Monday, December 29, 2014

A Step in the Write Direction--December 29, 2014--Tax Tips for Writers


A Step in the Write Direction

December 29, 2014

Update: Our pastor yesterday encouraged us to do a timeline of our lives—putting in highlights (good and bad) and rating them as to minus 5 or plus 5. Then he said to remember how God was there for all of them….Every month I go back and write down highlights for that month—illnesses (too many of them), trips, visitors, any local, state, or world news, etc. At the end of the year I type these up, three-hole punch them, and give them to our kids to put in their notebook. I’ve done this for years. Last year I put all these on the computer, and now we can find something at a moment’s notice. Brings back a lot of memories! Now we’re entering a new year and whether it’ll be a minus 5 or plus 5, let’s be thankful we know Who’ll be walking with us. A happy and blessed New Year to you all!

Thought for Today: For today’s thought, I’m sharing a New Year’s Prayer written by my good friend Kitty Chappell:

A New Year’s Prayer

Bless this year, O Lord, we pray,
Guide our steps both night and day.
Bless the weeks that come and go
Help us your sweet will to know.
Bless the months and may they bring
Sweet aromas to our King.
Bless us all and may we be
Daily walking, Lord, with Thee.

Let the failures of last year
And all hurts, Lord, disappear.
Let them stepping stones become
That we may be more wise and strong.
Grant us wisdom from above
To reflect your truth and love.
Grant us power that we may be
Filled with evidence of Thee.
Bless this year and when it’s through,
May we be, Lord, more like you.

Song for Today:
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind.
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find!
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
            —“Oh, to Be Like Thee,” Thomas O. Chisholm

Laugh for Today: (true): A friend’s 13-year-old granddaughter, watching her grandmother set up an ironing board, asked, “Why did someone put legs on that surfboard?” (She had been surfing since she was 5 and had never seen an ironing board before.)

Writer’s Tips:                                   Tax Tips for Writers
(Using lines from a Schedule C—Self-Employment Form)

For the next several weeks I’ll pass on some tax tips for writers. Because tax laws change so rapidly, I won’t give a lot of technical advice; however, you need to know that as a freelance writer the Internal Revenue Service considers you a self-employed person, which means you have to file a Schedule C. This also means accurate record keeping and saving receipts.

The secret: Whenever you open your checkbook or get into your car, think taxes! It’s easy to remember purchases such as computers, printer, toner, envelopes, and paper. However, you may forget smaller items such as postage for manuscripts and query letters and requests for sample magazines (if you don’t do this via e-mail). Or you may remember the postage, but forget to count the mileage.

Following are instructions for the lines you will use most:

On line A you’ll put your name as the owner/proprietor of the business and your social security number. (If you are filing jointly with your spouse, use your social security here as you are the owner.)

Line B asks for your business code (for a writer it’s 812990).

Line C asks for your principal business. (I include three here: freelance writer, editor, proofreader.)

Line D is for an employer ID number (EIN). This is not only for employers. I use this as identification when preparing tax returns for others, and it can also be used to give to editors and publishers instead of your social security number. This EIN can be used for opening a bank account, applying for business licenses, and filing a tax return. See <ttp://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00html>

Line E is your business address—either your home or a rented office.

Line F is your accounting method—which will normally be cash (this means you count your income as your receive it).

Line G—yes, you did “materially participate” in the operation of this business.

Check Line H if this is the first year you’re filing a business return.

On lines 1, 3, 5, and 7, show your total income for the year. (Ask your accountant about returns and allowances if you keep an inventory.) This income will include checks from manuscripts you sell, book royalties, and money you earn speaking.

(This information is taken from Appendix J of A Step in the Write Direction.)

 Have a good week (and year!) spreading the
gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

"A Step in the Write Direction--the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers"

Sunday, December 21, 2014

A Step in the Write Direction--December 22, 2014--The Sound of Good News


 A Step in the Write Direction
December 22, 2014

Update: My prayer is that each of you has a good Christmas Day, and that no one will be alone. If you are, think of someone you can invite, or volunteer at a local Salvation Army dinner or another place serving meals. I’m thankful to live in a country where we can freely celebrate Christmas, even if some want to call it by another name. I’m thankful my husband is still with us after four hospital stays this year and for our children and granddaughters (and yes, my son-in-law). Even though it’s not Thanksgiving week, why not make a list of what you’re thankful for this Christmas and share it with your family.

Thought for Today:
One day, a rich dad took his son on a trip. Wanting to show him how needy someone can be, they spent time on the farm of a poor family. On the way home, Dad asked, "What did you learn today?"
The son replied, "We have one dog, they have four; we have a pool, they have rivers, we have lanterns at night, they have stars; we buy foods, they grow theirs; we have walls to protect us, they have friends; we have encyclopedias, they have a Bible." Then he added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
Song for Today:
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room
For Thy holy Nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus;
There is room in my heart for Thee.
            —Emily E.S. Elliott, “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne”

Laugh for Today:
How Many Christians Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?
(tongue in cheek, of course)

Charismatics: One. Their hands are already in the air.
Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterians: None. Lights will go off and on at predestined times.
Roman Catholics: None. Candles only.
Baptists: At least fifteen. One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the
    change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.
Mormons: One, and four wives to tell him how to do it.
Methodists: Undetermined. Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are            
   loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to
   the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.
Nazarenes: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting
   policies.
Lutherans: None. Lutherans don’t believe in change.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?

