3 Ways to Avoid Writing a Boring Bible Study

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I was shopping so much on Amazon one fall, that I thought about putting a sign with some cookies next to the pumpkins on my porch. The sign would greet every Amazon delivery driver with “Thank you for your visit,” so they wouldn’t get tired of coming. I don’t shop like the main character in Confessions of a Shopaholic which features Isla Fisher’s character, Rebecca, as an obsessed shopper, but she did say something that stuck with me.

Known for being quite candid, Rebecca told a banker that his bank had “the most boring window display.” She went on to say, “It’s like someone hit the snooze button in my brain.” When people read the Bible studies we write, we don’t want them to hit any snooze button or even think about snoozing. 

Why God’s Names Are So Important to Our Writing

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Do you have a favorite name for God? I like to call Him “Home.” He makes His home within us (John 14:23), and we find in Him a forever home for our hearts (Psalm 107:9) and a forever love to cherish (Jeremiah 31:3).

When we pray, we might call Him “Father,” “Abba,” or “Lord.” Focusing on His names in our prayer times can help us remember who He is and what He is capable of. Do you remember to include His names when you write? 

When the Writer’s Life Feels Overwhelming

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I don’t own thirty pairs of shoes, but I do like to take pictures of the ones I wear. It’s not a shoe fetish, just a travel one. When I go somewhere new, I like to take a picture of my feet on the unique paths I discover—cobblestone streets, mosaic sidewalks, bricked walkways, and hiking trails. A path is a promise of adventure and discovery. When we write, we are paving a path for our readers.

Some “paths” in our books guide readers down cobblestone lanes—a little bumpy but romantic. Other paths that we pave in our writing are an intricate network of mosaic tiles, creating an exciting pattern of tension and relational drama. Other paths guide the reader to understand a phenomenal truth about God, ushering them into a real-life scene of peace and hope. What paths are you paving in your book?

The Value to the Writer and the Reader in Just One More Edit

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I didn’t want to upload it one more time. After nine scroll-through’s and uploads of my e-book to Kindle’s publishing platform, I didn’t want to fix my book again. Couldn’t it just be done? Couldn’t I get away with not fixing that spacing that I had somehow missed?

I knew the answer was no. And for good reason—to make my book the best it could be. Every hour I had spent formatting paragraphs and endnotes, every minute I had carefully scrolled through the whole book, every second of patience was worth the end result. 

Give Added Value to Your Author Newsletter with Valuable Freebie

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

How many newsletters do you subscribe to? Did a free gift entice you to subscribe?

I enjoy finding free content that has great value for my needs and interests. Like a free Bible study on Philippians. Three steps to hand lettering (for artwork and journaling). A PDF guide to pitching a book. I couldn’t resist any of these. I gave my email address as they asked, and in my inbox appeared the “happy” I wanted. 

Are You Dancing with God as You Write?

Edie here. Today I want to celebrate our columnist, Katy Kauffman! This is her 100th post with The Write Conversation. Her faithfulness has blessed so many of us—through this blog and especially through her work on Lighthouse Bible Studies! Please join me in giving her a shout out and thanks!

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

He always knew what to do. Her eyes followed the dance instructor’s every move. On the periphery of the dance floor, she swayed to the rhythm of the music as he guided dancer after dancer across the ballroom. Waltz, foxtrot, swing dance. The instructor knew every style, and he became the perfect partner every dancer needed. Finally she found a teacher she could learn from and trust. Finally her dream of dancing would come true. Then he came her way.

Holding out his hand, he beckoned her to join him. One step, two, and then three. She learned to follow his lead. Hesitant steps became sure-footed as she adjusted to his pace. She understood how to anticipate their change of direction as he turned her hand in his, this way and that. At last. She was getting it. At last. She was dancing. 

Dear writer, you’re the dancer, and God is the perfect instructor. Writing is a partnership between us and God. He guides us to know what to write about and how. He beckons us to the dance floor and trains us to follow His lead. One word, two, and then three. He guides us as ideas turn into sentences and paragraphs. Our chapters may be shaky at first, but with time and practice, we gain confidence because we’re listening to His voice and following His direction. He knows how to write every genre, and He does it perfectly. He entrusts us with a message to share and builds within us the right heart to share it. 

