Writer's Conference a Spiritual High

If you've ever attended a writer's conference, you'll understand me when I tell you that often, you return home with so much information that your head is bursting. You may even think to yourself, "What do I do first? There is just so much information for me to assimilate, I don't know where to start."


My husband Doug in the center. I'm sitting next to him.

The good news about the Aspiring Author's Summit I was a part of on Saturday was that the ideas were out there, but something else took the cake; I call it the icing.



My husband and I are the last two panelists on the left. 

Typically, when I've attended writing conferences the information is plenty but the motivation less so. Though I have been inspired to move forward I haven't been touched. Though the ideas have helped me to improve in my writing, I haven't felt as if what I'm doing extends from a higher place.

In a nutshell, I haven't felt God.

Allow me to share just a few quotes that I recorded on that day:

"Tears of joy and tears of sorrow have different chemistry."

"Changing your thoughts is better than a face lift."

"Eat that frog. Do the hardest thing first."

"Keep commitments to yourself as if you're keeping the commitments to someone else."

"81 percent of people want to write a book--but they don't do it."

"Selling 10,000 books in one week is better than selling 10,000 books in one month."

"Find your voice and then inspire others to find their voice."

"Better done than perfect."

"God has a million ways to reach us, what matters is how we reach back."

"Write about the glory within yourself."

"Be the channel of grace. Plant seeds of hope and healing."

"To sell more books, write more books."

"A co-author in a project needs to have your same heart."

A big hug you to all those who shared and to all of those I met. It was an incredible experience!

To August!

Writing the Spiritual Novel

Considering writing a spiritual novel?

When I think of a spiritual novel, I am thinking of a novel chuck full of inspiration and motivation. If you consider the works of C.S. Lewis you will also understand what I mean.

Who is the Lion but Christ?
Who is the White Witch but Satan?
What is truly happening at the stone table? The Crucifixion.

If you're interested in writing a spiritual novel, you're not alone, and that's a good thing. There is still much good in the world and authors the world over are discovering ways to share what they know is true.

When I sat down to write Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones I had in mind a short book that told a story about someone overcoming an obstacle. At the same time I wanted to use scripture and the five stones that David gathered before he met up with Goliath.

Writing a spiritual novel is kind of like reading the scriptures or praying or having that contemplative moment. You take your knowledge and experience in the spiritual realm and apply it to the story you're writing. This writing cannot be hurried. As in the story above, you must Listen, Trust, have some Optimism that God will help you, keep going with Tenacity and always retain that Constancy needed with God to get you through.

Is that easy?

Nope.

Photo by Mike Cogh, courtesy of Flickr

But I'd like to think that writing the spiritual novel is made that much easier as long as we are willing to tune in.

Year ago I heard the story of an old fashioned radio. This radio had a dial that had to be turned to the right or to the left to find the exact station. If the radio station wasn't on the exact spot, the dial not in its correct spot, static resulted.

I'd like to compare this story to writing the spiritual novel. If you're feeling a bit of static, if you're feeling as if the story isn't coming along as it should, or it feels rough or wrong, it probably is. Tune in. In your own personal life you probably know how to do that.