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)

Twenty-Six Before Twenty-Six by Steph Beth Nickel

 

It may seem a little early to post about the upcoming year, but I recently came across Karin Nordin PhD on Instagram.

Each year, on November 1, she creates a list of things she wants to accomplish before January 1 of the following year. Note: To silence the perfectionist, this content creator says the purpose of the list is not to accomplish everything on it, and if we complete even one task, she encourages us to consider it a win.

While we are 12 days into November, there is still time to create our "Twenty-Six Before Twenty-Six" list.

I have included my list below. Hopefully, it will encourage and inspire you to make your own. Note: The following list is in no particular order.

1. Create a barebones outline of the rest of the YA novel I'm working on.
2. Write at least 25K additional words of this novel. (I'm participating in NovNov, ProWritingAid's answer to the now-defunct National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo]).
3. As much as possible, clear my calendar of other responsibilities so I can write at least 1K words six days per week in November.
4. Complete the current draft of my novel before the end of the year.
5. If I get the draft completed, recruit at least three beta readers to give me feedback two months after receiving the manuscript.
6. Declutter our main floor. (My hubby will be laying new flooring throughout. So, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.)
7. Seek to sell at least some of the things we don't intend to take with us when we relocate in Saskatchewan.
8. Schedule Substack posts through the end of the year.
9. Schedule social media posts through the end of the year.
10. Prepare at least one manuscript for self-publishing.
11. Complete the revisions of my devotionals based on the gospel of John.
12. Write at least three guest posts for blogs I contribute to.
13. Work on plans for next year's InScribe writing contest.
14. Take my friend out driving at least 4-6 times. (She needs her license to get a job.)
15. Visit with another friend who is housebound.
16. Make significant headway on the book I'm coauthoring. (We are working on suggested revisions from the potential publisher.)
17. Do resistance training or Pilates 3+ times per week.
18. Go for a walk or hike at least twice per week.
19. Eat more fruit and vegetable.
20. Drink more water.
21. Cut back to one sugary drink per day.
22. Send Christmas gifts to kiddos, who live either out of the province or out of the country.
23. Prep and send Christmas cards by December 1.
24. Write a Christmas poem for my church family.
25. Get together with my "church son" and his family, as we do each year in late November or early December.
26. Connect with my sister at least once a week.

And since I wouldn't classify myself as a perfectionist, I will be thrilled if I get those 25K words written in November.

How about you? Are you going to create your own list? If so, what would be your top three priorities?

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2026. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Photo credit for the graphic: Download New Year's Day, 2026, Greeting Card. Royalty-Free Stock Illustration Image - Pixabay

Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Lorrie Orr

 

September's Prompt...

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

It is a wonderful promise of God that each day is a new beginning to experience his faithfulness. As autumn activities start afresh in churches and schools, September can be a time to reflect on how the previous months have gone and to set new intentions for the months ahead. How has your writing life progressed thus far in 2025? Are you encouraged to move ahead?

The sun has moved from winter to spring, followed by summer. Now the sun sinks lower on the horizon and summer turns slowly into autumn. A new energy fills the air. In many ways, September seems more like the start of a new year than January. We grow up beginning the next grade in school, with new clothes, freshly sharpened pencils, and a stack of clean notebooks. It’s a good time to reflect on the past months and to set new intentions for the season ahead.

One of my assignments for a class taken at Briercrest Bible College in the 1970s was to set goals. We began with a lifetime goal, then five-year, one-year, and monthly goals, if I remember correctly. I thought the assignment rather useless at the time, because who knew where I would be in five years? However, I thought long and hard about my lifetime goal, wanting something short and succinct. In the end I settled on adapting a portion of the Westminster Shorter Catechism - "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." To glorify God with my life became my motto. More recently I've begun thinking about the other part of the catechism - the part about enjoying God.

In Zephaniah 3:17 I read

 

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

How wonderful it is to know that God delights in me. I can walk through my days knowing that He loves me because I am his child. But to turn the tables, how do I enjoy God?

In all of life, my writing included, I desire to please God, to let his grace and love shine through. And when I do, I enjoy his presence and guidance. So as I reflect and set goals, he is right there alongside me, pointing out my accomplishments and encouraging me to keep on when I haven't met the goals I've set. Sometimes he takes me in a very different direction, such as this blog post which is not what I first intended to write.

Delighting in this year's writing accomplishments:

1. My memoir, Life is Short but Wide, is finished, and is currently being evaluated by a hybrid publishing company. Scary, but joyous.

2. Nine InScribe blog posts published.

3. Forty-one posts written on my person blog Fabric Paper Thread.

4. Uncounted words handwritten in my journal or typed on my laptop.

Trusting God with my intentions for the next four months:

1. Edit memoir as needed.

2. Begin a Substack newsletter. Have 10 posts written in draft by the end of September.

3. Tackle the unknown world of publishing with the help of Siretona Creative.

4. Begin another writing project. I have ideas, but am uncertain about which to pursue.

As I plan for the months ahead, I am resting on God’s promise in James 1 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him/her ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach.” Isn't wisdom something we all need. How gracious of God to share his knowledge and wisdom with us. I know that my plans may change and that God is the one who plans my future. As I set my intentions, I rely on his grace and strength to complete them, or to go in another direction.

 

Lorrie lives on Vancouver Island with her husband with whom she enjoys

hiking, boating, road trips, and staying at home. Life is an adventure.

What Does SUCCESS Mean to You? by Steph Beth Nickel

 
Photo Credit: geralt on Pixabay.com

Before we can determine if we are on the path to success, we must determine what success means to us.

For many, being successful means earning a lot of money, writing a bestseller (or two or three . . .), growing a social media following of 100s of thousands, etc.

But maybe you define success far differently—and that's okay.

For years, my goal has been to self-publish. But including such a lofty goal on a list is infinitely easier than breaking it down into its multiple components: completing the manuscript(s), learning each step of the process, enlisting the aid of others, and following through (especially that first time, when every step has a learning curve).

Despite a plethora of reasons (and excuses) for not being further down the path, I am taking steps in that direction. Recently, I fired off my manuscript to beta readers and asked for their input.

As writers, we never truly know how the reader will receive our words or if those words will achieve the goals we have for them. Receiving input from trusted individuals and making recommended revisions (especially if multiple people comment on the same thing) will make our writing stronger.

I have several other goals and means of measuring success but have had the desire to self-publish for more years than I can remember. So, I will press on in that direction . . . with the help of my beta readers—and so many others.

And when distractions come along, which they will, I will determine if it's time to re-evaluate my goals or press on. Although self-publishing is still a goal of mine, it is not, by any means, my highest priority. My husband is retiring next year, and the plan is to sell the house we've been living in for over 20 years and move west with our daughter to be close to Son #2 and his wife. Finding my place in our new community and "finishing well" are my idea of true success . . . whether that includes publishing multiple books or not.

As Christians, isn't it amazing that, from God's perspective, we have already attained the ultimate success. According to Ephesians 2:4-6, ". . . God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus . . ."

These verses, among so many others, assure us of what has been referred to as "the already but not yet." Because of our faith in the Lord, a success far greater than any we can imagine has already been secured for us.

What an encouragement as we travel the path to what we define as success in the here and now!

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version@), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A Plan for the New Year by Steph Beth Nickel

 Many people choose a Word of the Year. Do you?

Optionally, you may want to choose a Phrase and/or a Verse of the Year.

This year, God dropped both a phrase and a verse into my life.

I first came across my Phrase of the Year in a devotional in one of the Facebook groups I belong to. 

The phrase: Simple, Not Easy

Often, what we're called to do, even what we want to do, is simple, 

especially if we break it down into bite-sized tasks.

However, it's rarely easy.

That's where my Verse of the Year comes in.

In the NIV, Proverbs 16:9 says,

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

I have several simple goals for 2023.

Like many of us, I want to...

1. Get more exercise and eat more healthfully.

2. Write and publish more.

3. Read more books.

4. Be more supportive of my friends and family.

5. Do more to point people to Jesus.

There are many simple things I can do in each of these areas.

Plus, it's my responsibility to set achievable goals and follow through.

But we all know...

Life doesn't always go as planned.

We have to trust the Lord to establish our steps...

Even when those steps don't take us along the path we expected them to.

What is your Word or Phrase of the Year?

Do you have a Verse of the Year that you're focusing on?

Let's encourage one another by sharing them in the comments.

Reflecting on God's Goodness by Steph Beth Nickel

As writers, we may look back over the year and reflect on what we've accomplished or what we've failed to accomplish.

Either way, there are benefits to reflecting on our writing and writing-related goals through the lens of God's goodness.

When we made our plans w-a-y back at the end of 2021, we didn't know what the following 12 months would bring. And for some of us, that's an understatement to say the least.

Every year, I make plans and set goals. (This is one of my favourite things to do.) Throughout the year, I update those goals. 

I, unlike many people, don't mind dreaming big on paper (or the computer screen) and then bumping things to the next week, month, or even, the next year.

For several years, I've dreamed of indie publishing two or more books annually. Could I? Quite possibly, but it hasn't happened yet. And that's okay.

The good news! I've gotten back to writing the YA spec fiction I started two or three years ago during NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. A number of individuals have encouraged me, although they only recently found out about the project. Never underestimate what a kind word to a fellow writer might mean to them.

