I just received notification from Novel Journey that I’m today’s winner in their Best of Evil contest!

They said I’ve won autographed copies of Kathryn Mackel’s, The Hidden and The Departed. I’ve never read any Christian suspense novels before, yet I’ve heard Kathryn is a talented Hollywood screenwriter. It will be interesting to see how she creates scenes for novels that she probably envisions on the big screen.

Hey, you can jump in and join the contest too! All you have to do is leave a comment on Novel Journey between now and Halloween. They are GIVING away a ton of books, many of them autographed. (Now wouldn’t that make a nice Christmas present for someone, an autographed copy of a book?)

Well! Here’s some exciting news for ya.

I’ve been clicking around the NaNoWriMo site, hemming and hawing about whether I’ll actually get up the nerve to join in the fun. You can sign up now, though the gates won’t open for you to start writing your 50,000-word novel until November 1.

But I discovered the coolest thing — this year, there’s a program for kids! How’s that for a dream assignment for English teachers? If I were in the classroom, I think I’d probably pick my best and brightest students and tell them about this. And of course if I were homeschooling, my kids would have no choice. heh.

Can you imagine how much that would rock your confidence if you wrote your first novel at 13? Yeah, baby. Look out New York City. That would definitely be a better way to spend your time than watching TV or playing video games — almost as good as getting outside and exercising. Balance is good. And for you adults reading this, wouldn’t you love to have a copy of a novel YOU wrote at 13? Or 16?

If you’re interested, click over to the NaNoWriMo Young Writer’s Program and see how you can get your teacher’s kit, full of “goodies and incentives to get your students writing.”

When my kids are older, maybe we can all do this as a family. Wouldn’t that be fun? All of us, pulling our hair out over plots, characters, dialogue — at the same time! Then we could have a family reading. Hmmm…I’m getting all kinds of ideas here.

Now, back to my hemming and hawing about whether I will actually sign up myself …

Today’s my one-year blogging birthday. My Blogiversary. Yep, it’s been a whole year since the first time I logged onto my new WordPress blog and sent my thoughts out into cyberspace.

Surprisingly, no reporters are banging on my door or calling me to ask me how I feel about this monumental milestone. So, excuse me for being a total geek, but I’m going to interview myself. Something I’ve never done before, but why not?

So, Heather, how do you feel about reaching your first blogiversary?

Surprised. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I started blogging. In some ways, I still feel like a newbie compared to everyone else out there. But blogging has become such a part of my daily routine that I can’t imagine not doing it.

What was your first post about?

It was called Come On In, and I wrote this:

First of all, you don’t have to be a mom to come on in and visit. What I’m interested in is hearing your views and opinions on topics that relate to families. We may not all have the same backgrounds or lifestyles, but when it comes to children, we have an incredible amount in common.

I’d love for this to be a forum where it’s not just my voice you’re reading. So, I’ll be looking out for interesting ideas and opinions to share with you. My passion is to encourage and inspire others through helping them connect to what they need.

I feel pretty much the same way now. Except I know some of my readers, which makes writing a lot more fun!

Why did you decide to start blogging?

It all goes back to attending my first writers’ conference, the 2004 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference. I had a one-on-one appointment with a professional writer, and she said I should definitely have a website, but I had no idea what to put on it. I’d been a stay-home mom for 8 years, totally out of the career loop.

At the conference, I picked up a flyer about a writing contest sponsored by Zondervan, and I decided to enter. We were supposed to submit a 50,000-word nonfiction book manuscript, which I did. It was a great experience for me. I didn’t make the list of finalists, but I wrote my very first blog comment in February 2005 to congratulate the winner.

I later went back to visit the Zondervan blog and noticed Stacy Harp of Mind & Media (now Active Christian Media) had also left a comment that she was looking for bloggers to help spread the word about Christian books. So I contacted Stacy, and she called me personally and invited me to join her reviewing team if I’d start a blog. It was exciting to get a phone call from a Christian writer I didn’t know in California!

