Monday Milestones

From Iola Goulton @iolagoulton

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2019!

In Monday Milestones, members of the Beyond the Borders zone of American Christian Fiction Writers share their latest achievements.

Click here for more information on joining American Christian Fiction Writers. In case you were wondering, Beyond the Borders covers all members outside the USA—there are almost 100 of us, from over a dozen different countries.

Onto our Monday Milestones!

Cover Design Award

Grace in the Shadows by Christine Dillon won a gold star for cover design in the September e-Book Cover Design Awards from Joel Friedlander. Christine's cover designer is Joy Lankshear of Lankshear Design, and it is the second of Joy's covers for Christine to receive the coveted gold star.

Joel says:

A gorgeous and perfectly executed cover for this inspirational story. The controlled color palette helps focus attention on the 2 figures, and the graceful tone of the design is emphasized by the careful typography

Works in Progress

David Rawlings has submitted his second novel, The Camera Never Lies, to his publisher, Thomas Nelson. Here's the quick description:

A successful marriage counselor, whose own marriage is falling apart is given an old SLR camera. Each time he uses it, it reveals another of his secrets, and he has no idea who is doing it.

Awards

There aren't any awards to announce this month, but if you're an unpublished writer you'll want to enter the Genesis Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. Entries are open, and close on 15 March 2019. Click here for more information.

Conferences

If you're a Christian writer based in the South Pacific, here are two writing conferences you'll want to check out:

Omega Writers Conference

US Christian literary agent and publisher Steve Laube will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Omega Writers Conference. As far as I know, Steve is the first US-based agent to visit one of our conferences, and this is a great opportunity for Christian fiction writers to connect with one of the most influential people in the industry.

The conference will be held in Sydney, New South Wales, from 11 to 13 October 2019.

To find out more, click here to join Omega Writers.

Romance Writers of New Zealand Conference

This isn't a Christian conference, but one of the keynote speakers this year is USA Today bestselling Christian author and publisher, Melissa Storm of Sweet Promise Press.

The conference will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 23 to 25 August 2019.

To find out more, click here to visit the RWNZ website.

Congratulations, everyone!

That's all for this month! Do you have any writing or publishing achievements to share?

A Short History of ICFW ... and The Future

By Iola Goulton

One of the many hats I wear is Zone Director for the American Christian Fiction Writers Beyond the Borders group, which is for ACFW members living outside the United States of America. We have around 100 members, from over a dozen countries. Most are from Canada, but we also have members from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Mozambique, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the Virgin Islands, and the United Kingdom.

Part of my role includes contributing to and helping organise the International Christian Fiction Writers blog, along with Narelle Atkins and Jenny Blake.

ICFW was started in 2009 by twenty-one members of the Beyond the Borders group, most of whom were writing for (or aspiring to write for) one of the main US-based Christian publishers. Author websites and group blogs were a fairly new innovation, and it made sense for this group of international authors to band together to try and reach readers interested in novels by international authors or featuring international settings (or both).

Many of those early posts have had single-digit views, as is common for new blogs. But some have been read hundreds and thousands of times over the years. For example, The Battle of Blood River by Shirley Corder has been viewed over 5,000 times. Many other posts have been viewed over 1,000 times.

There are now almost 2,500 posts on the blog. 

The blog has evolved over the years as contributors have joined and left, but the premise is the same: Christian authors writing stories in international settings. But what started as a blog focused on reaching readers has slowly turned into a blog that’s a little more writer-focused than intended.

And, if we’re being honest, the blog branding is tired. The main brand image has been updated to include new bloggers (including yours truly), but the essential look hasn’t changed in eight years. That’s about eight decades in internet time.

It’s time for a refresh.

We are going to be rolling out some changes here at ICFW. We’re not changing everything. We’ll still be right here, at http://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com. We’ll still be posting every weekday. And we’ll still have a devotional post each Friday.

But we won’t be having the weekly Sunday Edition post any more. It doesn’t get many views—I suspect people want to see what’s on the blog today, not what’s coming up tomorrow. I know I do.

We’ve introduced a tagline: Connecting Readers and Writers Around the World.

That’s what we want to do: talk about books. And reading. And topics related to books and reading. Because we love books. And reading. We love talking about and introducing people to our favourite books and authors.

We want to introduce US readers to international authors and settings. We want to introduce non-US readers to books set in their home country. Okay, some of the books we feature will be set in the US, but that’s because the US is an international setting to most of us. We want to connect readers and writers from around the world over our love of reading. Because the best writers love to read.

We will be having themed posts Tuesday and Wednesday: Bookish Tuesday and Wandering Wednesday. We’ll also have a monthly New Releases post (and maybe even some giveaways).

The most noticeable change will be the look—we’re currently testing new colours, fonts, and images, and will be rolling out the new look across the blog over the next week or so (we've already updated Facebook and Twitter, and we even have a group board on Pinterest). Meanwhile, here’s a taster:

What do you think? What would you like to see more of here at International Christian Fiction Writers?

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

How to Stay Authentic in a Counterfeit World

By Jebraun Clifford

There’s something attractive about authenticity.

People crave the real thing.

Being real is engaging. Being real is endearing. Being real is essential.

But at the same time, another force exists. Working against authenticity, against real, is another concept.

Imitation.

I see this battle between real and imitation at the grocery store.

At the back of the store, in the refrigerator section, sits a wonderful concoction made of real milk carefully cultured and aged into a magical substance called cheddar cheese. It’s beautifully tangy and sharp and tastes delicious sliced onto crackers or sprinkled over nachos. Melted in a toasted cheese sandwich. Whisked into a sauce to pour over broccoli or other vegetables (can you tell I was hungry when I wrote this post?!?).

On the other hand, sitting somewhere sad and lonely, is a particular product.

In a can.

Bland.

Soulless.

Fake.

This…stuff…thinks it’s cheese, but we all know better. It’s mostly salt, oil, and artificial flavouring with a leetle bit of dairy thrown in as an afterthought—and if you’re a lover of cheese-in-a-can, then I apologise for maligning your very poor taste in snacks. But I gotta ask, why would you choose the imitation when the real thing is so much more…real?!?

The battle between the authentic and the counterfeit area extends to other arenas, too.
Every day, we experience pressure to take the easy way, the fake way. So how can we stay authentic? When we remember who we really are. When we’re consistent with our goals and values. And especially when we silence the temptation to compare ourselves with others.

Identity vs. image

My husband preaches a lot about identity and why it’s important to Christians. We need to remember who we really are: sons and daughters of God! Chosen, blessed, and accepted! We only have to read the beginning of Ephesians to get a glimpse of these promises.

But sometimes, we trade this amazing identity of who God says we are for the poor shadow of image, or who we want people to think we are.

There are some crucial differences between identity and image. Identity is effortless. God says it, so that’s who we are. But maintaining an image is hard work. We’ve got to constantly be on our toes, projecting a fake picture, hiding our thoughts and emotions and all the little quirks that make us a unique person. What’s more inauthentic than somebody pretending to be somebody else? You are obviously the only you in the entire universe. You matter. You are important. You play a vital role in God’s Kingdom. Don’t forget it!

What do we hold close to our hearts?

I chatted with a friend recently who quit her job. She realised she forced herself into a situation that betrayed the very values she held dear. Her job wasn’t unethical or anything, but she felt she was turning into somebody else because she was promoting ideals that weren’t really hers.

Can anybody else relate?

If we don’t have a firm grasp on our identity, it’s easier to push aside our true values and adopt what everyone else is doing. But stopping for a moment, taking stock of where we’re at and what we’re doing, making sure it aligns with the things that are important to us, can help us stay authentic.

Comparison is the thief of authenticity

This one is hard. As I scroll through Facebook or Instagram and see all the amazing things other authors are doing, I can get really down on myself.

I should be posting awesome pictures of the books I’m reading in front of my bookshelves!

Why aren’t I collecting Funko Pop figures of all my favourite characters?

When will it be my turn to share a photo of me signing a book contract?

These comparisons slowly erode my confidence in my authentic self. I stop striving to be me, and I start wanting to be like them. I want my platform to be as big as their platform, my writing style to be similar, my success to be like their success…the list could go on and on.

I want to imitate them instead of being me. But whilst imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, it’s also the quickest killer of authenticity.

This comparison game is also closely linked to our identity.

I heard another pastor recently talking about the Tower of Babel. He found it interesting that the people in Genesis 11 specifically chose to build with bricks rather than stones. He surmised it was because bricks are uniform and therefore easier and quicker to build with.

Whereas one brick can easily be exchanged for another identical brick, stones are uniquely shaped. 

Each on is different. It takes time and skill to fit stones together properly. A builder has to look carefully at each one to discover exactly where it will fit in best.

The truth is, we can’t be exchanged, one person for another, which is what we say when we compare ourselves to others. So climb out of the comparison trap to find your true self (and I’m telling this to myself as much as you).

Bottom line?

I want to interact with authentic people. And I want to be an authentic person. Living a life of authenticity can be difficult but it means seeking your identity in Christ, staying true to your core beliefs, and not comparing yourself to others.

What about you? What do you find keeps you from staying authentic?

About Jebraun Clifford

Jebraun Clifford always wanted to step through a door into an imaginary kingdom, so it’s no surprise she now calls Middle Earth home. Too short to be an elf and too tall to be a Hobbit, she lives in a gorgeous town smack-dab in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island filled with thermal activity, stunning lakes, and enough Redwoods to make her Californian heart swoon.

Her unpublished YA fantasy, The Two Queens of Kyrie, won both the American Christian Fiction Writer's 2015 First Impressions contest and the 2016 Genesis contest. She loves coffee, tree ferns, dark chocolate, and Jesus, and harbours a secret penchant for British spelling.

Connect with her on:
Website: https://jebraunclifford.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jebraun.clifford.author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeb_clifford/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jebclifford

To Be or Not To Be A Potbelly Stove

By Anita Mae Draper

Raise your hand if you've read a piece of historical fiction and found fault with it. Can you see both my hands waving high in the air? I'm ashamed to say I've not only found what I considered inaccuracies, but I've actually told the authors (friends of mine) what I found. One laughed it off because she'd discovered it too late, and the other disagreed with my finding saying there has to be some leeway in fictional writing.

As my stories started their publishing journey, my biggest fear was that someone would find a major flaw in my historical facts. But who is to say what is a true fact? As God's creation, we are all unique in what we see and process. Two people can witness the same event and then report it differently based on what they perceived. The New Testament is a good example of this where we find the same story of Jesus' birth, repeated several times, yet each is different in details depending on what the writer either saw, or what he decided was more important to write about.

This blog reaches people around the world. As such, we can look at the same item, yet call it by different names. How do you choose which word to use? The solution is to cater to the intended readership, right? But what if today's wording is different than what is historically known? If this sounds confusing, look at this image:

Potbelly Stove in Railway Station, WDM North Battleford

I took the photograph of a potbelly stove in a railway station waiting room at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. It's the stove type I envisioned for my latest novella, Love in Store. The stove would be a fixture in my hero's store and is quite suited to the setting of 1890 Montana. 

However, as I worked on the final edit, I decided to see if it was called a potbelly, pot belly, or pot-bellied stove. Guess what? I couldn't find reference to any of those terms. Here's what I did find:

Sentinel, Large Cannon Stove.
Source: 1888-9
Superior Stove Catalogue

Pug, Globe Heater.
Source: 1890-1 Illustrated Catalogue of
Favorite Stoves and Ranges

Both of the above catalogue descriptions refer to it as a cannon stove and globe heater. My research in journals and writings of the time commonly refer to it as a globe heater or parlor stove. Potbelly doesn't appear until the 20^th century. And surely I didn't read everything from that period in history.

So what was I supposed to call the potbelly-shaped stove in my story? If I described it as a cannon stove or globe heater, would today's readers know what I meant? Would they skip over it, or would they stop reading and wonder about it? For the full impact of the story, I didn't want them to stop reading. But if I called it a potbelly stove, would I be accused of not staying true to historical facts?

After agonizing for hours, I left it alone. Perhaps someone will mention it someday and say I was wrong. Hopefully, I'll smile and think back to when I did the same to another writer or two. May God give me the grace to ignore what doesn't matter, so I can enjoy historical fiction for what does.    

What do you call such a stove?

For a chance to win a print copy of The Secret Admirer Romance Collection, check out my Contests & Giveaways page.

The Secret Admirer Romance Collection is available wherever Christian books and ebooks are sold including Amazon.com.

Anita Mae Draper writes her historical romances under the western skies of the Canadian prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details. Her Christian faith is reflected in her stories of forgiveness and redemption as her characters struggle to find their way to that place we call home. Anita loves to correspond with her readers through any of the social media links found at www.anitamaedraper.com.

Readers can enrich their reading experience by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her published stories at www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper.

Launching Your ‘Self’ without Losing Your Soul

By Elizabeth Musser

Earlier this month I launched my new novel, The Long Highway Home. I’ve been writing novels for 20+ years and have always felt a bit overwhelmed by the business side of the writing life, but now the possibilities and choices and things we could and should do are completely endless.

We must keep up with our Facebook Author Page, our Facebook Street Team Page, our Mail Chimp Author Letter, our Author Website, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Zoom, Skype, Google Docs, Goodreads, and the list of social media options just grows. Then there are blog tours, interviews, reviews, Q and As and this isn’t even getting to the paid ads on BookBub and all the other stuff out there.

Mind-boggling. And potentially soul-losing. 

I mean, how many of us are just jumping up and down saying, “Hooray, I get to talk about myself and my book all day long every day EXCEPT I have to make it sound like I’m not talking about my book and myself and not begging people to actually BUY my book. No, I’ll put it on sale, give it away, throw it at you! Wow, this is FUN!”

And it can get so completely time-consuming that we don’t have time actually to write. But wait—what was our calling? To write—right? Write???

But the book needed to be launched. 

So I hired this amazing young woman who for four months has helped me with marketing the book. Then we officially launched it at a crazy-fun Facebook Party. I even did four Facebook Live talks during the party. Considering I only inherited my sister-in-law’s smart phone a few weeks earlier and had no idea how to use it, much less Facebook Live, that was a minor miracle.

So anyway, I was sitting in a mind-numbed state the day after the party, still reading the hundreds of comments that readers had typed to our questions and giveaways, exahusted but so thankful. I had NOT lost my soul to this book business. I had even enjoyed many parts of it. And I felt, most importantly, that I had honored God in the midst of it.

How did this happen? 

Well, I had sent out an SOS prayer request a month or two ago to my prayer warriors to pleasepleaseplease pray that I would approach this whole launch thing the way the Lord wanted.That I would ONLY receive each day what was given to me from heaven to do (see John 3: 27). Good ole John the Baptist said it first ,and I figured he had a pretty good idea of what he was supposed to be doing.

Now he could have gotten jealous or bitter or crazy overwhelmed by his job. But he didn’t—even though it cost him his head. Why?

Because he was just receiving what he was given to do from God.

Later, the day after the party, I was talking to my husband on the phone—me in France, him in the US. He’d been on a crazy adventure of his own (but he’d managed to ‘attend’ my party, bless his soul). I made the mistake of having my computer opened as we were talking, and an email popped up. It was from a French woman who attended a church we used to work in. She had forwarded my latest Mail Chimp reader letter (talking about my book launch) and written above it (in French)—“If your only email contact with me is to ‘toot your own horn’, then thanks for taking me off your list.”

And I was devastated.

In my exhausted and less-than-super-spiritual state, I was tempted to fire back, “Um, I have no idea why you’re on this list—you don’t speak English, do you? And by the way, the only people on this list signed up themselves because they wanted to receive news about my books. Idiot! And also, if you could read English, you’d see that YOU can unsubscribe yourself!”

Thank the Lord, I was still on the phone with my husband who said something very spiritual and calming like, “Uh, honey, I don’t think you need to answer her. Just take her off the list.”

I stewed for a little while. But people were still praying for me (especially my husband!) And so I followed his advice. I unsubscribed this woman (hoping that my computer or Mail Chimp didn’t think I was unsubscribing myself—you never know how those things work), and I sent the ‘read receipt’ she’d requested, and I didn’t say another word because I was ONLY receiving what was given to me to do from heaven.

I have found that this is indeed the ONLY way to keep my head on (and admittedly, John the B lost his, so who knows what could happen eventually) in the roller-coaster ride of the writer’s life.

