Browsed by
Author: Kat Crawford

Katherine J. Crawford, the author of Capsules of Hope, Dew Drops of Hope and Buckets of Hope, is published in eighteen compilations and numerous articles. She is one of the Leadership for Wordsowers Christian Writers in Omaha NE. Known as the Lionhearted Kat, she resides in Oregon. Visit Kat’s website lionheartedkat.com. Her blog lionheartedkat.info and read her journal through breast cancer and the loss of her husband: www.caringgiver/visit/org.
Does Your Need Motivate You to Write?

There is no school for caregivers. So where does the caregiver turn for help? I struggled through the first year of my husband’s “No Hope” rare cancer diagnosis in 2003. Through that time, I developed a new strength and a new title, The Lionhearted Kat.

I also created a lionhearted motto to keep me going and to share:

“Be Bold! Stay Strong! Spring to action!”

My husband survived the rare cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP). He lived seven years from the day he first saw a doctor and then died suddenly of a heart attack.

That first near-death experience brought reality to our home.

Gary often said, “Life is short and then you die. It is what you do with the minutes in between that count.” He used those last seven years to help make a difference in the lives of others. He also encouraged me to write, write, write.

At the beginning of Gary’s illness, I searched libraries and bookstores for help. I can still feel my desperation in a Barnes and Noble store when I said to the teen clerk, “I need a book for caregivers.”

“I’m not sure what that is, maybe try self-help.”

I found nothing. Later I wrote and published, “Capsules of Hope: Survival Guide for Caregivers.”

A rare cancer moved me to supply a need for others.

Not all of life is death and dying—today I’m determined to find something ridiculous to write about. A tidbit of laughter to share with others.

Above all I know this:

Nothing I write will be read by others and possibly make a difference in their lives, help them to find help and hope unless I share it or submit it.

online writers meeting

There are those who want to leave behind a legacy. They are happy to write the family history or their memoir. In the past, our grandparents were the story tellers. They didn’t write the family history, they shared it. And we listened. Sometimes we learned life lessons from what we heard.

But today, too much of the family is split apart. Often, we learn from a short snippet we read in a magazine. Maybe an “Upper Room” devotional in the doctor’s office.

At the last conference I attended a woman I’d never met before sat across from me.

“I’ve been writing my memoir for twenty years,” she said.

For two seconds I thought I’d choke on my bite of salad—twenty years is a long time to wait to share the pain or joys of life with others.

I am encouraging my new friend to write her book. Still, there is a part of me wants to scream. I wanted to say,

“Write one article at a time. Help others now. Don’t wait. A memoir might sell if you have a giant platform on which to reach out to the masses, but what about writing for a Sunday School handout? Or shape your story into a devotional for ‘Upper Room.’”

Today I’m encouraging myself and other writers I come in contact with to remember:

Your words are nothing more than scratches on a paper until you have a reader—one who is changed because you took the time to share what God has done in your life.

Don’t Just Write Something–Submit It Without Delay..

 

Don't Leave Your Readers Dangling
Don't Leave Your Readers Dangling

An Editing Tip from Kat Crawford

My sister and I watched a movie. At the end, Karen said to me, “But what happened to the dog?” The writer and producer portrayed a great story with the human cast, but they introduced a dog. They finished the romance, but what about the injured animal?

Years ago, an editor emailed me. “I’d like to use your story, but you’ve left me hanging. If I want to know what happened, so will the reader.”

The good news is, the editor liked my material enough to give me the opportunity to rewrite and answer all questions. I’ve learned since then to let my manuscript sit for a day or two before editing.

Want to see holes in your story? Join a critique group. When one of the group reads your story aloud you may hear where changes are needed. 

Remember: No matter if you are writing a short devotional or a novel, your reader will feel cheated if you don’t solve the problem before the end of your post or story.

Leave no question unanswered.

Stronger Verbs Stronger Writing
Stronger Verbs Stronger Writing

After writing about caregiving and such tough places in life, I searched out a fun teaching tool I wrote myself years ago. My critique partner at that time, Audrey, pushed me to learn a stronger vocabulary. Instead of studying, (see the ing word) I played (yep, an ed word.) I shared (an ed word) my fun poetry with my writer friends and we laughed (see another ed word.)

This writing exercise and lots of practice taught me to write with stronger verbs.

ED, YOU SAID?

“Ed, it’s said, is a stronger verb than ING.
I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.
Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.
I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.


Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.
So, I jumped and bounced and ED words compiled.
I dabbled and drizzled till my lips really smiled.
I hurled and furled and agonized, too.
I bristled and blundered and bandied my way through.


Skewered, slithered, sniveled, and sniped
Whacked, wallowed, warbled, and wiped.
Yawned, yoweled, yodeled, and yipped.
I gasped for air as I giggled and gripped.


Yes, I clicked my tongue and chimed delighted,
“Look at those ED’s they promenade as if benighted.”
My tongue relished the sound of a toughed end.
Words that rippled, rolled and even I comprehend.


I’ve weathered, and warmed. Trounced and trashed.
I’ve screamed and squirreled. Hobbled and hashed.
And what, you ask, was accomplished by this?
Why, I raised my knowledge, at my editor’s wish?


I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.
Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.
So, I jumped and bounced and ED words compiled.
I dabbled and drizzled till my lips really smiled.


I hurled and furled and agonized, too.
I bristled and blundered and bandied my way through.
Skewered, slithered, sniveled, and sniped
Whacked, wallowed, warbled, and wiped.


Yawned, yoweled, yodeled, and yipped.
I gasped for air as I giggled and gripped.
Yes, I clicked my tongue and chimed delighted,
“Look at those ED’s they promenade as if benighted.”


My tongue relished the sound of a toughed end.
Words that rippled, rolled and even I comprehend.
I’ve weathered, and warmed. Trounced and trashed.
I’ve screamed and squirreled. Hobbled and hashed.


And what, you ask, was accomplished by this?
Why, I raised my knowledge, at my editor’s wish?
“Ed, it’s said, is a stronger verb than ING.
I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.


Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.
So, I jumped and bounced and ED words compiled.
I dabbled and drizzled till my lips really smiled.


I hurled and furled and agonized, too.
I bristled and blundered and bandied my way through.
Skewered, slithered, sniveled, and sniped
Whacked, wallowed, warbled, and wiped.


Yawned, yoweled, yodeled, and yipped.
I gasped for air as I giggled and gripped.
Yes, I clicked my tongue and chimed delighted,
“Look at those ED’s they promenade as if benighted.”


My tongue relished the sound of a toughed end.
Words that rippled, rolled and even I comprehend.
I’ve weathered, and warmed. Trounced and trashed.
I’ve screamed and squirreled. Hobbled and hashed.


And what, you ask, was accomplished by this?
Why, I raised my knowledge, at my editor’s wish?
“Ed, it’s said, is a stronger verb than ING.
I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.


Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.
So, I jumped and bounced and ED words compiled.
I dabbled and drizzled till my lips really smiled.


I hurled and furled and agonized, too.
I bristled and blundered and bandied my way through.
Skewered, slithered, sniveled, and sniped
Whacked, wallowed, warbled, and wiped.


Yawned, yoweled, yodeled, and yipped.
I gasped for air as I giggled and gripped.
Yes, I clicked my tongue and chimed delighted,
“Look at those ED’s they promenade as if benighted.”


My tongue relished the sound of a toughed end.
Words that rippled, rolled and even I comprehend.
I’ve weathered, and warmed. Trounced and trashed.
I’ve screamed and squirreled. Hobbled and hashed.


And what, you ask, was accomplished by this?
Why, I raised my knowledge, at my editor’s wish?
“Ed, it’s said, is a stronger verb than ING.
Try like I might, Ed leaves me befuddled.
I smote my head and said, “For me, ING sings.
My mind sifted ED’s and ended up jumbled.


