Trying to keep my eyes on Jesus - with or without clouds

The life of a Christian poet-writer is often clouded with interruptions and disturbances – some desirable, some not!

After a wonderful sisters’ cruise to the Bahamas in mid-March, I came home with a head cold aka sinus infection, both of which kept my eyes looking behind me as I tried to move forward and catch up.

Then, the very day my book of contemporary psalms and free verse poems PRAISE! was to be released by Cladach Publishing, my computer refused to work in total disregard of my plans for promotionals.

As soon as a new keyboard solved my pc problem, I resolved to blab about my book all over the Internet – a smart marketing approach for Christian poets and writers who hope people will actually read what they have written.

New book….
Fun time with siblings….
Head cold….
Fritzed keyboard….

Each caught my attention. Each clouded my focus, and yet each drew me back to prayer and a greater appreciation of the Lord in my life.

Praise the Lord for keeping life lively!

Praise the Lord for scriptures that draw us closer to Christ.

Praise God for speaking to and through us in what we’ve been given to write:

Cloud bank

Around us a cloud –
witnesses
of the faith –

and our faith rising
like cloud wisps
forming Jesus’ face –

a reminder of The One
toward Whom we run

as we leave behind
all hindrances –
obstructions, interruptions –

and open our own
luggage
to be searched by none
but Christ on the throne.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, poet-writer who based the above on Hebrews 12:1-2, today’s Bible verse in a variety of translations from Bible Gateway

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Poetic Power of Dyslexia

Most poets and writers draw on experience, personality, or the power of observation to find something fresh to say in their fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. If you do that in your writing too, great! Keep up the good work. However, the traits you think of as a disadvantage or even a handicap might be the ones that help you to develop your own voice or distinctive style. Take, for instance, dyslexia.

Like many poets and career freelance writers, I began writing as a young child but, in my case, backwards. One way or the other did not matter to me, but this stressed out my teacher so much, she made me stay after class on my very first day of school. For years I thought Mrs. Smith called Mother to come in, too, to see how sloppily I wrote as my left hand smudged the soft pencil across the lined paper in my notebook, but no. I had perfectly copied everything the teacher wrote on the blackboard (which actually was black then), and I had formed each letter of the alphabet correctly. I had just written everything on the blackboard backwards.

For fun, I still like to spell ippississiM in my head, and I must warn you not to even try to beat me at word games like Boggle or Wheel Of Fortune unless, of course, you’re also a bit dyslexic. Most of the time, though, inverting letters and scrambling words or thoughts has gotten me into trouble, especially when I’m tired. If someone happens to spew double-negatives then, I can almost guarantee my brain will not follow.

In writing poetry and poetic manuscripts, however, dyslexia can come in handy. Word scrambles often lead to word play, and scrambled thinking can connect this to that in a previously untried but true way. Such “mistakes” might add a note of humor to fiction or nonfiction too and, in some cases, bring about a fresh idea, insight, or observation.

For example, as a Christian writer I often write nonfiction articles and devotionals. In one short article I wrote for other Christian poets and writers, I talked about the importance of double-checking facts and speaking with a loving voice whenever we write in the name of Jesus. Since Christians pray in Jesus’ name, my point was to encourage that thought also as we write. However, instead of typing “in the name of Jesus,” I wrote, “in the amen of Jesus.” Same letters, you notice, just scrambled. When I finally noticed this myself, I thought, wow! That better said what I wanted to say anyway. i.e., Anything we write (or pray) in Jesus’ name needs Jesus’ amen or affirmation.

I certainly do not pray for my dyslexia to increase or for you to catch it! But I do pray that you use your talents and “flaws” well. I pray you begin to see your “mistakes” or “handicaps” or “shortcomings” or “disadvantages” as a means of making your writing distinctive, inimitable, and one of a kind. Do I hear an name?


©2010, ©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler 


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Getting inspired by God

In-Spired
by Mary Harwell Sayler

I love You, Lord.
I love The Way
You write
right through my hands
to touch
unknown readers’ eyes,
and immediately,
they see!
They love you, Lord.



©2015, Mary Sayler 

Writing to heal the Body of Christ

Are you concerned about the decline in church attendance in almost every denomination? Are you as distressed as I am about the divisions among Christians? Do you wish you could do something. As communicators for Christ, we can! For example:

• We can write honest, accurate, uplifting poems, devotionals, books, and stories to strengthen the faith of our readers.
• We can visit the websites of each denomination and study their statements of beliefs then write to overcome assumptions, errors, or misunderstanding.
• We can write about what we love in the Christian community and encourage forgiveness, acceptance, and respect for one another.
• We can research what the Bible says about fellowship in Christ and write about what draws us together and makes us One.
• We can investigate areas of dissension and pray to provide a voice of reason, balance, and healing.

If we write fiction, we can do so with a healing theme and purpose. For example, we might set a novel in another era where people dealt with similar concerns or write a Romeo and Juliette story between two lovers from opposing backgrounds, say, during the Reformation.

Most importantly, we can pray for discernment, expecting God to answer, and we can examine our minds and motives as we ask ourselves:

• Does my writing stir up debates or stir and quicken readers to consider differences from a spiritual perspective?

• Will my words help readers from diverse cultures to accept the forgiveness, redemption, and salvation of Jesus Christ, perhaps by showing that love and those blessings through story people, personal experiences, biblical truths, and practical suggestions?

• Does my writing speak ill of others or speak peace? In what ways can my poems, stories, devotionals, articles, and books bring reconciliation and healing to denominational or other church factions?

• The Bible gives us the wonderful analogy of One Body with many parts. Where do we see ourselves in the Body of Christ? Are any parts missing?

• Obviously, an elbow is not a toe, nor an ear a shinbone! But each part is vital to the whole. Can our writings show this? Can you think of another analogy that might speak to people today to show the need Christ has for each one of us to be One in Him?


