Tag Archives: writer

The Elevator Pitch by Mark Glenchur

7
By Vonda Skelton | February 28, 2012

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Twobee

 

With the conference season approaching, I thought it’d be a good time to let you read a humorous tutorial of how to deliver an elevator pitch. Thanks to Mark Glenchur for sharing his wisdom and insight.

The Elevator Pitch By Mark Glenchur

 

The elevator doors clanged shut.
I did not say a word
To the other fellow in the car
But suddenly I heard:

“Are you that famous editor?
Say, I’m a writer, too!
You see, I wrote this manuscript—”
I thought, How nice for you.

Alas, he did not hear my thought
And babbled like a brook:
“In fact, I have it with me now.
You want to take a look?”

Of course I did. Why else was I
Alive, except for that?
I checked the panel: second floor,
Three dozen from my flat.

Then, from his knapsack he withdrew
A folder one inch thick.
At least it wasn’t two. And yet
I started feeling sick.

He proudly plunked it in my hands.
My feverish pulse raced.
Four hundred-twenty pages. Times
New Roman, single-spaced.

I had a minor heart attack.
No matter, chapter one:
“It was a dark and stormy night.”
My kingdom for a gun…

A plastic smile upon my face,
I tried to read some more.
I sneaked a glance; the panel said
We’d reached the thirteenth floor.

Thus, five-and-twenty floors remained.
I did not think I’d last.
Page two: already, he had killed
Off half his starting cast.

I fought the urge to rip the sheet
In twain before his eyes.
I kept on reading, but resolved:
The next such “author” dies.

I have to say, I’ve never seen
A rough draft so…unique.
I almost thought, at first, the man
Had written it in Greek.

But, fortunately, I know Greek;
I learned it as a lad.
Yet this man’s Greek, if Greek it were,
Was bound to drive me mad.

His grammar seemed a Frankenstein
Of Martian, French, and Dutch.
(Yes, I know Martian, though I do
Not really speak it much.)

His use of punctuation looked
Like dominoes, or Braille,
Or Morse code, or a gambler’s dice,
Or some Dalmatian’s tail.

And, in the meantime, floor by floor,
The elevator rose,
But, when I thought to tell him off
And speak my mind, it froze.

How aggravating, being trapped
With this demented loon!
I prayed the elevator would
Resume its climb, and would do it soon.

“So, do you like it?” he inquired.
“Please, tell me what you think.”
To be quite honest, what I thought
Has driven men to drink.

I did not tell him all I thought,
But part of it, instead.
“I’ve never read its equal yet.
It’s something else,” I said.

I handed back his manuscript.
He clutched it, fighting tears.
“Oh, thank you, sir. That means so much.
It took me twenty years.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said; “No, please.
Just keep on at your work.”
And then, the elevator shook
And started with a jerk.

Floor thirty-eight — Ah, free at last;
Such joy I never knew.
The fellow joined me in the hall.
“Say, this is my floor, too!”

What happened next, I dare not say,
Since there are ladies here—
Though, when I was, at last, arraigned,
I got off with a year.

You authors and you editors,
Lest you should, unawares,
Fall into my unhappy fate,
Remember: take the stairs.

The moral of this story is, be careful how you treat those editors and agents. Otherwise, the next poem could be about YOU! :-)

Thanks, Mark, for sharing your brilliance with us!

Mark Glenchur is a professional writing major at Taylor University.  He writes book reviews for Church Libraries, Christian Book Previews, and The Aboite Independent.  His poems, which have appeared on national web sites and blogs, are often tongue-in-cheek parodies of life, literature, and love.

(Elevator photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos and Twobee)

 

Read entire post »

 

Don’t Filter Out Good Writing

18
By Vonda Skelton | January 10, 2012

Photo courtesy of wandee700

Filtering.

Yes, I know we’ve talked about it before. But after critiquing our stuff last week, Edie Melson and I realized how easy it was for those filter words to sneak into our writing.

I first heard the term, filtering, from Cec Murphey. Until that moment, I’d never known what to call it, but intuitively felt it as a writer.

