Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Our next meeting is January 8

  Due to the holiday we're meeting the 2nd Saturday of the month.

January 8, 2022
10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff


Be prepared to share your writing goals for the first three months of 2022. We will help you hone them and encourage your success. With years of shared goal-setting we've learned that clarity of goals and definition of next steps is critical for moving forward. If you're new to the group, you may not yet have clear goals - bring your dreams. 

We welcome visitors - novices, dabblers, and published writers.
Members are encouraged to bring two pages for critique.

Hope to see you on the 8th,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

We're meeting this Saturday

 

December 4, 10am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff
In the Barn (2nd building on the right)



In celebration of Christmas, be prepared for a simple writing exercise. Since snacks have traditionally been part of our December meeting, you are invited (but not required) to bring simple finger food to share.

We welcome visitors, whether novices, dabblers, or published writers.
Members are encouraged to bring two pages for critique.

I hope to see you Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

Monday, November 01, 2021

 

Meeting this Saturday, 11/6

10 AM - NOON

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff
In the Barn (2nd building on the right)


If you love writing you are welcome, whether you're a published author or a novice writer. Come, visit and see if we're a fit for you.

At Saturday's meeting we'll focus on our Amazon Author Pages.
  • If you have a book on Amazon, please check out your author page ahead of time and print it out. Go to your book and click Author Central.
  • If you don't have a book out there yet, practice. What could you say on your author page? 
Come, write with us, 
Barbara

barbarahigby.com

Image by Patrik Houštecký from Pixabay


Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Meeting this Saturday

 NJCWG meets October 2

10 am - noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff
In the Barn (2nd building on the right)

Come, write with us! 


Join other Christian writers who are published or want to be.
You will receive tips, participate in writing exercises, and find encouragement to press forward with your writing goals.


I look forward to seeing you Saturday,
Barbara



Friday, September 03, 2021

Meeting September 11

We're back! 

September 11, 10 am - noon

Don't miss the first meeting of the season.

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

Note a room change for this month only: 
We'll meet in the white house on the corner, not in the Barn. 

Our discussion will include:
  • Writing goals for the fall & progress made over the summer - No progress? No worries, that's why meet, to spur each other on.
  • Passive voice misuse
  • Memoir vs. autobiography
See you next Saturday,

Friday, May 28, 2021

Final meeting of the season

 

June 5, 10 am - noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

Upstairs in the Barn, but it's possible we'll meet outside
so check the sign on the door

We're taking a summer break so this will be our last meeting until September. Come for a dose of writing inspiration and be prepared to share your summer writing goals.

Hoping to see you on the 5th,
Barbara

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Meeting this Saturday

 May 1, 10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

Upstairs in the Barn (2nd building on the right)

Now is the season for our writing to blossom.

Come and be encouraged on your writing journey, whether you're a newbie or a veteran writer.

Members, our scheduled topic (Web Wisdom) is postponed. You're invited to bring questions or discoveries to share and, as always, your work for critique. 

I look forward to seeing you Saturday,

Barbara

barbarahigby.com

Thursday, April 01, 2021

Next meeting: April 10

Due to Easter we are meeting the second weekend this month.

Saturday, April 10, 10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

Upstairs in the Barn (2nd building on the right)

Topic: Get your Name in lights Print

Our discussion will center around the significance of getting published in periodicals. We'll look at opportunities and consider where our words could be a fit.
Novice & published writers are welcome.
Members are invited to bring work for critique (2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt.)

Hope to see you then,
Barbara

Monday, March 01, 2021

Meeting this Saturday

 


It's All About You



You are the subject of this month's NJCWG meeting!

Saturday, March 6, 2021
10am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff 

Upstairs in the Barn (2nd building on the right)


What is your current writing struggle? Get it out of your brain and onto the table to benefit from fellow writers' feedback and suggestions. Dividing our time between attendees, you will have the floor to ask questions, bounce ideas, or share challenges. 

Published authors and writing hopefuls are invited. Members, bring your work for critique.

Hope to see you Saturday,
Barbara
Image by Christian Dorn from Pixabay 

February's Focus Point

Give the Seedling Life

You know how it starts—a seemingly random thought pops in your mind and peaks your interest. You begin turning it over and discover various implications. It has your attention and reappears at odd moments. Someday you’ll attend to it, record a few impressions, and investigate it a little further, but not today, not now. And then… it’s gone! Some hint of the idea may make noise, but the initial excitement is past.

We can shrug it off and appease ourselves with, “If God really wants me to write about this, I will remember”—or—we can talk to Him about it before it’s a misty memory.

We should not be overawed with our own brilliance and think every thought is gold to be refined, but as Christian writers we have more than a creative imagination working for us—we have a God who shares His thoughts with us. Ps. 25:14 says, “The Lord confides in those who fear him….”

The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of Jesus’ words (John 14:26) but we are also taught to test the spirits and prophecies and seek wisdom from above. We pray, weigh it against the Word, and seek input from others.

Your idea may or may not be a God-thought, but don’t let it die from neglect. Honor it by testing it out.

Take-away thought: Recognize that a new train of thought may be from God and then proceed with a balanced approach that both respects it and tests it.

Wednesday, February 03, 2021

Meeting this Saturday

 Don't let the cold keep you away!

Saturday, February 6, 2021
10am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff 
Upstairs in the Barn (2nd building on the right)

What writing topics have you been toying with lately? You know, the 1 a.m. flashes of inspiration, the brilliant thoughts in the shower, or long car ride brainstorms. Let's huddle together (socially distanced, that is) and kindle those inspirations. We'll break out of what I call the Covid Funk Mode and get some words on paper - right then and there! Bring writing materials and an eager attitude.

Published authors and writing hopefuls are invited. Members, bring your work for critique.

See you Saturday,
Barbara

Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay

January's Focus Point

Be Faithful

We will be sharing writing goals today but we're not in a very inspiring season. I have found the beginning of the new year quite disheartening...  

  • With the pandemic spike, my son's group home is in a renewed lockdown and he's not permitted to leave. The world is reeling from imposed restrictions. 
  • The confusion and unrest in our country still reverberates from the election - in both political parties. 
  • Then, of all places to start a new year, I felt the Lord directing me to Ecclesiastes. “Meaningless! Meaningless! …Everything is meaningless.”
  • And, perhaps the most devastating, I learned yesterday of yet another Christian leader’s moral failure.

Amid such desolation and depravity, how am I—how are we—supposed to think about goals? As I prayed about this I heard one word: Faithful.

Nothing in the news alters the fact that God is faithful to His people. And nothing excuses us from being faithful to Him.

The goals we set are not for our personal progress as much as they are acts of faithful devotion. We offer them openhandedly, agreeing with Proverbs 16:9 that we plan our course, but the Lord establishes our steps. We’ve all experienced God’s redirection, detours, and scenic diversions. Routes may vary, but what doesn’t change is the expectation that we will be faithful—to God, to truth, to those He’s put in our livesand faithful to use our gifts for Him.

1 Corinthians 4:1 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

With all that transpires around us, with diverted paths and disappointing delays, we are to be flexible but faithful to what God uniquely, personally puts on our hearts to do.

Take-away thought: We are faithful to God and diligent to pursue the goals He places in our hearts—in that order.



Friday, January 01, 2021

January Meeting


 

JANUARY MEETING

Please note: this month, we will be meeting on the 2nd Saturday - January 9th. 

The meeting will be UPSTAIRS in the Barn. Masks are required throughout the meeting. 

Please bring clear, measurable writing goals for 2021!