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Busyness is NOT a Spiritual Gift

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By Vonda Skelton | January 31, 2013

Hello, writers! I’m pleased to introduce my friend, Tammy Whitehurst as our 5th Thursday special guest. Tammy is a Christian speaker and writer…and she must have been watching my life because today, she’s speaking to me. I have a feeling she’s speaking to some of you as well.

Welcome, Tammy! Thanks for joining us. 🙂

Busyness Is Not a Spiritual Gift by Tammy Whitehurst

I can easily become overloaded, overburdened, and go overboard with busyness. I get so busy that waiting is not an option. Wait is a tough word to deal with in today’s busy world. Being too busy can distract us from the most important things in our lives—people. Do I like being so busy that I’m worn out by noon? No. I know deep within my heart that being overloaded is a way for the enemy to distract me from those most precious to me. If I’m truly honest, I would have to admit I learn more during those calm and peaceful times when my heart, soul, and mind all unite to seek God’s will than I do when I’m stretching my mind to hold more and more while I’m falling apart. One thing I have to remember on a daily basis is that wait is not an ugly word and “busy” is not a spiritual gift. Busy is the enemy of peace. Busy steals precious time. Busy robs my blessings.

Waiting Time Is Never Wasting Time

In this fast paced, jungle-like world we build for ourselves, we rarely have “waiting” time anymore. We expect instant gratification and instant results—at lightening fast speed! We become so engrossed in paperwork that we delete all the “people” work in our lives. We become so busy that we can’t remember the last time we took a full day off or sat at the dinner table with the family.

Life can bring about big storms and the waves hit hard if we don’t slow down. Busy can beat upon us like a drum. When those closest to us have stopped asking for our time, it’s because they know we are too busy for them. That’s crushing to the heart. We all need “waiting” time, whether we think we do or not.

I discovered this after I found myself checking my appointment book to see if I could squeeze in lunch with my 18-year-old daughter. I knew then that I had to back up and take a good look at my priorities. The world would momentarily stop if something ever happened to her, so why can’t I stop when she wants me to have lunch? It’s amazing how busy I allow myself to be. I feel as if everything would fall apart if I said, “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do that task,” or if I refuse to answer my phone. God puts his healing hand under my chin and assures me of one thing—he will never leave me and he wants me to trust him as he helps me clear my overloaded plate to a manageable amount. Breaking old patterns is hard, but God reminds me that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I knew in my heart if I became more intentional about being “less busy” my life would be better.

Morning by Morning New Mercies I See

I began to sing the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” as I awoke each day. I asked the Lord to help me give up a life of unbridled busyness and to show me how to achieve balance. If you are in a season of fast-paced insanity, no fun frustration, and running around like a road runner, I encourage you to seek God with all your heart and ask him to help you clear the unnecessary chaos that you have brought to your life. Sit and wait as he begins to show you the things to remove, and be ready to listen. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Yes. Do you love some of the things he might remove? Yes. But trust him and hang on to your faith with an iron fist as you seek to glorify the Lord with your life.

The ultimate peacemaker said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled …” (John 14:27). He releases you to run free from chaos and to break free from busyness so you can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. So, when your heart is calm, thank him. And once you’ve done that, go to lunch with a loved one…and don’t forget to turn off your phone.

Tammy Whitehurst, a Christian speaker, is the founder of Joy for the Journey Ministries. You can read more about her at tammywhitehurst.com. She can also be followed on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Thanks for stepping on my toes today, Tammy. I pray God’s speaks to all of us who need to hear and respond to your timely message. Blessings on you and your ministry!

Copyright {2012}, {Tammy Whitehurst} and Christianity Today/ChristianBibleStudies.com. Used with permission.

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Today’s the last day to count your MoGo7000 words in January!

That’s right–if you’re MoGoing this month (and you SHOULD be!), tonight at midnight is the last moment to count your words in your January total and receive an entry into the drawing for $100!

Didn’t make your 7000-new-word goal on a book project this month? Not to worry! Tomorrow you get to start all over. All you have to do is write 7000 new words (not rewrites or edits) on a book project in February and you’ll have an entry. The more months you meet the goal, the more entries you have for the end-of-the-year drawing!

But don’t send your totals yet! I’ll put the call-out next Thursday. Can’t wait to see what you’ve done in January!