So, the initial reason you started blogging was to review books?

That was one idea. But I wanted to have a greater purpose for blogging than just writing book reviews. That would get pretty boring for people to read, I thought. So I decided to make my blog an offshoot of the local column I write for West Georgia Ladies Magazine. My column is called “Mom 2 Mom Connection,” and I enjoy seeking ways to encourage women and help them feel connected. I’ve been writing this column since November 2004, also a result of attending a writers’ conference.

What have you learned about the blogosphere that you didn’t know a year ago?

Well, when I first started writing, I didn’t open up for comments. I was afraid of spam and all the unknowns. Then I got an email from a nice lady in Boston, who said she found my blog through the Technorati parenting tag. Wow — I was so encouraged and felt like I had one real reader! Gradually, I opened up my comments, and I’m glad I did. I’ve made so many friends this way. There are some amazing people out there. Through blogging, I have friends all over the world — and I hope when my kids are older we can visit some of these friends!

What are some highlights from your first year of blogging?

I’ve really enjoyed writing essays for the Carnival of Beauty, sponsored by A Gracious Home blog (formerly Two Talent Living). This is where I’ve “met” many kindred spirits who have become friends.

A few months ago, I started writing the “Book Buzz” column for Christian Women Online ezine, which has introduced me to even more wonderful ladies who love to grow in their faith and write. And I have a new outlet for sharing my love of Christian books.

I was also blessed when I hosted the Mother’s Love Writing Contest back in April. What a joy it was to read women’s stories about their moms, and occasionally I discovered comments where the mothers who were written about thanked their daughters publicly. Much healing comes from writing about the good memories and letting go of the bad. There comes a point where we need to forgive and move on, and I think the essay contest allowed some women to do that.

Other highlights include interviewing so many amazing writers, whose books offer the types of resources women need. My list of people I want to interview is so long now!

Do you have any concerns about blogging?

Yes, I do have concerns about my privacy, and especially of my family’s privacy. I just don’t know who is reading this blog, though I try to visit the sites of people who leave comments. Still, I can’t assume that every reader is someone I’d want to hang out with in real life, so for now, I’ve decided not to post pictures of my home or children. I may change my mind someday, but since I don’t blog anonymously, this is what I’ve decided for now. I can’t stand the nasty spam I receive, and I’ve even been verbally attacked for my views on a certain book, so I just try to be wise about things.

What are your future plans for Mom 2 Mom Connection?

I’d like to make this site more user friendly. I’ve gotten some of the most heart-wrenching emails from women, distraught over various issues. I try to write each of them back personally, and suggest a book or a website that may have the resources they need. But I’d like to expand my blog into a website that would make it easy for people to click on the subject they’re interested in. I could offer direct links to books and websites that could help them. It will be a while before I’m ready to do that.

I also will probably take some time off in the spring to work on a book proposal. I’d like to attend another Blue Ridge writers’ conference or ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) next summer, and take a proposal or book manuscript with me. For a nonfiction book proposal, you have to write an outline and three chapters, as well as your marketing plan. For a fiction proposal, you need to submit the whole manuscript. I’m still trying to figure out if I want to write for women only or maybe go back to my long-ago dream of writing for children. When I figure it out, I’ll need some time off from blogging to write.

Any closing words?

Right now, blogging is the easiest way for me to reach out to women beyond my small circle of friends and family. There are so many desperate people in the world. They sit down at their computer and google “depressed mom blog” or “I feel like a failure blog” or “I’m tired of being a mom blog” and they end up at my site (yes, these are actual phrases people have used recently). I don’t have all the answers, but I know they’re looking for hope, which can be found in the Bible.

Christian books can be a gateway for people to enter into God’s Word, whether it’s a fictional story in which a character learns and grows spiritually, or it’s a nonfiction book written from a compassionate point of view. I want to help people find positive ways to cope with life’s daily stresses and frustrations.