Read entire post »

 

Parting Words From The WORD…

9
By Vonda Skelton | January 6, 2012

Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net

How do you feel as we end this first week of 2012? Did you accomplish what you had hoped? Maybe you’re like me and you can see progress, but also see the things that didn’t get done.

So what do we do now? As for me, I think I’ll simply toss anything that whispers of failure and rest in Him and His great mercy.

And then trust His plan for my life…again.

 

…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

(Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net)

Read entire post »

 

A Change in Plans: A Lesson in Obedience

24
By Vonda Skelton | January 2, 2012

Photo courtesy of Rawich

You may have noticed you’re getting this blog post a little early. There was a change in plans.

It all started when I spent two days last week, setting up a new work schedule for the days I’m home. With my tendency to be unorganized and unfocused, I could see that I needed a plan in order to help me stay on top of the many projects currently going on.

So with this being the beginning of a new year, last week I studied my projects and the time they were going to require. I figured out a system to try to cover each project with a sufficient amount of time each week. I rewrote the schedule and refigured and rewrote it again. Yesterday it was ready. I copied it out and put it right out front where I could see it. I couldn’t wait for Monday morning so I could get started!

Then my schedule got thrown out the window. I got an email from our own Eddie Snipes stating there was a problem with my blog Home Page. A quick check revealed that–of course–it wasn’t anything I could take care of. On top of that, my webmaster was out of the country. But even though he was out of the country, my wonderful webmaster came through with a solution: post my blog early and that should take care of it. (I hope it works. We’ll find out as soon as I post this!)

So my best laid plans for part of Monday was out the window and instead of receiving this Tuesday morning, I guess you’ll get it about midnight on Monday.

It’s not a big deal. It really isn’t. But what I want us to see is that even though I had a really good plan, a well thought-out, all-for-a-good-reason plan…I was stopped from working it.

Paul had a good plan, too. And his plan WAS a big deal. According to Acts 16, Silas, Timothy, and Paul were planning to head into Asia, but verse 6b says they had “…been kept by the Holy Spirit [emphasis mine] from preaching the Word in the province of Asia.”

Then, verse 7 says, “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to [emphasis mine].” It’s clear from God’s Word that Paul and his team had prepared well and were prayed up. After all, they were carrying the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles, to those who were not Jews, God’s chosen people.

But the Holy Spirit stopped them. And not once, but twice. It was a huge change in plans.

That night Paul had a vision of a man telling him they were needed in Macedonia. Some scholars say this was Paul’s second encounter with Jesus, the first being his encounter on the road to Damascus. Others think it was merely a dream, but either way, Paul went, the Gospel came west to Europe, Lydia was baptized, and Christianity eventually arrived in America.

All because of a change of plans. And it was good.

So with the dawn of 2012, as we’re setting our goals and making our resolutions, let’s not forget that God may have a different plan. Yes, we can organize, we can figure and refigure the best route to get wherever it is we feel God wants us to go–and we should! But the truth is, God may change our plans.

And if He does, it will be good.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

(Photo courtesy of Rawich)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who Wins the THREE Dianne Neal Matthews Books?

Winner #1: Susan Panzica
Winner #2: Vanessa
Winner #3: Lynn Nester

Congratulations, winners! Just Contact Me with your mailing address and you’ll hear from Dianne with directions.

Thanks again, Dianne, for a wonderful, informative interview…and for your most generous offer of THREE books! I pray God continues to bless you and all your projects!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

Read entire post »

 

Writer’s Headlines: BONUS Author Interview & Book Give-away with Edie Melson!

16
By Vonda Skelton | December 29, 2011

Today is a fifth Thursday, and with my new blog schedule, that allows me to post whatever I want, so we’re going to talk with author, speaker, and social media guru, Edie Melson!

Edie needs no introduction on this blog. As you know, we started out together after meeting as conferees at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference back in 2001 and have worked on many projects together. You can read Edie’s complete bio below, but I just want to say here that she has become the go-to person for social media and her book, Social Media Marketing for Writers, has been an Amazon #1 Bestseller. Way to go, Edie!

But today I want to introduce you to Edie’s newest book, this one from the heart of a mom. Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle, debuted on Veterans Day, 2011, and is a devotional book for those with family members in the military.

And readers, be sure to leave a comment for Edie and you could win a copy of her new book!

