I love this question. Why do I write? It's simple really. I do it because I've grown to love it and couldn't imagine my life without it now. I write when I'm sad. I write when I'm happy. I write when I have news to share. For me it has become an extension of who I am. I think, in a way, people who read what I write have a view into who I am as a person and have become happier as a result. I think back to the day I started my daughter's dedication site. I was so sad. Grief engulfed my body. … [Read more...]
Day 76: Writers Gnashing Teeth
Well, today's topic is interesting. I don't think I've ever ground my teeth. Maybe other writers have. I'm guessing they might do it when they are putting down to paper that next important scene. Or maybe that next blog post. When I think of gnashing teeth I think about what the Bible says of those who are unbelievers once they die and they go to hell. It says there will be gnashing of teeth due to the severity of how bad it will be to go down there. All I can say about myself is that I'm … [Read more...]
Day 75: Signs and Messages from Above
Are there actually signs or messages from above? Do they actually lead us down a path if we choose to follow? Are they there so obvious that if you choose not to follow it you come to regret that later? Are you too stubborn to follow them because it's not according to plans we have for ourselves? I think the answer almost every time is a great big yes. We are all selfish by nature. Of course we think about ourselves and what we think will be best for us. But no matter how great or how grand … [Read more...]
Day 74: The Truth and Nothing But
It's interesting when we compare fiction to nonfiction. With fiction as a writer we many times will infuse a part of who we are into our stories, but the story itself is fiction. It comes from the recesses of our mind as we write down the story. Nonfiction, however, is based on real life stuff. Take this quote: "The writer of memoir makes a pact with her reader that what she writes is the truth as best she can tell it. But the original pact, the real deal, is with herself. Be honest, dig … [Read more...]
Day 73: Starting Again and Again
I think we all have our times when we start something only to stop, then we come back and start again going through the cycle over and over. Whether it's a job where we start each day anew and by the time we are getting off we have our ending each day as well. Or if we start some new craft project like crocheting a blanket. Some people don't get easily bored. But if you're anything like me I can only go so long before I get bored with what I'm doing and I stop for a while only to start again … [Read more...]
Day 72: Writer’s Remorse
To write truthfully sometimes we have to write things we may not want others to know but are important to be true to who we are as a writer. When I think about this it kind nails me to the wall. My past isn't pretty. And it's not from anything bad I've done personally, but instead what has been done to me as a child. I think of my mom and every thing she went through as a child. My Granny and Grandpa partly raised me as a child. However, how they were with me was completely different from … [Read more...]
Day 71: Being Your Own Shrink
I have to share this quote with you. "You have to have done that hard psychological work before you sit down to write." —MARY KARR This is one of those 'awe-ha' moments. Ever since I can remember I never understood why God would allow, in His loving giving Self, the terrible abuses and neglect that happened to me throughout my childhood. As I entered high school, my freshman year we attended a church a couple of times. It wasn't till the following summer I was able to get a ride to it … [Read more...]
The Journey with Emilie Hendryx
Please welcome this weeks guest Emilie Hendryx for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? In the Midst of the Journey I’ve always loved reading and writing. Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember dreaming up ideas, creating imaginary places, and compiling all of the elements of a good story into a play session with my stuffed animals. At that time, I didn’t know much about the fundamentals of writing or story telling, I just knew … [Read more...]
Day 70: The Right Age to Write
Do you ever wonder sometimes if you're too old to write? I know several people involved with ACFW that they knew since a very young age that they either wanted to write or that they were meant to write. To put it bluntly: It was the last thing I ever wanted to do. I struggled all through elementary school to the point I was held back in second grade. My grades always consisted of getting C's and H's. (You might be asking what in the world is an 'H' letter grade? It simple. It means Having … [Read more...]
Day 69: Your Naked Prose
I want to share with you something the author wrote: "Writing is so intensely personal — our thoughts, emotions, memories, imagination, fantasies right out there under the spotlight — that it really is a striptease act. So it’s natural to panic if someone doesn’t think your naked prose is perfect. Hopefully when you get feedback, you can use it to make your work better. But if someone gives self-serving, snarky comments in a workshop or writing group to build up his or her own ego, leave at the … [Read more...]
