Meeting this Saturday

Don't miss it! We have only 2 more meetings before summer.

May 7, 2022

10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

We meet in the Barn, 2nd building on the right.

Saturday's topic: 

Self-, Hybrid, or Traditional Publishing?

We'll explore our publication options in a discussion led by member Susan Panzica. Not ready to publish yet? The information will benefit you for future publication plans. 

We welcome anyone with an interest in writing, both aspiring and published authors.

Members, please bring pages for critique.

Hope to see you this Saturday,

Barbara 

barbarahigby.com

Meeting this Saurday, April 2, 2022 @ 10 am

April 2, 2022

10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

We meet in the Barn, 2nd building on the right.

Our next meeting will feature author Ann VanHine. 

Ann has been a member of this group, and in 2021, she published her memoir Pieces Falling. She says, "When I started my writing journey, I didn't even know what questions to ask. Today, I don't have all the answers, but I have sense of how to do this thing called being an author one little step at a time. May I share a few thoughts and tips with you."

Ann Clark Van Hine, aka Miss Ann, was born in Oxford, England but grew up in Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, New Jersey and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Ann is the mom of two grown daughters, the widow of a FDNY firefighter, a retired small business owner, a docent with 9/11 Tribute Museum, published writer, Children’s Ministries volunteer and a breast cancer survivor.

Since September 11, 2001, Ann has had numerous opportunities to share the story of God’s presence and peace as she navigated “a personal loss in the midst of a national tragedy.” She has shared her story all over the USA and internationally in Ireland, Belgium, England, and Japan. 

Our next meeting is Saturday the 5th

 

March 5, 2022

10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

We meet in the Barn, 2nd building on the right.

This promises to be a colorful meeting! Our writing exercise will be to create a really short, short story with a color theme you select. How many ways can your color describe something without using its name? 

Do not scoff! Do not cower! Two of our members recently had stories accepted for publication that were birthed during one of our writing exercises. 

Come and grow with us, whether you're a published writer or simply a dabbler. 

I look forward to seeing you this Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

Our next meeting is this Saturday

 

February 5, 2022

10 am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

We meet in the Barn, 2nd building on the right.

Come prepared to share your writing goals for the first half of 2022. Together we'll hone them and encourage your success. Years of shared goal-setting has proven that clarity of goals and definition of next steps is critical to progress. 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 this Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

Cancelled

Due to illness, our meeting scheduled for this Saturday, January 8, is cancelled. But don't think this let's you off the hook! 

You have time to start work on your 2022 goals and can report your progress when you share your goals at next month's meeting, February 5. 

See you then, Barbara

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

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

Meeting this Saturday, 11/6

 

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

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

barbarahigby.com

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,

Barbara
barbarahigby.com

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

barbarahigby.com

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

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

barbarahigby.com

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

barbarahigby.com

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.

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

barbarahigby.com

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 lives—and 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.

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! 

Meeting location change

This Saturday, 12/5/20, we will meet in the corner house, located right before the barn. See you there at 10!

Meeting this Saturday

December 5, 10am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

In the Barn (2nd building on the right)

I hope you've been working on your assignment: 

Write a 100-word story to share. 

 

Also, food has traditionally been a part of our December meeting so you are invited (not required) to bring covid safe snacks, meaning individually wrapped or bagged, not on a platter. 

Once seated, masks are not necessary if you are socially distanced.
Visitors are welcome, whether novices or published writers.
Critiquing will be available for members.

Looking forward to seeing you Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

Image by Pixaline from Pixabay

Caution: writing assignment ahead

At our last meeting, I assigned a writing project for December and I want to give you ample time to complete it so here it is:

Write a 100-word story. 

(Yes, you can!)

We will share our stories at our meeting on December 5.

Here are two links to inspire you:

Reader's Digest

Clare, a former member

Also, food has traditionally been a part of our December meeting so you are invited (not required) to bring covid safe snacks, meaning individually wrapped or bagged, not on a platter.

So get busy and I'll see you in December,

Barbara

barbarahigby.com

November's Focus Point

Alike but Different

We are a diverse group meeting here today—not only because we have different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, but also because our backgrounds, experiences, and positions in life are distinct. No two of us are the same, but we are alike. We have like interests because we’re all Christians, we all love words, we all pursue truth, and we’re all gifted to write. But, even in our sameness we are different—we’re unique in our writing voice, our genre, our specific audience, our passions. 

Eph. 4:15 says, “Speaking [writing] the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of … Christ.” The next verse tells us that Jesus joins us and holds us together by every supporting ligament … as each part does its work.

Last month we said it takes a tribe to write a book. It also takes a tribe to reveal truth. God’s wisdom and ways cannot be explained by one voice. As we each uniquely do our part to express truth, together we present a glimpse of God, His heart, His kindness, His beauty, His sovereignty.

Today we’ll be discussing what sets our work apart from others and how it is similar. Are there authors who have already said what we’re laboring so hard to write? Yes. But they’ve not said it in the same tone, or the same words, with the same emphasis, and perhaps not to the same audience. For readers who are encouraged by our words, our writing is important. To paraphrase Clare’s blog (a former member) our small audience is worth writing for—pouring out our passion will give us a life that is full, rewarding, and deeply appreciated by the fortunate few who have become our circle of friends. For them, what we produce is priceless—a smile, a tear, a laugh, an inspiration, a direction, an answer.

Take-away thought: Our voice uniquely speaks truth, blending our story with others to reveal a picture of God’s will and ways.

Next meeting is November 7

 Saturday, 10am-noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff

In the Barn (2nd building on the right)

Once seated, masks are not necessary if you are socially distanced.

Seasoned writers and novices are welcome. 

The Focus Point below tells you what we're about.

We're on this journey together. 

Topic: How to Write a Good Book Description, part 2

Join the discussion of these four A's:

• Accolades - boast a little

• Attachments - connect with familiar works 

• Appeals - touch the emotions 

• Actions - offer a clear path to purchase

Hope to see you Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigby.com

October's Focus Point

Spur on another on...

Hebrews 10:24 (NKJV) tells us to spur one another on to good works. What does this mean for a group of Christian writers? I submit this paraphrase: Spur one another on to good words. The writer of Hebrews tells us we spur one another on by meeting together and encouraging one another, hence, our North Jersey Christian Writers Group.

We spur—urge, encourage, stimulate, goad, prod—each other. We do this first by recognizing the good work each one is trying to accomplish in our individual goals and projects. Secondly, we help each other focus our writing, hone our skills, and persist with our passion.

There is truth to the African proverb, It takes a village (or tribe) to raise a child. In our case, the proverb crafts today’s take-away thought.

Take-away thought: It takes a tribe to write a book.