What about you?

About Elizabeth Musser

ELIZABETH MUSSER writes ‘entertainment with a soul’ from her writing chalet—tool shed—outside Lyon, France. Elizabeth’s highly acclaimed, best-selling novel, The Swan House, was named one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year and one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years. All of Elizabeth’s novels have been translated into multiple languages. The Long Highway Home has been a bestseller in Europe.

For over twenty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions’ work in Europe with International Teams. The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren who all live way too far away in America. Find more about Elizabeth’s novels at www.elizabethmusser.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. See photos from scenes in The Long Highway Home on Pinterest.

About The Long Highway Home

Sometimes going home means leaving everything you have ever known.

When the doctor pronounces ‘incurable cancer’ and gives Bobbie Blake one year to live, she agrees to accompany her niece, Tracie, on a trip back to Austria, back to The Oasis, a ministry center for refugees that Bobbie helped start twenty years earlier. Back to where there are so many memories of love and loss…

Bobbie and Tracie are moved by the plight of the refugees and in particular, the story of the Iranian Hamid, whose young daughter was caught with a New Testament in her possession in Iran, causing Hamid to flee along The Refugee Highway and putting the whole family in danger. Can a network of helpers bring the family to safety in time? And at what cost?

Filled with action, danger, heartache and romance, The Long Highway Home is a hymn to freedom in life’s darkest moments.

Our Writing Leaves a Legacy

By David Rawlings

By Rama, via Wikimedia Commons

We sat in the school’s music suite, a collection of proud and patient parents as a parade of emerging musical ability inched its way onto the stage before running off in relief. The last of the shrieking violins had been silenced – thankfully – and the last squeaking echo of the clarinets had dissipated. To the delight of some parents who checked their phones, anxious to move on with what was left of their day, there was only one remaining performer.

A senior student, punctuated by his acne and red hair refusing to co-operate, shuffled to his place behind the grand piano. He placed a well-thumbed folder of music on the stand and placed his fingers on the keys.

Then he stopped. Swallowing rising emotion, he blinked out into the glare and gave a hesitant introduction to his piece: in light of the passing of Leonard Cohen he wanted to play a tribute. With a deep breath, his fingers moved and the suite was filled with the opening chords of the haunting Hallelujah.

What happened next was truly magical.

The young man at the piano closed his eyes and broke into the first verse. His voice cracked, not from puberty but from emotion, as he paid – and played – his tribute.

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord

The quips from the back rows fell silent as the senior students stopped critiquing their colleagues’ performances. The toddlers complaining about an hour-long concert without one Wiggles or Elmo song were quiet and sipped at their juice boxes as they peered over their seats at the young man spotlighted in the dim light.

The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

The young man sang on, his eyes closed and his fingers feeling their way through the emotive bridge of Cohen’s classic. He paused as he arrived at the first line of the chorus and the fifty or so parents in the music suite joined him, their gusto picking up with each repetition.

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-jah

Creativity from thirty years ago came alive. The author had just died, but his song powered on in the chorused voices in that music suite. The song had outlived its author and his creation was again brought to life in the shadow of his death.

I thought back to the authors I’ve enjoyed over the years. Robert Ludlum. Charles Dickens. Mark Twain. George Orwell. Arthur C Clarke. Douglas Adams. Harper Lee. St. Paul. All gone, but I still enjoy their creativity today.

This is more than writing. When we finish our manuscript, we are leaving a legacy that will outlive us and be enjoyed by people who may not yet part of the human race.

That has blown my mind.

I’m not suggesting at all that any of us will write the bestsellers of Ludlum, the classics of Dickens, the satire of Adams or the perception of Orwell. But when we’re long gone, someone will pick up our creativity and bring it to life. Even if it’s just a family member doing some research on your branch of the family tree and stumbling on your self-published work, your story will outlive you. It’s storytelling as it has been for generations, it’s just that today it appears on screen, in Microsoft Word or Scrivener.

That’s a special thing about what we do, and it’s important to remember, particularly in an age of fleeting tweets, half-thought-out posts and a tsunami of online information that sweeps away all the statements that came before it.

Talk is cheap, but your stories are invaluable. So write on.

About David Rawlings

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, I am a sports-mad, married father-of-three with my own copywriting/communication business who reads everything within an arm’s reach. I can see a typo from across the room and always – always – make sure my text messages are grammatically correct.

Oh, and I love cooking, comedy and surfing. Over 25 years, I’ve made writing my career and paid the bills with words. It’s not a big leap from the six-year-old writing short stories instead of doing homework.

Should You Be Writing? by David Rawlings

For the past few months, I’ve had a thought at the back of my mind, casting a long shadow of doubt over my confidence. You see, seven weeks ago, I entered my manuscript into the Genesis competition at American Christian Fiction Writers.

I’ve been through seven-week waits before – everything from bank approvals to finance a family home to hoping my football team would finally win another game. But this one has been far more intense. From the moment I clicked “send” on my entry to now, that long shadow of doubt has stretched across my thinking. Should I have changed that first line? Should I have given my character another name or tried to shoehorn in some kind of romance/fantasy/sci-fi/young adult angle, just in case? (My book is contemporary fiction.)

So why is the wait so difficult? Surely it’s just a competition, whereby someone wins and countless others don’t. I’ve entered competitions since I was a kid, cutting out coupons from cereal boxes or carefully coloring in between the lines. I know how it works. But none of those competitions came with this kind of . . . what?

Then God revealed a word to me: Validation. This was important to me because it seemed if I could be deemed a Finalist, then I could confidently call myself a writer. Validation is a current that runs through our world. People seek to be validated about their looks, their careers, their possessions, their opinions, and their connections. The media is crammed with it; social media drips with it.

I’ve come to realize this is especially the case in the creative field. Writers, painters, artists, and dancers, we all need acceptance, not just for what we do, but for who we are, which is often defined by what we do.

This is strange for me. I’m ALREADY a writer. I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that I’ve been writing for 25 years as a copywriter for businesses, government departments, and not-for-profits. My work with words puts food on my family’s table. But these words have always been someone else’s story, copy that bares someone else’s soul for the marketplace. Now it’s my soul that’s been bared.

Maybe it’s because until I'm published I won’t feel like a writer. Maybe until someone recognizes my talent or calling, I'll doubt whether or not I can - or should - do this. Or maybe it’s even deeper; this isn't validation that I can write but that I’ve got something to say.

Then God challenged me with this verse from Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

That’s been my challenge for these seven weeks.  God knows me.  Sure, it’s important to connect with the right publisher or agent, or to have my work recognized as a step to being published, but the God who created me, knows me.

I am ALREADY validated.

Maybe that’s your challenge, as well. If you’re awaiting feedback from competition judges or a publisher, or even if you get a rejection letter from an agent, I would encourage you to look past the moment and realize this: we don’t need validation. The One who created us knows us.

Isn’t that enough validation for those of us who feel called to write?

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, David Rawlings is a father-of-three with his own copywriting business who reads everything within an arm’s reach.

He is published in the non-fiction arena and is now focused on writing contemporary Christian fiction. These stories explore God, people, 21st century church and our modern society with humor and a satirical eye. And, in order to have more time to write, he is currently trying to find an extra day in the week . . . without much success. You can follow David on his blog: http://davidrawlings.com.au/ or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidJRawlings.

Stitching Up A Story, by Karen Rees

Being both a writer and a quilter I've discovered that piecing a quilt and writing a story have a lot in common. Take precision for example.

Any good quilter knows that precision is the key to getting all of those corners to come together perfectly. Not only precision when sewing pieces together, but precision from the beginning. I have to be precise in marking my pieces, cutting my pieces and then stitching them all together on the same side of that finely marked line.

Failure to be precise, even in small ways such as sometimes sewing on the wrong side of the line, will create blocks of different sizes and corners that don't come together as they should. The final result is a quilt that could have been better.

Precision is also necessary in piecing a story together. I have to select the word that best conveys the meaning I want. Carefully chosen words strengthen my writing and give it clarity. When I grab the first word that pops to mind, it's often not the best choice. I've discovered that I tend to write 'irritate' when I should use 'annoy'. (I make the same mistake when I talk.) What about the difference between brag and boast? In that scene does the character stroll, stride or amble? Does she drop her eyes or does she drop her gaze?

The blocks in my quilt, pictured above, appear to be two different patterns. In reality, all of the blocks are the same pattern – A Gentleman's Fancy. The apparent difference comes from my choice of colors. In some blocks I used light colors for a particular part, in other blocks I used dark colors. My choice of color and shade – light or dark – created the difference.

Writing is the same. The details that I give will create a particular impression in the mind of the reader.  When describing a park I could mention bird messes on benches and trash on the trails. Or I could describe colorful rose gardens and shady paths. The park may have both trash and flowers but the reader's impression will be formed by the details. Before I start writing, I need to decide what impression I want to give and then use the details that will create it.

This is equally true with my characters. Do I want readers to see someone as kind? Self-centered? Timid? Irresponsible? When introducing a character, what description or behavior will leave the desired impression with the reader?

A third similarity between creating quilts and creating stories has to do with the unexpected. I could have sewed every block in my quilt using red and some light color. But I didn't. Even when I used red in a block, I sometimes paired it with a dark color. Those particular blocks stand out like freckles on a blond. They add variety.

When developing characters, we can give them depth by adding something unexpected to their personalities. The hardened criminal who, now and again, treats some stranger's child to an ice cream cone. Why does he do that? Or the sweet elderly widow who has a history that would shock her neighbors.

Quilters say that it's not a quilt until it's quilted. In the same way a manuscript isn't a book until it's published. For a quilt to win at a quilt show and a book to earn honors, both need to contain our best work. Be precise, select the right details and create interesting characters. By doing that, you could end up with a winner.

Karen Rees and her second-generation missionary husband Benjamin have served in Hong Kong since 1975. Besides her involvement in the mission work, Karen loves history, quilting and writing. They have two children, Matthew and Megan, and two grandchildren, Hadessah and Arthur. She is the author of the award-winning historical novel, The Ruby Ring.

When God Makes You Custodian, by David Rawlings

I’ve just learned that I’m a custodian. Not in the usual way, where I’d be stunned to find I’m responsible for another mouth to feed or daunted by having to look after someone else’s property or estate.

I’m actually a custodian of an idea.

God has challenged me over the past few months to rethink the story I’m writing. Not in a structural sense, or by introducing a new character, or even by revealing to me a plot twist of which M. Night Shyamalan would be proud (although that would be nice.)

What He did was remind me of how the story started; that is, where it came from. When people ask me about my recently-completed manuscript (called “The God of Reality TV”, where reality TV clashes with church), I used to find myself telling them that the story “just came to me.” But is that the truth?

When I feel depleted on ideas and turn to God for direction or inspiration, I'm reminded that my story didn’t “just come to me,” it was sent, by Him. He entrusted me with the idea and expects me to carry it to fruition, with His help, of course.

Why did He send me my story? Because one day it might be the one thing that inspires people, comforts people, makes them laugh, or makes them think a little more deeply about life.

I now feel challenged to change my thinking; to resist the urge to charge off in my own direction because this is “my story.” Now that I’ve acknowledged I’m the custodian of an idea from God, it completely changes how I approach my writing.

Suddenly I’m accountable:

– For time. I hear a lot of writers talk about squeezing their writing into very busy schedules.  That was me, but I now view this differently. I’ve had to shuffle around my workload and clients, but I’m trying to invest more in my craft. After all, I’m looking after someone else’s property!

– For quality. I’m a copywriter by trade, writing for clients every day of every week. When my words are portraying people’s business or their livelihood, I am responsible for how I describe their work, their passion in life. So, now I'm more aware of the quality of my own writing, portraying God’s love, patience, and humor. It's no longer about fulfilling a word count so I can get the certificate from NaNoWriMo.

– For what I recognize as success. I’ve moved through that early writing phase of 'just knowing' I’ve got a best-seller on my hands and not understanding why people wouldn’t love it. But here’s where I’ve been challenged; if only five people buy my book and three of them turn their lives around or are inspired to repair a relationship, would I consider my book a success? I’ll put up my hand and admit that some days no, I wouldn’t. That thinking is slowly changing, as well.

I’m now writing as a custodian of God’s plan; nurturing His idea and writing for Him. When you’re writing for God, what do you feel accountable for? What is your greatest challenge?

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, David Rawlings is a father-of-three with his own copywriting business who reads everything within an arm’s reach.

He is published in the non-fiction arena and is now focused on writing contemporary Christian fiction. These stories explore God, people, 21st century church and our modern society with humor and a satirical eye. And, in order to have more time to write, he is currently trying to find an extra day in the week . . . without much success. You can follow David on his blog: http://davidrawlings.com.au/.

Writing God into Our Stories, by Jaël Roy

When we write, we spend time making every word count, meticulously checking our grammar, building character arcs, researching setting, and adding tension to every scene. We may even plan out how we are going to market our novel.

Comparatively speaking, how much time do we spend putting God into our stories?

As Christian authors, having spirituality in varying degrees in each story is a given. Christian characters that pray, go to church, and are familiar with key Bible passages are expected. A good Christian message is a must. Yet even with our attributions to Christianity might we unintentionally let our story and characters trump God’s?

Do we research, seeking to represent God as He has revealed Himself, or do we write based on what we’ve heard others say about Him? I grew up in a Christian home—both my dad and my mom’s dad were pastors. Plus, I’ve done a few years of Bible school that had mandatory daily chapel services. So I’ve heard a lot of sermons. A LOT. Their echoes follow me whenever I think of God. And they haunt the pages of Scripture as I read. The worst is when two or more of these ghosts debate how a certain passage should or could be interpreted. All that to say, our understanding of God’s Word can be influenced by the things we have heard—or the things we have read.

A writer has the same impact as a preacher to their audience.

When we listen to sermons, we pay attention not only to the words spoken, but also to the implications of what is said. We try to understand it and to apply the message to our experiences past and present. We also learn from what is left unsaid. The same is true for our readers. What we say, what we imply, how we represent God, even what we refrain from saying, tells the reader what we really think of God, and tells them what we believe they should come to realize about Him.

Is God a character in our novels?  Do we give Him the role of prop? Backstage director? Producer?

I’m not saying that God needs a direct speaking role in every novel. Though as I’m reading through Jeremiah I am struck by how much He verbally interacts with His prophet. But we must keep in mind that we are His ambassadors. We are truth-teachers.  We are held more accountable. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

The “fiction” part of our writing should never apply to God.

His thoughts, ideals, actions, and essence need to be clear throughout any novel, whether it be biblical historical, fantasy, or romantic suspense. We must put a touch of the hidden reality behind our “realistic” novels, include His actions in our thrilling tales, show His ideal of love in our romances, and stay anchored to a portrayal of the One True God, even as we write fantasy.

Do we leave room for God to speak though our novels?

When we write, our message should be one of God’s choosing. Often it may be a message from God to us. Other times a message from Him to others. Many times both. But it shouldn’t flow from the culture around us. Even the Christian culture. Like an ever-flowing waterfall, our message should pour from God’s Word, over our hearts, and into His world.

"Using humor and romance to reach the mind and touch the heart.”

JAËL ROY has recently discovered her love of writing. After years of reading novels, especially romance novels, and wishing the authors had written them a little differently or wanting to add sequels, Jaël realized she could tweak a story any way she wanted—if she wrote it herself. So one morning she picked up her laptop and wrote “The Bridesmaid's Escort,” about a professional escort given the task of accompanying a reluctant bridesmaid who sees more in him than he wants her to. Since finishing that first manuscript, she has written six others and is working on an eighth.

Jaël appreciates a well-written story. She enjoys making readers laugh and giving them the opportunity to think deeply about their Christianity. For her, writing stories is an outlet as she contemplates issues that touch her heart.

jay_bin1984@outlook.com 

http://jaybin1984.wordpress.com  (Book Reviews) 

Familiar and Unfamiliar Settings, by Janet Sketchley

One of the things I appreciate about International Christian Fiction Writers blog is the variety of settings and time periods, on earth and in speculative realms, from writers worldwide.

Paula Vince has introduced me to present­ day Australia, Christine Lindsay to India at the close of the British Raj, and Heather Day Gilbert to Viking settlements. Plus I've had plenty of exposure to parts of the US and to the UK. There are so many more books to explore, as time and money allow.

As a reader, I think these are exotic settings. Truth told, I don't enjoy reading novels set in places I know well. My internal fact­-checker kicks in, and I lose my connection to the story because I'm asking questions, like, "would she really drive that route?" or "why would they choose that shopping area when this one's closer?" Even if the writer created a fictional location, if I know the turf, I'm trying to figure out where it is.

As a writer, I have trouble evoking a strong sense of place if the setting isn't one I've experienced. There are universal elements of small towns, big cities, and seaports, to be sure, but I'd be lost on things like weather patterns and local attitudes.

Because I wrote my first novel, Heaven's Prey, hoping for a US publisher, it does have American scenes as well as Canadian. I did research, and I also focused more on the people than the surroundings. The only geography integral to the story was local to me, and I knew it well. The second novel, Secrets and Lies, is set in Toronto, a city I've visited but don't know well. The only scene set in a specific, real location didn't come fully to life until I spent an afternoon there with my camera.

Book three, Without Proof, released last month, and it's set in my home province of Nova Scotia, Canada. I found it easier to immerse myself in the story world because I'd experienced it. Now, the challenge was to not turn the novel into a tourist brochure. I've read books like that, and they're not fun.

I'm planning to set my next series locally as well, and this has been part of finding what works best for me as a writer. Perhaps it's one aspect of my voice. Familiarity makes me discount the appeal of Atlantic Canada to readers, but most of the world isn't from here. This is your chance to visit.

My stories are still people­ and ­plot first, but settings do influence those things. For a fine example of how setting can be integral to the story, see Sara Goff's post from September.

What about you? Do you prefer to "write what you know" geographically, or to discover new settings, real or imagined? When you read, what do you look for (or avoid) in a setting? Or does it matter?

Janet Sketchley lives in Atlantic Canada, where she writes Christian suspense novels and blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea.

You can find Janet online at janetsketchley.ca, and fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Without Proof page (includes purchase links): bit.ly/WithoutProof

Sample Chapter: janetsketchley.ca/wp­content/uploads/2015/10/Without­Proof­Excerpt.pdf

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JanetSketchley

Twitter: twitter.com/JanetSketchley

Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/janetsketchley

Pinterest: pinterest.com/janetsketchley/

Goodreads: goodreads.com/janetsketchley

God's Place in Our Writing, by Paulyn Aneke

Writing is often said to be a lonely journey. But I’d always thought that to be a huge exaggeration. After being at it for over three years now, the words have proven true in every sense.

That’s where God comes in. Good writing is showing, not telling our beliefs. Readers can better learn from seeing our characters’ experiences rather than hearing about them. The challenge is knowing which scenes to create, and how best to relate their message.

So, how do we know God’s place in our writing, exactly? We show what the Lord has done in our lives, what He is doing, and what He promised to do. Some of us have heard audible voices, or have received His direction from others. We have to listen for it.

God created our lives and so has a hand in everything we are, everything we do, and all we’ll ever accomplished. If we believe and open our hearts, He’ll guide our lives, become the map that sets forth what we’re expected to achieve.

Phil 2:13—For it is God who works in you, BOTH to will and to do for His good pleasure.

This brings me back to where I started: writing is lonely. How do we ensure we don’t cave under that loneliness? By acknowledging God and talking to Him every step of the way. He gives us determination through the valley of writing and up the rocky terrain of publishing. God becomes the perseverance factor, and the peace factor.










2 Sam 22: 34—He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.

No one succeeds on a lonely journey without the One who knows the end of the road, right from its beginning. A tree can find itself in a tough location and, against all odds, tap the nutrients it needs to grow.

You can face the ‘mountain’ of writing a book and tell yourself, I’m going to touch many lives with my story. That is God, cheering you on, pushing you to work harder, so that you will become your best and accomplish His will.

In God’s hands we are nothing but PENCILS, but that is everything.

Paulyn Aneke is from Anambra in Nigeria and enjoys writing romance and romantic suspense. When she's not working as a clinical instructor in the School of Nursing, she's singing, reading, or, of course, writing. 

Paulyn is most grateful for her two children, ages six and eight, and for her husband who is a source of moral support and who believes in her desire to write and show God's love. 

Happy Birthday?

On 15^th October, ICFW turned six. Hard to believe we’ve been going for so long already. Happy birthday everyone—it’s been an awesome ride!

Just over six weeks ago, I turned the double five in Dallas, Texas, far away from home. No husband, no children, no grandchildren—absolutely no family to wish me, and kiss me, and spoil me rotten. I wasn’t even connected to them via cyberspace.

The day started off in the presence of nearly five hundred authors. That morning was Zone Breakfast and I was seated at a table of ten other writers from around the world—my Beyond the Borders ACFW Zone 11 sisters. They hailed from Australia, Canada, Brazil (and I think one or two other countries I can’t remember) and they sang “Happy Birthday” to me before our meal was served. It was at this breakfast that I got to meet our very own, Lisa Harris, for the fist time, even though we both live in the southern part of Africa.

Zone Breakfast - Beyond the Borders, Zone 11

Lisa Harris and me.

The first official day of the 15^th American Christian Fiction Writers conference, the hours passed by in a flurry of workshops, and agent and editor pitches. Bill Myers, the keynote speaker was brilliant—entertaining, funny...most of all, SOOO encouraging. But as usual, I struggled through worship. I find it hard to sing these days without the tears flowing. So most of the time, I just kept quiet and enjoyed the praise and worship in silence.