And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just check out these easy guidelines for the MoGo7000 Challenge here.

Happy writing!

Vonda

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Writing From Impact

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By Vonda Skelton | January 29, 2013

Today’s extra-special 5th Tuesday Guest Blogger post is by my friend, Marilyn Nutter. I know her heartfelt story will touch you, not only as a writer, but as a believer of a providential, loving Father.

You’ll want to be sure to answer Marilyn’s question–one winner will be randomly selected for a free copy of Marilyn’s devotional book, Diva Delights: Finding Extraordinary Treasures in Ordinary Days.

Writing From Impact by Marilyn Nutter

Last October, I attended a writers’ mini-retreat. The pre-assignment was to answer “What things have most impacted your writing in a positive way during the past 6 months?” Ordinarily that would be a fairly easy topic to answer, but on December 23, 2011, my life irrevocably changed when my husband suffered a fatal heart attack. Aside from my personal journals, writing has taken a back seat. That is not to say, though, that I hadn’t learned anything of value to write for the assignment, and today, I will share some with you.

As writers, we write out of the experiences and interests that shape us. Grief is a shaping experience! I have spent a lot of “alone” time, time meditating on small pieces of scripture, not quickly reading to go on to “the next thing.” Frankly, focusing attention on small doses and little pieces was all I could do some days. Even prayers were more single sentences than a long prayer list.  I have learned the reality of “Emmanuel” as I walk through my day. As I transferred this to writing, it became apparent that if I want to be a Christian writer as opposed to a writer who is a Christian, then meditating on the small nuggets He gives me to stay close to Him, rather than rushing to look at “big ideas,” are critical in shaping me and writing from my heart.

The first time I wrote for my website was in March. When my fingers hit the keyboard, it was obvious that my words were Spirit filled and not self-driven.  What a lesson that was to refrain from the mechanical and respond to the spiritual; to avoid writing out of need but writing out of a calling; and to write what distinctly reflected me, rather than respond to an opportunity because it will add credits to my resume.

Last year, I committed to write eight devotionals for a site. In November I was inspired to write all of them and I submitted them. Given what happened in December, had I not done that, none would have been submitted in 2012. In reflecting on my early submissions, I was reminded to trust God’s timing. Though at that time my future was unknown to me, the events came as no surprise to Him. The Spirit nudged me to complete the project. Glad I listened!

Finally, a Spanish proverb tells us, “Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence.”  We know that we can stick our feet in our mouths or hastily say something with disastrous consequences. Even auto correct on an iPhone has led to some hilarious and unfortunate messages!  As writers, our words should improve a blank sheet of paper and enrich the writer and the reader.  I now ask myself, “Is that what my writing does?”

So, I am in a process of re-entry. I learned a lot during my seemingly stagnant year. That is another lesson. Even though we may not have an article or book to our credit this year, don’t minimize what you are learning and how you are growing. God is always at work.

I’d love to hear your answer to the same question, “What has impacted your writing this past year?”

Comment and I will randomly choose a name to receive a copy of my devotional book, Diva Delights: Finding Extraordinary Treasures in Ordinary Days.

Bio: Marilyn is the author of three devotional books, a contributor to compilations and websites and a tea lover!  She is the coordinator of the mentoring ministry at her church and a Bible study leader. She loves speaking to women’s groups about finding extraordinary treasures in ordinary and challenging days. Marilyn resides in Mt Holly NC. She is the mother of three grown daughters and sons-in law and six grandchildren who remind her that her “cup runs over” each time they are together. Visit her website for encouraging words and contact her at for speaking topic information.

Vonda here: Thank you, Marilyn, for joining us today and sharing from your heart. And readers, I hope you’ll answer her question, “What has impacted your writing this past year?” I’d love to see your responses!

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Parting Words From The WORD…

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By Vonda Skelton | January 25, 2013

Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net

Like you, I love the Lord and strive to follow the instructions found in His Word. If the Lord says to do something, I know I should do it and I want to do it. So what in the world do I do with:

 Pray without ceasing…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Pray without ceasing? Really? How do I do that while also running a ministry, traveling, caring for family, buying groceries, washing clothes, and responding to email?

