HELLO TO HELPFUL HABITS by Patti Jo Moore

Happy New Year, my friends! 😊 I will confess I began what is now this blog post as a reminder to myself. Sure, I can comment to my family and friends that I plan to_______ (fill in the blank---exercise more, drink more water instead of cokes, be more organized, etc.etc.) in the new year. And they will smile politely, likely thinking they’ve heard me say those exact words before. Every January.😉

This year, instead of simply commenting about my plans, or even making a list that gets tucked away in a random notebook, I decided to not only write my plans, but write them and post the list where I can’t miss seeing them. For me, that would be on my desk next to my computer. Yes, I know this is common-sense, but if you’re like me, sometimes we need those common-sense reminders. 😉

I recently thought about reasons I haven’t been getting more writing done on a daily basis, and the glaring, obvious truth couldn’t be ignored. Facebook and emails. Sure, I love reading my friends’ posts on Facebook, and who doesn’t love receiving a newsy email from a friend, but I’ve gotten into the (bad) habit of checking those first, after my Bible time and as soon as I start my computer each morning. Before I realize, the clock is showing it’s almost noon, and I’m still scrolling through Facebook posts (“Just one more, and then I’ll log out and open my WIP”). Truthfully, I do like to check for prayer requests, and consider it an honor to pray for my friends, but with so many photos, funny memes, etc. on Facebook, it’s too easy to get distracted. *Sigh*

If you are a naturally disciplined person, I applaud you. But for those of us who easily get sidetracked, we might need a visual reminder. So I’ve got a sheet of bright yellow paper, a permanent marker that’s a bold shade of pink, and I’m ready to list my plans. The goal is for these to become daily habits, keeping me on track so I can be more productive with my writing—and my days in general. Because when I’m productive, that gives me a happy feeling, which in turn makes for a better overall day. 😊

Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40

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Sadie's Dream

In a coastal Georgia town in 1900, a young woman prepares to serve as a missionary in Africa.

After being jilted the previous year, she's certain she's meant to remain single.

When she meets a handsome businessman from Savannah, she begins struggling with doubts.

Over time she learns that the Lord's plans are best, and dreams really can come true.

Patti Jo Moore is a retired kindergarten teacher and lifelong Georgia girl. She loves Jesus, her family, cats, and coffee, and is blessed to be published with Forget-Me-Not Romances. When she’s not spending time with her family (including her sweet grandbaby) or writing her “Sweet, Southern Stories” Patti Jo can be found feeding cats—her own six and local strays.

She loves connecting with readers and other writers, and can be found on Facebook at Author Patti Jo Moore or her personal blog at http://catmomscorner.blogspot.com

Focus on Joy by Angela Arndt

Each year we reserve the last week of the year to post our favorite post from our "day" and this year our Tuesday posts were doozies! So many that have touched my heart and seem so appropriate for this time of year. For example:

Joy on a Gate

• Have you resolved to write more in 2017? You may want to check out Guard Your Writing Time by Marie Wells Coutu.
• Was 2016 a rough year? You'll be encouraged by Laura Hilton's We Are Troubled on Every Side.
• After Christmas festivities, I'm sure all of us can relate to Janet Chester Bly's 5 Reasons Relationships Are So Tough To Do. 
• If you had a blue Christmas, re-read Zoe McCarthy's Suffering? Don't Waste It. 

The week after Christmas always seems like a bonus week to me. We're in limbo. Almost like we have a chance to redeem the year and prepare for the next. This week, I'm focusing on the word, joy, because I'd like to find mine before the new year starts. 

JOY

It doesn't take much to steal our joy, even at Christmas. An empty chair. A snarky remark. Wounded pride. And our perfect Christmas is ruined.

What is a Perfect Christmas?

But seriously, what is a perfect Christmas? Perfect food? Perfect gifts? Perfect attendance?

What was so perfect about that first Christmas? Being "great with child," riding on a donkey for days? Giving birth in a barn? Fleeing to Egypt in the night because the king wanted to kill your child? 

That'll change your perspective in a hurry!

The sweet little "babe in the manger" was God incarnate, born to die for our sins. Grief and pain has been rolled in with Christmas since it was first ordained. We celebrate Jesus' birth, not only because he was God on Earth, but also because His death redeems us. 

What is Joy?

Our salvation. God's unfailing love. Christ's perfect gift. He loved us enough to die for us. He loves us more than anyone else ever could. He will continue to love us, always. That is the joy we celebrate. 

Focus on what is good in life:  Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." The good is there, change your focus.

John 1:5 reminds us, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Check out of social networks for a day or two. A shouting match on Facebook or Twitter never solved anything.

Instead, try calming your heart with another kind of creativity. 

Art

You don't have to be an artist, try your hand at coloring. Drag out your children's colored pencils, markers and crayons. You don't even have to leave the house because here's a link to several free coloring pages with inspirational quotes. 

Music

David calmed Saul's heart with music. English playwright and poet, William Congreve, said, 

"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks or bend a knotted oak."  

• Listen or sing along with soothing music. If you don't have a subscription music service, KLOVE plays positive and encouraging music - free. (Here's a link to their player. You may have to allow pop-ups to get it to play.) 
• Create your own music. Create a SoundCloud account to sing or play. You don't need special equipment, just use your computer's microphone. 
• Can't sing? Let Jam-a-Gram do it. Just read your favorite quote or message and it will convert it into a beautiful song snippet to keep for yourself or share. Here's my jam-a-gram, just for you.)

More Ideas

Here're a few other ideas to help you focus on joy:

• Allow God’s love to heal your heart. Pray and meditate on His gift to you. 
• Focus on today, not tomorrow and what-ifs. Focus on the present, not the past or what-could-have-been.
• Seek God’s joy with all your heart. You can find several good online devotions through YouVersion.com (where you can download a mobile app) or BibleGateway.com. 

God’s love can heal our hearts and help us find our joy again. What makes you joyful? What are your plans for the rest of "limbo week?"

About the Author

Angela Arndt writes stories of God's immeasurable grace to bring joy to those on the back roads of life, usually set in small Southern towns.

Coincidentally, she, her husband, and their three very large dogs: Beau the bloodhound, Harley (a very large dog in a 12 lb. poodle's body), and Buddy the Wonder Dog (we wonder where he came from) live in the middle of a big wood outside a small Southern town. She would love for you to visit her website, http://www.angelaarndt.com or her blog, where she hopes you can find your own Joy on the Back Roads. 

Ready – Get Set – Focus! By Terri Weldon

Terri Weldon

Happy New Year! Even though it is only January 8th, I’m sure you’ve read a dozen or more blogs about the New Year. Ways you can make sure you accomplish more in 2015 then you did in 2014. Hmm, almost makes me wonder if I should switch topics, but I won’t because I need this post even if you don’t.

One way I’m going to endeavor to achieve more in 2015 is by focusing. There are several areas of my life, both personal and professional, that need focus. I won’t bore you with the personal areas and if you’re bored by the professional – well, just pretend you aren’t.

I tend to allow myself to be pulled in too many different directions. Yeah, it would be easy to blame something or someone else, but the real crux of the matter is I allow it to happen. I have friends who are as busy or busier than I am and they seem to accomplish twice what I do. They stay focused, I don’t. True confession, sometimes I just want to hide from my writer accountability group. Oh, I can’t believe I said that, because one or more of them will probably read this!

Part of my plan to stay focused is to pick out the things that are the most important to me. No they won’t all be writing related, nor should they be. We need to keep a balance in our life and make sure God is always in the number one position. Also, remember there are some things you can’t control. You have no control over whether or not an editor will recommend your work for publication or an agent will sign you as a client. However, you can decide to write every day or five thousand words a week, attend a conference, and submit a proposal to an agent. And even though I know I’ve read this countless times before on Seriously Write, it bears repeating, pray about your writing. God is in this journey along with us.

In case you’re wondering, I just outlined what I plan to focus on in 2015. Somehow while it was floating around in my mind, it didn’t seem so overwhelming. Seeing it written down in black and white, well, all I can say is it’s time to FOCUS!

Leave a comment and tell me what your plans are for 2015. I’d love to hear them and welcome any and all tips on how to stay focused. Happy New Year!

****

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Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.

She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.

Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.

