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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING has generously sent sample magazines to our writers! Several of the November copies are distributed to Pen’s writers already, yet, I have more to deliver. I believe that the 2020 Writing Contest Winners articles will be of particular interest to our group.
This is an author-friendly magazine that is also beneficial and entertaining to the everyday reader. I will place my order for a year’s subscription shortly, and I hope you will too! The articles are varied and informative, and if you give TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING a try, I’m sure that you will have your own recommendations for this clean and inspiring magazine. I want to give TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING a huge thank you from our writers. Your giving extends beyond the shared copies to our Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group. The articles you choose to publish encourage Christians to live more significant lives filled with courage and love. You are my favorite magazine! You may find the free download for TODAY'S CHRISTIAN LIVING on their website next to Magazine Issue: https://todayschristianliving.org/todays-christian-living/
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 Greetings All, We have decided to not hold a November meeting. Because of and unforeseen happening I'm not available to sponsor an online meeting this month. But I wanted to share a couple of things. I just heard about Parler which is a new social media outlet. Here is what they say about Parler. I wish to sign up later--maybe tonight. Parler (Social media like Twitter) Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being “deplatformed” for your views. Engage with real people, not bots. Parler is people and privacy-focused, and gives you the tools you need to curate your Parler experience. Now a special treat from Word & Pens writer, Jim Dickson. Thank you for giving me permission Jim! Well then, for a writing prompt, tell some way you conquered a pandemic limitation and how it turned out, and how you feel about all that. October was Covid month for Peggy and me. We both came down with the virus, both had extreme fatigue, but neither had any major complications such as fever and chest congestion that involve pain and potential serious complications. We were both very very tired. Peggy basically slept 18-20 a day for two weeks but with no problems sleeping at night. I took her to the emergency room after the first week when she was especially dormant. In an hour the diagnosis was "Covid-19: and we will keep her here." 24 hours later the doctor called and said, there is nothing "medically" she needs and she can get rest at home as well as we can give her here. That was fine with us. I explained to the doctor my Covid symptoms and asked if I should be tested. He said no, you have Covid. I was never down and out like Peggy but I just wanted to rest. I read several books. From the start we had a sense that God was in this. We always had great peace and contentment. A son came live with us and help for two weeks. Here is why I am sharing this. Having Covid acted as a spiritual purifying agent for us. As our lives returned to normal we realized that the extended time-out for several weeks revealed to us that there were many activities and situations in our lives that were not what God wanted. We both saw the need for extensive "clean up and throw out" in house, garden, garage, and shed and we started a process of simplifying our lives. At the same time we had a renewed sense of the need to love God and neighbors. Peggy now has a passion for writing emails, letters, and making phone calls to keep in touch with friends and relatives. More importantly, we realized we had drifted into acceptance of not only things in our home and lives that were not what God wanted but also acceptance of things in the world that were abhorrent to him. TV ads for example, a majority of which glamorize extremes of pleasure, power and prosperity replacing God's values of purity, humility, and service to others. There is more, but in summary Covid was an epiphany for us. We realized that we had let the world lull us into acceptance of its values and that we were being silent as the world substituted its garbage for God's glory. Our challenge now--How do we live out the vision God has given us for our lives? How to share this with family and friends? An old hymn, Take Time to be Holy, came to me. It says it well: Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word. Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. The hymn goes on for three more stanzas: Spend time with Jesus, let him be thy guide; trust in his word; be calm in thy soul; Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love, Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above. I now sing that hymn daily. Jim (Dickson) Since we are not meeting online for Pens how about we write something for the Lord about our appreciation for something he has done for us! Be blessed and full of His joy and ideas! Susan Marlene We enjoyed a wonderful Pens of Praise meeting last Tuesday night! Paige Reed shared knowledge about where writers can find their readers. How to make those important connections by knowing who we are and who we write to. She also dialogued with us individually concerning where our particular readers would be found. What a wonderful and informative night!
 PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Zoom Conference I will send the ZOOM log in information in our normal Pens Announcement for anyone wishing to attend. Any writer who has not attended Pens prior to this—please contact me at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com at least 2 hours before the meeting. I will send you the information needed to join the meeting. Attend from… Your home. Your choice of refreshments from your fridge--still no running to Kathy’s house for treats! 😊 How I long for a good in-person meet and greet Pens gathering with you all. Foundations for Finding My Readers by Paige Reed!! Paige had me forward “Who Am I As A Writer” worksheet to our Pens members to view and consider BEFORE the October meeting. Take time to think through and find answers to these searching questions before our class time :-) It will shape the answer to who our readers are and how we reach them! Paige will have more information during class plus another handout with a lot of information about the different platform options. Hopefully, this will help everyone take the next step wherever they are at in their marketing/branding journey. PROMPT: Describe your readers reaction to your book! Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers! We are a safe place to share, and Pens Meetings are free. 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  On September 15, 2020, we had a wonderful Pens of Praise connection. Still, the Covid 19 pandemic challenges us, so we continue to exchange ideas and teach by attending online ZOOM meetings!
