How to Create Believable Characters: What Writers Can Learn from Training a Puppy

From Edie: Struggling to create believable characters? Discover how understanding motivation—through an unexpected lesson from training a puppy—can help writers craft deeper, more realistic fiction.

How to Create Believable Characters: What Writers Can Learn from Training a Puppy

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

My husband, Rob, and I have a new puppy.

Now you’re thinking, “Beth, what does a puppy have to do with writing?”

What Football Teaches Writers About Success, Wins, and Perseverance

From Edie: What can football teach writers about success? Learn how wins, perseverance, and teamwork apply to the writing journey.

What Football Teaches Writers About Success, Wins, and Perseverance

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Is it okay if I talk about football today?

“But Beth,” you say, “this is a blog for writers.”

Let me rephrase my question: Is it okay if I talk about football today if I connect it to writing?

The Surprisingly Fun Benefit of Back-to-School Shopping for Writers

by Beth K. Vogt on @BethVogt

It’s back to school season, and you know what that means, right? It’s time to grab the oh-so-detailed shopping lists, head to the stores – they’re all boasting sales, right? – and fill the shopping carts to overflowing with the required school supplies. Paper, notebooks, and don’t forget the pens!

I miss back-to-school shopping. My kiddos are adults, some with kiddos of their own. Even so, I check the sales, wander the aisles, and toss a few boxes of crayons or markers, along with the notebooks or pens, into my cart. (Did I mention they were on sale?) It’s always good to have craft supplies on hand for my GRANDkiddos, right? And I can never have too many pens or too much paper. 

Writer, Don’t Look Now, But You’re Being Followed

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Last weekend, my husband Rob and I attended the memorial service for our Aunt Jean, who died in June at 96. To be honest, she was Rob’s Aunt Jean, his mom’s younger sister, but years ago I claimed her as my aunt too. Both Rob and I treasured her as our mom-in-the-Lord. 

Shortly after we arrived in Montana, Aunt Jean’s eldest daughter, Pat, shared something with me: a typed page titled “Thoughts—Obituary” dated May 15, 2009—yes, Aunt Jean had written this 16 years ago. She wrote a brief reflection of her faith journey, what she called “a pathway of discovery,” that transformed her life when she was 45 years old after she knew God in a true, personal way. 

At the bottom of the page she’d written, “Beth Vogt said to me one day, ‘Leave a trail, Aunt Jean, so I can follow later.’”

You Need to Remember Your Unique Writing Journey

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

“Life is a story. What does yours say?” 

~Unknown

I read through the Bible last month.

Yes, you read that sentence correctly: I read from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 in 30 days.

My dear friend (and our brilliant leader here at The Write Conversation), Edie Melson, inspired me to do this. When Edie mentioned she was reading through the Bible in April, I applauded her plan. Then God nudged me in a “You do it too, Beth” kind of way. I ignored the first nudge—but not the second. 

A Heartfelt Prayer for Life Along the Writing Road

By Beth Vogt @BethVogt

My writing life is woven through with prayer. Little prayers like, “Help me finish this scene, God” to flat on my face prayers like, “Wasn’t expecting that, God. What do I do now?”

Today I’m sharing a writers’ prayer with you. I hope it encourages your heart. 

The Challenge of Getting in My Right Writing Mind

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

I am not a pantser.*

I write those words without apology to all the pantsers out there.

“But Beth,” you say, “That’s not very nice.”

It’s not about being nice but about being honest. I’ve been living the life of a pantser for months now and it’s made me bonkers.

There’s the honesty again, writing friends.

4 Ways for Writers to Stay Committed to New Year's Resolutions

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

Anyone know what yesterday was?

The second Friday in January is known as “Quitters Day.” 

I know you’re wondering, “Why is that, Beth?” Don’t worry—I’ll tell you. 

Writers, Focus on Your One Significant Word in 2025

Beth Vogt @BethVogt

Has this year been a whirlwind for anyone else?

Last January seemed set to slow motion but after that, someone pushed the fast forward button. And now there are only 17 days left in 2024. 

As the new year approaches, we can be caught in an emotional tug of war as we look back over our shoulder and recall personal and professional ups and downs. At the same time, we wonder what awaits us in 2025.

Some of us start the year with resolutions—a list of goals we want to accomplish. Me? I’m an advocate for choosing One Word for the upcoming year. Making the “I will” and the “I won’t” list seems so positive, but I always lost my list of resolutions by February and could never remember half the things I wrote down.

A Writer’s Grateful Prayer for the Hard Days

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

November has become the month of gratitude for me. While this past year has been a challenging one, I’m certain I’m not the only writer looking back over my shoulder at disappointments or even heartaches. But as I considered today’s blog post, my thoughts became a prayer of gratefulness: 

What Happens When Your Writing Routine is Suddenly Disrupted?

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

I had a new experience last month.

I broke two bones in my right wrist—yes, my dominant hand. This is my first time ever breaking a bone or two, and it was all thanks to our sweet dog Jo. She's 12 years old now, getting a bit deaf, and she meanders quite a bit when we take her on walks. I like to take photos when we go on our morning walks. Of the sunrise. Or the occasional deer. Some cheerful sunflowers. Her meandering and my photography spelled disaster early one morning when she tripped me. Down I went, hitting the asphalt hard.

