A Story Written Just For One

by Marcia Lee Laycock, @MarciaLaycock

An interviewer once asked Mother Theresa why she gave her time and energy, indeed her whole life, in the face of the millions in need. The misery was so pervasive, the interviewer purported, how could she possibly hope to change it? I found it fascinating that, at first, the tiny woman did not understand the question. Her focus was so fixed on the dignity of each human being that even if she could help only one, she believed it was worth giving her whole life. I believe that is the focus of Christ. He says it himself in the story of the lost sheep - the shepherd leaves those who are safe to rescue the one that is lost.

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What to Do When Your Publisher Ends Your Line

by Patty Smith-Hall

Last week, I received the news that every writer dreads hearing. After ten years and hundreds of wonderful books, Harlequin cut the Love Inspired Historical line. In one brief email, forty-eight spots for historical romance vanished. Veteran authors were suddenly without a home for their books. Talented editors were left unemployed. Worst of all, dedicated readers were left shocked at the demise of a line that was like a member of their family.

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On Cultivating Carrots & Creativity

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson

But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. 
I Corinthians 14:40

Spring is here and so many of the people we know are busy planting gardens. As I listened in on one recent conversation, I was drawn back to one summer when I decided to try my hand at gardening.

Our boys were young, and we had decided—for some unremembered reason—that planting a vegetable garden would be a great idea. I can’t imagine that either my husband or I would have had the time or energy—after keeping up with three active young boys—to really take care of it. Oh, the optimism of young parents.

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My Day of Epiphany

by Marcia Lee Laycock

I was in tears. No, not tears of sorrow but the kind that spring from being touched deeply and profoundly. Interesting that it happened to be January 6, traditionally known as the day of Epiphany.

It happened as I began a writing course called The Creative Way by Ted Dekker. A few months ago I almost emptied my writing bank account to buy this course. I’d seen it advertised a few times and kept thinking about it, looking at it, trying to gauge whether or not it was worth the money. I kept thinking about the exchange rate and how that bumped the product up to a cost I would not normally entertain. But I kept going back to it again and again. I felt there was something there that God wanted me to investigate. So I took the plunge.

The first module stirred me deeply, not because it was anything I hadn’t heard before but because it was all about something my heart reaches for – abiding in Christ. Mr. Dekker tells his own story and then gets to the bottom line – our identity does not lie in who we are as mothers or fathers or plumbers or dentists or yes, even as novelists. Our true identity lies in the fact that we are children of God. Our freedom and release spiritually and creatively lies in believing how deeply He loves us. The premise is that “transformative fiction” comes from a heart that is resting in that place because that heart is first and foremost seeking to go deeper into that identity. The process teaches us to love God, love ourselves and others as ourselves and our work becomes part of that process.

I knew that. I believed that. But until yesterday I was not whole-heartedly pursuing that path.

I remember chatting with a writer friend some time ago about the fact that I’m a two time cancer survivor. I mentioned that I did not once ask God, “why me?” My only question as I walked down that path, was, “Who are you, God? Who are you really?”

My friend smiled. “You’re ready,” she said.

I didn’t understand what she meant then, but I do now. I’m ready to let go of me - as a mother, pastor’s wife, church leader and yes, even as a writer. I’m ready to get to know who I really am. I have a feeling this course is going to do what Ted promised in his introduction. It is going to change my life and my work.

I’ll be blogging about it here as I go, and no doubt what I learn will spill over into this blog as well. I welcome any comments along the way.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 

TWEETABLES

My Day of Epiphany by Marcia Lee Laycock (Click to Tweet)

Our true identity lies in the fact that we are children of God~ Marcia Lee Laycock (Click to Tweet)

It is going to change my life and my work.~ Marcia Lee Laycock (Click to Tweet) 

Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. The sequel, A Tumbled Stone was also short listed for a Word Award. Marcia has three novels for middle grade readers and four devotional books in print and has contributed to several anthologies. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Visit Marcia’s Website

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded on Smashwords or on Amazon. It is also now available in Journal format on Amazon. 

Her most recent release is Celebrate This Day, a devotional book for special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving. 

Sign up to receive her devotional column, The Spur

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3 Ways to Find Balance in The Writer's Life

by Patty Smith Hall

I have a confession to make. I am a yes-a-holic. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to spit out that mean old word, no. I don’t know why. I see something that seems like a great idea, and the next thing I know, I’m signed up for it (most times, I’m even in charge!)

But that’s got to change, and what convinced me was one of those silly test on Facebook. A few weeks ago, I signed into to do one that composed a video of my life over the past year. I thought it would be fun as we’ve had an interesting twelve months with our oldest daughter getting married and the upcoming birth of our first grandchild. While watching it was nice, I was surprised that most of the frames featured one project after another rather than a healthy mixture of personal life and work.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m tremendously blessed to be doing a ministry I love and so very thankful that this last year has been productive. I signed three contracts, wrote six-novellas, signed with a new agent and began writing devotions for Journey magazine.

Each of these opportunities have been a gift and I’ve had the chance to work with some amazing people who have taught me so much about the craft of writing. But with the first grandchild due this month, I needed to make some changes. I began praying over what those changes should be and a word that would help me focus on achieving my goal. Finally, as the old year was winding down, the word came to me.

Balance.

How does that work with a busy writing career and an active family life? How does the girl who can’t say no find balance in her life? Here are a few ways I came up with:

1) Say yes to the best.

A few years ago, I talked to a pastor friend of ours about my problem with saying no, and he gave me this piece of advice. Only say yes to God’s best. He explained that there are a lot of good things out in the world—making waterproof mats for the homeless, working at the food bank, just tons of things. What you have to do if figure out what’s best for you? That’s not easy to figure out but if you put a little thought into it, you’ll come up with a short list of things that satisfy your soul. This is your ‘best’ list that should get the majority of your attention. And remember—what may be good to you is someone else's ‘best.’

2) Make a game plan.

I’ve become a planner over the years, probably from being married to an engineer. For me, making a game plan of the year, month, week and day prepares me—I know what to expect and each day as a familiar rhythm to it. As I tick off each item, I have a sense of accomplishment of a job well done. But how does one put balance into their plans? By following a schedule. Give yourself time limits. For example, I know that from nine to two Tuesday through Saturday, I spend fifteen minutes on emails and marketing then jump into my writing for the day. I shoot for at least a thousand words a day but I always write until two o’clock so if I go over, that’s great. At two, I check emails again then do something around my house or go work out or run errands. When my husband is home in the evenings and on Sunday, I don’t write unless I’m on a very tight deadline.

3) Forgive yourself

You’re heard that old saying—Man plans and God laughs. Yeah, stuff happens and schedules get thrown out the window. At moments like that, you have to cut yourself some slack. Life happens, and sometimes, despite our best efforts, we just can’t get things done. Don’t beat yourself up over it. I’ve found, at least with me, that I’m harder on myself than anyone else would ever think to be. So be kind to yourself. As Scarlett O’Hara said, ‘Tomorrow is another day!’

TWEETABLES

3 Ways to Find Balance in The Writer's Life by Patty Smith Hall (Click to Tweet)

I have a confession to make. I am a yes-a-holic.~ Patty Smith Hall (Click to Tweet)

Just can’t seem to spit out that mean old word, no.~ Patty Smith Hall (Click to Tweet)

Patty Smith-Hall is a multi-published, award-winning author with Love Inspired Historical/Heartsong and currently serves as president of the ACFW-Atlanta chapter. She currently lives in North Georgia with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her next release, New Hope Sweethearts will be available in July on Amazon.

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Why Him? Why Her? Why Not Me?

by Normandie Fischer

Comparisons are invidious.

In her recent Novel Rocket post How the Writing Zone is a Lot Like the Twilight Zone, Edie Melson called comparison “a death trap for writers.” But how do we avoid them?

Someone is always higher up whatever ladder we’re trying to scale. And I mean always. I read that one U.S. president wanted to be head of the UN. Recent UN decisions have made it seem as if its leaders have an eye on elevation to the Godhead. Bestselling authors strive to be mega-sellers. Mega-sellers want to keep their top-dog position and be the biggest mega on the ladder.

