Tag Archive for: West MI Fellowship of Christian Writers (WMFC)

Writers Group wrap-up

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Last evening our West Michigan Fellowship of Christian Writers (WMFCW) group listened to a wrap-up session from a panel from American Christian Writers (ACW). What an inspiration! Included were so many tips to encourage and assist us along the path of being a writer.

 One tip in particular struck me:

“Don’t get so involved in the work of the LORD that you’re not involved with the LORD of the work.”

 My prayer for us:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – (1 Corinthians 10:31)

 http://www.meetup.com/wm-fcwriters/

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Do you possess ‘intellectual property?’

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DSD_7932Last evening I attended our 1st Tuesday of the month WMFCW (West Michigan Fellowship of Christian Writers) group. We gather at Panera Bread in Grandville where I met a couple of new faces. It didn’t take long to learn about our common denominators.

When asked, “Why do you write?” –I found it interesting that most of us can’t help but write. Our heads are filled with ideas bombarding our minds regardless of the time of day or night. We write because of a burning passion deep within our souls. There’s that drive to get the words down on paper and share with fellow travelers to encourage, point in the right direction, or maybe even teach others a lesson learned along our own personal journey. God gave each of us a gift/talent, and we dare not waste the skills he freely gave to us as writers.

While attending the Maranatha Writers Conference in Muskegon last month, Anne Fenske (Grace Acres Press) answered the question: “What do publishers do?” Our group offered some possible answers:

  • Read a LOT of manuscripts
  • Made decisions: reject or accept
  • Edit
  • Encourage
  • Re-focus

I found Anne’s answer to be very interesting: “Publishers are venture capitalists for people who have intellectual property.” The intellectual property could be music, art, words, articles, books, etc.

Therefore, I must make every effort possible to bring something very valuable to the table. Each work must be as perfect as humanly possible regarding spelling and grammar, crafted in a clear, focused, uniquely positioned way. My work must stand out in excellence above and beyond others as I incorporate my own voice which is uniquely different than anyone else on planet earth. This takes hard work, discipline, and an extremely tough outer shell. Am I fit for the task? Yes, I am! With God, nothing is impossible!

http://www.meetup.com/wm-fcwriters/

West Michigan Fellowship of Christian Writers

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http://www.meetup.com/wm-fcwriters/

Great meetup time! Received info on book proposals – some of which I hadn’t seen before. I’ll be able to utilize this info in creating my own proposal. Valuable critique of my own article.

Looking forward to next weeks Maranatha Christian Writers Conference (http://www.writewithpurpose.org/) hosted  in Muskegon, MI.

Writer’s Meeting Recap

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Just a few tips gleaned from our WMFC meeting:

 

  • We shared long and short-term goals with each other. Accountability is a huge key in staying focused.
  • Diagrammed our personal goals and how to measure our progress toward our inner voice. We each need to move forward in the direction of our own unique voice. Harmonize with your voice. Disharmony results in being off sync which can happen if we attempt to mimic other voices and style. Clear certain things from our schedules and move them out of the way-mulch-so young sprouts have room to grow. Those “certain things” are different for each of us.
  • Familiarize self with “Christian Writers Market Guide” by Sally Stuart containing a wealth of information for writers.
  • Websites are a great way to further hone our craft and build a writer’s platform.
  • Blog. In order to drive the traffic, adhere to these guidelines:
    • Write regularly in your blog – suggest at least two times per week
    • Assign key words, tags
    • Write on other people’s blogs
    • Social network: Facebook, blog etc.

 

Assignment for Next Meeting on July 7:

 

Come prepared with a piece written within the last 30 days. You can post it on “meetup.com” so comments/critique can be offered ahead of time, or bring copies to share at the next face-to-face meeting.

http://www.meetup.com/wm-fcwriters/