Organize Marketing with Spread Sheets

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

I’ve mentioned my spreadsheets to keep organized and have received questions on how I create and use them, so let me share my method. For marketing, spread sheets are so valuable for keeping information in one place and tracking progress. It provides, at a glance, information on plans for media, print, social media, articles and more. It can also keep track of links to work and interviews done and contact information for upcoming interviews. These can be created to track marketing for each book or brand or to build databases of media contacts.

Grace for the Writer

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

As we know, 2020 gave us more unscheduled time than we thought possible. I don’t need to tell you how many things were cancelled and stay-at-home orders placed on us countrywide as well as some countries around the world—you lived it. 

Often last year we found ourselves sitting around the TV waiting to hear when we could return to normal. We started this routine in March. I don’t know about you, but I’m still waiting to hear we’re ready to return to normal. Though I no longer sit by the TV news for that. We’ve slowly created new routines to get us by.

However, back in the spring I stopped writing. My critique groups and writing buddies couldn’t meet to work together. I became lazy. With no deadlines, or time schedule to meet with writing partners, my urgency—and desire—to write slowly flickered away. The candle flame went out and took all my mojo with it. I couldn’t string a sentence together, let alone an entire paragraph. 

Resurrecting The Buried Life in our Writing

by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

When we sit to write, we’re challenged to let our minds go to that place of wonder that lies in the deep crevices of our hearts. The “Buried Life,” (a term coined in a poem by Matthew Arnold,) is waiting to be rescued from the prison of political and social correctness. The freedom to write truth in books, articles, and speak in the public forum can lose its luster through the busyness of keeping up with social media and the constant flow of disturbing news. 

My American Idol Ah-ha Moment as a Writer

by Crystal Bowman

In the early seasons of American Idol, I was a faithful fan. From the first auditions to the grand finale, I watched every episode to see who would make the top ten and eventually win the singing competition. 

Collateral Blessings for Writers: Unexpected Surprises from God

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

Don’t you love when God totally surprises you with a blessing you didn’t see coming? 

I’ve played around on Facebook for a number of years, starting my personal page long ago when my teenagers first asked to join the social media world. “Only if you help your technologically-challenged mother set up an account, too,” I’d replied. “So that I can monitor your activity … somewhat.” I knew my tech intel skills couldn’t rival that of my kids, but, luckily, my teens were more interested in getting to church on time for youth group than they were getting into anything devious online. 

As my writing career continued to move forward, social media became more of a work tool for me than a teenage surveillance device. I paid attention at conferences like Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and learned to sincerely engage with those that might be part of my potential audience for my writing. 

What’s Behind Your Writer's Mask?

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

Living in unprecedented times brings a lot of new “rules” we must learn to live with. One of the new norms for us today is wearing a mask when we go out. Though not popular with some people, wearing masks is one thing we can do to be proactive in helping restore our freedom of moving about without fear of contamination.

Writers have worn masks for years and in some ways, it is a parallel to our current mask wearing.

A Writer's Dollar Wisely Spent

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

Writers live on pennies. If we’re lucky – dimes. So when conferences roll around it’s our eyes that roll at the pennies we spend. No one will argue that attending a conference is expensive. It is but it is also the one place you will latch on, not only to your dream but to the necessary learning needed to excel as a writer.