#TipfulTuesday Merry Christmas

#TipfulTuesday

Enjoy the blessing God has given. Merry Christmas from the Writer's Alley

This photo was taken of an alley in Jerusalem. Seemed fitting for today.

Photo by Mary Vee

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Mary's new release, Christmas With The Enemy, is available on Amazon.
EBOOK ON SALE FOR  $ 0.99!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Anticipation and the Writer

Photo by Master Isolated Images
freedigitalphotos.net

The emotions of the writer run the gambit. We get excited about new story ideas. We get frustrated when we get writer's block. We are ecstatic when we get a request for a full manuscript from an agent or editor. We wallow in the depths of despair when we receive a rejection in our email box. Up and down, up and down, our emotions ride the roller coaster.

But there is one emotion in the writing journey that we tend to overlook because it is subtle.

Anticipation.

When I hear the word anticipation, I am reminded of Christmas Eve long ago. While a pregnant woman was being settled by her husband into a stable, heaven awaited with bated breath for the coming of the Messiah on Earth.

Anticipation.

While a baby lay in a manger, shepherds were hurrying to find the Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Anticipation.

You know the feeling....it is the hopeful expectation of things to come. The longing for something better. The desire for something new and good to come our way. The hope of having our dreams fulfilled.

Writers await with anticipation on a daily basis. We hope for a completed manuscript. We desire contest wins. We anticipate publication. Anticipation keeps us going.

While we write with the expectation of having our dreams realized, so often we let fear and comparison cloud our view. It is like fog creeping across the land, clouding our path and slowing us down. We must learn to slow down and focus on the path. Just keep writing and enjoy the journey, letting the words flow from the heart. The fog will soon dissipate and the way will grow clear once again.

Kindle the fire of anticipation. Just as we should always anticipate the return of our King Jesus not just at Christmas, but all year long, we must keep the anticipation of our writing dream alive.

There is much to anticipate in the coming year. What are you anticipating?


***This post first appeared on The Writer's Alley in 2013.***

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, will release May 2019.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

Finding That Magic

Sometimes - especially in the middle of the holiday season - we put pressure on ourselves in all the wrong places. Have you felt that? The desire to make every moment count? Or maybe the desire to keep up with so-and-so and her Anthropologie dessert plates (because, hello, is there anything cuter than that Antro kitchen stuff)? We put so much of this pressure on ourselves, in fact, that we very quickly grow overwhelmed, and we lose the whole point. Celebrating the birth of our Savior and the abundant life He has brought into the world.

The same thing happens in our writing. Sometimes - especially if we've been doing this writing thing a while - we feel as if every page needs to be bestseller status in its very first draft. And so we become acquainted with the feeling of not-enough. Then pretty soon, our not-enough becomes not-at-all. And what started as a totally normal part of the writing process derails us to such an extent that we can't remember the last time we just sat down and wrote at all.

If you're feeling the tug of the not-enough's this season in your life, be encouraged to know God has said you are more than enough, through the grace He has offered. He has power, skill, breath and life for your story in abundance when you look to Him.

Be encouraged that like Christmas lights, our stories shine in between the dark spaces. Sometimes these are even dark spaces of our own lives - discouragement, rejection, failure, or even writer's block. Being too busy. Just to name a few.

But we must keep writing, friends, for the magic moments to come. We must keep telling stories through the dark spaces - because if we don't tell our stories, who will?

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

Pitfalls in Story Layering

#TipfulTuesday

Today's topic is Pitfalls in Story Layering

Quality stories have layers. That is just a fact. Readers want to know more than just the thin line leading MC from the first page to the last. We thicken that line with layers.

In today's example, I will not only provide an epic story with layers but also point out how the layering benefited the MC's journey. Within this discussion, you will see what must be included when layering to avoid pitfalls. 

Here is the story:

Scene

A very pregnant young woman, ready to give birth at any time, and her husband set out on a journey forced upon them by the King. They climb over mountains and through valleys sixty miles to the south of their home to a small village. When they reach the village, the husband stops at every inn, begging for a place to stay. He informs them of his wife's condition. Late that night, an innkeeper takes pity on them and allows them to stay in the stable. It was all he had. 

Scene

Far to the east, a group of scholars, very wise men, become intrigued by a certain star. Their studies reveal something special was happening to the west. Upon further examination, they determine the star points the way to a king. This is no ordinary king, but a special one. To visit such a king would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Without a moment's hesitation, they pack for a great journey, including valuable gifts to honor the special king. 

Scene

On a hill overlooking a small village, shepherds tend to the care of their sheep. Typically, these shepherds are not allowed in any village because, well, the truth is they smell terrible. At night they make a fire to keep warm and ensure all the sheep have a safe place for the night. While sitting around their campfire, an angel suddenly appears. The shepherds leap and back away, afraid at what might happen. The angel tells them not to be afraid. They would be privy to a special message. A grand announcement of an event taking place in the village that no one knows about. A Savior which is Christ the Lord is born. A host of angels join in the message, praising God for the grand event. After hearing the news, the shepherds could not contain themselves. They ran to the village to see the baby, telling everyone they met the great news. 