What will happen with this book, what I hope is the first in a series? Only God knows. But I need to push past "the murky middle," where my enthusiasm for a project typically dies out, and persevere. Those encouraging comments by a couple of individuals went a long way to motivating and energizing me. God used them to spur me on.

As I mentioned, I'm great at dreaming big. However, I also put the "pro" in PROcrastination.

I'll do better tomorrow—or next week. This thought runs through my mind a lot.

Sometimes, I fail to achieve my goals because I put too many things on my To-Do List. Sometimes, it's because I've become an expert at procrastinating.

Still, as I reflect on the goals I achieved—and those I didn't—it's important that I do so prayerfully. As I set my goals for the coming year, I intend to let my imagination soar. But I also intend to ask the Lord for wisdom, so I can know what projects He wants me to focus on in 2023. 

While I began working on my coauthor, Paralympian Deb Willows, on the follow-up to her first memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, an embarrassingly long time ago, we have made strides forward this year. We have begun to meet online every 1-2 weeks, and I did have the opportunity to spend the best parts of a week with her, working on the book and enjoying our friendship. 

God caused our paths to cross, and Deb has been an inspiration and an encouragement to me over the years. She has had an especially rough go of it over the last few years. Because of it, the book, tentatively titled Keep Looking Up, will be much different than we originally intended. On the positive side, it has the potential of impacting readers in a powerful way. 

So, even though I didn't work on this project as diligently as I would have liked to, I see God's hand in it all. Learning to balance my understanding of God's sovereignty and my responsibility to accomplish the tasks before me is an ongoing endeavour.

Although I haven't achieved anywhere near what I had hoped to this year, I have seen God's goodness at work in my life. How about you?

What is one writing goal you've made steps toward accomplishing this year?

What is one unfinished project you would like to complete in 2023?

What is one specific priority you believe God has for your writing life?

Whether 2022 has been incredibly productive or filled with unexpected challenges that have kept us from accomplishing the goals we set for ourselves, let's ask ourselves how we can see God's goodness through it all.

It's All About the Follow-Through by Steph Beth Nickel

Follow-through is important even for those of us who aren't golfers.

Distractions are part of everyday life. But if we want to achieve our writing goals, we must first make a plan and then follow through with that plan.

Of course, there are times when life happens and we must revise our plan. That doesn't mean, however, that we should set aside our goals and dreams indefinitely.

At this stage of my life, I have to seriously consider all the things I'd like to accomplish and prayerfully determine which I'm going to focus on. I can set lofty goals of pursuing a plethora of my eclectic interests, but I know full well I'll only be able to follow through on a relatively small number of them.

I need a plan. And so do you.

What steps can you take to increase the likelihood that you will achieve your goals?

• Determine what your ultimate goals are and then break them down into tasks you can achieve in relatively short increments of time.
• Schedule writing sessions in your planner and treat these sessions like you would any other appointment. (You can make amazing progress in even 15-30 minutes three to five times a week.)
• Set a word count or time goal. When you achieve the goal, you can call it a win. If your situation allows and you're on a roll, you can keep going. (Word of Warning: Resist the temptation to write for countless hours for a day or two if it will leave you drained, reluctant to get back to writing for day, weeks, or longer.)
• Identify what keeps you from achieving your writing goals and determine how you can minimize distractions. (I'm thinking more of social media and those seemingly urgent household chores, not playing with your children, going for a walk with your spouse, or meeting a friend for coffee.)
• Speaking of social media... Some people install programs on their computer that won't allow them to surf the Web for specified periods of time. Others have a different computer for writing on, one they don't use to access the Internet. 
• Do you need music playing in the background? Go for it.
• Silence? Hang a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and shut yourself away in your room for half an hour ... after you've explained to your family how important your writing time is to you.
• Give yourself permission to write a messy first draft. If you take the time to edit as you go, it will be hard to get to the point where the words are flowing.

So, set your goals. Formulate a doable plan. And remember the importance of follow-through.

2020: Not the Way I Planned It by Steph Beth Nickel

2020: The Year of ______

No matter how you filled in the blank w-a-y back in December 2019 or January of this year, it’s almost guaranteed these past 10 months have not gone as you expected.

COVID-19. Economic uncertainty. Kids at home … all. the. time.

Pivot. Overwhelm. The New Normal.

I know too many people who have faced unfathomable challenges this year to offer platitudes or pat answers.

I do, however, want to encourage you, knowing your plans for 2020 have not unfolded as you expected.

Here are seven things that can help you purge some stress and possibly, give you hope for 2021, despite what has become The Year of Unmet Expectations.

Pick up a pen (or sit down at your computer) and pour out your questions, uncertainties, and frustrations on paper. No one else has to read these musings—ever. In fact, you can crumple them up or feed them through a shredder to make sure that never happens. However, it can be very cathartic to come face to face with what you’re truly thinking and feeling.

Be kind to yourself. Just because other people have achieved things they’d long been putting off, maybe getting a little extra rest or having a long, hot soak in the tub is just what you need. (Know that if, day after day, you find it difficult to drag yourself out of bed or you find yourself binge-watching Netflix series you don’t even enjoy, it’s probably time to talk with someone. A family member. A good friend. A professional counsellor. Recognizing your need for outside help is another way of being kind to yourself.)

Look for opportunities to be kind to others. Meeting other’s needs, as you are able, has a way of filling your emotional tank. (Sometimes, it takes no more than a phone call to brighten someone’s day. Sometimes, it means preparing a meal for someone who is sick or running an errand for someone who is fearful about venturing out.)

Spend time with family and friends. You may think, “Spend time with family? As much as I love them, I need a break.” The increased hours you’ve spent with your spouse and children may be adding to your stress. But why not do something just for fun, something you all enjoy? And if you have family who live at a distance … (One of my sons and his wife live in Scotland; the other lives two provinces over.) If your situation is similar to mine, Skype, Zoom, and FaceTime may be among the only ways you can stay in touch. Work out a time that is doable for everyone involved and stay in touch. And when it comes to friends, many coffee shops and restaurants are open. But if that makes you uncomfortable or is beyond the budget, taking a walk in the park together or having a socially distanced BBQ outdoors can meet emotional needs you didn’t even know you had.

Create a gratitude journal. Even listing one thing each day you are grateful for can cause a mind shift. If you get into the habit of deliberately looking for the things you have to be thankful for, it will help you deal with all the negatives that bombard you day after day.

Don’t give up on the idea of making plans for 2021, but seek to create reasonable expectations of what you will be able to accomplish. Learn from the uncertainty of this past year and allow it to make you more adaptable. (I’m shifting from Dreamer to Doer, narrowing my focus, seeking to keep fewer plates spinning. Instead of grieving what I fear I’m giving up, I’m looking forward to working on some projects that will require perseverance for the long haul.)

And remember that none of this took God by surprise nor has His character changed. He is still loving, faithful, and trustworthy. You can rest secure in Him no matter what the future brings.

Steph Beth Nickel is an editor, author, and blogger. You can visit her website-in-progress, nurtureandinspire.com

Listening for the Words - Denise M. Ford

Often in my prayer time a specific phrase will come to mind. I have learned to allow it to become repetitive in my thoughts. To question what message it may bring to me.

As I think about my writing goals for 2019 the words that appear and reappear to me are “Encourage and Soar.”

Usually I prefer these prayer phrases to line up rhythmically or alliteratively but this time, no matter how I tweak it, the words stand firm, “Encourage and Soar.”

The first step I take to understand any prayer phrase I receive is to pray for understanding.  Then I literally let my Bible fall open, trusting that I will find insight in scripture.

In this case, my bible opens to Matthew 12:18-21, where Jesus quotes Isaiah’s prophecy of the character of the coming Messiah, specifically noting that he will be someone who rules with gentleness, not might.  I page to the reference in Isaiah 42:1-4.  I highlight the line in the NLT version which reads, “He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.”

 

The image of a flickering candle brings me back to my phrase “Encourage and Soar”.  It reminds me that, as a writer, I want to offer words that will be graced with gentleness and encouragement.  If I seek to be gentle, it will follow that I will use my words to encourage others. To keep hope alive like a candle flame protected from unexpected pockets of air.

When I realize where I am in the book of Isaiah, I page back to chapter 40, thinking I will read those familiar lines in verse 31 to reinforce the second word in my prayer phrase.  “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength; they will soar high on wings like eagles”.

Instead, this time my eyes are drawn to verse 28, where Isaiah says “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”

At last!  My prayer phrase finally makes sense to me.  To use one’s words to create uplifting hope for someone, you have to begin from a depth.  From what depth? From any depth. What depth is too deep? “No one can measure the depths of His understanding.”

And no one can measure the worth of an encouraging word. To truly offer hope, to truly cup your hand symbolically around that person whose flame is merely flickering.  To find words that will begin a surge in one’s spirit to hold on and to be buoyed by the Lord’s strength. 

A day or two later, my husband and I were driving down a road near our neighborhood.  As we admired the cloud formations moving across the sky, we realized they had morphed into the silhouette of an eagle with outstretched wings. I had to smile.  Sometimes, phrases are simple and succinct in meaning; sometimes they lead us to page through the words of the great prophets; and sometimes we merely have to look up and receive them. 

Encourage and Soar. I am humbled to put this new phrase into effect as my guideline for my 2019 writing.  It occurs to me that it becomes our responsibility as writers, as those who seek to interpret the world through words, to be more like the prophets of old. Let us take the time to listen, to accept words from the Lord, and to faithfully encourage the people of our time.