Inspirational Words for Writers in Doubt

Recently, I read an email from someone on a loop who decided to “give up” writing. She felt she would never reach the heights of the others on the loop, that her writing was terrible, and she’d never get published. So, she was just giving up.


I heard her pain through the words she wrote. I’ve been there, too. I believe many of you might be empathetic as well. Some days the words come hard. I can spend an hour trying to get one sentence right. Other times, the words flow. These are the side effects of being a writer. No one ever said writing was easy…except for those who have never tried it.

Writers don’t choose to write because they know how. Writer’s write because they have something to say. There is a learning curve. Once you’ve written your masterpiece, you need to take classes and attend workshops where you can learn what POV is, how to show instead of tell, how to get into deep POV, transitions, conflict, goals, motivation, tension, and so much more.

The most important element of writing is reading. You must read books in the genre/sub-genre you are writing. How else can you learn what publishers are buying? Reading can show you how an author uses all the tools of the trade to create a page-turner.

Writers are constantly learning. We’re like teachers. We are always going to school. We learn from writing. We learn from our peers. We learn from NY Times best-selling authors. We learn from our rejections.

But writers don’t give up. Writers may reach that low point, curl up and lick their wounds, but they come back with a vengeance. I know all of you have heard the story of Noah building an ark. It didn’t happen overnight. And, it didn’t happen with everyone cheering him on either. He had a call to build. And he persevered, despite his friends and neighbors laughing at him for being a fool. We can learn a lesson from Noah. It takes a thick skin to persevere in spite of the odds.

My message to you is: When you feel as if you will never succeed, go ahead and allow yourself to be miserable. But don’t give voice to the misery. Bear it in solitude. Then dig deep inside and look at your dreams and goals. Don’t give up. Pull yourself back up out of the hole you’ve dug and get back to the joy of writing. The rest will follow.

Sunrises Make Me Smile

Today, I began my day sitting at the computer and through my window I viewed an awesome sunrise. The sky was an incredible pink color shining through the trees while the sky above remained a darker blue color. I watched as the sky continued to color as if a paint brush created the view. As the undescribable pink color began to fade, my smile continued.

There's something inspiring in watching a sunrise or a sunset. You don't have to be on a beach or in an exotic location. Sometimes we forget to enjoy the beauty within our own home areas.

Me?  I plan to spend more mornings enjoying the beauty outside my office window.

Thanks for stopping by!

Doom, Despair, and Agony on Me...

Deep dark depression, excessive misery...

I remember those words from a skit on the Hee Haw television show. A rather funny segment where they sat on a porch and sang funny lines about the tragedies in their lives. There are a lot of people who live their lives this way. They talk about all the bad things that happen to them, worry excessively about the bad things that will happen tomorrow and the next day. And no matter what suggestions you give, they are shot down with reasons that won't work. How easy to get caught up in that negativity and become depressed yourself!

Last night I picked up a booklet I received from Guideposts. The title is "Expect a Miracle--Make a Miracle Happen". I realized how true this is. Miracles occur every day. They may not be as spectacular as the Red Sea parting, but they exist! We just have to open our eyes to see them.

Expect a miracle--make a miracle happen. What a wonderful motto to live by.

Thanks for stopping by!

SAD? Maybe...

I've heard people talk about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but I've never experienced it...maybe.

The depression that hit me on Friday came so fast and so swift that I had no idea what happened. It continued through Friday night, into and through Saturday and even into Sunday. I kept going through the motions of life, doing what I knew was expected of me, but miserable inside...and I didn't know why.

The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I was possessed. Someone else had taken over my body completely. I didn't like the person at all! And then it dawned on me. The devil was working on me. Where he came from and how he managed to grab such control of my life is beyond me. In fact, if someone were to tell me that the devil could do this, I would have been skeptical. Trust me, it's real. When things are going great, the devil will try and destroy. He took away my desire to write, my desire to love, my desire to exist.

Oh, I prayed and asked God why this was happening to me. I asked for His help. I wondered why I wasn't receiving any answers. I realize this started several weeks ago, a slow take-over that culminated on Friday. It wasn't a sudden thing. It had been subtle and slow and devastating. Then I spoke with my daughter, who has also suffered from depression, and I knew she would understand. See, she is one of those stones I spoke about last week. And she told me something I needed to hear. She reminded me that the devil doesn't hear our thoughts, only God. So I needed to say the words out loud. Cast the devil from my body. Tell him there was no room for him. And I did. And I prayed.