Not Forgotten by Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle

Today marks a brand new year. For some of us we watched as dreams were realized in 2014, others are wondering if they were forgotten. I get it, believe me I do. The writer’s world is a tough one. But recently while I was lamenting the fact and working on a new story, God drew a parallel for me, and I want to share it.

See, when we write we move things around. Our final draft rarely ever resembles our first draft. For the story to work we need to cut things out and shift other things into position. Sometimes we need to add new elements. And why? Because we want the story to work. All of the painful process; that part that’s grueling work, that part that feels like we’re going backward rather than forward, that part that feels like we’re creating a mess rather than a story, all of that is what produces the glowing finished product.

Well, Hebrews tells us that Jesus is “the author and perfecter of our faith” which means he’s writing our life story. Just like when we write, in our lives there are seasons of shifting, adding, and editing that we need to go through. In those moments when it feels like we’re not making headway, when frustration grows, God is still working. No, we don’t have the finished product in our hands—we might not even be able to see it—but the process of our story is still occurring. Oh, we’d love the end product without the editing process, but it’s the hard work of the editing that makes the story shine.

And just like when we write, we cannot give into the frustration of the moment and give up. Our stories will never make it out there if we quit.

So as you begin this new year, I challenge you to spend time with your Author. To ask what part of the process he has you currently in, for the wisdom to travel through it, and for the strength to continue forward.

Because your dream has not been forgotten; it’s still being written.

****

Susan Tuttle is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.

Stay True to Your Writing Path in 2015

 

Stay True to Your Writing Path

By Mary Manners 

Many authors struggle with the fact that marketing rarely takes a holiday vacation, and thus tends to devour writing time. Deadlines loom, but at the same time there are book releases that require promotion. Often the worlds of Facebook and Twitter closely resemble black holes that suck writers in and refuse to let go. The question soon arises: How does one maintain a fine balance between marketing and writing? As we head into 2015, I’d like to share a few easy solutions that I have found to be highly effective:

Rock Around the Block:

Schedule daily ‘clean-up’ marketing in short blocks of time. By clean-up marketing, I refer to staying connected with friends who have commented on posts, sent messages, etc. These require a fairly quick response and should not be neglected. An example of blocking technique might be to use three 15 minute session: one first thing in the morning, one mid-day, and a third in the evening, when the day’s writing is complete. Set a timer and limit yourself to fifteen minutes per block. Whatever is not completed during that time should be put off until the next block.

 

Goal for it:

When the black holes beckon, setting a writing goal and sticking to it works well. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. My goal is usually five for five: I must write 500 words before I break for a five-minute trek through the virtual world to see what’s going on. I set a timer and strictly limit myself to five minutes. This technique works very well to help me tackle and tie up my writing projects as deadlines loom; the promise of a trek through a black hole motivates me to get those words down on paper.

 

Chunk it Out:

When dealing with the bulk of marketing, consider chunking the work into a half-day once a month to schedule tweets and posts. I use Hootesuite to work this in. Hootsuite is a free service and allows Twitter and Facebook scheduling several months in advance. I have found that a half-day provides plenty of time to plan and schedule a month’s worth of information for both of these venues. Additional blocking times throughout the course of a month may be used to work in last-minute posts as well as to retweet and/or respond to the posts of others. As an aside, it is quite beneficial to have all tweets/posts saved in a document with links already shrunk, which allows for quick cutting and pasting.

 

Take a Deep Breath and WRITE:

The next time the virtual world threatens to snatch away writing time, step back, take a deep breath, and then dive back in to WRITE. Remember these simple tips to help stay focused and enjoy the journey. Happy New Year and Happy Writing!

 

~~~~~

 

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and daughter Danni, and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus. She loves flavored coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.

Mary was named Author of the Year by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.



Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

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Kate's Kisses

Broken dreams...shattered hearts...a special recipe... Following the tragic, sudden death of her parents, Kate Spencer broke off her engagement from high school sweetheart Logan Daniels, just weeks before their wedding. She chose, instead, to remain in Mount Ridge, Tennessee to raise her younger sisters and help keep the family together. Now, with her sisters grown, she spends her days at family-owned Sweet Treats Bakery, hiding a wounded heart in the sweet confections she creates. Logan Daniels left town when Kate broke his heart, but now he's come home to claim what he lost four years ago, and he won't stop until he gets what he came for...Kate's kisses.