Wellness is a whole-package deal — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I blog about things we can do to stay well physically at b5 media’s Lively Women, and I blog about everything else here. Of course, I think writing is one of the best things we can do to cope and feel closer to God’s heart — as King David did, when he reached for his pen instead of his sword.

Heather Ivester is a mom of five kids ten and under and the author of From a Daughter’s Heart to Her Mom: 50 Reflections on Living Well. She’s also contributed devotionals, essays, and articles to several magazines and books, including Guideposts magazine and the newly released A Cup of Comfort for Mothers to Be.

What can I say? I took a break from blogging over the summer, and so I also didn’t even read most of my favorite blogs. Which means I somehow missed these AWESOME interviews on Novel Journey with Chip MacGregor. He’s held several key positions in Christian publishing, including being an agent with Alive Communications, an assistant publisher with Time Warner/ Hachette, and now has launched his own agency, MacGregor Literary.

Several bloggers have been buzzing about Chip’s new agency, including Jennifer, Gina, and Mirtika.

Gina Holmes interviewed Chip back in July, and these three posts are some of the best I’ve ever read. So of course I want to link to them and tell you to go over to Gina’s blog and get the whole scoop.

I know I should be embarrassed as a blogger to be so behind that I’m linking to something that came out almost three months ago — but I’m not. No pride at all here — just some great reading I came across. Now of course, I’ve subscribed to Novel Journey’s RSS feed so I won’t miss a single interview.

Monday, July 17, 2006 — Chip MacGregor, Part I
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 — Chip MacGregor, Part II
Wednesday, July 19, 2006 — Chip MacGregor, Part III

If you’re interested in publishing a book, here’s what Chip has to say:

Every book proposal needs three things: a great idea, great writing, and a great author platform. Rarely a publisher will agree to do a book based on just one of those factors (for example, a celebrity book based solely on the fact that the author is well known), but they will often make the decision based on two factors.

So if you’ve got a great idea, by all means begin working to build a great platform, and spend time working on the craft in order to become a better writer. I have often seen pretty good book ideas presented to me that are attached to terrible writing by unknown authors. And the fact is, I can’t buy your book based on the fact that you woke up with a good idea. In my experience, good ideas occur all the time. The rare event is when a writer with a good idea determines to put in the time required and express that idea in a coherent and entertaining manner.

That’s it. There it is — the three things you need to be published: a great idea, great writing, and a great platform. The more I’ve ventured into this world of writing, the more I realize I don’t know ANYTHING. Really, nothing.

The more books I read, the more I realize there is something esoteric about great writing. The only way to learn how to be a great writer is to read everything you can get your hands on — and then try to figure out why some books make you laugh and cry, or change your view about life in some way — and others cause you to yawn, gather dust on your nightstand, or make their way into your box of donations for the Salvation Army.

Another quote:

Again, I feel as though the reason most wannabe authors remain unpublished is because they just aren’t willing to put in the time, to do the hard work and become better at the craft of writing. In other words, laziness will keep you from being a great writer. Given the chance, inertia will dominate. And then you can make yourself feel better by saying, “I COULD have been a great writer, if only I’d put my mind to it.” It reminds me of the high school student who waits to write his paper until the night before it is due. Then he stays up all night, bangs it out, gets a C+, but tells himself, “That’s because I waited. If I would have started earlier, I’d have gotten an A.” It’s a gentle way of lying to ourselves.

If you want to get published, the BEST thing you can do it to become a better writer. As I’ve said a million times, greatness will out. I don’t know of any great writer who goes unpublished.

If you only have time to read one of these interviews, the second post is worth reading ten times and even printing out, if you’re really interested in improving yourself as a writer. Gina asked, “How can an author take their work from good to great?” Chip’s answer included 22 items. This list is a keeper.

If you’re interested in Christian fiction and you’re not already a regular over at Novel Journey, you’re missing out — like me!

