Illustration of Lazarus at the rich man's gate, Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886. [PD-US]

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

Luke 16:19-31

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.         

For other writers, myself among them, the blank page can be terrifying. I think much of it stems from the fact that it represents such unrestricted freedom. An invitation to go anywhere, to tell any story. How do you choose? And once you do, will your words be worth reading? There is so much unknownstaring blankly (pun intended) back at you, waiting for your hand to work upon it and create something wonderful out of nothing. For me, the proposition can be daunting.

Interestingly, I think this carries over into my everyday life as well. Can you relate? I don’t know about you, but I can’t even shop in stores with too many choices. It’s too overwhelming. I prefer some choice, but not unlimited ones. So, of course, I would choose a career (writing) that is allabout choices. Choices about characters, setting, plot, arcs, covers, titles…the list is endless.  

And now, on top of that, I find myself in a new empty-nest season of life which also necessarily involves a lot of changes and choices. A new “blank page of life,” if you will, that I must begin to write upon—a prospect that is more than a little bit scary.

 I’m sure I’m not alone in these feelings, whether you relate as a writer, or as a person who simply struggles generally with change and choosing next steps. The unknown can be hard.

Why does the open road of possibility vex some of us so? For me, I think my tendency to struggle in this area is grounded in the difficulty I have fully trusting. Fully and completely trusting and resting in God’s plan, not only for my work, but for my life. It’s easy to get twisted up in all the choices, all the worries, all the what ifs.

 The thing is, this shouldn’t be hard. Time and time again I have watched Him work out the details of my life. I should know better. But, well, I’m human. And a bit of a perfectionist and planner. So…you know…I suppose I come by it naturally.

What I hope, my prayer, is that as I grow into this next stage and develop the next book, I can more fully rest in His plan. That I can pray about the choices before me—whether they concern a blank page or a new life routine—and confidently leave them with the Lord. That I can then dive in and be joyous about the possibilities, not apprehensive. I’d love to be able to see the blank page in all its forms as a friend to greet, not an enemy to fear.

What unknowns do you struggle with? Are you ever in turmoil over new choices before you? If so, what promises of God do you lean on to find peace in those times? I’d love to know what speaks to your heart.

 _______________________________________________

D.L. Wood is a USA TODAY bestselling author who writes thrilling suspense laced with romance and faith. In her novels she tries to give readers the same thing she wants: a “can’t-put-it-down-stay-up-till-3am” character-driven story, full of heart, believability, and adrenaline. Her award-winning books offer clean, captivating fiction that entertains and uplifts. She lives in North Alabama, where, if she isn’t writing, you’ll probably catch her curled up with a cup of Earl Grey and her Westies—Frodo and Dobby—bingeing on the latest BBC detective series. If you have one to recommend, please email her immediately, because she’s nearly exhausted the ones she knows about. She loves to hear from readers, and you can reach her at dlwood@dlwoodonline.com

Here in Seekerville we’ve talked about getting up the nerve just to ENTER a contest, entering simply for feedback, then getting to the stage of entering because we’ve been consistently finaling and we’re pretty sure our current WIP can make the cut and land in front of an agent or editor.

All of that is well and good, but what’s the ultimate POINT of entering contests geared toward unpublished authors? I mean, past the point of getting your work in front of an editor or an agent? The point is to become ineligible to enter those contests. Right? Right!

And, we don’t get to that point by working and reworking chapter one of a manuscript (or even multiple manuscripts) just for the sake of entering contests. I could have easily become a first chapter dropout because I was a contest junk … uh … queen, as many of the Seekers were. They were more like princesses; I was fanatical!

I know of more than one aspiring author who fell by the wayside because they could never stop tweaking that first chapter and entering it in the next contest to see if it would final. I distinctly remember the first aspiring author I ever met. It was so much fun to have a like-minded person to brainstorm with, to ride to chapter meetings together and talk writing nonstop.  And the fact that she lived fairly close to me at the time made it all the more sweeter!

After two or three years of rewriting the first chapter of her story and getting more and varied feedback from contests, she lost her zeal and couldn’t even remember where she was headed with it in the first place. It was a hodgepodge of contest feedback and she completely gave up writing. And here’s the kicker: She was a good writer and had great ideas!

I’ve had my share of doing the same thing, so I know what I’m talking about! But I saw what happened to a few of my friends, and I didn’t want to be a first chapter dropout. I made myself finish a manuscript, then another, and another.

Don’t be a first chapter dropout: Finish the manuscript.

And you know what? If you’ve never actually finished a manuscript, you’ll be surprised at all the things that will happen during the course of writing the story that will change the opening scene or make the goals and motivations of your characters that much clearer as you write the closing scenes. It can be a real eye-opener, even if you had a detailed synopsis to go by.

At some point you’ll know you need to “retire” your current award winning manuscript from the contest circuit. Only you can decide when to do this, but I would say that if it’s been in front of most of the editors and agents who are judging, and if it’s won every major contest running, then it’s probably time to retire it. If you spot an editor or agent who’s judging that has never seen the manuscript, by all means enter it in that particular contest, but don’t just keep sending the first same chapter to the same final round judges over and over and over. After an editor has seen it in contests 2 or 3 times, unless there’s a major overhaul, that’s probably enough. That’s not to say that they won’t buy it later on. Far from it. They just might. And… for the record, that manuscript might not be your first sale. But with work, it might become a sale.

I imagine at that point they’re ready to see something else from you, so write something else. Write the first chapter and a clear synopsis of the sequel to your first book or something totally new and enter that in a contest and get back to FINISHING your first award winning manuscript.

