Finding Great Advice by Sandra Rafuse

Having my publishing date near the end of every month this year has been a bonus for me because I get to read all the blogs that are published before mine. Since we all use the same prompt as the topic for our blog, what I read from those who publish before me helps me immensely by giving me so many ideas and much information to use.  I feel I don't have the experience I would like to have had to write something using this month's prompt and I have struggled with the January and February prompts as well. Each one has been a challenge for me. Why?  Dana-Lyn's comment says it all. . . "I am extremely new to the craft of writing." I love that sentence. That's me. (Thanks for sharing that, Dana-Lyn.) 

For now, I can say I received the best advice about writing from books. I've always loved to read. I'm remembering a couple of favorite old books from when I was a lot younger and still lived at home. For a time, my father subscribed to Reader's Digest for those hardcover books they offered that had two stories in one book. I remember enjoying those.  I remember reading and rereading 1001 Arabian Nights - The Complete Adventures of Sindbad, Aladdin and Ali Baba time and time again. Then, for most Christmases, there was a new book wrapped up and placed under the tree for me. I would spend an entire day at some time during the holidays, curled up on the couch, reading and finishing the book before the day was done. And I can't leave out mentioning second hand bookstores and all their treasures that came along as the years went by and. . .wait. . .the Scholastic book orders that were sent away every month at school. It felt like Christmas time when the orders came in. Words. Books. Reading. Understanding. Now Writing. There's my connection to the best advice I've ever received for writing.

 When I consider all I've read, I am aware of the power, the impact, the emotions words have on me. I feel them in my mind and in my heart. I am amazed how authors have written their stories, or articles, or poems, etc., using the words they have chosen and they have made them into something so meaningful and beautiful and organized and clear. How do they do that? I think about it now as I write. As I learn to put words together so they come out saying something good. I am happy to be in this new chapter in my life.  It certainly is a lot of work. And I'm happy about that, too.

Sandra Rafuse lives in the small town of Rockglen, Saskatchewan, with her husband, Bob, a Gordon Setter named Sadie, and a Peregrine falcon named Peet. She is a retired teacher, an amateur writer, and is thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to share what God has been teaching her through her life experiences.

Photo at top of page by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

Just in Case by Brenda J Wood

I needed glue to hold my latest crafty thing together.

I started the search.

1. Glue gun? Out of right-sized glue sticks.
2. Cellophane tape? Last roll used up.
3. Fabric glue? Not working with fabric.
4. Ceramic glue? See number 3.
5. Glue stick? Down to the nub, not enough to use.
6. Homemade? Flour and water? Only whole wheat flour on hand.
7. Wood glue? See number 3 repeatedly.
8. Epoxy? Seriously, I am not putting a radiator together.

However, most of the time, I have all of the above on hand. I use them all occasionally, regularly or before they wither up.

That’s like writing advice. I purposely collect writers’ comments all the time. Why? Because like glue, they all come in handy sometime. Here are some of my favourites.

“You can’t edit a blank page.”
— Jodi Picoult

“Agony is an untold story inside you.”
— Maya Angelou

“If it hasn’t been written, then you must write it.”
— Toni Morrison

“Start! Water runs when the faucet is on.”
— Louis L’Amour

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
— Stephen King

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The scariest moment is just before you start.”
— Stephen King

“Writing is sitting at a typewriter to bleed.”
— Ernest Hemingway

“The best time to plan a book is while doing the dishes.”
— Agatha Christie

“Never use two words when one will do.”
— Thomas Jefferson

“I hate writing, I love having written.”
— Dorothy Parker

“You can make anything by writing.”
— C.S. Lewis

“Write what should not be forgotten.”
— Isabel Allende

“I shake off everything as I write; sorrows disappear, courage is reborn.”
— Anne Frank

“You fail only if you stop writing.”
— Ray Bradbury

“I write because if I didn’t, I would die.”
— Isaac Asimov

“A writer is a world trapped in a person.”
— Victor Hugo

“I’m writing a book, page numbers done.”
— Steven Wright

I hope some of these become your own glue.

(Top) Photo by Thirdman on pexels.com

Brenda J Wood has authored more than fifty books. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, who declares the Word of God with wisdom, humour, and common sense.

God Never Said, "Ok ya'll, I have enough people!" - by Mary Folkerts

 

Sometimes it feels like the world is already so saturated with words that adding mine to the mix is like throwing a bucket of water into the ocean. Who will even see what I write? How can my writing make a difference?

A few years back, I had the opportunity to go to a She Speaks conference for writers and speakers. The whole weekend was full of encouragement and inspiration, but the following are a few pieces of valuable advice that really resonated with me.

1. We all have a place at the table with our different gifts and talents. No two writers are the same, for we all come with unique personalities and stories, which God wants to use for His glory. As one of the presenters expressed, God has never said, “Ok y’all, I have enough people!”

