Writer Mama September 30

Christina at the Writer Mama has (pardon the pun) the Mama of all Prizes to conclude her month of giveaways.

So far the number generator has hated me; perhaps today will be my lucky day!

The question:

Who do you want to thank for the writing career/journey success that you’ve experienced thus far? This can be family, friends, pets, mentors–anyone who’s made a difference. Go ahead and thank them here. An attitude of gratitude magnetizes success, in my experience. (My list is about a mile long at this point, so mind the word-count.)

The answer:

I would like to thank my best friends Roma and Valerie, who think I am the best writer ever! They love me and support whatever I do. I’d also like to thank my family, without whom I would not have good writing material. Other people I’d like to thank: my few but faithful blog fans, my Shepherd girls at the Women at Home Ministry, Taffy Cannon at Long Ridge for encouraging me in my nonfiction pursuits, and author Meredith Efken, for introducing me to American Christian Fiction Writers.

Thanks, Christina, for the chance to enter your contest so often. I've appreciated your prompts and all the prizes are wonderful. I forgive your number generator for choosing some people more than once. I know it's not your fault ;-)

Baby Steps

I applied to be in a critique group through ACFW.

Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.

Edited to add: I was accepted and placed in a group! The rubber will meet the road soon, to borrow yet another cliche...

Do not throw away your confidence

I thought I should redirect you to Beth Moore's Living Proof blog for today.

It had my answers.

I need a plan

I need a plan. A writing plan. To get a novel written to submit to the ACFW Genesis contest. Or to at least have a paid critique before next September 2008's ACFW writing conference.

To that end, I might still join National Novel Writing Month, but I'm not sure. It is a good goal, 50,000 words, but I've failed 3 times in the past. I'm horrible with failure.

Maybe I'm only meant to be a reader, not a writer.

Writer Mama September 26

The Writer Mama Question of the Day:

Have you ever had a short story published? How about a novel? Please describe how it feels for you when you write fiction. If you wanted to write more (or any) how would you create enough time and mental space in your already busy life to finish a polished manuscript?

My answer:

No, I have never had any of my fiction published. In fact, I've been going through a crisis of belief, if you will, that I'm even meant to write fiction. I was a part of a writer's group of mostly older folks a couple of years ago, and the one compliment I consistently had in my fiction was that I had a good grasp of dialogue.

I'd love to write more, and I'm hoping that I can learn how to carve writing time out of my busy days, and have mental space to create the stories that are running around in my head.

CCW 12

That means it's time for installment #12 in the Carnival of Christian Writers!

Click HERE to see what's going on in the world of Christian writing!

ACFW 2008

American Christian Fiction Writers conference in September 2008 will be in Bloomington, Minnesota, the home of the Mall of America.

I am very excited because this increases my chances exponentially of being able to go, because the Twin Cities are within driving distance of me, and I have family there!!!