TRIBES & TECHNIQUES was facilitated by Susan Marlene and all who did chime in! Thank you all for adding such depth of information and encouragement! We began to discuss ideas on how to find and connect with our tribe, among other topics! This was to get our minds simmering for the October meeting! I’ll say more about this in our October announcement! Let’s take advantage of the extra time at home and write with abandon!  Zoom Meeting Starts at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18 Free Zoom meetings last 40 minutes. We will set up two meetings—one after the other-- So that we have longer to connect! I sure miss meeting at the library with you all! Cyber hugs and keep your chins up and those computer keys busy! For ZOOM password please contact me at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com. I will send you the information needed to join the meeting the day of the meeting in an email. The topic this month is WRITER’S TIPS & SHARES by Susan Marlene. Sometimes the path ahead seems impossible to tread. We will share and inspire one another and both non-fiction and fiction alike will benefit. Bring your ideas, information, and inspiration to ZOOM so that we can encourage one another to keep writing during this pandemic! We hope to see you there! PROMPT: I thank God for ___________________? Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers! We are a safe place to share, and Pens Meetings are free. 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  PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP Tuesday, July 21, 2020 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. We will meet on ZOOM. Email me at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com. I will send you the invitation that you need to join the meeting. The topic this month Free For All will allow those attending to share our latest works in progress and knowledge that will be utterly inspiring, if I know all of you! PROMPT: Summer brilliance. Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers! We are a safe place to share, and Pens Meetings are free. As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to contact: Rebecca McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com  CLASSICS & WHAT MAKES THEM by Susan Marlene
Classic – 1. Of the first or highest class or rank: a classic piece of work. 2. Serving as a standard, model, or guide: the classic method of teaching arithmetic. Just to name a few: Fiction -- Ben Hur by Lew Wallace; In His Steps WHAT WOULD JESUS DO by Charles M. Sheldon; Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; the Bogart movie, Casablanca; or anything by Charlotte & Emily Brontë. Non-Fiction—Webster’s Dictionary; MY UTMOST for HIS HIGHEST by Oswald Chambers; SELF-EDITING for FICTION WRITERS by Renni Browne and Dave King; or BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND by Joyce Meyer. (Just to name a few.) Let’s name some other favorites. Discussion! What grabs your attention strongly enough to purchase a fiction or non-fiction book or movie? What do you want to learn? What is important to you? Write down your thoughts. Remember--The brain uses stories to simulate how we might navigate difficult situations in the future. “there seems to be a reward system that allows us to enjoy good fiction, implies that there is a benefit to fictional experience.”1 Let’s unpack what some of those attractive qualities are. What do they look like? How do these emotionally charged reveals impact our writing? For fiction and non-fiction. Discussion and note taking. Survival – (Everything from 007 danger to social acceptance at an Amish bake sale to how to techniques.) Secrets – What happens next. (Will we be surprised or overrun or what?) What is the antagonist & protagonist’s goal? (When so I see this?) Or what is the purpose of the non-fiction book? (Protagonist) Desiring an unchangeable day-after-day existence but conflict comes and change is inevitable? But what of it? Why should the character care? Why should the reader care? How much conflict is necessary and believable for your story type? Or disaster happens—what does the reader want to learn from your pages? How to improve your aim for landing your valuable thoughts with focus and power on your written pages:
One author explained why he wrote about intriguing individuals. Specifically, these are stories of individuals who were drawn into pivotal situations within their respective cultures, times, and geographies. I’ve emphasized the following elements about their lives: personal integrity, universally valued criteria, the influences and interdependencies of change and choice, a broad historical timeframe, and simple—yet inspiring—insights into ordinary, mostly unknown men and woman. People whose deeds are worthy of our attention and emulation because they have left us a legacy of unselfishness, not one of domination, self—aggrandizement, or capitulation.2 1Neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga quote. WIRED FOR STORY by Lisa Cron, pg. 167 2 UNCOMMON CHARACTERS--STORIES OF ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN WHO DID THE EXTRAORDINARY by Douglas Feavel, Located in the Prologue. WELCOME TO PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Meeting at Pat’s house. Conntact me for directions. Prayer - Sarah Grosskopf Introductions for new guests. Pass around the sign-in sheet. Devotion-- Pat Klein GRAMMAR TIDBIT--What those attending what to discover in WRITE WITH EXCELLENCE 201 by Joyce K. Ellis The topic this month CLASSICS & WHAT MAKES THEM by Susan Marlene, will cause us to expand our thinking so that we can use techniques that bring zing to our writings! Non-fiction and fiction alike will benefit. We hope to see you there! PROMPT: Bring your latest work or something you admire! ANNOUNCEMENTS: Write to Publish https://www.facebook.com/WritetoPublishConference/ This Facebook page has a listing of several apps to improve writer’s writing! Northwestern Christian Writers Conference, http://www.northwesternchristianwritersconference.com/ July 24 – 25, 2020 Virtual Zoom meeting info: https://www.northwesternchristianwritersconference.com/register.html www.grammarly.com free download https://www.loc.gov/about/ Library of Congress website TheFamily.net WEMI FM
Inspired reader = happy reader + excellent take-away = return reader! God’s abundant blessings to you as you write for His glory!  PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP Tuesday, June 16, 2020 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. We will meet at Pat’s house. For directions please contact me at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com, or dklein5473@cs.com. We will send you the information needed to join the meeting. For those wising to maintain social distance we can connect with you on Hangouts! Use your gmail for this! The topic this month CLASSICS & WHAT MAKES THEM by Susan Marlene, will cause us to expand our thinking so that we can use techniques that bring zing to our writings! Non-fiction and fiction alike will benefit. We hope to see you there! PROMPT: Bring your latest work or something you admire! Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers! We are a safe place to share, and Pens Meetings are free. 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 |
Words are not just words. They are thoughts and inspiration that have been behind every relationship and every deed--good or bad throughout time. If you have that burning desire to communicate and explore, come peruse my pages, teachings, and short stories. Allow inspiration to anchor your dreams on the written pages of memoirs, devotions, poems, or stories, both short or long! Luxuriate in the creativity you were born to share! Sarah Grosskopf is a beta reader, writer, and copywriter extraordinaire! I highly recommend Sarah and have known her for years. She has taught and encouraged Pens of Praise members with her humor, instinct, and highly praised skill sets. So you may consider this an invitation to discover details about Sarah Grosskopf. Here is a link to her website!
https://sarahgrosskopf.com/ Archives
December 2020
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