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Parting Words From The WORD…Amazing

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By Vonda Skelton | June 27, 2014
Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

I’ve mentioned recently that I’m doing the Bible study, Planted, by Annie Pajcic and I’m really enjoying it. Lots of insight into Psalm 1:1-3 and how we’re to sit, stand, and walk with Jesus.

And although every day’s lesson is great, yesterday’s was especially tender. I knew immediately I wanted to share it with you!

Annie shares how Robert McGee’s book, The Search for Significance, changed her life by helping her see who she was in Christ, that appearances and approval of others have no bearing on her worth. And they don’t determine our worth, either.

Then she quoted Romans 5:8 from The Message:

But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Romans 5:8 (MSG)

“God put his love on the line…sacrificial death…while we were of no use whatever to him.”

I’ve heard that verse all my life. Memorized it as a young girl in GAs. Proclaimed it as a speaker and teacher. But never have I grasped the concept as completely as I did when I read it this week.

I was of no more use to God than a clump of South Carolina red clay, but it was at that very moment…in all my filthy uselessness…that He sacrificed His precious Son for me.

Amazing.

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

Vonda

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Interview & Book Give-Away with Ellen Gee

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By Vonda Skelton | June 24, 2014

Ellen Gee headshotToday’s guest is a new friend I met when I was an instructor at the Florida Christian Writers Conference this past March. We made an immediate connection and as soon as I heard her story, I knew I wanted her to share it with you.

Ellen’s award winning memoir, My Mother’s Song, details tragic events of her childhood that no child should have to experience. I read her book while we were on vacation and devoured it in just a couple of days. I couldn’t put it down!

Be sure to leave a comment for Ellen and you could win a free book!

Welcome to the Christian Writer’s Den, Ellen. Now, let’s get started. After reading your book, I have to ask, why did you write your memoir? What compelled you?

I always felt led to write my story. I grew up around a violent father who my mother eventually shot in self-defense. But there was always this hidden story I wanted others to see.

As a ten year old, I quickly came to grips with my father’s death, but I struggled for years with the negative effect his death had on my mother. I expected her to be the same afterwards, and she wasn’t.

My Mother’s Song is the story of how my mother’s sister, who was a missionary in South America, stepped in to help my mom raise her six kids. And how my Aunt Jeanne Marie helped me focus on the amazing woman my mother was before my father’s violence destroyed her.

What did you do to develop your writing style?

My father was a writer, and my mother an editor, so it’s kind of the family business. But other than their constant grammar correction growing up, I didn’t have any formal training.  So I started by taking a creative writing course at a local community college.

What was your key take-away from that course?

The first assignment the professor gave us was to write about the most meaningful experience of our lives. He then quickly added, “But don’t write about your coming to faith experience. If you do, I won’t read it and I’ll give you an ‘F.’”

I thought he was a bit extreme, and probably an atheist. But then a few weeks later, while lecturing us on using poetry in our writing, he jumped up from his desk and said, “The Bible is the most poetic book ever written.”

Then in big letters, he wrote on the board, “By the sweat of thy brow, thou shalt eat thy bread.”

It got me thinking. Here’s this guy who loves the Bible, but doesn’t want to read another faith story. What’s the disconnect? I figured most writers told boring stories. So I decided when I wrote my book, I wanted to write in way that would impress this professor. Not sure if I succeeded, but I worked hard at it.

Well I can certainly confirm that it wasn’t boring! Now that it’s written, what do you hope people willMy Mothers Song cover Ellen Gee gain from reading your book?

Many of us were raised by emotionally wounded parents. Moms and dads, who sometimes by no fault of their own, wounded us. It’s my hope that My Mother’s Song will inspire children to love their parents, in spite of the damage done when their parent’s wounds disrupted their own childhood.

Writers are always interested in signing with an agent. How did you get agent representation?

Several years ago, my writers group gave me an all expense paid trip to the Greater Philadelphia Writers Conference. I’d never been to a writer’s conference so I read up on everything I needed to do. Then I did it. From my research, I decided Chip MacGregor was the agent I wanted to represent my book. I didn’t have enough done on My Mother’s Song to pitch it at that conference, but it motivated me to get some solid chapters done before my next conference.

A year later, I went to the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference with more experience, and more words on the page. I pitched to Chip, and he showed interest. He then helped me guide me toward finishing my book. I feel honored to be represented by him.

What are you working on now?