2. Have a right heart before God. Ants can take down big trees! I must not let the little ants inside my soul destroy what God is growing inside of me. I must be humble, remembering that this is God’s doing, not mine.

3. Growing slowly is good. Jennifer Dukes Lee used the illustration of a cornfield. One does not reap the field the same week you plant it!

4. A lamp cannot burn without oil. I can have all the right tools, but if I don’t depend on God’s Spirit to work through my words, they don’t carry His power, no matter how fancy they are.

5. “Walk with a limp and show Jesus as the healer!” Hosanna Wong

Our job is to faithfully use our words to point others to God, even if our audience is only one soul in need of encouragement.

He redeems my brokenness,
redefining my story
as His story,
using my weaknesses
to speak to the one
who feels her weakness
too heavy to bear.
He puts wings to my words,
flying them to
the one
who needs to feel seen.

There’s no need for measuring sticks,
comparing,
competing,
shuffling for position.
There is always more room,
room for every story,
every heart
to reflect His glory.

It’s when my pride rides in
on a high horse
saying it is I
who has done this thing,
that I am felled like a mighty
oak on a windy day.

Oh Father may I be
on my face before you,
humility and awe
the position of my
daily choosing.

 

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a member of Proverbs 31 Ministries' COMPEL Writers Training, involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/ or connect on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/

What would Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren say? by Sharon Heagy

In our everyday encounters with our fellow humans, we may be bombarded by recommendations and opinions offered by family, friends and neighbours, both solicited and unsolicited. Some of this advice is good and solid, based on experience and knowledge. Wise words build up and encourage, even when they may be tough to hear. Other advice can be hurtful and demeaning and leave us drowning in a discouraging puddle of tears. 

In 1943 columnist and nurse, Ruth Crowley, started writing an advice column for the Chicago Sun-Times under the pseudonym Ann Landers titled, "Ask Ann Landers." She wrote from 1943-47 and from 1952-55 when the column was taken over by Esther "Eppie" Pauline Lederer who composed the column until 2002. 

Not to be outdone, Esther's twin sister, Pauline "Popo" Esther Phillips began writing a rival advice column for the San Francisco Chronicle titled, "Dear Abby" using the pseudonym Abigail Van Buren whose name she derived from the name Abigail from the book of 1Samuel and Van Buren a former U.S. president. She wrote this column until 1987 when her daughter, Jeanne Philips, took over. She continues to pen the feature to this day. 

When "Popo" took up her pen it caused quite a competition and a lengthy estrangement between the sisters. Both women used a "straightforward, tone, practical advice and a firm but modern moral sensibility" as well as "humour, including sarcasm and one-liners, in their responses" according to the Jewish Women's Archive. But from what I remember reading the columns in the daily paper as a kid, their advice wasn't always wise or helpful and sometimes held a mean streak. But what do I know? I was only a kid and was not wise to the ways of the world or the adults in it. It's not like I spent a lot of time reading advice columns. My leanings led more towards the funny pages. Oh boy, that's an antiquated phrase. Perhaps I should say comics. Yet even the word newspaper is almost antique. 

Writing this post posed a challenge as I have received numerous good tips and some great advice from a plethora of sources on the internet, in books and in person. How do you choose the absolute best? Each one suited a particular time in my writing journey. Perhaps what has tickled and inspired my author's brain would be a yawner to you. On the other hand I have gleaned some great stuff this month from the posts of others. See, that's the thing, we all need to seek out great advice.

How do we do that? There are a few places I have found terrific motivation and would urge you to give some a whirl.

1. Attend conferences and workshops and WorDshops. Take a class. Attend events wanting to nourish and excite the writer within!  Be teachable and find out what sparks a fire in your belly. Take LOTS of notes.

2. Read books about writing. Anne Lamott, Annie Dillard, Natalie Goldberg, Stephen King, Julia Cameron & Brenda Ueland have all written inspiring books on writing. Grab one and get food by gnawing on their knowledge of the craft.

3. Don't dismiss anything, even if it seems dry and uninteresting. Dig deeper because there may be a nugget from the Lord that is worth the mining.

4. Read Scripture and let the Lord speak to your heart.  Some of my favourites regarding those called by God to write are:

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"

1Samuel 15:22 "But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

Psalm 102:18 "Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord."

Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."

And finally, take all those suggestions, throw them in the tub and bathe them with prayer.

Write on, my friends, write on and may God's hand be upon your words.

Sharon Heagy writes from the wonderful town of Rockglen, Saskatchewan where she lives with her husband, a big dog and furry cats. She writes to bring hope and humour to a world that needs both. She can be reached at sharonheagy@gmail.com 

Thanks for taking the time to visit today. God bless.