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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » The Writing Life » Page 81

The Writing Life

The Writer’s STEP

By Karen Ballon November 30, 2016
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As some of you know, I have asthma. As does one of my very best friends. And you know what these two…ahem…”seasoned” asthmatics love to do? Hike! Yup. We plod along, coughing and wheezing and laughing (or, to be more accurate, gasping) about how they’ll find our poor deceased selves on the path, but that’s okay, because at least we went out doing what we love. I realize that people who don’t know us or don’t deal with asthma might think we’re being irreverent. Maybe even just a bit careless with our lives. After all, we have ASTHMA! What are we doing out there, hiking in the wilderness, taking such absurd risks?

But here’s the thing. It’s one thing to have physical limitations. It’s another entirely to let those things limit our experience and enjoyment of life. It’s precisely because we know our lives could, in the wrong circumstances, be cut short that we are so passionate about living it to the fullest.

So why am I telling you this? Because too often I see writers giving up on their dreams or their craft because of what they consider insurmountable limitations. There are so many obstacles writers have to overcome that it almost seems absurd to keep going when (take your pick) we can’t seem to build a platform, or we don’t have focused time to write or our latest book (or two…or five…) had dismal sales to not feeling like we know enough about this aspect or that new social media outlet…and on and on the list goes. All those seeming limitations out there can wear us down until we can’t dredge up the confidence to keep going. Keep trying. And so we admit defeat and walk away.

May I make a suggestion, from one limited person to another? The next time you feel this way–the next time you find your focus getting bogged down in the obstacles and limitations—STEP.

S–Seek God. Get your focus and mind and spirit off of the externals and turn it all to God. To His character. To His love for you. To the things He has promised you: strength, peace, perseverance, and so much more. Remember, He gave you the task to write. And only He can release you from it.

T—Trust the Gift. No, I don’t mean the ability to write. I mean the gift of God inviting you to create with Him. Think about it! The Creator of the universe, the Creator of life itself, has invited you to partner with Him in using words to teach and inspire and uplift. Would He have asked you to do that if He didn’t plan to guide and equip and enable you? Of course not.

E—Embrace the Journey. Remember, as author and speaker Allen Arnold likes to say, when you reach your destination, your story is over. I’ve said it for a lot of years: Don’t get so focused on the destination that you miss what God has for you in the journey. It’s not about getting things done, it’s about running the race with grace and obedience and peace.

P—Persevere. (You know that was going to be the P word, now didn’t you?) Don’t give up. Sure, if you need to, take a break. Step away from writing and seek God’s wisdom and guidance. But then, get back in there. Continue to work and refine and reach out to touch others through the words He gives you. Believe me, you—and your readers—will be glad you stayed God’s course for you.

 

 

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Category: Career, Encouragement, Faith, Get Published, Inspiration, The Writing LifeTag: Encouragement, Faith, The Writing Life

Deadlines…A Date With Destiny

By Dan Balowon November 29, 2016
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We need to create some new English words to describe certain things. For instance, I do not like the fact that people who handle money for others are called “brokers.” I also dislike the term “deadline” as it indicates something negative will occur at a certain date or time. Maybe it is why some or most people are fearful of deadlines. I do not like a “line of death.” Even “target date” has a …

Read moreDeadlines…A Date With Destiny
Category: Contracts, Editing, The Writing LifeTag: Deadlines, The Writing Life

Who are the Major Retail Outlets for CBA Books?

By Steve Laubeon November 28, 2016
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[This post had to be updated and revised in March 2017 and again in August 2019 due to numerous changes in the industry.] The question came up recently asking which retail store is the most important to a CBA publisher for selling print editions of their books? And to which store are the most books sold? CBA is a label to describe the Christian book market. It used to be an acronym for Christian …

Read moreWho are the Major Retail Outlets for CBA Books?
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Book Sales, Economics, Marketing, Publishing History, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Lessons from a Crab

By Karen Ballon November 16, 2016
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No, the title isn’t talking about a grouchy person. It’s about a real, live crab. One that I encountered one day on the Oregon coast as I walked along the beach. It was early morning, with the rising sun streaming across the vast water, the glory of the sunrise reflected in the wet sand. I’d gotten a little to close to the surf as it came in, and since I hadn’t rolled up my pants legs, I had to …

Read moreLessons from a Crab
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: The Writing Life, Theology

How Do You See God?

By Karen Ballon November 9, 2016
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I love going to the Oregon coast. love the power and beauty and sense of God’s creative genius that surrounds me when I’m there.  Ever since I was little, I’ve looked on the ocean as a friend, even played tag with the water as it came in, daring it to wash over my bare feet, running when it got close, laughing when it caught me. (Yes, I still do this.) Recently, though, while at the coast, I was …

Read moreHow Do You See God?
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, The Writing Life, Theology

Writing from Weakness

By Dan Balowon November 8, 2016
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I believe some of the most powerful books ever written by Christians will be published in the coming years. Why? Despite our best efforts, Christians failed to transform culture through the ballot box, boycotts, ministry/church programs and use of the media. Worldwide, Christians are not a moral majority but an imperfect minority. All the seminars, books, and evangelistic meetings did not make the …

Read moreWriting from Weakness
Category: Agency, Book Business, Encouragement, Faith, The Writing LifeTag: Encouragement, Faith, Theology

Waiting for Perfect

By Karen Ballon November 2, 2016
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Recently a friend and I walked on a beach in Oregon. All around us were countless treasures the tide had brought in and deposited in the sand. Rocks, shells, driftwood…so many  beautiful, intriguing items to pick up and examine. I’ve always been a gatherer when I’m on the beach, collecting items to take home and put in my garden, remembrances of my visits. But my friend? She picked up as many …

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Category: The Writing LifeTag: The Writing Life

How Long Should You Wait for an Answer?

By Steve Laubeon October 31, 2016
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You have sent your project to an editor or an agent. Their guidelines state “We will respond within 6-8 weeks.” Do you mark your calendar on day 56 and send that person a query the minute the deadline passed? This past week one of my clients set a personal record for waiting. She was contacted by a magazine asking to publish a poem she submitted…in 1990. You read that right. …

Read moreHow Long Should You Wait for an Answer?
Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Pitching, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, book proposals

Announcing “The Christian Writers Institute”

By Steve Laubeon October 24, 2016
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I am very excited to announce the launch of The Christian Writers Institute! Come visit at www.christianwritersinstitute.com. Over three years ago I began thinking of the need for a place where writers could find the best teachers all in one spot. The idea percolated for awhile until this year when its development began in earnest. It is great to see it finally become a reality. This new online …

Read moreAnnouncing “The Christian Writers Institute”
Category: Book Proposals, Career, Christian Writers Institute, Conferences, Craft, Creativity, Editing, Get Published, Grammar, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Christian Writers Institute, education, writers conferences, Writing Craft

Creativity Sparks

By Karen Ballon October 19, 2016
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Thank all of you for the blessing of your shared thoughts, encouragement, and condolences on my blog last week. As I suspected, many others have been in this place of struggling to wrench creativity from the jaws of emotional/spiritual/physical fog. Your suggestions echoed my own, from giving yourself time to setting a timer, to just writing anything to get words on paper (I even decided writing …

Read moreCreativity Sparks
Category: Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing Craft
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