An early giveaway drawing for "DawnSinger"

Enter to win a free copy of DawnSinger (available upon publication).

K. Dawn Byrd, Author: Clash of the Titles & Janalyn Voigt book giveaway

©2010 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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Reflections and Exciting New Beginnings

The holidays are almost over, the house cleaned and things put away. As I prepare for the New Year with friends, I find myself reflecting on this past year, putting into perspective achievements, things left undone and new goals for next year. Here are some of my reflections:

Writing and speaking goals:
· My focus has been to write everyday and improve my skills as an author. A new critique group gives me valuable feedback, insight and improvements to be made.

· My goal of finding a publisher for some of my articles was not met. I did, however, review and refine several potential articles. A goal for next year is to send one article a month to a publisher.

· I designed, wrote and delivered a new retreat/workshop, “Turn your Gravel Pit into a Beautiful Garden”. It is my platform of helping others turn their adversities, losses and struggles into productive and positive steps to living.

· My manuscript, “Healing the Wounded Heart”, was rejected by a publisher. I have made the decision to publish it on line and it will be available for purchase on my new website http://www.focuswithmarlene.com/ sometime early next year.

· With the help of a very dear friend, I learned to make podcasts for my old blog sites. My current blogs are now a part of my new website where I will continue to podcast. Just go to my website and click on either of the two blogs, Healing from Losses, or The Counselor is in for a new series on each blog starting in January.

· After many valiant attempts to navigate the internet system on my own, I finally made the wise decision to seek professional help. Thanks to Landy and Janet at Synergy Marketing I have a beautiful and more functional website.

Goals in only one area of your life leave you as lopsided as a flat tire. Personal, spiritual, health, educational and family goals are all important in the management of your time. Most of my goals in these areas have been met including finding a final resting place for my son, counseling individuals, facilitating a grief and loss group at my church and completing my final year on the church council. Many other goals at my church have been met through the variouis ministries that I have been involved in. A new hip replaced a painful old one and I am able to exercise again. Singing first soprano in two fine choral groups is a joy as I continue to study in this area.

In reflection I am pleased with my progress as a writer and look forward to making new goals for next year. It doesn't matter whether you meet all your goals; but it does matter that you make and work towards those goals.

I hope each of you can be pleased with the achievements and advancements you have made this year in all the areas of your life. I wish each of you a blessed New Year as you make exciting and challenging new goals.

©2010 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Things to Consider When Setting Writing Goals

Although I'm taking a break from blogging this week, I came across a post to share with you. I will add this site to Author Haven's blog roll, since it contains many valuable articles.

http://writersconferenceguidelines.com/blog/writers/what-will-you-do-in-2011-to-help-your-writing/

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Gifts

I love Christmas – the lights, the music, the gifts, and the anticipation of time spent with people I love. When I was younger, the gifts under the tree held the excitement of Christmas in the anticipation of “what will I receive!” As my children were growing up, it was the excitement I saw in their eyes as they opened their presents. Gifts my children gave me were like gold, made and given with loving hearts and hands - all they had - themselves. As I get older, Christmas becomes a time of deeper reflection of the greatest gift God gave us: His only son who came to teach us how to live and save us from our sins. It cost him his life.

As I reflect on the many gifts I have given and received at Christmas, I am reminded that perhaps the most important gifts we can give another are not the carefully chosen and budgeted gifts from the store, but time to listen, loyalty, love, understanding, grace and forgiveness.

Here are some other gifts that I am thankful for:

· Laughter. It is the balm that covers disappointments, shortcomings and failures. It turns them over and inside out so we can see how silly we are to put so much emphasis on things we have so little control over. It takes the sting out of grief and helps turn losses into wonderful memories.

· Work. What would we do with ourselves if we didn’t have the opportunity to work and achieve, have a focus and purpose in life?

· Choices. Every day I have the ability to choose how I will respond to life. What a great gift! It is in the challenges of life that I have the opportunity to grow and become a better person.

· Relationships and family. Death has taken people I have loved. But God has given me new relationships, and old relationships grow in depth, meaning and love; as has my relationship with God.

· The ability to create. We can create a new life, a new beginning, a new way to use our talents and abilities. How often we throw away our unique selves by comparing ourselves to others or trying to be like everyone else. It is exciting to uncover and develop the special gifts God has given each of us.

A gift isn’t something you earn or work for. A gift is something given freely out of love. May all of us unwrap and experience this Christmas the great gift of God’s love.

©2010 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Author Haven Follower Highlight: Jan Cline Created a Writers Mini-Conference

So many writers I meet long to go to a writers conference. Most of them are unable to make their dream come true due to the distance and expense. Personally, if I had the funds, I would be a conference junkie.

My first writers conference experience was at the NW Christian Writers Renewal in the Seattle area in May of this year. By the end of the first day my mind was spinning with thoughts of having a similar, but smaller event in the Spokane area. I spoke with another attendee from Spokane about putting one together, but neither of us could commit to the project at the time.

I continued rolling it around in my mind, knowing that if it was meant to be, God would bring it about, and let me know if I was to be involved. My vision of an affordable, yet quality mini-conference never left my thoughts and prayers.

Over the course of several months I was prompted from two different sources to move forward with my idea. I had a keynote speaker in mind, but wasn’t very confident he would say yes. He did. The ball has been rolling ever since, and here we are in the final planning stages of a Spokane mini-conference. Workshop leaders are being assigned, website up and running, forms and flyers are being created, and most importantly, the word is spreading.

This conference will be short but sweet and high on enthusiasm and talent. And our awesome speaker, Jim Rubart, author of ROOMS, is the perfect choice to christen this event. I hope you will consider joining us March 19, 2011 for this great time of instruction and fellowship. Supporting each other is an important element of the writing community. We hope to do that here in Spokane and the surrounding areas.

For more information and to register, go to http://www.inwchristianwriters.webs.com.

See you there!

Jan Cline

http://www.jancline.net

New Feature: On a regular basis Author Haven will run posts that are all about you, our cherished reader. Tell us how you have stepped out in faith to change the world around you, in ways big and small. Please be brief and remember to include relevant links and a good-quality picture of yourself.  Send your submission to Janalyn Voigt.

The Power of First Impressions

“Call me Ishmael…”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit…”

“In the beginning…”

What do the statements above have in common? (Jeopardy music plays quietly in the background) Have you figured it out yet? You’re almost there… YES! You’ve got it! These are the first lines from four of the most note-worthy manuscripts ever put to paper, the last being the best of all—the Bible.

The road a reader takes through the world of a writer’s imagination is filled with wonder and intrigue, mystery, romance, adventure and even magic. The reader will encounter fascinating people, mythical creatures and a wealth of mystifying locations that will suspend reality. Soon the reader is soaring on the wings of dragons and dancing in the moonlight to nature’s serenade. But how do they get in? The road is worth exploring, but the gate into your world is found on the first page—perhaps even the first line—and it must be inviting.

My first novel (though it remains unpublished) opens with a simple phrase: “All was dark.” However insignificant it might seem, it took me months to formulate that statement. The reason, you ask? I wanted an opening line that had the power to bring the reader right into the reality of my main character’s world. It was dark physically for it was night, but it was dark in every other way as well—socially, morally and spiritually. That first line needed to be the door by which the reader entered into the dissatisfaction of my character. So, instead of saying, “It was dark outside,” I wanted to embrace the entire continuum: “All was dark.”

Many writers are preparing for encounters with editors and agents, gearing up for conferences and appointments that might bring them into the strange world of the published author. The connection you make with that editor, the encounter you have with that agent is entered through the door of the first impression. Your novel is no different. If you want the reader to journey through the world of your imagination, give them a door that invites, perhaps even challenges them to enter the adventure that waits.

©2010
Rev. Michael Duncan

Purpose Focused Writing

Words and I have always had a close bond. I have kept a journal since I was 13 (and still have them locked away where NO ONE will ever see them besides me ;) ). Getting up on stage and performing in plays has always been a particular delight. Even just word games with the family, or playing with words, has provided me with joy.

Three years ago I began pursuing a full-time career as a writer. I wanted to make it as a writer, using those words that I love so much, but had the added pressure of my husband (the sole provider in the family) walking away from his teaching position to pursue a full-time drama ministry. The writing jobs that I accepted were simply ones that offered a paycheck.