Here we have three distinct layers on one epic story, the birth of Christ the Savior. All three layers point to the one message, each filling in a grad story with deep colors, information, and details, giving us, the readers, a fuller sense of understanding.

You may know even more layers in this story. The wise men's visit with Herod, and etc.

The point here is that although each scene appears to have its own story they are all distinctly and completely related to the overarching story. God demonstrates not only a powerful message but also the perfect means to communicate that message.

From this, we can learn not only the Spiritual message but also principles of writing with layers.

~Mary Vee

#TipfulTuesday #Layers #amwriting #writing 

Photo by Mary Vee. How many layers do you see in the photo?

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Mary's new release, Christmas With The Enemy, is available on Amazon.
EBOOK ON SALE FOR  $ 0.99!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Thankful Writers-Raise Your Song!

#TipfulTuesday

Hey all! This is the week. 

Don't contain yourself. 

Don't hold back your harvest.

It's a great time to boldly blab/share/proclaim our praises to God for the bounty He's given us as writers.

T H A N K F U L

Qualifiers: 

1. Direct your comment to God 

2. No self-promotion

3. Nothing is too little. Nothing is too large.

BRING ON THE PRAISES FOR THE GOD WHO HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH.

I'll start:

Thank you, God, for the amazing Alley friends you've given us here on the Writers' Alley. Through them, we feel Your encouragement, smiles, mercy, grace, kindness, and so much more. We are blessed.

Okay, writers, your turn. Oh, and share this post. Let's inundate God with the praises He so deserves.

~Mary Vee

Photo by Mary Vee

#amwriting #ampraising #thankful #Thanksgiving #writers #kindredspirits #praises 

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Mary's new release, Christmas With The Enemy, is available on Amazon.
EBOOK ON SALE FOR  $ 0.99!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Congratulations, Christy Winners!

We at the Writer's Alley would like to congratulate all the Christy Award winners, several of whom are dear pals to us here at the Alley! Our own Laurie Tomlinson was there to celebrate Jaime Jo Wright's win in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category. Congratulations, winners and finalists! We admire the artistry and hard work you bring to our industry.

#TipfulTuesday Vital Ingredients For Writing Well

#TipfulTuesday Today I am presenting Vital Ingredients for Writing Well. 

1. A vital ingredient for writing well is social interaction. (Observation/ideas) Sometimes we feel solitude is most important in order to write. We want a quiet, uninterrupted time. Hemingway thought that as well. Rent a small cottage back in the woods, far away from everyone and everything then we can have blissful writing. Just like the grass is not always greener on the other side, this solitude may not always be wise. There are many advantages to getting out and socializing among the masses. We overhear one-liners, see clothing, watch gestures. The truth is--much of our writing has hit a rut. We smile. We walk. We .... repeat and are not challenged or inspired by fresh new ways of communicating. I recently saw a series of movies with writers as the main character. In every case, the writer walked away from their screen and went out among the masses to find, morph, and create.

2. A vital ingredient for writing well is building your platform. (Encouragement/Marketing) Here is a new idea for you: I attended a mini-conference a week ago and learned about Instagram pods from Cyle Young. Joining an Instagram pod is great for connecting, networking, and building numbers. After researching the details and examining the pros and cons, I chose to present it to you. Instagram users can join a pod in which other users have the same interest. Each member is expected to like the post of other users. Participating in one builds your numbers. If the pod is big, members will be busy, because members must like everyone's post. Still, this is a new networking opportunity, and when you no longer want to fulfill the commitment, leave the group.

3. A vital ingredient to writing well is participating in a critique group. (New and refining Ideas from others) You will be amazed how many of your ideas can be deepened, sharpened, and tweaked by fellow writers. I joined the ACFW main Critique loop. From there I requested to join a small group. I bounced to a few different groups before landing on the perfect one, the one I've been with for many years. Nearly every writing organization has a small critique group opportunity. It may be through your local chapter, or like ACFW, through the main loop. Contact your organization and ask! You might be surprised how easy it is to find one. 

To write stories, we need to have something to draw from. Experiences. Networking. Fresh ideas. Refined Ideas. New words. All of this only comes from walking away from the computer for a time and recharging. 

I'm so glad you chose to stop by the Alley today. Hopefully, this short time has refreshed your mind and has enabled you to return to your scene with vitality.

~MaryVee

Photo by Mary Vee-Samaria, A hillside by one of Herod's Temples, Israel

#TipfulTuesday #amwriting #TheWritersAlley #Writing #InstagramPods #CritiqueGroups @MaryVeeWriter 

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Mary's new release, Christmas With The Enemy, is available on Amazon.
EBOOK ON SALE FOR  $ 0.99!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION