When You Don't Think You're Good Enough by Robin E. Mason

Every writer, truly every artist, at some time or another, feels unworthy. That their work falls short of some standard. And perhaps, sometimes it does.

But I’ve learned something—perfection is a cruel and impossible taskmaster, excellence a kinder, more forgiving goal. We all have them, those days we can conquer anything. And we do. We tick off those items on our never-ending to-do list, and settle with a good cuppa to enjoy the fruit of our labors. Other days, though, our 112% barely grazes one or two of those bits. Bits that have become insurmountable.

I don’t know about you, but those days crush me. Or, they used to. And when I was striving for the elusive and impossible perfection, those days were EVERY day.

But two things happened. Or, rather, one thing precipitated the other—God’s grace relieved me of an impossible burden, and with that, the freedom to grow and excel in my writing. Still, those days creep in sometimes. And what are we to do when that happens?

I offer you what I used to tell my kids when somebody said something about them; ask yourself one question: “Is it true?” When those niggling doubts creep in—“Your writing is abominable.” “This story is stupid.” “That character just isn’t believable.” “No one wants to read this!—ask yourself if it’s true.”

Does no one really want to read this? Ah! This is the question, isn’t it? To me, this is the heart of why we write. Whether “just” for entertainment or with deep spiritual meaning, do we not write for others to read? I know I do. Of course I’d love to be a New York Times bestseller. Why wouldn’t I want my stories made into movies?

But even if that never happens, even if I never sold another book—HUSH MY MOUTH!—I know I have an Audience who will never disparage or belittle my writing. Coach me, yes. Encourage me, certainly. But never will He shred my efforts, no matter how weak.

I write, we all write, ultimately for an Audience of One. One who has instilled in us our love of and passion for, and dare I say, skill with words. And when He is pleased with our efforts, if not our finesse, then who are we to argue?

Do we stop striving to our best? Not at all. Does this mean we can be lazy and sloppy? Certainly not. We offer our very best to Him. And He is pleased with that.

I saw a quote the other day, attributed to Priscilla Shirer:

And that’s exactly it.

The next time you feel you don’t measure up—and there will be a next time—remember Who holds the measuring stick. And gauge yourself by His measure.

“Maybe you have to know the darkness to truly appreciate the light.” —Madeline L’Engle

 Robin E. Mason writes stories of identity conflict. Her characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, her stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and very deep way. “I know, I write from experience.”

http://robinemason.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-E-Mason-Author-Artist/224223274404877
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/e/B00MR5IQ9S
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/108929134414473292325
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7808042.Robin_E_Mason





Why do I write? Who do I write for? by Taylor Bennett

Why do I write? Who do I write for?

Those are good questions—solid ones—but they’re not ones I ask myself often enough.

I spend so much time, hours and hours a day, writing. Thinking about writing. Reading other people’s writing. But when do I take time to ask myself why?

Why am I writing? Who am I writing for?

Do I write because I want to see my book made into a movie, win a major award, or become a NYT bestseller?

While all of those things would be nice…no.

That’s not why I write.

Do I write just for me? So that I can go on adventures within the pages of my own imagination?

That’s fun and all, but…no.

That’s not who I write for.

Do I write for the world? To make others happy, to churn out book after book that will win over the hearts of thousands?

Well…though I always hope others enjoy my work…no.

Then who DO I write for?

The answer is different for every author. Some do write for others, because they have a heart for a certain readership. Others write for themselves alone, to experience the joy of simply writing. Others write for the sheer thrill of navigating the publishing market, the wheeling and dealing with hotshot agents and editors.

Inside of me, there’s a small piece of all of these writers. Sometimes I write because of the story in my heart, the yearning I have to put it to paper. Sometimes I write for my audience, for others whom I know are just as in love with my characters as I am. Sometimes I strive to write with extra finesse, my hopes set on placing in a competition.

But, above all of that, I want to write for my Creator. The One who formed me in my mother’s womb, the One who gave me a love of writing before I even knew my alphabet. I pray to God each day, ask Him what He should have for me—in my life, my writing, my everything.

God knows best.

Sometimes, God makes it easy for us to know what His will is. He opens doors or closes windows that we just can’t ignore. Other times, His prodding is subtle. I’m learning to listen for that Divine, good will in all areas of my life, but especially in my writing. I’m still a young writer, one who hasn’t yet figured out her path in this literary life. But I know that God has a plan for me, for my writing.

And that’s why I want to write for Him.

What does writing for God mean?

In the Bible, we’re called to do everything unto the Lord, and we definitely shouldn’t leave our writing out of that. But how? How do we write for the Lord?

There are countless ways.

Whatever we do, we can do it for the Lord—whatever we write, we can write for the Lord.

If you write silly rhyming picture books…you can write them for the Lord.

If you write hard-hitting news articles…you can write them for the Lord.

Blog posts and devotionals and novels and short stories—you can write all of them for the Lord.

When we write for the Lord, we are simply laying down our work before Him. Asking Him to guide and direct our minds and hearts as we put words on a page. Sometimes His direction is clear—a push or prodding to tackle a certain topic. Other times, His hand is lighter. Just a vague whisper, a nudge in the right direction.

Writing for the Lord doesn’t necessarily mean we write for the Christian market, or even any market in particular. It simply means that we allow Him to fill us with His truth, to the point where we’re so full of God’s word that we simply can’t keep it from spilling out of us and into our words.

If we strive and aspire to write for the Lord, we have the great hope in our hearts that He will use our writing in ways we’ve never thought possible. A clean romance novel with a message of love and redemption can be just as effective as a pastor’s salvation message. We never know what will touch one person, one life, and what will give that individual a better glimpse of God’s kingdom.

And even if some of our writings never see the light of day—even when we write just for us, with no intention of publication—we can still use the act of writing as a way to worship.

No matter what we do with our writing, no matter who we’re writing for, we can use our writing to praise the One who first put words into our heart.

The One from whom all blessings truly flow.

Porch Swing Girl 


What if friendship cost you everything?
  
Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common sense and sells the family house. But plane tickets cost money—something Olive gravely lacks.

With the help of Brander, the fussy youth group worship leader, and Jazz, a mysterious girl with a passion for all things Hawaiian, Olive lands a summer job at the Shave Ice Shack and launches a scheme to buy a plane ticket home before the end of the summer.
But when Jazz reveals a painful secret, Olive’s plans are challenged. Jazz needs money. A lot of it. Olive and Brander are determined to help their friend but, when their fundraising efforts are thwarted, Olive is caught in the middle. To help Jazz means giving up her ticket home. And time is running out.

Taylor Bennett Bio: Homeschooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl, released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1^st. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Links:

Website: http://taylor--bennett.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaylorBennettAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writer__taylor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylor.bennett.author/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Taylor__Bennett/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66039360-taylor-bennett
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY14wY1VlyfoQlEJ_D6kkxQ
Order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Porch-Swing-Girl-Tradewinds-Book-ebook/dp/B079QM574Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518563702&sr=8-1&keywords=taylor+bennett+porch+swing+girl 

How (not) to Build Your Social Media Platform by Susan Tuttle

Susan and I switched Thursdays this month. She normally posts on the first Thursday of each month, but in March she is graciously visiting with us on the fourth Thursday.

 

I’m in a couple different groups that are giving some great advice about social media platforms. The need for consistency and clarity across all devices is imperative. Your numbers and constant growth is even a larger concern. And as writers, we are brainstorming ways to reach the broadest audience in the most effective way. As I’ve listened to everyone chime in, I’ve learned a lot about what to do. More importantly, I’ve learned what not to do. Today I want to chat about that.

See, publishers want to see big numbers. We’ve heard that repeatedly. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s been rubber stamped across my forehead. But when you are unpublished, it feels like you’re peddling air and asking for gold. How do you market a product that is as-of-yet invisible? But it’s a necessary in this world, and so the work for numbers begins.
We:

• Push “friend request” on Facebook a hundred times and when someone accepts, our first message to them is, please like my author page.
• We blindly follow on Twitter and when we receive a “follow” back, we send an automated reply to their inbox saying, if you follow me here, like my author page too!
• We stalk hashtags on Instagram and blanket the popular users with requests so that they will follow us back.
• We pay a source to increase our numbers for us.

I know there are far more ways people gain a skyrocketing number across their social media platforms, but do you know what is missing when it’s done this way? Authenticity. Without it, you’ve gained numbers but no relationship.

If we are not interacting with people, it doesn’t matter our numbers because they aren’t going to care what we have to say when we finally have a stage to say it on. Readers want to trust the voice that spins the story they are reading. They want to connect not only to our characters but to us. And as Christian writers, isn’t connecting what it’s all about? Because to share our message of faith, we first need their ear.

If you’re trying to build your social media numbers, I challenge you today to start by interacting with the people who are already there. Begin to build your content and connections. Let God worry about how big your reach is while you worry about authentically following that which he’s called you to do.

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.

