Encouragement
A Deaf Girl, A Cool Guy, and A Reignited Dream
When a friend invited me to hear Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler speak, I didn’t know that their words would reignite a dream that had been smoldering for a while. Their message wasn’t new. I’ve heard it before, spoken by lots of people, but never in this way, by these two people. It was something…
When Dreams Die and You Want to Quit
I’ve said it before, my writing journey has NEVER gone as I’ve planned. Neither has my life, but that’s another slew of posts for another time. I wonder if any of our plans turn out exactly as we want. I’m sure there’s some blessed soul where the universe works in her favor, but for the…
Seven Habits of Published Christian Writers
by Guest Author Mike Dellosso We all want to get published, to see our work featured in some magazine, or on some website, or nestled between the covers of a book, but for most the “promised land” of publication seems like it might as well be the moon—totally out of reach. But maybe we just…
Learn to Write Anywhere
Learning to write anywhere is really important. On most mornings after the sun has come up, I undock my laptop from its station and move into my living room where the sun pours through an East facing window. In Spring I can hear birds chattering from an evergreen tree off the back deck and with…
To Prove or Improve Your Writing?
My latest manuscript is what agents call “dead.” That means every major CBA publisher has rejected it. Sure, some called it “charming” and rejected it because they’ve already acquired a modern-day princess story while others claimed to want to work with me if only they had openings in their fiction lines. But that doesn’t change…
3 Tips to Help You Begin Again After Difficult Depressing Times
What gets you out of bed in the morning to brave a day of ordinary or the unknown? What keeps you going when nothing you’ve planned is working? When your kids are defiant and your husband just doesn’t ‘get you’ and you’re friends, well, are only online? What keeps you going through that nasty divorce…
Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!
Who can forget that beloved Ms. Frizzle who inspired her class to “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!” All but play-it-safe Arnold loved Ms. Frizzle’s field trips that took them to places they’d never been before, often leading them into scary and unfamiliar territory. But oh the adventures they had! Even Arnold would end…
Writing Interruptions: Handling the Holidays
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time. Ephesians 5:15-16a” One of the biggest interruptions I deal with lasts over two months, is tons of fun, often is full of sweet family memories, and always plays havoc with my entire schedule – starting with…
Thanksgiving and Community: Who Will You Invite to Your Table
Oldie but Goodie Repost “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.” 1 John 4:7 I used to dread the holidays. Sometimes I still do. I grew up in a NY Italian family that celebrated every holiday together. Then I…
What I Learned While NOT Writing
As I race toward a self imposed deadline, I’ll be posting some “Oldies but Goodies” on Mondays, unless inspiration hits! Be sure to read until the end for my thoughts today! Jan 2007 Ten months ago I placed my writing on the altar, realizing that publication had consumed my life and my writing had become…