So here I am wearing a hard cast through October, voice dictating my blog post. It's been interesting, to say the least.

3 Important Reason to be Proud You're a Writer

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now—maybe it’s you.

Lean in and listen close:

I’m proud of you.

But Beth, you say, how can you be proud of me? You don’t know what my writing life is like. You don’t know what this week, this month, this year, has been like for me. You don’t know all the things I haven’t accomplished.

Please take a deep breath, my friend. Stop arguing with me while I say it again: I’m proud of you.

What Happens When Writers Think Like Stand-Up Comedians

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

My husband and I opened our Christmas presents last weekend.

You read that sentence correctly. This past Christmas, we gifted ourselves tickets to see comedian Nate Bargatze perform at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Merry Christmas to us.

The arena can seat over 9,000 people. That night, the only other person I knew was my husband, Rob. Everyone was there for the same reason: to laugh at Bargatze’s jokes.

And sitting there laughing with all those strangers got me thinking about writing. 

How Can Writers Take Better Care of Themselves?

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Anyone else surprised that it’s March, and that Daylight Savings Time happens tomorrow? (You’re welcome for the reminder!) 

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. 

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.

Writer, How’s Your Mindset?

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

I’m always looking for a new quote to add to my favorites list. Um, make that lists.

Today I want to share a quote I don’t like. 

Writers, Start 2024 Off Strong with One Word

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

How’s your December going, my friends?

If you’re like me, the last month of 2023 showed up a lot quicker than you expected. And there are only 22 days left until 2024 arrives!

Each one of us could look back over our shoulder at the past 12 months and recall personal and professional ups and downs. Joys and disappointments. Answered and not yet answered prayers. 

With the new year approaching, this is also the time of year when we ponder personal and professional resolutions.

It’s also when I wave my arms and yell, “Stop!” about doing the whole resolution tradition. Making the “I will” and the “I won’t” list seems so positive—until you lose the list in February and can’t remember half the things you wrote down.

Writers, Let’s Be Mindful About Gratitude

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

November always turns my heart toward gratitude because of the Thanksgiving holiday. But why limit being thankful to just one day of the month? Why not spread thankfulness throughout the entire thirty days?

Did you know there are health benefits to being grateful? Yep. According to a 2023 article By UCLA Health, gratitude:

• Reduces depression: People with a grateful mindset say they have a higher satisfaction with life than those who don’t practice gratitude. 
• Lessens anxiety: Choosing to be grateful combats negative thinking.
• Relieves stress: Stress can trigger a fight-or-flight response in your body, causing your heart to beat faster, your adrenaline to pump, and your muscles to contract. Gratitude can help calm your nervous system because it brings down your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

With these benefits of gratitude in mind, I invite you to read the following gratitude quotes, as well as Psalm 100, which is a song of thanksgiving to God. Consider what—and who—you can be thankful for today. Maybe write out a detailed list of things both big and small that you’re grateful for—maybe even take the time to write a note to someone and tell them why you’re thankful for them.

***

“Thanksgiving is a spiritual exercise, necessary to the building of a healthy soul. It takes us out of the stuffiness of ourselves into the fresh breeze and sunlight of the will of God.” Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015), author

“As you look at your blessings, take note of what happens. Anxiety grabs his bags and slips out the back door. Worry refuses to share the heart with gratitude. One heartfelt “thank you” will suck the oxygen out of worry’s world.” Max Lucado (1955-), minister and author

“Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an ‘accident,’ but a divine choice. It is important to realize how often we have had chances to be grateful and have not used them. When someone is kind to us, when an event turns out well, when a problem is solved, a relationship restored, a wound healed, there are very concrete reasons to offer thanks: be it with words, with flowers, with a letter, a card, a phone call, or just a gesture of affection. . . . Every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see new things to be grateful for. Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love.” Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), theologian and writer

Psalm 100, a psalm of praise and thanksgiving

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.

TWEETABLE

Writers, Let's Be Mindful About Gratitude, insight from author @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

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 bethvogt.com.

Valuable Ways Writers Can Combat Anxiety

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Anxiety disrupted the rhythm of my days recently.

Not a pleasant occurrence, this undercurrent of uneasiness that appears when I least expect it and interrupts my plans for the day, including my writing goals.

But God promises to bring good out of all things, and that includes disrupted seasons like this one.

10 Quotes to Inspire Your Creativity

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Writers, we are nothing if not creative.

Whether we write non-fiction or fiction, our craft begins with a spark. A question that needs to be answered. A what ifthat lures us down an imaginary path. 

Writers, I Double-Dog-Dare You to Have Fun This Summer

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

A few nights ago, I dusted off our long-ignored backgammon board my husband Rob and I’d received as newlyweds oh-so-many-years-ago. 

Were we rusty? Yes. The game required a review of the rules and a search for an extra set of mismatched dice. Our game was more low-key than competitive, but that will change as time goes on. 

The TV was turned off. Our laptops were shut. The To Dos were ignored. 

It was a fun hour—and yes, Rob won. Give me a few more practice games, and things will get more intense. 

What does backgammon have to do with writing, Beth? Maybe the heroine of my work-in-progress (WIP) will play backgammon.