My friend, evangelist and teacher Aidan McKenzie of Reconciliation Ministries, recently wrote his take on this passage and allowed me to excerpt portions of it here:

Praying without ceasing does not mean heading for the hills and finding a cave to hide away in and attempting to pray 24 hours around the clock. Instead, look at it this way: At this time of year when flu and colds are common, they’re often accompanied by a hacking cough. The words “without ceasing” were recently used to describe a hacking cough–something that interrupts frequently. It does not mean they were coughing continuously, but that they were regularly being interrupted by the cough.

In its original sense, the words without ceasing mean regular interruptions.

So how does that work in regards our instructions to pray without ceasing? It means we become God-conscious and people-conscious and ask the LORD to remind us–to Interrupt our thinking–to see people or think of people and then turn those thoughts into prayers.

One thing I’ve tried to do over the years is when someone asks me to pray for them, I pray right then and there. I know I could easily forget, so I see their request as a Divine interruption to “pray without ceasing.”

Throughout the day there should be regular interruptions of speaking to God in prayer. It does not come by trying harder or making a new vow, but by asking God to remind us to interrupt our day with prayer…and He will be faithful, for this is His will for you and me!

Regular interruptions. A beautiful picture of praying without ceasing. I’ll never think of that verse in the same way again.

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

(Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net)

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Writer’s Headlines: Writing Conferences

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By Vonda Skelton | January 24, 2013

Conferences for writers and speakers…

Learning to write and speak takes an investment of time and money. What will you do for your calling?

1.  Writer’s ADVANCE! Boot Camp 2013: February 1-3, 2013, The Cove, Asheville, NC–I can’t wait to see you there!

2.  Writing for the Soul Conference: February 14-17, 2013, Colorado Springs, CO

3.  SpringMingle: February 22-24, 2013, Atlanta, GA

4.  Florida Christian Writers Conference: February 27- March 3, 2013, Leesburg, FL

5.  Upstate SC American Christian Writers Workshop: March 9, 2013, Anderson, SC

6.  Write2Ignite: March 15-16, 2013, Tigerville, SC

7.  Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference: March 22-26, 2013, Mt. Hermon, CA

8.  Carolina Christian Writers Conference: April 19-20, 2013, Spartanburg, SC

9.  Colorado Christian Writers Conference: May 15-18, 2013, Estes Park, CO

10.  Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference: May 19-23, 2013, Ridgecrest, NC–I can’t wait to see you there!

11. St. Davids Christian Writers’ Conference: June 18-22, 2013, Grove City, PA

12. Writing for Life Workshop with James Scott Bell: June 28-30, 2013, Newark, CA

13. Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival: July 12-16, 2013, Orlando, FL–I can’t wait to see you there!

14. Writers’ Publishing Workshop: August 5-9, 2013, Hamilton, MA

15. Christian Communicators Conference: August 28-September 1, 2013, The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, Asheville, NC--I can’t wait to see you there! PLEASE NOTE: INFORMATION CURRENTLY ON WEBSITE IS FOR THE 2012 CONFERENCE. NEW REGISTRATION DETAILS WILL BE POSTED WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. 🙂 THANKS!

Write on!
Vonda

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Punctuation Pitfalls

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By Vonda Skelton | January 22, 2013

Photo courtesy of Chris Sharp/FreddDigitalPhoto.net

First of all, here’s my disclaimer: I am NOT an expert in English. I don’t have a degree in English and wouldn’t dream of trying to tell you how to create perfectly-punctuated pieces. That said, I do a fair amount of critiquing and do feel fairly confident in offering some general hints to finding the most frequent errors I see. (And yes, I’ve seen variations of each of these examples) Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at punctuation pitfalls that can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection in your writing life.

  • When writing dialogue, place quotation marks around the spoken words, not the speaker tag.
    Correct:     “You didn’t tell me that,” Tom said.
    Incorrect:   “You didn’t tell me that, Tom said.”
  • Do not use semicolons or colons to denote dialogue in prose.
    Incorrect:    Sally said: “I want you to go with me.”
  • Start a new paragraph with each speaker, including any action or thoughts that speaker may have.
    Correct:     “I will if you will,” Sarah said. She stared across the table at her little sister.
    :                 Carrie met her gaze. “I’m in.”
  • Be sure to include the dash, question mark, and exclamation mark within the quotation marks when they are part of the quoted material. Put them outside the quotation marks when they are part of the whole sentence.
    Correct:     “Why do you say that? It wasn’t me!” Jerry said.
    Incorrect:   “Why do you say that? It wasn’t me”! Jerry said.
    Correct:      How can you call them “half-truths”?
    Incorrect:    How can you call them “half-truths?”
  • Do not use a question mark with an indirect question.
    Correct:       He didn’t ask how anyone could know that.
    Incorrect:     He didn’t ask how anyone could know that?
  • Use an ellipsis (three spaced periods) to denote omitted words in a quote, to designate a pause, or to show an unfinished statement.
    Correct:    I pledge allegiance . . . with liberty and justice for all.
    Correct:    “But I didn’t know you were so . . . so . . . “
  • Use an em dash (two dashes) to indicate an interruption in dialogue, a break in thought or sentence structure, or a parenthetical explanation.
    Correct:    “But you never said–”
    :                “I never said what? Tell me!”
    Correct:    Who would have thought–who could have thought–it would ever come to this?
    Correct:    There were only three careers–doctor, lawyer, and Indian chief–that I would even consider.

Okay, so there they are, seven punctuation pitfalls you should avoid. Be sure to come back next time when we look at another group of errors commonly found in submitted work. Develop a keen eye and ear for such mistakes and you’ll increase your chances of publication!

Write on!
Vonda

(Photo courtesy of Chris Sharp/FreeDigitalPhoto.net)

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Parting Words From The WORD…

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By Vonda Skelton | January 18, 2013

Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net

What’s your gift?

Can you sing? Write? Act?

Are you an organizer? Decorator? Cook?

Good at teaching, evangelizing, or prophesying?

I don’t know what each one here is good at, but I do know this: Each of us has been given at least one gift. Now the question is, what are we going to do with it?

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10 NIV

During this next week, let’s look for opportunities to serve others through our gifts, whatever they may be. By doing so, others will see God’s grace through us. And lives can be changed forever.

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

Vonda

(Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net)

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Writer’s Headlines: Writing Opportunities & MoGo7000 Challenge

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By Vonda Skelton | January 17, 2013

It’s the 3rd Thursday, so let’s share some writing opportunities and contests!


A big shout-out and thank you to Marilyn Shipe for gathering and sharing the first 18 writing opps this week. Thank you, Marilyn!

1.  A ROOM OF HER OWN – ORLANDO PRIZES: $15 ENTRY FEE – Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay by women writers. Submit a poem of no more than 36 lines, a short story of up to 1,500 words, a short short story of up to 500 words, or an essay of up to 1,500 words. Deadline January 31, 2013.

2.  COMMENTARY: Publishes essays and opinions of 2,000 to 8,000. Pays $400 to $1,200. COMMENTARY is America’s premier monthly magazine of opinion and a pivotal voice in American intellectual life. Many of COMMENTARY’s articles have been controversial, and more than a few have been hugely influential, touchstones for debate and discussion in universities, among policy analysts in and out of government, within the ranks of professionals and community activists of all kinds, and in circles of serious thought worldwide. A large number of articles can be counted as landmarks of American letters and intellectual life.

3.  ARTHRITIS TODAY: Pays $1 per word. Seeks general interest pieces, how-to, tips for living with arthritis, inspirational pieces, essays, personal experiences, photo features, technical, travel, news, nutrition, health, lifestyle.

4.  A comprehensive list of 101 in-flight magazines from AirArabia to Wizz Air (many with links directly to the magazine’s web site) is: Many of these web sites have archived copies for your perusal.

Cision Navigator lists the top-ten in-flight magazines by circulation. United’s Hemispheres leads the list with a circulation of 800,000.

5.  VALHALLA PRESS FLASH FICTION AND FLASH MEMOIR CONTEST: $15 ENTRY FEE – Limit 1,000 words. The contest seeks out the best in original short fiction and short memoir written in English. First prize is $500 and an e-reader plus publication in Ragnarok, an e-lit journal. The second prize winner will receive an e-reader as well as publication in Ragnarok. Deadline for entries is February 1, 2013. Winners will be announced by March 1, 2013.  Valhalla Press reserves the right to choose a number of honorable mention winners from the contest whose work will appear in Ragnarok. All winners whose work appears in Ragnarok will receive compensation.