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler

For general help with your writing, revising, and more, order the Christian Writers’ Guide e-book.

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Literary Forms in the Bible

When we think of the Bible as the written word inspired by God, the laws (teachings) and history will most likely come to mind. However, poetry covers about one-third of the Bible, which also contains almost all of the other literary forms. Hopefully, this will interest Christian readers in general, but as poets and writers, we do well to study these forms and their usages to expand our literary options in what we write.

We can do this by ourselves, of course, but if you’ve ever read one of the many books by writer, editor, and university professor Leland Ryken, you’ll want to see what he has to say on this subject. I certainly did! So I warmly welcomed the review copy I received of A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible, recently published by Crossway.

In the Introduction, Dr. Ryken defines literary forms as “anything pertaining to how a passage expresses its content.” So the focus is not on the content or the what of the text but on these categories as listed by the author with my notes added in parentheses:

1. Literary terms (discussed in this alphabetized handbook)
2. Genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry)
3. Literary techniques (for example, theme and variation)
4. Motifs (pattern or theme)
5. Archetypes and type scenes (recurrent patterns or symbols)
6. Figures of speech (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, paradox)
7. Rhetorical devices (for example, an envelope structure or inclusio, which “consists of bracketing a passage with the same statement”)
8. Stylistic traits (features of style from high to conversational)
9. Formulas (such as a number formula “for three transgressions and for four” or a “woe formula)

You might feel like saying “Woe is me!” if those terms are new for you, but take heart! The A to Z (make that "W") format of the book enables you to look up the entry you want on your own need-to-know terms.

Since I wanted to give the book a thorough reading, though, I began with “Abundance, Story of” and kept going, soon coming to the conclusion that, when I catch up on my stack of review copies, I’d like to read this again and give myself a writing exercise for each entry to which I'm drawn.

For instance, I’ve enjoyed writing acrostics, which, in Bible literature, means, “An Old Testament poem in which the successive units begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in consecutive order.” Mine were written using the English alphabet, but the Hebrew Bible includes acrostics in several Psalms where “The most elaborate acrostic poem in the Bible is Psalm 119. The poem is comprised of twenty-two eight-verse units. The units unfold according to the Hebrew alphabet, but in addition, all eight verses within each unit begin with the letter that the unit as a cluster highlights.” To make Psalm 119 even more difficult to write, the poet consistently included words referring to the “law of the LORD” such as “precepts, “statutes,” “commandments,” thereby adding to the impression that the Bible consists primarily of rules.

Dr. Ryken, however, reminds us of so much more in the “Adventure Story,” “Allegory, “Apocalyptic Writing,” “Beatitude,” “Benediction,” “Christ Hymn,” and even the “Comedy,” which he describes as “A kind of plot structure, with accompanying traits, that forms a U-shaped story in which events first descend into potential tragedy and then rise to a happy ending.”

Who would expect that, from a literary perspective, “comedy rather than tragedy is the dominant narrative form of the Bible and the Christian gospel.” For example, the Bible “story begins with the creation of a perfect world. It descends into the tragedy of fallen human history. It ends with a new world of total happiness and victory over evil” – which is surely more than enough to make us smile!

Other examples of the literary form include the stories of Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Job – none of whom endured the laughing matters we expect to see in a TV sit-com or humor story. Nevertheless, each lived through a U-shaped story where events went from bad to good, shaping their faith and also the lives of readers who welcome the relief of a happy ending based on biblical truths.

Continuing through the alphabetized entries, we find “Drama” and “Dramatic Irony,” such as “Pharaoh’s daughter unknowingly paying the mother of Moses to take care of her own son.” And, in “Epic,” we see that “The biblical story that most obviously fits the description of an epic is the story of the exodus.”

When I came to the entry for “Epistle,” I thought of the form many Christian writers use in their blogs! As a fixed form in the New Testament, the epistle has five main parts, which, according to Dr. Ryken, consist of the following (parentheses his, this time):

• opening or salutation (sender, address, greeting)
• thanksgiving (including such features as prayer for spiritual welfare, remembrance of the recipients, and eschatological climax)
• body of the letter (beginning with introductory formulas and concluding with eschatological and travel material)
• paraenesis (moral exhortations)
• closing (final greetings and benediction)

Instead of focusing on parables, paradox, penitential Psalms, and other forms you’re most likely familiar with, I’ll turn to the entry for “Paraenesis,” which frankly I’d never heard of before, perhaps because, as Dr. Ryken notes, “No English word has gained currency as a designation for this fixed ingredient in the Epistles.” As he explains, however, paraenesis is “A section in the New Testament Epistles that lists moral virtues and vices, or a collection of commands to practice specific virtues and avoid specific vices.”

Hmm. Interesting. Even without know what paraenesis means, I’ve been seeing a lot of it in blogs by Christian writers when I’d much prefer to see the use of literary forms such as the “Penitential Psalm,” “Praise Psalm,” “Quest Story/Motif,” “Witness Story,” or “Worship Psalm,” each of which has specific characteristics and/or patterns (forms!) you might want to study, practice, and enjoy in your Christian writing life.


©2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer, is the poet-author of 27 traditionally published books in all genres, many of which can be found on her Amazon Author Page.


Literary Forms in the Bible, paperback



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Witnessing Jesus’ Signature

In the Christian community, important words or phrases get tossed around one denomination or another – spiritually healing words, spiritually vital words such as “Savior,” “resurrection,” “redemption,” but sometimes the significance passes over us without registering the full impact such words can have.

Take “witness,” for example. Does the thought of a witness testifying in court come to mind? When we need to make a case for Christ, that’s exactly the kind of witness we most likely need to be.

A witness testifies or gives a testimony that's often based on a personal experience other people can relate to – or not! In other words, a witness gives evidence that might not be evident to everyone until we explain.

