Please welcome this weeks guest Jo Walker for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? In Psalm 139, King David begins by telling us there is simply no place we can go that God isn’t already there. In verses 13-16, he points out the reality that God is even with us when we are being formed in our mother’s womb. He speaks to how wonderfully we are made, and goes on to tell us that every day of our life was recorded before one ever … [Read more...]
Day 32: Improvisation
When we think of the word improv, we typically think of actors and actresses in an acting class. All they may be given is a word or a phrase. From there the true magic behind acting comes forth. They get to play out whatever comes into their heads. Sometimes its funny. Sometimes sad. Sometimes it just makes you think. The bottom line is they have fun doing what they love to do most and that is to act. This should be the same for us as writers. To be able to tap into our own creative muses and … [Read more...]
Day 31: Dreaming Your Ship
I love this: "If you say your story is fiction, it’s fiction. Period. How much or what part of it is autobiographical is nobody’s business." That was quoted from the author of the book I'm using. As most of you know, I am very new to writing fiction, well writing at all for that matter, but in particularly fiction. It has never once crossed mind to accuse an author that the fiction story he or she has written is anything but fiction. I'm sure there are some people out in the world today … [Read more...]
Day 26: The Trampoline as a Metaphor
Life sometimes can totally surprise us in the most unexpected ways. For instance, a big trampoline. How in the world is a trampoline possibly related to writing? Before I read today's except on the phrase above, I was stumped. Then I started to read how scared to death the woman was by "what looked like a big lake of black water." She said, "I’m here to tell you that it is impossible to be calm and dignified on a trampoline. It is also impossible to feel safe on one. I crawled onto [it] and … [Read more...]
Day 25: Failing Better
"Fail. Fail again. Fail better." This is a quote by Samuel Beckett. And here is another one by Thomas Edison: “I didn’t fail one thousand times. The lightbulb was an invention with one thousand steps.” I think we hear many times throughout our lifetime how it doesn't matter how many times we fail as long as we keep on trying. If we stop at the 999,999th time, it might have been that millionth time that could've been the one to work. For me, I've been constantly learning about writing both … [Read more...]
Day 23: What Writer’s Do
Man, it is really interesting, yet not surprising, how different we all are when it comes to how we wrote. I just read about a guy who literally sets his alarm for 4am, wakes up in the dark and doesn't turn on a light, puts his computer on his lap making sure his monitor is a black screen, writes for a few hours, goes back to bed, and then wakes back up at 8:30am to edit what he wrote. I couldn't imagine doing all that. As it is, I'm not a morning person. The night hours are when I shine. But it … [Read more...]
Day 18: Your Validation Posse
I love this. A validation posse. Before I got into writing seriously I might never have truly understood what this would mean and how important it is as a writer. As for what I do on this site, my validation posse has been those individuals that my writing has somehow touched their life and for those who have left comments to let me know how those words did touch their lives. But writing Mari's book and also my fiction writing, to have just the right posse is more important than I ever … [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...]
Day 17: Love Thy Reader
This put a smile on my face. For anyone who has taken the time to read something I've written, it's almost like they are a friend who I'm opening my heart and thoughts to. Both the lighthearted and funny kind to the heart-wrenching and agonizing kind. This website has become a part of me, just like Mari was while on this earth and continues to be while in heaven. For some people things they may read may just be words to them. But they're so much more to me. They're a part of my soul. No, not … [Read more...]
Day 11: Racing Hearts and Churning Stomachs
I think in life there are so many things that can make our hearts begin to race rapidly and our stomachs to do flip-flops all over the place. A new job. The first day of a new school year. Going on a first date. Or even standing up in front of a room of people getting ready to talk. And the list goes on. Nervous energy can either root us to the ground stopping any forward momentum or it can propel us forward giving us the courage we need. Sharing our writing with others is much in the same … [Read more...]