Several months back, I remembered the main purpose behind my passion for words. God wove that interest and intrigue into my heart so that I would be in a place to fulfill HIS purpose for my life. I got lost in the money and missed the true value.

Writing for God sounds good, but most of us see it as an altruistic concept because the bank still wants money for the mortgage and the grocery store will NOT accept a Haiku as payment. Trying to balance purpose and paycheck can seem like an impossible task.

One question will answer it all: where is your focus?

I began focusing in on what I would write. There are certain topics and niches that drive me more than others and have I have even built blogs around some of them. The jobs that came along outside of those niches were allowed to keep going. I also spent more time talking to God about His Word and less about my needs, wants and desires. The more I concentrated on those passions God has placed in my heart and on who He is, the more opportunities began to open.

Discover YOUR Path

1. We may live in this world, but we are not of it. That means that while we have to pay bills, the bills can never become the driving force behind what we do. Find a way to keep the focus on the One True Point.


2. God provided a particular passion in each one of us. Even before the beginning of time, He knew where, when and how I would be. I have to unlock what He wove and begin to use it for His Glory. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God . . .” then the needs, wants and desires of my life will line up with His will and His provision.


3. Let each step be guided by the understanding that nothing belongs to me. My mother sends me out to purchase gifts for her grandkids. I look for the best deal and try to save her as much money as possible. After all, it is not my money that I am spending. If I only had that same attitude with all that I had in my life, only directed towards God, then my mistakes would be much fewer and much farther apart (one would hope).


4. Write to build up, encourage and grow others. Take the wants away from self and focus them on others. The quickest way to find your success is to help others find their success.

Do you have the focus that will drive you to your purpose?

Focus Makes a Difference

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Instant "Stress Busters"

A lot of stress is created by our reactions to whatever is happening around us. When a car cuts in front of me, my washing machine goes out just as the warranty expires and company is coming, or an employer refuses any time off around Christmas, I am reminded that in each of these and many other situations I have the ability to choose my response. It is in that response that I can either intensify my stress levels or reduce its impact. Developing “stress buster” skills can reduce the number of times stress is triggered. Here are some quick and easy “stress busters” for your holiday season:

· Don’t try to accomplish more than time reasonably allows. Consider blocks of time to coordinate outings. Pace yourself.

· Start the day with a “to do list” for that day. Prioritize. Be flexible. You might not be able to complete everything. That’s okay.

· Use waiting time to your best advantage. Carry a notebook with you. Write down ideas. When the mind is relaxed, it can become creative. Use such times to simply relax and de-stress.

· Accept delays as part of life. This week, a doctor’s appointment was over an hour late. I had the choice to either nurse my annoyance or think about ways to use the waiting time to my advantage. Events in themselves don’t create stress but our responses to them.

· Take some deep breaths. If everything is going wrong that can go wrong, stressing out will take away your ability to problem solve. Taking some quiet, deep even breaths allows you to think. Practice stress reduction techniques when life is not stressful so you can quickly apply the techniques during stressful times. Take time every day to sit quietly, breathe slowly, evenly and deeply while relaxing the parts of your body, allowing negative thoughts to flow away as you focus on pleasant things.

· Reframe situations. Unexpected demands or altered schedules over which you have no control can leave you feeling angry, irritated and even helpless. Reframing with empathy, grace, and understanding can take the sting out of disappointments, added pressures and demands.

· Laugh. Use humor to turn the situation inside out and on its head. Laugh at circumstances and at yourself – but not at another person. Make laughter a habit.

· Be sensitive to the stress of others. Offering understanding to another, who may be having an even tougher day than you, can reduce your own level of stress.

· Smile. Did you know that if a smile is held for a minute or two it can alter the chemicals in your brain? A smile is a huge stress buster. You can’t smile and be angry at the same time for any length of time.

· At the end of the day, evaluate what you have accomplished. Give yourself an “A” for all you have accomplished. Find something to laugh and feel good about at the end of the day.

· Before going to sleep, thank God for every blessing He gives us.

When I remind myself that God has given me all the time I need to accomplish things, I can apply life strategies to reduce stressful events, and relax in His love, His time and His strength.

