The Write Conversation Archives | Lynn H. Blackburn

Every Writer Needs a Team

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 18:33:00 +0000

Last month, I shared what I learned from the book Grit—The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Dr. Angela Duckworth and how it applies to the writing life. If you haven’t read that one, you might want to pop over there first and read the post, A Book to Help Writers Persevere. I’ll wait.

Done? Good. Glad you’re back.

That post was already way too long, so I saved something to share with you this month.

In Grit, there are multiple anecdotes about elite swimmers—what makes them so good, what separates the champions from the talented, that kind of thing.

Near the end of the book the author shares an interview with a man who has studied elite swimmers for three decades. After affirming the author’s thoughts on how important grit is he said, “But I left out the most important thing. The real way to become a great swimmer is to join a great team.”

When I read that line I stopped and took a picture of the paragraph so I’d have it in my phone. Because while I don’t doubt it’s true for elite swimmers, I know from first-hand experience—it’s true for writers, too.

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It’s the first Thursday of the month so I’m over at The Write Conversation. I’d love for you to pop over and read the rest of the post.

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The Unglamorous Life of a Writer

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 16:37:00 +0000

If you’ve hung around the writing world for long, you’ve heard it before . . .

Being a published author does not magically fix all your problems.
Being a published author does not mean you’ll spend your days fending off random fans when you’re buying groceries.
Being a published author does not mean you’ll spend your days in a lovely office overlooking a serene pastoral setting as you churn out novel after novel.

But . . . come on. It has to help. Right? It has to be more good than bad. At least when you get “The Call” or reach new writing milestones, there will be parties and well-wishes and celebratory balloons falling from the ceiling. Right?

Well . . . I did hear one story where an author went to check in for a flight and the ticket clerk looked at her license, and then looked at her, and then promptly bumped her to First Class after telling her that she reads everything she writes.

So, it happens! But my highly (un)scientific research has revealed that these kinds of events happen about as often as a total solar eclipse traverses the entire country.

In the interest of bringing you the true side of the publishing life, here are a few representative samples of the real, (un)glamorous lives of published authors.

It’s the first Thursday of the month so as always, I’m over at The Write Conversation. Click on over to read the rest of the story!

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First-Timer to Faculty

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 23:14:00 +0000

When I started writing for The Write Conversation in 2010, I had just attended my very first conference—the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

In the years since, I’ve gone from conference newbie to conference regular to published author to . . . conference faculty. This year I’ll be serving on the faculty of three different conferences ranging from small and intimate to huge.

I consider myself to be a faculty newbie so I thought it might be fun to pull back the curtain on the faculty experience.

Here are a few things you should know about the faculty of many of the conferences you’re attending . . .

As always, I’m guest posting over at The Write Conversation today. Click on over to read the rest of the post!

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The Write Conversation

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:08:00 +0000

The Write Conversation has been recognized by Writer’s Digest as one of the top 101 Best Writing Websites!!! It is an absolute privilege to a be a monthly contributor to The Write Conversation. I’ve been posting on the first Thursday of the month since 2010 and the posts I share there are some of my favorite things I write each month.

Crazy congratulations to the writing genius behind The Write Conversation, Edie Melson. And a huge THANK YOU to Edie for allowing me to be a small part of this amazing online community!

Here’s a snippet of this month’s post!

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Don’t Overlook Valuable Writing Connections

Last month I wrote about some of the things I wish I’d known when my writing journey began. Today, I want to share something else that may be beneficial, whether you’ve only dipped your toes in the writing waters or have been swimming along for a while now.

Here it is . . .

In my humble opinion, your fellow writers are at least as important and in many cases are more important to your success than any agent or editor.

Now hear me out on this. I have the BEST agent. BEST. There is no way I would be where I am today without her. I have been privileged to work with AMAZING editors. The kind of editors who tell you half the story works and half of it doesn’t and you wind up being so glad you listened to them. There are a couple of awards on my mantle that would NOT be there without my editor.

So don’t anyone read this and think I’m saying that editors and agents aren’t important. They are. In fact, they are often referred to as the gatekeepers of the industry. Which is true. And that’s why it makes sense that writers often feel the opportunity to pitch to a particular agent or editor is the holy grail. The key to their publishing success.

And, in some cases, it is. But . . . not always.

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I’d love for you to come over to The Write Conversation to read the rest of the story!

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9 Things I Wish I’d Known at the Beginning of My Writing Journey

Lynn Blackburn — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 00:17:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about my early years as a writer. I had no idea what I was doing and I was so eager to learn. I took courses and went to critique groups and attended conferences, all in an effort to figure out how to do this writing thing right. And do you know what I remember most about that time?