Welcome to the Christian Writer’s Den, Edie! I love to hear this story, but for those who haven’t heard, tell us why you wrote this book.

Our oldest son decided to bypass college and go straight from graduation, to Marine Corps book camp, to Iraq. I struggled with fear during his time in the military – especially during the deployments. I looked for resources for families and only found things written for military wives. I decided that if I survived his time in the military I’d write about how God had kept me sane.

What do you hope the readers get from this book?

I hope they realize they are part of a community. They aren’t alone. So many of those families struggling with deployment don’t live on a military base. That can cut them off from a group of people who understand the experience.

I want this book to be a resource and to point loved ones to the ultimate help, God.

What held you together during his times of deployment?

I have to give all the credit to God. He surrounded me with family, friends and an amazing church, to give me the support I needed.

How can other families dealing with this issue find help?

I have a great community blog with tips and encouragement from others who are and have experienced the deployment of a loved one. It’s also important to let those around you know what you’re dealing with. Our church family was a great resource for prayer support during Jimmy’s deployments.

My website is www.WinningTheWarAtHome.com

Also, for moms of active-duty or honorably-discharged kids there is an organization called Blue Star Mothers of America. This is a 501(c)3 organization and there are chapters in most cities and areas of the US. I’m a member and they helped me immensely by providing a place where everyone understood what I was going through.

As a matter of fact, my publisher and I are donating a portion of every book sold to the troops through the Blue Star Mothers organization.

Speaking of Jimmy, is he out? How is he doing?

He does have some disability from the time he served, but he’s doing really well. He and his wife live about three and a half hours from us and he’s in college full-time right now. He wants to go into teaching – but I suspect he may turn out to be in denial about his own writing abilities.

So, how long have you been a writer?

I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. I was in denial for a long time, but I actually wrote my first novel – long-hand – when I was in eighth grade.

What pulled you out of your writing denial?

A lot of things helped. But the defining moment for me was feeling like God was calling me to share His message through the written word. At that point writing became less about me and more about obedience to Him. Soon after that I began attending writing conferences and as they say, the rest was history!

So you don’t have any kind of writing degree?

Nope, I started the hard way. I learned the craft of writing by attending years of online classes and workshops as well as writing conferences and reading writing books. And…most important…by WRITING!

If someone wants to be a writer and they don’t have a degree, how do you recommend they get started?

I think it’s vitally important to take classes and attend conferences. It’s also important to be part of a growing community of writers – like an online or in person writers group.

I think you also have to ask yourself if you could be happy doing anything else but writing? If you could – go do it! This is a great business, but it’s also brutal. You’ll never survive if you don’t love it.

Do you have any conferences you recommend?

One of my favorites, of course, is the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was one of the first I attended, back in 2001. Now I’m the co-director, along with Alton Gansky.

Why are conferences important?

They give you the opportunity to learn the craft, network with industry professionals, and meet other writers.

If it hadn’t been for Blue Ridge, I might not have ever gotten published. It was the mentoring of faculty and opportunities presented by editors that gave me my start.

Back to your book. How can someone get their own copy?

They can order it online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or they can have their local bookstore order it. It’s available as an eBook or a traditional print book.

Or, if you want an autographed copy, I’ll be happy to arrange that through either my writers website: www.theWriteConversation.com or the book’s website: www.WinningTheWarAtHome.com

And as I mentioned earlier, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home isn’t your first book.

I do have another book out, Social Media Marketing for Writers. And as you said, it actually hit #1 in its category on Amazon this past summer. It’s available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble as an eBook.

Thanks again for joining us, Edie! What a personal joy it is for me to see all your successes…and to know first hand that they didn’t come easy. Writing is hard work, but so worth the effort!

Readers, be sure to check out the rest of Edie’s bio here: Edie is a freelance writer and editor with over 16 years experience in the publishing industry. She’s a prolific writer, publishing over 700 articles in 2010. She also has a popular writing blog, The Write Conversation and is a frequent contributor to many others. In keeping up with the leading edge of all things digital Edie has become known as one of the go-to experts on Twitter, Facebook, and social media for writers wanting to learn how to plug in. Her bestselling eBook on this subject, Social Media Marketing for Writers, is available on Kindle and Nook.