4 Tips for Writers Quoting Scripture from BibleGateway.com

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Bible Gateway is an invaluable website for writers who want to quote Scripture. We can simply copy and paste verses from the site into our writing without having to hunt down a physical copy of the translation we want. I use the website or free app nearly every day for my quiet time or writing, and I’ve noticed a few things writers need to remember. 

Tips for Using BibleGateway in Your Writing

Tip #1: When you copy and paste verses from the internet, you may bring hidden characters with your text. 

When I was working in Microsoft Word one day, I noticed that words in a certain Bible verse looked “clumped” together. There were little spaces between the words as normal, but the justification wasn’t right. A huge gap was at the end of the line when it shouldn’t have been there. 

I clicked on the hidden characters button (the backwards P), and I saw little “bubbles” or raised circles between the words of the verse. Sneaky characters. I deleted them and replaced them with normal spaces by using the space bar, and the verse was perfectly spaced and justified. 

For some odd reason, these little bubbles can be in between words that come from the internet. It can wreak a little havoc for book and magazine designers. So if you copy and paste Scripture from the internet, please look for these sneaky bubbles. 

Tip #2: I discovered Bible Gateway has commentaries that we can use for free.

I often use Online Bible, my computer software, for looking up tidbits of understanding in commentaries. But as I was using Bible Gateway one day, I looked up a passage of Scripture, and clicked on “Read full chapter” right under the verses. This let me see the whole chapter, and in the right-hand side bar, a list of study Bibles, commentaries, and dictionaries appeared. 

When I clicked on one of the commentary titles, I could read that book’s entry about the Bible chapter. The site also has Bible dictionaries and maps, but you may need to “upgrade” to Bible Gateway Plus to use some resources. 

Tip #3: I can easily compare “gobs” of Bible translations for a verse at once.

Yes, gobs. When I search for a particular verse, it appears with two links below it. One is to read the full chapter in Scripture, and the other is to read the verse “in all English translations.” This helps me to see how various translators interpreted the verse literally or thought-for-thought.

My favorite literal translation is the New King James Version (NKJV). I often read from the New Living Translation (NLT). Once in a while, I might look at the New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV). But when I quote from Scripture, I mostly use the NKJV. Which ones do you like the most? 

Tip #4: Use Bible Gateway’s copyright information for each Bible translation, and be sure to check the rules. 

The copyright information for Bible translations is conveniently located on each web page for Bible verses. When I quote from a translation, I copy and paste that info onto the copyright page of my books. 

It’s also helpful to double-check how much we’re allowed to quote from a translation by looking at the publisher’s website. I can google “copyright permissions” with the translation name, and find guidelines for how much I can quote from that translation. 

Guidelines may have changed in recent years, so if it’s been a while since you looked them up, be sure to research your favorite Bible translations and see what’s legal and what’s not. 

Some translations allow you to quote up to 500 verses of Scripture or the equivalent of up to a quarter of your total written work.

See what’s considered “gratis use” and what’s not with these links:

• NKJV
• ESV
• NIV
• NASB

Have you discovered the ease of using Bible Gateway to quote Scripture? Which translations do you like to quote the most? Let’s get the conversation started in the comments, and may God bless each time you share His Word with the world.

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4 Tips for Writers Quoting Scripture from BibleGateway.com from @KatyKauffman28 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet) 

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of LIGHTHOUSE BIBLE STUDIES. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 1 which is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist. She also enjoys encouraging writers and giving writing tips in her monthly writers’ newsletter called THE LIGHTHOUSE CONNECTION.

In addition to online magazines, Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.COM, thoughts-about-God.com, and three blogs on writing. She loves to spend time with family and friends, create art and make crafts with her group MY ARTSY TRIBE, and tend the garden in the morning sun. She makes her home in a cozy suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Connect with her on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

Featured Image: Photo by Jandré van der Walt on Unsplash

A Dozen Questions to Spur Topics for Bible-Based Writers

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I just didn’t know what to write. After publishing my second book, I thought maybe God wanted me to write about the book of Nehemiah. I have learned so much from Nehemiah’s story, but no, I wasn’t supposed to write about that. Then the gospel of Mark—another book I love and hoped to write about. But I wasn’t feeling it. You know what I mean? I even thought about fiction. (I have a great idea for a YA series.) But it wasn’t the right timing.