Staying Motivated by Rachel J. Good

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand — and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late.”    ~Marie Beynon Ray  

As snow falls here in the Northeast, blanketing us with white so deep we have no choice but to stay inside, it’s a good time to ponder our goals. Back in January, when the year was new and shiny, many of us made resolutions. Often by now, we’re off track, and all those promises we made to ourselves seem even farther from reach because we’ve also lost our motivation. The passion that birthed those resolutions has long since died. And that makes it easy to forget our dreams and plans, to let the pressing details of everyday life keep us stuck. 

We have so many commitments, we have little time to squeeze in the things that are dear to our hearts. Perhaps an emotional or physical crisis is draining our time and energy. Once this is over, we tell ourselves we’ll make time for writing. But before that difficulty passes, another takes its place, and soon we’re spending all our time dealing with emergencies. We shelve our dreams, but it’s “only for now,” we promise ourselves. We’ll get back to it someday, but soon a few days stretches into weeks, months, or even years. 

So how do we stay motivated once reality has set in, and we’re not finding time for our writing or other important projects?

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to look back for motivation and forward for inspiration. Planning and dreaming can inspire us to move ahead, but looking back can be valuable to see how far we’ve come. I’ve found it’s often the perfect solution to getting unstuck.

The key to looking back is not to beat yourself up over uncompleted projects, but to remember your past successes. Even if it seems these have been few or nonexistent, reframe your past from a positive perspective.

For many years, my only progress consisted of stacks of rejection letters, half-finished manuscripts, and a brain full of ideas. Although I put in work, I didn’t feel a real sense of accomplishment. Now I wish I could go back and appreciate those achievements, because if it weren’t for those years of drudgery and disappointment, I wouldn’t be published today.

So wherever you are on your journey (whether in writing or other pursuits), honor the hard work you’ve put in — even if it didn’t bring the rewards you hoped. Find a way to keep track of what you’ve done and celebrate the small milestones along the way. Rejection letters indicate you’ve been submitting, partially finished manuscripts prove you’ve been writing, doodles in your sketchbook show you’ve been drawing. Yes, you may not have gotten as far as you’d hoped, but rather than looking at where you expected to be, rejoice in how far you’ve come. You’ve made progress, and that’s the most important thing.

Another way to look back is to ask yourself what you wish you’d accomplished at the end of your life. So many times, we forgo the important things for the petty. How valuable are the activities taking up your time each day? Would you rather spend your time sweeping dust bunnies in the guest bedroom or touching lives with an important message? Thinking in terms of an eternal perspective can also be motivating.

And as the quote (and the Bible) reminds us, we have no guarantee of tomorrow; the only time we have allotted is now. This point was driven home to me this week when a beloved writer I know lost her battle with cancer. Although those of us who knew her mourn her loss, we’re grateful for the books she’s left behind – books that still have the power to change lives for years or even generations to come. What about you? Are you waiting for someday? If God has given you a message to share, do it now. Don’t put it off until it’s too late.

 

Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – Sisters & Friends series, Hearts of Amish Country series, and Love & Promises series – as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books. She also writes the contemporary inspirational series, Hope Chapel, and the first novella in that series, Angels Unaware, recently released. Her March release, Buried Secrets, is on blog tour with Celebrate Lit. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook and her website.

Links

www.racheljgood.com
https://www.facebook.com/racheljgoodnovels/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-J-Good/100009699285059
https://twitter.com/RachelJGood1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661177.Rachel_J_Good
https://www.pinterest.com/racheljgood1/

 

 

Day Job Versus Dream Job by Susan Tuttle

This writing life can be a juggle sometime, can’t it? Especially when you’re balancing your writing with your day job. When all you want to do is quit the 9-5 and dig into what God has called you to write! Except you’re not making any money at this writing gig, so quitting isn’t exactly an option.

It’s hard when the passion over your purpose wants to eclipse the responsibilities of your day. Which is why I love three little verses in Acts. If you get a chance, crack your Bible open to Acts 18:3-5. It talks about Paul and how he was a tentmaker. Not just that, but how he worked as a tentmaker and preached on the weekends. Paul, who had a huge calling on his life. Paul, who burned to preach the Gospel. Paul, who wouldn’t even marry because he was so focused on spreading God’s Word. He worked a day job.

Friends, just because God calls us to something does not mean we are ready for that calling. There’s preparation for us and there’s preparation for the fields God is sending us to cultivate or harvest. While it may seem like our day job is competing with our dream, more likely it’s supporting the early stages of it. We need to stop pitting the two against one another and begin to be thankful for God’s provision of work while he trains and positions us for what lies ahead.

Hard. I know. But it’s doable. Just look at Paul J

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.