Edie Melson's Blog, page 218

I Must Not Allow My Life to Become a Discordant Distraction

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I love listening to praise music. It can send my soul soaring as I reconnect with the healing truth that comes only from God. It also anchors that truth in my brain in a way that few other mediums can do. When I hear truth sung, I recall it quicker when a situation arises, even when I don’t feel like singing.However, a few weeks ago I had a different musical experience. I was listening to a new group live, and they obviously couldn’t hear each other very well. The discordant notes sent zigzags of pain along my auditory nerves. On top of that, the drummer and the lead singer were out of sync just enough to make the song jarring instead of inspiring. The crowd around me begin to shuffle uncomfortably, and I watched the audience disconnect.
I stood there, waiting for the band to recover, God whispered a truth in my soul. This is how My message misses connection when you’re not staying in sync with me.
The thought shook me to the core.
Perhaps this is how the world perceives our Christian message when we’re not following God’s path. Our refusal to let the love of Jesus shine in our lives—in all circumstances—sounds to the world like no more than jarring discordance. Could my disobedience and disharmony with God distract those I’m trying to reach and keep them from hearing the truth of God?
That was a lot to chew on.
By the end of the set, the band had fixed the issues and the songs were amazing. As they got back in sync, the audience once again focused in on the music. The earlier issues were forgotten as we engaged with the soaring harmonies and uplifting notes.
Just like me. There are times when God’s message is marred by my lack of sync with Him. But when I return to His beat, the past is forgotten and the truth shines through.

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Is Your Social Media Ready for the Holidays?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

December will be here tomorrow and with it, Christmas. 
It only takes a little advance planning to cut down on the marketing stress that can come during the holidays. 
Now is the time to get your social media ready for the holidays.
Update Images
The first thing you want to look at your cover photo on the different platforms. Consider ways you could enhance it to give it a warm, holiday feel. 
There are two sites I recommend to make cover images: Canva and  PicMonkey. It’s an online photo editing site and even includes templates for sites like Facebook. Here’s a screencast I shared, Step-by-Step Instructions for Adding Text to Images.

Beyond changing the look of your platforms by changing your images, you’ll need to plan ahead for social media updates. 
Plan UpdatesLet’s face it, the holidays are fun, but they’re also hectic. By planning out some holiday updates in advance can save your sanity and keep the momentum going. Here are some ideas for fun social media updates:Share your favorite holiday recipe and ask your friends/followers to share theirs. Ask your followers to give you tips on sanity savers during the holidays.Share a crazy holiday faux pas and ask others to share theirs.Share some of your favorite holiday reads.Ask for decorating ideas.Share a holiday tradition and ask for others to chime in.Ask about favorite holiday movies.Share your favorite Christmas carol and ask your friends to share theirs.I think you get the idea.
But by planning these out in advance, you can have a list ready to go and not have to spend valuable time creating them.
Plan Blog PostsYou can also plan some blog posts in advance. The holidays are a good time to plan a giveaway. You can also plan a holiday cookie recipe exchange and a holiday potluck recipe exchange for your blog. 
Now it’s your turn, share some holiday conversation starters, and blog post ideas.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,
Edie
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Seizing the Day—Writing When Life Spirals

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

Are you like me? Every day starts with a list of things that have to be done? Many people can get through their day with a mental list. I’m not one of them. I need my written list. After it’s written, it needs to be prioritized.
And then stuff happens. Some are simple distractions like Facebook, Free Cell, Instagram, Twitter.Or we discover we’re missing a vital ingredient for supper. Or the boss asks us to work late to finish a project.
Sometimes, unexpected things come up. A neighbor stops by. The car gets a flat. The sink backs up.
Let’s not forget emergencies. One of the kids gets sick and has to be fetched from school and maybe taken to the doctor or emergency room.We only have so much time. Sometimes we can’t control what happens to it. 
But we need to work on spending our time wisely.
Every day is begging to be seized. Do we seize the day or do we let the day seize us?
I’d like to think I seize the day though my calendar and my to do list. But too often the day gets away from me.
When the day starts to unravel, there’s a scripture verse that reminds me to not lose the day by renewing my mind. Romans 12:1-2 (HCSB) reads, Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
When I let him renew my mind, the stuff circling my head, the tasks all demanding attention now, fall into order. His word sharpens my mind, heart and soul. Change will happen. Order will come.
Renewing my mind in his peace, lets him guide me into what needs to be my first priority, what can be postponed, and, believe it or not, what doesn’t have to be done at all. At least by me.
The day can still feel hectic, but it doesn’t feel out of control anymore. And the most important things get done because he’s revealing his good, pleasing and perfect will for me.
What do you do when your day threatens to spin out of control?
TWEETABLESeizing the Day—Writing When Life Spirals - Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Henry’s debut novel, Journey to Riverbend, won the 2009 Operation First Novel contest.

Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers. 

Connect with Henry on his blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Thanksgiving

From all of us here on The Write Conversation, we wish you an abundant-filled Thanksgiving!

A Writer's Thankful List

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Busy cooks are scurrying about in the kitchen. Recipes are positioned for easy viewing. Refrigerators are packed full. The table is set to give the host an extra hour tomorrow. The scent of cinnamon and spice are wafting through the house better than any candle or potpourri. Mouths are watering, and smiles fill the house.Soon people will be seated around the table. During the meal, young and old will share their blessings of the year. Perhaps a few tears will mingle with the laughter. 
Writers have their thankful list too. Some of the items are below. We are thankful for …The gift of writing and the Creator who designed communication through the written word. The work involved in developing our craft. While the process is a labor-filled journey, we treasure the dance of words.The sage advice from critique groups and partners to help us make our work stronger.The rejections from agents and editors. This is how we grow professionally and mentally—often called developing a thick-skin.The rewrites. Each time we edit and tweak our work, we move closer to reaching our publishing goals.The deadlines. Due dates keep us disciplined and on task.The readers. We write for a specific audience, and their enjoyment help pave the way for success.The social media platforms that show us how to reach our readers/audience. How else could we form around-the-world relationships and help enhance lives with what we know? The family and friends who love and support us no matter where we are in our careers.The blogs that focus on teaching us about the publishing industry.The professionals who make us look good in every area of our writing.
What would you add to the thankful list? 

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A Writer's Thankful List - @DiAnnMills on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. 
She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson. Connect here: DiAnnMills.com

Dipping the Quill Deeper; The Three People You Are

by Eva Marie Everson @EvaMarieEverson


“You are three people,” I say as I stand in front of my fiction workshops, whether at writers conferences or one of the many day-long events I’ve been asked to attend. “You are who you are when you are in public … at work … with a group of friends … at church. That’s the first person. Then, you are the person you are when you are at home … with your immediate family—mother, father, sisters, brothers, spouse, children—and your closest friends, who are like family. That’s the second person. Finally, you are the person you are when you are all alone. Just you and God. No one else. Just you.”The first person is the easiest to tell others about. If I were to ask you, right now, to tell me about the first person of who you are, you’d be almost vivacious in the telling. Even wallflowers come to some semblance of life once they are in the presence of others. They may not like it, but they at least attempt conversation. They may wish they were anywhere but where they are, but there they are … and they are putting on, for them, some sort of show. Of course, those who are the life of every party … well. They’re even more so when they are out and about. But to get an adequate explanation of the first person, I’d do best to query your coworkers. Your friends and neighbors. Your party people.
The second person I’d have to ask your family about. Too often we kid ourselves into believing we are the first person and not the second, but our family knows us for exactly who we are, and they love us anyway. Typically. Or, at the very least, let’s hope so. 
The second person is who you are when you stop smiling for the sake of keeping people at bay. The second person is who you are when you take off your makeup (if you wear any) or remove your belt and hat. The second person collapses on the sofa, eats in front of the television, may or may not use a napkin. He leaves the toilet seat up or closes it, leaves cabinet doors open or closes them every time. The second person gets angry and, by golly, everyone in the house knows it. He or she wakes up grumpy at times. Other times the world is their oyster. They practically skip out of bed. They plan for the family and see those plans to fruition. The second person worries about finances and the future … and cries even when everyone is looking.
Ah, but the third person. The third person is for you alone to tell me about, but I’ll grow old in the waiting. Because the third person is who we are when we are stripped down. Vulnerable. Quiet, for once. The third person is a culmination of all our insecurities and beliefs. Our raised hopes and squashed dreams. Our potentials and our inabilities. The third person is, quite honestly, the real us. 
And so it is with your characters.
Do you know why so many books these days (at least too many that I have started never to finish) have one- and two-dimensional characters? Because the writer (that’s you) got to know only one or two of the “persons.” They can tell you exactly who their character is at work. At a party. Outside chatting with the neighbors. They can probably tell you a little about who their characters are when they are at home with the family. Or out shopping with a best friend. 
But by themselves? The darkest part of themselves? Not too often. 
Why, I wonder? 
Well, I think I know … just as we avoid getting to know ourselves too well, we also avoid getting to know the darkest, brightest, most awful, most wonderful parts of our characters. We skip right to the surface and stop. Because to get to know their third person may require that we get to know our third person.