As a sought after writing instructor, her heart to help others define and reach their dreams has connected her with writers all over the country. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Southwest Christian Writers Studio, as well as a popular faculty member at numerous others. Edie is also the Assistant Acquisitions Editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us.

Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is Edie’s latest project. This devotional book for those with family members in the military debuted on Veterans Day, 2011. www.winningthewarathome.com.

She’s a member of numerous professional writing organizations, including the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer’s View I and American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s also an assistant copy editor for the Voices E-zine, a publication of My Book Therapy and a part of the My Book Therapy Special Teams Blog and The Social Media Coach for the My Book Therapy Core Team www.mybooktherapy.com .

Married 30 years to her high school sweetheart, Kirk, they have raised three sons. You can contact Edie directly at ediegmelson (at) gmail (dot) com.

And readers, don’t forget to leave Edie a comment below and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book! Don’t forget to check back next Thursday to see if you’re the winner!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You Have TWO More Days To MoGo! 

That’s right! The 2011 MoGo7000 Challenge will end at midnight, December 31 and someone is going to win $100–it could be YOU!

I’ll ask for your totals next Thursday and those who wrote at least 7000 new words on a book project will get another entry into the drawing. The winner of the $100 cash prize will be announced on January 12.

But don’t stop writing! The new 2012 MoGo7000 will begin on January 1, so be sure to keep a record of your word count. Check the MoGo7000 guidelines here and then get to work on your new goal.

I can’t wait to see who wins!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a joy to meet up with you each week. Thank you for your encouragement and support, not only for me, but for writers, like this week’s Dianne Matthews and Edie Melson, who share their knowledge–and their books–with us!

Write on!

Vonda

Read entire post »

 

Author Interview and Multiple Book Give-aways with Dianne Neal Matthews

19
By Vonda Skelton | December 27, 2011

With having just celebrated Christmas and looking toward a new year, it’s a great time to introduce my devotional-writing friend, Dianne Neal Matthews. Dianne’s publishing credits include three daily devotionals including The One Year Women of the Bible and Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. She has also written magazine and online articles, newspaper features, Bible studies, and stories in compilation books. She serves as a correspondent for FindingGodDaily.com, and also enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences. Dianne is a member of Advanced Writers & Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Toastmasters International. She and her husband, Richard, live in Salt Lake City where they miss their three children and two adorable grandchildren. To learn more, visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

And great news, readers! Dianne has offered to give away not one, but THREE of her books! Next Tuesday I’ll announce two winners of Drawing Closer to God, a devotional book for men and women, and one winner of her book, One Year Women of the Bible! All you have to do is leave a comment for Dianne and you’ll be in the drawing for one of THREE books! Be sure to check back next Tuesday to see who the winners are.

Now, let’s get started. I can’t wait to share Dianne’s story with you!

As writers, we always want to know: When did you decide to be a writer?

As a little girl, I loved to make up stories and share them. Writing assignments were always my favorite part of school. But as an adult, I lacked the confidence to pursue creative writing. It was just something I fantasized about until my mid-forties when I began writing articles for my church’s newsletter. Urged by a friend, I attended a writers’ conference asking God to show me if writing was His will for me or my own self-centered dream. He answered clearly that week and I’ve never doubted my calling since then.

Now you’ve published three daily devotional books and have a fourth one set to release next year. What do you find most rewarding about writing devotions?

Writing devotionals keeps me excited about how fresh and relevant God’s Word is. I love finding ways to illustrate Scriptures and draw out practical applications. And it’s such a blessing when someone tells me that a devotional has spoken to their specific situation. A woman in Australia emailed to say how amazed she is that the pages of The One Year Women of the Bible often mirrored what was going on in her own life. An older couple sent me several notes as they read The One Year On This Day together. One young mom wrote that she was feeling spiritually dry and unable to serve God, but now she’s going through one of my devotionals and keeping a journal which she plans to pass on to her two daughters some day. Comments like that remind me what a privilege this is.

Tell us a little about your latest book.

Last fall Baker released Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions from Scripture. Each devotional is based on a question asked by someone in the Bible—God, Jesus, Satan, an Old Testament character, or a New Testament writer. The meditation explores the setting, and ties it into a spiritual principle or practical application. The day’s entry closes with either a question for readers to ask God or a question to ask themselves.

