A
Step in the Write Direction
June
24, 2013
Update:
Not much to write about this last week—just finishing up the father/grandfather
anthology! All it needs is one final reading, and sending in the pictures for
the cover that contributors have sent me, and let the publisher make the final
selection….What’s next? Publisher
suggested a “dog anthology,” and another reader suggested a “marriage” one. I
think that would be fun. Stories about dating, the wedding ceremony itself, and
the marriage—humorous, touching, serious, etc. Will see what the publisher
says….Still waiting to hear about the 2 gift books on friendship and motherhood.
If they’re accepted, they’ll have to be doubled….I’m going to take some snippets
of my caregiver book to my critique group this week….Prayers going up for my
friend Judy Robertson who is saying good-bye to her husband of 53 years Jim in
hospice anytime. She’s a member of our critique group….And will be saying hello
to our daughter Wednesday who is returning from a 3-week vacation in Oklahoma….
Writer’s Tip is short this week, but I feel it’s
important!
Thought
for the Day:
“Earth’s
crammed with heaven,
And
every common bush afire with God;
But
only he who sees takes off his shoes—
The
rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”
—Elizabeth
Barrett Browning
Laugh
for the Day: The
professor marked the test so strictly that he took off points for having
periods
upside down.
To
Make You Think
1)
How
long did the Hundred Years’ War last?
2)
Which
country makes Panama hats?
3)
From
which animal do we get cat gut?
4)
In
which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5)
What
is a camel’s hairbrush made of? (Answers next week, along with more
questions)
Question
from reader:
Is it okay to ask God for success in your writing?
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Answer:
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I
think to answer that, you have to define "success". If you’re talking about
monetary success, why not? If He's given you the talent and you want to make a
living using that talent, then why not ask Him for success? I hear so many
Christian writers especially say, “I don’t care if I get paid. I just want to
spread the gospel.” True, that should be our main motive, but the Bible says "a
workman is worthy of his hire." On the
other hand, sometimes success is defined as how your writing changes people's
lives. When I had an article in Decision magazine on how I finally let of my
mother 11 years after she died, one man—who had lost his wife 9 years before and
who had been bitter at God—wrote thanking me for the article and closing his
letter with, "And now I can go on with my life." To me that was worth more than
the check I received. Also, a reader of my “Freedom of Letting Go” book wrote,
“I hate your book and I love your book,” then she shared how it helped her let
go of some things that were hindering her walk with the
Lord.
I
think the biggest thing is to pray before you write, pray while you're writing,
pray about the market(s) you send your manuscript to, then, if it sells, pray
for your readers.
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Have
a good week spreading the
gospel
through the printed page.
Donna
Clark Goodrich
Whoops, should have been "let GO of my mother..."
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