Here’s a quick update from my whining session yesterday. First of all, my son’s flag football team WON the championship game!! I couldn’t go, but three grandparents and my husband saw them win — so YEA for me sending emails to everybody. I’m not such a bad mom after all.

As far as our “Wednesday virus” woes, my three-year-old popped up out of bed at 9:40, eager as a beaver, telling me he wasn’t sick anymore and he wanted to eat breakfast. So, it was truly a one-day bug. The baby napped off and on all day, giving me an excuse to hold her, rock her, and do nothing productive except read — and she’s fine this morning as well. Whew!

Now, here’s my reminder to you — if you’re even the tiniest bit interested in writing a novel someday, now’s your chance. Starting October 1, you can sign up for NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month will take place throughout the month of November. Get out that dusty manuscript you wrote in college and you occasionally pine over, and tap it into your computer during November. When you reach 50,000 words, you’re done, and you get to put a really cool 2006 NaNoWriMo button on your blog or website (or refrigerator) to let the world know you’re an aspiring novelist.

I don’t have time to write a novel — but who does? Even professional novelists barely have time to write — they’ve got fan mail to answer, book tours to give, movie producers to meet with, all that stuff that takes time away from the hard work of pounding the keys.

My idea is to get up super early and spend an hour a day — typing 2,000 words of something — and try to do it. I think it would be fun to write something for my kids that I could give them as a Christmas gift. I’ve been reviewing kids’ books lately, and every book I read, I think, “I could write like that, maybe even funnier than that.” So why not? Nobody has to read it but me and my kids. I may even use their actual names and pets throughout the story — but make it one of those funny, hair-raising mysteries or adventures where they figure something out.

If I can do it, you can too. OK? Congratulations to one of you who wrote to tell me she sent off two Chicken Soup stories this week — for the Beach Lover’s Soul and Chocolate Lover’s Soul. Whoo-hooo! One day, I’ll be at the beach eating chocolate reading Chicken Soup books and I’ll see her story — that will be too fun!

I can’t wait to tell you about these horse books I’ve been reading — they would make great Christmas gifts if you have daughters who love horses. But I gotta run get ready for the weekend. I’ll tell you about them next week!

I received a sweet note yesterday from a woman in her 70s who writes short stories for the local magazine I write for. Her daughter is my editor. I’d written this kind-hearted woman to tell her how much I enjoy reading her stories, which are about her early mothering years and what she learned. I told her she’s one of my mentors through her writing. I think I can learn a thing or two from someone who is a great-grandmother and lived to tell about it!

Now her daughter (my editor) wants to know if I have any information on how her mom can publish these stories in other places. Oh, if I had the time, I’d love to teach a workshop on the topic of “Turning Your Memories into Memoirs.” When my kids are grown, this is my dream! I would hold my “writing retreat” at a resort in the mountains, where everyone could go off to little cabins to write, or sit by a lake or a mountain and write. Then we’d all take nature hikes together … well, you get the picture. *sigh*

I think everyone, especially people over age 50, should be writing a memoir. EVERYONE! After reading as many as I’ve read lately, I know there are certain formulas and techniques that can turn an average person’s life story into something worthy of being on a library or bookstore shelf. You don’t have to be famous to have a life story that can impact the next generation.

Just think — if you grew up in the 1940s or 1950s, kids today are studying these eras in school. When they need a book for research on what people ate, wore, listened to, watched on TV, and thought about — you’re the expert. And if you’re a Christian, your worldview can be tied into everything you write. Don’t you think that’s pretty important? Especially if you’ve managed to raise a family who hasn’t gone bonkers — and you’ve been married 30 years or more. You have a mission to get your stories out there!

OK, can you tell I’m passionate about this topic?

