Candee Fick's Blog, page 21
April 18, 2016
Value In the Eye of the Beholder
How much is a 2002 Dodge Caravan worth? Okay, that’s a trick question because there are way too many layers to consider. So first, a little background before I bring this around to make a point.
In the summer of 2003, my husband and I bought our first minivan because we were expecting baby number three. The price we paid factored in the original price, age, and mileage, but to us, the value of the vehicle rested mostly on the fact I wouldn’t have to cram multiple kids and car seats into the b...
April 11, 2016
Guest Laura Hilton – Momentary Afflictions
Dear readers, from time to time I ask others to share their stories of faith, hope, and love in order to encourage us all. If you have a story to share, you can find my guidelines under the Connect tab. In the meantime, welcome Laura Hilton!
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Candee asked me to pick a struggle I’ve overcome and write about it in a way that en...
March 21, 2016
Waiting for Spring
The funny thing about living in Colorado is that you can never really tell when spring will arrive.
A week ago, I noticed a lot of fresh green shoots in my front flower bed and my heart got excited for my favorite season. I love Spring because everything that was dormant comes to life in a flurry of colorful and fragrant blossoms thatsymbolizes the hope of eternal life after the relatively-dark winter of this fallen world. How’s that for a glimpse of our eager anticipation?
A closer survey of...
March 17, 2016
The Author Toolbox: Raise Your Craft to a New Level
We’ve already covered tools to help you get words onto the page, but not just any words will do. We need to raise our craft to the next level because we need characters readers will care about as well as a cohesive plot that wraps up nicely with a happily-ever-after ending sure to make Hollywood cheer.
Tool #1 – Create an overview of the story. Whether you start with index cards, post-it notes, or scribbles on a giant white board, the key is to sketch out the basic story elements. You could e...
March 14, 2016
Moving Forward After a Setback
This post is not the one I wanted to write. In fact, I had this whole idea in mind about celebrating victories. Except life doesn’t always turn out like we’d hope so we also need to learn to move forward after a setback. Bummer.
This past weekend, I had the chance to watch my senior play in the state championship basketball tournament. And for the second straight year, I got to console my sobbing son when they lost the title game. Last year the game went into overtime while this year we were...
March 7, 2016
The Most Valuable Virtue
We’re almost to the end of the marathon of scholarship applications with my oldest son and I for one will be extremely glad to be done harping on, er, reminding him to finish the required essay questions. But one essay question had me searching my own heart for the answer: Which virtue is most important in your life right now? Charity, faithfulness, integrity, humility, joy, kindness, patience?
I asked him what he thought and his immediate answer was humility which was extremely timely consid...
March 3, 2016
The Author Toolbox: Build an Email List
There are a few pieces of the marketing puzzle thatan authorcan control. Of course, your unique voice and style are a vital part of your books and since YOU are your brand, you in turn can control what message you send. You also control your website with or without a blog as a home base. The last piece that you own is your email list or subscribers.
Ask the business gurus and they will tell you that email marketing has consistently resulted in more successful conversions than any other form o...
February 29, 2016
Firsts And Lasts—The Chapters of Life
As a mom, I’m in an interesting season of life as my middle child counts down the days until his 18th birthday, prepares for graduation, and too-soon will be packing for college in the fall. (While my special-needs daughter is older, he’ll be my first to do the college thing and move out. Pass the Kleenex box.)
Naturally, we’ve experienced a parade of firsts as he grew. The first breath, tooth, steps, and words were followed by first day of school, drive, date, and checking account. Now we’re...
February 25, 2016
The Author Toolbox: To Blog or Not To Blog
In today’s platform-driven publishing world, that indeed is the question of the day. Of course, our focus in the Author Toolbox series is on the practical tools an author needs so I’ll keep this introduction to blogging brief since there are a gazillion other blog posts and articles out there about whether you should blog, what to blog about, how often, the best platforms, and mistakes to avoid.
Blogging, while originally an online journal entry of sorts, is essentially an article you write o...
February 22, 2016
Interesting Ideas Attack Me Unexpectedly
As a writer,I often getasked where I get my ideas for stories. Well, sometimes interesting ideas just attack me unexpectedly.
Just over a week ago, I was attacked by a rooster while doing chores for my parents. Of course, I joked about it on Facebook and even posted pictures of the territorial bird and the growing bruise on my leg. What I intended to be a one-day status update sparked a conversation with laughing and commiserating friends.
Then a couple of them suggested I should write a roos...
