him.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dealing with discouragement is part of the writing life. And in life in general. During my days as a goalie coach, I told my goalies nearly every day, “Everyone experiences adversity. It is how you handle the adversity that defines you as a person.” I made them memorize that quote. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a goalie, one must be mentally tough. If you’re not, one bad goal quickly leads to another and then another. I wanted the goalies to know and understand that stuff happens. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bad stuff sometimes. And they had to push through it if they wanted to enjoy success. Mental toughness is a key to playing that position. And is as well for writers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those familiar with twelve-step recovery programs know the first three steps set up a recovering addict for success:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Step One: “Admit that our life has become unmanageable.” [paraphrased]</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Step Two: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Step Three: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think those principles can help anyone deal with discouragement. Wrestling with the enemy can be as easy or as difficult as we make it. If we allow him, he will instill invasive thoughts and imaginary arguments into our minds. When we sink into that spin cycle of despair, we need help to dig or snap out of it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turning our focus onto God in whatever way works best for you—reading The Word, prayer, conversation with a friend—ignites the following: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Instant encouragement and a new perspective. Big God, Little problem. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Feeds our faith and starves our fear. When our mind is on God, all the things that we do feeds our faith. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Changes the way you talk. Think positive thoughts, speak positive thoughts.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Abraham Lincoln may have said it best when he wrote to a friend in 1862: “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/UWTdC" target="_blank">Be Equipped to Combat Writing Discouragement from @LarryJLeechII on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tTHN8-aPiYk2b4_WxcLf21rWbeMk0Wm_DQtOxVLNx6zSMiri2eqDS_uHYpJ9SSuUYnFvM_0Nzv9g6fRs1TlKvS_SJMM4gSYZgZoRLyztdZ8kRwuJdtyj6IO9TXyU7XtCUrH4RIy_a-4XXdjcQqvPe8-yzhexgK1boSOTidVEjMCEIa2xLpPMqB7AU0cT/s200/LeechBioPic.NEW2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tTHN8-aPiYk2b4_WxcLf21rWbeMk0Wm_DQtOxVLNx6zSMiri2eqDS_uHYpJ9SSuUYnFvM_0Nzv9g6fRs1TlKvS_SJMM4gSYZgZoRLyztdZ8kRwuJdtyj6IO9TXyU7XtCUrH4RIy_a-4XXdjcQqvPe8-yzhexgK1boSOTidVEjMCEIa2xLpPMqB7AU0cT/s1600/LeechBioPic.NEW2023.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Editor-in-Chief at Bold Vision Books and writing coach of award-winning authors, Larry J. Leech II has spent more than forty years writing and editing. He started his career as a sportswriter in southwestern Pennsylvania where he covered prep, college, and pro sports, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2004, after 2,300 published articles, Larry moved into the book publishing industry. Since that time, he has ghostwritten 30 books, edited more than 400 manuscripts, and coached hundreds of authors through the writing and publication process. You can find him online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.</span></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-36477577649371386082024-03-10T01:00:00.003-05:002024-03-10T01:00:00.126-05:00Finding Your Writer Identity<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIHDw7VGpkbllwODGf0jdu8GxzNNMlg7N7ShtaTSNypa8AehBoXOxAZONPRisJhbjvgKfKnrUPK20vWNcY5UIht_A89pJ7L-FWbIghoz3K2JqhXnJZFJhVrrlVgQ1GRqQOWysD1bFGq9ZyuvuxS6QG4lJVH0tyF7-Lk9eaqOntiukDFR6icay5rKru0AF/s3750/Finding%20Your%20Writer%20Identity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2109" data-original-width="3750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIHDw7VGpkbllwODGf0jdu8GxzNNMlg7N7ShtaTSNypa8AehBoXOxAZONPRisJhbjvgKfKnrUPK20vWNcY5UIht_A89pJ7L-FWbIghoz3K2JqhXnJZFJhVrrlVgQ1GRqQOWysD1bFGq9ZyuvuxS6QG4lJVH0tyF7-Lk9eaqOntiukDFR6icay5rKru0AF/w400-h225/Finding%20Your%20Writer%20Identity.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Martin Wiles <a href="https://twitter.com/linesfromgod" target="_blank">@LinesFromGod</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Whom are you mimicking?” </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All day, I heard the question. Spirit week. Not my favorite part of the school year, but the kids love it, and I try to participate in at least one of the themes. One that I chose entailed dressing like one of the students. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since spirit week falls in the middle of winter—and since I do not enjoy dressing up—I selected a student who wears stuff I enjoy. In this case, a stretch hat, which keeps my bald head warm. So, on that particular day, I wore a hat all day—something we typically can’t do. And I made this student’s day because he was proud I chose to mimic him. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I didn’t get the question on just one day. Later in the week, students—or teachers and students—chose to switch and dress like each other. Earlier in the week, another student had suggested he and I make the switch. Another student who enjoyed dressing sloppily. And yet another winner for me because he typically wore sleep pants and a hoodie. Again, right up my alley. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Paul was also a mimicker—but of Christ. “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first part of the verse might sound as if Paul boasted—imitate me—but he wasn’t. He quickly clarifies this by telling us he imitates Christ. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Paul was a little Jesus. As God’s Spirit directed, Paul traveled over the known world doing good for others and introducing them to Christ and what he had done on Calvary’s cross. Paul did what Jesus wants all his followers to do: mimic Him. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the spiritual realm, imitating Christ is honorable. But in the writing world, mimicking other writers isn’t. Sure, we can learn from other writers who are more accomplished than we are, but we shouldn’t write like them. God created only one Max Lucado, William Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, Edie Melson, Cindy Sproles, Lori Hatcher, Eva Everson—and Martin Wiles. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As an English teacher, I quickly learn the voice of my students by reading their writing. Yes, all of us can improve our craft by attending writing conferences, joining mentoring groups, and reading books on writing, but none of us should mimic other writers. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our job as writers is to find our voice and use it in the ways God provides. Just as He doesn’t give us all identical opportunities, He also doesn’t give us the same voice. Not everyone will write a book. Some will use their voice to write articles, Sunday school lessons, devotions, and blog posts. And some who do write books will see their books reach astounding sales, while others may sell only a few thousand. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a teacher, I have watched hundreds of students find their identity through a name on a water bottle, a pair of shoes, a hoodie, a baseball or softball bat, or their smartphone. The list is endless. But the students I admire most don’t find their identity in any of those things. I love the students who wear what they want and don’t care what their peers think. They know who they are and don’t need their peers to tell them. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Through our practice, God will reveal our writer's voice—and, with it, our identity. Jenny once asked Forrest Gump who he wanted to be when he grew up. He said, “Aren’t I gonna be me?” </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">More than anything else, our identity is connected to our connection with Christ. Our writing is an extension of how we share His love through our writing. And each of us has a unique voice to do that. Find yours. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/zdf9T" target="_blank">Finding Your Writer Identity, insight from Martin Wiles (@LinesFromGod) on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ80ElLlDh7UZnfWgmwHoJI_wiU4U9rh1jiV-FqDs7Cnbrh8A3PWdNrbnqN9aAdN7r0fKdbB_H8v-HocBvBiT1C_mQIAWblI0rOnpgJL_yAJNwAAeq8awi5qirhIZAFKMt6hWWUbpiU1KF74nMEk9VDwT1y-A43-fX3UCE_eiLpqNw1HlcsBFK9B129NC/s200/martinwiles5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="150" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ80ElLlDh7UZnfWgmwHoJI_wiU4U9rh1jiV-FqDs7Cnbrh8A3PWdNrbnqN9aAdN7r0fKdbB_H8v-HocBvBiT1C_mQIAWblI0rOnpgJL_yAJNwAAeq8awi5qirhIZAFKMt6hWWUbpiU1KF74nMEk9VDwT1y-A43-fX3UCE_eiLpqNw1HlcsBFK9B129NC/s1600/martinwiles5.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>Martin Wiles is the founder of Love Lines from God (<a href="http://www.lovelinesfromgod.com/">WWW.LOVELINESFROMGOD.COM</a>) and serves as Managing Editor for Christian Devotions and Directing Editor for VineWords. He has authored six books and has been published in numerous publications. His most recent book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Just-Live-Really/dp/1649600445">DON'T JUST LIVE...REALLY LIVE</a>, debuted in October of 2021. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, author, and pastor.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-50891992854987898242024-03-09T01:00:00.008-05:002024-03-09T05:31:53.842-05:00How Can Writers Take Better Care of Themselves?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_SEMhDn2fN7UzABT3Zki3Bxc_xod1m7v6gu9tpRgj2UL-nO0eZqprq8R7PLlV-0npQzIHknCF9rrA0CcPnBwHpXOcT_LTPhdea8fFBSVxZde5BVZ55fsL0nBA3koVa042G7YE8p57PbPH91_aoPEqvjXYoM-4BlmEunSC4tcGtFTx0tC2-CeamWA4FJM/s3000/How%20Can%20Writers%20Take%20Better%20Care%20of%20Themselves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_SEMhDn2fN7UzABT3Zki3Bxc_xod1m7v6gu9tpRgj2UL-nO0eZqprq8R7PLlV-0npQzIHknCF9rrA0CcPnBwHpXOcT_LTPhdea8fFBSVxZde5BVZ55fsL0nBA3koVa042G7YE8p57PbPH91_aoPEqvjXYoM-4BlmEunSC4tcGtFTx0tC2-CeamWA4FJM/w400-h225/How%20Can%20Writers%20Take%20Better%20Care%20of%20Themselves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Beth K. Vogt <a href="https://twitter.com/bethvogt" target="_blank">@BethVogt</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyone else surprised that it’s March, and that Daylight Savings Time happens tomorrow? (You’re welcome for the reminder!) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We’ve had nine weeks to work on our 2024 resolutions or to focus on our One Word for the year. Today, I want to pause for a moment and encourage you to—what else?—take care of yourself. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Amid all our busyness, we can overlook ourselves. We have so much to do that we just shove ourselves to the backburner. We get used to being ignored.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How can you take better care of yourself? Consider these four areas of health: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mental: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Plan things to look forward to. If you’re facing stressful times—Anyone on deadline?—it helps to have something good to anticipate. It can be something small, like relaxing with with a cup of tea, or something more adventurous, like hiking with friends. Go ahead, plan something fun!</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Practice kindness. Helping someone else encourages them and it lifts your heart too. Being kind creates a sense of connection with others, whether it’s just smiling at someone else or volunteering at a food bank. This also breaks down the sense of isolation we introverted writers sometimes struggle with.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Emotional:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Establish a healthy support system. As writers, we know our imaginary characters need community. Sometimes we forget that we do too. Who do you turn to when you’re frustrated or when you’re doubting yourself?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Practice gratitude. We’ve all heard about the value of being thankful and how gratefulness helps refocus our emotions. The last two years have been difficult ones for me. One thing I do is write out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB) every morning to anchor my heart to gratitude: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Physical: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Schedule—and keep!—your annual medical appointments. I know, this doesn’t sound fun. But again, you are important and taking care of your health means seeing your dentist, optometrist, and doctor and, yes, enduring those sometimes-uncomfortable exams.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Exercise regularly. It’s so easy to exercise, what with online classes, at-home equipment, and gyms. The problem? Getting up out of your chair and doing it! Accountability helps—my husband and I lift weights at home. Knowing he’s waiting for me at 6 a.m. gets me out of bed in the morning.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Spiritual: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Journal your prayers. I’ve begun writing in a prayer journal again, and I love how this discipline focuses my heart. After writing out my prayer, any burden I was carrying is lifted in a tangible way.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Write out Scripture verses. In Deuteronomy 17:18, God says the king is to write out the Law that was given to the priests. There’s something powerful about writing Bible verses or passages. Doing so slows us down, helps us draw closer to God, and see the Word in fresh way. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What do you need to do to take better care of yourself? Did one of these suggestions appeal to you? Do you have a suggestion to share?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/UP4aq" target="_blank">How Can Writers Take Better Care of Themselves? insight from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJ8vsKQbRRzg2fJqrqzaEF5RLk37RIIhfvAVBimd6kWDjsTaGc0O9m1NvJ9Z2mRco4NjawC-nbPK6A3PNfsHZ614lu74rfsluiZ5FC38D9Lvgme6n22i5aNS3oWaey1Pc8eOlDhZtH3rFTZ8rGgTGre4U_7zFB3vOYdcr1UO3xGm1xR_z0lCq14o5Ox3R/s200/Beth%20V.-54.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="134" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJ8vsKQbRRzg2fJqrqzaEF5RLk37RIIhfvAVBimd6kWDjsTaGc0O9m1NvJ9Z2mRco4NjawC-nbPK6A3PNfsHZ614lu74rfsluiZ5FC38D9Lvgme6n22i5aNS3oWaey1Pc8eOlDhZtH3rFTZ8rGgTGre4U_7zFB3vOYdcr1UO3xGm1xR_z0lCq14o5Ox3R/s1600/Beth%20V.-54.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, released June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at <a href="http://www.bethvogt.com/">bethvogt.com</a>.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-28199660905624973852024-03-08T01:00:00.006-05:002024-03-08T01:00:00.152-05:00Writers Conference 1102: Eight Things to Do after the Conference<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsC1Xc6Pfkn42rPQlp9UggOBGUMqc5YThakVRBnHaASx3R7gOVpsfCESM_INhzFEzSDZZmMJwTas6sKcT3Oy2DU0Y3RpHNtrm0orwWdaPrmbaQPVCwfLeRsU5ZWxCZlCiZcaoK8NUSXAT3k2wtrCsSG0jp7rtymDM7CbBMlwHay1ZccvylKKmJr6tm_wP/s3000/Writers%20Conference%201102%20Eight%20Things%20to%20Do%20after%20the%20Conference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsC1Xc6Pfkn42rPQlp9UggOBGUMqc5YThakVRBnHaASx3R7gOVpsfCESM_INhzFEzSDZZmMJwTas6sKcT3Oy2DU0Y3RpHNtrm0orwWdaPrmbaQPVCwfLeRsU5ZWxCZlCiZcaoK8NUSXAT3k2wtrCsSG0jp7rtymDM7CbBMlwHay1ZccvylKKmJr6tm_wP/w400-h225/Writers%20Conference%201102%20Eight%20Things%20to%20Do%20after%20the%20Conference.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Lilka Raphael <a href="https://twitter.com/Lilka_Raphael" target="_blank">@LilkaRaphael</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writers conferences always stoke my passion for writing. However, the information overload makes my head spin. Consequently, I have learned to do a few things that enhance the experience once I return home. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Here are my top tips for what to do once the conference is over. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. Write it down.</b> Take notes on your notes. Get all those ideas and what ifs documented before they dissipate. Outline your next steps. Do you need to restructure, add, or delete? Should you divide your work into two or more projects? Did you receive any suggestions that will make your work timely or relevant? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>2. Calm down.</b> Take time to relax so that your thoughts can settle. A writing career takes time. And more time. Do not pressure yourself to do everything you learned immediately. An agent that requested a follow up rarely expects a manuscript the next day. Gather your thoughts and develop a systematic plan of action that is reasonable. What resources do you need to acquire? Prioritize the suggestions you want to implement. Still, do not allow the euphoria of the conference to generate unrealistic expectations for yourself.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3. Revise your social media.</b> Conferences can provide great updates on the latest media trends. We want to leave a great impression when the people we have met visit our sites. If our content is dated, visitors may quickly lose interest. Even a quick post regarding the conference can provide great content. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4. Refine your work. </b>I receive thoughtful, targeted advice when I attend conferences. A simple suggestion can be profound. Some of the best advice I received was to change a title. As a pharmacist, the term therapy is common for me. However, I learned that it could upset others who are not in healthcare. A quick change made the title more appealing to a broader audience. The investment to attend a conference is lost when we do not implement what we learn.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5. Follow up. </b>I have sat in more classes than I can count and listened to faculty voice frustration over writers who never submitted as requested. I have also excitedly returned home only to stare at a keyboard terrified to forward my work. However, a failure to follow up defeats the point of attending. Conferences provide direct interaction with the best in the business. Do not allow fear to squander an opportunity. An agent’s lack of interest does not mean that your manuscript is terrible. Business decisions do not always reflect the quality of your work.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6. Register for another conference. </b>This isn’t always possible, but if you can swing it, I highly recommend it. The more conferences you attend, the better you become at making the investment pay off. You become savvy regarding the professionals to approach and what classes best suit you. I suggest attending a large conference with a variety of informative resources in addition to a smaller one that may allow more time for networking. Attending multiple conferences may also allow you to follow up with professionals you have met previously. Conferences in different geographic regions will allow you to meet professionals who can provide alternate viewpoints on your work. I attend conferences with a dear friend. Not only is this enjoyable, but it also minimizes our expenses.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>7. Keep writing. </b>Do not allow disappointment or the intricacies of publishing to dissuade you from pursuing your passion. None of the effort you invest will bear fruit if you do not keep at it. The more you write, the better you become. Like any art or profession, it requires discipline to become proficient.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8. Finally, keep the faith.</b> Rejection is not the end. There are more bestsellers than I can list that were rejected by agents and publishers. Success is the offspring of failure, and failure is relative. Do not view rejection as an end but rather a not now. We are eager to bloom but not always ready to do so. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">God gives us talents to share with others. It may take longer than we imagine, but our words will reach their audience at the appointed time. We write to inspire, encourage, comfort, and entertain. Write amidst frustration. Our words matter. It is up to us to distribute them wisely.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 KJV</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/k1PFb" target="_blank">Writers Conference 1102: Eight Things to Do after the Conference from @Lilka_Raphael on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8qhSOKV1vHVXAWv7gX88CjvyV26XYj6T0Jn2XJzTKPm66lV8uY2X8rqdBuckE3VxT6pvDNlscHMfEDzqp6vkcy_9AentGhmeTq6epUgIvouTCF8TxaQfIO1aLaKOapJhUC8l0s1NTTkl0sBQXBiSPO6YcOcy1lf_0C8JhcVOQ8seTiksmrIKZgqTKGmd/s200/Lilka.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="170" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8qhSOKV1vHVXAWv7gX88CjvyV26XYj6T0Jn2XJzTKPm66lV8uY2X8rqdBuckE3VxT6pvDNlscHMfEDzqp6vkcy_9AentGhmeTq6epUgIvouTCF8TxaQfIO1aLaKOapJhUC8l0s1NTTkl0sBQXBiSPO6YcOcy1lf_0C8JhcVOQ8seTiksmrIKZgqTKGmd/s1600/Lilka.png" width="170" /></a></div>A Florida native, Lilka Finley Raphael has been a licensed pharmacist for over thirty years. Her passions for writing, gardening, and photography prompted her to share her experiences and life lessons on her blogs B Is for Blessed and God, autism, & me. You can learn more about her at lilkaraphael.com</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lilka’s greatest achievements are her two adult sons who have flown the nest. Happily married for thirty-two years, she lives east of Atlanta with her husband, Rod. They now share their home with two German Shepherds—Holly and Ivy—and one naughty kitty, Moxie.</span></div></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-65683160975284471982024-03-07T01:00:00.021-05:002024-03-07T01:00:00.137-05:00Low Bar/High Bar Goal Setting for Writers<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_PdCg1rqz2bDvnZrok4ATaU80-uKjFWfiw4WjIf_wjUXz2hdHh92-T92HE7axHdLRfzXilZc_knjgLgkUVr7PqNE_Lyo43z2Y8NytkPQ-2aHOtTKInbWe-ETijZVV4EDZ7uxYwDysNIh5wkeDylvWpoJSgiDE8eDJuhQkDF08-86GwAyrKiGwsytA960/s2500/Low%20BarHigh%20Bar%20Goal%20Setting%20for%20Writers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="2500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_PdCg1rqz2bDvnZrok4ATaU80-uKjFWfiw4WjIf_wjUXz2hdHh92-T92HE7axHdLRfzXilZc_knjgLgkUVr7PqNE_Lyo43z2Y8NytkPQ-2aHOtTKInbWe-ETijZVV4EDZ7uxYwDysNIh5wkeDylvWpoJSgiDE8eDJuhQkDF08-86GwAyrKiGwsytA960/w400-h225/Low%20BarHigh%20Bar%20Goal%20Setting%20for%20Writers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Lynn H. Blackburn <a href="https://twitter.com/LynnHBlackburn" target="_blank">@LynnHBlackburn</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy March! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you read these words, I’m fresh off a deadline, which means I’m simultaneously relieved and terrified, and I’m more than a little punchy. Which is why I’m leaning hard into the goals I set at the beginning of the year that included a low bar/high bar option. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I mentioned this concept back in my January post. I heard about it from a Bullet Journal creator I follow on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@JashiiCorrin" target="_blank">YouTube, JashiiCorren</a> and while it wasn’t an entirely new concept to me, this was the first time it really resonated with me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve always been someone who has had very high expectations for myself and for a long time, I was generally successful at meeting my goals. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But then … well … life happened. I grew up. I had got married, had kids, and now I’m coming up hard on 50 and the number of balls I have to keep in the air would make even the most talented juggler cry for mercy! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Part of me has accepted that I can’t do it all. That some balls will be dropped. And there are seasons when my time management strategy revolves around a complicated triage system where I keep the balls in the air that absolutely must stay up and allow the others to fall where they may until I have time to get them moving again. (I call this the “what will break/what will bounce” method - if it can bounce, I can drop it.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The overachiever, responsible, disciplined side of my brain balks at this willy-nilly approach to meeting my self-imposed goals and it says nasty things to me when I can’t live up to my own expectations. Note: I’m not implying that any of this is rational or reasonable. But it is how my brain works, so I’ve had to figure out how to work with it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>I wanted to make goals! </b>I wanted to achieve! I wanted to check off boxes on a list to prove that I was making progress! But days and weeks of failure to live up to my own (admittedly ridiculous) expectations caused no end of frustration! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Until I came across the low bar/high bar method, I didn’t have a good way to formulate a strategy that would give me the grace I need to manage wildly varying days while keeping the super conscientious part of myself satisfied that progress was being made. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The low bar/high bar idea is fairly straight forward. When you set a goal, you choose a low bar and a high bar. Using writing as an example, you might want to write every day this year. So your high bar is 366 days! (It’s a leap year!) But realistically, you know life will happen. So you also set a low bar. Maybe the low bar could be to write 150 days of the year. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can decide if you want the high bar to be a stretch and the low bar to be easy, or if you want the high bar to be what you expect to do daily and the low bar to be what happens when life roughs you up. You get to choose where the bar is! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Fair warning: </b>Depending on your wiring and mentality, this may turn out to be more challenging than you might think it would be. I grew up hearing the saying, “I’d rather aim for the stars and hit a stump than aim for a stump and blow my toe off.” I didn’t realize just how much I’d internalized this nugget of wisdom until I seriously considered …. well …. aiming for a stump! Everything in me rebelled! Why bother setting a minuscule goal? What’s the point? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But wow is it satisfying to be able to say, “I’m meeting my goals.” And there’s a lot of evidence that meeting tiny goals gives us the discipline to meet larger goals. (Read Atomic Habits for more on this!)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my case, I couldn’t quite bring myself to set a low bar for everything. So at the beginning of 2024, I chose a combination of “regular” goals and low bar/high bar goal. Some of my regular goals feel low enough that I didn’t think I needed an even lower bar! And some of the tougher goals are important enough that I didn’t want to shortchange myself by being okay with something less.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But y’all, when I did set a low bar, wow. It was freeing. Some of my low bar goals are so low, the only way I could fail to meet them would be to completely forget about them. And that, as it turns out, is the whole point. I can get so busy trying to meet the “shoot for the stars” goals that I eventually give up entirely on the smaller goals. But those goals are important to! I really do want to read more books on writing craft, and I do want to develop a few more classes that I can teach. By giving myself a low bar to shoot for, I’m more likely to keep the less urgent but still important goals in mind … and make real progress toward them. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Would you consider setting low bar/high bar goals? What kind of goals do you think would work well for this method? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If your New Year’s Resolutions have already crashed and burned, it’s not too late to have a productive year. Revisit them. Set a low bar/high bar and give them another go. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana;">And a quick reminder: </b><i><span style="font-family: courier;">Your worth is not in your achievements or the items you’ve checked off a list. You are an image bearer of the One True God. You are beloved. If lists and goals condemn you, then I’d like to lovingly encourage you to ignore everything I just said and lean hard into keeping your focus on finding your peace in the arms of the One who loved you first and still loves you best. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Grace and peace,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Lynn</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/mf36B" target="_blank">Low Bar/High Bar Goal Setting for Writers from author @LynnHBlackburn on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Don't Miss the Rest of Lynn's Posts on Goal Setting!</b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/01/meet-your-writing-goals-this-year-with.html" target="_blank">January: Meet Your Writing Goals This Year with These Valuable Tips</a><br /><a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/02/tips-to-divide-up-your-writing-time.html" target="_blank">February: Tips to Divide Up Your Writing Time Into Valuable Chunks</a></b></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/03/low-barhigh-bar-goal-setting-for-writers.html" target="_blank"><b>March: Low Bar/High Bar Goal Setting for Writers</b></a></span></div><div><br /><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjGmUE4FvciZ_ZV4nHMn_Ng7xVqtYq5XGrgCr1znV0YQAKNWUxh8I-NqC7u0dy8CftwrYZIiYjwb7Zi5JAckxmCbZMoigGrhN7c38Ui0MM7iiBug5VP0HC0EUeiPqAJP8tuWRWsDs0rSsruDl8lGPDdKP_C3DFEKmu7Q7L7QdAV-r2KzkEdoNSDVMa6i/s200/Lynn%20H%20Blackburn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjGmUE4FvciZ_ZV4nHMn_Ng7xVqtYq5XGrgCr1znV0YQAKNWUxh8I-NqC7u0dy8CftwrYZIiYjwb7Zi5JAckxmCbZMoigGrhN7c38Ui0MM7iiBug5VP0HC0EUeiPqAJP8tuWRWsDs0rSsruDl8lGPDdKP_C3DFEKmu7Q7L7QdAV-r2KzkEdoNSDVMa6i/s1600/Lynn%20H%20Blackburn.jpeg" width="143" /></a></div>Lynn H. Blackburn is the award-winning author of Unknown Threat, Malicious Intent, and Under Fire, as well as the Dive Team Investigations series. She loves writing swoon-worthy southern suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she's a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters by putting them into terrifying situations while she's sitting at home in her pajamas! She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Learn more at www.lynnhblackburn.com.</span></div></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-76707202784586628392024-03-06T01:00:00.007-05:002024-03-06T01:00:00.170-05:00The Spiral of Creativity<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIX7Pwm1-JZYM_dwtldDjhqoCNdXrX8NCrWUFer1OOQY-wilu5b5biCWAkGyWSIVZHn7b0rUrpBeUbq0h7EfEejrIDz1YCXGAu1VNNkJk068YvHEuh-3D4g6NIhKGsg3H5qsD6ZfXTFZRixj7LT_JfM4X09Tqa7W4alI9Ly0UOEMp1-ppls6KAiBDCI1F/s3000/The%20Spiral%20of%20Creativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIX7Pwm1-JZYM_dwtldDjhqoCNdXrX8NCrWUFer1OOQY-wilu5b5biCWAkGyWSIVZHn7b0rUrpBeUbq0h7EfEejrIDz1YCXGAu1VNNkJk068YvHEuh-3D4g6NIhKGsg3H5qsD6ZfXTFZRixj7LT_JfM4X09Tqa7W4alI9Ly0UOEMp1-ppls6KAiBDCI1F/w400-h225/The%20Spiral%20of%20Creativity.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Sarah Sally Hamer <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahSallyHamer" target="_blank">@SarahSallyHamer</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Creativity is NOT a straight line. Most of us have been taught to think in a linear fashion, where one thought follows another in an orderly and specific way. But that's not how it works. Our brains are made up of trillions of cells, which all connect in varying ways. The connections are based on association, where each one hooks to something similar. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For instance, if I ask you to describe a banana, you would probably describe it as a curved yellow fruit, tubular in shape, sweet in flavor, soft in texture, and the perfect ingredient for a banana pudding. You might remember your mom cutting one up in your cereal or watching a monkey open it from the "flower" instead of the stem end. All of these things come from your experiences of a banana, and from interconnected brain neurons. I've listed the description in very specific details but, in our brain, those neurons may live in very different places. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The term "yellow" for instance isn't only about bananas. Millions of things are yellow, from the sun, to a sunflower, to butter, to a crayon, to clouds during a sunset. And each of the neurons that are connected to "banana" are also connected to the other items I've mentioned because they all fall into the category of yellow. It works that way with everything in our mind—things are connected by association.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That's why creativity is, well, creative. We all have neurons with unique connections in our brains to our own experiences. Therefore, we are accessing different ideas than anyone else. Of course, there are cultural similarities—I'm the middle child but the oldest girl out of five children so I have specific ideas about how families work that belong to me. Your experience will probably be different than mine, simply because you may be an only child, the oldest, or the youngest. And some areas of the world don't have yellow bananas. Or someone may never have even seen a banana. But all of our brains work in the same way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So the questions become: How do you create? How does your brain work? Where do your ideas come from? Are you utilizing all of possibilities?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do you ever get asked where you get ideas for your books? I do, all the time. But I can't really explain where those ideas come from, although I often try. I do believe writers work in a "spiral of creativity," where the interconnection of neurons in our brains allow us to see things from a different perspective than the rest of the world. Each of us has a perspective, of course, but writers can apply those perspectives to non-existent people, our characters, and to non-existent situations, our plots. And, stories appear, almost as if by magic. Of course, it's not really magic, it's a lifetime of building stories in our heads. Ideas flow, even if we're not paying attention. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where do you think your ideas come from? Are they based on specific experiences in your life? Do you recognize yourself—and others—in your characters? I do. My "core" protagonist, whether she's in a contemporary story, somewhere in space, or long ago in time, is always the same because she's "me" at least to some extent. I do create monsters sometimes in my books but they still harbor a tiny piece of me somewhere. Because I don't have the ability to write about something I don't know.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What do you think? I'd love to hear where your ideas come from—and how you turn those ideas into stories.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Learn more from Sally and six other amazing writers by attending the “Polishing Your Mirror: Self-Care for Writers” Symposium, March 23-24, 2024. Visit <a href="http://mindpotential.org/" target="_blank">MindPotential.org</a> for more info!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/rx34o" target="_blank">The Spiral of Creativity, insight from @SarahSallyHamer on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw4kovOSH6-at9u2_UQ449ELTiriKzErB0uarn9gO_vo9RewaLv_zGYlG747dOk7gCTnIbFnHxofn5jOjCw_PyS-Cw471X7-BGPbaawYj_Q-5mInmlLdiBbIJFrbDIGKowx3_PqZ_k3B4-OmPdODt8_X2BA5iMcuVQIEmVCpvAQNwxZJBi7RZUmVOVWIv/s146/APH%20picture.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="130" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw4kovOSH6-at9u2_UQ449ELTiriKzErB0uarn9gO_vo9RewaLv_zGYlG747dOk7gCTnIbFnHxofn5jOjCw_PyS-Cw471X7-BGPbaawYj_Q-5mInmlLdiBbIJFrbDIGKowx3_PqZ_k3B4-OmPdODt8_X2BA5iMcuVQIEmVCpvAQNwxZJBi7RZUmVOVWIv/s1600/APH%20picture.jpeg" width="130" /></a></div>Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories, whether through fiction or through memoir. Writing in many genres—mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, medieval history, non-fiction—she has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at <a href="http://www.margielawson.com/">WWW.MARGIELAWSON.COM</a>. Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach at Touch Not the Cat Books, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can find her at <a href="mailto:info@mindpotential.org">INFO@MINDPOTENTIAL.ORG</a></span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-57477106301579128822024-03-05T01:00:00.006-05:002024-03-07T19:47:53.213-05:00Writing the Important First Chapter<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIz1iB9ACfQtgHuVyHDtfSG5v5ig8AFBFLUxvwy7cR-tfqhcTjq4GNWoWFQoLY2i8LYAma4NranZmzpF601nk_7yDYdZmWPUEWEv3mezRPu84fVc_HfJLbrbsaYL08sxaGua-ANd7KGpHOgb2Jn_ypemGPF1Q4yjNTdJmJFmbzIXITBp1Nr6xgWiQGiA2/s3000/Writing%20the%20Important%20First%20Chapter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIz1iB9ACfQtgHuVyHDtfSG5v5ig8AFBFLUxvwy7cR-tfqhcTjq4GNWoWFQoLY2i8LYAma4NranZmzpF601nk_7yDYdZmWPUEWEv3mezRPu84fVc_HfJLbrbsaYL08sxaGua-ANd7KGpHOgb2Jn_ypemGPF1Q4yjNTdJmJFmbzIXITBp1Nr6xgWiQGiA2/w400-h225/Writing%20the%20Important%20First%20Chapter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by PeggySue Wells <a href="https://twitter.com/PeggySueWells" target="_blank">@PeggySueWells</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first chapter of a book sells the reader on reading the rest of the book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Your first line prompts the reader to read the first paragraph.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first paragraph compels the reader to read the first chapter.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first chapter invites the reader to finish the book.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last chapter sells your next book.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With so much weight resting on the opening sentence, beginning paragraph, and first chapter, it can be easy for a writer to get high-centered at the onset of a project. In fact, it may be impossible to write the right first chapter at the beginning. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One helpful technique is to put down a good version of chapter one as a start and a place holder. Write messy and get the work underway. After all, you will know more about your fiction for nonfiction when it is finished. Once the rest of the project is written, go back to chapter one and rework this important opening to tailor fit the rest of the manuscript. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whether fiction or nonfiction, each project develops deeper through the writing process. Fictional characters and plots become multi-layered. A writer often discovers fresh characteristics and motivations about characters that were unknown at the planning stage. In nonfiction, themes emerge and become laser focused. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When the manuscript is complete, you have gained pertinent knowledge of what chapter one can look like. Go back, add foreshadowing, and polish. After Chasing Sunrise was complete, I returned to the early part of the story and added a dive knife to our hero’s scuba gear. Later, when he uses his dive knife, the action was natural because the reader already knew the tool was common to his preparation to travel underwater. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Frequently, once the project is fully written, a writer realizes chapter one is actually not chapter one at all. However, the first writing served well as a launching pad and a place holder so the author could move forward. When Unnatural Causewas complete, it became clear to me and my writers group that my initial chapter one was really chapter two. The final chapter penned in that novel was chapter one. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writing chapter one as a beginning to the story is logical for the telling. Sometimes this is the right opening. Depending on the genre, a writer may choose to move a key action scene to serve as chapter one. With this format, chapter two takes the reader to the beginning of the tale. The following chapters continue the timeline to reach the pivotal action told in chapter one and carry the reader to the satisfying end.While chapter one is key to your audience reading the book, you don’t have to get it perfect right away. Relax and know revisiting the chapter one when the manuscript is complete will provide what you need to craft an inviting and compelling entry to your book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/YUk9W" target="_blank">Writing the Important First Chapter from @PeggySueWells on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jeF6k8BclZnEO92LYL6Ccj6rTV4gJUOF5In1r-NC6UEJBvE2lNTeEYP6C80OMB61tZ_FlhEFZkQIOUvjwlNf_uCiY69cN0DapnVSjZETCo5usa-iiBoxxbGz4IbA-OFLk42VVQ18IS_lZ2lhmJSV-jCb6ksip2laKQ7snnyMQyLju2u6qsnztJhI7C1U/s200/1D7AABE0-BCBA-4BB1-AD1C-B7A0FED80934.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="161" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jeF6k8BclZnEO92LYL6Ccj6rTV4gJUOF5In1r-NC6UEJBvE2lNTeEYP6C80OMB61tZ_FlhEFZkQIOUvjwlNf_uCiY69cN0DapnVSjZETCo5usa-iiBoxxbGz4IbA-OFLk42VVQ18IS_lZ2lhmJSV-jCb6ksip2laKQ7snnyMQyLju2u6qsnztJhI7C1U/s1600/1D7AABE0-BCBA-4BB1-AD1C-B7A0FED80934.jpeg" width="161" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">PeggySue Wells is the bestselling author of 40 books and collaborator of many more. Action and adventure, romantic suspense, military romance, and cozy mystery are the page-turning novels by P.S. Wells, including </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Homeless for the Holidays,</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Chasing Sunrise, The Patent, </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and</span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> Unnatural Cause</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">. How to live better, easier, and simpler is the focus of her nonfiction including </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make. </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Founder of SingleMomCircle.com, PeggySue coaches writing and speaks at events and conferences. When not writing, she parasails, skydives, snorkels, scuba dives, rides horses, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. Connect with her at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.peggysuewells.com/&source=gmail&ust=1709945221675000&usg=AOvVaw0fdPkLxxNryZBcEiGOkt5C" href="http://www.peggysuewells.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.PeggySueWells.com</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, on Facebook at PeggySue Wells, and LinkedIn at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://linkedin.com/in/peggysuewells&source=gmail&ust=1709945221675000&usg=AOvVaw1LuCMENgRzuZqZ3237gob8" href="http://linkedin.com/in/peggysuewells" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/<wbr></wbr>peggysuewells</a></span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-8156607729089671322024-03-04T01:00:00.007-05:002024-03-04T01:00:00.364-05:00Tips to Help Writers Avoid the Worst of the Drama on Facebook<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUWgMeK18Vi6MENdyRyebuEQb6PLnhsPxebPCZ6jy7qzdrhNU__CcXK5z0cBXk2O8t9ZVS_MzEEtSD7HDmJSO5esdxsOUD6ItoZ_vqWa0_4JglZGS01DYC5Sv8HqfBSs89LkxyKdHIfhJkP7EidFSQJADNESHj5FetF22UEtajXdU1F28Dy6z4f11RxxJ/s3250/Tips%20to%20Help%20Writers%20Avoid%20the%20Worst%20of%20the%20Drama%20on%20Facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUWgMeK18Vi6MENdyRyebuEQb6PLnhsPxebPCZ6jy7qzdrhNU__CcXK5z0cBXk2O8t9ZVS_MzEEtSD7HDmJSO5esdxsOUD6ItoZ_vqWa0_4JglZGS01DYC5Sv8HqfBSs89LkxyKdHIfhJkP7EidFSQJADNESHj5FetF22UEtajXdU1F28Dy6z4f11RxxJ/w400-h225/Tips%20to%20Help%20Writers%20Avoid%20the%20Worst%20of%20the%20Drama%20on%20Facebook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Edie Melson<span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" style="color: #7f9198; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;" target="_blank">@EDIEMELSON</a><p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This year has been a trying year for everyone on Facebook. From the political comments to bogus news traps, and even Christmas, I’m hearing reasons people are taking a break from this social network. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater may not be the best solution to this dilemma.<a name="more"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is possible to interact on Facebook and NOT be inundated with updates we don’t want to see.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Facebook works on their own Edgerank algorithm. This means that based on certain parameters, FB decides what you’ll see and what you want. But these parameters are influenced by our personal (or business) behavior, so we actually have a little more control than we may realize. Here are some habits you may want to develop to make your FB time a little less stressful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">How to Make Facebook Work for You</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Be careful what you LIKE, COMMENT, and Share.</b> </span>As I said, our behavior weighs heavily into the algorithm. What that means is that FB is watching the things you LIKE (or dislike) Comment On and Share. For example, the more you engage on political updates, the more political updates you’ll see in your newsfeed. Refusing to engage won’t completely clear your newsfeed of a specific type of update, but it will greatly reduce the number you see. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Be wary of which links you click on. </span></b>Don’t get caught by ads like “Celebrity X is no longer with us,” or other click bate. Even the name game links can add to number of junk updates that show up in your newsfeed. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Choose a list of FAVORITE accounts that are trustworthy.</b> </span>Most of us remember the good ole days when we saw every update from our friends—in order—in our newsfeed. Those days are long gone, but there is new work-around that FB has made available. It’s called FAVORITES. This works with people you are FRIENDS and with pages you LIKE.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To FAVORITE a friend, go to his/her profile and click the person icon next to MESSAGE (under the cover image). You’ll see the option to add to FAVORITES (see screenshot below). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuobyhP5X0eqL2lwUnJxMr1X8YVgZMMZKLv6hQL28b3AviDHOr9ljX38RCEPVJdy1CSviDUrQkz_6CJAtvwSBmwP5hZzoe1PUMnheTFj6A-1v674qD2inWUFsWT5GUHr86bogdUWsONur/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.25.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7f9198; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuobyhP5X0eqL2lwUnJxMr1X8YVgZMMZKLv6hQL28b3AviDHOr9ljX38RCEPVJdy1CSviDUrQkz_6CJAtvwSBmwP5hZzoe1PUMnheTFj6A-1v674qD2inWUFsWT5GUHr86bogdUWsONur/w640-h364/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.25.32+AM.png" style="border: medium; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After you choose that box, a small check mark will appear beside the person icon. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You’ll also notice that there’s another option under FAVORITES that lets you jump to a list of all your friends and you can choose which to see first from there. CAVEAT: you are only allowed to see 30 accounts first, so choose wisely. (see screenshot below)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqy9nvVOl3LW3T141DktiJsuYn4SESB5PrcAMYITWlUNPF5i_b8D_gt-OiRK_DP0vAqJsYuF3lqoewbD2Rt2JgrmZx8hCOYIcdm6jjEWAZOpXmclkqXcwGNKt_CmTfhknnToZxyFUwjzqU/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.33.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7f9198; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="2048" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqy9nvVOl3LW3T141DktiJsuYn4SESB5PrcAMYITWlUNPF5i_b8D_gt-OiRK_DP0vAqJsYuF3lqoewbD2Rt2JgrmZx8hCOYIcdm6jjEWAZOpXmclkqXcwGNKt_CmTfhknnToZxyFUwjzqU/w640-h366/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.33.13+AM.png" style="border: medium; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To FAVORITE a professional page, go to that specific page and click the three small dots next to the search icon. Choose FOLLOW SETTINGS. (See screenshot below)</div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToXN4DeYzZZrntq0aoTdlu0ZsJPdbWRKS88wnD9e3S278Yv3p5LQ4eAU9JjZCA3oAclHoqMZ9VopX3r_SQMPVLf-h8BC28SKFSBaPs9xu6zLJcsoI9sOSROVRC7MYtIJebcd0tjlXSqbL/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.17.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7f9198; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToXN4DeYzZZrntq0aoTdlu0ZsJPdbWRKS88wnD9e3S278Yv3p5LQ4eAU9JjZCA3oAclHoqMZ9VopX3r_SQMPVLf-h8BC28SKFSBaPs9xu6zLJcsoI9sOSROVRC7MYtIJebcd0tjlXSqbL/w640-h360/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.17.42+AM.png" style="border: medium; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;">After you’ve clicked that, another menu pops up. From there you can choose FAVORITES. (see screenshot below)</div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu96DDE1Er5ZOthmRcDjulH7tgzSXAcglRyWomIhnxr9FgUv-_EwYpeGp4DdJ7B8IVq81j7WthcT_VH27rXsEXrTuEHgYTOKpJdCX7AH-iDqefpawSeaOxqZh4-pTvUDyzSIQMO7MUbcHJ/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.17.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7f9198; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="2048" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu96DDE1Er5ZOthmRcDjulH7tgzSXAcglRyWomIhnxr9FgUv-_EwYpeGp4DdJ7B8IVq81j7WthcT_VH27rXsEXrTuEHgYTOKpJdCX7AH-iDqefpawSeaOxqZh4-pTvUDyzSIQMO7MUbcHJ/w640-h372/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.17.49+AM.png" style="border: medium; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>TWO NOTES: </b> 1) Facebook bounces back and forth from allowing on 30 FAVORITES total, to allowing more. There is a limit though, so you'll have to pick and choose wisely. </div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2) on a PAGE, there's nothing to denote that you have added it as a favorite. You'll have to navigate the steps above to see that. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">(see screenshot below)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSzJ2mqeJ90z7fam3uixt2huK3WHgavYtcrfRMUmlf8zCNQSApOqsdFsNtsA9lFxm004pO8sxIs7mijqziigAhTbOx-EMfkQwEowT4fIIr9kR8U4fUGLrOKwO1-L4A-ytVzHmT1Tvp8WT/s2048/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.42.23+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #7f9198; font-size: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px; text-transform: uppercase;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSzJ2mqeJ90z7fam3uixt2huK3WHgavYtcrfRMUmlf8zCNQSApOqsdFsNtsA9lFxm004pO8sxIs7mijqziigAhTbOx-EMfkQwEowT4fIIr9kR8U4fUGLrOKwO1-L4A-ytVzHmT1Tvp8WT/w640-h364/Screen+Shot+2020-10-27+at+7.42.23+AM.png" style="border: medium; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>My Overall Facebook Strategy</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My FB profile is set to public. This means anyone and everyone can see it. These aren’t my close personal friends who already know my heart and my intentions, these are strangers who only have my picture and some random updates with which to judge my meaning and intent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My personal friends and I can debate and disagree privately because we already have a foundation for our relationship. We have a level of trust and even more importantly—context—that makes sharing difficult things in a loving way possible. I can share things with them that could be considered inflammatory unless we shared that context. When I share controversial things on FB—with strangers and people who don’t know me well—it’s like standing on a street corner and screaming that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus and without Him we’re all going to hell. It may be truth, but it just sounds like hate and judgement. When it comes to sharing difficult truth, I don’t hold back with the people I know personally.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Bottom Line</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The way we choose to interact on FB that is very personal, and I know some of you will disagree with the approach I've chosen. I’m fine with that. We each have to do what we feel is right. But know that if you choose to engage with controversial posts, your newsfeed may light up like World War 3. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hope this post helps you engage on FB in a way that is less stressful. These are the things that I’ve found have a huge impact on what I see in my FB newsfeed. What have you found that helps you keep the rioters at bay on social media? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t forget to join the conversation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessings,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Edie</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/GUH53" target="_blank">Tips to Help Writers Avoid the Worst of the Drama on Facebook @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILSJOoWQBZzbmvsltDqUqc6VjX99hU3TYFFzU53vPjYL-wf8_2KFmdBSYWNIgJ7y4aN5dDEzoDkb903JT5IJ_iiUs-RHuOacnMR36xvw8nIBXEPEzquUJH_Enux08U-GK7LkMgZ0bjO0N_UzTmelXWrujA7pp3Cl2cCql_X_IS6fojH68fgtbHpVK71Hl/s200/Edie,%20edited%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="168" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILSJOoWQBZzbmvsltDqUqc6VjX99hU3TYFFzU53vPjYL-wf8_2KFmdBSYWNIgJ7y4aN5dDEzoDkb903JT5IJ_iiUs-RHuOacnMR36xvw8nIBXEPEzquUJH_Enux08U-GK7LkMgZ0bjO0N_UzTmelXWrujA7pp3Cl2cCql_X_IS6fojH68fgtbHpVK71Hl/s1600/Edie,%20edited%20copy.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#" style="color: #7f9198; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px;">website</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px;">, through </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#" style="color: #7f9198; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px;">Facebook</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px;">, </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#" style="color: #7f9198; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px;">Twitter</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px;"> and on </span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/#" style="color: #7f9198; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: rgb(190, 200, 204) 0px 0px 3px;">Instagram</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-family: verdana; font-size: 18px;">.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-size: 18px;"></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(77, 83, 85); color: #4d5355; font-size: 18px;"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-30169768134032340072024-03-03T01:00:00.002-05:002024-03-03T01:00:00.133-05:00Discover the Stones to Fight for Time to Write <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD8qVWX9Ks2ibGyhHTQLrN44lWPWCODE7-USOph32Ma6yLNHGePrZ1a8gSp2ro-ar_tQJkVfeyJwgZ1Sfko_7OzDx80jsd-Q63r1EI36mv-Ij1TPtPlULR7hVj1eZLF9ucxDWfG5loVkRZis517XELy2h3CRgAkFdd45LfA4ZoD3N6ox7VdvbsgmVg017/s3000/Discover%20the%20Stones%20to%20Fight%20for%20Time%20to%20Write%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD8qVWX9Ks2ibGyhHTQLrN44lWPWCODE7-USOph32Ma6yLNHGePrZ1a8gSp2ro-ar_tQJkVfeyJwgZ1Sfko_7OzDx80jsd-Q63r1EI36mv-Ij1TPtPlULR7hVj1eZLF9ucxDWfG5loVkRZis517XELy2h3CRgAkFdd45LfA4ZoD3N6ox7VdvbsgmVg017/w400-h225/Discover%20the%20Stones%20to%20Fight%20for%20Time%20to%20Write%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Edie Melson <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. I Samuel 17:40</span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don’t know about you, but there was a time when I discovered I had a Goliath in my life. No, it wasn’t a person—it was an obstacle—and it was standing between me and God’s victory. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My enemy was time, or more accurately, the lack of it. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you may have guessed, time wasn’t really the enemy. I discovered time is neutral. Instead the problem came from how I was using it. I had begun to let other things crowd out God’s priorities in my life. When that happened, everything spiraled out of control.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And just like David I had to tackle the problem head on.</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But first I needed to pick up the weapons God had given me. Just like David chose five stones, I found five things I needed to re-orient my life. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>5 Stones Every Writer Needs</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. The very first stone I picked up was God’s truth. Without that as a basis, I knew I’d never have victory.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. The next was faith. Without faith in God and His power working through me I’d never be able to enter the fight, much less win it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. The third stone was discipline. I had to be willing to put God’s truth into action in the fight against my Goliath.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">4. The fourth was prayer. I had to keep the lines of communication open as I fought.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">5. The fifth was perseverance. I realized I had to follow through and use the weapons God has given me.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So what are you fighting? God’s given you access to the tools you need for victory. All you have to do is reach down and pick them up.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/mwqWi" target="_blank">Discover the Stones to Fight for Time to Write from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1y8CPfx8nmJEPqwiZ1O9CAWMa2cWcaZOzgYaUyoG6GeHoAlc2WL_tshB1DV2kcrZJM56SoergRk9PyGtRvfG_q6goCLKDWeon1dSP39-lX05wdFHMRADZF6-IkYUxq9T7txGaxxrh-hJgYY_acrxe0kd0O76QG1z3ui75Wre0GnkF1POgSHneHEpxRAE/s200/Ediecup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1y8CPfx8nmJEPqwiZ1O9CAWMa2cWcaZOzgYaUyoG6GeHoAlc2WL_tshB1DV2kcrZJM56SoergRk9PyGtRvfG_q6goCLKDWeon1dSP39-lX05wdFHMRADZF6-IkYUxq9T7txGaxxrh-hJgYY_acrxe0kd0O76QG1z3ui75Wre0GnkF1POgSHneHEpxRAE/s1600/Ediecup1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-3227841577628379742024-03-02T01:00:00.004-05:002024-03-02T01:00:00.183-05:003 Transitions Every Writer Must Face<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHAk_X2ARDKf549bG7JyXvz7tw16xNJZGCLFDPFkBKvDTr0lKWu8b_ITCTSRYuJzmmpdPuqOThO86kUsHHI5hz2X3I3CEPBZJP6VJn2Gu90ojjcR73CfHEiFEvN50OuSRTogIetj6iWBdav-FXTEkI3iGhpwfyHmxCdm8Bg5mIIMog9fKUab82tw-AYAS/s3250/3%20Transitions%20Every%20Writer%20Must%20Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHAk_X2ARDKf549bG7JyXvz7tw16xNJZGCLFDPFkBKvDTr0lKWu8b_ITCTSRYuJzmmpdPuqOThO86kUsHHI5hz2X3I3CEPBZJP6VJn2Gu90ojjcR73CfHEiFEvN50OuSRTogIetj6iWBdav-FXTEkI3iGhpwfyHmxCdm8Bg5mIIMog9fKUab82tw-AYAS/w400-h225/3%20Transitions%20Every%20Writer%20Must%20Face.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Tim Suddeth <a href="https://twitter.com/TimSuddeth" target="_blank">@TimSuddeth</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Around my home in upper South Carolina, spring is beginning to show her face. Trees are budding and daffodils are blooming, hinting that a new season is on its way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I’ve traveled around the sun enough times to know what a tease spring can be. Just because the calendar page turns to March doesn’t mean the weather is going to cooperate. March always holds a surprise or two up her sleeve.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But spring will eventually come, and the seasons will change (In the areas of the country that have seasons). The bare trees will produce leaves and buds, the grass will turn green, and the birds will come back. My gray truck will turn yellow, and my hay fever will return.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ah, welcome back, spring.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Like the seasons, a writer’s journey runs into a number of transitions. Some of them are universal to most writers. Others are more individual.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Three Areas Where Writers Face Transitions</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">1. Type of media</b></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve written many times about the dilemma I encountered when I decided to become a writer. They say the devil is in the details. I knew I wanted to write but write what? Blog posts, devotions, books, novels, board books, articles, YA, scripts, podcasts, screenplays. Yowzer. And the list goes on. Where should I start?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having so many options is wonderful, if it doesn’t scare you into racing from the room screaming. I’ve often said that a writer doesn’t have to feel like they are stuck in just one genre. While that’s true, what I didn’t say is that each genre has its own learning curve. Each time you take on a different form or genre, you’ll run into new rules and advice you’ll need to learn.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think I was like many new writers and expected myself to know it all at the start. Obviously, that’s not how it works. Learning a new media or genre is like learning about a house you plan to buy. You have to go inside. Open the closets. Turn on the faucet. Pick up the rugs.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One tip I’ve seen regarding choosing what to write is to look at what you read or watch. What brings you the most enjoyment, and what makes you shudder? I’ve written shorter pieces and novels, but thinking about doing a podcast makes me break out in hives. It could happen. It’s important that we keep an open mind about new opportunities. But going on camera would require quite a bit of preparation for me. I have a face that’s great for print.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">2. Growth</b></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The more you write, the more you learn. I read a lot of writing books, watch podcasts, and go to conferences, but none of these can replace time in chair, staring at the page or screen.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we were in school, we worried all semester about the paper we were assigned and dreaded the all-nighter we had to do. It never occurred to me or my friends to write the paper ahead of time. Or even to write multiple drafts. Aren’t all-nighters a major part of college, anyway?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are so many steps to becoming a better writer. Becoming is such a key word here. The more we learn and grow, the farther we see we need to go. One of the first steps—a huge, scary step—is when we let someone else read our baby, our first, first draft. We watch their expressions. (Tip-Never watch someone read your work. It will send your emotions on a loopy roller coaster ride.) And we wait to hear them say our writing is better than our favorite author’s. (Tip 2-Your favorite author has probably written several books and had their story go through multiple editors.) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t compare your first draft to a book on the shelves at Barnes and Nobles. You may get there. But it takes time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">3. The Process</b></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whenever I see a writer being interviewed, the question always pops up, what is your process? And everyone who is hoping to become THE WRITER leans up, turns to a fresh page in our notebook, and pays extra close attention. This may be the process that I need. Maybe this will make me famous and successful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m not famous. I have a long way to go to get where I want to be. But I’m on the journey. And from my experience, and from what I’ve heard from more established writers, there is no one process that will make you successful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, that’s not necessarily true. There might be, in fact probably is, a process that will work for you, but you have to find it. What works for Mrs. Published Author or Miss Top Blog might be a disaster for you. All four of my manuscripts have required different methods to get to those magical two words, The End. And the process for book number five looks totally different from them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even when you find a process that works, be prepared for it to change. Why? Because life changes. The daily demands that tug at you will change. Even good transitions—marriage, having a child, having another (and another?), job promotions—mean change to the process.