6.  EARLY AMERICAN LIFE: Covers history, architecture, decorating, antiques, studio crafts, and travel. This magazine is highly retained by its readers, so know what’s already been written whenever possible. Stories for Early American Life should be just long enough to get from the beginning to the end–that is, content should dictate length. Don’t add words to make a story seem more meaningful. On the other hand, don’t give short shrift to a story that demands in-depth coverage. A one-page story in Early American Life, such as Worth Seeing, runs about 750 words. A typical feature may run 2,500 words. Note that it’s always easier for an editor to make a story shorter, so if anything, err on the long side. Never, however, go more than 10 percent beyond the length an editor assigns.

7.  FAMILY BUSINESS: Our audience consists primarily of owners and managers of successful, multigenerational family-owned businesses. Their various needs are covered by many publications; only Family Business focuses on the family aspect of businesses, and the business aspect of families. Our content delves beneath the surface and addresses the human side of the business — with a particular emphasis on how conflicts were resolved or how potential conflicts were averted.

8.  FRIENDS OF MERRIL CONTEST


: $: $200 (CDN). 
Second Place: $100 (CDN)
. Third Place: $50 (CDN). Deadline February 15, 2013. The Friends of the Merril Short Story Contest is open to all writers of all levels (published, unpublished, emerging, etc.), without restriction. The contest 
is international, so writers of any nation may enter. Maximum of 5,000 words. Short fiction only. No poetry or nonfiction.

9.  CAT FANCY: We are open to working with new contributors and fresh voices in addition to drawing from a talented crop of established contributors. Each month, we provide our readers with a mix of informative articles on various topics, including breed profiles, feline health, nutrition, grooming, behavior, training, as well as lifestyle and special interest articles on cat culture, the human-animal bond and personalities. Length: 100-1,000 words. Query first.

10.  Focus on the Family’s CLUBHOUSE Magazine: Focus on the Family Clubhouse readers are 8 to 12-year-old boys and girls who desire to know more about God and the Bible. Their parents want wholesome, educational material with Scriptural or moral insight. The kids want excitement, adventure, action, humor or mystery. Your job as a writer is to please both the parent and child with each article. Generally 15 to 25 cents a word. $200 and up for feature-length fiction stories. $150+ for nonfiction stories.

11.  Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Writing Contest: Be sure to check out the video. The Christian Writer’s Den gang is VERY well represented. Just sayin’. 🙂

12.  DELIZON SHORT STORY COMPETITION: 

$25 ENTRY FEE – 
The awards will include:
 A first place prize of $1,200; 
A first runner up prize of $600
; A third runner up prize of $120; 
The prize for the fourth through to the tenth place: $60. 
The 11 to 25th place will receive a gift certificate. We are looking for a story that is bold, brilliant yet brief. Send in your best work with a word count not more than 1,500. Deadline April 15, 2013. Open to any writer; there is no age or 
country restriction.

13.  WRITERS WEEKLY: WritersWeekly.com and The Write Markets Report focus on “selling” the written word. We do not seek articles on how to write. Rather, we seek articles on how to make more money doing what you love….writing! We are also interested in other forms of home-based businesses and self-employment that may result from writing, such as self-publishing, corporate writing, ghostwriting, etc. All ideas that help writers support themselves performing the work they love are warmly welcomed. Length: ~600 words. $60 for non-exclusive electronic rights only. Submit query with credits by e-mail to

14.  ANALOG: Basically, we publish science fiction stories. That is, stories in which some aspect of future science or technology is so integral to the plot that, if that aspect were removed, the story would collapse. The science can be physical, sociological, psychological. The technology can be anything from electronic engineering to biogenetic engineering. But the stories must be strong and realistic, with believable people (who needn’t be human) doing believable things–no matter how fantastic the background might be. Fact articles for Analog should be about 4,000 words in length and should deal with subjects of not only current but future interest, i.e., with topics at the present frontiers of research whose likely future developments have implications of wide interest. Illustrations should be provided by the author in camera-ready form.

15.  BETHESDA MAGAZINE SHORT STORY CONTEST
: NO ENTRY FEE – Bethesda Magazine and the Bethesda Urban Partnership are partnering 
to sponsor a short story and essay contest. Deadline January 25, 2013. For residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (ZIP codes 20015 and 20016) are eligible. Categories-
Adult (18 and over) & 
High School (grades 9-12). Short stories in both categories must not exceed 4,000 words. Essays must not exceed 500 words. Adult Category–
First place: $500 and publication in Bethesda Magazine.
 Second Place: $250.
 Third Place: $150. 
Honorable Mention: $75.
Young Adult Category–First place: $250 and publication in Bethesda Magazine. 
Second place: $100
. Third place: $50.

16.  PARENT:WISE – AUSTIN: Parent:Wise Austin is an award-winning parenting journal that seeks to inform parents with quality articles depicting some aspect of the parenting journey. We publish articles that are thoughtful and intelligent — not boring or pedantic. Simply put, articles must well researched (we require a list of sources), tightly written, and directed at an audience of parents who want to be educated. Our focus is Central Texas and, as such, we prefer local writers. Having said that, we will happily publish articles by non-local writers if the topic is important and the writing beautiful.

17.  PARENTING: Parenting’s readers are moms whose kids range in age from newborn through age 12, as well as expectant moms. The magazine covers the psychological and practical aspects of raising a child, and the emotional issues that face mothers — from nurturing their own friendships to juggling the various parts of their lives. The magazine is largely freelance written. Fees for articles depend on length, degree of difficulty, and the writer’s previous experience. Generally, feature articles run between 1,000 and 2,500 words in published form. For writers new to Parenting, the best opportunities are the departments. The pieces there range from 100 to 500 words. Queries for each of these departments should be addressed to the appropriate editor (such as Kids’ Health Editor, or Ages & Stages Editor). Pays up to $1/word.

18.  PLUM: The first-ever pregnancy magazine for women 35 years and older. As part of our mission to encourage dialogue between women and the medical community, Plum is available free of charge to all doctors for distribution to their patients. Published semi-annually. Email for specific guidelines. Needs essays, how-to, profiles. Query with your published clips. Pays up to $1/word. Email:

19.  WOW! Women on Writing Contest: WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, communication, and well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. We are open to all styles of writing, although we do encourage you to take a close look at our guest judge for the season (upper right hand corner) if you are serious about winning. We love creativity, originality, and light-hearted reads. That’s not to say that our guest judge will feel the same… so go wild! Express yourself, and most of all, let’s have some fun!

20. COUNTRY WOMAN: Country Woman is a bimonthly magazine with subscribers across the United States and Canada. Published since 1970 for women who live in or long for the country, this magazine celebrates their diversity, strength and spirit. Positive, upbeat, entertaining and informative, Country Woman reflects the many roles and interests of its readers through profiles of women and their lifestyle.

21. Doing Family God’s Way Short Story Contest: Do you have a true story of living by Biblical principles? We’d love to hear your story. Deadline: January 31, 2013. Be sure to follow the guidelines!

22.  Jamie Britt is looking for Devotions! The theme of the book will be God’s unexplainable peace in a situation. I’m looking for your stories. I’m looking for the stories of a possibly traumatic time, or whatever the situation may be. It’s those times when there’s peace and you have no other way of explaining it other than to say it was God. The book will be based around this verse as the premise.

…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7, NKJV)

You will need to have a wordcount of 400 or less. I will need the stories in devotional format. It should be in the following format: Scripture verse along with book, chapter verse and translation; anecdotal question or two to ponder; and a prayer. Deadline: March 1, 2013. I look forward to hearing from you! Email Jamie at .

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Are you MoGoing this month? If not, you could be missing out on $100!

That’s right! Last week I announced the winner of the 2012 MoGo7000 Challenge, and it was Esther Wallace of CT! Yay, Esther!

But now it’s a new year, with new entries, and the door is wide open! Don’t have any idea what I’m talking about? Then you need to run on over to the MoGo7000 Challenge page and check out the details.

But the bottom line is you simply write a minimum of 7000 NEW words on a BOOK project and you’re in! The first Thursday of each month, you’ll post a comment with your total word count for the month and you’ll get an entry into the end-of-the-year drawing. The more months you reach the goal, the more chances you have to win!

So what are you waiting for?

Write on!

Vonda

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What’s in a Name? A Lot When It Comes to Your Characters

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By Vonda Skelton | January 15, 2013

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Writing conference time is quickly approaching. That means it’s time to get out your baby and make it as pretty as possible before sitting down with an acquisitions editor or submitting it for a contest or critique.

