It's interesting to think that when you are staring at a blank piece of paper, or in many cases today, a blank document on the computer screen, that we are all beginning writers. As far as literally, someone who's had several books published or been writing for several years is not a beginning writer. A beginning writer is someone like me. Someone who has recently begun to write. I have no published books. I don't have several books I've written waiting to be published. I just have two books … [Read more...]
Day 48: Community
When I think of a writing community I think of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). This little community of writers is so much more than writing. There is Novel Track. It's a place of accountability and support. You let the group know what your goal is at the beginning of each month. Then, as each day goes by you report in your numbers for that day. In return, you will receive positive reinforcement. Even on the days where you did nothing and tell the group you have a great big goose … [Read more...]
The Journey with Patty Smith Hall
Please welcome this weeks guest Patty Smith Hall for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? My writing journey has been one long and winding road(a nod to the Beatles there) full of twists and turns, stopping and starting on a moment’s whims depending on what daughter needed me at the time. But 2004 was a pivotal year for me, the year I was awarded a scholarship to the ACFW National Conference in Denver. At that time, I had been writing … [Read more...]
Day 41: Overnight Success Story
I think we'd all like to be an overnight success story. It's a dream of ours as a writer. The process would be simple. We write out our novel. We work ferociously to get it just right. Then we query the agent of our dreams. You receive a phone call almost immediately from said agent where he says, "You're the writer I've been waiting for." You sign the contact he has for you the next day because he's flown to your house. Next he calls and tells you that Thomas Nelson, Bethany House, and … [Read more...]
The Journey with Max Anderson
Please welcome this weeks guest Max Anderson for The Journey. He answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Confessions of a Reluctant Reader… Only God Could Do This By Max Elliot Anderson My father published over 70 books during his lifetime. Some of his books included a couple of popular kid’s series, yet I never read any of them. I grew up in a family with six other siblings, so it was easy for some things to be missed. In my case, no one noticed that I … [Read more...]
The Journey with Lena Nelson Dooley
Please welcome this weeks guest Lena Nelson Dooley for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? God in My Writing Journey I can’t really tell all He has done, because it would fill more than a month’s worth of blogs. He has been ever-present in all my writing journey. He’s opened a number of doors that probably wouldn’t have been opened without Him. I’ll mention a few. Joyce Hart, of Hartline Literary Agency, and I met at the first American … [Read more...]
The Journey with Mary Hamilton
Please welcome this weeks guest Mary Hamilton for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Early in my writing journey, the church I attended put on an annual dinner theater as an outreach to women. I’d only written a few articles for take home papers and magazines when they asked me to write the next play. The idea was scary (what if I failed?), but enticing (what if I succeeded!). With lots of prayer, I agreed to try. My hour-long play was … [Read more...]
The Journey with Susan J. Reinhardt
Please welcome this weeks guest Susan J. Reinhardt for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Man's Ideas vs. God's Plan "Your writing is good, but this book will never be published." These were not words I wanted to hear. After eight long years working on The Moses Conspiracy and honing my skills, they represented the ultimate rejection. I seriously considered going the self-publishing route, but there was no peace in my heart. One … [Read more...]
The Journey with Jamie Adams
Please welcome this weeks guest Jamie Adams for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? As far back as I can remember I’ve had a fondness for lined paper. Add a sharpened pencil into the mix and my fingers start to twitch. It’s always been easier for me to express myself in writing rather than speaking aloud. I was the quiet kid in school whose favorite part of the test was the essay section. My mother took us to church every Sunday and I … [Read more...]
The Journey with Ava Pennington
Please welcome this weeks guest Ava Pennington for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Step By Step I dreamed of writing for years, but never considered publication a realistic goal. My one success was a tribute to my mother published in a human interest column in a local newspaper. I wasn’t paid, but it encouraged me that someone thought enough of my writing to publish it commercially. Writing took a back seat when I began … [Read more...]