So, I jumped and bounced and ED words compiled.
I dabbled and drizzled till my lips really smiled.
I hurled and furled and agonized, too.
I bristled and blundered and bandied my way through.


Skewered, slithered, sniveled, and sniped
Whacked, wallowed, warbled, and wiped.
Yawned, yoweled, yodeled, and yipped.
I gasped for air as I giggled and gripped.


Yes, I clicked my tongue and chimed delighted,
“Look at those ED’s they promenade as if benighted.”
My tongue relished the sound of a toughed end.
Words that rippled, rolled and even I comprehend.


I’ve weathered, and warmed. Trounced and trashed.
I’ve screamed and squirreled. Hobbled and hashed.
And what, you ask, was accomplished by this?
Why, I raised my knowledge, at my editor’s wish?

© 2003 by the Lionhearted Kat

A Few Things to Know about the Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference
A Few Things to Know about the Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference

There are always a few last minute questions. We’ve gathered a few, along with the answers, we think someone might be asking.

You can still register at the door on Friday night or Saturday morning. The cost at the door: $100. We do not discount for those only attending on Saturday only.

Come prepared to meet editors, publishers and authors. It doesn’t matter if you are an introvert or an extrovert, whether you are published or not. From the leadership right down through the volunteers or those leading workshops, we want this to be a positive experience for you. If you have questions, ask. 

Network, network, network. Use the time at the conference to exchange business cards and connect with other writers. You may glean a great idea for your next article or novel.

Every manuscript you bring needs your name, email and page number. Most people reading your material will not accept a hard copy at that moment, but if they did, could they find you?

Basic Submission Formatting: Use font—Times New Roman; 12 pitch; double space. Set your paragraph for 0.5 (do not hard indent.) Use single space between sentences.

Thank you for praying for WCWC leadership and all the volunteers who are working hard to help you become a published author.

I have never attended a writers conference

Is this your first time to attend a writers conference? Are you feeling a bit lost or overwhelmed about the upcoming conference? Here are a few suggestions to make this a great experience!

Dress comfortable. But remember, you are meeting with editors and publishers. Think like you are applying for a new position. Dress appropriately.

Bring Pen and Paper for Note taking. As we are not set up to record the workshops, so you will want to take plenty of notes. There will be a plethora of great information shared.

Hang on to the folder you are given when you check in. This folder will contain the conference schedule and other information and be a great place to keep your workshop notes together.

Study the workshop leaders and the workshop information before you arrive. We have a workshop page set up with all this information. Checking this out ahead of time allows you to hit the ground running. Download a printable copy of the workshops to bring to the conference with you. This will give you a photo of the presenter and the info to remind you of the class.

Check out the directories posted to find your classes. Instead of printing out the workshop lists for each attendee, we will have several locations where you can read up on the workshops.

Team up with other attendees when you want to attend two workshops presented at the same time. If you know another writer, possibly you can share notes following the workshops. If you came alone, you might ask if there is someone else attending the second workshop and share the notes. Unfortunately, we are not set up to record workshops.

Thank you for praying for Wordsowers Leadership and all the volunteers ready to give you a great experience in increasing your writing ability.

It’s not too late to join us!

Attending a conference is a commitment. You have to reserve the block of time (which gets harder and harder with today’s busy lifestyle). You have to pay the conference fees. You have to prepare a pitch in case you run into the perfect editor or agent. And the list goes on. Sometimes it feels like too much! So why should you attend? Here are just a few reasons.

 

Reason#1: You’ll learn

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing professionally for years or if you just scratched out your first short story last night, you WILL learn something at a conference. It might be something little or something huge or a bunch of little things in between. There’s no walking away from a writer’s conference without new knowledge.

