InScribers Come to the Well by Nina Faye Morey

And do not neglect doing good and sharing,

For with such sacrifices God is pleased.

~ Hebrews 13:16

When I first checked our InScribe website to view the offerings at this year’s Fall Conference, I was disappointed that there were no formal workshops on offer. I read the explanation provided about the Open Concept Conference model with some trepidation. It wasn’t clear to me how this was going to work, so I did a bit of research on this type of meeting. Being an introvert, I wasn’t sure if this participant-driven format would suit me at all. I pondered it for quite a while before I finally decided to go ahead and register. Even though the format didn’t appeal to me, I had to admit to myself that this interactive Open Concept model might actually be good for me. You know . . . like that medicine that tastes awful but cures what ails you?

The explanation given for the Open Concept model included the invitation to come with an idea for a topic that we wanted to learn more about. Since I was planning to create my own website, I was eager for any information that I could glean from other attendees on this process. So, I decided to suggest this topic for one of the sessions. I had no idea whether many would be interested in this topic, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the assigned room fill up quickly with those who were eager to talk and learn about website building. There were several who already had their own websites, and it was enlightening to hear their experiences with the different website platform providers, such as WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. There were also a few, like me, who were just getting ready to set up their own website and were looking for advice on the pros and cons of the various platforms, how easy they were to use, and what we should be thinking about including on our websites. I learned that two of the most important things to include are a newsletter and an email list for networking and marketing purposes.

The Open Concept model is governed by four “laws.” The first is the “Law of Two Feet.” It states that you are responsible for your own learning, which means that you are free to get up and leave a session at any time if you find it’s not right for you and join another. Someone suggested the analogy of “bees” and “butterflies” to explain how this works in practice. Some of us are “bees” who linger around gathering refreshing nectar, while others are “butterflies” who tend to flit from place to place. I am one of the bees, so I was happy to stick around and collect as much as I could from each session. I enjoyed all the sessions that I attended: Social Media, Medium, Marketing (Online & In-Person), Publishing with IngramSpark, and Christian Romance.

A highlight of the Conference for me was our guest speaker, Sigmund Brouwer, who writes novels for both children and adults. He describes himself as primarily a storyteller and this soon became obvious, as he is an extremely engaging and humorous speaker. I especially enjoyed his powerful presentation on and reading from his book, Thief of Glory, based on his father’s experiences as a young boy in a Japanese internment camp during World War II

So, my initial hunch proved correct. This Open Concept Conference format that initially left a bad taste in my mouth turned out to be good medicine for me. Along with refreshing the relationships I’ve developed with other InScribers over the years, this format encouraged me to come out of my shell much more than I would have during a traditional conference. Now that I no longer feel apprehensive about attending an Open Concept Conference, I’m hoping InScribe uses this format again in the future.

Confessions of a Procrastinator by Sharon Espeseth

This topic about writing fears really shook me up. As the date for my blog approached, I determined not to procrastinate. This time my post would be scheduled ahead for 6:00 a.m. on the 10th. I'd be able to go to bed at a reasonable time the night before and all would be well.

The more I planned for this, the more blocked I became. Like the centipede who really thought about how he walked and couldn't get his legs to work together, I stumbled in my writing. Here it is the night before my post is due and I'm trying to pull together a random disarray of thoughts on the subject of fear and how it affects my writing. Thoughts have been rolling around in my head like marbles for the past ten days. A few of these marbles rolled down my arm, through my pen, and even landed rather wobbly on paper.

Over-thinking the whole process of writing and the fears that are common to writers, I now am starting over. What I'd written before just didn't seem to "measure up." First, I must pray. That is always a legitimate pause, not a procrastination.

I have files on fear, quotations from the Bible on cards and also from the wisdom of scholars and the secular world on the subject of fear. I have personal stories of fears I've faced and how God helped restore my courage in certain circumstances. I've heard or read that "Be not afraid" is one of the most quoted verses of the New Testament.

"Why, then, should I be afraid when I write?" I ask in my prayer and I am reminded of a plaque my sister gave me when I was going to university. "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15b KJV) In The Message we read, "Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me--the very thing you've been unwilling to do."

I've been busy, distracted, and wasteful of time. I need to be still and know that God is real. From that better writing will flow. From that peaceful place, I can work in faith. Working on this month's writing prompts, I wanted to see my thoughts all laid out from start to finish. Martin Luther King Jr. has said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." That is what I'm doing now at my computer--feeling one step at a time.

God has promised to give us wisdom; all we have to do is ask. We don't have to be great and wise in ourselves. When Jesus walked the earth, he chose common people to get his message out, which made their work all the more remarkable. "When they (the people) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13 NIV) I would like people to notice that my writing isn't all about me, but that God is able to use me.

This Thanksgiving time, I want to thank you my fellow InScribers for the way we pray for one another, help one another, and encourage one another in our writing. The same can be said for our Barrhead group, the Women Word Weavers.

Like Paul, I ask, "Please pray for me and my fellow writers who are Christian that whenever we write, words may be given us so that we will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel." (Paraphrased from Ephesians 6:19)