Greetings All,      
                                                                                     
Starting this April, Pens of Praise Writers will meet at the Manitowoc Public Library! The third Tuesday of the month still applies and there is no charge to attend our group. We have a slight adjustment for the time, instead of the 6:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m.  we will now meet from 6:00 p.m.—7:45 p.m. and our reserved room is the Franklin St. Room located on the first floor, to the left of the service desk.

Faith Evangelical Free Church has hosted our writers meetings so kindly for so many years. If you wish to give this church a free will offering as a thank you for their hospitality and generosity, that would be welcomed and appreciated. (This is not expected though.)
 
Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group – Free Event
Manitowoc Public Library
Franklin St. Room 
707 Quay St, Manitowoc, WI 54220

Street parking and parking in rear available. Wheelchair accessible.
 
Third Tuesday each month
6:00 p.m.—7:45 p.m.

Excellence is respected—even expected for publication, but bloopers are not welcome.  I have unfortunately offered my fair share of bloopers during the submission process.  Let’s look over some ways to add professionalism to our writings and increase their acceptance and circulation.
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Through the course of this past year we have visited many topics: goal setting, library resources, finding your best idea, the value of conferences, how to write endings, write your desired message and more. Applying these guidelines, tools, and skills will aide us significantly in our efforts to earn a living as a writer or publicly minister with our particular gift of words.

Once you chose your topic, target audience, and compete the project, I advise every writer to slow down. Let your piece rest—rather like one allows their bread dough to rise. So often eagerness to complete our projects quickly causes us to pass over mistakes or areas that lack quality. I personally have written prose or lessons that made perfect sense as I wrote. When I’ve read those pages at a later date, I wondered what I meant by this statement or that one. Ouch!

I’ve seen many encouragements for authors to finish their novel and leave it alone for a couple of weeks before diving in for the big edit. That allows your inner “eagle eye” to switch on, preventing boundless bloopers from directing your work to the rejection pile. I’ve been amazed at how I’ve ignored or not applied excellent advice from well-published authors. Of course, I go around the mountain a few times and find myself right where I started. Finally, I take the advice and use it while wondering what took me so long! (Be careful here, there are different genres and types of writing. Bad advice is out there—unintentional misdirection is costly to your spirit and submissions as well as your time. Be discerning and take time to look at writings that are similar to yours, but are published in order to get a balanced view of expectations for your market.)

Show that you are able to meet deadlines, while gaining experience by doing smaller articles, devotions or projects. This provides credibility and gives you a win, win, win for all the benefits you can enjoy such as: honing your skills, making connections, ministering with your message and possibly gaining some income!

Let’s take a look at the Christian Writers Market and the Writers Market publishing helps.
Now let’s try an internet website I was told about that could be quite helpful to us all. Special thanks to Miss Lee, the teacher I work with. She shared these useful websites for our group!

http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

• This website provides the grade level of your work. The color codes point to the weak spots you may choose to edit. You don’t have to make the changes it suggests, but this will add new eyes on your words that will make you aware of what an editor may not wish to wade through.

https://www.paperrater.com/

• Free online grammar, plagiarism and spelling checking site.

Consider what you have learned as you edit what your muse spilled on the pages of your manuscript or writings. Remember:

• Slow down
• Don’t ignore advice from professionals
• Submit the small stuff that is related to your writing goals

 

​PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
March 19, 2019
Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Faith Church
2201  42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI  54220
   Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods
   Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43
 
EAGLE EYE OR BOUNDLESS BLOOPERS is our lesson this month.  Susan Marlene will direct this class concerning tools and skills to make professional writings for publication. Resource books on this important topic will be examined. Bring paper and pen or your computer for the writing exercises.

An inspired reader given excellent take-away = return readers!
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PROMPT: Use your favorite genre to write a one-page piece on spills or spillage!
Let Susan Marlene know if you will attend so that we can provide a printed lesson for you and also save a seat for you!
We are a safe place to share.
 
Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! J
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or
Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com