How did you get the idea for Drawing Closer to God?
I began noticing how many Scriptures are in the form of questions and how relevant these still are today. Old Testament characters like David voiced honest questions that we’ve all probably felt at some point but may be reluctant to say out loud: “Why are you so distant, Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1) New Testament writers used questions to explain spiritual principles. Jesus asked questions as a powerful teaching tool: “Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying?” (Luke 12:25) “Why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

Many questions in the Bible can be matched with a verse that answers it. Before Pilate asked the universal question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), Jesus had already answered it when he prayed: “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) As we go through hardships, we may wonder as Gideon did, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13) Then we read in John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble.”

The more I studied these questions, the more I was struck by how much God communicates to us through them. It intrigued me to think that sometimes we can find answers by looking at the questions.

Did writing Drawing Closer to God impact your own spiritual life?

Yes, the fact that biblical characters expressed their questions and doubts so honestly reminded me of how God wants me to approach my relationship with him. Now when I see a question in the Bible, I use it as a springboard to look for what God wants me to discuss with Him or what He wants to teach me. I’m in the process of pulling out a core list of questions from the book to use in my quiet time. I want to periodically go through them as a sort of spiritual check-up to assess my spiritual walk and keep my focus where it should be.

What is the main thing you hope readers take away from this book?

If we approach the Bible with a teachable attitude, God’s Spirit will use the questions written so long ago to comfort us, convict us, and transform us. I hope these devotionals will encourage readers to feel comfortable examining their own questions through meditation and prayer. I believe God wants us to cry out to him when we don’t understand something—and in the process we’ll be drawing closer to Him.

Amen, sister, I agree He wants us to cry out to Him. And I’m trying to learn that truth more and more in my own life.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Dianne. And especially thank you for giving three readers a chance at winning a book! Friends, don’t forget to leave a comment and then check back next Tuesday for the winning names!

Until next time…

I pray God’s blessing on the work of your hands and your hearts,

Vonda

 

Read entire post »

 

How to Write for Kids: It’s NOT Easier Than Writing for Adults!

4
By Vonda Skelton | December 20, 2011

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles

When I first decided to write a book, I didn’t have a lot of time to invest, so I looked for the quick and easy route to writing success. Of course, that meant I would write for kids.

After all, kids don’t know the rules of writing. They don’t care about character development. They don’t need a lot of words. And they certainly don’t expect big words, lots of description, or a complex plot. I was on a fast track to success!

Seven years and 50-something rejections later I still didn’t have a published book.

Read entire post »

 

Confessions of a Perfectionist Guest Blogger by Lynn Blackburn

36
By Vonda Skelton | November 29, 2011

Have you ever volunteered for something and then realized later that you were in way over your head? That there was a good chance you were going to make a fool out of yourself?

Yeah, me neither.

Except, well, there was this one time. A writer I admire had some openings for guest bloggers. And I said, “Me, pick me!”

Gulp.

She did.

It might have been okay if I could have written my post immediately. But my assigned slot was over a year away. A lot can happen in a year.

Read entire post »

 

Announcing the New Christian Writer’s Den!

11
By Vonda Skelton | November 28, 2011

Drumroll, please…I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my brand new website! I hope you’ll check it out!

What a joy it has been to travel this writing journey together. Thank you for hanging out with me every week.

But the new website isn’t the only change you’ll see. With the launch of the new site, I’m also

Read entire post »

 

Author Interview and Book Give-Away with Kristi Butler

14
By Vonda Skelton | November 22, 2011

I know you’re going to enjoy meeting my friend, Kristi Butler. Kristi and I met years ago at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and it’s been a joy to watch her growing success as a writer and speaker. (Although I must admit, this is the first time I’ve ever had a headshot of a critter in a blog post!)

Kristi is the author of Gracie’s Groundhog Day Surprise and Grover Groundhog is NOT Hibernating This Christmas!, a picture book series for kids. Read on as she shares the story of her journey.

So let’s get started! (Don’t forget to leave a comment and you’ll be in the drawing for your choice of a free book!)

Read entire post »