Meeting next Saturday

LET'S TALK ABOUT... 

When is Writing Tight, too Tight?

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

February 1, 10 AM - noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff 

In the Barn (2nd building on the right)

We've had "write tight" hammered into our brains since we penned our first essay, 

but is it possible to write too tight? Come and share your thoughts.

Guests are welcome, whether you're a novice or a seasoned writer.

Critiquing is available for members - please adhere to the guidelines on our website.

Hope to see you Saturday,

Barbara

barbarahigby.com

January's Focus Point:

Writing Angst

I read a familiar psalm this week—Psalm 37. I listed the phrases that touched my heart and loved the way they simplified my life and instilled peace. That's when I realized I need to apply them to my writing to combat my writing angst.

Do you also have writing angst? Do you wonder what to do next or who to approach? Does lack of time or focus stress you? Do you tense when you edit or search for markets? Do you doubt your ability or insights? At one time or another, I answer yes to all of the above. And then I hear God’s whisper, “Trust me.”

These are the phrases I culled from Psalm 37 that can be applied to our writing journey:

·       Do not fret – Don’t accept angst as a normal part of your life.

·       Trust in the Lord – Does He have a purpose for your writing?

·       Do good – Focus on doing the next good thing.

·       Dwell in the land – Live in the present place God has you.

·       Enjoy safe pasture – He has provided for you.

·       Delight yourself in the Lord – Simply enjoy Him.

·       Commit your way to the Lord – Give it to God—your article, your book, your outline…

·       Again, trust in Him – Can we say this too often?

·       Be still – Rest, quiet your heart.

·       Wait patiently – But wait with expectation!

·       And again, do not fret – Back to where we started

As much as I push us to actively work on our writing, I also regularly remind us that our writing is God’s idea, His gift, and we must let Him have His way. The goals we will share today are good ideas. We need to ascertain if they are God’s ideas and His timing. Then we can move forward with trust and not fret.

Take-home thought: Ephesians 2:10 “…we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Trust Him.