 PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
June 15, 2021 Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Jitsi Meeting I’ll send the link to our Pens of Praise email list. All we have to do is click on the link in the Pens of Praise email. You will be asked your name. Scenes & Pacing/Pacing & Scenes is this our topic for June! Susan Marlene will facilitate the lesson and all are encouraged to share their knowledge and experience for this class! I look forward to seeing you there! We are revisiting an older prompt! PROMPT: Discouragement Turned Blessing No matter what age you were, no matter if you caused the situation or didn’t, write a piece that you could turn into a devotion, short story, or article! Focus on how you were encouraged in your discouragement! An inspired reader 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
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Tuesday, MAY 18, 2021 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Jitsi Meeting: I’ll send the link to our Pens of Praise email list. All we have to do is click on the link in the Pens of Praise email. You will be asked your name. Meeting Held at Your Home - USA Your couch or chair. Your choice of refreshments from your fridge—no running to Kathy’s house for treats! 😊 “CHARACTERS – WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOR?” is the topic this month. Rebecca McLafferty and Susan Marlene will facilitate discussion and share interesting facts about characterization. What characters have inspired you to accomplish or become stronger and which ones remained memorable—most importantly why! PROMPT: A favorite character of mine is ___________________________________ (Words you can use if you want them: intelligent, larger than life, crafty, surprising, courageous, wise, brave, totally evil, etc.) susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com 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 Roller Coaster Questions—Small to Large
By Susan Marlene A well-placed question is a powerful thing. It puts motion into our motivation, a rudder that directs our goals—and sweeps our readers into emotional page turning—well past their bed times. Questions add interest, stir creativity, and slip our minds into problem solving thinking sessions. How important have questions been to you during your writing experience? Let’s consider several levels of the writing process, from planning what to write and how one makes their reader’s journey as interesting as possible. No matter the goal—to teach or entertain or a mixture of both, I believe that we will view questions with different lenses from here on in. Let’s be intentional with our questions—let’s go! Questions for planning what to write and where to post or sell them:
 PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP April 20, 2021— Jitsi Meeting Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. “Roller Coaster Questions—Small to Large” Susan Marlene will present techniques for using questions while encouraging everyone’s participation. I invite you to sharpen your writing skills along with us by using intentional and loaded questions from the smallest to the most powerful. (For planning and writing your work in progress.) PROMPT: What you hiding there? Write this like a gangster to his victim! Use your personal interests and research skills in this writing offering for a page of poetry, devotion, short story, or magazine article to share at our Pens JITSI MEETING! Jitsi Meeting: I’ll send the link to our Pens of Praise email list. Thank you, Susan Fink, for sharing this alternative to Zoom. All we have to do is click on the link in the Pens of Praise email. You will be asked your name. (I’ll put Susan Marlene for my name request, but you can put your first name. We have two Sues in our group. 😊) For others interested in attending our meeting, please email Susan Marlene at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com a day before the meeting in order to be included in this Jitsi meet. Reader inspired by excellent take-away = return reader! 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  “Research Genre?”
Susan Marlene co-teaching with Rebecca McLafferty Research reaches into every aspect of our writing projects. Business – Where and when to sell. Connecting with editors, agents, and publishers. How to find and engage your readers. The best methods to do taxes, keep records—all sorts, and list sales and on and on that goes! Novel or nonfiction writing projects (WIP) has me searching for contemporary and historical information. HEARTS FOREVER FAITHFUL series that has required me to study:
 WELCOME TO PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 JITSI MEET Prayer Introductions for new guests. Devotion--Susan Fink GRAMMAR TIDBIT--Rebecca McLafferty LET THE TEACHING BEGIN “Research Genre?”--our March topic is facilitated by Rebecca McLafferty and Susan Marlene. We will investigate some interesting research techniques—similar to the skill of a detective—to provide accurate and sometimes not well-known points of interest these authors use to spice up their stories. Discussion from those attending is encouraged and invited. I’m sure we will enjoy plenty of laughs as we share our secrets and trigger each other’s imagination for finding information that changes story or nonfiction on the page before your eyes. May we be blessed and a blessing in all our endeavors this year! PROMPT: The First Spring Flower. (Use your personal interests and research skills in writing offering.) We encourage you to write a page of poetry, devotion, short story, or magazine article to share at our Pens JITSI MEETING! Steve Laube & Christian Institute https://stevelaube.com/resources/reference-tools/ shares a lot of excellent and informative website for writers of fiction and nonfiction. ANNOUNCEMENTS: TheFamily.net WEMI FM
Christian Devotions is looking for devotions. This is not a paid site, but one to give to the Lord and share your message with others! www.christiandevotions.us Northwestern Christian Writers Conference, http://www.northwesternchristianwritersconference.com/ July 16 - 17, 2021 www.grammarly.com free download https://www.loc.gov/about/ Library of Congress website https://www.midsouthchristianwriters.com/?fbclid=IwAR3FVKEdFebyjuKcK752ansUgC3PtNlNSrf1tc8N9RwmkOSy-vTkv9IUjgQ The conference is virtual this year so you don’t even have to leave home! It is Saturday, March 20. Registration closes Thursday, March 18 at 9:00 p.m. REMEMBER: Inspired reader from excellent take-away from you writing = return reader! God’s abundant blessings on you as you write for His glory! PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS March 16, 2021— Jitsi Meeting Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.3/13/2021  “Research Genre?” Rebecca McLafferty and Susan Marlene will present information and also encourage everyone’s participation concerning how they research for their specific genre.
PROMPT: The First Spring Flower. (Use your personal interests and research skills in writing offering.) We encourage you to write a page of poetry, devotion, short story, or magazine article to share at our Pens JITSI MEETING! Jitsi Meeting: I’ll send the link to our Pens of Praise email list. Thank you, Susan Fink, for sharing this alternative to Zoom. All we have to do is click on the link in the Pens of Praise email. You will be asked your name. (I’ll put Susan Marlene for my name request, but you can put your first name. We have two Sues in our group. 😊) For others interested in attending our meeting, please email Susan Marlene at susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com a day before the meeting in order to be included in this Jitsi meet. 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 Prayer
Introductions for new guests. Devotion-- Rebecca McLafferty GRAMMAR TIDBIT--Rebecca McLafferty Okay, I’m nibbling a Hershey’s Heath Bit while sipping steaming coffee. Nutritious? No. But the combination is perfect for this frigid February day. How does that sound? (Not the candy, the grammar!!) Hershey’s is a company. It is not a he, she, or they. Hershey’s is an it. To increase its product line, Hershey’s added Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolate Meltaway Roses, a milk chocolate Bear, Hugs & Kisses Heart Box, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Rose and Reese’s Big Box O’ Love. (See source below.)
The word ‘myself’ directs the action of the verb. (purchased for myself). Myself is never used as a subject pronoun. I shared the chocolate between him and me. Use me, us, you, him, her, it, or them when the pronoun is the DIRECT OR INDIRECT OBJECT OF A VERB.
This Reese’s Pieces candy belongs to me! These Reese’s Pieces candies belong to me! These Reese’s Pieces belong to me! 4.It’s my chocolate Valentine heart. (it is) My Valentine heart lost it’s foil. (incorrect – no possessive apostrophe in its) I can’t believe its gone. (incorrect – it is gone – it’s) I can’t believe it’s gone. Correct! (it is gone) https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/hersheys-unveils-2021-seasonal-sweets-including-marshmallow-reeses-74988826 LET THE TEACHING BEGIN “Sentences Are the Thing--our February topic is facilitated by Susan Marlene. We will investigate some interesting sentence structure from 25 Great Sentences And How They Got That Way by Geraldine Woods. Plenty of discussion and I’m sure laughs as we practice and explore sentence structures we may never have fathomed before! May we be blessed and a blessing in all our endeavors this year! PROMPT: Write a favorite sentence that you found in fiction, non-fiction, history or dare to quote a family member! Tell us why this treasure of an idea captured your attention! Steve Laube & Christian Institute https://stevelaube.com/resources/reference-tools/ shares a lot of excellent and informative website for writers of fiction and nonfiction. ANNOUNCEMENTS: TheFamily.net WEMI FM
Christian Devotions is looking for devotions. This is not a paid site, but one to give to the Lord and share your message with others! www.christiandevotions.us Northwestern Christian Writers Conference, http://www.northwesternchristianwritersconference.com/ July 16 - 17, 2021 www.grammarly.com free download https://www.loc.gov/about/ Library of Congress website REMEMBER: Inspired reader from excellent take-away from you writing = return reader! God’s abundant blessings on you as you write for His glory! Sentences Are the Thing by Susan Marlene February 23, 2021
Great quotes, memorable lines, intriguing dialogue—those are the stuff that influential and entertaining books and movies etc. are made from. How to create some of your own lines that will—sail tall ships or drive negativity away or accentuate beauty in a world that seeks out ugly—is alluring. Maybe necessary, if you want to write for a career. We are going to briefly peruse the book 25 Great Sentences And How They Got That Way by Geraldine Woods. Here is a quote from the author from page XIV “My standards for judging a sentence start with this foundation: a good sentence communicates clearly and fulfills the author’s purpose, whatever that might be. The sentence should flow naturally and rest on a sturdy structure.” A meagre glimpse at Part I (This book is packed with excellent examples and info! You will be wise to purchase your own copy, in my opinion!) Pocket sentence Crossed sentence Pocket Sentence This is a sentence structure that may drive those with modern style (shorter sentences) a bit crazy—but there is hope. Let’s see what I mean…
leaves the reader wondering is it really over????
More examples and types of pockets are mentioned. Here I a fun activity at the end of the chapter. Here are some sentences and I dare you to use the notes above to fill in the blanks. 😊
Crossed Sentence When using the same words but switching the order to include opposing ideas, one creates a crossed sentence. These sentences add spice and glitter to your writing. Use them for your most important point that you wish to drive home. To strengthen the main idea. Kennedy’s speech is filled with paired and opposing ideas which repeat and strengthen the listener/reader with vital choices. Read the examples on page 19 -20 Discussion Order for your words matters to the meaning—be careful! Pg 21 Crossed sentences define and compare with opposing ideas and playfulness with words. Ex. Pg. 23 Ex. On pg. 27 Here is an activity for you to play with! I will read some word groups and you write a crossed sentence with one of them. Activity on pg. 27 And make your template. Movie Divergent -- It all works, everyone knows where they belong, except for me. -- The future belongs to those who know where they belong. An Avenger movie -- Time for me to be who I am, not who I’m supposed to be.  PENS OF PRAISE CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP Tuesday, February 16, 2021 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 a day 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. Sentences Are the Thing by Susan Marlene Are you ready to look at sentences differently than you ever did before? How would you describe the photo above in a unique way? Susan will bring us through some very entertaining sentence structures that we can play with and be inspired by! Susan invites you to offer some of your own sentence collections so that we can talk about how to apply specific techniques to our fiction and non-fiction works-in-progress. Be ready to learn some great info and to have a lot of fun! PROMPT: Write a favorite sentence that you found in fiction, non-fiction, history or dare to quote a family member! Tell us why this treasure of an idea captured your attention! 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
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