Tag Archives: guest post

You Learn Something New Every Day (Guest Post)

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You Learn Something New Every Day

By Steph Beth Nickel

When you stumble across information you didn’t know previously, do you find yourself saying, “You learn something new every day”?

We cannot, however, hope to stumble across the facts and insights we need simply by chance. It’s important to develop a reliable system to expand our knowledge base.

Here are nine of my favourite ways to learn new things:

  • Read both fiction and nonfiction (audiobooks, ebooks, physical books).

Many people think there is little to nothing to be learned from fiction. Years ago, the Lord held up a mirror in the form of the female protagonist in a series I was reading, and I saw myself. And let’s just say the traits I related to were not particularly admirable. This reinforced my desire to mature and become less selfish and more like our Saviour—and that is a very good thing to learn.

  • Listen to podcasts.

There are podcasts about pretty much any topic you can imagine. It’s easy to learn something new every day by listening to those that interest you.

  • Participate in social media communities.

In most cases, we get the most out of the social media communities we belong to by actively participating and getting to know our fellow group members. We can learn from the group’s host and from one another.

  • Host FB groups.

You may start a Facebook group on a topic that interests you with the objective of sharing your insights with others. And while you’re doing so, you’re likely to learn from those who join your group as well.

  • Prepare and post short videos online.

Creating even short videos has taught me so much: how to create an event in my FB group, how to be comfortable online, how to be more succinct (trust me, I can ramble even when “talking to myself”), how to set aside perfectionism (as long as we’re providing educational and/or entertaining videos, most people don’t care if we’ve put on make up and have a picture perfect background or if we stumble over the occasional word)… The more videos I post, the more I enjoy doing so.

  • Teach children and youth.

Most of us likely realize the best way to get a firm grasp on lessons we’ve learned in the past is to prepare to teach them to others. I regularly teach the 2s and 3s at church, and even revisiting extremely familiar stories is a great way to marvel at them once again. And teaching the youth this month has been a real joy.  

  • Journal my thoughts, something I call “rambling until I stumble across truth.”

No one ever has to read our journals, making them a safe place to work through the tangle of thoughts racing around in our head. Sometimes (often) I surprise myself with my own words.

  • Spend time in person and online with insightful people.

While we do learn things in unexpected ways from unexpected sources, we must be deliberate when it comes to discovering the specific information we need. While we must be careful whose advice we follow, there are numerous ways to ascertain if what worked for others will work for us. And when we find reliable sources of helpful info, we’re going to want to keep learning from these individuals.

  • Grab a coffee with a friend.

Even when we get together with a friend or family member simply to catch up, we often gain new insights and come away encouraged. Hopefully, others feel the same after they spend time with us as well.

What’s one of your favourite ways to learn something new?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Prioritizing Your Goals (Guest Post)

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Prioritizing Your Goals

by Steph Beth Nickel

Now that January is drawing to a close, you’re likely reconsidering the goals you made at the end of 2023 or the beginning of this year. I know I am.

Instead of giving up entirely on those goals we haven’t yet achieved, it may be time to prioritize them. Of course, there may be those we have to set aside, but the answer could be to 1) categorize them, 2) prioritize them, and 3) choose one small step toward each goal we want to achieve.

I have goals in the following categories. You may too. I have prioritized them, although they are all important.

  1. Spiritual
  2. Physical
  3. Emotional
  4. Relational
  5. Financial

I also have goals that don’t necessarily fall neatly into one of these categories. For example, some of my writing will allow me to earn money, but not all of it will. To an extent, my volunteer responsibilities fall into the spiritual, emotional, and relational categories—and, indirectly, into the fifth category as well.

I very much enjoy Emily P. Freeman’s The Next Right Thing podcast and journal. These resources, among others, have helped me to break down big goals into smaller, more achievable ones.

As a Christian, my ultimate spiritual goal is to become more Christlike. For the first time in a long time, I’ve committed to making my way through the entire Bible this year (I am incredibly thankful for the audio versions of the Bible). Another goal is to use a prayer journal 5-7 times per week. (Thanks to Tracy Krauss, who created the Thirty Days of Targeted Prayer journal. I use it daily.)

I have yet to begin exercising, but doing so 3-5 times per week is my #1 goal in the second category. The odd thing is that I actually enjoy exercising. I just have to get started.

