Keep the Faith by Shannon Redmon

The End…Two words that carry a multitude of meanings. 

When a writer completes a story, these two words bring joy and satisfaction. When a chaotic year comes to a close, these two words signify relief and hope for a better tomorrow. 

Many of us look forward to 2020 coming to an end. But when these two words are included in a sweet goodbye to our very own Seriously Write Blog, sadness resounds and reflection begins. 

These two words may conclude the end of our blog, but the writers, contributors and readers will continue forward. Our call to write and read is still clear. Instead of an ending, let this be a new chapter in our lives, an open door, a new mission from God. He’s freed up time for us to do something new. 

And who doesn’t love something new? 

Especially at Christmas. 😊 🎄

Cruisin’ the Coast: A Lesson for Writers By Shannon Redmon

My husband and I just returned from the Cruisin’ the Coast Car show in Biloxi, Mississippi and the event transported us back in time. My husband is the classic car enthusiast and loves to look at all the different unique vehicles. I like to watch his face light up when he sees a cool car he likes. His favorites are the old Corvettes or any other Chevrolet car. 

My apologies to all the Ford lovers out there. 😄

The one thing that struck me the most was how each of the classic cars displayed a uniqueness, from the color of the paint to the individuals who drove them. From large wheeled monster trucks to suped-up low-riders crowding the streets, not to be outdone by showroom quality stingrays or rusted out rat-rods. 

Every car brought something unique to the table, not to mention the smile on the driver’s faces. 

The locals assured us the steroid hyped-up car show was something they looked forward to every year. They attended so they didn’t miss the burnouts, flame throwers, boat cars and even the gigantic flyer wagon cruising up and down Beach Boulevard. 

However, you might be wondering what a deep south car show has to do with writing.

The Distracted Writer by Shannon Redmon

Every been smack dab in the middle of writing an amazing story scene when the dog, cat or toddler runs into your room or your wonderful partner plops down for an untimely discussion that completely rips you from the concentrated effort to be creative?

Then this post is for you.

The Dawn by Shannon Redmon

Sometimes I wonder if I misunderstood God’s call on my life to be a published author.

Often these moments, filled with doubt, arise after I receive rejected book proposals or struggle to come up with interesting story ideas. I’ve even been known to write several chapters into a story and scrap the whole thing because I didn’t think it was good enough or even worse – that I’m not good enough?

Then God, in his loving grace, gives me a verse of encouragement,

“The path of the righteous is like a dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 (ASV)

When light dawns in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the sun doesn’t just pop up all at once, bright and ready to go. The warming star takes its time, inching into early hours of morning. But rise it does, with a plethora of colors sure to make an accomplished painter envy the hues. Strokes of pinks, oranges, reds and blue streak the sky beckoning anyone willing to leave the comfort of fluffy duvets and padded mattresses.

At just the right moment, the sun emerges from behind the mountains' dark and rocky faces, distributing its light across irregular topography, stretching rays across the land into the welcoming arms of a new day.

Then I realize...We are a dawning light.

We might start off slow, barely a blip on the writer’s scene. Maybe we are unpublished, unagented with only the undeniable call placed in our hearts by the One who created us. We shine more and more with every word, every blog, every story until one day God’s light emerges through our work, illuminating others with his warmth and love.

This is the kind of writer I want to be. One that does not give into doubt and questions, but one that allows God to disperse His story, His words and His light into a darkened world.

What say you?

As writers, we're a dawning light. We shine more brilliantly with every word, blog, & story until one day God’s light emerges through our work, illuminating others with His warmth & love. @shannon_redmon #seriouslywrite

✐📖✎✐📖✎✐📖✎✐📖✎✐📖✎✐📖✎

Shannon Redmon remembers the first grown up book she checked out from the neighborhood book mobile. A Victoria Holt novel with romance, intrigue, dashing gentlemen and ballroom parties captivated her attention. For her mother, the silence must have been a pleasant break from non-stop teenage chatter, but for Shannon, those stories whipped up a desire and passion for writing.

There’s nothing better than the power of a captivating novel, a moving song or zeal for a performance that punches souls with awe. A rainbow displayed after a horrific storm or expansive views on a mountaintop bring nuggets of joy into our lives. Shannon hopes her stories immerse readers into that same kind of amazement, encouraging faith, hope and love, guiding our hearts to the One who created us all.
Shannon’s writing has been published in Spark magazine, Splickety magazine, the Lightning Blog, The Horse of My Dreams a compilation book with other authors published by Revell, and the Seriously Write blog. Her stories have been selected as a semi-finalist and finalist of the ACFW Genesis Contest and won first place in the Foundation’s Awards. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. The StoryMoore Blog is named in memory of her father, Donald Eugene Moore.

Connect with Shannon:
www.shannonredmon.com
The StoryMoore Blog
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Shannon's debut, Cave of Secrets, releases in October 1st and is available now for pre-order.