Today, tears are gone. I know I can face life and my optimistic self has returned. Oh, the devil is still here. He's still trying to chip away at me. But he's losing ground. And I will continue to take a stand against him, for I know with God all things are possible.

Just plain depression? NO. SAD? Maybe. "Sneaky Attack by Devil"

A Day of History in the Making...

I am a conservative, but I was very moved by the inauguration today. It is time to put aside our political differences and put our support behind our new President. I will pray for him and our country. Times are changing, and I hope we can withstand the changes with honor and dignity.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I am reading: Bluegrass Courtship by Allie Pleiter (Love Inspired published by Steeple Hill Feb '09)

Finshed Today: Daddy for Keeps by Pamela Tracy (Love Inspired, Steeple Hill Jan '09) Loved it!

Are You a Stone in Someone's Life?

When you hear of someone being considered a "stone", do you think about it in terms of that person weighing another down? I wonder where that connotation came from?

Remember Moses? Remember how he led God's people out of Egypt and into the desert to wander for forty years? At the end of those forty years, Moses revealed that he would not be crossing the Jordan river with the people. Instead Moses died in the land of Moab just as God had revealed to him. Joshua had been declared their leader.

When Joshua led the people to the Jordan River, another miracle occurred. God revealed that He would make Joshua a great leader and that He would show the people that He was with Joshua, just as He had been with Moses. He instructed Joshua to have the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant take a few steps into the Jordan River and stop. So Joshua did as He was commanded. He told them the Ark of the Covenant would lead them across the Jordan. But he also told them to choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. Why? Please read on.

So the people followed Joshua's instruction. The priests' stepped into the river and the water above that point backed up a great distance. The water below flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. *Note: the people had to maintain a sacred distance of about 1/2 mile from the Ark.

After everyone had crossed, God told Joshua to have a chosen twelve men return to the place where the priests had stood and each to bring one stone to the place where they would camp for the night. These stones were used to construct a memorial.

These stones commemmorated God's faithfulness to his people. Today, as I look at all the people in my life, my family, my friends, my church family, I am reminded that each is a stone in my life. And I pray that I am a stone to others.

Thanks for stopping by.
So why did Joshua instruct them to choose twelve men? They weren't the ones to carry the ark of the covenant--that was reserved for the priests who were to cross before them. The answer can be found in Joshua 4:2-3 "The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the lOrd of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall."

I'd like to think I'm a stone in someone else's life.

"I Think I Can!"

Henry Ford said, "If you think you can or think you can't, you're right."

That quote is taped to my computer monitor. The intent was to make me remember to keep a positive attitude. Unfortunately, I forget to look at it. Like most writers, I do have those "terrible doubts" and times of inactivity. If that happens to you, perhaps you are subconsciously thinking you "can't."

Like the little train you need to repeat to yourself, "I think I can. I think I can!"

This applies to all aspects of life, whether you are a writer, a homemaker, a clerk, a mail deliverer, a teacher, an office worker... If you take time to reflect on what you want to achieve and "think you can do it," you'll soon find a determination in your heart, and a smile on your face.

I admit that I'm my own worst enemy. How about you? What are you thinking today?

Thanks for stopping by.

Lukewarm?

Yesterday's sermon at church was about the Church in Laodicea (Reelation 3:14-22). These were God's words telling the church that they had grown lukewarm in their faith and were unpleasing to him. I began to think about the ways we become lukewarm in many aspects of our lives, not only in our Christian walk.

Do you remember how excited you (or your children or grandchildren) were on their first day of school? Eventually, the newness wore off and it became mundane. BUT, when graduation day came, another excitement arose. The anticipation of being your own person, choosing a new path for your future, and embarking on a journey full of promise. Eventually, that settled into being a lukewarm adventure, too. Life has a way of tossing obstacles at us and souring our outlook. We become either cold or lukewarm.

This is true of marriage, careers, and many other areas of our lives as well as our faith walk. And, most important, how do others see you? Does your passion shine through?

I know I have many areas that I need to work on. Sometimes my passion for writing grows lukewarm. That's the time I need to step back and look at my reasons for writing. It actually changed my direction. When I started my journey, I wanted to be the next New York Times author. I wanted to sell my book and have tons of money coming in. I quickly realized the fallacy of my thoughts. I became dissillusioned, but I still had that passion to write. My articles that had been published by Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort were fulfilling to me, but not my books. Why? The answer? Because I had forced my writing to fit the "formula romance" books that were being published. It wasn't my true comfort zone. I prayed. I listened for God to give me an answer. Sometimes he knocks on the door of our hearts but we aren't really listening and we fail to open that door.