And then there are the rest of us. My little bestseller moment lasted just that, a moment, because it was an Amazon rating, and we all know what those are worth. To fall off that ladder rung, all we need is someone else’s book to garner that BookBub ad or to become a Kindle First Pick. So, no time for polishing our nails against our shirt.

Would I like to be on the NY Times list? Would I? (Well, yes… I might as well be honest.)

I’m sure you’ve seen the discussions about what’s selling, what will be the next big thing, how we as writers can tap into that perfect idea to achieve writerly greatness. We check out covers of the bestsellers and hope ours match up. We consider switching genres to catch the rising tide on our way to fame. We scurry around at conferences, hoping the agent or editor of that bestselling author will think we have the same potential. We squint at the person in our midst whose sales enabled her to buy her dream car or the woman whose work supports her aging parents.

And we close our eyes and send up a “Hey, God, I’ll do that! I’ll give away more than my ten percent if You’ll just let me be like her!” Or like him.

We’re not even asking to be like the mega-bestseller who has blasted his way through a  town, corrupting others in his wake while he hits the Times’ list with every single book. Because, really, who wants to sell his soul on the way to wealth?

And yet what are we doing? Bargaining for position, wanting to press past others so the world will look at us, so we’ll be someone.

Think about it.

What if we could achieve that level of fame by writing one thing when what we really want to do, what we feel called to write, is something entirely different? What if fame is not part of our assignment?

What do I mean by our assignment? And why would I talk about it? I mean, God can use all things for His glory, can’t He? Why can’t He use our words and make them great?

I think He can and does, but only if we’re doing what we’ve been given to do.

I remember being promoted at a very young age to senior editor over the heads of several women and a man who’d been at the game much longer than I, and how stunned I subsequently felt at the backbiting and jealousy my promotion incurred. I also remember living in a small village house that was in dire need of repair—you should have seen me, pregnant and standing on a stool to sand the ceiling of what would be the master bedroom. Well, there was a house that I passed every day. A green farmhouse with a green barn and lovely green pastures surrounding it. I coveted that house. I mean, coveted it. Every day, I’d drive by and ask God why I couldn’t have something that lovely.

And, one day, I heard that still small voice speak to me: “I want you to begin thanking Me for giving that house to the woman who lives in it.”

Oh, man, I was supposed to thank God that I didn’t own it and she did? 

Yes. I'm sorry to say I was.

So, every day I’d drive by and repeat my grudging and obedient thanks that she owned it and I had my pitiful little village house and my sanding jobs and my painting jobs. And, finally, the day came when I actually was thankful.

God taught me in real time about not coveting. Later, when He told me to thank Him that someone else got a position in His courts I wanted, I started in obedience and ended in joy.

You and I may long to hold some ranking on the bestseller list that seems to be withheld from us. But I’ve learned that God has a purpose in it all. As long as we’re doing the thing we’re called to do, as long as we look at our writing as a gift we’re to cherish and nurture and help to grow into something lovely, then it will land where it ought to land. Where the Lord we purport to trust has chosen for it to land.And we can thank Him for doing with it as He wills. Not as we will. I’m sure we can learn things from those who have made it, but maybe our making it means something entirely different. Maybe our journey is more about obedience and peace. Maybe it’s more about finding joy where we’re placed than about raking in the big bucks and the huge accolades.

Think about it. Do you waste time comparing your success to others’? Or do you try to grow exactly where you’re planted, waiting for the new green shoots to come up every season as you touch the people you’re supposed to touch?

Talk to me. I need to know I'm not alone in this.

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Why him? Why her? Why not me? Comparisons are invidious.

Normandie studied sculpture in Italy before receiving her BA, summa cum laude with special honors in English. Known for her women’s fiction—Becalmed (2013), Sailing out of Darkness (2013), and Heavy Weather (2015) and now Two from Isaac’s House (2015) and its prequel novella, From Fire into Fire (2016). Normandie and her husband spent a number of years on board their 50-foot ketch, Sea Venture, sailing in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. They now live in coastal North Carolina, where she takes care of her aging mother.
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