Her fiction includes juvenile chapter books: The Purple Heart, Boot Camp, and Singing Soldiers. In nonfiction, she is a regular contributor of devotions for The Secret Place and Quiet Hour and has published numerous articles and short stories in magazines, compilation books, and Sunday school papers.
Here's Barb's tips...
As I prepare for the conference, I’m reminded of the time just
before my first conference when I didn’t feel like I was really ready to go. I
didn’t know if I was a writer, and I felt guilty squandering our money just for
a fun trip. Our finances were tight at the time, and I wondered if I was being
a good steward of the money God gave us.
As the days before the conference ticked off, my anxiety
grew. I rushed to get projects finished, but life happened and I seemed to get little accomplished. I would be
presenting projects I was not yet proud of—writing not yet perfectly matched
with my plans and expectations.
I couldn’t figure out how to be perfect. How to impress the
editors and agents with whom I would be meeting. How to know ahead of time
exactly what they wanted to see and hear. How to avoid the horrible experience
of embarrassment or failure.
In all honesty, though I didn’t see it at the time, my
anxiety boiled down to pride—not
being able to control what others saw and felt about me. All my life I had been
an over-achiever because my self-worth was totally wrapped up in my performance
and the affirmation of others.
Finally, I talked to my husband about my situation. “I’m so
sorry, honey,” I said. “I feel like I’m wasting our precious money. I wonder if
I could cancel and get a partial refund.”
With warm eyes, my sweet husband just smiled in his special
reassuring way. “No, you’re not going to cancel. I don’t care if all you do is
go sit under the mountains and spend time with Jesus. That would be worth every penny we’re spending!”
Wow! What a relief. The pressure to perform was off. I was
going on a vacation with my precious friend and Savior, Jesus. With His help, I
would do the best I could—and that would be enough. I could trust Him to walk
beside me and show me His plan for my writing.
Each year, I remember those wise words from my husband. And
each year, I consciously take time to lay aside the pressure of “being ready”
and focus on my time with God. For when I turn my eyes to Him, the things of
earth truly do grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
I've attended
the Colorado and Philadelphia Christian writers conferences for the last 16
years. I can honestly say that I have learned more here than from all the books
I've bought and studied. The one-on-one appointments, the 30-minute individual
paid critiques, and the in-depth studies provided in the continuing sessions
answer my questions, strengthen my skills, and encourage me to keep writing the
message God gives me. And on top of all that, I’ve developed close friendships
and see the conference as a giant reunion of our family of writers.
Marlene has a heart for writers and has inspired and mentored
hundreds of authors for over 30 years. Her wish is that anyone who feels called
to Write His Answer will find a way
to attend the conferences. And she will do all she can to make that happen …
for YOU!
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