My next book is the story of my 38-year marriage to my husband Tim. I got pregnant at 17, almost had an abortion, but got married instead. I never thought the marriage would last. But we stuck it out until his death in 2012. It’s the story of how one couple did just about everything wrong, except quit on each other.

Wow, that sounds like another great story, Ellen. I love how you’re using your own traumatic experiences of life to show that our pasts do not determine our futures. Thank you for sharing your journey with us today.

BIO: Ellen Gee’s ability to find beauty amongst brokenness is inspiring. Her talent is never more evident than in her award winning memoir, My Mother’s Song, where she details the tragic events of her childhood. After living in Northern Virginia for over fifty years, she and her husband Tim moved to Orlando Florida, where tragedy struck again. After a courageous two-year battle, Tim lost his fight with lung cancer. Now she spends her time writing her next book about her thirty-eight crazy years with Tim. She also randomly posts on her blog, Slipstream. You can contact Ellen at .

Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for Ellen and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book. Don’t forget to come back next week to see if you’re the winner!

Happy writing!

Vonda

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Parting Words From The WORD…Thanking God for You

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By Vonda Skelton | June 20, 2014
Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

As I write this, it’s been another busy day…week…month…and year. And yet, I’m encouraged every day by your kind words and comments. I know there are those who wonder why we work so hard for so little.

But it’s just not something we can explain, is it? We work together to grow each other as writers and speakers. We work together to grow in faith. And we work together to grow in love.

(I hope you don’t mind my taking the liberty to add the word, sisters, to the verse below. I know that’s Paul’s intent.)

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers [and sisters], and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3

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Writer’s Headlines: Writing Opportunities for YOU!

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By Vonda Skelton | June 17, 2014

newspapersYes, it’s the 3rd Tuesday, and time to share some writing opportunities to help you with your writing career. Don’t forget to let us celebrate with you if you succeed in getting a publishing credit!

Don’t forget to follow guidelines carefully. You could have a great submission that’s never considered because the guidelines weren’t followed.

1.  Established critique group has openings: Fellow writers: Our online writers’ critique group has four openings. We are Christian women writing for children and young adults. Whether you’re published or yearn to be, if you’re interested, email your short bio with your writing experience, preferred age-level and/or genre of children’s literature to: . We’ll review and get back to you by August 15 with our format and guidelines. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Parting Words From The WORD…Words Encourage Others

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By Vonda Skelton | June 13, 2014
Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

As you read this, I’m on a personal writing retreat with my friend and fellow writer, Robin Bryce. We’ve been working on a co-authored book for at least three years now, but between our own illnesses, caregiving, unexpected family responsibilities, busy schedules, and interruptions, we still haven’t finished.

And it won’t be completed this week.

But praise God, His written Word is complete. He spoke it and men transcribed it thousands of years ago, in order to give us hope and encouragement today.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

And praise Him that our written words, transcribed today, may give hope and encouragement to others in the future.

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

Vonda

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Writer’s Headlines: Kudos to These Christian Writer’s Den Friends!

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By Vonda Skelton | June 10, 2014

newspapersCWD Writers Have Been Hard at Work!

Yes, it’s time to celebrate you! Congratulations to these CWD friends who are working hard and seeing results!

1.  Jeanne Doyon (CT): Evangel Magazine has accepted two articles for publication this winter and Camp
Berea in New Hampshire extended an invitation to teach a workshop at their fall women’s retreat.

2.  Tracy Crump (MS): My thirteenth Chicken Soup for the Soul story was published in Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias. All royalties from the book go to the Alzheimer’s Association, and the MS chapter set up a book reading/signing event. Through this story, God has opened some unexpected doors not only to share about His goodness but to inform others of a neurological condition that is often mistaken for Alzheimer’s. I love to watch God at work!

3.  Johnnie Alexander Donley (TN): I signed a three-book contract with Revell for a contemporary romance series. The first book releases January 2016. Yay!

4.  Marilyn Nutter (NC): Marilyn’s devotion Fashion Trends appeared on christiandevotions.us on May 29.

5.  If you read last week’s blog post by Lori Hatcher, you know that I missed the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference in May at Ridgecrest, NC. But let me tell you, the Christian Writer’s Den was VERY WELL represented in the winner’s circle! Here are all the winners of the Director’s Choice and the Unpublished Writers Contests.

6.  The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is also host to the Selah Awards. And since I don’t know everyone who hangs out here at the Christian Writer’s Den, here are all the winners of the Selah Awards, too!

Congratulations to everyone who submitted good news. I know there are many more out there who are also doing the work of a writer and finding success. We hope to hear from you next time!

