Today, I present the final portion of my interview with 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel winner C.J. Darlington. Homeschooling parents and writers who seek publication will want to pay special attention. This comes with a shoutout to C.J. for all her helpful answers and to Homeschooling Today for permission to reprint. C.J.’S TIPS FOR YOUNG WRITERS AND THEIR TEACHERS:How homeschooling helps writers learn and grow: If it weren’t for my parents’ choice of homeschooling, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Homeschooling taught me how to teach myself. But after I graduated, my parents were still there to help me pursue my dreams. I believe the homeschool experience fosters individual thinking. That’s so important. I never want to swallow what someone tells me is truth without asking questions. How homeschooling can build creativity: Mom required us to journal every day. We could write about whatever we wanted, and she promised she would never read our entries. That was a freeing experience. I was thirteen when I started and still keep a journal. Mom also built assignments around our interests. For example, she turned the newspaper Tracy and I started into an entire journalism course. Through The Monthly Dart, we learned how to write editorials, limericks, fiction, news articles, and more because those areas intrigued us. How to achieve your writing dreams: Never give up. If God has put the desire to write in your heart, He has a way of fulfilling it. I had the dream of being a published author for more than fifteen years before my first book released. Was it worth the wait? You bet. But you’ll never reach your dreams if you give up on them. PUTTING IT IN PRINT: 1. Learn to type correctly. This is the one homeschool requirement I use every day. If you want to be a writer, it’s imperative. 2. Read great books. The best way to learn how to write fiction is to read great novels. It’s learning by osmosis. You’ll pick up concepts like how to structure a story, craft dialogue, and master point of view without realizing it. 3. Write about what you love. You’ll write best if your topic interests you. Do you love horses? Write a story about a girl and her horse. Are airplanes your passion? Create a story that features a pilot. My sister, Tracy, started writing articles about Christian musicians for youth publications because she loved Christian music.4. Be patient. Writing is an apprenticeship. It can take years to master the craft and achieve publication. Allow this to encourage you on days when the words don’t flow. Originally published in Homeschooling Today® magazine, January/February 2010, used by permission. All rights...

I mentioned in an earlier post that dyslexia has influenced my approach to writing and life. I’m not dyslexic, but one daughter and other friends are. I’ve learned a great deal from them and have found that the backwards approach provides unique perspective. Perhaps that’s why so much of my writing life has come about, well, backwards. I was writing when I could barely read. I was published before I knew anything about submissions (my teacher did it for me). I wrote book proposals and then books for authors and CBA publishers without following the typical steps of the publishing world. This Thursday through Sunday, I’ll complete a step I wish I’d taken long ago. I’m about to attend my first official writers’ conference! The Florida Christian Writers Conference (FCWC) is held annually at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, less than thirty minutes from my home. I had planned to go last year but a book deadline (for the books mentioned in my previous post) kept me at my computer. I’ve planned to attend other conferences in other years and cancelled those as well. My husband and I decided I would attend the FCWC this year no matter what. I had planned to commute, but God and a generous friend provided a scholarship for room and board. I know my Father has great plans for me there. I look forward to the things he will teach me. I look forward to the relationships I’ll build. I look forward to hearing from old friends like Cec Murphey and Eva Marie Everson along with others I hope will be new friends like Angela Hunt, Nancy Rue, and Jerry Jenkins. I’m interested to hear from Jerry especially because he has spent much of his life doing what I do now—and much more. Word Weavers, the local Christian writers’ group to which I belong, will host Jerry at an afternoon reception this Sunday, March 7, after the FCWC ends. For details, see the attached flyer. Jerry will speak about the craft of writing and the work of the Christian Writers Guild. Word Weavers will offer door prizes along with a reception and book signing. Join us! And please pray for me as I attend the FCWC. I’ll be the one taking the backwards approach—and watching for God at...

Someone asked it again last night: “How did you get into that type of work?” The question referred to my work as a collaborative writer. I responded with the short version (shared in my professional bio. under “About Marti” on this website). I’ll share the long version here. As I also note in “About Marti,” I’ve been a writer most of my life. I believe God designed me this way. Perhaps he gave you an ability to paint, draw, build computers, or fix cars. I have none of those skills—but I received the word gene in full force. My earliest stories and poems came about in second grade. Mrs. Esther Frederick was the wonderful, kind teacher (I called her my “grandma teacher”) who encouraged my work. For one of her assignments, every student studied a particular animal. Our finished projects all included clay sculptures, crayon drawings, and research reports printed on giant sheets of lined manuscript paper. With Mrs. Frederick’s blessing, mine also contained a section of original poems about my chosen animal, the chipmunk. I record one of these gems here in its entirety: Run, little chipmunk, run fast. Or Mr. Fox will get you and your babies will not last. Run, little chipmunk, run fast! The amazing part about this early effort is not that I could write well (I couldn’t—at least not yet). The amazing part is that my teacher saw the value of my potential. She never pointed out my coloring or sculpture deficiencies. Instead, she emphasized what I could do. She was the first person in my life who praised the way I put words together. She cast into me the vision that I could write so that, as early as age seven, I considered myself a writer. My story begins with a God-given ability and a grace-gift of encouragement from a wise teacher. When I teach others, including my children, I hope to affirm their abilities in the same way Mrs. Frederick did mine. Who encouraged you to develop your abilities? What gifts or talents showed up in your childhood that you still exhibit today? Comment back (here or on Facebook) to continue the conversation. I’ll continue my story in the next “WRITE”...

Although I’ve written for publication since my childhood, I took a L-O-N-G break after high school. My first homeschool article hit print in 2000. And my venture into the world of collaborative writing began in 2005. I mentioned earlier that God wired me as a word-person who loves to read and write. My tagline makes that obvious. In 2005, when God moved my work from small-time, part-time to full-time professional, I faced a huge learning curve. Much of what I did (which included revamping a book proposal in nine days to ensure its acceptance by Thomas Nelson), I learned as I went. I’ll let you in on a secret. Although I’ve become a student of both the craft and business of writing, the most important thing I’ve learned isn’t a technique or method. It’s not a plan or formula. My most important lesson as a writer is also the most important thing I’ve learned as a disciple of Christ: relationships matter. Jesus demonstrated this throughout his life. Read the Gospels and watch his interactions. He didn’t leverage relationships in the sense of manipulating others to get what he wanted. But he did approach people intentionally. His goals were not his own. He longed to draw people toward his Father, and it showed. What does this have to do with writing? My own relationships have meant everything from a writer friend’s suggestion that I submit an article about a homeschool project to an agent’s recommendation of my work. Relationships have brought me writing projects, speaking engagements, and some much-needed mentoring. But relationships have also allowed me to serve and to bless others. My first book project (third in order of publication) arose out of a relationship with a family I’d never met—a family whose son was critically ill. I’ll speak about I Would Die for You, the story and message of young BJ Higgins, at 1o AM next Friday at First Baptist Umatilla. If you’re a woman in or near the Lake County, Florida area, I’d love to see you there. I covet your prayers whether or not you can attend. Perhaps you’re not a writer. Still, I encourage you to consider relationships as you approach your day. Whose life does God intend you to touch? Whose life will he use to change yours? Relationships matter because everybody matters to God. You matter, too. Thanks for reading. Father, allow our relationships to make a difference today. Show us those who need a word of encouragement or more. Touch those who hurt and grant them your peace. Use our lives and our relationships to carry out your plans. In your name I pray,...