Well, how do you start writing a memoir? You definitely don’t want to start with “My name is Helen, and I was born in 1934, and my parents’ names are ….blah blah blah.” YAWN. You want to make your memoir a collection of short stories that center around a focal theme — such as coming of age in the 40s, or how your faith developed as a girl raised in a non-Christian home, or how certain people influenced the course of your life, etc.

One way to motivate yourself to write short stories is to first look for markets that are seeking short stories. There are several ways to do that! First, get a copy of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market — your story could be published in any number of inspirational magazines or devotional materials. Yet you won’t even know about these markets without a market guide.

Another place is the Novel & Short Story Writers’ Market. There are plenty of anthology editors and other places that are actively seeking TRUE non-fiction short stories. Or you may want to turn your life story into a novel or some fictional short stories. A lot of people do this, but it’s MUCH harder to sell fiction than non-fiction because people think writing fiction is easier. But it’s definitely NOT, and there are fewer markets buying fiction.

One good place to start is to submit some stories to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The editors are always seeking short stories — there are tons of deadlines coming up in the next few months, as well as the next several years. The great thing about these books is that they only buy non-exclusive rights, which means you still own the rights to your stuff, and it can be published elsewhere. So if you’ve written a great story on your blog, Chicken Soup may buy it from you, even though it’s technically already been published online.

And you get paid! The going rate for most Chicken Soup stories is $200 right now. Not bad for a blog post, huh? And if you happen to have a super-fantastic story, or you happen to be a SOMEbody, you can be paid even more. A well-known writer recently told me she received “in the five figures” for one of her short stories to be included in a Chicken Soup book. Five figures. That means over $10 grand. For one story. (I think that could possibly get one of our kids through one year of college!)

In the future, if anyone emails me to ask, “How can I get my short stories published?” I’m going to send you a link to this post! Chicken Soup wants you! The editors and publishers in the Writers’ Market want you! But how hard are you willing to work? How badly do you want it? If you really want to see your stories in print, you can’t just send out your unedited diary entries or blog posts. You may want to take a writing class or join a critique group and get feedback from people.

I have a master’s degree in English education, but I don’t teach a class right now outside of helping my own kids with their homework! And I don’t critique people’s work either. So please don’t send me a file of your short story or novel chapter to look at. I just can’t do it right now. But I hope to someday! It’s a dream I’ll hold onto as my kids grow up.

Here are the upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul topics — you can submit directly from the website, which contains descriptions of all these books, as well as writing guidelines.

One tip: you don’t have to write your own story — you can “ghostwrite” for someone else. And you don’t have to use your own name; you can write under a pen name. But the story must be true!

African American Teen’s Soul
Alzheimer’s Soul
Beach Lover’s Soul
Cat Lover’s Soul II
Catholic Soul
Children with Special Needs
Chocolate Lover’s Soul
Christmas Treasury Collection
Co-Dependent’s Soul
Coach’s Soul
Coffee Lover’s Soul
College Graduate’s Soul

Cooking with Kids
Cowboy’s Soul
Crafter’s, Knitter’s and Quilter’s Soul
Dating Soul
Democrat’s Soul
Dog Lover’s Soul II
Empty Nester’s Soul
Entrepreneur’s Soul 2
Entrepreneur’s Soul for Women
Extraordinary Teen’s Soul
Football Lover’s Soul
Girl’s Soul II
Healthy Living – Anxiety
Healthy Living – Depression
Healthy Living – Pain Management
Healthy Living – Sleeplessness
Healthy Living – Smoking
Healthy Living Recipes
High School Graduate’s Soul
Kid’s Soul Illustrated Series
Life Lessons for Raising Great Kids!
Life Lessons on Relationships/Couples
Menopausal Soul
Motorcyclist’s Soul
No Specific Title
Nurse’s Soul II
Red Hat Society
Republican’s Soul
Runner’s Soul
Sisters’ and Brothers’ Soul
Soul in Love
Soulful Guide to Alaska/Hawaii
Soulful Guide to California
Soulful Guide to Florida
Soulful Guide to New England
Soulful Guide to New York
Soulful Guide to Texas
Soulful Guide to the Great Lakes
Soulful Guide to the Great Plains
Soulful Guide to the Mid-Atlantic
Soulful Guide to the Northwest
Soulful Guide to the South
Soulful Guide to the Southwest
Stay At Home Mom’s Soul
Stepfamily’s Soul
Tea Lover’s Soul
Teenage Soul – The Real Deal on Self Esteem
Teenage Soul Daily Inspirations
Twenty-Something Soul
Weight Loss/Diet
Wine Lover’s Soul
Working Mom’s Soul