©2010 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Novel Craft Workshop ~ Plotting: The (Dreaded) Middle

A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer.  ~Karl Kraus


Every road trip starts and stops at a definite location. That's the easy part. How to get from point A to point B can take a little figuring. There's almost always more than one possible route, each with its merits and drawbacks. The serendipitous discovery of a road less traveled may make all the difference or end in a time-consuming detour.


Mapping a route through so many possibilities is easier than it might seem when measured by the compass of your character's motivations. Give each of your characters ruling desires and fears that compliment your theme. For instance, if your theme is forgiveness your main character might desire revenge and fear becoming just like the person who offended him. Add nuances for deep characterizations for subtle twists. Perhaps, in the case above, the main character desires revenge for his abusive father's murder because he can't forgive himself for wishing his father dead. Or maybe he loved his father but never got the chance to tell him so and mend a broken relationship. Play with nuances until you find fine-tune your character's desires to best further your theme. 


Don't overlook that each and every character of substance will have guiding desires and fears. It's how they blend that shapes your plot. Does this sound difficult? That's why writing is an art dependent on the breath of inspiration. Much of this may come to you as you write and cause you to deviate from your plotted course. If you remain flexible, this won't disconcert you. Think of your plot just as you would any other map: as a guide.

Your main character should be on a course to achieve his or her greatest desire. This may or may not be your story's final destination. Through your story's difficulties your main character may develop a new ruling desire. As an example, when Scarlett O'Hara finally attains the desire of her heart, Ashley Wilke's love, she doesn't want it anymore. Why? Because her trials throughout Gone With the Wind have changed her forever from the besotted girl who would give anything for Ashley's love. This change of heart resonates with the reader and brings depth to Scarlett's character. It also introduces a plot twist that makes the book unpredictable and gives the reader a lot to ponder. 


Keep your destination in mind when the road branches before your main character. Each branch represents a choice. For an average-length novel, you'll want three or four crossroads. Offer a moral choice and a baser (selfish) choice. Each choice, as in real life, costs something and has rewards and consequences. That's not to say that the moral choice automatically provides a benefit. If it does, your story will be labeled "pat." Just as in real life, taking the moral high ground usually costs more and introduces conflict. Conversely, if your main character takes the low ground, life may at first seem to improve. This creates a different kind of tension as your reader waits for the lesson that is sure to come.  


Whatever branch your main character chooses, matters will get worse. The plot must thicken! To engage the reader, detour from attainment of your main character's greatest desire (or whatever other destination you have in mind) with obstacles that reinforce his or her greatest fear. In facing and overcoming that abiding fear your main character will change in a way that reinforces your theme and answers your story problem. 


Plotting a novel is a lot like planning a road trip. Once your journey is underway you can expect surprises, pleasant and otherwise. It's impossible to foresee every contingency, and that's all right. When you think about it, life would be pretty boring if we could. 

Homework

Drive your plot from Point A to Point B. I've scheduled a special post for next Tuesday and will resume the Novel Craft Workshop on Tuesday, December 28th with a post that will help you develop chapter outlines by drawing scenes from your completed plot outline.





© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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"Do you hear what I hear?"

"Do you hear what I hear?” So go the words of one of my favorite Christmas songs. Do you hear the baby Jesus, born in a stable on a cold winter’s night so long ago? His mother and father and shepherds heard. Later thousands of people would gather to hear Jesus speak on mountainsides, by the sea and in the little Galilean towns hoping to hear words of comfort, healing, hope and understanding.

Do you hear what I hear? It is a cry for us to listen to God’s voice as He calls to his people everywhere – to proclaim His son’s birth.

As a counselor I listen to people share their hurts and pains. Spouses attack and defend, slowly tearing the fabric of their relationship apart; not because they are mean spirited or uncaring, but simply because they do not know how to express or “hear” the need of each other. Fears of rejection run deep in the spirit of our subconscious and we keep them safely hidden. So we follow survival instincts, lash out and demand that we follow unrealistic expectations and rules. And communication comes to a standstill as we put the other on notice to change or else.

