Using Interruptions To Encourage and Inspire

Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries. Psalm 60:12 Turning on my nightlight, I looked at my clock. Only 2:00 a.m.! I’d been laying here since 10:00 pm, unable to sleep! It was one of my rare and frustrating nights when sleep kept eluding me and [...]

Are You a Writing Tortise or Hare?

I’m revisiting an old question that I wrestled with a few years ago when trying to figure out why it was taking so long to get published. My thoughts then and now seems to ring true for me. How about you? I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter how fast I run this [...]

How do YOU Celebrate After Hitting Send on Your Manuscript?

It’s official! I hit send on my Rosie manuscript…again. Well, technically I hit send again on the proposal since my manuscript is not finished. And while it’s a BIG relief having that off my shoulders, there’s still work to be done. Yet, sometimes you just have to take a break and celebrate little successes. Yes, [...]

Interrupted by the End of the World

Admit it, it’s okay. As a writer you know your craft requires years of, early mornings over a keyboard,a nd approximately 6000 gallons of coffee before you even get your first hand written rejection letter. But as a Christian, you know that our tour of duty here on terra firma is temporary at best, often [...]

Fighting Through Insecurities to Reach Your Dreams

Every since I can remember I’ve dreamed of being a dancer. I remember watching Flashdance, Footloose, Fame, and all the other fun dancing movies and thinking how much fun it would be to do that. But to achieve that goal would take hard work, discipline and talent. We didn’t have a lot of money growing [...]

When You Just Don’t Fit the Market

I’ve never felt like I fit. Growing up in the 70s and 80s on Long Island, New York, I didn’t know anyone whose parents (or grandparents) were divorced except mine. I didn’t know any other kids who had to visit their dad on the weekend instead of doing fun stuff with friends. And I didn’t [...]

Writer’s Block, Now What?

Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. ~1 Corinthians 2:15-16 Writer’s block, now that is an interruption of great difficulty for [...]

If I Only Knew Then…

The phrase, “If I knew then what I know now…” is applicable to my life in many ways. There are many things I wish I could tell young Stephanie. Like that bangs are not a good look for you. Nor are shorts-overalls   Or, “You should not wear that hat.”   Or that making a [...]

Write About What Disturbs You

If you haven’t read The Help by Kathryn Stockett yet, let me encourage you to do so. Stockett writes of an editor giving the main character this advice: “Don’t waste your time on the obvious things. Write about what disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else.” This is good advice. What disturbs you? I tend [...]

Dropping the Mice In: Ridding Ourselves of Critical Voices

Anne Lamott says that what often gets in the way of our writing is all the critical voices we hear each time our fingers touch the keyboards. What I’ve come to learn as a writer-person is that I first have to quiet my brain enough to even hear the voices. I’m not sure if the [...]

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