Click here, then click on “Story Guidelines” to read more details about what they’re looking for and how to submit. Happy Writing!!!

P.S. Congratulations to the person who wrote to tell me her mother/daughter story was accepted to be published in a book! I’m humbled that God used me to send that tip your way — because now thousands of people will read your awesome story!!

I’m very excited today that we have a guest visiting with us here on Mom 2 Mom! Award-winning author Deborah Raney enjoys mentoring writers, with a special desire to help women who long to carve out a writing career amidst the awesome responsibility of raising a family.

I was blessed to hear Deborah speak at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers’ conference a couple of years ago. Now she’s offering us a peek into her popular “Time Management 101 for Writers” workshop.

Deborah says, “I have a real heart for encouraging moms since I was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years before my kids grew up and my writing career took off.”

According to Deborah’s website, she’s now at work on her fourteenth novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Readers’ Choice Award and the Silver Angel from Excellence in Media.

Deborah’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title.

Here are her tips for helping us manage our time:

TIME MANAGEMENT 101 FOR WRITERS

1. Lower your standards for household chores.
There is no law or rule in this world that says you have to dust every week, mow the lawn twice a week or clean closets twice a year. I dust about once a month. I have not lost one friend over it, nobody has come to arrest me, no one has developed allergies from all the dust. In fact, I opened up the newspaper a while back to discover that scientists suspect one reason people have so many allergies today is because we live in environments that are TOO clean, thus we haven’t been able to build up any immunities to dust mites, etc. (It’s no coincidence that no one in my family is allergic to ANYTHING!)

2. Delegate.
When I started writing, my family treated it as if I’d taken a full-time job outside the home. My husband started doing laundry (something he’d never, ever done before, except maybe when I was in the hospital having babies), and my kids picked up the slack with the housework and yard work. No, things didn’t always get done quite to the standards I would have preferred, but it got done, and they gained all kinds of good life-skills as a result. If you already work a full-time job besides writing, maybe you can cut back somewhere else and hire someone to mow your lawn, change your oil, clean your house, or send the ironing out occasionally.

3. Ban television from your life.
For ten years while our kids were small, we didn’t even own a TV, so it’s not much of a sacrifice for me to turn off the tube, but even today with two TVs in the house, the only time I watch is for 30 minutes each night while I ride my elliptical trainer, and occasionally on Friday or Saturday nights if my husband and I rent a movie. I simply do not have spare time to sit and watch TV. On the other hand, if you find inspiration in movies or sit-coms, or if watching TV is truly relaxing for you, then quit feeling guilty and count it as “work.”

4. Add a few good, nutritious fast foods and convenience foods to your weekly menu.
Or teach the rest of your family how to cook. My kids all learned to be good cooks, thanks to my writing career. We also started ordering frozen entrees and convenience foods from Schwan’s, a frozen food delivery service. Yes, it’s a little more expensive than home cooking, but we decided it’s worth it. If that’s not an alternative for you, maybe you could spend one day every couple of weeks cooking a freezer full of entrees. Then all you have to do is thaw something out and pop it in the oven each night. The Crock-Pot is also a writer’s best friend.

5. Multi-task.
If I do watch a movie or a newscast in the evening, I try to clip coupons or fold laundry, sew on a button, or clean out the junk drawer while I watch. If I go for a walk, I brainstorm the scene I’m working on. If I’m playing cards with my kids or Scrabble with my husband, I have a writing magazine beside me to skim while they shuffle. (I can usually get through three magazines while my husband tries to spell one word in Scrabble! Of course, he beats me every time, too, so…)

6. Practice the art of “just say no.”
When I started writing, I tried to stay active with all my volunteer work, clubs, church activities, etc. I finally realized that I just could NOT do both. In the past three years, I’ve turned over the church newsletter to someone else (I still teach Sunday School with my husband), gave up freelance proofreading for our weekly newspaper, dropped out of one of my women’s Bible studies, and retired after my second four-year term on our city’s recreation commission. Writing takes a tremendous amount of time, energy and commitment. If you’re serious about writing, you will probably have to give up some other things you enjoy. But oh, to be able to say, “I am a writer” makes it all worthwhile.

——————–

Thank you, Deborah, for these awesome tips! What fascinates me most of all is that she was a stay-home mom for 20 years before her writing career took off. God has truly blessed her for choosing to put her dreams on hold and put her family first. For those of us who are still home with little ones changing diapers, Deborah Raney’s story shows us how it can be done!

Deborah’s newest book is an updated and expanded version of her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, published by Steeple Hill. A sequel, Within This Circle, will come out next June. And in January her first novel with Howard Books/Simon & Schuster will release. It’s titled Remember to Forget and is an allegory of new life in Christ. Be sure to stop in and visit her website to see pictures of her family, including her new little grandbaby!

I’m a tiny bit jealous of those of you who live in Texas. Coming up next month, your state will be the center of the world for all who are interested in Christian publishing. Forget New York or Nashville, Dallas is where it’s happenin’ in September.

So, what’s going on? For starters, the North Texas Christian Writers’ Conference will be held September 8-9 at the Cross Timbers Community Church. From the online map, it looks like it’s somewhere between Ft. Worth and Dallas.

There’s a Writing Contest open to all who register for this conference, and you can still make the deadline, if you send in your submission by midnight on Wednesday, September 7:

CONTEST ENTRY CATEGORIES
Adult Fiction Novel, one chapter, including 1-2 page synopsis.
Children’s fiction short story or book, up to 1200 words.
Devotional, 600 word maximum.
Poetry
Non-fiction Book, one chapter and 1-2 page synopsis.
Non-fiction Article, 1800 word maximum.The faculty at this conference look amazing

You can read about the 17 faculty members here — these people are amazing!

Well, in case you can’t make it to that conference, you have another chance coming soon. The annual American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference will be held in Dallas from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday, September 24 at the beautiful Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum at the Galleria.

The keynote speaker will be Liz Curtis Higgs, who won the 2006 Christy award for her novel, Whence Came a Prince. I reviewed one of her books in my July Book Buzz column for Christian Women Online. I would LOVE to hear her speak.

If I lived anywhere near the Dallas area, I’d try to go to this conference — It looks like way too much fun. Hundreds of writers who love inspirational books — and surrounded by shops, restaurants, and bookstores. It’s almost too much.

So, Texas ladies, are ya goin’? 🙂

P.S. Congratulations to Carol, the newest addition to the CWO Blogging Team.

I got a new book in the mail yesterday, one I ordered from Barnes & Noble. It’s called Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention, by Renee Grant-Williams. Doesn’t that sound like a useful skill? I’m excited because it’s my textbook for the upcoming Barnes & Noble University course, Stand and Deliver: Speak With Confidence.

A friend asked if I’d take the course with her — we’re both feeling like God is calling us toward public speaking ministries of some sort, though we’re not sure what. The thought of delivering a speech makes me nervous, yet recently I’ve realized it’s the message, not the messenger that is important.

