Finishing Strong by Steph Beth Nickel

Crossfit Sports Fitness - Free photo on Pixabay

Although it has been several decades since September meant back-to-school to me, I still see the ninth month of the year as a new beginning of sorts.

And an ending.

September marks the end of summer. The end of Q3, the third quarter of the year. And for me personally, the end my daughter's move west. (We took the remainder of her belongings to her on the long weekend.)

When I return home from Saskatchewan, Q4 will be just around the corner.

My plans to finish the year strong include goals that may be an encouragement to you as well.

Writing and Revising

One of my top priorities is to complete revisions to the book I'm coauthoring with Paralympian Deb Willows.

I also intend to choose 30 of the 40+ devotionals on the Gospel of John that I've written and prep them for indie publication.

Additionally, I want to get back to writing and posting a chapter of my YA novel to Substack each week. I have posted more than half the manuscript to the platform so far. I would like to get this draft complete by the end of the year.

Are you currently working on any writing projects? Remember to carve out time to work on them. Unless we do so, there are countless things that can distract us from our writing and writing-related endeavours. Crucial things like laundry, dishes, and vacuuming. <sigh>

Editing

I have openings in my editing schedule and will prioritize any projects I take on this quarter.

Do you have obligations to complete for others? Setting aside specific time in your schedule and making note of externally or internally imposed deadlines will likely help you stay on track. 

Researching

I have an abundance of courses and books that have been long-neglected. My goal is to work on skills development from three to five times per week. I especially need to focus on the steps of indie publishing.

Do you regularly work on skills development, or do you find the abundance of material overwhelming and confusing? Why not choose a skill that will help you right here, right now, and set aside time to read a book on the subject, take a relevant course (which you may already have in your digital library), or listen to a related podcast?

Non-Writing Goals

Like all writers, I have several seemingly unrelated tasks to accomplish. (However, we all know that pretty much anything we do can have a bearing on our writing and spark ideas for current or future projects.)

Here are three things I hope to accomplish before the end of 2026:

Assist my hubby as he finishes renoing the house in preparation for putting it on the market in the spring of 2027.

Continue developing healthy habits in preparation for my blood work in October. (My numbers aren't dangerously high, but they do need attention.)

Devote more time to Bible study and prayer and (far) less to scrolling on my phone. 

Do you have non-writing goals that are achievable by December 31? Why not choose a couple and break each one down into bite-sized chunks so you, too, can finish 2026 strong.

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the outgoing InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027, Lord willing. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Reflections on Planning by Sandi Somers

 

As I moved into the fall season this year, I began to pray in detail over each area that needs to be completed by Christmas. In my recent reading of our pastor’s sermon on Nehemiah, I rediscovered some principles for planning and preparation. 

First priority: we don't do anything until we take it to the Lord in prayer.

God often waits to answer until we ask Him in prayer (James 4:2).

Trust God. God can do what we cannot.

Always give God recognition first—gratitude for what He'll do.

Ask: “In what small way do You want me to accomplish something in Your kingdom?”

Launch yourself in God's direction and do what God calls you to do. 

The important key in light of this blog post is to keep my eyes focused on the Lord and His purpose and plans in what Matt Bell called “art life and lived life.”[i]  

Art Life:

My overall writing goal is to continue building a larger body of work.

Finish draft of my second book.    Continue engagement with InScribe—local writers’ group, write for monthly IWO, quarterly FS. Marketing/advertising for my first book—other authors have been great examples, and I’m receiving prompts from the Lord.

Lived Life:

·       House and garden. Complete fall garden work—planting any spring flowers/bulbs, cleanup by end of October when the ground freezes. Winter—focus on house tasks of sorting, organizing clutter, recycling extras, (continuous throughout winter)—I’ve asked the Lord to confirm the upgrading needs in my house. Work towards order. 

·       Relationships. Spend more time contacting others. Continue relationship with the Lord through continued Bible study, prayer. (The Lord brings so many ideas for writing through my time with Him.) 

·       Ministry areas. Continue volunteering at church. Lead monthly local writers’ group. Participate in our InScribe local group’s November 20 event, “Invitation to Wonder”. 

·       Contingency plans. Allow for unexpected events, emergencies, or health issues that may upend any plans. 

·       Relaxation. Attend monthly Christian Women’s Breakfasts (weather permitting). Enjoy my yard and garden. Walk. Read. Slot in weekly artist’s dates (to engage the senses—drive into the country, take photos, visit a friend, etc). Discover and journal a daily highlight. 

·       Celebrations with gratitude. Honour accomplishments, both small and major. Honour the Lord in all I do.

Some items in this list can look daunting. The Lord knows what plans are feasible and will guide me. This reading from In Touch Ministries challenged me:

“Following God often takes us through unfamiliar territory, but He is faithful to lead us into His good plans…When God challenges us beyond our self-determined limits, He isn’t testing us—He’s inviting us into a higher level of trust…Each new step of surrender is an opportunity to experience His faithfulness in ways we haven’t yet imagined.”[ii]

I conclude with a quote from Ezra which challenges all of us: “I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me” (Ezra 7:28 ESV).

 

Image by Pixabay

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[i] Matt Bell, (Refuse to be Done, NY: Soho Press, 2022), 27-31. 

[ii] https://www.intouchcanada.org/read/daily-devotions#:~:text=Growing%20in%20Trust,September%207%2C%202026 

Sandi Somers’ writing passion is to help readers grow their faith in Jesus, including their vision of what God wants them to be and do. She writes of her love of nature, gardening, travel, and family in several genres—devotionals, personal essays, and Biblical fiction. Sandi lives in Calgary, Alberta, the delightful city between the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies.

Beyond the Last Page ~ Valerie Ronald

 

If I had known it would take over a year to birth a book from rough draft to publication, I might have thought twice about tackling the project. That is a long gestation period! Any day now I am expecting the arrival of my new baby, a devotional book titled Each Shining Moment: Lingering in God’s Light. Holding my book in my hands, gazing at its shiny cover, and flipping through its crisp, new pages will be almost as exciting for me as it was to cradle my three newborn babies. Birthing this book was not as painful but certainly as laborious.

Like a first-time parent, I am thrilled with the new arrival, yet nervous about what comes next. Fortunately, my publisher provides marketing tutorials and support for new authors. Learning how to market my book is first on my list of things to do in the next four months of 2026.

My publisher assumes my priority is to sell as many books as possible in order to bank a good volume of royalties. Actually, marketing the book is more about putting it in the hands of spiritual seekers and those who desire to grow in their Christian walk. I plan to implement some of the recommendations of my publisher, however, the marketing strategy in which I have the most confidence is to prayerfully release the book to God, who knows best where and to whom it needs to go.

“Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).

Next on my list is catching up with projects left undone as I poured many hours into the book this past year. I plan to do some deep cleaning and organizing projects around the house, return to cooking and baking from scratch after too many convenience meals, and spend more time with friends and family.

Now that the book is done I can focus on other writing projects. Writing monthly posts for InScribe Writers Online, bi-monthly columns for InScribe FellowScript magazine, and monthly devotionals for our church bulletin motivates me to write frequently. I am also looking forward to writing my annual Christmas short story and some new pieces for our local writer’s group.

Of course, these plans will depend on how well my new baby (and its author) will adapt now that it is published. This book may be a quiet child, not overly adventurous, happy to stay close to home. Or it may take off running, eager to make many new friends in faraway places. I have no set expectations for the book, choosing rather to hold it with an open hand so God can do with it as He wills, using it as He sees fit.

Just as I prayed for my children, I also pray that this book birthed from my walk with God will help others in their growth towards Him. I am eager to see what its future holds. 

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction, and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

Fall Plans by Carol Harrison

  

   Photo by Carol Harrison

September has arrived and I watch school buses stop across the street to pick up and drop off their student passengers. Yet I no longer have any back to school routines or students leaving for school. What will September to December look like for me? As I thought about this, the calendar reminded me how quickly months are flowing by. Time to start seriously thinking about what I need to accomplish before this year finishes.

1. Attend InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship Conference

- I have already registered and am looking forward to connecting with other writers.
- It will be a time to learn from the keynote speaker and in the workshops.
- I always find it to be a time of encouragement.

2. Write the Christmas book for the grandchildren

- Choose which topic of memories to write about this year for their Christmas gift.
- Gather the memories - likely family recipes and the stories that go with them.
- Have it ready for printing by the end of November so I can ship them where necessary.

3. Read memoir

- After attending the workshop from Siretona Creative on memoir writing, I received the homework of reading some memoirs. Thanks, Connie, for the suggestions of possible memoirs to read.
- Research for writing memoir for myself.
- Read for the enjoyment and learning someone else's story.

4. Work on exercises for writing my memoir

- Character sketches
- Settings
- Timeline of what to include and figure out what can be left out

5. Write Inscribe Blog posts each month from now until December

6. Attend the local Saskatoon Writers' Club Inc meetings once a month

- Possibly write to submit to their prose and poetry contests in November.

7. Write in my journal more regularly

- There are times I don't write in the journal for weeks at a time. This fall I plan to write at least twice a week in it if not more. I think the consistency will maybe help my writing block to slowly vanish or at least ease it a bit.

8. Organize writing files on my computer

- Right now I have duplicates saved on the computer and pieces not placed in correct files. This will be a huge project as I have not done any organizing in years. It seems like a daunting task but I think it will be good to know what I have already written, what needs editing, and what is unfinished in its present state.

The prompt suggested finding ten things we might like to accomplish, but after eight I found myself thinking the list had already grown long and some parts will take lots of hours of work like the booklet I do every Christmas for the grandchildren and children as a way to pass on memories. Fall looks like it will be full this year. Now to get busy and begin to do them. I started by downloading a memoir e-book from the library. Time to sit and immerse myself in someone else's life for a little while. At least it becomes a beginning.

Carol Harrison lives in Saskatoon, SK and spends much time reading books for enjoyment. Now she will add some research material to the mix as she begins on these eight points for spending time this fall.