I used to love going to the barn dances at the end of the harvest season. Everyone had worked hard to harvest the crops. The cattle had been driven to market and the year was coming to an end. The nip in the air signaled the end of one very long, back-breaking season. It was time to let our hair down and enjoy the fruits of our labor. A country music band (sorry, I’m from Texas) played Cotton Eyed Joe while we did the Texas Two Step. We laughed and retold stories of comedy and calamity the year had brought. We rekindled relationships that had flickered during the season, separated by miles of cattle country. All too soon for any of us, the night came to an end. We’d literally […]
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The I’s have it. But should they?
Ever listen to a conversation where “I” was the predominate word? I did this, I did that, I went here, I went there… I, I, I, I. After awhile, the picture is etched that the person talking is really into themselves. The same idea applies to writing in first person. As the writer and storyteller, it’s easy for us to get going in the first person narrative and forget to not let the “I’s” have it. When I started working with editor Ami McConnell, she warned me. “Watch the overuse of I.” “Hnnm, in first person?” I thought, but answered, “Okay, I’ll do that, very good idea.” Yes, it’s way easier said than done. It takes time, rethinking and rewriting to avoid the over use of I, or starting every […]
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Dealing with the Conference Blues
Today I’m going to talk about something that may seem a bit odd: The conference blues. “Oh, Tiff. You mean the post-conference letdown?” No. I don’t mean that at all. What I’m talking about is the deep sense of intimidation or “not belonging” that I’ve both seen in others and experienced myself at various writer’s conferences. This is something that I was completely unprepared for when I attended my first national writing conference in September 2006. I was so excited…so prepared…so overwhelmed. I remember when I got there I’d already been published in two national print publications [Today’s Christian and Charisma Magazine] and I’d also been a regular columnist for a local newspaper. Yet, as I walked around the group of about 300 people a voice in my head kept […]
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A Love Affair with Your Writing, Part Two: Dinner and Roses
Remember the first time you gave or received flowers, or the first time you went on a dinner date? Sweaty palms, flushed cheeks, awkward conversation… wishing the night would never end while hoping it will be over quickly so you could stop holding your breath. I bet you wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. And what about today? Perhaps on Valentine’s Day, your lover will give you roses and plan the most romantic dinner. They will sweep you off your feet. . . again. You’ll feel the warmth of the flame of their undying love for you. You’ll feel safe. Secure. Loved. Ahh… life doesn’t get much better than that. So, what if the love of your life put your romantic dinner and flowers or chocolates on their to-do list? […]
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