Pages From My Journal

     Sound of Music has been my favorite movie since I was in kindergarten. My second favorite scenes was the invasion of the Nazi's. Don't ask why? I guess it was foreshadowing to my future history major. My favorite scene is when Liesl sings, "I am sixteen going on seventeen."       For years, I waited until I turned sixteen so I could sing that song. I didn't care that the two characters were falling in love. I just wanted to sing the lines, "I am sixteen," with accuracy.       Well, today I am seventeen. In the past year, I never got the chance to watch Sound of Music and sing along. This kind of made me sad . . .       Until I think back to all the times my sister, MK, sang the songs from The Sound of Music with beauty and grace. She fell in love with the movie just like had, and she doesn't care that she's not sixteen. She just loves music and singing. Listening to her was better t...

 I got the pleasure of meeting Rachel Rittenhouse at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference. Because she was a teen author, I asked her to be a guest on my blog. We decided to to a blog swap. My post will be on Rachel's blog . She is a wonderful young woman, and I enjoyed getting to know her a bit. Anyway, here are her words about sorting through helpful writing advice. ***       This past July, I attended my first writer’s conference. It was something big and monumental—and not at all what I thought it would be like. Then again, I’m not sure what I was expecting. I had heard that writer conferences are a must for writers who are serious about their craft and that is something I do believe is true. I have learned so much about writing in those three days then I believe I have so far!       One thing I did notice was all the different opinions of writers, agents, and editors. I met with five dif...

     When I attended my second writer's conference, I didn't just meet people. I made friends because I learned how to communicate to writers in addition to agents and editors.   Me, Rachel Rittenhouse, and Abigail Horgash.      You can't go into a conference prepared for the fifteen minute appointments with agents and editors and believe your job is done. Keynotes, meals, sessions, and hallways all create opportunities to communicate with attendees and faculty of the conference. Be clear -- Open your mouth and enunciate your words. Think about what your going to say before you start talking. Mumbling over uncertain words not only is hard for others to understand, but it gives off the appearance of low confidence. Be confident -- Smile. Look them in the eye and nod in approval of what they are saying. Don't be afraid to say," I don't know," if you don't have an answer. Agents and editors would rat...

     Bulletin board, index cards, sticky notes, sharpies, plot charts, and Pinterest can only mean one thing: replotting.      I now have the exciting challenge of rewriting half of my work in progress. God is gracious and has blessed with an abundance of story ideas.          Yesterday, I sat on the floor with sharpie on my fingers, Deep Space Nine floating through my headphones, and thumb tacks spilled next to me, "I am so glad I'm not God!"      As a writer, I understand how hard it is to maneuver time, people, and places. Lives would be so messed up if playing god was my job. God is the only qualified to . . . well, be God. He alone can make our stories flawlessly string together.      I'll use the stories God's given me, but leave the real life to Him.      Ephesians 3:20-21a      "Now to him w...