We enjoyed our meeting at Pens of Praise Christian Writers last night, especially because of Kathy Leist’s offering of BARA BRITH (SPECKLED BREAD) the recipe found in our latest Pens Readers novel of choice. The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz was so deeply thrilling to those of us who joined in the read this time around. Kathy’s appreciation of the novel and the recipes tucked inside spilled over into baking this special treat for our Pens meeting “Three Months of Four” by yours truly!  I have posted the teaching on www.susanmarlene.com.

If you only had three or four months to leave a legacy, write a message, a song or book, what would you spend time on? What would be so important to say or be remembered? Let’s ponder and explore time honored questions that could zap our writing ideas to life and stir up goals that would otherwise lie dormant! Ready?
How would you decide what to write? That seems like an excellent place to begin.

• What is important to you? And who would be important to write to?
• Zero in on a message or two and then pick one to be your main focus.
• Will this be a large project or small one? (Example: Articles and short pieces can reach far more readers. Yet, your writings wouldn’t linger with those readers as with a larger project, such as a novel.) Write down how many readers you wish to reach and decide what kind of project you would prefer to accomplish to reach your goal.

What amount of time do you have to work with?

• Realistically choose to adjust or refocus the size of your project, so that it will match the time you have available. Use quality writing to shape your ultimate ideas.
• Respect yourself and allow others to respect your purpose for writing.
• Become aware of what really works for you: calendars, technology, hide in the library study room, or visiting your local coffee shop etc. Writers use all those methods and some.

What are your instincts telling you? Do you know how to listen to yourself or the Lord?

• Is there a nagging, teasing thought that seems to stick around no matter how you have ignored it in the past? You may think that is too BIG or too DIFFICULT for you. I’ve heard it said that challenges and difficulties are really meant to promote you. Will you take the plunge one baby step at a time? What is that inner voice telling you now!

What about starting? Or what about writer’s block?

• Free writing can jump start your brain. Try it!
• Read some poetry or the type of writing you love. (Some are afraid to do that, but still that may work for you. ) Don’t remain blocked because that doesn’t work for others.
• Reread your last chapter to encourage creative juices.
• Doodle

Make a Plan:
What does your ordinary day entail? When are you most focused and have freedom from interruptions? What amount of time can you easily schedule? Are there days when you can bump up writing time to gain more imagination, word count, or edit accomplishments?  Using a calendar, stop watch, or closed door is helpful!
Carrying a notebook and pen with you can be useful if you are in a long line or waiting in a doctor office instead of allowing frustration to rise over wasted time or watching the clock that doesn’t seem to be moving. ;)
Recording your thoughts with your phone or a device is handy also. You can trap your thoughts when you park your car, or wait in a room -when no one is around! 😊
Reward Your Efforts:
Motivation is VIP and if you drive yourself into the ground with work, work, work you will lose steam. Write a list of motivators such as: coffee shop visit with friends, reading a good book with a hot chocolate beside you, an outdoor activity…Chose something you’d really look forward to! Be delighted with life and that delight will reward your pages!
How Do You Estimate ‘How Much Time’ for Researching Your Project?
Research time can be tricky to plan as far as my experience goes. There are bunny-trails waiting to waylay the most interested writers. One piece of info leads to another and another. But you must be firm with yourself and yet have a flexible goal for what info you wish to acquire by the end of the day, week or other. True, some bunny-trails are useful and time-well-spent in the end. Just be cautious and aware. J

• Researching a genre your interested in may take a lot more preparation time than those three or four months. Read how-to books and that genre. Don’t be afraid to underline, take notes, and compare what works and what you admire in that type of writing.

Let’s Take Time to Brainstorm & Plot A Significant Goal For Us All
For our class I made a simple chart for us to organize our thoughts and write down our goals and ideas. It didn't copy well here- be inventive and create your own personal chart for I believe it will solidify your goals and aim your dreams into a doable worthy project!

PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
October 16, 2018
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

Three Months or Four: What if You Only Had This Much Time is our topic this month. Susan Marlene will teach this class on picking your focus and making it happen!

We are a safe place to share. We invite you to bring your
WIP (Work in progress!) for a five-minute read.

The prompt for September is…
“If I wouldn’t have been so scared…”. or “Should I choose __________ or _____________?” Use your imagination and your genre preference to share your thoughts with fellow writers!

We will share a couple of book titles that research writing mystery and integrating emotion for your WIP!

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