Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “writing journey”
Twenty years ago, the world of writing was a much different scenario. Writers had fewer irons in the fire and more time to create. The internet was still new, a “social media presence” unheard of, and snail mail the order of the day. Today, we have the ability to research from home at the touch of a keyboard. We can …
Sometimes, in life, you meet certain folks and you just click. You might share similar life philosophies, spiritual beliefs, and mutual goals. Bonus points include: a funny bone, a compassionate heart, and truth with tact. (I call these God-ordained appointments “Jesus Hook-Ups.”) I first met Marjorie (Margie) Vawter a little over a year ago at our local ACFW MozArks chapter meeting. I …
Never. Eat. Soggy. Wheat. Teachers and directionally challenged folks know what that one means. Can you guess? If you whip out your cell phone, compass, or other navigational device, you’ll see the earth’s reference points: North, South, East, and West. Or in school, some students might learn their directions the good, ol’ fashioned way—by coloring the handout with the pretty …
Is there anything harder than waiting? Hmmm. I can think of relatively little. Think check-out lanes. Stoplights. Doctors offices. Payday. Think of those interminable, stress-filled moments right before a test. A speech. A meeting. Or…if you’re a writer, think seasons. That word at least puts the process in a polite frame of reference. Though waiting and seasons aren’t always synonymous, seasons are generally …
As a child, I knew I was different. When I was about seven, my second grade teacher confirmed it. (“It” not being tangible in terms of a label per se, but more a stark realization than anything else.) Mrs. K spoke with deliberate, adult-like precision and put it into perspective for my little girl brain. Her words transcended my finite knowledge of a …
If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you’ve grown accustomed to hearing words like thick-skinned. Tough-as-nails. Not-for-the-fainthearted. Resilient. We may not like their connotation, but unless we approach our craft with a realistic mindset, those words can propel us forward or freeze us in our tracks. Writers on the publishing journey understand that the road is long and labor-intensive. Still, it …
Writers realize that we never know when the writing bug will strike. We might be in bed, church, or even the shower when our creative muse lights upon our brain and clamps down–hard! I know from experience, when the writing bug bites, I have to let nature take its course. The quicker I “treat the bite” (AKA “write”) the better I feel. Years ago, …
It’s no secret. Writers are an interesting bunch. We study folks. We rarely keep regular hours. We craft, plot, and create in the oddest places. To non-writers, what we do may look like child’s play. Sometimes, we may hear insensitive comments or careless criticisms. Only we–the creators of our art–know the truth. We understand that writing is hard work. It …
Who doesn’t love a big, ol’ dose of encouragement when the doldrums strike? Let’s be honest. We all do! Since writing is a solitary career, I’ll use that as an example. Writers face unique challenges that others who work outside the home may not. Our vocation is a rather unconventional calling. We rarely keep regular hours. Our computers are our co-workers. …
I met author Mary Vee at the 2011 American Christian Fiction Writers conference in St. Louis. We hit it off immediately. (In fact, I’m guest-posting for Mary today and I encourage you to pop over to see exactly how we met. It’ll make you smile.) I asked Mary to share her heart today and talk about her writing journey. I know …
