My Post Conference Report

Early morning Indy streets.

  

Dinner out with new friends.

You meet the sweetest people at ACFW conference.

The pre-conference hype is over. So is the whirlwind of meetings, classes, ceremonies, and meals that comprise the conference. Excitement at sending out proposals and requested manuscripts wanes as life settles into a mixture of familiar chaos and unexpected family crises.

While it’s impossible to hold on to the high that occurs during conference, it’s not impossible to infuse its impact into everyday life. It’s as if a jar is jammed with rocks of importance and pebbles of ordinariness and the water of writing must fill up the air spaces between them. This is the writer’s life.  

 Results are yet to unfold, therefore faith and the Spirit-life is activated. When exhaustion and busyness overtake, recounting the Lord’s faithfulness will inspire perseverance.

As I blogged here last month, "Refuse to predetermine what God will do and how he'll do it. Instead, step out in obedience and push through the blockers. Then you'll praise him and say, 'Look what the Lord has done!'" 

Here are some of my at-conference blessings.

1.      I was keenly aware of God’s presence.

2.      I felt God’s pleasure in my pleasure in unified worship.

3.      I was inspired by testimonies of what He is doing.

4.      Gifts within were stirred through classes and conversations.

5.      Friendships solidified.

6.      Work alliances begun.

7.      I discovered new ACFW members who live within my county. This is a very exciting answer to a very long-term prayer.

There is more, but I wonder what you took away from conference. What did the Lord do for  you at ACFW conference 2013? 

Mary Allen, 2010 La Porte County Poet Laureate, has authored many articles and two books of poetry, "Journey to Christmas" and "Ten Days to an Empty Tomb". To be released soon is a third book of poems, "Full Spectrum Reflections", deals with seeing God in every facet of life. Allen contributed to "Kernels of Hope" and continues to work on women's fiction. Follow her online at facebook.com/PoetAndWriterMaryAllen 

or catch her monthly blog at www.thebarndoor(dot)net.

The (True!) Joys of Having ADD with Member Blogger Dawn Crandall

Most people aren't very surprised when they find out I have ADD. 

It probably (and hopefully) answers most of their questions as to why I am the way I am. I'm a tad out-going, think differently than almost everyone else I know, I'm a little unfiltered, and a bit talkative.

And do you know what? I thank God everyday that He made me this way. Because of my having ADD, I get to do what I like to do more than anything else in the world. 

WRITE.

I started taking the medication for ADD when I was seventeen years old and a junior in high school. It's true, I needed it pretty badly. I would never would have made it into college, let alone graduate from college, without it. It's rather unfortunate that I didn't learn much in school (like grammar and punctuation--I apologize now for any mistakes you might find in my comma placements!), as I was just scraping by before my junior year, getting my only good grades in the classes or subjects that had anything to do with Art or Creative Writing. But I suppose God had a specific reason for that too. I was also seventeen when I became a Christian, which was the true reason I ended up going to college and majoring in Christian Education.

I stopped taking the medication about thirteen years later. You'd think the medication prescribed to help me pay attention would help me focus on writing a book, right? But alas, no. It did the very opposite. I hadn't thought much about writing at all during those years because I was so entirely focused on everything else. When I did finally stop taking the medication, I realized that it was what had been blocking so much of what any writer needs most! My ability to think outside of what was going on in front of me was literally shut off for all those years. All along, I'd remembered how I had once LOVED writing from as far back as I could remember. It was after reading books like Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier as a teenager I knew I wanted to create a book someday. 

For the last five and a half years I've been off the medication and spending my time developing my voice and my brand of writing. After figuring out how to hone my "day-dreaming" into actual stories that I wanted to write, it didn't take me very long to figure out that this was what I was made for. I wrote my book and got two agent offers within a week of sending my proposals. I've completed another now, and I am on my third. It's a long waiting game to find out what's going to eventually happen with these books, but I'm happy because I'm writing. And truthfully, I really have never been good at anything else... because drawing doesn't count.  

It's true, I'm a bit scatter-brained. In everyday life, I pretty much need to be told what to do and where to be. But I sure can focus on what interests me... and that is brain-storming plots and writing ultra-complex, involved love stories that teach a multitude of spiritual life-lessons, not only to my main character (which I write in first person point of view), but also the reader.

I'm very much like the kitten (and yes, I love kittens and jump at the chance to use them whenever possible) in this picture, who's, in essence saying, "Who cares what everyone else is looking at or paying attention to? I've already found what I love most... and it's this amazing, green jingle ball!"  