 

Reason#2: You’ll meet others like you

There’s something about writers being around other writers. You understand each other! Finally, someone who gets why you can’t stop writing a story until it’s finished because the voices in your head won’t leave you alone. Finally, someone who has been through the same struggles to get published as you. Writers understand writers! And it’s just plain fun to be around others who enjoy the craft.

 

Reason#3: You never know what will come of your attendance

When you attend a writer’s conference, you’re surrounded by opportunity. There are editors there waiting to hear your pitch. There are agents there hungry for just the right story. There are professionals ready to give you advice on what to do and how to do it. You never know what will come out of your time at the conference. You might make a connection that leads to publication. You might get inspiration for the next great American novel. You might meet a new best writing friend. You never know what you’re going to get, but it’s going to be great!

Under each of these reasons you’ll find a dozen or more others just like them; 101 reasons, or more, depending on how you count them. Sign up! Go! You won’t regret it!

It’s not too late to join us!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Use #Wordsowers2017 when you share with your friends.

Have you ever attended a writer’s conference? You probably expect to get things out of the guest speakers and special sessions, but what about the other authors? There are a number of items you could easily receive simply by networking with other authors. Here are just a few:

Ideas

Authors are brimming with ideas at all times. Now, you aren’t going to go around grabbing other people’s ideas, but one author’s ideas could easily spark something in you. You might bounce something off another author only to have them come up with a perfect solution for your quandary. There are ideas everywhere, just waiting for you to have them!

Inspiration

Talking to authors who are “getting it done” can really inspire you to get back on your projects yourself. You might be inspired to write something new, pick up something old, or persevere until you get that one item you really felt drawn to out into the published world. Inspiration hits when authors are together!

Resources

Do you need help editing? Don’t know where to go in order to have a book cover created? There are authors out there that have the answers and the resources YOU need. All you have to do is find the right fellow author and you can walk away with a wealth of information and connections to the resources you need.

These are just a few of the items you can get from networking with other authors. Conferences are great because speakers give you a lot of intriguing information. But the other authors attending can give you just as much!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Share with your friends:

critique submissionsWhen you read your manuscript, you read what you think you wrote, not what’s actually there. It’s nearly impossible to read your own work! What if you could have a professional writer read it and tell you what they thought? They might have just the right suggestions to make it really shine! Oh, but that would be expensive. That would clean you out, right? Wrong!

When you attend the Wordsowers Christian Writer’s Conference, you get a workshop leader manuscript critique for $25! There are so many things you get from that, like…

One-on-one guidance: You get to meet with the writing professional who reviewed your work. They will tell you what they think face to face. Don’t worry, they’ll be kind! They’ll point out ways to make your work better. They might show you something you hadn’t seen before. In the end, your writing will be better for it.

Help with errors: Every writer makes errors, but it’s hard to see where you’ve gone wrong. The workshop leader will spot things that got past you, spell check, and the friends you’ve had read it. When you correct errors, your work is much more ready for editors and agents.

Encouragement: The workshop leaders have been in your seat. It’s taken all of them time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears to become professional writers. They know what it’s like to be starting out. Hearing from them, including where they’ve been and what they’ve been through, can help you realize that your dream can be reached as well. You’ll leave the session with ideas for your piece and excitement for your writing future.

Submit something you’re really excited about, then sit down for a one-on-one and find out how to make it better! $25 is a small price to pay for one critique. You get so much more than red ink on a page! Click HERE for details. Order and send in your manuscript asap to make the most of this opportunity!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Share with your friends:

Debra Butterfield

Debra ButterfielDebra is the author of Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse. She has contributed to numerous anthologies as well as magazines that include CBN.com, Susie, Live, The Vision, and On Course online. She is a freelance editor and the editor for CrossRiver Media Group publishing. She lives in Missouri.

At the 2016 conference Debra will be leading the Making Scrivener Work for You workshop. This is a workshop for the beginning and intermediate Scrivener user. Attendees will learn the basics of importing files and creating documents as well as how to personalize the Binder and labels, use the Inspector, take snapshots to preserve their work, and more.