If you have the ache to write but don’t know what to write about, don’t lose heart. Now is not the time to give up on the dream of writing, especially if you’ve tried to write about a topic and it didn’t work out. There’s a message waiting for you to tackle it.

An Expandable Outline for Bible-Based Blog Posts

 

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Do you blog from a feeling of inspiration, or do you follow an outline? I know some writers feel that an outline is too restrictive. I often want to sit down and just start typing. But sometimes, once I’ve written my lead-in and its connection to a spiritual principle, I am unsure what to write next. 

So let’s talk about an expandable outline for blog posts. Whether you write devotions, Christian living, or short Bible studies on your blog, you can take this outline and plump it out to share what’s bubbling in your heart and waiting to spill out. 

Let Scripture Simmer before You Write

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I feel like a grown woman now—I know how to make my own soup. I know this isn’t a trait that’s necessary to live in the real world. But there’s something satisfying about making food from scratch. Cookies, bread, banana pie. I’ve made those before. But soup—well, mine turned out to be like gravy—makes me feel bonded to pioneer women of past generations. Except I had electricity.

You have to let it simmer. The butter and the flour need a good simmering before the other ingredients are added, and then it simmers some more. Meanwhile, anticipation simmers in my tummy about the yummy rice bowl I’ll eat that night.

Are You Recruiting the Best Words When You Write?

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

How careful are you with the words you choose? 

Stir up or incite? Weaken or languish? Move or sway? When you consider which word to write next, do you also consider the power behind the word? How it sounds to the reader’s inner ear? What picture it portrays? 

You are more than just a writer of words—you are a recruiter as well. 

Engage Your Readers with Life-Changing Truth with the 5 Ps of Writing Bible Studies

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Powerful paragraphs proclaiming precious promises. 

Purposeful prose preempting possible problems.

Prayerful preparation producing practical points. 

That’s what a Bible study can be when we write it with God. He leads us in a dance of studying and writing. He guides us to pertinent definitions and commentary notes. He points out contrasts and comparisons in a passage. He moves us to notice Scripture’s word pictures and illustrations. 

3 Tips for Creating Great One-Liners in Your Writing

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Great one-liners become fodder for memes, tweets, and Goodreads. Did you know that you can share quotes from your books on social media or a website called Goodreads, and your words and byline might end up on a stranger’s memes without you ever knowing?

4 Things Angels Can Teach Us about Writing

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Angels have a lot to teach us about writing. 

For thousands of years, they waited. The angels of God saw it all—the first bite of a forbidden apple, the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and the human race struggling with sin and self. 

They never forgot God’s promise of a future Savior, and they did His will until at last the King left His heavenly throne, and a virgin and her betrothed found shelter in Bethlehem. With a newborn’s cry, the angels knew Hope was alive on earth, and He lay wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. Hope became reality. 

The Filters a Writer Uses to See the World Can Bring Our Readers Peace and Hope

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKaffman28

Diamonds danced on the water as light and wind teased the waves. I squinted under the summer sun for as long as I could, resisting the urge to put on my sunglasses. I didn't want anything to obstruct my view of the ocean. Shades of seafoam green and teal mixed as I gazed at the water. But the sun won out.

5 Ways to Stay Inspired to Write

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Do you write only when you’re inspired? It’s hard to make ourselves sit down and write when creativity isn’t bubbling within our souls. I love to write when a feeling of inspiration sings in my heart, but there are times when I’m up against a deadline without any “music” humming inside me to draw from. What do we do?

Here are five ways to stay inspired to write. Which of these do you already practice, and which could be added to your writer’s regimen to stir your heart to write?

Lead Your Readers Deeper into God's Word When You Ask this One Insightful Question

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

What question can we ask about any passage in the Bible so we can learn from it? What question would apply to both the Bible’s stories and its promises? What could we ask about Psalms and Proverbs that we could also ask about the books written by the prophets? What question would fit both Romans and Revelation?

Five Reasons Deleting Words Can Bring a Writer Peace Instead of Anxiety

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

It can be hard to let go of my words. I get attached. Do you?

One of the hardest things about editing our writing is deleting sentences, paragraphs, and even whole pages. It’s not easy to string words and ideas together, so why go through the anxiety of having to delete some? 

