Taking home a win

 Taking Home A “Win”

A Beautiful Sunrise Over Lake Yale

This past week I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference 2025. For this week’s blog post, I decided to share a few “take aways” you can apply to any situation. Be aware, you will likely recognize your mom’s voice in these…

Eat breakfast every day

         Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. At least that’s what I’ve always heard. Breakfast at the conference was cafeteria style with choices of what you ate and where you might sit. 

         Over breakfast I had the opportunity to meet writers of various ages and differing genres. Let’s face it, I’m not a fantasy-alternative-world kind of writer. Still, I appreciate differing genres because, though they may offer different settings and unique characters, the story is still “Good vs Evil” or “Love Conquers All “or perhaps, “People Change.”

 Even in normal everyday life, emotions and circumstances force us, as the protagonist in our own story, to stretch… and hopefully grow. So, if you have a goal, writing or not, take that first bite and get ready to grow.

         Part of that growth leads us to the next point…

Don’t judge a book by its cover

         I met writers of every age, shape, color, and background at the conference. Men, women, teens, and children attended. Not everyone writes women’s fiction as I do and even those in the genre may take a different spin. 

         I met a woman who is writing her personal story of surviving abuse. Another is chronicling her travels. A man at our table one evening shared his desire to share the message of faith in Jesus through his space alien saga. I must admit that one was hard for me to follow completely but I tried, and I asked questions.  

         And that, my friends, brings us to the next point…

Be a good listener    

Why?  Because everyone has a story. Everyone needs to be heard. And…you can learn something from each person. Not just in the world of writing. If we listen to others, we can learn about them… “the deep-down-inside-them.” 

It may be a new perspective a person brings to an old problem. You don’t have to agree with it, but learning about it helps you relate to that individual. And if you are a writer, you’ll hear a new voice, an outlook one of your characters may hold. And finally…

Celebrate the victories in your life…not just the big ones but the small victories as well.

         I sat with a young woman at lunch one day who said she was nervous about attending. She shared with me she hasn’t published anything though she’s been writing for a long time. For herself. An audience of one. She told me putting herself out there…taking a chance on publishing was daunting. I celebrated with her the decision to take that scary step toward publishing. 

         I’m a mom. I know it takes desire, courage, and determination to take that first step. This young lady and I sat together at the Saturday evening “Just Desserts & Awards Ceremony.”  Neither of us were called up on stage. Neither had submitted or for that matter, even published much during the year. 

         “Maybe you’ll submit something next year,” she told me. 

         “Maybe we should both consider getting a fancy dress,” I told her. “Whether we win or not.”

         Because, most of the time, just showing up is a win. In any circumstance.         

 

Enjoyed the company of
Michelle Medlock Adams and Eva Marie Everson.
Saving my Glitz for Next Year!