Jesus came to bind up the wounded. As people begged him to heal their physical ailments, it was their hearts that Jesus “heard” and responded to: the internal pain, anxiety and fear. And in hearing, told them that love was the answer – not murder or hatred or revenge or even divorce. Love your enemies; love your neighbor. He understood their pain. And he taught us that God loves us so much that He, Jesus, was sent to earth to show us that love through his death. His love is unconditional – we can’t earn it by following rules or through sacrifice; it is a gift He gave that night in a tiny baby in a stable long ago. With mud and spit and simple commands, Jesus healed physical bodies; but it was the healing of their hearts that made the difference. Healing starts when we put our injured lives at His feet and accept His healing love.

Do you hear what I hear? I hear people silently crying. I hear the wounded in spirit fearfully and with anxiety reach out to friends and family to be heard, loved and accepted instead of judged, dismissed or ignored. I hear the wounded lash out in anger. I hear the words of Jesus tell us to go out and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”; to clothe the poor and look out for the disenfranchised.

Do you hear what I hear? I hear a world crying to “hear” the words of Jesus through the actions of his followers. I hear the angels sing joyously. I hear the awed silence of simple and uneducated shepherds who somehow know that something special has just happened. I hear God whispering to us to listen to His son and to reach out and listen to those around us.

©2010 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Novel Craft WorkshopPlotting: Find Your Destination

I think I’ll invent a word that means yes and no, since I seem to use that phrase a lot: yo would work. Here’s an application: Is it true you should know your ending before writing your novel?  Yo. I’ll explain.

If you’ve developed your story idea with a theme and story problem, you should already have a good idea where your story is going. In short, you know what you want to say, or prove, with your story. This means you trend toward a destination as you plot, and this guides your choices.

You don’t necessarily need to know every little detail of how your story ends. I usually don’t. But I do know the address, if not the specific room number, in the It All Ends Here Hotel. There’s a popular misconception that authors who plot their novels know exactly where they are going and never vary from the path. At least for me, that’s not true. I cling to my plot outline as I traverse the often-murky woods of my storyline. With such a strong guide to follow, I’m less likely to go down rabbit trails that lead nowhere. If I do deviate from the path, it’s for a good reason, and I don’t stray far.

My having thought things through helps me avoid moving huge amounts of text in the revision process. It’s true that the better I plan, the less I need to change course, although I still have the freedom to do so should inspiration strike. For example, in DawnKing, book two of my Tales of Faeraven trilogy, my story took a detour into the Vale of Shadows, a place I didn’t know existed within the world of Elderland. Looking back, my plot was a bit thin in that spot, and my mind filled in the missing details as I wrote.

I’ve also experienced plot changes due to character shifts. Next week I’ll cover how to develop the middle of your plot using character arcs.    

Action Step

Decide the destination that will best prove your theme and solve your story problem. Stretch yourself as you consider various options. Don’t worry that you don’t yet know how you will reach your ending. Just choose one that rings true and intrigues you most.

© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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Bestselling Authors Join Forces Again Call-Ins Welcome

Comment for a chance to win the giveaway for your choice of 90 Minutes in Heaven or Christmas Miracles! Be sure and leave a valid email address in a format that will discourage spammers (example: name at gmail dot com).

 

Don Piper

Getting to Heaven: Departing Instructions for Your Life Now,

by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey

is set to release on March 1.

Cecil Murphey

Sign up for a monthly newsletter or learn more about Cec atwww.cecilmurphey.com

Show Details:

Tune in to Cec And Me every Tuesday evening, 7-8 CT/8-9 ET athttp://toginet.com/shows/cecandme/.

The call-in number is 877-864-4869.

All shows archived for your listening pleasure.

Twila Belk

More information can be found atwww.gottatellsomebody.com. 

(Bettendorf, IA) — Name that title. This book is now in its fifth year on the New York Times' bestseller list. It's sold more than five million copies and has been translated into 40+ languages. A feature film is in the works. The book?90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey.

Piper will join Murphey on the new Toginet online radio show, Cec And Me on Tuesday, December 7th. Tune in to learn how the authors connected—the birth of a multi-book project and their mutually-respected relationship. 

