Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of signing up for 15 Tuesday Teaching’s from Hope*Writers, and last week, I shared the first half of the teachers. I included what stuck out to me the most and what I plan on using to create action steps and execute here on the blog and in future endeavors. Here is the rest of the teachers and what I was able to learn from them.
Erin Loechner was another author that I was not familiar with before I started to watch these teachings. Emily noted that her blog was a great example of voice. What I think most will find fascinating about Erin is her current schedule. She gets up every morning at 2 am (she goes to bed at 6 pm) and writes. This is what works best for her and her husband during this season with small children. What I love about this is, it isn’t traditional. She isn’t trying to force her family to fit into “normal,” and they created their standard. Also, only 2-3% of what she writes actually gets published (on her blog or in her book).
Regular advice that you receive is to write what you know. But once I started writing what I wanted to know, I started to uncover my voice.
Writing vs. publishing requires a different person. Writing is filling, theraputic, quiet. Publishing is emptying and promotional.
Another newbie to me, Jennifer Allwood, seems to be owning her Facebook platform. She helped me understand how
important it is to understand who your ideal client is. She advocates for having what she calls a business therapist. And she is very vocal about realizing that you can’t and shouldn’t do it all and to not be afraid to hire help. And that is in your business and your home. I enjoyed how she broke down her justification for hiring a housekeeper. She paid $150 for 6 hours and was able to work on something that earned her $100-200 an hour. For her, paying the $150 for 6 hours was worth it when she made $600-$1200 in that same 6 hours.
Just by being fully me all the time, I never have to worry about pretense.
We have a responsibility to a calling and fear does not release us from that calling.
Deidra Riggs was someone else that I was not familiar with before this week, but what I enjoyed the most was her openness about her struggles with her last book. She speaks about the business side and, unfortunately, the politics behind selling a book. A well-known author endorsed her book, and there were plans to put that endorsement on the front cover. Until that well-known author came out that she was divorcing her husband and marrying a woman. Her publishers, recognizing that vendors wouldn’t carry the book with the endorsement, removed it. That didn’t sit well with Deidra and has impacted sales and promotion.
Her agent advised her that a book multiples the ministry of your message.
Was this the moment for it? Maybe not. Maybe it’s moment has yet to come. (In regards to her second book and her disappointments with it)
Believe in your heart who you are. And then be who you say you are.
My favorite quote from all 15 teachings: But I’m also an introvert so I don’t try very hard.
I know I keep repeating this (and probably will one more time), but I wasn’t aware of who Crystal Paine was before the day I watched her teaching. But she gave some really good insight on blogging since that is her primary platform. I am looking forward to incorporating some of her points into the blog here.
You want to solve a problem, meet a need or provide hope. But try to do all three.
Focus on and finish one thing at a time. Test it out for about three months.
People want to connect with a person not a platform.
Study others who are doing it well.
Now, Sally Clarkson, I am familiar with. Not only is she the author of dozens of books, but she is the mother of Sarah Clarkson, who is also a writer. She spoke a lot about the changes in her message and publishing over the years. She focuses on adapting to her audience and not being afraid to bring in a new audience and ways to connect with them (for example, Millenials).
Really good writing comes out of our own heart conviction.
If people took their eyes off of other people, they would have more authentic voices.
You can’t face your reader and critic at the same time. To speak to one is to turn your back on the other one.
Don’t dispise the days of small things. (an adaption of Zachariah 4:10)
This author, S.D. Smith, I couldn’t connect with at all. It appears he may be the author of children or teen fiction. And while I may not be his target audience, I was hoping that I could get something out of his teaching. But unfortunately, I didn’t get anything from it but maybe one sentence. He seemed to be all over the place with his message and talked a lot about who he was and specifics about his books.
When you look for light, darkness will be there. You are going to have to fight.
Another blogger turned author who I was introduced to, Kendra Adachi spoke a lot about the mistakes that she made along the way. She also touched on somethings that she did right that was pure blessings. She gave pointers like always including an email sign up even when your website is still “coming soon.” I also loved the landing page for her website, where it lists all the different ways to connect with what she offers without you having to hunt for it.
Don’t be afraid to pivot.
Don’t let your inability to explain where you’ve been suck or what you are doing, keep you from moving forward.
The last and final teacher is probably the best known. Beth Moore is the author of so many books and Bible studies, including a few that sit on my bookshelves. The best part of this whole interview was the fact that Beth Moore didn’t know she was on camera until maybe the last 5 minutes of a hour-long teaching. She assumed that only Emily could see her. I don’t recall ever hearing Beth Moore teach before, but she is so comical and felt so down to earth. She is a daily journaler (which she calls her private relationship with Christ), who has her own journals coiled with the paper she likes at her local supply store. She is also an avid tweeter and broke down when she knows something is a tweet, blog post, teaching, or a book/bible study.
I belong to Jesus. Everything else, I don’t need to understand.
The best writing is understanding we are traveling. Write from where we are now, as we are becoming.
If it is a short term passion, it is probably a tweet (if words only) or a facebook post. If it goes away, that is it. But if it keeps buring, write a blog. If it stays, speak on it. If still burining, it will be a book or Bible study.
Ask God to manipulate my desires. Take my heart and take over my passions.
It all gets said to God but not always written or spoken.
I don’t know a lot but I want to share with someone else what I do know and what I have learned in case it is a help to them.
The kitchen is hot. If you can’t take the heat, this ain’t the kitchen you want.
You gon’ on ahead. I’m not going there with you. But I’ll be here when you get back.
When dealing with extreme pain: when you are still hemoraging is a great time for journaling. It is not the time for publishing.
The midpoint of our pain is a beautiful place to write.
If you can’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed the 15 teachings that Hope*Writers gave away for free during this time of social distancing while dealing with the coronavirus. I can’t wait to start implementing what I learned! I thought long and hard about possibly joining their membership, but while I enjoyed the teachings and saw the value, I’m not sure if I am that serious enough of a writer at the moment to justify the cost. I would love it if they had an option to get access to the 80+ teachings they currently have in their library. Leave me a comment down below on what your favorite quote was from the teachings I shared today or let me know if you are a member of Hope*Writers.
*All images from Hope*Writer’s website and emails.
Jeff Goins
Katherine Reay
Annie F. Downs
Kelly Minter
Michele Cushatt
Ashlyn Carter
