Meeting this Saturday

Don't miss our last meeting of the season!

Saturday, June 4, 10 am to noon

High Mountain Church of the Nazarene

Come prepared to share your summer writing goals -

and if you don't have any, we'll help you set some!

Also share the writing challenges you face and a growth plan.

If you bring work to critique, please follow the instructions on our website.

See you Saturday, as we encourage each other to "Write for Him",

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com

Last month's Focus Point:

Our Best Effort

In Matthew 25, we find a man who is about to leave on a journey. In preparation for his absence, he gathers his servants & entrusts his property to them. To one, he gave five talents, to the next two talents, and to the last, one talent.

When their master leaves, the first two servants invested their talents. The third one played it safe; he buried his talent because he was afraid to use it.

The returning master was pleased with the servants who invested their talents, but disappointed and even angry with the one who buried his talent.

These are his concluding words: “Everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.” In other words, those who use what they’ve been given will receive more, to the point of abundance.

This parable underscores that what we are given is an entrustment from God and His expectation is not that we merely protect our gifts, but increase them through investment. That is the goal of NJCWG - to give us an opportunity to invest in and thereby increase our gift of writing.

It is not enough for us to write raw, without honing, editing, and improving our work. As we cultivate our talent, we multiply its value and extend its effectiveness. Like the servants in the parable who invested their talents, we increase our talents’ worth through investment.

To that end, we meet with our writing group; we allow our work to be critiqued; we edit and edit again; we attend writing conferences and webinars; we subscribe to writing blogs; we read about writing and we study techniques.

Let’s be encouraged to learn and grow, spending time and effort to increase our talents.

Next month we will share three things for the summer: our goals, our challenges to writing, and a growth plan. What one investment can you make to multiply your talents?

Take away thought: My talent is a gift to nurture and develop because, as a servant of the Lord, He has entrusted me with the gift of writing.  

May Meeting Details

Reminder, this Saturday, May 7, we will meet from 10am to noon at different location:   

Cornerstone Christian Church

495 Wyckoff Ave, Wyckoff

(In the Barn, the red building on the right when you turn into the driveway)

DIRECTIONS

Saturday's meeting topic is Show, Don't Tell

Please come equipped for a writing exercise.

If you want work critiqued, please adhere to the critique guidelines on our web page. The guidelines include the following: your name, 2 pages, double-spaced. 

Last month Katie Sweeting shared an outstanding presentation,

Research for Writers.

You may access her notes HERE

Hope to see you there as we encourage one another to write for Him,

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com

Note: Change of Venue for May

May 7, 2016

10 am - noon

This month we're meeting in the Barn at

Cornerstone Christian Church

495 Wyckoff Ave, Wyckoff

(The red building on the right when you turn into the driveway)

directions here

Hope to see you there!

April's Focus Point:

Knowledge

Good, interesting writing requires a balance between passion and knowledge. If we write from emotion, our words may not be accurate, but if we only convey knowledge, our writing may not be palatable. Passion writing is fun and I hope our first drafts are infused with passion. Informative writing is work and I hope our edited copy adds knowledge to our passion.

Our passion drives us, but our knowledge qualifies us. The Apostle Paul wrote something similar in Romans 15:14. He said that knowledge is what makes us competent to instruct one another: “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”

Peter integrated the balance of passion and knowledge in 1 Peter 3:15 when he wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have...” Giving an answer (and writing a book) includes 1) the willingness of our spirit that does not hold back but is ready and eager to speak and 2) the understanding and knowledge that equips us to adequately present our case.

Knowledge without passion can be dry, but passion without knowledge is dangerous. This is especially true in areas with which we are familiar and quickly make assumptions.

Take away thought: “The discerning heart seeks knowledge….” (Prov. 15:14), When you write, make sure your passion is coupled with knowledge.