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by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank And in (Christ Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 3:22 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 Hiding in my bedroom as a little girl, I pulled out the tattered yellow legal pad I confiscated from the heavy wooden desk my mother used to pay bills. With a rush of relief, I spilled out on paper all that brimmed in my heart. The words filled the pages like beautiful filigree, transforming each one into a chronicle of my childhood.  Those were sacred times. I was alone with my words, and it was glorious. Now I am grown, and as words tend to do, they have grown with me. They demand to be shared. I can no longer sit alone and selfishly hoard them, reveling in their personal significance, their cathartic release. They beg to be set free, to inspire, encourage, and to courageously open doors that are shut. As I write my first book, and rewrite, and rewrite

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson The writer�s life isn�t an easy one. So much of what we create comes from some place deep inside ourselves. Giving that way can be exhausting, not to mention frustrating, when we feel empty. The good news is that there are things we can do to help ourselves. I�ve come to learn that we either set ourselves up for success or we set ourselves up for failure.    Today I�ll share some of the writing and blogging hacks that every successful writer needs to know. Writing Life Hacks 1. Writing is a mind game�and our minds play tricks on us.   When we�re in a good mood, we have confidence. When something goes wrong, that confidence melts away. Successful writers don�t base their confidence on emotions.  2. Speak kindly to yourself.   Along with the attitude comes the way we treat ourselves. We talk junk to ourselves in ways that we would never talk to someone else. Decide right now to stop. Speak words of encouragement to yourself and you�ll speed the path to success.

by Edie Melson  @EdieMelson Below is my list of comments I�ve received over the past years since I�ve admitted to being a writer.  In the parenthesis after each comment is what I wish I could have said.  I�m happy to report I�ve not given in to the temptation�yet. 1. Aren�t you published yet? (I really don�t have the space here to get into this. I usually just do a mental eye-roll.) 2. Can I give you a call so you can tell me how to get published. (Sure, it�s so easy I can cover it in a phone conversation.) 3. I have an idea for something you should write about. We could split the profits. (yeah, I do all the work and you get half of almost nothing. Sounds like a deal to me�) 4. I just wrote a book, can you contact your publisher/agent for me? (I could, but you really wouldn�t like what I had to say about you.) 5. Why don�t you take the day off, it�s not like you work for a living. (unprintable reply) 6. Can I read your manuscript? (Like I don�t have enough stress in my life already

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas Stress: a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existing equilibrium (Miriam-Webster�s Collegiate Dictionary, 11thEdition) If we�re breathing, we all feel stress. Something is always trying to disrupt our equilibrium. I remember a line from a movie in which someone asked a character how he handles stress. His reply: �I find the source of the stress and I break its kneecaps.� That sounded like a great solution to me until I discovered stress is more often internal than external. The stress comes from how I react to external factors in my life. And my reaction changes those external forces very little because I�m looking in the wrong direction. Here are some sources of stress. The belief that I have to be control otherwise things won�t happen. I don�t trust people to whom I delegate tasks to do things the way I think they need to be done.   When I get into discussions that turn to arguments because the other per

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Reminders about our craft burst our imaginations into creative mode. From A to Z, we find sources of inspiration to keep us writing. I�ve chosen the first word that entered my mind as a means to keep my imagination in full gear. 26 Reminders for Fiction Writers A - Adventure Penning our stories is an exciting journey for the writer and the reader.  B - Bestseller We all want to have bestseller after our name, so now is the time to commit to learning as a lifelong project. C - Character All great fiction includes superbly crafted personalities. Without these life-like people, our stories fall flat. D - Dialogue Readers are excited to read what our characters have to say and how they say it. This includes body language and gestures. E - Edit An award-winning story needs rounds of editing to ensure the writer�s best is presented to the world. F - Foreshadow How a writer hints of what�s to come is a talent, one that great stories incorporate for success.  G - Gen