And this sounds like a great time for me to get out and dust off an oldie but goodie from 2008: What’s in a Name? After all, something as simple as a character name can make a difference in your all-important first impression.

Remember when you studied the balcony scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Remember when Juliet said:

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Well, I hate to be the one to bring it up, but Juliet was dead wrong.

If we want to be quality fiction writers, we must take the time to determine the best names for our characters. Here are five points to consider in order to make our characters’ names as sweet as a rose:

  1. Don’t use names that start with same letter, especially with characters of the same gender. Readers, especially those who read fast, will often confuse such names. Remember the number one goal of writing: Don’t do anything to cause your readers to stumble or disconnect from the story. If they have to stop, go back, and figure out who a character is, you’ve tripped them up and created a pause in the flow of the story. Not good.
  2. Don’t use similar-sounding names. This is similar to #1, but it goes beyond the first letter of the word. I made both of these mistakes in the second Bitsy book, Bitsy and the Mystery at Amelia Island. By naming a character Bernie, I not only repeated the letter B, but even the sound of the names is very similar: Bit-sy and Ber-nie. Both have the ē (long e) sound at the end of the name. And to top it off, Bernie is a girl, but it sounds like a boy’s name, taking the confusion even further. Of course, at the time I thought I had a very good reason for naming a girl Bernie. After all, her name was Bernadette and she was the twin of Ernest, AKA Ernie. See? Ernie…Bernie. Sounds cute, doesn’t it? Well, it may be cute, but it’s also confusing to the reader, especially when you add Bitsy to the mix. And a good writer never wants to confuse her readers. I goofed.
  3. Make sure the name fits the character. Unless a name mismatch is part of the story, as in “A Boy Named Sue,” you’ll want the name to create an accurate image of your character. Did you know that Margaret Mitchell originally named her Gone with the Wind protagonist Pansy O’Hara? Her publisher wisely stepped in and requested a change. Mitchell more than made up for her mistake when she renamed her protagonist Scarlett O’Hara. Perfect!
  4. Be sure the name would have been used at the time of character’s birth. Even though I’m sure they didn’t do it just for us, the Social Security Administration created a wonderful tool for us writers when they created the site, Popular Baby Names. Here, you can find the most popular names for babies born in any year. Was your character born in 1901? If so, you probably shouldn’t name her Jennifer. But the name would be perfect if she was born in 1972.
  5. Try to make names easily readable. I’ve read entire books where I was never sure of the correct pronunciation of several character names. So what did I do? I just skipped over them. Now that might not be the end of the world, but readers do have a harder time connecting with characters when they have no idea how to pronounce their names. And remember, helping the reader connect with your character is a number one priority!

If you recall, Juliet’s balcony request ends with:

“Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.”

Want to be a great fiction writer? Want your readers to cry, “You’ve got all of me”? Then you must be willing to do the hard thing and doff a name or two if the story requires it. After all, the doffing could allow your characters to “retain that dear perfection…without that title” and you to win the hearts of your readers in the process.

And that, dear writers, is as sweet as it gets.

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

Vonda

(Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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Parting Words From The WORD…

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By Vonda Skelton | January 11, 2013

Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net

The news stations report it. The headlines shout it. Our children suffer because of it.

Evil.

Sin.

Darkness.

We feel it everyday of our lives.

It’s enough to drag us down into a miry clay of depression and unbelief.

So now, as we close our week together, I pray we’ll all be encouraged and challenged by these words of Jesus:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

The world is a dark, dark place. But we have the Light. Let’s be sure to share it every day of our lives.

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

Vonda

(Photo courtesy of ChristianPhotos.net)

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Writer’s Headlines: Kudos, December MoGo7000, & Who Won $100?

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By Vonda Skelton | January 10, 2013

It’s the 2nd Thursday of the New Year, and That Means It’s Time To Celebrate YOU!

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First of all, let’s celebrate with these Christian Writer’s Den friends…

A lot of you are working hard…and here’s the proof!

1.  Kristi Butler (NC):I’m so thrilled to have a story coming out in Cec Murphey’s book (to be released in the spring) I Believe in Healing. It’s the story of my husband’s miraculous healing after a stroke.

2.  Jeanne Doyon (CT): My article, Fresh Manna was picked up by Open The Word in Canada.

3.  Johnna Stein (GA): My historical fiction “The Wooden Apple” appeared in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Cricket Magazine. My flash fiction, “The Winter Will Ask” made the top 10 on the Women on Writing Contest.

4.  Beth Ingersoll (NC): After a lengthy hiatus, Beth has decided to revive her writing “career” and has joined the Tribe Writers community, led by Jeff Goins at She is also blogging again over at her little space, called “Subject to Change.” She’ll be sharing some pieces from the program there, and she LOVES to get feedback!

5.  Susan Baganz (WI): My short story romance, “Angel on Fourth Street’ won in a contest and was published in an anthology, I Choose You: 38 Romantic Short Stories to Warm the Heart. My first “book” publishing credit!

6.  Kathy Purdy (VA): My first children’s book was published! Missy Cat in the Heart of the Tree is available in paperback and as an ebook. More Missy Cat Adventure books to follow. Also available through Amazon.com, Kindle, B&N.com, Nook, Sony Reader, I-pad ebook. I am happy to send out autographed copies as well. Missy Cat in the Heart of the Tree was reviewed by The Mary Book Reader and a free copy given out.

7.  Colleen Luntzel (OR): Good News: Book Release, The World is a Potluck…Bring Bread.

And now, to end on a laugh:

8.  Eddie Snipes (GA): I mastered the art of tap dancing on Jell-o and reciting Shakespeare. Here I am in action! It’s a dream come true!

Congratulations to all! I’m so proud of you!

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Here are the December MoGo7000 Qualifiers

These writers wrote at least 7000 NEW words on a book project in December and are now in the drawing for $100 in the MoGo7000 Challenge!

26.  Cindy Patterson – 7,031 words
27.  Eddie Snipes – 12,700 words

Congratulations, Cindy and Eddie. You both have ANOTHER entry into the drawing for $100!

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Photo courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And now, the announcement you’ve all been waiting for: Who won the 2012 MoGo7000 Challenge and the 2012 $100 Prize?

First of all, I want to remind you that this year’s $100 prize is donated by my friend and yours, Catherine Young! Catherine contacted me after last year’s winner was announced and said she wanted to sponsor this year’s challenge. What a precious gift for me and for you as CWD readers. Thank you, Cathy! I know your kindness challenged and encouraged our writing friends. 🙂

Now, before I announce the winner, check out these amazing statistics:

1.  341,894 words were written by Christian Writer’s Den friends this year in the challenge! Hoo-wee!

2.  13 Christian Writer’s Den readers/writers reached their monthly goal of at least 7000 new words on a book project and received at least one entry.

3.  There were 27 total entries.

4.  Cindy Patterson had the most entries again this year, reaching the MoGo7000 goal 8 months out of 12.

5.  Eddie Snipes and Marilyn Turk received the second highest number of entries, reaching their goal 3 times each.

6.  Cindy Patterson wrote the highest number of words–60,196. In some genres, that could be a whole book right there!

Congratulations to all the writers who participated. I’m impressed with your hard work and determination. And many of you told me the challenge encouraged you to write, even if you didn’t reach your goal. That encourages me!

Now, details about the drawing. (And just for the record, as I write this, I still have no idea who won, either!) You may have noticed that each writer who reached the monthly goal was given a sequential number throughout the year. I’m now going to the Random.org website and putting in a request for the numbers 1-27 to be listed in random order. The first number on the list will be the winner.

So here we go!

The winner of the 2012 MoGo7000 Challenge and recipient of the $100 cash prize is…

#10! Congratulations, #10!

Oh, I guess you need to know who #10 is…

It’s Esther Wallace!!! Congratulations, Esther! (Imagine horns blowing and confetti falling right about now.) I’m so thrilled for you and all the hard work you put in this year. Now just Contact Me and we’ll discuss how to get your $100 to you.

And thank you to all who participated. You’ve talked about how MoGo7000 encouraged you, but I want you to know how much it encouraged me that you would join in!

And don’t forget, the 2013 MoGo7000 Challenge has just begun and it’s not too late to get started! Just check out the MoGo7000 Challenge Guidelines here, get your BIC, and start writing. You could win $100!

But whether you win or not, at the end of the year, you could have a book-length manuscript. So, what are you waiting for?

Congratulations to all this month’s winners. Write on!

Vonda

(Money photo courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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