Taking Care of Me and Learning that Writing Requires Patience

March 17, 2015 / kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

This year I am trying to commit to doing things that I think are important for my own personal well-being. Being a mother of two busy boys and one adult son who is preparing for college, and homeschooling makes life very busy. Being a mother who has always put everyone’s needs before her own, it is difficult to consider my needs important enough to allow time to take care of me on a daily basis.

Last September, I had a wake up call that caused me to make, not only and effort, but a commitment to take care of me. Last September, I had to wake my husband and have him take me to the emergency room because of severe pain in the middle of my chest that shot straight through to the center of my back and into my right shoulder. I was frightened, worried that I might be having a heart attack. After spending about eight hours in the E.R., I was relieved and thankful to find out it wasn’t my heart, but I was diagnosed with gall stones, and in order to avoid repeating this awful pain, I needed to change my eating habits. (Also after a follow up appointment with a specialist, they made an appointment for me to see a surgeon to have my gall bladder removed.) That never happened. I found a naturopathic doctor instead, and what a blessing! She has me on several whole food supplements and gave me a plan for eating healthy that would not aggravate my gall bladder, and it was the first healthy eating plan that I have found easy to follow and stick to, and I have been doing well since then. So, pain motivated me to commit to taking care of myself physically, and now that the weather is getting warmer, my plan is to commit to walking my dog at least three times a week as well.

What about my other needs? My need to feed my brain and my need to write. My need to feed my brain is filled by having time to read, so I have committed to reading every night before bed. This has been a blessing in three ways: 1) it feeds my brain with knowledge and entertainment; 2) it allows me to examine other writers’ works to see what is selling; 3) it relaxes me and helps me to sleep. Finally, my need to write, and for me it is a need. I find if I do not write, I get frustrated and short-tempered and feel like I could burst because I have story ideas and characters in my head that really need to get out. I have been blessed by a supportive family in this endeavor, as well as the others listed above, in that they encourage me to write. I have been a member of a local writers’ group for a little over a year now that meets monthly, and I rarely miss a meeting. They also have a one-day writers’ conference in the Spring and I attended last year and am already registered for this year. Any other one-day writers’ conferences or workshops that I find happening withing a reasonable driving distance, my family encourages me to attend, and I do. I also committed to writing this blog, not quite a year ago, and this year I am doing my best to commit to posting three times a week, though I don’t always succeed. I have recently committed to writing for two hours every evening and I have been blessed to be able to be faithful much more than not in this endeavor. I am also committed to connecting with other writers/authors, both published and unpublished because it is an encouragement and inspiration to me to get to know them and to learn from them.

Finally, this morning, I made another commitment that I should have made a very long time ago, and that is I committed to starting each day, Monday through Saturday, in devotion with the Lord. Sundays I won’t have time to do this as we will I will be busy helping everyone get ready to get out the door for Sunday school and church where I will meet with the Lord on His holy sabbath each week. This is huge because this fills my most important need; my eternal need; my spiritual need. The first devotion/Bible study book I have decided to go through in my morning times with the Lord is Write His Answer by Marlene Bagnull because not only will this provide nourishment for my spiritual need, but will help me and encourage me in my writing, something I believe God has given me to do.

This morning I learned that “Writing requires patience”: patience in doing the writing, patience in editing the writing, patience in receiving feedback on the writing, patience in waiting to hear back from the magazine or publisher or whomever I submit my work to, and patience to keep trying when my writing is rejected over and over and over again, all the while trusting in the Lord. The two verses that the Lord impressed upon me this morning are:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

(Philippians 1:6)

These verses tell me that I need to seek God’s plan for my writing and set specific and measurable goals and to give myself and my writing time to develop.

How about you? Are you taking care of yourself? Have you learned to seek God’s plan for your writing and have you learned to be patient — to give yourself and your writing time to develop?