Being confused.

There are so many different books, different authors, different opinions.

Here are a few…

Outlines are a must. Outlines are evil.
Read everything. Don’t read much at all.
Write in the morning. Write at night.
Write every day. Write 1000 words a day. Write 2 hours a day. Write at the same time every day.
Edit as you go. Finish your first draft before you revise a word.
Use Scrivener. Only use Word.
Critique groups are a must. Critique groups are a waste of time.
Join ten different professional organizations. Don’t join any.
Get an agent. Don’t get an agent.
Traditional! Indie!

Are you confused yet? I know I certainly was. As a card carrying member of the Perfectionistic People Pleasers Club, all the different opinions made it very hard for me to figure out what *my* writing process was. I was terribly afraid that someone was going to find out how I was doing it and they were going to tell me that I was doing it ALL wrong.

You can read the rest of this post over at The Write Conversation. I hope you’ll click over and join the conversation!

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When You Want to be Somewhere Else with your Writing

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 15:58:00 +0000

Not my son, but an accurate representation of his gloominess!

I felt so sorry for him.

My youngest son was surveying the scene on his first morning of day camp—and he was not impressed. Kids were running around playing with hula hoops, bouncy balls, Legos, Crayons, and board games. It was a kids’ paradise in there, but the mutinous expression on his face refused to budge.

He’d been okay an hour earlier. He was excited about this new opportunity, until we dropped his older brother off at a different day camp. One for kids a bit older. One with cheering counselors, multiple inflatables, and a climbing tower.

From the minute we climbed out of the van, my little guy was in full revolt. He dragged his feet, he pouted, he glared at everyone we encountered. He wanted to go home and not go to his camp at all.

As I stood at the back of the room and watched him try to come to terms with his reality, my heart broke. There was so much awesomeness in front of him, but he couldn’t see it because He Wanted to be Somewhere Else.

Maybe you can relate?

Your blog is getting great attention, but you don’t want to be a blogger. You want to be a speaker.

An editor is interested in your devotional, but no one will take an interest in your historical.
You’ve found success with freelance work, but now you don’t have time for your epic fantasy.
Your poetry has won awards, but no one will look at the Bible study you’ve poured your heart into.
Or maybe you’ve been published with a small press, but you yearn to be affiliated with one of the big houses.

You Want to be Somewhere Else.

It’s the first Thursday of the month so I’m posting over at The Write Conversation…click on over to read more…

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Edit At Will

Lynn Blackburn — Wed, 18 May 2016 01:19:00 +0000

For the past several years, I’ve been writing a monthly post for my dear friend Edie Melson’s amazing blog, The Write Conversation. I send it to her a few days in advance (ok, sometimes one day in advance) and I always include these words in my email …

Edit At Will.

I don’t want to publish junk. I certainly don’t want to publish junk on her blog. I’m writing for her, and if she doesn’t like it or has any suggestions to make it better I want to hear them.

She’s never sent anything back for a rewrite, but she does reformat the work to make it visually appealing on her site. She adds gorgeous photos and when she’s done with it the finished product is polished and (I hope) represents her well.

That’s why I say “edit at will.” I’m not writing these posts for my audience. I’m writing them for hers, and as such I want her to be pleased and feel like the words reflect her mission.

I was thinking about those three little words the other day in a different context.

I was thinking that those three little words—edit at will—should be my prayer.

Every day. Every schedule. Every event. Every (gulp) plan.

Lord, please, edit at will.

Change whatever needs to be changed.

Polish my life until it shines.

Help me be a beautiful and true reflection of You.

But it’s so hard.

It’s a sad truth, but it’s easier for me to give my friend free rein over my words than it is for me to give the God of the Universe free rein over my life.

The first day I prayed that? Oh yeah, you guessed it. My day ran off the rails before 8AM. By lunchtime I was staggering around like an outmatched fighter desperate to hear the bell. And I had hours and hours to go. When I remembered my prayer from the morning, I started laughing. Not in a “ha-ha that’s funny” way. It was more of a deranged, one step away from a full-blown panic attack kind of way.

Really, Lord? Because if this is what I’m going to get when I pray this way—

But then I thought about it a little more.

That crazy day? It would have gone that way regardless of my prayer. The difference came when it dawned on me what was happening (several hours later than it should have). I was able (slowly) to regain some perspective.

Was this ridiculous day going wrong? Or, maybe, was it going exactly right?

