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by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn Called to Create   has been on my radar�and my desk�for months.  Even before I turned to the first page, I knew I was going to enjoy this book. The premise was intriguing. Friends have read and recommended it. I expected to jump in and finish it off in a week. It�s been closer to four months.  When I found myself digging around my desk for a highlighter after reading the first paragraph of the introduction, I knew this wasn�t going to be a quick read. Called to Create  has been the kind of book where I�ve found myself needing to read a few pages and then let them swirl in my brain before coming back to read a few more. The subtitle of   Called to Create  is �A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk." If you�re reading this blog, the odds are in my favor that you�re already intrigued, but just in case you aren�t, let me share some of the questions addressed: Is my work as an entrepreneur and creative really as God-honoring as that of a p

by Edie Melson  @EdieMelson In honor of NaNoWriMo , I'm going to share some insights I've gleaned about writing a first draft. I�ve spoken with a lot of writers who have trouble disconnecting their INTERNAL EDITOR when they're working on an early draft of a manuscript.  This overly helpful person lives inside most of us and comes in handy when we�re putting the finishing touches on our manuscript. But when we�re in the midst of a creative surge, that same person can short circuit our progress. Today's post will give you the tips you need to turn off your internal editor. First you should know there�s a scientific reason for that roadblock. The creative act of writing your first draft stems from the right side�or creative side�of the brain. Later in the process, when polishing begins, the left side takes over. Here are some of the characteristics of each side. Right Brain Visual in process, focusing more on patterns and images. Generally intuitive, led by feelings.

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson As writers, we know that inspiration is a fickle thing. And while we all need to keep writing whether we�re inspired or not, that rush of creativity is nice. What's not nice is not being ready. There's nothing as disheartening as those times happens when inspiration strikes and we�re not ready to capitalize on it.  So today I�m going to help you be ready.  7 things to do now to be ready when writing inspiration strikes. 1. Always keep a notebook nearby.   It doesn�t matter if it�s a digital app or a physical book filled with actual paper. All too often I�ve thought I�d remember an idea or a new twist without writing it down. I rarely do. Beyond that, I spend a lot of time and angst trying to remember the brilliant idea. 2. When driving, make sure you have a voice recorder within arm�s reach.  My darling husband decreed note-taking off limits to me while driving�even if I was stopped at a red light. Because of that, I used to keep a digital recorder wi

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson  For me, one of the scariest things of being a writer is when I�m out of ideas. Today�s post should take care of that�at least for November! Take your future inspiration for today's post and turn to the calendar when ideas are running low.  Whether you're looking for a unique article idea to pitch to a magazine, a blog post or a social media update that gets everyone's attention you can find a wealth of ideas in the calendar. Today's list of November holidays isn't just fun to read, they�re   also   a   great   way   to   jumpstart   creativity   and   a   fun   writing   prompt   idea.  November is: National Novel Writing Month National Life Writing Month Family Stories Month   National Alzheimer�s Disease Month National Family Caregivers Month National Inspirational Role Models Month Military Family Appreciation Month Aviation History Month National Diabetes Month International Drum (Percussion) Month Child Safety Protection Month Nation

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea There are several reasons I�ll never skydive. I�ll give you my top two. First, I�ve seen videos of people skydiving. Skydiver�s faces? They� flutter. Sometimes wildly. I�m telling you now, I do  not  need to see my face crazy-flapping over my ears, thank you. That kind of wind velocity is just not meant for faces over 40. You can end up looking like a basset hound pup. One with its head out a car window. Multiplied by how ever many years you are over 40. I�m not daring enough to sass the math. Gravity plus wind velocity times the number of years over 40. It�s an equation that equals: ew.  Add to that math the second reason you won�t find me skydiving�and the biggest reason. It�s just plain gravity. Seems to me skydiving could all too easily become sky- dying. It�s not even the jumping out of a plane part that scares me so much as it is the inevitability of the hitting the ground part. No, it�s not the jumping, or even the falling. It�s the landing. There�s st