Writing books is my amazing, green jingle ball. There's nothing in the world I would rather be doing than paying attention to the plot of my current Work In Progress.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{About Dawn Crandall}

(Updated since 2012) Dawn Crandall is the author of The Hesitant Heiress (August 2014), The Bound Heart (November 2014) and The Captive Imposter (February 2015), all part of The Everstone Chronicles series from Whitaker House. A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit working in order to focus on writing. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.

Blessings Writers Count

It’s November, a fitting time for storywriters called by Christ to take to heart the words of the old hymn.

1) Intimacy with Christ Himself, the Word Incarnate—the One and Only Who delights and satisfies the soul.

2) Desire. Writers are creatures imitating the Creator, the One Who Spoke everything that has been made.

3) For talent deposited within, invested and multiplied for the Master’s profit.

4) Opportunities to write whole reams or a page here or there, for a solitary reader or a world-wide audience.

5) Time. The minutes and the hours, these, too, are a gift.

6) Experiences. Writing occurs in the chair after you and I have lived in the street, in the shop, in the classroom, in the office, in the field, in the park.

7) God’s directing the forming-thinking-writing process in the telling of specific stories

8) Courage to risk both ideas and forms beyond the pale.

9) Successes of all kinds and sizes.

10) Failures, probably greater than successes not only in number and size but also in impact.

11) Writer friends both within our writers groups and outside them. Where would we be without comrades in often lonely trenches?

12) Mentors: my mother, who taught me to read; a father who loved books; for unsung writers of Sunday School papesr, whose words I deciphered during Sunday sermons; for Mrs. Amstutz, who slowly unfurled one letter, one case at a time the mysterious world of cursive writing; for Miss Barbara, whose skilled voice brought fiction to life; for Mrs. Peterson, who knew when to focus on the skill of diagramming sentences and the art of Greek mythology.

13) An unending future with the One Who, with a shout, will call us Home.

When we arrive will there be anything more to say? Another old hymn probably answers.

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,

Than when we first begun.”

The Project at Hand

This summer, as La Porte County Poet Laureate, I perform poetry readings or schedule other poets to read twice a week at the La Porte Arts in the Park program. Recently someone praised my poetry and I caught myself saying, “It’s only poetry, a small part of what I write. I really write fiction.”

Really? Did that come out of my mouth? Yes, indeed, and it revealed a faulty attitude. While poetry is a small part of what I write and fiction is my main love, the word “only” smacked of ingratitude and brought me up short.

God used the Poet Laureate contest to finance my attendance at ACFW convention last year. Now that I’m fulfilling the duties of Poet Laureate, how can I think that it isn’t vital? What I’m engaged in now is important to the future accomplishment of my goal and deserves 100% effort. God wouldn’t have led me here, if that weren’t true. Rather than looking over the fence at the green grass beyond, I need to:

1. Enjoy judging this year’s poetry—I don’t know what I’ll learn or what will speak to me.
2. Befriend the new acquaintances the position affords. These are people that I would never have met otherwise. I don’t need to have a “what can you do for me?” attitude but to develop relationships that benefit all by mutual respect. The future in God’s hands.
3. Share my joy of poetry with the audience. The highest compliment is when someone says “Very entertaining.” I should accept it with grace and graciousness.
4. Keep plugging away at self-promotion and don’t take it personally even when the newspaper has lost the information three separate times.
5. Continue to create fresh word pictures and ideas during a time when longer pieces of fiction are on hold.
6. See God at work in the now. Sometimes His focus is attitude adjustment, opportunities and positioning, or lessons in faith rather than technical skill. Even detours serve their purpose. James 1:3 says that testing of faith produces perseverance. I read an encouraging devotional yesterday that said not to distrust in the dark what God spoke in the light.
7. Humbly make use of these opportunities. Now that is a recipe for success in God’s eyes.

Take a fresh look at your project at hand. Are you “right on track” for your long term goal or on a detour? What unexpected writer’s benefit has God has provided you in your current circumstances?

A Time to Create...and A Time to Rest

I have a lot on my mind right now (just as I’m sure we all do). I’ll let our other fabulously-talented Hoosier authors be pithy, witty and erudite. Using that last word is about as good as it gets for me right now. I’m in a fog, a haze – part euphoria, part contentment, and – yes, part exhaustion. Aside from the fact that it’s nearly 1:30 a.m. as I’m writing this, I’m tired. Every now and then, we need to pause and reflect and simply rest in the Lord. I mean really rest, taking comfort in His promises and that beautiful peace that truly surpasses all human understanding. Even the Lord rested and understood this business of creating is exhausting business. I need to ponder His word and refresh my engines before continuing on with my current project and starting on the next one.

