Monday, September 1, 2014

A Step in the Write Direction, September 1, 2014--Writing with no Rejections


A Step in the Write Direction
September 1, 2014

Update: My mother always said things come in threes. That happened last week as two family members made a trip to the E.R. (one admitted overnight for observation; both okay now), and our daughter had a bone marrow biopsy. Will know the results of that sometime this week. I think of the words of the old song, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand.”…This has been a catch-up week. A couple of proofreading jobs, then my end-of-the-month stuff. Every month I write down highlights of that month—family; friends; local, national, and world news, etc., then type them up at the end of the year and give copies to our kids for their notebooks. These highlights are also stored on my computer so we can look up things at a moment’s notice….I also add up my income and expenses for the month and the year-to-date so this is all done on December 31….Hope you’re all enjoying your holiday today, those of you who have the day off.

Thought for the Day:
Give me the love that leads the way, 
The faith that nothing can dismay, 
The hope no disappointments tire, 
The passion that will burn like fire, 
Let me not sink to be a clod: 
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.
—Amy Carmichael

Song for the Day:
I have one deep supreme desire, That I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire, That I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be,
So that a watching world may see
His likeness shining forth in me. I want to be like Jesus.
            —“I Want to Be Like Jesus,” Thomas O. Chisholm

Laugh for the Day: An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids are nothing to look at either.

Writer’s Tips: (from unpublished Writer’s Devotional book)

No SASEs Needed Here (and no rejections either)
And he saith unto me, Write (Revelation 19:9 kjv).
Often we write with a particular market in mind or, to be more honest, for the market that pays the most. But there are other ways to use the writing ability God has given us. For example:

Letters to the Editor. How often have you visited with other Christians and the conversation led to various world or local problems? You complain, but what do you do about it? Let your voice be heard! The best place to do this is on the Op-Ed page of your local newspaper. Back up your opinion with facts and include one or two appropriate scriptures. Make sure you stay within the required word length, however. If the editor does the cutting, he may omit an important point.

Personal letters. After we moved away from one town, I continued writing to an elderly lady for some time, updating her on family news and events. After writing a lengthy letter about a recent vacation, I thought, “This is my last letter to her. We’ll probably never see her again. She doesn’t care about these trips.” To my surprise she wrote back saying, “I never got to travel much. I do my traveling through your letters.” Then she added, “I pass your letters on to others in our mobile home park, and they often comment, ‘It feels like I’ve been there too.’” Somehow e-mails aren’t the same as walking out to the mailbox and seeing an envelope with your handwritten name on it.

Greeting cards. In the eighteen months of my mother’s cancer treatment, one lady in our home church sent her a card every week with the church bulletin and a personal note enclosed. Stock up on birthday cards, anniversary cards, and holiday cards, and don’t forget “thinking of you” cards to send when a friend is going through a rough time or perhaps on the anniversary of a family member’s death. Blank notes are also nice to write your own personal message.

Family histories. Begin now writing down memories of your childhood—what your house looked like, what you did for fun, your favorite schoolteacher, how you and your husband met. Your children (and grandchildren) will thank you for it in years to come (and, as a plus, you’ll get a lot of ideas for stories and articles).

Jot down a few names of friends who are lonely or going through a trial in their lives. Send them a card or letter today.

 Have a good week spreading the
gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich
dgood648@aol.com
www.thewritersfriend.net
http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

***

With 3 new books coming out this fall, I’m trying to reduce the inventory I have on hand (translation: trying to find a way to get through the door of our spare bedroom!), so am offering this huge, HALF-OFF sale. In most cases this is more of a discount than I get from the publisher,  so it really is a sale!

Points to consider:

·         You can get these for yourself, for gifts (Christmas really isn’t that far away!), or to resell at whatever price you want—to make a profit for yourself or for your writers’ group.

·         Shipping is just $3 for the first book, with each additional book just $1.

·         You can pay by PayPal or by check. (Note: Check can be postdated for up to 30 days—as long as you let me know!)

·         If you order 3 or  more books, I’ll include a free copy of 100-Plus Motivational Moments for Writers and Speakers, a devotional book written by over 100 past and present writers.

·         I’m now scheduling workshops in the Phoenix area for 2015. If you would like to host one in your home or at your church, let me know. I can teach a daylong one, or separate classes: 9:00-10:30; 11:00-12:30; and 2:00-3:30. Go to www.thewritersfriend.net to see description of classes.

                        Book                                                   Regular Price               Sale Price

A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete              $24.95                         $12.50
How-to Book for Christian Writers                            

A Step in the Write Direction—Student Edition,        $17.95                         $ 9.00
includes assignments throughout. (Nearby
Christian school bought 25 of these to use
this school year as textbook.)                                                             
(NOTE: The above two books will be combined
into one book with assignments included in
September 2014.)       

The Freedom of Letting Go                                         $15.00                         $ 7.50
(NOTE: This will also be coming out in a new
edition—date unknown—with discussion
questions at the end of each chapter so it
can be used in a small group study.)

Healing in God’s Time (story of Dave Clark,             $15.00                         $ 7.50
Songwriter, who has 25 #1 songs, including
“Crucified with Christ,” “Mercy Came Running,”
“Mercy Said No.” He was sick for 19 years with
what 29 doctors at Mayo Clinic could find no
cure for—until God stepped in.                                 

Motivational Moments—100-Plus Devotionals             $ 9.95                        $ 5.00
for Writers and Speakers (book out-of-print;
bought remaining inventory)

Michigan Cookbook                                                      $ 9.95                          $ 5.00

Ohio Cookbook                                                             $9.95                           $ 5.00

Celebrating Christmas with…Memories, Poetry         $24.95                         $12.50
and Good Food

Grandfather, Father and Me…Memories, Poetry       $23.95                          $12.00
and Good Food

Grandmother, Mother and Me…Memories, Poetry    $23.95                          $12.00
and Good Food

Preparing Your Heart For Christmas—31                 $10.00                           $ 5.00
devotions for the Advent season



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