Eavesdropping At A Writers Conference

I’m at the Deep Thinkers Retreat in Destin, Florida and it’s beautiful. We come to the beach every year in February and I help facilitate the conference for the week. My main job during the conference is the care and feeding of the attendees. But I’m also watching, listening … and yes, sometimes I hear things.

Today I wanted to share some of my observations:

Eat Well, Write Well. Sorry, a steady of diet of chocolate chip cookies and malted milk balls are not conducive to clear thinking and well developed plot lines. Although they do help stabilize emotions, at least at the moment. When all else fails, have a malted milk ball instead of a melt down. For the record, I resisted the temptation this year and only succumbed to two. (Although we have two more days to go!)
Battle Uncertainty. I’ve heard, “I thought I had my story down, but now I’m not so sure.” It’s so easy to doubt yourself and question the validity of your writing.

Close the Book on 2013

As the Member Care Coach at MBT, I have the privilege of ministering to you during times of need. I know many of you have faced adversity during 2013. And, I’m sure there are untold others of you who have suffered through your tragedy in silence.

I know of deaths, illnesses, disappointments, financial hardships, emotional pain and life that has gone south. We’ve prayed for so many this year, I dare say more than any other year since the MBT prayer ministry began.

The good news is that this year is rapidly growing to a close. In just a few short hours you can put the period at the end of the year and start a brand new year with a blank sheet of paper in the typewriter of life.

No matter what has happened to you in 2013, you can declare it over and start again on Wednesday. Regardless of how disappointing the events of the year turned out to be, it is now history and you can begin again with a brand new year.

I believe that 2014 will be a year of: