Tummy Butterflies and Book Proposals From The SDCWG

This past weekend was the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild annual Conference—a great place to meet publishers, agents and other authors. We word-nerds tend to get stuck having coffee with our keyboards and characters every day so it’s a refreshing change to hang out with fellow writers who are pursuing the craft of writing and using their gifts for the Lord.

The conference was great this year. Attendees had the pleasure of hearing speakers and authors such as Miles McPherson (Former San Diego’s Charger and Pastor), Lynn Vincent ( New York Times Best selling author. Her collaborative projects include Going Rogue and Same Kind of Different As Me) and many more.

For writers, these conferences are a lot of time spent waiting and preparing for the big day to arrive, then a burst of everything happening at once. That can be very overwhelming. I, for one, was so nervous about my faculty consultation with an agent from one of the best agencies in the biz, I could hardly eat breakfast. And it was a cinnamon roll! But I did force myself to take a few bites and after talking to others around me, I knew I was not the only one who’s nerves were jippity (is that a word? It should be).

So how do we process these moments? How do we let go of our book proposals, while remembering the hours we’ve spent putting them together, and all the times we googled "how to write a book proposal." Not to mention, the months, sometimes years devoted to the shaping of our books, only to have a few minutes to impress an agent or editor with our brilliant pitch and top notch sample chapters. Uh…no pressure.

I was ready to get home, put my feet up, toss my writing portfolio on a VERY high shelf and hang out with my family. But I was in my car, on a highway, and home was a few hours away. Then, while flipping through the radio, I landed on a Christian station and my favorite song was on. It goes something like this: “Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save.” So there I was, feeling my energy trickle back and I sat up a little straighter. That’s right, I thought. God can move mountains.

Sometimes we get blessed and the mountain just happens to be our dream come true. Those are special moments in life! Other times, I believe the mountain is our perspective. How many times in life does the situation change completely, not because the dishwasher stopped leaking or the baby magically changed her own diaper, but because our perspective…our attitude changed. Some of the greatest stories I’ve ever read did not end with the protagonist getting exactly what he or she wanted, it ended with the protagonist learning the valuable lesson they were meant to learn—to rely on God.

The Critique Group And The Writer

I'm rather behind on getting more book reviews up and I have several in line to read, but the post office and I are not very...in sync lately. I either smack into the glass doors with the "closed" sign firmly in place, or I beg the postmaster that even though I don't have my collection slip, I know there are packages back there waiting for me. He tries to look, then with an arched eyebrow suggests I return with the collection slip that makes his life a lot easier. Oh well. But I have something that has been brewing in my mind lately, and I'd like to share it with you this week.

Its about the power of the critique group and how it effects the writer. Now, if you're not a writer...if you don't throw abbreviations like "CBA" and "WIP" around in general conversation, you might think this does not apply to you. Even if you're not a writer, there may be a lesson you will glean from this, so stick with me. But if you get bored, you could hop over to another blog, pull up a really good brownie recipe and bring it back here. I'd be very grateful. I have a pot luck coming up.

So back to the critique group. What is that exactly? A critique group is a place where writers get together, pass around a few pages of what they've been working on, and the other folks in the group whip out their pens and mark it up. Its intimidating. Even after attending a group for years, my heart rate quickens as the room silences, heads bowed over my chapter. Nail biting to the max.

But when fellow writers point out the areas in a story they really like and begin to offer suggestions, the writer who listens, can walk away with the realization that even though they thought their work was perfect, many of the suggestions will only make it that much better.

That's the power of a well given critique.

For a novel to find itself in the hands of readers, it must be looked at by someone other than the author. Someone who doesn't have the characters prancing around in their head or know the storyline by heart. Because then, the fresh set of eyes can spot issues that the writer themselves would never see.

But the truth hurts. Of course it hurts--but there is an art to delivery. A person might say. "You have something in your teeth," Loser. Or. "You have something in your teeth. Hey I like your skirt." Who would you rather be friends with?

Like the spinach in the teeth, a good critiquer not only points out issues, they go the extra step--they leave the writer feeling encouraged.

This might seem trivial, and believe me, I know there is a time and place to leave the fluff behind and get to the nitty gritty, but for the everyday, the coffee shops, the living rooms, and the e-mail box, its crucial to offer some congratulatory praise. Even if its hard, find something good in what you see.

There's a reason behind my rambling. If a person's critique is the packet of seeds and the writer's heart is the soil, then the positive comments and praise are what till the soil. Otherwise, the seeds will land on a heart that has not been softened. And if there is anything that I firmly stand by, it is that we as Christians have the calling to be kind in all that we do. Business is not the time to throw that out the window. Be business-like. But be kind.

Christ was and he reached many, many hearts. That is an example worth living by.

Adventures in Country Living: Drying Herbs

Summer is winding down. The arid days are drawing to an end and with a few summer storms prayerfully on the horizon, gardeners and growers everywhere are putting up their garden harvests. Aside from the usual methods of preserving like canning and freezing, drying is an excellent way of storing everything from apple slices to fresh herbs.

Herbs are a delightful addition to any garden. They are relatively easy to grow, can live in convenient containers and are so rewarding to harvest. I love to toss fresh chives and cilantro onto the table as taco fixin's and making rosemary Italian bread at Christmas is a cheery gift for family and friends.

In the past I have only used herbs fresh. But this year, I've put some energy into drying and storing my herbs to use year round. It suddenly struck me one day when I was completely out of Italian seasoning, that I had all the makings of the herb blend right in my garden. So I snipped several sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley, dried them for several days, then crushed the herbs up and tossed them in a glass jar with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Yum! Not to mention, I'd always bought dried herbs from the store. I had never taken advantage of using my own herbs, but when I did, even in their dried stage, they remained bright and green and had a lovely, fresh taste.

For another project, I purchased jumbo teabags on eBay ( I felt like a bidding geek--I mean, who sits there watching the minutes and doing the math to buy a two dollar box of empty tea bags on eBay. Me, apparently) Anywho, the key to drying herbs is that not all herbs are ready when you want them, so be sure to dry them at the peak of their season. I cut handfulls of lavender and chocolate mint (my personal fav) and hung the bundles upside down in an airy spot away from direct sunlight which will kill their potency. I've got the rest of the ingredients for bath teas right in the pantry: oats, Epsom salts and powdered milk (sounds strange but oats and milk have been popular bath additions for years.)

The third use for herbs is medicinal purposes. Now I am not an herbalist, so I have a hard time figuring out the many uses and properties of herbs, but its easy to look on the web and find great sources. My particular favorite is the Bulk Herb Store (check out their Eden Salve. LOVE IT!) This is where I got the recipe for a tincture that is designed to draw out poison and toxins, things like bug bites and beyond. So far it has worked great. I bought a pound of dried plantain and soaked the herbs in a jar of apple cider vinegar for three weeks. After straining away the herbs that have now relinquished their potency to the vinegar, I labeled the jar and it comes in handy all the time.

Drying herbs is fun, satisfying and this is just the beginning. I'm excited to add new and different herbs to my garden each year and study up on their medicinal uses, skin care qualities and yummy recipes for the fam.

Happy Homesteading!