When my postwoman delivers my mail, I sometimes wave to her or say hello if she comes to my door. But I don’t think twice about how she speaks or what she wears. What I’m interested in is what she’s brought me (especially if it’s a package!). It’s the “message” in the envelope that matters to me, not who delivered it.

That’s how I want to view public speaking — if God has put a message on my heart, then why can’t I save time by saying it to a bunch of people all at once?

A week ago, I went to my hometown library and addressed a small group of mostly family and friends. They were a wonderful audience, since I knew most of them personally, and I didn’t feel like they were judging me too harshly. It was the first time I’d spoken like that since giving my testimony to my church family in Japan several years ago.

Prior to that, in college, I was used to standing up in front of hundreds of alumni and sorority sisters, since that was part of my job as Alumni Relations Liaison. I had to coordinate big events and introduce speakers at the head table. It was fun because everyone seemed happy at these kinds of things, including me.

But motherhood has taken a whack to my self-confidence. The struggles of maintaining my sanity amidst a busy, chaotic household have left me feeling like a failure the past few years. So, to get up in front of people and appear to have my act together makes me feel like a hypocrit!

The message I delivered last week was about writing, and I hope I encouraged those in attendance to write down their favorite stories. But this isn’t the main message that’s on my heart. So far, no doors have opened for me to speak or write on that message, but hopefully this Barnes & Noble class will help me move in that direction.

I can say it in my blog to those of you I can’t see — my life message is that we’re completely LOST without Jesus Christ lighting the way for us every day! As women, as moms, as people. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” is what we read in Romans 3:23. So, if you feel like a failure, like me, maybe God has allowed circumstances to humble you so that you’ll realize your need for Him.

I’ve often joked that if I had only one child, my oldest son, I’d be the snobbiest parent in the world. He was a good baby, rarely cried, and has been pure joy to raise. If we’d stopped with one, I would have looked at those awful parents of noisy, whiny children and thought, “What’s your problem?” But God blessed us with more — so now I can’t survive a single day on my own strength!

Without Christ, we have no purpose, no hope, no peace in our lives. I can think of a thousand different ways to say this message! If I can only find the chance. I think the older I get, the more bold I’ll become. This is really the only message that matters.

Here’s a quote that came to my in-box this morning:

Lord, I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will.
Let me be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours.
So be it. Amen.
John Wesley

I know this title is kind of dorky — and it’s late, but I’ve just got to link to Terry Whalin’s post today. If you’re a writer, which you probably are if you’re reading my blog (because most people don’t even know what a blog is, so you’re way ahead), then you’ll love this post!

Terry Whalin is the fiction acquisitions editor for Howard Publishing, a subsidiary of Simon & Schuster, and he blogs at The Writing Life. I love, love, love this blog, and in fact, I’ve “met” some of the coolest people in the comments section of The Writing Life, such as Gina Holmes, Trish Berg, Cyndy Salzmann, and CJ Darlington.

One thing I enjoy about Terry’s blog is that he travels all over the country and is always thoughtful to take his readers with him. He just returned from the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers’ Conference, where he taught classes and met one-on-one with aspiring writers.

Here’s what he said:

I love this process of interacting with writers and talking through their concepts and dreams. One of the most valuable times from my perspective is this face to face help for writers. It’s a chance to listen and then give them my personal perspective on their idea and how it can be improved.

I’m not speaking as the absolute authority—I’ve learned the hard way in this business that none of us have that absolute insight. Each of us only have our own perspective and each book has it’s own challenges as to how it enters the market. Or each magazine article idea or each book proposal is filled with it’s own difficulties and joys.

This quote is all the inspiration I need to be excited about my upcoming talk at the Smyrna Public Library. I’ve been so nervous thinking about standing up in front of people; but now I think maybe the people who will come are also book lovers and writers! So we can have fun encouraging each other. Maybe someone will hear something I say, and God will mysteriously transform my words into an idea that encourages them to write.

Enough of my babbling; if you haven’t clicked over to The Writing Life, I hope you can go now.