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Becoming a writer is so exciting and rewarding. Writers have the ability to touch so many lives. Lives that may not be open to anybody else. We also get, during this writing journey, to learn more about ourselves.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Calling writing a journey is an appropriate description. Like all journeys, it will have its up and downs. There will be times of challenges and times of growth. Times we’ll only get through because of Him. It’s how we’ll reach our destination, which will look very different from what we expected. But once we get there and look back, what a remarkable view we’ll have.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/n6qIE" target="_blank">3 Transitions Every Writer Must Face from @TimSuddeth on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-2aTgVeAq9TZRaQTg3xfaqo0CcKXzp2NArqUvyrClXiOL4L0ZvuvcQL14VOlGeH0LDg-_X9cwSejjC3XhIJabvcsRnNKKMqPvItzlLndwiSI0xqYYxqrGTlwILz4OpXbQH5yTU1OHRVr9JHHQCrNP_rK0sorOkBQGvfQ6B9NKQSsPj3VPj3VylId0Bk1/s200/charleston%20054.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="134" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-2aTgVeAq9TZRaQTg3xfaqo0CcKXzp2NArqUvyrClXiOL4L0ZvuvcQL14VOlGeH0LDg-_X9cwSejjC3XhIJabvcsRnNKKMqPvItzlLndwiSI0xqYYxqrGTlwILz4OpXbQH5yTU1OHRVr9JHHQCrNP_rK0sorOkBQGvfQ6B9NKQSsPj3VPj3VylId0Bk1/w134-h200/charleston%20054.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>Tim Suddeth is a stay-at-home dad and butler for his wonderful, adult son with autism. He has written numerous blogs posts, short stories, and three novels waiting for publication. He is a frequent attendee at writers conferences, including the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and a member of Word Weavers and ACFW. He lives near Greenville, SC where he shares a house with a bossy Shorky and three too-curious Persians. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter, as well as at www.timingreenville.com and www.openingamystery.com.</span></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-90413631711318136382024-03-01T01:00:00.007-05:002024-03-01T01:00:00.160-05:00Genre Expectations: Writing Science Fantasy and Space Opera<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4v2w6Dk7MI1C-fVxRwCBGUYSXG7cyhoOKhnzdSxGt5hzjWVzGxa61_i-dLBnU3CWZkCbc-XCrX-Nbg6e-VolOpehi_p-alsnVKS5m4t_bTyywXnOstgyRlBPUj27Lm3b14w2cSBwTds1yBUwMS6qxWAdb5OMFyNIIUG9UwEs3inu4sBNLaIsqUJV_YW7/s3000/Genre%20Expectations%20Science%20Fantasy%20and%20Space%20Opera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4v2w6Dk7MI1C-fVxRwCBGUYSXG7cyhoOKhnzdSxGt5hzjWVzGxa61_i-dLBnU3CWZkCbc-XCrX-Nbg6e-VolOpehi_p-alsnVKS5m4t_bTyywXnOstgyRlBPUj27Lm3b14w2cSBwTds1yBUwMS6qxWAdb5OMFyNIIUG9UwEs3inu4sBNLaIsqUJV_YW7/w400-h225/Genre%20Expectations%20Science%20Fantasy%20and%20Space%20Opera.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by A.C. Williams <a href="https://twitter.com/acw_author" target="_blank">@ACW_Author</a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Where do you stand in the age-old debate between Star Trek and Star Wars? Are they science fiction? Or are they fantasy that’s just set in space?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is nothing more annoying than listening to a roomful of nerds arguing over granular details that really don’t matter to a story’s reception, so we’re not going to do that. A good story is a good story, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter what its classification is.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many “weird” outliers that have hit the bestseller charts. Excellent stories supersede their genre’s perceived limitations.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But, genre matters immensely because how else will we market our stories? How else will we help our readers know if what we’ve written will suit their needs or not?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As stated in our foray into <a href="https://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2024/02/genre-expectations-writing-romantic.html" target="_blank"><b><i>the difference between Romantic Fantasy and Fantasy Romance</i></b></a> last month, declaring a genre is a promise you make to your readers. You have to deliver on that promise, or your audience will likely be disappointed. And a disappointed reader is rarely a repeat reader.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So what about science fiction? What about fantasy? In general, the lines between these two genres have started to blur in the last 10 to 20 years. Some of that is our own level of technology has achieved things that would have been considered fantastical 50 years ago. What used to be considered fantasy (impossible) is now ordinary.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Granted, there are still general elements and characteristics that will distinguish science fiction from fantasy. In most cases, if you find a story with a dragon in it, you can assume it will be a fantasy. If you find a story with a spaceship in it, you can assume it will be science fiction.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The problem is that in our current storytelling culture, where tropes cross-pollinate and hybrid genres are more popular than ever, how can you tell the difference anymore? And does it even matter?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, yes, it does. It matters a lot.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let’s go back to our first question: Star Wars versus Star Trek.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They both have spaceships. They both feature epic space battles. They both include alien species. They both incorporate some fantastical elements (for Star Wars, it’s the Force; for Star Trek, it’s Q and the Q Continuum). So since they are similar, don’t they belong in the same genre?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">No.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Very much like the difference between Fantasy Romance and Romantic Fantasy, the dividing line between Science Fantasy and Space Opera is the driving core of the story itself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Star Trek is focused on the curiosity of the human spirit. Exploration and experimentation. Learning about new cultures and the relationships between vastly different people groups. And while there are some elements of the obviously fantastic, most Star Trek content remains solidly in the scientifically probable category. The purpose of Star Trek stories is understanding the universe scientifically.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Star Wars, on the other hand, is generally focused on a philosophical understanding of the universe. With the exception of a few examples (i.e. Andor, Solo, The Bad Batch, etc.), you cannot separate Star Wars from it’s highly spiritualized concept of a Higher Power. The Force. It has shaped every characteristic of every Star Wars story in some way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you were writing a Star Wars story, and you focused the plot on whether or not the Wookies had the technology to stop a natural disaster—it wouldn’t really fit in the canon of Star Wars. Nobody is really interested in Wookie technology. They live in giant trees. But when there is a potential to feature a story with a Wookie Jedi? That’s fascinating. A Wookie with a lightsaber and the power to manipulate objects with the Fore?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you were writing a Star Trek novel, and you focused your plot on the crew accidentally stumbling into a world controlled by magic, there are ways you could make it fit. But their solution to whatever problem they encounter would need to be based on science. You couldn’t give Mr. Spock magic powers. You couldn’t allow Lt. Commander Data to suddenly, magically have control of his synthetic emotions. There would have to be a scientific explanation. (And a bar-room brawl. Just saying.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the difference between Science Fantasy (Star Wars) and Space Opera (Star Trek). They are similar, yes, but they speak to very different audiences.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, if you want to dive into the nerdy world of space adventure stories, keep these distinguishing factors in mind.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Science Fantasy and Space Opera will both include elements of science and technology. Since both are considered subgenres of “soft” science fiction, they will be more stories about adventure and relationships. Most times, they’ll take place in space or on another planet, feature alien species, advanced technologies, and even time travel, although that’s another topic for another day. You might even encounter religious systems or belief systems in both subgenres.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The primary difference you’ll need to remember is that Space Opera generally focuses on how a solution to the problem can be achieved. In Science Fantasy, how you reach the solution will be less important than why it matters, both to the individual characters and the universe as a whole. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/k7M4v" target="_blank">Genre Expectations: Writing Science Fantasy and Space Opera from @ACW_Author on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLpR1SEGQDcntJq7UT21EYlGKD47uWLy6VnQeLfU5aXp8hK1yxy2a4NlbMn8Mi3EMLyLY6z-3pXoy55n8YsBKNhlEv4M-aVUri9W7S0cPRXeplUgd6iOeFeSn4JUq1pp31plAzkLqbGTO091MyGC5FVDUmA0qgc5cGnFe6k1XvoLU9V1QiCuVneWrmVXy/s200/me2015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="200" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLpR1SEGQDcntJq7UT21EYlGKD47uWLy6VnQeLfU5aXp8hK1yxy2a4NlbMn8Mi3EMLyLY6z-3pXoy55n8YsBKNhlEv4M-aVUri9W7S0cPRXeplUgd6iOeFeSn4JUq1pp31plAzkLqbGTO091MyGC5FVDUmA0qgc5cGnFe6k1XvoLU9V1QiCuVneWrmVXy/s1600/me2015.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Award-winning author, A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if she isn’t, her socks won’t match. She has authored eight novels, two novellas, three devotional books, and more flash fiction than you can shake a stick at. A senior partner at the award-winning Uncommon Universes Press, she is passionate about stories and the authors who write them. Learn more about her book coaching and follow her adventures online at <a href="https://www.amycwilliams.com/">https://www.amycwilliams.com</a>.</div></span>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-50339226726133991172024-02-29T01:00:00.008-05:002024-02-29T09:53:58.354-05:00Fight Writing Fatigue by Tapping into Creative Joy<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7GEfOoRBFCaWPFTH8KRvmizRLTEt9kFSo7aWKWCw1ir9w5JpfCK5THxVIJ4dneYijBwHh4tfUvnE40Y5B9oJyr4wk_CINy5EcnlRk66weq8Rqj03Z2_wuTZtaJzY_jEhYxAZPN_wEpctHuWJwc5nPd6NpxP_uIK4ILZvl_EmzZSbwNKyD2axY2qItslQ/s3250/Fight%20Writing%20Fatigue%20by%20Tapping%20into%20Creative%20Joy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7GEfOoRBFCaWPFTH8KRvmizRLTEt9kFSo7aWKWCw1ir9w5JpfCK5THxVIJ4dneYijBwHh4tfUvnE40Y5B9oJyr4wk_CINy5EcnlRk66weq8Rqj03Z2_wuTZtaJzY_jEhYxAZPN_wEpctHuWJwc5nPd6NpxP_uIK4ILZvl_EmzZSbwNKyD2axY2qItslQ/w400-h225/Fight%20Writing%20Fatigue%20by%20Tapping%20into%20Creative%20Joy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Edie Melson <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sometimes the writing life is hard. For me, the past few years have been creatively exhausting. First, there was Covid, then there was recovery from Covid. THEN I made a mistake that many other writers made. I thought life was normal so I tried to make up for lost time and ended up exhausting myself. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know about you but I'm ready for some return to creative joy. Just saying those words has me longing for former times. Try it with me:<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Creative joy.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That’s what fuels my soul. And I suspect that’s what fuels yours as well. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So today I’m issuing a challenge. I’m asking you all to join me in the practice of keeping a joy journal. You can use any means you choose:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Notebook</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Journal</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Loose leaf paper in a three ring binder</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Calendar</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Word document</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It doesn't matter how you do it. Just pick a means that feeds your joy, and does NOT add to your stress. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many of you know that I’m an advocate of journaling in general and bullet journaling specifically. I also regularly include a gratitude journal layout for every month in my planner. But a Joy Journal is slightly different than a gratitude journal. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>What is a Joy Journal?</b></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keeping a joy journal is the practice of recording things that bring you joy. Yes, it can be something you’re grateful for, but it’s broader than that. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Here are some ideas to get you started:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cover a page with different shades of a color that bring you joy (for me that would be robin’s egg blue).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pick up beautiful feather while you’re outside and you tape to the page. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Write out a quote that makes you smile.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Compose a poem.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Write a Bible verse.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Write out a prayer.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Snap a picture with your phone and print it out. If you don’t have access to a printer, describe the scene.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now go one step further. We’re all writers here, so the next thing I'm asking you to do is to describe how you’re feeling and why this particular thing/experience/thought brings you joy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The important thing to remember is that this joy journal is for you. It brings you joy. Unless you want to share, no one else will see this. And you’re not allowed to say horrible things to yourself while you’re creating it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Things like these are not allowed:</b></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is stupid.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can’t draw.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’m not doing this right.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">If anyone saw this they’d laugh.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writers are creatives. We’re also husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. And during this crisis, so many of us have a heightened sense of the need to be responsible and care for those around us. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>But I’ve discovered I can’t pour water from an </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>empty vessel.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Stress will eat us from the inside out if we don’t feed our souls. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That means taking a little time to remember the joy. For me, that joy begins and ends with the blessings God puts all around me. The trick is concentrating on that for a little while each day. When I do that, the strength I need is there—along with an indescribable peace. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’d love to know who’s with me on this challenge? Post a comment below and lets encourage each other to creative joy!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t forget to join the conversation,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessings, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Edie</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/j8y3n" target="_blank">Fight Writing Fatigue by Tapping into Creative Joy - insight from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecJxzlIb7qtMBfmGn27baBUUgluBBi2WgU_W-Gb8jkttoaYun-Q-63AVeh9_2BFlAqJpWkwD_RI-H4LAEOoE6PNgXEp150JCiaM500aUE7VuFIY5mmZpSkjmjG_OwQG77fsqMfIUvTA9zVyaSI0lDvsc0QrAyaEZbrchlDKSVu-OHNlTllmgIngwu_vlI/s200/Edie,%20edited%20copy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="168" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecJxzlIb7qtMBfmGn27baBUUgluBBi2WgU_W-Gb8jkttoaYun-Q-63AVeh9_2BFlAqJpWkwD_RI-H4LAEOoE6PNgXEp150JCiaM500aUE7VuFIY5mmZpSkjmjG_OwQG77fsqMfIUvTA9zVyaSI0lDvsc0QrAyaEZbrchlDKSVu-OHNlTllmgIngwu_vlI/s1600/Edie,%20edited%20copy.