What's YOUR story??

Sometimes as writers I think we get so caught up in writing other people's stories that we forget to draw from our own experiences as well. And I totally and completely believe that God has given us our individual stories to use for His glory - often as writers, that means using what He's done in our lives to minister to others.

Anyone up for a little writing exercise?? :)

Grab your computer, stretch out your fingers and spend a few minutes remembering what has happened to you!

1. Describe your favorite memory with one of your family members. Be sure to mention sights, sounds, tastes, etc. How did it make you feel??

2. Describe the funniest thing that has ever happened to you. Why was it funny? Who was there to witness it? How did it make you feel??

3. Describe the saddest thing that has ever happened to you. Who was there with you? What sights, sounds, colors, words do you remember from that moment? How did it make you feel??

When we learn to describe our own feelings in a way that shows and doesn't tell, we get better at describing our character's feelings in a way that shows and doesn't tell. Do you keep a journal or a blog? If not, I highly challenge you to do so!! The best writers are the ones who feel.

I'd love if you'd share one of your writing exercises in the comments!! Let's encourage each other in this! :)

Have a happy Monday!

Long time coming!!

Hello friends!!

I am so very sorry it has taken me so long to get back into the groove of things over here! Here's what has been happening in the past three months for me:

* We were so excited and blessed to welcome our second son, Parker, into our lives!! He turned three months old on the 16th (WHERE does the time go???!!) and we could not be more in love.

* Both of my brothers got married! Wedding season was such a crazy, wonderful time - and made even crazier with trying to corral a very active ring bearer and a newborn. ;)

* I released my newest e-novella...which was also on my to-do list from before Parker's birth. ;)

Now that we are sleeping through the night again and operating on a little more rest, I'm finally feeling a little less foggy.  I'm so looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on this blog! What have you all been up to?? I have missed you!!

-Erynn :)

Multi-Tasking

Anyone a big multi-tasker?

I multi-task a lot. Sometimes to the point of seeming kind of ADD...Clean a little of this, clean a little of that, write a blog post, think about dinner, finish putting laundry away...

It's a little crazy as far as any kind of cleaning "schedule" goes. But I've discovered after however-many-years of adulthood that order only works for me if it's a little unordered.

Totally clear as mud, right?

It occurred to me just now (as I'm in the middle of one of those ADD cleaning phases--and am now standing at my half-clean kitchen island to write this) that I do this with stories too. I rarely ever have one story going that has 1000% of my focus. If I'm under contract, then it has ALMOST that much of my focus, because that's what fair to my publisher. But if I'm not contracted on a story at the moment, I have to have several projects going at once.


Here's a little peak into my brain right now.

1. Another Love Inspired Suspense story. I'm writing this one currently.

2. A full length Romantic Suspense set in the Alaskan wilderness. I'm writing this one currently.

3. More LIS stories--at least two in the I-have-a-synopsis-done stage.

4. Another full length RS--this one is a list of story "clues" right now. Nothing solid.

5. Several series ideas (or at least story ideas/setting ideas) for the future.


This is how my brain works--while it looks crazy to some, I'm sure (but seriously? I'm a writer. Crazy is normal, yes?), I do better if I can multi-task, if I can have a lot of stories in my brain so that I have options. Ways to get my mind occupied when it's stuck on another story.

What about y'all? Are you one-at-a-time people? Some variation? And if you get a shiny new story idea, do you abandon your old story for a few days? Or are you one of the super-commited who won't even touch the new idea until the old one is done?

MIA but still good ;)

Hey friends! I'm sorry this blog has faded out a little. I know we've all had major things going on in our lives, but we haven't forgotten you all :)




Congrats to Lauri Tomlinson for being an ACFW Genesis Finalist!  :)  I got that word the other day, and was so excited and proud! We're rootin' for you girl!




Anyone going to conference to see Lauri win? ;)




I actually am not going to be able to go to ACFW this year after all. BOOO. Too much going on right now with finances and with me having just moved last weekend (finally!) and not needing to take time off work. It was a super hard decision! But I think its for the best. Us single mamas have to be wise! Unfortunately. =P




I don't have anything craft wise to post right now but if you guys have any questions you've come across in your WIP's I'd love to help if I can. And hopefully we can all get back in the swing on this fabulous blog. Because all of you guys are fabulous!

The Cool Kids...

 Y'all, having people tell me they're reading my book is the weirdest thing ever. For one thing, while I did write it for someone to hopefully publish it and readers to eventually hopefully read it...mostly I wrote it because I had these people's stories in my head and wanted to get them out. So when people tell me they've read it, it feels a little like they peaked into a private part of my brain. It's good, it's fun, I'm glad they're reading it, but I'm just telling it like it is. Haha.

The other reason it's a little weird when people tell me this is that I'm normal. I'm not like all those real  authors (whatever that means) who expect people to love their books and recognize their names. I'm just a person who is so, so excited that her dream of publication finally came true.

I'm not one of the cool ones.

You know what's funny, though, that I've been learning from meeting people at writer's conferences and getting to know them more on facebook?

Apparently even the cool kids don't know they're cool.

Kristin Billerbeck (fabulous chick-lit writer) blogged this week on how she has so many things to keep her humble and wonders what it's like to be famous. Hello? Creator of the Ashley Stockingdale series, you are famous to the chick-lit loves of the world!

Ronie Kendig (awesome action-packed romantic suspense) was so excited on facebook a few weeks ago because her book was featured with Dee Henderson's and some other people. She felt like she was with the "big names." Um...Ronie? You are one of the big names!

So here are my observations/questions, which are all tangled around in my brain at the moment. When does someone become "famous" as an author and do you think they recognize it? Is it good that so many of these incredible (I would say famous) Christian authors are so humble? Does it make you laugh to know that they just think of themselves as normal?

And what do you prefer?? Promote yourself in your brain to best-selling author status. Do you want people to just treat you like a normal person? Do you secretly want to be so famous that you can't walk into a bookstore without people turning their heads and recognizing you?

Just some thoughts from someone who's okay not being super-famous. =) Happy Friday--have an awesome weekend, y'all!