Was it falling apart, or was it falling into place?

It looked nothing like what I’d been expecting, but I’m not God. I couldn’t predict the day. He could. He knew before it happened. He was already there in the crazy and upheaval. He wasn’t surprised at all. He was ready to help me, to redirect my path in a way that would bring Him the most glory.

I still don’t know why the day went nuts. I do know that when I looked back at my calendar for the week I discovered something very interesting. The things that didn’t get done that day that went upside down? They all got done later in the week. The only negative repercussions were my own issues with not being able to say, “I got everything done today.”

I’m trying to pray this more often. Some days go off without a hitch. Most don’t. But when the wacky Wednesdays hit on a Thursday, I’m hearing that still small voice in my soul whispering, “We talked about this. Remember?”

I wish I could tell you that I’m now cool, calm, and collected all day long no matter how the day goes. I’m not there yet. (Just ask my kids).

But I’m asking God not only to edit my day, but to edit me as well. To illuminate the darkness in me, the fears, the desperate need to control everything. To eliminate the junk and reformat me into someone that represents Him well and makes Him look good. To help me live my life in a way that makes others want to know Him.

Most of all, I’m asking Him to help me remember that my life is not my own. I’m not here to fulfill my own purposes, but His.

So I ask again . . . Father, edit at will.

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Our Stories Matter

Lynn Blackburn — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 00:12:00 +0000

There’s a very cool section in the book of Numbers that I think has a unique application to writers.

If you haven’t perused this section of the Old Testament recently, you may not know that God gifted certain individuals with creative talents for the building of his Tabernacle and then called out entire families for specific areas of service.

Very specific. He didn’t just say, “Hey, I want the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle.” He said, “I want this family responsible for the curtains, and this family responsible for the framework, and this family responsible for carrying the holy things. (Numbers 4 – check it out).

Here’s the thing…I wonder if some of the Levites in charge of the curtains felt slighted. They were Levites just like those guys in charge of the Ark of the Covenant. But could they carry it? Nope.

And I wonder if the Levites in charge of the Ark of the Covenant looked down their noses at the guys who carried the framework. I mean, really, how hard is it to carry poles?

This may sound ridiculous, but I’ve noticed that we writers? We’re bad about doing this to each other and to ourselves.

I’m guest posting today over at The Write Conversation….hop on over there to read the rest of the story!

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A Writer’s Fear

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 18:59:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I watched a live Adele concert. The lucky people who filled the venue were an enthusiastic audience. There were cheers, applause, and the occasional sing-a-long when she sang a favorite.

I’m a fan so I enjoyed it immensely, but I couldn’t help but be struck by her vulnerability. She stood on the stage and poured herself into each song, even though she wasn’t sure of the response she would get. At one point, she wiped tears from her eyes and told the crowd how nervous she was and how afraid she’d been that they wouldn’t like her new songs.

As I watched, I kept thinking, “She’s Adele for crying out loud! What does she have to be afraid of? How does she not know that people are going to love it?”

When it was over the cameras followed her off the stage, all the way to a waiting elevator where she threw herself into the arms of her boyfriend . . . and sobbed.

It’s an image I’ve been unable to shake.

Even if you aren’t a fan of her music, it’s impossible to deny Adele’s success. Her voice is instantly recognizable. Her songs debut at number one on the charts and stay there for weeks. Even in this digital age, her albums have shattered sales records.

If Adele is still worried about how her music will be received, what does that say for those of us putting our art into the world for the first, second, or third time?

I’m guest posting today over at The Write Conversation. Pop on over there to read the rest of this story.

And check back next week. I’ve got some new and (hopefully) fun posts planned for February.

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Strengthen Your Writing Muscles with NaNoWriMo

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 16:49:00 +0000

I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year.

There are a million reasons not to, but I’m doing it anyway.

Are you familiar with NaNoWriMo? NaNo, as it’s often abbreviated, stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write a new, 50,000 word novel in thirty days.

That’s 1,667 words every day for thirty days.

I’ve done it before. I’ve “won” NaNo twice. (I’ve written about it here and here).

But that was years ago. This year? Well, it’s not really a good year.

Here are a few of my reasons for NOT doing NaNo. Maybe you can relate?

It’s November. No one should attempt anything crazy in November or December. Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and we will be hosting my husband’s side of the family for the big day. Not only that, but there are only eight Fridays until Christmas (go ahead and start hyperventilation now).

I’m guest posting today over at The Write Conversation. Come on over to read this rest of the story!

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