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-86245618530806710862024-02-28T01:00:00.004-05:002024-02-28T01:00:00.133-05:00How Listening Makes Us Better Writers<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-iYDanGLWlkeuzsfN72fbwuB73GlqM1mViSkMaMTKJescWpOZ9vEfn1_YQy3wxbigcePicBX-EIZuS2TKU8_q7AIga16mELQ6K12ApRAW8pynqizSqjplXaGp_W08U1Zkv3jjr5H-cIG67DzDT8KAeTaiVgHG1nz7xsDi7-WNBO7BYtNvHfiV7JScth3/s3000/How%20Listening%20Makes%20Us%20Better%20Writers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="3000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-iYDanGLWlkeuzsfN72fbwuB73GlqM1mViSkMaMTKJescWpOZ9vEfn1_YQy3wxbigcePicBX-EIZuS2TKU8_q7AIga16mELQ6K12ApRAW8pynqizSqjplXaGp_W08U1Zkv3jjr5H-cIG67DzDT8KAeTaiVgHG1nz7xsDi7-WNBO7BYtNvHfiV7JScth3/w400-h225/How%20Listening%20Makes%20Us%20Better%20Writers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by DiAnn Mills <a href="https://twitter.com/diannmills" target="_blank">@DiAnnMills</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Perfecting listening skills teaches the writer how to effectively communicate. A concentrated effort to perfect listening demonstrates a professional writer who is serious about their craft. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The writing professional hears what is said, how it’s said, and expands their vocabulary. The art of listening defines culture, shows education, mirrors intellect, and promotes the value and purpose of silence.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Perspectives are another area where listening skills are enhanced. By observing others who have unique and varied viewpoints, our understanding of the world around us widens. We pay attention. We process. We analyze, and we transfer our findings to our written material, whether fiction or nonfiction, often with a perspective different from our own. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Listening is learning and learning shapes us into better writers.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Empathy is a writer’s friend and listening lays the foundation to understand and write credible emotions. The writer can more easily slip into the persona of a character or a nonfiction piece with confidence and assurance that the reader grasps the content. When a reader concentrates on the narrative and is at one with the manuscript, the writer has done their job.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dialogue benefits from listening to distinct people express themselves. Include dialect and how culture is reflected in word choice, expressions, and viewpoint to build the character and genre. Listening that includes observing body language deepens the writer’s craft and heightens the reader’s experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A vital aspect of research is the power of listening to those providing information. Interviews that show enthusiasm, likes, dislikes, falsehoods, and inside information establish details. If possible, record what is said and note how it’s presented.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our writing voice develops when we write. Our style, knowledge of the subject, and personalization increases with every word. By applying listening skills to our literary techniques, we strengthen our unique voices.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Below are three ways to increase your writerly listening skills:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Listen with your whole body and mind. Shut out the rest of the world and concentrate on the audible voice.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Listen with empathy. Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes. What differences will this audible contribution make in your writing?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Listen with purpose. A writer’s goal is to put themselves aside and speak for a character or a nonfiction perspective.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I encourage you to pay attention and listen. The craft of writing improves by understanding the way communication is expressed. Grow your skills and make it a lifelong practice. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How are you using listening skills to grow your writing?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/d3P14" target="_blank">How Listening Makes Us Better Writers from author @DiAnnMills on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQZBH7CYiZnRsNZSaEAyEjMMLK-vgoYpPFnfuWh1Fcqa1oD_Ko_v0bkLzVWzLRjPiuoEtpL5vg83XDCbNxxW5PJQ0mfDXefINpUC2b7PDIHEbAXddXhfhnNzVIc8o9K5E2Zam0Bfl4gapIS1t0hojnTpv8c6k_OvQJf0yXQW0Znm1Mg3ptT9Es95mOpb7/s200/DM-12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQZBH7CYiZnRsNZSaEAyEjMMLK-vgoYpPFnfuWh1Fcqa1oD_Ko_v0bkLzVWzLRjPiuoEtpL5vg83XDCbNxxW5PJQ0mfDXefINpUC2b7PDIHEbAXddXhfhnNzVIc8o9K5E2Zam0Bfl4gapIS1t0hojnTpv8c6k_OvQJf0yXQW0Znm1Mg3ptT9Es95mOpb7/s1600/DM-12.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div>DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She is the former director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson. Connect here: DiAnnMills.com</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-77733281409353077992024-02-27T01:00:00.005-05:002024-02-27T01:00:00.137-05:00Dipping the Quill Deeper: The Purpliest Prose (It’s a Start, Really)<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TjzYO6JFObGSZdoBrioqifQ2MGFN2pwtfvqJh9UZUqG4QVkNDcppP9kk7i6JkuuPox2gBTrmvniprV8KWS5bnSaKTZKDNs_zxVVq3bE9AtdUgqdvwzp-Xad_ybDZYixhJLG4rh9EElxlZi1xYx6UY8dEO24vnqsX60qoORuFtg5UUBVeQUfexkdncaw4/s2750/Dipping%20the%20Quill%20Deeper%20The%20Purpliest%20Prose%20(It%E2%80%99s%20a%20Start,%20Really).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TjzYO6JFObGSZdoBrioqifQ2MGFN2pwtfvqJh9UZUqG4QVkNDcppP9kk7i6JkuuPox2gBTrmvniprV8KWS5bnSaKTZKDNs_zxVVq3bE9AtdUgqdvwzp-Xad_ybDZYixhJLG4rh9EElxlZi1xYx6UY8dEO24vnqsX60qoORuFtg5UUBVeQUfexkdncaw4/w400-h225/Dipping%20the%20Quill%20Deeper%20The%20Purpliest%20Prose%20(It%E2%80%99s%20a%20Start,%20Really).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Eva Marie Everson <a href="https://twitter.com/EversonAuthor" target="_blank">@EversonAuthor</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I stood in front of the engraved slab, my mouth slightly ajar, then pointed with one finger as my eyes sought out my travel companions, Chris and Clare. “What is it?” Clare asked. “Or rather, who?” </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For well over an hour, we inched our way through glorious Westminster Abbey in London, England. We oohed and aahed at the high ornate ceilings, intricate marble statues, and carved figures and icons within rich wood. We spent time talking with one of the priests, who was most informative. We swam in a sea of languages, fellow tourists. We studied the name plates and likenesses of those buried within the hallowed halls—Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Oliver Cromwell, to name a few—and watched, half amused, as a man vacuumed the area around Henry V’s tomb. “Now there’s a job,” I joked to Clare, known as C.J. Campbell in our literary world. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then we made it to the area known as <a _corner="" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poets" target="_blank"><b><i>Poets’ Corner</i></b></a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here marks the final resting places or the memorialization of some of our greatest artistic and literary figures—Dickens, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Jenny Lind, etc.—as well as the <a href="https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/edward-bulwer-lytton" target="_blank"><b>black, trimmed in gold slab</b></a>, surrounded by beige marble, to which I pointed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although a politician during the time of Queen Victoria, it is as a writer that you probably know him best. He wrote in a variety of book genres—poetry, historical fiction, romance, science fiction, and mystery—and for magazines. Some of his works were adapted into stage plays and operas. He was known for coining phrases such as “the almighty dollar,” “the pen is mightier than the sword,” and an opening line from his novel Paul Clifford that made even <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-night-snoopy_charles-m-schulz/520484/item/6038313/?mkwid=%7cdc&pcrid=77447028765180&pkw=&pmt=be&slid=&product=6038313&plc=&pgrid=1239149900900141&ptaid=pla-4581046492312221&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+High+Vol+Frontlist+-+Under+%2410&utm_term=&utm_content=%7cdc%7cpcrid%7c77447028765180%7cpkw%7c%7cpmt%7cbe%7cproduct%7c6038313%7cslid%7c%7cpgrid%7c1239149900900141%7cptaid%7cpla-4581046492312221%7c&msclkid=1634adba1b1f15a1aa84c86b145378aa#idiq=6038313&edition=4384419" target="_blank"><b><i>Snoopy</i></b></a> sit up and take enough notice to plagiarize.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a dark and stormy night.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We call this “purple prose.”* Did you know that, in 1882, some 32 years after the book was published, these seven words inspired a contest that continues to this day—the <a href="https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest</i></b></a>—in which applicants send in their worst opening lines. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have a few I’d like to submit (I bet you do, too). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Can you imagine being most notably recognized not necessarily for your best line, but for your worst? Here’s what I’ve always found interesting about that one line—when you read it in its entirety, it’s the perfect example of “show don’t tell.”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was a dark and stormy night, the line begins. This is telling. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now read how the author ends it: the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For me, this is showing. I wonder sometimes, however, how little we’d know of the novel itself had it not been for those seven telling words. As I said previously, Snoopy himself saw their value. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I often encourage writers not to worry about opening lines until they are well into their work. Rarely do the right ones come at the start. In all my years of writing to publication, I think the lines I started with became the opening lines on the first page of the book a grand total of once. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I took my WIP to my critique group recently. I didn’t bother to say that I practically hated the opening paragraphs. I just waited to see how my fellow writers would respond to them. Pretty much, they all agreed—good words, but in the wrong order. Delete, delete, delete.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And that’s okay. I’m fine with that. The point is the same for me as it is for you—for all of us. And that is: just write. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll write something so profound, you’ll get a slab in a famous church. Or maybe you’ll write something so purple in its prose, you’ll get a rotten contest named after you.*"It was a dark and stormy night" is a parodied phrase considered to represent "the archetypal example of a florid, melodramatic style of fiction writing," also known as purple prose (Wikipedia)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/upekL" target="_blank">Dipping the Quill Deeper: The Purpliest Prose (It’s a Start, Really) from @EversonAuthor on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht1sDp72eCYANtDvEa8D4iKvVqtF0hOCSlm02smViVGxWV54dkU5zFrRO2WyF08ZDIPK5ygWgC1-gOm-gYWZVjXEd8k9JbNx9aAzPlloVk-YkSLxLxHtiv1pIfDAyRxbFwem7kUuQ9GmJUXWqtx3uky5mY6IPpJ94s5QYH_6SeRp56VjCQBYynMTKy74W/s200/CK4A3816%20copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht1sDp72eCYANtDvEa8D4iKvVqtF0hOCSlm02smViVGxWV54dkU5zFrRO2WyF08ZDIPK5ygWgC1-gOm-gYWZVjXEd8k9JbNx9aAzPlloVk-YkSLxLxHtiv1pIfDAyRxbFwem7kUuQ9GmJUXWqtx3uky5mY6IPpJ94s5QYH_6SeRp56VjCQBYynMTKy74W/s1600/CK4A3816%20copy.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div>Eva Marie Everson is the CEO of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is the multiple award-winning author of more than 45 books and countless articles and blogposts. She is also an award-winning speaker and a Bible teacher, a recipient of the Yvonne Lehman Award (2022), the AWSA Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), and the ECPA Gold Medallion (2023). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eva Marie is often seen at writers conferences across the States. She served as a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and taught as a guest professor at Taylor University in 2011. She and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they enjoy their grandchildren. They are owned by a cat named Vanessa.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eva Marie's latest book, <a href="https://www.boldvisionbooks.com/shop/om1oigt2uct0cm4uocc34uwk6ciw0z">THE THIRD PATH JOURNAL</a>, is a companion to her book, the AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Third-Path-Finding-Intimacy-Questioning/dp/1946708755/">THE THIRD PATH</a>. The Third Path looks at 26 of the questions God asked in the Bible, then makes them personal to the reader. The premise of the book is currently her most asked for continuing workshop at writers conferences.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-84753827483375737612024-02-26T01:00:00.005-05:002024-02-26T01:00:00.156-05:00Tips for Writing Good Dialogue<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE1jkZT56xgJ5c09fh-VyHsg4ky8NA2I8WzpV4Sv6GKeXIhqwhjZkYr7U9u77kIiabrzLxLFLgDkqQ8lAxZ0-bRtUsxy8ca7opgYEm_leB434a4q_JwnhGI1ja_S-NWU3LkvRJV4E1RNTHMI7zpuVSqB4pyg1KwUmmeQHwogWv5p-O67UzfJPJZxwuUm4/s3250/Tips%20for%20Writing%20Good%20Dialogue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="3250" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE1jkZT56xgJ5c09fh-VyHsg4ky8NA2I8WzpV4Sv6GKeXIhqwhjZkYr7U9u77kIiabrzLxLFLgDkqQ8lAxZ0-bRtUsxy8ca7opgYEm_leB434a4q_JwnhGI1ja_S-NWU3LkvRJV4E1RNTHMI7zpuVSqB4pyg1KwUmmeQHwogWv5p-O67UzfJPJZxwuUm4/w400-h225/Tips%20for%20Writing%20Good%20Dialogue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Ane Mulligan <a href="https://twitter.com/AneMulligan" target="_blank">@AneMulligan</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I cut my writerly teeth on dialogue as a script writer for stage plays and sermon-starters. I didn’t add directions or interpretation. I left that up to the director. Of course at that time, I was the director, but that’s neither here nor there. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the beginning when I gave the script to the actors, what they said was different from how I’d written it. Not in content but in delivery. Since I liked what I heard, I noted the changes in my scripts. Because of those actors, I learned very quickly to write realistic dialogue, which served me well when I started writing novels.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>I love dialogue because it:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Allows the reader to get to know the characters on a personal level. Their word choice (character voice) SHOWS personality.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Dialogue SHOWS rather than telling information in narrative. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Breaks up passages of narrative with dynamic information: again it SHOWS.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">4. Writers can imply subtext through the character’s actions and tone.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>But it’s not always easy to write succinct speech that:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">1. Rings true and doesn’t feel forced or stilted. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">2. Is relevant to what’s going on in the story.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3. Suits the character. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>How to define who is speaking:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A dialogue tag is most often used by newer writers. It defines who is speaking. The most commonly used tag is “said.” New writers, please be warned: you cannot reminisce, laugh, or sigh words. You can only SAY words. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Besides, those words tell instead of show. BUT, and there’s that big but again, you can use those as an action beat to show who is speaking:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Ellen sighed. “I guess so.”</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Jane wiped away her tears. “You always make me feel better.”</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Dave picked up the photo album. “Do you remember when we first met?” Memories consumed him.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>You can also use internal monologue or thoughts:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Marleigh appeared in a dress that left her shoulders bare and took Gabe’s breath away. “You look stunning.”</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">Sam opened the restaurant’s back door and smoke billowed out, engulfing him. “Where’s the fire?” </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Be sure you vary where you place the tag or action beat in the sentence. In my first draft, I usually place them all before the dialogue to identify who is speaking. Then in the second draft, I move them to the middle and after dialogue, so a pattern doesn’t become apparent.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Three things in dialogue have an impact:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">Concise: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Less is better to move a plot forward. Keep the dialogue focused on the point you need to communicate. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">Authentic: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">It shows who the characters are, why they’re there, and how they feel about the situation and other characters. While dialogue is the perfect place to let a character’s personality and speech patterns shine through, it’s not an excuse for them to ramble like we do during real conversations.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: verdana;">Natural sounding dialogue in a book doesn’t exactly replicate the way we speak. I listened to my actors to change my written dialogue to sound realistic. In a book we want to make dialogue sound realistic while getting our point across succinctly. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: verdana;">Purposeful: </b><span style="font-family: verdana;">It needs to be there to communicate important information, like planting clues or revealing backstory, not merely to give characters something to do. In a book we want to make dialogue sound realistic while getting our point across succinctly.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When including an accent, foreign language or colloquialisms in dialogue, the general rule of thumb is to be sparing, giving the impression of it through the way words are put together, rather than writing each word that way. Less is more; the odd word goes a long way to giving the impression of a language idiosyncrasy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Example: </b>A character is an Irish immigrant. Show that in the way he patterns his speech. As his wife leaves the house, instead of asking “Are you” he would say, “And would you be goin’ to the store?” Only use a few words like “aye” for “yes” and “me” for “my” and then not all the time. Once the reader has seen bits of a dialect, they will automatically think in the dialect.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Edit out repetitions. </b>When I do second and third drafts, I sometimes find in my last edit, I’ve changed something and now have repetition. I have to choose the best place for that information to be given and delete the other instance. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>CAVEAT: </b>As with all rules and guidelines, there are times when you will break them. However, be sure it is done for a reason and makes an impact.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/9O99c" target="_blank">Tips for Writing Good Dialogue from author @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEeBg6vVl3tXEqdMJMvbvKRDZ-p5qi9QQdjUZGTzfPtUE2dv3ZiSrWDRrI6V8-Me0Tf-Nva6Rsv_9b0mTf_0sYmQnNeyYxCdy7M8se8UKCT_UzlX3TcB418_0RTSR1fBzRm97nFw0Ptx0f0g4o0MBKB1MEYtRcgtt0wkBbjcuCSsnJ21KKnlSig6qEh3q/s200/ANE%20%231%202024%20Cropped%20HEADSHOT.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="193" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEeBg6vVl3tXEqdMJMvbvKRDZ-p5qi9QQdjUZGTzfPtUE2dv3ZiSrWDRrI6V8-Me0Tf-Nva6Rsv_9b0mTf_0sYmQnNeyYxCdy7M8se8UKCT_UzlX3TcB418_0RTSR1fBzRm97nFw0Ptx0f0g4o0MBKB1MEYtRcgtt0wkBbjcuCSsnJ21KKnlSig6qEh3q/s1600/ANE%20%231%202024%20Cropped%20HEADSHOT.jpeg" width="193" /></a></div>Ane Mulligan lives life from a director’s chair, both in theatre and at her desk, creating novels. Entranced with story by age three, at five, she saw PETER PAN onstage and was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. One day, her passions collided, and an award-winning, bestselling novelist immerged. She believes chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups and lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her <a href="https://www.anemulligan.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ane-Mulligan/e/B00L3SDPDC">Amazon Author page</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anemulligansouthernfriedfiction">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anemulligan/">Instagram,</a> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/anemulligan/">Pinterest</a>, <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/">The Write Conversation</a>, and <a href="https://www.blueridgeconference.com/blog/">Blue Ridge Conference Blog</a>.</span></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-88780203869593302582024-02-25T01:00:00.014-05:002024-02-25T01:00:00.127-05:00Use Fiction Techniques to Make Your Nonfiction Great<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwea5VzmbHoRlJ0QYyrWSv_52s8RaAmWGYISBKlQ_o7pdLqvMqEDHO_y85vh22-mWI3Xsq0O1OaKk-S_Wji4o5yy851qPNI1v-NpH87OjhPLkcWe7tyoP1MlphjT6UYSnj-FXwws0qq4Z6a_Jn2A6KH2ZK-CnhkhJ2NQUcfy-1NcIfZIG5qGqksGxx_uw/s3500/Use%20Fiction%20Techniques%20to%20Make%20Your%20Nonfiction%20Great.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="3500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwea5VzmbHoRlJ0QYyrWSv_52s8RaAmWGYISBKlQ_o7pdLqvMqEDHO_y85vh22-mWI3Xsq0O1OaKk-S_Wji4o5yy851qPNI1v-NpH87OjhPLkcWe7tyoP1MlphjT6UYSnj-FXwws0qq4Z6a_Jn2A6KH2ZK-CnhkhJ2NQUcfy-1NcIfZIG5qGqksGxx_uw/w400-h225/Use%20Fiction%20Techniques%20to%20Make%20Your%20Nonfiction%20Great.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Edie Melson <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whatever we’re writing, story is the trump card we must always know how to play. Using storytelling in nonfiction is the single biggest thing that will take your writing from adequate to sellable. In this workshop Edie shares how to format dialogue, when to show and when to tell, and other fiction writing tips that make nonfiction sing. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many nonfiction writers avoid learning anything about fiction. However, story trumps everything—whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Great, compelling nonfiction includes well-crafted stories. These may be vignettes used to illustrate a point, but the point made will stay with the reader when it’s delivered as a story. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Look at the example of Jesus. He used parables—stories—to illustrate the truths He was sharing with His audience. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Learn to Write Good Stories, Illustrations and dramatizations</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A good story can be a personal anecdote from your experience or another story you know. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">An illustration is told in story form and can be true or made up. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dramatization is an invented story. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When appropriate, make sure your reader knows whether the story you’re telling is true or not. This is especially true when we’re telling stories about biblical characters. If it’s not in the Bible, don’t lead others to believe it is, even accidently. For invented illustrations you can use terms like, Imagine with me, I’ve often wondered if, etc. You don’t have to say, I made this up to prove a point.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A great nonfiction writer weaves stories into narrative seamlessly. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A good rule of thumb is at least one story/illustration for every major point.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Use dialogue in the stories you share. And learn the correct method of formatting dialogue</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Correct Dialogue Techniques</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In general, every person who speaks in a section of dialogue gets their own paragraph. Don’t write two people speaking in the same paragraph.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A dialog TAG is the technique used to show who is speaking</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan said</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The correct way to punctuate a tag is with a comma at the end of the spoken dialog, inside the quotation mark. This is followed by the tag (see example above).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Use the word said in almost 100-percent of your dialogue tags. Don’t pull out your thesaurus to find synonyms for said. Said is invisible to the reader and doesn’t distract from the story/illustration you’re sharing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t substitute words for said that aren’t accurate:</span></li><li><i><span style="font-family: courier;">“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan giggled.</span></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It’s not possible to giggle words. You also can’t whine words, growl words, hiss words, etc.</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A dialog BEAT is the technique used to show who is speaking through action:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>“Don’t make me laugh.” Susan put her hand over her mouth.</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The correct way to punctuate a beat is with a period (or ending punctuation) at the end of the spoken dialogue, inside the quotation mark. This is followed by the beat (see example above).</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">When you use a beat, make sure the action is in the same paragraph as the dialogue. Here is how NOT to do it:</span></li><ul><li><i style="font-family: courier;">“Don’t make me laugh.” </i></li><li><i style="font-family: courier;">Susan put her hand over her mouth.</i></li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do not begin dialogue with an attribution. We rarely use one another’s names when we talk, especially if it’s just a conversation between two people. Don’t say:</span></li><ul><li><i style="font-family: courier;">“Jonathan, don’t make me laugh.” Susan put her hand over her mouth.</i></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t use an adverb to describe how something is said:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan said happily.</i></span></li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead use a speaker beat to show us how something is said:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>“Don’t make me laugh.” Susan put a hand over her mouth, and her eyes crinkled with mirth.</i></span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Exclamation marks are forbidden—in dialogue and everywhere else in your nonfiction book. There are a few tiny exceptions, but they very rarely apply (that’s why they’re called <b><i>exceptions</i></b>).</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t head hop when telling a story. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">A story is told from the perspective of one person. That is the POV character. That POV character can’t read the other person’s mind or know what’s going on outside of where they are. Here’s an example of POV done INCORRECTLY:</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>John and Mary followed the hostess to the table. John’s hands were sweating. Would Mary say yes or would she turn him down?</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Mary sat across from John and studied him. Why was he so nervous? Was he going to break up with her?</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>The waiter studied the couple at the table. He knew the drill and could read the signs. The man was going to propose. He turned back to the kitchen and ordered a bottle of champagne be put on ice.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the story above, we are hopping from the head of each character. The story becomes more powerful when we stick with just one. Here’s the same scene rewritten:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>John kept his hand on the small of Mary’s back as they followed the hostess to the table he’d reserved. He wanted to wipe his hand, afraid his sweaty palm would leave a mark on the red silk dress, but he didn’t want to give away his nervousness. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Mary glanced at him, her head tilted up and her lips unsmiling. “Is everything all right?” </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>John forced himself to smile like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Order anything you like. I want tonight to be special.” He glanced toward the waiter who had turned back to the kitchen. What was that server doing? </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Make sure your dialogue isn’t just talking heads. People move when they speak.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Avoid long monologues. Break up long sections of one person speaking with reactions from the other person. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t be afraid to shorten your stories: Example in Unruffled</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Learn to write with active verbs to make your narrative come alive.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Not: </b>Track lighting has improved and no longer looks dated. It’s smaller and uses updated technology.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Instead: </b>Today’s track lighting has come a long way from the clunky black and chrome options of the seventies. Track lighting is sleek and graceful, often utilizing halogen bulbs for intense bursts of light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Not: </b>Some provide a small amount of accent light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Instead: </b>Some of them emitting only a drop of light, highlighting an accent wall with brilliance.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Not: </b>They’re no longer large, dim lights for bathrooms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Instead:</b> They’re no longer boring, utilitarian monstrosities shedding poor light on a dingy bathroom.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Not: </b>It looks good in any room.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Instead: </b>It looks equally well in a metal loft or a room with exposed wooden beams.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Learning to incorporate good fiction techniques into your nonfiction writing will take everything you compose to the next level! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now it's your turn, what questions and tips do you have about fiction techniques for nonfiction writing? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don't forget to join the conversation!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blessings,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Edie</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/t3CMc" target="_blank">Use Fiction Techniques to Make Your Nonfiction Great from author @EdieMelson (click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKoBhjhd5_iBpyTj5p0TmK9ey5hYPleJWks7g53M7Xx2TfaO27QknDmCJ71VaP319vNP1Pmm3ugF6RUwbhRTIOAJRV5rRI5Ui3wRPmNHrFVVttn5Tjo14edqEwjLwfXYJztJYsBwiPWr7lsEokcFo_SaFaXZjyfiRL8M6qw4U2WajATqSJ4NX-2rmBz6p/s200/Ediecup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKoBhjhd5_iBpyTj5p0TmK9ey5hYPleJWks7g53M7Xx2TfaO27QknDmCJ71VaP319vNP1Pmm3ugF6RUwbhRTIOAJRV5rRI5Ui3wRPmNHrFVVttn5Tjo14edqEwjLwfXYJztJYsBwiPWr7lsEokcFo_SaFaXZjyfiRL8M6qw4U2WajATqSJ4NX-2rmBz6p/s1600/Ediecup1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-34727144432834204712024-02-24T01:00:00.006-05:002024-02-24T01:00:00.132-05:00Crafting Compelling Stories: A Hollywood Formula for Success <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4UyhonN2AuHRJPYk9SvAR9lmSeKrU_iwb6496uzHBAtjsIr8Jlz_MyckqefuwV3E-1WlOg5gm-nOKgnpLwoh0MqPM-ESakDKuPJpUKMRx6SFYPnLOc4-GgTAccfFfVLJtILQ24E0OOO53HF5YB4kX_EeXXpvRs9pJfAUGVaI_0OV_ZXkOFk3cpa92c9i/s3500/Crafting%20Compelling%20Stories%20A%20Hollywood%20Formula%20for%20Success%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="3500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4UyhonN2AuHRJPYk9SvAR9lmSeKrU_iwb6496uzHBAtjsIr8Jlz_MyckqefuwV3E-1WlOg5gm-nOKgnpLwoh0MqPM-ESakDKuPJpUKMRx6SFYPnLOc4-GgTAccfFfVLJtILQ24E0OOO53HF5YB4kX_EeXXpvRs9pJfAUGVaI_0OV_ZXkOFk3cpa92c9i/w400-h225/Crafting%20Compelling%20Stories%20A%20Hollywood%20Formula%20for%20Success%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Zena Dell Lowe <a href="https://twitter.com/ZenaDellLowe" target="_blank">@ZenaDellLowe</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Unlocking the Secrets of a Blockbuster Story</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As writers, the dream of Hollywood recognition often feels like an elusive fantasy, reserved for the lucky few. Still, most of us can’t help but to wonder about it, and we certainly understand why it should matter to novelists. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hollywood's love for adapting books into movies is the key. By turning a successful book into a film, they tap into a pre-existing audience, reducing the risk of failure. Your published book signals viability and an existing fan base, making it desirable for adaptation. Think J.K. Rowling, who not only made a fortune from her books but also laughed all the way to the bank with the movie adaptations.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, making money shouldn't be the sole motivation for writing, but dreaming big and testing your story against Hollywood's standards can undoubtedly elevate your craft. The question is, in a saturated market, how can novelists hope to get the attention from Hollywood that they seek?<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>The good news is, it might not be as difficult as you think. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today, I want to encourage you on your quest to make your story not just good, but Hollywood-worthy. We’ll dive into a formula—Heart, Smarts, and Sparkle—that helps Hollywood assess the potential of your story. By tapping into this formula, you give yourself a much greater chance to get noticed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heart, Smarts, and Sparkle – The New Lingo</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the old days of story evaluation, Aristotle identified three key ingredients that every great story must have. He called these Logos, Pathos, and Ethos. We’re just updating the terms to give them a Hollywoodized shine, but the basic ingredients remain the same. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Heart: Forging an Unbreakable Connection</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The heart of any story lies in the emotional connection it forges with the audience through the main character. Regardless of whether your character is likable, sympathetic, or intriguing, this emotional bond is non-negotiable. Unless your audience emotionally commits to your character's journey, there is no story. The key of any story is a compelling main character. You must create one that the audiences is willing to invest in, and that’s the heart connection you need to succeed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Smarts: Unveiling Originality and Insight</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Smarts, the second element of our formula, comes in two flavors: arena and insight. The smartness of your story lies in showcasing a world or perspective that's fresh and original. Avoid clichés, offer new insights, take the audience to a world they’ve never seen before, and build themes that resonate. Whether it's through the setting, like the fish market down the street, or profound themes, smartness ensures your story stands out.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Sparkle: The Elusive Magic Touch</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The third and arguably most critical component is Sparkle—the extra magic that bedazzles your story. While it might be the trickiest to control, your story must possess it. Johnny Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow was the sparkle in Pirates of the Caribbean. Otherwise, it would have been a conventional pirate movie. Unfortunately, the writer had no control over that, but M. Night Shyamalan had control over it when he wrote the twist ending of The Sixth Sense. J.K. Rowling's magical world in Harry Potter showcases not only how the extra magic can elevate a story, but also how it can be cultivated by the writer if they have the right story to tell. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While you may not be able to entirely control it, cultivating great characters and originality increases the chances of discovering that indescribable sparkle. Sparkle often emerges unexpectedly, but by focusing on creating a great character and infusing originality, you set the stage for that enchanting quality.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Final Thoughts: Testing Your Story for Hollywood</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The question is: Is your story good before Hollywood? This formula, Heart, Smarts, and Sparkle, provides a lens through which to assess your story's potential. Keep in mind that building a Hollywood-worthy story is a step-by-step process. This is just one layer of many for you to evaluate. If you can identify these three things in your current WIP, you may be well on your way to crafting a compelling narrative that Hollywood will enjoy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For more insights into the world of Hollywood, sign up for my new online course, Hollywood Story Structure Made Easy! Become an early adopter today and learn everything you need to know to write a best-selling novel. Go to <a href="https://www.thestorytellersmission.com/story-structure-made-easy">https://www.thestorytellersmission.com/story-structure-made-easy</a> to learn more.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/e88Ea" target="_blank">Crafting Compelling Stories: A Hollywood Formula for Success from @ZenaDellLowe on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBvuETdm9SFUNLoO64FHLQJwRRLKjz09HD9CGssus6TXJaA13hnLEJdsPyw7i-R-BKlsJaBewMyMc2_DDVs7-NRA73s22ldkujGbxqfTQ6xwB41g0UJ-VCj5NpRaPzxf5vYIQjnnYzWH6c6VveC9LA66YHX-BLSSEWajiqGc56YRlZsTVZXxMPlxm_HRg/s200/ZENA%20General%20Headshot%202021.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="134" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBvuETdm9SFUNLoO64FHLQJwRRLKjz09HD9CGssus6TXJaA13hnLEJdsPyw7i-R-BKlsJaBewMyMc2_DDVs7-NRA73s22ldkujGbxqfTQ6xwB41g0UJ-VCj5NpRaPzxf5vYIQjnnYzWH6c6VveC9LA66YHX-BLSSEWajiqGc56YRlZsTVZXxMPlxm_HRg/s1600/ZENA%20General%20Headshot%202021.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>Zena has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a writer, producer, director, actress, and story consultant. Zena also teaches advanced classes on writing all over the country. As a writer, Zena has won numerous awards for her work. She also has several feature film projects in development through her independent production company, Mission Ranch Films. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe, a podcast designed to serve the whole artist, not just focus on craft. In 2021, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission Online Platform, where she offers advanced classes and other key services to writers. Zena loves story and loves to support storytellers. Her passion is to equip artists of all levels to achieve excellence at their craft, so that they will truly have everything they need to change the world for the better through story.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To find out more about Zena or her current courses and projects, check out her websites at <a href="http://www.missionranchfilms.com/">WWW.MISSIONRANCHFILMS.COM</a> and <a href="http://www.thestorytellersmission.com/">WWW.THESTORYTELLERSMISSION.COM</a></span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2907737240492304428.post-18396090160372692902024-02-23T01:00:00.004-05:002024-02-23T01:00:00.136-05:00Don’t Forget These 7 Unusual Must-Pack Items for Your Next Writing Conference<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdL99P-_rYoiURnPyv104pYOoZxvb9a_ldJNQAcIp-BdeWEs-qZfdFcCRscaEf-SnVSv74Cm9WMbYzCg1SANzhwptIx3R9wLCC0GfFXzPTxI9dA28HeyFHfot9HKuZGnAudd2CnZRp94crfRKINCCjrw2U2VLFoLrkqsGRF4ugrgTxZ5tG6enKelPVu-J/s2750/Don%E2%80%99t%20Forget%20These%207%20Unusual%20Must-Pack%20Items%20for%20Your%20Next%20Writing%20Conference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdL99P-_rYoiURnPyv104pYOoZxvb9a_ldJNQAcIp-BdeWEs-qZfdFcCRscaEf-SnVSv74Cm9WMbYzCg1SANzhwptIx3R9wLCC0GfFXzPTxI9dA28HeyFHfot9HKuZGnAudd2CnZRp94crfRKINCCjrw2U2VLFoLrkqsGRF4ugrgTxZ5tG6enKelPVu-J/w400-h225/Don%E2%80%99t%20Forget%20These%207%20Unusual%20Must-Pack%20Items%20for%20Your%20Next%20Writing%20Conference.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />by Lori Hatcher </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Conference season has begun! Ever wish you could peer over your favorite writing professional’s shoulder as he or she packs their suitcase for a conference? Wish no more. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since stalking is illegal, I surveyed a few conference veterans to compile a collection of “Must-Pack Items.” You won’t see these on the usual list. You may not even realize you need them, but, trust me, you’ll be glad you packed them. <span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>7 Unusual Must-Pack Items You Might Not Think Of</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3SCDptH" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Power Strip with Extension Cord</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can’t count how many times I’ve gone to charge my phone (which I uses as my clock and alarm) and my watch beside the bed in a hotel and discovered only one outlet. And one plug is always occupied by a lamp cord. To charge everything, I have to plug my devices into the next-closest outlet halfway across the room. Not helpful when I want to check the time in the middle of the night. My handy dandy power strip with extension cord provides eight outlets, four USB charging ports (think phone and watch), and a five-foot extension cord. Plenty of space and power to supply everything I need.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3OFlVM7" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Pashmina Wrap</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Conferences are notoriously cold, but who wants to lug around a coat or jacket? Years ago, I discovered pashminas—soft, cozy, elegant wraps that come in a variety of colors. They fold flat or roll up to tuck into a carryon or backpack. Choose navy or black to match every outfit, and you’ll never be cold again.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3UCQCWe" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ferrero Roche chocolate</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Whether you use it to make friends, sweeten up agents and editors, or thank your instructors, premium chocolate is a must-pack for every conference. And if the conference isn’t going well? Unwrap one (or more) of these golden beauties for comfort and consolation.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ulFnqp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Laundry Bag</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No matter how long the conference lasts, you’ll be bringing back dirty clothes. I prefer to keep my clean clothes separate from my dirty ones in my suitcase. A lightweight laundry bag does the trick. And when I return home? No sorting or separating. I grab the bag and drop it in the laundry room.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3wdYxz0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Suction Cup Toothbrush Holder</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love this toothbrush cover. Not only does it keep my toothbrush dry and clean, it has a suction cup that sticks to the bathroom mirror. When I dash back to the room for a quick freshen up between appointments, I don’t have to fumble through my makeup case to find my toothbrush.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3HVSwcN" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ear plugs</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hate to say this, but even the best roommates snore sometimes. I mean, we’re tired after a long day of learning and networking. But if your roommate is snoring, you’re not sleeping, unless you tucked a super-comfortable pair of silicone ear plugs into your suitcase. I’ve only had to use mine once, but boy, was I glad I had ‘em. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://amzn.to/42CLsv6" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Apple AirTag</b></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">True confession time. I don’t know how many times I’ve left my backpack or rolling suitcase behind in a classroom, dining hall, or auditorium. I start talking with a new writing friend and off I go, leaving my possessions behind. One Christmas, my kids gave me an Apple AirTag to keep track of my suitcase when I travel. After I arrive at a conference, I transfer it to my backpack or rolling suitcase and never again wonder where I left my stuff. About the size of a quarter, this little lifesaver pairs with my Apple phone or watch and tells me exactly where my bag is. Best $24 you’ll ever spend. And for four dollars more, you can buy a <a href="https://a.co/d/c4Ns2Yh" target="_blank"><b>clipcase</b></a> to attach it to the inside of your bag for safekeeping.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">()</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you prepare to gather with writing friends, meet with industry professionals, and polish your craft, be sure to pack smart. With a little thought and preparation, you’ll have everything you need to experience the best conference ever.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>TWEETABLE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://ctt.ac/9bkW5" target="_blank">Don’t Forget These 7 Unusual Must-Pack Items for Your Next Writing Conference from Lori Hatcher on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)</a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLwa7I7k4E9n8xXb5oK1cLveQUKqEjSwazp_M-YSx1pptv9XXCgcRQGwjuJX67DenBZHFM3EbgLeQNJQa0JRO_nQbWwqMnWhMx5Hal1u8AHn5UcKol4hq3rN0oIpE6YE50LyqTfdYyQwkR0VsU85gfNOEOs2Sm40CGBjkH0Id9DdG1t1IJ3AdpA7Wikcc/s200/Lori%20Hatcher%20Headshot%20%231%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="130" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLwa7I7k4E9n8xXb5oK1cLveQUKqEjSwazp_M-YSx1pptv9XXCgcRQGwjuJX67DenBZHFM3EbgLeQNJQa0JRO_nQbWwqMnWhMx5Hal1u8AHn5UcKol4hq3rN0oIpE6YE50LyqTfdYyQwkR0VsU85gfNOEOs2Sm40CGBjkH0Id9DdG1t1IJ3AdpA7Wikcc/s1600/Lori%20Hatcher%20Headshot%20%231%20(2).jpeg" width="130" /></a></div>Lori Hatcher loves to inspire and equip others by sharing high-impact stories for spiritual transformation. A popular women’s ministry speaker and writing/speaking instructor, Lori is an Advanced Communicator Gold and Advanced Leader Bronze with Toastmasters International. She writes for Our Daily Bread, Guideposts, Revive Our Hearts, and Crosswalk.com. Check out her latest devotional, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Word-Your-Day-Devotions-Refresh/dp/1640702601">A WORD FOR YOUR DAY: 66 DEVOTIONS TO REFRESH YOUR MIND</a>, from Our Daily Bread Publishing. Connect with her at <a href="http://www.lorihatcher.com/">LORIHATCHER.COM </a>or on <a href="http://tinyurl.com/mkave7u">FACEBOOK</a>.</span></div></div>Edie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.com10