A Heart’s Disguise by Colleen Coble

March 9, 2015March 8, 2015 / kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. To find out how you can become a book reviewer, click here.

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at http://www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks

A Heart’s Disguise by Colleen Coble is the first book in the “Journey of the Heart” series. It takes place in the tiny town of Wabash, Indiana just after the Civil War. Sarah Montgomery harbors a deep sadness in her heart because the man she loves with every ounce of her being, Rand Campbell, has not returned from the battle front.

With her father’s health failing, he and her brother encourage Sarah to marry Ben Croftner so that she will be settled before her father’s death. However, when she finds out that Rand is still alive and that Ben knew it, she breaks off the engagement.

Ben doesn’t take the rejection lightly, and he plans to abduct Sarah. Then Rand comes to her aid, but informs her that he is leaving, as he is still in the Cavalry and has been posted at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. He asks Sarah to go with him as his wife.

What will Sarah do? Will she be able to leave her dying father’s side to travel west with the man she has always loved?

This book grabbed my emotions from the first page. My emotions ranged from sympathy, to anger, to pain and hurt. The characters in the story grabbed my heart and I cheered them on throughout, except for Ben Croftner who simply made me angry, and I wanted someone to teach him a lesson. Of course, Sarah’s brother, William, isn’t very likeable either.

The story was romantic and sad. It is an easy read at just 90 pages, and it left me wanting more. I cannot wait for the second book in the series. This is the first book I have ever read by Colleen Coble, but it won’t be the last. I will anxiously await A Heart’s Obsession, and I’m sure I’ll look for other books she has written as well.

If you love a good romance story with a bit of danger, you’ll enjoy Colleen Coble’s Journey of the Heart.

Discipline and Determination

March 6, 2015March 6, 2015 / kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

Okay, so I have shared, in the past, that I struggle with finding/making time to write. Well, on Saturday, February 21, 2015, I attended my Writers’ Group meeting. I was to give the devotion that day, and I shared a devotion entitled “First Things First” from the book Write His Answer: A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull that focused on Matthew 6:33 “Give Him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.” I also mentioned, before sharing the devotion that it is often a struggle for me to find/make time to write. The devotion ends with this Bible verse: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31), followed by this poem:

Pressures

Father, I have so much to do

and not enough hours in the day to do it,

I know that’s only partly true.

I do have enough time

to do the things you want me to do.

But, Lord, how do I sort out what they are,

when everything screams for my attention?

I’m exhausted from rushing —

uptight and irritable.

Please forgive me and help me.

Help me to learn from your Son.

People were constantly pressing in on him.

He could have been consumed–burned out.

But Jesus took time to be alone with you.

He made you his top priority.

I must learn to do the same,

especially when I’m feeling pressured.

Help me to be still and know

that you are God.

Even as you created and hold together the universe,

you can bring order to my life if I will let you.

Thank you, Lord.

I always make time to spend time in prayer with the Lord each day, but, I will confess, I haven’t made much time to read His word each day. That is something I want to begin to make time for and I plan to. My plan was to begin doing so this week, but so many unexpected things have happened this week, it got pushed by the wayside, again. I need to learn to make it happen even if unexpected things happen.

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What does this have to do with writing? Well, just like making time to read God’s word requires discipline and determination, so does making time to write.

Our guest speaker, at that February 21, 2015 meeting, mentioned during his speaking, that it is good for writers to have busy lives because it gives us a full life which gives us lots of ideas and information to use in our writing. However, he also mentioned that he writes for two hours a day, sometimes longer on weekends, even in his busy life.

All of this resonated with me and made me think, and I thought, “If he can do it, I can do it.” So I determined to set aside two hours a day to write. I talked to my family about it, and they were encouraging. So, Sunday, March 1, (no, I didn’t begin doing this right after the meeting), I finally found my determination. We came home from church earlier than we normally do because it was snowing, and everyone wanted to do their own relaxing activities, so I decided to write.

