Faithful Writers Toolkit: January 2019

An encouragement boost for Faithful Writers everywhere. Please share with your writing friends. Reading time: less than 2 minutes.

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January 26, 2019

 

Faithful Reflection

January is the perfect time to begin again, and I reflected on this theme in my recent January Compass Points newsletter to blog readers. What little ideas keep niggling at you? What synchronicities are trying to tell you something? What muses are trying to get your attention? Are you taking time (or making space) to listen to the Holy Spirit’s still small voice?

My own intention for 2019 is to take better care of myself, meditate more, and write more. To do that, I’ll have to get things on my calendar that are important. “What doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get done,” says Michael Hyatt, and for me, it’s true. If any of you want someone to hold you accountable for a particular goal this year, let me know. I’d be glad to pop into your inbox with a friendly message of support. Here is my “19 for 2019 list.”

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Faithful Quote

“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this, in turn, makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.” ~ Norbet Platt

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Writing Tip of the Month

Don’t be afraid to be controversial.

None of the great religious leaders were ever afraid to speak truth to power. When you listen with your heart and your conscience, lean into your fear and know your writing will be alive, forceful, and compelling.

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January Word Challenge:

I’ve added a Word-of-the-Week to the “Faithful Writers” category on the Heartspoken blog, and recent words were “adumbration” and “farouche.” Instead of a word, here’s a “homophone” challenge. I missed three of them. See how well you can do: Merriam-Webster’s Homophone Quiz.

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January Resource: Positive Writer

Don’t we all have doubts about writing from time to time? Positive Writer was created for writers with doubt—like the website’s author, Bryan Hutchinson—and to provide inspirational posts that help writers keep writing. If you choose to sign up for their email list, you’ll get a freebie called “Light your writing on fire.” He also offers a free eBook called “Good Enough: Stop Seeking Perfection and Approval.” Great title!

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January Writing Prompt

Use this image to inspire your writing or reflection. The image is used courtesy of Ulrike Mai (via Pixabay) from Cape Town/South Africa. Don’t make this hard. Set the timer on your smartphone for 10-20 minutes. Don’t think; don’t edit; just WRITE! Feel free (but not obligated) to share your results in the Faithful Writers private Facebook group.

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I’ll get back to shining a spotlight on our members in future issues. This month, I’m honestly just crawling out from under the holidays and the flu germs our family has been so generous about sharing with each other.

See you in February!

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