God has led me to write books that are about real life, real people and their journey of faith. My first is JOSHUA'S HOPE which is being released in ebook on August 29 and in print on February 28, 2009. I'm very excited about this release, but more excited about my continued passion for writing more books that will entertain others and also show them that with God all things are possible.

How many areas of your life have grown cold or lukewarm? What can you do to change that?

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

What Would You Do?

Last week our pastor spoke about forgiving. He said we should forgive others, just as God forgave us. I admit, I struggle with this myself. I know what I should do, but it's easier said than done.

It might be easy to forgive the little things, but I wonder how one would forgive a person for murdering their child, their spouse, or other loved one? If we are to forgive our enemies, would God expect us to forgive serial killers? Is it possible for anyone to truly forgive a heinous crime against another?

I'd like to write a book that deals with this issue. How would a Christian deal with forgiving someone who walked into church one Sunday and killed several people, including their spouse and child?

I need to understand how one could go about learning to forgive before I will ever be able to write a story about true forgiveness.

Colossians 3:13 "You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Thanks for stopping by!

Random Act of Kindness

One night last week, hubby and I were eating at Captain D's. We'd finished our meal and were about to leave when I saw an elderly couple approaching the restrooms. The tiny lady was using a walker, and struggling, while the man, not much bigger tried to reach around her and open the women's bathroom door. I hurried to assist. After getting the woman into the single bathroom, I waited outside with her husband.

He told me he and his wife had both been teachers at a nearby college. He also was a concert violinist. They'd traveled around the United States four times, though their traveling days were over now. His wife had trouble moving around, and he encouraged her to do as much for herself as possible. He only helped her when she couldn't accomplish a task without his assistance. I learned they have a daughter who lives about fifty miles southeast of them. They had offered her a home in town, but she wanted to live away from the city. It was fun chatting with these people, and I came home smiling.

This encounter left me thinking of all the opportunities we overlook to meet other people by being too involved in our busy lives to reach out a helping hand.

Smile and make a new friend today! Thanks for stopping by.

Verse of the day: Romans 12:2 "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

And A Little Child Shall Lead Them...

What a fabulous weekend! Saturday, a little rain, but since I was meeting with my local writing group, we didn't even notice until we left the library. Super speaker, wonderful conversations about our favorite topic...writing. And Sunday, what a gorgeous sunny day! I'm sooo ready for spring.

As for the topic of my blog, I know first hand the truth behind the words in the Bible. I might be against the law for teachers to teach or promote religion, but it isn't against the law for students. Friday my 10 year old grandson did something that has lifted my heart and showed me that God is present in our lives, despite all those who try to change that. Kody was participating in "Book Wars" at his public school. When my daughter arrived at the school, she saw three of the teams but not the one Kody was on. Then she spied a group of children in a semicircle with their heads bowed...and Kody was praying for them! Yes!

Did Kody's team win? They didn't win the Book War, but they are winners in a much bigger way.

"They" may try and remove God from our schools, but they will never remove Him from our hearts and lives, and the little children will lead the way.

God bless, and thanks for stopping by.

Have You Seen God Lately?

I just love the new George Strait song, "I Saw God Today." It reminded me that sometimes I forget to look for God in my life. I know He's there and I know He answers prayers, but I haven't taken the time to "see" Him lately.

It's easy to see Him if you just look. You can find Him in the beauty of the flowers and trees that are beginning to bud with new life. He's in the beauty of the sunrise and sunset; in the blue skies with white puffy clouds; in the life-giving rain we grumble about; in the smile of a stranger; in the smile of a friend; in the many acts of kindness performed every day.

I'm making a conscious effort to look for Him today. What about you?

Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Have you ever seen that old classic movie? I remember watching it once long ago, but my hubby loves that movie. He also loves A Christmas Story, A League of Their Own, Shawshank Redemption, Murphy's Romance, and The Jerk. There are a lot of others he will watch over and over but I can't think of them off the top of my head. For Christmas, we don't buy big gifts for each other. Our kids are all grown and out of the house...well, except for our three cats. So, what we do is buy things that will fit in our stockings. Each year we try to find something different and small enough that we can get several items inside. It's fun and an inexpensive way to surprise each other. This year I want to find a copy of The Jerk for his stocking. I'm not sure if they even make it any longer. A few years ago I tried to find Finnegan, Begin Again. He loved that movie, too. They quit making it a long time ago and I haven't even seen it on television recently so I can tape it.

I did hear something fun yesterday though. A friend at work said they have those great big stockings, really huge, at the dollar store. I thought about buying one of those for myself. See, that way he could buy me the digital camera and video recorder in one and it would fit!

I am truly in the mood for Christmas this year. Not the commercial aspect, but the actual season...the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I remember the tradition we had when the kids were little. After candlelight service we'd come home and light candles on the cake I had baked and sing happy birthday to baby Jesus.

Since our kids are grown, we always have a family get together at our house on a weekend before Christmas. This allows the grandchildren to be home on Christmas day. Our date this year is the fifteenth. In some ways, I wish we could hold our get together on Christmas Eve so we could all celebrate the birth of Jesus together.

Do you have any Christmas traditions? Do you know where I can purchase a copy of The Jerk?

Another Random Act of Kindness...

So, is this a new movement against the evil stalking our land? I hope so! I'd like to imagine people doing one random act of kindness a day. And then the receiver feeling so blessed that they in turn do an act of kindness. This could snowball exponentially! Can you imagine it?

So, here's the story for today. My husband told me that he was in line at McDonald's to get his breakfast on the way to work. When he pulled up to the window, they handed him his food and said he didn't owe a thing! The lady in front of him had asked what he had ordered, and then had paid for his breakfast! Is that not unbelievable!

It's so true that we can believe the doom and despair we hear about all the time, but when something like this happens, people tend to disbelieve.

I'm convinced there is an underground movement, headed by angels, to change the world...one random act of kindness at a time.

An Act of Kindness to Pay it Forward

I heard a really sweet story today. A lady I work with told me that she had forgotten to stop at the store on her way home. She remembered a couple hours later that she needed eggs because she's fixing deviled eggs for our pot luck at work tomorrow. So, she had on sweat pants and a t-shirt, slipped into sandals and headed to the nearest store. While she was standing in line she began talking to the man in front of her. He was tall and thin, around her age, and they talked about how the weather would be changing, and other nonpersonal topics. When the line grew shorter and it was this man's turn, he told my friend to go ahead and get in front of him since she only had a dozen eggs. She thanked him and told him how much she appreciated his kindness after the rough day she'd had. She put the eggs on the belt and the man spoke up. He told the cashier to put the eggs on his bill. She was so astonished!

There are so many good kind people out there, but we never hear of the acts of kindness. Why doesn't the media talk about the things that lift our spirits instead of all the doom and gloom news reports?

This simple act made me think of how much better the world would be if we all would remember to perform just one random act of kindness each day. And when we receive an act of kindness, we should remember to pay it forward. God blesses those who do as Jesus would do.

What About Forgiving?

Today in our Sunday School class we were studying the story of Esau and Jacob. If you aren't familiar with it, the story begins in Genesis 25:19. It is the story of ultimate forgiveness. We talked about forgiving and heard some stories that began to inspire me.

My newest novel is going to explore how one act can drive two people apart, and what it takes to forgive.

Is there someone in your life with whom you've had a disagreement that drove you apart? Have you forgiven or been forgiven? What would it take to repair that break? Can you take the first step?

May God bless you, and thank you for stopping by.

A Crossroad or a Dead End?

Have you ever traveled through the countryside and come upon a road that ended with a fence in front of you and a perpendicular road that forced you to turn either right or left? No going forward?

Think about writing. Many times you will come to a dead stop. When that happens, have you ever thought of it as one of the roads I described above? Instead of a dead end, perhaps you need to journey in a different direction. If you think of it as an adventure into new uncharted territory, you might be able to envision two different roads. Which will you choose?

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been struggling with my latest manuscript. I recently cut 20 pages because it wasn't going where I wanted to go. Yesterday, I ruthlessly cut another 39 pages. The problem? I didn't turn left or right. Instead I turned around and backtracked.

After much introspection, and many prayers, I have come to the realization that I've been forcing my passion for writing to fit a "mold." Because I enjoy reading romance, especially romantic suspense, that's what I've been writing. But I turned in the wrong direction. I sold myself short. Sure, I can write a novel that readers tell me are page-turners, that they couldn't put it down, and they eagerly ask when my next book will be out. I won't lie. That feels good. It's a great ego boost. But it's not the real me. What is the real me?

I have been on a faith journey for some time, and have come to the realization that I need to write inspirational to add sunshine to my soul. And I don't need to try to fit any particular mold. What I need to do is put my fingers to the keyboard and write, truly write from my heart. Whenever I do that, the words flow freely. When I wrote "Hands of Time" and sent it to Chicken Soup for the Soul, that piece flowed from my hands in a matter of minutes. And they bought it. Not just once, but three times! That piece has been in three different Chicken Soup books, and is the story they use on their website to promote one of their books.

I may not get the books I intend to write published, but I will nourish my soul in writing them. If I get a contract, it will come in God's time. And that brings a smile to my heart, and a joy to my soul.

Thank you for stopping by, and may God lead you in the direction that will bring joy to your soul.

Writing What is Unseen

Our sermon in church today focused on II Corinthians 4:16-18. This message spoke to me in so many different ways. Our pastor asked us several questions. The most significant to me was "Am I more like Jesus than I was a year ago?" The answer is yes.

Faith is something which grows within us daily. Each struggle, each triumph, each new day brings us closer to knowing God's plan for us. I'm always asking myself if I truly have Jesus in my heart, or if I'm simply paying lip service. Sometimes it is hard to tell. But as I look on the times I turn to prayer throughout the day to ask God to place a healing hand on someone who is in pain, or ask Him to remove a burden which is worrisome to me, or thank Him for the many blessings in my life, including unanswered prayers, I know that He lives in my heart. I am blessed.

I've been asking God what direction He wants me to take with my writing. I have a passion to write. It is a hunger that gnaws at me. Yet, I don't know what direction or plan God has for me.

Today, during the sermon, God touched my heart. He told me through my Pastor that I should not be looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. God created us in His image. Each day that we spend as a servant to God brings us closer to being the person that He created us to be. What is inside me is where my words must come from. I know that only by trusting in God and writing from my heart will I fulfill His plan for me. My journey may take me up many hills and down many valleys, but it will be a journey worth taking.

Thank you for stopping by. May your day be blessed.

Warped Reflections

In our family room we have a "cornered" fireplace, which my husband built shortly after we bought this house. The brick encasing it from ceiling to floor has been the resting place for Christmas wreaths each and every Christmas season. Several years ago one of our daughters made me a beautiful quilted wall hanging. By using various patterned scrap material pieces, she created a scene of the hill with three crosses, the foremost prominent one depicting the cross on which Jesus was crucified. I loved the way it looked displayed above the mantle in our family room.

Earlier this year I watched a "Trading Spaces" episode where they placed a mirror above a fireplace, and explained how to angle it downward to reflect the room, giving it a bigger appearance. That made me think about making a change to our brick wall by removing the wall hanging and replacing it with a mirror. One day we were looking for some unrelated thing, when I spotted a "perfect" mirror. The price was right, so we snatched it up. My hubby finally got around to hanging it, and I was so excited to have a new change (he hates any changes in furniture rearrangement, etc). But after hanging the mirror, what it reflected appeared distorted. It's hard to explain, almost like looking at a picture that has been skewed incorrectly. In fact, the mirror actually makes one dizzy if you stare into it while you are moving. **sigh** I love the mirror, but I avoid looking into it whenever I'm "moving". I warn all our visitors about it, also. Our son, who makes windows for a living, told us the mirror was warped. Who ever heard of a warped mirror? Not me! Live and learn. I suppose some day we'll replace the mirror with another one.

The imperfect mirror made me think of how many times we might look at our reflections and either miss something that others "see" in us, or perhaps see something in ourselves that others don't. Reflections can be deceiving--even in a "perfect" mirror.

Oh, the wall hanging? It is proudly displayed at the top of our stairs where every visitor can look on its beauty, and hopefully feel the love of God that cements our house.

Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Sunday Reflection - Things That Made Me Smile

My week in review:

* Someone's cell phone going off during Pastor Dave's sermon.

* Finding the perfect drapes for my office windows.

* My cat watching and studying the sewing machine in action.

* My 'fraidy cat sitting on the stairs and watching me vacuum instead of hiding.

* Finishing a good book by Karen Harper, INFERNO.

* Sticking to my diet.

* Exercising with Richard Simmons.

* Talking to my "adopted" daughter in NC.

* Talking to my mother.

* Getting my Mary Kay order.

* Revamping my website.

* Changing my living room.

* Reaching the 62% completion on my novel.

* The sunny but cool weekend.

* Enjoying the beauty of the trees on my way to and from work.

Hope you found lots of things to smile about, too! Thanks for stopping by!