Some of my closest and dearest writing friends insisted on treating me for dinner that evening. As we’d all flown in, and the conference was held at the Hyatt Hotel at Dallas Forthworth Airport, leaving the hotel was not feasible. But the hotel had a great steakhouse—an expensive steakhouse—where we all ate anything but steak. Although I was being treated by my friends, I could not justify them paying what I perceived being the price of half an ox back home for one steak (it was impossible to turn off the forex calculator that kept multiplying each dollar by fourteen to get a rand amount). Salad and soup with Judith, Narelle and Heidi was great though, and they’d arranged a tasty birthday dessert that we shared. It was fun! Joined later by my other crit partner, Janet, we relaxed after dinner in the lounge area that buzzed with authors, agents and editors.

Birthday dinner with Narelle Atkins (another ICFW icon)

Special writing friends, Heidi McCahan and Judith Robl
celebrate my birthday with me

The day, however, was bittersweet. Although my friends made me feel so special, I could not ignore the fact that this particular birthday sat right in the middle of two very sad milestones. The day before my birthday, my mom had been gone for two months. The day after my birthday would be a month since my dad joined her in heaven. This was the first birthday where there’d be no birthday phone call from them, the first where they would not wish me for the day—not because I was on the other side of the world, but because they were on the other side of life.

Turning 55 is a birthday I’ll never forget...because of the unusualness of the day, but mostly because of the sadness September 18th brought.

Happy birthday to me? Yes. And no.

Have you ever celebrated something that was sweet and at the same time, bitter?

MARION UECKERMANN's passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. She now lives in South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.

Visit Marion at her website: www.marionueckermann.com

More Than Words by David Rawlings

I’ve now been on this writing journey for one-and-a-half manuscripts.

What I’ve learned is more than the process and principles. I’ve discovered that writing is more than words. I need to play different roles to ensure those words earn their place. Yes, I’m responsible for putting them on the page – and I do that – but I am challenged to do more than simply put fingers on keys or pen strokes on page.

I’ve realized I need to be more than a writer. I need to be . . .

1. A fire starter

I love this part of the writing process, where the spark of an idea flares in the corner of the mind. This spark holds so much promise and opportunity and for one moment in time it could be anything; perhaps the best idea that’s ever been had.

That spark needs to be fanned into flame so it flares into life. Sometimes that idea is a story. Sometimes it’s a character trait. Sometimes it’s exploring a character’s backstory and finding an idea that then gives them true depth. For me, it was asking a simple question of a main character – “as a Pastor, why are you so down on yourself?” – and finding a fiancée who had left him at the altar.

2. A production line worker

In my younger days, I held several production line jobs as a way to earn enough money to pay for that all-important first car. I’ve stood in the same spot for eight hours at a time in the dirt and the grime and cranked out widget after widget in a repetitive, mind-numbing dance.

I’ve had those days as a writer, where I know it’s not flowing from the creative force I thought would be on tap. But I’ve pushed on in that repetitive dance, focusing on getting a character from Point A to Point B so I’ve got something to work with when I edit. Which leads me to . . .

3. A rose bush pruner

My grandfather taught me a valuable gardening lesson that has stayed with me to this day. I would cautiously approach a spreading, sprawling rose bush with a tiny pair of secateurs and give it what my grandfather would call “a short-back-and-sides.” I didn’t want to cut too hard. The rose bush looked too good and had put so much energy into producing a spray of leaves and color. It seemed a shame.

But my grandfather knew that growth had to go because it was the best thing for it. He would wade in with enormous skill and knowledge – and a fairly handy-sized chainsaw – and decimate the plant, cutting it back far enough to allow room for the rosebush to grow into the space he had created. Next season, the rose was bigger than before, better looking and somehow stronger, even though it had lost 90% of what it was.

I now edit my manuscript with my grandfather’s eye and a metaphorical chainsaw. Words that, at the time of writing, felt like brilliant prose has been cut away to give the real story room to grow. I’ve cut about 20,000 words and the story is a trimmer, leaner piece of work that tells a richer story. Those words are then mulched and they feed the story as it grows.

4. A protective parent

I joined a critique group, where I’ve had the chance to float my writing past people, seeking their feedback. This isn’t really new to me - I’ve been a copywriter for 25 years, where almost every day of my career has involved criticism of something I’ve written.

The experience is different this time, however; it’s my fiction under the spotlight. Now I’m a protective parent where I can see my child’s potential like no one else. I know how good it will be if it’s given the chance to flourish. While I do need to protect my child and filter the criticism (to incorporate every single comment or change would not help its development), there are times in which it’s obvious I can’t see what needs to be seen because I’m too close; too protective.

5. A loyal friend (albeit imaginary)

Developing characters has been more enjoyable than I ever imagined. Sure, these characters live in my head, but to me they’re real. (I’m only telling you this, because I know you’ll understand. Anyone else would hear it and bring in a therapist.)

My characters aren’t real, of course, but they have real hopes, dreams, and disappointments (they have to if they’re going to be compelling.) I have felt genuine relief when they have survived a trial. I’ve felt their pain when they’ve plunged further into a hole of their own making. And I celebrate with them when they reach their goal or find their destiny.

I’m learning at each step of the journey that writing is more than words and writers are more than typists. I am becoming more than a writer. Are you?

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, David Rawlings is a father-of-three with his own copywriting business who reads everything within an arm’s reach.

He is published in the non-fiction arena and is now focused on writing contemporary Christian fiction. These stories explore God, people, 21st century church and our modern society with humor and a satirical eye. And, in order to have more time to write, he is currently trying to find an extra day in the week . . . without much success.