As an extravert, it’s important for me to spend time with friends and family. These times of connecting build me up both emotionally and relationally. Something as simple as watching a TV show with my hubby in the evening brightens my day. (Listening to audiobooks and podcasts also makes me feel connected to others.)

My hubby will be retiring at the end of the year. Therefore, it’s important that I continue to bring in funds so we won’t notice the loss of income as dramatically. This means taking on writing and editing jobs that come my way and completing the two books I’m currently working on so I can get them into the world.

These are my current goals and the steps I’m taking toward achieving them. Please note: Some days I spend more time vegging and watching YouTube videos than I do working toward my goals. I am definitely a work in progress. I’m far better at creating a list of goals than actually achieving them.

How about you? Have you prioritized your 2024 goals? What one step are you taking to achieve your top goal?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Less is More? (Guest Post)

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Less is More?

by Steph Beth Nickel

I’m writing this at the end of October. I will let you know in the comments how I did with my goals for November.

Prioritize your current WIP (work in progress). Make room on your schedule. Keep your appointments with yourself the way you would with anyone else.

These are all good pieces of advice.

However…

You are a unique individual, a creative.

Sheer willpower and including my two current works in progress on my schedule have not been enough to keep me writing.

While it isn’t surprising that spending four days with my coauthor and working exclusively on her second memoir got me back into the groove of working on Keep Looking Up, what happened recently goes against conventional wisdom and fuels me up even more.

I was going to sign up for NaNoWriMo again this year and commit to working on my YA speculative fiction novel, which I’ve been working on off and on for several years—yes, years. Instead, I have committed to FlashNano. The goal: write 30 short stories in 30 days.

Am I crazy? Possibly…

However…

There are times in my life when the more I take on, the more motivated I am to work on projects I’ve neglected for far too long.

I recently wrote a 1400-word short story to submit for possible publication in the InScribe anthology that will be published in 2024. Whether it’s chosen or not, I’m pleased with how it turned out.

Because I wrote “Love Your Enemy,” I’m primed to work on Deb’s memoir and the YA novel as well as dive into the adventure of writing more short stories.

Of course, I’ll have to focus on my goals in order to accomplish them. I’ll have to add them to my daily Action Plan (aka my To-Do List). I’ll also have to set aside other things that I won’t have time to accomplish.

But by the end of November, I should have many more words written and polished. And as a writer, I’ve come to realize that none of the words we write are wasted.

Here are six reasons I’ve come to this conclusion:

  1. Practice may not make perfect, but it does make us better writers.
  2. Working on a new or different project can help us get unstuck with our current work(s) in progress.
  3. The more we write, the more it may fill the writing well or charge our writing battery.
  4. When we write works that seem to flow from us, it may give us the wherewithal to get back to those projects that we find tedious and uninteresting. (Most writers have to work on this type of project from time to time—or frequently.)
  5. We may end up publishing a piece we originally wrote just for fun after we revise and polish it.
  6. A piece we write may spark a longer work that gets picked up by a magazine or book publisher or one we choose to self publish.

So, I’ve found that, with writing, less is simply less. And more? Well, the more I write, the more I’m motivated to keep writing.

How about you? Do you need to focus on a single project, or does writing unrelated pieces motivate you to get back to those works that you’ve been neglecting?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

The Importance of Collaboration (Guest Post)

Colourful figures arranging the letters "T E A M"
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The Importance of Collaboration

by Steph Beth Nickel

There are many expressions of collaboration among creatives, in particular, among writers.

Below are just three of the possibilities:

Coauthoring a Book

I am currently working on a collaboration with Paralympian Deb Willows to complete her second memoir. This past week, I spent four days with Deb at her home in Northern Ontario. It’s so much easier to focus on a single task when I set aside other responsibilities and distractions, which I tend to focus on when I’m working from home. And while we have tried to connect regularly online, it just isn’t the same.

Deb and I came up with an initial table of contents and went from there. Sometimes, she simply shares the stories she would like to include, I flesh them out, and then we polish them together. At other times, I create a list of questions based on a topic we agreed to include, she answers them, and we proceed with the fleshing out and polishing process.

It’s an incredible honour to be entrusted with another person’s story and to help them bring it to the page.

Of course, memoir is only one type of book writers work on together. And the writing process varies from one team to another, but a two-person partnership working on a single project is what people often think of when they think of collaborative writing.

Attending a Virtual or In-Person Conference, Summit, or Workshop

Most of us likely would not consider this a form of collaboration, but I’ve come to see it differently.

This month I purchased the All-Access Pass to the Write Anyway Summit. While I can listen to the sessions anytime I choose, I decided to attend some of the Live sessions and, over the course of the week, listen to those that were prerecorded so that I wouldn’t neglect them indefinitely. (I don’t have a clue how many courses and All-Access Passes I’ve purchased only to tuck away for Someday, which we all know rarely comes.)

While I love the dynamics of an in-person conference, interacting with other writers online as a conference or summit is going on is a form of collaboration. We’re learning from one another as well as the presenters. And, in many cases, there may be an opportunity to meet a likeminded writer and form a collaborative partnership that could last long after the event is over.

Becoming Part of a Team

Whether we’re collaborating on a novel, a collection of short fiction, a nonfiction anthology on a single topic, or a magazine, being part of a team is one of the most rewarding—and one of the most challenging opportunities—we may ever participate in.

Different personalities. Different approaches to the writing. Different perspectives on the fluidity of deadlines. These are just a handful of the challenges we may face.

But when we successfully navigate these challenges and produce a product all collaborators can be proud of, it’s one of the most amazing things ever.

I’m thankful for every collaboration I’ve been part of—and look forward to future collaborations with my fellow creatives.

Can you think of any other examples of writing collaborations? What successful collaborations have you been part of? What did you enjoy most? Did you have to overcome any personal struggles to fulfill your obligations? We’d love to hear all about it.


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Why Enter a Writing Contest? (Guest Post)

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Why Enter a Writing Contest

by Steph Beth Nickel

Of course, if we enter a writing contest, we hope to win a cash prize—at least get an honourable mention.

But what if that doesn’t happen—especially if there’s a significant entrants’ fee?

Recently I entered a contest because the organization running the contest needed more entries in a few categories.

True confession…

Did I hope to at least win a prize equivalent to the entrants’ fee? Absolutely!

Was I disappointed that this didn’t happen? Briefly.

Did I gain something far more valuable? Without a doubt!

This particular contest included numerical scores and comments regarding several areas (formatting, POV, setting, etc.). I found the scores encouraging (for the most part) and the comments insightful.

Many of the negative comments verified things I already suspected and came as no surprise—although, let’s be honest, negative comments can be discouraging at first. We have to process the discouragement and then consider how to apply those insights that we feel will indeed make our writing better.

We also have to analyze the positive comments and press into them in our writing to make sure we further develop the skills we already possess.

So, the truth is that I’m glad I didn’t win a cash prize. If I had, I may not have paid as much attention to the judge’s comments—and my future work would not have benefited.

Here are 13 tips regarding writers’ contests:

  1. Make sure the organization holding the contest is legitimate.
  2. Read all the details carefully, including the fine print.
  3. Find out if there are benefits beyond a cash prize. (i.e.: judge’s comments for all entrants)
  4. Determine why you want to enter the contest and how you’ll likely feel if you don’t win a cash prize.
  5. Choose the category/categories you want to enter.
  6. Read the requirements carefully and follow all instructions to the letter.
  7. Write the best piece you can.
  8. If there’s time to put your entry away for a time and then go back to it, do so. We often see things we’d like to rework when we review our work objectively.
  9. Send off the entry (and submission fee) and get back to writing. Sometimes you won’t hear the results for quite some time.
  10. If you do receive the judge’s comments, whether you win a prize or not, read them carefully.
  11. After considering which observations and recommendations will make your writing better, make note of them and put them into practice.
  12. If there are comments you don’t agree with (which there likely will be), don’t set them aside indefinitely. Revisit them after you’ve had a chance to process your initial emotions and thoughts.
  13. And if you win—CELEBRATE!

What are your thoughts on entering a writing contest?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

How Writing Can Help Us Make Healthier Choices (Guest Post)

Tabletop with smart phone, open journal, pen, and plants.
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How Writing Can Help Us Make Healthier Choices

by Steph Beth Nickel

Please note that the following insights are for information purposes only. Getting professional help (a personal trainer, a counsellor, a financial advisor, etc.) is often an important step to making healthier choices in every area of life.

Most people give at least some thought to their physical, emotional, and mental health—to one degree or another. Those of us who are Christian likely give thought to our spiritual health as well—perhaps, prioritizing it over health in other areas. And then there’s relational health, financial health, etc.

Just how can writing help us improve our health in every area?

Before we dive in, let’s remember one very important thing: we can’t give equal attention to every area of health at the same time. That, in itself, would cause ongoing stress, which is not good for our health in any area.

Physical Health

You may want to begin by writing down your goals and setting a reasonable timeframe in which to achieve each of them. Keep track of successes, both big and small.

For example…

Goal: Develop a habit of exercising for a total of 150 minutes each week by the end of 2023.

This Week’s Goal: Exercise for 30 minutes twice this week.

Success: Took a 30-minute walk on Monday.

August’s Goal: Exercise for 30 minutes twice a week for the first week and 30 minutes three times a week for the remainder of the month.

Emotional Health

I have a journaling app on my phone. On more than one occasion, my entry simply read, “Ahhhhhhhhh!”

Journaling about your feelings, especially those often labeled “negative,” where others aren’t going to read your thoughts can be a helpful way of acknowledging and beginning to process them.

Mental Health

Of course, mental health and emotional health are closely linked. If you make it a habit of tracking how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking, you may be able to discern a pattern and take steps to improve both your emotional and mental health. And remember, everyone needs a support system. Talking with a therapist, a counsellor, or another professional can go a long way to developing resilience, which we all need.

Spiritual Health

Here are six ways writing can help in this area:

  1. Journal your prayers. This can keep you from getting distracted. Plus, it’s a great idea to review your prayer journal and make note of answered prayers.
  2. Many have found that keeping a gratitude journal can help them focus on the positive—even in the darkest of days.
  3. Take notes while you listen to a sermon, message, or podcast.
  4. Summarize your Bible reading in a brief paragraph.
  5. Keeping track of your spiritual growth can be an encouragement to you. Plus, one day, you may be able to use your words to encourage others on their own journey to spiritual health.

Tools to Use

  1. A note-taking app on your phone
  2. A journaling app on your phone (I have the paid version of the Day One Journal, which is extremely versatile.)
  3. A Word doc on your computer
  4. A physical journal or notebook
  5. A dictation app on your phone

Let’s make one or two healthier choices this week and consider how writing can keep us on track.


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Saying Goodbye to Q2 (Guest Post)

Image of a yellow paper with a picture of a lightbulb, pinned to a corkboard.
Image by Gino Crescoli from Pixabay

Saying Goodbye to Q2

by Steph Beth Nickel

How do you feel about making to-do lists? How about schedules? Lists of goals and/or resolutions?

Personally, I’m a huge fan, but, unlike many people, I don’t mind if I don’t get everything crossed off my list. I’ve recently learned that there are those of us who like to create a list of goals—even if we don’t accomplish all of them.

That probably sounds strange—maybe even crazy—to some of you. I was, however, glad to find out I wasn’t alone in this.

And now that we’re at the end of the second quarter of 2023, it’s time for those of us who like making lists and setting quarterly goals to create our list for Q3.

Below is a high-level look at my list. Hopefully it will give you some ideas as to what to include on your own list—if you choose to create one that is.

Spiritual Goals

I have a number of goals in this area that include reading, memory work, study, and prayer—as well as connecting with other believers regularly.

Health Goals

I want to eat better, walk more, and do more resistance training than I have been. I may even use some of the subscriptions I signed up for—maybe. While I would like to lose a significant amount of weight, the most important thing is to get as healthy as I can.

Editing Goals

I want to stay caught up with my clients’ work and complete recurring tasks early in the month so I’m not frantically trying to get them done during the last week of the month.

Writing Goals

I would love to complete the first draft of the memoir I’m coauthoring and get back to writing the YA speculative fiction and study on the gospel of John that I’ve been working on sporadically.

Reading Goals

I am doing more reading, both fiction and nonfiction, and loving it. I hope to read for pleasure pretty much every day.

Hometending Goals

Since we’re planning to move in two and a half or three years, it’s time to do some serious decluttering and deep cleaning. (We’ve been in our current home for over 20 years.)

Other Responsibilities

I have other responsibilities that I want to accomplish to the best of my abilities. I also want to exercise wisdom when it comes to taking on and laying aside these and other responsibilities/opportunities.

Homegoing Goals

This is not about being morbid; it’s about being prepared. At 62, I realize it will be much easier on my family if I assemble all the info they need in a convenient location should the Lord call me home. It would also be good if I got rid of the things I no longer want to keep, things I know would just prove burdensome if left for them to deal with. And since I put the “pro” in PROcrastination, I figured I best get started on this now—even though I may still have decades of life on this planet.

How about you? Do you make quarterly goals? Do you prioritize those that are most important so you will work on them before others that are on the Would Be Nice List?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

It’s Okay to Say No (Guest Post)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

It’s Okay to Say No

by Steph Beth Nickel

“It’s vital that people have access to this information. What would you think of using my research and writing a book? No need to put my name on it.”

Sounds like a writer’s dream, doesn’t it?

The material is sound. It could help a lot of people. Theoretically, I could carve out time in my schedule.

Still, I knew the right thing to do was to turn down the offer.

As writers, we don’t have to take on every opportunity that comes our way.

Granted, we don’t always have the freedom to say no, but when that is a viable option, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons.

Here are nine questions to ask yourself when considering an opportunity that comes your way. (As a Christian, I believe it’s important to do so prayerfully, asking God for wisdom and direction.)

  1. Does the prospect of taking on this project excite me?
  2. Do I have the skills necessary to complete this project—or am I able to acquire them in a reasonable amount of time?
  3. How long will it take to complete this project? (It’s always important to give yourself more time than you think you need. The more involved the project, the more margin you’ll want to factor in.)
  4. Will I have to set aside other projects in order to take this on?
  5. Will I have to sacrifice volunteer commitments and time with family and friends?
  6. Will I need the support of others? Is so, would it be reasonable to ask it of them?
  7. Is it reasonable to think that I will have the physical, mental, and emotional energy it will take to push through until this project is complete?
  8. Will the return on investment (ROI) be worth it? (ROI doesn’t always refer to financial gain. For example, the sense of satisfaction that comes from completing a project you’re passionate about can make it worth the time and effort.)
  9. If after asking myself this series of questions, I’m still undecided, who can I discuss this with who knows me and my situation well enough to give me wise counsel?

When faced with a decision, I like to remember Lysa TerKeurst’s book The Best Yes. The title pretty much says it all.

To sum up how to best make a decision, we can ask ourselves a single question: Is this the best yes for me at this time?

And remember…

It really is okay to say no.


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Setting Bite-Sized Goals (Guest Post)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Setting Bite-Sized Goals

by Steph Beth Nickel

Time for some true confessions…

When I have an unavoidable but overwhelming task to accomplish, too often I choose to procrastinate and put it off for another time—sometimes, years in the future.

Overwhelming Task #1: Preparing to Downsize and Move Out of the Province

In three years or so, my hubby will have retired, and we plan to relocate. After living in our home for over 25 years, that will not be an easy task. (Not to mention the fact that our home was over 100 years old when we moved in. Let’s just say there’s lots of work to do to get it ready to sell.)

Overwhelming Task #2: Making Healthier Choices

Unfortunately, just because I used to be a personal trainer and actually enjoy exercise and eating healthy foods doesn’t mean I don’t make poor choices too often, planning to do better tomorrow.

Overwhelming Task #3: Buckling Down and Actually Writing

One day in the not-too-distant future, I would like to be bringing in a decent income from indie published books. (That means writing, publishing, and marketing said books, however.)

What’s on your Procrastination List
(aka Your Overwhelming Tasks List)?

What with our day-to-day responsibilities and volunteer obligations, it’s no wonder our ultimate goals can prove overwhelming. What can we do to break them down into more bite-sized goals that propel us in the right direction?

Let’s take my writing goal as an example.

Let’s say in 20 years I want to have at least 30 books out in the world. That’s a very achievable goal if I break it down into smaller tasks.

I can see myself writing a book a year for 10 years and two books a year for the following decade, Lord willing.

Thankfully, I have a head start on a number of those manuscripts. In fact, I have several children’s picture book manuscripts on my computer that I could make available in the next couple of years. I also have a series of devotionals on the gospel of John that I’ve begun to rework for publication. The two novels I have begun are each the first in a series, and writing a series is one of the best ways to develop a readership.

So, what can I do to get my manuscripts to the next stage?

Picture Books

Hire an illustrator and research print on demand. Although it’s possible to make children’s books available as ebooks, I prefer to make them available as physical books only, preferably hardcovers, but I’ll have to do my research on that one.

Devotionals

As I see it, I have two choices: 1) rework each devotional to conform with reader expectations or 2) expand what I have into more of a fleshed-out Bible study.

Christian Women’s Fiction

It has been years since I looked at the story I began approximately a decade ago, but I still like the premise and the idea of creating a Hard Choices series. For now, this book will remain on the back burner, but I haven’t given up on it.

YA Spec Fiction

I’m in the midst of re-reading and tweaking what I’ve already written. At 45,000 words, I’m approximately half done. So, completing the first draft is Step 1, which is possible in approximately three months if I stick with it.

I have the resources I need. I have connections to several successful indie authors. Plus, I have access to a plethora of books, podcasts, and FB groups that lay out how to self-publish a book.

While making these plans doesn’t ensure that I will accomplish my long-range goals, it does give me a starting point. And the first step I plan to take is to complete the first draft of my YA speculative fiction novel.

How about you? What project have you been putting off that you can take a step toward accomplishing today?


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

In Search of Greener Grass (Guest Post)

Image by Christian Wöhrl from Pixabay

In Search of Greener Grass

by Steph Beth Nickel

SURPRISE!

The grass isn’t always greener.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but, for one reason or another, never seem to get around to?

Or…

Maybe you devote a great deal of time to the project over a few days, weeks, or months, but then life happens, and you set the project aside.

Can I write? I can.

Do I have a plethora of ideas for books I’d like to publish? Without a doubt, from picture books to YA speculative fiction novels to contemporary Christian women’s fiction. And that’s just the beginning.

Do I have a number of manuscripts started? <averts eyes and hums>

Do I keep making plans to get back to writing? Absolutely!

But what do I spend my time doing? Not writing.

Will I get back to writing? That’s the plan.

But recently I discovered something.

At this point, authoring books may not be the call on my life.

As an editor, I help other writers more effectively communicate the message that’s on their heart.

What is it that lets me know that, for now, this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing? Comments like the following:

“It sounds just like me—only better.”

“You’ve not only made my writing better; you’ve made me a better writer.”

“I’m excited to begin working with you.”

What do you dream of doing? Are you currently pursuing your dreams? If not, have you made definite plans as to when you will begin doing so?

Here’s something else to think about…

Maybe you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing for now.

Between your day job, your family responsibilities, and your volunteer work, maybe there are simply no more hours left in the day.

But others are doing it all.

I don’t want to miss out.

If I just got up an hour earlier…

It could be time to replace those thoughts. Here are some ways to do just that…

  1. As a Christian, it’s important to pray over our schedule and ask for wisdom as we create our To-Do List each day. Then…
  2. List all the responsibilities you have. Remember to include downtime and the needed “white space” in your schedule. We all need to recharge.
  3. Consider the people who benefit from the tasks you accomplish each day. While excessive people pleasing is at one end of the scale and self-absorption is at the other, there is a way to keep a healthy tension between the two. We depend on others, and others depend on us. That’s not a bad thing unless we go to extremes.
  4. Write down the things you enjoy/find gratifying about the tasks on your list. Beginning a daily gratitude journal for your life as it is today is a great way to make this an ongoing exercise.
  5. Honestly evaluate if there’s something you could cross off the list.
  6. Decide if the projects you dream of accomplishing “one day” are for now or some day in the future.
  7. Break down those projects you would like to accomplish into small, doable chunks. In this way, they won’t seem so overwhelming, and you may be able to add the less time-consuming tasks to your current schedule, giving you a sense of forward momentum.

Those voices that insist the grass is greener elsewhere and that, if we just try hard enough, our “yard” will be the envy of others need to be quietened. Guilt, shame, and discontentment do not serve as healthy motivators.

Let’s keep Colossians 3:23 in mind and do everything we do as if doing it for the Lord, whether that’s writing the next Amazon bestseller or preparing dinner for our family.


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.