So, the goal is to start your manuscript, enter a few contests, FINISH the manuscript, and start something new. All this time keep entering contests, making connections, submitting to agents and editors, and somewhere down the road, something will click, and you’ll move one more step up the publishing ladder.

Keep working, keep moving forward to the goal, and publishing will happen.

Now, having said ALL that, I’m a BIG believer in writing contests. I love them all, from the first line ones, to the synopsis ones, to the first chapter ones, and the ones that require a full manuscript. As a published author, I sort of MISS being able to enter those contests anonymously. So, don’t take today’s post as reason NOT to enter contests. Take it as a reason to enter them all (like someone who shall remain nameless… ahem), but always remember the goal….

Don’t be a first chapter dropout. Finish the manuscript!

But while you're writing toward the finish line, check out ACFW's First Impressions Contest. It's for unpublished authors, and all you need to enter is the first 5 pages of your manuscript and a 200 word blurb. Deadline to enter is October 15th!

By Debby Giusti

Today is the International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, that was instituted by the United Nations and first celebrated in 1981. Fittingly, the logo for this day of ceasefire and non-violence is a dove. Initially, it was celebrated in conjunction with the yearly opening of the UN General Assembly on September 11^th, but after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, the annual date for the event changed to September 21^st.

Philippians 4:7 says, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As Christian writers, we want to spread that peace of Christ through our stories, but first we need to have peace in our hearts.

Peace starts with the individual. We must find peace within ourselves before we can positively impact our readers, our family and friends, our community and indeed our world.

As writers, we have the ability to influence others through our stories. Attempting to change a person’s values or perceptions through debate--using facts and stats--is often difficult, whereas a story focused on those same ideas can resonate with readers who enter into the story and become emotionally involved. A well written story can change not only readers’ hearts but also their minds about even long-established beliefs.

In this time of social upheaval, when families are under attack and our Judeo-Christian beliefs are being assaulted, when much of what we hold dear is maligned and when the moral compass that guides us is considered archaic and discarded by so many, true peace can be hard to find.

So the question I pose today is, as writers, how can we find peace?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Give God the first fruits of the day. Start the morning with prayer, with Scripture, with quiet time spent in praise and thanksgiving. Offer up all you do for his honor and glory.

2.Tend to the needs of your family. Foster loving relationships and encourage affirmation. Provide emotional support and counter negative influences. Invite Christ into your home and peace will follow.

3. Find time for self-reflection. Discard baggage that weighs you down. Ask forgiveness for your mistakes and be the first to forgive. Set goals, dream dreams and take concrete steps toward achieving those goals. Only then will your dreams come true.

4. Be a friend and make a friend. Reach out to those in need. Find ways, however small or seemingly insignificant, to enhance your community for the betterment of all.

On this International Day of Peace, let’s reflect on ways we can be peacemakers. How can we spread God’s message of faith, hope and love in our stories? Where can we plant seeds of forgiveness and reconciliation?

Remember that when we have peace in our hearts, our stories will reflect peace as well.

Share your ideas about being a peacemaker in the comments. I’m giving away two copies of my November book from Love Inspired Suspense, In a Sniper’s Crosshairs.Let me know if you want to be in the drawing.

Peace be with you, dear friends!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

IN A SNIPER’S CROSSHAIRS

By Debby Giusti

An assassin’s loose in Amish country…

and she’s not the only target.

When a radio broadcast describes taxi driver Lily Hudson’s passenger as an armed criminal, she becomes his immediate target. Narrowly escaping, Lily accepts Matthias Overholt’s offer to hide at his Amish family farm for Christmas—until evidence reveals the gunman’s plan is tied to Lily’s past. Now to prevent an assassination, Lily and Matthias must unravel a years-old conspiracy…and evade a sniper who has them in his sights.

 Pre-Order HERE! 

Jan Luyken etching of the parable of the unjust steward, Bowyer Bible,  Bolton, England. [Free Art License]

Jesus said to his disciples,
"A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said,
'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
"For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon."

Luke 16:1-13

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.        

 by Mindy Obenhaus

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference in St. Louis. Something we haven't been able to do since 2019, so there was a whole lot of this going on.

Writers' conferences can be exhilarating and uplifting. They can rejuvenate your writing. But they can also be overwhelming. With so much information packed into just a few days, one can come home wondering what to do and where to start implementing all that you've learned. So here are a few tips for wading into those post-conference waters.

Rest - This is number one not only because you've been put through the paces physically, running from one workshop to the next, but because it's important for your mind. While you sleep, your mind processes all of that information you took in so when you finally review your notes, your recall will be better.

Break it down - Instead of reviewing your notes as a whole, focus on the workshops you attended one by one. Otherwise, they'll all blend together. By recalling individual sessions, you're apt to trigger even more recollections. Questions someone asked that you failed to write down (I'm the worst at notetaking). Comments from the presenter that weren't on the PowerPoint. 

Try out what you learned - Once you've reviewed the sessions you attended, contemplate how you can apply your new knowledge to your writing/publication process. Strategize each one by asking where it might fit or how you can best utilize them and then test them out.

Be realistic - I've been to a lot of writers' conferences over the last sixteen years and heard many stellar ideas. Ideas other people raved about. Yet didn't work for me. Everyone has to find their own writing process. What works for someone else might boost your productivity, or it might styme you. And no writer wants to feel stymied. So don't beat yourself up, simply set those notes aside and move on.

Writers' conferences can be beneficial no matter where you are in your writing career. We never stop learning. I can't tell you how many times I've walked into a workshop to find well-known, multi-published, best-selling authors among the students. Yet we all learn differently. So gather all the information you can, evaluate it, try it, then take what works for you and set aside the rest. Because we're always evolving, always moving forward, pressing on to that which God has called us to.