Our recent interview with Debra.

KAT:  How did you get into writing?

DEBRA:  I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a preteen. As an adult I tried to do a correspondence about writing for children, but life got in the way. It wasn’t until I was 45 years old that I began to pursue a career in writing by applying for and gaining a junior copywriter position with Focus on the Family.

KAT:  What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why?

DEBRA:  Realizing the great flexibility of Scrivener and how you can mold it into the best platform for all your writing projects.

KAT:  Who will get the most out of your workshop?

DEBRA:  Beginning to intermediate users of Scrivener.

KAT:  If you could share only one piece of information with a writer, what would it be?

DEBRA:  Write, write, write, because that is how you’ll discover your voice.

KAT:  What are you working on now?

DEBRA:  I’m working on a novella about an unassuming little country church, the people who find refuge there during a blizzard, and the miracle of faith that God provides for the weary travelers.

 

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

large-registernow

Seek Twice as Many Rejections

Gladys Merek and Kat
My neighbor’s 90th birthday. Her daughter brought her to my book signing at Barnes and Nobles

In January 2007 I reviewed my writing credits. In the past year I had sold a few Sunday School handout articles, wrote for a newspaper for free (great experience) and sold my stories to several compilations. Of course, I also wrote for my blog, the church blog, a church drama and designed cards. None of the latter brought in income.

My first goal for 2007:  Receive twice as many rejections in that year as I did in 2006.

YOU CANNOT SELL WHAT YOU DON’T SUBMIT

I hung the above on my desk in large letters.

At the end of 2007 I recorded more rejections, but on the positive side, I made more money than I had in the past three years combined.

For the next few weeks I will post lessons I learned about writing, marketing, and getting acquainted with other writers, editors and publishers. .

To begin, at a writers conference I heard about an anthology called “A Cup of Comfort.” I sold them many stories and devotionals until they quit their publications. “The Cup of Comfort” publisher was the only anthology producer I ever knew who paid the author to hold book signings.

The idea of extra money pushed me to find sales locations in Nebraska and Oregon. …

Read More Read More

Rose Zediker

Rose ZedikerMulti-published author and RITA finalist, Rose Ross Zediker, writes contemporary and historical inspirational romances and has over one hundred publishing credits in the Christian magazine genre for children and adults. Her titles have appeared on ECPA bestseller lists and been finalists for the RITA, National Reader’s Choice, Booksellers Best and Book Buyers Best award contests.

At the 2016 conference Rose will be leading the Writing on Assignment for Christian Children’s Market workshop. Children’s stories run through your head, but where do you submit them. Learn the basics of how to find work-for-hire markets in the Christian children’s genre and how to put together an audition package for your target market.

Our recent interview with Rose.

KAT:  What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why?

ROSE:  My workshop is about work for hire publishing. Sometimes authors neglect to try this publishing avenue because they don’t understand it. I hope to debunk the myths surrounding work for hire publishing and expose the attendees to another avenue that may lead to publication.

KAT:  What book are you currently reading?

ROSE:  I am reading A Mountain of Mystery published by Guideposts. BTW – the mystery series books that Guideposts publishes are work for hire!

KAT:  If you could share only one piece of information with a writer, what would it be?

ROSE:  Although it is okay to aspire to have a career like your favorite author, absolutely, do not compare yourself and your work to others writers. Why? It can debilitate your writing and your self-esteem. And most of the time you aren’t comparing apples to apples. It’s doubtful that you’ll have the same education, the same type of family life, the same number of children, live in the same location, have the same sleeping habits, etc. All of those things (and more!) affects your writing and your writing time.

KAT:  What are your goals for 2016?

ROSE:  I am such a firm believer in goal setting! I set several goals each year. This year my main focus is writing a cozy mystery and preparing the proposal package so my agent can shop it around.

 

In case you’re not registered for the conference yet secure your seat today!

large-registernow