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PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:

FEBRUARY 2010

Sheila Wilkinson offers this month's inspiration and Writer's Challenge:

After spinning out on an icy hill, I turned around and inched my way up. Next thing I knew, red and blue lights flashed at me in my rear view mirror. Great!

A nice policeman came to the passenger side, leaned down and said, “What are you trying to do?”

Hmmm. Seemed obvious to me, but the nice policeman must have been having a bad day. With a little smirky grin on my inside, I told him, “I’m trying to get up this hill.”

Later I thought about his question. What am I trying to do – with my life, with my time, with my writing? Is God watching me struggle? Am I losing sight of His purpose for me?

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “What am I trying to do with my writing? Am I honoring God? How can I get back on track?”

A little encouragement from the policeman rescued me. Time with God and His Word can put my life back on track, and I will know what to do with my writing.

Writer’s Challenge: Ever lose sight of your goals? Do you remember what you are trying to accomplish? What is your focus? Write a paragraph or two about your purpose for writing.

Keep it close by when writing.  (Thanks, Sheila!)

JANUARY 2010 Happy New Year!

This month's message and writing challenge is offered by guild member Sandra Sunquist Stanton (Thanks Sandra!):

Writing for Healing--My Own

My heart and head scrambled trying to deal with tough problems. How could I share disappointing news with a family member? An impossible schedule conflict and a difficult decision hovered like vultures.  Dashing from list to chore without stopping to focus, I had little hope of even considering options.

Then I said a little prayer and sat down with my computer.  My spirit sighed and settled into God’s peace. My writing morphed from demanding tyrant to refuge—that fast!

Checking emails led to dumping my confusion, pain and concerns onto the keys. As the words strung together on the monitor my challenges melted into a manageable new perspective.

Writing became a healing resource, an act of worship. This time it was helping me, not any other intended audience.   Somehow, the next right thing became clear as words came together on the page—or monitor. 

When I’m frazzled, prayerful writing, rewriting and editing can give shape and meaning to the clouds in my mind.  My head and heart open so God can move and heal. Again, He meets my needs through his gifts.

Praise God, through Him I can now move on. Ahhhhh.

Writers’ Challenge:

Can you recall a time when writing restored order for you? Write about a situation that seemed hopeless, but the solution became clearer through churning words and stringing them together. 

Or maybe writing compounded the problem rather than solving it. Write about that journey.

DECEMBER 2009

This month's message and challenge come to us from guild member Becky Tidberg (Thanks, Becky!):

I was reading a cozy mystery novel by Tamar Meyers titled Custard’s Last Stand a few months ago and laughed aloud at the following passage:

“ ‘…because writers tend to be mentally unbalanced…I read somewhere that 98% of them are nuttier than a Pay Day.’

I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘He’s not an official writer, because he doesn’t have anything published yet.’

‘That doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that he wants to get published. What kind of person expects to get paid just because they have a good imagination? Egomaniacal weirdoes, that’s who!’”

 

I must confess to being guilty on all counts. I sometimes question my calling as a “real” writer because I haven’t landed that elusive seven-book deal that would make J.K. Rowling weep with envy. Other times, I wonder if I’m being a bit egomaniacal because I would like to be paid for my current version of the great American Novel. As far as being nuttier than a Payday…I plead the fifth.

December is the month for dreams, for children and writers alike. So, if you’ve let yours fall behind the dresser and get a little dusty, dig it out, dust it off and edit it a little more.

WRITERS'S CHALLENGE: What was the last dream you had? Did it involve your children becoming aliens? Your cat learning to weave baskets? Write a short story (or essay) based on the images from that dream.

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COMING UP: December 8th we'll celebrate Christmas together. Bring your prepared readings to share with the group (based on the Christmas hymn you chose).

FEEDBACK GROUP: We will NOT be meeting for feedback in December. We'll resume the "meeting before the meeting" in January. (See the Feedback Guidelines on this website for details.)

CONTEST NEWS: Fall contest winners will be announced in December and MAJOR PRIZES will be awarded. WOO HOO!  

See you on December 8th. Meanwhile, may God bless your writing for Him!

Mary Pierce, President

WWCWG

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PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:

NOVEMBER 2009

Guild member Tim Tewalt offers this month's inspiration and challenge:

OCTOBER 2009

This month's inspiration and challenge come from Jennifer Taylor:

A couple years ago, I stopped at a church thrift sale. It was nearly over. What remained was mostly worn clothes, ancient knick-knacks, and old Tupperware. On one table, though, I noticed a small vase. The underlying color was off-white. It looked like the artist had set the vase upside down, dribbled aqua blue, spring green, and goldish brown paint on it, then let the colors run in tree-like lines down the sides. Finally, s/he speckled it with brown and fired it. It had started to crackle from age, but I liked it.

It now sits by my desk. I sometimes try to imagine its “life” before me. The dried-on muck at the bottom suggests it was used often. It has to have a story—all things do. Who first bought it? Why? Was the vase a treasured heirloom or a dime store buy? I’ll never know, but that doesn’t stop me from guessing.

Writer’s Challenge: Imagine the previous “life” of some object you inherited or purchased at a garage sale or thrift store and write that story down. If there are clues (such as dried-on muck at the bottom) use them to enrich the piece.

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COMING UP: October 13th David Hanvelt will be our guest speaker. See the schedule for details.

FEEDBACK GROUP: We had RECORD turnout in September. Well DONE! The challenge to bring something to every meeting still stands. What are you working on right now? If nothing else, bring your response to the Writer's Challenge above. Bring it to the "meeting before the meeting" for feedback.  (See the Feedback Guidelines for details.)

CONTEST NEWS: Our fall contest was announced in September. Details are on the Contest News page.)

See you all in October. Meanwhile, may God bless your writing for Him!

Mary Pierce, President

WWCWG

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SEPTEMBER 2009

What a delight to be starting our TENTH year! 

When Beth Ellie and I started this group, we had no idea what God had in mind for the future. We both just craved fellowship with other writers. When we put the word out about this new group, we were shocked to discover so MANY others with the writing dream, right in our neighborhood.

That first meeting drew almost forty people, and we've averaged about that each year in our membership. That's AMAZING!

Over the ten years, we've said a sad farewell to several dear friends and welcomed dozens of other new friends into our midst.

And through it all, the group has maintained its mission: to provide Christian fellowship, mutual support and encouragement, practical advice, networking and training opportunities to writers and other artists seeking to honor God with their creative gifts.

This group is a gift God has given to each one of us. How has it impacted you? Have you felt the fellowship? Have you been encouraged? Have you grown as a writer? Have you been blessed?

This year, as we celebrate a decade of encouragement, I challenge each of us to continue to share what we've been given.

WRITER'S CHALLENGE: Why connect? Why is it important for writers--and especially Christian writers--to connect with others of like mind? What do we offer one another? What do we gain from gathering? What have you gained? What do you pray for our future? Write a paragraph or two on "Connection."

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THANK YOU: A huge THANK YOU AGAIN to our guild board members--Jennifer Taylor, Sheila Wilkinson and Michelle Rayburn--for their tireless dedication to this group! Be sure to thank them when you see them at the meeting--and they'll have some signup sheets for special opportunities. Thanks in advance for helping us out!

COMING UP September 8, 2009: "MINUTE WRITE: A Mini-Conference for Writers." Can't make a conference? We're bringing a conference to YOU! We'll kick-start the year with another round of educational mini-sessions, designed to improve your writing skills, spark your creativity, and motivate you to move forward--wherever God is leading. Remember the "Curves for Writers" of the past? This time, YOU sit still and WE'LL move--through four sessions presented by your guild board members.

FEEDBACK SESSIONS: We'll continue the optional feedback sessions before our meetings, 5:30 to 6:30 pm in our meeting room. Bring something you'd like to share (and 6 copies so we can follow along as you read). This is a great way to learn and grow in a supportive and encouraging environment (and you always have the option of saying, "Just positive feedback please!" ;-) )

LOOKING AHEAD: We're bringing the Christmas Celebration back in December and in May, we're planning a HAPPY BIRTHDAY BASH! Stay tuned...

Can't wait to see you all again on September 8th. Meanwhile, may God bless your writing for Him!

Mary Pierce

President

WWCWG