Being Busy Can Become a Toxic Trap for Writers

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I dreaded Januarys when I was a kid. Gray, cold, and slow. Not much to do. After coming off the thrill of Christmas with its church pageants, parties, Christmas shopping, and seeing family, I wished January would speed by. 

Now that I’m in publishing, I crave January. It’s still the slowest month of the year, but it gives me a breather. A chance to catch up on a project or start a new one. In one particular January, I took a course on building WordPress websites, and this month our new site, LightHouse Bible Studies is done! 

Tips to Breathe Life Into Your Writing

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

The imposing deadlines, that stubborn writer’s block, and maybe even lifeless words. This triple threat can threaten our creativity and stifle inspiration. Our highest aspiration as nonfiction writers includes capturing a message on paper that imparts truth, grace, and power to our readers. But when we grow weary of getting the words just right, smashing writer’s block, and conquering our deadlines, the goal becomes writing something on the page. Sometimes that’s all we can do until a fresh breeze of wisdom (and divine intervention) breathes life into our writing.

How can we transform lifeless into animated, and flat into inspiring? If your busy schedule and mental blocks are killing your writing, breathe life back into it with the following CPR method.

How to Give Your Writing Some CPR

C – Create a lead-in that captures the reader’s interest, and weave your story or slant all the way through your writing.

A story draws the reader in, and allows them to “see” your point. Pick a story that perfectly illustrates your main idea, and share more of the story in the conclusion or repeat a part of it that builds to a climatic finish. 

If you’re using a metaphor as your slant, weave it into several parts of your writing. Use it as the lead-in to gain interest. Explain its spiritual significance as you begin to talk about Scripture. Repeat it in your ending takeaway. The metaphor reinforces your point and ties your paragraphs together.

My favorite metaphor tends to be music or dancing. (The good kind.) I have contrasted guilt and forgiveness by using music as a slant. “The haunting melody of guilt had followed her, had crept into her soul. But she heard Jesus sing a different song, one of mercy and forgiveness.”1 This contrast became the slant for talking about the woman with the alabaster flask in Luke Chapter 7, a story I have always treasured. 

P – Present not only the what of your point, but include the why and/or the how.

Many writers stop with the what. It’s essential, but it’s not the whole story. Too often “factual” causes an article to be rejected or a book proposal to end up in the slush pile. Connect the facts to what intrigues the mind and touches the heart. 

To inspire readers to take action, show them why they need to take action and how to do what you’re discussing. Use Scripture and life experience to show them why they need to take your message to heart. Give them practical steps they can start implementing immediately. 

For example, in Breaking the Chains, Laura W. Watts contributed an article titled “Fight Indifference with a Flame of Love.” She not only identified eight symptoms of indifference, showing why it was so dangerous, but she gave six ways to break free from it. 

R – Replace limp words with vivid ones, and cut unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs.

I’ve learned that editing is not a personal attack. A cut to my words isn’t a cut on my identity or value. Editing is needed. Essential. It’s a must for anyone who bears the name writer. 

A good practice is to look at every word in a sentence and see if it’s vivid and necessary. Exchange limp words with nouns and verbs that illustrate, that paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Cut the words and sentences that aren’t needed. Analyze the purpose of whole paragraphs, and see if they fit nicely into your flow of thought. Streamlined writing makes for streamlined and enjoyable reading.

My heart has ached when I’ve copied and pasted whole paragraphs into an “Extra” file. But I knew I could visit them again if I found a home for them. The reader will never know what we have changed or cut in our writing. However, they will receive the best possible version if we faithfully infuse our writing with words that sing, touch the heart, and follow our flow of thought. 

Which step in the CPR method do you practice regularly? Which one do you need? Tell us in the comments, and keep infusing your writing with vitality and impact.

 

¹ Katy Kauffman, compiler and author, Breaking the Chains: Strategies for Overcoming Spiritual Bondage (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2017), 13.

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Tips to Breathe Life Into Your Writing from @KatyKauffman28 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of REFRESH BIBLE STUDY MAGAZINE, and a co-founder of LIGHTHOUSE BIBLE STUDIES. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 1 which is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist.

In addition to online magazines, Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.COM, thoughts-about-God.com, and three blogs on writing. She loves to spend time with family and friends, talk about art and crafts in her group MY ARTSY TRIBE, and tend the garden in the morning sun. She makes her home in a cozy suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Connect with her at her blog, WINNING THE VICTORY, and on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

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