For the growth of the church and the encouragement of other Christians, we need to be witnesses, who spread the Good News by word-of-mouth. If we also happen to be Christian poets or writers, we have the opportunity and unique privilege of putting our witness into writing and signing our names.

But what about the Name of Jesus? We pray in His Name, but how does He sign His name?

In sign after sign, the Bible records Jesus’ miracles, teachings, parables, prayers, love, healing, and sacrifice.

Jesus is Himself the sign of God’s forgiveness and redemption.
Jesus is the sign of God’s mercy and love.
Jesus is God’s signature in the world and in our lives.

As we speak to others about Christ or give our testimonies or write in any genre, may we remain alert and eager to let our witness become a witness to Jesus’ signature.


© 2014 Mary Harwell Sayler - poet-author
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Seeing ourselves as part of The Storytelling God

A year or two ago, I began translating the parables of Jesus into poems and prose poetry, so when I heard about The Storytelling God: Seeing the Glory of Jesus in His Parables, written by Jared C. Wilson, I requested a review copy, which Crossway kindly sent.

In the Introduction, the pastor-author immediately gave a fresh perspective by saying, “The word parable from the Greek means ‘to cast alongside,’ and like the seeds cast in one of the few parables for which Jesus offered an interpretation, the parables may land on rocky soil.”

Wow! Had you ever thought of Jesus’ stories in that way? I hadn’t. i.e., The Parable of the Sower is a parable on parables, illustrating how words work in our lives and in the lives of other people.

Inspired thoughts, spiritual insights, Biblical truths are cast (broadcast?) like seeds to land where they may among listeners and readers and, hopefully, to flourish and grow.

As Pastor Wilson explained, “The parables, then, serve this end: they proclaim, in their unique way, the gospel of the kingdom of God and Jesus as king of that kingdom.” Furthermore, “God is the greatest storyteller ever,” and “All good stories are but pale reflections and imitations of the great story of God’s glory brought to bear in the world…. The poetry, the history, the laws, the lists, the genealogies, the proverbs, and the prophecies together make up the mosaic of God’s vision for the universe with himself at its center.”

In our lives as Christian poets and writers, we are a circle, rotating around the world with our words in all genres, evolving into artistry and revolving around our One True Center: God. We are one with Christ and one with one another since the beginning of petroglyphs or stone tablets as we write from the same rock, the same central core.

“The rock to build on, then, is not the doing of Jesus’s words but the work of Jesus already done, namely his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. The rock to build on is Jesus himself. When we really hear and do, we are showing that he is our foundation.”

We who have ears, let us hear what our storytelling God has to say to and through us in Jesus' Name.

© 2014 Mary Harwell Sayler - poet-author

The Storytelling God: Seeing the Glory of Jesus in His Parables, paperback



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Christian Writer’s Guide to writing options

After starting the Christian Poets & Writers group on Facebook, I realized that most of our members self-publish because that’s what they know. Since my 30+ years of experience have mainly been with traditional publishers of books and manuscripts for Christian and educational markets, I wrote the Christian Writer’s Guide e-book to provide the info you need to have more options as a freelance or assignment writer in almost any genre.

Hopefully, the table of contents will give you a good idea of what to expect:

Table of Contents

Dedication
Pray!
Let God and the Bible Guide
Welcome Your Gift or Calling
Find Your Favorite Genre
Listen for The Voice in Your Voice
Write, Write, Write
Search and Research
Record Information Accurately
Edit or Revise
Prepare to be Published
Write Freelance or on Assignment
Inquire with a Query Letter
Cover Highlights in a Cover Letter
Prepare Your Manuscript
Propose a Book in a Book Proposal
Track What Went Where and When
Develop Your Bio
Establish a Presence on the Internet
Learn Writing Terms: A to Z
About the Author


© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler is the poet-author of 26 books in all genres and approximately 1500 poems and short manuscripts, ranging from church curriculum to children’s “take home” papers to nonfiction articles on subjects as varied as the Bible, poetry, writing, family life, and natural health.


Christian Writer's Guide e-book on Kindle



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How to have Bible values in what we write

A couple of weeks ago, I started a Discussion in the Christian Poets and Writers group on LinkedIn with the question, “Is the Bible an essential part of your work as a Christian poet, writer, editor, or publisher?”

One of our CP&W members responded with another important question, “How do we keep biblical values in our writing?”

I replied by saying something about how poems and writings in almost any genre reflect our Bible values then gave an example of “Blue Bloods,” one of my favorite TV shows that is "secular" but often ends by showing the biblical value of a family sharing a meal. People used to sit down and “break bread” together regularly but seldom now. What made the scene even better, though, was a televised demonstration of faith as the family prays before the meal – not with heads bowed symbolically but with full audio given to the prayer.

With that in mind and spirit, I went on to say in the CP&W Discussion that I’m not worried about Christian poets and writers omitting biblical value. Presenting godly values will just happen – naturally and supernaturally too, but what I failed to add is that this hinges on how well we know the Bible ourselves.

That thought has been on my mind even more since the CP&W conversation put it there because I then started to notice clever or catchy sayings that sound wise being posted by talented Christians, who might not know the difference between biblical values and what just sounds good. These poetic but pithy words seem sagacious yet have no nutritional value for spiritual growth because they just aren't true!

So how do we know if our writings have Bible value and not worldly ones that sound biblical but may merely be half-truths?

The best way, of course, is to know the Bible well, then keep on reading.

We can also research whatever does not sound right. The Biblegateway.com website eases such searches for words or phrases, but if that doesn’t reveal the real word on a hard-to-pinpoint topic, ask your pastor, preacher, or priest.

Look for clues, too, as you discern the difference between biblical values, popular expressions, or wise-sounding-sayings. Such words as “always,” “never,” “every,” or other absolutes may sound nice and pretty yet seldom be true.

This last word is, therefore, first and foremost: Pray!

