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Almost Walking on Water

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  A few years ago, I took up a new sport.   I’m not really a sporty person and young only at heart, but it was after the lock downs that my husband and I decided to give Stand up Paddle boarding a go. It was something different to do. I surprised myself by getting the hang of it and I really enjoyed myself. So last year we did a course to improve our skills and this year we purchased a couple of boards. Watching paddle boarders glide along the river makes it all looks pretty straight forward, but in truth things can become unstable very quickly. The secret to staying dry is to keep your feet in the same place and make sure your eyes are looking ahead. The paddle then helps you both move and balance. When conditions are good it is, I think, the closest thing to walking on water (without the walking of course!) I just love the feeling of stillness, gently wending my way along a river cocooned in nature. There are a few tips we can take from stand-up paddling that can help us both as wr
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Finding ways to communicate the Bible by Lorna Clark

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Today's blog is from another member of Green Pastures Christian Writers, the ACW-affiliated group based in mid-Norfolk. Lorna Clark writes: I took my first online creative writing course over twenty years ago – in the days before Zoom. I’m a Licensed Lay Minister and I hoped it would help my sermons to resonate with the congregations. The majority of people in one of my larger churches are not educated to a high standard and easily lose concentration if the message is complicated. This doesn’t mean they are unintelligent, far from it. I admire the wisdom, common sense and practicality of these people. I started slowly, using short stories as illustrations and linking them to the Bible text. Then one day, one member of the congregation took me to one side and told me there was no need to explain the illustration: they got it and remembered the story. By this time I had a collection of stories on my computer, which I wouldn’t use again with the same congregations. I was wondering
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The Big One

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A significant birthday has come around again and a new decade beckons.   While I discover that I have to wait another six years to obtain a much coveted bus pass, I will soon be able to procure a ‘senior’ railcard (at this point, I’m taking whichever perks are offered). Apparently (according to online advice), I   should be celebrating this diamond jubilee with white roses, planting a tree and embracing the ‘golden years’. I don’t quite see it myself, but I have spent a few moments pondering the impending milestone and asking others how they reacted to reaching this birthday themselves.   I’ve actually found it considerably less intimidating than the big 4-0 was. One quote I found told me that the age of sixty represents, ‘a reckoning with the truth of mortality.’ That sounds rather pompous to me but I continue to tell myself, ‘You’ll never be this young again.' A birthday always provides a clear opportunity to pause and reflect and, in the context of writing, I’ve found that surpr
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Gathering Gifts

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  I nearly didn’t go to the ACW Autumn Gathering. Ken my OH and I had a rough time over the summer and with illness and losing a close relative. We still felt she’ll-shocked. In the end, we decided that we could come home if we couldn’t cope.  We managed to get lost in Rugby and were despairing of finding where we were when Asda’s bright lights appeared and we knew that’s where we should park. It was a relief to reach our room in the hotel. At the Friday evening meeting, we fell into conversation with old friends and Ken was instantly included as if he too was a writer. We were entertained by Annmarie Miles, fed cakes (with gluten free for me) and even had a quiz from Joanne Gilcrest with prizes for everyone! Bryony Wood gave a great presentation of her book ‘The Sound of Musings’ which included clips from the Sound of Music plus a chance to sing along. The highlight for me was the blessing Bryony had written to be sung to the tune of ‘Edelweiss’. Meanwhile I was suffering - shaking fr
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Hello, Goodbye

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  Saturday12th was the Association of Christian Writers Autumn Gathering in Rugby, and my last day as ACW webmaster.   I started to write an account of my time on the ACW Committee, but the piece was becoming too long and, I reflected, our reminiscences are interesting only to ourselves.   I joined the ACW Committee as Competitions Manager in 2015, when I was mentally and emotionally in a very bad place, although I didn’t realise at the time how low I was.   I had just retired from full-time teaching, from a job I started out loving and ending up hating.   My writing also was in the doldrums.   You ACW members embraced me with acceptance and support and gave me confidence and the kick-start I needed to get writing again.   In 2020, during the pandemic, when we were all wondering whether we'd live a normal life again, and speak to anyone except on Zoom, I was asked to take over as webmaster.   Dear Reader, this was the role I relished. I’m sure I would have written my novel Wodk
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The Art of Editing, Part Three: Punctuation

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In my mini-series on editing, it’s time to consider punctuation. It’s a minefield, this; and some of you might disagree with me, but I hope it’s helpful nonetheless. Punctuation breaks up an endless flow of words for easier reading and also (when reading out loud) where you can breathe. This month, let’s talk about the apostrophe – and get this horrible little blighter out of the way. I used one in “let’s” just now. Why? Because one function is to indicate where there are missing letters, where words have been joined up colloquially. We’ve, she’d, might’ve, are all examples. All very straightforward. Of course, the thorny issue comes when the apostrophe is used to indicate possession: the coat that belongs to Carol is Carol’s coat. But the coats that belong to Carol Gee, Carol Eff and Carol Aitch are Carols’ coats. Get it? (Of course, it really, really doesn’t help that English is so pesky. “Children” is a single word describing a plural number of little people, so you would have “ch
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Bookshop Day - Christian Bookshops Making a Difference

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(Posted by Rosemary on behalf of  Emma Bradshaw ( Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland Ltd)). Over the past few years, the Booksellers Association has run two campaigns celebrating bookshops at the same time of year: Bookshop Day and Christian Books Are My Bag. This year, with a view to further boosting consumer and trade engagement with Christian bookshops, the Booksellers Association has been working with the Christian Booksellers Group committee to focus on one campaign, Bookshop Day. There will be a dedicated strand of the campaign for the specialist Christian market, which includes bespoke messaging (see below) and point of sale kits. Choose Christian Bookshops Experience a warm welcome and a listening ear Speak to knowledgeable staff with a shared faith Receive trusted recommendations Browse a range of Bibles and Christian titles Purchase gifts and cards for milestones in the Christian journey Connect with your Christian community Support a Christian ministry Assist in
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