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Where Were the MoGo-ers in May?mogo7000 logo

You may have noticed we had no entries to the May MoGo7000. 🙁

If I were you, I’d be writing at least 7000 words on a book project in the month of June and submitting the total next month. With fewer entries submitted so far, those who have submitted this year have the best chance ever of winning $100 in cold, hard cash!

Hope to hear from lots of writers next month. I want to give you some money!

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Well, I think that does it for today. I hope to see you back on Friday as we look at some Parting Words From The WORD…

Write on!

Vonda

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Parting Words From The WORD…When You Don’t Know What to Pray For

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By Vonda Skelton | June 6, 2014
Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.

Hello friends. If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you know that I’m off-schedule today. My Friday post usually comes out first thing on Friday morning, but this has been an unusual week.

Today I simply want to ask for your prayer. My sweet 96yo father-in-law has been seriously ill in ICU this week. As a matter of fact, the doctor told me this morning that it’s unbelievable that he even survived. What a mighty God we serve!

He’s now out of ICU and in a room where they can still monitor his heart. He’ll have several more days of treatment there and then will most likely go to a rehab facility for a week or two for continued therapy and strengthening.

There have been so many blessings and evidence of answered prayer during this struggle. Thank you to those who knew of the situation and were praying for us. Our loving Father certainly poured out His blessing on our family by giving us more time with Gary’s dad, at least for now.

But to be honest, at this point, I don’t even know specifically what to ask you pray for. Of course we want to have many more years with him, but what if we don’t get them? Or what if he lives, but it’s with misery and pain?

Would that mean that God didn’t hear our cries? Of course not.

I’m thankful that even though I may not know what to pray for, I do know there is One who does.

…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26b

Please join me in our shared weakness and ask the Holy Spirit Himself to intercede to the Father on our behalf. After all, we know that is a prayer will always be answered.

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

Vonda

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Left Behind: When You Can’t Attend a Writer’s Conference, Call-Out for Kudos & MoGo7000, & Who Won Patty Mason’s Book?

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By Vonda Skelton | June 3, 2014

BRMCWC 2014 logoA couple of weeks ago I missed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for the first time in a gazillion years. And man, did I miss it! The classes, the friends, the one-on-ones, the late nights, the opportunity to help other writers and speakers, the chocolate macaroons–I missed it all!

And then there were the pictures. Every time I opened Facebook, there they were! My news feed was a moment-by-moment timeline of BRMCWC life. Everybody in the world was there, and they were having fun. Everyone, that is, except me.

Yea, I was feeling kinda left behind.

So when Lori Hatcher’s article plopped into my Inbox, I have to admit, I was comforted. Hurray! I wasn’t the ONLY writer who wasn’t at Ridgecrest learning and laughing with writer-friends! (Guess you could say I’m proof positive that misery really does love company.)

But as I read Lori’s article, I realized that–unlike me–Lori had already moved past the whining stage and was hard at work putting her experience to good use.

If you didn’t get to go to Blue Ridge or another favorite conference, this post is for you. Let’s join Lori, quite whining, and just move forward!

Left Behind . . . When You Can’t Attend a Writer’s Conference

By Lori Hatcher

Common sense tells me I’m not the only one who was unable to attend the most recent writers’ conference. Social media, however, begged to differ. Every post I saw was from someone squealing with excitement. Agents were hoping to sign the next Karen Kingsbury. Instructors were thrilled to be presenting new and insightful workshops. Writers were eagerly anticipating productive times of learning and networking.

And I was sitting at home. Missing it all. Waaaaaaaaah!

Maybe you’re one of the other three people on the planet who wasn’t able to attend the conference. Perhaps you couldn’t afford it. Or couldn’t get time off from your day job. Or didn’t have someone to watch your kids or your aging parent. Whatever the reason, your inability to attend doesn’t have to hamstring your writing life.

I’d like to share six suggestions to help you move forward:

  1. If a friend attended the conference, invite her over for coffee and pick her brain. Ask her to bring her notes and debrief with you.
  2. If someone attended the conference from your local writers’ group, invite her to share what she learned at your next meeting. If several members went, ask them to share the three (or five) best things they learned.
  3. Subscribe to faculty blogs. Go to your favorite conference’s website and click on the Faculty link. Most professionals have very informative blogs. By subscribing to their feeds, you can get helpful instruction on all aspects of the publishing process. It’s free continuing education that lasts much longer than the writing conference itself. Some of my favorite writing blogs are Writer to Writer, The Write Conversation, MacGregor Literary blog, The Write Editing, and, of course, The Christian Writer’s Den.
  4. Set new goals. One of the most helpful aspects of a writers’ conference is coming away with a new list of writing tasks, ideas, and goals. While it’s easier to overcome inertia with a push from someone else, a prayerful look at where you are and where you’d like to be in the future can help you formulate goals on your own. First, brainstorm several small projects you can complete in a day or two (blog posts, an article, or a computer file cleanup). Be sure to set a larger one that might take a few weeks of steady progress (researching new publications and sending out query letters). Finally set a long-term goal (a book or editing project). Set deadlines for each and ask a writing friend to hold you accountable.
  5. Plan a private writers’ retreat. This is an annual tradition for me. Every year I invite two or three friends to join me for a weekend getaway at a kind friend’s mountain house. We pack the books we never have time to read, our current work in progress, and lots of food and chocolate. We sequester ourselves in different rooms to pray, plan, and write, then come together for meals, brainstorming, and critiquing. While we never accomplish everything we hope, it’s wonderful to have an uninterrupted chunk of time to work.
  6. Think long term. There are several wonderful conferences in my area each year, and it’s unrealistic to expect to attend every one. If I do my research, plan carefully, and save intentionally, I can usually attend at least one. If you really want to attend a conference next year, start planning now. If finances are a challenge, divide the cost by 12 months (or 52 weeks) and begin saving that amount. The total often seems overwhelming, but when you break it down, it’s usually doable. For example, if a conference costs $800, you’ll need to save about $16 per week. This is the equivalent of one lunch out or a few lattes. And the next time your husband, mother, or children ask you what you’d like for your birthday or Christmas, tell them you’re saving to attend a writer’s conference and invite them to contribute to your fund.

Writer’s conferences are wonderful. Every time I attend, I come away inspired, educated, and motivated. They’re a great way to move forward as a writer, but they’re not the only way. If you implement even one of the suggestions I’ve shared today, you’ll begin to move forward on your writing journey. May God bless your efforts.Lori Hatcher headshot

Bio: Lori Hatcher is the editor of South Carolina’s Reach Out, Columbia magazine, and the author of the devotional book Joy in the Journey – Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. A Yankee transplant and a Christian Communicators Graduate, she uses her speaking and writing ministry to encourage and empower women. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time.

Thank you, Lori! I feel better already!

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Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We Need To Hear About Your Successes!

Hey there, writing friends. We want to know what you’ve been up to. Have you had something exciting happen recently in your writing or speaking life? Maybe you’ve had an article published, signed a book contract, released a new book, got an agent, or started a new blog. If so, we want to hear from you!

It’s really simple, but I do ask that you contact me with the info in this format and order ONLY:

**Your name
**Your state in two-letter abbreviation
**Link to your website or blog
**Your good news
**Link to your good news, if online (online bookstore, online article, etc)

I can’t wait for us to celebrate with you!

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mogo7000 logoAnd Who Worked on Their MoGo7000 in May?

If you wrote at least 7000 new words on a book project in May, you can receive an entry in the drawing for the 2014 MoGo7000 $100 cash prize! It’s open to everyone who qualifies.

To report your May results, please leave a comment below with your total new words written in May. (Please do not send your totals by email or through the Contact page. Totals must be left as a comment here by next Monday). 

If you missed out on last year’s money-winning writing challenge, don’t worry, the 2014 challenge is ongoing! Here are the MoGo7000 Challenge rules. All you have to do is write at least 7000 NEW words on a book project in any month and you’ll receive an entry into the end-of-the-year drawing for $100.

Each month that you qualify with 7000 new words, your name goes in the “hat” for the drawing. Reach the goal one month and you’ll have one entry. Meet it 12 months and you’ll have 12 entries!

So what are you waiting for? Get started now and you could have $100 this time next year. And it doesn’t cost you a cent. :-)

Patty Mason Know That book cover~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Who Won Patty Mason’s Book?

The winner is…Clella! Congratulations, Clella! Now, simply contact me with your snail mail address and the book will be on its way!

And I know many of you are going to want your own copy, so here’s a direct link for Know That I AM God workbook on Amazon. But to get the complete study, including the workbook and Leader’s Guide combo, along with the 10-week video series (taken from the book of Ezekiel), be sure to check out Patty’s Bible Studies section on her website at 

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Well, that’s it for this week. I hope to see you back on Friday for our Parting Words From The WORD…

Blessings,

Vonda

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