Whether we write novels, poems, devotionals, children’s stories, nonfiction articles, or television scripts, our God-given values provide a strong spiritual antidote for remedying the contagious, ungodly values currently making the rounds!

If we ask God to help us speak clearly, ring truly, and be biblically accurate, we will communicate no ungodly dis-ease, but, in word and spirit, ease our readers into the true and healing word of God in Christ.

~~

© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved, but pass it on!

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What to do if your work weighs you down

One of the biggest problems I’ve had over the years as a Christian writer is getting overloaded with “good work.” Demands and deadlines appear, while time disappears too quickly—a problem Jesus also encountered in His work.

So if your work-schedule has become too burdensome or sent you scurrying around at warp speed, the best response to the title is “nothing.” Just sit down a while. Rest up. Pray. Read a Psalm. Read this poem:


Laborious
by Mary Harwell Sayler

The spider owns the air
on which the web is woven,
the bird that patch of sky.

Why does my work weigh me down?

In the beginning, the Creator made work
an invitation,
not the chore that later came
when the garden got
left behind.

Rampant ideas
tangle untended.

Money mars motivation.

Time demands priorities.

Deadlines jangle,
words juggle
to fit a perfect page.

Enough!

May this day be woven
of sky and air and Holy
Spirit.

Let God be
the center
of the air, the work, the
weave.


~~

© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved. The poem "Laborious" appears in Mary's poetry book Living in the Nature Poem published by Hiraeth Press © 2012.
May the peace and quiet of the Lord be with you always.

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Writing in Bible love

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Christian poets and writers have a blessed opportunity to write about love from God’s perspective, which has far greater substance than romantic notions and fuzzy feelings. This biblical view of love remains constant, year-round, so, Lord willing, I’ll be addressing What the Bible Says about Love with appropriate scriptures, prayers, and short devotionals for private use or discussions in your Bible study group.

For example, the posting “The Bible Defines Love” discussed “the love chapter,” I Corinthians 13, reminding me of a poem Sandy Brooks accepted several years ago for Cross & Quill, the newsletter of the former Christian Writers Fellowship International (CWFI) for which she and I both served as directors.


Taking A Bible Stanza
(from I Corinthians 13)

Though I speak with the most angelic voice
heard in human hearts….

Though I resound as a clear bell calling
all readers to ring with praise….

Though I prophesy with power,
decipher mysteries, acquire
insight, and utter wisdom well….

Though I have faith to move
mountains of people with perceptive words
and cast rejection into deep depths of the sea….

Though I write all I have been given
and hand over my body of work
without reimbursement or acknowledgment….

Though I may boast of publication and best-sells….

Without love for God and readers, my work is nothing.

The loving writer-poet must be patient,
kind – not proud.

The loving writer-poet must not insist
“My work, my way!” nor be
manuscripted with resentment,
but rejoice, rejoice in giving voice to truth.

The loving writer-poet bears all
disappointments, believes all
timing comes from God, and has all
hope to end: endure.

The loving writer-poet knows
we know in part, but every part
of every reader needs
The Loving Word of God.

This love story, theme, or purpose
never ends.

poem by Mary Harwell Sayler originally published in Cross & Quill. Used by permission of the author.


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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.

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One day in the life of a full-time Christian writer-poet-editor

Years ago an acquaintance from church asked what I do, and I said, “I’m a writer” to which she responded, “I know. But what else do you do?” If you hope to be a “full-time writer” you might wonder the same. Since I’ve been doing this for my most of my adult life – well, part-time when I was a full-time “stay at home mom” – my workday might give you a glimpse of the “real” writing life, which differs each day for each person and each project.

Working in an office at home necessitates a general structure to get anything done. So each morning, as FL weather permits, my husband and I take our coffee onto the deck to watch the arrival of birds and wake up a bit.

Inside, at my desk with half a cup of cooling coffee, I pick up my favorite devotional book, God Calling, and savor the day’s reading, which also speaks a word to Christian writers who have dozens of great ideas and not enough time, “My will shall be revealed as you go.” Yes, thank You, God! I count on that a lot, especially on days when the To-Do list has grown beyond To Do-able.

If I were working on a book contract, I would most likely get right to it. Ditto if I had a book of poetry or devotionals to critique today. Instead I search for something to wear then lug an overflowing laundry basket toward the washing machine and walk away from that mountain as others await.

Without warning, a poem comes to me, and I hurry to write it down before I forget. To be precise, I pull up the Word file for my poems, add and date a new page, then type:

Move

My faith
God’s power
No more mountain

©2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, All rights reserved.

I thought I might be working on new blog postings this morning, but email beckons me to various LinkedIn Groups. Someone I’ve never heard of wants to connect, so I check out his profile and accept his invitation then notice that a bunch of people checked me out too. No clue who, but I recently sent invitations to several editors, who just might approach me with book contracts and magnanimous advances. Most likely though, I'll need to study their current list of titles and topics, see where my ideas fit, then contact one editor at a time for each project.

Sometimes other people make the first move. Years ago, for instance, an editor at a writer's conference, where we'd both been invited to teach, phoned to ask if I'd like to write a series of devotional books for her company. Like, yeah! More recently, though, I discovered I had been made the moderator for a poetry group on LinkedIn without being asked! My first thought was to close down the group, but after prayer, it came to me that those few hundred poet-members might be interested in The Poetry Editor blog and website. So I changed the name to The Poetry Editor Group, added my logo, and encouraged discussions about writing, which doesn't always happen.

This morning, for instance, someone wants to hawk his website under Discussions, but I move the URL to Promotions where it belongs. In the manager’s section, I recognize some names as members of the group (which I’m happy to say has doubled in size!), but I have to look up the Profile for another person who wants to post a comment. Nope, not a member! Oh, why not! As with all the main social networks, LinkedIn is free with no obligation. Oh, well. The poet has a helpful comment to add, so I post what she has to say in the Discussion as she'd intended.