Writers’ Tips: (Next week I’ll return to actual writers’ tips.)

An Unexpected Sound

Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God (Luke 2:13).

A local discount store was closing its doors for good at  midnight on Christmas Eve. My husband and I—barely making it on his pastor’s small salary—thought it would be a good chance to shop for our three children 3, 2, and 11 months. The store was nearby, the children were asleep, so we left them with my two teen-age nephews.

When we returned we found the two boys huddled together as close as they could get on our sofa. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“There’s…there’s…someone in the attic,” one replied shakily.

“Yeah,” the younger one added, his face ashen. “We can hear them pounding up there.”

We listened. Bang…bang…bang…the sound reverberated throughout the living room. We laughed, and took the two shaking boys outside where they saw the wind blowing the “parsonage” sign against the front of the house.

Unexpected sounds can be scary at night—but not when they signal good news. It was night when the angels appeared to the shepherds, singing, "Glory to God in the highest.”

When a sound awakens you in the night, don’t be afraid. It may be an angel bringing good news.

Lord, thank You for the good news You gave the shepherds in the middle of the night—and to me today—peace on earth! May it begin with peace in my heart.

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

Donna Clark Goodrich

 
www.thewritersfriend.net
"A Step in the Write Direction--the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers"

Sunday, December 14, 2014

A Step in the Write Direction--December 15, 2014--Teaching Others How to Live

A Step in the Write Direction
December 15, 2014

Update: Husband Gary was in the hospital again this week—from Thursday to Sunday afternoon. Thursday morning I said to him, “I have the next three days completely free. Time for some heavy housecleaning.” Right! First his hands started shaking, then he had chest pains. This time they admitted him with high potassium, low magnesium, enlarged prostate, and bladder problems. So tomorrow we have to make appointments with four different doctors—his primary care doctor and three specialists. I can’t say how thankful I am for our three children and also our son-in-law who came over and shampooed our carpet Saturday….Still collecting stories, prayers, and devotionals for caregiver book. Email me at dgood648@aol.com if you want to see the complete table of contents….Each year I try to use a different format for our Christmas letter: poetry, anacrostics, Scripture verses, TV show titles, and people say they look forward to receiving it. This year I had the Goodrich TV Channel 2014. For those receiving this blog via email, it’s attached if you want to read it. Others can email me and I'll send it.

Thought for Today
“When we remember our special meals, it is seldom the food. It’s the love behind the food. Whether it had two sticks of warm butter or three sticks of crisp celery, heavy cream or Cream of Wheat, what we remember is that someone loved us enough to cook for us and that there was a place for us at the table.” (Lillian Daniel, pastor, Glen Ellyn, IL in Journal for Preachers, Advent, 2014, 23.)

Laugh for Today: (source unknown)
DO YOU KNOW YOUR HYMNS?

Dentist's Hymn.................................... Crown Him with Many Crowns
Weatherman's Hymn........................... There Shall Be Showers of Blessings
Contractor's Hymn...............................The Church is One Foundation
The Tailor's Hymn...............................  Holy, Holy, Holy
The Golfer's Hymn................................There's a Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn.......................... Standing on the Promises!
Optometrist's Hymn............................. Open My Eyes That I Might See
The IRS Agent's Hymn........................  I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn...............................Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn........................ Send The Light
The Shopper's Hymn............................Sweet Bye and Bye
The Realtor's Hymn.............................. I've Got a Mansion, Just  Over  the Hilltop
The Massage Therapists Hymn........... He Touched Me
The Doctor's Hymn...............................The Great Physician

AND for those who speed on the highway - a few hymns:
55 mph .......................... God Will Take Care of You
75 mph .......................... Nearer My God To Thee
85 mph .......................... This World Is Not My Home
95 mph .......................... Lord, I'm Coming Home
100 mph ...................... . Precious Memories

Song for Today:
We rejoice in the light, And we echo the song
That comes down thro’ the night From the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Saviour and King!
            “There’s a Song in the Air,” Josiah G. Holland

Writer’s Tips:
Chaim Potok was an intensely religious man; a Jew who explored the dimensions of faith in our lives. From an early age, Potok knew he wanted to be a writer. But his mother wasn't so sure. When he went away to college she said, "Son, now I know you want to be a writer. But I want you to think about brain surgery. You'll keep a lot of people from dying. And you'll make a lot of money." To which Potok responded, "No, Mama, I want to be a writer."