Listeners are welcome to call in with questions or comments, with opportunities to win free books. Piper and Murphey offer comfort and wisdom from their vast source of life experience with heartache, pain and loss. These men live out the phrase, “I feel your pain.” This show is certain to deliver grace-filled strength.

More about The Cec And Me Show:

Billed as a delightful, thoughtful, serious, and not so serious call-in show with Cecil (Cec) Murphey and Twila Belk, the show promises a blend of fun and a variety of topics, including tough issues such as cancer, caregiving, and sexual abuse, as well as lighter topics such as writing and Christmas miracles. 

The far-reaching, refreshing, faith-based, shared conversation and call-in show offers:

• An inside look at the “Man Behind the Words.” This patriarch in the publishing industry shares from his life of words—over 100 books and going strong.

• Special guests who've been impacted by Cec in some way—people who in turn impact others—authors, speakers, pastors, ministry leaders and more.

• A wide range of topics—tough issues, practical helps, encouragement, inspiration, hope, and some fun thrown in for good measure.

• The opportunity to call in with your questions and comments.

About Cecil (Cec) Murphey

Murphey is an international speaker and bestselling author who has written or co-written more than 100 books, including Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). His books have sold millions and have given hope and encouragement to countless people around the world. Many writers claim Murphey as their mentor or the father of their writing. 

About Twila Belk

Belk is a writer, inspirational speaker, and conference director who also works fulltime with Murphey as his manager and personal assistant. She serves as the show’s host.

  

Check out this clip for more details of Cec And Me:

YOU TUBE

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So You Want to Write a Novel

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Forgiveness - God's Gift

We are entering a season of joy – the joy of the birth of our savior who came to redeem us from our sins and set us free. In that redemption is the forgiveness of our sins.

In June of this year, I wrote a blog about forgiveness, sharing some of the principles and methods Dr. Luskin put in his book, “Forgive for Good.” I questioned whether I should revisit the subject. Why is it so important that we forgive? And why would a psychologist writing a doctoral thesis write about forgiveness? I decided it was important to revisit this subject.

Forgiveness is a concept I believe we resist because we believe that when we forgive we are letting the perpetrator get off scot free. Yet there are consequences to our actions, even when forgiveness is given.

Your immediate response might be: “Okay, I can let go, but asking me to forgive is just too much. What that person did was unforgivable”. Or, “You don’t understand, he ruined my reputation. You don’t understand, I suffered abuse at the hands of my father for years. You don’t understand, I pay the price for what that person did to me every day of my life.” Yet Jesus told us to forgive; not just once but 70 x’s 7. Why?

Dr. Luskin’s writes that forgiveness is not “condoning unkindness, inconsiderate or selfish behavior of someone who hurt you” or “minimizing or denying” your hurt. It doesn’t even mean you have to reconcile with the offender, or re-establish a relationship with that person, although it opens the door for that possibility. And it is there that God, I believe, wants to take us – to the door of possibilities.

What is forgiveness? And why is it so important to our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health? When we continue to replay our hurts over and over again, we develop what Dr. Luskin calls a “grievance story”. In that story we are justified for feeling hurt. The problem is we replay it over and over again and now we continue to hurt ourselves. As time goes on, we give our stories more time and credence. In some cases, they become pervasive and all consuming. Why forgive? Because when we don’t, we continue to victimize ourselves.

Forgiveness is a conscious choice. You decide you no longer want to hang onto your hurt or give it anymore time and attention. You no longer want to continue the investment in energy it takes to hang onto it or continue to revisit the hurt and pain. And in that conscious choice, you have begun the process of healing and experiencing peace.

Grievance stories are created because our expectations of what people should, must and have to do create rules that cannot be broken; the more rigid the rules and expectations, the deeper the resentment and the greater the wound. But not everybody lives by our rules and expectations.

How much time and energy do you have invested in your story? How often do you revisit your grievance? When you do, do you immediately feel the anger, self hatred, indignity, and other intense emotions connected with it? As we retell our stories, we continue to embellish them. They no longer are a thing of the past, but are a living part of today.

Forgiveness means that although we can’t change the past, we can accept it and move on. Forgiveness is saying you no longer will allow what happened to affect your life. That includes forgiving yourself.

©2010 Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC