With a whiff of the upcoming busy season at my job in the air, I felt the resurgence of my burning passion for the boundaries I use to keep myself healthy and happy, even in the corporate world. So without further ado, these are the rules I live by. I can imagine the possible objections to these rules, so let me address some of them briefly. Work is a necessary means to an end, and I hope you have or gain the courage and know-how to take control of your side of that transaction.
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Okay, Gina…Why the Spooky Stuff?
The Perfect Metaphor I recently remembered a story my mom likes to tell from when I was little. We were with family at a hotel pool, and I was the youngest of the group of cousins there. The others, including my older sister, were big enough and good enough swimmers to go in the deep end, and they spent most of their time there. I was…an okay swimmer. My parents had insisted I take swim lessons. “Because so much of the earth is covered with water,” I remember my mom explaining, “you don’t want it to be a true emergency for you to just fall in.” But my desire to…
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Author Update: In the Last Leg of Book Two
No, it’s not a sequel. Just the next book by yours truly. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let Me Reintroduce Myself Hi! It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve given you a glimpse behind the curtain to my writing workshop (or rather desk. It’s a desk.) so come on in. I have a lot to update you on, and I’m super excited about it! (Yes, in spite of that bummer of a last article I wrote. Honesty is important, but that one was a tough admission. Read it here.) Meet the New Baby Okay, so it’s not quite ready yet, but I’m in the last chapters! This one…
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Into the Darkness: How I Approach Writing Traumatic Events
Show, don’t tell. That’s the iconic writing advice. Sensory details plunge us into a story and hold us captive. The more vivid and dramatic, the better, right? Sometimes. But every storyteller has their limits. I occasionally wonder if showing restraint in how intimately I portray dark scenes will hurt my career. Think about the most popular TV shows. They usually have some pretty traumatic and gruesome scenes, and those are constantly making the headlines. So like everyone else, I often have to make a choice. Which details enhance the story, and which ones take it too far? Let’s take a look at the competition. Movies and TV are a hard…
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Why You Should Write That Thing
The only thing writers are better at doing than writing is making excuses. (Admit it! You know it’s true.) And one of our favorite things to excuse ourselves for is, ironically, not writing. Now, if you’re a writer, this is not news to you. Probably you’re reading this article about why you should Write That Thing so that you don’t have to actually open the document and write it. I see you. (And I’m here preaching to you instead of hashing out my latest novel. So we’re even.) But I’m not here to talk about procrastination. I’m talking about stifling a story. I don’t know how inspiration comes to other…
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“Christian Fiction” vs. Faith in Fiction (and Why I Prefer the Latter)
Christian fiction sounds pretty straightforward. You would think that the quickest way to recognize whether a book fits in that genre would be to ask the question, “If you ran into God in the middle of this novel, how surprised would you be to see him?” If you’re not surprised at all, you’re probably reading Christian fiction. If he took you considerably by surprise, you’re probably in a different section. Right? But that’s not the case. Even if you don’t regularly read Christian fiction, let’s walk down that aisle. What would you expect to see? You’ve got your Amish romance section (a weirdly specific niche, but it’s a thing), your…
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The Wait is Over!
This is it! The months of waiting are up. Angels Strange and Beautiful is officially available for purchase as an ebook or a paperback. Hopefully soon the hardcover will be available on IngramSpark. Buy your copy today!
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At the Crossroads
Hello, my delightful people! I want to give you an update because so much has happened. The past four months have felt like slogging through mud by the hour, feeling like I never get anything done and am constantly moving in slow motion. But looking back, the progress I’ve made makes me want to jump up and down. I think I will. (Yes, I actually did.) So here’s the scoop, my lovely first readers: publication is on the horizon. That is to say, I’m close enough to my on-ramp that I can hear the traffic. It’s been a long, weird, windy path. If you’ve ever undertaken a long-term project, you…