I grabbed my laptop and went to the dining room table, and that’s when determination kicked in. You see, I’m horribly guilty of procrastinating at beginning to write because I get onto social media first thinking I’ll write after spending some time on social media. However, the social media time goes to long and the writing never begins. So that Sunday, I determined NOT to look at social media, but to IMMEDIATELY begin writing. I spent three hours, that day, writing. That was last Sunday.

Today is Thursday, and I have managed to set aside 7 to 9 p.m. every evening to write, and though I haven’t written for the full two hours every night, I have written 1,000 words each night, with the exception of one, on which I wrote 800 words. Now I look forward everyday to my writing time, and I believe, now that I have made it part of my routine, I will be able to stick with it.

How about you? How do you make time for writing?

Author and Blogger, Jody Hedlund

March 5, 2015April 25, 2020 / kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

Today I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite authors, Jody Hedlund!

I found Jody’s blog a little less than a year ago, when I was looking for good writers’ resources online. I have been reading her blog faithfully ever since. She posts on her blog every Tuesday and always has great writing tips and advice to share. I began reading her blog before I ever read any of her books.

I was blessed, about two months ago, when a friend handed me one of Jody’s books and said I could read it. She said that she had read on my blog that I hadn’t read any of Jody’s books yet. I devoured that book, which is pictured down a little way in this post, Love Unexpected. I became hooked and recently picked up a copy of The Doctor’s Lady which I look forward to reading soon. I hope to read all of Jody’s books eventually.

I have found that, though, Jody is a very busy lady: homeschooling her children, writing, traveling to research her writing, and I’m sure the list has more on it, she cares about her readers and other writers and really wants to be available to them. She has contact information on her website and on her blog, and she will email you, if you email her. I have emailed her twice to ask questions and she has been kind enough to respond with information that was very helpful to me.

It is also my pleasure to introduce you to Jody’s newest book — her first YA book! (Pictured above). It is a story set in medieval times. She is currently hosting a give away on her blog, where she will be giving a signed copy away!

The following is the description of the book on Amazon:

Due to her parents’ promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father’s enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents’ will left a second choice–if Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.

Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights–the one who appears the most guilty–had not already captured her heart.

I am not a YA reader, but I think I would still like to read this book! I’m also certain that this would be a wonderful story for you to suggest or give to a young adult lady in your life.

Jody also has one historical book published. It is:

It is a story about Katharina escaping from a cloister and finding refuge with Martin Luther. She seeks his help, but a war is about to break out and Martin Luther doesn’t think he has much time. It is one of the greatest love stories in history.

Jody has written three historical romance series so far.

Love Unexpected is the first book in the Beacons of Hope series, but this book was preceded by an enovella that introduced the series, which I also read. It is Out of the Storm, which is currently available for free here.

Her other series include: The Michigan Brides collection and The Hearts of Faith series (The Doctor’s Lady is the second book in this series).

Her stories have well developed characters. The women in her stories are strong, though they may not know it. Her stories are romantic and inspirational and you may even learn some history you are not aware of as you read her books. I have found her books hard to put down, and in Love Unexpected, I grew to love Emma and Patrick so much that it was sad to reach the end of the story and have to say goodbye to them. I wrote a book review on this book here.

If you’re not familiar with Jody and her books, I encourage you to click one of the links in this post and find our more about her or download her free novella and introduce yourself to her writing. If you are a writer who is still working toward becoming published or just want to learn more about writing, I encourage you to join me in reading her blog.

A Thousand Sleepless Nights by Michael King

March 2, 2015March 3, 2015 / kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

A Thousand Sleepless Nights

A Thousand Sleepless Nights by Michael King is a wonderful story. It is about a family that is broken. It is about a woman’s struggle with cancer. It is about what happens to the woman, the man who loves her and her children as she faces a very aggressive cancer.

This story is so realistic, and it’s a wonderful story because the characters and the issues they are dealing with could happen to anyone. Therefore, the reader becomes captivated from the very beginning. The story made me laugh and made me cry, and I always say those are the best stories. They are the stories I always remember the most about.

The book was well-written. The characters were rich and believable and I began to care about them from the beginning. Not only did I begin to care about the characters from the beginning, but I could feel the hurt and pain that each of them was dealing with. I could relate to these characters, not to the woman with cancer, as I have not had to face that, but some of the issues her children were dealing with were definitely things I could relate to, things I had dealt with in my life, either directly or indirectly. The dialogue was believable and realistic. Mr. King did a great job describing the setting and the scenes just enough to give me the information I needed, to feel as though I were there, but not too much as to make the story feel bogged down.

In my opinion, this book has something for everyone. To watch how the characters dealt with the issues they faced was inspiring and thought-provoking. I think I would re-read this book if I ever faced cancer. I recommend this book to anyone who has faced, is facing, or knows someone who has faced or is facing cancer. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading realistic stories with believable characters and resolution.

Shot to the Heart

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015 / kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

Well, I suppose I can consider myself an official writer now, as two days ago, I received my first rejection email. Oh, it was written kindly and politely, but that didn’t take the sting of rejection away. After reading it, and this was a submission that I had expected to hear something about quite some time ago, I thought, I felt better not knowing than getting that “I’m sorry but we cannot use your story at this time”.

But the sting has gone, and I go on. I will continue to write and submit and hope. I cannot do anything else, because I have characters and stories inside of me fighting to get out.

Yesterday, I read this on another blog:

• Agatha Christie went through FIVE years of continual rejection before landing a publishing deal; her book sales are now over $2 billion.

• Louis L’Amour garnered 200 rejections before a publisher decided to take a chance on him; his book sales are now over $330 million.

• Janet Evanovich wrote for TEN years before getting published; she now makes millions every year.

– See more at: http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/#sthash.NH9H1wFy.dpuf

After reading this information, I had two thoughts: 1) Wow! That’s perseverance. I hope I have that kind of strength, determination and fortitude, and 2) I hope it doesn’t take me that long because I have started at an age where I’m not sure I would have much time to produce a lot of great stories if I had to wait that long.

How about you? Have you received rejection letters/emails? How long have you been plugging away at your writing waiting for your big break?

A Postponement

February 19, 2015 / kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

I am sad to say that there will not be a Guest Post today. I suppose that what I need to inform you of, is that there will be a Guest Post Wednesday only on Wednesdays when I can actually acquire one. Please don’t give up on Guest Post Wednesday, as I will post a Guest Post on any Wednesday that I am able to make a connection with someone to write one, so they may not happen every Wednesday, but they will happen.

Watch for an update on my writing journey, to be posted tomorrow!

River’s Edge by Terri Blackstock

February 17, 2015 / kellyfbarr / 1 Comment

This is Book #3 in the Cape Refuge Series. If you remember, I already reviewed Book #4 of this series here. I know, I seem to be reading this series in reverse, but it still makes sense and is still very suspenseful and enjoyable. I received a copy of River’s Edge free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Official Book Description

The man Lisa Jackson loved most may have betrayed her.

Another used deception to manipulate her.

But did one of them kill her?

Ben Jackson is sure to defeat Jonathan Cleary in Cape Refuge’s mayoral race, until his wife turns up missing the day before a major debate. Suspecting foul play, Police Chief Cade launches an island-wide search. But it takes a psychic’s “vision” to point police to the riverside-and Lisa’s body.

The evidence implicating Ben in his wife’s murder is convincing. But as a local scandal escalates into a national media circus, Cade’s instincts tell him to dig deeper. And he’s not the only one. Blair Owens of the Cape Refuge Journal is using her investigative skills to uncover a rat’s nest of dirty secrets-and more than one person with a motive for murder. But Blair’s methods are jeopardizing her relationship with Cade, and an unsolicited prediction from the psychic only adds to her troubles. Is the man’s so-called gift truly from God, as he claims?

Did Lisa’s murder have anything to do with the mayoral race, her husband’s alleged affair, or her decade-long struggle with infertility? Whoever the killer is, he’s about to take his evasion of justice to the next, lethal level. And someone else is going to die.

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This story is well-written and deals with some difficult issues like infertility. It is realistic and the characters are people who will draw you into the story and make you care about them from page one. The suspense of who killed Lisa Jackson will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, and there are enough suspects to keep you guessing. I love to read suspenseful novels and try to solve the crime and figure out who the guilty party is before it is revealed, but Terri Blackstock in the Cape Refuge series (the two that I have read so far) always surprises me, and to me, that says the author did a great job with the story because it was intricately woven in a way that I thought I knew who dunnit, but I didn’t.

This series also includes a recurring group of townsfolk who keep you coming back to each book of the series. Their storylines include suspense and romance as well as real-life issues. Blair Owens’s walk of faith is a joy to watch as it grows and she faces some of the spiritual struggles we all deal with.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a well-written story about realistic characters dealing with realistic issues. I also recommend this novel to anyone who loves a fast-paced suspense novel, as well as a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.

My Writing Process

February 12, 2015 / kellyfbarr / 1 Comment

1) & 2) What am I working on and how do I write what I write?

I currently have two works in progress (WIP). I have been working on an outline and character questionnaires for a story and am still working on that. However, that doesn’t seem to quench my need to be creative. I guess I am just too used to writing “by the seat of my pants” (pantser), which is how I have written stories ever since I started writing way back when I was in junior high school, (what many places now call “middle school”). I do not want to give up on the one that I am working on with an outline and character questionnaires, though, because I want to see what really does work better for me — “pantsing” or “planning”, or maybe I’ll be able to find something in between. Any suggestions for something in between?

You may be wondering, “doesn’t pantsing require extra editing”? All I can say is “not for me”. You see, the way that I write, I simply sit down and begin writing and let the characters introduce themselves to me, and I let the characters tell the story. I just type. The next time I sit down to write, (which should be everyday, but, sadly, is not), I reread all that I have typed; and, yes, I do this each and every time I sit down to work on the story I am pantsing. Isn’t that time consuming, you may ask. Yes, it is. However, it serves three wonderful purposes to me. It refreshes my mind about the story, I change things and make edits on what I’ve written each and every time I sit down and reread, and it gets ideas flowing and awakens the characters, and they continue telling me the story. That way, if I write a scene that I feel is lame or that doesn’t fit or advance the story, I can get rid of it the next day. I just wrote such a scene last night, and the more I thought about it after walking away from my writing, the more I decided it does nothing to advance the plot. Therefore, when I sit down to write again, be it today or tomorrow, I will get rid of that scene. So, yes, I also spend time thinking about my stories and characters while I am not writing, which also helps my writing process for the next time I sit down to write.

3) How does my book differ from others in its genre?

The only answer I have for this, is that it is written by me, in my voice, with characters I created in their own circumstances. I hope that their circumstances and the plot is something fresh and new to the genre. I hope that my characters are characters that you come to care about quickly and that you come to love and will not want to say goodbye to at the end of the story. I hope there is an underlying Christian theme/message that will inspire you and touch your heart.

4) Why do I write what I write?

Because I have to. I have a need to get these stories on paper (or computer) because they will not let me rest if I do not. I also write the kinds of stories that I love to read, and I may be writing more than one genre eventually because I have a story idea burning inside me that was born of helping my son with one of his writing assignments for his homeschool writers’ club. It introduced me to a new genre that I never tried writing before and didn’t think I’d want to write, but I had so much fun helping him, that I just might give it a shot when I finish the two WsIP I am currently spending my time on.

5) How does my writing process work?

