WRITE: Frequently Made Errors #6: "I Don’t Have Time"
“I want to write, but I don’t have time.” “My schedule’s already full—when would I find time to write?” “I want to write, but I keep putting it off.” I’ve heard—and made—all these excuses and more about one of the most common writing FMEs (Frequently Made Errors), “I Don’t Have Time.” Yes, I call it an excuse. And so should you. You’ve heard the saying: You make time for your true priorities. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve made time for (among other things) quantity cooking, homeschooling, writing, preparing two new seminars, and traveling to teach those seminars. I haven’t (as you may have noticed) made time to blog. I make frequent mention of my writing career here and on my Facebook page. I speak at writers’ conferences and other events. So it doesn’t surprise me when I meet people who want to discuss writing. And it doesn’t surprise me, either, when I hear one of the common excuses about why they don’t write. One of the reasons I take time to mega-cook (our family prepares and freezes anywhere between fifty and sixty dinner meals at one time, usually five or six of each recipe, to use over a period of several months) is because this way of cooking gives me time to write. I prefer to take several days to peel, chop, grill, simmer, broil, and wash dishes (over and over) than to repeat this process on a smaller scale every night. With fifty-something meals in the freezer, dinner becomes simple. And I can spend my time writing instead of cooking or cleaning up afterwards. Do I encourage other writers toward this type of cooking? Not necessarily. It may or may not help you (Intrigued? Check out my mini-cookbook under the “Freebies” link to the right). However, I do encourage you to make lifestyle changes that will yield time to write. Get up earlier. Stay up later. Avoid or limit television (I instituted that long ago). Ration your time on Facebook or email. Wear earplugs. Set aside a room or corner of a room as your office. You make time for your true priorities. If writing’s important, you’ll find a way to get it done. What works for me may not work for you. But a large part of writing sounds a lot like the Nike slogan: Just do it. Today! What lifestyle changes could you institute (or have you already instituted) that give you more time to write? Share with the rest of us,...
read moreREAD: Review, The Smart Stepmom by Ron L. Deal and Laura Petherbridge
The Smart Stepmom: Practical Steps to Help You Thrive! offers readers an information kit and therapy session wrapped up as a purse-size book. Packed with wisdom and practical encouragement, it also serves as Bible study, counselor, and supportive friend. Why review a book about stepmoms? By the grace of God, my husband and I have been married 27-plus years; my parents, 54. All my grandparents celebrated more than 60 years together. But I happen to be a pastor’s wife, neighbor, and friend of many who find themselves in blended families. These precious people are stepmoms; they have stepmoms; or they’re married to stepmoms. I’ve seen their struggles and successes. I’ve witnessed their wounds. And I understand enough to know there’s much more I don’t understand. The authors of The Smart Stepmom recognize God’s ideal in marriage. They also recognize the importance of making the stepfamily work. What happens when your stepchildren ignore you? How do you handle the relationship with their biological mom? And what do your biological kids need as they adjust? With insights borne of both professional and personal experience (Deal is a licensed professional counselor/ therapist and founder of Successful Stepfamiles; Petherbridge is an international speaker, author, and stepmom of two grown sons) the authors answer these common questions and more. Each chapter contains an abundance of wise, in-the-trenches applications and ends with a prayer, Scripture references, and Discussion Questions. Like it or not, the authors say, stepparenting is a team sport. This book offers a proven game plan and specific strategies for success. Don’t tell anyone, but it makes a great read for dads and stepdads, too. The Smart Stepmom. Read it and rejoice as God uses this power-packed product to help you achieve...
read morePRAY: Captives Set Free
Father, how can I help but thank you for the amazing victories we witnessed yesterday? Thank you that so much about the day’s events spoke of you, from heartfelt tears and hugs to the miner who dropped to his knees. Thank you for the technological expertise that made the rescue safe and smooth. Thank you for the miners’ relative health and safety. Thank you for their physical and emotional strength. Thank you for your provision of so many little things that became big things during their time underground. God, I also want to thank you for the way you used this captivity to begin the process of freedom. You shed your light on illicit relationships, addictions, and other bonds. I pray that as these men heal and recover, they will continue to confront these issues and—more importantly—confront you. Jesus, I know so many of us remain captive. The enemy longs to keep us there, bound by sin and self. But you’ve broken his power by your shed blood on the cross. Shatter these bonds, Lord Jesus, with the truth that sets free. Use our weakness and need to draw us closer to you. In your holy, life-giving, chain-shattering name I...
read moreWRITE: Frequently Made Errors #5: Reduce Your Use of Passive Voice
The question came again this weekend: “But how do I get rid of it?” As a part of our Word Weavers writing critique group, I critiqued a manuscript and encouraged its writer to reduce her use of passive voice. Overuse of passive voice, in fact, is one of the FMEs (Frequently Made Errors) I discussed in an earlier WRITE post. But as a friend pointed out, I failed to finish my blog discussion of that topic. Please forgive me! Here, at last, I present the follow-up to my original (5/18/10) explanation. REVIEW: Overuse of the passive voice can weaken your writing. However, some things are or need to be. Good writers don’t avoid all passives. But they can curtail them if they watch for overuse of forms of the verb “to be”: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been. Those forms mark the passive voice. Print one page of your manuscript and circle or highlight all the forms of to be you find there. Or use the “Find and Replace” feature in Microsoft Word. Choose one form of to be like is or was to replace with a nonsense noun like hippopotamus. You may end up with sentences like this (replacing was with hippopotamus): The eager salesman hippopotamus standing on the porch. While he hippopotamus waiting for someone to answer the bell, he hippopotamus twirling his mustache. An old woman hippopatums shuffling to the door. She rasped out, “What do you want?” and the salesman hippopotamus shocked. He hippopotamus unable to answer. No one hippopotamus ever brave enough to ask him that question. The bolded words should help make you aware of the passive constructions. Now rewrite your piece in a more active way. My example: The eager salesman stood on the porch twirling his mustache as he waited for someone to answer the bell. An old woman shuffled to the door and rasped out, “What do you want?” Shocked, the salesman couldn’t answer. No one had ever dared ask him that question. Did you notice that some of the other words and phrases changed when I removed the passive constructions? The corrected version also uses fewer words. Overuse of the passive voice can make your writing tedious. Good writing is easy to read. I have a few more things to say about how (and why) to change passive constructions to active. But I’ll save those for another WRITE post. After all, I don’t want to be boring or confusing bore or confuse you. Do you have a problem with passives—or a way to help eliminate them? Please...
read moreREAD: Review, Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd
Have you ever read a book that leaves you breathless? Natalie Lloyd’s tender heart, sensitivity to God’s Spirit, and keen insights into God’s Word spill across every page of Paperdoll: What Happens When an Ordinary Girl Meets an Extraordinary God in a way that took my breath away. Each beautifully written chapter captures the thoughts and attitudes of the woman from Samaria whose need led to her wellside encounter with the King of kings. But Paperdoll goes far beyond Bible study. The author’s vulnerability about her own failures and fumblings left me stumbling over my own. Stumbling—only to rise with fresh faith and renewed confidence. We live in a world of paperdolls—those women with perfect faces, stylish clothes, and flawless makeup, the ones we admire on TV and whose faces grace the latest magazine covers. The problem? Paperdolls are flat, two-dimensional. And flat people can’t experience real life. Real life: that’s the breathless beauty of Lloyd’s book. Readers will see, feel, and experience real life and real answers as she explores the concepts of true beauty, inner woundedness, and the fulfillment found only in true love. A closing Study Guide includes suggested soundtrack and discussion questions appropriate for a Bible study group along with ideas for further reflection. But whether you share Paperdoll with others or read it on your own, take a deep breath—and prepare for God to blow you away. Want to win a free copy of Paperdoll? Leave a comment below and tell me why! I’ll choose the winner from comments left before 10:00 PM on Sunday, October 10. Yes, that’s 10/10/10 at 10! And watch for my interview with Natalie Lloyd, coming soon to the WRITE section of this...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