Yet … when I read those characters who have been so carefully crafted, so painstakingly understood, I know it. And so do you. They leap off the page. We cry with them. Laugh out loud at their lines and action. We want desperately for them, so much so we’re willing to crawl between the chapters to make it happen.
Why, then, should we give anything less to our readers? We shouldn’t. How, then, do we accomplish this? I believe we begin with finding the third person of ourselves and I believe that comes, often, from journaling. From being honest. As Christian writers, from asking the Holy Spirit to uncover anything about us we need to know. Then, we write about it. We plot our own course. And, in doing so, we lay a path for plotting the “persons” of our characters. 
Search me, O God, and know my heart, the psalmist wrote (Psalm 139). 
May we say—and mean—the same. 
TWEETABLEDipping the Quill Deeper; The Three People You Are - @EvaMarieEverson on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Eva Marie Everson is the multiple award-winning and bestselling author of over 35 books, both fiction and nonfiction. She is the president of Word Weavers International and the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference and North Georgia Christian Writers Conference. Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they enjoy a lake view, their children, and grandchildren. They are owned by a very small dog.

Writing a Christmas Story

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

A few years ago, before I got my first publishing contract, I had an idea for a novella collection of Christmas stories. After all, many authors contributed to collections and got their first contract that way. I was on a quest to publish and figured it was worth a try. This was also at a time when I was still clutching the reins of my writing, instead of letting go and allowing God to lead. When I put on my 3-D 20/20 hindsight glasses, I see how silly I was.
Not too surprisingly, the original collection idea didn't come to fruition, but I wrote my story—to a surprising conclusion.
When I finally realized God had a definite place and time for me to be published, I relaxed and let go. What freedom there is in that! Yes, I still worked as hard as I could to make my writing the best it could be. Yes, I still had twinges of envy when someone else got a contract, but they didn't last long. 
I knew God had my work in His capable hands. So, I sat back and had fun writing. By the time that contract finally came my way, I had two books completed and half of the third written in the 4-book Chapel Springs series. 
The best part was my publisher. Back when I first began writing, I went to every Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference I could. In 2005, it was where I met my critique partners, and a young man named Eddie Jones. He and Cindy Sproles (another friend and crit partner) started a devotions ministry within a few years after I met him. 
In 2007, Eddie started Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas or LPC Books (now part of Iron Stream Media). I love to watch God work. I especially love how He creates circles of His people. I knew that was where I belonged.
Another fun wrinkle in all this is I had always wanted to work with Ramona Richards. God kept closing the doors, no matter how much each of us expressed interest. Guess what? Ramona is the associate publisher of Iron Stream Media. 
Why am I telling you this story? To encourage you. To help you relax and enjoy the journey. You never know who you will meet along the way. So let God take the reins of your endeavors. Allow Him to lead. Your job is to write, to grow in your craft, and to step through the doors He opens. 

Oh, and that surprising conclusion to my Christmas novella? It turns out I wrote a modern version of the O. Henry story, The Gift of the Magi. I hadn't planned it. It simply happened. It surprised me as much as anyone. The only One it didn't surprise was God. His fingerrints are all over it. 
You can read  A Magnolia Blooms in Winter, in  A Southern Season - Four Stories from a Front Porch Swing. 
TWEETABLEWriting a Christmas story - @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw Mary Martin in PETER PAN, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. Years later, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and The Write Conversation.

Don’t I Wish—Thoughts on more PRESENCE not Presents

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

Ah, Christmas shopping. When you can find yourself completely enveloped in the smell of evergreen. And sometimes pepper spray.

Every year I would resolve not to be manipulated. I would be very determined…as I wrote all their “wishes” down on my long shopping list and headed out to the stores. As I headed out, mind you, to get everything on the list. All of it. Like a bit of a mom-chump. Incidentally, just to attempt to be somewhat responsible, I would try to limit myself to five or six hours of shopping per trip, but it usually took about that long to find a parking spot. 
It was the most frazzling time of the year. I have to tell you, I had a few wishes of my own. Then sometimes I’d be almost finished with the shopping when somebody would come up with a new wish. What? I wonder how many times I heard myself saying, “How ‘bout we have a little less wishing, a little more cleaning your bathroom.”
Yeah…less wishy. More washy.
Then again, who was I to talk about wishy-washy? After all, I was the adult who waffled under the pressure to grant all the desires of all the littles.
In Psalm 27, David wrote about his number one wish. He said, “I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire.” Okay, David. First of all, you’re doing it wrong. One thing? That’s not how we do it. 
Then he tells us the one thing: “to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4, HCSB).
The presence of the Lord. That’s the one gift that will actually change us. Toys and clothes and treats and “things” will come and go. But the presence of the Lord will make a difference all the way to the soul. It changes a family from the inside out. 
It’s downright embarrassing that I can so easily get wrapped up in lists and wants, the busyness and the noise, and forget who we’re celebrating. God coming as a human, knowing He was destined for the cross—it’s the most beautiful redemption story. Celebrating His birth in His presence. That makes so much frazzle-free sense. Presence. Not presents. It’s a real gift to our children when we get this in the right order—and when we don’t waffle.
You might be interested to know that I eventually got a better handle on my wishy-washy-“wishy” ways. More presence. Fewer presents. We implemented a three-gift rule. Jesus got gold, frankincense and myrrh. Even the kids agreed they shouldn’t get more gifts than Jesus. We pared back (though I should probably confess here that I totally rocked out the stockings). Most of the time, I shopped, spent and stressed less. Would you believe the kids did NOT feel less loved?
And it might encourage you to know that this year I did my Christmas shopping early and didn’t even need a list. Grown kids and gift cards, thank you very much. Because nothing says “love” and “this is how much I’m willing to spend on you” like a gift card.

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Don't I Wish - Thoughts on More PRESENCE not Presents this holiday season from @RhondaRhea on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Rhonda Rhea is a humor columnist for lots of great magazines, including HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway and more. She is the author of 10 nonfiction books, including How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Person? and coauthors fiction with her daughter, Kaley Faith Rhea. She and her daughters host the TV show, That’s My Mom, for Christian Television Network’s KNLJ. Rhonda enjoys traveling the country speaking at all kinds of conferences and events. She and her pastor/hubs have five grown children and live in the St. Louis area.

Writers, Rethink Revision

by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock

Recently, I was in a meeting with a client and publisher Kate Colbert, and she said something that got my attention. She said, “You know, your book needs revision. And by that I mean a re-visioning.” She went on to say that the true meaning of revision is not just to merely rework the sections or change a word or two, but to really re-think the purpose of the piece, the readership of the book, or other critical elements. Kate suggests that we do a literal breakdown of the word. Re-Vision. She asks writers what vision means and they invariably say it’s the ability “to see.” She asks what the prefix “re” means, and writers are reminded that it means “again.” Revision, then, is “to see again” or “to see anew,” which is so very different from proofreading or even editing. As authors, we must first revise. Then we edit. Then we proofread. “Authors who skip that first vital step because they’re tired, or in a hurry, risk publishing a book that doesn’t rise to the level of what their readers need and what they, as authors and thought leaders, are capable of,” states Kate.
I’ve been thinking a lot about re-visioning, and ways to truly explore our work in progress (WIP) with fresh eyes. How can each of us be better at revision?
Step away from the project. Sometimes when we get too close to our project we lose all perspective and can’t see the forest for the proverbial trees. By taking a time out, we can come back to our writing and see it anew.
Print it in a different font. Sometimes we literally need to “see” it differently. If you’ve been working with your WIP electronically, it’s time to print it out. Use a different font. Use a different color. Find new ways to see it differently.
Read your work from bottom to top. I don’t mean to read backwards, but look at your closing points, then move up the page to see the points that support your summary. Does it all hold together and make sense? Does it flow?
It may also be time to engage with others who can help you see your WIP differently. I always recommend that you use an editorial board for a Beta-read of your work before sending it to an editor. You can make the work stronger before you start paying for editing services. 
Your editorial board is typically made up of three to five individuals who represent your targeted reader, your clients, and your subject-matter colleagues. When you submit your WIP to your editorial board, you’ll want to ask these questions:Am I clear? Does my thesis statement come through?Does it flow? Do all the pieces hang together to form a cohesive whole?Does it all make sense?Are there any inconsistencies? Redundancies?Does it answer the readers’ questions?Is this the right structure?
By revisioning your work, either by reviewing it yourself or with the help of your editorial board, you’ll have a draft that you’ll be proud to claim as your own.

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Writers, Rethink Revision - tips from @CathyFyock on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Cathy Fyock is The Business Book Strategist, and works with professionals and thought leaders who want to write as a business development strategy. She is the author of nine books, including her most recent with coauthor Lois Creamer, The Speaker Author: Sell More Books and Book More Speeches. Since starting her business in 2014 she's helped more than 150 professionals become published authors. You can reach her at Cathy@CathyFyock.com.

4 Reasons Writers Should Clothe Ourselves with Humility

by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

Eight years have passed since I received this email from a writer about an article she’d submitted: 
I’ve submitted several articles to the previous editor of this magazine. She never edited my work like you’ve done. If my writing was good enough for her, it should be good enough for you.
I prayerfully responded:Each editor brings different gifts to the publication table. My goal as your editor is to polish your writing and enable you to communicate the message God has given you as clearly as possible. If you don’t feel comfortable with the edits I suggest, I certainly understand if you choose to withdraw the submission.
She allowed me to publish her article with the edits I suggested, but she never again submitted her work for my consideration. While I can’t presume to know her heart, I suspect pride may have been at the root of her defensive reaction.
As a freelance writer and book author, I often sit on the other side of the editor’s desk. I’ve received editorial suggestions on work I considered perfect and had articles and book proposals rejected more times than they’ve been accepted. Every time this happens, I have the choice to accept the feedback pridefully or with humbly. 
Today I’d like to share four reasons why we, as writers, should clothe ourselves with humility.
Reason #1: We don’t know everything.While critique partners, editors, agents, and publishing houses also don’t know everything, they know a lot. Before we get defensive, it’s wise to take a deep breath, step away from the feedback, and ask God to help us view it objectively. 
Multi-published author Jerry Jenkins observes, “The natural response to criticism is defensiveness.” When he received difficult feedback, he’ll often set it aside for 24 hours or more to regain his perspective. Time enables him to see the value in criticism despite the pain or disappointment. “Remember, the critique is on your side and may have a point. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, only that you need to keep working to make it your best.”
Reason #2: God uses others to direct our writing path.As much as we’re convinced the time to publish our article, devotion, or book is RIGHT NOW, this may not be true. God uses publishing professionals to determine if the publishing climate is right, if our work is ready for publication, if the market can handle a book like ours, and if we’re ready for publication. Oftentimes God uses rejections to redirect our project or our course. 
A series of book proposal rejections two years ago led to a brainstorming session with publishing professional Steve Laube. Our ten-minute conversation helped me refine my focus and rework my proposal. The result was a much stronger book idea, one that Our Daily Bread Publishing accepted.  Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible  releases May 5. 
Reason #3: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 ESV).When we stubbornly demand our way, assume we’re always right, and reject opportunities to improve, we stunt our growth and alienate those who can help us. Even worse, we invite God’s opposition. 
When we respond pridefully to an edit, a critique partner, an agent, or an editor, Scripture says God opposes us. In love, he withholds the grace he reserves for the humble and hinders our success. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom,” Proverbs 11:2 cautions us. Because God cares more about our spiritual success than our publishing success, he’ll do everything necessary to correct us. 
Reason #4: Humble people are Christ-like people.When we conduct ourselves with humility and grace, we accurately represent Christ. 
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,” Philippians 2:3-8 reminds us, “but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
When we put others first; share our contacts, knowledge, and gifts; and interact with others in a way that honors and imitates Christ, we guard our hearts against pride and invite God’s blessings. “Humble yourselves before the Lord,” James 4:10 says, “and he will exalt you.”
More than any book contract or industry award, I want to feel the warmth of God’s pleasure. I suspect you do too. Will you join me in rejecting the path of pride and embracing the humble road?
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Lori Hatcher is the editor of  Reach Out, Columbia  magazine and the author of several devotional books.  Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women  won the 2016 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year award. Her most recent book, Refresh Your Faith – Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible is due out in the spring of 2020. A blogger, writing instructor, and inspirational speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time . Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).