My first book literally just released, and of course, I’m overjoyed. To be perfectly honest, I held my breath throughout this journey, praying (1) my new, small publisher would stay in business long enough to actually publish my book; (2) they wouldn’t wake up and realize they’d make a horrible mistake; and (3) it would actually happen and I’d someday hold my book in my hands. Only a few minutes ago, I saw those magic two words on Amazon.com, “In Stock.” It’s the realization of a dream come true, the culmination of many hours of writing, reading, editing and praying. But, sometimes you simply have to see the humor. For one thing, under the tags on Amazon for the book, it’s listed as “historical” romance. Since when is 1997 historical? Anyone under the age of 25 need not answer. I shot an e-mail to the publisher to see if we can get that tag removed since we don’t want to deceive or anger anyone.

For those who don’t appreciate the pure joy derived from writing, we authors are enigmas. I’ve always written for enjoyment, as a creative release and to help me maintain my sanity. But let’s face it, every writer dreams of one day getting their work published. We become so focused on the pursuit, and don’t stop to think about walking through to the other side of the door. Now, I’m crossing over to the “other side” and learning that publication is only the beginning. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But now I’m dealing with the “other end” of the spectrum: marketing and all the details of post-publication. Blogging, guest interviews, book signings and giveaways... I’m reading blogs and articles about how shameless we can/should be in order to market ourselves and our books. It’s all about branding and creating a name for ourselves. My head is spinning. How much is too little? How much is too much? Is there ever a happy medium? Even if there were 50 hours in a day, would I ever be able to get it all done? Lots of decisions need to be made, but I'll let the One who's led me this far continue to open those doors of His choosing. He hasn't steered me wrong yet, and I know He never will.

Writers, especially Christian writers, are some of the most productive people I know. Most of us are involved in some type of ministry, work a full or part-time job, and have many day-to-day responsibilities with families or friends. Yet somehow we find the time to write. Because we love it. Because it’s what we’re called by the Lord to do. Keep at it, my friends. You inspire me. Blessings to you all during this most joyous season of the year. Rest assured, I’ll awake tomorrow, refreshed and renewed, ready to go again. And, uh, check out my book on Amazon.com, but only if you're so inclined. It's called Awakening. But for now, this tired writer is going to bed.

Meeting God at Conference

Conference was a high-powered speed boat frothing the lake of our literary world. Now, however, the buzz has worn off. The adrenaline high has tapered to (hopefully) a consistent putt-putting, like a tugboat pulling freight. The day jobs and various roles we live have settled into mundane and routine chaos. It’s now that the true take-away value of those three days in Indianapolis emerges.

The teaching was great, the speaker fantastic, but I want to weep with gratitude when I recount experiences with people. They were like gentle kisses from God. Here are a few. I’m sure they’ll help you recall your own list.

*The kindness of wait staff to provide what was needed over and above their duty.

*Two new roommates who made me feel connected and comfortable. One whose first-time exuberance increased my conference excitement, the other who extended unexpected aid, were blessings directly from our Father.

*A chance to rejoice with a friend whose career is progressing, and another for whom God answered prayers and a fleece.

*An encouraging word given by a publisher.

*Comforting someone over a heart-wrenching situation and receiving back a Word of knowledge for myself.

*A chance to be generous in what felt like a very small way and having generosity returned in a large way.

*Hearing how time after time God brought his children through dire straits, disasters, sickness, or loss.

*Recounting to others how faithful God has been to me.

All through the Bible holy days and festivals were established to remember God’s holy intervention and emphasize his continuous active presence. Conference was like that – an extraordinary celebration of an extraordinary God doing extraordinary things in the lives of ordinary people.

Yes, the point of conference was to hone our craft, make contacts, develop new friendships, and promote ourselves. It was also so much more. Please don’t forget that what we do is really about God and people. This includes fellow writers, publishers, editors, and agents, those outsiders who observe us, and the very real human readers who buy books. God is interested in people. People are his heart. In the end, recognizing and aligning with his plan is what will keep us moving toward our own personal goals and sustain us through the tough or drab times.

Take some time to remember what God did for you specifically at conference, those who impacted you, and those whose lives you touched for God. I’d love to hear about a special God-moment you had. Also, those who didn’t go jump in here too, for God met you in special ways as well.