But "No" is not what Mama wanted to hear. So, every vacation break for four years she would repeat her comments about his becoming a brain surgeon and keeping people from dying and making a lot of money, and always his response was the same. Finally the son had enough, and, when the same mantra began, he cut off his mother with exasperation, and with great passion he told his mother, "Mama, I don't want to keep people from dying, I want to show them how to live. (
sermons@clergy.net, 12/14/14)

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

Donna Clark Goodrich

·           A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers (with assignments throughout); original copies now on sale for half-price--$12.50, $3.17 s&h)
·          The Freedom of Letting Go (with discussion questions; can be used in S.S. class or small group); original copies without questions now on sale for half-price--$7.50, $2.69 s&h)
·          Healing in God’s Time (story of Dave Clark, songwriter of 25 songs that have gone to #1 on the charts); was $15; now $10, $2.69 s&h)
·          The Little Book of Big Laughs (105 purse/pocket-size book of clean jokes); up to 4 for same s&h--$2.32
·          Preparing Your Heart for Christmas (31 Advent Devotions) half-price - $5
·          Michigan and Ohio Cookbooks; half-price $5 each, plus s&h (depending on number ordered)
·          100-Plus Motivational Moments for Writers and Speakers – half-price $5, $2.69 s&h
·          Grandmother, Mother, and Me Anthology (stories, poetry, and recipes);
·          Grandfather, Father, and Me Anthology (stories, poetry, and recipes)
·          Celebrating Christmas with…Memories, Poetry, and Good Food
(above three anthologies now half price--$12.50, $3.17 s&h)


 

Monday, December 8, 2014

A Step in the Write Direction, December 8, 2014--You Are Important


A Step in the Write Direction

December 8, 2014

Update: A few weeks ago I hit my hand on a door casing. X-rays showed it wasn’t broken, but two of the fingers are still swollen and sore. Have you ever tried to type when you couldn’t use your middle and ring fingers on your left hand? Most of the typos I make are on the “ased” line.  Every digit of your hand is important in typing and, this Christmas season, I want to remind you that every one of you is important—to your family, to your friends, and especially to God. I know that the holiday season is often difficult for those who have lost loved ones or who may be estranged from family members, but as an old song puts it, “It matters to Him about you.”

Thought for the Day: “We can hug our hurts and make a shrine out of our sorrows or we can offer them to God as a sacrifice of praise. The choice is ours” (Richard Exley).

Song for the Day:
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain!
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.
            “I Will Praise Him,” Margaret J. Harris

Laugh for the Day:
First guy:  "I'm really in the doghouse. I ran afoul of one of those trick questions women ask."
Second guy:  "What kind of question?"
First guy:  "She asked me if I would still love her when she was old, fat, and ugly."
Second guy:  "That's easy. You just say, 'Of course I will.'"
First guy:  "Yeah, that's what I meant to say. But what came out was, 'Of course I do.'"
            (From The Gospel Greats Newsletter, 10/27/14)

Christmas Devotion (from Preparing Your Heart for Christmas Advent book)

The Joy of Giving

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

I had always looked forward to Christmas but this year was special. Through the high school co-op program, I was allowed to leave school at noon and go to a job for which I received credit. Now I could buy gifts for others.

For one brother, I bought a used trumpet. For my older brother and his new wife, I gave a gift certificate to buy bricks for the house they were building. I bought a set of dishes for
my sister’s family, and a chrome dinette set for my mother. I also had fun picking out toys for my nieces and nephews.

What a joy it was that Christmas morning. I was actually more excited watching everyone unwrap their gifts than I was opening my packages.

I gave gifts…because I loved.
God gave His Son…because He loved.
Jesus gave His life…because He loved…
And we’ve all been blessed.

Lord, may You be my example this Christmas—and all through the year. May I continue to give…because I love.

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

Donna Clark Goodrich

·           A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers (with assignments throughout); original copies now on sale for half-price--$12.50, $3.17 s&h). Student edition now $10.
·          The Freedom of Letting Go (with discussion questions; can be used in S.S. class or small group); original copies without questions now on sale for half-price--$7.50, $2.69 s&h)
·          100-Plus Motivational Moments for Writers and Speakers (devotionals from writers past and present); was $9.95; now $5, $2.69 s&h)
·          Healing in God’s Time (story of Dave Clark, songwriter of 25 songs that have gone to #1 on the charts); was $15; now $10, $2.69 s&h)
·          The Little Book of Big Laughs (105 purse/pocket-size book of clean jokes); up to 4 for same s&h--$2.32
·          Preparing Your Heart for Christmas (31 Advent Devotions); was  $10; now $5, plus s&h)
·          Michigan and Ohio Cookbooks; half-price $5 each, plus s&h (depending on number ordered)
·           Grandmother, Mother, and Me Anthology (stories, poetry, and recipes);
·          Grandfather, Father, and Me Anthology (stories, poetry, and recipes)
·          Celebrating Christmas with…Memories, Poetry, and Good Food
(above three anthologies now half price--$12.50, $3.17 s&h)