I often start or join group discussions too, but if I do so now, I won’t get anything else done, so I sign out, then check Facebook to see if family or friends posted anything significant. Yeah, someone had a birthday I acknowledge then notice that one of the literary journals I “Like” has posted a call for poems that relate to a particular picture. Checking my Word file, I find 2 two-lined poems that fit, so I post both under Comments as the editor instructed. I then check my Facebook “Author” page and The Poetry Editor page I maintain and am happy to see new “Like’s” on both!

That’s encouraging since I really do want to offer helpful tips to poets and writers in each post. But, oh, I see someone has been posting on my page! I don’t mind if other writers and poets respond to something on my page with a link to theirs. But this guy put a hotlink to his website which is rabidly against anything ecumenical. After deleting that post, I see a note from another writer in another country, who wants me to take a "quick look" at his work.

How can a full-time writer-poet-editor take a “quick look” at anything? Why can't the writer take a long, serious look at his own work, reading it aloud and listening for areas that need improvement without asking me to do it for free? This comes up so often by so many people in so many places that I sigh, pray, and tell the man he will find many helpful articles and resources freely provided on my blogs and websites. I also let him know that I’d be glad to provide a professional, one-on-one response to his writings for a reasonable fee, but I probably won’t hear from him again.

Feeling discouraged by the frequency of requests for freebies, I remind myself how Jesus said that “workers are worthy of their hire,” but I hit the “like” button on several FB postings to encourage other Christian poets and writers as much as I can. In the process, I notice an announcement from Sally Stuart – The Expert in Christian publishing whom I interviewed in this blog last year – about the release of her 2012 marketing guide. Hitting the “Share” button, I let FB Friends know about this valuable resource.

Before untangling myself entirely from the Internet, I check email for The Poetry Editor and see new followers of the blog and also, an editor’s acknowledgment of a manuscript I submitted. In my personal email, another editor-writer agrees to an interview I hope to post soon, and a writer tells me how the contest I judge helped to boost her confidence. Nice to hear – and a good idea to discuss in another blog posting.

My coffee has gotten cold, but I sip it anyway, and my husband sticks his head in the door. Yeah, I’m ready for our half-mile round-trip walk to our rural post office, where, no, the manuscript someone was supposedly sending for a writing consult did not arrive.

Back home, I dump a load of darks in to wash then come back to the computer to see if one of the editors of my upcoming book of poetry has responded to the poems she asked me to send as representative of the book. Picking three was easy enough, but in case they didn’t speak clearly for the book’s theme, I added a note to explain, “Basically, what I’m saying is: We’re part of the universe. Although I’m aware that nature can seem cruel, love and spirit continue on, regardless."

It’s now almost 10 a.m., and I need to focus on blog postings that got behind while I redesigned my websites. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I wonder, “Lord, did You want me to start so many blogs?" or was this my big idea? Either way, the biblical injunction comes to mind of doing whatever the hand finds to do. Hand – mind, whatever.

All of the blogs began as I researched Bible topics that interest me: For instance, “Christian Healing Arts” got started because I wanted to give credit to God who created everything, including methods and ideas for healing that people seem to think they invented all by themselves. “Bible Prayers” began with research for a Bible study class that took almost two years to cover with excellent feedback from everyone in the group. As a Christian concerned for families (especially the Family of God), I also wanted to see “What the Bible Says about Love.” In addition, my personal Bible readings often resulted in Bible person-poems.

Initially, I'd hoped to do a one-year devotional or nonfiction book on the Bible topics I had researched, but having no immediate takers, I woke up one morning with “Do blogs” in my head. Hoping that God had put the idea there in answer to prayers for guidance, I soon discovered that juggling several blogs gets tricky! Or sticky! i.e., I now use computerized “Sticky Notes” to type the name of each blog and the last date posted. I also keep a Word file for each completed article, along with a list of titles and dates posted, and I type in words or phrases that suggest ideas for future articles. If blog followers ask a question that might interest other writer-readers, I note that as a potential topic too.

But here it is 11 a.m. on a Saturday, and I just put in the second of four loads of laundry. Having skipped my dish of yogurt, I’m thinking about lunch – most likely left-overs of home-cooked meals I make by the batch a couple times a week and freeze.

Living in the country does not make home delivered pizza a meal-time option, but the rural environment provides a wonderful place to get quiet, enjoy nature, and write about whatever God brings to mind. You might wonder, though, when and if I do any actual writing during the day, but, the truth is, while we’ve been chatting, I’ve been writing this article, which, Lord willing, I will tighten and revise after lunch and laundry and post long before church tomorrow with its welcomed day of rest.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

For additional help with your writing: See the Interview with Sally Stuart. To find a list of the above mentioned blogs and hotlinks, visit Blogs by Mary. To connect, visit hotlinks for Profiles or pages on the major social networks. Thanks. And may God guide and direct your work in Jesus’ name.

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Evangelism and the Spoken Word Performer: interview with Christian poet and Boeing 777 pilot Phil Long

Mary: Phil, I haven’t seen or heard anything as innovative or effective as your poetry performances since Carmen evangelized and captivated crowds in the 1980’s by singing Gospel stories such as Lazarus. How did you get started with your amazing ministry?

Phil: I’d been a closet poet and writer for 30 years before I discovered slam poetry on a layover as a commercial airline pilot. I recognized the potential for engaging people with the hope of the Gospel, and the beauty of the art involved was appealing too, so I dove in.

Mary: How do people generally respond?

Phil: Audiences respond well when the poetry is written for and to them. I have found that to succeed in this community of spoken word artists one must not only have something that they want to say but also respect the audience. This is particularly true in a poetry slam where the audience judges one's poetry and decides who advances to the next round of the competition to perform again.

Mary: So true! Yet so many poets seem to think that published or public poetry is only about themselves and their own words. Your ministry, however, physically draws people, so you can see their faces and energy, and immediately sense their reactions, which poets and writers usually cannot do. Most of us work alone at our personal computers or laptops, but your ministry sounds like it involves other people from the start. Does it?

Phil: I, too, write alone, but there is no question that spoken word poetry is interactive and viscerally personal. You get to see "the whites of their eyes" and hear them react audibly as you perform. You watch your art strike and move the audience. This, of course, means that you need an audience. I have performed and networked for over 3 years now, and that effort is producing more gigs and more contacts. I collaborate with many individuals, churches, and organizations such as Prison Fellowship (approved speakers list), CRU (Evangelistic Speakers Forum), the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association (Next Generation Alliance), and others to complement their mission rather than promote any agenda of my own.

Mary: What do you hope will happen? Where do you see this ministry going?

Phil: That is the most exciting part for me! The young Christian poets I have encountered along the way are brilliant and native to this genre while I feel a bit like an outsider who has moved into the neighborhood. I am recruiting and building a collaborative community of Christian poets who write of their faith like it really matters primarily for spoken presentation with secular audiences. I'm finding this to be a surprisingly rare pursuit. I find that most Christian spoken word artists write for Christian audiences. The goal of a nonprofit poet community I am building, the Sacrificial Poet Project is to "promote faith conversations through the art of spoken word poetry." Our YouTube channels are "jesuspoetryslam" where we have showcased videos for some of our younger poets' work along with some non-Christians who write about our faith and "madatamyth" where my own, lesser, material is moldering. So, my main effort now is to expand success in this genre to other young Christian poets who write and perform for secular audiences.

Mary: Excellent! Although your work will undoubtedly encourage Christian poets and writers and strengthen faith in general, your performances for secular audiences make your ministry highly evangelical.

Phil: Well, writing that "preaches to the choir" lacks a certain authenticity and edge that we are looking for in this project, so I prefer to let the secular audiences decide who is a competent Sacrificial Poet. If a poet succeeds while presenting the hope of the Gospel to a hostile or indifferent audience, they have what it takes. There's a certain laziness of expression that infects one's writing when speaking to an audience that already shares your view. Personally, I find it invigorating to share my faith with people who may be antagonistic or skeptical, and doing so in a way that they will appreciate. The challenge, of course, is to remain true to the Gospel while doing so. It's a fine line.

Mary: Provocative term “Sacrificial Poet,” but I want to understand exactly what you mean, Phil, and readers will too. Expound on that a bit.

Phil: "Sacrificial Poet" is a term I've lifted from the poetry slam world. It describes a non-competition poet who is invited to the stage before every slam to perform an original piece so that the newly selected audience-judges can practice their untested judging skills. And since God is clearly a poet and a spoken word artist, and since we are His poema (Greek word for workmanship), and since we reflect Jesus Christ who is the ultimate Sacrificial Poet and The Word become flesh, it just seemed a natural fit on so many levels. Stunningly, really. We call our collaborative community of poets the Sacrificial Poet Project, and I'm actually amazed that the URL for our website wasn't already taken since this is not a new idea. For example, Acts 17 records the apostle Paul in an ancient example of the contemporary "open mic" scene that these Sacrificial Poets frequent today. If you remember, Paul quoted classical Stoic poets to his audience as a bridge to the hope they could find through God "in whom we live and move and have our being."

Mary: Well-said, Phil – and well-done. I hope what you're doing will encourage other Christian poets, writers, and performance artists to seek new ways to make the Gospel message come alive, so people can hear. May God continue to bless you and your good work.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Writing in the New Year

On this New Year’s Eve, morning fog covered our pond, whiting-out the water and making us aware of what we can see close-up. Not much! But that can be a good thing, or, for me anyway, a way of sensing the Lord’s leading in my work as a Christian writer.

For a while now, I’ve been praying for God to show me the projects I'm to take on and the work I am to do, but to do the work at hand, I need to see my hand.

The morning fog let me do just that but not much more! Yet that can be a good thing too.

Seeing what’s at hand may be a way of seeing God’s hand as we find what is right there within our reach.

As this year comes to a close, fog still hides the future but begins to drift over the past, helping us to see the writing we have been given to do, at least for the present.

Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, devotional articles, Bible studies, blog posts…? The genre doesn’t matter except to be the one at hand – the one in your hands as you read the type of book or article or story you most prefer.

If this blog can help you with that, let me know. Since I've written in almost every genre for Christian and educational markets for many years, I am happy to look ahead with you and discuss aspects of writing and the writing life you want to know more about, so post a writing question or suggest topics for future blog posts in the Comments section on this page. Let me know, too, what you think of the new page design for In a Christian Writer’s Life . Thanks. And may God bless you and your writing throughout the New Year.

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© 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Reflecting God’s Light in what we write

Christmas and Hanukah bring Holy Days of Light to Christians and Jews, but depression and desperation often come this time of year to lonely people who do not know God. As poets and writers who do know God and the Word of God given to us through the Holy Scriptures and Holy Spirit, God gives us light to bear and light to share.

As Isaiah 49:6 promises: “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to Me. I (God) will make you a Light to the nations to bring My salvation to all the peoples of the earth.”

Sometimes the word “salvation” is used so often it seems dull, but in God’s Light we see light. To re-view what the Bible shows:

Salvation offers a way of escape from bad habits and attitudes that seize and entrap.

Salvation rescues people from mistakes hanging over their heads like dead mistletoe.

Salvation delivers people from the presence of evil, bad will, and unforgiveness.

Salvation recovers who and what was lost.

Salvation brings salve and healing, wrapping us in love and offering our writing as a gift in the present as a present from God.

Only God can save. Only God is Light and gives Light to all who want to step away from dark corners or dark thoughts lurking around, threatening to overshadow. But, as poets and writers and people of God, we have brightness!

We are Christmas lights and Hanukah candles.

Our poems and manuscripts can bring all that God gives us to give to others – giving and giving yet having more and more to hold onto and keep.

Let's pray to remember, though, that reflecting the Light requires reflection.

Let's pray to remember that part of the Light is being light, and our part may be to have and to hold a light touch, levity, and humor.

Only God can put ho-ho into Holy Days – not with zaniness or phony attempts to be jolly but with the true, pure light of joy. So let's pray for joy. Pray for light. Pray for daily reflection on the Light of Christ and the Joy of Salvation as we reflect our loving Heavenly Father -- the Almighty LORD God to the world.

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© 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

http://www.marysayler.com

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The Golden Rule of book reviews

According to the Bible, the Golden Rule urges us to treat others as we want to be treated. If we apply that biblical thinking to our work as Christian poets or writers, we might say:

Review unto others as you would have others review unto you.

To consider this from both sides, let’s talk about the two views of reviews:

Giving a book review

Getting a book review

Either way, Christian writers and readers need helpful reviews of books in any genre, and most of us want to encourage each other whenever we can.

To give book reviews, start by letting publishers and writers know you’re willing to review books in your favorite genre. This will give you a free copy of a book you can read, enjoy, and learn from as you aim to improve your own writing too.

If you absolutely love the book, great! You have added to your personal library at no cost. If, however, you hate a book, you do not have to give a glowing review nor be brutally honest by saying the book, writer, and writing stink! Just decline the review. If the person presses you, pray to say something unhurtful and generic such as, “I didn’t connect so am not the best person to review your work.”

Since you have already reviewed the book yourself though, make a point of re-viewing the book for errors or anything you did not like in order to learn from that writer’s mistakes.

Similarly, reviewing a well-written book can help you to stretch toward higher literary quality too, but frankly, it’s easier to pinpoint what does not work than to see what works well! Nevertheless, as you read a well-written book, make a point of noticing the development of the characters in a novel or the theme in a nonfiction book. Notice the transitions, too, since a skillful writer will be especially subtle in getting readers from here to there in a smooth move of time, thought, or place.

As you continue to do book reviews, keep these tips in mind:

Be fair.

Be thorough.

Be specific in stating what you like.

Begin with positive comments, but, if you must make a negative remark, be honest but kind.

Be particular about the books you review to keep from getting bogged down in your own library. For instance, I’m only interested in reviewing traditionally published books for children or traditionally published poetry books for any age group.

Be particular about where you place your reviews. Some publications pay for book reviews; others do not. Although most of us prefer getting compensated for the time we spend reading a book and writing a review, payment should never sway our opinion.

Some book reviewers have their own blog to post reviews, and, if you enjoy reviewing, you might set up a free blog on Blogger or WordPress. (I use and like both.) Posting reviews does not fit the focus of my blogs though, so I occasionally write reviews on the Amazon site where I often order books that interest me.

As you become the kind of reviewer you hope to find, you will soon develop your own voice and approach. And, as you approach people about doing reviews for your book, the Golden Rule will again apply and guide.

For instance, I do not like receiving books out of the blue to review, so I do not feel free to mail someone a book of mine that I want reviewed. Instead, a short letter or email with a short blurb about the book and a request for a review shows respect for the reviewer's time and also saves you or your publisher the expense of mailing a book that the potential reviewer has no interest in reading.

To find interested readers, check out writers’ groups on LinkedIn or Facebook, join Group discussions, and look for people with whom you connect who might be willing to review your work.

Notice, too, the people who post helpful reviews on Amazon or other bookstore websites for the kinds of books you write. If you do not know the person, you can probably find a contact on their Amazon review page or, with a name search, on the Internet.

As you consider your options, I need to tell you that some writers are willing to pay for book reviews, but I’m not one of them. Nor do I accept payment for the promise of a shiny-bright review. I do, however, offer honest critiques of devotionals, book proposals, poetry, and children’s picture books at a reasonable fee for your eyes only. If you want that kind of professional help, visit the Critique, Edit, and Writing Consult pages on The Poetry Editor website for more information.

Meanwhile, may God bless our reading and writing life and rule each of us Golden!

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© 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Christian Writing and Marketing

As your primary text for all types and genres of writing, read the Bible cover to cover, including footnotes and articles in reputable study editions.

Read classical works by poets and writers with whom you identify.

Study and analyze Christian classics in your favorite genre.  

Write accurately about Christianity.

Get to know unique aspects of a denomination before speaking for that part of the Body of Christ. Whether you need information from the Vatican, Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, Episcopal Church, United Methodist, Assembly of God, or other Christian denomination, you will find that most churches have an official website with foundational documents, mission statements, and tenets of faith.

Write accurately about everything. Research each topic thoroughly.

Observe people. Listen to people of all types, age groups and backgrounds.

Consider what draws readers to a particular poem, story, article, or book.

Study publications you like to read. Get familiar with church magazines, curriculum materials, "take-home papers," e-zines, books, journals, and also mainstream publications.

Consider gaps in publishing that your story, poem, article or book might fill.

Plan your work before you begin. Decide on a theme, purpose, and reading audience. Outline a nonfiction book. Write a synopsis of your novel.

Write, write, write!

Use English well. If grammar, syntax, spelling, or punctuation don’t come easily, get a dictionary, junior-high grammar book, or an editing software program. You’ll also find hotlinks to these types of Resources on this blog.

Let your writing flow without criticizing yourself. Let your work rest. Later read those pages aloud as if someone else had written them.

Read each revision aloud and really listen to you!

Identify problems. When you see or sense a problem, you’ll most likely notice a workable solution too.

Revise, revise! Correct each mistake. Make every manuscript your best work before submitting it to an editor or Christian publishing house.

Most publishers have websites to let you know what they want. Study the information and carefully follow the company’s writing guidelines before you submit your manuscript or batch of poems.

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(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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On Account Of Our Words

You’ve probably heard by now that the Library of Congress recently obtained rights to preserve all of the tweets on Twitter in their digital archives. This could be embarrassing for those who speak reactively or blurt out whatever comes to mind. Even if they later regret what they said, those impulsive tweets have become part of a permanent record.

Sadly though understandably, people often say weird or crazy things when they think no one is listening, when they think no one cares, but Christians know better. We know God cares. We know God hears. We know our words can have a permanent impact with the power to hurt or heal.

In case we forget or just don’t get it, Jesus gives weight to our words in Matthew 12:36-37 when He says, “I tell you on the day of judgment people will give an account for every careless word they utter, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

Heavy!

However, as Christian poets, writers, and editors, we can respond and not just react to the news, mood, and events going on around us. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have the presence of mind to pray and the peace of mind to listen and really hear what God says.

Taking care to hear and speak and write correctly, we can research each fact and scriptural reference in every poem or manuscript - taking care, too, to be honest, accurate, credible, and clear.

If we can find a traditional Christian publishing house or a denominational publisher to produce our work, great! The staff will add their expertise, catching mistakes we might have missed and pointing out areas we did not realize need clarifying so others will understand. If we self-publish though, we will not have an in-house team to keep our work and words accountable, but even if we must pay for it ourselves, we can ask for input from other Christians who know Christ, the church, and also human nature.

Knowing how to look up a subject in a biblical index or encyclopedia will help too, of course. Sometimes we’re sure we know a certain verse by heart, but we can look it up anyway, preferably in a variety of reputable translations, to get a clearer, broader understanding of the context and true meaning.

The more we know the Bible, the more we retain the Word of God until our minds begin to resemble the mind of Christ. This not only brings our poems and manuscripts into a deeper, spiritual level that will surely strengthen and encourage readers, but these Christ-like thoughts help us to keep our words in line, in love, in truth. So when our writing lands in the Library Of Congress archives or anywhere else, we can rejoice!

We can be glad to have our words preserved. We can be happy that others may come to believe in God on account of what we said. We and our words can bring blessings in Jesus’ name and be blessed on account of Christ.


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(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler 

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The Poetic Power of Dyslexia

Most poets and writers draw on experience, talent, skill, personality, and the power of observation to find something fresh to say in their fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writing. If you do that too, great! Keep up the good work. However, the traits you think of as a disadvantage or even a handicap might be the ones that help you to develop your own voice or distinctive style. Take, for instance, dyslexia.

Like many poets and career freelance writers, I began writing as a young child but, in my case, backwards. One way or the other did not matter to me, but this stressed out my teacher so much, she made me stay after class on my very first day of school. For years I thought Mrs. Smith called Mother to come in, too, to see how sloppily I wrote as my left hand smudged the soft pencil across the lined paper in my notebook, but no. I had perfectly copied everything the teacher wrote on the blackboard (which actually was black then), and I had formed each letter of the alphabet correctly. I had just written everything on the blackboard backwards.

For fun, I still like to spell ippississiM in my head, and I must warn you not to even try to beat me at word games like Boggle or Wheel Of Fortune unless, of course, you’re also a bit dyslexic. Most of the time, though, inverting letters and scrambling words or thoughts has gotten me into trouble, especially when I’m tired. If someone happens to spew double-negatives then, I can almost guarantee my brain will not follow.

In writing poetry and poetic manuscripts, however, dyslexia can come in handy. Word scrambles often lead to word play, and scrambled thinking can connect this to that in a previously untried but true way. Such “mistakes” might add a note of humor to fiction or nonfiction too and, in some cases, bring about a fresh idea, insight, or observation.

For example, as a Christian writer I often write nonfiction articles and devotionals. In one short article I wrote for other Christian poets and writers, I talked about the importance of double-checking facts and speaking with a loving voice whenever we write in the name of Jesus. Since Christians pray in Jesus’ name, my point was to encourage that thought also as we write. However, instead of typing “in the name of Jesus,” I wrote, “in the amen of Jesus.” Same letters, you notice, just scrambled. When I finally noticed this myself, I thought, wow! That better said what I wanted to say anyway. i.e., Anything we write (or pray) in Jesus’ name needs Jesus’ amen or affirmation.

I certainly do not pray for my dyslexia to increase or for you to catch it! But I do pray that you use your talents and “flaws” well. I pray you begin to see your “mistakes” or “handicaps” or “shortcomings” or “disadvantages” as a means of making your writing distinctive, inimitable, and one of a kind. Do I hear an name?

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(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Re-Membering The Body Of Christ

As members of a large, diverse Christian family, we’re a unique part of One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism in the One Body of Christ. So let’s pray together and get together to do something to offset the bad press and negative comments that Christianity and the church often receive.

Let's pray to do something accurate, loving, healing, and courageous.

Let’s find out about each other and ourselves by getting to know the founding principles of each denomination, so we can understand one another better and pass on information correctly.

Let’s verify our own denominational beliefs and check out the beliefs of other churches by researching instructional documents (sometimes called the “catechism”) and mission statements that most churches provide on their websites or in prayer books, church manuals, and hymnals.

Let's put ourselves in each other's sandals with even flip-flops allowed.

When a subject interests us enough to write about it, let’s look in a Bible index to see exactly what the Bible has to say about that particular topic.

Let’s be sure we quote a text accurately and cite the source or translation.

Let’s keep the biblical text in context.

To research a topic thoroughly, let’s use a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia to find and explore related scriptures and relevant information, for example, about the times, place, culture, political scene, or general circumstances encountered by God’s people, then ask how we might relate.

Let’s encourage each other and our readers to appreciate the godly standards and Judeo-Christian values we must never take for granted.

Let's remember Christ.

Let's Re-Member The Body of Christ.


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(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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