I described my writing process near the top of this post, and when I did, I alluded to the answer to this question. I haven’t reached a definite decision which writing process works best for me yet, but I do still enjoy writing as a pantser much more than as a planner. However, because I haven’t yet had a story published, I can’t really say that my writing process definitely works, but I do believe that whatever writing process I (or you) are most comfortable with will be the one that will work in the end because if I am (or you are) using a process that I am (or you are) comfortable with, I believe I (or you) will be more productive and produce good, if not great, work.

What is your writing process? Is it working well for you? Leave a comment and let me and my readers know.

Surprise! A Guest Post by Marsha Hubler

February 12, 2015 / kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

Drum roll, please! Yes, today is the beginning of “Guest Post Wednesday” here at Kelly F Barr. I hope I will be able to bring inspiring and informational posts from some great bloggers and hope to be able to do so each and every Wednesday. I am thrilled that Marsha Hubler has agreed to be my first Guest Poster. I met Marsha last Spring at a one-day Writer’s Conference.

Marsha Hubler

Author/Speaker

When Marsha left Ashland, PA in 1964, she was headed for Bloomsburg State College, Bloomsburg, PA, and a teaching career four years later in the central Pennsylvania area. Marsha says, “Little did I know that one of my childhood dreams of writing books would become a reality beyond my wildest imagination.”

After graduating from college, she married Richard Hubler, also a 1964 graduate of Ashland Area High School. Eventually, they made their home near Middleburg, PA. They have been active members of Bible Baptist Church in Kreamer, PA, since 1972, where Marsha plays the organ and sings in a mixed quartet.

In her 40+ years of involvement with education, Marsha has earned her master’s degree from Bloomsburg and has co-founded two private schools, Kreamer Christian Academy, Kreamer, PA, and the Bethesda Prep School, Milton, PA, where she served as administrator in each. Since 1990 she has evaluated and tested hundreds of homeschoolers in her home where she lives with her husband and two dogs. She is a certified evaluator with three different homeschooling organizations. She speaks at writers’ conferences, parents’ and children’s events and schools.

Marsha’s “professional” writing career started in 1991. She has had numerous articles, short stories, and poems published in magazines and for greeting cards. In 2003 her first book was published. DRAW ME CLOSER, LORD is a 128-page Bible study guide that helps ladies develop a stronger prayer relationship with the Lord.

Of her 19 published books, Marsha is most excited about the best-selling KEYSTONE STABLES SERIES published by Zonderkidz. These eight girl/horse fiction books delicately deal with issues that face today’s youth, issues such as light drug abuse, foster care, special needs, and the death of a close friend. Through her stories, Marsha conveys the truths that no problem is bigger than God and that He offers salvation as a gift through his Son, Jesus Christ. Girls ten years and older will connect to this series, identifying with the main protagonist, Skye Nicholson, who appears to be as tough as nails. However, on the inside she’s a scared, insecure teen, not quite sure of anything but her own fears until God changes her heart. “My main desire,” Marsha says, “is to see young people helped, most of all spiritually, through their difficult adolescent years as they read my books.”

Marsha and her husband were foster parents from 1975 to 1987, caring for a dozen children in need of a good home. Her hobbies and interests have included horses, softball, volleyball, painting, gardening, pocket billiards, and playing the organ.

In April of 2003, Marsha attended an American Christian Writers’ Conference in Richmond, Virginia, where she was presented the “Writer of the Year” Award. She presently does freelance editing for two publishing companies and has just assumed the directorship of the Montrose Christian Writers Conference, a five-day conference that draws faculty and conferees from all over the United States.

Marsha’s life verse is 1 Corinthians 15:10a: “But by the grace of God I am what I am.…” She stands amazed at what God can do with someone who is willing to serve him at whatever capacity he calls him or her.

Visit Marsha at her website, writers’ tips blog, Facebook, and other social media sites:

www.marshahubler.com

www.marshahubler.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/marsha.hubler.3