Creative Advice

I didn’t start out wanting to write. In fact, it was only about seven or eight years ago that I felt the Lord confirming this was His calling for my life. Therefore, I don’t have a plethora of writing quotes to fall back on, especially beyond what my colleagues have shared.

So as I was praying about what to write, I heard a radio interview that stirred my heart. A Christian commentator was introducing a musician, saying how creative and talented this man was in a variety of areas. He then said, “…our creativity can be an act of worship.”

I liked that, especially in regards to writing. God has given writers a talent where they can use their creativity to weave facts and ideas and information into stories, articles, plays, and reports. When I use my writing talent with the knowledge that it comes from God, then I am in fact worshipping Him because I am using the gift He gave me.

So as you write, realize that you have been given a gift to use. Then use that gift in a positive way that would be pleasing to the Lord. You, too, can make your creativity an act of worship.

Contributed by Catherine L. Osornio

Just Do It!

One of the best tips about writing I’ve ever had is not really profound. But, it does guarantee a measure of success as a writer. The advice?
If you want to be a writer you have to WRITE! You have to write regularly.

Many people say they want to be writers but do everything else but write. They attend conferences about writing. They buy magazines about writing. They read books about writing but they never get around to writing!

It’s great to learn all you can about how to be write but one of the best ways to become an accomplished writer is to write! At some point you have to take all the things you’ve studied and apply them. No amount of learning can make up for simply sittting down and writing those words!

How much do you write? How often do you write? Like the Nike commercial says, Just do it!

Trying to JUST DO IT, Gloria

Never Too Late to Grow

Did you ever wish you’d heard certain advice years ago? That’s just the thought I often have of Nancy I. Sander’s book, Anyone Can Get Published—You Can, Too! A Practical Strategy for the Christian Who Writes. I often think of the book and the advice. The theme: don’t just write because the story is the dream on your heart, and don’t just write to get published—do both!

This has helped me more than any certain piece of advice I ever received. Don’t mistake me, writing takes a lot of study and experience to hone the craft. And we should always be working on improving, even if it means major changes in our technique. But while I continue to receive rejections on some of my heart-favorites, I now have a small collection of published material, from no-pay to good pay, to remind me to keep working and keep submitting.

Another favorite piece of advice: a note left on my desk by my husband several years before he went to be with the Lord. “Stir up the gift of God which is in Thee,” 2 Tim. 1:6 (KJV). I keep the note next to a small picture of him above my computer, thankful for his constant encouragement of my writing, and a reminder that any talent and desire is a gift of God, to be used for His glory.

Shirley Shibley

Do Not Be Afraid

The best advice I ever received as a writer was when the Holy Spirit led me to the Scripture, Isaiah 8:11-14a, NLT:

The Lord has said to me in the strongest terms: “Do not think like everyone else does. Do not be afraid that some plans conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you. Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe.”

Here is how the Holy Spirit spoke this Scripture into my writer’s heart:

The Lord has said to me in the strongest terms: “Do not think like every other writer does. Do not be afraid that some plan conceived by editors behind closed doors at a meeting in a publishing house will be the end of your manuscript or your career as a writer. Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you and your manuscripts and your career as a writer safe.”

Amen!

-contributed by Nancy I. Sanders

Live by the Writers’ Creed

I have the following writers’ creed on the first page of my blog:

When you’re learning—seek help.
When you’re published—pass it on.

I try to live by this advice as a writer. It’s sort of the pay-it-forward idea. Over the years, a number of authors and editors have guided and taught me (out of the goodness of their hearts) how to become a better writer. I’m so grateful they were willing to “pass it on,”  when I was seeking help!

As I continue to learn and grow from other experienced writers (that process should never end!),  I come across writers who are just beginning their journey or somewhere in the middle.  I consider the “pass it on” part of the writers’ creed to be a beautiful benefit and reward of being published. To me, it’s a joy to pass on what God has allowed me to learn and experience.

So, writers—let’s continue to “seek help” from each other and don’t forget to look for opportunities to “pass it on.” You’ll be blessed!

Sheryl

Advice From A Master

Our topic for July is advice to writers. Over the years, I’ve received a lot of good advice on writing from books, published authors, editors and agents.  But my very favorite advice was, and still is, the words I heard YA novelist Richard Peck say at the SCBWI annual summer conference in 1996.  He said:

“You can always cut ten more words from the tightest page you ever wrote.”

For me, this proved to be excellent advice, especially when I began writing short, short children’s fiction for the Los Angeles Times.  Depending on the editor and situation at the Times, these stories have ranged from 300-600 words, and they needed to be the exact word count. 

At first, I had dismissed what he said as impossible.  After all, once a writer has cut everything she can, how can she cut even more and still keep the story intact?  Well, faced with my word count for the Times being over the limit, I found that it can be done.  By reading and re-reading, I found that often one word could do the work of two, sometimes tags such as “he said” could be eliminated without destroying the continuity, and those pesky adverbs were still lurking in places I hadn’t noticed before!  It all worked towards creating a stronger story.

I have repeated this advice, with permission from Richard Peck and attributing it to him, in some of my own articles on writing and in presentations.  And Richard even invited me to do a mini-presentation on how his words had affected my work when he was doing an all-day SCBWI workshop in Pacific Palisades a few years ago.  A heady experience, for sure!

I continue to keep this excellent advice as my motto in all the writing that I do.

Contributed by Marjorie Flathers