When Lisa Jordan got her first book contract with Love Inspired, I got to go along for the ride. We talked and emailed back and forth sharing the adventure. We were also prayer partners. One day as I put fingers to keyboard, I felt the Lord leading me to pray that she would experience all the splendor of her very first time… at publishing. I realized that, even though she may publish hundreds of novels, she would NEVER again experience her first novel contract, launch, print. I meet with people every day of my career who look back over their lives wishing they’d taken more time to enjoy the journey. They were so focused on the end result, they don’t remember their first encounters. They rushed right by them with […]
Read the RestArchive | Encourage Me! RSS feed for this section
10 Commandments for Writers by James Scott Bell
I’m on the road at the Romantic Times convention this week so I asked the wise and noble James Scott Bell if he’d fill in for me. He graciously accepted. Thanks Jim! 10 Commandments for Writers When I first started to teach writing in the late 90s, I jotted down what I thought should be the 10 Commandments for Writers. I looked at it again recently and thought, You know what? It still holds up. I’ve tweaked them a little bit, but they remain essentially the same. Here they are: 1. Thou Shalt write a certain number of words every week This is the first, and greatest, commandment. If you write to a quota and hold yourself to it, sooner than you think you’ll have a full length novel. (I […]
Read the Rest
Don’t Be Fooled, Part 2: Putting Up with Writers Pollen
Pollen. One tiny seven-letter word packs a powerful impact in our day. This year, I experienced the pollen in Central Florida in January and February. Then as I traveled, I ran into it in March in North Florida. Now, I’m up in the mountains and getting my third dusting with it. The result? Read, itchy eyes, uncontrollable sneezing and a face that feels like it will explode. I think I’ve had my fill of… POLLEN! As I sit looking out the window at my yellow dusted car, I’m reminded that’s what writers face, too. You’re on a journey. As you travel the writing road, you’ll experience changes in climate and all that brings. You may have experienced your own irritants as you entered into a new season of your writing. […]
Read the Rest
