Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22–23)
August is my birthday month, and each year, I approach the days leading up to my birthday with an attitude of reflection. What have I accomplished this past year? What do I want the next year to bring? Continue reading “Birthday Reflections”
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Ps. 90:17)
At WriterCon 2021, I went to two sessions on time management—one by Jennifer McMurrain and the other by Tamara Grantham. I know the tricks and tips—I’ve taught them to other writers myself. But lately, applying them to my own writing life has been a challenge. I was hoping to learn something new, or to hear an old piece of advice taught in a new way. And I did.
One of the things I’ve struggled with revolves around completing my cozy mystery. I’m not usually a procrastinator, but I found that I would put my manuscript aside to work on almost any mundane task instead. Continue reading “We Can Do Hard Things”
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Eph. 6:10)
In last week’s blog post, I wrote about the difficulty I’ve had lately with being creative. This past weekend, I attended the virtual Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) conference. Attending the conference, learning from fellow writers, and mingling (even virtually) is always a boon for my creativity.
This year, the conference coordinators took a chance on me and allowed me to conduct two workshops on self-editing practices. I’ve done a lot of speaking over the years, but this was the largest event where I’ve been invited to speak. Continue reading “A Time to Create”
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron 15:7).
In light of my word for the year, “create,” I’ve set two major writing goals for 2021.
I’m getting closer to finishing my first Christian cozy mystery novel, which I’ve titled Death by Dice: A Bunco Club Mystery. You may not know the story behind this book, but it’s been quite a process. I started writing it in early 2016 as a novella, and I completed it about a year later with 20,000 words. Then I decided to challenge myself further and add enough content for a complete novel. It’s taken several years and multiple starts and stops (I’ve quit for up to a year at a time twice due to health and family emergencies). Since last April, I’ve written steadily, and now I have a completed draft at just over 64,000 words! I’m making final revisions, and I’ll send it to my content editor and beta readers within a few weeks. Thanks to all my friends who checked in and held me accountable for finishing this project! Continue reading “CREATE: Writing Goals for 2021”
“On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.” (1 Thess 2:4)
Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my first big in-person event in about a year. WriterCon 2020, a three-day writing conference, was held in Oklahoma with both in-person and streaming options. In addition to learning and networking, I represented my editing business, Prestige Prose, and the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI). Continue reading “Winning at WriterCon 2020”